PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

It had stormed all day in Tennessee. The daytime television shows were preempted by the Network Weather Team, the sirens on the weather radio screamed at regular intervals with new alerts, torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning poured from the menacing skies. Suddenly the rain stopped, a glimmer of sunlight peaked through the clouds and calm descended over East Tennessee. I stepped out onto the front porch to check out the skies and survey any damage and there peeking through the trees was a rainbow. Although I knew the storm wasn’t finished and possibly, the worst was yet to come, God’s promise portrayed in the rainbow brought peace to the situation.


In Genesis 9:14, God told Noah, “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.” In verse 16, He continues, “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” Science teaches us that rainbows are created when rays of light pass through drops of rain at various angles, bending and separating the light into a beautiful spectrum. But to the believer it is so much more than light, rain drops and angles; it is a promise direct from God. According to the Word of God, when we see a rainbow, we should remember the EVERLASTING covenant between God and every living creature on the earth. To me the little rainbow peeking through the clouds reminded me that God is in the midst of every storm.

There are times that life becomes stormy. The adversarial winds blow against us with such force that it is difficult to take even the next step let alone continue the journey. Our eyes are blinded by the torrential rains and if that isn’t enough, icy pellets of hail begin to wound us, and we wonder if the storm will ever stop. Suddenly, in the midst of our storm, Jesus steps in and we feel a calm spirit descend over us. Through the clouds we catch a glimmer of light, past the trees a hint of a rainbow appears. The storm may not be over and the worst of it may still be ahead but I hear a soft whisper, I feel a hand holding mine, I take the next step and there is peace in the midst of my storm.

TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

During this time of remembering Jesus’ death and celebrating His resurrection, we often want to give the crucifixion honorable mention and quickly move to the victory of the empty tomb. When we allow ourselves to pause and consider the pain and agony of His death, it is hard to get pass the horror of the physical torture that Jesus suffered for us. But what about the mental agony of “He who knew no sin”, bearing our sins? Consider His anguish as the One who “so loved the world” looked down from the cross and saw only a handful of followers watching from afar. After 3 1/2 years of preaching, miracles and sacrifice, was this His entire congregation? Had they gone in search of a more exciting program, a more dynamic speaker or a more “seeker-friendly” message? What had happened to the multitudes that came for the loaves and fishes?


The beginning of the exodus of Jesus’ followers is recorded in John 6:66-68. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Jesus could continue His ministry with the assurance that there would always be His mother and at least 12 men or 11 since as God; He knew Judas would betray Him. Jesus could always depend on Peter. It was Peter who recognized that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. Peter who said, “I have no other place to go.” We hear from Peter again assuring Jesus that he would “NEVER deny Him.” The same Peter who was given the Keys to the Kingdom. Now, jump ahead to “Trial Day” and where is Peter? We find him outside with the other spectators loudly proclaiming, “Don’t look at me, I don’t know Him.”

Jesus looks down from the cross expecting to see some of the 5,000 that were fed from a little boys lunch, or maybe Blind Bartemaeus, surely at least 1 of the 10 lepers would come to mourn, John 19:25-26 explains Jesus’ view from the cross, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!"  Only 4 people? During His final hour, Jesus had more accusers than followers. The loneliness must have been overwhelming.

Would I have been at the foot of the cross? Like Peter, I assure myself that I would never leave, where else would I go, He has the words of eternal life. But what happens when life gets tough, when my plans and dreams get shattered, when it seems there is no harvest after years of sowing seed and watering tender plants? Am I like Peter standing afar off warming his hands or do you find me kneeling with John and the 3 women; faithful to the end? Lord, I want to be a Simon of Cyrene carrying your cross or a Joseph of Arimathaea, ministering to your Body. In the good times and bad, during harvest or famine, whether it rains or the sun shines, “To whom shall I go, You have the Words of Eternal life.”

IT IS FINISHED; NOT ENDED

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished:” and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30

Sunday we will celebrate with Christians all over the world the most important day in history. Many, who have not been to church since last year’s Easter or Christmas service, will sit on our pews and hear the story of the resurrection. To all of us who have experienced redemption through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it isn’t just a story of an event long ago; it is the culmination of the plan of God that was set in motion from the foundation of the earth. Man had sinned, been judged guilty and sentenced to death. God loved His creation so much that He did not want to wipe us off the face of the earth. So God robed himself in flesh, came to earth as a baby, took all of our sins upon himself and died in our place; the story of Easter.

The Resurrection is such a personal event to me. My life has been dramatically changed because of the blood which flowed from Calvary. Jesus came to alter the destiny of mankind and no one who has a personal encounter with Him can remain as they were.

Lives were affected from the moment He was conceived. Mary and Joseph had all their life’s plans dramatically altered. No longer just another giddy engaged couple; they accepted the awesome responsibility of nurturing and raising the Son of God. Priests, scribes and Pharisees marveled at the wisdom of a 12 year old boy. The Bible mentions some of the women who were touched by Jesus in a time when women were overlooked by most of society. An encounter with a woman by the well in Samaria resulted in a testimony that brought many Samaritans to belief in Jesus Christ. Several came to Jesus because of a need and went away healed and made whole. Who can forget the woman who had been diseased with an issue of blood for 12 years? After spending all that she had and going to every physician she knew, a mere touch of the hem of His garment made her whole. There were many who were forever changed during the last week of Jesus’ life. Sadly, some would never accept the hope that he offered.

All through their lives, each of these individual could not escape what may have been a momentary encounter with Jesus, God robed in flesh. Some may have been haunted by the memory while others rejoiced in new found freedom, but all were changed.

I am so thankful that though the plan is finished, it didn’t end at Calvary or the empty tomb or with the death of the disciples and apostles. The final chapter hasn’t been written. Jesus is still changing lives, setting captives free and healing sick and wounded people. I had my personal encounter with Jesus Christ 44 years ago. I can tell you the day, the hour and the place where my life was forever changed. Let this be the Easter that you allow Him to touch you and change your life for all eternity.

YES LORD, RIGHT AFTER I PUT THE GROCERIES AWAY

As a pastor’s wife for several years, I’ve heard about every excuse for not serving God, missing church, or not being involved that can be invented. My sister, a fellow pastor’s wife and I have declared that some day we will compile all of this wonderful creativity and write a book. I’m positive it will be a best seller; we already have friends that are waiting to preorder their copy. Every time I believe there is nothing new that a person will think up, another excuse is added to my collection. Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.


I will never forget the day, my sister called with this one; it has become my favorite. Just before service that evening, a dear “saint” called to let the pastor know that she would not be able to be at church because she had to put the groceries away!!! Now I’m sure the Lord “understood.” After all, groceries are expensive, meat left on the counter for an extended period of time will stink up your house, our houses should be neat and orderly, etc. Unlike the Lord, however, I was speechless!!! Throw the perishables in the fridge, the non-perishables in the closet if you must and GET TO THE HOUSE OF GOD!

Luke 14 recounts the story of a man who had worked hard to prepare a nice dinner only to receive excuses from the invited guests. One had purchased some property and had to go check on it. Another had obtained five yoke of oxen and had to try them out. The third merely said, I have just gotten married and can’t come. The host was so angry that he ordered his servant to go out into the streets and bring in anyone who was hungry enough to accept his invitation. Perhaps, the problem is that we are not hungry enough for the things of God.

Abraham left all his family to follow God, not even knowing where he would finally settle down. The Children of Israel were ordered to be ready to leave immediately with their staff in hand and shoes on their feet. There would be no time to put away the groceries; this was their Night of Deliverance. When Jesus called the twelve disciples, the Bible records that Peter and Andrew “straightway” left their nets and followed Him. James and John “immediately” left their ship and father to follow Jesus. We also read where Matthew left his tax collecting table to follow Jesus, but how many people did Jesus invite to follow him that said, “Yes, Lord, but first let me put away the groceries?”

What are you allowing to take precedence over the call of God in your life? Perhaps it isn’t a yoke of oxen, a piece of property or sacks of groceries but what about a career, your children, your age or future experiences? When will we finally leave the groceries on the counter and say as Isaiah said, “Here am I; send me.” Make God your priority today. YOU ARE HIS!!!!

PRAYING OR PREYING

The English language contains many words which are pronounced the same but have very different meanings and spellings. Often one letter makes all the difference, changing the meaning of your statement. Words such as “too or two,” “wear or ware,” “bases or basis,” and “meet or meat” all fall into the homonym category. In this day of texting, acronyms and abbreviations, it seems we have become very lazy when it comes to proper English and Facebook is a prime example of our laziness.

I came across a request for prayer in a friend’s status update. It simply read, “Please continue to pray for my family.” To which I replied, “Praying in Jesus Name,” then took a moment to ask God to intercede on behalf of my friend’s family. Usually, I like to check back and see if there are any updates or praise reports on the request.

 Directly under my post was a post that read, “PREYING for you.” I’m sure the person had just misspelled a word or hit the wrong letter, but I began to ponder the difference that one letter made in the meaning of our statements.

To PRAY is defined as”making earnest petition or entreaty for,” however, if you change the “a” to an “e”, 

To PREY takes on the sinister definition “to seize, devour, to victimize another or others.” 

One word portrays a lovely vision of a fellow believer kneeling before the Throne of Grace delivering a petition of need for a loved one. The second word invokes the scene of a lion stalking a victim then crouching ready to strike at just the right moment. How many times have I confused the vowels; told a friend I was praying when in fact I was preying for them.

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” 

We are not afraid to ask people to pray for us. In fact in my Pentecostal circle of friends, it is common place. We assure each other after every conversation that we are praying for them. If there is a loss, we are PRAYING. Illness, PRAYING; financial need, DEFINITELY PRAYING and hopefully, we mean it and follow through.

What do we do, however, when there is a need that includes “unsavory” details? What if someone trusted you enough to “confess their faults?” What if you read some “juicy” details on Facebook put 2 and 2 together and came up with 4? Would we fall to our knees and PRAY or would we run to the phone and PREY?

Too often, I fear we would whisper “God bless them” as we screamed, “Can you believe what I just heard?”

Dear God, help me to not get my vowels confused. When a friend confesses a “fault,” remind me to fall on my knees and PRAY rather than wait for just the right moment to PREY. I ask that you will help me to become the righteous person that has an effectual, fervent prayer life; one that knows how to intercede for my brother or sister in need. May I never be guilty of victimizing the weak but rather lead them to victory in Jesus.

Help me always to PRAY and never to PREY.

JUST CALL ME SISTER SUSAN

At my college graduation ceremony, I watched enviously as the Doctoral Candidates marched across the stage. They wore awesome hats, sported flowing sashes around their necks and had earned the right to sign “Doctor” in front of along with several letters behind their names. Then my name was finally called to receive a Bachelors Degree. Sure my family was proud and I had worked hard to graduate “Suma Cum Laude,” but my hat was the old tassel and mortar board and the “flowing sash” was merely a golden rope. After consulting the school catalog, I decided a Doctorate Degree meant several more years of school, a lot of hard work and no guarantee of a better job offer. I could live without a “DR” in front of my name.


Life has taught me that titles should mean something, should not be conferred upon people lightly, and should be earned. At the age of 18, I took the title of “MRS,”  after 35 years it still means something and I HAVE earned it. It meant I was now part of a team and with a lot of hard work, love and faithfulness, this team would build a great life. The title has not diminished me in any way and I was not ashamed to replace my last name with that of my husband; it is a badge of honor that I have earned. Two years later I became a Mother.  You aren’t a Mom just because you give birth. It means you love, nurture, teach and help guide little people who someday become big people and hopefully “rise up and called you blessed.” After years of hard work, I have earned the title “MOM” and I have two amazing children who have conferred the honor upon me.

Lately, I have noticed an increasing trend in the church to add a title in front of everyone’s name without much thought to its meaning. Is every minister now a BISHOP? I read where a woman had given herself the title Bishop. REALLLY!!! Is that biblical? Does the title, Bishop, have no meaning anymore? 1 Timothy 3 lays out the qualifications of a bishop very clearly. The person desiring the office of Bishop must be blameless, the HUSBAND of one wife, and the head of his house, amongst other qualifications. Sorry, no mention of us ladies. Do we believe as, one minister said in an attempt to justify his own sin, “The Apostle Paul just got it wrong?” Are we so hungry for recognition and honor we are willing to ignore the biblical qualifications? Is it possible to be married to the Pastor without having to be called “Co-Pastor?” Can I speak in church without being called an Evangelist or Minister or may I sing a song of praise without the title of Psalmist?

I was raised in a church where everyone, from the pastor to the newest “babe in Christ,” was called “Brother” or “Sister,” It meant something. As a child, it meant I was part of a huge family that loved me, prayed for me and wanted me to succeed not because I was important but because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There really were no “Big I’s” or “Little You’s,” in this family we were all on an equal playing field; Brothers and Sisters. Today in our quest for recognition and honor we have reverted to a hierarchical form of position and have even invented titles to bestow on those we admire.

So please, do not diminish the other ladies in the church by calling me “First Lady.” They are not “Second or Third Ladies,” they are my “Sisters in Christ.” They stand shoulder to shoulder with me as we labor together for the Lord. They love me, pray for me, and encourage me; we are family and they are my sisters. 1 Corinthians 3:9 reminds us, “For we are laborers together with God: you are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” No title is necessary when we recognize that we belong to God and without God we can accomplish nothing of worth. But, if you still feel the need to place a title in front of my name or wish to confer a badge of honor upon me, please just call me Sister Susan.