True Peace

I wrote the post below blog as a devotion in a series our church distributed called Faith, Food, and Fitness. The initial focus was on maintaining our weight during the holidays, since the average person will gain a pound or 2 during the holidays and then not lose it during the rest of the year. Anyway, where you see “food” first mentioned below, it could instead be any substitute besides the Lord that you use to escape from anxiety—-so it might be drinking too much, mindless TV binging, sensual daydreams, etc.

My Peace I Give You

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:25-27

Isn’t it strange that the holiday season where we are celebrating the man who is Prince of Peace can bring such anxiety? Is it due to being more concerned about pleasing people than to pleasing the Lord? Or is it caused by having a busy schedule, then feeling tired and giving into the temptation to anxiety? Whatever the exact reason, we don’t want to be pulled into trying to find peace “as the world gives.” Because this can very well include getting rid of the anxious feelings with….food.

In today’s verses Jesus talks of the Holy Spirit who the father will send; but thanks to the Lord we live after Jesus’ resurrection so the Father has sent us the Spirit! And that great Helper keeps reminding us of what Jesus has said in his Word. It is then and only then that we can experience a supernatural release for our hearts from being troubled and afraid.

Instead of food or any other worldly answer we may turn to what the Lord says. As we pray with thanks, we receive the promise that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phillippians 4:7).

So, Who’s the Bully?

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1

I was enraged to learn that some Christian youths were bullying a young lady in their fellowship group. How dare they! How could Christians do that! Are they even saved?

I wondered why I was reacting so strongly…. then I began to remember something that happened years ago, when I was a teacher. While doing a grammar drill with my fifth graders, I made up drill sentences about fat people. Even though I was not picking on or thinking of any specific individuals, there really was sinful nastiness in my heart. If someone saw me or heard about what I did, I deserved to be rebuked. Would they have been enraged at me…how dare a Christian teacher do that! Or would they have restored me gently?

So, the bullies that I heard about did need to be called out. But the person calling out would need to do it with a certain gentleness that was meant to restore. Perhaps these young bullies were not even aware of the sin they were in…I know I was not aware of my sin when I uttered those grammar drill sentences about fat people, even though I should have known better.

I think these examples illustrate a major truth about rants against sin: the line between people we are enraged at and our own behavior can be a lot blurrier than we admit! How much we need the reminder to not give in to the temptation to erupt into a self-righteous rage and, instead, to restore with gentleness!

Two pictures of Jesus

I’ve been thinking of two seemingly different pictures of Jesus in the scriptures. First is Jesus in the Gospels walking on earth, talking to the disciples, teaching people, healing people, calling them his friend.

Second is the raised and exalted Jesus who we see in the book of Revelation with “eyes of flashing fire, feet like burnished bronze.”

At first glance these two pictures of Jesus are so different that we wonder how to connect them!

It’s easy to think of Jesus walking on earth as a warm, friendly, easy going buddy, but there is more than just a sentimental feeling of closeness in Jesus’ idea of friendship. One of the keys to connecting the two pictures of Jesus is what He says about friendship in John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

In Revelation in John’s vision of Jesus he “fell at His feet as a dead man.” But then Jesus “laid His right hand upon me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One”.

So these pictures of Jesus are both true at the same time : Jesus is my friend but not my easygoing buddy AND Jesus is exalted and glorified and almost terrifying ; yet at the same time he puts his hand on me and urges me to follow his commands.

Jesus’ shining brightness in John’s vision makes me think of how the Lord has a refiner’s fire—wanting to burn off and purify any slop and sin in my life that would be an obstacle to doing what He commands.

The same Jesus who is my friend is the exalted Jesus who wants to purify me.

So the two views of Jesus are not contradictory at all! The Jesus who walked the earth in the gospels is the same as the Jesus who rules in heavenly places in Revelation, and He intensely desires that we each respond to his touch and follow him well!

Slowing Down on a Beautiful Autumn Day

What a nice day for a run today, as you see in the picture. Here I am by Birchwood Lake in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

But at this point in my run I stopped and I started to think of how many miles I ran last week and how fast I ran them. Yet, I was starting to feel obligated to run at an even faster pace this week. Today, there was not much of a spring in my step. I wished I could just take a shortcut to go back to my starting point.

But no—-I was committed, trapped, beyond the point of no return. There was only one way out of the forest! Several miles to go.

As I rested here, I said Wait a minute! Who says I am obligated to run at a faster pace? Why not slow down from that frenzied pace, and savor the rest of the run, enjoying the fall air and bright foliage! Yes, not only did I enjoy the rest of the run, but I avoided harassment from the rocks and roots, who enjoy tripping up fast runners as they lay hidden beneath the fall leaves on the trail.