A place of safety

Being raised in town, but returning to the country homes of grandparents, gives a youngster a good balance of how different things can be. I was thinking today of both sets of my grandparents, which lived on farms about a mile from each other, and the learning experience of getting to visit the farm. Both of my grandfathers were dry land cotton farmers in west Texas, so one point of excitement was getting to ride on the fender of a tractor. Both had chicken houses, both had a cow or a calf close by, and I can remember for a brief time, one of my grandfathers had pigs. 

Of course bathroom facilities were nowhere near the house so you followed the well worn footpath to the outhouse. Running water inside the house was limited to a cold water tap at the kitchen sink, if the windmill had pumped enough water into the overhead storage tank. Electricity was still very new to rural homes when I was young, and new-fangled electric radios replaced the battery operated radios which were stashed away in the cellar.

Oh yes, the cellar. One of my grandparents had a cellar that was dirt floored with some make-shift wooden slats for steps going down into the ground. I remember getting in trouble for going down there except one time when a dangerous looking cloud was approaching and we all went in.  The cellar at the other grandparents house was just a few steps out the back door, and had concrete steps and floor and walls, and the walls were lined with shelves of canned vegetables that had been prepared from the garden. Their cellar, too, was the place to go if there was a bad storm approaching.  Neither cellar was appealing, inviting or comfortable, but at any given time, they could be appreciated as a place of safety.  Homes and barns and possessions might be destroyed, but the cellar was considered a safe place to be when danger approached. 

You don't see many cellars in the city. I suppose city folks would just rather take their chances against approaching bad weather. I do remember, on the farm, the cellar was considered a necessity. 

Think with me for a moment about the storms in your life. They may come in the form of illness, or the death of a loved one, or perhaps a jobless situation, a divorce, financial ruin, even family squabbles.  The best of us, nor the worst of us will be able to live a life without some difficulties and problems.  Wouldn't it be nice to have someone or something to turn to in those circumstances, and have just as much faith in them as a farmer has when he shuffles his family into the safety of the cellar?

Well, we do have someone that cares, someone to help, someone to be our refuge when trouble is near. Paul tells the Roman Christians and us, "...we rejoice in our trials and sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  Romans 5:3-5  And from the old hymnal comes the words of a song, "There is a place of quiet rest; Near to the heart of God."

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My Robe of Righteousness

Isaiah 61:10-11

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up and  a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

There is wonderful peace and exceeding joy when we know that God has clothed us with garments of salvation, and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness. Christians today need to know and understand how much the goodness of God is manifest in his people when they know God's salvation and God's righteousness.

 Satan will attack us in an attempt to bring us down by convincing us that we are not worthy, or that we really do not deserve salvation from God. Sinners that we are, Satan will constantly work on us, getting us to believe that God would never save us. 

In addition to the outward attacks of Satan, there are some inward attacks that happen, too. Inward accusations meant to tear down and damage the influence of the church. These may come in several forms, but the most evident movement from within the body of Christ is legalism. It rears its ugly head when Christians, under the guise of being defenders of the truth, try to bind us with a strict adherence to their list of biblical laws. Anyone that steps out of line is immediately suspect of not being a "real" Christian at all. The legalist cannot see that he allows himself to become exactly like the Pharisees, which Jesus continually chastised for making God's rules and laws a burden instead of a blessing. 

None of us will ever be perfect, and for me, I am glad. I can latch hold of the claim of Jesus that he did not come to save the perfect, he came to save the imperfect. Those who are not sick do not need of a doctor, but those who suffer spiritual sickness can always lean on Jesus, the Great Physician. 

Legalism leads to self-righteousness, and those who make such a venture through life will have us believing our salvation is based on something we do, rather than God's grace, which assures us that salvation something God does. My righteousness will not save me. Only God's righteousness can do the job. The legalist will have us believing we are under condemnation because of our sin. God wants us to receive forgiveness through Jesus paying the price for our sins on the cross. "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1.  It's time we praise God by celebrating the freedom he has given. 

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Jesus' Resurrection and Ours

2 Corinthians 4:14

"...we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.”

Paul was teaching the Corinthian Christians about his ministry, and the relationship which all Christians have with God through Jesus Christ. These were people who learned and believed the resurrection of Jesus. Paul now associates their lives in Christ more fully by assuring them the one who raised Jesus will also raise us and deliver us into the very presence of God. 

The benefit of all this is ours according to Paul. In the very next verse he says we are the benefactors so that the grace that reaches more and more people, ultimately brings praise and glory to God.  It is amazing how we become related to Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection. It brings us into a fellowship with others who have made him Lord of their lives, and the experience and example of the body of believers spreads the message of God's grace. 

While there is an abundance of truth in the application of that 14th verse from 2 Corinthians, Paul also continues to show us even more.  Look closely  at the verses which follow.

" Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Paul wants you to know there is never a time for us to give up.  We may be tempted to throw in the towel when problems and difficulties arise. We may even be called on to experience some suffering because of our faith. Paul says, "don't lose heart."

Then his words become easy for us to understand.  He shares, because of his own physical limitations, that all of our bodies are wasting away.  We get older and our outward appearance shows signs of age. We begin noticing limitations in the area of the physical things we used to be able to do. Then he proclaims, "Inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  

I confess to you that physically I cannot see any renewal. Spiritually, (remember all of this is directly related to the resurrection of Jesus and our resurrection, too) we can sense the renewal on the inside because that's where his Spirit lives. Because of this spiritual renewal, our troubles and problems are accomplishing what Paul calls an eternal glory, which is greater than any adversity we have experienced. We would see tremendous changes in our world if Christians would claim that promise and live by that promise.  Then look to that final verse, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

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Too Busy

The cartoon showed a man carrying a sign.  Holding the sign high in the air, his message was for all to see, "Jesus is coming soon.....look busy." We can chuckle with the crowd at that sign. Who among us would want to have the Lord's return happen at a time when we were idle?  But there is more we should probably understand about being busy. 

One time Jesus was traveling with his disciples and came into a village and were welcomed into the home of a woman named Martha. She had a sister, Mary, who seated herself at Jesus' feet and listened to him teach. Martha busied herself with serving her guests, even to the point of complaining that Mary wasn't helping her.  Jesus was quick to point out that Martha was anxious and troubled about "things'" but Mary had made the right decision in hearing Jesus' teachings. 

Martha gets the blue ribbon for hospitality, Mary gets served a message from Jesus that will never be taken away. One was concentrating on things, the other was soaking up the lessons of life. 

We all know how important it is for us to stay busy. Our work can be demanding, the responsibility to generate income for the family creates pressure, and even our school assignments occupy a major portion of our time. We are a part of the generation which possesses the greatest number of time-saving devices, but we are often too busy for things which really count. 

No doubt, if Jesus were to come to our house, one of the first things he would be offered would be refreshments.  We cannot fault Martha for her hospitality, but Jesus detects she is more concerned with her guests seeing how hard she is working, and she has robbed herself of the blessing of the presence of Jesus.  That brings the question for each of us, "Do we ever find the time to "enjoy" the presence of Jesus? Are we too busy?

It should not come as news to you in your Christian life, spending time in the Word, in prayer, and actually experiencing the fellowship with God strengthens our relationship with him and makes us stronger for our spiritual journey.  Life will bring us struggles and challenges, and the maturity we receive through spending quality time with God will help us handle whatever comes our way. 

When someone calls with a request which demands our time and possibly effort, we are often tempted to respond by letting them know how busy we are, and perhaps we can help them another time.  What about when God calls on us to love him, serve him, worship him, or to be his person to accomplish his work?  Are we too busy?

"Father, we thank you for your love and your desire to be among us, with us, and in us.  Teach us daily the importance of making our lives a welcome place for your presence. Amen."

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Encouraging Words

Words of encouragement are always welcome, and usually come at the right time.  We can probably think of instances where we were having a "downer" day and someone called or came by with encouraging words that seemed to give us to motivation to overcome our low, and build us up to a spiritual high.  I, for one, am thankful for those who have the gift of encouraging the whole body of Christ.  They are always encouraging each of us to be all we can be for God. 

The apostle Paul referred to Timothy as his "child in the faith," and while giving him instructions concerning his work, Paul also spent considerable time and effort in offering words of encouragement to Timothy.  Perhaps there is an attitude here that will teach us something good. Look at 2 Timothy 1:1-7 from the Amplified Bible, to get the picture of encouragement in action. 

Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, [my] beloved child: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing), mercy, and [heart] peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

³ I thank God Whom I worship with a pure conscience, in the spirit of my fathers, when without ceasing I remember you night and day in my prayers,

⁴ And when, as I recall your tears, I yearn to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

⁵ I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith (the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), [a faith] that first lived permanently in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am [fully] persuaded, [dwells] in you also.

⁶ That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].

⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

What Paul was after in Timothy's life and ministry is the same thing God is after in your life and work for him. God encourages us to boldly testify about the Lord and not be ashamed of the gospel and our faith in the gospel. Paul reminded Timothy it was a part of his heritage, passed along from his grandmother and mother.  That may or may not be the case for us, but we are still encouraged in these verses to hold fast and be hard working and diligent for God, and to be strong in the grace that is found in Jesus.  

Read the entire letter of 2 Timothy to see the encouragement throughout the writing. Know that God's love and mercy are extended to us in our workings for him, and he longs for us to escape the timidity which the world sends our way, and to stir up the spiritual gift which God has given us. He blesses us with the spirit of power, and love, and a sound mind.  That's encouragement we all need. 

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Two men died

Two men died and their deaths didn't occur very far apart, at most only a couple of years. While they did have in common the end of their physical lives, there was so much of a difference in the events surrounding their deaths, we should look at the contrast. 

The first of these deaths is recorded in John 11. A man names Lazarus was sick and his family sent someone to bring Jesus to his bedside. Jesus was busy elsewhere, so it took a while for him to arrive and before he reached the destination Lazarus died. The first part of Luke 11 tells of Jesus visiting the two sisters of the dead man, and the promise of Jesus, "Your brother will rise again."  The reality of that promise was nearing as Jesus went to the sealed tomb and gave the command, "Roll away the stone." One of the sisters, Martha, was concerned about the odor of death because Lazarus had been dead four days.  Jesus reminded her of her faith and promised that she would see the glory of God.  He prayed to his Father as an example to those standing near, that he really was the Son of God. Then he spoke. "Lazarus, come forth!"  The Bible then  tells about Lazarus coming out of the tomb, still bound in his graveclothes and his face wrapped in a headcloth. He was alive!

The second of the two deaths is the death of Jesus on the cross, a death at the hands of Roman soldiers who had administered numerous techniques of torture while mocking him and spitting on him.  He was buried in a tomb that belonged to someone else, as permission was given for them to take down the body of Jesus and prepare it for burial.  Early on Sunday morning, the third day after the burial, Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb and found the stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away. She ran to tell the followers of Jesus and a couple of them ran to the tomb and looked inside. Jesus was gone. The only thing they saw in the tomb were his graveclothes that had been folded and set to one side. Jesus was alive!

There are some similarities to these two deaths, but there is a striking contrast in something as simple as the linens used in wrapping the dead bodies for burial. Lazarus came out of his tomb, still wrapped in his graveclothes.  We can imagine his frustrations. Alive, but still bound tightly by the cloths of burial. Remember Jesus had to give the instructions to some of those standing near Lazarus' tomb, to unwrap him and let him go.  The leftovers of his deadness still had him bound. 

In the case of Jesus death, his burial garments were found inside the tomb, neatly folded and sitting nearby. When Jesus was raised to live again, he made sure the leftovers of his deadness stayed in the tomb. They were a contradiction to his risen life. 

For us, new life in Jesus is such a blessing. We are told, "we are a new creation" in him. Far too many times we continue to struggle with the remnants of our lives before we became Christians, and they prevent us from experiencing all that the new life offers. We remain trapped by the relics of our deadness. Like Jesus, when we experience the newness of life, we have the opportunity to leave the old things behind us. Enjoy the freedom of your new life in Jesus. That freedom is a gift from God who makes us new. 

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