2023 – Go Be Radiant

Think Upon These Things

August 28, 2023suzieinglis

What does it look like to be a strong, solid, faithful Christian in our world today? How can we stand firm while living in a world that is getting darker daily in many ways – a society that is redefining and distorting Truth – a culture that not only promotes tolerance, but labels Christians as “haters” for believing in, and abiding by, a different standard?

Maybe the answer starts with our minds.

What goes in our minds, what goes on inside them – what we think about and how we think, directly influences our attitude and our actions.

While there are a number of passages in the Bible that talk about our minds, one that I’ve camped out in lately is Phil. 4:8-9.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about (dwell on) such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

We should note that verse 8 starts with the word “finally,” indicating that Paul has already given some instructions and encouragement to the Philippians.

He’s told them to rejoice and not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present their requests to God.
And then the peace of God will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

That’s our immediate context for what follows in v. 8.

The fact the Philippians were encouraged to be intentional about managing their thoughts implies that believers can, and should, exercise control over their thoughts.

Friends, we think about A LOT of things each day. I have a feeling my husband groans inwardly every time he hears me say, “Babe, I’ve been thinking…” 😊

There is so much that goes on in our minds. And we need to ask ourselves if we are exercising control over what we think about – about what we let in and what we keep out – about what we allow to stay in and what we push out. And how that effects our behavior and interactions with others.

What starts the list in v. 8? Think about whatever is: TRUE

When we think about whatever is true, we can’t help but think about the one true God, the Creator and epitome of truth, and His Son, Jesus.

In John 18:37, we read about an interesting conversation between Jesus and Pilate about the notion of truth.

³⁷“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate responds, “What is truth?”

In Biblical times as in present day, truth is questioned (think postmodernism) – despite being evident all around us.

Romans 1:20 says: ²⁰For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Not only has Truth been (and continues to be) questioned but it was (and still is being) suppressed.

Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness…”

A few verses later in Romans 1:25, we read, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

Sounds like today’s times too, doesn’t it?

There is a battle going on for Truth. Have you heard the expression, “your truth?” The idea that truth can be subjective no longer makes it TRUTH! It makes it an OPINION. There is no “your truth.” Something is either true or it’s not.

The Enemy is trying to take what is black or white and make it grey. He’s blurring the edges of truth in order to distort it, twist it, and make it appealing for the masses.

Truth, like light, reveals things and the Enemy doesn’t like that. Truth has a standard and he doesn’t like that either.

Going back to our text in Philippians,

Paul isn’t instructing the Philippians to be DWELLING on all the small and trivial things of life but rather to be DWELLING on the greatest things of all, the truths about God and Christ. (Adapted from Maclaren)

The same can be said for us. We know we need to give some thought to the grocery list, our daily tasks at work, at home – planning our days and weeks, and our To-Do lists. But can’t we so easily get bogged down in thinking about all those things that we miss out on DWELLING on what is TRUE – Our Lord and Savior?
- When we get bogged down in all the minutia or the list that’s longer than hours in a day, what starts to creep in? Anxiety.

In the verses preceding this passage, we read that Paul encouraged the Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

As we consider this idea of dwelling on the truth, we might be tempted to believe that we just need to work on what goes in and out of our minds and that will be enough. By doing that, we’ll be strong, solid Christians in today’s world.

But we can’t stop there. Why? Because thinking leads to doing. You see Paul isn’t telling the Philippians to think about these things just to think about them, but to actually transform their character.

When we, like the Philippians, dwell on whatever is true, it flows out into our actions with others – in our relationships, in our workplace, into our worship of God – and that’s exactly what is meant to happen.

Believers are called to worship in truth:
- John 4:24 tell us, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

This is how we continue to look more like Jesus.

Let’s look briefly at the other things that Paul encouraged the Philippians to be dwelling on. The passage goes on to say:

“Whatever is noble or honest” – the idea here is things that are venerable or worthy of great respect. It’s a difficult word to translate but implies a seriousness. It’s not just about honest dealings with others but even one’s own character. Much like the previous one, (truth), it’s not just something that takes place in our minds, but rather, flows out into our actions and behavior.

“Whatever is right or just” – this has a sense of how believers deal with or interact with others – in a manner that is right. This one is about integrity, and it ties in seamlessly to the next word on the list which is “pure.”

So far, it seems the list of what the Philippians are to be thinking about or dwelling on, has a lot to do with the formation of and maintenance of their character.

“Whatever is pure” – in thought and in body. The idea for the Philippians here is to keep themselves undefiled and to keep themselves from the pollution of sin. The same admonishment applies to us today.

“Whatever is lovely” – for this one, I enlisted the help of Barnes Notes on the Bible. This was worthy of quoting directly.

“The word used here means properly what is dear to anyone; then what is pleasing. Here it means what is amiable – such a temper of mind that one can love it; or such as to be agreeable to others. A Christian should not be sour, crabby, or irritable in his (her) temper – for nothing almost tends so much to injure the cause of religion as a temper always chafed; a brow morose and stern; an eye that is severe and unkind, and a disposition to find fault with everything…”

In Suzie’s words, “What’s a crabby Christian going to do for the cause of Christ?”

“Whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy” – I liked what Barnes Notes had to say about this one as well.

“Whatsoever things are of good report – That is, whatsoever is truly reputable in the world at large. There are actions which all people agree in commending, and which in all ages and countries are regarded as virtues. Courtesy,… kindness, respect for parents, …, and the Christian should be a pattern and an example in them all.”

Our verse says, “If there is anything excellent or praiseworthy” – essentially if there be any virtue – If there is anything truly virtuous. Paul didn’t give an exhaustive list here, so he includes anything else that had the nature of true virtue in it as something the Philippians should be careful to cultivate as well.

As believers, we should be a pattern and an example of every virtue.

The passage concludes with, “Think on these things.” In other words, let them be the object of your careful attention and study, so as to practice them. Again, it’s not just what goes on in our minds – as if it were to stop there. It’s to flow out into our actions and interactions.

And when we think on these things (and practice them), what happens? The peace of God will follow. And that makes sense, right?

As I’ve shared before, when it comes to living out the Christian life – there are things that God does and there are things that we do.

God will give us peace. That’s what He does. We must do our part in bending our minds to that which is worthy (God Himself), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.” That’s what we do.

When we put that into practice, just as Paul instructed the Philippians, the Bible tells us, “The God of peace will be with” us.

As we think about applying what we’ve learned, I liken it to when I first meet someone. I often don’t remember that person’s name. Do you know why? It’s because I don’t always TRY to remember.

What would happen, if we TRIED to think on whatever is true, whatever is noble, and so on? Can you imagine what some purposeful, intentional TRYING would do?

This, my friends, is one way we remain strong, solid Christians in our world today.

With this in *mind*, let us go be radiant this week.

Set My Feet Upon the Rock

July 8, 2023suzieinglis

Has there ever been a time in your life or that of a loved one when you were in a really difficult situation? Maybe a time when you felt not just down, but down and out? You felt hopeless? Your circumstances were weighing you down to the point where you just couldn’t see beyond them? You couldn’t see a way out? Maybe you were bogged down with fears and worries, anxieties.

We’re going to look at a Psalm written by David that describes that kind of scenario. I find that the Psalms are a helpful and comforting place to go when you are feeling strong emotions and need to be reminded that God understands and that He hears you.

Psalm 40:1-2 reads:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
²He lifted me out of the slimy (horrible) pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.

Barnes notes on the Bible defines a “pit” as “… a cistern; a prison; a dungeon; a grave…It may refer to any calamity – or to trouble…”

When we look at the word describing the pit, “Horrible” – “means ‘noise, uproar, tumult, as of waters; of a crowd of men; of war. Then it seems to be used in the sense of ‘desolation’ or ‘destruction,’ as applicable to the grave.”

If we were to put these ideas together, we could say perhaps that it’s “…a cavern, deep and dark, where the waters roar…” It is also rendered “a lake of misery.” “It is a deep and horrid cavern, where there is no hope of being rescued, or where it would seem that there would be certain destruction.”

Pretty dark imagery, right? Certain destruction doesn’t really invoke feelings of hope, does it?

The bottom of the “pit” is not solid. There is no rock on which to stand. It’s all mud and mire. You can picture it, can’t you? Dark. Thick. Heavy. If you were in that pit, would you feel the unrest of not having anything firm on which to stand?

We see an example of this with the prophet, Jeremiah in Jer. 38:6.

“So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.”

In the psalm, David says, “I waited patiently…” which, though difficult, is exactly what God would have us do. However, that doesn’t mean that David was inactive while he waited. He didn’t just slump down, wallow in his misery and surrender. He cried out to the Lord and trusted that the Lord would rescue him.

What was the Lord’s response?

“…he turned to me and heard my cry.” God hears the cries of His people. He hears your cries.

David then describes being lifted out of the thick, miry, mud. Where is he lifted to? A rock.

“…he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” When you think about a rock, it’s the opposite of mud. It’s solid, strong, stable, secure…just like the Lord.

Ps. 18:2
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Ps. 62:7
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Barnes notes on the Bible elaborate on what took place when the Lord set David’s feet on a rock and gave him a firm place to stand.

“And established my goings – Or, fixed my steps. That is, he enabled me to walk as on solid ground; he conducted me along safely, where there was no danger of descending to the pit again or sinking in the mire.”

So even though it looked like there was no way out, like certain destruction – seemingly hopeless, no possibility of rescue, God stepped in. He lifted the Psalmist out (that’s praise-worthy in and of itself) and then God set his feet on solid ground.

I wonder if we could liken this a bit to a wilderness rescue scenario. Imagine a hiker becomes injured and is unable to get himself out of the mountains. The rescue helicopter comes and lifts him out. There is relief in that alone…but there is more to do. The helicopter gets him to a place where he can heal and move on with his life. Isn’t that what God does for us?

See my blog post, The Path We’re On.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary wraps up our Psalm this way:

“Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God… The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain.”

“Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, he expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct. God filled the psalmist with joy, as well as peace in believing.”

The next time you find yourself in a “pit”, let me encourage you to wait patiently, remember God knows where you are, He understands, and He hears you. Look to Him, pray to Him. Trust and believe that He has all the power to lift you out and set your feet on the Rock.

With this in mind, let us go be radiant this week.

Jehosheba vs. Athaliah

June 24, 2023suzieinglis

We are going to look at two very different women. One of them wicked, and one of them good. One of them sets out to destroy and the other one bravely steps in to save. It’s a story involving the line of Christ and it’s a story of life and death.

To best understand the story, we need to do a little family history and genealogy.

Family History/Genealogy

Remember Jehoshaphat, King of Judah? (2 Chron. 20:2 and following). See my blog post Standing Firm in the Midst of Battles.

When told a vast army was coming to attack, he gathered all his people. They all went before the Lord, collectively (men, women, children, and little ones). Though they did not know what to do, their eyes were on the Lord.

Then God said to them:

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

God gave them victory.

Jehoshaphat had several sons, and he gave his eldest son, Jehoram, the right to be King when he passed away.

Look here for a family tree which is helpful in keeping everyone straight.

Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son became king at age 32. Once firmly established on the throne, he killed all his brothers along with some officials. Yikes!

Jehoram married a daughter of Ahab, her name is Athaliah (we’ll come back to her later, but I call her “Evil Athaliah”). Jehoram did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

2 Chron. 21:7 – “Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.”

Just as we see the Lord’s hand here, we’re going to continue to see it as we keep reading in 2 Chron. 21:12-20

All of Jehoram’s sons were killed, except Ahaziah. In 2 Chronicles 22:1, we read thatthe people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place.

It is at this point in the story we get to the two women I mentioned earlier.

Let’s see what we learn about evil Athaliah:

Chronicles 22: 3 tells us that Ahaziah’s mother encouraged him to act wickedly. His mother “encouraged” him to act wickedly!

“The counsel of the ungodly ruins many young persons when they are setting out in the world. Ahaziah gave himself up to be led by evil men. Those who advise us to do wickedly, counsel us to our destruction; while they pretend to be friends, they are our worst enemies.”
Matthew henry

*We must be careful not to give ourselves up to be led by evil people or allow them to influence us.

As we continue reading in 2 Chron. 22:7, we learn that “Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall.”

Skip ahead to v. 10.

¹⁰When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah.

This woman was ruthless! She usurped the power and authority and ascended the throne and caused almost all the royal seed of the house of Judah (all the male members who might set up claims to become King), to be murdered. Some of these might have been Ahaziah’s own sons (her grandsons!).

She had no regard for human life.

Only one heir remained: Ahaziah’s son who was only a year old.

This is where the account gets suspenseful because this is the LINE of DAVID, which is also the line of CHRIST. We must remember that all the prophecies said that the Messiah, the salvation of the world, was to come from the line of David. And everything now hangs on the life of a 1-year-old, whose grandmother is trying to kill him!

“The tree had been cut down, and there was but this one sucker pushing forth a tiny shoot from ‘the root of Jesse.’” (MacLaren’s Expositions)

What will happen? Will Athaliah succeed in her evil plan?

Let’s keep reading and take special note of a very important word in Scripture:

2 Chronicles 23

¹¹But Jehosheba,^[^e^] the daughter of King Jehoram…

Scripture doesn’t say that Athalia is her mother.
Take a look at the family tree and find Jehosheba.

…took Joash, son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. “

We see this brave woman stepping in to save the line of David.

“Because Jehosheba,^[^f^] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.”

So Jehosheba is Joash’s aunt. And she, along with her husband, are trying to protect Joash.

^12 “He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”

Not only did Jehosheba need to be brave to take Joash and hid him, but she had to exercise courage daily for 6 years. Imagine the danger she must have been in.

2 Chronicles 23 tell us that Jehoiada “showed his strength.” He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred and they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. The whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.

2 Chron 23:7 ^“The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.

⁹Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. ¹⁰He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹¹Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹²When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. ¹³She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks^[^b^] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” ¹⁵So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

¹⁶Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king^[^c^] would be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

¹⁸Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. ¹⁹He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

²⁰He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne.

²¹All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

What an incredible ending to this story of good vs. evil! Jehosheba, granddaughter of King Jehoshaphat, was brave, she persevered, and with the help of her husband, did everything she could to save the line of David. All the people rejoiced! The city was calm because Athaliah was no more.

I’m reminded of the words we started with in 2 Chron. 20:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

Whatever you are facing right now, remember God is a God of redemption. The Lord is with you. Let us go be radiant remembering Who is, and always will be, with us.

Lydia, a Woman of Faith

April 29, 2023April 27, 2023suzieinglis

In my recent blog post, The Path We’re On, I wrote about how God:

shows us our path, the way we should go,
and He lights it up,
he GUIDES us,
AND He STRAIGHTENS the path before us,
we don’t have to be afraid. We can go WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ahead!

We are continuing that idea as we look at a woman named Lydia who needed to take another step on her path – her faith journey.

The passage we’ll focus on is Acts 16:11-40. Here’s some quick context:

Paul, Timothy, Silas and Luke have just arrived in Philippi, a Roman colony and military station.
In places where there wasn’t a synagogue, Jews would frequent the riverbanks.
They would form “oratories” – which were commonly circular and without a roof and it was there they would pray.
So that’s where Paul and his companions went on the Sabbath, and they spoke to the women who had gathered there.
The fact that there were only women shows the significant absence of a Jewish population.
It’s here we learn about Lydia.

We know a few key things about Lydia. First, she was from the city of Thyatira (which you might recognize as one of the 7 churches addressed in the book of Revelation), and it was famous for its dyeing works, especially for purple or crimson. Second, Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth and third, she was a worshipper of God.

In Acts 16: 14, after Lydia had been listening to Paul and his companions speak, we see something incredible happen but if you blink you might miss it.

“The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

Now wait, wasn’t she already a worshipper of God? Yes! Here’s how one commentator explained it:

“She had left the heathenish idolatry and owned the one and only and true God but as yet was unacquainted with the Gospel…” Matthew Poole

Lydia had turned to God, but she still needed to take another step – there was still more she needed to know and do in her faith journey.

TAKE AWAY #1 – Pray the Lord would help you take the next step in your spiritual life.

You see, it was THE LORD who opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. Paul’s job was to preach; the LORD’s job is to open hearts.

What does it mean that the Lord “opened her heart”?

“Her understanding was enlightened, her heart changed, she now loved what she before hated, and hated what she before loved.” Matthew Poole

Some would say that it means that the Lord opened her understanding and her will and that it corresponds to the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 24:45) and Lydia responded (or gave heed to). How did she respond? By getting baptized.

Apparently, she was baptized without delay and likely right there in the river where the Jews went to pray (it was usual to be baptized immediately on believing) – cf Acts 2:41, 8:31).

Not only that, she wasn’t the only one getting baptized, it was her whole household! There is no specific mention of a husband or children – it could be that her household or “family” meant female slaves and freed women she employed.

What happens after her baptism?

Lydia invites Paul and his companions to stay with her at her home. Here we see a few things:

Her large-hearted hospitality implies a certain measure of wealth, as does her occupation, which required considerable capital.

She appealed to the fact that they had recognized her faith by admitting her to baptism. If she was fit for that, was she unfit to host them in her home?

She also probably wanted further instruction in the doctrines of religion.
“Religion does not call us from our business in the world, but directs us in it.” Matthew Poole.

TAKE AWAY #2 – INVITE GODLY TEACHING INTO YOUR HOME

Even though she had just taken the next step in her faith, she didn’t want it to stop there. She wanted more. Oh, to be like Lydia in our spiritual lives – that we may always want more.

Paul and his companions agreed to stay at her home.

Remember from The Path We’re On, when you ask God to broaden your understanding, He will. Likewise in the book of James, when you ask God for wisdom and believe that He will give it to you, He does! Couldn’t we also then say that when you ask God to bring you Godly teaching and instruction, He will?

In the text, we take a little break from Lydia and have another situation that takes place before we see her again.

Here are some highlights in Acts 16:16-40:

I kind of chuckle that Paul got annoyed.
It gets serious though when Paul and Silas are stripped, beaten and thrown into prison.
You might think, oh no, that’s terrible, especially after such a wonderful time seeing growth in the life of Lydia and her household. However, Paul and Silas don’t see it that way. They are praying and singing in the middle of the night in prison.
There’s a violent earthquake that releases everyone’s chains. (AMEN!)
Skip down to v. 29 and the jailer wants to know what he must do to be saved.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your household.”
They spoke the word of the Lord to him and all others in his house…”
The jailer took them and washed their wounds (maybe at the river?); then immediately he and all his household were baptized (maybe at the river?)
Then they get released and go back to Lydia’s house where they MET WITH THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ENCOURAGED THEM…”

The ones who had just suffered for their faith came and encouraged Lydia and those who met at her house? We’ll come back to that.

Lydia’s house appears to have been the meeting place (the church).

Who were the brothers and sisters? Probably some of the ones who were baptized by Paul. They are also the ones who later supported Paul by sending money, twice, when he was in Thessalonica and when he was in prison in Rome.

How do you think Paul and Silas encouraged them? Here are what some commentators say:

“They exhorted them and encouraged them to persevere, notwithstanding the opposition and persecution which they might meet with.” (Barnes)
“…by telling them what God had done both FOR them and BY them in prison.”
“…exhorted them to prepare for suffering, and to submit unto God in it, and to make a holy use of it.” Matthew Poole.

TAKE AWAY #3

As you keep taking those steps God wants you to take, it may lead you to suffering – but BE ENCOURAGED, WATCHING TO SEE HOW GOD WILL USE IT.

Remember we can trust God and forge whole-heartedly ahead – taking those steps of faith that He wants us to take. Can I encourage you to spend time in prayer this week, asking God to make known or make clear to you, the next steps He wants you to take?

Let us go be radiant as we take those next steps of faith.

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Beyond the Cross

April 7, 2023April 7, 2023suzieinglis

Today is Good Friday and it seems unfitting to call a day when Jesus was crucified on a cross after being severely beaten, “Good.” What Jesus experienced that day and what led up to it, epitomizes the concept of suffering, which we rarely, if ever, label as good. However, when we zoom out and see what God does after Jesus’ death on the cross, our perspective changes, doesn’t it?

God RAISED Jesus from the dead!

Romans 4 tells us:

^23 “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, ²⁴but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Did you notice what verse 25 does? It gives a reason for Jesus’ death AND a different reason for His resurrection. His death was for our sins, however, His resurrection was for our justification.

Romans 5:1 gives us some additional insight, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,…”

What justifies us? Faith. Faith in what? In the resurrection!
According to the bible

It’s easy to believe that someone died but believing that someone was raised from death to life – that’s hard. Remember “Doubting Thomas?” He didn’t doubt Jesus died, he doubted that He was raised from the dead. See John 20:24-29.

Believing Jesus was raised from the dead requires faith – faith that the One who created the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them, raised Jesus from the dead. This is the faith that was, and still should be, proclaimed.

Paul, in Romans 10, explains the message of faith that he and his companions proclaim:

⁸… “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^[e]

Not only does Paul speak of these things but notice what Peter does as he begins to preach the Gospel. Acts 1:21-22 stresses the need for finding someone to replace Judas, the betrayer, to “become a witness” of Jesus’ resurrection. There is no indication in the Bible that every apostle saw Jesus die on the cross, in fact, only John is mentioned by name. However, we do know that all of them saw Jesus after God raised Him from the dead.

^21 “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²²beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Acts 10:39-43 emphasizes what we just read in Acts 1.

³⁹“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.”

So as we think about “Good Friday,” let us remember that Jesus was crucified for our sins but He was raised for our justification. If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, the apostle Paul writes that we would still be dead in our sins.

1 Cor. 15:17, ^“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

Let us rejoice that our faith is NOT futile, that we are NOT still in our sins, for us who believe, because God raised Jesus from the dead and it is no longer we who live, but Christ in us!

Let us go be radiant, reflecting this truth as we celebrate Easter this Sunday. Wishing you a very joyful Easter!

The Path We’re On

March 18, 2023suzieinglis

When I worked in Costa Rica, my team and I would often host groups. During their stay, we’d take them to a rural area to a steep hiking trail with some rustic steps.

Those of you who know me well know that I’m not a huge fan of hiking. Why, then, would I take people on difficult hike? Because of what awaited us at the bottom of the trail…a huge, fast flowing, heart pounding, awe-inspiring waterfall.

The waterfall empties into a large pool of water surrounded by rocks. Not only is it a sight to behold, it’s a place where people can swim and feel the force of the falling water.

It such a beautiful place that it makes the hike down (and back up) the path worth it.

The idea of a path is such a great analogy to our lives, isn’t it? It represents the different directions we’ve taken and will take over the years based on our decisions and circumstances. It’s full of symbolism as we imagine it being smooth or rough, straight, or crooked, well-lit, or dark.

As you think back on your life, you might observe that some of the things on your path are the result of things that God did and some of the things are a result of decisions you made.

The Bible talks quite a bit about different “paths,” sometimes translated “ways,” and the more I studied the topic, the more I saw a pattern – God’s part and our part.

Our part

Like the Psalmist, we ask God to show us His ways and teach us His paths.

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths”. Ps. 25:4

“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight”. Ps. 119:35

We don’t always know what those next steps are in our life, so we ask God to show us.

God’s part

He makes known and gives understanding.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand”. Ps. 16:11

“I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding”. Ps. 119:32

When we ask God to show us and teach us, He does.

What else does God do?

He LIGHTS our path.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”. Ps. 119:105

How does God light our path? By HIS WORD. His word is what illuminates the way before us.

As we spend time in His Word, we will know the way we ought to go. It’s not about what the WORLD says, it’s about what His WORD says.

When I worked in Costa Rica, we never took people to the waterfall at night, and you can imagine why. It was pitch black. There would be no way to see or safely make our way down the rock and dirt laden path.

What is our part/our response to a lighted path?

We walk on and stick to the path on which we know we ought to go.

“My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled”. Ps. 17:5

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day”. Prov. 4:18

That’s the path of the righteous. Do you want to be on that path? I do! How do we do that? How do we keep our way pure?

Ps. 119:9 “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”

What else does God do? What’s His part?

He does the Guiding and the Leading

Why? Because He knows the way – just like in Costa Rica, we, who lived there, led the team to the path toward the waterfall.
He has done the leading for a very long time.

Neh. 9:19 reminds us how God led the Israelites: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.”

We see something similar in the New Testament in Luke 1: 76-79 in Zechariah’s prophecy about his son, John the Baptist which reveals:

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible gives us some insight on the cultural, historical context to help us see the meaning of “to guide our feet”:

“The figure in these verses is taken from travelers, who, being overtaken by night, know not what to do, and who wait patiently for the morning light, that they may know which way to go…. So (man) sat in the shadow of death. So he knew not which way to go until the Sun of righteousness arose, and then the light shone brightly on his way, and the road was open to the promised land of rest – to heaven.”
Barnes Notes on the bible

Are you familiar with the song, Same God? The same God who led the Israelites out of Egypt and in the wilderness, is the same God who leads us today. He gives us direction. He guides our steps, just like He did in Biblical times.

I think we know that in our minds, but do we practice that as we make decisions? Do we seek His will, direction, and guidance? And do we wait for it before we act?

You know what else God does?

He Straightens our Path.

Prov. 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight“.^[^a^]

The Psalmist asks God in Ps 27 to lead him in a straight path. If you’ve ever been hiking or on a winding trail, you know how daunting it can be. You can’t see what’s ahead, what obstacles there might be, what the terrain is like…

But when you have a straight path, you can see far beyond your location. You know what’s coming – you have a clear path before you.

The caution is to stay on that straight path. Prov. 2

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
²turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

¹²Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
¹⁴who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.

Those who have left the “straight paths” have made choices to do that.

The choices we make determine the paths we take.

What is our response to God as He straightens our path? What is our part?

Let’s CHOOSE TO TRUST AND RUN!

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

Run? Yes! We get on our running shoes.

Ps. 119: 32, “I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.”
We trust God so much that when He:
- shows us our path, the way we should go,
- and He lights it up,
- he GUIDES us,
- AND He STRAIGHTENS the path before us,
we don’t have to be afraid. We can go WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ahead!

Maybe that means boldly sharing your faith with your neighbor, or praying for something bigger than you’ve ever prayed for before, or stepping up to serve in a way you know God has called you…

Now I’m not saying your path won’t have challenges at times. I’m not saying it will be easy or smooth all the time. But remember why I endured a rough hike in Costa Rica. It was all about that amazing waterfall that awaited me at the end.

Remember what awaits you at the end of your path – eternal life with our God – it’s worth it.

Let us go be radiant on our path this week!