Healing Rays of Righteousness

Just Jesus and You

In years past I enjoyed listening to gospel quartets singing “On the Jericho Road, There’s room for just two, No more and no less, Just Jesus and you.”  The melody and words still often resound in my mind and memory. 

However, “just Jesus and you.”  Is that a biblically correct statement or thought?  I think not.  According to the Apostle Paul, God’s purpose is for Christian believers to share life together within a body of interdependent members.  “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’  And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’”  (1 Cor. 12:21).

In Ephesians 4:25-5:2, Paul teaches that the Christian community should be so different and distinctive in character from the world community that the world notices and is attracted.  He makes it clear that the difference is not about any outward appearance, but about the way the community lives together in LOVE and readily share that LOVE within the community around them.

Therefore, Paul gives precise directions for living the new transformed life given us in accepting Christ’s salvation and lordship.  These involve putting away certain things and putting on new attitudes and behaviors that imitate God’s ways of LOVE in relating to us. 

Paul first says, stop lying and “speak truthfully to your neighbor.”  Why?  “for we are all members of one body.”  As Christians, we are connected as sons and daughters in God’s family.  What hurts you, hurts me, and vice versa.  And all lying, in speech and lifestyle, really does cause deep hurt to others.

And, although we may not speak lies, we may instead speak truth so bluntly and unloving that the other is deeply offended and hurt.  Paul makes it noticeably clear in these verses that whenever we speak, love must fully bathe our words and manner.  We must always ask ourselves how we can best express truth in the most loving way. 

The old children’s verse, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not true.  The older we become the more we realize that words do hurt.  And hurtful words coupled with hurtful actions are much more painful than “sticks and stones.”  The sting of hurtful words and actions can remain with us for years.  Paul knew this and said, “you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully, … for we are all members of one body.”

Secondly, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”  Why?  Because this will give the devil a foothold in your life, and he will cause you to damage or destroy the relationship you have with the other person.  We know and have seen how holding onto anger becomes a seething bitterness and often breaks out in wrath-filled action toward others.

Thirdly, stop stealing.  Why?  Because stealing is selfish and sinful.  And instead of stealing, Christians “must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”  The Christian’s heart is changed and becomes more generous and wanting to add to the life of others, not take or steal from them.

Then Paul places these relational directives under the large canopy of the Holy Spirit and says, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”  Why?  Because it is the Holy Spirit that has sealed our redemption.  When we express our anger in bitterness, wrath, and undisciplined passion, we are obviously giving the devil a place in our life and grieving the Holy Spirit.  Paul does not detail the ways we may be doing this, he simply says, stop it.

In summary Paul says, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” 

As children of God, we are to imitate Him.  God is love, and our whole life, attitude, and actions, should be characterized by love.  This means putting others before ourselves, wanting and working for the best in others, being patient and kind, hoping and believing in others.  This God-like love is much more than soupy sentimentality.

When Christ was preparing to leave for home, no doubt realizing that the unifying power of His presence would be gone, He gave His followers the formula for sticking together.  He said, “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  Then He made this pivotal statement:  “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:34-35).

Instead of traveling the Jericho road with “just Jesus and you” I think it better to be “a part of the family of God” and join in “marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God.”  The New Testament repeatedly assures us that the glory highway is broad enough to allow all of God’s people to march along together, side by side, helping one another on the way.  Let’s do it!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 28, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

TO BE A BLANKET OF LOVE

At a chaplain’s luncheon meeting that I attended some years ago, our leader introduced the devotional time with a reading of “The Crazy Quilt of Life” written by Barbara Battin and published in Women Psalms.  I share it with you because I think it is such a beautiful description of what God intends every community of persons to be in our world, that is “a blanket of love.”

“In the pattern of God’s purpose, we are stitched together in caring and community:  scraps of the lingering past, fragments broke from future’s dearest hopes; textures of disappointment and dreams, prints of pain and promise:  calico and corduroy, stripes, silks, and satins – all the colors of emotion and experience are sewn into a crazy quilt of life, patched together and transformed into a blanket of love… and our compassion comforts a cold and hurting world.”     

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “I am a pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”  Whether we speak of being a love-writing pencil or part of a blanket of love, we are saying that God created us to be his means of loving the world. 

I gratefully thank God every day for those many persons who do care about others and will go out of their way and take the time to enrich the life of another with love.  There simply is no greater reward of feeling worth and satisfaction than that given to those who sincerely care about others and relate to them with loving words and works.

It has been noted that right after September 11, 2001, people’s behavior changed dramatically.  Strangers seemed to show more interest in each other.  Drivers gave way to other drivers and rudeness seemed to have ebbed considerably.  Most of us noted and enjoyed the change.  But sadly, it did not take long for many people to revert to their old snobbish and selfish habits, caring only about themselves and believing that the world revolved around them.

William Sloane Coffin is correct in stating that “There is no smaller package in the world than a man wrapped up in himself.”  Probably we all can think of someone who would fit that description.  And my guess is that they are individuals we try to ignore or avoid in our life because they are not fun persons to be around.  And if you happen to get stuck working besides such an individual it makes for a long stressful workday. 

That should be enough motivation for all of us to be deliberate in our efforts to not become such a “small” person.  It should encourage us to always remember the instructive words of Brother Lawrence when he said, “We must not grow weary of doing little things for the love of God, who looks not on the great size of the work, but on the love in it.”

Brother Lawrence is echoing the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatian Christians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for in the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (6:9-10).

And the disciple, John, in his first letter writes, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (3:18).

I pray that we will want to be stitched together with others who care and love, and in doing so, become a “blanket of love” in our community, bringing much needed comfort to this cold world of emotional, physical, and spiritual distresses.  The payoff is priceless, meaningful, and ever so satisfying.  In fact, such loving behavior has the promise of heavenly reward.

A song I remember as a youth singing in our church is “I Would Be Like Jesus.”  It has an easy, rhythmic melody and made an impression on my young life that guided me through the teen years and still does.  These are the words:

Earthly pleasures vainly call me – I would be like Jesus;

nothing worldly shall enthrall me – I would be like Jesus.

He has broken ev’ry fetter – I would be like Jesus;

that my soul may serve Him better – I would be like Jesus.

All the way from earth to glory – I would be like Jesus;

telling o’er and o’er the story – I would be like Jesus.

That in heaven He may meet me, I would be like Jesus;

that His words “Well done” may greet me, I would be like Jesus.

Refrain:

Be like Jesus – this my song – in the home and in the throng,

be like Jesus all day long!  I would be like Jesus.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 21, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection

Belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead separates Christianity from all other religions.  No other religion claims that its founder and leader was raised alive from the dead and that his spirit is now a living presence with those who worship and serve him.

There is only one way to destroy Christianity and that is by disproving Jesus’ resurrection.  Satan knows this and since day one continues to deceive many church leaders and religious scholars into disregarding or distorting the historical facts with conspiracy theories as recorded in Matthew 28:11-15.  However, none have succeeded because they cannot find the dead body as evidence to support their theories.

When we carefully read the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, I think we will discover that there is far more “proof-positive” evidence for believing that Jesus was raised from the dead than there is for not believing such happened.  Here are several snapshots from the story that provide convincing evidence to me.

When the two women came to the tomb early Sunday morning to prepare his body for decomposition,they came with a broken heart, crushed hope, and resigned to his death.  The ugly terror of Friday was over, and the hopeless grief of Saturday was still with them.  They came with zero faith that anything could or would change in their relationship with Jesus.  He was now and forever dead and gone from their lives.

Imagine their surprise when they found the tomb entrance open and going in, find no body.  “While they were wondering about this” they are suddenly greeted by two angels.  Imagine their stunned bewilderment when asked, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”  Suppose you were one of them.  What do you think would have been happening in your mind and emotions at that moment?  (Luke 24:1-5).

I can easily believe that the Jewish leaders, being faced with evidence of a great spiritual awakening that threatened their proud Judaism, would have loved to produce the dead body of Jesus, and give the lie to this resurrection rumor.  But they could not.

Also, under Roman law the soldiers guarding the tomb were held accountable for the disappearance of the body they were guarding.  And the penalty for such negligence and disappearance was imprisonment or death.  We can be assured that they would be extremely eager to produce the dead body.  But they could not.

Furthermore, it is inconceivable to think that the disciples might have stolen the body, as the soldiers were commanded to say.  Why?  Because at that moment, the disciples were a demoralized, defeated, and confused little group, hiding in fear of the authorities, after the crucifixion. 

We have Luke, who was a physician and wrote a detailed record of Jesus’ life and ministry, telling us in Acts 1:3 that during the 40 days after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, the risen Christ “presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.” 

