Healing Rays of Righteousness

Last week I said that God’s gift of FREEDOM does not give me a personal right to gain and store wealth for my own comfort and pleasure. Let me try to briefly explain why I made such statement.

Have you ever looked around your home and wonder why God has entrusted you with all the stuff you have accumulated in your house, attic, and garage? Have you ever looked at your bank account, investments, and retirement portfolio and wonder why God so blesses you? Could it be that you have not done so because you think you worked for it and deserve it. Deserve it? I think not!

Henri Nouwen said, “Wealth takes away the sharp edges of our moral sensitivities and allows a comfortable confusion about sin and virtue.”

The biblical answer is grounded in what God said to Abram in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. … and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  This tells me that all of us, like Abram, are blessed by God to be a blessing to others.

In fact, Peter tells us that we have been called to use the gifts God has given us to serve others. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  (1 Peter 4:10). I read “wealth” being included in Peter’s “whatever gift.” 

Listen to Jesus’ unexpected, extreme response to the rich, young ruler, who asked Jesus what he must do to inherent eternal life. “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  Luke says the young ruler “became very sad, because he was very wealthy. (Luke 18:22-23).

Why was Jesus so extreme in his response? Because Jesus knew this man’s wealth made him comfortable in life and gave him power and prestige. By telling him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of his security and identity. And let us not forget that accumulated wealth represents and displays a person’s pride of accomplishments and self-efforts.

This man’s love for wealth was a barrier that would keep him out of the Kingdom of God. Why? Because it would make him unable to obey God’s first and greatest commandment, “Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).

And so, Jesus is saying that the rich, young ruler, must get rid of anything and everything that has become more important than God in his life. Is this not the first assignment that Jesus gives to all of us who desire to follow Him and gain eternal life?  

Those that find it difficult to generously love and share with their neighbors are those who are not completely sold out to obeying God’s first commandment. This must happen before we can obey the second commandment of loving my neighbor as myself.

There are many differing responses to what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  I propose a very simple, easily understood meaning to be “to love my neighbor means caring for and providing for my neighbor in the same manner and to the same degree that I care for myself.”  Did I hear you gulp?

I recently read that few people are more attractive and appreciated than those who find happiness in generosity. It is unfortunate that so many people find the two words “enjoyment” and “giving” to be mutually exclusive. Because our society is so preoccupied with “getting,” we often fail to personally experience the truth of Christ’s saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35); or to believe that “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  (2 Corinthians 9:8).

In the previous two verses, Paul writes, “Remember this:  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Matthew records Jesus teaching His followers “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, … For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21).

The story is told of a missionary who was witnessing to the chief of a very primitive Indian tribe. In response the chief tried to impress the missionary with gifts of horses, blankets, and jewelry. But the missionary said, “My God does not want the chief’s horses, blankets, or jewelry. My God wants the chief himself.”  Then the chief smiled and said, “You have a very wise God, for when I give him myself, he also gets horses and blankets and jewelry.”                                                                                                      

Undoubtedly, the chief had a much better understanding of “total commitment” than many who claim to be Christian today. So, the issue is not simply how much we have or do not have; the issue is what we do with what we have. Are we free to share our wealth confidently and generously with those in need?

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 3, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

Many who call themselves Christian do not understand that God’s gift of FREEDOM overrides and should frame our understanding of the national freedoms of speech, religion, and wealth.  Contrary to popular thought, God’s FREEDOM does not give me the right to disrespect, demean, ridicule, blaspheme, or falsely accuse others as I may wish to do.  Neither does God’s FREEDOM give me the right to coerce  others by legalization, to believe and live according to the religious tradition I have chosen.  And neither does God’s FREEDOM give me the right to gain and store wealth for my own comfort and pleasure. 

In fact, God’s FREEDOM frees me from all of the above selfish and prejudiced concerns in order to fully love God and share with others all that I am or hope to be.

We need to rediscover that any worthy definition of freedom must be grounded in the biblical understanding that the core motivation and life-purpose of every follower of Jesus is rooted in the same sacrificial “agape” love which is seen in Jesus and evidenced in a lifestyle of  “serving” others. 

Thus, for the Christian, God’s gift of FREEDOM is not a lawless, irresponsible anarchy, but a holy commonwealth nourished by a self-disciplined, trustworthy, responsible lifestyle of living in unselfish, unwavering love for God and others. 

When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “ ‘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.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:37-40).

Jesus proclaimed FREEDOM to be the purpose and focus for His ministry when he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19).

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul declared FREEDOM to be God’s gracious gift to us through Jesus’ suffering and death, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” And then he adds, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (Galatians 5:1, 13-14).

The apostle Peter similarly writes, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”  (1 Peter 2:16-17).

When we accept God’s gift of FREEDOM, purchased for us through Jesus’ suffering and death, we are rescued (redeemed) and set free from the guilt and penalty of sin.  And then by God’s overcoming death through Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, we are set free from the fear of death.  And finally, by God’s bringing Jesus’ love and power to us through His indwelling Holy Spirit, we are set free from self-contempt, insecurity, hopelessness, purposeless living, addictions, racism, and all selfish and unloving attitudes and actions toward others.

We all know that this FREEDOM gift from God has been and continues to be constantly under attack by satanic-inspired enemies seeking to deceive the declared disciples of Jesus into believing a false, but more tolerable understanding of personal freedoms as my rights to speak and do as I please.

Another writer has named these enemies of FREEDOM as complacency, conformity, control, and coercion, which are currently extremely active in the political and religious arenas of today.

Complacency is evident in the undisciplined and unmotivated person.  God’s FREEDOM is always the result of a disciplined relationship of love and obedience to God.  It is never free nor automatic.  It must be desired and pursued as our first priority.

Conformity is evident in the desire to squeeze everyone into the same mold of thinking and acting as we are by intimidation and accusation.  God’s grants His FREEDOM to all others, even if they are not like us, do not think like us, nor agree with us, and even do not do things the way we do.  And yet, this desire for conformity continues to be a divisive struggle in many evangelical, conservative churches.  

Control is evident in the attempt by any religious group to control the government and determine its policies regarding religious beliefs and behaviors.  This is an insidious enemy of God’s FREEDOM.  Our histories would confirm that the most grievous threat to God’s FREEDOM is not a government void of religion, but a government controlled by religion.  An earlier Baptist church leader, John Leland said, “Experience, the best teacher, has taught us that fondness of magistrates to foster Christianity has done it more harm than all the persecutions ever did.”  And yet, this is the advertised goal of many who call themselves evangelical Christians, in their use of Old Testament stories to authenticate their efforts.

Coercion is evident in the demands that the religious faith of others be just like ours, and expressed with the same terminology and practiced in the same manner as we do.  The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were coercing people into conformity with their rules and regulations regarding relationship with God.  

Jesus opposed this kind of Pharisaical pursuit of Godly living, knowing that coercion of any kind is an enemy of the FREEDOM that He was offering to all people.  Jesus’ always offered God’s gift of FREEDOM as a choice.  Jesus lived and practiced the FREEDOM He taught, always inviting others to choose to believe, trust, and follow Him, saying “Come to me.”  

God’s gift of FREEDOM to Love is offered to all as a choice that bubbles up from a redeemed, transformed heart toward loving God and all others.  So let this FREEDOM to LOVE ring and reign today and tomorrow, in the lives of all who claim to be Christian in our churches, nation, and world.  Amen.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 27, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

Sabbath Day hospitality was a significant part of Jewish life.  Banquets and other mealtimes provided a casual atmosphere for philosophers and teachers to impart their wisdom.  There was nothing unusual about Jesus being invited to a home for a meal after the weekly Synagogue service.  Most of the time the host was sincere, wanting to learn more of God’s truth.

However, there were several occasions when Jesus was invited to dinner only so his critics could watch him and find something to criticize.  That was the case in Luke 14.  Jesus is invited to eat in the house of a leading Pharisee only so the guests could watch him closely and catch him violating some Sabbath rule.

But Jesus turned the occasion into a teachable moment.  When they were called to the dinner table, Jesus saw their mad scramble for the places of honor, closest to the head table.  Once the guests were seated and quieted by the serving of the food, Jesus began to speak about their lack of humility, and concludes with these words in verse 11, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

The story is told of a newly promoted, pompous air force officer sitting in his new office.  While thoroughly enjoying his good fortune, a worker with a toolbox in hand, walks into his office.  Wanting to impress the visitor, the officer picked up the phone, and said, “Yes, General, I will call President Bush this afternoon.  No, I will not forget.  I understand that the president wants to talk to me.”  Then hanging up, the officer asked the young worker, “And what may I do for you?”  “Oh,” replied the workman, “I just came to connect your phone.”

We may chuckle, but even today many of us still have the problem of wanting to be the “top dog” – the first in line, the most honored.  Somewhere I read that, “Man is the only animal you can pat on the back, and his head swells.”  Think about that as you check your humility meter.

During this and other occasions, Jesus teaches that humility is more important than being honored.  Jesus upset the popular notion of how to be successful in the eyes of the community.  What Jesus said was contrary to the Pharisees’ way of thinking, and their puffed-up egos.  They considered themselves good, religious people and thought the community should esteem them as such.

Even the disciples struggled with this new “upside-down” Kingdom thinking.  Remember the story of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asking Jesus for the honor of being seated on his right and left in his glory.  On another occasion the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them.

Donald W. McCullough writes in his book, Finding Happiness in The Most Unlikely Places, “Often our self-centered aggressiveness comes from not liking ourselves very much.  Insecurities push us to prove to others and, most of all, to ourselves that we have value; if only we could get to the top of the ladder of success, we might think, surely, we would feel more worthwhile.”

We like and crave honor, but humility, well, that does not excite us.  Why?  Probably because we tend to think of being humble as akin to being weak and of little worth.  Some would call it being like a doormat.

However, humility is not about putting yourself down as a worthless nobody.  Being humble is not a denial of value or ability, a minimizing of who God created us to be.  In fact, as recorded in Psalm 139, God looks on us as being very precious. 

To be humble is to acknowledge our finitude, our inability to save ourselves, our complete dependence on God’s grace.  So, when we say “yes” to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we can say “no” to the old games of fighting for prestige and security.  What Jesus did on Calvary’s cross validates our worth.  

Humility is an honest evaluation of ourselves, an acceptance of who we really are in Christ Jesus.  It is knowing that even while we were yet sinners, God has forgiven us our past, put a robe on our shoulders, a ring on our finger, and sandals on our feet, and has exalted us by inviting us to the wedding feast.

The humble person habitually feels that he/she owes all their gifts and accomplishments to God, and that they have been the recipient of underserved redeeming love.  To be humble means that we are in earnest about God’s glory rather than our own.  Humility is a fruit of seeking to glorify God in our lives.

To the Roman Christians, the apostle Paul writes, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has distributed to each of you.”  (Romans 12:3).

And because we no longer are trying to be “top dog” in our community, we are freed to ease the pain, want, and hurt in our community by sharing what God has so generously given us, that is, His amazing, awesome love.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 20, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

Many times, in past years, I have sung “I have the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart;  I have the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart to stay.”

To find a person who is brimming full of joy is about as rare as sighting a bald eagle these days, thanks to the very disturbing and depressing currents events in our nation and world.  And I sense that much of what is passed off as joy is simply counterfeited happiness.  More than 50 years ago, Joseph Folliet wrote a critique that remains very appropriate for today:

“I listen to you talk, my brothers of today; I lend an ear to your conversations, which are nothing but alternating soliloquies.  You pour forth torrents of black bile in the form of criticism, complaints and accusations, forever deploring your bad luck and blaming some mysterious people called ‘they’ who never tire of playing dirty tricks on you.  As it happens, ‘they’ is everything outside of you – tax collectors, neighbors, the government, perfect strangers.  Nothing and nobody, from the weather to the people closest to you, can escape your censure.  Why this perpetual fault-finding, which is sadistic toward others and masochistic toward yourselves?  Isn’t it possible that you see the dark side of everything because there’s so much darkness in your souls?  Don’t you find the world sad and ugly because you view it with a joyless eye?  The cold and gloom are in you first of all.  Always unsatisfied, always discontented, you make more and more demands.  Now, demands point to a lack.  When the destitute clamor, we can see exactly what they need.  But when the rich and the surfeited multiply their demands, what can they possibly be looking for?  Perhaps the one thing that wealth and prestige can’t give; joy.”  (Invitation to Joy, published by Newman,1968)

I believe that of all the things we may lack the lack of joy is the saddest.  And nothing makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ more appealing than its promise of joy.  All through the New Testament we read and hear a symphony of joy.  When Jesus was born, an angel announced, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Lk. 2:10).  Throughout his teaching ministry, Jesus repeatedly promises joy to those who are his disciples.  When Jesus is telling of his impending death, he reassures the disciples, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (Jn. 16:22). 

The Gospel is both a message of joy and an invitation to begin living a life brimming full and overflowing with joy.  Genuine joy reflects God’s very own Being.  It is who He is, the source of all joy.  God is not some grim and emotionless ruler of the earth and its people.  The Old Testament says, “He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17). 

The joy God gives is different from pleasure and happiness because it is an abiding, deep-down exuberance which comes from God through His Spirit by faith in his Son, Jesus.  The joy He gives is supernatural in its source and essence, the fruit of His Spirit. 

Maybe you are asking how we can cooperate with this fruit-producing energy in our life?  We should begin by seriously considering the conditions that Jesus lays down before promising joy to his disciples. “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn. 15:10-11).

Then we can begin cultivating the fruit-producing habits of spiritual discipline by studying the scriptures, being in prayer with God, and in Christian fellowship.  We may need to adjust our schedules in order to spend more time with God, remembering what David said about God, “…you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Ps. 16:11).

I want to be a joy-filled person, giving witness to others that God is faithful in all his promises.  Yes, there is much to criticize and complain about, but our Heavenly Father is greater than any circumstance and is sovereign over all situations.  “This day is holy to our Lord.  Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  (Nehemiah 8:10b). 

And so, let us give thanks to God and let His joy overflow in all our relationships and conversations.  There is no better way to enhance the quality of life and to light the darkness in our communities, church, nation, and world.  Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 6, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

In her book, Bring Us Together, Marjorie Holmes prays, “Oh, God, we go through life so lonely, needing what other people can give us, yet ashamed to show that need.  And other people go through life so lonely, hungering for what it would be such a joy for us to give.  Dear God, please bring us together, the people who need each other, who can help each other, and would so enjoy each other.”

That is the prayer of the human heart for community and the securities, freedoms, love and joy it provides.  God created every human heart with the need to belong, i.e., to be accepted, included, and cared for in community with other human beings.

When I reflect on my younger years, I fondly remember many enriching experiences of community in my church and neighborhood.  But today in America such experiences of community have diminished, giving fertile soil to the seeds of distrust, disrespect, and disregard for the others around us, which leads to fears and violence.

One of the most contagious problems in Western society is our individualism, which diminishes the value or need for community.  This individualism is characteristic of a human heart that is going away from God and His intent for every human being.  In addition to losing perspective on life and fearing intimacy, individualism builds isolation from others, and isolation breeds selfishness.

The biblical record clearly states that God purposefully created us to be in community with others.  When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, he answered by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And the second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

And in obedience to Jesus’ command, His followers will use the biblical language of community rather than the cultural language of individuality.  His followers will use the language of mutuality, caring for one another, providing for one another, and being accountable to one another.  Love for neighbor will identify a Christian more than any “religious” rituals or behaviors.

The first Christian community, following the Pentecost event, caught this vision and became a fellowship of sharing at all levels of life – spiritual, social, and economic (shelter, clothing and food).

Myron Augsburger defines the biblical understanding of love in community with these three statements on page 227 of his book The Robe of God.

“First, love personalizes relationships rather than institutionalizing them.  We are to look at people as ends in themselves and never as a means to some other end.  Second, love energizes relationships rather than legalizing them.  Jesus moves us beyond codes to compassion.  As we care for people, we regard the law only as a means for treating others with justice and mercy.  Third, love immortalizes relationships rather than temporalizing them.  We have been called to always look beyond the need of the immediate, to share the quality and the extension of the eternal.  We are not to make our decisions solely on the basis of the needs of the moment.  With eternity in view, we share to invest in a life.”

These definitions help us to “walk our talk,” in acting out our beliefs regarding community.  The core value of loving God is vividly displayed in our outer clothing of loving others as ourselves, of giving a sincere and generous “I care for you” concern toward those around us.  This is the one and only true identity of “Christian.”

It is also the single most important value of freedom.  “Freedom” may be the most slippery word spoken by us today in our nation.  I say this because for many Americans, and for many who call themselves Christian, the idea of responsibility and concern for the other, be it family, co-worker, or neighbor is sadly divorced from the concept of freedom.  The consequence of this selfish right to freedom is evident all around us every day.

We need to be reminded that the true foundation to Christian freedom is love, and it is evidenced in “serving” others in family, church, neighborhood, and nation.  Paul’s thesis in Galatians 5 is that true freedom is to be found in a lifestyle of self-giving servitude toward others.  That is certainly not the way we usually define freedom in our world.  But it is the way of Jesus who came to serve and obey the will of his Father.

The freedom we have in Christ is not a lawless, irresponsible anarchy, but a trustworthy, self-disciplined, responsible freedom of loving and serving others.  This was and is God’s intention and purpose in breathing his Spirit and physical life into us at our birth.  This was Jesus’ intention and purpose in going to the cross for us.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  And this is the Holy Spirit’s intention and purpose in taking up residence and abiding within us.  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Yes, becoming a person in Christ is an authentic, liberating freedom of living in community where love, joy, and peace; that is, where caring/sharing, thankfulness/generosity, and respect/security are equally experienced.  Let us give serious thought to this as we celebrate our national freedoms this weekend.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 29, 2022

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Ray M. Geigley

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

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

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

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley