Healing Rays of Righteousness

God Is Love

A most amazing Scriptural teaching is found in the 4^th chapter of John’s first letter, which he wrote to instruct and encourage the early Christians.   In verse 8 of this chapter, John tells us that “God is love.” Those three little words get to the heart of what John believed about God’s character.  They tell us that God is pure self-giving love and that He cares deeply about you and me.

But how do we know this to be true?  How can we know with certainty that God genuinely loves us? 

I am reminded of a story out of Roman history.  The Roman army had subdued the kingdom of Armenia, and now the king of Armenia stood before the conquering general.  The king fell to his knees and pled with the Roman general:  “Do whatever you wish with me, but I beg you to spare the lives of my family.”  The Roman general graciously spared the life of both the king and his family.

Sometime later, the king of Armenia asked his wife what her impression of the Roman conqueror was, and she responded, “I never saw him.”  Astonished, the king asked, “How could you have failed to see him?”  “He was only a few feet away.  What were you looking at?”  With eyes full of tears, the queen replied, “I saw only you, the one who was willing to die so that I might live.”

We, who have committed our life to Christ, can put ourselves in that story, for we know what it is to have someone love us so much that they willingly die so we can live.  Such remarkable love is at the very core of God’s character and heart.

Never has there been a more awesome display of LOVE than on Good Friday, when Jesus took our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross.  And never has there been a more awesome display of the power of LOVE than on Easter morning, when God raised Christ from the dead and he emerged victorious from the tomb.

This is the reality that John points to when he writes in verse 9 that “This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him.”  And in verse 10 he adds, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 

I fondly remember the bedtime ritual of our small children coming to me for a kiss and a goodnight.  Each time I would say “I love you” and they would respond, “I love you, too, Daddy.”   This bedtime ritual later became our good-bye ritual as they became teenagers, and a similar ritual continues today.

I have no doubt that my children dearly love me.  But I can recall a time when love was not the issue. They needed Mom and Dad.  They were utterly and totally dependent on us.  Their love for us as their parents came later.  It was and is a learned emotion.  And that learning was in response to our greater love for them in their growing, maturing years. 

From the very first sight of our children, the first touch, the first sound of a cry, the first cradling, I was deeply in love with them.  I loved them simply because they were mine.  They did not earn it.  They did not necessarily deserve it.  And they demanded a lot from me and were costly to me in both time and money.  But above and beyond any of that, they were my children.  And nothing they could ever do or become would stop me from loving them.        

With their growing up in that environment of love, they began to love me and their mother as their parents.  And now, when they say “I love you” we know they speak from their heart, because we are frequently the recipient of their many acts of love.

In verse 19, John says God’s parental relationship with us is like our relationship with our children.  We love (God) because he first loved us.”  And nothing we could ever do will stop God from loving us.

But there is something more.  As my children continued to grow and mature, I modeled and encouraged certain expectations of them.  I desired that they deeply love the Lord Jesus and others, being honest, fair, and kind in all their relationships, being Christian in every way.

And as God’s children we are likewise greeted with expectations from our Heavenly Parent.  John believes that the implications of God’s amazing love is clear.  “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  (v.11).

IF we are experiencing God’s atoning forgiveness and love through Christ, and IF we are experiencing God’s love through the indwelling presence of the God’s Spirit, then we are commanded to love others. “And he has given us this command; Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  (v.21).  There is no wiggle room in that command. 

Echoing John’s teaching letter, Mother Teresa urges us to “Spread love everywhere you go; first of all, in your own home.  Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor. … Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.  Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 26, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Ascension Day, So What

In the opening verses of Acts, Luke tells us that during the forty days following Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead, He was spending time with his disciples, teaching and reassuring them.  He expands their understanding of His message regarding the Kingdom of God.  For in the light of the cross and His resurrection, that message takes on new meaning. 

Unfortunately, the disciples are still not free from nationalistic and political understandings of this kingdom and so they ask, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (v.6).  They are still looking for an earthly kingdom that rules in a political world.  They do not yet fully understand that God’s purpose in Jesus Christ reaches far beyond all national boundaries and beyond every race and lifestyle.

Jesus dismisses their question as irrelevant and again declares their mission is to be His Spirit-filled “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (v.8b).  And because He knows this grand mission to be far beyond all human capabilities, He commands them to remain in Jerusalem and “wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (vv.4,5).

Having said that, Jesus takes his disciples to the Mount of Olives, outside Jerusalem, and there “he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” 

While the disciples stood there, intently looking upward toward the sky, suddenly two white-robed men appeared and asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”  (v.11).  I think in essence saying, “Stop staring upward!  There’s work to be done on this earth.”

For Jesus’ disciples, the ascension of Jesus into heaven was a significant commissioning event in sending them out to continue His Kingdom mission, for which he had called and prepared them to do.  His mission was now their mission.  Furthermore, His mission is also now our mission in this world.

Maybe more than anything else, Jesus’ ascension shows us that Jesus is Lord, exactly as He said.  Jesus’ claims about being God’s Messiah are imprinted on every word and action that he said and did from the moment of his resurrection until His ascension.  The Jesus’ who died, is now clearly alive and is triumphantly ascended to God.  This Jesus returned to a place we cannot yet see, but Jesus goes with purpose, to prepare a place for us, as part of God’s unfolding plan for this world. 

Ascension Day is a time for us to reflect and give attention to how serious we are in partnering with Jesus to carry on His Kingdom mission on earth?  Do we have a clear sense of personal mission?  Do we feel empowered by his Spirit in our life and faith?  Do we see living and teaching the gospel message as church work, or as our personal vocation?

There is truth in the saying that “we may be the only Jesus some people ever see.”  This is part of God’s plan. The Jesus who is no longer physically present in a way the world can see, becomes visible in us, when we make the compassion, love, and mercy of God real by how we relate to and care for one another, as well as for this earth and all creation.

The church does not exist for itself, but for the world.  From the moment God called a special people, God made it clear that every person who bears God’s name has been called into existence to be a blessing in this world.  Those were God’s words to Abraham, and they are basically Jesus’ instructions to the church. 

And so, the Jesus who is no longer physically present in a way the world can see, becomes visible in the church, when we live and worship together, speaking of God’s glory, love, and amazing grace. 

We are the way God blesses this world.  We are to grace others with God’s love, and clearly portray God’s presence in this world, revealing the footsteps of God in all our lives during both the bad and good times.  We do not live this life blindly and alone.  Through the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, we are assured that God is closer than our breath and we will be given everything we need.

The two white-robed men gave witness to Jesus’ ascension into heaven and testified that someday He will return.  In the meantime, do not stand around wringing your hands wondering what you should do.  Get on with the work of God’s kingdom. 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20).   Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 12, 2021

www.geigler13.worpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

National Day of Prayer

May 6, 2021

I am sharing the blog by Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, as a call for us to join her in focused and fervent prayer for our communities, cities, and nation.  – Ray

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Yes, we are richly blessed to have a law that has proclaimed a day of prayer for our nation each year since the first observance as the law was signed in 1952!  Decades later, America still needs our prayers.  We need to be praying for all people, every day, for all seven mountains of influence and more, because people are still in need and the Church is still called to a prayer, care, share lifestyle.

First and foremost, people need to hear the message and experience the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.  All have sinned and fall short, but God’s arm is not short, and we have been sent to show and share His message of LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.

Before God even spoke, “Let there be…” He loved you and me.  God is love.  We are surrounded by the hurting, hopeless, and helpless who have never experienced the love of God and possibly of another person.  God designed and defined love, real love; unconditional, authentic love that sent His Son to pay our sin-debt in full so that we could believe in Him and have everlasting, abundant LIFE.

We live in a nation that does not respect life – all life from womb to tomb.  We are surrounded by people who cannot be inconvenienced or made uncomfortable to keep the heartbeat of others beating.  Whether it is an unborn child, the homeless or hungry, orphans and widows, or others who are vulnerable and need compassion and thoughtfulness.  Everyone needs to know that they were created by God and that He loved them so much He put His image in them and authored their value and purpose that no person can take away from them.

As followers of Jesus, we must come together in obedient unity and love that spreads God’s glory across the earth.  We must share this message of love and life, so that our neighbors, co-workers, classmates – so that all the world would come to repentance, that NONE may perish and know the LIBERTY, the freedom from the stain and shame of sin.  Everyone can have freedom ring in their hearts, liberty that pronounces you, “NOT GUILTY” from the One true Judge.  God alone knows your heart, knows everything about you; everything you have thought, done, and had done against you. God alone is our judge and in Christ alone, we experience authentic, eternal LIBERTY.

In 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul reminds the Jesus followers in Corinth, “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

Just as it was 2000 years ago, the mission remains today.  We, the believers and followers of Jesus are the messengers, the letters written with the Spirit on our hearts, and from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  It is our prayer today and throughout 2021 that the Spirit of the Lord, pour out, pour through us across America, to fill our lives, families, churches, workplace, education, military, government, arts, entertainment, and media, with Biblical, not cultural, not worldly, but Spirit-empowered, Spirit-filled LOVE, LIFE and LIBERTY as designed and defined by our Creator and Savior.

Our 2021 National Day of Prayer theme prays: ”LORD pour out Your LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.” Once again praying and proclaiming a promise of God in our theme verse, 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Let’s begin praying together now, please join me.  

Jesus, we come now professing that You are our Lord, the One and only Son of God who came to take away the sin of the world and that whosoever believes in You will not perish but have everlasting life.  As our Lord we are clay in Your hands, vessels of Your plans and love.  Fill us we pray, to be overflowing vessels and examples of Your LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.

We thank you for loving us and commit to showing and sharing Your love.  We thank you for our life, and commit to serve You in the awe and respect You deserve, knowing You have put Your image in all of us, and that every person is fearfully and wonderfully made.  We thank you for forgiving our sins; for the LIBERTY you have given us, the mercy You have shown us, and You suffered in agony on the cross and the wrath of the Father was upon You, so that I might be found “Not guilty” through Your shed blood.

Help me to show compassion and respect to others so that they may hear the gospel and come to know You as Lord and know the release of being a slave to sin.  Pour out Lord, and pour through Your Church across America we pray, in Jesus Name. Amen!

Kathy Branzell

President – National Day of Prayer Task Force

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 5, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley