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Faith

Learning to Trust

by TerryLema

This verse popped up this morning. Ps 138:8: “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me.” [NKJV]

The HCSB translates it this way, “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me.”

Then they both remind that the love / mercy of the LORD endures forever.

Occasionally, uncertain situations or circumstances can stretch out for long periods of time. Learning to trust the LORD while we are waiting to see the outcome can be difficult.  I would like to be able to say that my faith, my trust in the LORD is always absolute and perfect.  I really would like to be able to say that … but I can’t. Even at 76, after a half-century of serving the LORD, there are still times when my faith doesn’t measure up to what I think it should be.

It is during those times (one of which happened recently) that I need to remember that the fulfillment of God’s purpose for me is secure in Him.  The LORD will perfect, the LORD will fulfill. I may get a bit wobbly at times, but God remains steadfast in my behalf. He will make it happen.

My imperfect faith, my wobbliness, cannot change God’s purpose or His ability to perfect and fulfill it for me … it will only make me miserable in the waiting.

Once again, God proved Himself steadfast in my behalf. Once again, I made myself miserable while waiting to see Him do it.

You would think after all these years I would have learned that, wouldn’t you?

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Nuggets

by TerryLema

I am a firm believer that we can walk away from every Sunday service with a nugget of truth that ministers to our soul and spirit. We might glean it from something in the message, or a phrase in a song. We might gather it from something someone says to us or hear the whisper of God when we are praying.

We can walk away with that nugget if we go in expecting to find it. That happened last Sunday. The message centered around fear. And right in the middle of it, I heard the pastor say … “Both fear and faith can move mountains. Fear moves the mountain into our path, faith moves it away.”

Suddenly I had a mental image of some of the mountains that have blocked my path over the years. I don’t think I spent much time wondering how the mountain got there, I was more concerned about how to get the mountain out of there!

Remember the event with the father and son following Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain? The disciples had been unable to do anything to relieve the boy’s distress. After Jesus set the boy free, the disciples questioned Him about their inability. His response told them why.

“’Because of your little faith,’ He told them. ‘For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” [Matthew 17:20 HCSB]

I always focused on working on getting that “mustard seed” faith to move my mountains. I never considered what part of my thinking (fear usually) put that mountain there in the first place. But I sure will consider my thinking going forward thanks to Pastor Jerrad last Sunday.

That was my nugget, and it was a good one.

 

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We Lack Nothing!

by TerryLema

I love the opening chapter of Peter’s Second Letter. It was written to those “who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours [the apostles], through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” [vs 1 HCSB]

That’s me! That’s you! Those original disciples of Christ Jesus passed to us “a faith of equal privilege.” What a marvelous thought.

Then Peter immediately turns to writing about growing in the knowledge of that faith in God and Jesus our LORD. What he says in verses 3 through 8 captivates my thinking and thrills my soul. I know I’ve written about these things before, but as I sit reading these verses today, here I go again.

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” [2 Peter 1:3 HCSB]

Read verse three again. “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness ….”

EVERYTHING! We lack nothing.

What if you were given a storehouse that had everything you would ever need for the rest of your life? In that storehouse were food, clothing, every essential. There were vouchers for homes, cars, and careers. You could find shelves labeled “Love, Relationships, Hugs, and Friendship,” and others labeled “Kindness, Compassion, Comfort, Peace, Joy.” Everything was yours, and you never had to pay even a penny.

That, beloved, is what we have – everything required for life and godliness – at our fingertips because we share a faith of equal privilege in Christ Jesus our LORD and Savior. Glory!

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MVPs

by TerryLema

For those of you who may not follow sports, 2022 has been a VERY unusual year.

*On February 13, the LA Rams won the Super Bowl, the MVP was Cooper Kupp. (Also NFL offensive player of the year and Triple Crown Winner.)

*In April, the Golden State Warrior won the MBA playoffs, Stephen (Steph) Curry was the MVP.

*In September, Scottie Scheffler, who won the Master’s along with other tournaments, was named the 2022 PGA Golfer of the Year.

*On October 4, Aaron Judge, a New York Yankee, hit his 62nd home run this season, breaking the AL record of 61 set in 1961, 61 years ago.

I am writing this because the MVP’s of these four major sports are all openly Christian men who have acknowledged their dedication to Christ Jesus.

Cooper Kupp: “God is good. On the mountains and in the valleys, He has been with us every step of the way,” he said of his wife, Anna Marie, and their children.

Steph Curry: “My faith gives me purpose in life. It gives me purpose in playing basketball. I know not to get too high off of wins and not too low off of losses because there are much bigger things going on than winning and losing.”

Scottie Scheffler: “People a lot of times think, well, if you become a Christian, God’s just gonna make everything easy for you, and that’s not the case. But having the God of the universe, the Creator, on your side just makes things a lot easier to deal with. And the principles of the Bible are something that, when you use them, you can see it manifest in your life.”

Aaron Judge: The first words that are in his twitter account are: Christian, Faith, Family and then Baseball. In his own words he thanks God for choosing his adoptive parents. The background image at the top of his Twitter account reads: 2 Corinthians 5: 7 «Because we walk by faith, not by sight». 

God gave these four young men a platform on which to highlight their faith through their athletic abilities. With all the bad examples in sports, the MVP’s this year are all strong Christian men who excel in their sports, live a life dedicated to Christ Jesus, and serve as faith-filled examples.

Proverbs 18:16: “A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.” [HCSB]

Today: Thank you LORD for Your hand upon future generations.

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Believing

by TerryLema

A couple Sunday’s ago The Way had a guest speaker. Her message was about “Crazy Faith” and she shared some of the miracles God had done in her life and the lives of others that she witnessed. At the end, she asked anyone who needed a miracle to come forward. I do, so I did. I was the only one who did.

She prayed for a miracle healing from the auto-immune diseases that want to control my body. I am believing for that miracle.

My auto-immune diseases had been under “control” until recently. In the last month, they flared up again. In addition to the diseases, I have had to deal with the side effects of the medications. Yes, I need a miracle.

I will admit that I have learned a lot dealing with chronic disease. That said, however, I think God now wants me to be healed. So, I am putting this in writing … I received a miracle on Sunday.

I am believing with “crazy faith” that God is healing my body of chronic disease. He is opening up a new way for me.

I want “crazy faith” to believe for a miracle – not just for me, but for you also!

“Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness … my God, that is Who You are!”

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Company in Our Misery

by TerryLema

It had been a long day of teaching.  The crowd had been so large that Jesus had to teach from a boat that was sitting out on the lake.  When evening came, Jesus told his disciples to go over to the other side of the lake.  Then he promptly fell asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat.  You can read the story in Mark 4:35-41. It is one of my favorites.

A furious squall, meaning a violent storm, came up, so much so that waves broke over the boat.  Jesus slept on.  Afraid for their lives, the disciples woke Him, “’Teacher,’ they said, ‘don’t you care if we drown?’”

After Jesus quieted the storm by simply telling it to do so, and after chiding His disciples for their lack of faith, Mark recounts that “And they were terrified and asked one another, ‘Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!’”  [v41 HCSB]

I love this story for a couple of reasons.  First, that the disciples were afraid of the storm while it was raging but were even more terrified by what they had witnessed after the storm quieted.

Second, I always wonder why they woke him.  They certainly didn’t think he could do anything about the storm, attested to by their amazement when He did.  Did they just want some company in their misery?  Were they a bit put out because He could sleep so peacefully while they were afraid?

The disciples were human, like us.  We run to Jesus when we are frightened by life’s circumstances but are we really expecting Him to do anything or do we just want some company in our misery. 

If we are standing in faith and expectation, then why are we amazed when He does quiet our storms?

 

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Will He Find Faith

by TerryLema

Following Jesus’ discourse in Luke 17 on the signs of the coming of the kingdom, Chapter 18 begins with the Parable of the Persistent Widow.  Jesus explains in verse one why He is telling them that parable. “He then told a parable on the need to pray always and not become discouraged.” 

The widow in the parable was tenacious in her request for justice. She kept coming to an “unjust” judge until he became tired of her persistence and granted her request. By comparison, Jesus reminded His listeners that when they are persistent in their prayer to cry out to our “just” God, He is swift to respond.

“Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them? I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice.” [vs 7-8a HCSB]

It is, however, how He ends the parable that caught my attention.  “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?” [vs 8b HCSB]

That question really takes us back to the signs of the coming of the kingdom that ends Chapter 17.  That is a time of difficulties, struggles, and distress as was found in the times of Noah and of Lot. It is a time of apostasy when the faith of many will grow cold.

When that time comes, will the LORD Jesus find the kind of faith possessed by that widow? The way the question is phrased, it suggests that on a broad scale, the answer is “no.”

However, God has always had a remnant who are true to Him. While we wait for His return, each one of us should be stirred to develop the kind of faith that cries out to God night and day.

LORD, help us to be persistent in our praying and tenacious in our faith. Amen.

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Next Path

by TerryLema

At my retirement celebration on December 28, one of the wonderful ladies of the church brought a cake. It had 11 candles gathered in one corner representing my 11 years with The Way Middleton. Close by was a 12th candle all by itself. That was to represent the new path my life is to take.

So, what do we do whenever we are standing and waiting on God to show us the next path? I sense God is calling me to deepen my faith and strengthen my relationship with Him as I wait for the that path.

I wish I could find an “Easy How-to-Guide to Deepen Your Faith.” Perhaps one that has five or ten easy steps and guarantees “Do these steps in order and increase your faith in 30-days!”  Unfortunately, God, faith, my own heart, and my relationship with Him doesn’t quite work that way.

I do know that one of the first “steps” to deepening my faith means being humble enough to believe that God knows so much more than I do. He is God, I am not. He alone can teach me about myself and about Him.

I also know that it is more than just reading my Bible or studying more. It is more than intellectual, it requires application, prayer, time, and a desire to be led (that’s where the humility comes in).

I will admit I have no idea where I am going with all this but stay tuned. I will keep you updated (smile!). I think this will be an exciting and extremely challenging journey.

(Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”)

 

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Humility: Foundation of Faith (Luke 17)

by TerryLema

There is a wonderful event in the life of Jesus related in Luke 17. It involved ten lepers who were healed by Jesus and sent off to the priests to affirm their cleansing. One, a Samaritan, came back and fell at Jesus’ feet offering praise and glory to God. I love that story, but it is not the one I want to focus on this morning.

The one that has always been especially precious to me – and especially challenging – is found earlier in the chapter. Jesus’ disciples asked Him to “Increase our faith.” Jesus tells them they just need faith like a mustard seed. [vs 5-6]

Ah, if Jesus had just left it there, but He did not. He goes on to tell them about the duty that is attached to the faith. He uses an example of a slave who has spent the day toiling in the fields who then comes home and needs to make dinner for the master.  He ends with a description of this slave that seems almost cruel. “In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing [unworthy] slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’” [vs 10 HCSB]

When we approach this Scripture, we need to understand the norms of that society. Jesus describes here something that would have been a common practice and obvious to His listeners. It is totally foreign to us since this world’s idea of success is not servanthood but to lord it over others.

Jesus is not demeaning servants, instead He is giving the ideal of servanthood, and attaching duty to faith.  The true bondservant of Christ Jesus has no reason for pride. In its place there must be a true sense of duty that is rooted in humility.  Humility is the foundation of faith.

As we seek the LORD, our desire is to serve Him and do His work. That duty and accompanying faith provides us the power we need to thrive as we serve Him and others in His name.  Jesus reminds us that we are not to feel proud of our faith or of our good works. They are, after all, what is expected of those who desire to be disciples of Christ.

LORD Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to serve You and others in Your name! Amen.

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Simon the Snob and a Courageous Sinner

by TerryLema

The last event in Luke 7 is to me the most treasured. I like reading about the Centurion’s faith. I like noting the compassion Jesus had for the widow who lost her only son. And the story of John the Baptizer and his disciples always makes we wonder about things. But the interaction between Jesus, Simon the Pharisee and a sinful woman is the most precious to me. [Luke 7:36-50]

Jesus had been invited to dinner at the house of Simon the Pharisee. Simon apparently dispensed with the common courtesies afforded guests (water to wash their dusty feet, a kiss of greeting, anointing oil). It showed the great lack of respect that Simon had for Jesus.

At some point during the meal a woman in the town who was known as a “sinner” snuck into Simon’s home and found Jesus. She had an alabaster jar of fragrant oil and she “stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with fragrant oil.”

Simon snobbishly labeled both Jesus and the woman—she was a sinner and Jesus could certainly not be a prophet if He allowed this woman to touch Him.  Jesus, immediately recognizing what Simon was thinking, told him a parable about much forgiveness and much love. The parable was about a creditor who had two people in debt to him, one owing 500 denarii and the other only 50. The creditor forgave both … so which debtor would love more?  Of course, the one who owed the most.

The woman knew she was a great “sinner,” but her faith, as Jesus noted later, drove her to Jesus. It took much courage for her to come into the house of Simon, a Pharisee who did not think he had any debt at all.

Jesus pointed out to Simon his lack of respect and how this “sinner” woman had provided everything Simon had failed to provide. Then Jesus had two things to say to the woman … “Your sins are forgiven … Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

I love this story because I know that I am like that sinful woman. It took courage to admit that five decades ago, but I did. I came to my Precious Savior. My sins are forgiven. Now I am saved through God’s grace by faith. My peace is real.

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