Jean Coleman's Blog - Posts Tagged "spiritual"

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.

Several years ago we spent seven weeks in India and I was often frustrated by my inability to communicate with others while we were there. One afternoon we were informed by a pastor that he would like us to visit a young couple in the church whose only child, a boy of fourteen months, had died the previous day. One day the youngster had been healthy and happy and then overnight he had developed dysentery. Four days later, he was gone. They had buried their child that morning.

I wondered how I could possibly comfort this grieving family, especially when I learned that no interpreter would be going to the house with us. No one there could speak a word of English and we certainly couldn't communicate with them in Telugu. The language barrier loomed up before me like a formidable wall. How do you scale the heights of heartbreak when there are no words to provide a foothold?

The child's parents lived in a tiny hut with a thatched roof and a dirt floor, but as I stood in the doorway of that simple dwelling, I sensed the presence of God filling the place. The Lord certainly understood the pain of losing a son for He had also watched as His only begotten Son died on Calvary. And now He longed to comfort this young couple through us and to assure them of His eternal love.

As the child's mother began to walk across the room toward me, her anguish and pain was evident. Never have I felt so totally inadequate. What did I have to give this grieving woman? I couldn't even speak one word to convey my sympathy. And then the Lord spoke into my heart, "You can speak to her in the language of love, a language that requires no words."

As the young woman moved toward me, I opened my arms wide and received her into them. I embraced her as a mother would embrace a wounded child and desperately she clung to me. No words were necessary. We were communicating at a level that words could never hope to achieve. As her tears flowed, mine intermingled with them.

What a blessing to speak the language of love. My tears told her that I cared deeply. My arms imparted to her comfort and peace. My lips against her cheek showed love and compassion. I sensed her tense body relaxing as I held her close. She was not wrapped in the arms of a stranger, but rather enfolded in the arms of God. The Lord had used my arms to envelop her in His.

The language of love is the language of the spirit. It can be spoken through a smile, an embrace or a tear. It is uttered through a friendly arm draped around a shoulder or through a hand reaching out to grasp the wrinkled hand of an elderly widow. A wave across a crowded room can convey to a rejected person that she is accepted, not only by you but also in the Beloved. And the wonderful thing is that the language of love can be spoken anywhere in the world and the Holy Spirit Himself will be your interpreter.

Reach out today to someone who is hurting. Don't be concerned about what words to say. Just speak the language of love.

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.

Your Bible is very much like a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. When you pick up the Bible, it is like you are holding the puzzle box containing the many pieces that must be put together to form the total picture. Between the covers of this most remarkable book you will discover a picture of Almighty God, but you must painstakingly assemble the pieces that are supplied, line upon line, precept upon precept until the entire puzzle is complete.

As in any puzzle, the most important place to start is with the border and you will quickly learn that the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John comprise the border of the Bible. Every doctrine and teaching in the scriptures is based upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. Without the gospels the rest of the Bible wouldn't hold together because the framework for the entire Old and New Testaments depends upon the solid message of the four gospels. Without the gospels you can only see scattered pieces containing historical facts, narratives, parables and allegories. But within the confines of the gospels everything falls into place and is held firmly by the tremendous revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Once the border is in place, it is time to start working on filling in the center of the puzzle. The Book of Acts and the epistles connect easily with the gospels and will make the picture much clearer. The many great doctrines brought forth by Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude through their letters reveal more and more of the mind of God. The picture of who God is and His plan for mankind becomes more obvious as each piece is sought, found and put into place. At times the magnitude of this undertaking can be almost overwhelming. Who can hope to comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom of God? But the Holy Spirit continues to encourage with these words, "Seek and you shall find." Every piece that is firmly positioned into place shows more of God's likeness.

The Acts of the Apostles and the various epistles are really like the pieces that form the background of a jigsaw puzzle. In the Bible you begin to see the church come into view as people are tightly joined together side by side. These vital pieces combine to bring forth the revelation that the Holy Spirit is making us one in Christ Jesus and gathering us together in His name.

The Book of Revelation might be compared to pieces that when connected show mountain ranges far off in the distance, with the colors difficult to discern but nevertheless bridging heaven and earth. The puzzle becomes more difficult to put together now and involves more trial and error. The piece you thought was the correct one yesterday, viewed in today's light obviously does not fit. It can be tempting to give up at this point. The "easy" part of the puzzle is completed and the going becomes very slow. One can become discouraged and stop working before the entire puzzle is assembled. So many pieces still remain outside the frame.

And what about the Old Testament? How does that fit into the picture puzzle? It can possibly be compared to the hundreds of pieces of sky that must be put into place before the puzzle is finished. You don't need these pieces to see Jesus, but without them the puzzle remains incomplete.

It will take a lifetime to put together the entire puzzle joining piece to piece, but don't get discouraged. The Lord has sent a Helper to assist you in finding the right piece at the right time for the right place. The Holy Spirit will be there at your side pointing out the pieces and showing you how it all comes together.

Did you even wonder why Jesus was a carpenter? He could have been a fisherman, a farmer, a shepherd or even a merchant. But His father ordained that He should become a carpenter and apprenticed Him at Joseph's knee. Year after year Jesus practiced His trade, taking dead wood and making it into something beautiful and useful to society. As He patiently awaited His call from God, He could be found in the carpentry shop with hammer in hand and blueprint at His side fashioning something from nothing.

And then the call came and Jesus moved into His ministry declaring Himself to be the very Son of God. "Isn't this the carpenter?" the people asked and they were offended by Him.

Yet as Jesus went about healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and binding up the brokenhearted, He didn't leave behind His profession. Jesus continued on as the Carpenter. He went forth boldly declaring, "I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt.16:18). The Master Carpenter had come to build a church on earth according to heaven's blueprint. He had come to take some "dead wood people" and transform them into something beautiful and useful. The Carpenter of Galilee had come to build His people into a holy habitation where the glory of God could be seen. He was going to build His church out of very ordinary people who submitted themselves to His hammer, saw and chisel.

But there was a day when the hammer was taken from the Carpenter's hand. The Builder's creation suddenly decided to destroy the Builder. The One who had spent His life driving nails into wood now found the nails being driven into Him. The One who was accustomed to the sound of a hammer heard it once again on a hill called Calvary. And this time instead of the Carpenter holding the wood, the wooden cross held Him.

As Jesus gave His life on the cross, the foundation was laid for a spiritual building. By faith the Master Carpenter saw with His trained eye the holy habitation completed. He had done the finishing work that was required. With a loud voice He cried out, "It is finished!"

Those who were watching that day on Calvary thought that it was the nails that were holding Jesus onto the cross, but it was actually love that held Him there. As He gave His life, He formed a new creation on earth that was not built by human hands. It was truly a holy habitation whose Builder and Maker was God.

But the grave couldn't hold Jesus and the Carpenter rose from the dead. Jesus is alive! The Carpenter lives! And Jesus continues on in His profession today as He skillfully builds, repairs and restores, making His followers into something beautiful and useful. He is still patiently working in the lives of His people bringing about the miracle of change. We are truly His workmanship. Let the Carpenter finish the good work that He has begun in you.

A man and his faithful dog were taking a walk through the woods. It was a beautiful day and the dog trotted eagerly along at the side of his master. Suddenly the man stopped and picked up a large stick from off the ground. The dog wagged his tail enthusiastically. He knew what was going to happen next. He was so excited.

"Fetch!" the man commanded as he threw the stick across the field. Instantly the dog was off and running. How he loved to chase after the stick. He picked it up and carried it proudly in his mouth as he came racing back to the side of his master.

"Good dog!" exclaimed the man. And picking up the stick, he once more cast it forth for the dog to retrieve. "Fetch!" Again the dog went bounding across the field after the stick. It was the dog's favorite game. It was so exciting when his master would throw the stick for him to fetch.

As the dog dropped the stick at the man's feet, he wondered how far his master would throw it the next time. Oh, there it went! The stick was in the air! The dog waited expectanly, his muscles straining as he anticipated the order to fetch. Then the man spoke forth with great authority and the dog heard the command, "Stay!"

The dog looked longingly across the field to where the stick was lying, but he remained steadfast at his master's feet. It was so much harder for him to stay than to fetch, but the dog was being taught obedience. After a few moments, the man reached down and patted the dog's head. "Good boy. Now come on, it's time to head back home." And without even a backward glance at the far off stick, the dog faithfully followed his master along the path toward the house.

It is my prayer that someday we might all develop that dog-like attitude of obedience. So often our attitude seems to be, "Lord, we want to walk with You as long as You allow us to chase after the stick. Just don't ask us to sit and stay!"

Let us fetch the stick, Lord! We don't want to just sit at Your feet. Fetching the stick always looks like the most exciting thing to do. Let us chase after signs and wonders. Let us visit foreign lands and preach the gospel. Who wants to sit at Your feet when there's a stick waiting out there to fetch?

How long is our obedience training going to take? Will we ever learn that a period of waiting is often God's perfect will? What does it take to convince us that it can be just as important to stay as it is to fetch?

So many times we react to the command to stay by putting up our hackles and growling at the Master. We murmur and complain about our situations and occasionally even leave the Lord's side to chase after the stick. But there is never any joy in fetching the stick in disobedience.

Lord, make us willing to sit at Your feet. We want be like Mary of old who sat at Your feet and chose the good part. Teach us to be content and to learn to stay and to wait. The true joy comes when you are able to sit quietly at the Lord's feet and hear Him say, "Well done." That's the great reward of staying

As a child I lived in New York City and there was no greater thrill than to spend a day at Jones Beach out on Long Island. It didn't matter that it was crowded or even that the temperature was hovering at the one hundred degree mark, there was no place that I would rather have been on a hot summer's day.

When I arrived at the beach with my parents, we found that a great multitude had also sought to escape from the city that day. The wonderful white sand was covered with men, women and children of all ages. Thousands of brightly colored umbrellas stretched as far as the eye could see. From an airplane, the beach must have looked like a patchwork quilt with the patterned umbrellas nestled so closely together. I can remember making our way through the crowd searching for a little patch of beach that we could claim as our own. Finally we found a space where we could open our umbrella and spread out our towels upon the sand.

As I started toward the water, my mother called after me, "Be sure you only wade along the edge of the beach. Daddy and I will take you in the deep water later for a swim," she promised. "Take a good look at our umbrella so you can find your way back to it without any trouble."

"Blue and white stripes with bright yellow fringe, blue and white stripes with bright yellow fringe," I repeated to myself as I walked toward the ocean with my little bucket in my hand. Maybe I would find some seashells.

I really don't know how long I waded there in the shallow water, but it was long enough to accumulate quite a collection of shells. Anxious to show my mother all my treasures, I looked out across the sea of umbrellas to find the one with blue and white stripes and bright yellow fringe. But everywhere I looked there were blue and white umbrellas. There were hundreds of them on the beach, maybe even thousands. I began to wander through the crowd seeking my umbrella and my parents, but they were nowhere to be found. For what seemed like hours, I walked along the beach searching. The tears began to flow as I became even more confused and addled. I visited dozens of blue and white umbrellas, but to no avail. I was lost! Very lost!

And then I saw the lifeguard stand. What a humbling experience it was for me to go to the lifeguard and ask for his help. Going to the lifeguard meant admitting that I was lost and that I desperately needed his assistance, but I had no choice. It had become obvious that I was never going to find my way safely back on my own. I can vividly recall going to the foot of his tall stand and calling up to the lifeguard. "Please help me! I'm lost! I can't find my parents."

How very kind and gentle the lifeguard was. Reaching down and taking my hand, he pulled me up until I was right next to him. "Now you just step up here on top of my chair, little lady," he instructed me. And when I was standing in place, he blew his whistle. Within minutes my father was there to claim me and take me back to the safety of our umbrella. I'll never forget how he wrapped me in his arms and hugged me that summer day when I was found.

Jesus is our Lifeguard and our Lifesaver. We have a choice of wandering around aimlessly, confused, without purpose and hopelessly lost, or we can humble ourselves and look to Him for salvation and help. His greatest desire is to see us reunited with our Heavenly Father and if we just ask, He will help us to find our way back to our Father's waiting arms.

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.

Once there was a circus clown who was an excellent juggler. He would stand in the center ring and start his act by juggling three balls. Every minute or so another ball would be tossed to him and he would deftly add it to those that were already in motion. Within a short time the juggler was manipulating over twenty balls. It was an amazing feat to witness.

Then one more ball was cast into the mass of rotating spheres--the final ball. The juggler attempted to position it, but suddenly everything was completely out of hand. He struggled to gain control, but the balls all rained down around him. In striving to add one more ball to what he was already juggling, he ended up dropping them all.

The pressures of living in twenty-first century America can become overwhelming. Even as Christians we can find ourselves struggling with tension, stress and burnout as we attempt to juggle home, work, family, church and community obligations. We know that the Lord's yoke is easy and His burden is light. What has gone wrong?

How often we neglect to seek the Lord before adding another "good work" to all the others we are endeavoring to perform. We just add another ball to all the rest and keep on keeping on. But only when we are in God's will can we be certain that He will give us the grace to perform it. How many of the projects we undertake are actually the will of God? Often we just jump feet-first into the water without even testing it and then are surprised when we start to drown.

We need to examine each burden that we carry and ask ourselves whether the Lord placed it upon us or is it merely a burden we just decided to pick up on our own. Is our life filled with things that the Lord never required or expected us to do?

Christians need to develop the fine art of saying no. But we so often live in such fear of offending that we allow others to pile their burdens upon our shoulders. We should set our priorities and then stand firm when the temptation comes to keep adding to our obligations. Don't succumb to pressure. Take time to pray before making a commitment.

The interesting thing about juggling is that it's very difficult to stop once you get started. You can't just suddenly stuff your hands into your pockets and walk away. That would be a disaster. Have you ever watched a juggler at the conclusion of his act? He drops the balls off one at a time while he continues to keep the others under his control. First one, then another. One at a time the load is lightened.

How many things are you juggling right now? How long can you keep up the pace? Has the time come to put a few of them aside and lighten the load? Even the best juggler in the world can only maintain a large number of balls in the air for more than a few minutes.

We are told to cast all our cares upon the Lord. When you feel like you can't juggle things any longer, loose a few things into His more than capable hands knowing that He delights to lift our burdens from us.