Healing Rays of Righteousness

How to Know Who is Christian

Christians believe there is one God, supreme and sovereign above all the other gods to which people give allegiance.  He is Creator and Sustainer of life for all things in the earth, on the earth, and the heavens above, including us humans.

Christians believe that we are more than simply biological beings.  We are body, soul, and spirit.  And we can enjoy wholeness of life only when all three parts are treated, nourished, and kept in healthy balance.

Christians believe there is one Spirit, and only one, in our world of many spirits that can give wholeness of life to us.  I agree that things outside of ourselves, such as our neighborhood, family, work environment, and our social network or lack thereof, do influence our attitudes and the direction of our lives.

But at the core, we are directed by the spirit within us.  Whether we admit it or not, we ultimately are spirit driven.  More important than what we say we believe is the question, by what spirit are we directed?

In Galatians 5:19-24, the apostle Paul, clearly identifies the two opposing spirits. He begins by saying that “The acts of the flesh are obvious:  sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”  And he adds a warning “that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Paul’s use of the word “flesh” references the whole self with its self-serving desires and motives.  This “flesh” is never satisfied and is always seeking more esteem, status, wealth, pleasure, or whatever else it desires.  Self-indulgence easily becomes a new form of slavery.

Paul then lists the “obvious” evidence of God’s Spirit indwelling a person as being their character fruit, seen and experienced in relationship with all others.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  And he adds this reason for the difference of spirit, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

For Paul, God’s Spirit is more about the daily sustaining, inspiring, and guiding power of a person’s life than about supernatural power.  The Spirit is the sphere of power and influence which replaces the “flesh” as the energy force of our lives.

The visible skin of this Spirit-fruit is “LOVE.”  It holds the beautiful cluster of fruit together.  It is the outward, visible evidence that is seen and experienced by others.  And the strong core of this fruit is “SELF-CONTROL.”  Without it, there is no patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.  There is no real peace, no deep joy, no wholeness.

I believe that one of the chief purposes of the Holy Spirit is to make us wholesome persons, by helping us to establish the habit of having all our faculties under control.  “Self-control” is the mastery of self, including the control of tongue, thoughts, temper, tastes, and treasure.  Without “self-control” there will be an obvious break-out of “the acts of the flesh” as listed in verses 19-21.  “Self-control” cannot be experienced until we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit.

When did we receive the Holy Spirit into our lives?  When we accepted Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation, we were set free from slavery to indulging the flesh. And with that gift we also received Christ’s gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit.

Paul urges the Galatians and us to remember that we have received the Spirit and that this Spirit needs to be the supreme energizing and regulative force in our lives.  “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (5:25).

And so, how do I know who is a Christian?  By observing their attitudes and behaviors and comparing them with the two lists of Galatians 5:19-23.  Jesus himself said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love another.” (John 13:35).

Most importantly, it is crucial to first look into a mirror while considering these two lists.  What you see may need some spiritual transformation work.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 29, 2020

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Here, There, Everywhere … Groaning!

Thousands of people are dying every day in our nation as the result of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.  This is in addition to the more normally expected deaths caused by illnesses and accidents.  And with each death, there is a community of family and friends deeply groaning and grieving.  It is difficult for me to fully imagine the immensity and depth of pain being felt among us as a nation, let alone trying to comprehend the worldwide experience of pain.

We may rightly ask, why all this groaning and pain?  One of the oft-forgotten blessings of being a follower of Christ is that we are given a more comprehensive worldview for understanding our sufferings and groanings.  Join me on a very abbreviated excursion through the scriptures.

The first two chapters of Genesis tell us the story of God creating our earth and everything in it, including us human beings.  And “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”  Then in chapter three we are told the sad story of mankind’s disobedience and the breaking of a good relationship with God.

From that breaking of relationship between the created and the Creator comes the pain-filled upheaval of both creation and human life.  The devastation of that disobedience breaks the harmony of creation and humanity, pitting one against the other, and changes the relationship of God to his creation.

“Groaning” expresses a frustrated longing for God’s deliverance from the sufferings and pains of this life.  This is the reality that the apostle Paul is referencing in Romans 8:19-24.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.”

Just as all creation, including mankind, animals, plants, and the earth itself was harmed by Adam’s sinful disobedience, it will also share in the blessings of redemption and restoration that God has promised his people.  “For in this hope we were saved.”

Yes, despite our groaning, we live in hope.  Our groanings are reminders of our redemptive hope, which is based on the sure confidence that God’s promise of restoring us and all of creation to its full harmony and wholeness, is happening and will one day be fully completed.

The second thing Paul states is to reassure us that we do not groan and suffer alone.  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  … the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (8:26-27).

It is so reassuring and comforting for me to know that because I cannot fully know or express my feelings, the Spirit intercedes for me with “wordless groans” according to the will of God.  In his commentary on Romans, John E. Toews explains that “Believers have the status of being children in a new intimate family relationship with God, but they are not able to communicate properly with God.”

He then continues with this comforting truth, “The fact that the Spirit prays according to God’s will means that we know something.  … The first thing that believers know is that God works all thing to the good to the ones loving God.  … Paul assures his readers that God can be trusted and that God wills and works the good for the members of the family.” (v.28).

For me, satisfying comfort does not come from a knowledge that everything will be all right, but a knowledge that everything is under control of the almighty, all-knowing, sovereign God who loves me more than I can ever imagine.  It is the knowledge that I am a child of the heavenly Father who is infinite in his mercies and in his kindnesses, and dearly loves me as his adopted child, that gives me great comfort and confidence.

And so, times of pain and groanings can and will deepen my relationship with God more than any other life experience.  That is, if I choose to do so.  I also know that the alternative option offers no answers and no comfort, but only a bitterness of spirit.

John Toews continues with, “The second thing that Christians know is that those whom God foreknew God predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (v.29).

Yes, we know that God is in the “good” business of reshaping us redeemed sinners into the likeness of his Son, Jesus.  And we also should know that just as God exposed Jesus to the harsh realities of sufferings and death on this earth, so too, we can expect God to use the same kind of processes in our lives in his redemptive work of reshaping us into conformity with God.

And so, where is God when I am groaning because of great distress and pain?  Isaiah 63:7-9 speaks of God’s relationship with his people, and says, “In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them.  In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”  Thanks be to God!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 22, 2020

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Mister, … Are You Jesus?

A few years ago, I heard the story of a group of salesmen who went to a regional sales convention in Chicago.  They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night’s dinner.  The meeting adjourned later than they expected, and in their rush through the airport terminal, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.  Apples were spilled across the terminal floor.  Without stopping or looking back, the salesmen all managed to reach their plane’s gate in time for their nearly missed boarding … ALL BUT ONE.

Almost to the boarding gate, he paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.  He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.  Then he returned to the place where the apples were scattered over the terminal floor.  He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl who managed the display of apples was totally blind.  She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one seeming to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.  As he did this, he noticed that many of apples had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, ‘Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did!  Are you okay?’  She nodded through her tears. He continued with, ‘I hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly!’

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, ‘Mister…….’ He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.  She continued ‘Are you Jesus?‘  He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered.  Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: ‘Are you Jesus?’

Every time I am reminded of this true story, I wonder what I would have done in any similar circumstance.  Would my actions have elicited from the other the question, “Mister, are you Jesus?”  Is my life so deeply rooted in Jesus’ love, that my response would naturally and clearly extend Jesus’ love for others?

If we claim to know and be a disciple of Jesus, should we then not live, walk and act as he would?  The apostle Paul seems to think so.  In verse 9 of Romans 13, Paul says that all the laws of human relations “are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus had earlier said that this is the second greatest commandment, which is of the same nature as the first greatest commandment.  “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mt. 22:37-40).  And in Luke 10:29-37, Jesus redefines “neighbor” in the most inclusive terms possible with his parable of the Good Samaritan, where love even crosses ethnic boundaries.

It seems to me that with unquestionable clarity, we who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ, are called to love others in ways that look and act just as his love would.  Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you should love one another” (Jn.13:34).  Jesus speaks three simple and brief words to command his disciples and us to “do to others just as I do to you.”

In being called to speak and act like Jesus in our world, we are also empowered by Jesus’ indwelling Spirit to rightly choose to do so, not because we are commanded to do so, but as a privilege of being yoked with Jesus and His caring love for all humankind.

To be present and sit with another who is full of fear, anxiety, and dread; to listen with empathy and hold their hand is a holy act.  To do these things with compassionate love is to nourish the soul of both the giver and receiver.  To do these things creates an environment of healing.

Mother Teresa was the very presence of Jesus in the lives of so many people and I offer her words as a challenge and prayer for ourselves.

     “Let us pray for each other so that we grow in tender love, that we allow God to love us, and that we allow God to love others through us.

     Where does that showing of love begin?  At home; so let us bring that love to the sick, to the old, to the lonely, to the unwanted.  For people do not hunger only for bread; they hunger for love, they hunger to be somebody to somebody. 

     I will never forget that I once met a man in the street who looked very lonely and miserable.  So I walked right up to him, and I shook his hand.  My hands are always very warm; and he looked up, gave me a beautiful smile, and he said, ‘Oh, it has been such a long, long time since I felt the warmth of a human hand!’  How very wonderful and very beautiful that our simple actions can show love in that way.”                                                                         (Who Is For Life)

Let us each recommit ourselves to a moment-by-moment walk with Jesus in keeping the light and love of Christ glowing brightly in this world of so much darkness.  May our attitudes and behaviors cause others to ask, Are you Jesus?

Prayer Hymn  

“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me”

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me –

All His wonderful passion and purity!

O Thou Spirit divine,

All my nature re-fine

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 15, 2020

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Hungering for Community

Medical studies have proven that loving, caring relationships are extremely important for our survival as human beings from the moment of our birth and all through life.  Furthermore, the Scriptures testify that for the family of God, relationships of love and forgiveness are vital to maintaining Christian community as counter-cultural in the world.  Jesus said that this will be the essential evidence of God’s Kingdom in the world.  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:35).

And yet, we Christians have just as much difficulty accepting and getting along with one another as does the world.  Families and congregations suffer much hurt and sadness because of broken relationships and human separations.  We choose to disassociate from each other either because we disagree or because we have been hurt by what was said or done to us, rather than loving and forgiving one another.

We may also choose to disassociate from others because we feel superior to the other or are misinformed and fear their difference in skin color and cultural heritage.  Both choices are rooted in racist attitudes and destroys both civil and church communities.

In Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Huck runs away from his abusive father and sets out on an adventure on the Mississippi River.  Joined by the runaway slave, Jim, the pair travel at night to reduce the risk of being caught.

Huck was brought up to believe that aiding a runaway slave is wrong, so he wrestles with his role in helping Jim to escape.  Ultimately, as he gets to know Jim, he discovers a warm, loyal, and kind friend, which dramatically transforms Huck’s previous racist perspective and behavior.

As the story’s end, Jim is freed by Miss Watson’s will, and the friendship between the two runaway adventurers has grown broader than the Mississippi river.  Huck’s relationship with Jim has been changed.  No longer does he see and know Jim as a runaway slave but instead as a brother.

Written in another era when slavery was accepted, the apostle Paul writes a very frank, but loving, letter to Philemon, the owner of Onesimus, his runaway slave.  Throughout his letter the power of Christ’s redeeming love in transforming and restoring persons, relationships and circumstances are on display.

In this letter, we hear a heartfelt plea from Paul, challenging Philemon to step out of the status quo and do something radically different from what the world would do.  He pleads with Philemon to forgive Onesimus for running away, and to welcome him back into his household, not as a slave, not even as a friend, but as a brother in Christ.

In this appeal, Paul is establishing a Christian principle that, if followed, would put the institution of slavery out of business.  Maxie D. Dunnam, writer of commentary on Philemon, claims that “If this is not the outward and complete destruction of an oppressive order, the dynamite is planted, the fuse ignited, and the coming demolition sure.  When slaves become brothers, the system has lost its control.”

The biblical view of church is that of being family.  The Scriptures repeatedly remind us that as followers of Jesus, we are members together in the “body of Christ” and that this community of caring love and forgiveness includes whosoever “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9) who believe, obey, and worship his Lordship.

However, we are often inclined to compare ourselves with those we encounter and tend to rank ourselves better because of their position in society, or by how they dress or talk or act.

These noticeable differences then become barriers that keep us from mirroring the ever-loving, forgiving character of Jesus, who amazingly lowered himself to become like us, so he could feel and empathize with us, and then be able to strengthen and encourage us on our journey through life experiences.

In doing so, I believe Jesus modeled for us his intention and directive for our living as Christian community.  For such community in church and neighborhood, I hunger and pray.  AMEN!

Hymns

In Christ there is no East or West

In Christ there is no East or West, in Him no South or North,

but one great fellowship of love through-out the whole wide earth.

In him shall true hearts ev’ry-where their high communion find.

His service is the golden cord close binding humankind.

Join hands, then, people of faith, what-e’er your race may be.

All children of the living God are surely kin to me.

In Christ now meet both East and West, in him meet South and North.

All Christly souls are one in him through-out the whole wide earth.

Bless’d Be the Tie that Binds

Bless’d be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers;

our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear,

and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain,

but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 8, 2020

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Discovering Freedom

This Saturday, July 4, is all about acknowledging and celebrating our national freedoms as declared in the “Declaration of Independence” and “Bill of Rights” documents.  These are worthy freedoms to celebrate and I believe it is good and appropriate for Christian citizens of U.S.A. to join in these celebrations each year, even as we struggle together in making it possible for all citizens to experience these freedoms equally.

At the heart of our Christian faith is a commitment to a greater freedom that overshadows our national freedoms and should take priority in our beliefs and behaviors.  The symbol of this freedom is the cross of Christ on Golgotha’s hill.  It may be less attractive but is more amazing and awesome in its promise of freedom.

Jesus began his public ministry by announcing “freedom” to be the purpose of his ministry and message – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk. 4:18).

In his letter to the Galatians (5:1), the apostle Paul declared our freedom to be the intent and purpose of Jesus’ suffering and death.  In verse 13, Paul says we “were called to be free” to “serve one another humbly in love.”  It is our birthright as human beings created by God, who is LOVE.

By accepting Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation, God sets us free from the guilt of sin.  And by overcoming death through Jesus’ resurrection, God sets us free from the fear of death.  And by filling us with his indwelling Holy Spirit, God sets us free from sexual immorality, hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, divisive factions, pride, and all unloving racists attitudes and actions toward any others.

Beginning in verse 13, Paul declares that everyone who has been set free by Jesus Christ expresses his freedom in three ways;  first, in self-control, next in loving service to his neighbor, and thirdly in obedience to the law of God.

The freedom we have in Christ is not a lawless, irresponsible anarchy, but rather a self-disciplined, trustworthy, responsible lifestyle of living in unselfish, unwavering love to God and others.  It is a freedom that enables us to control the flesh, to serve our neighbor, and to fulfill God’s law of love.

More specifically, Paul is saying that we are set free to love others, even our enemies.  Echoing the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40, Paul gathers the essence of biblical faith as loving God with our whole being and loving your neighbor as yourself.   That is certainly not the way our world defines freedom, but it is the way of Jesus.

Both Jesus and Paul tell us that the only way to use and enjoy this freedom is by dying to those things that seek to enslave us and investing ourselves in the lives of others for Christ’s sake.  The following story beautifully illustrates this truth.

The actress, Marian Preminger was born in Hungary on August 3, 1913, raised in a castle with her aristocratic family, surrounded with maids, tutors, governesses, butlers, and chauffeurs.

While attending school in Vienna, Marian met a handsome young Viennese doctor.  They fell in love, eloped, and married when she was only eighteen.  The marriage lasted only a year and she returned to Vienna to begin her life as an actress.

While auditioning for a play, she met the brilliant young German director, Otto Preminger. They fell in love and soon married.  They went to America soon thereafter, where he began his career as a movie director.

Unfortunately, and tragically, Marian was caught up in the glamour, lights, and superficial excitement and soon began to live a sordid life.  When her husband discovered it, he divorced her.  She returned to Europe to live the life of a socialite in Paris.

In 1948 she learned through the newspaper that Albert Schweitzer, the man she had read about as a little girl, was making one of his periodic visits to Europe and was staying at Gunsbach.  She phoned and was given an appointment to see Dr. Schweitzer the next day.

When she arrived in Gunsbach she discovered he was in the village church playing the organ.  She listened and turned the pages of music for him.  After a visit he invited her to have dinner at his house.

By the end of the day she knew she had discovered what she had been looking for all her life.  She was with him every day thereafter during his visit, and when he returned to Africa, he invited her to come to Lambarene and work in the hospital.

She did, and there in Lambarene, the girl who was born in a castle and raised like a princess, who was accustomed to being waited on with all the luxuries of a spoiled life, became a servant.  She changed bandages, bathed babies, fed lepers …… and became free.

When she died in 1979, at age 58, the New York Times carried her obituary, which included this statement from her: “Albert Schweitzer said there are two classes of people in this world – the helpers, and the non-helpers.  I’m a helper.”

What an enlightening testimony of experiencing Christian freedom!  The words of Jesus certainly ring true.  We find ourselves by losing ourselves in serving others in love.  It is the foundational criterion of Christian freedom.  Should this truth not give us pause to re-examine our attitudes in the current debate and resistance to the wearing of masks and social distancing in our current covid-19 pandemic?

“Healing Rays of Righteousness”

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley