Healing Rays of Righteousness

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!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 19, 2022

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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.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 12, 2022

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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.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 28, 2022

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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!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 21, 2022

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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).

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 15, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

The Story

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. … Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”  Then Jesus asked them (Pharisees), “Which is lawful on the sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”  But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. (Mark 3:1-5).

The Teaching

This man, with his shriveled hand, was just there, in the synagogue, the place of worship. He was not there begging for money or shouting for healing. He was just there to learn of God and worship him.

I believe Mark would have us understand that when Jesus entered the synagogue and saw this man with a shriveled hand, he saw an opportunity to not only heal the man’s shriveled hand, but also to teach an important truth about appropriately caring for others, wherever they may be, whatever their need may be, and on whatever day it may be.

If we carefully observe and listen to how and what Jesus’ does and says, we will be reminded of the Kingdom work God calls us to do. To begin, Jesus told the man to “stand up in front of everyone.”  It is “show and tell” time to answer the crucial questions regarding Sabbath activity. When is it appropriate to respond to human need? When is it the right time “to do good, … to save life?”  When is it “lawful” to serve others?

Then Jesus angrily looked around at the Pharisees stubborn silence and responded with a dramatic teaching moment. Deeply distressed, Jesus acted out the Kingdom lesson he wanted to teach. He had the man standing up in front so that everyone could see him and his shriveled hand dangling beside him. Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” 

And when the man obeyed Jesus’ instruction, the miracle happened. His hand, previously shriveled and useless, is now “completely restored.”

The Lesson

The lesson we hear is this; God’s amazing grace in sacrificially and abundantly loving us, demands that we respond in healing ways to human need whenever and wherever the need presents itself. And the Kingdom truth that shouts from within the lesson is that religion without love is a most ugly thing in the world.

Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus taught and modeled a lifestyle of providing for the needs of others as a basic principle of daily Christian living, and of doing Kingdom business.

 A second level of teaching may not be as apparent, but it is also heard in the story. The shriveled, withered hand was “completely restored” when the man obeyed Jesus’ command to “Stretch out your hand.”

There is substantial non-biblical evidence from studies of human nature, that persons who keep their hands close to themselves, selfishly clutching their accumulated treasures and refusing to share their divinely endowed abilities and skills, soon experience a withering of their spirit and a shriveling of their lives in every way. They soon become fearful, unhappy, and handicapped spiritually, socially, physically. Like a shriveled hand, they are of little use or benefit in society.

These same studies would confirm the biblical stories of complete healing and restoration whenever and wherever Jesus’ commands are obeyed; “love one another as I have loved you, love your neighbor as yourself, be a servant in serving the needs of others, do good deeds to all, even your enemies.”

The miraculous cure for a shriveled life remains the same today as in Jesus’ day, “Stretch out your hand” in sharing and helping others toward wholeness. For when we do, we discover and experience healing for ourselves.

I pray that our love for God, because of what he has done for us, will grow and transform all of us from selfish grabbing to generous giving, and our daily work from greedy labor to being a joyous Kingdom privilege of caring for and serving others in Jesus’ name.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 7, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

“Sit, look, listen.”  These are the first lessons taught in dog obedience training. Before any training for doing competitive activity or tricks can happen, the dog must first learn to sit, look, and listen on command.

When we took our young puppy for obedience training, the first activity was to train her to “sit” at attention, which meant training her to “look into my eyes.”  At first this was a useless effort, but slowly the “sit” and “look” commands were obeyed. Only after this training expectation was accomplished did the training toward “doing” dog things become possible.

And neither does living the Christian life begin with our “doing” witness or mission. It begins with learning to “sit” at Jesus’ feet, looking into his eyes, and listening to his teachings. We must learn that becoming a fruitful disciple of Jesus begins with sitting and listening to what God has “Done” for us in Jesus, before we are adequately trained to “Do” his Kingdom work.

The apostle Paul knows this and begins his letter to the Ephesian Christians with a statement that God “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (1:3). He then invites his readers to first sit down and enjoy what God has done for them, and not to rush out trying to attain it for themselves in their own strength.

Earlier Jesus had told his disciples, “Apart from (without) me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5). The whole of the New Testament would teach us that Christian living is, from start to finish, based upon this principle of utter dependence on the Lord Jesus. It may sound paradoxical, but is true, that we advance, “bear much fruit” only if we remain in full attention to Jesus’ love and teachings.

Like Mary, we must first be learners and worshippers, by sitting at Jesus’ feet, receiving from him Godly wisdom and understanding, before we busy ourselves with serving him, “doing” his mission in the world. Mary’s sister, Martha, was prioritizing “doing” a good thing for Jesus whereas Mary’s priority was “sitting” with Jesus. And Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better priority. (John 10:42).

The Quaker fellowships remind us of this important need for silence, meditation, worship; of being in God’s presence, of being taught by his Spirit, prior to doing God’s work of being his agent of change in our world.

What does it mean to “sit”? Webster’s dictionary gives two definitions that are applicable to what Paul writes to the Ephesian church.

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

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

God, in Jesus, gives to us position and privilege, inviting us to sit at his feet, to look into his face, to listen to his heart and mind, to consider and receive his wisdom, direction, and power, which is needed enablement for doing Kingdom work in our community and nation.

Our praying “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will be answered only to the measure that we first give the time and attention to “sitting, looking, listening” to Jesus’ teachings. An unknown author has written the following hymn which continues to remind me to do so.

Sitting at the Feet of Jesus

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

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

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

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

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,  Is there anywhere more blest?

There I lay my sins and sorrows,  And when weary, find His rest.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,  There I worship and I pray.

While I from His fullness gather   Grace and comfort for today.

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

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

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

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

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 31, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

“Take a deep breath and count to ten.” This was the advice that I gave to my children whenever they became upset or angry because of what was said or done to them.  Unfortunately, I did not always follow my own advice and instead said or done things I later regretted. 

I am reminded of this good advice whenever I hear the words of Jesus recorded in John 20:21-23, “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’”

His words, “Peace be with you” announced to His disciples the offering of his gift of forgiveness and peace, which was the fruit of his sacrificial death and resurrection.  This gift of peace would remove the fear that was holding them hostage.  Remember, it was fear that chased the disciples to hide behind locked doors. And while they are trembling with anxieties and fears, the resurrected Jesus enters the room.

This surprise visit by Jesus was more than just a friendly, neighborly visit to confirm His aliveness.  It was a life-changing mission-sending visit, empowering His disciples to carry on His mission of forgiveness and peacemaking in the world.  In these few verses, I am hearing Jesus say to his disciples and to us, “I am sending you to be peacemakers, so take a deep breath of my Holy breath and receive my forgiving peace, which will enable you to embody the Father’s love and forgiveness for the world.”

Jesus concluded his mission-sending commission by reminding the disciples that if God’s forgiveness is not displayed in their lives than it will not be displayed at all.  Jesus’ Spirit-breath of peace was to enable his disciples to embody and demonstrate the Father’s love and forgiveness (salvation) for the world. 

And as he had told them earlier, their peace-mission will be known by their love for 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).  So, “take a deep breath and count to ten” before you speak or react.

It is important for us to understand that this gift of “peace” is wrapped within a living, daily relationship with God.  It is in this relationship with Christ and his Holy Spirit, that we receive empowerment for both living at peace within ourselves and toward peacemaking with others.  For just as Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto his disciples to empower them to carry forward his mission of forgiveness, healing, and peace in the world, so also, in the same manner, he empowers and commissions us.

The secret of daily living in this peace and confidence is often as simple as just “taking a deep breath” of God’s holy breath.  For as we deeply breathe in God’s breath, we become co-creators with God.  And as

co-creators, we are empowered to breathe new life and hope into difficult and threatening situations and relationships by breathing peacemaking responses and solutions into the crisis or difficulty.  So, “take a deep breath and count to ten.” 

As we breathe God’s Spirit-breath, creativity is awakened, and his profound wisdom and love are empowered in us to do his will on earth as it is in heaven. 

What may be your first thoughts as you awaken each morning?  I suggest we first take a few moments to sense the presence of God and of Jesus breathing on us and saying, “Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.  Receive the Holy Spirit and be empowered to breathe the new life of forgiveness, peace, and hope into each relationship throughout the day.” 

Edwin Hatch has written a prayer-hymn that is so appropriate for the beginning of every day.  It is titled “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” and was published in 1878.

Breathe on me, breath of God.  Fill me with life a-new,

that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God, un-til my heart is pure,

un-til with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God, till I am whol-ly thine,

Till all this earth-ly part of me glows with thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I nev-er die,

But live with thee the per-fect life of thine e-ter-ni-ty.

<><>  AMEN  <><>

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 24, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer brings God into our life and work, making us more conscious of his presence. And that awareness fills us with God’s enabling power in decision-making, conversation, and doing. It is the privilege of every child of God to have the super-natural power and energy of God in their life and work.

Prayer connects us to the energy of God. Isaiah said, “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (40:31).

Prayer is relational.  It is inviting God into conversation.  Jesus said, “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.” (Revelation 3:20). And, most amazingly, you can talk with Him at all hours of the day and in every situation or event in our life.

As a pastor/chaplain, prayer has been and is the strength undergirding my ministry, my one and only remedy for the healing of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Without the gift of prayer, I would have nothing to offer those in distress – the sick and dying person, the bereaved family, and their friends, the fearful, the troubled in spirit, and others.

Yes, prayer changes things and persons. I believe in the healing, enabling power of prayer because I have witnessed and experienced its healing balm so many times and in so many different circumstances.

Yes, God’s foremost desire is to relate to us as his sons and daughters. Jesus affirms this in saying, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 17, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Loving God is the highest pleasure a human being can ever know. Please read that again, slowly.  Loving God is the highest pleasure a human being can ever know.  Now pause a few moments to let the thought saturate your present relationship with God.

I think it was during my seminary training that this truth was planted into my soul and it has never stopped growing and shaping my life.  This is what I hear in Jesus’ response to the Pharisee expert in the law who asked Jesus which is the greatest commandment in the Law.  We have memorized Jesus answer – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” – but have we ever asked why?  Why would Jesus say the loving God was the greatest thing we could ever do?

It was because He created us especially for this relationship, and He knew that there would never be another person, possession, or activity that would ever come close to giving us the fulfillment and satisfaction that surpasses being in the awesome presence of God.

I would like to share three pictures from my memory file of a trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to attend a Mennonite Health Assembly during March 1999. I had shared these three pictures in a devotional I presented in a meeting several days after my return home, and I share them now with you as confirmation of my opening statement.

The first picture is viewed from the fourth-floor meeting room of the Colorado Springs Sheraton Hotel while eating brunch. Looking out through a wall of glass I view the rugged grandeur of the Rocky Mountain range and Pikes Peak piercing the blue sky with its snow-capped brilliance. In worshipful awe, I muse about the God of ancient past, and His creative imagination in shaping the mountains for my present enjoyment and challenge – and with grateful eyes I humbly worshipped the Creator God of yesterday.

The second picture is a wide-angle view as seen from the window of a jet flying several miles above the earth and at a speed of more than five hundred miles per hour. Far below farms, small towns, and cities rapidly slide by in an ever-changing pattern of fields, forests, roads, and rivers. From such heights I can see for miles in every direction.

The changing panoramic views invite me to come and explore their life and beauty. And then a question forms in my mind and searches for an answer – Is this the way God sees the world? Intrigued, I remember that although invisible, each farm, town, and city is alive with human life, — the young and old, the strong and weak, the happy and sad, the healthy and the sick — many, many hundreds of thousands of people invisibly fill the moving landscape below. How can God ever see me and think of me?

Then I remember that God can see and know me because He came down from lofty heights and lived among us humans, experiencing life, pain, and death as we do. And yes, He still comes down to live with us as the indwelling Holy Spirit – and with grateful eyes I joyfully with tears, worshipped the Compassionate God of today.

The third picture is a very close-up view as I sit in a large, cushioned chair on the fifth-floor maternity suite of the Chambersburg Hospital. Carefully cradled in my arms is my newly born granddaughter. Her sweet one and half day-old innocence speaks to me as I gently stroke her face, trying to visualize the future, while a myriad of feelings wash over me. Forming a circle with grandma, mother, and dad, we thankfully pray – and with grateful eyes I confidently worshipped the Sovereign God of tomorrow.

I think it must have been similar experiences by the psalmist David that caused him to write, “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”  (Psalm 36:5-9).

During the past twenty-three years, those three pictures have replayed in my life through many experiences, and they continue to encourage and inspire me toward deepening my love for God and to daily enjoy His awesome, loving presence in His beautiful world and in His gracious provisions to me for life, family, and labor. Thank you, Jesus!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 10, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley