Healing Rays of Righteousness

The Glory of the Son

The “Transfiguration” story, recorded in Matthew 17, tells how three of Jesus’ disciples were privileged to see and better understand the awesome transforming power and glory of Jesus Christ.  “… Jesus took with him Peter, James and John …, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  There he was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”  (Matthew 17:1-2).

Jesus’ inner, divine nature, previously veiled, was now disclosed so that the three disciples caught an awesome glimpse of his glory.  What they saw was the power-filled glory of God radiating from Jesus.  And what they heard was a voice from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!”  (Matthew 17:5).

Years later, Peter remembers this experience with Jesus and writes about in his second letter (1:16-18).  Peter remembers it as “the sacred mountain” because he believed it was here that Jesus’ authority, power and majesty as the Son of God was confirmed.

Peter believed that it was in this moment, that Jesus fully committed himself to walk the painful journey down the mountain to Jerusalem, the cross and the grave, where he would victoriously bind Satan’s power and authority forever.

In verse 9, we read that as Jesus and the disciples are coming down the mountain, Jesus tells them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”  Why would Jesus tell them not to talk about what they had just seen and heard?

Jesus knew the disciples could not understand nor appreciate the magnitude of what they just witnessed, nor could anyone else, until after he completed the work of redemption through his suffering, death, and resurrection from the tomb as the risen, living Christ.  Only then could his glory be seen and understood by mankind.  Only then could Christian truths about God and his amazing love, be deeply appreciated.

Three days after his crucifixion and death, Jesus arose from the tomb as the majestic conqueror over all evil and death, to lead the redeemed (set free) men and women of every race and creed on a royal pathway to heaven, where he, Jesus, is forever seated as “King of Kings and Lord or lords.”

The Hebrew writer calls us to behold and worship the risen Son; “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”  (Hebrews 1:3).

Whenever Jesus talked about his pending death, the disciples were troubled and confused in there thinking.  But after his resurrection and their seeing him alive, the meaning and purpose of his death became much more understandable to them.

This new understanding emboldened Peter, when standing before the Sanhedrin, to declare “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

It also emboldened Paul to declare that Christ “…is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17).

I sincerely believe with Paul that nothing exists outside of Christ’s awesome creative power, and that his almighty, all-loving, redeeming presence touches every part of God’s infinite and ever-expanding universe.  “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:5)

Even though the awesome glory of Jesus Christ remains beyond our full understanding, he still shines on us, not only on mountaintops of extraordinary experiences, but most often in our daily routines of living.

In many and various un-dramatic ways, his glorious “healing rays of righteousness” shines upon us to restore and enliven us toward joy-filled living each day.  For without him we cannot and will not survive. “In him all things hold together.”   Blessed be his name!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 14, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Agreeing to Walk Together

Should my relationship with you depend on whether or not you agree with me?  No! My relationship with you should be rooted in fully accepting and respecting you, even though we may disagree on particular issues.

The reason so many friendships, churches, and communities are fractured and in trouble today is because we do not recognize the difference between agreement and acceptance.  Behavioral studies show that much of our anxiety is caused by an egocentric, neurotic need to have others agree with us.

We also know that the dynamics of every healthy people grouping, whether it be church, community, or nation, includes lively disagreement.  The “loyal opposition” is needed to keep us from getting too comfortable with our selfish, narrow, and off-times marred visions.

Also, to presume others need us to correct them, but that we do not need them to correct us is to assign to ourselves an omniscience that belongs only to Almighty God.

Regretfully, many Christians have been misled by the King James Version of Amos 3:3, which asks, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”  They understand the prophet to be saying that any disagreement is detrimental to healthy relationship and community and thus, “no agreement, no relationship.”  But that is not the meaning behind the original Hebrew.

The New International Version (NIV) better clarifies the original meaning as follows; “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?  This more correctly suggests an agreement with neighbor to meet for a walk together.  It is a commitment to a planned and scheduled activity together.  In other words, I agree to walk with you because I accept and respect you regardless of our disagreements.

Dietrich Bonhoffer warned that “He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God, either.”

The image of the Christian life being a walk is firmly rooted in the New Testament teachings.  The apostle Paul tells us Christians “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.” (Eph. 5:1-2).

To the Christians in Rome, Paul says, “Love must be sincere.” (Rom. 12:1).  And included in his list of loving behaviors is this admonition in verse 18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”   He then concludes with this word, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (v.21).

These voices, as well as the whole of the New Testament, are telling us that to be Christian is to always be intentionally and fervently working to establish and nurture strong, loving relationships with others.  This is our calling and mission.

For that reason, I am deeply troubled by what appears to be a serious drift by those who call themselves Christian, away from the biblical principles of “community by acceptance” and toward a more totalitarian view of “community by agreement” and it’s very low tolerance for disagreement.  It is a kind of mentality that fixes its eyes on another with a cold look and says, “If you don’t agree with us, get out.  Go somewhere else.  You don’t belong here.” 

The New Testament clearly teaches that the followers of Jesus will live a lifestyle built around LOVE.  Sacrificial love is to be at the core of relationships with fellow believers, and also determines our attitude towards all people at all times.

I’m reminded of the story of a young man who stopped at a farmhouse asking for work.  The farmer asked of his occupation, which was carpentry.  At first the farmer said he had no work.  Then, pointing across the road to the neighboring farm, he said, “That is where by brother lives and we have become bitter enemies.  He even took a bulldozer and cut a stream from the reservoir through the pasture between us.  I’ll hire you to take that lumber by the barn and build an eight-foot high solid fence between us, so that I don’t need to be looking at him.”

The farmer went to town for the day, and the young man went to work.  When the farmer returned, instead of a fence, he saw a beautiful bridge across the stream, with handrails and all.  At first he was angry, but then he saw his brother walking down the hill to the bridge with his arms outstretched.  As he walked to meet him, his younger brother called out, “You are a special brother, to think that you would build a bridge so that we can get together!”

As the carpenter was walking away, the farmer called, “Hey, where are you going?”  The man answered, “I’m going to build other bridges!”

O church, community, and nation, we call ourselves Christian, so let’s walk our talk.  Let us love, accept, and walk together with all people, respectfully listening to the “loyal opposition” toward seeking common ground and guidance in making a better world for all of us.  AMEN!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 7, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Living Bread for Hungry Souls

In John 6:35, we hear Jesus declaring, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  And again in verse 51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

Just the day before, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus fed the large crowd who had gathered on the mountainside to see and be healed by this miracle-working Jesus.  And the crowd was not disappointed as they witnessed the miracle of one boy’s lunch feeding the entire crowd with more than enough food.

But the next morning the crowd discovered that Jesus and his disciples had left them.  Thinking that Jesus must have crossed over the sea to Capernaum, they immediately got into their boats and went across the sea to Capernaum searching for him.

The hungry crowd was hoping Jesus would continue supplying their daily food, just like God did when their forefathers were in the wilderness, by sending fresh manna from heaven each morning.  But instead, Jesus accuses them of being more interested in miracles and free meals than they were in believing that he was the Messiah, the Son of God.

Being the Messiah, he came to satisfy their deepest hungers, that is, their hunger for belonging and significance, for forgiveness of sin and peace with God.  Jesus rebuked them for only wanting their bellies satisfied, and admonished them, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (6:27).

Many years earlier, a prophet named Isaiah challenged his people with a question, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2).

And so, to the hungry crowds, both then and now, that the bread that they are searching for, the bread that is abundantly sufficient for each day’s need, the bread that sustains life in the dry wilderness and threatening darkness, the bread that reminds us to trust in the grace of God rather than in our own anxious and frenzied attempts to satisfy and secure life, Jesus says, I am that bread.  Feed on me.  “I am the bread of life …. I am the bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 

Our Christian faith is all about God getting personal with us in and through Jesus by deeply loving and engaging us, giving provision and direction to our lives, and daily breathing life into us by filling us with his empowering Holy Spirit. “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (6:33). 

And our Christian faith is all about our getting personal with Jesus.  Jesus is more than an interesting person, idea, or ancient miracle-worker.  Jesus came down from heaven, has identified himself with us humans and offers us this incredible, inexhaustible and satisfying feast of life.  He is the fresh, living bread from heaven, and the only bread that can satisfy our soul’s many hungers.

And, are not our souls hungry?  Is not this the hunger that lies underneath the insatiable need to consume more and more – to buy and buy and buy?  We fill our garages and closets to the brim with stuff, and numb ourselves with all kinds of entertainment, relationships and self-help programs, trying to satisfy the hunger of our soul.

To all who hunger and thirst for something better, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

In the same way that Nicodemus was invited to be born again by “water and Spirit” and the woman at the well was urged to quench her thirst by drawing and drinking “living water” so are we invited to feed on Jesus, the living bread of life.

To be a disciple of Jesus is a very personal matter of being encountered by a person, Jesus, and being invited into a relationship with him that is very personal and intimate, a relationship of love, trust and submission to his Lordship our daily living.

When Jesus decided to leave behind a living reminder of the depths of God’s love for a sinful world, “he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:24).

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 31, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Get Wisdom

Ray M. Geigley

In her book, Footprints of Fire, Noel Moules states, “In a world obsessed with facts, figures, data and information there is a disturbing absence of wisdom, almost an indifference to it.  It is rarely spoken of on the streets, in the popular media or even in church.”  Would you agree?

King Solomon exclaims in Proverbs 16:16, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!”  And in Proverbs 9:10, he gives us a clue regarding how to get this wisdom, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The Hebrew word frequently translated “fear” in our Bibles, leans more toward the feelings of awe, love, and reverence; much like the feeling a lover has towards their beloved, and not wanting anything to spoil the relationship.

The core message of Proverbs declares that true, life-giving wisdom is based on a living relationship with God, who is the true source of all wisdom, as expressed in verse 7 of the opening chapter, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

This verse speaks of both knowledge and wisdom.  Both are recurring themes in the Bible and are related but are not synonymous.  A dictionary would define Wisdom as:   “the possession of experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them critically or practically.” A biblical definition is similar: “the skill and discipline of applying truth to the experiences of life.”

Knowledge, on the other hand, is defined as, “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.”

The Southern Baptist preacher, Vance Havner, said, “If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge.”

Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but wisdom cannot exist without knowledge.  One can be knowledgeable without being wise, and many in our world are like that.  More importantly and most sadly, many who claim to be Christian and regularly attend church, know a lot about God, but very little of His wisdom, choosing rather to follow the foolishness of earthly wisdom.

In Proverbs 8, King Solomon, gives wisdom a voice by personifying wisdom as a woman.  By doing so, he is personifying a quality that is a part of God’s trinity personhood. As such, Lady Wisdom is not to be understood as a separate god or goddess, but rather a literary tool that Solomon uses to depict and describe the working of God’s Spirit.

King Solomon wants us to understand that wisdom is not a set of rules to live by, but rather a spiritual reality who speaks, and with whom we can have a relationship.  Christians understand this Lady Wisdom person to be the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

In these verses, Lady Wisdom is portrayed as an awesome, dynamic presence, eager to be heard (vv.15-16).  Her voice is heard as the queen of the universe, and it is to the whole of humanity that she speaks. (v.4).

With glowing terms Lady Wisdom speaks of how worthy and profitable her instructions are for those who choose to love her. She is generous and promises wonderful gifts to anyone who will embrace her — gifts of intelligence, truth, instruction, knowledge, justice, righteousness and wealth (vv. 5-21).

Lady Wisdom calls out for us to pause and ask ourselves, How much sweat, blood, and tears am I expending for the infinitely “much better” gifts of wisdom and understanding?  How much of my personal time is spent in relationship with Jesus, through studying the scriptures and praying, both alone and doing so together with other followers of Jesus?

Truly, God loves us and delights in us and eagerly desires that we be growing in our knowledge and relationship with Him and “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man,” even as Jesus did (Luke 2:52).

Not everyone can become famous or wealthy or powerful, but everyone can gain wisdom regarding how to live and walk wisely with God and with other people. Every one of us can grow in our relationship with God, and build relationships with others that are deep, lasting and purposeful. It is in these relationships that we develop understanding and wisdom.

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!”  Do you agree?

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 24, 2019

www.geigler13@comcast.net

Living Water for Thirsty Souls

She was a woman, a Samaritan woman, a very lonely woman thirsting for companionship. She had made some very bad choices in life, trying to satisfy this thirst. She knew she had made a mess of her life and was now considered an immoral outcast by her own townspeople. She also knew she was the daily gossip at the village well where her neighbors gathered during the cool of each morning and evening for their water supply.

And so, to avoid the stares and sharp pain of ridicule and rejection, she would make the much longer walk to Jacob’s well, about a mile from town, for her needed daily supply of water. She would do so during the noonday heat while her neighbors were resting in the shade of their houses. But the water from Jacob’s well could never satisfy her unquenchable thirst for respect, acceptance, peace, and happiness.

It was noon-time when Jesus and his little band of disciples came to a fork in the road near the town of Sychar. At this fork in the road was Jacob’s well. This was a spot rich in the history of the Jewish people. Centuries earlier, Jacob had dug this deep well for his family and animals.

What memories must have stirred in Jesus as he sat down at this well, “tired as he was from the journey.” The disciples had gone into town to buy food, while Jesus rested. It is very likely that on their way into town they would have passed the Samaritan woman coming out to Jacob’s well where Jesus was resting. I am wondering if they greeted or acknowledged her. Remember they were Jewish men and she was a Samaritan woman.

All the makings of the usual dramatic confrontation between Jew and Samaritan are present as the woman approaches the well. But Jesus only makes a simple, unexpected request of her, “Will you give me a drink?”

Jesus has a need, and in politely asking this woman for help, cuts through centuries of suspicion and animosity, and treats her with respect and dignity as a human being. He treats her kindly even though he knows the immoral secrets she hides.

The woman responds with undisguised amazement, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” And so a dialogue is opened in which there comes an amazing reversal of roles. It is not long before the woman who has been asked for a drink of water is addressing the thirsty traveler as “Sir” and asking him for the water he offers.

Jesus offers this thirsty woman “living water” as “the gift from God.” He tells her that this water would quench her deepest thirst and longings, not just for a day, but forever; and that it is continuously fresh and abundant, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

“GIFT” – what a beautiful word of generosity and grace. But the gift cannot be received without the Giver, Jesus. Unless, the woman comes to know and accept the One who speaks to her, God’s gift of “living water” can never be hers. For God shares this living water only through his Son, Jesus.  And, yes, the gift is free, but it cannot be received without acknowledgment of thirst, confession of sin, and repentance. I encourage you to read the full story in the Gospel of John, chapter 4.

All through Scripture, water is a rich symbol of the spiritual life. Living water vividly described that everlasting spiritual water which could quench and revive the parched, dying human spirit.  So the Psalmist cries out, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” (42:1). And the prophet Isaiah speaks of its rich spiritual meaning, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (12:3).

In his gospel, the Apostle John records that on the last day of the annual Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus throws out that urgent invitation to all who could hear him, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” Then John explains, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (7:37-39).

This is the invitation the Samaritan woman is hearing. And it is the invitation Jesus still gives to all whose lives are barren, lonely, and dried-up. It is the invitation given to all who keep dipping their buckets into the wells of the world for water that does not satisfy nor quench the deep thirst of the soul.

John W. Peterson seems to be echoing the testimony of the Samaritan woman in his hymn, Springs of Living Water: “I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame, And nothing satisfying there I found; But to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came, Where springs of living water did abound.” (Refrain) “Drinking at the springs of living water – Happy now am I; My soul they satisfy. Drinking at the springs of living water – O wonderful and bountiful supply.”

May it be so!

                                                                                                                                                           Ray M. Geigley                                                                                          “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 17, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com

“Ancient Scriptures” or the “Living Word”

For the past few years I have been hearing more frequently the phrase “ancient scriptures” when the speaker is making reference to or quoting the biblical texts. I do not know whether the speaker is using this phrase intentionally or because it is currently the more popular language among bible teachers. Either way, its usage gives me troubling concern.

Whenever I hear the word “ancient” I hear and visualize something very old and having outlived its usefulness; something lifeless, breathless and having no power; something antique and preserved for memories sake or tourist attraction; something I do not need for successful living in the modern culture.

For me to think and visualize biblical writings as “ancient scriptures” robs me of the thrilling and relevant teachings for living in today’s culture, and of the enabling wisdom and power they speak into my life.

So, with my questioning concern, I did a quick study of the words used in the Bible to describe these writings and to the dictionary to better understand their relevancy for today’s world.

Job 32:8 – “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath (inspiration) of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.”
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed (inspiration) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
2 Peter 1:21 – “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though
human, spoke from God as they were carried along (moved) by the Holy Spirit.”

The word “inspire” means “to inhale; to breathe upon; to breathe life into.” The word “inspiration” means “the act of breathing in; inhalation.” And the word “moved” means “to progress in sequence, as in the development of a literary or musical composition; to prompt (someone) to some action; actuate”

From these several definitive sources, I am led to understand that the origin of these biblical words from ancient years are all God-breathed, and all have his almighty, eternal, abundant life and power breathed into them for all generations. Furthermore, it is only by the breath of the Almighty that we receive and are given understanding of these words.

Yes, some of biblical texts that were written by men inspired and moved by God, where written for a particular time and situation, and are clearly so stated. And yes, Jesus said that his coming fulfilled some of the earlier words from God. But most importantly, he claimed to bring God’s greater and clearer revelations and understandings to the earlier written inspirations and Holy Spirit promptings in men.

So for me and my fellow believers in Christ, please speak to us about the “Living Word” of God; or honestly clarify your intentions in choosing to use the characterization “ancient scriptures” when referencing God’s recorded messages. For I have experienced the following biblical characterization to be true and believe it will remain true until the end of time.

“For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

“For the word of God is alive and powerful.
It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 10, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Freedom in Christ

The history of our country records many stories of people who left everything they owned and came to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They risked their lives and their future for what they valued more highly than everything they were leaving behind.

They were seeking freedom to live, work, and worship without suffering ridicule, persecution, imprisonment, or death. And their intense desire for this freedom prompted them to resist the governing authority of England and establish a new nation were these freedoms could be secured and enjoyed.

The Statue of Liberty stands at the entrance to the harbor of New York, holding a torch of lighted flame as a welcoming symbol of our nation’s commitment to the freedoms of life, work, and worship for all who become citizens of the United States of America.

These promised freedoms were at the core in the formation of our nation’s government. The Declaration of Independence states that freedom is from God and endows everyone with certain inalienable rights. And so, the right to live and worship in freedom is considered a birthright of every citizen and is guaranteed in our nation’s Bill of Rights.

Likewise, freedom is at the core of our Christian faith. And its welcoming symbol of freedom is the Cross of Jesus Christ standing on Golgotha’s hill. It may be less attractive, but is more amazing and awesome in its promise of freedom.

Just as the statue in New York harbor lifts her lamp, welcoming and lighting the way to political and religious freedom, so also the cross on Golgotha’s hill invites and lights the way to spiritual freedom and eternal life for whosoever will believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

From that cross Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. …Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:12, 32, 36).

The New Testament begins with God’s announcement to Joseph that his “soon to be wife” Mary, would give birth to a son. God told Joseph that he was to name the baby, Jesus, “because he will save (free) his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus began his public ministry by announcing freedom as 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.” (Luke 4:18)

In his letter to the Galatians (5:1, 13-14) the apostle Paul declared freedom to be God’s gracious gift to us through Jesus’ suffering and death – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Having said that, I want to emphasize that although the foundational core element of our Christian faith and the predominant core purpose of our American politics are similar, the freedoms they offer are very different in scope and authority.

Spiritual freedom has very much to do with the preservation of political freedoms. I think it should be evident to us that spiritual freedom is the greater of the two, and is the strongest enabling power in the preservation of our national freedoms.

It is SIN, living apart from God, that prevents a person from experiencing spiritual freedom,
and it is SIN that deprives a nation of people from experiencing political, cultural, and religious freedoms. And so, I believe that there must be spiritual freedom before the other freedoms can be birthed and nurtured.

By accepting Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation, which he purchased for us with his own death on the cross, God sets us free from the guilt of sin. And by overcoming death through Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, God sets us free from the fear of death.

Furthermore, in filling us with Jesus’ love and power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God sets us free from self-contempt, insecurity, hopelessness, purposeless living, addictions, racism, and all selfish and unloving attitudes and actions toward others.

This greater and more amazing freedom that Christ offers to all who will believe and accept his Lordship is ultimate, complete, and eternal. And, I think that we who enjoy this freedom should celebrate its transformational liberty in our lives with grateful worship every day.

So, I say, let national freedom ring and let spiritual freedom reign, in the lives of people everywhere and in our nation always. Amen.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 3, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Our Glorious Vocation

In last week’s blog, I said that Psalm 8 is about the amazing and indescribable glory of God made visible in all of creation.  But the psalmist doesn’t stop there.  He also reflects on who this glorious God is in relationship with mankind.

Gazing into the star-filled night sky, the psalmist believed that beyond the vastness of the universe is the vastness of his God. And in his looking and believing, he considers the moon and stars as merely “the work of (God’s) fingers.”

The psalmist imagines God molding and shaping the universe as a potter might form a bowl on his turning wheel. He sees the whole universe being created and now lovingly held in God’s admiring hands as recorded in Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

While pondering God’s awesome glory, it might seem that people would be insignificant to him, and so, the psalmist asks, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them.”  The adjective “mindful” used here comes from the Hebrew word “remember” (zākar).  So the question being asked is; Will God keep us in His mind?  Will God keep His eye on us?  Being so small in comparison to the vast and seemingly endless universe, will God think of us, see us, and care for us?

The twofold answer to these questions is given in verse 5, where the writer describes humankind’s place in God’s creation: “You have made them a little lower than the angels.” Many scholars believe a better translation is, “a little lower than God.”  

The psalmist is most likely reflecting on Genesis 1:26, which says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,’” Indeed, we are created to represent God’s likeness in this world by reflecting his character and living in an intimate, daily relationship with him.

But the psalmist adds something more in saying that God has “crowned them with glory and honor.”  In other words, God intended our glory and honor to be seen in the world as his own glory and honor is seen in the universe.

The “glory and honor” of this “crown” is given in verse 6, “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”

The psalmist is again reflecting on Genesis 1:26, “… so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

That, my friend, is our God-designed purpose and vocation.  Our greatness, our “glory and honor” is seen in our being made a little lower than God, bearing his image and placed in this world to rule over the earth and its creatures.  It is participation in God’s rule; and a privilege, not a right.

However, sadly we see very little of God’s intended ordering of mankind’s God-like ruling over his good creation being followed. The reality is that humankind, in its greedy selfishness, chooses to be its own god, and thus has become a devil.  And so, this very good world that was created to be lovingly ruled and cared for by mankind is instead been grossly abused and raped by mankind.

But we also know and rejoice in our firm belief that Jesus, as the Lord and King of a new redeemed people, has through his death and resurrection, defeated sin, Satan, and death.

Furthermore, we gratefully believe that as God comes to this earth in his Son, Jesus, the greatness of God and the grandeur of the cosmos are awesomely displayed in the reconciling grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is mercifully forgiving and restoring sinful humanity and this suffering creation.

Like a final chorus, verse 9 repeats verse 1: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Our place in God’s order evokes this final note of praise. As you discover your divine destiny, please join me in making God’s name majestic in all the earth.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 26, 2019

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God’s Majestic Name

Read Psalm 8

I had seen many beautiful pictures of the Grand Canyon and eagerly anticipated our visit there on one of our western vacation trips. I remember finally arriving, parking our travel trailer and walking up the path to the canyon viewing area.

WOW! I was overwhelmed with feelings of speechless amazement and awe as I stood gazing into the indescribable vastness, grandeur, and beauty of that canyon. It was “majestic” – impressively beautiful with a vast grandeur that is beyond descriptive words.

Neither can you walk along a beach at evening of day and not be stopped and held in holy awe as the sun slowly dips into the ocean at sunset. Along with all of nature, we fall silent, as if in a great concert hall. Human conversations become hushed as all eyes turn toward the sun until it disappears below the western horizon. The silent and majestic splendor of God’s sunset has worked its miracle in our hearts and we echo the words of the psalmist, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 8 is written by King David and opens and closes with these words of worshipful praise. David is declaring that God’s name excels all others. God’s name, his character, is holy, majestic, mighty, and glorious. His name is above all names.

King David continues, “You have set your glory in the heavens.” It is God’s majestic lordship over all things as Creator and Sustainer that reveals his glory. The whole creation, both earth and heaven’ give witness to God’s majestic glory.

Today, we marvel at the vastness of the heavens with more data than was available to David’s unaided eye. We now know that in one second a beam of light travels 186,000 miles, which is about seven times around the earth. It takes eight minutes for that beam to go from the sun to the earth. In a year that same beam travels almost six trillion miles. Scientists call this a “light-year.”

Eight billion light-years from earth is halfway to the edge of the presently known universe. Within the universe there are a hundred billion galaxies, each with a hundred billion stars, on the average. In all the galaxies, there are perhaps as many planets as stars, ten billion trillion. These statistics overwhelm our human comprehension.

Psalm 8 reminds us that beyond the vastness of the universe is the vastness of God. The moon and stars are merely the work of God’s fingers. The whole universe sits on His potter’s wheel; the whole universe stands on His workbench.

Recognizing the vastness of creation and the majesty of God “in the heavens,” King David ponders before the Lord: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (vv.3-4).

In his worshipful thoughts toward this Almighty, Creator God, so glorious and majestic in the natural sphere, King David reflects on God’s relationship with us human beings. Reassured and inspired by God’s Spirit, King David declares “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (v.5).

Again, I say WOW! God’s name is not simply majestic in all the earth; God’s name is crowned in our hearts, for we are born anew and baptized in God’s majestic name.

Our Father God, the God in whom we confess our faith, is not a generic, no-name deity. Our God is not a god who created and started the earth going like some cosmic watchmaker and then disappeared from the scene, never to be heard from again.

Our God, the God of the Bible, is not a faceless, nameless deity who must be appeased in order for us to have good fortune in life. And neither is our God some vague, spiritual being who conforms to whatever we happen to believe as long as we are sincere about it.

This is the God who gave the Law on Mt. Sinai, saying “I am the Lord your God. …You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:2a, 3).

This is the glorious God in whose “majestic” name we gather to worship, and by whose “majestic” name we are blessed and sent out into the world to live and act, bearing witness to God’s creative and redeeming work.

Truly, our one vocation in life is to participate in making God’s name “majestic” in all the earth. Daily we pray, “Father, help us make holy your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. …Amen.”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 19, 2019

Dwelling In God’s Shelter of Protection

Whenever I feel threatened or am counseling persons facing difficult uncertainties, I read Psalm 91 for encouragement and reassurance. While many psalms stress how to trust or the importance of trusting God, Psalm 91 explores the strength that springs from trusting God. Despite the frightful images of life’s risks listed in verses 3 through 8, a protective calm permeates the psalm. It joyfully proclaims that protection and security comes to those trustfully abiding in the shadow of the Almighty.

In the first two verses we hear God being named by four titles, the Most High, the Almighty, the Lord, my God. These titles name God as being exalted above the earth and above all other gods as the most powerful and the most intimate God, who desires to be in a love relationship with us (v.14).

In these verses the protection and security provided by God is described with these four earthly comparisons;
1. Shelter – such as a secure place of protection from storms or wild beasts.
2. Shadow – like shade from an overhead cloud or tree that protects from the midday sun.
3. Refuge – being a safe place of escape from threatening storm or enemies.
4. Fortress – being a strong, fully surrounding thick wall of defense and protection.

And so, the psalm invites us to the sanctuary and into the sheltered intimacy of trust and refuge in the Lord. This is where we will experience God being our caring Father and our sovereign, almighty provider and protector. Most of all, in this place of safety, all fear is gone and all evil is dissolved. (Verse 4) – “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Verses 9-12 assure us that over against the destructive demons, ministering angels are sent by God to protect the faithful who “make the Most High (their) dwelling.” Whenever we experience demonic activity against us, the psalmist promises that angels will guard and protect us.

We are gravely misled if we read these verses as a blanket promise that nothing “bad” will ever happen to us. However, it is true that to dwell – remain, stay, tarry, have one’s abode – “in the shelter of the Most High” means we are in God’s hands and always protected, no matter what may happen to us while journeying through life on earth.

When we place our trust in the “Most High” and “Almighty” God who is surprised by nothing, we know that there is no loss so great that God cannot ultimately rescue us from it. The psalmist assures us that whoever chooses to “dwell” in the shelter, shadow, refuge, and fortress of God, will always be protected and rescued from the fears, pestilence, and plague of life’s threatening battles and temptations.

In verses 14 – 16, the psalmist lists eight blessings the Lord will bestow upon whoever trusts God and makes “the Most High” their dwelling place. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

This picture of God’s protection could hardly be more comprehensive and confident. This is most likely the reason the Christian Church and the Jewish Prayer Book recommend reading this psalm before evening prayers or retiring at night.

The psalm ends with an acknowledgement that trouble will come to those who love the Lord. The world is filled with occasions to be fearful, but trusting believers have God’s promise of presence, deliverance, satisfaction, and salvation (v.15-16). What better security and protection could you desire than this?

However, we do need to remember that the security provided in this psalm is conditional. It is the gracious blessing of a continuing relationship with God. Jesus made this promise his disciples, “If you remain (dwell) in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (Jn. 15:7).

Finally, the psalmist reminds us that we need to call upon the Lord. We should not presume that because God is omniscient (all-knowing) there is no need for us to pour out our hearts to God. “He will call on me, and I will answer him;” (v. 15). So, I encourage myself and you to call on God and tell him what is happening in your life, and how circumstances and people are affecting you. Yes, my friend, he promised to hear and respond to our cry. May it be so in your life.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 12, 2019