It makes good sense to wait with purpose

Books, blogs, articles, and sermons are popular when they discuss the second coming of Christ. Why do we take so much interest in something that Jesus said we would never know or be able to anticipate? Jesus said, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). He could come right now while you enjoy a second cup of coffee and read this blog post.

James had no way of knowing God’s people would still be waiting more than 2000 years later when he told his church, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7–8).

The tulip bulbs I planted last winter are a beautiful reminder to me that, here in Texas, Spring has arrived. When I planted those bulbs, I had no way of knowing when they would bloom. When a farmer plants his crops, he doesn’t know the exact day to schedule the harvest. We can put bulbs and seeds in the ground, but it is up to God to bring the rains, control the winds, and produce the miracle from a tiny seed that turns into something amazing and able to feed our souls and bodies.

Our job is to wait on God’s timing, but we wait with purpose. Weeds need to be pulled and branches trimmed. There are places to step and places to avoid stepping. If God doesn’t send the rain, we must provide water from another source. We wait on God’s timing, but we have work to do while we wait.

We are called to wait with his good purpose

We don’t know when the Lord will return, but James tells us how to wait until that time. The Lord may return for every believer in the world this afternoon. The Lord will most certainly return for several believers today as they pass from this life to eternity. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The word “today” meant “today” or immediately.

James taught his people to wait with the character of Jesus as we wait to see the face of Jesus. James wrote, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9). I’ve often wondered how many words I would have kept to myself if I had thought of this verse first! James taught us to walk through this life as if Jesus were close by, listening to every word . . because he is.

James also reminded us about the patience of Job, a man who suffered the worst things this earthly life can subject a person to. He didn’t enjoy his suffering, but he held onto his steadfast faith, which promised a future life with God filled with joy and hope. Job understood that the Lord was compassionate and merciful (James 5:11). James taught his church that it is common sense to rely on the promises of our faith during the worst of times because our steadfast faith will keep us from grumbling about things. If we walk in faith, even the most difficult times can produce a godly witness that will be eternally blessed.

Our word can be our bond

James wrote, “Above all . . .do not swear, either by heaven or earth or by any other oath but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” It always felt like James 5:12 was out of place or an afterthought verse, but James, after the previous verses, says, “Above all.” James was likely referring to the oaths that were considered the verbal contracts of the day.

I like to think of James 5:12 as a summary of his entire letter. From the beginning, he has offered common-sense Christianity. James is a practical letter about how a Christian can live carefully and faithfully. In some ways, James 5:12 could be an umbrella of common sense for the entire letter. 

  • Chapter 1: There are trials in this life, and we ought not to be tossed about. Our steadfast faith in God should hold us firm, and our actions, especially during tough times, should show others that we don’t just know God’s word; we believe it.
  • Chapter 2: We should be careful to love everyone like God loves, without partiality, because we know we cannot judge anyone else’s character. Our job is to live with the character of Christ so that our faith is not just words we confess but something our daily actions prove we trust and believe.
  • Chapter 3: If we allow God to be Lord of our words, he can also be Lord of our actions. The tongue is a powerful rudder that tends also to steer our actions. If we receive the wisdom from above, we can then know and speak that wisdom to others. Our character can display the character of Christ if we will wisely live with that priority.
  • Chapter 4: We can live for the world and like the world. We can define success by the world’s standards. Or we can live our eternal lives daily as our highest priority.
  • Chapter 5: We can sacrifice our eternal treasure for the treasures of this world and claw our way to the top of earth’s ladder. Or, we can endure this life with steadfast faith in the hope of heaven. In humility, we can claw our way to the foot of the cross and choose to be more like Jesus.

And “above all” or overall, as James has taught in this amazing letter, we can make sure we are known as people who speak the truth of God all the time. Every lesson we teach and every action we take can be trusted because people know we are God’s children and we live truthful, faithful lives. Our “yes” and our “no” can be trusted.

What is your “prayer of faith”?

James closes his common-sense letter about faithful living by speaking about prayer (James 5:13–20). To summarize his words: In good times and bad, in sickness and health, in the sinful times and during your righteous days, confess, pray, and trust the power of your faith to carry you through every circumstance of this life.

When someone wanders from the truth, “bring him back.” Pray fervently for everyone because there is no greater use of our time than to “save a soul from death” because the salvation of even one person will cover a multitude of sins. 

The single most important reason to live a “Common-sense Christian” witness is that every person who God calls us to influence might be led to seek a saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

It’s the Lent season, a perfect time to carefully influence others with our faithful observance of all Easter means to our faith. Let’s be careful to live with humble gratitude for God’s Easter gift. Jesus died to pay for every sin. Jesus rose again as the living example of God’s power over death. 

Living wisely and carefully with James’ words in our hearts makes good practical sense. The sermon our life preaches may bring someone to church on Easter Sunday. How many sins could be erased if God’s people steadfastly lived as James taught?

“Above all,” let our words be true and our character Christ-like. Truth is a powerful witness, and its rewards are often eternal. May our common-sense Christianity be a sacrificial gift to Jesus this Easter. 

As we wait for his return, it makes good sense to wait with that purpose.

Being Thankful

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

You probably still have a lot to do before you’re ready for Thanksgiving. Thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to read and consider this short message. I am so grateful to share this life, our spiritual journey, with each of you.

Zig Ziglar was an inspirational Christian speaker who said, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

As God’s children, I hope we will spend some time before and after the rush of this Thanksgiving holiday to pause and consider all that we can be grateful for in this life, and God’s promise of our lives eternal. 

My wishes for the holiday are many. I hope our turkeys are moist and the pies don’t burn. I hope the salads stay cold and the vegetables stay hot. I hope the glasses don’t tip, and neither do the chairs! I hope your Thanksgiving table will be surrounded with joy, laughter, and the love of family and friends.

I pray Zig Ziglar’s wisdom will become our own today. I pray that our grateful hearts will be ready to offer the Lord’s best to those around us. Gratitude is the healthiest of emotions, and we should look for ways to share our gratitude with those around us.

So, before we get back to work, let’s take a minute to pray for this special holiday . . .

Lord God, we thank you for the blessings we can count and those yet unknown.

We surrender our plans to yours, and our thoughts and words to your Spirit.

Help us find favor with you and others today; then help us renew that goal for each tomorrow.

We praise and thank you, God, for Jesus and offer our prayers in his holy name. 

Amen.

May the Lord bless your Thanksgiving with his perfect joy.

A valentine to the chosen

Today is a fun day for many and a not-so-fun day for others. 

I still remember the pressure of hoping my carefully decorated shoebox would contain some valentines from my classmates! In my day, it wasn’t a requirement to give everyone in the class a valentine. A few of the kids, especially the classroom bully, didn’t get many. And looking back, the classroom bully probably needed a valentine more than anyone else.

Valentine’s Day can still be a lot of pressure for some in our culture. This is a good day to be sensitive to others around us. God might call us to be a valentine to somebody today. 

God’s valentine to you 

God “so loved this world” he gave us Jesus. When God sent his son to become our Savior, he said, “I love you more than you can imagine.” 

When Jesus stood silent before his accusers and accepted our punishment on his cross, he said, “I love you more than you can imagine.” 

When we set aside our own needs in order to serve someone else in the name of Christ, we are saying, “Jesus loves you more than you can imagine.” 

Your valentine to others 

Scripture teaches us how to live a life that offers the love of Christ to others. 

Paul probably wrote his letter to the church in Colossae when he was under house arrest in Rome. Epaphras was a convert of Paul’s who likely established and led the church in Colossae. Epaphras came to see Paul, concerned about what he saw happening in the church.  

Colossae was a smaller city surrounded by larger, more important cities of that day. It was located in what is now modern-day Turkey, along an important trade route. If you live in Texas, think of Colossae as a town that might be chosen for the next Buc-ee’s. (For those of you outside of Texas, check out the link. You don’t know what you are missing!) 

Colossae saw a lot of people who were simply traveling by each day, giving the Christian church there a great opportunity to share the gospel. Sadly, many of the travelers saw the church as an opportunity to share their own “message,” which often conflicted with the truth of the gospel.  

Paul encouraged those living in that city to be careful with their theology, their calling, and their character. His words to that important church are a valentine message to us for the sake of others. Paul wrote: 

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–14). 

Our Christian character can be a daily valentine that we share with people around us. God gave his love to us for every day, not just for certain holidays. 

A Valentine’s message to the “chosen ones” 

I still remember the class Valentine’s party when I was in the fifth grade. 

Jeff, a boy in the class who “liked me,” came up to my desk with a box of chocolates and a store-bought, real Valentine’s card! (It was too big for the shoebox.) He was as red in the face as the foil of that heart-shaped box of chocolates. I was probably blushing as well. 

The other kids stopped to watch him deliver his gift. It was a fifth-grade moment for sure! I still remember Jeff and that Valentine’s Day that made me feel special and chosen. 

Everyone who has placed their faith in Christ is a “chosen one.” We are loved more than we can imagine. That love is the best source for our sense of “self.” We should pause on this Valentine’s Day to remember that we have been made “holy” and are “beloved.” That love should create in us “compassionate hearts” and a life marked by “kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” The character of Christ within us will enable us to “bear with one another” and “forgive each other.”  

Jesus in us will forgive when we cannot. Jesus in us will love others that we might not naturally choose to love on our own. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

Who shared God’s valentine with you? 

Most of us probably can list several people who have invested their time, their love, and their compassionate help in our lives. None of us live our Christian lives on an island. If we aren’t careful, however, we will live our lives in our own circles and miss those who are outside of our “group.” 

Is there a “bully” who needs a Valentine’s message today? 

Is there a shy, quiet person that most people don’t notice that you can choose to bless today? 

We often think of Valentine’s Day as being for just a few special people in our lives. Who, outside of our circle, needs a message of God’s love today too? 

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

If this is the only valentine you get today, I hope it will make you smile. God is love. The Creator of the Universe has chosen to love you more than you can imagine. You are loved today, tomorrow, and for all eternity with his powerful and perfect love. 

Buy yourself a rose or a box of chocolate. Give someone else what you would enjoy receiving yourself. You have been chosen, and you are loved with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).  

Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love, God.

St. Valentine had no idea

I was curious about the amount of money Americans spend on Valentine’s Day. It’s surprising!

According to WalletHub, Americans will spend almost $24 billion this year. How much is one billion? I like this measurement: The average human heart will have clocked one billion beats by the time we are 27.4 years old.  

St. Valentine would never have imagined the holiday that bears his name! What is it about Valentine’s Day that prompts this kind of spending? (Especially since most Americans don’t pay off their Christmas debt until April or June.) 

Why do we think spending money says “I love you”? St. Valentine would have preached against that notion. In full confession, I spend some money on the holiday. I’ve been married to my valentine for 42.5 years and, let’s face it, I’m a grandma who likes to see those grins! It’s good to remember the people we love for Valentine’s Day. But, extravagant gifts don’t say “I love you.” Thoughtful effort does. 

What says “I love you”? 

Everyone is different, especially these days. The advent of social media has impacted so many things, and not always for the best. I don’t post a lot of things, and rarely do I post personal things. 

I don’t want to use a social media platform to make me feel better about myself if it might cause someone to feel worse. I don’t want to look at social media and close the lid of my computer thinking someone has it better than I do. Mostly, I don’t want to question whether someone did something, or gave something, just for the sake of a social media post. Sometimes a person should feel loved by a Facebook post, but often people could probably feel a bit exploited.  

What truly says “I love you” in a way that builds a person up and causes them to know they are deeply cared for? 

When it comes to gifts or social media posts, the answer is individual. 

When it comes to the Lord, his word of love is pure, genuine, and a gift for everyone. 

We should give what we have received 

One of the most important spiritual lessons I learned was that I cannot give away what I have never received. The best way to be a person who is loving is to become a person who is loved. 

First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” I used to read that verse as a directive. In my mind, it meant, “We have to love others because God gave his love to us, and we owe him.” 

But that isn’t the way God works. 

He didn’t love us so that we would be obligated to love others. God loves us so that we are able to love others. We can love others because God has given us his love to share with others. 

Are you running on fumes? 

We often speak about being filled with the Spirit in order to serve God well. However, we also need to be filled with the Spirit in order to love others well. In fact, loving others is our most important service to God and others. 

Galatians 5:22 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . . .” When Paul was listing the fruit that God’s Holy Spirit produces in our lives, he listed love first. When he spoke of the gifts of the Spirit in his letter to the Corinthians, he said, “The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). 

When we feel like it is difficult to love other people, is it because we have not taken the time to be filled with God’s love to give? Are we running on fumes instead of a full tank? 

A Valentine’s message for you 

We know we are loved by God, but has it been a while since you received God’s love into your life? Valentine’s Day is coming, and this may be the most important “word of love” you receive this year.  

The best way to be filled with the love of God is to draw near to him. 

The Apostle John wrote to the church he loved saying, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). 

Have you ever received a hug from someone wearing expensive perfume or aftershave? Quite often we pick up the fragrance on whatever we are wearing. Consider Jesus, anointed by Mary with that expensive vial of costly perfume. Anyone Jesus hugged would have carried the fragrance of his anointing to others. That is still true today. 

When last did you feel enveloped by the love of Christ? 

When last did you study Scripture for the purpose of receiving his love? 

When last did you pray, asking for God to fill you with his love so that you can share his love with others? 

Sometimes I imagine what it will be like to enter heaven, knowing I am eternally home. One of my favorite thoughts to consider is stepping into the open arms of Jesus as he wraps me in a loving hug. And I like to think that the fragrance of his love will always linger, for every moment of my forever. 

A message from St. Valentine 

There is a lot of mystery surrounding who the original St. Valentine really was. I wish I had a famous quote from him, but there are none I could confirm. Maybe that is for the best because there are as many ways to say “I love you” as there are people in this world. 

Maybe the best message we received from St. Valentine is simply to remember the importance of love. The only perfect love is God’s. Our country will spend a lot of money this week trying to say “I love you.” Good luck finding the perfect gift or card! 

But, as Christians, let’s share our valentines with the love of God. If you give or get a gift that disappoints, remember what Peter said: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). We can’t get the gift right every year but we can give it with genuine love.

Christians are loved with a perfect love! That is our most important gift on Valentine’s Day and every day.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!

 

A moment with Christ

The shepherds “went with haste” (Luke 2:16) to look for the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. I took some time this week to join them.  

I thought about what it would have been like to look for Jesus, the baby an angel had told them about. So, I placed myself in their group as they hurried through Bethlehem, inquiring about a newborn baby. When they found the stable, how did they enter? What would I have done if I had been invited to join the shepherds and be with the holy family? 

It only took a short moment of reflection to realize what I would have wanted to do. 

I’m a mom and a grandma. I would have wanted to do the same thing I did when I first held all my “babies.” I would have been enthralled with the tiny hand of Christ. I would have placed my finger in his tiny palm and smiled with joy when his little fingers instantly wrapped around mine. 

That was my moment with Christ. In my quiet meditation, I knelt at the manger and was held by the tiny hand that would one day be held to a cross, for my salvation. 

For me, that is the deepest meaning of Christmas. 

A quiet moment in a busy week

I have a lot to get done this week. 

I’ll be at the stores buying supplies for the holiday. How many people can Costco hold? 

It is a year of old traditions and some that will be new. I’m not a great cook, and now I have a “gluten-free” one to feed! But, I can cook his dishes with gratitude and love. I held his tiny hand as a baby too! It’s a great blessing to know that he will be here to hold mine one day when I need it. 

The gifts are under the tree and I’ll be ready for the family to arrive. It will be a Christmas with grandkids ranging from three to almost eight years of age. There will probably be someone with a cold and another who didn’t get enough sleep. There will hopefully be enough food for everyone to find what they like. And I think I remembered to install all the batteries so those toys come alive!  

As I look forward to the chaos, I’m thinking about that quiet moment with the baby Jesus. He was a three-year-old and an eight-year old too. I wonder what he liked to eat? I wonder what and who he loved to play with? 

I wonder if he looked at his hands and thought about their future?

We are called to be his hands today

Last week I wrote about giving to the great needs in our country following the tornado outbreak. My heart wrenched as I saw a woman interviewed who held her face in her hands and said, “I just want to go home. But I don’t have a home anymore.” I hope you were able to give what you can to a group that will help her be “home for Christmas” next year. 

As I was typing this blog post, I received a text from a friend. A forty-five-year-old Vietnamese evangelist just passed away. Debbie Tran worked to share the love of Christ with as many Americans as she could. She knew how amazing it was to live in this country and how blessed she was to have been saved through her faith in Christ.  

I’m glad I can spend Christmas with my Messiah. I can’t imagine what the holiday would be like without him. I hope the Lord will continue Debbie’s ministry through many others who will do the work of evangelism. We are in a season of history that requires “all hands on deck!” 

May the Lord’s presence fill your Christmas holiday

Whatever your Christmas will look like this year, I pray it will have moments for you with the presence of Christ. If you have the chance to hold a baby, think about that tiny baby in the manger and allow his hand to wrap around you. 

  • If you have grief, allow his hand to comfort you.
  • If you have chaos, allow his hand to quiet you.
  • If you have joy, allow his hand to joyfully squeeze yours.
  • If you have a chance, allow his hand to guide you to give, speak, and share the story of Christmas with someone who needs it.

Know that I, and all of us at Denison Ministries, are grateful for the chance to share God thoughts with you each week. God’s word is powerful, life-changing, and perspective-giving. So, I leave you with a picture of the newborn Messiah. Don’t move on with your day until you move to the edge of the manger and give the baby Jesus a chance to wrap his tiny fingers around yours.  

Scripture says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  

The tiny fist that grips us is the hand of God. 

Let’s meditate on that moment this Christmas, and rejoice. 

I wish you joy, peace, and God’s glory for Christmas!
Blessings to you and yours.
—Janet

Paul’s Recipe for Daily Bread

What are you doing for Mother’s Day this year? 

We sure can’t crowd the restaurants this Sunday, so I have a bread recipe that might come in handy. Unfortunately, a new batch has to be prepared each day, but it is worth the effort. You only have to “taste and see” to know it is good.  

Not everyone bakes, however. So, you might want to make enough to share. 

There are a lot of hungry people out there 

Brandon Hicks’ mom is probably not going to feel like celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday. 

Her son is sitting in an Austin jail, charged with a felony. He shoved a park ranger in the lake after the ranger issued him a warning to “distance” himself from his friends.  

The news is showing a lot of these stories lately. 

I remember the news clip of the woman grabbing toilet paper from another woman’s shopping cart. (Granted, the woman had filled two carts with toilet paper, leaving none for anyone else.) My guess is that neither of the shoppers was pleased to see the cell phone video of their argument on the news that evening. 

Then there was the video of the woman with her mask hanging off one ear, screaming in someone else’s face because they weren’t “distancing.” I’m sure her friends and family didn’t miss the irony when they saw that viral video. 

Some people are out of patience and causing problems. But most people are still continuing to make good choices. When the park ranger was shoved in the water, there were a lot of people who came to his aid. Brandon Hicks was quickly identified and arrested, and the ranger’s rescuers returned to their lives and their happy day at the lake. 

Everyone could use a little bread these days 

I can’t imagine I would ever shove a park ranger in the lake. I can’t imagine that I would choose to do a lot of the things I see people doing. 

But, I can imagine and, in fact, remember times I have run out of patience with someone and made a dumb choice. You probably can remember some of those times in your life as well.  

The virus is probably going to slow down, but it isn’t going to be gone until a vaccine is approved and supplied to the masses. A friend’s wife teaches school, and she was told to prepare to teach in the fall but to keep all her “homeschool” computer apps current. The district is assuming they will need to close the schools and resume the learn-at-home structure for a period of time this fall. 

People are looking for peace in the news, but it isn’t there. Luckily, we have a recipe in Scripture. 

If you want peace, ask Paul for his recipe 

The apostle Paul wrote great instructions for people seeking peace. He said, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). 

Paul’s words are a recipe for peace, which could be called our “daily bread.” 

Paul’s recipe for daily bread 

1. Mix one part joyful hope. 

Christians can find the patience to wait for things to improve because we know that we always have the hope of eternal life with Jesus. We have the assurance of this hope through his Holy Spirit, and we have the godly priorities that our hope of heaven provides. 

We can find joyful hope in our faith, even if we can’t find it in the news. 

2. Stir in one part patience. 

There are very few of us who have endured tribulation like Paul endured, yet he could write, “Be patient in tribulation.”  

People today are running out of patience because we want certain things that aren’t on the shelf. We want to see family, but not just on our phones and computer screens. We want to take a trip, but to where? We want to go to the grocery store, for Pete’s sake, without feeling like the plague could be resting on the bananas we pick up.  

Paul might raise his eyebrows at our “tribulation,” but he would tell us what he told those early Christians: Just be patient. Things will get better one day, and God has promised us things will be better every day, one day. 

3. Continually add prayer.

Paul’s final ingredient is prayer. Not just a prayer to begin and end our day, but days that are filled with prayer. How do we live in constant prayer?  

We can learn to “hang out with” Jesus. 

Realize that the Son of God wants to hang out with you! 

We can talk to him all day; ask him stuff all day; ask him for stuff all day. Ask Jesus to tell you things, guide your path, encourage your thoughts, and help you fight off Satan’s suggestions. Hanging out with Jesus is like having a friend, counselor, and companion—who is always present and always perfect. 

Prayer allows us to spend time with Jesus, at any time we choose. What an amazing gift! 

Daily bread, like manna, is only good for a day 

The Israelites escaped Egypt and crossed the desert, but God took care of them along the way. Each morning they gathered manna, but just enough for the day. If they gathered more than they needed, the leftovers just spoiled and became worthless. 

That lesson has become a lesson to every one of God’s children since that time. Daily bread, manna, is all we need for today, but it won’t be good for tomorrow.  

In Paul’s recipe, the ingredients for this bread of peace are hope, patience, and constant prayer. Paul would ask us to allow God to provide the ingredients and the measurements, mix them up, and then serve them at the right times during our day.  

Jesus taught us to pray

Take a minute and remember each word of the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). The first thing Jesus told us to ask for was “our daily bread.”   

We need it, and so do a lot of other people. I hope someone will give Brandon Hicks a slice. He needs it and may not know how to find it. 

Is there a Brandon Hicks in your life? 

People are getting tired and need spiritual strength for these days. The Apostle Paul would tell us to start baking and enjoy the results. 

And . . . 

To all the moms out there: May you have a blessed and happy Mother’s Day. And keep baking for them until they start making daily bread for themselves. 

Reminder: Send your Christmas memories/stories to [email protected]. I’m looking forward to reading them! 

We could be in this together

I’ve often wondered what the week after Easter was like for the first disciples. 

His resurrection changed everything—and still could.

Easter 2020 

I told my husband, Jim, “This will be the only Easter of my life that I hear an Easter sermon and then go back to sleep.” 

His response: “That’s probably a good idea.” 

(In case you don’t know, my husband is also my preacher.) 

Easter Sunday actually turned out to be a wonderful day. 

Jim and I went walking in our neighborhood, waving at people (from a distance) and wishing them a happy Easter. As we reached our front door, we commented that, on any other Easter Sunday of our lives, we wouldn’t even have said “Amen” yet. 

This year, we were home with our feet up before noon. We made lunch and then enjoyed eating outside on our patio.  

Easter from a “preacher’s wife perspective” 

I will remember Easter 2020 with fondness. 

From a “preacher’s wife” perspective, it was calm and peaceful. I really missed our chapel family this year, but we didn’t have to work as hard as we normally do. 

When you are in ministry, Easter Sunday is the Super Bowl Sunday of the year. The preacher is the quarterback, and while he isn’t the only one on the field, he feels most responsible for the game. 

That said, every quarterback on Super Bowl Sunday wishes he were in the game. Jim probably felt a bit differently about Easter 2020 than I did. 

Are we “in this together”? 

“We are in this together.” 

Those words have become a community catchphrase for these COVID-19 days. It is in the TV ads, on T-shirts, and displayed on signs and banners. But, I tend to ponder what those words really mean to those who hear it. 

That phrase is usually spoken with the hope that it will make people feel better about their circumstances. In other words, “We all have problems in life; therefore, we are all in this together.” 

It sounds good, but, truthfully, we rarely share the difficulties of a person’s life—because we rarely can. 

COVID-19 has impacted everyone, everywhere. In that sense, we are in this together. 

But this pandemic does not impact everyone in the same ways.

  • Some people will lose a loved one to this disease. The rest of us will lose someone we knew.
  • Some people are risking their lives when they go to work. Others are working safely at home. Still others are out of work, not knowing if they will have a job when this crisis is over.
  • Some of us have plenty of stuff to sustain us during this crisis. (Okay, I confess. I might have “hoarded” just a bit.) Others didn’t have the ability to store things up in advance and have run out of things they need. People have been waiting in long lines for food, diapers, and other basic items.
  • Some of us have hope, believing that everything will be okay again. Others don’t know if they have ever been hopeful about their futures.

Maybe we are all in this together, but not in the same ways.  

The biblical “together” 

I think utter gratitude for Jesus must have dominated the hearts, lives, and conversations of those first disciples following the resurrection. 

Jesus was their teacher, their leader, their miracle-working Messiah. Then Jesus was killed, buried—and raised. People saw the risen Christ and knew he was God’s holy Son. Everything about their lives changed as a result. 

Those early Christians could have said, “We are in this together.”  

The book of Acts says, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32–35). 

Those early Christians lived with joyful abandon because they believed Jesus would return at any moment. 

Their stuff, in the meantime, was for anyone who needed it. That is why they were together, “with one heart and soul.” 

An Easter perspective 

We should try to share the perspective those first disciples owned. 

Until Jesus returns, we should allow God’s grace to be powerfully at work in each of us when there are needy persons among us. Those of us who have stuff can share with those who have need, remembering that not every need is material. 

People still need what Jesus died to give. People need resurrection joy and assurance of their salvation. 

Pope John Paul II said, “We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.” Hallelujah means “God be praised.” “Easter people” praise God with gratitude born from grace. 

A free download for the “Easter people” 

Jesus told his disciples, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me” (Matthew 26:11). I think if Jesus were speaking to his disciples today, he might say something like, “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have opportunities like these.” 

I think this pandemic has provided a unique season for ministry. The “Easter people” should be ready to praise God for giving us opportunities to help. 

Americans really aren’t in this together. People have different needs during these days. If you are like me, you are “tipping” more often right now. I’m picking up groceries, and sometimes things are delivered. I’m noticing people who have and others who are struggling. I wanted to be able to express my gratitude and help financially, but I wished for the opportunity to help spiritually as well. It was easy to say “God bless you,” but I wanted to do more. So, I wrote a flyer that I’ve been using whenever I leave a tip or want to thank someone. 

I would love to give it to all of you to use as the Lord leads. It is easily downloaded and can be printed at home. There are two flyers per page, and anyone is welcome to use it to offer a generous gift and your faith.  

Cut the page in half lengthwise and then fold each flyer in half. I put the money inside the fold and write a few words of gratitude on the blank page inside. I’ve given several away and they have been well received. It gives me joy to give more than just the money. 

Everyone appreciates being appreciated, and I imagine most can really use extra financial help right now. We are God’s “Easter people,” and we have a unique opportunity right now. 

Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” 

The apostle said, “Yes Lord, I love you.” 

Jesus responded, saying, “Then feed my sheep.”  

Our gratitude and love for Jesus can be expressed through our grace and generosity to others. It’s fine to say “we are all in this together,” but how much better is it if the Lord uses us to bring people to himself, through faith?  

In Christ, we actually could be in this together. 

Nerves of Steel

One of the positives of limiting our schedules and staying inside is the chance to read the books we have stacked in a corner. 

I just finished Nerves of Steel by Tammie Jo Shults, the captain of Southwest Flight 1380. The lessons she provides are a word of hope to all of us during this pandemic crisis.

Our families, friends, and those around us are watching to see how our faith impacts our actions. 

We could all use nerves of steel for the next few weeks. 

Who is Tammie Jo Shults? 

There weren’t very many female pilots in the US Navy back in the 1980s, but Tammie Jo Shults was one of them. Her book provides an interesting look at her opportunities and her obstacles. Any woman who attempts to break social barriers has to be willing to suffer some hits, and Tammie Jo wanted to be a Navy pilot. Her story is composed of accomplishments and challenges. 

She became one of the first women to fly fighter jets for the Navy. She chose to endure prejudice, persecution, and hardships for the sake of her goals. Her faith kept her moving forward even when it would have been easier to quit. 

She credits her parents, her mentors, her friends, her husband, and, most importantly, her Lord for giving her the encouragement and strength she needed to pursue her goals. 

After retiring from the Navy, she was hired by Southwest Airlines and earned the opportunity to captain their aircrafts. That is what she was doing on April 17, 2018, when she piloted her Boeing 737 from LaGuardia and headed for Dallas. 

About twenty minutes into Flight 1380, one of the plane’s engines failed, the cockpit filled with smoke, and Tammie Jo Shults had to make a series of critical decisions. 

Instincts for any crisis 

Smoke filled the cockpit, and it was difficult to see the instruments. Tammie Jo said it felt like the plane had been T-boned by a Mack truck. At first, she thought another plane might have hit them. Quickly, she found the gauge that told her the left engine was dead. 

Just as quickly, the air pressure plummeted. A sharp pain pierced her ears. The roar was deafening. The plane began to vibrate violently. 

In all her years of training and flying, she had never experienced anything like that. 

But she had come close to disaster before. 

Her book describes the next moments 

The prologue records the brief moments that made all the difference. Tammie Jo wrote, 

Amid the confusion, I have a forced moment of solitude. I cannot see, I cannot hear, and I cannot breathe. I am isolated in one of life’s brief pauses, and adrenaline compresses my thoughts into an instant. This isn’t the first time I’ve flown without all the information I need. It isn’t the first time I’ve come close to disaster. My thoughts are distilled to their simplest form: bad news/good news. The bad news? With this fierce, abusive shuddering, I’m not sure everything we need to stay in flight will remain attached to the aircraft. This might be the day I meet my Maker face-to-face. The good news? We’re still flying. So it’s time to get to work. 

Tammie Jo knew salvation in Christ and had worked to have a strong walk with him as her strength. She instinctively turned to that strength in her moment of crisis. 

Later, when they listened to the cockpit tapes, she was surprised to hear her voice saying, “Heavenly Father.” 

She had instinctively prayed to the One she knew could help. 

Three lessons for a crisis 

The reason the book is titled Nerves of Steel is that a passenger on the flight used those words to describe the character of Tammie Jo’s words over the intercom, before she was able to land the disabled plane. She was calm. She gave them the information they needed and her voice quieted the chaos. 

She was asked to write the book so she could tell her story and help others understand how she was able to handle her terrifying circumstances. 

Tammie Jo gives three reasons she was able to function during that flight. 

Habits 

She writes, “Habits—good and bad—become instincts under pressure. In other words, the choices we make every day become our reflex on bad days.” 

She goes on to say that one of her lifelong habits was to turn to God for help when things were difficult. The peace that followed her prayer provided her a stillness that steadied her thoughts. 

Hope 

She writes, “I’ve come to realize since the events of Flight 1380 that hope may not change our circumstances, but it always changes us.” 

When Tammie Jo knew she was heading the plane toward an airport in Philadelphia, she told the entire plane, “We are landing in Philly.” She didn’t know they could land safely, but that hope caused everyone to find a place of peace and calm. 

Hope didn’t change their circumstances, but it changed them. 

Heroism 

Tammie Jo writes, “A true hero is someone who takes the time to see and makes the effort to act on behalf of someone else. In a word, they care.” 

She wanted everyone to realize that there were a lot of heroes on the plane that day. Her copilot, the flight crew, and several passengers had been extraordinarily brave and helpful both during and after the terrifying moments. 

What are your instincts for this crisis? 

All of us who watch the news know our nation, our world, is in a time of crisis. What are your instincts right now? 

How are the habits you have developed through your entire life carrying you now? 

I want to choose faith over fear. 

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” 

I’m glad the government, the scientists, the doctors, and those who do research are hard at work right now. But, I trust it will be the Lord who guides them to the cure. He already has the answers. 

Will you pray with me that all those who want to help will cry out to God for that help? 

Will you share hope with those around you? 

Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” 

We all have an amazing opportunity to be a voice of calm amid the chaos. Does that describe your voice today? 

Will you be considered a hero when these days have passed? 

Tammie Jo Shults commented that she found it interesting that in most of her television interviews people didn’t want to talk about her skills as a pilot during those terrifying moments. They wanted to talk about the moments after she landed the plane. 

She had walked the aisles of the plane, helping people get what they needed, speaking to them kindly, showing interest in each passenger. That’s what people remembered. That is what made Tammie Jo Shults a hero. 

What will people remember about you after these days of crises? 

You can determine that answer now by your choices. 

Will you be someone’s hero in the days ahead? 

You know people who will be losing a lot of their hourly pay. 

You know people who will get sick. 

You know people who will be upset, scared, angry, and self-centered. 

Will you notice them—and help? 

You know Jesus wants to be their hero—through you. 

This crisis is an opportunity. 

Will you ask Jesus for the “nerves of steel” that you will need for these next weeks? 

He wants to answer that prayer. 

One Day, Two Stories, No Words

I received an email telling me that the horrific story I had listened to on the morning news had happened to a family I knew. I had been praying for the people involved, not knowing one of them was a woman I teach in Bible study.

Sometimes evil has a face.

My friend’s family was impacted by evil personified. Her niece, a twenty-two-year-old woman who had recently graduated from college, was kidnapped, robbed, attacked, and then violently murdered. The attack was recorded on a nearby camera, and it was truly horrific. 

My friend’s grief is compounded by the darkness that surrounds her niece’s death. 

Thankfully, the man was quickly arrested. A jury might allow him to live, but I can’t imagine he will ever be set free.

Sometimes grief has no one to blame.

That night, the first story in the news was my friend’s nightmare, and the last story of the evening was about a different kind of nightmare.

Babe Laufenberg is a favorite sports broadcaster here in Dallas. His son had hoped to play football in college this fall. Instead, the news ended with a report that Luke Laufenberg, aged twenty-one, had died of cancer. 

The entire sports broadcast was devoted to what a fine young man he had been and what a hero he was to the people who knew him. Jason Garrett, coach of the Dallas Cowboys, could barely complete his interview. He was grieving for his friends. 

Sometimes grief is the result of living in this imperfect world. Bad things happen, indiscriminately, and no one is to blame. 

We want heaven’s promises now—but this world will never be heaven. 

Is there really help for the horrible?

It was one day and two incredibly sad stories. Two young people, two families, and crowds of people who wish they had words to help.  

What can we say or do when people experience their worst moments of life? 

Are there words for the impossible moments of grief that life inevitably brings? 

Every life is different, but no life is spared loss. 

What can we say, do, and offer that will help in the worst moments of grief?  

I’m not a trained psychologist, but I have shared the journey of grief with a lot of people throughout our years of ministry. There are some powerful verses from the Psalms that I believe apply to moments of grief. 

Words—even the truth of Scripture—don’t end our grief, but they can offer some help we need for it. God provided us these Psalms. There is truth he wants us to know and give to others.

God is near.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” 

Many grieving people talk about feeling numb. That numbness feels wrong or worrisome to most of them, but what if that numbness is a gift of God’s presence? 

We use anesthesia to keep a person from fully experiencing pain. Everyone has different experiences, but almost all experience the numbness. 

I’ve often wondered if that was God’s nearness to them in their pain. What if God’s Presence, his nearness, grants a numbness that is simply his blessing for the crushed spirit? 

Anesthesia is only for a limited time. Eventually, there is the pain involved in getting to our feet. 

God is there for that as well. 

God won’t let you fall.

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” 

Some translations say, “He will never let the righteous fall.” 

When the world has moved forward, people remain in their grief. It hurts to walk again. Rehab is hard. People know they need to try because professionals, friends, and loved ones tell them to try. 

But no one else has to feel the pain and loneliness of the grieving person’s steps.  

I think God would say, “Here is my arm. Grab on. It’s just us now, and this will hurt, but I won’t let you fall.” 

God guides us through the tunnels of this life, and some are incredibly long, dark, and lonely. But, the only failure is letting go of the arm that knows the way through the darkness. 

Grief is a tunnel, not a cave. As surely as there was a beginning, there is an end. You will emerge in a new place, but you will always know it is the place God brought you. 

There will be joy.

Psalm 30:5 says, “His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” 

Grieving people will never feel “happy” about their loss. The psalmist doesn’t say they will. It’s joy that comes in the morning. 

This psalm was written about God’s anger not lasting, but the rest of the psalm offers great truth about God’s help. What does this psalm teach us about the Creator of the universe and the way he cares for his people? What does this psalm teach about God’s care for the grieving?  

God’s favor lasts for a lifetime. 

He will continue to show his favor, even as the grief subsides and invariably returns again. 

God’s gift to the grieving person isn’t about happy circumstances. It is something greater and more complete. Joy is the incomprehensible peace and contentment that transcends our happiness—and our grief. 

The night may be longer than you would wish, but morning will come. It always does. There will be joy in the morning.

Even when God is barely enough—He is still enough.

When God calls you to minister to a person who is grieving, it is important to realize that he doesn’t want you to minister. He wants to minister through you. 

The reason you have no words is that you have no words. Only God has those words. You don’t know what to say, and it might be best to remain still until you have prayed and asked God to speak through you. 

And, often, it is just about bringing his Holy Presence into the room. 

If you are a Christian, Jesus enters the room with you. That’s why so many grieving people will say, “I don’t remember what you said . . . I just know you were there.” 

Your words might not matter, but allowing Jesus to minister through you will matter—eternally. 

Again, we don’t choose that job; we just obey if he chooses us. Every Christian should pray. 

God honors the prayers of his people and there are two families that need prayer. So, together we pray: 

Holy Father, bring people to these families who will bring you into the room. And God, if it is one of us, may we be your hands and your love and speak only your words—through the power of your Spirit and for the glory of Christ. It’s in his name we pray, amen. 


Focusing on God’s Word

Do you ever wonder why people send money to a television evangelist so they can get a piece of the cloth he used to wipe his tears? 

I knew someone who sent such a televangelist a donation. She didn’t really believe it would work. She just wanted to hope. 

History channels have produced shows and books have been written about possible and potential miracles involving a supposed piece of the cross, the Shroud of Turin, Noah’s Ark, or the Ark of the Covenant. Church history records all kinds of promises about these holy objects, and others, that were offered to people who wanted to believe. 

Hope has always been one of God’s promises, and false hope has always been a by-product of that truth. 

A church leader’s words can’t change God’s

There are some passages, like one in Luke 8, that theologians and Bible teachers will always struggle to explain. 

At least, they should struggle to explain these passages. One of the reasons miracles are miracles is that they involve acts of God that transcend what is normal or explicable. 

There is a story in Luke 8 that certain preachers have used to offer people hope of healing. It’s in the Bible, therefore it is possible. 

Why did touching Jesus’ hem heal the woman?

It isn’t easy to find a theologian that wants to tackle that question. There really isn’t an answer except “It happened”—to her. 

It was the second year of Jesus’ ministry, and his popularity was soaring. By now, word had spread about the miracles people had seen, the sermons people had heard, and the hope that Jesus might be the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus is drawing large crowds of people everywhere he goes.

Luke records a time Jesus is walking through such a crowd. A synagogue ruler had pled with Jesus to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter was dying. Jesus is very unpopular with most Jewish leaders by now, but a man whose daughter is dying is desperate for any hope. Jesus agrees to go to his home, and Luke says, “As Jesus went, the people pressed around him” (Luke 8:42). 

Then Luke describes a miracle within the miracle. 

A woman in that crowd had been bleeding for twelve years. Her medical issue would have made her an outcast from society, worship, and even her family. 

In desperation, she reaches out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, hoping and believing that it might help. And it does. 

Luke wrote, “Immediately her discharge of blood ceased” (Luke 8:44). 

Why was this woman healed? 

According to Luke, the crowd was large and people were pressing to get next to Jesus. His robe would have touched or been touched by many people. Why did touching the robe of Jesus heal the woman but not all the others who were “pressing around him”? 

Why did Jesus sense her touch?

The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus was wondering who touched him. Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” (Luke 8:45).

Blogger’s note: This statement is another reason I am a huge fan of Saint Peter. Luke usually got his information straight from the source. In other words, he probably interviewed Peter and the apostle made sure people knew about another of his less-than-perfect retorts to the Son of God. Peter also made sure Luke had Jesus’ answer to his impertinent question. 

How did Jesus know that someone’s touch in that crowd was different from the others? 

Luke records Jesus saying, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46).

Jesus’ power to heal

The reason this is a theological conundrum is that Jesus didn’t choose to heal the woman. He didn’t know she was healed until after the fact. 

The woman came to him and confessed she had touched his garment. It was then that Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:48).

Those words open a can of worms that theologians can’t fully explain, so this blogger won’t even try. 

  • Was it her faith in Jesus? 
  • Her faith in God? 
  • Her faith that even Jesus’ garment could heal? 
  • Were the others that touched his garment lacking faith? 
  • Does enough faith heal and not enough faith hinder? 
  • Why didn’t Jesus know who had touched him and who had been healed? 

Those are just a few of the questions that surround this passage. So, why is such a complicated passage included in our Bibles? 

In fact, the story is important enough that Matthew and Mark also record the miracle in their gospels. 

What if we are supposed to focus on the reason Jesus knew he had been touched rather than the fact that a woman was healed? 

What if the moment and message of the miracle are the most important parts of the story?

The message of the miracle

Jesus perceived that “power” had gone out from him. It wasn’t the garment of Jesus that healed the woman; it was the power within Jesus. 

It wasn’t the crowds that were healed. God healed the woman that day, and Jesus knew it when God’s power was released through him. 

One day, Jesus would look at these same men and tell them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

The “power” released through Jesus that day is the power that fills all Christians today. But, it isn’t the power to heal; it is the power that can heal, when God chooses. 

Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ home. Jairus was a synagogue ruler and probably the most important, influential person in the crowd. Culturally speaking, Jesus paused from his most important task to show compassion to an “unclean” woman who had not requested his attention but had stolen it. 

That day, the culture didn’t define important; God did. The apostle Paul was trying to explain that truth when he wrote about heaven, saying, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

A message about miracles

Two miracles occurred that day: God publicly healed a bleeding woman and privately healed Jairus’ daughter.

What is the message about miracles? 

God heals and decides how to heal and who is healed.

The power for healing is the power of God, through his Son, and through his Holy Spirit.

God loves everyone, equally. Some of God’s miracles are witnessed; some are not. Some of God’s people are healed on earth, but most are healed in heaven.

Faith in God is the key, not faith in garments.

Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” 

If you are a Christian, that is your hope, your promise, and your miracle for today and every day. Whatever you are facing, you will be healed—maybe not today, but definitely one day.