Share Real Life Together

Be Refrehsed!
An excerpt from The Silver Chair

“If I run away, it’ll be after me in a moment,” thought Jill. “And if I go on, I shall run straight into its mouth.” Anyway, she couldn’t havemoved if she had tried, and she couldn’t take her eyes off it. How long this lasted, she could not be sure; it seemed like hours. And the thirst became so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being eaten by the lion if only she could be sure of getting a mouthful of water first.

“If you’re thirsty, you may drink.”

They were the first words she had heard since Scrubb had spoken to her on the edge of the cliff. For a second she stared here and there, wondering who had spoken. Then the voice said again, “If you are thirsty, come and drink,”and of course she remembered what Scrubb had said about animals talking in that other world, and realized that it was the lion speaking. Anyway, she had seen the lips move this time, and the voice was not like a man’s. It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before, but it made her frightened in a rather a different way.

“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.

“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill

“Then drink,” said the Lion.

“May I-could I-would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to-do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.

“I make no promise,” said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. 

“Do you eat girls?” she said.

“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill

“Then you will die of thirst.,” said the Lion.

“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.

from The Silver Chair

Copyright (c)1953 by C. S. Lewis (Pte) Limited.

Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed!

To all of our writers—more participated this year than ever, from high school students to Seasoned Citizens—many thanks from the ’09 Devotional Team: Cheryl Batzing, Peter Batzing, Diana Calvin, Keith Hileman and Dana Massey.  

Then Comes the End (1 Cor. 15:24)

Read:  Revelation 22:1-7, 17

Reflect
“Time’s up!…Put down your paper!” said the teacher.  How many times did you hear that when you were in school?  We learn that in life there is a beginning and that there is an end.  And yet, for some reason, it is hard for us to imagine that this world, our world, time will also “be up” one day.

But the Bible that begins with “In the beginning…” also tells us that our world is heading toward a dramatic terminus.  For believers this is not the cessation of life, but the beginning of real life. 

As our passage in Revelation 22 reminds us, we who now only “sip” the water of life will one day have our fill of this divine resource.  We who now only “see through a glass darkly” will one day live in the light of God’s presence.  We who now imperfectly follow the Lamb will one day live in His presence, free of the sin and failure that presently mar our relationship with Him.  

And now may we embrace our future reality, the truth that for us, the best is yet to come.

“Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Carl Anderson

Respond
Pray for elder Larry Honea, staff Pam Wrobel, deacon Jim Talkington, and last names “Y” and “Z” in our church body.

Blood, Not Sweat

Read:  Hebrews 10:19-25

Reflect
“Lord, I know I have no right to ask You for anything tonight,” and I proceeded to apologize for being too busy to pray, read the Bible, or witness – too busy to do anything spiritual…

Suddenly it seemed as if the Lord said, “Suppose you had done a lot of ‘spiritual’ things today – suppose you had prayed for four hours, read the Bible for four hours, and led ten people to Christ.  Would you feel more confident praying than you do now?”  “Yes, I would!”

“Then you are praying in your own name!  You think I hear you because of your holiness.  You think I am more inclined to listen to you if you have done a lot of good works… If you had prayed for eight hours today and read the Bible for eight hours and led fifty people to Christ, you would have no more right to pray than you do now!”

I looked down at the floor of the throne room and saw that it was sprinkled, not with the sweat of my good works, but with the blood of His sacrifice. 

              (from Don’t Just Stand There, Pray Something by Ronald Dunn)

I have been guilty of this kind of thinking.  But the writer to the Hebrews tells us that our confidence to enter the Most Holy Place is by the blood of Jesus and nothing else.  What a profound thing it is to understand that our ability to approach God is not based on our own merit, but is completely based on what Christ has done for us.

“Cleansing” is a wonderful picture for what this feels like: clean, refreshed, exposed but not ashamed, free.  And we can draw “near.”  We don’t have to hang our heads low in shame, standing at a distance, afraid of our Father.  We can come close to the God of the universe.  Always.

Not only that, God has given us the freedom and the resources to act on this confidence, namely that we must hold on to the hope we have in Him, and that this hope should be contagious to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as we encourage and “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  

When I try to approach Him or love others with my sweat… well, it stinks, and it’s exhausting.  Not that serving God is always easy, but when Christ is the source of our devotion and service to Him, it is fruitful and is not draining.

Let us fix our thoughts on what the blood of Christ has accomplished for us, how it has cleansed us, how He has empowered us to love and encourage each other, and “all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Jenny Martin

Respond
Pray for elder Keith Hileman, staff Kari Jane Smith, deaconess LaVerne Simon, and last names “W” in our church body.

Suffering, New Life, and the Glory of God 

Read:  1 Peter 3:18-22

Reflect
If some clever smiley Christian company were to design a Monopoly knock-off, I would imagine that even more popular than “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards (renamed “No-Such-Thing-As-Chance” and “Koinonia” cards) would be the “Get out of Suffering Free” passes. Who wouldn’t want them?  Who really gets married thinking their spouses would wound them deeply, intentionally or not? Or who joins a church thinking, “I hope this is a place where I can find some conflict and be yelled at?” I don’t typically begin my day wondering how my attempts at righteousness and doing good will earn me slander or harm in the community. I don’t like it when life works out that way, even though Peter presents these very situations as the context of I Peter chapter three.  They are the very kinds of suffering that Christians can expect to face.

In this passage Peter encourages us that God’s purposes are being worked out, especially in times of suffering. Need proof? Jesus’ suffering resulted in glory for God, in His name proclaimed in the darkest of places in the spiritual realm, and in the faithful presented truly alive before God. Jesus endured the wounds of his own people, died at their hands, and was slandered by all onlookers. Although righteous, he was judged as unrighteous before God for our sake.

Baptism is no mere bathtub experience. Baptism proclaims to the world, like the story of Noah across the generations, that the suffering of the righteous can affect many. Baptism is God’s gift—His official seal on our flesh— given so we can know that the only way to move from sinful rebellion against God to new life is through the propitiatory (satisfying God’s holiness) and vicarious (on behalf of human sin) suffering of Christ. For believers, baptism is assurance that we can in good conscience face any difficulties, hurts, injustices, and evil in this world with the confidence that God is at work for His glory. 

How is God at work through your struggles today? Do you want escape from suffering more than you want Christ’s righteousness to be seen in you? As Martin Luther reminder himself daily, “I know this for certain, I am baptized.”

Keith Hileman

Respond
Pray for elder Chuck Hendricks, staff Diana Palmer, deacon John Sand, and last names “V” in our body.

Don’t Forget to Water!

Read:  Ephesians 4:25-32

Reflect
When I first read this passage, I thought, “Okay, so where is the water in this passage?”  Is this a trick passage or something?  Earlier in the chapter there is mention of baptism, but these particular verses say nothing about water.  Or do they?

As I pondered and read and thought about the passage and the purposes of water, I saw water demonstrated in a very real way.  Water is used to revive, refresh and restore.  Likewise, those are three purposes of the community life discussed here – to revive, refresh and restore.

In verse 29 we are commanded to “speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.”  Just as water refreshes and revives a parched body, so the right words spoken at the right time revive and refresh my spirit.  In verse 32 we are instructed to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  So, just as water is restorative, forgiveness offered and received restores broken relationships.  

This refreshing, reviving, and restoring cannot occur within casual acquaintances, but can only be realized in a community where I am known, loved, and forgiven.  Praise God for the community of Trinity Fellowship where this can and is happening daily!  So, don’t forget to water!

Becky Hendricks

Respond
Pray for elder John Dupree, staff Cherry Hanes, deaconess Carol Ralston, and last names “R” and “S” in our church body.

Walking a Different Walk

Read:  Ephesians 4:1-7

Reflect
When I was a young graduate student, I spent a summer as an intern at the United States Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana.  One day the ambassador asked me to accompany him to visit some senior officials in the government.  I remember getting in the ambassador’s black limousine.  Just before we pulled away, the driver unfurled the small American flags which flew on the front of the car when it had the ambassador inside. 

As we drove through the center of town, people stopped to stare at the huge vehicle.  When we arrived and stepped out of the car, I could actually feel my posture, my demeanor, my very walk itself changing to accommodate the self-importance and sense of superiority I felt being with the man who represented the most powerful country on earth. 

How much more so now does that attitude tempt me, since I have been summoned as a co-worker by the very God of the universe!  The swagger and superiority I felt as a representative of the United States pales in comparison to the exalted position I now hold as a chosen son of the Most High God.  How my chest should swell with victory!

But what am I reading in this passage?  My walk should be “humble and gentle.”  My demeanor should not be powerful, but rather, “patient.”  The unity of the faithful is described not in the language of power, but instead with the “bond of peace.”  Chests do not swell.  Instead, heads bow.

This is not a posture familiar to the world, nor is it the posture of my prideful nature.  It is the posture of a redeemed prisoner: free, yet forever beholding to his Redeemer.  Unshackled, yet remembering the chains that were formerly his.  

As believers we share that posture of hope and thankfulness.  We are nothing if not a people bonded by our common heritage as former slaves.  It is just so we welcome each other, and those who want to know us, as children of the King who chose us.  For He “is over all and in all and through all,” and only through Him are we anything at all.

John Dupree

Respond
Pray for elder Darrell Bock, staff Diana Calvin, deacon John Partlow, and last names “P” and “Q” in our church body.

Equality in Christ

Read:  Galatians 3:23-29 

Reflect
We are all familiar with the expression “rank has its privileges.”  If a prominent statesman or celebrity shows up at a restaurant, they usually do not have to wait to be seated.  When you pass the first class section on a plane on your way to a seat in the back of coach, you know some have it better than others.  

But when US Airways flight 1549 made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River, every person on the plane was in the same “boat” (pun intended).  They were all in equal danger of drowning in the frigid water.  It did not matter if they were in first class or coach; when each person left the plane, they were all equally in danger.  

The cold water could dangerously lower their body temperature regardless of their net worth.  Water could enter the lungs of a CEO exactly the same as a blue collar worker.  However, now that they all survived, most will probably return to their usual activities.  Although each survivor will be profoundly affected by their experience, there will continue to be differences in their income and social status.

When we are “baptized into Christ,” we become equal heirs of the promise made to Abraham regardless of our background or social standing.  Although we continue to have earthly differences in our life, we each have identical standing before God.

Dick Voet

Respond
Pray for elder Carl Anderson, staff Cheryl Batzing, deacon Carl Hammert, and last names “N” and  “O” in our church body.

Living With One Another

Read:  Galatians 3:23-29

Reflect
When I was 16 I was rear-ended by a convertible BMW.  I was sitting behind the car at a stop sign.  I thought the driver turned left.  So, I inched forward while looking over my right shoulder for oncoming traffic, when I was jolted back.  Clearly he decided not to go.  He flew out of his car and came storming back to assess the damage.  My heart raced.  I knew it was my fault!  I was digging for my insurance card when he came and pounded on my window.  He told me there was no real damage, but that I needed to be more careful.  I was really rattled by the whole incident.

Still shaking, I left for dinner at Chuys.  I found my friends and started telling them the story, when a gentleman peeked over the top of the booth.  My stomach dropped to my feet.  Yes, it was the driver of the car I hit.  I would have rather been any place but there with “that person.”

Have you ever wished you were anywhere, but with “that person?”  Maybe you joined a baseball team, only to have “that person” show up.  Maybe you joined a Bible Study, only to have “that person” in your group.  Maybe at school, you see “that person’s” child in your child’s class.  Don’t you just get that pit-in-your-stomach when you see them on your turf?

I think this is how the Jews must have felt when they found out that the Gentiles had access to the Father through Jesus.  They were like, “Hey, I have been working so hard to keep the law and now you are telling me, “that person” can enter the kingdom of heaven?  You have to be kidding me!”  The Jews had to realize that we all fall short and that we all need God’s grace. The Jews needed Christ just as much as the Gentiles.

The hard thing about Christianity is that Christ died even for “that person.”  The even harder thing is that he calls us, in the passage, to live in unity through Jesus Christ.  What a huge task for this body of sinners saved by grace.  It is only through Christ, for Christ, by Christ, and to the glory of Christ that we are able to function as a body of unique believers.

I have many “that persons” in my life, I hate to admit that, but I do!  I hate to admit, even more, that I have been “that person” to many people, even people in this body.   

Pray today that Christ would help us to live in unity with “that person” or “those people” in our lives, and give God the glory! 

Leticia Morgan