What I'm Thankful For

What I’m Thankful For

                It’s finally here – one of my favorite weeks of the year. There will be plenty of food and football, what could be better than that? I’m ready to find out if this is finally the year that Michigan can top Ohio State. Just a couple months ago, this wouldn’t have even been a question. Credit to Jim Harbaugh and the coaching staff for making something of a season that could have imploded quickly. While I’m thankful to be a Michigan football fan, it’s pretty far down on the list of things that I’m thankful for. This year, I decided to make a list of a few of those things:

1.       I’m thankful for a great job. Being an accountant may not sound like a blaze of glory to most people, but I eternally grateful for my role. I’m surrounded with positive people and a management team that always strives to put its employees first. Management has put me in a position to allow my relationships and spiritual life to flourish. I know that this isn’t the case in every workplace. I hope to never take this aspect of my career for granted.

2.       I’m thankful for a wonderful girlfriend. I’ve been dating her for almost a year now and it’s been the best year of my life. I’m thankful she’s a strong Christian woman that keeps me on the narrow path and growing in my faith (Her group has a brand-new album out – check out www.highroadmusic.com). In the rare instance I have a bad day, she’s always there with her trademark smile, a warm fruit pie, and a British baking show (check it out – it’s a lot better than it sounds!). She’s everything that I could have ever hoped for (it doesn’t hurt that she has an awesome dog, either!).

3.       I’m thankful for my faith family at Church. Moving to a new town and Church can be daunting for anyone. However, I was taken in by the young adults at my new Church from the beginning and I haven’t looked back. I thankful for this community that keeps me grounded in Biblical principles and engaged in the Word each and every week. I hope I’ve blessed this group half as much as they’ve blessed me.

4.       I’m thankful for Grace – Grace that abounds and is limitless. Grace that always brings me back to God when I fall. It happens much more than I’d like to admit – it will happen many more times in the years to come, I’m sure.  I’m thankful that the God who loved me even before I was born still loves me to this day and will always continue to love me – no matter what!

5.       I’m thankful for His Word. I strive to be in the Word as regularly as possible. It’s amazing what living in the Word has done for my life. Each time I read the Bible, I feel more at ease and relaxed than when I started. This is what the power of God can do for all of us. The Word humbles me and continually reminds me that I am not in charge. While instructing me in the Christian life, the main edification in my Bible study comes from the constant reminder that I need a Savior. What I could never do on my own, Christ did for me because I am a child of God. That mindset should define our lives as Christians!

6.       I am thankful for Jesus Himself – nothing else needs to be noted here.

7.       Finally, I am thankful for all of you who read this blog. Writing this blog has blessed me tremendously. I truly love doing this. As this blog moves forward, it would love for it to become much more interactive. I’d love to hear from you and get your thoughts on my posts – even if I’ve never met you before (or if you disagree with me)! I am truly blessed by all of you!

In Christ,

Kendal May

An Advent Challenge

           Happy Tuesday! I hope this week has started off well for you. It’s been busy for me getting things taken care of before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I’m really looking forward to taking some time away from the office. We all need some rest every now and then.  Even in the most hectic seasons of life we need to take time to slow down and discern the things that are truly important to us and those around us. If you’re reading this blog, hopefully God is alone at the top of this list.

              I find that as I get older, the years pass by quicker and quicker each time around the sun. It’s hard to believe that Advent starts in less than two weeks already. I don’t yet feel prepared to enter this time of preparation to celebrate the birth of Christ. Even going back to my time as a youth in Catholic schools, I have always felt a strong sense of God drawing me nearer to Him during the Advent season. I am starting to feel that same pull again this year.

              As I’ve tried to stay disciplined in regularly reading in the Word this year, I’ve noticed a troubling trend in my studies. Given my interest in theology, I’m naturally drawn to studying the New Testament – particularly Paul’s letters that are filled to the brim with theological wisdom. I realized that I’ve neglected the Old Testament in many ways this year. That means there are 39 (46 if you’re Catholic) divinely inspired books filled with the Word of God that I’ve missed out on this year.

              Luckily, the Old Testament is a great place to be for the impending Advent season. Preparation is a key theme in both the Old Testament and the upcoming liturgical season. Both are meant to point us to the reality that we as humans need a Savior to rescue us from our inherently sinful nature (thanks Adam!). I’ve made myself a promise – one that I intend to keep. Over the course of the Advent season, I plan to get through Ezekiel and Isaiah. I’m really looking forward to reading what these two major prophets reveal about the coming Christ.

              My hope is that you too will be motivated by my resolution. Maybe you will even join me in reading through Ezekiel and Isaiah? Even if you don’t choose these particular books, I challenge you to try to find 20 minutes a day to dig into the Word of God this Advent season.  In a preview of my reading assignment, Isaiah 55: 10-11 reveals to us “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” There you have it – God promises that His word will impact your life and help to achieve His sovereign purpose.

              Please comment below if you plan to try out an Advent reading program. I’d love to be an encouragement to you and you an encouragement to me. I hope this Advent season is one of much fruit bearing and blessing for you. Have a great Thanksgiving.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Looking for God in All the Wrong Places

           Another week has pushed past its midpoint. As I mentioned in my last post, it’s been budget season for me at work. As such, I’ve been extremely busy with little time to catch my breath. I presented my budget to management in Grand Rapids, Michigan last week and all that remains now is some final tune up on the file. I managed to make it back home last Thursday after a frustrating day of travel (Are there any travel days that don’t include frustration?), I’m really looking forward to the holidays and spending some much needed time with friends and family. It’s hard to believe that the holidays are here already. Advent will be here before we know it. I promise to do a future post outlining the seasons of the liturgical calendar.

              Over the past few weeks, I’ve settled into a new Church and Sunday School group consisting mainly of young couples. I feel blessed that God continues to put positive people in my life to help me persevere in my faith. Community and fellowship is truly the lifeblood of any congregation. I’ll have to do a post on that as well (my list of to-do posts is getting pretty long!).

              Our group recently had a discussion regarding the ways in which God makes Himself manifest in our lives. Most of the discussion trended towards extraordinary moments in which God revealed His presence to various members of the group. We tend to label these occurrences as “God Moments”. These experiences are certainly valid. I’ve had them and you likely have as well. However, as the conversation began to unfold, I began to wonder if we often look for God in all the wrong places.

              At one point in the discussion, a question was posed. “Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to us in this way (meaning “God Moments”) all the time?”. I was initially struck by the question, but soon found the answer to be quite obvious, yet profound. If God revealed Himself in the extraordinary on a consistent basis, then it wouldn’t require to us to have any faith. For those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, faith is what bridges between God’s revelation on Earth and God in Heaven. As Christians, too often we look for God to show up in extraordinary ways. In doing so, we neglect the ordinary means of Grace as ways in which God perpetually reveals Himself to us. The ordinary means of Grace are gifts instituted by Christ to lock us into a faith that perseveres until the end. I’m reminded of Matthew 24:13, which tells us “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

But what are these so-called ordinary means of Grace? You can easily remember the 4 W’s:

Word

Wheat

Wine

Water

Or if you prefer alliterations using the letter B, try this one:

Bible

Body

Blood

Baptism

              These four tangible items should be the very foundation of our Christian practice (even today!). If you have doubts or trouble conceiving that God comes to us in tangible ways, consider that there is a precedent for this happening. God came to us in a tangible way when He sent His only son Jesus Christ to dwell among us. 

              The four items in the alliteration above can be broken into two categories: Word and Sacrament (heard that before, possibly?). Bible is grouped alone as “Word” while body, blood, and Baptism fall under “Sacrament”.  I previously wrote a post outlining in detail what Word and Sacrament are and why they are so crucial to Christians. See that post in the link below:

https://kendalwordandsacrament.blogspot.com/2019/06/word-sacrament-and-tradition.html

              I did want to reiterate a few quick points with regards to the Sacraments of Holy Communion (Body and Blood from above) and Baptism. At their lowest level, both Sacraments can be considered to be symbols. But they are not merely symbols – not by a long shot. Sacraments are distinguishable from other symbols in the Christian life in that they are effective in wholly conveying that whch they symbolize.

              Take Baptism for example. Baptism symbolizes renewal and becoming a new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states this clearly “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Additionally, Romans 6:4 reveals “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” However, Baptism doesn’t stop at the symbolic level.  Baptism actually accomplishes something! In Baptism, God initiates a relationship with us. What a comfort it should be that the God of the universe wants to pursue an intimate relationship with us! Somewhere along the line, Baptism in practice became more about our choices rather than the mercy of a sovereign God. Through Baptism, we are incorporated into the mystical body of Christ. We pass through a sort of registration table for the Christian life. In Baptism, we receive the Grace to begin our Christian walk. No, Baptism certainly doesn’t guarantee entrance to Heaven and the beatific vision, but that is a discussion for another day.

              In a similar way, Holy Communion is also a symbol of Christ’s redeeming death on the cross at Calvary. But it’s so much more than that. Scripture is clear that Christ is actually manifest in the elements of wheat and wine. John 6: 55-58 state “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Christ mystically makes Himself manifest in Holy Communion while also remaining present at the right hand of the Father. While this concept may seem complex and beyond comprehension, we must have faith in what God has revealed in the Word.  This Sacramental understanding of Holy Communion is paramount to us as Christians. It’s so important that 16^th century Protestant reformer John Calvin insisted that a proper understanding of the Eucharist was necessary for salvation! Evangelicals sure have come a long way from the time of Calvin and the Continental Reformation!

              There’s so much more that could be said about Baptism and Holy Communion, but I’ll stop there for tonight. Look, I’m all for God moments, but let’s all resolve to shift our everyday focus back to the ordinary means of Grace. The ordinary means were God’s plan from the beginning of time. Next time you need to feel God in a tangible manner, pull out that ragged, old Bible or attend a Communion service. Otherwise, our spiritual life might more closely resemble a Johnny Lee song than the Christian life God intended.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Adversity in Christ

             It’s been a while! I feel like I’ve written that line too often in this space. I have a good excuse though, don’t worry. It’s fall at work, and that means it’s budget season. Due to some unexpected departures from our organization, I’ve had an extraordinarily full plate over the past few weeks. Despite this weekly workload, I managed to find a Church home here in Murfreesboro. I can’t wait to get to know the congregants better and involve myself in the ministry and mission of the Church. I trust that the Lord has also been faithful in your life since we last spoke.

              The extra responsibilities I’m taking on with the Company budget are really a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is an opportunity to shine for management and turn an uncertain situation into a positive one. Conversely the added workload also brings the potential to become overwhelmed.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve felt that I was firmly in the first camp. I felt I was succeeding in pushing the project forward. Successes in the project were tangible, but that didn’t prevent some frustration from other team members today. I went from feeling good about my role in the project to feeling overwhelmed and that I’d let the company down in a matter of mere minutes.

              It was a bad day at work – we’ve all been there (If you’ve never been there, comment below – I’d like to apply for your job!). It happens – it will happen again, I’m sure. So how do we handle adversity as followers of Christ? I think this question is worth hashing out. I believe our response to this question reveals the nature of our personal relationship with the Godhead.

              To properly handle adversity, we must first adjust how we think of adversity. We must learn to think of adversity as having meaning. God never promises that things will go well all the time.  (If you’re looking for the prosperity Gospel, you’ve come to the wrong blog). In fact, adversity is a very biblical principle. Ever read the Book of Job? That man endured trials that make our daily stumbles seem meaningless. It took a while, but Job eventually came to understand the meaning of his adversity. Many different meanings can be found in adversity. However, the ultimate meaning is that adversity points out our need for a savior. While God didn’t promise that every day would go our way, he did make one very important promise revealed in John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Amen!

              Secondly, we must come to understand that enduring adversity is part of God’s plan for salvation. God reveals this to His people in Matthew 24: 12-13: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”. Like Job and so many other Biblical figures, adversity will no doubt be a constant in our lives. It’s simply an inescapable reality. Fortunately, there is a means to help us endure adversity when it strikes. It’s none other than the third person of the Holy Trinity – the Holy Spirit. When we place a sincere trust in Christ and his work on the cross, God Himself (in the form of the Holy Spirit) comes to dwell within us.  We learn why this is significant in John 10:28: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”.  Furthermore, Ephesians 4:30 reveals: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Yes, you read that correctly. At the point in which the Holy Spirit dwells within you, no trial, tribulation, or bout of adversity can separate you from the grace of God and the victory which was won on Calvary. We don't endure adversity ourselves, but rather God handles adversity by coming to dwell within us. Next time a little adversity hits, take rest in God’s promise of perseverance (The P in the TULIP acronym – for those familiar with Reformed theology). I’ll have to do an entire blog post on the perseverance of the saints one of these days.

              I often hear people say that “Satan is attacking them”. I’ve honestly never been a fan of this phrase. Satan wasn’t attacking me at work today, things just didn’t go my way on this particular day – and that’s ok! In the short run, it may make me feel better to think that God will make tomorrow a better day.  However, he doesn’t promise that tomorrow will be better. I have to remember the promise of John 3:16 and move forward with a positive attitude that reflects my faith in Christ.  Even if Satan is attacking me now, it is rendered null and void by the victory of Jesus Christ. When we are in Christ and a living temple of the Holy Spirit, nothing – not even a little adversity – can keep us from the glory of everlasting life that awaits us.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

In Christ,

Kendal May

              

When did we see you Lord?

       

                It’s been a while since I’ve filled this space! The last month or so has been slammed for me. Between budget season at work, funerals, and home ownership responsibilities, I’ve neglected to write. Little by little, piece by piece, my house is becoming a home. I’m proud to announce that I now have a kitchen table – only took one month! (I just said little by little and I meant it!).

              Through all the busyness, I am thankful that Lord has continued to draw me ever closer to Himself. My desire to study His word, write, and spread his message has only intensified. I am humbled as this desire is stoked by God and is not of myself. Since moving over to a new city, I’ve tried out a few different Church bodies looking for a fit similar to what I had in Franklin. I’m still actively looking, but I have enjoyed each worship service that I have participated in. There was an occurrence one Sunday morning that will forever reinforce for me the teachings of Christ in the Gospels.

              Walking into a Church for the first time truly takes a lot of bravery. Enter at your own risk! Tons of thoughts roll through your mind as you anxiously slide into a pew.

·       What will it be like?

·       Will people be friendly?

·       Will the theology align with Scripture?

·       Will the sermon be good?

·       Will I be able to get involved?

·       Will the coffee be burnt?

So many factors play into whether or not you’ll return to a Church after the initial visit. I’ve heard the statistic that most people decide on returning within the first seven minutes of arriving at a Church. First impressions are that critical!

              Anyways, all these thoughts (maybe not the one about the coffee) and more flooded my mind as I strolled into the sanctuary for my first visit to this Church. Soon after I sat down, I was spotted by an older lady sitting in the pew in front of me. She walked with a little difficulty and was accompanied by her college-aged granddaughter. She asked if I was new and I explained that I was new to living in town but had been working in the area for a while. From there, we discussed work and what I was looking for in a Church. I enjoyed the pleasant conversation and it helped to pass the awkward moments prior to the start of service.

              The service was wonderful – it was liturgical in style (gets bonus points from me) and the preaching was excellent. It was a larger congregation so that meant lots of opportunities to get involved. It took a little longer than seven minutes, but I made up my mind that I would return to this Church the following Sunday. I said goodbye to the friendly older lady and headed on my way. (I probably had to mow my yard or something.) That reminds me – pray for rain, my grass is dying!

              True to my word, I returned to the large Church I had visited the week before. I arrived well before the service was set to begin and sat in the same area I had warmed the previous week. Shortly after, my older friend arrived and took her place in the pew in front of me. We again struck up a friendly conversation and passed the time until the service began. It wasn’t much, but seeing a familiar place made the large sanctuary feel more like home.

              Another excellent liturgy and sermon proceeded. I was starting to feel like I could find a place at this Church. As I stood to leave the sanctuary, my friend from the pew had something to tell me. She told me that she had really enjoyed meeting me but also that I wouldn’t be seeing her at Church anymore.  I quickly asked her why. She explained that her granddaughter was returning to college in Maine and wouldn’t have a ride to Church anymore. In the moment, I conjured up a condolence, wished her well, and expressed that I hoped she would find another ride. I continued my march towards the sanctuary doors, shook the preacher’s hand, and headed for home – I probably had grass to mow.

              As I made the short trek home, the Lord brought a specific Scripture to the forefront of my thoughts. The passage the Lord etched into my mind was none other than Matthew 25: 31-46 – the sheep and goats passage I mentioned a few posts ago. It may seem a little pedantic, but I’d encourage you to read the entire passage below:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

              Upon recalling this passage, I immediately thought of the older lady in the pew in front of me who had been so friendly and made me to feel welcome. Sure, I had really meant what I said when I hoped she would find a ride to Church the next Sunday. The problem was that deep down I didn’t truly care at that particular moment in time. I wasn’t going to be able to attend that Church the next week, so it wouldn’t have been practical for me to offer her a ride with me. However, there were other avenues I could have pursued to help her had I truly cared. I could have taken just a few minutes to explain the situation to one of the pastors who surely would have been happy to arrange a ride for the faithful, outgoing woman. But I was too busy for that – after all, I probably had grass to mow.

              As I cruised into a left turn lane, I had time to ponder while stopped at the light. In my mind, I replaced the words in verse 42 above with: “For I needed a ride to Church, and you gave me nothing”. I was immediately filled with regret that I hadn’t done more to help a lady who had been so friendly to me. I was so preoccupied with myself and my to-do list that I failed miserably to apply any of the teachings from the many sermons I have heard over the years. Maybe this was God’s way of keeping me humble. Maybe this was His way of telling me that I’m a work in process – that I’m not there yet. I said a little prayer at that moment that God would get her to Church the next Sunday as well as the Sundays that follow.

              Unfortunately, the interaction with this lady wasn’t the first time I’d missed an opportunity to reflect Christ’s teaching in the Gospel. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ll probably miss more opportunities. If you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll miss some opportunities as well. This is the downfall of our sinful nature Paul wrote about throughout the New Testament in pointing us to our need for redemption in Christ. But part of growing in Christ is learning to convert these opportunities at a much greater clip. These opportunities are all around us, but we are often too self-absorbed to notice the chances to reflect Christ that are beating our door down.

Malcolm Forbes once remarked “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” I’m sure Forbes didn’t have my little interaction at Church in mind when he spoke or wrote these words, but they are applicable to my situation and go hand in hand with the sheep and goats passage. Your see, our interpersonal relationships should reflect our spiritual relationship with our Father in Heaven. Though we can do nothing for God, he still calls us to be His children and loves us unconditionally. That’s the kind of love that should permeate our relationships through the changing power of the Holy Spirit. Keep your eyes open, Jesus can appear anywhere needing to be served – even in the pew in front of you.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Finding Encouragement in Loss

            Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope that this blog post finds you well. We’ve had a heavenly taste of fall weather here in Tennessee. The cooler weather portends that I’ll be spending all day Saturday watching college football. I’m interested to see how my Michigan Wolverines fare this Saturday against the hometown Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. I’m curious to analyze how the new-look Michigan offense flows after spring ball and fall camp workouts. Go Blue!

              I write this post with a heavy heart as my grandmother, Annetta Mehling, passed away this past Sunday at the age of 88. She was the last of my living grandparents and was truly a remarkable woman. She was the matriarch of a family that included 13 children, 34 grandchildren, and 36 great-grandchildren. (Christmas in our family is a lot of fun – and a little crowded too!) I’d say she qualifies for sainthood solely based on that alone. Some of my favorite childhood memories are Sunday afternoons spent at my grandparents’ home with grandma in the kitchen cooking meatloaf or a pot of chili while grandpa offered my dad a lukewarm Weidemann beer. Grandpa never really got the memo that beer tastes better when it’s cold!

              Back in middle school, I wrote an essay indicating that my grandfather (Oscar Mehling) was the person whom I admired the most. He was a wonderful, hardworking farmer as well as a dedicated father and grandfather. He was also a man of strong faith. However, looking back, I neglected one important person in the writing of that long-ago middle school essay. Truthfully, my grandma Annetta was the driving force behind much of my grandfather’s success as a farmer. For those of you that know anything about farming, the 1970’s were a trying time to work the land. It was a time in which interest rates were skyrocketing and many family-owned dairy farms were forced to close shop. Add to that the stresses of raising 13 (sometimes unruly!) children, and then you will have glimpse into the life that my grandparents navigated.  I’m sure it wasn’t always easy and there were a lot of bumps along the way, but their faith got them through the tough times. Their faith influenced their children who, in turn, passed on that faith to my generation. My grandmother’s tried and true faith is certainly responsible for the faith that I possess today. I would guess that most of my cousins would concur with that sentiment.

              Although we mourn the passing of a lady who had a tremendous impact on many lives, there is significant encouragement we can take from this loss:

1.   Given that my grandmother was a strong believer, we can safely assume that she has passed into God’s beatific vision in Heaven. Her faith in the Christ and the work He accomplished on the cross assures us that she will live forever. Romans 10: 12-13 gives us this assurance – “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  When she departed from this Earth, she passed from the Church Militant (those here on Earth) to the Church Triumphant (those saints in Heaven).  As part of the Church Triumphant, we have assurance that she is looking down upon all of us and is aware of our current situations. Being in Heaven, Grandma will be in the eternal presence of God and can take her prayers to Him. This is encouraging as James 5:16 exhorts, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” That is to say, the prayers of Anetta Mehling will be especially efficacious. A few months back, I wrote an entire piece on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. That blog can be found at the link below.

https://kendalwordandsacrament.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-communion-of-saints.html

2.  The passing of a loved one also reminds us that God always keeps His promises. Based on God’s revelation in Scripture and my personal knowledge of my grandmother’s faith, I can safely conclude that she is in Heaven. This should provide encouragement to those of us still within the Church Militant.  If we profess faith in Christ and walk in His ways, we too can have the gift of everlasting life.  When life becomes difficult and our faith is tested, we need only to look back and remind ourselves of the struggles that our passed loves ones went through. God’s promises in Scripture are generational (i.e. not made to one person). We see this way back in Genesis 17:7 “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” God was faithful to my grandmother during the rough economic conditions of the 1970’s and He will be faithful to me in the same manner when tough times come. Be encouraged in the tough times fellow Christians, for Romans 13:11 tells us “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

3.    A death in the family is a reminder of our own mortality. Doesn’t sound very encouraging does it? But it is in a roundabout way! The only certainty in this world (besides taxes!) is that we will not live forever and will one day be accountable for our life before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. A time of mourning can be a great opportunity to spread the Gospel of Christ Jesus. For those who don’t believe, this reminder of personal mortality can be a great time to profess faith in Christ and enter the narrow pathway heading towards salvation. Maybe this is a relative or it may even be you! The opportunity to point to Christ as the only means of salvation should not be missed as part of the mourning process. This evangelism should not be accomplished through the use of fear and scare tactics, but rather out of the position that God loves each of us and longs for an eternal relationship with His children.

Visitation for Annetta Mehling will be held Wednesday afternoon with the funeral service taking place on Thursday. Please pray for my family as we prepare to say goodbye to an amazing lady. Have a great weekend and I’ll write again soon.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Contentment in Christ

         

           Well, it’s done. I’m all moved into my new house. I closed last Friday and moved in that afternoon with the help of my dad who came down to Murfreesboro from Indiana. It was one of the hottest weekends of the year, but the rain held off thankfully. Most importantly, it allowed me to get the grass mowed. I’ve already mowed three times (twice on Saturday and once last night) and trimmed twice. I wasn’t kidding that I’m obsessive about it! There’s plenty of work left to be done, but the bulk of the heavy lifting is out of the way. Time to sit back and watch some football. Can’t wait to check out Miami versus Florida on Saturday!

              When talking to people about purchasing a house, I heard one consistent refrain: “That’s going to be a big change!”.  I heard this line from nearly everyone I talked to. It’s true. I now have a lot more things than I had just one week ago. I have more space, more rooms, more bathrooms, more floors to vacuum, more yard to mow, more everything.

              I’ve been looking forward to home ownership for a long time. I started looking at homes three or four years ago when I was still living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Last Friday was a long time coming to say the least. But I’ve realized one thing over the past few days: Owning a home isn’t really going to change my life all that much. Sure, as I’ve noted, I’ll have a few more responsibilities and I’ll have to block out time to take care of things for the house. But will my life be drastically different? I’d have to say the answer is no.

              Don’t get me wrong – I love my house and am thrilled to finally be moved in. But I’ve realized home ownership won’t bring me the happiness or contentment that I initially thought it would. I think my thought process has really changed in the two years since I’ve gotten serious about my faith. Part of this new-found faith is a requirement that God be the source of contentment in my life. I often hear “contentment comes from within”. This quip is contradictory to Holy Scripture. 1 Timothy 6 verses 6 through 10 tell us: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” What a convicting passage for those us who exist within suburban, corporate America! I know I see my reflection in the mirror when I look at these verses.

              The biggest part of finding contentment in Christ is finding contentment in doing his will. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post entitled “Certainty in Christ” in which I outlined that the Godhead never changes whether in the past, future, or present. We can expect an unchanging nature from God as revealed in His word. Likewise, God has expectations for us! Luckily for us, He makes these expectations very clear in the Word. Believe it or not, God’s expectations are simple – love god and love your neighbor. These expectations are revealed to us in Matthew 22: 36-39: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” I wrote about ways to foster an intense love for God in my post entitled “Spiritual Terraces”. I’ll focus on “love neighbor” in this post. The theme of loving neighbor is a constant throughout the Gospels. Perhaps the most harrowing instance of this is contained in Matthew 25: 31-36 – the famous sheep and goats passage. These verses are abundantly clear – If our faith doesn’t produce works of mercy, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

              As I’ve written a few times before, the relationship between faith works is a complicated one. As I’ve tired to walk closer to Christ, I’ve had to ask myself a key question: Are the acts of mercy I perform done out of an overflowing love for God? Or are my works performed with the aim of earning my way to Heaven?  This is an important but very difficult distinction to make. I’d argue it’s the key to finding contentment in Christ.  Take another look at the passage from Matthew 22 above. The order in which Christ lists the two most important commands is very telling. It’s clear that loving your neighbor is to follow from loving God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. It’s impossible to truly love your neighbor as yourself without loving and being loved by God – without being loved by God, we are incapable of knowing what true love entails. If we don’t act in relation to others from a position of loving and being loved by God, we can’t claim that we are truly content with the security found in Christ Jesus. When we act in relation to others with the aim of earning our way to Heaven we disparage all that was accomplished through the cross on Calvary.

              So when you put your Spiritual Terraces in place, be sure to harvest the fruits of your growing love of God.  Living out Christ’s commands in Matthew 22 through a position of faith doesn’t make you a social justice warrior (SJW if you’re on Twitter!) – it is the ladder to eternal life. Go ahead – boldly love your neighbor as you love yourself– your Salvation depends on it. In doing so, you’ll find that contentment in Christ along the way.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @WordSacBlog

In Christ,

Kendal May

Treating Sin

Happy Tuesday evening! I trust that the start of your week has been pleasant and fruitful. I’m putting the finishing touches on my new home mortgage. I’m also beginning to pack up and purchase furniture for my new home.  In fact, I worked last night to get a 36-inch-wide couch through a 30-inch- wide door. Somehow, some way (with a little help, including a door removal), the couch made it through the door! Who says God doesn’t still work miracles?

              One of the things I’m most looking forward to about home ownership is finally having a lawn to manicure. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I’m pretty OCD when it comes to lawn maintenance.  I plan to take pride in how my yard looks. I got it from my dad. He got it from his dad. There could be worse traits to inherit!

              Dad spends countless hours each week perfecting his grass, landscaping, and patio. I must say that everything looks immaculate – except for one nagging issue.  Due to the lack of shade in some parts of the property, the lawn is prone to being infiltrated by Bermuda grass. Bermuda is a short, thick grass that is the bane of any green-thumb’s existence. You see, Bermuda often starts as a small patch. Soon enough, however, the Bermuda takes root in the soil and spreads to other areas of the lawn. Once Bermuda has taken hold, it can become very difficult to contain and eradicate. My dad’s yard was knocking on the door of being completely covered in Bermuda.

              Just as Bermuda grass takes hold of the soil and spreads aggressively, so too does the sin in our lives. Some of us may have patches of sin in various aspects of our lives whiles others may have one big, nagging patch of sin. Bermuda is notoriously difficult to get rid of. Dad had to kill off most of his lawn using chemicals and re-seed the entire yard. Similarly, if we don’t treat our sin in a timely manner, it can take hold and eventually consume our entire lives.  So how do we “treat” the sin in our lives to ensure it doesn’t spread? I’m so glad you asked! Following the four forthcoming steps will allow you to contain sin and stop its spread:

1.       Acknowledge

2.       Analyze

3.       Ask

4.       Awaken

Acknowledge – The first step in controlling sin is to acknowledge that we are all sinful human beings. Best known as the doctrine of the “total depravity of man”, Scripture teaches us that the very essence of our human nature is that we are inherently sinful and do not seek the ways of God. Take for instance Romans 3, verses 10 and 11: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” Furthermore, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” In other words, to be human is to be sinful. Only one man was able to walk without sin on this Earth – I’ll give you a hint, it isn’t you or I!

Analyze – To combat sin, we must analyze the what leads us in to sin. If you didn’t skip over the first point (caught you!), you know that as humans, we are sinful by nature. While this is an important point and should not be minimized, the Christian life requires us to avoid situations that may give rise to occasions of sin. Likely, there are certain places, people, and thoughts that appear in your life and make you more prone to sinful decisions. I know that rationalization is a thought I have that makes me much more likely to commit sin. I shared in my debut blog post that I struggle with over-consumption of alcohol. I often rationalize that I’ll only drink two or three beers and stop. A lot of times I do just that! However, there are times where two or three beers may become five or six. Before I know it, my rationalization has led me into sin. Knowing which environmental factors or thought processes push us toward sin is key in being able to prevent sinful roots from taking hold.

Ask – One of the most important (and often overlooked) steps in fighting sin is to simply ask God to deliver us from instances or occasions of sin. It sounds so simple doesn’t it? I worked through the content of this blog post on the way to work Friday morning. However, it wasn’t until Sunday morning that I realized why this step is so important. Sunday morning, I had the privilege of attending service at Yellow Creek Baptist Church in Cumberland City, Tennessee. The morning’s sermon was delivered by Pastor Mark Proctor.  The pastor noted that we take our problems to everyone around us – our spouse, our siblings, our co-workers, our pastor. But he noted that we often fail to take our problems to the only person who can work all things for good – our almighty God. Romans 8:28 tells us: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” In fact, Jesus Christ himself taught us to pray this way. In the words Jesus taught us, we are exhorted to ask God to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.

Awaken – So what do we do after we acknowledge our sinful nature, analyze what leads us into sin, and ask God to deliver us from sin? We simply awaken to the good news of what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf on Calvary. In the opening point, I hammered home the point that sinfulness is the defining human characteristic. Luckily, God made a way for wayward humans to be made right with him. Through Christ’s bloodshed on the cross, all who believe in Him can be cleansed of sin and raised to everlasting life. 1 John 1:7 tells us: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” The Spirit of God led the writer of Hebrews to write in 9:22: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” So rejoice in this truth- that our inherent sinful nature does not reflect our status in the eyes of the omnipotent Father.  God knows our sin better than we do, and he chose to love us anyway!

              So, acknowledge, analyze, ask, and awaken. Seems easy enough, right? But I’ll add one caveat – Don’t expect your sin to vanish after "treating" it just once. My dad initially sprayed chemicals on his Bermuda and re-seeded last fall. Early this spring, his yard was looking immaculate. Nonetheless, slowly but surely small patches of Bermuda began to reappear. Dad was forced to spray the Bermuda with chemicals once again to destroy the unwanted patches. Don’t be discouraged if occasions of sin reappear in your life. Stopping the spread of sin is an ongoing process that will consume the rest of our lives. Our joy is in the knowledge that sin has no eternal power over us as Christians. Christ has won the battle for us, and His blood has purchased our salvation.

In Christ,

Kendal May

Certainty In Christ

              Allow me to reintroduce myself! Just kidding, but it has been quite a long time since I’ve sat down to write in this space. It’s been a busy few weeks at work with mid-year financial result reviews. I’m also happy to announce that I bought a house. Come the middle of August, I’ll be an official resident of Murfreesboro, Tennessee! The new location should cut down my commute by about 30 minutes, so needless to say I am extremely excited. While I am excited to be sure, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Being a first-time homeowner, there will be a lot of things I’ll have learn on the fly. I’ll have to make mortgage payments (Nashville area ain’t cheap!), manage maintenance expenses, and find various ways to make the house a home. To sum it up, there’s a lot of uncertainty.

              But uncertainty is nothing new in our lives, is it?  How many things in our life do we truly have control over? Think about all the things in our lives that are variable:

-          What will traffic be like during our commute tomorrow?

-          Will we get that raise or promotion at work?

-          Will gas prices go up?

-          What will the economy be like next year?

-          Who will be the president in 2020?

-          Will bro country ever die?

-          Will Bartolo Colon ever retire (look him up!)?

-          Will Michigan beat Ohio State this year (there’s always hope, c’mon Jim!)?

But you get the point. Our daily lives are filled with more variables than a high school algebra test - You never ended up using any of that stuff, did you? But this column isn’t meant to be a downer today – the news gets better. What if I told you there is certainty in the single most important area of our lives? Well, it’s true! Scripture clearly articulates that our God never changes. Take Hebrews 13:8 for example: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The point is further driven home in James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” In case you wondered if God’s character changed in the Old Testament, let’s look at Numbers 23:19: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Don’t you wish you had this level of certainty that all the other various aspects of our lives wouldn’t change? I sure do, but if I had to choose, I’d rather be certain of the possibility of spending eternity with the Creator than anything else. I’m not trying to turn this post into a debate over eternal security (once saved, always saved). There’s always Twitter (or my comment section below – have at it!) for that discussion. Regardless of where you fall on the doctrine of eternal security, I think we can agree on the basics. If we place our faith entirely in Christ and by doing so fulfill the law of Christ (love God and love neighbor), we can have the certainty of eternal life.

Trusting God shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. Trusting God is like knowing the outcome of a ball game before placing a big wager. (Not condoning gambling!).  Trusting God is like knowing the return on your stock shares before you purchase them. It’s like knowing if that cute girl will say yes when you casually ask her to coffee. Through the divine gift of the Scriptures, we have certainty of what is in store for us when we place our faith in Christ. We know the result of the battle. Christ was and is the victor. Through his victory and blood shed on Calvary, we can be reconciled to God despite our sinful and wicked nature. What a thing to be certain of!

So I’d ask you to pray for me as I enter a time of newness and uncertainty in my life. Pray that I stand on the promises of the Godhead found in Scripture. I’ll certainly do the same for you. Please submit any prayer requests in the comments section directly below this post! I’d love to get to know my readers.

In Christ,

Kendal May