IF THOSE WALLS COULD TALK!

August 31, 2018August 28, 2018 | lindamowles

Often, when we are driving down the road, I will see an old barn or house, dilapidated and long unused, and I think “what if those walls could talk!” I wonder what we would learn about the lives lived there, the hopes and dreams that were discussed, the hopes and dreams that were dashed, the laughter of children that rang through the halls, the cries of delight at holidays … what if those walls could talk!

While visiting Vicksburg, Mississippi, we stopped at the Court Square in downtown. There we saw this plaque which gave the history of the town and its courthouse. It was as if the walls did talk, at least in very brief terms.

The plaque reads:

Court Square

When Rev. Newet Vick founded Vicksburg in 1819, he designated this city block as a public square, and after the city was incorporated and became the county seat in 1825, a court house was built on the site: it burned in 1856 and the present structure was erected. It was here that federal soldiers lowered the confederate flag and raised the union banner on July 4, 1863, and Gen. U. S. Grant reviewed his victorious army. Many famous Americans have spoken on Court Square, including Zachary Taylor, William McKinley, Booker T. Washington, and Theodore Roosevelt. The building was abandoned as a court house in 1939 and became a museum on June 3, 1948, under the leadership of Mrs. Eva Whitaker Davis and the Vicksburg and Warren County Historical Society.

Court Square, clearly, was pivotal to the community and many significant events occurred there throughout the 100 years of its history. Now the courthouse is a museum where people, like us, can come and see detailed information about what occurred in the area throughout the years.

What if the walls could talk! The monument gives us some insight into what the walls of the courthouse might say, but not everything is provided there. It is just a sample of the highlights.

The writer of Ecclesiastes talks about the variety of events in one’s life and then warns that we should enjoy those things that God gives us, but we should be aware that there will be a judgment.

“So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”

Ecclesiastes 11:8-9

Jesus said:

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,”

Matthew 12:36

Some translations of this verse change the word “careless” to “idle” or “empty”. The meaning is the same, and it is sobering. We will not hear the highlights of our lives. Oh no, instead we will hear every careless word that we say … they all will be brought before us when we are being judged before our holy God. Words that we say in anger, words that we say in jest but which cut like knives, words that we say flippantly without seeing the pain inflicted by the harsh tone, words that we say just to sound important, words spoken about others in the stillness of our home … all the words we speak will be splayed out before God on that day.

Then, the walls will talk! Nothing will be hidden … and we will be ashamed.

Praise our Lord and Savior that for those who believe in Jesus through faith in His Word will be covered by His righteousness. Jesus will, in effect, stand in front of us before God and will blot out those hurtful, wasted words so that we will be unblemished through His righteousness.

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rest in His atoning work on the cross of Calvary and in His resurrection from the dead. Read His Word and confess and repent of your sin, accepting His forgiveness.

Then, when facing God with our Savior at His side, you will hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Father, I bow in humble thankfulness, gratitude and love, I am in awe of your grace and mercy that was extended to me through Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer. Use these simple words to spread your kingdom in our world, My Lord and my God.

ARE YOU A SOLDIER?

August 28, 2018August 28, 2018 | lindamowles

We love to take pictures of courthouses as we travel. It is understandable since I spent 30 years in the practice of law and was in many courthouses throughout the Southeast United States.

On a visit to Vicksburg, Mississippi, we saw the old Warren County Courthouse and decided to look around. As we were leaving the courthouse, we saw a plaque in honor of the soldiers from Vicksburg and Warren County, Mississippi, who fought in World War II. The poem at the top of the granite block is entitled SOLDIERS and it reads:

We were that which others did not want to be, we went where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do. We were … AMERICAN SOLDIERS.

Monument to american soldiers outside vicksburg old courthouse — Monument in Vicksburg, Mississippi

The word “soldier” brings up many different emotions, memories, experiences to people, but I suspect that for the vast majority of people, the word “soldier” encompasses the concept of one who is willing to deny themselves for the benefit of others. That is certainly what is within the words on the Warren County monument to Company B of the 106^th Engineer (Combat) Battalion, 31st Infantry (Dixie) Division of the Mississippi National Guard in the 1940s.

The Apostle Paul was certainly well acquainted with the role that soldiers had in the Roman world. He, after all, was imprisoned on more than one occasion, and each time there were soldiers who guarded him who undoubtedly heard Paul’s witness for Christ.

“And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.”

Acts 28:16

Therefore, it is not surprising that Paul used the analogy of being a soldier when referring to serving Christ Jesus in our walk through this life. Specifically, in 2 Timothy, Paul told the young preacher:

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

2 Timothy 2:3-4

Being a soldier for Jesus reminds me of a song that I sang as a young child. It was sung to the tune of The Old Gray Mare and the words went like this:

I may never march in the infantry; Ride in the cavalry; .Shoot the artillery.

I may never fly o’er the enemy; But I’m in the Lord’s army!

Yes Sir! [with a child’s salute]

The concept of being a soldier is especially strong in my heart today as, this past weekend, one of our congregation’s covenant children and a recent high school graduate left our town and flew to the other side of the world so she could work with a mission organization in Asia.

She will be in a culture totally foreign to her, away from her family, for a year. She is, in the truest sense of the term, a soldier for Jesus Christ in a foreign land.

I pray that the Lord will bless her work and will bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of her witness. I pray that the Lord will give her peace and comfort as she is away from home for such a long time, and I pray that she will be supported through the prayers of the congregation that she left in our town. [As a parent, I pray too that the Lord will give grace, comfort and peace to her family who will miss her presence daily.]

But, the fact that she left to do her work in the Lord’s army does not mean that there is no such work for me, or for you, to do. We are all called to be soldiers for Jesus, no matter if it is in a foreign land or across the street. To paraphrase the Vicksburg granite monument,

We are called to love those who others would not, we will go where others fear to go, and we will give witness even when others fail to do so. We are … SOLDIERS OF THE KING.

Listen to my husband’s favorite hymn as presented by 101 Strings on the album Amazing Grace Songs of Faith and Inspiration, “Onward Christian Soldiers”.

Father, I praise You for giving us the gift of Jesus Christ as our Savior, Redeemer and King. I pray that I would be a soldier in your army who operates in accordance with your orders, and that I would be fruitful in my witness as I do your work in my world.

SHOWERS SENT FROM GOD

May 29, 2018May 26, 2018 | lindamowles

We have had some rain showers this week. Nothing like the severe storms that plague parts of the country at various times of the year. Just showers, maybe some light thunder and a streak of lightning here and there, otherwise just showers.

rain-in-mississippi — Rain is visibly falling in several places as we were driving through Mississippi, and heading toward the storm.

If you live in an area where the land is flat and there are no mountains to interrupt your view of the surrounding terrain, you can see the rain showers as they head your way. We took this picture as we were traveling through Mississippi. While the cloud covers the entire area, the rain showers are visible as darkened spaces from the cloud. The lighter spaces are the areas where the rain has not yet started.

We look forward to rain showers because they are good for the earth. They water the grass and plants, they reduce the pollen in the air (something great for allergy sufferers), and they provide refreshment to all God’s creatures.

Of course, there are some who don’t like showers. Children who want to play outside; people who work outside in the elements; people who have errands, and the rain makes the task more difficult.

Scripture talks about showers as being both a gift from God and a punishment from God.

In the book of Isaiah, we have a beautiful passage which tells of God’s good pleasure and power as He speaks to King Cyrus, a pagan king who was used by God to rebuild Jerusalem:

“Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: … I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things. Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.”

Isaiah 45:1, 5-8

In Genesis we see the judgment side of God’s use of rain. Here, God is telling Noah that the world will be destroyed by rain because of the great sin and abomination that the people have committed:

“For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”

Genesis 7:4

Noah and his family were spared because he had built the ark as God commanded and he took the animals aboard so that there was a remnant spared from the devastation of the flood.

Scripture also tells us that God is capable not only of sending rain in judgment but also of withholding rain as a judgment upon His people.

“Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so tht there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’”

2 Chronicles 7:12-14

Then, too, we see the prophet Elijah who told Ahab that there would be no rain and, after three years, the prophet prayed for rain.

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”

James 5:17-18

Elijah’s faith was so complete that, after his prayer for rain, when the servant searched the skies for rain clouds six times and saw nothing, he told the servant to look again. That time the response was that he saw: “a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea”. 1 Kings 18:44 Then Elijah told the servant to run to Ahab and tell him to prepare the chariot so that he would be stuck because of the deluge that was coming. Faith in the promises of God. The prayers of a righteous person have great power!

Rain can be a blessing from the Lord or it can reflect judgment on rampant sin. Rain can come in flooding torrents or in gentle showers. However it comes, indeed even whether it comes, remember that rain is always under God’s control.

When I was a child, we sang a hymn in my home church called “Showers of Blessing,” the words taken from Ezekiel 34:26.

“And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”

Beloved, look around you and see the showers of blessing that the Lord has already given to you. Look inside you and realize the showers of blessing that the Lord has provided to you through Jesus Christ and His atoning death and resurrection. Look at the evidences of the Holy Spirit, resident within you, when you walk your life as a Christian.

Showers of blessing – they are already here, and the Lord will continue to bless His people as they call upon Him in faith.

Father, I praise Your Name for the blessings You have provided in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I thank You that You have promised blessings to Your children now and forever more. I bow in reverence and awe at Your love and majesty, Your power and grace, Your judgment and mercy. May I glorify You all the days of my life.

HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME

April 25, 2017 | lindamowles

At this time of the year, the full moon seems larger than life. There is a school with its large parking lot, running track and baseball fields ½ mile from our house. When we come home from Bible study in the evening, the moon is visible over this expanse of space, without the interjection of trees hampering the vision. It has been wonderful to stare at the moon, marveling at its orange-tinted hue when it is first visible and appears huge. Then, as it rises high in the sky, it seems to spread a glow of white light that blankets the land.

I realize that there is a scientific way of explaining the light, the coloration, the change in apparent size of the moon, etc. and I appreciate that we have gone such a long way in understanding our world. But, science is quite irrelevant when I see the full moon advancing overhead: I know it does this because God ordained it to do so, and it is awe-inspiring to me.

Moon and lake (C) — Full moon rising over still Mississippi lake.

Scripture says:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Psalm 8:3-4 ESV

These verses from David come front and center when we look at the moon and at the beauty of God’s creation. What is man, indeed? How is the Creator God mindful of mankind? He is the One who spoke all of our universe into existence by the power of His Word! More incredible to think of, this same Almighty God who existed before the universe was created and who is infinite, not only knows of human-kind, He knows ME, individually and personally.

Psalm 139 provides a listing of all the intimate details that God knows about each person on this planet. He knows:

When you sit down and when you stand up. – 139:2
The path you will take, when you lay down, all your ways. – 139:3
What I say even before I speak it out loud. – 139:4
His hand is on you and he hems you in. – 139:5
You can go nowhere outside of God’s sight or knowledge. – 139:7-12
Even in the lowest part of earth, far from heaven, God sees you. – 139:8
God is in the heavens and in the sea. – 139:9
No matter where you are, God’s right hand will hold you. – 139:10
Even darkness cannot hide you from God. – 139:11-12
God created you and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. – 139:13-15
God knew the number of our days even before we were born – 139:16

John Calvin said the following about Psalm 139:17-18 in his Commentary:

The truth is one which we would do well to consider more than we do, for while we may cast a glance at our hands and our feet, and occasionally survey the elegance of our shape with complacency, there is scarcely one in a hundred who thinks of his Maker. Or if any recognize their life as coming from God, there is none at least who rises to the great truth that He who formed the ear, and the eye, and the understanding heart, Himself hears, and sees, and knows everything.

So, the next time you look up into the heavens and see the full moon reflecting the sun’s light over the earth, remember Psalm 139.

A. W. Tozer [1897-1963] said:

“If we miss seeing God in His works we deprive ourselves of the sight of a royal display of wisdom and power so elevating, so ennobling, so awe-inspiring as to make all attempts at description futile. Such a sight the angels behold day and night forever and ask nothing more to make them perpetually satisfied!”

The God who formed us knows us and loves us, and gave His Son for us. Perhaps we should say that the moon is reflecting His Son-shine as it witnesses to us of God’s love and provision. Let us declare that which the Psalmist said:

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 8:9 ESV

Father, when I consider Your greatness and Your marvelous creation, Your love and intimate knowledge of me, I can only fall on my knees and confess that You are God. O Lord, my Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

PRAISE THE LORD

March 31, 2017 | lindamowles

One of the things I love to do while we are camping is to sit outside in the evening/night and listen to the sounds of nature while gazing up into the heavens. Viewing the stars, which are hidden by the city’s lights at home, is an incredible privilege. Watching the sun set in the earth’s inexorable travel around it is mesmerizing to me. Each second of descent below the horizon brings new colors and new beauty.

Sunset over Annandale VA 2 — Sunset over Annandale, Virginia

Scripture exhorts us to praise the Lord, In fact, it further exhorts even creation to praise God.

“Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!”

Psalm 148:3 ESV

“The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.”

Ecclesiastes 1:5 ESV

Redondo beach sunset — Sunset along Redondo Beach, California

“And God made the two great lights–the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night–and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”

Genesis 1:16-19 ESV

Super Moon (C) — Super Moon in Mississippi.

Next time you are outside, whether at sunrise, daylight, sunset or night, look at the heavens and praise the Lord for His glorious graciousness in giving us our beautiful world.

Here is the song “For the Beauty of the Earth” as composed by John Rutter and recorded on the album Gloria – the Sacred Music of John Rutter. Let the beautiful tones of the hymn embrace you as you consider the glorious beauty of God’s creation.

“The fear [reverence] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

Psalm 111:10 NASB

Father, thank You for making Your creation so incredibly beautiful in its majesty as well as in its finite detail. I pray that my life would reflect the love of my Savior as the moon reflects the sun. And may I praise Your holy Name. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

EVIDENCE OF FAITH

November 18, 2016November 16, 2016 | lindamowles

We need rain! In East Tennessee we currently have multiple fires burning sending smoke into the air in a spreading blanket of contamination across the area. While we have needed rain for several months, it was only of passing general interest.

I drafted this post before the air quality alerts went into effect and the need for significant rain became obvious on a daily basis. The initial focus of the post is rain, but its application relates to faith in all areas of our life. May it be a blessing and a challenge to you, my dear Reader.

A friend sent me a modern parable that goes something like this:

It was especially dry, and the village needed water but no rain was in the offing. In response to the situation, all the villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered and prayed, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s FAITH.

This parable reminds me of an Old Testament story illustrating faith. There had been no rain in the land as a judgment by God on the people and evil King Ahab, and this act of judgment was to be relieved only by Elijah’s word. I Kings 17. After winning the challenge between Baal and God on Mount Carmel, the people repented of their sin in going after other gods, and they said that the Lord would be their Lord.

Thus, the prophet prayed for relief from God’s judgment. After petitioning God for rain, the following discourse occurred between Elijah and his servant.

And he [Elijah] said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he [the servant] went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he [Elijah] said, “Go again,” seven times. And at the seventh time he [the servant] said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he [Elijah] said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.'”

1 Kings 18:43-44.

Elijah sent his servant to look for the rain cloud … 7 times. And, that 7^th time the servant saw “a little cloud like a man’s hand”. Although no rain had yet fallen, Elijah told the servant to go tell the king to get ready to run now, otherwise you will be stuck in the mud because of the rain. That’s FAITH.

What is scriptural faith? In the Bible, the writer of Hebrews describes faith as follows:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. … And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1, 6.

It is not faith in everything that comes along, nor is it a blind faith that has no foundation. Your faith is misplaced if you sit in a small plastic chair for it will collapse under the weight of a 250 pound person. Clearly, the amount of your faith is not in question — you acted on your faith by physically sitting down. The problem was that the object of your faith was seriously deficient.

Faith in God, the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, the Lover of our souls, and the foundation of our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord is the faith that provides peace, support, and salvation. Faith alone in God, through Christ Jesus, is the path to eternal life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”.

John 14:6.

Paul testified:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17. Note, the King James Version of verse 17 uses the more familiar language “The just shall live by faith.” The meaning of the two translations is the same – God justifies and declares us righteous through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2.

Jesus repeatedly told persons during His ministry that the faith of those He healed had made them well. For example:

Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 9:22

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Matthew 9:29

And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:19

These people had faith that Jesus could heal them, an event that had not occurred but was to be in the future. Because of their faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, they were healed so that God would be glorified. It was at that point that their faith became a reality.

So, when you pray, do you have faith that you will receive an answer to your prayer? The answer may not come immediately, and it may not come in a form that you expect; but there will be an answer. David understood that God would answer his prayer according to God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of Your steadfast love answer me in Your saving faithfulness.

Psalm 69:13

Praise God that He is faithful, that He abounds in steadfast love. He is in control, He is the Almighty God, and He will respond to the prayer of faith in His time and in His way.

By the way, do you know where your umbrella is?

Father, I pray that I would have more faith so that I would be the one who brings the umbrella when prayers are raised up for rain. I pray that my prayers would not just take up my time but that they would come before you in your majesty and power. And, I pray that I would not be faint when the answer seems to be so long in coming; may I trust in your unfailing love and mercy and may I rest in your grace, through Christ my Savior I pray.

TREES – UNIQUE AS OUR OWN PERSONAL WITNESS

December 19, 2015 | lindamowles

It is no secret that I have long been an admirer of trees. All different kinds of trees. I love them.

When I was a little girl, we had a lone tree in the parkway between the street and sidewalk in the front yard of our house. Because it was a new subdivision, my father was taller than the tree! However, I had a taste of big trees in the Forest Preserves that are sprinkled around the Chicago area. There you can rest in the shade of old trees, have picnics and play in the cool provided by the tall trees.

There have been quite a number of trees that we have seen in our travels, many of them blending into the picture of one vast canvass of green.

Woods along stream in Tennessee — Woods along a stream in Tennessee.

However, there have been some trees that are unique and which have made a mark on my memory.

Octopus tree Oregon 2009 434 — The Octopus Tree, near Cape Meares Lighthouse, Oregon

The Octopus Tree is a Sitka spruce. According to information about the tree provided by the Friends of the Cape Meares Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge, the tree measures more than 46 feet in circumference and has no central trunk. Instead, limbs extend horizontally from the base as much as 16 feet before turning upward. It is 105 feet tall and is estimated to be 250 to 300 years old.

This is the base of the Octopus Tree.

Octupus tree close up of base Oregon 2009 435 — Base of Octopus Tree showing no central trunk.

Another beautiful tree we encountered was far from the Oregon Octopus Tree. It was in Mississippi at Beauvoir, the home of Jefferson Davis in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Friendship tree entire — The Friendship Tree in Biloxi, Mississippi

It is a live oak, several hundreds of years old, and it branches out over the sidewalk so that you can walk beneath it with limbs extending on both sides of you.

The lady at the gift shop said that there was a legend associated with this tree, specifically that it was called a Friendship Tree and the legend was as follows: “I am called the Friendship Oak. Those who enter my shadow will remain friends through all their lifetime.” Of course, we had to stand beneath its limbs with that legend upon our minds!

Friendshp tree — Standing under the Friendship Tree, Biloxi, Mississippi

Another tree we found exceedingly beautiful is the ancient tree at the Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas.

The ancient tree is on the mission grounds and it is another beautiful example of our Lord’s creation.

San Antonio mission tree — Ancient tree in San Antonio at the Mission San Jose.

Standing beneath the branches of these magnificent trees reminds me of Scripture:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3.

Father, May I be found to be wise, one who delights in the law of my God. May I be found to be as a tree planted by streams of water, so that I can yield much fruit for my Savior and so that my leaf, my witness, will not fade as time goes by. I pray that I will prosper, not for myself, but to the glory and honor of my God and Father, and for the glory of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.