Healing Rays of Righteousness

Waiting – For What?

It has been forty days since Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  And during these forty days, Jesus has been with his disciples, teaching them, feeding them, and spending time with them.

Jesus has completed the work given him by God.  Now it is time for him to physically exit this world and go back to the Father. This is necessary so that the Holy Spirit can come and always be God’s presence and power with his people everywhere.

And so Jesus leads his disciples out to the Mount of Olives near Bethany.  He blesses them and commissions them to be his witnesses, and then he was “taken up” and “a cloud hid him from their sight” as he ascended to heaven.              

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them” 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.”  (Acts 1:10-11).

Let me leap forward to our world and our current environment.  With the angels’ words still ringing in our ears, let me rewrite the story to include the questions that may be swirling within you and me as we stand looking into the sky, wondering and reflecting on the angels’ message.

 Okay, our teacher/leader has left us, now what are we to do? Jesus said, “Wait in Jerusalem.”  Wait for what?  Jesus said, “Wait for the gift.”  What gift?  Jesus said, “Wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”  How long must we wait?  Jesus said, “That’s not important for you to know.  Just trust God’s timing.  Waiting is key to your receiving the gift.”

But, why must we wait and why is this gift so important for us?  Jesus said, “You need the Holy Spirit to empower and enable you to have the strength to partner with me in doing my mission of accomplishing the Father’s Kingdom work on earth as it is in heaven.  Waiting is preparation time for receiving the tools needed for building a new creation with its new order of priorities and hopes.”  (End of story rewrite).

Wow!  A partnering mission of accomplishing God’s Kingdom work on earth as it is in heaven, with its new priorities and hopes. That is an awesome reality that seems almost impossible and certainly needs further exploring with transformed vision and investment.

However, the sad reality is that such wild thinking and life commitment is thought to be too counter-cultural and too counter-religious to be taken seriously in our day. Many church-going Christians have concluded that this earth is doomed and so “waiting” is all about praying and hanging on until we can be rescued from this ugly world of sin and darkness and taken into a “new creation” called heaven, where there is no darkness of sin and evil. 

I disagree with this religious conclusion, which is based on a distorted and bias view of Biblical scriptures.   I stand with N. T. Wright’s counter response to this way of thinking, “Never at any point do the gospels or Paul say that Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven.  They all say, Jesus is raised, therefore the “new creation” has begun, and we have a job to do.”

Is not this the angels’ message in their question, “Why do you stand here gazing into heaven?”

By physically leaving this earth, Jesus underscores his teaching that his disciples purpose in this world is to be his ambassadors, giving witness to his aliveness in the world.  The Jesus who is no longer physically present for the world to see, becomes visible in us, his disciples, when we live and speak of God’s glory, love, and amazing grace.  Jesus Christ is alive in the world when we make the compassion and mercy of God real by how we relate to and care for one another on this earth, and all of his glorious creation.

The angels affirmed Jesus’ ascension back to the Father, and they testified that someday Jesus will return.  In the meantime, we are to get on with the work of building and enlarging God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  This means being busy making disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching one another what it means to belong to this wonderful Lord who is even now King over all of creation. Amen, may it be so!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” –www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 9/25/24

To Sit, Look, and Listen to Jesus

There have been times in my life when I became breathless with wonder and awe. I remember the day when I walked, with eager anticipation, from the parking lot to the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was when I looked down into that expansive space that I became awestruck and speechless by the awesome breath-taking view. I was not expecting nor prepared for the overwhelming emotions of amazement and wonder that filled and silenced me.

There are also times in my spiritual journey that I experience similar emotions of amazement and wonder, such as reading John’s opening introduction of Jesus in his Gospel account. I invite you to sit, look, and listen with me. Look and see the awesome grandeur and beauty of this biblical grand canyon.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made.”  … “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (Jn. 1:1-3, 8).

Let us now sit and listen to verse sixteen and see the awesome view of our relationship with this Jesus. “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”  Or, as the New Living Translation says it, “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”   Wow! What breath-taking, soul-stirring beauty of God’s love for us. It is utterly amazing grace!

Such experiences convince me that the most crucial first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus is learning how to “sit” at Jesus’ feet, “look” into his eyes, and “listen” to his teachings. Every would-be disciple of Jesus must take time to gain a better understanding of God and strengthening a relationship with Jesus.

Furthermore, I believe that learning to “do” ministry and becoming a fruitful disciple of Jesus begins with sitting, looking, and listening to what God has “done” for us in Jesus. The teachings of Jesus and the apostles agree that this is essential before we can be adequately equipped and empowered in “doing” God’s Kingdom work.

The Quaker fellowships that I have occasionally attended, always reminded me of this important need for silence, meditation, and worship; of being in God’s presence, of being taught by his Spirit, prior to doing God’s work of being his agent of change in our world.

Webster’s dictionary gives two definitions of “sit” that are applicable to our relationship with Jesus.

   1. “To occupy a place as a member of an official body.”  Indeed, we “sit” at Jesus’ feet as a   member of God’s family, for he chose us in Jesus (Eph. 1:4). In love he predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). In Jesus, we have redemption, forgiveness of sins, with all wisdom and understanding lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8). And we are named “fellow-citizens” with God’s people and members of God’s household (Eph. 2:12-13, 19).

   2. “To be in session for official business.”  Yes, indeed, we “sit” at Jesus’ feet as management    associates, princes of the King’s court, because he chose us (Eph. 1:4). We know the King’s blueprint, and his secret plan (Eph. 1:9; 1 Cor. 2:7,16). And we are marked with the seal of Holy Spirit, identifying our belonging to the King’s court (Eph. 1:13), doing the King’s business as guaranteed inheritors of his eternal Kingdom. (Eph. 1:14).

God, in Jesus, gives to us, his disciples, both position and privilege, by inviting us to sit at his feet, to look into his face, to listen to his heart and mind, to consider and receive his wisdom, direction, and power. Only then will we be enabled and empowered to do Kingdom work in our communities, nation, and world.

Our praying “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will be answered only to the measure that we first give attention to “sitting, looking, listening” to Jesus’ teachings. And the following hymn, written by an unknown author, reminds us to do so daily.

Sitting at the Feet of Jesus

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,  Wondrous words I hear Him say!

Happy place! So near, so precious!  May it find me there each day.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,  I reflect upon the past;

For His love so gracious,  It has won my heart at last.

Bless me, O my Father, bless me,  All my inner life renew;

Now look down in love upon me,  Let me catch a glimpse of You.

Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,  Make me holy through His Word.

May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,  Been with Him, my risen Lord.

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 9/18/24

Prayer Changes Things

From my childhood years, I remember this motto, beautifully painted, hanging on the wall in our house. And during the many years since then, I have learned just how true, important, and marvelous this gift has been and is in my life.

Yes, I said “gift.” I have learned that prayer is one of God’s majestic gifts to us humans, a gift of gracious privilege, and a gift of tremendous value in daily enabling us through life’s uncertain and often difficult journey.

To be privileged to come into the presence of God Almighty and to speak with Him about whatever is on our hearts and minds is a gift of grace. To be privileged to come into the presence of Almighty God as his children, and to speak with him as “Our Father” is a privilege of unimaginable worth.

And yet, we tend to frequently take “prayer” for granted and fail to appreciate its value to us. We glibly “say a prayer” at mealtimes and begin meetings or special events with a prayer; most often being more motivated by tradition than by a sincere, genuine desire for God’s presence and power in our midst.

The value of prayer was really magnified to me one night while serving as Hospice chaplain at Paoli Memorial Hospital. A woman’s husband was in the final hours of dying, and both had previously requested that I not pray in their presence because they were agnostic with no church affiliation. And yet, on this night, she requested the nurse to phone me at 3:00 in the early morning, asking that I come to the hospital to be with her. Why?

I never felt so helpless and useless. I knew that audible prayer was not valued by her and thus not appropriate. They had no children and very few friends. I remember agonizing, how sad, how lonely it must feel to not value prayer in such times of loss. I wanted to assure her that God was present and loving her. I wanted to audibly pray with and for her, but I was not permitted to do so. All I could offer her was my human presence. And with little conversation I waited with her until her husband died several hours later, for which she thanked me.

In Mark 9:14-29, we read that it was late morning when Jesus, with his three disciples, came down from the high mountain where the three disciples had witnessed Jesus being gloriously transfigured. But now, at the foot of the mountain, there was a crowd of excited people, and amid the crowd stood the other disciples, humiliated by their failure to cast out the evil spirit that possessed an epileptic child.

After Jesus had healed the boy and the crowd left, his disciples asked him, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”  In Jesus’ reply we hear one of the deepest mysteries of the Christian life. “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29). Thus, Jesus proclaimed that prayer is a force in the universe, a super-natural force, that God’s people are privileged to tap into.

We tend to forget that our God is “all-knowing” and knows the opportunities and hazards of the future like the back of his hand. He is also “all-powerful” and able to steer and energize us with his spirit through the shadowy and uncertain events of life.

Yes, in praying, we bring God into our life and work, making us more conscious of his presence. And that awareness fills us with God’s enabling power in decision-making, conversation, and doing. Praying connects us to the wisdom, power, and energy of God.

Yes, it is the privilege of every child of God to ask for and receive the super-natural power and energy of God in their life and work. I am convinced of this truth because I have often witnessed and experienced its enabling power and healing balm in so many different circumstances.

Yes, Prayer Changes Things and Me. Prayer has been and is the strength undergirding my ministry as a pastor and chaplain. Prayer has been and is my one and only remedy for the healing of a person’s body, mind, and spirit. Without the gift of prayer, I would have nothing to offer those in distress – the sick and dying person, the bereaved family, and their friends, the fearful, the troubled in spirit, and others. For that reason, I daily thank the Lord, for his gracious gift of prayer.

William Temple is quoted as saying, “When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not pray, they don’t.”  Mother Teresa said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.”  And Leonard Ravenhill wrote, “The self-sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, and the self-righteous cannot pray.”

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 9/11/24

There Are Better Days Ahead

Anne Frank was a young, Jewish girl living in Amsterdam when the Nazis came to power. She was no longer able to play along the beautiful canal outside her home. She had to go into hiding, never leaving her neighbor’s apartment. Many of her friends were rounded up and sent to death camps. Anne lived under constant threat of being discovered. One day she wrote in her diary, “I just heard the church bells ring. I believe they are saying, ‘there are better days ahead!’”

This is the message the apostle Peter wrote to his persecuted and suffering fellow-believers in his day. “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:13). “There are better days ahead.”

And, it is the message of apostle John, banished on the isle of Patmos, and writing to the persecuted, suffering Christian churches of his day. “There are better days ahead.” 

The book of Revelation records the heavenly visions God gave to John as encouragement for the Christians of Asia Minor who were suffering much pain and persecution. In chapters 21 & 22, John looks beyond the agony of human history, as seen in chapter 20, and receives a vision of a new reality. He sees “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” 

The amazing affirmation of Revelation 21 & 22 is that God, having created a new heaven and a new earth, will return in majestic victory over all evil, pain, and suffering, to intimately dwell with all humankind eternally.

Do you remember what Jesus told his disciples after announcing that he was leaving them and that they could not follow him? “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn. 14:1-3). “There are better days ahead.”

And do you remember the angel’s message to them in? “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.” (Acts 1:11).

John describes the holy city descending like a bride, beautifully adorned for her husband. The “new Jerusalem” is seen not as a place, but rather as a metaphor for God’s people, in whose midst God dwells, even as the old Jerusalem metaphorically stood for the whole people of Israel, and the temple represented and made real God’s presence in their midst.

The central and most fundamental language of this new reality is “relationship” language. God comes down to have an intimate relationship with us, like he did in the Garden of Eden. Such a relationship with us has always been his desire and creative purpose. And nothing is more intimate than wiping tears from the face of someone who is in deep pain. Imagine the glorious, almighty, holy God now living among us and wiping the tears from our eyes.

In his vision, John sees heaven as a glorious place and describes it with vivid images. Paul says heaven will be better than our wildest imaginings and quotes an unknown writing: … “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).

In her book, Joy in Our Weakness, Marva J. Dawn, writes, “Whatever description we might offer of what it means to be in the presence of GOD after our death will be grossly inadequate. It is not the place we are interested in, after all, nor some sort of spectacular final event. It is our encounter with the Person, the Lord of lords and King of kings. (p.201).

Imagine being greeted by Jesus and hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. …Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  (Mt. 25:21, 34). Yes indeed, “there are better days ahead!”

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 9/04/24