Finally, the Scriptural record reveals that following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the fearful and doubting disciples were transformed and filled with Holy Spirit faith, courage, and boldness that endured for the rest of their lives.  If the resurrection were a fabricated myth, how would you explain the changed behavior of the early Christians, of whom many were crucified or fed to lions because of their steadfast faith in Jesus’ aliveness.

There is overwhelming evidence that something supernatural occurred in Jesus’ resurrection.  And it is amazing to me to see how God took great care in establishing the truth that Jesus’ resurrected body was a real body and not some illusion, or phantom spirit.  Luke records in 24:36-43 that when Jesus appeared to his disciples during those 40 days before ascending into heaven, it was with the same body that hung from a cross and was put into the tomb.  The marks of his physical torture and suffering were still visible on his body, and Jesus invited the disciples to touch his flesh and bones.  

Just before his final departure and ascension into heaven, Jesus reminds the disciples that the Scriptures confirm that the crucified and resurrected Messiah was not an adjustment in God’s plan.  This was God’s design all along, and everything written about the Messiah, in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.  So be it, and so it is!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 14, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

From Downcast Faces to Burning Hearts

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24:32).

As adults, we lean toward believing there is some hidden force in life that we can tap into and fulfill our dreams and destiny; that there is somebody or something beyond ourselves, trying to get through to us, that would enable us to experience renewed hope, joy, and fulfillment in life.

And yet, does it not seem strange that so many Christians never thought of discovering that mysterious power encased in their own professed Christian faith.  Could this be because they have forgotten or shelved and ignored the one key truth that unlocks abundant hope and excitement in Christian living and worship?

One of the reassuring messages we can hear in the Emmaus road story (Luke 24:13-35), is that the most powerful and exciting force in the universe is Jesus Christ, alive and present with us. 

Two believers were walking home to Emmaus after being in Jerusalem for the Passover event and witnessing the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus.  This was a trip of about seven miles.  Since they shared a home together, it is thought that these believers were Cleophas and his wife.

A third person joins them.  It is Jesus who takes the initiative in joining them in their slow walk of disappointment and despair.  This stranger asks what they are discussing together.  With downcast eyes they tell him the confusing story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Surprisingly, the stranger responds with explaining the scriptural basis for all these events and rebukes them for slowness of heart in believing that Jesus had risen.

Since it was getting dark, the invited him to stay the night in their home.  It was when this stranger “was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them” that they recognized him to be Jesus.  Then they understood why their hearts were burning within them as he journeyed with them, explaining the Scriptures concerning himself.

The surprising events of that first Easter day cannot be reduced to a creed.  We are not asked to believe the doctrine of the resurrection.  We are asked to meet this person who was raised alive from the dead and wants to prove his aliveness to us.

The two people walking along the road toward home, recite the past events.  They said, “We had hoped.”  But Jesus himself is there in the present tense, but they do not recognize him. 

But what can we do to better see and experience a relationship with this person?  Let me highlight four events from this story that can be helpful in opening our eyes and see Jesus.

First, give attention to reading and understanding the Scriptures.  Jesus spoke from the Scriptures to encourage these two discouraged travelers.  He traced through all the Old Testament prophetic scriptures regarding the coming and work of the Messiah. 

Second, be willing to converse with and learn from strangers.  Jesus initiated and invited fellowship as he joined himself with to these two travelers.  Earlier in his ministry, Jesus had promised that where two or three are gathered in his name, there he is in their midst.  He is most alive and powerfully present among believers who read the scriptures and pray together, sing and cry together, confess and receive forgiveness together.  The sitting around a table, sharing food and breaking bread together creates opportunity for Jesus to bestow his blessing of healing forgiveness and love, of renewed hope, peace, and joy.

Thirdly, we need to increase our sense of expectancy, even to expecting the unexpected.  Psychologists tell us that we often do not believe what we see, rather we see what we believe.  In other words, we see what we expect to see.  Who and what do you expect to see as you travel an Emmaus road of disappointment, despair, and sorrow?

Finally, the two travelers made time for Jesus.  The implication in verses 28-29 is that if they had not made time for him, he would have walked on.  Jesus did not intrude into their plans, and neither will he intrude into our plans.  We must make time for Jesus, like they did in urging him strongly to stay with them.

The resurrected Jesus said “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my  voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20).

The only source of almighty power and amazing love is with you and me, and so much wanting us to invite him into our life and companionship as we travel our own Emmaus road experience of doubt and despair.  His powerful presence will turn our downcast faces into burning hearts! 

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 7, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley