Shalom

SHALOM

In Nigeria I grew to appreciate the use of “Shalom!” as a common greeting between Christians. At its best our Alabama “Bless your heart!” might express just a bit of this heartfelt prayer.  I grew to treasure the depth of this beloved greeting shared between one believer and another, or between a Christian leader and God’s People gathered for worship services or weddings. Earlier this year I was reminded of this beautiful practice as I watched a new animated film telling the story of Kind David’s early years. One of the songs Is entitled “Shalom.”

When I feel lost
And so afraid
And shadows have hid the sun away
When my heart is heavy
And it’s hard to pray
I remember what my mother used to say
Shalom
Shalom
Peace be with you wherever you go
Shalom
Shalom
Let this melody begin to bring you home
In desperation
When you’re losing sight
You’ve cried out with everything inside
There is still a shepherd
Even when you hide
Who will pick you up and hold you ’til you find
Shalom
Shalom
Peace be with you wherevеr you go
Shalom
Shalom
Let this melody begin to bring you homе

I believe we all feel like David at times, feeling lost and alone—and how blessed it is to know we have those who welcome us home and offer us Shalom. How much more blessed are we in finding Holy Shalom in our great God and in our Savior Jesus Christ. When we feel most alone, God comes to offer us wholeness, spiritual well-being—a sense of His absolute goodness so that we might live in the midst of Shalom. In fact in establishing His nation, Israel, He gave Moses and Aaron this blessing to pray over His people:

The children of Israel had encountered the power and the righteousness of God at the foot of Mt. Sinai.  He had provided them the Law through Moses. He had prepared them for moving toward the land promised to Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Now, He expresses the sure promise of His care through these words of blessing given to Moses, to be declared over God’s chosen people throughout their journey and beyond. Here is the Loving God who chooses, loves, redeems, transforms, protects, and upholds His people. Here is the God of Shalom—well-being, contentment, fellowship, and deeply abiding faith. 

This blessing establishes God’s Name and His Rule over His people. The name for God here is Yahweh. His name emphasizes His uniqueness as the one true God, both as holy and as personal. So, God is exalted far beyond our comprehension, but He is also personal. He reaches out to His people to draw them to Himself, so He can bless them and make them a blessing among the nations of the earth. They are His people, a people to point the nations throughout the world to His glory. The blessing promises God’s power, the same power they have experienced in the plagues in Egypt. Then they experienced His power in the first Passover, when their first-born sons were saved from the Angel of Death. Next, they experienced this miraculous power as crossed through the parted waters of the sea. In their travels they experienced the provision of His leading through the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. This mighty God’s power had accompanied and kept them. This same God shows His favor upon them providing His Grace all along the way. He looks upon them with the glory of His own Face as He leads them. And so, He gives them Shalom. He gives them peace which transforms the challenges of everyday life into one great adventure. They learn through trust and obedience in Him and Him alone, the absolute goodness of being His Children. 

God’s Purpose is that they will never be alone. He will be with them. He will provide for them. He will lead them. He will uphold them in battle. He will be their source for all they need in every part of their lives individually, and collectively as a nation chosen and blessed by God. 

This incredible blessing applies to us also—those of us who answer God’s Call into His family through our faith in Jesus. Even as He faithfully blessed the Children of Israel throughout their journey to the Promised Land, we are blessed as He accompanies and leads us as we walk with Him in faith toward the Promised Land in New Heaven and New Earth. He is, indeed, our Shalom. We have peace much deeper than we can fully comprehend, whether our days be calm or stormy. We have nothing to fear, even as we follow Him through Jesus, and are led by the Holy Spirit every day.

Coming next week:
We will examine how God’s Shalom
was embodied in the life of Jesus
and how His teachings
offer us this life-changing reality
which transforms our turbulent lives
with His Shalom.

Jesus Seeks His Lost Sheep

JESUS SEEKS HIS LOST SHEEP

Jesus seeks His lost sheep
and I am so grateful
for I have wandered far too often
and He has sought me out
and put me on His shoulders
and every time
has taken me home.

And I am just one lost sheep
and so is Peter, and
Matthew, the woman at the well, a
tax collector, a man
paralyzed, the thief on the
cross, a woman
who touched his robe.

All of us wandering so
lost and dangerously
alone but our Good Shepherd
leaves the ninety-nine
and in the darkness comes out
into the night
and carries us home.

Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on from there,
He saw a man named Matthew
sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
“Follow me,” He told him,
and Matthew got up and followed Him.

Imagine Matthew as
he sat there feeling so
isolated and so hated
by his own people he
had cheated for enemies
who ruled them and
taxed all they had owned.

John 4:25-26
The woman said, “I know that Messiah”
(called Christ) “is coming.
When he comes,
he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared,
“I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Who would have believed it?
Jesus the Messiah
came seeking me with no
reputation and met
me at Jacob’s well seeking
to quench my thirst
for living water.

Matthew 8:2-3
A man with leprosy came
and knelt before him and said,
“Lord, if you are willing,
you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand
and touched the man.
“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Immediately he was
cleansed of his leprosy.

We lepers have no name
but I believe Jesus knew
my name and He cared so for me
He willingly touched me
with compassion and His Love,
healed, restored
when His touch healed me.

Luke 5 24-25
But I want you to know
that the Son of Man
has authority on earth
to forgive sins.”
So he said to the paralyzed man,
“I tell you, get up,
take your mat and go home.”
Immediately he stood up in front of them,
took what he had been lying on
and went home praising God.

Who could have friends like mine
who carried me through the
crowd and up on the roof and through
the hole they opened up
so Jesus could see my heart
and heal my soul
and then send me home?

Luke 8:43-48
And when the woman saw
that she was not hidden,
she came trembling, and falling down
before him
declared in the presence
of all the people
why she had touched him,
and how she had been immediately healed.
And he said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has made you well;
go in peace.”

My body was so unclean
the Law declared me one
untouchable—I was alone
and no one could reach out
and help me, but when I touched
Jesus, He knew
me, loved, set me free.

Luke 23:42-43
And he was saying,
“Jesus, remember me
when You come into Your kingdom!”
And He said to him, “Truly I say to you,
today you will be
with Me in Paradise.”

When I heard Him pray for
God to forgive those who
were crucifying Him, I knew
He was different from the
other thieves I had had known—
I asked, He heard,
My God! Paradise!

John 21:15
When they had finished breakfast,
Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John,
do you love me more than these?”
He said to him,
“Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus knew me better
than I knew myself, He
knew the awful fear in my heart
and even so He died
for me and gave the chance to
declare my love
and forgive myself.

Jesus, Savior, Shepherd,
as just one of Your sheep,
I praise You with all of my heart
and with all of my soul—
when I was lost in the dark
Your  Love found me
and now I am home.

JESUS:KEEP GOING!

JESUS:KEEP GOING!!!

Last week  we looked at the twelve disciples who lived out their deep, heart-felt commitment to obey Jesus’s Great Commission. The Holy Spirit led and empowered them as they visited countries throughout much of the known world. They preached the Gospel, healed people, and established local churches. They taught people everywhere about Jesus, His Life and His Word. They gave themselves fully to obey their Lord wherever He led them. We believe from early church history that they all died as martyrs, except for John, who lived his long life, dying in Ephesus after his exile on Patmos. Interestingly, the disciples traveled amost continuously, even as far as India, where early. church history says Thomas ministered and died. 

During times of famine and persecution Jewish leadership in Jerusalem violently opposed the Apostles and the early church. One of their strongest persecutors, Saul of Tarsus, met Jesus on the road to Damascus. That meeting changed his life and the life of the church forever. God’s Work in him led to his becoming the Apostle Paul. He eventually took three missionary journeys, which God used to establish strong and growing churches throughout modern Greece and Turkey. His work concluded in Rome, where he gave his life as a martyr for His beloved world.

FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY:
Antioch in Syria, Cyprus (Salamis and Paphos,)
Modern Turkey (Perga, Pisisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe
Attalia
SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY:
Antioch in Syria, Syria, Cilicia, Phrygia, Galatia (Visiting Lystra and Derbe Again,
Macedonia and Greece (Entering Europe)
Troas, Samothrace, Neapolitan, Philippi, Thessalonica,
Berea, Athens, Corinth
Cenchrea, Ephesus, Caesarea, Jerusalem, Antioch
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
Antioch in Syria, Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus
Macedonia and Greece, (Achaia)
Journey to Jerusalem, Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Miletus, Cos,
Rhodes, Patara, Tyre, Ptolemaic, Caesarea, Jerusalem
FINAL VOYAGE TO ROME
Sidon, Myra, Fair Havens, Malta, Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli, Rome

Paul clearly understood his calling as a missionary assignment to spread the Gospel wherever God led Him. In doing so He purposefully trained leaders who led the churches and trained others to continue  making disciples. These included Timothy, Titus, Epaphras, Silas, Aquila and Priscilla, Tychyus, and Luke. Paul clearly expected even new believers and new churches to pray, to give toward fulfilling the needs of God’s people, and to go as God called them, some to evangelize and disciple in their own hometowns and regions, and some to follow God’s call to travel where the Gospel had never been heard before.

^{Acts 17: 22-32}

22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows:
“Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,
²³ for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines.
And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’
This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
²⁴ “He is the God who made the world and everything in it.
Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,
²⁵ and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs.
He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.
²⁶ From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth.
He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
²⁷ “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God
and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.
²⁸ For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said,
‘We are his offspring.’
²⁹ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God
as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
³⁰ “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.
³¹ For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed,
and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
³² When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead,
some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”

Wherever He preached, Paul clearly explained the Gospel in terms the local people could understand. He clearly presented Jesus as the One who could save all people everywhere. He clearly respected the people for who they were, so He did not speak down to them, but He challenged them to find in Jesus the One their hearts and minds had been searching for.

This is the point: Without the Great Commission and how faithfully the original Apostles, and the Apostle Paul, and countless other early Christians lived and died to fulfill Jesus’ commandment to take the Gospel to the whole world, we would be lost today. We must continue just as faithfully praying, giving and spreading the Gospel until those near, far, and farther still have had their chance to hear the Great Good News of Jesus as the One who can reconcile them to our great God of Love.

JESUS: GO!!!

JESUS:GO!!!

The “GO!!!” In the Great Commission makes Jesus’ command clear. As His disciples we are always on the move in our homes, in our churches, in our communities, our towns, our counties, our states, our country, and our world—spreading the Good News of Jesus, persuading people to answer His offer of salvation through Him and Him alone. Yet we are intent, not just on making converts; we are obeying His command to make people disciples—faithful followers and learners seeking to see Him transform the lives of others until they are also making disciples. We do not think about boundaries. We do not think the Great Commission has work for us only where we are comfortable with family and friends. We go beyond those boundaries and take His challenge wherever there are people who do not know God’s Love and His Salvation for us through Jesus and a life of challenging, fulfilling, joyful discipleship as we follow Him wherever and however He leads. We stand strong upon His Word, the Bible, and confidently find there His direction and inspiration we must share with others on their own discipleship road. We are constantly asking our Heavenly Father in prayer; what can I do here at home, all around me, and everywhere in the world to fulfill the calling you have for me to see that the Great Commission challenge is answered everywhere in this world?

The twelve disciples of Jesus demonstrated through their lives after His death and resurrection and ascension a clear sense of commitment to fulfill the Great Commission challenge He placed so clearly before them as He lived with them and discipled them. As He did for them, they did for others, and down through the years His disciples have done for others. Now, having been blessed and discipled by others we must rise and meet the challenge to continue the pattern of being discipled to disciple others in Jesus’ Name. We are driven by the urgency of this task entrusted to us, and we choose not to be limited by worldly boundaries, whether they be geographical or cultural. We choose to surrender ourselves and our inadequacies and fears to Jesus as the Holy Spirit empowers us to see Him accomplish the fulfillment of the Great Commission through our praying, through our giving, and through our going as He leads us. We purposefully open our hearts to every surprising open door He sets before us. In every way, even as the original disciples did so fully, we GO!!!

JESUS:GO
ME:WHERE?
JESUS:WHEREVER I SEND YOU
ME:HOW?
JESUS:IN MY POWER
ME:WHEN?
JESUS:EVERYDAY
ME:WILL YOU GO WITH ME?
JESUS:ALWAYS

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE DISCIPLES?
HOW DID THEY OBEY THE GREAT COMMISSION?

PETER
A Fisherman From Galilee
Preached On The Day Of Pentecost
Wrote First and Second Peter
Died A Martyr In Rome

ANDREW
A Fisherman From Galilee
A Disciple Of John The Baptist
Introduced His Brother, Peter, To Jesus
Preached In Asia
Died A Martyr in Greece

JAMES
A Fisherman From Galilee
Brother Of John
A Son (With John) Of Thunder
Died The First Disciple Martyred In Jerusalem

JOHN
A Fisherman From Galilee
Brother of James
A Son (With John) Of Thunder
Exiled To Patmos In The Aegean Sea
Wrote The Gospel Of John, 1,2, and 3 John, Revelation
Led The Church In Ephesus
Died In Ephesus In Turkey

PHILIP
From Galilee
Witnessed To Nathanael
Brought Greeks To Jesus
Preached In Turkey, Greece, And Syria
Died A Martyr In Hierapolis In Turkey

NATHANAEL/BARTHOLOMEW
From Cana
A Skeptic Until He Met Jesus
Preached In Iraq, India, Persia, Armenia
Died A Martyr In Armenia Or India

THOMAS
From Galilee
Preached In Persia, Iraq, And India
Died A Martyr In India

MATTHEW (LEVI)
From Galilee
A Tax Collector
Wrote Matthew
Preached In Ethiopia And Persia
Died A Martyr In Iran Or Ethiopia

JAMES (SON OF ALPHAEUS)
From Galilee
Preached In Syria And Egypt
Died A Martyr In Egypt

THADDAEUS
From
(Also Called Judas or Jude)
Might Have Written Jude
Preached In Iraq And Armenia
Died A Martyr In Lebanon or Armenia or Persia

SIMON THE ZEALOT
From Galilee
A Zealot Who Opposed Roman Rule
Preached In Egypt, North Africa, Persia, Maybe Britain
Died A Martyr In Persia or Turkey or Samaria, Or Maybe, Britain

MATTHIAS
Chosen To Replace Judas Iscariot
Chosen By Lot
Preached In Turkey
Died A Martyr In Jerusalem Or Colchis On The Black Sea In Central Europe

NOTES: We depend not on Scripture, but on early church history as we determine where we believe the disciples preached the Gospel, and where they died, most of them as martyrs.

A Disciple’s Prayer

Father of us all,
Father of our Savior,
our Lord Jesus;
we praise You
for Your gift
of Salvation
in Jesus.

We confess we could
never save ourselves,
we can only
look to the life,
the death and
the resurrection
our Our Lord Jesus.

We confess we
have not only
been gifted
Salvation;
we have been
discipled
to follow Him.

We have been
discipled
by the Holy Spirit,
by Your Holy Word,
by Your faithful
disciples and
by their holy lives.

We ask you to
make us faithful
as is our Savior,
as were His disciples,
as are those who
disciple us
even now.

We ask you to
take us as Your own
and use us
according
to Your perfect Will
wherever, whenever
You choose.

Amen.

Would You Take A Trip With Me? Part 2

In Nigeria ethnic, tribal and family relationships provide strong structural unity for groups within the country. For Nigerians unity within the group gives individuals the opportunity to thrive together, each one helping others, and in turn being helped, themselves,  to reach their full potential. Psalm 133:1 serves as an excellent Baptist High School verse which illuminates this challenge: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” It reminds me of my Algebra teacher in high school, Mr. Edgar.  He practiced this process quite well. He taught us the lesson for the day, and then allowed us to work together, through problems as we practiced the algebra concepts for the day. We thrived in that environment, helping each other and so, helping ourselves truly grasp the material. At Baptist High School I met a school community built on the foundation of Christ and God’s Word, learning to live in unity, learning, working, playing and growing together. In a boarding house school, having such a shared emphasis on becoming godly men and women, supporting and challenging each other along the way, strengthened every student and gave them the encouragement and discipline they needed to reach their full potential as God had gifted them. I appreciated how we talked much more in terms of “we” and not so much focusing on “I.” In the end, most students discovered that practicing the acronym JOY, (That’s Jesus, others, then yourself.) would make them much more successful even as individuals. I particularly enjoyed seeing this unity in practice as I was given the privilege of serving as a housemaster in one of our three dorms.

I had the privilege of spending a school year
in one of three boys dorms
serving as a housemaster.

During my time as the Whirley Housemaster I learned more about Nigerians and Nigerian boarding house culture than in anything else I ever did at Baptist High School during my eighteen years as a teacher, a discipleship leader, a drama group leader, Vice-Principal, and then Principal. Each dorm room balanced older with younger students, encouraging mentoring relationships and friendships across the classes. Many of the boys formed life-long friendships as they shared small spaces and definite responsibilities. Boys washed their own uniforms in buckets, and were expected to keep them neatly ironed. They cleaned the dorm themselves, and divided responsibilities. Admittedly older boys sometimes crossed the line as they were tempted to use the younger boys to do personal tasks they did not want to do for themselves. All in all, the godliest seniors did the best in this area of Christian mentoring. My housemaster role gave me a unique opportunity to model Christ-like leadership. I remember how the Senior Prefect (the student leader for the entire school) surprised everyone in Whirley House when we cleaned the showers and the toilets one time. No one wanted to do those jobs. This experiment led to many conversations about Biblical leadership.

All boys and girls at Baptist High School rose early each morning, around 5 A.M., to do their assigned tasks. They also had to shower  or take a bucket bath before their first classes which began at 7:20. They did not have their breakfast until 9:00. They had classes until 2:00, then lunch, followed by  a brief rest, and games from 3:00-4:30, along with lab classes for the sciences.  They played basketball, volleyball, badminton, and participated in various track and field events. Then they had dinner, followed by Prep Time back in their classrooms, until 9:00, when they headed to their dorm to prepare for bed. It was a long, demanding day, and the younger students, some of them 11 or 12, were worn out by the time lights-out came. One of my biggest challenges was getting the less exhausted older students to settle down so that the younger students in their rooms could rest. On Wednesday afternoons there were no games, but students participated in one of the choirs, R.A.’s for boys and G.A.’s for girls, and the Torchbearers drama group. R.A.’s and G.A.’s provided missions education, with students being given opportunities to advance through levels of Bible, mission study, and missions service projects. As a housemaster, I occasionally had to make sure older students did not take extra naps in their rooms while others attended the required clubs and ministry opportunities. The Baptist High School schedule provided days filled with community  based activities, but not much private time. This was at that time a reflection of Nigerian values based upon strong family and cultural relationships.

I had the opportunity in Whirley House, where I served, to lead a discipleship group for older boys, who had not had the opportunity to join any other discipleship group. They would gather in my room as others were getting ready to end their day. I particularly enjoyed their openess to this time to grow in their Christian faith through Bible Study, prayer, and sometimes challenging, always lively discussions about the issues they were facing as teenage boys, pretty much the same as boys everywhere. These boys’ lives proved how powerful God’s Word could be as the Holy Spirit worked in them as they dealt with the challenges they faced in school, their preparing to qualify for further studies, friendships, and family. God often answered their questions which might have seemed to them unanswerable, through His Word.

I learned a lot about myself during this time living with about eighty boys, but I learned even more about how beautifully He worked in each of these young lives—preparing them to become godly Christian men in their future lives as professionals in many fields, including medicine, law, engineering, teaching, banking, ministry and so many others. One particular student kept me on my toes, and taught me to be humble in making my own presuppositions. He was hard working, godly, cooperative and lived a good example in every way except one. He had not had the advantage of some of his dorm-mates as far as his primary school preparation was concerned, He really had to work hard to succeed, and so he worked throughout the night, too often for his physical and mental well-being, as far as I was concerned. Often at night I would check the rooms to make sure everyone was getting some sleep. Too often I would catch him out in the circle studying one subject or another. I would send him to bed, but he always spent, in my opinion, too much time “burning the midnight oil,” as they say. He never reached the top of his class during his years at Baptist High, but he made steady progress. He later studied at the Nigerian Baptist Seminary. Then, he taught at a Pastor’s School. Next, he went back to Seminary and earned an M.Div. Finally, he persevered and earned his Ph.D, again at the Seminary. At times his health did, indeed, become an issue, but through God’s grace, he is now teaching at a College of Theology and is also busy going among his own people in his area of Nigeria, evangelizing with Holy Spirit inspired zeal, even though travel in those areas where he preaches the Gospel are less than save. He has taught me that humility, hard work, commitment, and faithfulness make a person a powerful tool in the hands of our Lord.

I thank God for all that he and hundreds of others godly boys and girls, along with their faithful teachers, taught me in my time at Baptist High School. It just goes to show that God knows where and when we need to be serving Him, as we do, He blesses us so richly we can hardly find words to adequately praise Him. He holds us each in His sure and mighty hands, and we find how mighty is His Kingdom as He leads us among His people and continues to build that Kingdom wherever He leads us.

Would You Take A Trip With Me?

Would You Take A Trip With Me?

Would you take a trip with me
to the edge of the  high plateau
dividing the north from the south
in the land of Nigeria?

A plateau ridged by stark yet
boldly beautiful giant stones
tossed about by volcanoes as
if giants were playing ball.

Such stones as serve as stronger walls
anchoring houses on sloping
hills where garden patches grow
along with green cacti . . .

where often the winds blow clean and
cool and the skies above appear bright
and blue until harmattan
winds sometimes hide the hills.

***************

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

***************

Baptist High School, Jos, classrooms provided me
with a great setting for beginning God’s missionary calling on my life.

Well designed with so many louvered windows, for all of the pleasantly warm weather we experienced on the edge of the Jos Plateau in the middle of Nigeria, these classrooms were usually filled to overflowing with thirty to forty students from throughout the country. In my first years of teaching I taught Form One English, which meant that young, sometimes very young brand new secondary school students filled the classroom so full, I had to carefully walk up and down narrow aisles to oversee my students’ work. Discipline issues hardly ever arose—the culture strongly enforced respect for authority, so teachers rarely had to raise their voices. As it worked out, I taught about half of the first-year students, and a dear colleague from Pennsylvania taught the others. Well, by the end of the year, my students tended to sound like any seventh grader in Alabama, while hers sounded more like Pennsylvanians. That set up a dynamic, competitive yet fun relationship among our first year students. At the heart of my memories though, are the joy I found in teaching students who were so eager to learn. They were determined to succeed in English and in all of their subjects as they prepared for their future. Most of all I found myself amazed at their hearts full of desire for God. Almost every student energetically sought to discover all God had to offer them in finding Christ as their Savior. So, He provided us many opportunities to experience together His loving involvement in all of our lives.

Since students needed to hear standard English, my colleague and I read each day from the C.S. Lewis book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I still remember eager faces as we followed Lucy, Susan, Peter and Edmund through their adventures in Narnia; as they met talking animals, an evil and cruel queen, and most of all, the powerful, good, and noble, lion King, and Christ figure, Aslan. I recall watching these young boys and girls while their eyes grew large, when Edmund fell under the spell of Turkish Delight, which fed his uncontrollable and selfish hunger for pleasure until he deserted his own brother and sisters, and fled to join the evil queen. Only Aslan could save him, but in order to do so, he had to lay down his life in place of Edmund’s. I remember as I read about Lucy and Susan watching Aslan’s sacrifice. So many of my students were crying. They felt deeply the truth we were reading. Aslan was giving his life, even as Jesus did for each of us. But, when Aslan rose up again, there were cheers in that classroom, as these same students spontaneously celebrated the power of his resurrection. During our years together with these students at Baptist High School, I rejoiced as many found Christ as their Savior and grew steadily in their faith. Even today forty-four years later, I hear testimonies from among them about the faithfulness of God in their lives. Praise be to HIs Holy Name!

2 Corinthians 5:17
If any man be in Christ
he is a new creation,
old things are passed away,
behold, all things are become new.

If I had needed more than these eager, spiritually hungry students to encourage me while God led me through my years there, He provided more blessings than I could count to assure me. He had led me to the perfect place, and among the perfect people where I could serve Him. Not that there were no challenges, nor disappointments, nor anxieties nor fears. Those accompany us wherever God takes us in life, but as we trust and follow Him, He really does make our paths straight. One incident still speaks to my heart as one of many miraculous events which inspired  my heart with faith and trust. I was teaching in one of those classrooms one day when I looked out those banks of windows to see a sight that almost stopped my heart. It was a veritable swarm (or kaleidoscope or flutter or rabble or flight) of butterflies dancing their way before our eyes as it seemed they were headed on their way toward the lowlands past the edge of the plateau. As I recall that beautiful, visible miracle of encouragement from God, I could not help but recognize that God was speaking to our hearts, my students and myself, His redemptive, His resurrecting love for each of us so beautifully embodied by the butterflies who were celebrating their metamorphosis. If you go looking for me in Heaven, you might look out for me joyfully busy among the flower gardens and butterflies—where I’m likely to be somewhere busy amidst the glory of our Lord.

Wherever you might find me, be assured I would  be gladly doing whatever my loving Savior, Jesus has planned for me. My introduction to a longtime calling to mission work in Nigeria, and then in Nigeria, certainly introduced me to the wonders of discovering how good God’s Way is—how invigorating and redemptive His path is, even if He leads me faraway from home and those I have known as family and friends. When He called me into missions in Ludowici, Georgia, He knew what He had in store—and though I had several steps to to take along His path, before He had me ready to serve Him at Baptist High School, Jos. In fact, I had a year of studies at Jacksonville State, earning the required M.A. in English so that I would be qualified for teaching. I had the opportunity to work for my home association of churches, the Etowah Baptist Association, preparing for and leading in the Summer Missions Program. Then I found great fulfillment in working alongside some faithful Moms in my home church, Glencoe First Baptist Church, in carrying on a children’s worship program. He even treated me to four years in St. Marys, Georgia among the Heaven Bound Youth Group and their wonderful parents, where he demonstrated over and over again how good it is to work among good and godly folks who love the Lord. Always, He was teaching me to trust Him with all my heart, and even now, so many years after my journey with Him began, He continues to delight me with new opportunities for service, new examples of His wonderful people—and more and more of His glory in the person of our loving Savior, Jesus. Praise God!

Serendipity Testimonies Part Two

 

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you,
and will tell you
great and hidden things
that you have not known.

Every Serendipity

Every serendipity
delights us with yet
another lovely
gift of God’s grace . . .

Whether it be a
wonder in the heavens
or a mighty marvel
here on this earth . . .

God smiles on us with such
miraculous acts of
personal love to
revive our hearts . . .

as we seek Him while His loving
Spirit  leads us towards
His face a perfect
picture of His grace.

 

John 8:12:
 “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14
 “You are the light of the world.”

Darkness of the leaves at sunset cannot keep out the light;  just as the morning light causes those same leaves to glow brilliant green, the light will find its way to show itself and illuminate His creation. As I watch, I’m reminded of His light; His presence with its warmth, illumination, comfort and love. Then I remember I’m to be that light to others! Let it be so. 

Felicia Butler, Rincon, Georgia

Serendipity Testimonies, Part One

Serendipity Testimonies, Part One

Pam and Tommy Johnson, Glencoe, Alabama

While my Dlife group was studying Jude, Tommy studied it with me. As I shared in Sunday School a couple of weeks ago, the second part of Jude 1:1 really blessed and delighted us both. As many times as we have read Jude, we never before noticed the beauty in this verse. God loves us both so much, and we are so special to him, that he called US, that WE are loved by God the Father, and that we are KEPT for Jesus Christ! We both feel so unworthy but so blessed and thankful! It’s like, all of a sudden, God just poured this verse all over us!🙌🏻

Wilma and Mike Yopp, Rainbow City, Alabama

We love our morning and evening walks in our neighborhood, which is in a wooded area.   There was a hibiscus plant we enjoyed watching every morning. Each bloom began as a tight closed bulb; then,  the next morning it would be a wide open beautiful bloom. Then by evening the bloom would close the concluding its lovely, yet brief  life. And yet the base of the bloom contained four segments filled with tiny little seeds for the next generation of hibiscus  plants. 

This beautiful plant grew not in a light and temperature-controlled green house or even in a well-maintained garden area; instead,  it grew in a ditch on the side of the road. 

Bloom where you are planted. Allow God to use you even if it may seem to be only for a short time. 

Adeshina Duro Emma, Jos, Nigeria

I walked into Nigeria Baptist Theological Seminary bookshop with one purpose—to buy a particular book. But as I searched the shelves, something unexpected happened: I stumbled upon a devotional book I had been searching for over three years. I wasn’t looking for it that day, yet there it was, right before my eyes. I was amazed. I was delighted. That’s serendipity—finding something wonderful by what looks like chance while pursuing something else entirely. But as believers, we know that what appears to be “chance” is often God’s providence at work. He delights in ordering our steps and surprising us with His goodness at just the right time.”The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” — Psalm 37:23 (KJV)
Sometimes, while we are faithfully pursuing one assignment, God leads us to the very blessing we’ve long been anticipating. What looks like coincidence may actually be divine providence—the quiet fingerprints of God on an ordinary afternoon. “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) We make our plans, chart our course, set out with a single purpose in mind. But God, in His sovereignty, often steers us toward blessings we never planned for—reminding us that His ways are higher, and His timing is perfect.

All Of Our Lives Together

All of our lives together
beautifully resemble
a meadow sprinkled
with God’s own flowers
each one like His own
delightful testimony
to His love for each
of His children He
invites to find joy
even in this shadowed
world He will one day
transfigure to reveal
such glories as we can
scarcely imagine
here—but one day they
will all in Him be real.

NOTE: More serendipities to come next week as we share together testimonies from a few more friends. In the meantime keep you eyes and hearts wide-open. Our Lord has some blessings prepared just for you. 

A Serendipity—God Reaching Out To You

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power
at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.

A Serendipity—God Reaching Out To You[

Any serendipity
is God reaching out to you
because He loves you more
than you have ever guessed.

You get so busy every day
as you rush along your way,
you hurry right on past His
parables of love.

You must listen carefully,
open wide your eyes and see
surprises for your delight
each one a gift of love.

He opens wide His loving arms
for those who open their own
and welcome His forgiving
embrace, His own true love.

************

Well, some of you may be asking, “What in the world is a serendipity?” That’s a good question. And that question has a fascinating answer. An eighteenth century British writer, Horace Walpole, coined the word, inspired by a Persian fairy tale, “The Three Princes of Serendip.” He explained serendipity as an accidental but delightful discovery. For instance, I was washing dishes one day, looking out our kitchen window, and alerted my wife, “Look, there’s a butterfly enjoying our flowers.” And even as I paused, while we gazed at the lovely sight, a hummingbird joined the butterfly. Now, seeing the butterfly was a surprise, but seeing the hummingbird right there with her, enjoying ours flowers also, quickened our hearts with joy. That’s a serendipity. 

Sir Alexander Fleming
serendipitously discovered
penicillin upon returning
to his lab after a summer vacation.

You might have heard how Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928 was shocked to find mold interfering with the growth of bacteria in one of his Petri dishes. That mold received the name penicillin and has saved the lives of millions worldwide since then. By God’s Grace, that was a serendipity. In fact, I believe true serendipities are acts of grace as God tweaks our noses, so-to-speak, in the midst of busy days to get our attention and remind us of His great Love. Our beautiful pair of visitors, a butterfly and a humming bird dancing among our flowers as we washed our dishes one day, certainly spoke, even sang to our hearts of God’s beauty in nature and His Love for us. This “Holy Spirit Surprise” certainly called our hearts toward worship. But that raises the question; can anything God does as the Father, Son or Spirit, truly be a surprise? The answer is: Yes!  God is so great that He constantly stretches our minds, hearts and souls to comprehend more and more of His glory. May our eyes always be wide-open and eager for the next serendipity He brings our way.

Romans 11:33-36
Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.

Imagine the thrill of seeing two whales jumping out of the ocean together as if they were synchronized swimmers. Imagine the creative power of God who made whales and every creature unique in nature so that all who see them must marvel at His glory. Imagine also the wonderful variety of saints who serve and worship together in any local body of Christ’s church. Each saint is being sanctified to play God’s assigned role in completing the perfect body of His Bride to see His Kingdom one day established in the New Heaven and New Earth. We should, then, be always looking expectantly upon our fellow saints-in-the-making to see the serendipity for the world they have been recreated to become.

Never Ignore A Serendipity
Never get in such a hurry, 
never grow so preoccupied,
never let worries overwhelm you,
never get so self-absorbed,
never let this old world distract you,
never let your woes blind you,
never take a pass on God’s glory.

. . .  and the very best serendipities of all are found in God’s Word, of course. If you have been reading your Bible for years, you know it happens . . . you find yourself reading a familiar passage once again, and there it is—God opens up a meaning, an insight, a word of encouragement you have never noticed before . . . a serendipity delivered straight from God’s heart to yours. He is so glorious, every word of Scripture opens up layer after layer of meaning. He is so loving, His Spirit directs you to such meaning, such insights, and such words of encouragement as you need for that particular day and beyond. Yes, serendipities in the midst of your everyday life, are blessed reminders of how true His truth is, and how powerful His strength is, and how beautiful His love is. Keep your senses ready, keep your soul seeking, and get ready to praise the Lord!

Next week we will look into particular serendipity scriptures which delight and enrich those who seek out God’s Truth and His Riches within His Word. In the meantime,  keep your ears tuned, your eyes wide-open just like a toddler in God’s Household faithfully trusting in our Heavenly Father to guide you as you discover serendipities even today. Amen!