Forsaken For Me

I was pretty little—seven or eight, I think. Sadly, I have no one left to fact check for me.

But I remember it like it was yesterday, one of those unexpected moments in everyday life that are seared in your memory forever. And they influence you in ways you can’t know when they are happening.

Spring had sprung and Easter was on its way. For me, that meant shiny, new, white, patent leather shoes and maybe even an Easter bonnet—if we could cajole and wheedle my thrifty daddy into it. We rarely had new dresses for the occasion; we always seemed to have our pick of assorted hand-me-downs in abundance to wear. But having new accessories made me feel like I could prance down Fifth Avenue in the Easter parade with the best of them!

Easter also meant dying eggs, an egg hunt, baskets filled with chocolate, a big ham dinner, a nature walk at Parvin’s…and lots of things to do at church.

I especially loved the community Good Friday Service. It was held each year from noon to three o’clock in the afternoon at the prettiest church in town, an old stone structure adorned with incredibly brilliant stain-glass windows simply alive with stories from the Bible. We had nothing like that in our rather sparse and plain church building! I leaned back on the comfortable, cushioned pews, enthralled to be surrounded by all my Bible heroes, listening to a pipe organ sweetly saturate the sanctuary with the most beautiful of all traditional hymns. It felt like a bit of heaven on earth.

Each church in the area was assigned one of the seven last “words” Jesus spoke from the cross. One by one, in turn, a member of each congregation would read their designated portion of scripture, a musician would sing or play, and then their pastor would share a devotional thought about Jesus’ utterance. When he finished, there would be a ten-minute interlude of more majestic organ music as folks, somberly and quietly, filed in and out, staying for only the time they desired to spend or for the words they wanted to hear.   

A little sleepy, a little drifty, a little distracted by the other-worldly atmosphere surrounding me, I was jarred back to reality as I watched my pastor, sitting just two rows ahead of my family, stand slowly to his feet, interrupting the speaker at the podium who was preaching on the text found in Matthew 25:46, the fifth saying. “…my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” I sat up straighter in wonder. I could see tears streaming down his face. What on earth? Certainly this was a very sad scripture passage, but why was he disturbing the message? What had I missed?

“Brother,” my pastor spoke tenderly. “I am sorry I must stop you. I can’t let you continue preaching what is not true. God the Father did turn his back on His precious Son as He bore the sins of the world.”

He sat down.

Apparently, the speaker was expressing his personal belief that a God of love would never abandon His Son, that there must be a different interpretation of the scripture.

Uncomfortable silence. Nervous coughing. Shuffling feet. Whispers that reverberated around our little town for years and years afterward.  

The speaker cleared his throat and rather awkwardly began once more. I don’t have a clue how he regrouped, and I don’t remember anything he said from then on.

But I remember what my bold pastor had so brokenly asserted…even sixty-five years later.

And I think about it every Good Friday….and many more times during the year. The forsaken Son. The interchange of the pastors is at the heart of the Gospel.

Did God really forsake His Son that He loved? At His most desperate moment? How could He?

And why?

Little Me, primarily based on my relationship with my dear earthly father (even though he was a bit of a cheapskate!), could not fathom such a thing. Not from a perfect Father. Little Me just didn’t get it. I cried at the thought of the Father turning away from His Son. What did my respected pastor mean?

And Big Me, as I’ve thought about and studied it, is quite relieved to discover that much brighter, wiser folks than I have similarly struggled with this. I know now that my childhood pastor was right in what he said that long ago afternoon. And it still brings me to tears.

Because I know Jesus was forsaken for me…

Not long ago, I found this interesting and helpful article written by Donald Macleod about those sad words Jesus cried out from the cross.

At the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34)

Up to this point, the narrative of the crucifixion has focused on the physical sufferings of Jesus: the flogging, the crown of thorns, and his immolation on the cross. Six hours have now passed since the nails were driven home. The crowds have jeered, darkness has covered the land, and now, suddenly, after a long silence, comes this anguished cry from the depths of the Savior’s soul.

The words are an Aramaic-tinged quotation from Psalm 22, and although Matthew and Mark both offer a translation for the benefit of Gentile readers, they clearly want us to hear the exact words that Jesus spoke. At his lowest ebb, his mind instinctively breathes the Psalter, and from it he borrows the words that express the anguish, not now of his body, but of his soul.

He bore in his soul, wrote Calvin, “the terrible torments of a condemned and lost man” (Institutes, II:XVI, 10). But dare we, on such hallowed ground, seek more clarity?

There are certainly some very clear negatives. The forsakenness cannot mean, for example, that the eternal communion between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was broken. God could not cease to be triune.

Neither could it mean that the Father ceased to love the Son: especially not here, and not now, when the Son was offering the greatest tribute of filial piety that the Father had ever received.

Nor again could it mean that the Holy Spirit had ceased to minister to the Son. He had come down upon him at his baptism not merely for one fleeting moment, but to remain on him (John 1:32), and he would be there to the last as the eternal Spirit through whom the Son offered himself to God (Hebrews 9:14).

And finally, the words are not a cry of despair. Despair would have been sin. Even in the darkness God was, “My God,” and though there was no sign of him, and though the pain obscured the promises, somewhere in the depths of his soul there remained the assurance that God was holding him. What was true of Abraham was truer still of Jesus: Against all hope, he in hope believed (Romans 4:18).

Yet, with all these qualifiers, this was a real forsaking. Jesus did not merely feel forsaken. He was forsaken; and not only by his disciples, but by God himself. It was the Father who had delivered him up to Judas, to the Jews, to Pilate, and finally to the cross itself.

And now, when he had cried, God had closed his ears. The crowd had not stopped jeering, the demons had not stopped taunting, the pain had not abated. Instead, every circumstance bespoke the anger of God; and there was no countering voice. This time, no word came from heaven to remind him that he was God’s Son, and greatly loved. No dove came down to assure him of the Spirit’s presence and ministry. No angel came to strengthen him. No redeemed sinner bowed to thank him.

Who was he? He cries out in Aramaic, but he doesn’t use the greatest of all the Aramaic words, Abba. Even in the anguish of Gethsemane, distraught and overborne though he was, he had been able to use it (Mark 14:36). But not here.

Like Abraham and Isaac going up to Mount Moriah, he and the Father had gone up to Calvary together. But now Abba is not there. Only El is there: God All-mighty, God All-holy. And he is before El, not now as his Beloved Son, but as the Sin of the World. That is his identity: the character in which he stands before Absolute Integrity.

It is not that he bears some vague relation to sinners. He is one of them, numbered with transgressors. Indeed, he is all of them. He is sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), condemned to bear its curse; and he has no cover. None can serve as his advocate. Nothing can be offered as his expiation. He must bear all, and El will not, cannot, spare him till the ransom is paid in full. Will that point ever be reached? What if his mission fails?

The sufferings of his soul, as the old divines used to say, were the soul of his suffering, and into that soul we can see but dimly. Public though the cry was, it expressed the intensely private anguish of a tension between the sin-bearing Son and his heavenly Father: the whirlwind of sin at its most dreadful, God forsaken by God.

But no less challenging than the torment in Jesus’s soul is his question, “Why?“ Is it the why of protest: the cry of the innocent against unjust suffering? The premise is certainly correct. He is innocent. But he has lived his whole life conscious that he is the sin-bearer and has to die as the redemption-price for the many. Has he forgotten that now?

Or is it the why of incomprehension, as if he doesn’t understand why he’s here? Has he forgotten the eternal covenant? Perhaps. His mind, as a human mind, could not be focused on all the facts at the same time, and for the moment the pain, the divine anger, and the fear of eternal perdition (the cross being God’s last word) occupy all his thoughts.

Or is it the why of amazement, as he confronts a dreadfulness he could never have anticipated? He had known from the beginning that he would die a violent death (Mark 2:20), and in Gethsemane he had looked it in the eye, and shuddered. But now he is tasting it in all its bitterness, and the reality is infinitely worse than the prospect.

Never before had anything come between him and his Father, but now the sin of the whole world has come between them, and he is caught in this dreadful vortex of the curse. It is not that Abba is not there, but that he is there, as the Judge of all the earth who could condone nothing and could not spare even his own Son (Romans 8:32).

Now, Jesus’s mind is near the limits of its endurance. We, sitting in the gallery of history, are sure of the outcome. He, suffering in human nature the fury of hell, is not. He is standing where none has stood before or since, enduring at one tiny point in space and in one tiny moment of time, all that sin deserved: the curse in unmitigated concentration.

But then, suddenly, it is over. The sacrifice is complete, the curtain torn, and the way into the Holiest opened once and for all; and now Jesus’s joy finds expression in the words of another psalm, Psalm 31:5. In the original, it had not contained the word Abba, but Jesus inserts it: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

We have no means of knowing what intervened between the two cries. We know only that the Cup is drained and the curse exhausted, and that the Father now proudly holds out his hands to the spirit of his Beloved Son.

Donald Macleod (1940–2023) served as professor of systematic theology at the Free Church of Scotland College in Edinburgh for more than thirty years. He authored many books, including The Person of Christ and Christ Crucified.

John MacArthur says, “In some way and by some means, in the secrets of divine sovereignty and omnipotence, the God Man was separated from God for a brief time at Calvary, as the furious wrath of the Father was poured out on the sinless Son, who in matchless grace became sin for those who believe in Him.”

Oh, I believe in Him! I just have to. He bore the wrath of God, satisfied the wrath of God, for MY sin—so I don’t have to.

What a loving thing to do!

Can we carelessly and foolishly ignore this One who so willingly and horrifically sacrificed Himself on our behalf?

The One Who was forsaken by God so we never will be?

The Father’s love did not restrain Him from turning away from His Son; the Father’s love compelled Him to---for me and for you.

One pastor got it right that distant Good Friday.

But one didn’t.

I’m so thankful the one who did was mine and I witnessed it. He set me on a lifelong journey to seek and know the truth, to wrestle with hard verses and ask questions when I didn’t get it, and to boldly stand up for what God’s Word is saying regardless of the backlash, regardless of the pain. I only wish I was better at it. But He also stirred in me a deep love and gratitude for my precious Savior—and not just at Eastertime.  

I hope he has stirred you as well.

He will be smiling in heaven.

—Eileen Hill

Come to the Healer

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  – Matthew 8:1-4 (KJV)

Because the Fall of Man has resulted in humans chronically committing sin, experiencing perpetual hardship, disease, and a diversity of pain, we are all in need of healing. Many do not identify this specific need; instead, we are simply aware of a desire to re-establish a comfortable state when discomfort arises. We seek to achieve comfort by whatever means are  easily accessible. Depending on a myriad of factors we may choose to settle in and concede to the pain or exhaust all the options we have identified to lessen or resolve it, if we can lay hold to even a moment of relief. Regardless of our limited awareness of the actual problem or the efficacy of our tactics we employ to make it go away, our longing for true healing persists deep within our souls until satisfied. 

At the start of Matthew 8, the Christ has just finished delivering the “Sermon on the Mount” and is descending the mountain. Masses are following Him and seemingly among the masses is a man with leprosy. Wait…WHAT?!?!?! Now, I don’t know a ton about biblical history or Hebrew laws and customs, but what I know for sure is people with leprosy being with other people who don’t have leprosy is a big no-no. I can only imagine people’s reaction when they discovered him not just in their company but approaching Jesus. Yet there is no indication in Matthew’s account of this event that the man is concerned with others’ opinion of his presence nor is he phased by the consequences of violating the law. He humbles himself in worship before the Lord. I am amazed by this man. As someone who has struggled with the fear of man and people pleasing, my primary goal for a great deal of my life has been to stay out of people’s way – do not impose, do not inconvenience, keep your head down, do what you’re supposed to do, and go back to your corner. This man is SO “in the way”; it is disconcerting to the part of me that is still in the healing process. At the same time, I get it. I understand his healing required him to be there.

So often, so many of us remain unhealed, isolated, in perpetual, debilitating pain, because we refuse to comply with what healing requires. How this man with leprosy approaches and speaks to Jesus is the fruit of faith. It seems that he came to Jesus, not just aware of his need to be healed, but already submitted to the healing he sought, ready to obey whatever Jesus told him to do. “If You are willing…” He was not going to allow any circumstance or person (not even himself) to hinder his being healed. He was already sure of Christ’s ability to heal. It would only depend on Jesus’s willingness to heal him. What if we came to the Healer ready for Him to declare what healing looks like and what it requires? What if we submitted to the One who surpasses our finite concept of healing, who knows our exact need and how to meet it before we even perceive we are in need? Maybe our relationships would be restored. Maybe we would be more fruitful. Maybe the intimacy our souls crave would be realized and be even more satisfying than we originally imagined because we are now whole and free to engage in community with authenticity and vulnerability. How fantastic would this be! 

Ok. Let’s be practical. This guy came to Jesus with an obvious issue. Sometimes, we have no clue what is going on with us or our family, friends, coworkers. We just know we do not like that we are angry, our family member is hurting, our coworker is struggling, etc. What should we do? What exactly is needed? We serve the God who sees, speaks and reveals the truth. We and those associated with us would greatly benefit if we would only ask Him our questions. Come to Him with what we do not know, what we think we have figured out. We can expect an answer, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to wait patiently for the Lord. Our God knows all and has all we need!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  – James 1:5

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come – John 16:13  

—Anyah E. R. White

Get Out of the Way…

We serve an almighty God. A God that spoke our world into existence. A God who can raise the dead to life. Who heals the sick. Who can feed thousands with just two fish and five loaves of bread. Parted seas to deliver His people from enemies…and the list goes on. Why is it then that we have a difficult time believing that He can perform the miracle we have been wanting for so long? Why do we get in His way with our mindless arrogance and try to make miracles happen on our own accord?

I recently went through an experience that reminded me of the importance of believing in prayer and leaving God alone to do His work. His time may not be my time, but God’s timing is perfect. If it is difficult to understand this principle, it is because we are imperfect. It is also because God’s wisdom is far greater than we could ever understand. So I received a phone call at around three in the afternoon on a Friday. My heart automatically sank when I heard the recording on the other end say, “You have a collect call from an inmate in our correctional facility…” A close relative of mine has been making a pattern of wrong decision for quite some time now, so the call was not necessarily surprising. I knew the conversation that was about to take place would not be a pleasant one. I accepted the call and braced myself.  A familiar voice on the other end said, “Hey…don’t worry it is not as bad as it seems…I failed to appear in court, so they are holding me here until I pay ten percent on a three thousand dollar bail fine…” He continued to give me the normal justification he had always used for his mistakes and asked me to consider bailing him out. By this time, his time allowance was up and he had to hang up the phone. After fighting back the strong emotions and tears, I meditated on what had just transpired and made a solid decision. Many times before then, my approach had been to rescue him. To get him out of trouble having faith that my prayers would be answered already and it wouldn’t happen again. But it always happened again. So I decided this time not to come through for him. I felt that my many prayers have been heard, and if he was in this predicament it was because God needed him to go through it. I’ve come to accept  that God’s motives are sovereign, and sometimes He puts us through situations to build our character. I felt that “peace that transcends all understanding,” and decided to go about my day forgetting that phone call. I was saddened about his predicament, but at peace with my decision to let him go through it. Hoping that the experience in itself would heighten his awareness of the need to change his ways. But just as I forgot about the issue, my wife made a comment that rewired my thoughts. It was her opinion that we should turn the other cheek, so to speak, and bail him out. She made a convincing argument that we must love like God loved us, and regardless of how many other times I had gotten him out of trouble, we should not deny him grace once again. Her motives were completely valid and on point, but to me they failed to trust that this had all been put in God’s hands before. That only God can make the miracle. My only  job, our only job now was to pray and trust. But the rewiring job in my brain had settled in, so I gave in. We took the drive and bailed him out. It would be at least two hours after we completed the transaction before they actually “released him,” so we decided to leave. We would follow up with him the next day.

So the next day he met with my wife for brunch at a nearby diner to discuss matters. My wife and I had cooked up an alternate plan to what we had been praying for and decided that she would not only discuss the unfortunate events that landed him arrested, but the plans we now had to help him move forward. We had contacted a friend and had a plan to check him into a rehabilitation facility and provide all the moral and financial support he was going to need. We had built a miracle! But upon showing up at the restaurant, he expressed an unapologetic and even self-entitled attitude. It was as if nothing had happened the prior day. My wife tried to reason with him repeatedly in hopes she could present this new plan we had drawn for him, but he continued to dismiss any possibility of an amicable conversation with shoulder shrugs and groans about how he felt he was fine and did not need anyone’s help. She became visibly emotional and decided to cut the meeting short by paying for his meal and asking for boxes for him to take the food home with him. He dismissed her obvious emotional state and abruptly asked for her to take him to where he needed to go next. He had walked to the restaurant to meet her. She declined to drive him and proceeded to leave the restaurant, but not before making sure his food was paid for and that he had containers to take the food home in case he did not want to finish it at the restaurant. When my wife got home, I instantly knew something was wrong. Her visible negative frown and red eyes told me everything that I needed to know. Our plan had failed. 

I can’t help to think that we got in the way of what God was trying to accomplish by putting my relative through the experience of spending a couple  nights in jail. Many times we lose patience and try to take matters into our own hands. Very few times, if any, this works out for the best. While my wife’s intentions were pure and full of hope that stepping in would help, it backfired. Maybe if we had followed my original instinct my relative would have gone through a life changing experience while in jail. But in the midst of emotional pressure, we gave in and acted on our own, even after having placed this relative’s situation in the hands of God many times before.

Psalm 46 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” I don’t suggest that we must do nothing and wait on God to do everything. But if we have already worked like it depends on us and we continue praying like it depends on God, then it is time to do as the verse suggests and be still. He is God. If you know that, you know that only He knows why things are not working out the way you’ve petitioned for. Only He knows  the time when you will see your answer. If it is His will, you will experience the answer on this side of the time continuum. If it is not His will for you to see the answer you can move heaven and earth, and it will all be in vain because He will always answer your prayer on His time and according to His will. You may not even get to see the answer in your lifetime. But He will answer. That is the very essence of faith. Believing what we do not see. And if we trust what we know, we can live in holy anticipation of the answer that is to come, and we can live according to the Word and be thankful in everything, trusting that His will cannot be violated. Whatever is happening around us is precisely what He wants. 

My wife and I didn’t do anything wrong on purpose. We thought we were doing the right thing in extending additional grace. And it wasn’t wrong to extend additional grace. We are called to do that. Where we went wrong was in taking our trust from what we have asked God to do and placing it on what we thought we could do for my relative. After many attempts to show him the right path and going above and beyond to steer him in the right direction in the past, we had decided to ask God to rescue him. We had made it a point to leave matters in God’s hands. But this time we failed. We tried to make the miracle happen on our own. 

So from this point forward we will remember that we cannot manufacture a miracle. It can only come from God in answer to prayers and according to His will. Exodus 14 says that “the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” While “being still” and doing nothing doesn’t necessarily work for everyone or for every circumstance, it does in this one. Two reference points guide us to cement this decision: we have prayed like it depends on God and we have already worked like it depends on us. When our mouths utter the word “Amen,” it is out of our control and directly into God’s hands.

God Bless,

—Rich Bermudez

Quítate del Camino...

Servimos a un Dios todopoderoso. Un Dios que habló para que nuestro mundo existiera. Un Dios que puede resucitar a los muertos. Quien cura a los enfermos. Quién puede alimentar a miles con sólo dos peces y cinco hogazas de pan. Parte mares para liberar a su pueblo de los enemigos... Y la lista continúa. ¿Por qué entonces nos cuesta creer que él pueda realizar el milagro que hemos estado esperando durante tanto tiempo? ¿Por qué nos interponemos en Su camino con nuestra arrogancia sin sentido y tratamos de hacer que sucedan milagros por nuestra propia voluntad?

Recientemente pasé por una experiencia que me recordó la importancia de creer en la oración y dejar que Dios haga Su obra. Puede que su tiempo no sea el mío. Pero el tiempo de Dios es perfecto. Si es difícil entender este principio es porque somos imperfectos. También se debe a que la sabiduría de Dios es mucho mayor de lo que jamás podríamos entender. Entonces recibí una llamada telefónica alrededor de las tres de la tarde de un viernes. Mi corazón se hundió automáticamente cuando escuché la grabación en el otro extremo decir: "tiene una llamada por cobrar de un recluso en nuestro centro correccional..." Un pariente cercano mío ha estado tomando un patrón de toma de decisiones equivocadas desde hace bastante tiempo, así que La llamada no fue necesariamente sorprendente. Sabía que la conversación que estaba a punto de tener lugar no sería agradable. Acepté la llamada y me preparé. Una voz familiar al otro lado de la línea dijo: "Oye... no te preocupes, no es tan malo como parece... No pude comparecer ante el tribunal, así que me retendrán aquí hasta que pague el diez por ciento de una multa de fianza de tres mil dólares... Continuó dándome la justificación normal que siempre había usado para sus errores y me pidió que considerara rescatarlo. En ese momento, se le acabó el tiempo asignado y tuvo que colgar el teléfono. Después de luchar contra las fuertes emociones y las lágrimas, medité sobre lo que acababa de suceder y tomé una decisión sólida. Muchas veces antes de eso mi enfoque había sido rescatarlo. Para sacarlo de problemas teniendo fe en que mis oraciones ya serían contestadas y no volvería a suceder. Pero seguía sucediendo. Así que esta vez decidí no ayudarlo. Sentí que mis muchas oraciones habían sido escuchadas y si él estaba en esta situación era porque Dios necesitaba que él pasara por eso. He llegado a aceptar que los motivos de Dios son soberanos y, a veces, Él nos pone en situaciones para desarrollar nuestro carácter. Sentí esa “paz que trasciende todo entendimiento” y decidí seguir con mi día olvidándome de esa llamada telefónica. Me entristeció su situación, pero me sentí en paz con mi decisión de dejarlo pasar por eso. Esperando que la experiencia en sí misma aumentara su conciencia de la necesidad de cambiar sus costumbres. Pero justo cuando me había olvidado del tema, mi esposa hizo un comentario que cambió mis pensamientos. Ella opinaba que deberíamos poner la otra mejilla, hablar y sacarlo de apuros. Ella dio un argumento convincente de que debemos amar como Dios nos ama y sin importar cuántas otras veces lo haya sacado de problemas, no debemos negarle la gracia una vez más. Sus motivos eran completamente válidos y acertados, pero para mí no confiaron en que todo esto había sido puesto en manos de Dios antes. Que sólo Dios puede hacer el milagro. Mi único trabajo, nuestro único trabajo ahora era orar y confiar. Pero el trabajo de cableado en mi cerebro se había asentado, así que cedí. Fuimos a la corte y lo rescatamos. Pasarían al menos dos horas después de que completáramos la transacción antes de que realmente lo "liberaran", así que decidimos irnos. Nos comunicaríamos con él al día siguiente.

Así que al día siguiente se reunió con mi esposa para almorzar en un restaurante cercano para discutir asuntos. Mi esposa y yo habíamos ideado un plan alternativo a lo que habíamos estado orando y decidimos que ella no sólo discutiría los desafortunados eventos que lo llevaron a su arresto, sino también los planes que ahora teníamos para ayudarlo a seguir adelante. Nos pusimos en contacto con un amigo y teníamos un plan para internarlo en un centro de rehabilitación y brindarle todo el apoyo moral y financiero que iba a necesitar. ¡Habíamos construido un milagro! Pero al presentarse en el restaurante, expresó una actitud sin disculpa e incluso de autodenominación. Era como si nada hubiera pasado el día anterior. Mi esposa trató de razonar con él repetidamente con la esperanza de poder presentarle este nuevo plan que habíamos elaborado para él, pero él continuó descartando cualquier posibilidad de una conversación amistosa encogiéndose de hombros y quejándose de que sentía que estaba bien y que no necesitaba la ayuda de nadie. Ella visiblemente emocionada decidió acortar la reunión pagando su comida y pidiéndole cajas para llevarse la comida a casa. Él descartó su obvio estado emocional y de repente le pidió que lo llevara a donde tenía que ir a continuación. Había caminado hasta el restaurante para encontrarse con ella. Ella se negó a llevarlo en auto y procedió a salir del restaurante, no sin antes asegurarse de que su comida estuviera pagada y que tuviera contenedores para llevarla a casa en caso de que no quisiera terminarla en el restaurante. Cuando mi esposa llegó a casa, inmediatamente supe que algo andaba mal. Su visible ceño negativo y sus ojos rojos me dijeron todo lo que necesitaba saber. Nuestro plan había fracasado.

No puedo evitar pensar que nos interpusimos en el camino de lo que Dios estaba tratando de lograr al hacer que mi pariente pasara la experiencia de pasar un par de noches en la cárcel. Muchas veces perdemos la paciencia y tratamos de tomar el asunto en nuestras propias manos. Muy pocas veces, si es que hay alguna, esto funciona de la mejor manera. Si bien las intenciones de mi esposa eran puras y llenas de esperanza de que intervenir ayudaría, resultó contraproducente. Quizás si hubiéramos seguido mi instinto original, mi familiar habría pasado por una experiencia que le cambiaría la vida mientras estaba en la cárcel. Pero en medio de la presión emocional, cedimos y actuamos por nuestra cuenta incluso después de haber puesto la situación de este familiar en manos de Dios muchas veces antes. El Salmo 46 dice: "Estad quietos y sabed que yo soy Dios". No sugiero que debamos hacer nada y esperar que Dios lo haga todo. Pero si ya hemos trabajado como si dependiera de nosotros y continuamos orando como si dependiera de Dios, entonces es hora de hacer lo que sugiere el versículo y estar quietos. Él es Dios. Si sabes eso, sabrás que sólo Él sabe por qué las cosas no están funcionando como lo has pedido. Sólo Él sabe el momento en que verás tu respuesta. Si es Su voluntad, experimentarás la respuesta en este lado del continuo del tiempo. Si no es Su voluntad que veas la respuesta puedes mover cielo y tierra y todo será en vano porque Él solo contestará tu oración en Su tiempo y según Su voluntad. Es posible que ni siquiera llegues a ver la respuesta durante tu vida. Pero Él responderá. Ésa es la esencia misma de la fe. Creer lo que no vemos. Y si confiamos en lo que sabemos, podemos vivir en santa anticipación de la respuesta que está por venir y podemos vivir según la Palabra y ser agradecidos en todo momento confiando en que Su voluntad no puede ser violada. Todo lo que sucede a nuestro alrededor es precisamente lo que Él quiere.

Mi esposa y yo no hicimos nada malo a propósito. Pensamos que estábamos haciendo lo correcto al extender gracia adicional. Y no estuvo mal otorgar gracia adicional. Estamos llamados a hacer eso. En lo que nos equivocamos fue en quitar nuestra confianza de lo que le habíamos pedido a Dios que hiciera y depositarla en lo que pensábamos que podíamos hacer por mi familiar. Después de muchos intentos de mostrarle el camino correcto e ir más allá para guiarlo en la dirección correcta en el pasado, decidimos pedirle a Dios que lo rescatara. Nos habíamos propuesto dejar los asuntos en manos de Dios. Pero esta vez fallamos. Intentamos hacer que el milagro ocurriera por nuestra cuenta.

Así que a partir de ahora recordaremos que no podemos fabricar un milagro. Sólo puede venir de Dios en respuesta a las oraciones y según Su voluntad. Éxodo 14 dice que “el Señor peleará por vosotros; sólo necesitas estar quieto”. Si bien “estar quieto” y no hacer nada no necesariamente funciona para todos ni para todas las circunstancias, sí funciona en esta. Dos puntos de referencia nos guían para cimentar esta decisión: hemos orado como si dependiera de Dios y ya hemos trabajado como si dependiera de nosotros. Cuando nuestra boca pronuncia la palabra “Amén”, está fuera de nuestro control y cae directamente en las manos de Dios.

Dios Bendiga,

—Rich Bermudez

Trusting Him in Your Storm

My right wrist is throbbing tonight. I know what that means.

Maybe you have a barometer tucked inside one of your old, creaky joints too.

It’s going to storm.

Soon.

I don’t have to check with any other weather information source out there—no matter how reliable and credible their reputation.

My aching wrist never gets it wrong.

Don’t you wish LIFE’S storms were as easily and accurately predicted? That we had fair warning about the annoying showers and the devastating hurricanes that may be lurking ahead of us on our journey?

Just this past week, so many dear ones I know have suddenly been shrouded in dark clouds while wild winds, flashing lightning, and torrents of rain seem to hammer them without mercy. A job lost unfairly without notice. A scary prognosis following surgery. A miscarriage. An unwanted and ugly divorce. A betrayal of a spouse. My circumstance seems like a delightful summer shower compared to my friends’ tsunamis.

As I pray for my friends, as I face the over-my-head plan of bringing my dear and needy mother-in-law home, I long to hear from my Father. The thunder is rumbling…

Storms, theirs and mine, even yours, are His specialty.

I found great comfort and God’s truth in the writings of Alistair Begg in Truth for Life, 365 Daily Devotions.

When Storms Come

“A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling…And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’”  Mark 4:37-39

Anyone who has lived for much time at all knows that in life storms will surely come. Sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere, we are faced with an unexpected job loss, a grim diagnosis, the painful passing of a loved one, or the sorrow of goodbyes. Like the disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, we can feel overwhelmed by these trials, as if our boat were sinking.

Following Jesus does not insulate us from life’s storms, but we can take comfort from knowing that God promises to hold us fast through them. He can calm our hearts, and He may even quiet the very storms themselves.

When storms come, we are often tempted to doubt God. The disciples questioned Jesus even though they had seen His miracles firsthand. They looked Jesus in the eye, and they shared meals with Him every day—but when the storm arose, they took to panic stations of unbelief as if they’d forgotten who He was or what He was capable of doing. Don’t we often find ourselves there too? As soon as the turbulence hits—as soon as life’s winds and waves rise—our doubts and weaknesses burst forth, and we forget who it is who dwells within us and what He is capable of doing.

God does not prevent storms from coming. But He is a God who is both present through them and sovereign over them. Jesus not only stayed with the disciples during the storm, but He displayed His power by calming it. As God, He had created the sea itself. Why would the sea ever be a problem for Him? For us, too, even circumstances that seem hopeless and insurmountable unfold exactly as He has planned. When difficulties, fear, and pain persist, we can trust Him to give us a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and bring us through to a place of calm, whether it arrives in this life or only beyond the final tempest of death.

The question, then, is not “Will storms come in my life!” They surely will. Rather, we must ask, “When the storms do come, will I believe that Jesus Christ is able to deal with them—and will I let Him do that?” He can lift the clouds of doubt fogging our minds. He can mend broken hearts. He can soothe our longings for love. He can revive weary spirits. He can calm anxious souls.

When you see Jesus as the Creator of the universe, the one who calmed the sea, and the one in whom everything holds together, then you too can experience the calming of the storm.

 So even though I may be blindsided by a dark, violent, frightening storm in this life, even though I have had no warning or time to prepare, He is the God who is both present with me in my storm and sovereign over it. Will I trust Him with my circumstances?  

Doesn’t it always come to that? Trusting Him?

As scary and daunting as my days ahead look to me right now, as the raindrops mingle with my tears running down my cheeks, I am determined to trust Him in my little thunderstorm.

Oh, Father, help my unbelief.

And remind me, Jesus, when my joints kick up a fuss, to be praying for all those who are clinging to you in life’s storms and for those who will soon be caught up in one. Will you calm their squalls? Will you show them you are near? Will you help them to trust you more?

Will you give them peace?

Thank you, dear Savior.

You are trustworthy.

—Eileen Hill

An Opinion is Just an Opinion and Not Much More

I once heard it said, "Two Christians, three opinions," and I think it is true because untested opinions are very cheap to build and easy to maintain. It is difficult to have one's views challenged, and usually costly to let go when we need to change. We need to be careful with opinions.

Opinions are volatile and filled with all kinds of twists and turns. The equality of all opinions is now one of the mantras of our culture. Unfortunately, like some food at a church potluck, you might not want to return for a second serving. Holding tightly to unfounded opinions will cloud the truth and cause the fracturing of even the best relationships with God and man. We all hear many opinions and give voice to almost as many. Opinions can be right and useful, except when they are not.

One of the best gifts humans have is the ability to make up our minds about things, to have preferences, and to pick our favorite food, colors, books, pastimes, music, or friends. We all have and give opinions, spoken or unspoken, which affect how well we interact with almost everything around us. Opinions can be the equivalent of calling Punxsutawney Phil a meteorologist, or they can be the reasoned and measured thoughts of an expert witness in court, giving a dependable place to engage more truth.

Here is what Cortney Warren, Ph.D. has to say about opinions:

"…an opinion is not a fact. Alarmingly, most humans believe that their opinions are facts. We incorrectly assume that our thoughts are correct. I mean, if we think it, it must be true, right?

Wrong. The truth is that a fact is a statement that can be supported to be true or false by data or evidence. In contrast, an opinion is a personal expression of a person's feelings or thoughts that may or may not be based in data. Indeed, many of our opinions are based on emotions, personal history, and values—all of which can be completely unsupported by meaningful evidence"

As a body of believers, consider how Romans 14 should work among us as we coalesce around our doctrine and how we live Christ together.

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.” ESV.

We all have opinions, but it would be spiritually healthy to take time to know if our opinion is just a preference, an unfounded perception, or just based on another influencer's ideas before you judge someone else by it. Here again, is Cortney Warren with a word of advice:

“… So, the next time someone tells you that they have a strong opinion about something, understand what their opinion is based on. Is it based on measurable data with some compelling outcome? Or is it based on reactive emotional preferences and impressions? If it is the latter, take it with a grain of salt before you value it. And if you have a strong opinion about something that you know very little about, try to figure out why before you give strong credence to your belief.”

If you want my opinion…that's pretty good advice. Lol.

—George Davis

When There Is No End, Everything Becomes a Means

This week we would like to share a blog from one of our members, Jeff Caldwell. Please check it out here!

True Obedience Is Complete

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

I learned this song in elementary school. Not only is it a cute song; it is a brilliant way to teach little ones to spell a big word.

As a kid I thought it was just a ploy to get kids to do what they were told. My skepticism has since been resolved by scripture, namely the words of Christ, God’s commands and covenant with Israel in the old testament, and the lives of the faithful throughout the Bible.

Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” God echoes this sentiment so many times throughout  the Bible. Obedience is a big deal to God. It is linked to punishment (Psalm 89:30-31), the (quality and length) thriving and sustaining of one’s life and the life of future generations (Proverbs 3:1-2; Deut. 5:9-10). In addition, obedience is a consequence or evidence of one’s love and  reverence for, and commitment to the Lord. 

An example of this that fascinates me is found in 1 Chronicles 21. David does something random and stupid, something the Lord never instructed him to do. Verse 1 of the chapter tells us that David was actually motivated by Satan! The result? “God was displeased and struck all of Israel”. All? Not just David? David was shook and repented immediately, yet God still insisted on punishment for David’s actions. Plot twist: God gave David options. David’s choice demonstrates his heart for, intimacy with, and knowledge of the Almighty. “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (verse 13). Wow. Wait, there’s more. After submitting to God’s judgement on behalf of his house and all of Israel, God relents midway, and David petitions God to make David and his house the target of punishment. God has very specific instructions for David. How David obeys and expresses his understanding of the situation and his responsibility as a servant of the Lord and leader of a nation challenges me. 

After moving to obey God, David is offered the means to obey for free and he rejects it, stating, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, so that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, so that the plague may be averted from the people…No, I will certainly pay the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.” David could have received Ornan’s offer as a blessing from the Lord. True obedience is complete. It does not seem to be actual obedience if  we are seeking to avoid inconvenience or loss. Does our love, referential fear and trust toward the God of Heaven require our obedience? When I make decisions that inevitably affect my family, especially my children, am I prone to be momentarily grieved only to shrug it off because “kids are resilient”? Or do I understand my responsibility as a servant of the Lord and leader of littles to repent, watch for the Lord, and respond like David, submitted, obedient and open to retribution? Do I believe God? Do I know or have I experienced God’s goodness, justice, and glory to trust? Do you? Build the altar. Make the sacrifice. ‘Tis the only way.

—Anyah E. R. White

Is Mustard Seed Size Faith Enough?

We all have prayers that we pray often, if not all the time. There are things we have been praying for dating back months. Maybe years. As time goes on we wrestle with thoughts about  the time when we will hopefully witness  God deliver on His promises and honor all the countless knee bending moments and heartfelt prayers with the answers we are seeking. A well known story in the Bible comes to mind, where our faith is related to a mustard seed with an implication that anything is possible with just a little faith. Even the humanly impossible act of geographically relocating a mountain from one place to another by merely speaking to it. I can’t help but to wonder, isn’t my prayer to God more realistic considering how outrageous it sounds to see a mountain jump out from point A to point B on a simple command? Is my faith Big enough to heal that illness; or avoid that failure; or rescue that family member from sin? 

That particular story is found in the gospel of Matthew. In  chapter 17  we read about a time when Jesus was rebuking the disciples for not having enough faith to cast demons out of a boy who was afflicted with epilepsy. It says that after they faithfully tried, the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked Him  why they weren’t able to perform the miracle. After all, they had faith! Or so they thought…they were, after all, following and walking with the Master himself! The Bible  tells that Jesus said to the disciples that  “if they had faith LIKE a mustard seed nothing would be impossible to them.” But wait; these were guys who left their lives to follow Jesus. There must have been some faith in their hearts after all. Why would they be following Jesus if they didn’t have at least the slightest faith in Him? In His rebuke to them, Jesus made  the allusion to a kind of faith able to move a mountain from its geographical position. A faith able to make the impossible possible. The kind that would even defy both laws of physics and gravity with such an insane request.  A faith that even the disciples apparently did not have. 

You see, I don’t think Jesus was referring to how big or small faith needs to be. I think e was referring to how strong it should be in order to ultimately see results. Please let me explain what I mean. The mustard seed has some rather unique characteristics that make a good argument for this assumption. For starters, the mustard seed  is no bigger than 2 millimeters in diameter, but it germinates quicker than many other seeds, and reaches maturity very fast, yielding  trees that can grow as tall as 30 feet with branches and leaves spanning across up to 20 feet in circumference. The seed itself is also documented to remain viable even if trampled or burned, making it nearly impossible to not produce results after such trauma. And one of the most important characteristics of the mustard seed is that it is non-hybrid. Even the most intelligent scientist in the universe can find it difficult, if not impossible to make a hybrid mustard seed. Meaning it is virtually impossible for them to combine two different mustard plants to produce another variety. Taking into account these three characteristics of a mustard seed, one could understand better why Jesus would relate productive faith to this seemingly insignificant seed.

Our faith needs to be like a mustard seed and not small-like a mustard seed. With the proper qualities built into it, the size of our faith becomes irrelevant. If it's small, we must work through prayer and trust in God for it to grow and mature fast so it can be capable of producing great results with miraculous byproducts that hopefully will make us stand in awe and span over generations. Our faith should be strong and not easily broken. It must sustain hurt, perceived disappointments, confusion, and fiery attacks. Not being able to sustain these would  forfeit the results that it could provide.  And ultimately, our faith must be unique. Not prone to combining with anything else. To hold its own. It must be genuine and stand alone. Not needing to mix with anything or others to produce any results.  

I often struggled with my original interpretation of this God-given lesson. I knew that I had at least a little faith. And my whole life I thought  that all I needed was faith as small as a 2 millimeter mustard seed. But there were countless times when that was obviously not enough. Seeing it from the perspective of this blog entry helps me understand that the problem was not that my faith was smaller than a mustard seed. At times any smaller faith in me would have truly  been impossible! I believe that the problem was in the quality of my faith at one given point or another. I wonder if my faith was qualitative enough. If it had the qualities found in the mustard seed.  I need to admit that  it often didn’t. But one thing is certain. I know the God I serve. And I know that He tells me His word does not go back to Him empty. So like the mustard seed, I will continue to grow in my faith.  Not focusing on how much trampling it is exposed to or the attacks it may go through. Knowing that in no time it is destined to  grow and mature well. I will remember what the promise is and how I am poised to see gigantic miracles at the right time. And most importantly, I will remember that my faith cannot and should not mix with anything else that may deviate it from its purpose of standing alone in genuine holy anticipation of what is to come. If it is God’s will, I will see my prayer answered.

God bless,

—R Bermudez

¿Es la fé del tamaño de un grano de mostaza suficiente..?

Todos tenemos oraciones que rezamos con frecuencia, si no todo el tiempo. Hay cosas por las que hemos estado orando desde hace meses. Quizás años. A medida que pasa el tiempo, luchamos con pensamientos sobre el momento en que, con suerte, seremos testigos de cómo Dios cumple sus promesas y honra todos los innumerables momentos de arrodillamiento y oraciones sinceras con las respuestas que estamos buscando. Me viene a la mente una historia muy conocida de la Biblia, donde nuestra fe se relaciona con una semilla de mostaza con la implicación de que todo es posible con solo un poco de fe. Incluso el acto humanamente imposible de reubicar geográficamente una montaña de un lugar a otro con solo hablarle. No puedo evitar preguntarme: ¿no es más realista mi oración a Dios considerando lo escandaloso que suena ver una montaña saltar del punto A al punto B con una simple orden? ¿Es mi fe lo suficientemente grande como para sanar esa enfermedad? o evitar ese fracaso; ¿O rescatar a ese miembro de la familia del pecado?

Esa historia particular se encuentra en el evangelio de Mateo. Donde en el capítulo 17 leemos acerca de un momento en que Jesús estaba reprendiendo a los discípulos por no tener suficiente fe para expulsar demonios de un niño que padecía epilepsia. Dice que después de intentarlo fielmente, los discípulos vinieron a Jesús en privado y le preguntaron por qué no podían realizar el milagro. Después de todo, ¡tenían fe! O eso pensaban... ¡Después de todo, estaban siguiendo y caminando con el Maestro mismo! La Biblia cuenta que Jesús dijo a los discípulos que “si tuvieran fe COMO un grano de mostaza, nada les sería imposible”. Pero espera; Estos fueron hombres que renunciaron a sus propias vidas para seguir a Jesús. Debia de haber algo de fe en sus corazones. ¿Por qué seguirían a Jesús si no tuvieran al menos la más mínima fe en Él? En su reprimenda, Jesús hizo alusión a un tipo de fe capaz de mover una montaña de su posición geográfica. Una fe capaz de hacer posible lo imposible. Del tipo que incluso desafiaría las leyes de la física y la gravedad con una petición tan demencial. Una fe que aparentemente ni siquiera los discípulos tenían.

Verás; No creo que Jesús se estuviera refiriendo a cuán grande o pequeña debe ser la fe. Creo que se refería a lo fuerte que debería ser para poder ver resultados en última instancia. Por favor déjame explicarte lo que quiero decir. La semilla de mostaza tiene algunas características bastante únicas que constituyen un buen argumento a favor de esta suposición. Para empezar, la semilla de mostaza no mide más de 2 milímetros de diámetro, pero germina más rápido que muchas otras semillas y alcanza  madurez muy rápido, produciendo árboles que pueden crecer hasta 30 pies de altura con ramas y hojas que se extienden hasta 20 pies en circunferencia. También está documentado que la semilla en sí permanece viable incluso si es pisoteada o quemada, lo que hace casi imposible que no produzca resultados después de tal trauma. Y una de las características más importantes de la semilla de mostaza es que no es híbrida. Incluso al científico más inteligente del universo le puede resultar difícil, si no imposible, producir una semilla de mostaza híbrida. Lo que significa que les resulta prácticamente imposible combinar dos plantas de mostaza diferentes para producir otra variedad. Teniendo en cuenta estas tres características de una semilla de mostaza, se podría entender mejor por qué Jesús relacionaría la fe productiva con esta semilla aparentemente insignificante.

Nuestra fe necesita ser como una semilla de mostaza y no pequeña-como una semilla de mostaza. Con las cualidades adecuadas incorporadas, el tamaño de nuestra fe se vuelve irrelevante. Si es pequeña, debemos trabajar a través de la oración y la confianza en Dios para que crezca y madure rápidamente y pueda ser capaz de producir grandes resultados con subproductos milagrosos que, con suerte, nos dejarán asombrados y se extenderán por generaciones. Nuestra fe debe ser fuerte y no fácilmente quebrantable. Debe soportar el dolor, las decepciones percibidas, la confusión y los ataques ardientes. No poder sostenerlos perdería los resultados que ella podría proporcionar. Y, en última instancia, nuestra fe debe ser única. No propensa a combinarse con nada más. Para mantenerse firme. Debe ser genuina y autónoma. No es necesario mezclarla con nada ni con otros para producir algún resultado.

A menudo tuve problemas con mi interpretación original de esta lección dada por Dios. Sabía que tenía al menos un poco de fe. Y toda mi vida pensé que todo lo que necesitaba era fe tan pequeña como una semilla de mostaza de 2 mililitros. Pero hubo innumerables ocasiones en las que obviamente eso no fue suficiente. Verlo desde la perspectiva de esta entrada de blog me ayuda a entender que el problema no era que mi fe fuera más pequeña que una semilla de mostaza. ¡A veces una menor fe en mí hubiera sido verdaderamente imposible! Creo que el problema estuvo en la calidad de mi fe en un momento u otro. Me pregunto si mi fe fue lo suficientemente cualitativa. Si tuvo las cualidades que se encuentran en la semilla de mostaza. Debo admitir que a menudo no fue así. Pero una cosa es segura. Conozco al Dios al que sirvo. Y sé que él me dice que su palabra no vuelve atrás vacía. Así como la semilla de mostaza seguiré creciendo en mi fe. Sin centrarla en los pisoteos a los que está expuesta ni en los ataques que puede sufrir. Sabiendo que en poco tiempo está destinada a crecer y madurar bien. Recordaré cuál es la promesa y cómo estoy preparado para ver milagros gigantescos en el momento adecuado. Y lo más importante es que recordaré que mi fe no puede ni debe mezclarse con nada más que pueda desviarla de su propósito de permanecer sola en genuina y santa anticipación de lo que está por venir. Si es la voluntad de Dios, veré contestada mi oración.

Dios bendiga,

R Bermudez

Finding Jesus

I couldn’t find Him. And I looked everywhere.

How could I lose Baby Jesus?

I was humming “Joy to the World” as I busily pulled my Christmas decorations from the stacks of boxes in my dusty basement. I smiled with pleasure, joy truly flooding my heart, as I rediscovered the charming Thomas Kincaid nativity set that I had inherited a couple years earlier. Because we had visited family out of state the past couple of years, I had only minimally decorated our home for Christmas. I had forgotten all about this beautiful gift.

Now this is not an ordinary creche with its traditional figurines. A dear elderly friend of mine with very limited means had splurged on this particular set, purchasing pieces of it separately over several years. And it has lots of pieces—all packed in a multitude of crumbling Styrofoam containers. Exquisitely crafted, sacrificially obtained, it was quite precious to her and she wanted me to have it when she was gone. So now, of course, it is very precious to me.

Thank you, dear Mildred.

I hauled the boxes upstairs and packed up all the dishes on my hutch to make room for the rustic stable and all the handsome figures. Beside the familiar cast of characters and creatures, this incredibly large nativity set includes a centurion, a multitude of various angels, and even the little drummer boy. There are even some figures I don’t recognize.

I was down to opening the last squeaky box when I realized I had not found Baby Jesus nor the manger. A massive search party of my whole house ensued…one that lasted for days.

I simply could not find Jesus.

And that gave me pause. I thought about it a lot.

In fact, it overshadowed my holiday season. It became the overarching, ever-present question or theme that replayed in my head like a stuck old LP record.

Where’s Jesus? Where IS He?

After all, isn’t He the singularly most significant figure in that stable, in the whole scene I so carefully arranged? Isn’t He the central focus of the entire Christmas celebration? Isn’t the holiday pointless without the Christ child?

Very good questions that prompted some very thought-provoking answers.

I was desperate to find Him, to put Him where He should be.

So I determined I would…even if it wasn’t in some forsaken, spidery corner of my basement. Or in the manger on my hutch where I thought He belonged.

And, you know, with my Father’s help, I did find Him. Over and over again in the hustle and bustle of Advent. Here and there in places I never expected to find Him.

He was exactly where He belonged.

And I am most grateful.

I found Him in the unexpected and paralyzing moments of grief over facing family holiday gatherings without my big sister for the first time ever.

I found Him in the busyness of shopping, food preparation, decorating, wrapping, planning, and cleaning for a house full of company, my most favorite and exhausting enterprise of the year, a season when I regretfully often overlook Whose birthday it is in my bustle.

I found Him in the quiet moments of my tearful prayers for so many that I love who are not looking for Jesus at all and for those whose physical and emotional and relational needs are crushing them and breaking them, whose days may not be so merry or bright.

I found Him in the laughter and warmth and blessing of just sweetly being together with the precious ones who are mine.

I found Him on the floor of the bedroom where I held my dear mother-in-law, waiting for help to get her back up to bed. I found Him with her the next day in the helicopter that air lifted her to Cooper because of a nasty stroke. And then when she had another. I found Him in rehab with her, holding her near as she struggles to make sense of what has ravaged her brain so heartlessly.

I found Him in the middle of my fear concerning my mother-in-law’s future care and the weight of that heavy responsibility and my very obvious inadequacies.

I found Him calmly and patiently whispering to me as I navigated my stress-related vertigo and double vision issues that threaten to take me out.

I found Him in the strength and prayers of my loving husband and my wise children and theirs. I found Him in the brilliant, star-studded winter sky. I found Him in the Advent messages delivered so powerfully the weeks leading to Christmas.  I found Him in the glorious and compelling traditional Christmas music that touched my soul. I found Him in thoughtful unexpected gifts and cards of friendship. I found Him in the intimate dinner shared with my Pastorate family. I found Him in the middle of the devastating and crippling news of wars, fires, earthquakes, riots, murders, abuses, shootings, injustices, feuds, inflation, crooked politicians, rebellion, addictions, divorce, betrayal, cancers, and mental illness.

I found Him in all these moments, in all these sorrowful, uncontrollable, mundane, confusing, exhausting, hopeless, or happy situations of life.

Why?

I was looking for Him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 ESV)

Like the prompted shepherds, like the curious wisemen, I sought Him this Christmas. Relentlessly. 

Because, unlike those obedient seekers, I already knew where He was and Who He was…and is. I even knew that I needed Him. I just needed a gentle push, a subtle reminder.

His name is Immanuel. God with us. GOD with ME!

Amazing. Humbling.

Oh, so helpful.

Because this is so not about me.

It is about the object of my search.

It is all about HIM and Who He is.

Because of His timely disappearance from my creche, my gracious Father reminded me of the importance, no, the urgency of finding Jesus, my Savior, in every moment of every day. Especially the busy ones when we are so easily distracted and our hearts are so carelessly wooed away to lesser gods. Especially the dark and pain-filled ones when we are groping for answers that just aren’t there.

But He is.

The Babe left Bethlehem in the dust and turned His lovely face purposefully to the cross. His earthly life was lived to accomplish the Father’s perfect plan to restore a broken and wayward world back into stunning relationship with Him.

In fact, in John 14:23, Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Did you get that?

And we have a myriad of other verses in His Word that promise His nearness, His tender care, His love for those who have placed their faith in Him as Savior and King.  

He is here. He is with you. Really.

Call off the search party.

Be thrilled the manger is empty.     

Bow your knees in gratitude and raise your voice in adoration.

You can experience a very different 2024 if you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith story. Diligently search for Him in every moment, in every situation of the year. See what He is up to and join Him. Look for paths where He is leading you and follow. Rest in His care and protection. Listen to His voice and hear His promises.

You will find Him.

He isn’t hiding.

Just be sure you are looking.           

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon him while he is near; (Isaiah 55:6)

—Eileen Hill

You are Near!

Psalm 119:151-152

But you are near, O Lord,

    and all your commandments are true.

Long have I known from your testimonies

    that you have founded them forever.

This Christmas season I am reveling in the nearness of God. God’s constant presence. God’s insistence on being with us since the beginning of time – His walking with Adam in the cool of the day, choosing Noah to build the ark, calling Abram out of Ur and making covenant with him and his descendants. Our Creator established covenants and altars to give us, His image-bearers, access to draw near and call upon their Creator. God also welcomes us to be with Him.

Though I want so desperately to respond to my Lord’s invitation with consistency and enthusiasm, I have a hard time allowing myself to be. The to-do list is too long, there are too many distractions, too much fear, too many concerns to manage and problems to fix – things on the verge of falling apart that I feel obligated to hold together. Still, God is near, here, now. My Father reminds me that He is holding me together, and, if I let go of the other stuff, He will hold those too (Colossians 1:17). He is our hope now for when the hard things we hold are not changing or maybe getting even harder.

Thankfully Christ, God donning flesh, was born and lived, teaching us how to be: how to be in solitude, how to be with God – present, honest, open, certain He was in need of all the Father had to offer; reverent, knowing the messiness of life on earth and the intensity felt within Himself (e.g. these things that we carry in our hands and hold in our souls) are welcome with Him in the presence of the Almighty; and how to be with others – those mourning and celebrating, in need and in abundance, children and aged, sick and whole. I do not see in Jesus’s life the daily, hourly, moment-to-moment urgency I often feel inside. I am grateful! What confirmation and relief this brings to us! We are not supposed to live this way. There is peace. 

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” - John 14:27 (AMP)

In seasons when solitude eludes me and I don’t feel permitted to be still (no matter how much I actually need it), the Holy Spirit catches me chopping veggies, folding laundry, “I am here. I have been here. Do you not see?” In that moment I am reminded of answered prayer, promises in Scripture, needs met that I did not express, times I operated in knowledge I did not have before that instant and certainly did not come to of my own accord, times when the doorbell rang when I am barely holding on and someone who loves me was on my porch, peace and joy in chaotic parenting moments, and comfort and advocacy when the darkness closed in and profound grief seemed to overtake me. Our God, Emmanuel, is here, with us indeed!! Do you not see?

—Anyah E. R. White

What is Your Hope as a Believer?

There are an estimated 2.4 billion Christians in the world. That is a staggering number when you realize that Christians make up about 30% of the total world population. Almost two-and-a-half billion people in the world believe God sent His Son, Jesus to save the world. They all share the same hope; or do they? 

It flirts with my curiosity to wonder how many Christians can properly identify what their hope is as believers. Is it healing from an illness? Could it be deliverance from past mistakes and wrong doings? Financial stability? Some Christians’ hopes are based on lesser spiritual goods and even on material blessings. I also wonder if this is why the Bible says that not everyone who calls him “lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Or why another part of scripture suggests that many who perform good deeds in the Lord's name will be declared unknown by God in heaven and even labeled, “evil doers.” This blog entry is not meant to upset you or to cast any negativity, but to encourage you to take a deep look within and articulate what it truly is you are hoping for as a Christian.

1 Peter 3:15 tells that we must worship Christ as Lord of our lives. Keep that in mind. Lord, as in “master,” or “ruler” of our LIVES. That means from the moment we are conceived until we are called back home, He rules EVERYTHING that happens to us. Equally important, the verse ends with an exhortation for us to always be ready to explain our hope as a believer. One version actually reads, “Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

After much meditation and reading, I conclude the Christian hope to be that our God is faithful, and that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. But it doesn’t end there. Our hope further relies on the affirmation that Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead to complete what He has begun. That’s it! This belief encompasses an array of connected truths, including the fact that we should submit to His will, regardless of the situation, because He is coming back one day. As 1 Timothy 4:10 reads, “We have hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe…”  So regardless of the present struggles and troubles, we can have a holy expectancy of a “light at the end of the tunnel,” so to speak. 

What could be more soothing than resting in the promise that if we believe, we will someday live in peace and harmony with Christ in paradise. A place where the Bible assures us there will be no more tears, no more death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain. All these things will be gone forever! We will dwell in a crystal clear and pure city. Where gates are made of pearls and the streets out of gold. A place where nothing evil will be allowed to enter.

If our hope as Christians is that Jesus is coming back to take us to such a place, and we truly believe this; why dismay in the face of this world’s ongoing problems and incompleteness? Our struggles are valid and in no way am I trying to minimize yours. But I want to encourage you to join me as we internalize the concept of our true Christian hope in such a way that helps us fight the good battle while we are still here, with the certainty that God’s will cannot be violated. So even if our children continue down the wrong path, or that financial situation worsens;  the marriage continues in decline;  the medical diagnosis does not change; the promotion does not come; the business fails; or anything else that my attempt to steal our joy happens, we  remain trusting, and hopeful. And if our prayers are not answered in real time, hope goes beyond what we know we will one day have and could never fully attain in this world. This understanding reassures us that God is working all things out for our good. The Word says in Hebrews that we should hold on tightly to our hope simply because God can be trusted to keep His promise. This is where our hope should be anchored.

God Bless!

—Rich Bermudez

¿Cuál es tu esperanza como creyente?

Se estima que hay 2.4 billones de cristianos en el mundo. Se trata de una cifra asombrosa si se tiene en cuenta que los cristianos constituyen alrededor del 30% de la población mundial total. Casi dos billones y medio de personas en el mundo creen que Dios envió a su hijo Jesús para salvar al mundo. Todos comparten la misma esperanza; ¿O no?

Coquetea con mi curiosidad preguntarme cuántos cristianos pueden identificar adecuadamente cuál es su esperanza como creyentes. ¿Será ser sano de una enfermedad? ¿Podría ser la liberación de errores y malas acciones del pasado? ¿Estabilidad financiera? Las esperanzas de algunos cristianos se basan en bienes espirituales menores e incluso en bendiciones materiales. También me pregunto si es por eso que la Biblia dice que no todo el que lo llame “señor” entrará en el reino de los cielos. O por qué otra parte de las escrituras sugiere que muchos de los que realizan obras en el nombre del Señor serán declarados desconocidos por Dios en el cielo e incluso etiquetados como "hacedores de maldad". Esta entrada de blog no pretende molestar ni transmitir negatividad, sino animarte a mirar profundamente en tu interior y articular lo que realmente esperas como cristiano.

1 Pedro 3:15 dice que debemos adorar a Cristo como Señor de nuestras vidas. Mantén esto en mente. Señor, como en “maestro” o “gobernante” de nuestras VIDAS. Eso significa que desde el momento en que somos concebidos hasta que somos llamados a regresar a casa, él gobierna TODO lo que nos sucede. Igualmente importante es que el versículo termina con una exhortación para que estemos siempre listos para explicar nuestra esperanza como creyentes. Una versión actualmente lee: "estén preparados para dar una respuesta a todo el que les pida que den la razón de la esperanza que tienen".

Después de mucha meditación y lectura yo concluyo la esperanza del cristiano ser que nuestro Dios es fiel, y que envió a su hijo Jesús a morir por nuestros pecados. Pero la cosa no termina ahí. Nuestra esperanza se basa además en la afirmación de que Jesús regresará para juzgar a los vivos y a los muertos para completar lo que ha comenzado. ¡Eso es todo! Esta creencia abarca una serie de verdades conectadas, incluido el hecho de que debemos someternos a su voluntad, independientemente de la situación, porque algún día regresará. Como dice 1 Timoteo 4:10, “tenemos esperanza en el Dios vivo, que es el Salvador de todos los hombres, y mayormente de los que creen…” Entonces, independientemente de las luchas y problemas presentes, podemos tener una santa expectativa de una “luz al final del túnel”, más o menos.

 ¿Qué podría ser más importante que descansar en la promesa de que si creemos, algún día viviremos en paz y armonía con Cristo en el paraíso? Un lugar donde la Biblia nos asegura que no habrá más lágrimas, ni muerte, ni tristeza, ni llanto, ni dolor. ¡Todas estas cosas desaparecerán para siempre! Habitaremos en una ciudad cristalina y pura. Donde las puertas están hechas de perlas y las calles de oro. Un lugar donde no se permitirá la entrada de nada malo.

Si nuestra esperanza como cristianos es que Jesús regresará para llevarnos a tal lugar, y realmente lo creemos; ¿Por qué la consternación ante los problemas y la insuficiencia continua  de este mundo? Estas luchas son válidas y de ninguna manera deseo minimizar las suyas. Pero quiero animarlos a que se unan a mí mientras internalizamos el concepto de nuestra verdadera esperanza cristiana de tal manera que nos ayude a pelear la buena batalla mientras todavía estemos aquí, con la certeza de que la voluntad de Dios no puede ser violada. Entonces, incluso si nuestros hijos continúan por el camino equivocado, o esa situación financiera empeora; el matrimonio continúa en declive; el diagnóstico médico no cambia; el ascenso no llega; el negocio fracasa; o cualquier otra cosa que trate de robarnos la alegría, permanecemos confiados y esperanzados. Y si nuestras oraciones no son respondidas en tiempo real, la esperanza se desvanece más allá a lo que sabemos que algún día tendremos y que nunca podremos alcanzar plenamente en este mundo. Esta comprensión nos asegura que Dios está obrando todas las cosas para nuestro bien. La Palabra dice en Hebreos que debemos aferrarnos firmemente a nuestra esperanza simplemente porque se puede confiar en que Dios cumplirá su promesa. Es ahí donde debe anclarse nuestra esperanza.

Dios Bendiga!

—Rich Bermudez

Any Room?

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

My experience wasn’t the same as Mary’s. Well, not in the end anyway. And not in lots of other ways!

We had traveled across Virginia. It was getting late and I was finished. Young and probably quite foolish, Kenny and I had decided to take a little vacation and visit his brother, Jerry, a proud sailor in the U.S. Navy. His ship had just docked in Newport News and we wanted to see him.

Now, I’m an over-zealous vacation planner, a bit of a travel junkie. Once I knew we were heading to Virginia, I got out my boxes of trusty maps and Mobil Travel Guides (Oh, how far we’ve come) and planned a route that would literally take us all over that state, stopping to visit every historic site, explore every tourist trap, hike every waterfall trail, and take pictures at every scenic viewpoint recommended to this tour enthusiast. We had two small children, ages one and three. And I was eight months pregnant. Yeah. Not smart.

Virginia is a big state and my plans were even bigger. Unfortunately, we could only be away a few days and we quickly ran out of time long before we exhausted my ambitious itinerary. Thankfully. Yes, I had overdone it. For sure. I was feeling some concerning pain. I needed to rest. The kids were beat. We immediately revised our schedule and made tracks from the lovely Blue Ridge mountains in the western part of the state eastward toward the Navy base. And toward the very popular August tourist attractions of coastal Virginia.

It was late when we neared our destination. But there were no rooms anywhere. No Vacancy signs taunted us at every exit. It was getting later and less hopeful each time we asked if there had been any cancelations or if they had suggestions for where we could go. We didn’t know what to do and both of us were getting quite anxious. The kids had conked out hours before. I knew I needed to just sleep and get my swollen feet up.

In desperation, after yet one more failed attempt to secure lodging, Kenny suggested I go inside and ask for a room. He was hoping the desk clerk would feel sorry for me, a bedraggled and weary woman with a very big belly. And I must have been a pitiful sight because, in minutes, we were snoozing away in a very clean and cool Comfort Inn suite, the very last motel that had just turned Kenny away!

But that didn’t happen for Mary. And that breaks my heart.

I’ve thought about that a lot over the years--especially during Advent season when beautiful carols remind me again and again of Joseph’s worried and desperate search for lodging. The lovely refrains echo the saddest words of the season to me. There was no room. No room for Mary or Joseph.

But more than that, there was no room for the Savior of the world.

No room for the King!

Here is a perspective on this subject from Rick Warren that I think you will like. It’s titled Is There Room in Your Inn?

No holiday on our calendar gets as much advertising time as Christmas. This month you can’t turn on your television, open a website, or check your email without hearing the word “Christmas.” You see beautifully decorated trees everywhere you turn. You’ll notice lots of chubby guys with white beards in red and white suits.

You simply can’t miss Christmas as a cultural phenomenon.

But you can miss the birth of Jesus.

You can miss the very point of Christmas.

That dilemma isn’t just a product of our time. Even people who were alive during that very first Christmas—just right around the corner from Jesus himself—missed the point of Christmas. And they missed it for the very same reasons we do today.

Take the innkeeper for example.

You know the story. In the last week of her pregnancy, Mary and Joseph have to go to their hometown of Bethlehem. They live in a city called Nazareth and need to be involved in a census with the Roman government.

As they get to Bethlehem, Mary goes into labor. Her water breaks. She’s ready to deliver. And Joseph tries to check her into the local Holiday Inn. The innkeeper comes out and says, “Sorry, no vacancies. There’s no room in the inn.”

Luke 2:7 tells it like this: And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:7 ESV)

Think about this from the innkeeper’s perspective. If he has no more room in his inn, that’s good. It means business is booming. If you own a motel, you want it to be sold out. A lot of out-of-town guests have come back to town for the census. They’re looking for a place to stay. And he’s all booked up.

The innkeeper has no use for this little baby or this pregnant woman. He doesn’t know who he is snubbing.

The Son of God could have been born in that inn. Imagine the public relations power of that! You could put up a sign: “Son of God born here!” You’d be sold out in your inn for the rest of your life.

God was coming to Earth in human form. (The innkeeper) could have been a part of it. But (he)missed the greatest opportunity imaginable because he was busy. He missed it because business was booming.

Are you too busy with your work to make room for Jesus this Christmas? Is your schedule, your plans, or your budget too tight to let Jesus in?

Just like that innkeeper, you could be missing out on the biggest opportunity of your life this Christmas. God is right here. He wants to be a part of your life. God coming into the lives of ordinary people like you and me is the point of Christmas.

 So, dear friends, do the words, “no room” stir your heart like they do mine? Maybe it’s because the Holy Spirit is inviting us to something more in the busyness of this beautiful season of celebration, something more meaningful than our usual trappings and traditions, no matter how fun and exciting they may be.

Perhaps, if we purposefully silence the noise for a moment, for just a moment, we may hear the gentle knocking at the door of our hearts.

He wants to come in.

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,

When Thou camest to earth for me;

But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room

 For Thy holy nativity.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

 There is room in my heart for Thee.

When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,

At Thy coming to victory,

Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,

 There is room at My side for thee.”

 My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,

When Thou comest and callest for me.

Have you any room for Jesus,

He who bore your load of sin?

As He knocks and asks admission,

Sinner, will you let Him in?

 Room for Jesus, King of glory!

Hasten now, His word obey;

 Swing the heart’s door widely open,

Bid Him enter while you may.

Oh, my friends, let’s make room.

Let’s not miss Him!

—Eileen Hill

Building 101

Here are a few truths to guide us as we build our lives:

1.    “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein – Psalm 24:1-2 

Everything is the Lord’s. We must consult with the Lord before building anything. He owns all the property and building resources. Having our way with His stuff is stealing. 

2.    “So this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” -  Isaiah 28:16

Praise God for providing a sure foundation! There is a secure foundation that can be built upon with confidence. Rejecting this foundation leads to destruction.

3.    “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have, Jesus Christ” – 1 Cor 3:10

There is NO other foundation to build upon. Jesus is the precious cornerstone. All other ground is sinking sand.

4.    “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1

The Lord is building a house on Jesus Christ, the foundation that He has laid. We are unable to build a lasting house, for God or for ourselves, in our own strength.

5.    “He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” – Hebrews 12:26-27

Our God is a consuming fire. Everything we have built will be tested by Him. 

Paul reminds us,

            “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” – 1 Cor 3:10-14

What are we building now that will remain?

In Christ,

—Roger Garrison

Are You Awake?

Living life among hubris-laden humanity is a tedious thing. Not at all like the rivers of living water or kingdom-authorized living promised to us by Jesus Himself.

We know that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, yet it appears that pride and its cousin, unbelief, are typically invisible chains felt but not discerned. The longer I wrestle with this and feel its effects on those around me, the more my soul cries out: how long can this go on? Must we continue to endure the half-light of gospel words, shallowly understood and lived with conviction equal to toast soaked in a bowl of warm milk?

Recently, I have heard the heart cry of the Father to our church expressed as "wake up," and I think it signals not the gentle nudge of "wake up my little darling" but the shout of, stir yourself, arm yourself, get fully awake, alert, and oriented to the situation at hand. It is the invitation to join the great battle with principalities and powers afoot at our door and throw off the desire to keep warm and unaware of adventures that await the humble in heart.

I have heard a call to wake up, which I must do. How about you? What have you heard from our beloved, and what is your answer to Him? I'm willing to bet my life that there are mountains to still be taken, promised lands to be owned wholly, adventures in God to be had, kingdoms to be subdued, and great victories to be won. And I would rather have a victor's crown to cast at the feet of Jesus than a well-worn pillow with no stains of intercessory tears on it.

Each of us has the power to become fully alive in Christ. The cry has gone out from His throne room, the invitation given to fix our eyes on Him. If you stir yourself from slumber, go into a private prayer place throughout the day, seek out others who are awakening, and find ways to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Shake off the things that put you into pride or unbelief. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and in due time, He will lift you up.

— George Davis

For further thought:

Asleep in the Light lyrics written by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down?
Don't you care, don't you care are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb not to care if they come?
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done

Bless me Lord, bless me Lord You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts no one even sheds one tear
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds and He cares for your needs
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in

Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? 'Cause He brings people to you door
And you turn them away as you smile and say
God bless you, be at peace and all heaven just weeps
'Cause Jesus came to you door you've left Him out in the street

Open up, open up and give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries so how can you delay?
God's calling and you're the one but like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak but you keep holding it in

Can't you see it's such a sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can't fight
'Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave and you, you can't even get out of bed
Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed

How can you be so numb not to care if they come
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done

Come away, come away, come away with Me my love
Come away from this mess, come away with Me, my love
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love
Come away from this mess, come away with Me, my love
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love
Come away from this mess, come away with Me, my love

Praise: for Victory, for Intimacy, for Eternity

Psalm 22:3 (ESV) “ yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”

Sovereigns are enthroned. Sovereigns are not powerless over territory given to their charge. In fact, our Sovereign, the King of Glory has all power over heaven and earth — power to save, deliver, rescue, heal, change, remove, and put in place — and scripture says He is enthroned on the praises of His people! Our praise invites God to be where we are. God is everywhere. God’s omnipresence is one of His attributes that brings us such comfort; it’s true. When we praise God, however, we welcome God to be who God is where we are — to be Rescuer, to be Peace, to be Savior, Deliverer; to be Healer, to be Revealer, to be Restorer and Redeemer, to be King — to call the shots, to manifest His holiness and glory. I am not forgetting to acknowledge that the presence of God can be intimidating, overwhelming, even scary to experience, because God is holy and glorious. The weight of that isn’t bearable for mere mortals like us, and yet we were made for God, made for intimate relationship with God. Crazy tension for us to hold.  

Sometimes the presence of God can also be intimidating because of what is exposed. Unholiness is obvious in the presence of the Holy. Isaiah experienced this. Did Isaiah run or try to escape God’s presence? Nope. His unholy condition could not eclipse God’s glory. In response to being aware of his own uncleanness and the uncleanness of his people, Isaiah confessed it out loud and was offered cleansing (Isaiah 6:1-7). I wonder how many of us (and how often) we tend to ignore the power we wield in praise because within ourselves we are afraid of what may be exposed in God’s presence? Or how many of us have forgotten how to praise because pain and hardship have stolen our focus and energy? 

I pray that the Lord continues to reveal Himself to us, that our concept of Him expands to reflect the truth: our God is greater than the pain that distracts us from Him and more gracious than the shame that keeps us from boldly going before Him. We cannot afford long and frequent periods of life devoid of our actively engaging in praise to God. We forgo His presence. We cannot thrive this way. I think this is why Psalms 22, and so many others like it, bless my soul. David is not happy, yet he remembers and places God in the proper place, on the Throne, even as he endured hardship. Praise is beneficial at all times and prepares us for our ultimate end as believers in and followers of Christ:

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭1, 4-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

—Anyah E. R. White

A Masterpiece

So you suffer from a medical condition. Maybe your spouse left you. Can’t hold a job because of your temper. Couldn’t finish your education and it feels you’re not intelligent enough. At your age, you should be a homeowner but you’re still not. Your child got so off course you doubt you were a good parent. The list goes on. Your thoughts tell you that you don’t really measure up. You feel there is so much at which you have failed. The list of sins and failures in your life outnumbers the positive things you can say about yourself. You feel like you’re just an average individual, and sometimes you even doubt that!

God created you. If you don’t believe that, you might as well stop reading now. When you understand that God created you, a very interesting way of thinking unlocks the wisdom that comes with knowing God created a masterpiece. You see? God made many magnificent, awe inspiring creations. He created water, light, the skies, land, the seas, the sun and the moon, vegetation, animals, birds…the scripture tells how each time God created these things He thought they were “good.” And they were; they are. But it is not until He creates mankind that the book of Genesis mentions God thought it was “very good.” We were created in His image and likeness. The book of Ephesians tells how we are God’s own handiwork. One version actually calls us “masterpieces.”

So what if you’re still struggling with the addiction, the sickness? Does it mean you’re any less because you are divorced? The way you’ve lost opportunities due to your poor personal character does not define you. Just because you’re not at the financial level in which you should be, you're not a failure. The  fact that your child chose the wrong course doesn’t make you a failed parent. That mentality will keep you from reaching your full potential in life. When God made you, He chose excellence. He knew each and every mistake you would make along the way, yet He still considered you a masterpiece. Remember the psalmist mentions how we were knitted together in our mother’s womb. There is nothing average or less than about you. You are a masterpiece. So it doesn’t feel or look like that right now? Think about this:

When you look at the Mona Lisa or the sculpture of David, you see greatness. These are works that are valued in the millions of dollars because of who created them. But if you were to find a replica of Davinci’s painting or Michaelangelo’s sculpture, they would not be worth nearly as much, if anything. The painting would just be a canvas with colors on it and the sculpture just a statue of a naked man. But knowing who made these separates them from what is common and assigns great value to them. I bet that when these two artists began creating these worldly masterpieces it took time for them to become what they ultimately did. At some point, the Mona Lisa painting looked average, unfinished. David’s statue probably looked like a shapeless piece of metamorphic rock. But their creator had a vision of what they would look like. The same is true with OUR creator, God. What if you began to see yourself in that light? You were wonderfully and fearfully created by the maker of the universe, the God who spoke worlds into existence. With His mere words, light was created. The next time you doubt that, just remember that there are approximately 2.4 billion believing christians in the world who believe that. They can’t all be mistaken. It is true! God created you in His image to do the good things He planned for you, period. It’s no accident you are here.

But it is up to you to receive this. Only you can stop the negative thinking and begin living like the masterpiece you are. If it feels like you don’t measure up, that’s because you are still a work-in-progress. 2nd Samuel reminds us that God is our refuge. He makes our way clear and perfect. So regardless of how things look right now, remember that God doesn’t make mistakes. He created you with a purpose and He will see it through. Make no mistake that He (God) who began a good work in you (even as early as in your mother’s womb) will carry it on until completion. 

God bless,

R. Bermudez

Una Obra Maestra

Entonces sufres de una condición médica; Quizás tu cónyuge te dejó; No puedes conservar un trabajo debido a tu temperamento; No pudiste terminar tu educación y sientes que no eres lo suficientemente inteligente; A tu edad deberías ser propietario de una vivienda pero todavía no lo eres; Ese hijo se desvió tanto que usted duda de haber sido un buen padre; La lista continúa. Tus pensamientos te dicen que realmente no estás a la altura. Sientes que hay muchas cosas en las que has fallado. La lista de pecados y fracasos en tu vida supera en número las cosas positivas que puedes decir sobre ti mismo. ¡Te sientes como si fueras un individuo promedio y a veces incluso lo dudas!

Dios te creó. Si no lo crees, es mejor que dejes de leer ahora. Cuando comprendes que Dios te creó, una forma muy interesante de pensar desbloquea la sabiduría que viene al saber que Dios creó una obra maestra. ¿Verás? Dios hizo muchas creaciones magníficas e inspiradoras. Creó el agua, la luz, los cielos, la tierra, los mares, el sol y la luna, la vegetación, los animales, las aves… Las Escrituras cuentan cómo cada vez que Dios creó estas cosas, pensó que eran “buenas”. Y lo fueron; lo son. Pero no es hasta que crea a la humanidad cuando el libro del Génesis menciona que Dios pensó que era: “muy bueno." Fuimos creados a Su imagen y semejanza. El libro de Efesios cuenta cómo somos obra de Dios. De hecho, una versión nos llama "obras maestras".

¿Y qué pasa si todavía estás luchando contra la adicción? ¿la enfermedad? ¿Significa que eres menos porque estás divorciado? La forma en que has perdido oportunidades debido a tu pobre carácter personal no te define. Sólo porque no estás en el nivel financiero en que deberías estar, no eres un fracaso. El hecho de que ese hijo haya elegido el camino equivocado no lo convierte en un padre fracasado. Esa mentalidad le impedirá alcanzar su máximo potencial en la vida. Cuando Dios te creó, eligió la excelencia. Él conocía todos y cada uno de los errores que cometerías en el camino, pero aun así te consideraba una obra maestra. Recuerde que el salmista menciona cómo fuimos tejidos en el vientre de nuestra madre. No hay nada promedio o menos que en ti. Eres una obra maestra. ¿Entonces no se siente ni se ve así en este momento? Piensa sobre esto:

Cuando miras una pintura de la Mona Lisa o la escultura de David vez grandeza. Son obras valoradas en millones de dólares debido a quién las creó. Pero si encontraras una réplica de la pintura de Davinci o de la escultura de Miguel Ángel, no valdrían tanto, en todo caso. La pintura sería simplemente un lienzo con colores y la escultura sería simplemente una estatua de un hombre desnudo. Pero saber quién los creó los separa de lo común y les asigna un gran valor. Apuesto a que cuando estos dos artistas comenzaron a crear estas obras maestras mundanas, les tomó tiempo convertirse en lo que finalmente hicieron. En algún momento, la pintura de Mona Lisa parecía normal, sin terminar. La estatua de David probablemente parecía un trozo informe de roca metamórfica. Pero su creador tuvo una visión de cómo serían. Lo mismo ocurre con NUESTRO creador, Dios. ¿Qué pasaría si comenzaras a verte a ti mismo bajo esa luz? Fuiste creado maravillosa y terriblemente por el creador del universo. El Dios que habló para que los mundos existieran. Con sus simples palabras,  creó la luz. La próxima vez que dudes de eso, recuerda que hay aproximadamente 2.4 billones de cristianos creyentes en el mundo que creen eso. No todos pueden estar equivocados. ¡Es verdad! Dios te creó a su imagen para hacer las cosas buenas que planeó para ti, punto. No es casualidad que estés aquí.

Pero depende de ti recibir esto. Sólo tú puedes detener el pensamiento negativo y comenzar a vivir como la obra maestra que eres. Si sientes que no estás a la altura, es porque todavía eres un trabajo en progreso. 2da Samuel nos recuerda que Dios es nuestro refugio. Él hace nuestro camino claro y perfecto. Entonces, independientemente de cómo se vean las cosas ahora, recuerda que Dios no comete errores. Él te creó con un propósito y lo cumplirá. No te equivoques, aquel (Dios) que comenzó una buena obra en ti (incluso desde el vientre de tu madre) la continuará hasta completarla.

Dios los bendiga,

R. Bermudez 

I Will Miss Her

My big sister died a couple of weeks ago. I am still in shock, processing the grief that fills my heart. I have been immersing myself in promises from God’s Word, in comforting hymns of the faith, and receiving counsel and prayer from trusted, wise friends and family. What a blessing to be part of the family of God, to be cared for by not only my Father, but by my brothers and sisters in Christ! I am most thankful.

I also have found help in my journey of grief through the writings of some of my favorite radio pastors. May I share one from Allistair Begg in his devotional, Truth for Life, that encouraged me? I think it will encourage you as well.

Gracious Gratitude

“Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”  Colossians 1:11-12

Almost everyone appreciates a good gift. Family, freedom, leisure, a warm bed, and a refreshing drink all make for a grateful heart, and we’re all naturally able to express at least some measure of gratitude for them. “Thank you” is a phrase we learn young.

The American revivalist Jonathan Edwards helpfully distinguished between what he referred to as “natural gratitude” and “gracious gratitude.” Natural gratitude starts with the things we’re given and the benefits which accompany them. Anybody is capable of natural gratitude. Gracious gratitude, though, is very different, and only God’s children can experience and express it. Gracious gratitude recognizes the character, goodness, love, power, and excellencies of God, regardless of any gifts or enjoyments He has given. It knows we have reason to be grateful to God whether it’s a good day or a bad day, whether we’re employed or unemployed, whether the daily news is upbeat or overwhelming, whether we’re completely healthy or facing a terminal diagnosis. Such gratitude is only discovered by grace, and it is a true mark of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. Gracious gratitude enables us to face all things with the awareness that God is profoundly involved in our lives and circumstances for He has made us special objects of His love. 

When Jonathan Edwards died as a result of a smallpox vaccination, Sarah, his wife, wrote to their daughter, “What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud.” Notice the honesty in that. There’s no superficial triumphalism. But her husband was not taken out by chance: it was the overruling sovereignty of God that determined the right time to bring Jonathan home to his eternal reward. And so Sarah continued, “But my God lives and he has my heart…We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be.”

Amid grief, we will never be able to speak words like these from natural gratitude, which cannot help us in loss. Such reflection can only flow from gracious gratitude. You may be facing difficult or even heartbreaking circumstances at the moment; and if you are not, then that day will come, for this is a fallen world. But in those moments, you can cling to God’s love and choose to trust God’s goodness, expressed most clearly at the cross. Then, even in the darkest hours, you will know the joy of His presence and always have cause to give thanks to Him. There is strength, dignity, and worship in being able to say, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

So, friends, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the disposition and intention of my heart is for gracious gratitude. I don’t grieve as one who has no hope. I am thankful, I am confident that my sister is with our merciful Savior, the very best place she could be. And I am choosing to cling to my Father’s love and trust His goodness, His timing, His wisdom, and His sovereignty as I unexpectedly walk through this valley of shadows and dark clouds.

He is with me. I know I am His. I am given to God.

There I, too, love to be.

Even in my grief.

Especially in my grief.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

And it’s okay to miss her.

—Eileen Hill

Don’t Know Everything…it’s OK

Since being reclaimed and redeemed by Jesus when I was 16 years old, I have struggled with insecurities surrounding my Biblical knowledge. After beholding God in the face of Jesus, I realized that the words of the Bible, those which were once dead to me, were my new Father’s words. As my hunger to know His word grew, so did the shame of my lack of knowledge.

As I tried to learn more, every sermon preached or Bible study attended would begin with a request by the teacher for me to turn to a book, chapter, and verse that would take me forever to find. As I started to attend church, little children next to me would raise their hands to answer questions about biblical characters I had never heard of. Every Bible story was new to me, and I often did not have much context to interpret the main points accurately. These experiences were constant reminders of my ignorance. I was literally a 16-year-old babe in need of milk, and this led to hidden shame. I cried out to my new Father for mercy, patience, protection, and assistance as I tried to make up for so many lost years. 

Here is a quick story of how God answered my prayers in a big way in a simple verse. A few years after being born again in Christ, I attended a Bible study led by a resident assistant in my college dormitory. At the end of the study, the leader pulled out a bunch of pictures from his bag. Each picture was of a Bible verse surrounded by a uniquely decorated frame. As a member of the soccer team, I immediately reached for the soccer ball frame. It was here that I first read James 1:5.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

As I read this verse, God spoke deep into my heart.  He would generously give me wisdom without finding fault if I asked Him.

If you are wrestling with shame today because you feel you should know more than you do, ask the Lord for wisdom. He is able to redeem the past and can make up for lost time. If we have questions without answers, it is never too late for Him to make us wise. Do we believe He can and will do this?

In Christ,

—Roger Garrison

Maranatha

As a young teenage Christian, still glowing with romance toward Jesus, I was introduced to books like Lindsay's Late, Great, Planet Earth that filled me with hopeful wonder that these things would indeed happen in my lifetime. The age of Aquarius was turning out to be only a pipe dream, and although the Vietnam War was winding down, we never achieved what we said in songs and proclamations. Our Nation had recently experienced the Jesus revolution, the birth of the Catholic charismatic movement, and we were hearing reports of great spiritual outpourings worldwide. The belief in a miraculous God who still did signs and wonders was taking root among evangelicals, and there were revivals in South America, Indonesia, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Rim. As conversion rates took off, it looked like we were in the end times.

I must admit that my faith in the teachings of many, however, could not withstand my disbelief at how things like the mark of the beast, world hatred against Jews, massive armies coming against Jerusalem, war materials melting, one world government, and blood flowing as deep as a horse's bridle could ever come to pass. I found it challenging to imagine governments controlling speech, who could buy and sell, or worldwide tepid response to terrorist attacks.

It's nearly 2024, and I can believe those things are both possible and probable. Covid showed how easy it might be for governments to enforce compliance among free people without military force. What once placed a platoon leader in prison for Mai Lai is now debated as what Israel deserves. Who would ever have thought there would be protests in our universities and streets where some would call for the death of Jews or that one could see the Juden star once again placed on homes and businesses in Germany or the cities of allies who gave their sons to end the terror of Hitler? Add the specter of digital currency around the corner, and I wonder if I should revisit Hal Lindsay and similar works.

I probably won't seek out Hal, but this I will give my heart to because they are the words of my beloved:

Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against Nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers[c] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near."

Luke 21: 10-28 ESV

 I can see the beginning of some handwriting on the wall of humanity. The historical and technological stage is shaping up in ways that point to the biblical narrative or might deliver us to it. However, I choose not to fear or get weird about what is coming down the pike. Most importantly, with all my might, I will determine to look up and raise my head because my redemption is drawing near. We used to say, "Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus." I'm bringing that out of my mental mothballs to help me see world happenings, not in the pattern of the world, with fear, but in the faith of the Son of God.

Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus.

—George Davis

Cries for Deliverance: Musings on those without light and carriers of the Light

Here, I dwell in the dirge of an entire generation. I look in the eyes of the young, carrying the caskets, foreshadows of the impending doom, on their backs – untapped by the joys and affirmations that life often brings – walking the exhausted path of those who have gone before them; a path trodden with broken hypodermic needles, stained with blood. Its moisture evaporates into the air in the form of poverty, miseducation, desperation, and feeble hope and is, in turn, inhaled by those marching. No one has told them they are still living. I stand in the midst of the procession wanting desperately to yell, scream, pull one of them aside and tell them that, if I could, I would hold Life and Love in my hands and tell them to taste it. But I cannot. My voice and the blatant message it carries are silenced by my own fear. I sit cross-legged in a pothole within a pit. Why can I not muster the energy to climb two inches out of this dent in the gray concrete? More importantly, why am I here? The answer to this question is obvious: deliverance. This is their unspoken prayer, the unuttered groan within their soul.  

All is gray, not just the slabs of concrete – their clothes, the sky, every brick – nothing blooms. They live their lives burdened with failure, despair, and death, swaying and bopping to a rhythmic death march. I am a green figure veiled in the shadow of my ditch; therefore, I seem just as drab.  

I am not the only one in this state. There are many of us. We are a dissociated rainbow. Most are comfortably disturbed in their covert existences — residing in caves, skulking in alleys, and passively observing through window panes. A baby pushes a stroller carrying the fruit of her womb. She stumbles over me, and the unforgiving ground breaks her fall. She cries, and I cry. The reasons for our tears are both numerous and confusing, yet very different. “Help me!  Help me!”, she yells. The rainbow emerges from the shadows, if just momentarily, and calls relentlessly for help, banging on windows, yelling around even darker corners, “Somebody, help her! Help her!” We are the help.

We are messengers of the Light, couriers of the promise of Love and Life, Peace and Deliverance. But who will deliver us, save the Deliverer?

Join me in offering prayers and praises to the only One who can save from deception and hopelessness – the Mighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Matchless King of Glory and Lord of Hosts –who rescues and delivers, shields, heals, and fights for us. We all need the light of His glorious presence where we are restored to and discover our original purpose in the fullness of joy. We were all created for the Creator. Let us wait expectantly to see and learn even more of our Lord and King as we participate in the lives of those we are assigned to in our communities.

—Anyah E. R. White