Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed...

Psalms 85:10 says,

"Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed."

We see this fulfillment in the birth, death and resurrection of Christ, our Savior. Yes, it is the celebration of His birth, and with it the beginning of the fulfillment of this scripture. Righteousness represents the law which was never meant to be more than our "schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ," (Gal 3:2) but Peace is representative of the grace and mercy which Christ brings.

Imagine two separate worlds, one where we as sinners live, the other as Heaven where God abides. Now, Imagine the cross joining these two worlds with Christ's death and resurrection. Remember the Holy of Holies in the temple? Only a few, privileged priests were allowed into this sanctuary with the presence of God Himself. But, Christ bridged the gap, as we read in Mark 15:38, making a way for us to enter! The veil was torn asunder and the way was made for us to "cross over."

While we celebrate Christ's birth with all the beautiful lights, gifts and spectacular musical tributes, let's not forget the reason that Jesus came. He came to bring together sinners with the sinless King of Kings; He came so that righteousness and truth might come together in perfect harmony; He came so that the law might be fulfilled. The fulfillment of the law meant a perfect sacrifice must be made for sins. Christ fulfilled that righteous requirement perfectly when He bore sins' penalty on the cross. He also fulfilled the need for grace, peace and mercy. How desperately we need that! By paying for our sins, He has brought all of the grace, peace and mercy we need.

In John 1:14, 16-17, we read of this amazing phenomenon... "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

No wonder the angels sang that night! No wonder the shepherds "came with haste" to the manger of the newborn king! No wonder we love Christmas! For indeed, righteousness and peace have come together...the gulf is gone!

Women in the Line of Christ

Have you ever wondered about the four women other than Mary, mentioned in Christ's lineage in Matthew 1? Two of them were prostitutes, one was a Moabitess, and the other was an adulteress. When we consider these four women in the line of Jesus, we should never doubt that God can use anyone regardless of their past!

First, there was Tamar whom we read about in Genesis 38. She became a childless widow after she married Judah's oldest son and he passed away.
Judah, her father-in-law, did not keep his promise to find her a replacement husband by giving her to his second son, so she took matters into her own hand and "played the harlot" with her own father-in-law! In due time, she bore twin sons, Perez and Zerah. Through the family line of Perez, we have our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Joshua chapters two and six, we read of Rahab who hid the spies. She was not only a harlot, but also was not Jewish. She saved her whole family when the wall of Jericho fell, and she became the wife of Salmon and their son was Boaz, which brings us to Boaz's wife, Ruth. She came from the land of Moab whose people descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter. She was not one of the chosen people through birth, but was grafted in when she proclaimed that she would follow the true God of Israel. We read her remarkable account in the book which bears her name. She became a widow when her husband, Naomi's son died and followed her mother-in-law, back to Israel and became a part of God's chosen people.

And finally, we come to Bathsheba. Perhaps we all know this account in II Samuel chapters 11-12. Here we see King David lusting after a woman who was another man's wife. Their immoral relationship brought about the birth of a child that died as God's judgment was upon them. But, God was gracious and later gave them Solomon from whose line, Christ came.

Who would've thought that Christ would have such "mothers?" We are tempted to dismiss such women as too tainted by sin to be much of anything. How often in society, these women are shunned or their children are looked down on. This in no way excuses their sin, for the Bible is clear regarding purity. Yet, we must remember that Christ came to bring forgiveness and cleansing to even the most vile.

For we read Christ's own words in Matthew 18:11, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." No one is too far gone for Him!

Are you feeling lost? Do you feel your past is tainted with some sin too ugly to imagine Christ forgiving you? Then, look at those whom He included in His own family! Surely, there is a message of forgiveness and redemption to be found here. Will you trust Him, the babe in the manger with all of your past, sins and all? He is waiting for you!

Jesus Doeth All Things Well...

"All the way my Savior leads me what have I to ask besides. Can I doubt His tender mercy Who through life has been my guide. Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell. For I know whatever befalls me, Jesus doeth all things well."

The last part of this verse from a familiar hymn, came to me in March of this year as Michael lay in a hospital bed at KU Medical Center. I am thankful that Jesus brought it to my mind. Yet, I do not fully understand how allowing Michael to suffer like this is "well." In this life we will never fully understand that. It is beyond our comprehension.

Perhaps some of the "well" is that a family member who had estranged herself from Michael, came to the hospital that very week and mended the fence. Perhaps it is "well" when a gentleman who Michael barely knew came to the hospital and told him that he had been doing some serious thinking about his soul in light of what Michael was going through. Perhaps, it is "well" when you see how God provided for all of Michaels' lost income during his times of being unable to work. Perhaps it is "well" when you know that their neighbors came and offered their ranch home for Michael and Shawna to move into while they found a more suitable home. And, perhaps it is "well" that through all of this, God is leading Michael through this valley for a reason. I believe that someday he may have a ministry that would never have been possible had his life followed a more "normal" path.

"All the way my Savior leads me, oh the fullness of His love. Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father's house above. When my spirit clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way." Fanny Crosby

Belated Thanksgiving...

Psalms 9:1-2

I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart;

I will show forth all thy marvelous works.

I will be glad and exult in thee;

I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.

I know that the official Thanksgiving day is past, but I believe that any day is a good day to give thanks to God.

This year of 2010 has been a difficult year for the Wright family. My brother Michael's cancer, my Aunt Charlotte passing away unexpectedly, and another family member going through a very difficult time has all contributed to sadness and tears. Yet, through all of this, God has been faithful again and again.

I give thanks for God's provision in my own life...for the privilege of owning several Bibles without fear of imprisonment...for health...for friends and family...for allowing me to go on two vacations this year, one to Michigan and one to Ohio and Indiana...for church families...for education and talents...for freedom here in America and there is so much more! I have much more than so many in this world even at my lowest point.

Being a part of such a wonderful family, the Wright family, has brought many blessings to me. A regular part of my life is visiting my Uncle Kenny, wife Darlene and their children on Sunday nights after church. Thanksgiving day found me spending time at my cousin Kristina's house with her family and others. And, there have been other fun times with my family, and our Christmas gathering coming up on December 18. We'll be going to see Christmas lights together and then enjoy a carry in meal.

God has worked it out for me to live in my Grandma's basement apartment for more than 7 years. This fall, we did some painting in the kitchen, dining area and living room. One of the last things was putting a new laminate floor into the kitchen and dining area! It's like having a new place! For all of that I am grateful.

Of course, I am just scratching the surface of all that I have to be thankful for, but this is a good start!

A wonderful Holiday season to all!

Displaying the work of God...

In John 9:1-12 we read the account of Jesus healing a man born blind. The disciples asked a question of Jesus, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life..."
Truly amazing! Our nature as humans is to often think more "logically" or to see the dark side of those things which are imperfect, painful and ugly. It is hard to understand why God allows sufferings of such magnitudes in our lives. Right now, my little cousin is suffering with serious vision problems. She has tested at the legally blind level. And, of course, my brother, Michael, has been suffering for more than seven months with the realities of cancer, leg amputation, and horrible phantom pain.
We know that since sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, everything is affected by sin and is cursed (Genesis 3:1-19). We know that all of creation is groaning as it awaits for redemption (Romans 8:19-22). Yet, we also know that God is in control of everything and could keep believers and innocent people from suffering. Yet, He chooses not to. This is so hard to understand. We really can't explain why some suffer and others do not. We must leave that in the hands of a sovereign and loving God who always does what is right. Hosea 14:9 tells us "...The ways of the Lord are right..."
So, we are left with placing our trust in God, no matter what. One of His purposes for allowing suffering is clear in the passage from John 9. He allows suffering at times so that His power and work may be displayed! In Isaiah 61:3, we see that God has provided for those who grieve an opportunity to be "for the display of His splendor." It seems this was the purpose for the blind man in John 9. It truly was an opportunity for God's splendor and work to be displayed as this fellow gave honor to Jesus for healing him.
While he may not see it so clearly, my brother Michael has certainly been a display of the splendor of God and a showcase for His work. So many have been blessed as they see Michael trusting in God, no matter what. What a challenge for all of us...allowing Him to show Himself in our lives through our pain and suffering...

Palm Tree Religion (Part 2)

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.'" Psalms 92:12-14

It was our privilege, here in Overland Park, KS, to witness this scripture being lived out over the weekend as Esther Edwards Dotson came to speak at our Ladies' Retreat. She also did two concerts in the area on Sunday.
On Saturday, at the retreat, she talked with tears, of losing her husband, Tim, unexpectedly, with no warning when he was only 37. For one year, she felt such pain, even while trying to read her Bible and pray. Did she allow this to cause her fall away from Christ? No.
She spoke of a complete surrender of her life to Christ many years earlier, beside her bed, as her family visited Bolivia. There she felt God's presence in a very real way. She had no idea what lay ahead, and that someday her faith would be tested to this extreme.
But, God has proven Himself faithful in her life. She is flourishing, and continues to minister now as the Co-director of an after school program with public school children in her local school district in Indiana. She has truly been "planted in the house of the Lord" as she sings with her 4 beautiful children the praises of God. She is bearing fruit as she proclaims the faithfulness of God in spite of her great sorrow. She is still declaring that Christ is her "Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him."
What a challenge! No matter what may come, by His grace we can be flourishing in Christ.

Palm Tree Religion

Psalms 1:3 "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

A number of years ago, Bro. Albert Barr preached a wonderful message at Kansas
State Holiness Camp called "Palm Tree Religion." In his own unique way, Bro. Barr likened the life of the Christian to the life of a palm tree. In addition to being a preacher, Bro. Barr was also a Science teacher and loved to study what God created. In this unique message, Bro. Barr explained how as Christians, we can live a life so grounded and rooted in Christ, that no matter what comes or goes, our lives can prosper and be fruitful for Christ.
One of the most interesting parts of this unique message, was when Bro. Barr described how the palm tree is some times put through a very seemingly brutal procedure which causes the tree to "weep tears." This process produces a very sweet and useful substance which is appropriately called "tears." How beautiful! God sometimes puts His children through such difficult things, that to an unbeliever would seem cruel!
I think of my own very special brother, Michael. His life was forever altered on March 20th of this year when his Femur broke unexpectedly. A diagnoses of bone cancer soon followed, and then, a complete amputation! Talk about tears! Many actual tears were shed by different ones at that time and in the weeks and months to follow as Michael has suffered unbearable pain and discouragement.
Yet, through it all, I believe God has a plan for greater sweetness in Michael's life that will indeed bring Him MORE glory than if Michael had never gone through this horrible time.
As the scripture says, "...whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." I believe that Michael's life has only begun to bear the fruit that God has intended and only eternity will tell all the reasons why God allowed it and all the lives who have been blessed. Through the past six and a half months, Michael's tree has never withered, although it has been battered. He has remained rooted in Christ, and to this day is prospering. May God be praised!