The Hinge Of History

What if there was no Resurrection Day?  What if God hadn’t raised Jesus from the dead? You and I would be doomed to an eternity in hell, separated from our Creator forever.  We’d have an eternity of untold misery, pain and suffering in the clutches of Satan. 

We talk about Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the whole world, but we also need to declare that Jesus arose from the grave and ascended into heaven, where He sits at the Father’s right hand.  Why?  Because His resurrection is of utmost importance!

Without the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no miracles! 

Before Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension, Jesus ministered to people “on credit,” so to speak, on the basis of His future finished work.  But what if He had stayed in the grave? 

The blind man who received his sight (Mark 10:52) through Jesus would have gone blind again.  The woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:44) who was healed would have started bleeding again.  Those healed of leprosy (Luke 17:11-19) would have had the leprosy come back on them.  The twelve-year-old girl who was restored to life (Mark 5:41-42) and given back to her parents would immediately have fallen over dead.  The man delivered of the legion of demons would again have been filled with their tormenting presence.  The woman whose back was straightened and healed by Jesus (Luke 13:11) would once again be bent over, unable to lift herself up.  The boy delivered of an evil spirit (Mark 9:17-27) would once again have been overtaken by that evil spirit.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, we would be forever guilty of sin.  

But thank God!  He raised Jesus to life and declared Him to still be righteous, just as He was made sin for us in His death.  Romans 4:25 tells us, “He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life for our justification. 

Justification means we are vindicated, declared “not guilty” by a just, right, and legal means.  And God did it legally by giving His own Son to take our place.  We are absolved of all guilt before God!  Imagine that!  We are declared “Not Guilty” by the Judge of all the earth!  Whoever heard of a sinner being declared “Not Guilty?”  No wonder the Gospel is called “good news!”  Thanks be to God that our lovely, sinless Savior satisfied the wrath of God against sin by becoming sin for us and taking our place!

Romans 8:34 says, “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”  According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, “to intercede” means “to intervene between parties with a view to reconcile differences; to mediate.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus, our faith would be useless.   

The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates our faith in Him.  Consider I Corinthians 15:14: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”  And I Corinthians 15:17 says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus, He would be “just a good man.” 

Jesus would have been proven to be a fraud.  An imposter.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves He is the Son of God.  Romans 1:4 says, “Through the Spirit of holiness [He] was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.”

Everything hinges on Jesus and His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven.  Our faith depends on Him.  Our well-being depends on Him.  Our future depends on Him.  He is indeed the Hinge of History!

God bless you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

"M" Is For Morality

Who’s to say what's right or wrong?  Where does morality come from?  Who gets to make the rules, to have the final say?  Is it not God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth?  The Lord God, our Creator?  

Psalm 119:89 (NKJ) tells us, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”

“Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.”  Psalm 50:6 (NKJ)

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”  Proverbs 12:15 (NKJ)

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”  Proverbs 28:26 (NKJ)

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.”  James 4:12 (NIV).

So many times I’ve heard the following statement set forth as truth: “You can’t legislate morality.”  Really?  It’s true that while passing laws can’t make a person behave in a moral way, good laws do restrain sin.  But someone’s morality is present in every law passed.  Those who write the laws have a motive and reference point of some kind.  The writers of our Constitution in the United States of America all shared a common reference point: the Holy Scriptures. 

The breakdown of the family and morality I see happening in the world and especially in the church troubles me.  It troubles me to see what I believe is a blatant disregard for the Word of God.  I see divorce on the rise.  I see violence increasing.  Even in Christian homes children are abused and mistreated.  Christians re-interpret the Word of God regarding sexual sins and encourage others to follow suit. What has happened to the church and our society?  Those who hold to the truths of God’s Word are often looked down on, scoffed, ridiculed, and called bigots and homophobes.

Right now the Supreme Court is hearing a case on granting rights to “married homosexuals.”  What a vile thing!  Marriage was designed by God, and He alone gets to say what it is.  God tells us that marriage is between one man and one woman; always was, always will be in His eyes, no matter what foolish and destructively ridiculous “laws” are passed.  I heard of one lesbian who stated that the goal of the homosexual community is to eventually do away with the institution of marriage altogether, and the passing of “gay marriage” laws are just steps along the way to their ultimate goal.

If the homosexual activists win this battle at the Supreme Court, what will they push for next?  Legalization of beastiality, pedophilia, incest and polygamy?  Group marriage?  It would be a total breakdown of our society, and that’s what Satan wants.   

It's so distressing to hear of school teachers who tell their students they have to decide if they are “gay” or “straight” in their formative years.  There is pressure from our Sodom and Gomorrah culture to buy into the lie that one is born either to be gay or straight, and that there’s nothing one can do about it.  Professing Christians are adopting that line of thinking.  They exchange the truth of God for a lie, because they don’t think God’s truth is worth holding onto.  (Romans 1:25-28).  They re-interpret God’s Word according to their own feelings and experiences.

Life’s experiences and not seeing those experiences correctly in the light of God’s Word can lead to believing lies that bring self-doubt and wrong self-perception.  Sexual abuse in childhood can open a door to lies.   Evil spirits whisper these lies and are believed even by Christians, either because they are not aware their beliefs are lies, or else do not denounce the lies and hold firmly to what God said in His Word.  The Church has too often failed in godly mentoring, teaching and practicing deliverance and victory over sin, and is instead too often making excuses for it.

And it isn’t just sexual sin that I’m deeply concerned about, although the Word does seem to say that sexual sins are worse.  They reach a deep part of a person, affecting the very psyche.  Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV) says, “Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”  Can you imagine joining the Holy Spirit to a prostitute or engaging in fornication or a homosexual act?  Of course not.

In I Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul addressed the church at Corinth for tolerating a man who was having sex with his father’s wife.  He instructed them to exercise church discipline and put the man out of the church.  He further writes, “I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.  With such a man do not even eat.”

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJ)

I believe a lack of consistent Bible reading and daily fellowship with God leads to living life by one's emotions and opinions rather than by what God says.  The movies we watch, the books we read, the radio programs  and news we listen to, all shape our feelings and beliefs.  Shouldn't our opinions be shaped by God's thoughts?  One prayer I've prayed throughout my life is this: God, always give me a love for the truth.  Keep me in Your truth."

We must remember also to give mercy and grace to those truly struggling with sin and temptation, and help each other to overcome.  There is no shame in admitting to a trusted fellow believer that we struggle with a certain sin.  It will help us to be healed.  We all struggle with one thing or another.  James 5:16 (NIV) encourages believers, "Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed."  Only the Water of Life gives freedom and deliverance.  God does have the answer in Jesus Christ our Lord.  But we must reverence Him and His Word, and look to Him for the answer instead of our politically-correct culture.

The City set on a hill has let its light grow dim; the church has far too much fallen prey to compromise and liberal thinking.  I pray much for the body of Christ, for those who name His Name to return to the faith once delivered to the saints and hold fast to God’s Word in patient endurance.  

In the midst of all this spiritual malaise, I believe a holy revival is coming to our land that will change the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, everywhere.  The wind of the Holy Spirit will blow and breathe new life into God’s people and many more will come into God’s Kingdom with joy and rejoicing.  Thank you for joining me in prayer to this end.  There is great hope!

Stay faithful, dear reader.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy 

"L" Is For Laughter

        The Gift of Laughter

Laughter is the zest of life;

The zip that springs your step.

The trigger for your body’s health,

The thing that fuels your pep.

It’s free, it’s fun, it eases pain,

Improves your mood and stress.

Protects the heart, increases strength,

And makes you feel so blessed.

Infectious laughter is a gift;

We all need lots of fun.

Laughter lifts, delights and heals,

And makes our hearts feel warm.

                   Elaine Beachy

                   March 25, 2013

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Isn’t that the truth?  We’ve all probably experienced times when we laughed so hard our sides ached, and our cheeks and our stomachs were sore.  There is something so cleansing about a good belly-laugh.  My Auntie Fannie calls it “internal jogging,” and I think she’s right.  When she and my mom get to laughing, there's hardly a track long enough to stop that train! :o)

Do you have enough laughter in your life?  If you seldom laugh, check to see who you’re hanging out with, who your friends are.  Negative friends can drag you down, and you may need to surround yourself with new friends for the sake of your own health. 

Listening to too much news on radio or TV can drag you down and make you feel hopeless. 

And don’t take yourself too seriously.  Learn to laugh at yourself.  Nobody’s perfect, and neither are you. 

Here’s a link that gives you some good ideas how to increase the laughter ratio in your life: http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

And here are a few jokes for you from a website at http://www.jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/cleanjokes.html

Q.  What do you call a fake noodle?

A.  An Impasta.

Q.  Why are frogs so happy?

A.  They eat whatever bugs them.

Q.  What do you get from a pampered cow?

A.  Spoiled milk.

Q.  Did you hear about that new broom?

A.  It’s sweeping the nation!

Q.  What do lawyers wear to court?

A.  Lawsuits.

Q.  How do you make a tissue dance?

A.  Put a little boogey in it!

On that note I’ll exit, stage right.  Goodnight everybody, and God bless!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

"K" Is For Kindness

While doing research on various internet sites, I learned that Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, the fourth child of Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl, and was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church.  His father was tremendously violent to his wife and son and used to beat them often.  Some sources report that Adolf wanted to be a priest and a painter, but eventually ran away from home to escape the brutal treatment of his father.  One statement in the link below stood out to me: “He spent his early life seeking a suitable mentor that would approve of him and guide him.  This he was never able to do.”  More about his childhood can be found here:  http://voices.yahoo.com/the-psychological-development-adolf-hitler-10161873.html?cat=72

Benito Mussolini was born July 29, 1883, and was known for his bullying and violence even in childhood.  He was expelled from school at age 10 for stabbing a classmate.  As a youth, he stabbed his girlfriend in the arm, pinched people at church (Roman Catholic) to make them cry, and led gangs of boys on raids throughout his community.  http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mussolini

How many other names could we list whose treatment at home mirrors that of these two dictators?  What is wrong with the world?  Why all the violence?  These are questions we ask when we hear of tragic school shootings, bombings and killings in our nation and around the world.

Consider kindness.  What would happen if we all obeyed these five little words from the Bible:  “Be kind to one another?”  (Ephesians 4:32, ESV)  How would it affect your children, your relatives, if we "stepped up" our kindness quota?  Could we be kind to a young person like Hitler or Mussolini and perhaps change his life's direction?  

How exactly does one define “kindness?”  Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary says it means “Affectionate, loving; of a sympathetic nature; disposed to be helpful and solicitous; of a forbearing nature; gentle; arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance, of a kind to give pleasure or relief.”

Are we affectionate in heart toward people?  Are we sympathetic, gentle and forbearing?  Or are we demanding, harsh, critical, and worse: physically abusive to family members or others? 

How may world history have been different if Adolf Hitler had been able to “find a suitable mentor that would approve of him and guide him?”  How may world history have been different if Mussolini and other violent people had someone in their life to show them kindness?  If just one person, if not a parent, then a teacher, a neighbor, or some adult had showed kindness and godly influence to Hitler, would six million Jews have died?  How many millions of impoverished, persecuted, and ravaged citizens in many countries would have a good life if their leaders were kind?  

We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have a mandate from our King: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, NIV)  Look for ways you can be kind to someone today.  Let it come from a heart filled with compassion and caring for people.  Here are some ideas from a website:  http://loveistheword.org/101-random-acts-of-kindness/

I leave you with this poem by Dorothy Law Nolte (1954):

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism

He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility

He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule

He learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance

He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement

He learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise

He learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness

He learns justice.

If a child lives with security

He learns to have faith.

If a child lives with approval

He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance

And friendship he learns to

Find love in the world.

God bless you, dear reader, as you do random acts of kindness!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

"J" Is For Juggling

We juggle the news,

We juggle our fears.

We juggle our friends,

We juggle our tears.

We juggle our problems,

We juggle our kids.

We juggle our mates,

We juggle and skid.

Life gets in a hurry –

We don’t stop to say,

“What am I doing

Juggling that “J”?

Ain’t it the truth?  I once heard an expression that says “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!”

We creatures like to handle things ourselves.  Figure things out on our own, do as much as possible, cram life full of all the “gusto” we can get, and pretend we can survive the flurry of it all. 

There’s nothing wrong with being motivated, inventive, and productive.  In fact, God made us in His image and intends for us to be that way. 

But maybe it’s the fact that I live in Northern Virginia and see two-income families struggle to pay a high mortgage or rent, with parents and children submerged in behavioral problems and addictions that makes me think of the word “juggle.” 

Or maybe it’s the fact that even as a stay-at-home mom, life can get so busy with people's needs and “to-do” lists pulling on you from all directions that prompts that word.  

My concern with all this juggling is that we leave no room for fellowship with God in our juggling act.  The tyranny of the urgent is always present; or the lure of procrastination and something fun that crowd out “God time.”  Even doing good deeds, being busy in church work, and working for God can crowd out “God time.”

And if we’re really honest, we may even find ourselves thinking sometimes that God is boring, or that time with him will be a drudgery—just one more thing to check off our “to-do” list.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Those thoughts are a lie from satan to keep us separated from our Power Source for daily living. 

We wonder why things don’t go right, why we’re always so stressed out, why our tempers are short, and why our relationships suffer.  The Word says in Philippians 4:6-7 NIV, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I maintain we need to make fellowship with Jesus a daily priority.  We need to read His book, the Holy Bible, to get to know God and hear Him speak to us.  We seriously need to make Him the final Authority for our lives instead of what current culture dictates.  We need to pray and learn to throw all our cares on Him, because He cares for us.  Instead of trying to figure things out ourselves, hurry to get a lot done, and cram life full of stuff, we need to be like Mary, Martha’s sister in the Bible, who sat at Jesus’ feet to hear Him speak.

I also maintain that we may need to cut some activities out of our lives, and even learn to say “no” sometimes to church activities.  I read somewhere that in the church, twenty percent of the people carry the work load.  And sometimes I think our churches are much too busy with man-made programs and man-made schedules.

We also may need to nurture a few friendships instead of having a lot of them and never get truly close to anybody.  Jesus chose twelve disciples; of those twelve, three were in His inner circle: Peter, James, and John. 

We need to spend time in prayer, and pour our hearts out to God with all the financial concerns we have, the fears we carry, the needs of our family, friends, our country, etc.  My friends, we need to make prayer a priority along with reading the Word.  There are no shortcuts to a healthy, calm, and stable life.  It doesn’t come overnight, but God’s Holy Spirit works in us as we give attention to His Word and pray.  We must highly value and prize what He says, for “the fear of (respect for) the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10, NIV)

I love Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I think of the wonderful old hymn by Joseph Schriven, 1855, and put to music by Charles C. Converse, 1868, a hymn that we used to sing in church years ago:

“What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear;

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

“Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!

“Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?  Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.”

Grace and peace to you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

"I" Is For Interesting

One might say our alphabet soup is, um, becoming more interesting.  J  

Are you an interesting person?  Who are some interesting people you know?  What do you think makes them interesting?

Does it ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut?  Perhaps you feel dull and uninteresting, as life seemingly passes you by.  You’re weary of the “same old – same old.”  You have the doldrums.

Maybe you feel like your marriage relationship is predictable and uninteresting.  Take the initiative and shake things up a bit!  Surprise your spouse and become an interesting person by being creative.  Plan a date night: get new ideas online or ask others for ideas.  Read a new book and discuss it with your mate.  Have you ever watched young couples in love as they eat in a restaurant?  They look at each other with interest and talk a lot.  By contrast, I’ve seen older married couples sit at their table and hardly say a word to one another.  They just eat.  I think that’s sad, and I believe couples should try to stay “interesting.”

Learn to dream together as a couple.  My husband is retiring on March 15, and rather than look at it as having to scale back and think smaller, we’ve decided to dream bigger than ever and venture out into a new endeavor.  We’re inviting God’s input and direction and we refuse to give in to fear or uncertainty even in this difficult economy.    

Becoming an interesting person involves taking risks.  You might risk being misunderstood, rejected, or even failing at something new.  All the “what if” questions keep us from opening up, moving forward and becoming the interesting and creative person God sees we can be.

Keep learning new things, even if it takes courage.  Take time to really think about what interests you.  Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but were afraid to learn?  Maybe you’d like to learn a new language.  Maybe it’s something as simple as trying a new recipe for dinner.  Perhaps you'd like to volunteer at your local Crisis Pregnancy Center, start writing a blog, or volunteer in your church.  Learn a new hobby such as flower arranging, ceramics, cake decorating, woodworking or crafts.  Your new experiences will stretch you and give you all sorts of interesting things to talk about with your spouse.   

Maybe you'd like to try a new hair style or dress differently.  Be curious about the world around you; let your mind daydream in constructive ways.  Maybe you want to plan a big trip.  Let your mind wander as you ask yourself this question: “If money were no object, what would I want to do?”  It might even be that you want to start a new business venture, or go on a mission trip with your church.  

Don’t be afraid to express your true opinion.  Have self-confidence because you have confidence in God’s love and acceptance of you.  Someone has said “attitude is everything!”  A confident attitude comes from the way you think; one must have a positive outlook on life to embrace and enjoy it.  See yourself as a wonderful creation of God, because you are!  See yourself with unique gifts that bless the world!  Develop your talents and ask God to help you.  If one is negative, self-centered, always focused on the bad with an attitude of self-pity or resentment, it makes one unattractive and uninteresting.  People love to be around those who are joyful, full of fun and good humor, who learn to laugh at themselves.

A very important part of being an interesting person is to truly care about the interests of others rather than be self-centered.  I think of the scripture in Philippians 2:3-4 NIV: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 

Speaking of interests, wives can learn to show interest in their husband’s activities, like sports, hobbies, and their work.  And husbands can learn to take an interest in things the wife likes.  I’ve learned numerous things about cars and carpentry work from asking Dave questions and listening to him talk about these things.  I try to sit with him once in a while when he’s watching a football game.  And he enjoys watching some of my shows on the Food Network like “Restaurant Impossible” and “Chopped.”  We both enjoy watching Property Brothers and other home shows on HGTV.  But most of all, we share a strong bond in spiritual things, talk about questions we have, finding answers in God’s Word, and learning from various ministers that are a strength and blessing to us. 

We share the same interest in political things, and pray about what we hear and see.  We watch just enough TV and listen to just enough radio to know what’s going on in our country and around the world. 

An “interesting” person is enthusiastic, excited, passionate, concerned and engrossed.  Be an interesting person, but don’t be a big “I.”   God bless you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy