Time

In these days, much of the world is in quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is fear, conspiracy theories, panic, hoarding, social distancing, and closures of schools, churches & businesses. Most of us have never lived through such a time as this, so we really don't know what to make of it. We find ourselves at home more and our once jam-packed schedules are now free and open with nowhere to go. This can either be a relief or a nightmare. 

Time. So often we wish we had more time. Now some of us do. This time came at a good time for me since I had surgery in mid-February. It's given me a good excuse to stay home, rest, read, catch up on personal & work paperwork, watch TV, listen to more music & great sermons and pray more. I've even written and sent some long overdo letters and cards and now trying to write again. As I felt better, I did a little baking and cooking. 

Time. For others, this time means the loss of a paycheck, or reduced hours. Still others may panic at so much time alone or have underlying medical or mental issues that make this time absolutely terrifying or unbearable. Their days may be excruciatingly long and difficult to get through without some help. 

That's why I've been so encouraged by people's creativity and the gift of technology. This is a wonderful time to reach out to those in our sphere of influence: neighbors, friends, co-workers, family, etc. A phone call, text message, or video-chat could truly lift their spirits. We may not be able to go inside and visit, but we can drop off groceries or homemade goodies to those near us. 

I love seeing the videos of people in apartment buildings out on their balcony's singing together or clapping for those in the medical field and others on the front lines of this pandemic, children and adults playing their instruments for anyone within hearing distance. A woman with her dog still visiting the nursing home, but going window to window outside. My husband's nurse allowing me to call her personal cell phone so that we could video-chat. 

Time. It's also a good time to think about what is really important, what really matters in life. We are  in the season of Lent, preparing our hearts in remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection. A time of reflection, a time of soul-searching. As our thoughts may run away with "what ifs", let's remember...

2 Corinthians 10:5

We demolish arguments and every pretension

that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, 

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This time has not surprised God. He has not changed. He is still Sovereign. As believers in God Almighty and His Son, Jesus Christ and having His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we do not need to fear that which can kill the body, but cannot touch the soul. 

Matthew 10:28

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body

 but cannot kill the soul. 

Rather, be afraid of the One 

who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Time. It is precious. I hope that as this time of isolation continues for a while, we will look for ways to bless someone else with our time, realize what is truly important in all time, and of utmost importance, if you do not believe in Jesus, that you will take the time to search your heart and God's word. Seek Him while there is time. In all of this there is joy to be found in the midst of the unknown and the unusual.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself

 and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace

 gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 

encourage your hearts and strengthen you

 in every good deed and word.

Great Faith

James 2:18-24

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 

19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

I have read this passage many times throughout the years, plus heard it used as an argument for works in relationship to salvation. The Bible clearly teaches that our salvation is through Christ's work alone, all of our works are as filthy rags in that regard and that's not what James is talking about here. Here he is talking about works that come out of a genuine faith in God and today it really hit me for the first time why he used the examples of Abraham & Isaac, and Rahab when talking about this. The passage became so clear!

Abraham had such tremendous faith and trust in God that he was willing to kill his own son, whom he had waited so long for, in order to be obedient to God's instruction. Abraham loved his son, Isaac, but he loved God more. Without great faith in God, he would have never been obedient to the point of killing his son, the son of promise. He believed so strongly in God's faithfulness that he gathered all that was necessary to sacrifice his son, believing that God would raise Isaac back from the dead or perform some other miracle to save his life, which we know God did in providing the ram at just the right moment.

To use this passage to justify works or to miss the great faith connection is to miss the most important part of James' message - faith, trust, and obedience to God Almighty will result in works, works that we cannot do in our own strength. No one would be able to do this type of work without complete faith in God. This kind of faith will lead to doing the work that God wants done and is calling us personally to do. It is not a one-size-fits-all, but it will all bring honor and glory to God.

James 2:25&26

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Then we have Rahab's story. Her "works" could have easily cost her life. She disobeyed the King, lying in order to protect the spies because she believed the Israelite's God was "indeed God in heaven above and on earth below." She feared God more than man. She acted out of her faith in the one true God - believing that He alone could protect her and her family, but she also was not frozen with fear. She acted on her faith.

In both cases, the works came out of a very strong faith, trust, and obedience to God Almighty. Faith produces the works of God. Otherwise faith is dead and works are just works.

Love the Lord your God...

Recently I've had a few conversations with others about how my view of God and my theology have changed over the past 7 years. Trauma, pain, suffering, heartache, loss,__________, can send us on a quest to understand what this life is all about and who's in control. You fill in the blank with what turned your world upside down or sideways. Upheaval is not what we plan for, but maybe we should. I don't mean walking around expecting the worst to happen, but making sure we have a strong foundation from which to respond rather than reacting in a way that may cause more problems. We all have a foundation. Is it a strong one or does it have cracks and holes in it? Who or what is our foundation?

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He responded:

"...The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind and with all your strength." 

Mark 12:29b-30

By far, the most challenging, but also the most amazing and comforting thing I have learned these past years, is that God IS in control and He IS Sovereign and He IS worthy. With God as my foundation, I will not be knocked down. I might shake a bit, but I will not be shaken loose. Not because of what I've done, but because of what He has and is doing. 

A huge part of learning this has come through studying God's Word, listening to strong Biblical teaching through Ligonier Ministries, and reading other books that point me to God. In Mark Batterson's book, Primal, he tells of Oliver Wendell Holmes and his "perceptive distinction between two kinds of simplicity: simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. He quotes Holmes as saying, 'I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.'" Batterson goes on to say "Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith is only mind deep. They know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith. For far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in a heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain. Near side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they've really found it."

On the far-side, I have come to a peaceful realization that I will never fully understand the enormity and the magnificence of God Almighty or why He does all that He does. It is enough to know that He has it all figured out and I can rest in that assurance and simply trust Him. He has a marvelous plan that only He can see and He will guide me through whatever touches my life for He already knows. Loving Him is the greatest privilege and joy and has brought much contentment in the midst of upheaval. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength - our entire being - we will respond to crises by trusting our sure foundation, come what may. 

Differences

My husband and I had times in our marriage that were not so great. Probably like most couples, we had our ups and downs, but there were times when it seemed we kept going down further and further. Unfortunately there was a lot of divorce in his family and at those times when our relationship was rocky, it seemed the “D” word dropped easily from his lips and fell like a heavy weight between us. I didn’t like it.

The main reason I didn’t like it was because I had made a vow not only to my husband, but more importantly, to God that I would love and cherish my husband until “death us do part”. I did not want to offend God by taking the “easy” way out. I took my vow seriously, plus there was no domestic violence, it was just two people jockeying for control and quite honestly, most of it was rather petty stuff from what I can remember. We had different ways of doing things, saying things, interacting with others, etc. Probably the very things that attracted us to each other (opposites attract) became the little problems that plagued us. A lack of communication, our own selfishness, plus a failure to try to understand each other’s perspective lead to the down times and dropping of the hurtful word, divorce.

In an updated edition of Thomas A Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ, Kempis reminds us that “We should not count ourselves better than others, for perhaps we may appear worse in the sight of God who knows what is in our souls. Do not be proud of good works, because God does not judge as people do. What pleases people often displeases him…It does us no harm to place ourselves below all others, but great harm occurs when we place ourselves above even one person. Peace is always with the humble person, but in the heart of the proud there is envy and continual wrath.”

I thank God that Mike and I continued to seek Him, sought help from Biblical counselors, and by seeking to please God rather than ourselves, we were able to put aside our petty differences and embrace what made us unique and drew us together in the first place.

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

Walk

Ephesians 5:8-10 (ESV)

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light

(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."

Walk. The word denotes motion, activity, moving from one place to another. I am fascinated by the number of times it is used in the book of Ephesians. (English Standard Version) Some translations use the word "live". Also an action verb. 

How are you living or walking?

"Walk as children of light." We have a choice. We can either follow the course of this world or we can follow the path that God has prepared for us to walk. As children of God's grace, mercy, and promise, our walk should be one of light. Moving ever closer to the source of light and acting more and more like Jesus and following His teachings in the Bible. Our walk should be characterized by what is good, right, true, and pleasing to Him. We should not be afraid to have our actions or words illuminated by His light and we should not be sitting still.

We all pick a path either purposefully or inadvertently. There are only two paths on which to walk. Actually, to not make a choice is to make a choice for the course of this world or to walk in darkness. Ephesians chapter 2 clearly points out that by nature we were "children of wrath" and "sons of disobedience". We once lived for ourselves and the passions of our flesh. 

Once we accept God's gift of grace through His Son, Jesus, we come into the light and discover a new path. A path illuminated by Jesus who is our light. We learn to walk a new way. God's way. It is a narrow path and not always smooth, but He promises to be with us and guide us. 

Ephesians 5:15

"Look carefully then how you walk,

not as unwise but as wise."

Refuge in the Lord

Psalm 118:8 & 9

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes."

There seems to be so much fear, anger, and unrest in our world today. As a nation, we appear to have forgotten our roots. Forgotten that we were established as "one nation, under God". We have become divided and moved out from under God's wings.

The above Scriptures tell us to praise the Lord and take refuge in Him. That it is better to bring ourselves under His care than to trust in man or princes. Google defines refuge as: "a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble." I like the sound of that and believe it is only found as we submit to the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. The more we move away from the truths of God's word, the more we will encounter trouble, fear, danger and turmoil.

Don't get me wrong, God does not promise that life will always be rosy when we follow Him, but He does promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. He promises peace when we put our thoughts on Him, live by the example Jesus set, and give Him the praise He deserves. A peace that no one and no thing can take away from us.

"That Beautiful Land"

At 92, my Dad's thoughts are often on heaven. He has worked hard all his life, he loves Jesus and longs for the day when he'll strongly walk those streets of gold and won't grow old anymore. 

Every morning he likes to sing a song and it's usually a hymn. We've been doing this for almost 9 months and recently he remarked that many of the hymns speak of heaven or of the end of life. Death usually shows up somewhere in the songs.

A couple of days ago he picked an old one called "That Beautiful Land". Mom and I had never heard it before, so we muddled our way through it and then I looked it up online. I found a YouTube video and we enjoyed listening to the harmony of the men's quartet as they sang this oldie beautifully. 

The words give us a glimpse of heaven. I particularly like the first verse because it says we'll have no more cares or darkness or gloom. Ah, that sounds...well?....heavenly!

"I have heard of a land

On a far away strand,

In the Bible the story is told,

Where no cares ever come,

Neither darkness nor gloom,

And nothing shall ever grow old."

Doesn't that sound wonderful? And the best part is this is not just something made up for a song. God has told us these things in His word and He is faithful to His promises. 

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

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I thought you might enjoy the hymn, so have included the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3_fLYrFA8