Healing Rays of Righteousness

As Jesus enters a village on his way to Jerusalem, ten lepers loudly call out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” They are desperate for healing, but as unclean people they don’t dare run up to Jesus or come close to him (Luke 17:11-19).

Jesus sees them and hears their plea, and responds with a rather unusual command: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so, with believing faith in Jesus, they obey his command and make their way to the priests.

While on their way, all ten of them are miraculously healed of their leprosy.  We can only imagine the joy that they must have felt in being healed of their terrible skin disease and now able to again live, work, and play in their home community. It was a new day in their life.

But only one of them, a Samaritan, Jesus calls him a foreigner, turns around and runs back to thank Jesus.  Praising God with a loud voice, he throws himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.

Ten lepers are healed, but only one of them takes the time to count his blessings.  In doing so, he realizes that he had received much more than the miraculous gift of healing in his body, his skin cured of leprosy, enabling him to be accepted back into his family and community.  He also realizes that he received the gracious gift of healing in his soul.  This realization simply overwhelmed him with overflowing gratefulness.

After asking about the other nine, Jesus tells him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”   Ten lepers were healed, but Jesus says only this man was “made well” in both body and soul.  His gratefulness, expressed to Jesus, made him “well.”  Certainly, this reality is of much greater importance than simply being healed in body.

The truth being spoken in these words from Jesus, and affirm in all of scripture, is that unless gratitude is a part of our nature, we can’t be whole “made well” people.  The other nine men were merely physically healed, and if ingratitude is more deadly than leprosy, then they are in worse shape than before their healing.

Ingratitude does not deny us God’s mercies, but it most certainly denies us of a relationship with him.  Jesus did not punish the nine lepers for their ingratitude, but instead, he left them with only his miracle gift and themselves.  Being wrapped up in themselves, they did not seek the larger gift of a relationship with Jesus.

You may ask why did only one of the ten lepers come back to Jesus and express his deep gratitude in praise to God.  We can only speculate a reason.

Could it be that the nine Jewish lepers thought that being God’s special people gave them a privileged right to be healed and thus no gratitude?  Likewise, is it possible that we, who claim to be Christian, feel we have a right in expecting God to bless our life with good things, and thus we express very little, if any, gratitude to God?  Check your praying.  Which is the greater content of your prayer, praise or petition?

Could it be that the nine self-centered lepers were so eager to reunite and reestablish themselves in family and community that taking the time to return to Jesus and express their gratitude was of little importance?  Likewise, is it possible that we, who are so busy doing good things, assume that God already knows we are grateful and doesn’t need to hear our thanks?

If so, are we not like the pagan world as described by Apostle Paul in Romans 1:21 – “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Furthermore, let’s remember that this “made well” leper came back praising God even though he still had some enormous problems facing him.  He had been living as an outcast with no family and no job, and it would not be easy going back into community.  Even so, he saw God’s merciful goodness in his healing, and he is overwhelmed with gratefulness.

Most likely you have a problem facing you right now.  Nobody is problem-free.  Listen to the apostle Paul as he exhorts us to praise God in the midst of problems:

“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Eph.5: 19-20).

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Helen Keller, who was blind, wrote, “I thank God for my handicaps.  Through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.”  Helen Keller was not physically healed of her blindness, but she was “made well” as evidenced by the many praise songs she wrote, and that we enjoy singing today.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 13, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

It is now November and our thoughts become more focused on Thanksgiving Day and its call to be thankful.  Last week I stated that an attitude of gratitude is of supreme importance in our aging well.

However, I am convinced that an attitude of gratitude is not only important for aging well, but is also vital to our living well.  The apostle Paul admonishes us to “Rejoice always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

It has been correctly said that most people fall into two classes; those who take things for granted and those who take things with gratitude.

I think you would agree that whenever we sit down to a table to eat a meal, we have two options about the way we partake of what is put before us, and the choice we make says a lot about our attitude toward life in general.

We can approach the meal with a negative spirit, wishing we were at a different table, critical of the way the food is cooked, unhappy about what we are being served.  Or we can sit down with gratitude and appreciation that a meal has been provided for us and choose to enjoy whatever has been set before us.

I believe we have the same two options when we sit down at the table of life.  We humans are never free to determine what life will be set before us, but we are free to decide how we will partake of it, whether with resentment or with gratitude.

We can either partake resentfully and bitterly of the events set before us, or we can respond with a positive attitude and gratefully accept whatever is set before us.  And the way we choose to receive all of life events, whether they be refreshing or difficult, big or small, makes a vast difference in the way we experience or do not experience God’s presence and blessings.

It is a grateful spirit and thankful heart that discovers blessings in what most others take for granted.  Richard P. Johnson, PhD, a speaker and writer regarding ministry to senior adults, writes “When we take things for granted, we dismiss them as ordinary because we see them as so commonplace that we fail to notice them at all.  When we take things for granted, we transform miracles into nothingness, and, in so doing, we erase virtue from our lives.  When we are presumptuous, we lack hope, and when we lack hope, we move into despair.                                                                                                                                                                                    So many persons suffering from sickness move into despair.  They have taken their good health for granted.  When sickness strikes, they rail against the forces and causes of it, wring their hands, and shake their fists at God for allowing such a terrible thing to befall them.  Yet, what response do they make in thanksgiving for the many years they have enjoyed in good health?”

I read about one psychiatrist who prescribes a simple six-week cure to any person who is depressed.  He instructs his patients to say “Thank you” whenever anyone does them a favor of any kind, and they are to emphasize the words with a smile.  The doctor reports that the common reply is, “But, doctor, no one ever does any favors for me.”  And the doctor responds, “That’s why you are sick.  You don’t look for reasons to be thankful.”

The doctor further reports that two results flow from his treatment, 1) the patient becomes less discouraged, and 2) persons who associate with the patient become more active in their affirming words and good deeds toward the patient.

Why would we ever expect a different result?  A basic principle of life is that whenever thanks is given to another, it has a boomerang effect of returned appreciation and favor.

On the tombstone of her husband’s grave, a southern mountain woman had chiseled in rough and uneven letters this epitaph, “He always appreciated.”  I really hope that such a tribute can be said about me and you after our deaths.

During this Thanksgiving season and in every season of the year, let’s join the Psalmist in reminding ourselves to “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2).

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 6, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

Last week I said that I believe “aging” is God’s gift to us, and that I agree with the person who said, “Aging is not an enemy to be conquered, but a friend to be cultivated.”  I believe such belief greatly enhances the positive attitude called acceptance, which is so critical in our efforts to “age well.”

To accept the fact that we are going to die is so basic to both our living well and aging well.  Until we break down that wall of denial, we will not be motivated to follow through on any of the other much needed attitudes and end-of-life preparations.

Whether we choose to believe it or not, our relationship with death and our attitude about our own dying, significantly affects the way we live every day.  What I do and the decisions I make are often determined by my acceptance or denial of the fact that I am growing older and will someday die.

I agree with those counselors who say that we cannot truly live until we have accepted the fact that one day we will die.  The Psalmist prays, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” (39:4). And again, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (90:12).

Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “…of all the things to be counted, this is the hardest – to number our days.  We number everything else so easily.  We know how much money we have in our purse and how many dollars in the bank.  Farmers number their sheep and cattle.  Restaurants number the meals served in a week.  Teachers check off attendance records.  Gardeners can tell you how many tomato plants are in the backyard.                                                            Yet we find it hard to number something so precious as our days.  Perhaps that’s because we see our days stretching on and on.  They seem infinite and so there is no need, we think,  to number them.  Things we fail to account for, we waste.  That’s why it is wise to ask God to teach us to consider each day separate from the next, distinct in its purpose, unique in the way it is to be lived.”  (“Diamonds in the Dust”- 1993, Devotional for September 14).

Abram Schmitt writes, “I have a haunting notion that too many people live on too shallow a level.  They miss the real joy of living.  There is a depth of meaning to life that eludes them.  If only people would permit themselves to face their limited life span, they would be forced to make the most of every moment.  …There is no escape from death, but in this modern era people do all they can to avoid death, to delay it, and to evade all thoughts and conversations about it.”

Growing older means experiencing many LOSSES.  And each loss is a small death, a “goodbye” to what was.  Growing older means saying “goodbye” to the world of work, health, spouse, friends, freedoms (driving, walking), and to control of activities.  And with each of these losses there comes the accompanying FEARS.

Aging well requires a frequent looking at ourselves and asking some very basic questions;  What is of value, important, and worthwhile to me, and what is not?  Am I becoming more caring or more callous, more forgiving or more vengeful, more tolerant or more critical, more generous or more self-centered?  Am I growing in my Christian faith and behavior, becoming a more mature, well-rounded person, or am I becoming more selfish and childish.

And of supreme importance to aging well is to have an attitude of gratitude – that is, being thankful.  A grateful attitude causes our life to open up like a flower, full of beauty and sweet fragrance. It causes our life to be filled with joy and pleasant surprises because we see God blessing us in so many ways.  King Solomon says that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  (Proverbs 17:22)

Every pain has the potential for gratitude or resentment.  Every problem provides an opportunity for stronger faith and new relationships or frustration and despair.  The need for surgery can make us dread the pain or thank God for the surgeon’s skills.  Stormy weather can create dreary complaints or gratitude for the sunny days.  The death of a spouse can produce a terror of the future or a song of thanksgiving for memories of ten thousand shared joys.

A grateful heart discovers blessings in what the discontented, resentful heart overlooks.  It is amazing what happens in our life when we cultivate the habit of always saying “Thank you” to others and to God in every situation we may find ourselves.

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

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 30, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

Last week I shared why I think the biblical story of Moses provides some good insights into how to age well.  I suggested three attributes in Moses’ life that I think enabled him to age well.  They were 1) being curious and interested about life; 2) having a sense of the sacred in life; and 3) accepting God’s mission for his life.

As essential as I believe these attributes are, I am convinced that of first importance is our attitude about aging.  It is critical that we examine our inner self to discover what is my dominant image of aging, of growing older?  What is my attitude regarding aging?

Biblical wisdom states that our latter years are the glory years?  “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”  (Proverbs 4:18).  By attitude and actions, Americans do not agree with this wisdom, nor the wisdom of Proverbs 16:31 which says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.”

Attitudes determine actions.  Before you can move toward action, it must first be an attitude.  Your current attitudes define both your present life and your future days.  Change your attitudes and you will change your life.

Some years ago I heard the story of an eighty-three year old woman who was being interviewed for a video about aging, and she related a conversation she had with her son.  She said, “I was talking to my son, Jim, the other day.  I said, ‘Jim, I went to church last Sunday, and you know the church was packed with old people.’  My son, Jim, says to me, ‘Well, Mother, what do you think you are?’”

Suddenly she became quiet and after a pause, she put her hand to her forehead said, “I never thought of that.  I never thought of myself as being old.”  After another brief pause, she continued, “I always thought I was….”  She didn’t know how to finish the sentence.  She couldn’t find the right words to describe her astonishment at her son’s response.  She tried again, “I thought I was….”  Once again, she was befuddled and puzzled as to how to finish the sentence.  Finally, on the third try, she said, “I thought I was … all right.”

I think her statement sums up for us what our culture tends to feel and think about the journey of aging.  We tend to believe and act as if aging is not “all right” – that there’s something very wrong with the process of aging and that we should not be doing it.

I strongly encourage us not to let our American culture shape our attitude toward aging.  I have seen and am convinced that to age well we must be firmly convinced that aging is all right.

We might ask why does God allow something so destructive as aging to happen.  I’ve come to believe that aging is not only a necessary part of God’s plan, but that he brought aging to us as a gift.  I believe that aging has purpose, and that purpose is to make us mature children of God.

Henri Nouwen and Walter Gaffney, in their book Aging, The Fulfillment of Life, define aging as “the gradual fulfillment of the life cycle in which receiving matures in giving and living makes dying worthwhile.”

When aging can be experienced with this attitude, then it can become a movement towards the hour when we say with the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6-7: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God.  The time of my death is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”

In their book, Aging, God’s Challenge to Church & Synagogue, Richard Gentzler, Jr. and Donald Clingan state: “Aging can be growing into the light in such a way that as we age, we see new visions, hear new sounds, and find new directions for living in service to God and to our fellow human beings.       …aging is so filled with promises that it can lead us to discover more and more of life’s treasures.  Aging is not a reason for despair, but a basis of hope; not a slow decaying, but a gradual maturing; not a fate to be undergone, but a change to be embraced.”

I believe that our aging has the potential for spiritual development and character refinement far beyond what we could imagine for ourselves.  Our unique, individual, God-given gifts should improve and mature as we grow older.  Our character should become more Christ-like as we grow in a deeply rooted relationship with God.

I agree with the person who said, “Aging is not an enemy to be conquered, but a friend to be cultivated.”  Yes, I deeply believe that “aging” is God’s gift to us.

Perhaps a better question for us to ask would be, when did the process of becoming mature, which we see as a positive force, become the thief in the night that we see as aging?  That question gets to the heart of the matter – our attitudes.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 23, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

The psalmist paints a beautiful word picture of the aging person in Psa. 92:12-14.  “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’”

Tomorrow is my 80^th birthday.  Although in many ways that number seems unbelievable to me, it is a reality I am trying to fully accept and live into.

It has been said, “It is not how old you are, but how you are old that makes the difference in your enjoyment or despair of life.”  And in my many years of being pastor and chaplain, I am convinced that most often this is true.  So how does a person age well?

I believe the biblical story of Moses provides some good insight into this question.  Moses is about eighty years old when he encounters God in the burning bush and is given a new vocation, responsibility, and lifestyle for the latter third of his life.  In his story, I see three attributes of Moses that I think are essential in aging well.

Firstly, Moses remained curious and interested about life.  Curiosity caused Moses to be open-minded and anxious to learn, even at eighty years of age.  I see him gathering news from the wandering herdsmen and traveling traders about life in Egypt; gleaning any bits of knowledge he could from his father-in-law, Jethro; and debating the virtues and power of the God he followed as he sat around the evening cook fire.  Call it curiosity or zest for living, Moses had it and it prepared him well for the greatness he accomplished in the latter third of his life.

For many people, growing older with changes coming faster than they can appreciate, the option of closing their mind and sit wishing for the “good old days” is a great temptation.  But, in doing so, they shut the door to possibilities and purpose that God desires for them.

I’ve learned that people who age well continue to dream and anticipate new experiences in life.  And so I’ve tried to remain very interested in the world around me.  Most often I’ve eagerly viewed my world as a place where I could participate in new, exciting, and possibly life changing ways.

Secondly, Moses had a sense of the sacred.  He had experienced a lot, both good and bad, in his eighty years of life.  He had every right to be angry, cynical and bitter about life.  He could have become another basket case of negativity and pessimism.  But he did not.

Instead, Moses retained a sense of the sacred in the everyday, ordinary things of life, and even in the difficult experiences.  I think he must have often marveled at God’s created world, and gratefully worshipped the God who spared his life from the Pharoah and continued to sustain and bless him.  And so, when he encounters the unusual in the bush fire, he covers his face, realizing that God has come near to him.

Cynicism quickly grows and flourishes in the fertile soil of ingratitude.  A cynical spirit does not see nor acknowledge God at work in the hard, disappointing experiences of life.  A cynical spirit robs life of purpose, joy, and zest for living.

Like Moses, I’ve tried to maintain a sense of the sacred in all of life’s varied experiences.  Most every day I’ve made an effort to anticipate and observe God at work everywhere in my life and world.

Thirdly, Moses accepts God’s mission.  This was no small, insignificant mission that God was calling Moses to lead.  It was big, risky, and filled with dangers.  To go back to Egypt could mean his death.  To convince a pure capitalist like Pharoah to release his human labor force; to lead a people that may rebel against his leadership in taking them out of Egypt and into a land they had never seen would be no easy task.  It is certainly not the kind of activity or responsibility we generally think fitting for a person of retirement age.

And, yes, Moses does offer excuse after excuse before he is convinced to accept the mission.  It is only after he is reassured that God has uniquely fitted him for the task and that God is calling him to this mission that Moses accepts.

I’ve seen and learned that people who age well remain committed to God and God’s mission for them in the world.  Their commitments give purpose and meaning to everyday living, which is so essential for their latter years of life.

The story of Moses suggests to me that God wants our entire life, including the latter years, to be involved in a mission of service for God and toward others.  To do so means we must remain curious and interested in our world, retain a sense of the sacred in all of life, and be accepting of God’s mission.  This is what I believe and hope to live into during the years of my life that follow my 80^th birthday.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 16, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

Some years ago I heard a story about a then 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 proceeded to crumple up the bill.  He then 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.

“My friends,” he said, “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.”

I totally agree with this speaker, and believe the biblical record of God’s relationship with his people consistently supports his message.  You were born great, unique, and full of potential.  And now, years later, you are even greater, more unique, and still full of potential.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!”  (1 John 3:1).

I remember the bedtime ritual of our small children coming to me for a kiss and a goodnight.  Each time I would profess my love for them they would respond, “I love you, too, Daddy.”  This ritual became our good-bye ritual as our children grew older, and that ritual continues even to this day.

I have no doubt that my children love me.  But I can recall a time when they probably did not.  They needed Mom and Dad.  They relied on us.  They were utterly and totally dependent.  They could not prepare their own food nor feed themselves, put on their own clothes, change their own diapers, move about unless carried, and the list goes on.  As newborns, our children were totally dependent.

From the very first sight of our children, the first touch, the first sound of a cry, the first cradling, I was head over heels in love with them.  I loved them simply because they were mine.  They didn’t earn it.  They didn’t necessarily deserve it.  Furthermore, they demanded a lot and were costly in both time and money.

They would get sick and grouchy, and many a night interrupted our needed sleep.  They could be noisy, messy, and smelly all at the same time.  But above and beyond any of that, they were my children, and nothing they could do would ever stop me from loving them.

As they rapidly grew up in that environment of love, they began to love me and their mother as their parents.  And as they matured into their adult years, so did their love deepen, and now when they say “I love you” I know I can take them at their word.  More importantly, I know their words are true, because I can feel the deeper emotions that those words convey.

In his letter, I hear John saying that God’s parental relationship with us is similar to ours with our children.  We love because he (God) first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

We are children of God, who is LOVE.  And there is NOTHING that can ever stop God from loving us.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

And so you may feel as though you are worthless.  But no matter what happened or will happen, you will never lose your value in the eyes of your Heavenly Father and those who love you.  You are special, and never forget it.  You are loved, today and always.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 9, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

Living in a modern democracy, we find it difficult to imagine life under a monarchy.  When we think of an absolute ruler, our minds are filled with images of a dictator or tyrant.  We like kings and queens only when they are ceremonial rulers, upholding a national tradition but lacking real political power or authority.

In our anxious age of worrying, we want a God who makes us feel secure.  In our alienation and loneliness, we want a God who accepts us, provides abundance, and doesn’t make demands.  We are interested in a God who will build our self-esteem, self-confidence, and forgive our sins.  We are much less interested in hearing about or relating to a God who is King and who is Holy.

In Psalm 99, the psalmist calls the nations to tremble and worship the Lord, the mighty King.     “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.  Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. 

 Let them praise your great and awesome name – he is holy.                                                        The King is mighty, he loves justice – ….

 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.                                               Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

Other psalms call us to celebrate and worship the Lord as King;                                                (47:2) – How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!             (93:1) – The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength.                                                                                                                                                     (95:3) – For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

What do we do with this picture of God as King?  Verses 1 and 2 tell us that God is sovereign over all and is a great and awesome King, who “sits enthroned between the cherubim”. If he is “the great King over all the earth,” then what is our position – we who resist being told how to behave and are not accustomed to standing in respectful awe of anyone?

In Isaiah 6:1-5, we read that when Isaiah enters the temple and sees the Lord seated on a throne, with seraphs calling to one another “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory,” Isaiah cries out, “Woe to me!  I am ruined.”  Why do you think he says that?

I believe that when we truly sense being in the presence of God’s kingly majesty, greatness, and holiness, our heart melts in awesome knowing of our sinfulness and the knees shake and bend until we fall on our faces in proper humility and worship.

Psalm 99 repeatedly tells us that our God is not only a great King, but also a holy king.  In verses 3, 5, and 9, the majesty and greatness of God in reigning over all the earth is sealed by the psalmist words, “he is holy.”  The whole of Psalm 99 declares that the Lord our God is King and reigns with perfect holiness.

The word “holy’ means justice, equity, and forgiving love.  The coexistence of God’s judgment and grace, so incomprehensible to human minds is vigorously affirmed in verse 8.  God forgives and God punishes.  These are the two sides of God’s awesome, holy kingship.

The word “holy” also means separate or distinct.  When used in reference to God, it means that there is no other being like God.  He stands alone and above all authority and power.  As creatures and as sinners we are separated from him in authority, power, and righteousness.  “Holy” emphasizes the distance between God and humanity.

But, and this is big, God loved us so much and so deeply that, in Jesus’ death and resurrection, he bridged that separation and invites us into his holy presence, being clothed with the holy righteousness of Christ.  And most amazingly, he wants us to call him “Father.”

The apostle Paul becomes so overwhelmed by God’s gracious love to him, that when writing about being such an unworthy recipient of God’s grace, he bursts forth with a doxology of praise in the first chapter of his letter to Timothy – “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  (1:17).

May we also be overwhelmed with joy and sing the hymn written by Robert H. Grant;

“O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing his power and his love; our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;  thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend!”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 2, 2019

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Ray M. Geigley

Many persons have memorized Psalm 23 and love to quote its beautiful and comforting words in times of serious illness, loss, and grief.  To me these verses mean much more.  They are a declaration of my Christian faith and confidence in God.   And I pray that all who love the beauty and comfort of these verses would, like me, also love to quote them as a declaration of their Christian faith and confidence in God.

The last verse declares, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  The word “surely” is a strong word of confidence, faith, trust, conviction and certainty.

In every sphere of life, confidence is a primary factor that can make the difference between victory and defeat.   That’s why the Hebrew writer, after giving us reason to persevere in faith, urges us with strong admonition, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” (Hebrews 10:35).

A few verses later he explains how our hope and faith are closely related; “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  (Hebrews 11:1).

More than any other people, Christians should go through life with confidence.  This does not mean a life without trials.  In fact, victory is the consequence of a battle.  Every trial or battle that we have in life is an opportunity for victory, but only those with confidence in God’s presence, power, and love will see them as such.

Confidence is also key to perceiving the purpose and victory that God has for us.  King David declared, “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.  With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” (Psalm 18:28-29).

This bold statement of confidence by King David came after his troops charged and took Jerusalem from the boastful Jebusites who had dared him to try to scale their walls.

David’s victory was no surprise to him.  He had established confidence in his God-given abilities during the years he was a shepherd.  And so, when facing Goliath, he told King Saul; “Don’t worry about a thing; I’ll take care of this Philistine.”  “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37).

To his older brothers, David sounded cocky.  But this was not arrogance.  David was speaking out of a strong inner conviction that grew out of his previous experiences and relationship with God, when he spoke those fearless words.

Unquestionably, there is a difference between biblical confidence and human arrogance.  Confidence is not based in who we are, but is based on who Christ is in us.  Confidence grows out of an intimate, trusting, loving, serving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Cocky arrogance is very shallow and shackled with one of the most repulsive character flaws, that is, self-centeredness.  Biblical confidence is full of grace and truth and also has one of the most appealing character traits, that is, the true humility that grows out of Christ-centeredness.

We must go beyond the desire for a good community image, or even a legitimate desire for success, and focus on doing the will of God.  If that is our focus, the Holy Spirit will indeed enable us to accomplish it.

I firmly believe that it is the will of God that we be filled with the sure confidence that enables us to leap over every obstacle and send the enemies of God fleeing in disarray and defeat.

Some years ago, I had a desk calendar with these words on it: “In the presence of trouble, some people grow wings; others buy crutches.”  Those words remind me of God’s promise through the prophet Isaiah in 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

I understand this promise to be based on having confidence in God’ presence, power, and love at all times and particularly when the going get difficult and wearisome.  I urge you to read Psalm 23 again as your declaration of Christian faith and confidence in God.

 I covet this kind of unwavering confidence for all of you, my readers, and I wish for all of us, WINGS!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 25, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The story of George and Sarah Clarke continues to challenge and inspire me every time I read it.  In 1880, this Christian couple purchased the lease for the Pacific Beer Garden.  Promptly dropping the word Beer, the couple added the word Mission, and launched a ministry to homeless alcoholics and downtrodden men and women.  Thus was born the Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago – the second oldest rescue mission in the United States.

Colonial and Mrs. Clarke bore the cost of the mission themselves, but as expenses grew and the ministry expanded, their funds ran low.  Eventually the day came when they could not pay the rent.  Attempts to secure the needed funds failed, and Colonel Clarke was told he had only 24 hours to make the payment.  Otherwise, he would lose his lease, and the Pacific Garden Mission would be closed.

Throughout the night, Colonel and Mrs. Clarke prayed, asking God to guide and to provide in his own way and time.  They reminded the Lord of the souls being saved each night, of the men and women whose lives were being salvaged.  They asked him why they should find themselves in such straits while trying to do his work.  But, determining to trust and not question, they remained before the throne of grace in simple faith and in earnest pleading until the breaking of dawn.

When they emerged from their Morgan Park house that morning, they gasped.  What had happened to their front yard?  It was covered with something white, something that instantly reminded them of the manna of the Old Testament.  Looking closer, they discovered their lawn was filled with mushrooms of the very best quality, which was quite mysterious because it wasn’t the season for mushrooms.

Gathering the crop, the Clarkes carted the mushrooms down the street and sold them to the chefs at the Palmer House, the famed hotel just off of Michigan Avenue, for a large price.  The money they received was enough to pay the rent, with enough left over to meet other ministry expenses.  So the Pacific Garden Mission carried on with its ministry undeterred.

There are those who choose to discredit such stories of answered prayer, but I choose to believe them because I hear and am challenged by Apostle Paul’s prayer for us in Ephesians 1:18-19. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Paul knew that knowledge of God is something more than simply knowledge of the facts about God.  So Paul prayed that “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” would provide that intimate, relational knowing which is ours only as the Spirit of Christ becomes a living presence in us – a knowing of God that we long for and desperately need.

He speaks of this “knowing” that comes by the Spirit even more graphically in verses 19-21.  “That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

I’m with Paul in believing that prayer is God’s gift to us – a gift of privilege – a gift of power – a gift of tremendous value in today’s demanding world.  To be privileged to come into the presence of the Almighty God as his children and to speak with him as “Our Father” is a privilege of amazing grace and of unimaginable worth.

Our praying opens the gates for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Our praying brings God into our life and work, and makes us more conscious of his awesome presence and power.  Our praying connects us to the power-filled energy and will of God, to redeem our sins, energize our wills, renew our spirits, reconcile our relationships, heal the sick, drive out demons, and bring peace.

Life in today’s world is very draining.  Demands for our time and talents seem to come from every direction.  Where are you going for replenishment of strength and courage?  Where are you looking for wisdom and discernment?  Where are you finding healing and hope?

The call here is to bring the working power of God from out of the past and into the present.  To be sure, we are to celebrate “the mighty acts of God in history,” but that should make us even more aware and eager to be linked with Jesus Christ as present power.  Amen!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 18, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The story recorded in Mark 1:40-45 is a story of Jesus being faced with an ethical dilemma.  He had to decide between two competing values – doing what was “the right way” or doing what was “the acceptable way” – in responding to the health care needs of a man suffering with leprosy.

“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’  Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  Mark leaves no doubt about Jesus’ response.  “Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said.  ‘Be clean!’  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.”

Jesus responds with the deepest of human feelings – compassion.  The word “compassion” comes from the same Greek word as “viscera, bowels, intestines” or, as in our vernacular, “guts.”  Mark uses this word to communicate how deeply Jesus feels into the sufferings of the leper.  It is as if Jesus himself takes on the suffering of the leper as his own.

Mark does not use a word for “pity” – that would be too condescending, or a word for “sympathy” – that would be too superficial.  But rather he uses a word that informs the reader that “flesh for flesh, gut for gut’ Jesus feels his way into the leper’s needs.

Also note that it is not enough for Jesus to simply feel with compassion.  He reaches out his hand and touches the leper.  Violating every medical warning and risking every social taboo, Jesus makes physical contact with the leper, thus confirming his compassionate concern for the leper and his needs.

In this story, Jesus had an ethical choice to make.  Responding to the leper’s suffering would risk limiting his ministry by prematurely provoking the opposition of the established church.  But Jesus chose to do what was right as defined by God’s command to love, and not by what was expedient, socially acceptable, and/or cost effective.  And as a result of his choice, Jesus had to get out of town (v.45).

I am convinced that in order to make right ethical decisions in response to the sufferings of others we must first enter into and empathically feel the pain of those seeking our caring assistance.

Paul Brand, a noted physician and author, writes, “In the human body, when an area loses sensory contact with the rest of the body, even when its nourishment system remains intact, that part begins to wither and atrophy.  The body poorly protects what it does not feel.  So much of the sorrow in the world is due to the selfishness of one living organism that simply does not care when another suffers.”

I think we can and should expand Dr. Brand’s statement to include all bodies, whether they be the church, the organization, the community, or the government.  There is substantial evidence confirming that none of these social bodies will appropriately respond to pain they do not feel.  Until the pain of those suffering is deeply felt and entered into, these bodies cannot and will not respond in appropriate healing ways to meets the real needs of suffering people.

And so, the challenge of Mark 1:40-45 is individually focused to every decision-maker in any and all social groupings, who have the power to make a difference in the life of suffering persons.  Indeed, the challenge is for every human being to compassionately feel their neighbor’s pain and respond with unselfish acts of caring, healing love.  This is God’s character and command to all of us.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 11, 2019

            www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley