Jean Coleman's Blog - Posts Tagged "faith"

I looked at the thermometer and saw that it read 102 degrees. The heat was oppressive and it wasn't even noon. I wondered how I could make it through the day. But even worse than the heat was the homesickness. Most of the time I was content to live in Australia, but as the Christmas season approached I longed to be back in America. My mind just couldn't adjust to having Christmas come in the middle of summer vacation.

I actually dreaded the thought of Christmas. Perhaps what I missed the most was the excitement of gathering together with family and friends on Christmas day for a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. It just didn't seem like Christmas day with only our own little family around the table. We really needed someone to celebrate with us, but who could it be? All our friends were away for the holidays. Surely there was someone in Melbourne who would like to join our family for Christmas.

Suddenly an idea was birthed within me. We could adopt an elderly pensioner for the day, perhaps an old man who had no family. He could be our special Christmas guest. I could sense the excitement rising up within me and it didn't take long to make a phone call to Social Services with my request. They were more than delighted to arrange for someone to spend Christmas in our home.

Christmas then took on a whole new atmosphere. We had taken our eyes off of ourselves and focused them on another. Eagerly we purchased special gifts for our Christmas visitor and even baked him a beautiful cake with fluffy white icing. Christmas had become a time to give instead of receive.

The children spent Christmas afternoon waiting for our anticipated visitor to arrive. I heard their shout, "He's here! He's here!" And what a marvelous old man he was! Sid was slightly stooped and walked with a cane. A bowler hat sat jauntily upon his white hair. We quickly seated him in our best chair and a footstool was brought so he could rest his bad leg. Tears rolled down his wrinkled cheeks as he was presented with his Christmas gifts. And how Sid enjoyed the traditional American Christmas dinner that had been prepared.

"Did you know that today is my birthday?" he asked as he passed his plate for seconds. "I was born on Christmas day many years ago, but it's been a long time since I had a real birthday celebration like this."

When I heard his words, I began silently to pray. "Dear God, please let there be some birthday candles in the drawer in the kitchen."

Five minutes later I was carrying a cake ablaze with candles into the dining room. We lifted our voices and sang the familiar chorus, "Happy birthday, dear Sid, happy birthday to you."

We learned the true meaning of Christmas on that hot summer day in Australia when we opened our home and our hearts to a stranger. Did we entertain an angel unaware? Or perhaps our visitor was someone even more special who had come to spend HIS birthday with us. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Matthew 26:40).

I had finished my shopping and was heading toward the cash register in the Christian bookstore when I heard the Lord speaking very distinctly within my heart. There was no mistaking His voice. "I want you to buy a Jesus button," He instructed me.

A Jesus button? I couldn't imagine why God would want me to make such a purchase, but I learned long ago not to question His motives. If He wanted me to buy a Jesus button then I would certainly comply. Walking through the aisles, I finally located a large box containing dozens of buttons in all colors and sizes. I rummaged through the box trying to find just the right one. It was difficult to make a choice because of the large selection available.

Finally I decided upon a very small button costing only thirty-five cents. It was light blue and matched my coat. There was no message, but only a simple gold cross in the center of the button. If I was to wear a religious button, this discrete one was certainly the most acceptable of the lot.

And then I heard God speak again. "No, not that one! Buy the red one!"

I once again looked into the box and then I saw it! It was the largest button I had ever seen, nearly the size of a saucer. To make matters worse, it was blood red and in big white letters it boldly stated, "Jesus changed my life!"

"Lord," I protested, "I can't wear that button! I'm a dignified, middle-aged woman! Surely you don't mean THAT button."

All sorts of arguments rose up within me, but I knew they wouldn't do any good. God had made His selection and it was the big red button. Now it was up to me to make my choice. I could chose to obey or I could walk out of the store empty-handed. I chose to obey.

I went over to the counter and paid the clerk for the button, a total of $4.95 plus tax. As she reached for a bag, I interrupted her. "That's all right. I don't need a bag. I'm going to wear it!"

She looked at me like I was crazy. "You're going to wear THAT button?" As she watched, I quickly pinned it onto my light blue coat, thankful that there was no mirror handy. I left the store hoping that I could get to my car without meeting anyone that I knew.

That was the beginning of a humbling experience as I dealt with self-consciousness, pride, rejection and a whole gamut of other assorted emotions. The button was a stumbling block not only to me, but also to everyone who confronted it on my coat. It left people speechless and no one even mentioned the bright red button.

As the weeks turned into months, I actually learned to like the button. Obedience felt good. Sometimes I would even forget I was wearing it until I noticed the expression on someone's face as we passed on the sidewalk.

And then three months later the miracle took place. A young woman in the grocery store noticed the button and suddenly asked "How did Jesus change your life?"

As I told her about the love of God through Jesus Christ, she received the gospel message and asked Jesus to come into her heart. Why? Because I was willing to make a fool of myself and wear a big red Jesus button. God's ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best and never cease to amaze me? Does anyone want a "used" Jesus button? I have one available.

Viola had a tender heart. She had given her heart to the Lord at the age of seventy-five and immediately felt the call to be a servant. She reached out a helping hand to the sick, the aged, the lonely, the unloved and began to share the love of Jesus with them.

Joe was an elderly man whose family had discarded him years before. Viola seemed to be his only friend. She drove him to the doctor's office, prepared him hot soup, tidied up his small apartment and continually told Joe about her best friend named Jesus.

Joe had a very bad heart and finally it was determined that heart surgery was the only answer. The evening before Joe was to enter the hospital, Viola stopped by his apartment to see if there was anything he needed or if there was anything that she could do to help him. "There is one thing that I need," Joe responded reluctantly, "but I hesitate to ask you to help me with it."

"Don't be silly," Viola replied with a smile. "That's what I'm here for. What is it that I can do for you?"

Joe looked down at his lap before he answered. "Well, actually I need someone to cut my toenails. My arthritis has been so bad that I haven't been able to bend over to cut them for months and I'm ashamed to go into the hospital with my feet looking like this."

Viola tried to keep the repulsion from showing on her face. "No problem, Joe," she answered. "Give me the clippers." Kneeling down on the floor before him, she removed his slippers and socks, fighting nausea as the odor of sweaty feet filled her nostrils. Silently she prayed. "Lord, I don't want to cut this old man's toenails."

And from within she heard a still small voice reply, "Have you forgotten that I washed the disciples' feet?"

Humbled before the Lord, her tears fell upon Joe's feet as she ministered to him. Suddenly she felt Joe's hand upon her shoulder and raised her eyes to look up at his face. Joe's eyes were also filled with tears. "Viola," he asked with a shaky voice, "I want to know your friend Jesus too. What must I do to be saved?"

Viola brought Joe over to our house that night and we had the privilege of introducing him to the Savior. Joe opened his heart, received forgiveness of his sins and was born again.

A week later we stopped by the hospital to see how Joe was doing following his heart surgery. At the information desk we were told that there was no one by that name listed in their patient files. "But he has to be there," we explained. "He had surgery this morning and should be in the Coronary Care Unit. Could you look again?"

The receptionist checked the computer a second time and then asked us if we were relatives. Upon learning that we were pastors, she informed us that Joe had died on the operating table that morning during surgery.

But we knew that Joe was not dead. He was very much alive. He had simply changed his address and gone home to meet His Savior face to face. We also knew that Joe had already seen Jesus through the life of a humble woman with a toenail clipper in her hand, a woman named Viola.

The students shifted nervously at their desks as the exam papers were distributed. For weeks they had faithfully attended class, completed assignments, studied their textbook and memorized data. And now the day of reckoning was at hand. They were going to be tested on what they had learned.

"Are there any questions before the test begins?" the teacher asked. There were none.

"There will be no talking while the exam is in progress," the teacher continued. "You may now open your examination booklet."

There was a rustling of paper as the students began to look through the test questions. It was a most difficult exam. If one hadn't applied himself to diligent study, he was certainly going to be in trouble. A quick scanning of the many problems contained in the booklet revealed that the exam covered nearly every aspect of the year's studies.

Meanwhile the teacher sat at his desk, occasionally glancing up and observing the students. There was silence in the classroom with only the sound of pencils moving across exam papers being heard. Everyone was concentrating on the test.

Although the teacher was right there overseeing the pupils, he did not help them with the exam. Even though the teacher knew the answers to all the questions on the test (for he was the one who had put the exam together), yet he did not reveal them to the class. He gave no answers nor did he offer any help during the exam.

For weeks and months the teacher had been patiently instructing the class, imparting wisdom and knowledge to them. He had drilled them on all the necessary information so that when the examination time came the students would be fully prepared. During this period of instruction, the teacher was always ready with an answer or an explanation for anyone who came seeking his help. He had made himself available to discuss the subjects the students were learning and was there to help them in their preparation.

But during the examination, the teacher was silent. He could not come to their assistance in the time of testing. He was present with them, but each student had to take the test for himself. Because you see, if the teacher gave them the answers, it wouldn't really be a test.

In the school of the Holy Spirit there are also times of testing when the Great Teacher seems to be very silent. Yet we can be assured that God is always there watching over us as we are examined on our application of spiritual principles. Sometimes we don't understand why God doesn't give us the answers when we cry out for help as we go through testing and trials in our lives. We expect the Lord to solve all our problems for us and fill in all the blank spaces. We go to him in prayer seeking solutions and the heavens seem as brass. Then we get angry with God for not racing to our side with the answers to our many problems.

But patiently the Lord has instructed us in the great truths of the kingdom and every now and then He gives us the opportunity to examine ourselves to see if we are growing in our faith. And if we have truly studied to show ourselves approved, we need never fear the silence of testing. All the answers are in the Book and the Teacher is with us always.

Several years ago I purchased a large poster that carries a powerful spiritual message for those who have the eyes to see. There are no words to read on the poster, but the picture is worth ten thousand words. In the center of the poster is a bird cage containing a small yellow canary and looking into the cage is a large black cat. You can see the cat's sharp claws resting on the lower bars as he hungrily eyes the bird. The cat's eyes never leave the canary for a moment as he presses his nose against the side of the cage.

And what is the canary doing as she is stalked by her enemy? She is sitting on her little swing with a contented smile on her face whistling a tune. There is no panic, no confusion, no fear. The canary has learned through experience that she is safe and secure in her cage. She knows that as long as she is in the cage, the cat has no power over her.

And so she swings back and forth singing her joyful song as the hungry cat watches her intently, licking his chops in anticipation of a canary dinner. Though she can almost feel his hot breath against her feathers, she has confidence that he can't penetrate the metal bars of the cage. There is no reason for her to be afraid.

Possibly there was a time when the cat would draw near to the cage and the little canary would flutter about in a state of panic, hoping that she would be able to preserve herself from the enemy that sought to destroy her. But finally she realized that the cage offered her protection from the cat. As long as she remained in the cage, she was safe. She learned how to rest right in the midst of problems and adversity.

As Christians, we too have an enemy who goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). But as long as we remain in Christ, he will never be able to destroy us. He may rock the cage at times, but we can be secure knowing that in Christ there is absolute safety. Like the little yellow canary, we can always have a song in our hearts and the peace that passes all understanding.

Some would try to convince us that Christianity is confining, even encouraging us to abandon our life in Christ. "Why stay in a cage when you can fly free?" they ask.

And all the while, the old cat is waiting just outside the cage. A bird would have to be crazy to leave the security of the cage with Old Tom around. The cage is not confining, but protective. The cage represents safety, security and a place of refuge in times of trouble. Any wise bird understands that basic truth.

One who is in Christ knows that he has not lost his freedom. Rather he has been given a marvelous freedom, freedom from fear. Though the winds blow and the storms come and the big ugly cat is lurking near, we do not have to fear. When we rest confidently in Jesus Christ, there is safety. When we are in Christ, the devil has no power or authority over us. So like the little canary sitting on her swing, let us sing songs of praise and rejoice in the Lord.

This is a true Christmas story that actually began the summer when I was seven years old. I recall the Oklahoma summer as being hot and muggy with long lazy days when the laughter of children could be heard through the open windows.

But I wasn't laughing that summer. Most of my time was spent sitting on the front steps watching all the neighborhood children riding their bicycles up and down the street. Some days their bikes would be pretend ponies and other times racing cars.

More than anything in the world, I wanted to have a bicycle and join my friends in their play. But small bicycles complete with training wheels hadn't yet been invented and I was at that awkward age. I was too big to ride my old red three-wheeled tricycle and not quite tall enough for a full-sized bicycle.

Children can be cruel and the boys and girls would make fun of me as they rode by, calling me a baby because I didn't have a bike yet. Finally I decided to take the problem directly to my father. So one evening when he came home from work, I came right out and boldly asked him for a bicycle. I explained that with a bike I could run errands for my mother and even ride the bicycle to school.

Dad pondered the situation for a few moments and then smiled down at me. "I expect that by December your legs will be long enough to reach the pedals. The bike will be your Christmas gift. What color do you want it to be?"

I could hardly believe my ears. I was going to get a bike for Christmas! I was so excited, but somehow I managed to answer, "I want it to be blue."

"Well, blue it will be," my father replied. And then he added, "And I'll tell you what, your new bike will even have a bell and a light."

The next day I could hardly contain myself as I told my friends about the beautiful new bicycle I was going to get. But again they taunted me. "We don't see any new bicycle. What makes you think that you're going to get a new bike?"

I don't have it yet," I informed them, "but I'm going to get it for Christmas. You just wait and see. It's going to be a beautiful blue bicycle. My father's going to give it to me for a Christmas present."

I didn't mind sitting on the steps watching the others ride anymore because I knew that it wouldn't be long until I would be riding with them. Through the eyes of faith I could see myself pedaling down the street on my brand new blue bike. My father had promised and he always kept his word. Let the others laugh. I knew my new bicycle was on the way! All I had to do was patiently wait.

Christmas morning, just as promised, there was my new bicycle standing beside the tree. It was even more wonderful than I had anticipated, painted a rich royal blue with a white stripe. The shiny chrome trim on the bike reflected the colored lights from the Christmas tree. I can still remember throwing my arms around my daddy. "Oh, thank you! It's exactly what I wanted! It's perfect!" And guess what? My legs were just long enough to reach the pedals.

And our Heavenly Father also keeps His promises. Sometimes when we ask, the answer doesn't come immediately, but we can always hold fast to His word with confidence. Sometimes our friends may even mock us as we wait in faith, but we have this confidence, God is faithful and His promises are true to those who will believe His word.

"What's in this little plastic dish I just discovered in the back of the refrigerator?" my husband asked handing me a small container.

Lifting the lid, I carefully studied the contents which were sea green in color with a covering of fuzzy moss. I had never seen anything like it before, nor smelled anything like it either. "Maybe some green beans?" I ventured.

Then my husband pulled out a second container. "How about this one?" he inquired as he showed me another mystery food item. This one was a brownish-yellow and covered with greasy slime. It looked like it could it have been a piece of meat at one time.

"Were you saving these for a special surprise dinner?" he asked sarcastically. "Or perhaps you were growing some homemade penicillin?"

Stooping down I peered into the refrigerator and spotted several more "plastic coffins" toward the back of the bottom shelf. "I've been meaning to throw out these things," I explained, "but I just never got around to doing it." I glanced down at my watch and remarked, "But I certainly don't have time now. I'll get rid of all these old leftovers tomorrow." And with those words, I closed the refrigerator door, allowing the "deceased" to spend more time in the morgue.

How long had I been storing that rotting food in the fridge? Probably for weeks. It should never have been saved in the first place--a little drib of this and a drab of that. It was no surprise to me that all those little coffins were hiding in there, but it was just too much trouble to scrape them out and put them in the dishwasher. And so they had just remained where they were filled with putrid and decomposing food.

Occasionally I had even opened the lids of the little containers and taken a look inside, but then I had quickly closed them up and put them back in the refrigerator to rot a little more. Out of sight, out of mind. Yet I had to admit that it was embarrassing to have someone else discover the decaying matter I was saving. It was one thing if I knew, but quite another to have my husband uncover my secret coffins.

What do you have stored away in the dark corners of your mind? Have you allowed bitterness, resentment, prejudice and hate to remain when they should have been tossed out long ago? It's amazing what a short time it takes for a little stored up rejection to turn into some really repulsive resentment and bitterness. Even a small amount of prejudice shoved into the dark recesses of your mind as a child can be brought forth later as hate-covered anger and violence.

As Christians, all of us are well aware of the need to examine ourselves and remove any corrupt thing that might remain within us. But sometimes it's easier to just let the hidden sins stay in their coffins stored in the back corners of our minds. We often prefer not to even look at the unpleasant leftovers from our past, so we simply close the door and hope that no one will ever notice what still remains rotting inside of us.

Put out the garbage! Remove the coffins! It's time to clean out the refrigerator of our hearts!

A number of years ago a friend of mine went on a short vacation to California. When she returned, she presented me with a brightly wrapped package. Brushing aside my protests, she stated, "The minute that I saw this in the shop, I knew it was for you and I couldn't resist buying it. Go ahead and open it up."

With great excitement I peeled back the wrapping paper and found a small framed wall mirror for my office. But it certainly wasn't an ordinary mirror. I had never seen anything like it before because right in the center of the mirror was a wooden cross.

I loved the mirror from the first moment that I held it in my hands and with great delight I hung it on the wall near the door. However, my delight with the gift ended the first time I approached it with lipstick in hand for a quick touch-up before leaving the office. As I looked into the mirror, I couldn't see me. All I could see was the cross. I was actually hidden behind the cross.

I shifted this way and that way trying to position myself so that I could see past the cross, but it remained firmly planted in the center of my vision. My face was completely blocked out.

Finally I discovered that by standing on my tiptoes, I could see my eyes. And if I stooped down a little and moved to the left, I could actually see well enough to apply my lipstick. But the cross dominated my view of myself.

As I pondered my new mirror, I sensed the Lord speaking deep down in my heart. "This mirror will serve as a constant reminder that the cross must always be in the center of your life and the way you see yourself. This is how I always view you—hidden behind the cross of Christ.

Many years have passed since I received the mirror, but a day rarely passes that I don't glance into it once or twice. I may be running a comb through my hair before going to a meeting or putting some powder on my nose, but when I see the cross, my thoughts immediately turn to Jesus and His wonderful love.

Through the miracle of God's grace, my life is hid with Christ in God. When God looks down from heaven, He sees me through the cross and I am reflected to Him as holy and righteous.

How are you viewed by your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers? What do they see reflected through your life? Do they see you or do they see the cross of Christ?

We should be serving as mirrors in the world, mirrors used to reflect the glory of God. Jesus is described in the scriptures as being "the express image of the person of God" (Hebrews 1:3). What kind of image do you project?

One day the disciples came to Jesus with a request. "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied."

And the Mirror of God replied, "Have I been with you all this time and you haven't realized? If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. I am the reflection of His very Being" (John 14:6).

The world will not see Jesus unless they see Him reflected through His people. Let us hide behind the cross so that only Jesus can be seen. God grant that we might be able to respond the same way that Jesus did and say with assurance, "He who has seen me has seen Jesus."

Perhaps that statement may seem rather bold, but if people don't see Jesus in us, where are they going to see Him? We call our selves Christians. Do you know what Christian means? Christian means "Christ-like". When we say we are Christians, we are stating, "I am like Christ." It's a bold power-packed statement, but others really should be able to see Jesus in us reflecting His life, His love and His service.

Are you reflecting His glory? Are you being conformed into His image? Are you being changed from glory to glory? You should be the mirror that people look into to see Christ revealed. Just keep the cross before you at all times and follow in His footsteps.