Healing Rays of Righteousness

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. For what in your life will you give thanks to God. How grateful are you for memory? Why do you think God gifted us with memory? What memories of past experiences will feed your grateful expressions on this day of “Thanks-giving”? I suspect that many of us give little thought to how much memory shapes our experience of relationship with, and worshipful response to God.

Memory plays a significant role in Psalm 103. Listen for memory’s role as you read these first se verses from Psalm 103: “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”

For the psalmist, memory inspires his grateful praise to God. From the first word, we learn that this is a psalm of PRAISE. The psalm does not speak explicitly about praising God, but instead, it piles up reasons that show God is deserving of our praise. I encourage you to read the entire psalm.

The form of this psalm is that of a hymn or meditation since it contains no direct address to God. The psalmist begins his words of thanksgiving by addressing his “soul,” which is better understood as his “inmost being” – or the “all” of who a person is. It is the Hebrew way of addressing oneself.

So, when we say, “Praise the Lord, my soul,” we are worshipping with our whole being, both our physical body and our inner spirit. This means our physical expressions will mirror what is happening deep within us, as we express praise to our loving and compassionate God.

Question to self; How frequently do I personally experience praising God with both my body and spirit?

The psalmist remembers and stacks up the many things God is doing and will continuing doing for his soul. These memories inspire his gratefulness and praise. Read the psalm again and underline those specific memories or reasons the psalmist gives as a reason to praise God. And note that these memories are from both individual experiences and shared collective experiences.

Note the psalmist’s shift in verse seven from a listing of God’s actions in healing, redeeming, satisfying, enacting justice, to his extended descriptions of God’s love. In doing this, the psalmist reminds us that it is not only God’s action on our behalf, but also God’s consistent loving character should inspire our continual praise.

We praise God, then, not only because of what God has done for us in the past but also because of how God will love us into the future.

The Bible consistently and frequently says that we are to praise God because of what God has done and continues to do and will do. And often the word “remember” accompanies this counsel, suggesting that our praise will be minimal and lacking emotion, unless we remember God’s many acts of goodness and mercy to us. Thus, God gifted us with memory for the purpose of inspiring our praise to him and deepening our love relationship with himself.

For that reason, I say that memory and gratefulness are twins. Both are needed in shaping a meaningful, life-transforming relationship with God.

It is easy to say, “Thank you, God” for the big things and significant events in our life, but do we also give God thanks for the little things in life. I suspect that we tend to take such for granted, expecting God to provide these daily necessities to us because he should do so as our Creator. We forget that such attitude and behavior in failing to express our gratefulness and praise, hinders and diminishes our daily relationship with God, which he so greatly desires.

I agree with James Waltner who writes in his commentary on this psalm, “Forgetting and turning away from God begins when we no longer praise.”(Believer’s Church Bible Commentary).

And so, I am encouraging us to thank God for his gift of memory and pray that he will enliven our memory for the purpose of our more meaningful praise of goodness and in transforming our relationship with him.

The apostle Paul encouraged the early Christian church, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

On the tombstone of her husband’s grave, a southern mountain woman had chiseled in rough and uneven letters this epitaph, “He always appreciated.”

I hope that same tribute can be said about me and you after our deaths. This “Thanksgiving Day” let us join the Psalmist in remembering our blessings and expressing our thanks with “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 23, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The teacher was giving a lecture to his students on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, “How heavy do you think this glass of water is?” The students’ answers ranged from 20gm to 500gm.

The teacher responded, “It does not matter what is the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is OK. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. What I need to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again.”

“Likewise, if we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, because the burdens become increasingly heavier. “We need to put down our burdens periodically, so that we can be refreshed and able to carry on.”

“So, before returning home each night, put down whatever burdens of work you carry. Do not carry them back home. You can pick them up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you now have on your shoulders, let them down for a moment. Pick them up again later when you have rested. Rest and relax. Life is short, enjoy it.”

There is biblical wisdom in what the teacher said regarding how to manage the stresses of life. God admonishes us to “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”(Psalm 46:10).

Earlier in verses one through three, the psalmist declared that “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”  

This is not always easy to do. We live in a terribly busy and noisy world. Deafened by noise, blinded by advertisements, and burdened by uncertainties and expectations, we have difficulty hearing one another’s heart cries, as well as the difficulty in hearing the deep sighs of our own stress-filled soul. And, most often, we have difficulty hearing God’s reassuring love and directive voice.

Yes, the psalmist lived in a much simpler time than ours, yet even he had to deal with the stresses of life. However, he found the answer to stress management in his relationship with God. In his Psalm 23, he gives us a picture of God looking at the needs of his children, and seeing them stressed, tense, and tired, leads them to the place of rest and refreshment. “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.” (Psalm 23:1-3).

And then in verse five, the psalmist says to the Lord, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” I know of no better remedy for stress relief. Do you?

You probably have read and prayed “The Prayer of St. Francis.”  I have the following adaptation of that prayer in my file. To my knowledge the author remains unknown. I recommend this prayer to you for those times you are feeling stressed in life by a burden that is increasingly growing heavier.

Lord God, make me an instrument of Your healing;

When I am weak and in pain, help me to rest;

When I am anxious, help me to wait;

When I am fearful, help me to trust;

When I am lonely, help me to love;

When I place You apart from me,

Help me to know You are near.

Healing God, grant me not so much to demand everything from myself as to let others help me;

Grant me not so much to seek escape, as to face myself and learn the depths of Your love.

For it is in being uncertain and not in control, that we find true faith;

In knowing the limits of mind and body and ministry, that we find wholeness of spirit;

In passing through death that we find life that lasts forever.

In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Healer, we offer this prayer. … Amen.

**********

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Surely and truly, the Lord Jesus invites us to find in him the ultimate remedy for stress relief. I will meet you there, my friend, at the feet of Jesus.

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 16, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The news was awful. Their friend, John the Baptist, had been killed, beheaded by Herod. Jesus and His disciples needed some time in a solitary place to grieve, but the crowds followed them. And because Jesus had compassion on the large crowd, instead of solitary time, they spent the day assisting Jesus in healing the sick and then as evening approached, feeding this large crowd. It was a long, exhausting day and so Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.” (Matthew 14:22).

Matthew tells us that Jesus chose not to go with them, because He needed time alone to think and pray. While the story does not say this, I am inclined to think that part of Jesus’ praying was for the men He had just sent on a dark night journey by boat across the wide sea with deep waters.

It is during the pre-dawn darkness that a storm sweeps down upon the disciples with threatening winds and waves. “Straining at the oars” to keep their boat afloat, they see only the tall waves of wild water cascading over their boat and filling them with the fear of death.

What they did not know was that Jesus had gone up on a mountainside to pray and was watching them.

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.” (vv. 25-26).

The story reminds us that it often takes courage and faith to follow Jesus’ instructions. To get into the boat of life and begin a journey across the sea of life is no small thing. It can be extremely dramatic, even frightening.

Both biblical stories and church history teach us that the church in their obedience to Jesus Christ will experience life-threatening storms. And, likewise, it is the obedient followers of Jesus who will most likely find themselves being battered and torn by stormy seas of terrifying physical, emotional, economic, or political situations.

That is what this story is about. Whether you are tossing on a bed or tossing in a boat. Whether the storm is without or the storm is within you, the only thing that will calm and satisfy your troubled mind and spirit, is the presence and help of the One named “Jesus.” Which is precisely the One who comes to you in any storm, if our biblical story is to be believed.

It is in the fourth watch of the night, when everything seems contrary and out of control, that Jesus comes to His disciples, walking on the turbulent, threatening waves of a stormy sea. During the darkest, most dangerous time of the night, Jesus comes.

Yes, yes! When the sea is so wide and our boat is so small and the storms of life are raging, Jesus comes. When we are up a creek with no paddle, and even if we had a paddle, our arms are too tired to hold it, Jesus comes. When we are the weariest, Jesus comes. When it is too dark to see, or worst yet, too dark to hope, Jesus comes.

Some of the most reassuring words we can hear are the words of Jesus speaking to us from within the storm, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (v.27). He comes to calm our greatest fears with a pledge of His unshakable presence and in full control of the storm.

When Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I,” the Greek understanding would be “I am.” As Jesus stood there, Sovereign over the terrifying stormy waters, we hear him saying to His disciples, “Take courage. I am here. I am what I will be, Lord in the storm. I am with you and will talk and strengthen you in the storm.”

Jesus comes to us in our most desperate moments in the same way. He does not begin by overruling the forces of nature, but by telling us to look up, to see and feel the reality of His presence, power, and love. To acknowledge this reality and live in it, will enable us to journey through any and every storm with fearless confidence and strength.

If we know that He is personally present with us in the storm, the calming of the sea and the stopping of the winds are incidental miracles. Because, you see, the greatest truth is that whenever and wherever Jesus is present the wildest, most terrifying storm becomes a calm wind with Jesus’ in our boat and in control of the storm. The presence of Jesus and the love of God which flows from the Cross bring peace, calm, and trustful serenity to our fears. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Jesus’ presence is our assurance and strength, even as it was for the psalmist who wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).

Jesus, please come by here, into our different worlds, into our differing storms, and reassure our fearful hearts. Come, O Lord, we need you now.

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 10, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The same God who created time and worked in time, sending his Son in the fullness of time to rescue, redeem, and adopt us, as His children, will someday say with a trumpet shout, time is ended, “There will be no more delay!”  (Revelation 10:6). But, more likely, before God’s final shout, He will whisper to you during one heartbeat moment, “Your time on earth is ended. Come home.”

That is why the apostle Paul writes, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). He also wrote, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:10-11).

God created time and gives it to us human beings as His gift to us, heartbeat by heartbeat. Time is a precious package of life, individually gift-wrapped by God and sent to us, heartbeat by heartbeat. And what we do with this gift of time very directly shapes our future destination in an eternal world of either life, light, and love in God’s Kingdom or the opposite realities in Satan’s Kingdom. What future reality are you presently preparing for?

The passing of time, which we call aging, is not just an issue for the elderly, it is an urgent issue for all of us, whatever our calendar age. Unfortunately, we tend to join in our culture’s massive effort to hide and deny the evidence of body aging. We spend millions of dollars on cosmetics to keep us looking young. We pluck or dye our gray hairs. We pay for surgical facelifts to reverse the aging process. But it is all in vain. Time marches on towards its end, and so do we.

The apostle Paul admonished the Ephesian Christians, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

When confronted with this truth by God’s Spirit, many say, “Lord, I understand what you are saying to me and what I need to do. Sometime, Lord, I will do that. Sometime I will become a Christian. Sometime I will turn my life over to you, be baptized, and commit myself to membership with your people, the church. Yes, Lord, sometime I will get around to accepting your invitation. But right now, I am too busy enjoying all that is available to me in this world.”

Many a marriage relationship has crashed, causing immense pain and suffering to family and children, because a spouse, or both, have said, “Sometime soon, Lord, I am going to take my marriage vows seriously and work at building a love relationship that endures. Sometime I am going to be the dad or mother my children need me to be. Yes, Lord, sometime I will do that, but right now I am just too busy enhancing my career, trying to get ahead in this world, preparing for my family’s future.”

Some years ago, there was a popular musician by the name of Jim Croce. He wrote a song entitled, “Time in a Bottle,” in which he said he was going to put “time” in a bottle. He was going to put a cork in the bottle and bottle up “some time.” Then when he needed “some time” for his family, or with his friends, he could uncork the bottle and take “some time” out to enjoy life with them.

He was foolishly planning to bottle us some “time” so he would have “time” when he needed or wanted to use it. However, it was less than twelve months from the day he recorded the song that he was killed in a plane crash, and his bottle of “sometime” was smashed to pieces.

The sad truth is that bottled “sometime” is seldom, if ever, used as was planned. Today is the time that God has given us. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Today is the day we hold in our hands. As Bill and Gloria Gaither sing so beautifully; “We have this moment to hold in our hands, and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.”

My friend, now is the time to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim  In the light of His glory and grace.” (Song by Helen Lemmel). Now is the time to serve the King of kings and Lord of lords! Now is the time to prepare for our future life in the timeless world of eternal love in God’s Kingdom.

What do you want to accomplish before your time in this world of time is ended? How do you want people to remember you? What are you doing about it today? How are you using God’s gift of “Time”?

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 2, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“Daylight Savings Time” went into effect in 1967, and this weekend we will perform the annual Autumn ritual of turning our clocks back one hour. Whether or not you agree with the 1967 decision, it is important to link “time” with our understanding of and relationship with God.

God Created Time

The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God created a framework of days and seasons into which he placed his created works. Then he created man and placed him in time as a subject of time to live in time, caring for and enjoying all of God’s creations.

Soon thereafter, Satan entered time, tempted humankind to disobey God and sin entered time. God immediately began working within time to call forth and shape for himself a people who would experience his presence and purposes for created time.

The Old Testament closes with time narrowly focused on the family of David and the promise of a Redeemer coming in that lineage who would perfectly accomplish God’s work of reconciling and restoring mankind’s relationship with Himself.

God Prepared Time For His Son

Between the testaments God was silent but not inactive. The Greek people came to prominence and took over that part of the world known today as the Holy Land. They developed a language that by the time Jesus Christ was born was as close to a universal language as humankind had known since the early times of Genesis.

Then the Romans came into power, and they developed a road system that enabled the Apostle Paul to travel over the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and planting churches wherever he went. God was actively working in time and shaping time for his Son’s redeeming work.

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5).

And this Son, Jesus, “went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:15).

During His time on earth, Jesus ministered to many people; healing without medicine, teaching by the wayside, saying repeatedly to his followers, “My time has not yet come.”  The authorities would attack him severely, and he would say to his disciples, “Do not worry, my time has not yet come. They cannot take me until my time comes.”

When His time did come, He prays, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1).In that set time, his enemies had Him nailed to a cross, and there, stretched out in time above the darkened earth, He looked down and declared “It is finished” and gave up his spirit.

And in that set moment of time, God’s redeeming purpose of providing redemption for all humanity would be fully accomplished three days later with Jesus’ glorious resurrection and victory over evil and death.

We, who claim to be disciples of Jesus, should frequently focus backwards to a very narrow frame of time on a small hill called Golgotha where a man named Jesus, the Son of God, fulfills His time and accomplishes His work in making salvation time available for all persons. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).

Someday the same God who created time and worked in time, sending his Son in the fullness of time to rescue, redeem, and adopt us, is going to say with a trumpet shout, “The end of time has come.” “There will be no more delay!”  (Rev. 10:6b).  That is why the apostle Paul writes, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2b).

What Are We Doing With Time?

I will pursue that question in next week’s blog. For now, I invite you to join me in singing “The Love of God,” a joyous hymn written by F. M. Lehman in 1917.

The love of God   is greater far   than tongue or pen can ever tell;

it goes beyond   the highest star   and reaches to the lowest hell.

The wand’ring child   is reconciled   by God’s beloved Son.

The aching soul   again made whole,  and priceless pardon won.

Refrain:     O love of God, how rich and pure!   How measureless and strong!

                                                    It shall forevermore endure–  the saints’ and angels’ song.

When ancient time   shall pass away,   and human thrones and kingdoms fall;

when those who here   refuse to pray   on rocks and hills and mountains call;

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,   all measureless and strong;

grace will resound   the whole earth round–   the saints’ and angel’s song.

Could we with ink   the ocean fill,   and were the skies of parchment made;

were every stalk   on earth a quill,   and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;

to write the love   of God above    would drain the ocean dry;

nor could the scroll   contain the whole,   though stretched from sky to sky.

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 26, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Where do the night-time stars go during the daytime? They go nowhere. They remain in the sky. But we cannot see them because the sun is also in the sky, and the sun is so bright that the twinkling glimmer of the stars pale into insignificance.

During the early days of the Christian church, the Corinthian Christians began arguing and debating among themselves regarding which spiritual gifts have the greater honor. The apostle Paul became concerned about their divisive arguments and tells them in his first letter that all the spiritual gifts are important, and that each one has a significant role in the church, the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12).

Then Paul puts the SUN in the sky of spiritual gifts with his introductory “And now I will show you the most excellent way” at the conclusion of chapter 12.And in chapter 13, unveils the supremacy of LOVEover the other gifts, like the way the light of the sun is supreme over the light of the stars.

With detailed real-life experiences, Paul illustrates what relational behaviors are of most importance in a body of Christian believers, if they are to be God’s SUN-LIGHT in the world. He then concludes with, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

The core concern in Paul’s writing to the Corinthian church, is the question, “With all your debates and arguments about spiritual gifts, where is the Jesus-like love that Jesus commanded in your relationships?” That question remains critically relevant even for today’s followers of Jesus.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). In last week’s blog, I said that this command to think and behave with Jesus-like “love” is what sets us apart in our communities and authenticates our claim of being a Christian.

But how do I know what this Jesus-like love looks like in real life? In what definitive ways does it set us apart in our relationships with others?

In chapter 13, Paul answers this question by describing how this Jesus-likelove behaves in various life situations. First, this love is “patient …kind. It does not envy, it does not boast.”   It is said that jealousy is the most subtle of all demons. It is the first feeling we learn to disguise quite well.

Second, this love “is not proud … does not dishonor others.”  An Englishman once said, “You can tell a true gentleman, not by how he behaves in the presence of his king, but by how he behaves in the presence of his maid servant.”  It is how we behave in the presence of those we think are inferior to us that shows what we really are in character.

Third, this love “is not self-seeking … not easily angered …keeps no record of wrongs.”  Unfortunately, we humans are quick to keep score. We save up our negative feelings and at an opportune time we let go with an outburst of retaliation and getting even. Paul is saying that Christians do not store up negative feelings. They forgive and forget the past act, the hurt feelings.

Finally, this love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” We all know the secret delight we get from someone else’s sin. Other’s wrongdoings make us seem a little less wicked by comparison.

But love also knows that we sometimes fail each other. And when that happens, there is only one healing, reconciling remedy, and that is to forgive. To offer and receive forgiveness is a special form of love. And so, this love “always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Paul tells the Christians in Corinth, who were so enamored with spiritual gifts, that Jesus-like LOVE is the supreme gift, the most important, the greatest thing in all the world, for it is the only gift, the only thing that will last forever, even into eternity. All other gifts come to an end, but “Love never fails … cease … be stilled … nor pass away.”

Scotsman Henry Drummond traveled all over the world giving his meditation on the theme of love. His book, The Greatest Thing in the World, published in 1890, has been in print since then and maintains its status as an inspirational classic.

In his book, based on 1 Corinthians 13, Drummond contends that “agape” love (self-giving, divine love flowing through human action) is the greatest transforming power in the world. He challenges people to read 1 Corinthians 13 once a week for three consecutive weeks.

Then he challenges readers to live it out every day. He writes, and I quote, “To love abundantly is to live abundantly,”and at the end of life “the moments that will stand out, the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.”

As we pray “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” let it be “Lord, help me to love others, all others, always, like you love me.” Amen!

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 19, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

It was after Jesus had eaten his last meal with his disciples, and after he had washed their feet and told them he would soon be leaving them, that he instructed them regarding their continuing relationships with one another; “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).

Several days earlier, one of the Pharisees, an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus said that there are two commandments that top the list. The first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. … And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”  He then added, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

I understand Jesus to be saying that these two commandments are the foundation for all relationships within His Kingdom. God prioritized these two commandments in his earlier Old Testament instructions to His chosen people. He then sent Jesus to teach and model “in person” how these commandments are to be acted-out in everyday living.

This is the backstory to my understanding of God’s message to prophet Isaiah, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” (Isaiah 28:16).

Throughout his three-year teaching and healing ministry, Jesus consistently spoke of the need to love God and others, and he daily modeled that compassionate, sacrificial love to his disciples and followers. And now, just several hours before his arrest and crucifixion, he restates, as a command, their need to love each other — no exceptions, no excuses, and no conditions.

And just in case they may think about trivializing the “meaning” of love, he raises the bar to its highest level and gives them a particularly challenging definition of sacrificial love: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34).

In other words, the measure of love we share with others must reflect nothing less than the measure of “amazing love” we have received from God through Jesus. What has come to us from God should and must, in like quality and quantity, flow through us and out to all others!

Also, our actions of loving ALL others will be what sets us apart from the world and authenticates our declaration of being a Christian. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35).The only distinguishing mark ever given in Scripture regarding who is a Christian is their ability to love others in the same manner as Jesus loves.

So, if you believe, as I do, that Jesus is the “precious cornerstone for a sure foundation” then I think we can accurately believe that God’s two greatest commandments make for a rock-solid foundation, and that Jesus’ teachings and modeling of God’s sacrificial (agape) love, is the cornerstone for building our (house) life in the present “here and now.”  

This understanding of scripture brings to life all of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” as recorded in Matthew, chapters 5-7; as well as His concluding parable of the “wise and foolish builders.” “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Mt. 7:24-25).

Harry Stack Sullivan writes in his book, Conceptions of Modern Psychiatry, “When the satisfaction, security, and development of another person become as significant to you as your own satisfaction, security, and development, love exists.”  I believe this is a good definition of married love, and a most excellent definition of Christian sacrificial “agape” love.

For Jesus, Paul, and all the apostles, to be a follower of Jesus, building God’s Kingdom on earth, requires a transformed heart that will daily live a lifestyle of loving God and others. They consistently taught us that a transformed heart will be evidenced by the outflow of God’s love in our relationships with fellow believers, and in shaping our attitude and behavior towards all people, including enemies. Ouch!

 Yes, it may hurt, but the world needs to see our Christian identification in BOTH words and works.  May be do so in every opportunity.

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 12, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Ever since the angel announced to the world that “a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Lk. 2:10-11), the followers of Jesus have remembered this amazing gift of salvation with a grateful “Thank you” service of Holy Communion. How do you say, “Thank you, Jesus.”

The apostle Paul never wavered in his deep appreciation of this gift, and in his second letter to Timothy, claims that “of this gospel (good news) I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.” (1:11).

In the prior two verses, Paul gives us one of the most concise and comprehensive summaries of this good news: “He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”  (2 Timothy 1:9-10).

Paul unwraps this awesome costly gift of salvation given us in Christ Jesus. God “saved us, called us, graced us, destroyed death, and brought life and immortality to light.”   This is the marvelous content of the angel’s “good news” message in a nutshell.

“God …saved us.”  The “good news” is primarily about being saved from the punishment for sin and being reconciled back into relationship with God. Remembering that our need for forgiveness can only come through God’s initiative, should amaze us that He did so only because He so greatly loved us. We certainly were not worthy of forgiveness, nor His love.

But this salvation gift can only be received by those who first admit to being a sinner, separated from God, and in need of rescue from a self-centered, self-seeking approach to life. The cry for help, for mercy, for forgiveness is the first and only step needed to receive God’s gift of salvation.

“God …called us.”  It is a glorious awakening to ponder the truth that the great God of the universe, the Creator and Sovereign of all authority calls you and me individually and personally by our name. And He calls us “not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.”  This is surely unquestionable evidence of His love and care for us. The whole of the angel’s “good news” is rooted and anchored in the hope and promise of a continuing personal relationship with the living God.

“God …graced us.”  The classic definition of grace is “unmerited favor.”  God’s grace means that He relates to us in ways that we do not deserve. Paul says, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.”

This was the central issue of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. To live by grace means that we reject any notion that God loves us more when we are good or less when we are bad. The category of “a good Christian” has no place in our thinking. There are only “graced Christians.”

“God …destroyed death.”  It is the power of death, not death itself that is destroyed in Christ. To the Christian, the “sting” of death has been removed (1 Cor. 15:55-57). This means that Christ’s resurrection victory over sin and death is also ours. This is more than “accepting” death. It is more than “thinking” of death as a peaceful transition to heaven. It is a positive trust in Jesus Himself as conqueror of death.

There is nothing beautiful about death. Death is an enemy, the intruder into God’s good creation, and the consequence of human sin. But the enemy has been conquered and at the end of time, will be destroyed by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“God …brought life and immortality.”  God enters into our suffering and grief and shares our tears. God walks with us in the valley of the shadow of death. God takes our hand and leads us through the powerless door of death to glorious life and immortality with Himself. Our relationship with God, established through Jesus, will never be severed. Our life with God will change in the transition from this world to the Father’s house, but it will never end.

That is God’s Good News. No wonder the angels sang when they announced to the shepherds “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Because of this “good news” of a Savior, we come to the Holy Communion table of bread and cup to remember and rejoice together with grateful heart, thanking Jesus for the Father’s gift of forgiveness of sin, and for resurrection hope into eternal life. How do you best say, “Thank you, Jesus.”

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 28, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Billy Graham tells the story of a widow and her son who lived in a miserable attic. Years earlier, she had married against her parent’s wishes and had gone with her husband to live in a foreign land. He proved to be irresponsible and unfaithful, and after a few years he died without having made any provision for her and the child. It was with the great difficulty that she managed to scrape together the bare necessities of life.

The happiest times in the young child’s life were those when the mother took him in her arms and told him about her father’s house in the old country. She told him of the grassy lawn, the noble trees, the wild flowers, the lovely pictures, and the delicious meals. The child had never seen his grandfather’s home, but to him it was the most beautiful place in all the world. He longed for the time when he would be able to go there to live.

One day the mail carrier knocked at their attic door. The mother recognized the handwriting on the envelope he brought and with trembling fingers broke the seal. Enclosed was a check and a slip of paper with just two words: “Come home.”

Someday a similar experience will be shared by all who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Someday a loving hand will be laid upon our shoulder and this brief message will be given: “Come home.”  Even better, Jesus promised to personally escort us into our eternal home, “…I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn. 14:3).

The above story reminds me of Jesus’ “Come home” invitation in Matthew 25:34. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’”

Whenever I read this verse my soul is filled with a renewed sense of God’s love and purpose for me. And three words of this invitation lead me into worshipful meditation. The first word is “Come!”  Say it audibly to yourself. I hear King Jesus, the judge of the living and the dead, saying to you and me, “Come home!”

Have you ever paused to ponder what it means for you to anticipate hearing Jesus inviting you to come home with him to the Father’s house. Imagine, after years of striving to be Christ-like in all your relationship with others, of serving and helping those in need, many times with little thanks or commendation, imagine coming to life’s end and hearing Jesus’ glorious invitation, “Come! Come home to the Father’s house.” 

But there is more. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.”  The second word is “blessed.” I hear Jesus saying that the favor of God rests on me, because of what Jesus has done for me in his death and resurrection. The empty cross and the empty tomb loudly shout that we are blessed beyond description or imagination. Oh, what amazing grace!

Yes, you and I are blessed in so many wonderful, often taken for granted, ways. But most wonderfully  “blessed” we are in the relationship we enjoy with God because of all that he has done for us through Jesus. Because of Jesus’ we are now redeemed, adopted, and loved as children in God’s family.

But there is yet even more. Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance.”  This third word, “inheritance” reminds me of God’s gracious and glorious goodness toward me and you. We inherit, not a gold watch, generous retirement funds, or the family farm/business. Rather, we inherit the world, “the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”   

On that glorious home-going day, we will join with all of heaven in singing the eternal song: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”(Revelation 11:15). Wow! This makes Jesus’ invitation to “Come” even more majestic and awesome.

The apostle Paul confirmed this truth in his letter to the Roman Christians. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17). We are so blessed by God! Let us never take it for granted. AMEN!

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 21, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Whenever we sit down to eat, we have two options about the way we partake of what is put before us. We can approach the meal with a negative spirit, wishing we were at a different table, critical of the way the food is cooked, unhappy about what we are being served.

Or we can sit down with gratitude and appreciation that a meal has been provided for us, and thoroughly enjoy what we have been given. And the choice we make from these two options, most likely, says a lot about our attitude toward life in general.

We have the same two options when we sit down at the table of life. We can either partake of life events and experiences with resentfulness and bitterness, or we can respond with confident trust and gratefulness to these same realities.

We humans are never free to determine what table fare will be set before us, but we are free to decide how we will partake of it, whether with resentment or with gratitude. And our choice makes a vast difference in our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

Our life is a daily challenge in choosing the right response to disappointment and difficulties. Every pain has the potential for gratitude or resentment. Every problem provides opportunity for creating a stronger faith and discovering new relationships.

The need for surgery can make us dread the pain or thank God for the surgeon’s            skills. Stormy weather can create dreary complaints or gratitude for the sunny days. The death of a spouse can produce a terror of the future or a song of thanksgiving for ten thousand shared joys. A grateful heart discovers possibilities and blessings in what others cannot see or overlook.

I heard of a psychiatrist who prescribes a simple cure for the depressed persons who come to him seeking help. He instructs his patients to say “Thank you” whenever anyone does them a favor during the next six weeks, and to emphasize their words with a smile.

He reported that the patient usually replies, “But, doctor, no one ever does anything for me.” To which he responds, “That’s why you are sick, because you don’t look for reasons to be thankful.”

The psychiatrist reports that two results flow from this treatment: One, the patient becomes less discouraged and, most importantly, persons who associate with the patient become much more active in their affirming words and deeds toward the patient.

This treatment confirms a principle of life. Grateful thanks sincerely expressed usually returns to the giver as grateful appreciation received. It also confirms the biblical principal of doing to others what you would want done to you.

It is interesting to discover that whenever the Gospel writers depict Jesus as eating a meal, they describe him as doing what he would later do at the Last Supper; “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, … Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, … (Mark 14:22-23).

This was more than just an ancient Jewish ritual. It is a portrait of the way Jesus sat down to the banquet table of life, and of how he related to what God was setting before him.

Jesus was not resentful of the fare that was placed before him. He did not mistrust the intentions of his Father. Rather, a grateful acceptance of every event undergirded his whole life, and this opened his life to the joy and peace that so beautifully filled and characterized him.

The way Jesus took the bread, blessed it, took the cup, and gave thanks, is a model of how life is to be lived at its deepest level. I am convinced that here is the real secret of joyous and victorious living, and that it is within the grasp of every one of us. We are not free to determine what experiences of life will be set before us on the banquet table, but we are free to decide how we will respond to them.

Jesus took the bread and blessed it. He took the cup and gave thanks. And therein lies the secret, open to all who will learn it. Our reconciliation to God which Jesus came to bring to us consists of sitting down to the table of life with a thankful heart. And what better time is there to begin living with trustful gratefulness than right now?

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6, NIV).

<><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 15, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley