Healing Rays of Righteousness

When our children are small, they look up to us because we are taller in height than they.  But when they get older, they look up to us because we have been real, responsive, reliable, and not some phony, indifferent, shadowy phantom who has time for them only when our agenda is clear.

From us they learn what a man is, how to treat a woman, what a parent does, and what is a Christian lifestyle.  Whether we like it or not, our children see and feel God through us, and their eyes are searching for an understanding of God that they can live with and live for.  They are watching and learning to know God through our conversations and behaviors.

Throughout biblical history humankind has thought of God and His people in a number of diverse ways, as a shepherd, potter, creator, king, and a judge.  But Jesus teaches us to think of God as heavenly Father.  This is a new and important truth for us. 

Jesus teaches that as heavenly Father, God loves us with a perfect love, is wise and consistent, is a gracious provider of our needs, and gives us many good gifts.  And in the story of the prodigal son, Jesus portrays God as a suffering father who limits Himself to give us freedom even to make wrong choices and is also a father who quickly forgives when we return to him, confessing our wrong behavior.

It deeply saddens me that for many people It is difficult for them to fully trust and love God because they have been deprived of an earthly father whom they could trust and love.  For example, John Stuart Mill wrote that he could not pray the Lord’s Prayer because of the cruel, unreasonable discipline of a tyrannical father.  For him to think of God as Father, like his father, was not complimentary of God.

In contrast, Jesus gratefully reflects on His own remembrances of Joseph’s gracious generosity to his children when He said,  “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7:11, NLT).

Our children’s eyes are watching us and learning how to make a house a home.  Children should frequently see their dad loving others and, most importantly, their mother.  Children should always feel that home is a place of consistent, abundant love, acceptance, and encouraging affirmation.  They should see their home as being a place of genuine concern for others.  This is how they best learn and experience God’s love for themselves.

An old man who had managed to get through several decades without attending a football game, at last gave in after the sustained insistence of a well-meaning nephew and went along to a game.  “Now then,” said the young nephew, “you are going to see more excitement than you have ever seen for two dollars.”  “I doubt that” the oldster replied.  “That was the price of my marriage license.”

Dad, do your children see your marriage to be that exciting and full of joyous expectancy?  Many years ago, Oscar Wilde gave this bit of wisdom, “Best way to make children good is to make them happy.”

Yes, Dad, discipline is important in a home, but it needs to be exercised in ways that mirrors and teaches the child about how God lovingly disciplines us.  Many children have a concept of God, not as a loving Father, but as an angry hard taskmaster, just waiting for them to do something wrong so that He can lower the boom of painful discipline, because this was frequently the only kind of discipline they experienced from their earthly father.  I suggest we refresh our understanding of “loving discipline” by reading God’s perspective as recorded in Hebrews 12:5-11.

Our children’s eyes are watching us and learning how to live a Christian lifestyle.  Children need to see and experience from us what it means to love another, to be forgiving, to be kind, caring, and generous toward others, that is, to be like Jesus.

Our children are watching and testing our response to questionable requests, activities, and behaviors.  They are learning from us how to react and respond in times of difficulty and crisis, times of sorrow and loss, and when threatened or treated unjustly.

Our children are watching and learning from our conversations and behaviors, answers to their questions regarding God, that is, is He really Lord, is the church important, is the Bible to be read and believed, is prayer of value, is tithing and giving to other’s need an obligation or generously done as act of serving God.

Yes, Dad, being a father is not always easy and we daily need God’s Spirit of love and wisdom.  I also know that visible, lived-out teachings are more indelible than vocal teachings.  And so, I pray for you a daily fill-up of God’s love to inform and inspire your love for spouse, children, and neighbors.

I pass on to you this nugget of encouragement from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much, who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it, who has never lacked appreciation for the earth’s beauty, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 22, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

2.  Sense of Self-Worth

Closely related to the question of self-identity is the question of self-worth.  Dr. James Dobson said, “A child can learn to doubt his worth at home even when he/she is deeply loved by their parents.  Destructive ideas find their way into the thinking process, leading them to conclude that they are ugly or incredibly stupid or that they have already proven themselves to be a hopeless failure in life.”

The positive sense of self-worth is best nurtured in a home environment of love that daily wraps the child with full acceptance, secure belonging, and affirmation of their individual uniqueness.  In every way possible parents need to surround them with love and tell them they have great potential in blessing others with their abilities.  In every way possible parents need to be encouraging them to feel competent in achieving worthy achievements. 

Seventeen-year-old Steve was in trouble.  His parents came to the police station to pick him up.  On the way home, his father said, “Whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you.”  Absolutely stunned, Steve broke into tears.  “Why do you say that now?  You never told me that before, Dad.”

It is not always the case, but far too often “not feeling loved” is the back-story of teenagers in trouble with the law or suffering severe depression. 

A story by an unknown author tells of a well-known speaker who began his seminar presentation by holding up a new twenty-dollar bill.  In the room of two hundred persons, he asked, “Who would like this twenty-dollar bill?”  Hands were slowly raised up.  He continued, “I am going to give this twenty-dollar bill to one of you, but first let me do this.” 

He then crumpled up the bill and asked, “Who still wants it?”  Again, the hands went up in the air.  “Well,” he asked, “what if I do this?”  Dropping the crumpled bill to the floor, he ground it beneath the heel of his shoe, until the bill was not only crumpled but also dirty and torn.  “Now who still wants it?” he asked.  And again the hands went up. 

Then he said, “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.  No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.  It was still worth twenty dollars.  Many times in our lives we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.  We feel as though we are worthless.  But no matter what happened or will happen, you will never lose your value in the eyes of those who love you.  You are special, and never forget it!”

3.  A Sense of Life Values

It is in the home that a child’s sense of life values is shaped and nurtured.  It is in the home that they learn what things, (attitudes, activities, beliefs, and goals) really matter in life.  By what their parents say and do, children learn what is to be considered vitally important in life?  What has lasting good and are of ultimate value?  In summary, it is in the home that children learn what living is all about, what is its primary business, “for what do you labor?” in every aspect of life.

Maybe the first and most important life relational value to be learned is that all persons have worth and are special from God’s perspective, and that we need to relate and respond to them as such.  Remember the story of the twenty-dollar bill.  Although crumbled, dirty, and torn, it never lost its value.

Another important life value that parents should demonstrate is the ability to admit mistakes and to ask forgiveness from the other.  Children, especially in our current social environment, need to see this ability as a desired strength rather than a weakness.  This life value takes root in a child when their parent does so with them. 

I assure you that parents who focus on nurturing and deepening a love relationship with their children will construct a sense of security that cannot be shattered by disciplinary mistakes they make.  Instead, it is an opportunity to show our children that even though we are not perfect parents, our love for them compels us to admit our mistake and ask for their forgiveness.  Yes, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”   And yes, I regret that I did not always give priority to this opportunity in my early parenting years. 

There are many more important life-values that I could list but let me conclude with this story that I think illustrates a relational value that I wish for every family.

Two teen-aged boys were talking about doing something that they knew was wrong and would be disapproved by their dads.  One of the boys decided he could not go along with the plan.  The other boy asked sarcastically, “Are you afraid your dad will find out and hurt you?”  Quietly the boy responded, “No, I’m afraid he will find out and it will hurt him.”

There is something very positive and formative about that response.  Every child and teen needs to know that their parents are not perfect. But also need to know that their parent’s lives are centered and grounded in being the very best parents they are capable of being.  This is my prayer for you. 

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 15, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

God created mankind in his own image, … male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:27-28). 

In doing so God created and constructed the male and female in such a way that intimacy, caring, and togetherness would be a necessary part of their carrying out His command.  And it is out of the intimacy, caring, and togetherness of our family life, that we can expect certain lasting results in the lives of our children. 

I wish to share with you some of what I have learned from others and personally experienced in regard to being “better” parents to our children.

Within each created human being, God placed these five “senses” to which our body responds:  hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, and touch.  We are aware and deeply grateful for each of these God-given gifts. 

However, we have learned that there are three additional “senses” that are equally vital for our fullest enjoyment of life and relationships.  These three senses are not given us at birth but must be learned by experiencing them from our parents.  These three “learned” senses are: self-identity, self-worth, and life values. 

1. Sense of Self-Identity

It is in the home that our sense of “identity” (who we are) is first shaped and affirmed.  “Self-identity” plays a significant and critical part in the development of a healthy young human being.  This is best illustrated in a personal story that Dr. Fred Craddock shared in a lecture at Yale University.

He and his wife were on a short vacation trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where they found a quiet little restaurant which they hoped would provide them space to enjoy a private meal.  While they were waiting for their meal, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting the guests.  Fred whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn’t come over here.”

But the man did come by their table and amicably asked, “Where you folks from?”  Fred answered, “Oklahoma.”  The man continued, “Splendid state, I hear, although I’ve never been there.  What do you do for a living?”  Fred politely responded, “I teach homiletics at the graduate seminary of Phillips University.”  The man said, “Oh, so you teach preachers, do you.  Well, I’ve got a story I want to tell you.”  And with that he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with Fred and his wife.

Dr. Craddock said that he groaned inwardly, thinking he was about to hear another preacher story.  It seemed everyone had one to tell.

The man stuck out his hand.  “I’m Ben Hooper.  I was born not far from here across the mountains.  My mother wasn’t married when I was born, so I had a hard time.  When I started to school my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name.  I used to go off by myself at recess and during lunchtime because the taunts of my playmates cut so deeply.”

“What was worse was going downtown on Saturday afternoon and feeling every eye burning a hole through you.  They were all wondering just who my real father was.”

“When I was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to our church.  I would always go in late and slip out early.  But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.  I could feel every eye in the church on me.  Just about the time I got to the door, I felt a big hand on my shoulder.  I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me.”

“Who are you, son?  Whose boy are you?”  “I felt the old weight come on me.  It was like a big, black cloud.  Even the preacher was putting me down.”

“But as he looked at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition.  “Wait a minute,” he said,  “I know who you are.  I see the family resemblance.  You are a son of God.”  With that he slapped me across the rump and said, “Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance.  Go and claim it.”

The old man looked across the table at Dr. Fred Craddock and said, “That was the most important single sentence ever said to me.”  With that he smiled, shook the hands of Fred and his wife, and moved to another table to greet old friends.

Suddenly,  Dr. Fred Craddock remembered.  On two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected an “illegitimate” to be their governor.  His name was Ben Hooper.

That story rightly illustrates just how significantly critical and important a sense of self-identity is in the mature development of a healthy young person.  And it is in the home of loving parents that this sense is first experienced and learned. 

I am so grateful that I can say that I always felt loved, important, and appreciated by my parents and grandparents during my childhood and teen years.  They consistently nurtured in me a sense of belonging and security.  I do not remember them ever calling me “dumb, ignorant, stupid, useless” or some other negative characterization.  They were a positive influence in shaping my self-identity, and I hope I was the same to my own children.     

I will continue with the other two “learned” senses in next week’s blog.  In the meantime, ask yourself, “Where, when, and how did I rightly learn to highly value who I am.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 8, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Among all the miracles contained in the books of the New Testament, the most astounding miracle is the birth of the Church.  From a small group of discouraged, confused, fearful, and hesitant believers in Jesus emerges the enduring foundations of the Christian church.  How did this happen?  What enabled this tattered remnant of disciples to be reenergized with new vision, purpose, and power, in becoming the continuing presence of Jesus Christ on earth? 

Before Jesus was taken up to heaven, He had given clear instructions to His disciples.  “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  … in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5).  And in prayer and anticipation they waited, not knowing what to expect. 

Then on the fiftieth day following the Feast of Passover,  “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”  It was as if the door to heaven had been left open and all the energy and power of God’s presence filled the room.  “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”  (Acts 2:2-4).

From that moment on, everything had changed, and life became different for all of them.  The people gathered in that prayer room became the first evidence of the awesome power of God’s transforming Spirit.  The circumstances and challenges outside the room were not changed, but the people in the room were forever changed.    

What happens next was then and remains even today, the sure evidence of God’s kingdom and reign breaking into the world.  This group of transformed people began talking to one another with a new language of understanding, forgiveness, and love.  What they now hear and speak is the Jesus language of “agape” love, with which they can finally deeply listen and lovingly speak with a new understanding of the other.  This was a miracle, for they, like us, had for many generations been prone to selfishly talk over, past, and about one another.

But now, overwhelmed with the Jesus-love that had suffered and died for all of them, they discovered a new way of hearing one another, which in turn, birthed and strengthened their relationships.  This new language of Jesus-love caused all of the false boundaries and barriers that separated them to be swept away, enabling them to be joined together as One People of God.  This momentous miracle event gave proof that LOVE is the one reality that is understood and appreciated in every language of humanity.

From that day forward, these early Christian believers devoted themselves wholeheartedly and sacrificially toward building a distinctive community of faith, love, and peace, which would be unique in a world wrapped in the evil darkness of fear, hate, and selfish motives.

The miracle of Pentecost was that the followers of Jesus were set free from the pride-filled, selfish need to control or dominate others, and became capable of warm, inclusive love (agape).  They were set free to love each other and were filled with a sincere and sacrificial love for all people in the world.

It is worthy to note that nowhere in the Gospels do we read that the disciples expressed love for Jesus or each other.  At no point do they say, “We love you, Lord.”  And yet Jesus constantly told them of His and the Father’s love for them.

The closest we have is Peter’s verbal expression of friendship (phileo love), and he had to be asked outright for that.  Even when pressed with the direct question in John 21, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love (agape) me?” Peter sidestepped Jesus’ use of the word “love” and responded that the Lord knew he was His friend. Twice Jesus asked the same question and each time Peter responded with an affirmation of his friendship.  And finally, the third time Jesus used Peter’s word for friendship and once again Peter defended his friendship. 

This leads me to believe that prior to the experience of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit’s fire of love burning within them, the disciples were incapable of profound “agape” love.  It took the miracle of Pentecost’s Holy Spirit baptism to produce this ability in the disciples to “truly love” the Lord and others. This remains as operational truth, even today, for all of us who claim to be Jesus’ disciples.

Dear friends, the small group of believers that gave birth to God’s kingdom community on earth are our spiritual ancestors.  We too are the recipients of that Holy Spirit.  We are the present inhabitants of the God’s kingdom community that was established on earth that day. 

It is amazing what God can do and does in the midst of His earthly community.  God calls us to be a community of prayer, worship, praise, love and caring for others.  And when we children of God gather, who knows what God might do among us.  But know, that when the Spirit of God moves in our midst, everything is changed in us; especially our seeing, hearing, and feeling about others.

Stuart Briscoe – “All that Christ is, he is in us, and all that he is in us, he wants to be through us.  The invitation of the New Testament is simply, Let him.”       

>>> Let him, … Let him, … Let him. <<<

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 1, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

For me, reading Hebrews 11 is like walking through a “People of Faith in Action” Hall of Fame.  As I read about these people of faith who appear in the pages of biblical history like pictures hanging in an art gallery, I ask myself, “How can I ever measure up to that kind of faith?”

There are people who live such godly lives that they did not die, like Enoch, and people who had great faith in what God said and built a boat that took many years to complete even though there had never been rain and floods, like Noah.

And there is the old couple who gave birth to a baby, the mother being 90 years old and the father 100 years old and laughing with delight as God fulfills his promise to them. 

And then there is Moses, who became God’s miracle man at age 80, boldly confronting the powerful Pharoah and freeing the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

When I walk through this gallery of people, I become intimidated and made to feel like I am in another world of super-spiritual people.  But then I remember the biblical record teaches me that God does not divide His people into super-spiritual saints and malnourished believers.  In God’s family everybody is totally human and equally loved.

Furthermore, God is today the same God He was in the Old Testament, and nothing less than He was to Moses and Abraham.  And so, the people remembered and named as people of faith in Hebrews 11 are not being listed as “special” saints whose life of faith cannot be modeled in our present world.

When we read the stories of these people, as recorded in the Old Testament, we discover that they are people who think, and act very much like us.  These people of faith in Hebrews 11, become “terrified” and “cried out to the Lord” when in a desperate situation.  They become angry and blame others.  And with diminished faith, they feel hopeless and despairing of life.  These are not special people with special powers.  They are fully human, just like us.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that nourishing a life of faith in God will enable each of us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (12:2).  The writer wants us to understand that it was their faith in God that enabled the people of God to pass through the Red Sea, take down the walls of Jericho, and “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, … gained what was promised; … shut the mouths of the lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; … and routed foreign armies.”  (11:29-34).

This same faith was also seen in the lives of people who were tortured, mocked, flogged, chained and imprisoned.  Faith was evident in those who were stoned to death, sawn in two, and killed by the sword.  Faith in God sustained God’s people when they were destitute, persecuted, and tortured.

And the writer wants us to know that this same faith in God will also sustain us in our times of fear and desperation when enemies of all kinds are boxing us in with no possible escape. 

Yes, a miracle is a miracle and nothing less.  Miracles are “A humanly impossible event, that occurs in the natural realm, apart from natural causes, for the glory of God” that happened throughout our human history and continue to happen today.  Too often, in our day of sophistication and knowledge, miracles are often explained away as some natural coincidence, as some reasonable, logical result of sequential events. 

At such times we learn the difficult lesson of trusting, waiting, and being still, while God works His miracle of making a way of deliverance through the threatening sea or impossible wall of our life situation.  Hebrews 11 is for us to read whenever our faith in God needs to be reinforced in our heart, mind, and action.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.  … These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”  (Hebrews 11:1,2,39,40).

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”  (12:1,2a). 

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 25, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

There are times when we may feel our lives are being driven by the winds of fate or controlled by evil people or forces.  Yes, we may sing joyfully about an omnipotent God in Sunday morning worship, but the difficult daily events of Monday through Saturday too frequently challenge our singing. 

Difficulties, both routine and unexpected, challenge our faith and perspective of God’s ability to carry us through the week.  It is our human nature to easily forget that our God is still the same almighty, sovereign Lord today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

The prophet, Isaiah, was writing to his people, the Israelites, after they had experienced years of judgment and exile from their homeland.  They were so beaten down by life’s many trials and great adversity that they began to question whether God was with them or cared about their difficulties.

Isaiah knew both their situation and their hearts, and writes to them asking a crucial question in chapter 40, verse 27;  “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’?”  By asking this probing question, Isaiah hopes to revive and encourage their faith in God’s everlasting love and care as He had promised them.

To confirm and strengthen the truth regarding God’s love and concern, Isaiah tells the Israelites to look up at the stars. “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (40:26).

Isaiah believed that his people could regain their perspective on life if they lifted their eyes to the heavens.  He reminds them that God formed the heavens, “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” (v.22). 

And furthermore, “He … brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (26).

In verse 25, the voice of the Lord is heard asking, “To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?”  Isaiah joins the conversation to argue that when you observe creation, you see the power, strength, and loving care of God.  “Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, and Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (vv.28-29).

What a wonderful message to a people who were discouraged, beaten down, and worn out with life.  

Yet, even today, I know from experience that my pondering of this wondrous truth always revives my awareness of this great big God and His awesome power and love for me.  This always proves to be a sure defense and remedy for all my doubtings and discouragements.  And so, I pastorally recommend a daily “looking up to the heavens” for your spiritual health and vitality.

Our God is strong and mighty, all-powerful and full of amazing love.  God has not forgotten any one of us and never will.  Jesus told his disciples in a time of great anxiety “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:29-31).

Look at the world around, above, and beneath you, and be encouraged by remembering that the Creator of the universe knows your name and your situation.  God understands your fears, your hopes, your dreams, and your pains.  God’s wisdom is unsearchable, God’s power is unmatched, and God’s love is overwhelming and limitless. 

Remember whose you are, and rest in God’s holy presence.  Look up at the stars and receive the gift of a grand perspective.  God is so big, and we are so small, yet God is holding you and me in the palm of his hand, protecting, planning, and providing for us.  THANKS BE TO GOD!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 18, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  King David writes these words of praise as an introduction to the truth of Psalm 8, which declares God’s majestic sovereignty and lordship over all things created.  He then closes the psalm in verse 9 with the same words of praise to underscore this truth.

David is declaring that God’s name is majestic because it excels all others.  God’s name, which identifies His character and work, is holy, majestic, mighty, glorious, and excels far above all other names.

Similar thoughts appear in Psalm 104:1-2; “O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.  The rest of the psalm reviews God’s work in creation and concludes with verses 31, “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works –.”

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

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

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

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

So, the question being asked is “Will God keep us in His mind?”  Will God keep His eye on us?”  Being so small in comparison to the vast and endless universe, will God think of us, see us, and care for us?

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

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

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

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

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

That is our God-designed purpose and vocation.  Our being crowned with  “glory and honor,” is seen in our being made a little lower than God, bearing his image and placed in this world to rule over the earth and its creatures.  It is our “glory and honor” to participate in God’s rule.  God grants this crown to us as a privilege, and not as a right. 

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

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

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

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

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

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 11, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done,

Leave countless marks for good or ill ere sets the evening sun,

This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray;

Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.

(Anonymous author)

This coming Sunday is designated as “Mother’s Day.”  A day to give recognition and honor to our mothers.  When I think of my mother, I think of her nurturing me to become my best created potential.  From my first spark of life in her womb, she carefully nurtured me toward a healthy birth into her world.  And from that moment on, my father joined her in lovingly nurturing me into adulthood.  Thanks be to God for Godly, nurturing parents.

However, I have come to believe that this work of love in nurturing others is not limited to parents but is God’s expectation for all of us as his highest calling.  Generation after generation, commandment after commandment, God kept calling His people to this life purpose of loving and nurturing others, and then in Jesus He came into our world to “show and tell” how to do it.   

Most every human being desperately needs the emotional nourishment of recognition, encouragement, and hope.  To give another this vital nourishment of love, trust, and security toward influencing and shaping their character, attitudes, and instilling faith and hope, is called nurturing.

I must emphasize that at the core of this nurturing process is a genuine concern for the other.  Like a mother’s love for her child, there must be positive feelings and concern for the person you wish to influence and nurture.

Consider those persons who most influenced and nurtured your life.  What made them “special” to you?  Are they not persons who gave you encouragement and made you feel good about yourself?  Are they not persons who you felt genuinely cared about you?  Were they not “nurturing influencers” in your life?

What is a “Nurturing Influencer” you ask, and how can I be one?  A nurturing influencer is a “GIVER,” being more focused on giving rather than getting.  They seize opportunities to give a hand in helping others to become their best created potential.

From their heart of love and concern, they give Love.  Before you can have any relationship with another person, you must show them love.  When it comes to helping people grow and feel good about themselves, there is no substitute for love.  Everyone needs to feel valued and loved.  And do not ever assume that people know how you feel about them.  Tell them!

From their heart of love and concern, they give Respect.  That means making it clear that their feelings are important, their preferences are respected, and their opinions are valuable.  It also means giving them the benefit of the doubt. 

Please note that whereas, Love focuses on giving to others, Respect shows a willingness to receive from them.  Respect acknowledges another person’s ability or potential to contribute to the relationship.

From their heart of love and concern, they give Trusted Security.  People are reluctant to trust you when they are worried about whether they are safe with you.  People will feel secure with you when your actions and words are consistent and conform to a high moral code that includes respect for them. 

From their heart of love and concern, they give Recognition.  They readily share recognition and show appreciation to others.  Even a little bit of recognition and appreciation can go an incredibly long way in a person’s life.  “Nurturing Influencers” know they are building self-esteem and motivation every time they give recognition and express appreciation to the other.   

From their heart of love and concern, they give Encouragement.  Nothing influences another like encouragement does.  When a person is encouraged, they can face the impossible and overcome incredible adversity.  It is also true that the lack of encouragement hinders a person from living a healthy, productive life. 

You ask, how can I become a “Nurturing Influencer”?  The apostle Paul strongly directs us toward cultivating a positive attitude of other-mindedness:  “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4) 

I add the following helps in cultivating a positive attitude of “other-mindedness”:  

1) Commit to helping others.  Making a commitment to help people changes your priorities and your actions.     2) Believe in others.  Give people your trust and hope, and they will feel safe and not want to disappoint you.     3) Be accessible to others.  You cannot nurture anyone from a distance.  You can only do it up close and in person.     4) Give freely to others.  Instead of trying to make a transaction out of it, give freely without expecting anything in return.     5) Give others opportunities.  As the people you nurture gain strength, give them additional opportunities to succeed and grow.     6) Lift others to a higher level.  This should always be your ultimate goal – helping people to reach their fullest potential.

Even though many people find it hard to be loving and positive toward others, especially if their growing up environment was not nurturing them, I believe anyone can become a “nurturing influencer” and add value to the life of others if they seriously cultivate a positive attitude of being other-minded. 

I am urging you to join me in being a “healing ray of righteousness” as a “nurturing influencer” in the lives of others.  Let us live to bring light and love into our present world of darkness and hate.  Amen! 

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 4, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV).

In many ways this is the greatest and most moving passage the apostle Paul ever wrote about Jesus.  The truth in these words, is so majestic that I tremble at the thought of commenting on them, lest I say too little and diminish their power and glory or say too much and detract from their glorious truth.

This “Who” that Paul is speaking of, is Christ Jesus.  This “Who, being … God,” is the same

entity as “Word” in John’s introduction of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  …The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:1, 14).

This “Who, … did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; … made himself nothing.”  Or as the New Living Translation reads, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges.” 

This “Who”  laid aside majestic glory and power to become human, just like you and me, and to become a servant to all.  This “Who, … made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness.”

And being human, this “Who, … humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”  What humiliation.  You cannot get any lower in status than death on a cross.  Here is God coming into our suffering world and suffering with us.  Here is God coming into our world of death and experiencing death with us, and, most importantly, for us.

This Jesus, who had everything, gave it up to become human, and walk where we walk, experiencing what we experience.  He who was God, gave up royal rank, privilege, and rights to become a human being with all the limitations, temptations, agonies, disappointments, and griefs that are part of the human situation.

The story and its truth are so gloriously incredible, so astounding, that we may never fully comprehend it.  But that is okay.  To be in awe, even puzzled awe, when contemplating God’s coming to us in Christ Jesus, is a proper Christian response. 

I pray that as you look at the crucified Jesus hanging on the cross and begin to understand even a little of what was happening and why, you cannot help but fall at his feet in confession and adoration, singing, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.” 

HOWEVER, this awesome story of Jesus, nestled in the middle of Paul’s letter, not only gives us a vivid description of WHO Jesus is, but is also God’s commanding call to us as the basis for our daily, holy living.

In the three prior verses, 3-5, Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to you own interest but each of you to the interests of others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, ….” 

Paul will not allow us to simply stand at some safe distance and gaze at an old rugged cross.  We must go beyond simply giving honor to Jesus.  We are called to imitate him.  We are called to go to the cross with him, to die to our selfish ambitions and rights.  Only then can we be raised to a new life, with new desires, new ambitions, new hopes, and a whole new understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in this world.

This is the good news of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Jesus Christ not only left the “Ivory Palaces” of heavenly glory to give us an example of holy, Godly living, but also through his death and resurrection to make possible the transformation we need to live such a life.  His victory over death makes possible the enabling power of his Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Jesus was able to go through the garden agony and endure the suffering and shame of crucifixion, because he trusted in his Father to make everything well beyond the cross. 

And so, Paul admonishes us as a community of faith, to have the same mind, the same attitude, the same trust, and the same spirit that led Jesus to the cross.  This Jesus mindset is the only means whereby we will be enabled to look beyond this world and  live in a way that glorifies Christ today, and in our death, experience resurrection and exaltation with Christ.  AMEN!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 27, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Overwhelmed and exhausted by the events of the past few weeks, the disciples of Jesus were an emotional and spiritual mess.  Their world had been shaken with fear and grief.  They were bewildered, confused, and struggling with feelings of guilt over their cowardly desertion of Jesus during His arrest, trial and crucifixion.

According to the disciple, John, he and six others were together in their home neighborhood by the Sea of Galilee.  One evening, Simon Peter said, “I’m going out to fish, … and they said, “We’ll go with you.  So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3).    

The decision to go fishing was a decision that arose out of their feelings of sad defeat and despair.  Their hopes in a new Kingdom, a new day for the people of God, were shattered.  Yes, they rejoiced in seeing Jesus resurrected and again alive, but they failed to comprehend how He could transform what they saw as a lost cause, into a new future of God’s Kingdom on earth. They felt fearful and defeated, and to go fishing was a returning to something they knew, understood, and felt comfortable doing. 

And now, after fishing all night, which is the best time to catch fish, they are feeling even more defeated.  They caught nothing, zilch, not even one small fish.  These were expert fisherman who knew the lake in every detail and were skilled in catching fish.  It had been their vocation, their livelihood, but on this night, they failed to catch even one fish.

I can easily imagine that it was a long, dismal night for them with no laughter, no fun, no happy times.  The night only further emphasized their feelings of defeat, failure, emptiness, and despair.  They set out to fish with empty hearts and returned with empty nets.

It was at this extremely low moment in their lives, that Jesus comes and calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  They answered back across the water, “No.”  Then Jesus tells them to “Throw you net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

What a tremendous, unexpected success follows their obedience to Jesus’ instruction.  Please note that they had success at the very place of failure.  It was the same lake, the same boat, the same net, and the same crew, but a new obedience.  This is an important lesson of encouragement to us in times of failure.

Even though Jesus had breakfast already prepared for these hungry men, He still asks them to contribute to the breakfast from their big catch of fish.  And then with gentleness and love, Jesus invites them to “Come and have breakfast.”  He feeds them as he had earlier fed the hungry crowd, in taking the bread and the fish and giving it to them.

As Jesus graciously and lovingly shares His food with them, they experience His forgiveness.  Their fellowship with Him is restored.  They are reassured that they are loved by Him.  Moreover, their team unity and love for one another is restored.  They again sense that they are working together under the authority of Jesus.  Their physical, emotional, and spiritual hungers are nourished and satisfied.

During the early dawn of a new day, Jesus comes and turns their night of failure and emptiness into a morning of fullness and potential.  With love and forgiveness, He turns their sadness into gladness.

We could view this time by the Sea of Galilee as a time of LOVE, even as we view Pentecost as a time of POWER.  I suggest this perspective because we can learn from the Scriptures that in God’s preparation of his followers to be his witnesses, enabling power is always secondary to compelling love.

However, even though this is the biblical pattern, I am thinking most of us pray for power to do God’s work more often than we pray for love in doing God’s work.  It seems easier to pray for power to do things for God, than it is to pray to be a person of love for God and others.

Love is the most powerful and compelling emotion in our being.  When it is raised to the Divine level, it becomes the highest motivation and stimulus in all of life.  When this love fills and possesses us, it becomes the source of our greatest good, our greatest happiness, and our greatest usefulness as God’s witness and evangelist as the bearer of good news.

More than anything else, we need love!  The world needs love!  In the early morning seaside breakfast, love becomes the Savior’s last effort to restore relationship, while physically present with his disciples.
“Come and have breakfast” is about re-establishing a climate of love in the relationship between himself and the disciples, as well as between disciple and disciple.

For the same purpose, Jesus comes to us and invites us to “Come and have breakfast.”  Start your day with me and I will feed and nourish your deepest hungers of the day.  I will turn you nets of empty dilemmas and concerns into full nets of blessings.  With love, I will unite you with my church team in doing my work of love in the world.  And I will always love you.  “Come and have breakfast.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 20, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley