Verses from Mama

Hearing God speak one Bible verse at a time.

The Brightest Lights Ever

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Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Dear Kids:

City lights have always thrilled me! Growing up in Kearny, NJ, I cut my teeth just over the border from the Big Apple. From my earliest days, I wondered over the beauty of the New York City skyline. It was an everyday, unmissable view as we drove east on the nearby highway. Uncle Chuck and I always sat on the edge of our seats so we could be the first to catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center rising up over the horizon. You could see the skyline clearly on any cloudless day, but at night the radiance was spectacular.

A City on a Hill Can’t Be Hidden

Jesus played upon the brilliance of a city set on a hill when He told His followers they were the light of the world. The lives of those who belong to the Lord give off a radiance that dispels the world’s darkness around them. Jesus doesn’t call us to be lights. Instead He tells us we are lights. What we do and how we live are byproducts of who we are, and the Holy Spirit’s presence within us.

We have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son. Now we must live out this citizenship by brightly shining the light of our good works. This will result in those around us glorifying our heavenly Father.

God’s Children are the Brightest Lights Ever

Paul gives some guidelines for shining our brightest light ever in 2 Corinthians 4. He tells us to renounce secret and shameful ways, not to use deception, not to distort God’s word, but to set forth the truth plainly. Even when the god of this age blinds people to the light, do not become discouraged. We have the privilege of praying that God will bind Satan and lift the clouds from the eyes of the lost. In this way the beauty of the gospel that displays the glory of Jesus Christ, Who is the image of God, can become clear.

The New York City skyline has changed over the past two decades, but it still illuminates the eastern sky. It is still an unmissable, beautiful sight! But how much more brilliant is the Light of God’s children reflecting the Savior’s glory. It cannot and must not be hidden!

Shine on, my children, and this dark world will never be the same!

Love,

Mama

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Beware of the Danger Caused by Small Breaches

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Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.”

Dear Sons:

I found out the other day how small breaches could result in huge disasters.

It was a mundane Monday evening and Abigail suggested we go out to eat for dinner to cheer things up. I had a gift card to Olive Garden I had been carrying around in my purse for quite some time, so I suggested we put it to use. Abigail met us at the office after play practice, and she, Nathan, Dad, and I piled into the van and headed to Beavercreek.

Discovering a Huge Disaster

We had such a pleasant time lingering over Italian cuisine and good conversation that we hated to leave. After paying the bill the four of us drove back to the office where everyone got into his or her own car to head home. I arrived first and upon opening the door a huge shock met me. A fire hose-like spray of water pulsated from the kitchen ceiling onto the dining table where it splattered to all directions. The water spread throughout the whole room, leaving water everywhere.. There is no telling how long the flow had been gushing out of the burst pipe because when I ran to the basement to shut off the water valve I discovered that it, too, was filled with water.

This began a process over the next seventy-two hours of tearing down the ceiling, pulling up the linoleum, talking with contractors and insurance adjusters, and maneuvering around all the displaced furniture and pieces of our lives. The plumber showed me the tiny fissure in a copper pipe that had caused all the damage. Who would have thought that such a small breach would create such havoc and necessitate big time reconstruction of our kitchen?

Small Things Do Matter

We may be lulled into believing that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, but it is true that small things really do matter. Young men, in particular, may succumb to the temptation of a quick glance at some inappropriate images on the computer. But these seemingly small indiscretions have the potential of exploding into a full-blown addiction to pornography.

Others have had their marriages devastated by accepting what they considered harmless “friend requests” on social media. A random text here or there to someone other than your wife can lead to wrong emotional bonding, marital discord, and possibly even divorce. One too many drinks of alcohol, a slip of the tongue, a wandering eye . . . all of these have the potential for devastating results in your witness for Christ, your relationships, and your integrity.

God’s word gives wise advice. “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” Those who follow God’s instructions and pay attention to even the small things are blessed. Obedience to God and immediate confession of any violation in your thoughts and actions can help you bypass a whole lot of mess and devastation.

The plumbers fixed our pipe, but the mess was already there. We have many weeks of reconstruction ahead, but we can fix the kitchen. The devastation caused by lapses in our thought life and behaviors are not always so easily remedied.

So, my sons, take great strides to keep your thought life and your actions pure. Let our kitchen be your reminder that even the smallest of breaches can cause big disasters. But those whose ways are blameless are blessed.

Love,

Mama

An Important Missed Detail

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Luke 1:13 “But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Have you ever noticed how you can get so fixated on one thing that you miss something really important?

Exciting News for an Elderly Priest

Zechariah was an elderly priest. When his priestly division was on temple duty, his name was chosen by lot to burn incense before the Lord. During his service, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to him and proclaimed exciting news: his prayer had been answered! His wife, Elizabeth, would become pregnant with a son whom they were to name John.

The angel went on to explain that  the Holy Spirit would fill this boy from birth and would bring many of the Jewish people back to the Lord their God. In the spirit and power of Elijah, John would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous. This would all occur to make the people ready for the Messiah to come.

This news flabbergasted Zechariah. He and Elizabeth were very old and past the years of child-bearing. So he questioned the angel in disbelief. His mind was focused only on the seeming impossibility of a physical birth. Gabriel assured Zechariah that the words were true, but proclaimed that because of his unbelief he would not be able to speak until the child was born. Zechariah returned home after his job was done. Sure enough, as prophesied Elizabeth became pregnant.

Answered Prayer and an Important Missed Detail

I can only imagine how many years this couple had talked and prayed about having a child. Each passing month produced fresh disappointment and the decades rolled by. So when the angel gave Zechariah the incredible news of the soon coming birth, the tiny baby boy was all he could think about. It seemed impossible to him, though as a priest he must have known it was not impossible. Hadn’t he heard the stories of Abraham and Sarah and how God had given them a son in their old age?

The really impossible part was what God would do through this child! He would use him to soften the hard hearts of men and turn them back to God. Romans 3:10 states, “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. Yet, despite the impossibility of humans seeking after God, through John’s ministry hearts of stone would be softened to hearts of flesh to respond to the coming Messiah.

Zechariah Sees the Even Greater Miracle

It seems that during the nine months of silent waiting Zechariah had much time to think. When the long-awaited baby finally arrived, this joyful father sang a song of praise. But the theme of the lyrics was not about the impossibility of an older person giving birth. Instead this song focused on the really important part: God would redeem His people from their sin and rescue them from their enemies. This precious little child, John, would give the people the knowledge of salvation through God’s forgiveness, which would miraculously prepare their hearts for the coming Savior. His physical life would prepare others for spiritual life in Christ.

What are you fixated on this Christmas season? Could it be that the thing you have prayed for the most has blinded you to God’s even grander idea? Open your heart and mind so you don’t miss any important details of what God is doing and has done. What you find might surprise you!

Love,
Mama

Read Zachariah’s song of praise here.

The Catastrophe of a Religious Masquerade

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Zechariah 7:9-10 “ Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”

Dear Kids:

The Catastrophe of A Religious MasqueradeHalloween is just around the corner. This is the time of year when many dress up in costumes. Recently, Luke and Brianna hosted an autumn dress up party. Their little family masqueraded as the cutest beekeeper, flower, and honeybee I’ve ever seen. After the party they took the costumes off and returned to their normal selves. But sadly there are many people who spend their whole lives pretending to be something they are really not.

The prophet, Zechariah, confronted the Judean people about their religious practices. During the seventy years they had spent in captivity they had kept up a regular custom of fasting and mourning.  Their actions looked very spiritual and pious, but God saw beyond the outward appearances. Through the prophet He questioned their integrity saying, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years was it actually for Me that you fasted?

The Lord then spelled out His version of true and genuine religiosity. It included dispensing justice and practicing kindness and compassion to all people, as well as refraining from oppressing widows, orphans, strangers or the poor. Those who are the “real thing” will not devise evil in their hearts against one another. They will always speak the truth and judge with accuracy and peace.

Sadly, in the past, God’s people had refused to listen to the former prophets’ words. They closed their ears from listening and continued on in their foolish religious masquerade bringing a great catastrophe upon themselves.

Today, there are still many who portray themselves to be something they are really not. Going to church every week, dropping money in the offering plate, and using religious words and phrases are not the measurement of a genuine Christian. Those who have received God’s Spirit within them will show by their actions that they are the “real thing.” They will have a sincere love for those around them that will be demonstrated by their desire for justice and truth. They will reach out to aid those who are struggling and offer material and emotional help for their times of great need. They will pray for their enemies and seek to do them good instead of evil.

Choosing to dress up in a Halloween costume may or may not be your fancy. But make sure that who you are every day is not a religious masquerade. Do your actions demonstrate your real heart attitudes? Your facade may trick others, but God knows the truth.

Love,

Mama

A Better Way to Deal with Volatile Emotions

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Psalm 143:2 “And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.”

Dear Kids:

“I can’t stand her! She treated me wrongly and I am done!”

Man Expressing Strong EmotionsHave any of you ever said or thought these words? If you are honest I am sure that you, like me, have expressed these feelings at one time or another. Maybe a friend betrayed your trust . . . or a client did you wrong . . . or a family member pushed the wrong button one too many times. People are imperfect and regular contact affords plenty of opportunity for rubbing one another the wrong way. Hurt feelings and raw emotions sometimes get the better of us. But what if there were a different way of handling the situation?

Psalms: A Wonderful Bible Book

Psalms is a wonderful book. Located near the middle of the Bible; its pages are filled with hymns and prayers from a number of different writers. For centuries many have found great comfort by peeking into the thoughts and emotions of those long gone. God, in His wisdom, chose to share with us the deepest feelings of some of His children in order to help us process our own struggles correctly and find comfort in time of need.

Recently, while reading Psalm 143, I was struck by the passion with which David cried out to God for deliverance and guidance. An enemy was persecuting his soul and the descriptive words seem to suggest that his circumstances may have brought on anxiety and depression. I can almost imagine this man at the end of his rope uttering, “I can’t stand this enemy! He is treating me wrongly and I am done!”

But even as David cried out to God for help he also prayed that God would not judge him for his own sins. He recognized that he was a sinner and needed God’s mercy and that no man is righteous in God’s sight. Later David expressed his trust and understanding of God’s lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness. He belonged to the Lord, asked for deliverance, and found refuge in Him. He did not take matters into his own hands, but waited for the Lord to act.

Venting Emotions to God

When an irritating person – maybe even an enemy – has gone too far, we can go straight to the Lord with our complaints. Just as the Psalmist vented all his emotions, we too can call upon the Lord in our distress. But it is important to remember that no one is righteous in God’s sight apart from Jesus – not even you! Everyone needs forgiveness. Thankfully, God doesn’t remember us according to our sin, but according to His mercy.

Don’t take matters in your own hands. Ask the Lord to help you see things differently or to intervene when the situation warrants it. And maybe, instead of being done with the person, you will find you can forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.

Love,
Mama

How to Have a Real Home

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Zechariah 2:10 “’Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ declares the Lord.”

Real home, Cedarville, Ohio, Country Home for Sale

“We celebrate making home happen!” A short video shown at a recent real estate continuing education class advertised and explained this Ohio Association of Realtors® motto. Many people desire and work hard to own their own piece of land and build their dream home. But what constitutes a real home anyway?

Some would say the investment of the real property itself creates a home. Others say it is the particular four walls they paint their favorite colors and on which they hang their favorite pictures. Maybe it’s the comfy furniture . . . or the amount of acreage . . . or the barn in the backyard. And as we Realtors® say, the most important thing is . . . Location, Location, Location!!

But what good are all of these accouterments if the home is empty or love is absent? The essence of a real home is the relationships that are found there.

God’s people had gone home. They had spent seventy years living in a foreign country because of their sins, but now they had returned to their national country of birth. They worked hard to resettle the land and reestablish their society. Yet even as the walls of their houses and temple were being raised, there was something missing. The people’s relationship with God was still distant.

So the prophet Zechariah spoke God’s message of love. If the people would return to Him, then He would return to them. The daughters of Zion would sing for joy and be glad because the Lord was coming and would dwell in their midst. He would again choose Jerusalem as His holy city and in the future many nations would also join themselves to the Lord and be His people.

Without the Lord’s presence and promise of favor, the city, the houses, and even the Temple would not really be home for the nation of Israel. They would just be pieces of real estate!

Home is the center of family and society. But these are not defined with four walls, vaulted ceilings, and location! Even when families who love each other live together there is still something missing.

Like the children of Israel we also will never be truly at home until our relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of our lives. Then it doesn’t really matter what type, if any, real estate you own. All God’s children can always celebrate with joy because His presence is what makes a real home happen.

Love,
Mama

God’s Terms of Endearment

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Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.’” 

Dear Kids:

Dad and Sweet Abigail (otherwise known as Princess Cherry Blossom) – 2002

Have you ever noticed how people tend to give nicknames to those they love? Sweetheart, Darling, Precious, and Honey are some of these most common terms of endearment. Other times people craft fun or special names, which are meaningful and fitting for a certain individual. We have a number of those in our family. Just ask our sweet Abigail, whose older sister Emily dubbed her at birth Princess Cherry Blossom. Each pet name demonstrates how much we love the person so named.

God’s Terms of Endearment

God also has terms of endearment for those He loves. God’s people had gone through a very difficult period of time. They had spent years under the bondage of foreign nations. They brought this captivity on themselves because they turned away from God and broke His covenant with them. In wisdom God allowed them to be punished for their disloyalty by these foreign nations. But as with any good parent, God never stopped loving His children. He brought about their punishment for the purpose of getting their attention and drawing them back into relationship with Himself.

The prophet Zechariah delivered God’s call to repentance and promise of deliverance to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.’” The nation of Israel was special and loved, nicknamed the apple of God’s eye, and He was angry at the foreign nations. They had been called to punish His wayward people but they wanted to go beyond God’s intention. They planned to annihilate His special nation, and this was unacceptable!

God pledged that He would be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem and that His glory would fill the city. He would go after the enemy nations with a vengeance because no one could touch His loved ones without His permission.

God’s redeemed people are one in Christ

Today God loves those who belong to Him as much as He loves the nation of Israel. In fact, God sees all people who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, as His one redeemed people. Ephesians 2:13-14 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who made both groups (Jew and Gentiles) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. . .”

That means that we also acquire His special terms of endearment. We are deeply loved by Almighty God, and also called the “apple of His eye.” He is concerned about all that happens to us. He lovingly blesses us, disciplines us, provides for us, and protects us. No one can harm us without His permission. We are His and He is ours.

Have you grown up with a special nickname? Are you someone’s Honey, Sweetheart, Darling, or Princess Cherry Blossom? Regardless, if you are one of God’s children you are deeply loved. And those who touch you touch the “apple of His eye”.

Love,

Mama

Different Kinds of People – One Merciful God

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2 Chronicles 33:12-13 “When he was in distress, he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 

Dear Kids:

When it comes to sharing God’s story of salvation, you will run across different kinds of people. Exposing the truth that all men are sinners and deserve God’s punishment will inevitably cause some to object. These objectors will often state that they are good people who follow the laws of the land, try to be upstanding citizens, and treat others how they themselves would like to be treated. They may not feel they need God’s amazing grace.

But there is another group of people. These are the people who have blatantly experienced firsthand the effects of sin on their lives. Through bad decisions made in pride or because of circumstances outside of their control they have lived a life of shame and defeat. These often believe they have gone beyond what God can forgive.

For those who believe they have gone too far I would suggest they read the story of Manasseh. This man was one of the kings of Judah. While his father was a godly man, the king did not follow in his elder’s footsteps. His worship of idols led the whole nation away from God. Manasseh even did the unthinkable by burning his own babies as sacrifices to false gods.

The Lord strongly warned Manasseh and the people, but they wouldn’t listen. So God sent the army of Assyria to punish them. King Manasseh was captured with hooks, bound in bronze chains, and carried away to Babylon.

One Merciful God

Manasseh became so distressed over his plight that he humbled himself greatly and begged the Lord to hear his prayers. Mercifully God did hear, rescuing him from his bondage and delivering him back to his kingdom. The experience taught Manasseh to know and understand that the Lord was God. In gratitude he began reforming the country back to the true worship of the Lord!

Different kinds of people, but all need God’s salvation through Jesus Christ. The common ground in each case is humility. Regardless of good or bad behavior, our sin nature has separated us from God. But we can be reunited by grace through faith. God’s mercy extends to anyone who humbles himself no matter how good or bad.  Different kinds of people – one merciful God!

Jesus said, “ . . . the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37b)

Love,

Mama

Unheeded Warnings and Open Drawbridges

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Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Warning - Open Drawbridge

NX Bridge spanning the Passaic River between Newark and Kearny, NJ

A wise person heeds warnings!

Everywhere we go there are warnings directing us of upcoming danger or consequences. A stop sign warns a driver of oncoming traffic. A bell reminds a student that class is about to start. A growl alerts a prowler that a potential target home has a protective watchdog. And a closed barrier warns of an open or rising drawbridge.

My hometown of Kearny, NJ, is located along the Passaic River. As a child I remember lying in bed listening to the deep, lonesome sound of barges pulling freight along the channel. Sometimes when our family would travel across town we would be forced to wait at a bridge while the boat lumbered through the passing. A warning barrier would come down and the drawbridge would rise into the air allowing the boat to pass. When all was clear the steel bridge would slowly drop into position again and we would follow the traffic over the moveable road to the other side of the river.

An Unheeded Warning

Drawbridges have always given me a sense of fearful wonder. They are amazing in design and purpose, but also a bit scary. I recently read an article that highlighted one of my deepest fears as a child. In 2015, 29 year old James Montano was forced to jump his SUV across a rising drawbridge in Palm Beach, Florida, in order to avoid a long drop into the cold, murky waters. I was transported back to memories of the steel monstrosities I had travelled across time after time while shivers raced up my spine. How could this happen? Reading farther, I found the answer.

The man who performed this stunt did so because he failed to heed the warning. Distracted by his GPS, this man missed seeing the barrier coming down, crashed through it, and was forced to gun his engine to soar over the rising bridge in order to save himself and his passenger. A disaster was averted by only a few inches!

Jesus Gives a Warning

Jesus’ final days on earth were upon Him. The Son of God understood all that He and His disciples would suffer in the upcoming hours. Speaking to Simon Peter, Jesus gave a warning. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again strengthen your brothers.”

Peter, the brash and prideful fisherman, ignored Jesus’ warning. “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” Again, Jesus warned Peter that his courage would fail before the rooster would crow and he would deny that he even knew Jesus.

Jesus gave a way to escape along with His warning. Upon arriving at the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked His disciples to wait and pray with Him so they wouldn’t enter into temptation. But again the disciples, distracted by exhaustion and sorrow, ignored the caution. They fell asleep at the wheel and cruised through the warning barrier unaware of the danger ahead.

Spiritual Consequences of Unheeded Warnings

Soon the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. His disciples, unprepared for the disaster, reacted by trying to fight and running away. Late that night Jesus’ prediction came true and Peter denied the One he loved so much.

The Bible is full of warnings for us, too. They are there to make us aware of danger and to protect us from making damaging decisions. We must stay alert and heed these warnings if we want to avoid disaster. The alternative could be very scary. It may be denying the Lord or even making a chilling jump across an open drawbridge!

Love,

Mama

God’s Gift of the Ordinary

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The cousins visiting a life-size replica of Noah’s ark at The Ark Encounter https://arkencounter.com

People seem to thrive on adventure. The thrill of new experiences and drama often give us a high. But there is something to say about the everyday, normal activity of life. You could even say it is God’s gift of the ordinary.

God’s Perfect World

God created a perfect world. Everything and everyone worked in harmony with the other. One day a tragedy occurred. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s command. Sin entered the creation and from then on a downward spiral pulled our beautiful world and everything in it into an undertow of devastation.

Over time the effects of sin became so bad that God looked down on His creation with disgust. He saw that every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart were continually evil. This saddened Him and He decided to destroy the world He had created. But there was Noah, one man who found grace in the sight of the Lord.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time. God revealed to Noah what He planned to do and gave him directions to build a large boat, which would serve as protection from the great flood He was going to send on the earth.

God Sends A Flood

For 400 years Noah and his sons worked on the boat, all the while preaching to their neighbors and asking them to repent of their sins. Sadly, the people only jeered at this obedient family. When the boat was ready God told Noah and his family to take a male and a female of every kind of animal, plus sevens of the sacrificial animals, into the boat. Then He shut the door and sent rain upon the earth for forty days and nights.

In that month the water covered the earth and drowned out all living things, but Noah and his family were safe within the boat. After a year or so God dried up the earth and allowed Noah’s family to exit the boat. They and all the animals stepped out onto dry land to begin a new life.

We are so familiar with this story that we often tend to forget the emotional impact this tragedy must have had on Noah and his family. They were uprooted from their home knowing that all of their friends and family were being destroyed because they would not repent. They, along with the life they had known, vanished into the deepest ocean ever created.

When this family timidly stepped out of the boat and drew in the fresh air of their new home, the first thing Noah did was to build an altar and make a sacrifice to the Lord. In response God made some promises. He said He would never again destroy every living thing with another flood, and that:

“While the earth remains

Seedtime and harvest

And cold and heat,

And summer and winter,

And day and night

Shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22

God’s Ordinary Gift

After all the drama of this worldwide flood, God gave Noah and his family a gift of the ordinary. Year after year they would experience the natural cycle of earthly events. Seedtime would yield harvests. The seasons and varying temperatures would rotate throughout the year. And the sun would rise and set on every new day. What a blessing to be able to rely on predictable events no matter how ordinary.

While our culture seems to thrive on excitement and drama, we all need the ordinary seasons of life to keep us healthy and strong. The adrenaline rush that God has given us to meet threats and even pleasurable excitement can take a toll on our body. We need the gift of the ordinary to get the rest we need.

I am sure Noah and his family were so happy when life settled down into a new routine. The cycles of life must have been a great comfort after all they had experienced. We, too, need this downtime in our busy world. Many are addicted to the speed and excitement of the life we live, but take it from Noah: God’s gift of the ordinary is an incredible blessing for which we should all be grateful!

Love,

Mama