Healing Rays of Righteousness

When the Spirit of God began to move deeply in the life of John Bunyan, he tried to reform himself outwardly in life and manners.  Although his heart was as sinful as ever, he did impress his neighbors with the change in behaviors.  And he was inclined to think that he pleased God as much as anyone else in 17th century England. 

But the Spirit of God opened his blinded eyes to the hardness of what he later called his “unwieldable” heart.  With a troubled conscience, he came upon several women one day, sitting at the door of a house on one of the streets of Bedford.  Bunyan recalls: “I drew near to them, for I was now a brisk talker about religion.  I heard, but I understood not; for they were far above me, out of my reach; for their talk was about a new birth, the work of God in their hearts.” 

John Bunyan was hearing from these women an echoing of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, but now, for the first time, is hearing them with a new understanding; “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3).

Even though Jesus only used the term “born again” once, it is frequently used today as a threatening distortion of authentic evangelical Christian faith. And that’s a pity, because the truth regarding the need to be “born again” is much too important to be lost, ignored, or ridiculed.

Like John Bunyan, Nicodemus is surprised when Jesus tells him that he needed to be “born again.” Nicodemus was a wealthy Jewish leader of the Pharisee sect. Intrigued by Jesus’ life and ministry, and with a growing sleepless urgency for a better understanding, he came to Jesus during the night, hoping for a ‘one on one’ conversation with Jesus. 

Nicodemus addresses Jesus with “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.”  But Jesus would have nothing to do with the niceties of theological dialogue. He cuts through all the pleasantries and lays his finger on the deepest need of Nicodemus’ heart. He said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

With the word “see” Jesus is saying that His kingdom is a present reality which can be seen only with eyes of faith. Then in response to Nicodemus’ questioning how this could ever happen, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”  

And so, we hear Jesus declaring that both the seeing and the entering of God’s kingdom are acts of faith, that is, believing and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and being “born (again) of water and the Spirit.”

The Old Testament prophets anticipated the day when God would take away the stony heart and give people a heart of flesh. “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean…. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”(Ezek. 36:25-26).

But Nicodemus, for all his theological learning, thinks the whole idea of a new birth is slightly ridiculous. To enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born again is utterly absurd in his mind.  And, if understood in that literal physical sense, Nicodemus was certainly right.

In answer to Nicodemus’ protest, Jesus explains that we are all physically born of the flesh only.  But to be born of human parents does not give us automatic entrance into God’s Kingdom. And even a second physical birth, if such were ever possible, would not bring us any closer to God’s Kingdom. Physical birth is limited to the horizontal level, whereas, the new birth happens vertically, from above, from heaven.

Also, Jesus is not talking about reincarnation or a regeneration of our humanness. He is not saying that we need to become more religious, or become a better neighbor with impeccable character and morals. No, He is talking about a new life, a new kind of person who now understands a new reality, who by faith sees the kingdom of God, and is given new desires and abilities, and new family relationships.

Return with me to the streets of Bedford and to John Bunyan.  He listened to those women on the doorstep talk about the new birth.  And he writes, “They spoke as if joy made them speak; they spoke with such pleasantness of scriptural language and with such appearance of grace in all they said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world, and my heart began to shake as mistrusting my condition; for I saw in all my thoughts about religion and salvation, the new birth had never entered my mind.”

He left them there on the doorstep, convinced that he needed to be “born again” and he returned several times to talk with them.  And soon God transformed his heart with great softness and tenderness.  He went to church, where he heard the gospel and, as he puts it, “was so taken up with the love and mercy of God that I could hardly contain myself till I got home.  I thought I could have spoken of God’s love and mercy even to the crows that sat on the plowed land.” 

John Bunyan had experienced the new birth. Have you?

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 8, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (tested) by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1).

Throughout our life there is a persistent, ongoing spiritual wilderness struggle with the devil who is bent on testing our commitment of allegiance to the Lordship of Jesus. During these times we need to be reminded that the experience of wilderness testing does not mean that we are not being what God wants us to be. Rather, it is because of our love and desire to remain faithful in following Jesus, that causes the devil to confront us with tempting alternatives that counter the purposes and expectations that God has for us.

And so, we understand that being faithful in our commitment to follow Jesus means we will often find ourselves struggling with the same wilderness temptations (testing) as Jesus did.

Our spirituality of thoughts and actions are more sharply focused as we journey with Jesus more intently during these six weeks of Lent. Doing so, helps us to become aware of the reality of our relationship with God. My prayer is that such spiritual reflections will encourage and help us to better make our way through wilderness struggle and toward a deeper love and commitment to the Lordship of Jesus.

Let me share a couple of affirmations that may help us better understand and define a Lenten spirituality for all who experience wilderness struggles.

1)  When we have discovered who we are in Christ and our mission in life, we can be certain that a powerful evil force will come along to sidetrack or sabotage us. 

Jesus understands who he is, being the Son of God, and is confirmed as such in his baptism. And now He is about to begin his public ministry. All is well. But no, it is not that easy. Satan comes alongside to test him, to sidetrack him, to sabotage him, to distract him from his stated loyalty and commitment to God.

And he does the same with us. When we have found the right spiritual, Godly path, we can be sure that someone will come along to show us another route. For this reason, testing and temptation are signs that we are going in the right direction and doing something right!

If we have little or no love for God, if we have little or no interest in following and serving Jesus, if we have little or no regard for our spiritual life, the devil has little reason to tempt and test us. He will leave us alone, knowing that we have chosen his path toward eternal misery and death. It is only when we have chosen a Godly direction and loyalty that he is aggressive in tempting us with attractive alternative directions and loyalties. So, we should not be surprised whenever our commitment to trusting Jesus and honoring his Lordship in our thoughts and behaviors is being tested.

2)  There is no spiritual growth without the wilderness experiences.

The rabbis of ancient Israel called the wilderness “the school of the soul.”  It is in the wilderness experiences that we are given opportunity to grow in our trust and obedience to God. In fact, a person has not shown true obedience if he or she has never had an opportunity to disobey. All of the devil’s temptations are nothing more than attractive opportunities to discredit or disobey God.

And, the biblical scriptures clearly tell us that there can be no spiritual transformation without the wilderness “school of the soul.”  There is no resurrection without death. There is no crown without a cross. There is no Easter without Lent.

When all is going well in life, we are easily seduced into thinking we have no need for God.  But, in times of spiritual wilderness we must place our trust in God who alone is able to protect and provide for us.  It is in the midst of the difficult, often painful wilderness experiences that we have the greatest potential for spiritual growth in our relationship with a loving Father God. 

And so, we join with the psalmist in praying, “Search me, God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24).

A Lenten spiritually helps us to make our way through the inevitable struggles that come in daily living.  The six weeks of Lent reviews our journey with Jesus into the wilderness, toward the cross, and death to self-righteousness.  It is a journey of struggle. But it is, as we are promised, the way that leads to life.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted (tested) in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15).

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 1, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Today is “Ash Wednesday” which begins the 40 days of “Lent” during which we journey with Jesus as He walks toward His death by crucifixion on “Good Friday” and resurrection from death on “Easter Sunday.” 

Ash Wednesday is all about acknowledging our ungodly thoughts and behaviors as sin and in sincere penitence asking for God’s forgiveness and cleansing.  From since the Middle Ages, the Christian church has characterized Ash Wednesday with the placing of ashes on the forehead of individuals as a public sign of the person’s confession of sin and their sorrow for it.  

Ash Wednesday begins the 40-day season of Lent, a season of testing. The testing is to reveal our real self, our inner essence; who am I and what is my greatest desire? Lent is a time to seriously look within ourselves and make a realistic assessment of our relationship with God. Do my thoughts and behaviors affirm and strengthen my professed identity as a child of God? 

Many persons turn away from this inward journey, anxious for the calendar to quickly fast-forward them to Easter and its joyous celebrations, because words like repentance, fasting, discipline, and denial are hard words to think about.  Such words do not fit comfortably into our chosen lifestyle of self-will, self-trust, self-satisfaction, and self-exaltation.

However, if we try to take short-cuts or ignore this journey inward in order to avoid the need to respond to God’s Spirit lovingly imploring us to repent, we cannot and will not fully appreciate nor participate in the gladness and glory of Easter Sunday.

Repent? Yes, being human in a wilderness of various temptations, we most likely will stumble in our commitment to the Lordship of Jesus.

Repent? Yes, if we are honest with inviting God’s Spirit to search our heart and thoughts, we will most likely be shown a need to repent of our feeble love for God, our neglect in the reading of His Word, and failure to pray except in emergencies. And we may also be shown a need to repent of selfishness, pride, misplaced priorities, and a failure to live up to the highest and best in our relationship with others. 

This Lenten journey with Jesus is also a time to more carefully listen and reflect on His teachings, in order to better understand the gracious immensity of love that compelled and sustained Jesus through unthinkable sufferings and death in order to rescue us from evil’s grip and to reconcile us back into relationship with Himself. 

The Christian life is a journey, a process of growth in which we, like the apostle Paul, “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. … to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12, 14).

We have been loved, saved, and reconciled into a new relationship with Christ.  We claim that Christ has made us new creatures, but every day we humbly confess that we have not yet fully become what Christ wants us to be. 

The days of “Lent” are marked on our calendars for the purpose of an intentional and sincere self-examination of our relationship with Jesus, who claims to be the Messiah, “God with us.”

Am I living and growing more in love with God?  Have my attitudes and behaviors become more like Jesus?  Have I always done my best toward being a Jesus-person in my world?

The psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24).

And the hymn writer, Elisha A. Hoffman, prays;

“Lord, I am fondly, earnestly longing into thy holy likeness to grow, thirsting for more and deeper communion, yearning thy love more fully to know.

Dead to the world would I be, O Savior, dead unto sin, alive unto thee. Crucify all the earthly within me, emptied of sin and self may I be.

I would be thine and serve thee forever, filled with thy Spirit, lost in thy love. Come to my heart, Lord, come with anointing, showers of grace send down from above.

Refrain: Open the wells of grace and salvation, pour the rich streams deep into my heart. Cleanse and refine my thought and affection, seal me and make me pure as thou art.

I invite you to join me in making the above prayers our sincere prayer during the six-week Lenten journey that begins today – Ash Wednesday.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 22, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Today is “Ash Wednesday” which begins the 40 days of “Lent” during which we journey with Jesus as He walks toward His death by crucifixion on “Good Friday” and resurrection from death on “Easter Sunday.” 

Ash Wednesday is all about acknowledging our ungodly thoughts and behaviors as sin and in sincere penitence asking for God’s forgiveness and cleansing.  From since the Middle Ages, the Christian church has characterized Ash Wednesday with the placing of ashes on the forehead of individuals as a public sign of the person’s confession of sin and their sorrow for it.  

Ash Wednesday begins the 40-day season of Lent, a season of testing. The testing is to reveal our real self, our inner essence; who am I and what is my greatest desire? Lent is a time to seriously look within ourselves and make a realistic assessment of our relationship with God. Do my thoughts and behaviors affirm and strengthen my professed identity as a child of God? 

Many persons turn away from this inward journey, anxious for the calendar to quickly fast-forward them to Easter and its joyous celebrations, because words like repentance, fasting, discipline, and denial are hard words to think about.  Such words do not fit comfortably into our chosen lifestyle of self-will, self-trust, self-satisfaction, and self-exaltation.

However, if we try to take short-cuts or ignore this journey inward in order to avoid the need to respond to God’s Spirit lovingly imploring us to repent, we cannot and will not fully appreciate nor participate in the gladness and glory of Easter Sunday.

Repent? Yes, being human in a wilderness of various temptations, we most likely will stumble in our commitment to the Lordship of Jesus.

Repent? Yes, if we are honest with inviting God’s Spirit to search our heart and thoughts, we will most likely be shown a need to repent of our feeble love for God, our neglect in the reading of His Word, and failure to pray except in emergencies. And we may also be shown a need to repent of selfishness, pride, misplaced priorities, and a failure to live up to the highest and best in our relationship with others. 

This Lenten journey with Jesus is also a time to more carefully listen and reflect on His teachings, in order to better understand the gracious immensity of love that compelled and sustained Jesus through unthinkable sufferings and death in order to rescue us from evil’s grip and to reconcile us back into relationship with Himself. 

The Christian life is a journey, a process of growth in which we, like the apostle Paul, “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. … to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12, 14).

We have been loved, saved, and reconciled into a new relationship with Christ.  We claim that Christ has made us new creatures, but every day we humbly confess that we have not yet fully become what Christ wants us to be. 

The days of “Lent” are marked on our calendars for the purpose of an intentional and sincere self-examination of our relationship with Jesus, who claims to be the Messiah, “God with us.”

Am I living and growing more in love with God?  Have my attitudes and behaviors become more like Jesus?  Have I always done my best toward being a Jesus-person in my world?

The psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24).

And the hymn writer, Elisha A. Hoffman, prays;

“Lord, I am fondly, earnestly longing into thy holy likeness to grow, thirsting for more and deeper communion, yearning thy love more fully to know.

               Dead to the world would I be, O Savior, dead unto sin, alive unto thee. Crucify all the earthly         within me, emptied of sin and self may I be.

I would be thine and serve thee forever, filled with thy Spirit, lost in thy love. Come to my heart, Lord, come with anointing, showers of grace send down from above.

               Refrain:

               Open the wells of grace and salvation, pour the rich streams deep into my heart.

               Cleanse and refine my thought and affection, seal me and make me pure as thou art.

I invite you to join me in making the above prayers our sincere prayer during the six-week Lenten journey that begins today – Ash Wednesday.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 22, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

I remember reading a story about a small-town prosecuting attorney. When he called his first witness to the stand in a trial, who was a grandmotherly, elderly woman.  He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?”

She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I have known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me.  You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you are a rising big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?”

She again replied, “Why, yes, I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He is lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.”

At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you will be jailed for contempt!”

This story reminds me of King David’s story. He learned the truth that God fully knows us the hard way.

But his repentant acknowledgement of God’s fully knowing him, is what made him the great servant-leader that he was. And in response to the truth that God knows him fully and perfectly, he wrote a song of thankful praise. It is Psalm 139, a favorite of mine.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Your hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:1-6).

Yes, God knows our every word spoken and every action done. And he also knows what is behind our words and actions. He sees through our masks and behind our self-justifications and self-deceptions, manipulating people and events for our own advantage, desires, and lusts.

It is overwhelming for me to think that God would know me as He does, that God would be as involved in the specifics of my daily living as He is. And so I say with David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.” (v.6).Yes, God knows us thoroughly and completely, and yet, He dearly loves us.

In his book Experiencing God, Henry T. Blackaby writes, “God is far more interested in a love relationship with you then He is in what you can do for Him.”

Sadly, such ‘love relationship’ is the road less traveled by many Christians. We more often tend to relate to God with our hands, that is, by what we do for Him, rather than relating to Him with our heart. 

Some of the most profound teaching in the whole Bible is found in the 4^th chapter of John’s first letter.  It contains the whole theology of John’s understanding of God as he writes to instruct 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.  They tell us that God is pure self-giving love.  God cares. Indeed, God cares deeply about you and me.

That is the reality 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.” AND NOTHING WE CAN EVER DO WILL STOP GOD FROM LOVING US.

David concludes his prayer of praise with, “When I awake, I am still with you.”   David takes comfort in being able to rely on God’s safekeeping, fearlessly falling asleep in the presence of God and joyfully waking up in the presence of God.  And so can we!

For King David, God’s fully knowing of his inner self, gave him comfort and security, and a reason to stand in worshipful awe and praise God. What about us? Does the truth that God fully knows you, frighten or comfort you?

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 15, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

I have been told that every culture has its own mythical image of itself, usually drawn from some romantic past.  Thus, the British think of themselves as the noble Knight-philosophers of the Round Table, the Scandinavians as the Vikings, and the Americans as the free-spirited Cowboys.

In all of world history, biblical Israel is the only nation that identified themselves as Sheep. By doing so, they were proclaiming their dependence on a “good shepherd” – a leader who could protect them from the dangers swirling around them. And so, King David writes, “The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. … Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4).

The gospel writer, John, records Jesus asserting that he is the “good shepherd” because he is willing to lay down his life for the sheep. In other words, the shepherd’s commitment to the sheep is total and without any reservations, whereas a hired hand only cares about himself and runs when the wolf comes.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.”  (John 10:11-12).

As we carefully study these verses, we discover that it is the shepherd’s job to take care of the wolf. The wolf is not the sheep’s problem but the shepherd’s concern. The sheep’s primary problem and effort is to stay near the shepherd, always in the shadow of the shepherd’s protection.

But therein lies the problem for many of us Americans. We “cowboys” do not like to think of ourselves as being dependent on anyone or anything outside ourselves for protection. We “cowboys” can take care of ourselves, or so we think.

When evil and temptations come knocking on our door, it is not our nature to let a “protector shepherd” answer it for us. Even though Jesus, who wants to be our “good shepherd” is standing nearby, our do-it-myself” attitude prompts us to deal with the devil in our own way and strength.

Invariably, when we do attempt such response, we get seriously hurt, if not totally destroyed. We are no match for a wolf. We are sheep, not cowboys. We need a “good shepherd” who will lay down his life for us. Let us stay close to his protecting, providing presence!

The following prayer-hymn reminds me that I am not a “cowboy” but a “sheep” in need of a shepherd.

               Gen-tle Shep-herd, come and lead us, for we need you to help us find our way.

               Gen-tle Shep-herd, come and feed us, for we need your strength from day to day.

               There’s no oth-er we can turn to who can help us face an-oth-er day.

               Gen-tle Shep-herd, come and lead us, for we need you to help us find our way.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 8, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Being busy is in many ways a blessing. But too much of a good thing often causes life to become pressured and stressful. So how can we learn to live relaxed and enjoy living at full speed? We may need to slow our pace or increase our pauses, but more importantly we need to discipline ourselves to keep in step with Jesus, not racing ahead or dragging behind. This skill is not automatic, we must intentionally practice being relaxed while sitting, walking, or running with Jesus.

I agree with Chuck Swindoll when he said that “A relaxed, easy-going Christian is far more attractive and effective than the rigid, uptight brother (or sister) who squeaks when he walks and whines when he talks.”

How can I live relaxed when so many expectations and demands swirl around me?  I suggest the first step is to regain and strengthen our confidence and trust in God presence and purpose. This comes through frequent conversation (prayers) with Him.

Roy Lawrence writes that “The essence of prayer is simply affirming God’s will, rejoicing in God’s will, and relaxing into God’s will.” I think this is one of the best definition of praying that I have found most helpful in my own praying.

Do I hear you saying that often you are too busy to pray? I suggest that it is in the “being too busy” times that we most need to pray. I have learned that no matter how busy I may be there is always time for the “arrow prayer” – a few words of praise or petition shot like an arrow into the heart of any situation, need, or uncertainty when and wherever it occurs. 

I read that Bishop George Sinker developed the habit of praying every time he went through a doorway, “Lord, come with me through this door.”  This is why it is not surprising to hear it said that he brought a sense of God’s presence with him when he entered a room.

We have many moments throughout every day that could be used as prayer moments for both self and for others. Such “in the moment” praying will teach us how to be both busy and relaxed; how to be in flesh the God of peace among a people going to pieces.

Remember Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God’s love for us and His desire to be in relationship with us is so awesome that it is truly amazing that it is being offered us.  Why then are we so reluctant to come to Him in any busy or stress-filled moment and enjoy the rest and peace He offers us?

John Greenleaf Whittier wrote a beautiful prayer-hymn that I find helpful as my own prayer.

     Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Forgive our foolish ways!  Reclothe us in our rightful minds;

               In purer lives Thy service find;  In deeper reverence, praise.

     Drop Thy still dews of quietness  Till all our strivings cease. Take from our souls the strain and stress 

            And let our ordered lives confess   The beauty of Thy peace.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 2, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14).

The apostle Paul wrote the above in his letter to the Christian church in Colossae. He sent this letter to remind them of their new identity, now being in Jesus Christ, and to encourage them not to waver in their commitment to Jesus as Lord; and to live in the world fully dressed for success wearing God’s garments of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

Paul’s letter is rich with timeless truths that remain just as relevant for today’s Christian church. I pray you will read and hear Paul’s entire letter as being freshly written to us in this year of 2023.

In chapter 3, verse 12, Paul addresses the Christian church as “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.”  Whether we like it or not, our identity as God’s chosen people is certain and easily identifiable as both an individual or a church. Easily identifiable because what we do flows out of who we are, and thus, who we are is revealed by what we do. Doing and being cannot be separated!

“Holy” references our character; that is, what moral and ethical standards control our attitudes and actions and shape our reputation. That is why Paul urges us to put to death, get rid of, those attitudes and behaviors that keep us from becoming holy. “Holy” also means “being set apart” and dedicated to God’s mission, our vocation, in the world.

But there is more. Paul addresses us as “holy and dearly loved” people of God. Think of the person or persons who love you the most.  How do they feel and act toward you? Think about the strength you receive from their loving you. There is nothing more important than knowing that you are loved?

And yet, Paul tells us that God’s love is greater than the love we receive from any of these persons. God’s love for us is unconditional, not dependent upon our merit.  God’s love is a constant flow of empowering grace which keeps us steady and strong in our life journey, no matter what happens.

“Therefore, ……. clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” In the preceding verses, Paul describes what devilish attitudes and actions must be taken off and gotten rid of by those who want to be God’s people.

Then Paul lists the Godly virtues that a Christian is to put on in order to be “dressed for success” in Kingdom living. In using the word “success” I am thinking of our efforts to daily live into the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Compassion – I will have a tender heart. I will deeply care about you and do my best to help you. My                                             feelings of pity for your pain and sufferings will motivate me to act in your behalf.

Kindness – I will be kind and generous. I will say and do useful things to improve your well-being.

Humility – I will speak and act with confidence, remembering who I am in relation to God and others.

Gentleness – I will speak softly and kindly, exercising self-control because I am God-controlled.

Patience – I will strive to endure unpleasant situations, unexpected hurts, and unwanted problems,                                         leaning into God’s sustaining presence.

Yes, these virtues also describe Jesus’ life and character while in our world as a human person. Jesus was able to be fully clothed with these virtues because of His complete reliance on the presence and power of His Father’s Spirit being in Him. And this same reliance is needed by us in order to be fully dressed for success in our vocation as a disciple of Jesus.

Paul concludes his clothing list with these added adornments: “Bear with each other” (affirm, value, and respect another) “and forgive one another … as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

“Put on love” – Love is the heart-felt attitude that binds together the various virtues of our character into a single whole. It also binds together the Christian church of various personalities and giftings into one perfect unity.

This unity, this oneness, is the concern and petition of Jesus in His prayer for us. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. …. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23).

The Christian church to be a grace-filled, grace-equipped, grace-celebrating people, in whom Christ dwells richly and through whom grace flows to those around us. May we sincerely invite God to help us be so. Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 25, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

John records the prayer of Jesus prior to His death and resurrection in chapter 17 of his gospel account. In that prayer we hear Jesus praying for you, me, and all who will believe in him. Imagine seeing Jesus present in the room with you and hearing him pray for you. Imagine the comfort and encouragement this would have on your life.

The good news is that Jesus has prayed for us and continues to pray, interceding in our behalf to the Ever-loving, Almighty Father. That truth alone, if believed, will transform any and every threatening and fearful situation of darkness you may be experiencing or ever will.

Jesus begins his prayer by saying that he is not praying for the world. And yet, we know that Jesus came into the world because He so loved the world. For that very reason, Jesus prepares and sends out his disciples into it, with the purpose of making the world aware of God and his love and inviting the world into a love relationship with God.

Jesus’ great concern is that his disciples be faithful to their task and successful in their witness. And Jesus prays that His disciples be equipped, protected, united as one, and made holy for their special mission in this world that God so loves.

It is important to hear and understand that Jesus never prayed that His disciples should be taken out of this world. He never prayed that they be given escape from this world. Instead, He prayed that they experience victory in this world and glorify Him. (vv. 11,15,18).

Christianity, being a disciple of Jesus, was never meant to be a means of withdrawing from life in this world, but rather a means of equipping for a better life in it. Christianity, being a disciple of Jesus, does not offer us a freedom from problems, but a God-blessed way to resolve them.

Being one of his disciples, I find it encouraging to be frequently reminded of the three things Jesus prayed would be given to His disciples:

Firstly, Jesus prayed that God would protect his disciples from the evil one. (v.11,15).

The Bible describes the world, the place wherein Jesus’ disciples live, as a scary, threatening place, an alien environment. And Jesus asks his father to protect His disciples with a special protective shelter.

As a disciples of Jesus, it is immensely encouraging to know that the Almighty God stands as guard over our lives, protecting us and limiting the assaults of evil against us.

I wonder, could it be that because we try to meet life’s difficulties and threats in our own wisdom and strength, rather than remembering that our omnipotent God is present to protect us, explain our many falls, failures, and defeats in life?

Secondly, Jesus prayed for unity among His disciples, that they be united as one. (vv.11,20-23).

Probably the greatest threat from this world toward this unity that Jesus prayed for us, is its ability to breed divisiveness among people. The world naturally divides, separates, isolates, forms cliques and closed communities, because its father, the devil, is the father of divisiveness.

Wherever there are divisions, exclusiveness, and competition between Christians, the cause of Christ is harmed. For that reason, Jesus prayed that his disciples might be as fully one as He and the Father are one – “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  (v.21).

Yes, Jesus knows this unity, this bond of love, would be the one crucial ingredient toward evangelizing the world. And yet, sadly, there is no prayer of Jesus which has been so ignored by the Christian community as this prayer.

Thirdly, Jesus prayed that his disciples be sanctified, made holy, by the truth. (v.17-19).

Jesus sends His disciples into the world in the same manner He was sent by the Father into it. His mission will now become the disciples’ mission. And so, Jesus prays that they be consecrated (set apart, made holy) for their special sacred task.

Being the disciples of Jesus, and being sent to serve a holy God, means that we must also be holy. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

(1 Peter 1:15-16). And so, our gracious God, fits and cloths us for our task of witnessing to His saving mission in the world, as we place our life in His hands and submit to His will.

Jesus makes it clear that the Christian is “not of the world” (v.16), and He makes it equally true that it is within the world that the Christian is to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are in this world in the place of Jesus. Our mission is identified with Jesus’ mission. Our work is Jesus’ work. Our objective is Jesus’ objective. And our life is linked with Jesus’ life. For that reason, Jesus prays for us.

Thank you, Jesus!

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            “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 18, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Today is Epiphany, which occurs on the church calendar annually on the sixth day of January. Epiphany is the designated day for the Christian community to celebrate the birth of Jesus as the coming of God’s glory and light into the world; and like the morning dawn, driving away the darkness of sin, loneliness, and despair.

Epiphany should be celebrated as a glorious day of worship in which to thank and praise God for His gift of redeeming grace and glorious light to a people and a world wrapped in the darkness of sin as described by Isaiah. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:2).        

Throughout the scriptures, God’s glory is likened to the light of the sun. The glory of God is beyond human comprehension. Light, brighter than the light of the sun, is as close as we can come to describing the shining glory of God’s redeeming presence.

In John’s vision of Jesus, recorded in Revelation 1:13-16, he describes the glory of Jesus – “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

The analogy of light, as representative of the glory of God, links us to what the apostle John says about Jesus Christ – “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (Jn.1:4-5).

In the same Gospel account, Jesus declares himself to be light – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12).

When Isaiah invites us to walk in the light of the Lord, and the apostle Paul challenges us to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, the imagery is sharply vivid. Without the presence of God in our life, there is nothing but darkness and death. Jesus brought God’s light and life into the world and only as we open our lives to his Lordship do we experience that awesome, transforming, life-giving light.

The first creative word God spoke into being was, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”  Being the Almighty Lord, God can and did light up an entire universe. But there is one little corner of His grand creation that even with all His infinite power He cannot reach and transform from darkness to light without our help. Do you know or can you guess that corner?

It is the darkness in the human heart. We must first open the door for God’s light to shine in and radiate out from our life. And Jesus says, “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 that person, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:20). God will not force His way into our lives.

Many who name themselves “Christian” have only partially opened the door to God’s light and seem to think it is enough to live in the shadows, being neither exposed to the full darkness of worldly evil nor the full light of God’s glory.

Those who adopt such half-hearted faith are neither challenged in life nor satisfied with life. They have just enough “religion” to make them miserable. Biblical wisdom would warn us that such attempts to find satisfaction by living in the shadows, submitting only some of one’s life to the lordship of Jesus, is futile.

God calls us to come out of darkness, out of the shadows of strangled commitment and diminished enthusiasm, to walk in His glorious transforming light of amazing love and joy in fellowship with Him. “I am the light of the world. Whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

I am confident I speak God’s heart when I say to you, “Enter into this new year of 2023 with confident faith, believing Christ’s new world of redeeming light, hope, love, peace, joy and life has dawned upon us and is being brought to complete fulfillment as the glorious eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.” 

Let us pray;     O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light. AMEN!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 6, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley