Mothers. Many of us have had complicated relationships with our mothers. We hoped for ‘June Cleaver’ but maybe it was more like ‘Peg Bundy’ or even ‘Joan Crawford.’ Of course, as I learned pretty quickly after the birth of my first child, mothers are just humans. Moms are faced with all the daily nonsense the world throws at all of us but are expected to nurture their families and guide their children into adulthood with grace and wisdom. It just doesn’t always happen that way.

For me, part of the problem was that I did not grow up in a Christian household and had no role models for Christian motherhood. If you did, trust me, you had a wonderful blessing. Christian motherhood is truly the ideal. And I am very grateful that Lord Almighty gave us a full chapter in Proverbs to show us what a godly wife and mother looks like. It has been a guide for me and will bless anyone who reads it and lives by it. I’ve picked a more modern translation so that the meaning might sound more relevant to today’s moms.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (The Message)

A good woman is hard to find,
    and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
    and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
    all her life long.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
    and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
    and brings back exotic surprises.
She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast
    for her family and organizing her day.

She looks over a field and buys it,
    then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
    rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
    is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
    diligent in homemaking.
She’s quick to assist anyone in need,
    reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;
    their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

She makes her own clothing,
    and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
    when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
    brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.

Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
    and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
    and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
    and keeps them all busy and productive.

Her children respect and bless her;
    her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
    but you’ve outclassed them all!”

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
    The woman to be admired and praised
    is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

Give her everything she deserves!
    Adorn her life with praises!

I have met many Proverbs 31 women in the all the churches I’ve attended, as well as in many workplaces. I thank you all, because over several decades you became like a mother to me, modelling behaviors and instructing me lovingly on SO many topics. I pray that I can continue that legacy. If I bless anyone in even a fraction of the way I’ve been blessed by these impressive women, I would be deeply honored. And this goes for the younger Moms as well. I am humbled at the excellent job they are doing with their families, even as I recognize the weariness I sometimes see in their eyes.

Mothers mold the future. Their diligence, kindness and compassion set the course for future generations. They are the first Bibles for their children and have the honor of introducing them to our Friend, Jesus, and his teachings. It’s a responsibility and a blessing. Adorn them with praises!

A daughter of God,

Jen

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:1-2)

Welcome to your Lenten journey! Today, Ash Wednesday, is the official beginning of Lent, a 40 Day period of preparation for Easter featuring Fasting, Prayer and Charity. It is a reminder of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan before He began His ministry and path to the cross.

Our path to the cross begins just like His, with humility and dying to self. In Baptism, Jesus committed His full self – mind, body and spirit – to Lord God, Almighty, just as we have. And this commitment is an on-going process of sanctification (being made Christ-like) by daily dying to ourselves, and in humility, putting our needs, desires and dreams aside to serve God and minister to others. Lent is a mini crash-course in The Christian Walk, meant to pull us out of the mundane, day-to-day cares of life and refocus us on our relationship with God.

Fast

The 40-day fasts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus signified a period of testing, trial, and transformation. For Moses, it was a time of receiving divine revelation and interceding for his people. For Elijah, it was a journey of renewal and recommissioning. For Jesus, it was a period of preparation and affirmation of His mission. In each of these biblical examples, the 40-day fast led to significant spiritual breakthroughs and encounters with God.

For us, it isn’t safe to truly fast for 40 days. However, we can fast for one meal a day, or from certain foods, or remove or institute new habits in our lives. It is not merely an act of physical deprivation but a profound spiritual exercise that aligns us with God's purposes. Many people approach Lent like they approach New Year’s resolutions and give them up just as quickly. However, taking an intentional approach, telling people and holding yourself accountable by journaling or in a group could lead to a real spiritual awakening. Give it a try!

Pray

Most of us could use a lot of improvement in this area of our spiritual life. Do we even come close to praying as much as Jesus did, getting away for quiet time with God? But prayer channels God’s power into our world, like a hose channels water. Do we see people who need God’s power? Shower them with prayer! Do we see situations in our world that need Gods power? Shower them with prayer! Do we, ourselves (yes, pray for yourself), have needs that can only be addressed with God’s power? Shower yourself with prayer. Your family, your church, your job, your schools – who doesn’t need prayer? Make a time, make a space, make a list, keep a journal, set a timer on your phone, pen it on your calendar, whatever you need to do to keep this vital appointment with God. We can shower God’s power to every corner of the globe, into every conflict and every heart, right from the comfort of our favorite armchair. Really put your heart into it – let’s do it!

Give

In humility and self-denial we gave up food or an activity. We gave up our time to prayer. Now we must give a little more to others. Bless your church or charity with an extra donation. Collect food for the Food Bank (perhaps that stuff you’re giving up?). Do some Spring cleaning and donate what you don’t need (the Spring Yard Sale is coming up). Donate some time to serve your community (the Mission Fair is coming up). Make some visits to bless others: read to preschoolers, visit the homebound, take some prayer shawls to a nursing home, serve food at a soup kitchen, spend intentional time with loved ones, volunteer to drive people to the airport, doctor or mall. Do you have a talent or skill? Think of a way to bless someone with that – fixing things, setting up a computer, refinishing furniture, singing together, cleaning, babysitting, etc. Kindness is contagious!

So pack your intentions, lay down your burdens, and join me on a Lenten journey up the Narrow Path, beside the still waters heading towards the cross. No matter what we give up, it will be so worth it to have a spiritual transformation or even an encounter with the Living God this year!

With you on the Way,

Jen 

Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” (Genesis 18:11-14)

Pastor Bill has been encouraging us lately to remember the dream or vision that God gave us in the past that has yet to happen, and to believe that it is still coming, believe for that miracle.

I have a few of those, and I confess, I have kinda given up on them or given up believing that God still wants to use me in those ways. It’s been so long, I didn’t take action, or took the wrong action or whatever my stubborn heart defensively tells me. After all, it’s risky to keep believing strongly for years and years. You have to leave the door open to that possibility, perhaps even plan around it, and people you know may start to think you’re a little loopy. Just ask Noah, or Abraham, or Moses, or Joseph, or…. Waiting on the Lord tends to be a big part of the story for many of the heroes of the Old Testament. Why should we expect instant gratification?

This Christmas I received a piece of jewelry with a card attached to it. I love jewelry with inspirational messages and this one did not disappoint:

Lovethislife…

is about welcoming the blind turn

and the possibility that

there’s no such thing as coincidence

and that empathy is incredibly attractive

and that it’s never too late

to pick up a guitar or a paintbrush

or to make an amend

or to make a new friend

lovethislife…

‘cuz it could go at any second

Even though that message could appear secular, for me, those are all lessons I learned after becoming a Christian. They are the outward beliefs that are the evidence of faith.

Sadly, this life is all too short. And more of it than we might prefer is spent waiting on God, trusting God, and learning lessons as God refines our faith and prepares us for the Good Works He’s given us the dream or vision or promise for. And while we may feel “shriveled up and old,” God has made us a new creation with new mercies every morning.

It’s not too late to trust God. It’s not too late to show empathy to others and get deeply involved in their lives. It’s not too late to try something new, to heal a broken relationship, to make new friends. If Scrooge can go from a miser to a benefactor in one night, if Sarah could become a mother at 90, if Joseph could go from rotting in jail to becoming second in charge of Egypt after one bad dream, then really, “is anything impossible for the Lord?”

As long as there is breath in us, we have a new year to make changes and take chances and BELIEVE that God has something marvelous in store for us. And if you don’t have a dream, a vision or a promise, then start earnestly praying for one. But don’t be afraid to try that new thing or new way because that could be God encouraging new skills that you’ll need later. Don’t fear the blind turns, because they are just opportunities to have full faith and trust in the Lord. Meet the new year with open arms, believing that God is not done with you yet!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jen

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother [Mary], His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John 19:25

You’ve probably noticed that Mary is a very popular name in the Bible. The name is actually "Maryam," and yes, it’s the same name as Moses’ sister. As I considered some of the Marys, I realized that the most famous ones also exhibit the traits of Advent.

“Advent” means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. The season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the "coming of Christ" from three different perspectives: His nativity in Bethlehem, His reception in the heart of the believer, and His Second Coming. We mark Advent with a wreath holding candles representing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

MIRIAM, THE SISTER OF MOSES

Miriam is the perfect representative of Hope. She and the Hebrew people had been enslaved for hundreds of years, but they still hoped and cried out for a savior who would fulfill God’s promise to Abraham to make them a mighty nation. She hoped for the salvation of her baby brother Moses, who grew into the savior of their entire nation. Jesus’ appearance as the angel of the Lord in the burning bush is one of His preincarnate comings that pointed Moses and Miriam toward their destiny in God’s plan – a plan that ultimately pointed to His coming as the Messiah, God’s promised Deliverer.

MARY, THE SISTER OF LAZARUS AND MARTHA

Mary, Martha’s sister perfectly exhibits the traits of Peace and devotion. Sitting at Jesus’ feet rather than being pulled into the busyness of hosting, she chose the better thing. Also, “Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick.” (John 11:2) This act of anointing Him for burial (John 12:7) demonstrates her faith in Him as the long-awaited Messiah and her understanding of His mission.

MARY MAGDALENE

Mary Magdalene is the poster child for the Joy of salvation. Having been cleansed of seven demons, her life was restored to her. Not only was she saved physically, but she was saved spiritually as well. Her gratitude is evident in that she became a disciple and followed Jesus from town to village helping to support His ministry. Her joy and salvation were made complete when she became the first to see the resurrected Jesus on Easter Sunday.

MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS

Finally, Mary, Jesus’ mother, is the ultimate symbol of Love and sacrifice, second only to her Son. Full of love for God, she sacrificed her imagined future for a life bearing God’s Son and bearing the shame of being pregnant out of wedlock. Her love allowed her to raise her son well despite the lingering knowledge of the sacrifice He would be called to make. Her love brought her to the foot of the cross where her heart was broken along with her Son’s. She walked with Jesus from the manger in Bethlehem, to the Cross and finally to the Empty Tomb. Love is sacrifice and Mary became an emblem of that when she participated in His earthly Incarnation.

Hope, peace, joy and love – from the first pages of Genesis all the way to Revelation they have been the central themes of God’s story – His story – the Bible. And Jesus has been right there on every page from the very beginning, bringing all things into being and appearing as the angel of the Lord, straight through to his Incarnation on earth as a baby in Bethlehem, on into His Resurrection at Easter securing our pardon from sin and gifting us the Holy Spirit, right up to His immanent Second Coming!

If only we could see Jesus and Christmas through the eyes of these Marys and experience the blessed assurance of our hope, the depth of peace that passes understanding, the unspeakable joy of restoration – body, mind and spirit – in a right relationship with God, and the profound, everlasting love that is willing to sacrifice everything in service to our God!

I pray this year that you might have a very Mary Christmas.

Holiday Blessings,

Jen

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me… John 5:39

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20

A few weeks ago in Sunday School we had a brief chat about using nature and the world around us to try to explain the mysteries of God to us humans who are bound in a physical reality and unfamiliar with the spiritual realm. It all started with God and burning bushes, earthquakes and whispers and continued with Jesus and seeds, vines and sheep. Our church fathers continued the tradition in order to reach gentiles and illiterate populations. What would Ireland be without it’s shamrock trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The truth is that from the very beginning, God’s world and God’s Word were pointing to the Messiah, Jesus. From the first prophecy in the Garden of Eden, to Noah’s salvation by water, to the sacrifice of Abraham’s son, to Noah’s three days in a whale and much, much more, God was pointing us to eternal truths about His plan of salvation. But concepts like eternal life, sin and agape love are just hard to comprehend.

Christmas, in particular, is full of symbols that attempt to bring the reality of Christ into our hearts and minds. Every year at our Hanging of the Greens service, we read about many of these symbols as we decorate the Sanctuary. I picked a few of my favorites when I put together my Christmas Quilt illustration.

THE CANDY CANE – The newest of the symbols is the candy cane, created in the shape of a ‘J’ for Jesus, or a shepherd’s crook to remind us of the first witnesses to Jesus’ birth. The red and white remind us of Jesus’ purity and the shedding of His blood. The peppermint symbolizes the sting of sin, while the sugar symbolizes the sweetness of forgiveness.

HOLLY – An evergreen, holly symbolizes eternal life in Christ. The thorns remind us of Christ’s suffering and the red berries remind us of His blood shed for us. Romans used holly extensively during the Saturnalia festival, offering holly wreaths to honor the god Saturn during the winter solstice, and so it was easy to adopt these traditions to celebrate the True King and God, Jesus.

GIFTS – It’s a bit strange to receive gifts on someone else’s birthday, but Jesus himself is the greatest gift humankind could ever have. The gifts the Magi brought to Him show us just what He means to us: gold for a King of Kings, Frankincense for a Great High Priest and Myrrh for a sacrificial Savior who would die so that we can live.

SNOW – Although we are born stained with sin, Jesus washes us white as snow. Snow is also used as a metaphor in describing the hair and clothing of heavenly beings. Because snow is crystals, it bounces the light around at different angles so that all colors of light are bounced back out. All colors of light mixed together appear bright white.

LIGHTS – What would Christmas be without candles and twinkling lights? These remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. In a bigger sense, light symbolizes good, and darkness symbolizes evil. One tiny candle can illuminate a room and chase the darkness away, just as Jesus brought hope to the world. This symbolism is evident in the date chosen for Christmas. Christmas falls close to the Winter Solstice when the days are the shortest and the dark nights the longest causing the death of plants and cold temperatures. It’s easy to associate this time with our spiritual death without Christ. When Jesus comes at Christmas, light comes to humanity and the days become longer and brighter culminating in the coming of Springtime and new life at the Vernal Equinox when Easter is traditionally placed. Light is also still very much a mystery to us. Coming as both a wave and a particle, it gives heat and illumination. Its speed seems to be the universe’s speed limit, and its concentrated beam (laser) can cut through diamonds. Without it, all life on earth would end. It’s easy to see why Jesus is Light!

This Advent Season, as you move through your shopping, decorating and preparations for the arrival of our Savior, look for the signs and symbols of Jesus and His Kingdom. It’s easy to feel that Christmas has become too secularized but note the symbols all around you! Take a moment to share them with others. It doesn’t have to be hard to keep Christ in Christmas – He’s already there!

Advent blessings,

Jen

I love to dress up for Halloween (and any other occasion which could possibly require a costume!) It’s fun to pretend to be someone or something else, and to imagine fantastical creatures. However, I was amazed to see just how many of the creatures from fantasy stories actually had their origins in the Bible!

This year, if any of these weird and wonderful creatures show up at your door looking for candy, you can smile knowing that these all had their origins in God’s word. And perhaps it’s worth pondering the awesome mystery and power of God to bring these things into creation, even if some of them are just metaphors and visions.

DANCING SKELETONS

So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. (Ezekiel 37:7)

RESURRECTED MUMMY

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:43-44)

GIANTS

A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants. (Deuteronomy 2:10)

TALKING DONKEY

Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. (Numbers 22:28)

UNICORN

But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn; I shall be anointed with fresh oil. (Psalm 92:10, 21st Century King James Version)

COCKATRICE (a two-legged dragon, wyvern, or serpent-like creature with a rooster's head)

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29 KJV)

BEAST MAN

That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. (Daniel 4:33)

SEA MONSTER

In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)

DRAGON

Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads… The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. (Revelation 12:3,9)

DINOSAUR

“Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly. Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. It is a prime example of God’s handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it.” (Job 40:15-19)

WITCHES & WIZARDS

The woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up to you?”

He said, “Bring Samuel up for me.” (1 Samuel 28:9-11)

GHOST

The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”

 “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. (1 Samuel 28:13-14)

ANGEL

I looked up and saw someone who was wearing linen clothes and a belt of fine gold. His body shone like a jewel. His face was as bright as a flash of lightning, and his eyes blazed like fire. His arms and legs shone like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a great crowd. (Daniel 10:5-6)

Wow! There’s a lot of weird and wonderful stuff in the Bible. Who needs Harry Potter? We’ve got enough beasts and supernatural creatures right in God’s Word!

Happy All Hallow’s Eve,

Jen 🎃

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

I’m not a fan of horror films, but I’ve always been interested in the ones with religious themes. I guess it’s a study in the wrong ways this world portrays the other world – the world of angels, demons, devils, hell, and what happens after we die.

It’s easy to scoff at these movies and their villains and pronounce them garbage. But to that I say, not so fast. The Bible is very clear, especially in the New Testament, that demons exist and can possess a person. We learn from Luke 8:30 that more than one demon can possess a person. We see in Acts 19:16 that demons can use superhuman strength. Acts 16:16 tells us that demons can have fortune-telling power. In Luke 9:39 we find that demons can cause the possessed person to convulse and hurt themselves.

The Bible is also clear that Hell exists. “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4) And speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 1:7 says, “Those cities were destroyed by fire. They still speak to us of the fire of hell that lasts forever.” And Revelation 20:14 reveals, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.”

So, no worries, we won’t end up as zombies or vampires roaming the earth eternally. But we can end up extinguished eternally, along with Satan and the demons. Heed the warning in Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” That One is God Almighty.

This would be terrifying if there were no way to be saved. Many people in our world today dread death because they see it as the end of everything – and without the saving grace of Jesus Christ, it is! But we know and need to share the Good News. As Paul says, “the love of Christ puts us into action. We are sure that Christ died for everyone. So, because of that, everyone has a part in His death. Christ died for everyone so that they would live for Him. They should not live to please themselves but for Christ Who died on a cross and was raised from the dead for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLV) And even more than that, Jesus tells us in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Christ has risen from the dead and controls death and Hell. It gets better: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We can have eternal life if we believe in and live for Jesus Christ!

But wait, should we fear mortal death and Satan and those demons? Well, here’s one of the most reassuring verses in all of Scripture:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

So yes, demons, Satan and hell really do exist. And sadly, people can be tormented by them, even people in our neighborhoods and families. But the love of Christ compels us to share Jesus like Halloween candy – generously and with everyone! Once we have Jesus as our Savior, NOTHING can separate us from God’s love and an eternity in Heaven. THAT is something to celebrate!

Have a Kit-Kat, Jesus loves you!

Jen

**Don’t miss our annual Trunk or Treat So Others Can Eat at Hereford Faith & Life Church on Sunday, October 27 from 2-4pm.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)

I love lighthouses. I’m not sure why, but I always have and now visiting them is one of my many ‘collections.’ Perhaps it’s because a lighthouse’s mission is so much like our Christian mission – to illuminate, to guide, to give hope, to save.

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. Daniel 12:3

Like a lighthouse, we can bring light to dark places. Part of our duty as Christians is to shine. Our light stands in stark contrast to the darkness of the world and points the way to Christ and God’s salvation. We can illuminate the goodness of living for Christ, and the Truth found in God’s Word.

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.
There I will go to the altar of God,
    to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
    O God, my God!

Psalm 43:3-4

To sailors arriving at port, the sight of lighthouses guided them to a safe harbor. To the Hebrews wandering in the desert, God provided a pillar of fire at night to guide them. And Jesus asks us to guide others to Him. The first step in making disciples is to bid them come and meet Jesus. He is our safe harbor, our secure anchor, our refuge from the storms of life. Once people are guided into safety, they can begin to experience what it means to find their rest in Him.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Ephesians 1:18

For sailors caught in a tempest, a lighthouse is a beacon of hope. They know that the safety of the shore is nearby. The light of the Holy Spirit gives us the confident hope of the safety of eternity in God’s Kingdom. Hope is such an amazing thing for people facing trials. Just a small ember of hope can be the difference between hanging on and slipping under the water. We carry this precious hope with us every day, and we should be ready to share it with those barely keeping their heads above water. The sure safety of the Solid Rock is always nearby!

This is what the Lord commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that you could bring salvation to the end of the earth.” Acts 13:47

And there it is – our ultimate mission is to shine, guide, and give hope so that unbelievers will ‘see the light’ and find Jesus and salvation. The weary, the lost, the abused, those that feel unworthy and unloved can all find fulfilment in the loving arms of God the Father, eternal life in the friendship of Jesus the Son and guidance and correction in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

This mission of salvation and guiding light has never been far from the American imagination. Not only are we called to it as individuals, but our country adopted it as our national mission from its inception. Now we have our own colossal lighthouse of liberty guiding all pilgrims to the Land of the Free.

…A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

 –Emma Lazarus

Have a wonderful, blessed Independence Day, remembering that all our blessings of liberty, all our vast lands and resources, all the wealth and resilience of our people are gifts from God because God HAS blessed America. I pray He will continue to, as we continue to serve and glorify Him.

God bless America, Land that I love, Stand beside her and guide her ‘Thru the night with a light from above; --Irving Berlin

Shine on,

Jen 

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11

I heard a story today that made me stop and ponder. A woman was recounting how when her grandmother passed away, her uncle had forgotten to bring shoes to the funeral home, and so grandma would be buried barefooted. The woman’s mom was adamant that she had to travel 3 hours back home to bring shoes so that her mother “wouldn’t have cold feet in heaven.” Others hearing that story nodded and found it sweet. And I suppose from a purely human standpoint it was. It was borne from her grief and wanting to do one last kind thing for her mother.

But as a Christian, it bothered me. Like comments I hear all the time that peoples’ loved one is now ‘an angel in Heaven,’ or arguments against cremation because God wouldn’t be able to resurrect you, they display a lack of understanding that might be sweet if it weren’t so dangerous.

While it is certainly true that the Christian faith is not merely a ‘get out of Hell free’ card, let’s be real – that IS the primary reason that Jesus came to earth, suffered and died. We tend not to want to talk about death, but Jesus spent a lot of His ministry talking about death. He was very clear that sin leads to death and that it is an incurable condition, punishable by torment in Hell. The Law of Moses was perfect; however, it only served to show how impossible it was for us sinful humans to keep it. After thousands of years of trying and failing, God ended that Covenant with Israel and began a New Covenant in Jesus’ blood with every person in the world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

In Sunday School last week, I had the unenviable task of telling the kids that Jesus was killed on a cross. “Death is scary,” the littlest one said. Yes, it is. It is the fear of the unknown that can be really unsettling. But just like that first trip in an airplane can be frightening, once you touch down in Disney World, you’ll be so happy you made the trip. Heaven is so much better than Disney World (no lines 😉), and so much better than anything we can dare to imagine. We’ll be face to face with Jesus, wrapped in love, full of peace, and fully healed and whole.

Our God is SO much bigger than we can comprehend. Our feet will never be cold in Heaven. We get all new robes of righteous anyway! We will never become angels, but we will likely meet some. And God will absolutely be able to resurrect every believer whether they were lost at sea, buried, cremated or placed in an ossuary, like back in first century Israel. Consider how much energy would have been required to resurrect Jesus. Research on the Shroud of Turin, now believed to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus, reveals that “the formation of the Shroud’s image would take several billion watts of light radiation, which exceeds the maximum output of any source of UV radiation known today. If the accompanying heat energy had been present, the cloth would have vaporized in less than 1/40 billionth of a second.”^* This is the same God who created the entire universe! As Jesus, himself, told us, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

So, when we consider death, we need to put away sentimental ideas of the afterlife, especially the ubiquitous belief that everyone goes to heaven if they’re ‘good.’ As Christians we know that eternity in Heaven is guaranteed only by faith in Jesus who died to pay our sin debt and restore our relationship with Almighty God. Don’t worry about grandma’s shoes – worry about grandma’s soul! Concern yourself with saving others from hellfire. Jesus suffered and sacrificed too much for us to keep this GOOD NEWS all to ourselves. We can live eternally! Hallelujah!

Eternally yours,

Jen

^* https://www.magiscenter.com/blog/how-did-shroud-turin-get-image

It’s almost Jesus’ birthday! What did you get for Him? What?! You bought something for Barney and Ben, Janice and Jen but forgot Lord Jesus Christ? Well…there’s still a few more shopping days left… But if Jesus had a 3-octave range like Mariah Carey, I’m sure he’d also sing, “all I want for Christmas is you!”

In fact, from the very dawn of creation, all that Almighty God has ever wanted from us is our full devotion evidenced by faith and obedience. We can trace this theme right through the Old Testament:

12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

² “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.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;

15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 12:1-4 &15:6

Barry Cooper writes, “This is a stunning moment: God’s revelation that faith in Him is the mechanism by which people are accepted by Him and become heirs of His promises. As Paul says in Romans chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 3, Abraham was justified by faith alone—faith in the promises of God. Promises which found their fulfilment in Christ.”

Thousands of years later, God’s people continued to stray, worshiping idols and living lives of wealth and entitlement while letting others suffer poverty and injustice. Through the Prophet Hosea, God says: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 

Once again, God wants devotion, not mere obedience to law. He wants our devotion to flow from our faith and trust in Him which manifests as obedience. “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12.

Finally, Jesus came from Heaven to deliver this message in person:  He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27-28 Almighty God wants our whole heart, not a half-hearted faith, not worship just on Sunday. It is our deep abiding faith that saves us.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Apostle Paul made this even more clear in his letter to the Romans:

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-11

That God operates like this is overwhelmingly GOOD NEWS—not just for Abraham and the ancient Israelites, but also for us. So let me say it again: salvation is given to us not because of anything we have done or could do or ever will do, but purely on the basis of what God has done. And we receive the benefits of what God has done simply by trusting Him, as Abraham did.

So, what does Jesus really want for His birthday? Just your whole heart, soul, strength and mind. I’m not sure if you can find a box for that. But Jesus doesn’t care about the wrapping and bows. He will accept your gift in any condition at any time. Why not now?

What can I give him?
Poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would give a lamb
If I were a wise man
I would do my part
But what I can I give him
Give him my heart
Give him my heart

(In the Bleak Midwinter, Rossetti/Holst)

Merry Christmas,

Jen