A Divine Appointment

 "All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom." Psalm 145: 11-12

    It began as a typical snowy, gray day, one on which the Light of God would shine brightly, altering it for His glory.

    I had accompanied my husband to his medical appointment. Dave had worn his ballcap with the cross of Christ on it, formed by three nails. As we entered the waiting room, doffing our wintry garments, a man commented, "Nice hat." On a curved couch sat a man and his wife, holding hands. We sat opposite them and Christ became the Chief Cornerstone of that medical building as our conversation centered 'round the cross. 

    The woman soon brought her testimony to light. Twenty-two years ago, she had broken her back and died on the operating table. Tears flowed, causing her to pause and wipe her eyes. It was clear that the memory of that day was as vivid as if it had just happened yesterday.

    "I was in a tunnel when I saw Him," she began. "He wasn't dark or light in complexion, but tan with curly, shoulder-length hair." Her voice became ragged with emotion. "Oh, He was beautiful, just beautiful!"

    The words of the hymn, "Beautiful Savior" came to my mind:

"Beautiful Savior, King of creation,

Son of God and Son of Man;

Truly I love Thee, truly I serve Thee,

Light of my soul, my joy, my crown."

    I almost began to sing in spontaneous worship, so enraptured was I by her testimony. After all, across from me sat an eyewitness to the Face of Christ. How awesome is that?

    My thoughts were interrupted by her continuation. "As much as I didn't want to leave, He was telling me it wasn't yet my time. I must return. The next thing I heard was a nurse yelling at me to breathe as she frantically worked on my chest."

    With a broad smile, she concluded, "If anyone ever doubts the reality of a Living Jesus, I tell them, 'I have seen the Lord!'" We parted with a hug and a promise to look for each other at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

    We never know what a day will bring, but when we bring Christ to the center stage, we know it's going to be a glorious day!

"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'" Revelation 1: 17-18

Just As We'd Been Told

 "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:20

    When pondering the Christmas account of the Bethlehem shepherds found in Luke's gospel, I thought about them hurrying off to check on the validity of the angel's heavenly message. 

    The angel had said, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby..." Sure enough, "they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in a manger." (Luke 2: 15-16, emphasis mine) This was cause for praise when they found things were " just as they had been told."

    This brought to mind similar occasions in scripture. 

    When the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare their celebration of Passover, Jesus sent two of them saying, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." Guess what? "The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them." (Mark 14: 13-15, emphasis mine)

    Again, as Jesus approached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He sent two of his disciples ahead saying, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here." Is it any surprise when "those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He had told them."? (Luke 19: 29-32, emphasis mine)

    Ribbons of prophecies and their fulfillments are woven throughout scripture, from the virgin birth to the betrayal of Jesus and more. These came true just as we had been told. God speaks with faithful precision; no purpose of his will ever be thwarted. On that, we can hang our hats.

    Apply this truth to the prophecies yet to be fulfilled and ask yourself, "Will this really come to pass?"

Here are three examples to ponder:

• "Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west...The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day, there will be one Lord, and his name the only name." (Zechariah 14: 3, 4, 9)
• "'Men of Galilee,' they (the angels) said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:11)
• "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24: 30-31)

    I think the rest of the story goes like this: And we will find it just as we'd been told. Do you agree?

Truly Wise Men

 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you...The one who seeks finds." Matthew 7: 7-8

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'" Matthew 2: 1-2

    Our pastor's wife asked me if I would be a Wise Man in the Christmas pageant this year. In preparation for my role, I have pondered the account of the wise men as told in Matthew's gospel. 

    They were a rather mysterious group, weren't they? Also known as the Magi, perhaps their study of the Scriptures combined with astrology propelled them to drop everything and follow "his" star, the star that led the way to the Light of the World. 

    What if they had chosen the comforts of home instead of traversing for miles in search of the King of the Jews? But no, these truly wise men packed up their treasures and went to find the Pearl of great price. (Matthew 13:46)

    I noticed in this story that faith involves action. They asked, they sought and they found. The same holds true throughout the Bible.

    For example, consider the wee tax collector, Zacchaeus. Wanting to see who Jesus was, he sought the best vantage point provided by a sycamore-fig tree, and he was not disappointed when Jesus called him by name. "So he came down and welcomed Him gladly." (Luke 19:6)

    Or how about the actions of the unnamed woman who touched the hem of His garment, seeking healing? "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed," she thought. (Mark 5: 27-28) Immediately it was so.

   Then there were the friends of the paralyzed man whose efforts to take him to Jesus were bogged down by the crowd. Undeterred, they came up with Plan B and lowered the man through the roof. (Luke 5:19) Seeing their faith, Jesus healed this man, too.

    The Bible says when we seek, we shall find. What are we looking for? 

    As the angel told the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." The angel went on to say, "You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2: 11-12) When we seek for a Savior, we find Jesus and none other. 

    Only He is deserving of our obedience, our gifts and our worship.

"On coming to the house, they saw the Child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:11 

    What a sight that must have been, a snapshot of the glorious worship we will give to our King as we surround His throne by the glassy sea!

"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'" Revelation 4: 9-11

    

God Knows Your Name

 "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1

    Last Monday, my nephew and his wife welcomed their newborn son into the world. We all waited to learn his name, which my sister released with several photographs the following day: Bennett Andrew. When I spoke with the proud grandma, I said, "Think of how many times he will use his name throughout his life along with his date of birth."

    On that same Monday, I was in the airport awaiting my flight home from Houston. The minute I flopped into a chair at the gate, I heard my name called over a loud speaker! My rapid heartbeat thudded in my ears as I gathered my wits about me to approach the desk. 

    "Yes?" I inquired, "I am Rachel Parsons. Is anything wrong?" Well, I needn't have worried; the request was for me to change my seat. I didn't mind, as long as I didn't have to sit in the lavatory on the plane. 

    Out of the sea of humanity that was coursing through the airport that day, my name was called. It was an unexpected, odd and rather frightful moment.

    What if God called my name? Would I shake in my size 10s or would I respond in obedient anticipation?

    Once home, I began to think of all the people in the Bible whom God called by name. Here's what I came up with, though there's likely more:

• Abraham - Genesis 22:1
• Moses - Exodus 3:4
• Samuel - 1 Samuel 3:6
• Elijah - 1 Kings 19:9
• Zechariah - Luke 1:13
• Mary, mother of Jesus - Luke 1:30
• Mary Magdalene - John 20:16
• Simon Peter - John 21: 15
• Saul - Acts 9:4
• Ananias - Acts 9:10

    When someone calls your name, it's a very personal thing, so I am not surprised that God knows me by name. He who formed me in my mother's womb ordained all my days for me before one of them came to be. He who knows the number of hairs upon my head would also know my name. What a comfort that is! He is a God who sees me, who hears me and knows me very intimately and, because I am saved by the blood of Jesus, my name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20). 

    When I was a preschooler, I remember watching a show called "Romper Room." At the close of each show, the hostess would peer through an empty hand mirror and say, "I see Linda; I see Johnny; I see..." Her magic mirror was a way for the child watching at home to feel special, as if he/she were a part of her world. When my name wasn't called, I would wave my arms at the television, vainly wishing to be seen.

    I don't have to do that with the God of the Universe who has summoned me by name. I am His.

"The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out." John 10:3

The Richest of Fare

 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:1-2

    When I was a kid, eating out was a rarity, so when we piled into the family sedan and drove to McDonalds, it was a memorable occasion. I can still recall the aroma of french fries wafting from the golden arches, drawing us like crazed moths to a porch light. We threw a few fries onto the hood of the car for even the birds were hungry for them. 

    Ah, the days of blissful ignorance, before words like cholesterol and sodium content stayed our hands.

    I have noticed a hunger reminiscent of those days, but it's not for food, it's for the Word of God. Three times this past week, I wove scripture into the conversations I was having and I noticed how thirsty these folks were to hear from Him - like a tender rain on parched ground, they drank it up. 

    What a blessing it is to be a Christian these days when the fields are ripe for harvest all around us. The prophet Amos said:

"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "When I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it." Amos 8: 11-12

    Let us don our aprons and feed those who are hungering for righteousness while we still can. When we, who have been satiated until our cups overflow, share our meal with others, they will then "delight in the richest of fare," and it doesn't cost us a thing.  

    People are famished and we hold the menu. "For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." (Psalm 107:9)

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Romans 10: 13-14

Author and Illustrator

 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge." Psalm 19: 1-2

    The painting of a pink peony portrays what the artist desired to say. Before brush was put to paper, this peony only existed in the imagination of the illustrator. Now it is framed there on my wall to remind me of my daughter, the artist. It is proof of her existence.

    My biography, as told by God, is beautifully illustrated by the Author himself. I don't just hold the book in my lap, reading as a third party observer, rather I exist in this living tableau, excitingly involved as each page is freshly written. He and I together, as collaborators.

    When time allows, I sometimes flip back over previous chapters to reread favorite portions. When I can't sleep at night, pictures from my childhood home, captioned with words of my mother, are absorbed like dog-eared pages. Then, there are dark, unabridged chapters I prefer were not included, but there they are, to illustrate what I looked like without Christ. 

    As each day unfolds, the Author may write in a new character so I keep my eyes peeled for the introduction. One day, on a walk to the park, a brilliant gold leaf gave me pause, so I picked it up feeling it may be a clue. With each step, I examined the intricate, delicate design of the leaf, praying to share its beauty with someone. 

    A busy woman with two dogs approached me, but she was not the one. Continuing on, I spied a gal with wavy hair on a bench beneath the boughs of a maple tree, bent over her phone. As I passed, she glanced up and I knew she was part of my story. We exchanged greetings, then I stepped forward with the gold leaf.

    "Isn't this a thing of beauty?" I began. "That God would spend such time creating a simple lovely leaf..." These words developed into the next until at last, she and I joined hands in the sunshine and prayed over her needs. We met as strangers over a leaf, but it was not strange to the Author who knew the plot and whose illustrations completed the glorious scene.

    His painting of a gold leaf was the proof of His existence that drew two people together beneath the canopy of His grace. And someday, when He pens the conclusion of my life, I hope to flip back through and see many such smiling faces as the gal on the bench. 

    Only the Author and Illustrator knows how many I may see when my story continues in the heavenly realms, the sequel I cannot wait to read.

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:2

    

    

My Life According to God

 "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

    A birthday provides the perfect time to reflect back on life's progress. Are there regrets? A few, surely. Were goals reached? Were they ever made in the first place? If former colleagues and co-workers were called upon to testify about me, what would their observations be? Most importantly, what does God see when He examines my days?

    Recently, when I attended a memorial/worship service for Charlie Kirk, tears rolled down my cheeks as I raised my hands to the Lord. As I did, it seemed as if God showed me clips of my life, like a movie trailer, demonstrating all the times He ministered to me personally. Scenes from childhood to present time were projected onto my heart; some were times of great sorrow while others triumphed with joy.

    As God spoke to me, it became clear that the pinnacles of my life, which identify who I am, all revolve around the One who wrote the events of those days in His book before one of them came to be. Success cannot be measured by the things that I have done, but only by the accomplishments of my Creator. 

    The words of a song brought this special time to a close as I cried out to God: "All my life you have been faithful; all my life you have been so, so good! With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God."

    God has done His best work in my life when I have gotten out of His way in total submission and fully relied on Him. When the Potter has completed His task, I will resemble Jesus.

    I join Charlie Kirk in saying I want to be remembered for my faith in God. Nothing else matters.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Colossians 3:2-4