Month: November 2024

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to Me.”

John 15:26 (RSV)

The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bear witness of Jesus. He is eager for us to be witnesses, through our words and deeds, of what Jesus did and taught. He desires that we share Christ with others, but He is most powerful when we intentionally invite Him to come and join our day.

We have just entered the holiday season, and we’ll probably be with friends and relatives, who we don’t see on a regular basis. Some of them may have perspectives that greatly differ from one another, and it usually leads to many challenging discussions. We probably should invite the Holy Spirit to come and take control of our conversations this holiday season, to turn the focus on the goodness of God, rather than endless political debates. 

I’ve learned that the day flows in a more positive direction if I start by inviting the Holy Spirit to come into it. 

If I ask Him to come, He intervenes, but in some cases, He does more than intervene. He will actually hijack the conversation and turn the topic to Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. 

When I was working full time in an operating room of a large hospital, I used to pray before going to work. 

I always asked God to guide the hands of the surgeons, to operate with skill and wisdom, but the most powerful prayer was in inviting the Holy Spirit to come into the room and make His Presence known. It always seemed to result in a peculiar and abrupt shift in the topic of conversation. 

One time, while we were between cases, there was a conversation going on between two other people in the room. Neither one of these men were religious, and yet the discussion suddenly shifted to the topic of God’s forgiveness. 

It sounded like one man had heard a true story of a murderer who found forgiveness in prison, through repentance and faith in Christ, but he was adamant that such forgiveness could or should never happen. I was silently listening, as he went on and on, insisting that murderers can never be forgiven.

After listening for a few minutes, I could only think of one thing to say, so I said, “I understand how you feel, but Jesus forgave all of His own murderers from the cross.” He shook his head no, saying that it was ridiculous. 

God’s mercy is ridiculous, because no one deserves it, but that’s how much God loves us. I said nothing more since my purpose is not to persuade anyone, but I was thankful to present the image of Jesus on the cross, forgiving the worst of humanity. 

It’s the ultimate act of mercy, that Christ died for all sinners, and an honor to be able to speak of it, in the middle of a work day. The Holy Spirit uses our words to plant a seed or to water it, and He does it in His own timing.

I believe that the Holy Spirit hijacked that whole conversation into a discussion about God’s forgiveness. 

I also believe it was a result of inviting Him into my work place that morning. He brought wisdom and truth through a few simple words, which will bear fruit at a later date.

One other day, a coworker was talking about aging and dying, which is a common subject among health care workers, but then, in the midst of the conversation, she paused and said, “I don’t want to die.” She was a perfectly healthy woman, and it was a strange and abrupt shift in the conversation. I paused in thought, and then said, no one wants to die, but dying is where we meet Jesus, and since He has promised us eternal life, we don’t need to fear death. 

The Holy Spirit moved her to shift the topic of that conversation. I just listened and said what came to my mind, since He gives us the words to say. (Luke 12:12) Even though I didn’t say anything profound, I believe the Holy Spirit used those words for a purpose, to give her hope and comfort, by drawing her closer to God.

One time a conversation led me to pray a brief prayer with a coworker who was very stressed in caring for a disabled child. After that, his life took on a new direction, and he told me he felt renewed strength, having a more personal relationship with Jesus. He and his family later moved out of state, where he started a better job. We lost contact over time, but I am sure God is still blessing him. 

It still amazes me how a few words spoken or a brief prayer, at the right moment in time, initiated by the Holy Spirit, can transform someone’s destiny. The Holy Spirit hijacks conversations in order to bear witness of Jesus and His truth. He does all the work, but He uses simple words of comfort or truth, which He gives us to say. Our words become a seed that later grows into a work of grace in someone’s life. 

Jesus said that each person will receive the seed of faith in a different way, depending on the readiness of the soil of their heart. We never know whose soil is ready for the seed we plant, but the Holy Spirit does. We also may not know whether we are the planter of the seeds or the waterer of the seeds, but we do know that God causes all the growth.

Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and we invite you into each day with us, as we listen for our cue to say whatever you put in our hearts to say. Give us words of kindness and truth, to water seeds of faith that will grow according to your timing. Amen

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

Whoever calls on the Lord in truth and sincerity, will be answered. Some answers to prayer are not always recognized, because of the simple nature of them. 

I experienced an interesting moment yesterday as I was visiting my son’s Nursing Facility. An older lady, who was at a table behind us, started crying out, “Please help me, God!”

saying it over and over. She was a new resident and none of us ever saw her before. We turned to look at her and then at each other, all wondering the same thing, what does she need help with?

So, I went over to her, where she sat alone, with a lunch tray of food on the table in front of her. I asked if I could help her, and she said she wanted to eat the mashed potatoes on her plate, but she couldn’t. Then I noticed that she had a strong tremor in both of her hands, and the vigorous shaking made it impossible for her to feed herself. 

I wondered why no nursing assistant was available to help feed her, but I didn’t bother to ask the nurse station to send someone. I assumed they were short staffed that day, so I asked her name, then told her mine. She told me she only wanted to eat her mashed potatoes on her plate, so I fed her. If I were in her place, with tremors in both hands, I would hope someone would help feed me.

After I fed her, I held her glass of beverage, as she drank it all. She told me she was still thirsty, so I went to get her a glass of water, which she drank to the last drop. Occasionally the staff is stretched to the max in a Nursing Facility, and someone could be left like her, helplessly hungry and thirsty. I don’t blame her for calling out loud to God in that moment.

Afterward, I returned to my seat to spend time visiting the residents I knew, along with my son, Jon. On the way home, I thought about her and the sad fact that most residents have no family or friends who ever visit them. 

I have been pleased to observe Jon’s recent progress, eating very well and feeding himself every day, for the past month, so I was glad to be able to help someone who cannot feed themself at all. 

I thought of Jesus’ words, “I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” 

(Matthew 25:35)

Most of the time Jesus doesn’t ask us to do exceptional things, just the simple things, like helping someone eat and drink.

On my way home, I thought about how she never called for a nurse or anyone else, but she called out loud to God, and He heard and answered her. It really hit me on the way home, more than in the actual moment. God draws near to all who call upon Him, and He does it through other people who are nearby. 

Sometimes in our lives, we have called upon God, and He answers us through the words or a helpful deed done by a person who happened to be nearby us.

Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters  of mine, you did for me.” 

(Matthew 25:40)

Sometimes we forget that how valuable the least of favors can be, in the least of ways, for anyone nearby us. As we begin to see Jesus in others, we find that we can reflect Him to others, through simple words or deeds. 

He cares about the least things that we care about and He is near to those who call upon Him. 

Most of the time, we don’t have the opportunity to offer a life saving or soul saving act to a stranger, but we can do a simple favor. We just might be the only one who is nearby, when someone is calling out to God, and He uses us to answer their call. 

Lord, thank you for being near to those who call upon you, and help us to see how we can be a part of the answer to someone’s prayers. Help us all to know that you are always near to us. Amen

“When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”

The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

1 Kings 2:19-20 (NIV)

This scripture really describes the honor, respect and influence the mother of a king had in ancient Israeli-Hebrew culture. King Solomon had many wives, but only his mother, Bathsheba, sat on the throne at his right side. Bathsheba exercised her influence on her son’s decisions, which was an accepted custom for a mother of a king to make requests of her son. 

In this scripture, Bathsheba is speaking to Solomon on behalf of a marriage arrangement, which she was asked to intervene in. The example of the powerful influence of a Jewish mother, goes back thousands of years, to the most ancient of times in Israel.

Most people went directly to the king to settle their grievances, while others implored Bathsheba’s help and intercession. She took the people’s needs to King Solomon, her son, since he would never refuse her. Her boldness on behalf of others, reminds us of another mother in scripture.

We can see this same influence in Mary’s interaction with Jesus at the wedding of Cana. Jesus attended the wedding as a guest, but His time to reveal Himself as Messiah had not officially arrived yet. Mary, being close friends with the hosts of that celebration, knew the wine had to last for more than three days. 

When the wine ran out on day three, Mary turned to Jesus and simply said “They have no wine”. (John 2:3) Jesus answered, “Why does your concern affect me, my hour has not yet come ?” Up to that point, Jesus did no public miracles, and He was trying to stick to the plan, of not revealing Himself as the Messiah yet.

Mary was focused on the needs of her friends, and not only asked Jesus to help, but turned to the servant and told him, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) 

It may not have been His time yet, but at His mother’s persuasion, Jesus performed His first public miracle, of turning 30 gallons of water into wine.

Jesus was a divine king from birth, and Mary knew it, but she also knew her role as a Jewish mother of a king. She saw a need, and became the influence, by speaking up, not for herself, but for her friends. 

Interceding for someone is defined as asking a higher authority for something on another person’s behalf. We do it every time we pray for someone. Whenever we ask  God to grant someone else’s request, it is intercessory prayer. 

Without overstepping their authority, both mothers took the needs of others close to their heart, all the while, knowing their sons had the power to grant their requests. 

They were both exemplary Jewish mothers, and women of influence, in a humble, yet assertive way. They cared about the needs of others and instead of hoping for the best, they took action and decided to be the influence, through their intercession.

We don’t have to be Jewish mothers to go to Jesus, our King who sits on a throne today. He shed His blood, to give us full access to Him, and we too can make requests on behalf of others. He made the way and He wants us to draw near to Him, with a sincere heart and the full assurance of our faith.  (Hebrews 10:22)

God has given both men and women certain natural and spiritual gifts. He has placed each of us where we are for a reason. He gives us the desire to speak up, and intercede for those in need, both in the natural as well as in our prayers for others. We are all called to be the influence, in some way. Our next step is to simply take Mary’s advice, look to Jesus and 

“do whatever He tells us.”

Lord, help us to follow the examples of Mary and Bathsheba, by seeing the needs of others. Give us the boldness and compassion to be the influence you have called us to be, in our actions and prayers for others. Amen

(A MEMORIAL)

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 ( NASB)

My oldest brother, a career Air Force  instructor pilot, was stationed in South Korea in 1982. At the time, I was a busy mother of two year old twin boys, when I received a phone call one day, which made my world stand still. I was informed that his plane went missing while on a routine instructor flight. In his last radio transmission he said, “I’ve got a problem,” as his F-16 jet completely disappeared from radar. 

During the search mission, we were hoping that he ejected from the plane and would be found alive. Some days later, we were notified that his crash site was found on a mountain. Ted was only thirty five when he died, leaving behind his wife and three year old daughter. 

We learned a few years later that there was an electrical wire chafing problem, common to that particular F-16 model, which all the airplane mechanics were aware of. As our family coped with his loss, his wife did whatever she could, to bring publicity to the faulty electrical system in the F-16 fighter jets at the time. 

She eventually won the legal battle, after an investigation led to the discovery of mechanics’ training videos, which proved there was a  wire chafing problem in F-16s. The truth was made public and the cause of accident was officially changed on the report, from pilot error to electrical wire chafing. 

My sister in law was invited to tell her story on the Diane Sawyer show and soon afterward, Disney Productions contacted her, and proposed making a movie to recreate the story. The movie was made, based on the legal battle that followed his crash, and it was released in 1989 for HBO, called “Afterburn”. Laura Dern won a golden globe award, in playing my sister in law.

Ted was a recent college graduate, working towards his Master’s degree in Physics, when he was drafted during the Viet Nam war. Ironically, he decided to join the Air Force instead of other branches of the armed forces, to increase his chances of survival. It turned out he loved flying and had a twelve year career in the Air Force, as an instructor pilot.  

Since he first joined, I always felt a sense of urgency to pray for him, which I did regularly, long before the accident ever happened. I’ll never know why things ended as they did, but I do know that no one just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, because every human life means more to God than being a mere victim of random tragic accidents. 

The days of our life are already set and written in God’s book at the moment of our conception;

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book, before one of them came to be.” 

(Psalm 139:16)

I choose to believe that God is good, that He loves us, and works all things together for our “eternal” good. God sees the eternal picture, we only see the present. We will never know in this life, why our family had to lose my brilliant and kindhearted brother, but I know that the One who created all of us, also helps us to get through every tragedy. 

Lord, help us to trust and believe in you, through painful circumstances and tragic events in our lives. By faith, we choose to believe that you always work all things together for our eternal good. Amen

In memory of Capt. Ted Harduvel

(Oct. 28, 1947-Nov. 15, 1982)