Poetry: Risen

Risen

Prostrate fallen, to holy knees 

Beneath the Olive Trees.

Tears of Scarlet did fall

And no friends to come when You called

Conversing with the holy Father

Fear and Love, in one prayer.

You prayed for unity

For Your bride, in love and beauty.

Betrayed by a beloved friend

Sent with no one to defend

All alone You suffered

The cruel hands of the soldiers’ scourge

Denied by the best of friends

Body torn, agony deepens

Alone, is He, perfect Lamb;

No one can save the purest Man.

Shame has become his crown,

The thorns sharp upon His brow.

Mocking words, spitting mouths

In all sorts of manner uncouth. 

The riotous crowd calls for blood,

The sound is as a roaring flood. 

They call for the release of a criminal;

To treat the innocent as a sacrificial animal.

Here it comes: The darkest of Days

Trudging down Calvary’s way.

A tree is carried, splintering

Grinding against flesh torn and bleeding

Spikes driven, forced through,

Two for hands, one for foot. 

In His shame they raise Him high;

Between criminals left and right. 

Mercy for one; but the other denies. 

The women lift their cries,

And His forever beloved friend,

Will care for His mother to the end.

He cries for heaven; His Father of Love;

But there is no help to come from above.

God, in His pain, gives His Son

So that our hearts may be won.

His breath, final and sure,

Finishes what He endured. 

The earth trembled and shook,

The sun darkened like soot.

From top to bottom the temple curtain tore;

For we will ne’er be separated from Him evermore.

For truly, He is the Son of the most High,

And salvation is drawing nigh.

They laid Him in the tomb,

Thinking all was lost and darkness loomed.

A heavy stone was made to cover

For He was never again to wander.

Day one, dark; the fallen angels revel.

Day two, dark; the Liar thinks he’s level.

But the next day to come

Will bring light to end the doom.

Day three, Light! The angel tosses a stone.

The bruiser of heels, cracks like dry bones.

The Lion of Judah stands on his feet,

And the enemy’s head is crushed in defeat!

And this I know, He’s paved a way

A way for me to be saved.

To know a God whose love is endless

For me, a broken sinful mess. 

To know His heart, to know His Grace,

I now can run this race!

I have a love, a friend a Father;

Earthly success I do not need to gather.

He loves me for me,

A child redeemed and free!

And I know beyond all doubt, or fear,

That my Jesus is very near.

The resurrected Jesus, the risen One,

Has lifted my head up to the sun. 

He rose, declaring death did not own me. 

For I am His child, forever will I be.

Fruit of the Spirit, Kindness: Loving Helpfulness

 Dear Sisters in Christ,

Think of our modern-day world, especially this past year. Think of people's behavior. Think of behavior by politicians, radio talk show hosts, people on the news, and even those on social media. 

How would you describe their behavior? (Maybe even yours?)

For the most part, not good; because our nation is extremely divided right now.

Truth is, a lot of these people show the exact opposite of biblical kindness. I am not saying we can expect non-Christians to behave like Christians. However, what about us? How have we been acting? It is always good to be checking in with ourselves on these issues. 

In the original manuscripts of the bible, the greek word for kindness was Chrestotes (Kress-toh-tez; this is a translation I heard. If any Greek scholars see this pronunciation is incorrect, please tell me!) This has a few different meanings such as:

-Useful

-Useful for others

-Pleasant

-Having integrity or value in relationships with others

This brings me back to the verse Ephesians 4:29:

"Let no filthy or abusive language enter your lips. Let your words be helpful and good, so that they may help and encourage those who listen."

From Walt Disney Studios

There are many ways we can give kindness; but oftentimes, we think about kindness in our words, spoken or typed. As Christians, we are to treat brothers and sisters as well as those in the world as fellow image-bearers of God. Are the words you utter really, truly going to be useful to the person hearing it? Is it helpful? 

And in the context of today's world, is what you say, type, or share contributing to the rising division of today's world? Is it demeaning, abusive, or unhelpful? Then, if so, in the context of the biblical meaning of kindness, it is wrong. Things that harm, hurt, or push others away from God are not kind. Gossip, slander, abusive or harsh language, dishonesty, bullying, humiliating others are all things that have no place in the life of someone proclaiming to follow God.

We are to be kind to others even when they are people we aren't crazy about. (Luke 6:32, Matthew 7:12.) And since every human being regardless of political affiliation, monetary status, fame, background, race, ethnicity, etc. is made in God's image, we don't discriminate our kindness. 

Kindness is love in action, my friends. 

God has been so tenderhearted, patient, and of course, kind, with us. Do the things you do, and the words you say or type, truly reflect God's character to the world? Is it going to pour more hatred into an already divided world? 

If we truly want to be transformed and set apart in this world, then choose to not participate in speech, or actions which only cause harm. (Romans 12:2.)

The more we pursue a relationship with God, the more our character should be changing to be more like Him. If your actions and character are not evolving to be more like Him, then it's time to take a hard look at our lives and ask if we really have been spending enough time with Him. We should also ask if our pride is preventing us from really being honest with ourselves about the things we know we shouldn't be doing. Pride can hinder our growth and walk with God as well. 

Sisters, this week, please consider how you can pour more kindness and goodness into the world around you. Consider how your words and your deeds can be more helpful. Let's make this world a more beautiful place.

Love, 

Chelsea

Fruit of the Spirit, Patience: More Than Quietly Waiting it Out

 Dear Sisters in Christ,

When I first wanted to start wanting to write this blog series in September, I came to a realization. I came to understand that I didn't fully understand these fruits as well as I thought. Patience was one of the ones I was definitely a little more uncertain on. 

When I began doing a word study on Patience, what I found was that in certain translations, like the NKJV, Patience was not really the best word for every place it appeared. 

Patience is often translated from two different Greek terms: Hypomone (Hi-po-moh-nay) and Makrothymia (Mack-Ro-Thigh-Mee-Uh).  Hypomone means to be steadfast, to persevere, to have endurance, and to be unwavering in one's faith regardless of circumstances. I will do an article on Hypomone at another time.

However, the one discussed in Galatians 5:22-23, Makrothymia, refers to being slow to anger, to wait out having anger, or to be without an angered reaction to something. 

Patience as a Fruit of the Spirit, means that we are gracious to others. It means that we are careful not to display rage or say hurtful things to others out of anger. This does not mean that we cannot express when something has hurt or upset us; but we cannot be rude, hateful, act in a rage, or maliciously make fun of another person. (Psalm 37:8, Proverbs 15:1, Ephesians 4:26, Colossians 3:8)

That cashier who messes up your order? Smile at them, and tell them that you understand that it was an honest mistake, but that you would still like for it to be fixed. You can request something be corrected without being ugly. You meet someone who is not a Christian and doesn't understand you? Don't belittle them for not understanding you. Simply say that you understand that in their shoes, you could see how the way you live might not make sense to them. Don't lash out and judge them for it.

You get the idea. Patience isn't the act of letting someone walk all over you. It is the act of taking a breath and realizing that none of us are perfect, and extending grace to our fellow man. How patient has God been with you, dear sister?

Every one of us has things in our own lives that we struggle with. We have bad days, highs and lows; yet, God is still here with us, holding our hands and leading us to better tomorrows. (Psalm 103:8.)

If you happen to act in a way that doesn't display the patience of God, admit that you absolutely did not act like Jesus in that moment.  Apologize to the person, if possible. (Side note: Parents need to be better about admitting when they don't respond in a Christ-like manner to their children.) Ask God for forgiveness; then resolve to do better. Acknowledge those triggers that lead you to lose your temper. Then, have a plan in place, and pray, to help you escape the temptation in the future to lash out. God always provides a way. Believe it and look for it. (1 Corinthians 10:13.)

We don't always know someone's full story. We don't always know if they have had a bad day, or if they are struggling and overwhelmed. When people are struggling with mental health problems, grieving a loss, or just going through a trauma, people may behave in ways they might not normally. They may become more absentminded and make really dumb mistakes. 

I knew a lady a few years ago who had experienced a great loss. A relatively short time afterwards, she had said something careless to me. When she realized what she had said in that moment, you could see on her face she felt very regretful and embarrassed.

 I've been there. I know how clouded and heavy your mind can get when you are overwhelmed by things going on. And, knowing how tender-hearted this lady is, I know she sincerely didn't mean anything rude or hurtful. This incident also got me thinking. 

How would have I reacted if I hadn't known what was occurring with her? It was humbling, and good food for thought.

You don't always know. God knows. People around us are hurting everyday, and in so many ways.When someone makes a mistake, does something ridiculous, wrong, or does something less than loving, this is where patience needs to come in. We don't know a person's story like God does. 

Be patient and gracious. Smile and offer compassion. Be slow to speak, and quick to listen (James 1:19.) 

And, I know we joke about it a lot, but don't be afraid to ask for more patience. Granted, you will probably be put in a lot of frustrating situations, but you will grow. It's a tough pill to swallow, but you cannot grow unless you are uncomfortable. It isn't easy, but it always leads to good things.

Love,

Chelsea

Fruit of the Spirit, Peace: The Piece of Completeness

 Dear Sisters in Christ,

One of my favorite hymns is "It is Well With My Soul". The first verse says this:

When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul."

In times of hardship or goodness, God gives those that follow Him this: Peace. 

But, what is biblical peace, exactly? I'm going to be honest, when I first started writing this, I realized that maybe I didn't understand as well as I originally thought. One part of bible study for me that is particularly helpful is looking at the words in the original translations to really understand what they are all about. It really gives a more complete picture of what the biblical authors and Holy Spirit are trying to portray to us.

Peace is a prime example of this. In the hymn mentioned above, the writer expresses that, even in difficulties, he can still say that things are well with his soul. Just how does this happen?

In Hebrew the word used for peace is 'Shalom' (Shah-lohm), and in the New Testament Greek, 'Eirene' (ay-ray-nay). Both give the idea of binding things together that were once broken. About making things complete, or to restore something. For instance, let's say you're building a wall or tower from blocks or stone. If one block is missing or out of place, we all know that the structure will not be able to hold itself up. 

God is the missing piece to the brokenness that comes from living in world that has been made imperfect from sin.

God completes us. When we look to things of this world to make us complete, whether it be things like relationships, money, sex, or whatever the case may be, they will ultimately never be the missing piece we are looking for. These things will always be tarnished in some way, shape or form because of the brokenness of our world. People are imperfect, and will make mistakes or hurt us. 

Not to say that these things are not necessarily evil or bad in of themselves, but they will never fully satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. It's important to understand that we need to be careful not put things that are not God on too high of a pedestal.

There will always be a part of us longing for more. Our hearts will always yearn for perfection.

This is where God comes in. God is complete goodness, love, and purity (2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 19:7, 2 Samuel 22:31, 1 John 4:7-21.) God is perfect in all His ways. Everything He created was and is good; but creation chose to separate itself from Him, leading to the pain, war, disrest, anger, hurt in the world. 

So, we can see that the only way for true and lasting peace (completeness) is by choosing to reconcile to God and give into His immense love for us. We become complete by building a relationship with Him, and having His love fill our hearts. With Him, we will lack nothing. (Ephesians 6:10-18, James 1:4.)

To wrap up, peace is being complete. Peace is God's strength being made full in our hearts. It comes from building a relationship with Him, and allowing Him to love us as His children. The peace of God is what holds us steady regardless of the situations this life leads us to. 

That is what it means for it to be well with our souls, as the writer of the hymn pointed out. Regardless of whether things or good or bad, God is the glue, the stone, the block, that holds our lives together. With His blood, His love, perfection, we are never alone, and we can face anything this life throws at us.

My hope and prayer for my life, and for yours, friend, is that this peace will take hold in your life, and continue to do so, all the days of your life. Don't forget of His immense love and care for you.

Love, 

Chelsea

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Resources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLYORLZOaZE (The Bible Project: Shalom-Peace

2. https://www.preceptaustin.org/peace_eirene (Peace-Eirene [Greek Word Study])