God's Glory

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14)

Glory to God in the highest! Praise and thanksgiving for His inexpressible gift, Jesus Christ. In Jesus we behold God's glory and love.

Wishing you the Savior's joy and peace this Christmas.

Your fellow herald for Jesus,

Mary

Healing Thorns

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 12:7).

It was 4:00 AM when a searing pain in my foot roused me from my restless slumber. Six days post surgery things were worsening instead of improving. The pain medication did little to dull what felt like a stake driven through my foot. Exhausted and scared that something was seriously misaligned I poured out my fears and begged God for relief. Three years I struggled on and off with foot pain praying God would heal me without surgery, but He didn't. Now that I had succumbed to the surgeon's hand I wanted no part of suffering. But the Lord had allowed this thorn to show me a great revelation that humbled my proud heart.

As tears streamed down my face I felt a stirring in my soul as the Holy Spirit brought to mind this profound truth--Jesus Christ understands. My prayers for a pain-free life suddenly turned to praises that Jesus knows what horrific pain feels like. I thanked my Savior that He endured much worse when a nail was driven through His perfect feet on the cross. I blessed Jesus for His willingness to suffer and that He comforts me in my pain whether it is physical or emotional. He gets it because He experienced it too!   

The Bible records the prophecy given to Isaiah about the Messiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born. "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Still think God doesn't care or relate to your pain? No other earthly king ever suffered out of love for his people as our heavenly King Jesus did. Knowing that Jesus cares and understands comforted me while my foot continued to throb.

Most days I live under the illusion that I can control events in my life until God allows suffering to remove conceit from my heart. My thorns have taken many forms over the years: financial hardship, devastating loss of a loved one, a barren womb and empty arms that longed for my own children. Even Jesus had His own thorns to bear as He prepared to be crucified for us sinners. "The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head" (John 19:2). As the Father weaves together thorns for our lives they can be transformed from a crown of shame to one of glory as we humbly submit to His will in thanksgiving.

The Apostle Paul also beckoned the Lord three times for relief from his thorn only to be told that God's grace was sufficient for him (2 Corinthians 12:9). The power of Almighty God was more visible in the sustaining of Paul under torment than if He had removed what tortured Paul. God's grace and strength enabled Paul to praise God while he was in pain. Recalling those Scriptures in my hour of need carried me through my own suffering as I praised God for His mercy and love.

Life is messy and it hurts. For some it's more painful than it is for others, but the challenge is always the same. When we reach a crossroad will we look to the cross and follow Jesus who heals the brokenhearted, or will we let the thorns that pierce our hearts drive a bitter wedge between us and God? I was fortunate. A doctor visit revealed my foot pain was caused by friction between the bandage and my wound. It had rubbed the skin raw. Applying balm and getting rest healed me within a few days. While I'm still recovering from surgery I am no longer experiencing intense pain.

What about you? Are you making regular appointments with the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, who can help you find relief and insight regarding the thorns in your life? Suffering hasn't been fun or easy but it led to my salvation and gave me compassion toward others in pain. Will you trust God to use your thorns to heal you spiritually if not physically? "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary

 

Getting to Paradise

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

It's popular to talk only about God's unconditional love for humanity but not of His hatred of our sins. We can even gaze upon paintings or statues of Jesus nailed to the cross without being repentant. The horror of His crucifixion may stir up emotions of sorrow for all that Christ suffered, but do we put ourselves there among those scoffers on Good Friday demanding His torturous death? Most people are hopeful they will enter heaven because they believe they have lived a pretty good life; never seeing themselves as God's enemy who is separated from Him because of their sinful nature. It's easier to put other people into the category of criminals as we falsely believe we have earned our entrance into paradise.

Not long ago I was one of those people; desperately striving to pay my own way and judging other sinners more harshly than myself. In my eyes my good deeds far outweighed the bad and my sacrifices and rituals erased my shortcomings. Praise God for saving me from myself--what a hypocrite I was! It is only by His grace and His Holy Spirit that I was able to understand what Scripture tells us in John 14:6-7 when Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”  

One of my favorite stories is the conversation Jesus has with the criminal beside Him on the cross in Luke Chapter 23.When Jesus was crucified He hung on His cross between two criminals. In verse 39 one criminal hurled insults at Him saying: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” This thief wasn’t sorry for his sins. He just wanted Jesus to rescue him from the agony of crucifixion. The other thief acknowledged he was a sinner and deserved punishment, but proclaimed Jesus was perfect and did not. This criminal feared God and in verse 42 he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  In verse 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Why do I like that story? Because of the message of hope that Christ has paid the price for our entrance into paradise (heaven) with Him if we place our trust in His finished work on the cross. There was no time left for that repentant dying criminal to do anything (no good works) that would make him worthy of being in paradise (entering into heaven immediately upon his death) with Jesus. The only thing he did was to believe that Jesus died for his sins. This is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It’s all grace. 

On this Easter weekend if you died today would Almighty God welcome you into His heavenly kingdom? There's only one way to be sure--acknowledge your sinfulness and that Christ is your Savior. Until you bow before Jesus in adoration and repentance at the foot of the cross you will never walk beside Him in paradise. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary

The Scary Place of Grace

"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told" (Habakkuk 1:5).

This was the summer of change. Two years in the making, my husband's company merger was completed and our tenure in Raleigh ended. An offer on our house came from the first viewers hours after being listed. The sale closed on September 13 seventeen years to the day I came to Raleigh from Boston. It is God's plan that wisked us away from the home and friends that we loved. Change is scary and so is grace.

Why is grace a scary place to be? Because it means we're not in control. It was only an illusion that we ever were to begin with. We do our best to execute our plans, but it's the Lord that determines our path. God's grace is our hope and peace when the uncertain future frightens us as we mourn our comfortable past. Grace helps us to let go of our tightly clenched hands and reach for God's ever-loving hand. 

With big dreams and big sunglasses to cover the big tears I cried, I drove behind my husband's overloaded pickup truck to Charlotte. It's been almost two weeks now. We are living in a hotel in Uptown Charlotte as we house hunt in the suburbs. Each morning God meets me in my prayer time and His Spirit comforts me. I feel Him as I walk the city streets breathing silent prayers for family and friends as well as strangers passing briskly by. Grace has helped us adjust to this change.

These days Jon and I feel God's presence in magnitude. He has steered us away from houses we thought were right for us, so we are confident He will confirm the exact place we should purchase. Change is unsettling and that is good! Christ needs to shake us up to wake us up. Grace is becoming less scary as our trust in Him is increasing.

Are you scared of major change in your life? It's natural to be hesitant but don't let your worries consume you. Take them to the Lord and watch His supernatural power work miracles in your life. This journey is where you will see His grace in abundance and your trust in God will increase if you release your fears. Don't be scared, be excited! "For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you wer told" Habakkuk 1:5.

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary

From Mad to Glad

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul” (Mark 8:36)?

 Not so many years ago my attitude was more mad than glad. Smiling and cheering for others on the outside, I was weeping and coveting on the inside. To be married with children represented completeness to me. Without them I was convinced I could not be happy with my life. So I prayed to have all my dreams come true so I could be satisfied. Yet the harder I pursued my desires the further the Lord removed the manifestation of my dreams until they became impossible to fulfill myself.

 To medicate the pain I looked for comfort in many places—a new job, new clothes, or an exotic vacation. They were short term fixes that eventually left me financially and spiritually in debt. I thought things couldn’t get worse. Then my health began to deteriorate along with my love life, and so did my faith in God’s goodness. I thought He was mad at me and could not understand why the good things I did in life did not outweigh the bad things. Something had to change, but I did not know how to fix myself. Then Jesus broke through.

On a week-long hiking trip as I grumbled to God His divine finger reached from heaven and touched my heart. In an instant He changed me from mad to glad; melting my anger with His love. It wasn’t the time away that changed my attitude, but that I gave my life away to Christ on that vacation. My circumstances hadn’t changed. In fact, they worsened over the next several months. Yet my joy increased.

How can you explain that other than a work of God’s grace?! You may be discouraged by unanswered prayer and hanging your happiness on the fulfillment of your dreams. But what if God wants to give you a different vision for your life? Will you put your trust in Jesus for the salvation and satisfaction of your soul?

Your best days on earth will one day pale in comparison to the treasure that awaits you in heaven. Whether married, single, widowed or divorced, let Jesus walk beside you in this life so you can walk beside Him in eternity. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul” (Mark 8:36)? Your fellow sojourner and herald for Christ, Mary