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NO ONE BELIEVES IN ME ANYMORE

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

Musings from a Musician

By: Valerie Pilkington

I just keep doing my best, pray that it’s blessed and Jesus takes care of the rest

Matthew 12: 43 – 45 NIV

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

In the fall of 2022, Ellie Kwick had a class showing the video to the book by Jonathan Cahn, The Return of the Gods. Throughout that class we learned how the United States, and the whole world really, is now dealing with the spirits of the ancient world. It does not take much to realize the world we live in without Jesus is following someone’s orders. We learned that when GOD is kicked out of a civilization, an evil spirit moves in, and brings with him seven more like himself. I am so thankful and grateful, that just one word from Jesus, and evil spirits flee. “Get thee behind me Satan.” I just have to open my mouth, speak God’s words, and evil flees.

As with everything with me, I love quoting lyrics from songs. I loved Keith Green, and he wrote a song in 1977 called No one Believes in Me Anymore, aka Satan’s Boast. Here are the lyrics, and food for thought.

Oh, my job keeps getting easier

As time keeps slipping away

I can imitate your brightest light

And make your night look just like day

I put some truth in every lie

To tickle itching ears

You know I’m drawing people just like flies

‘Cause they like what they hear

I’m gaining power by the hour

They’re falling by the score

You know, it’s getting very simple now

‘Cause no one believe in me anymore

Oh, heaven’s just a state of mind

My books read on your shelf

And have you heard that God is dead?

I made that one up myself

They dabble in magic spells

They get their fortunes read

You know they heard the truth

But turned away and followed me instead

I used to have to sneak around

But now they just open their doors

You know, no ones watching for my tricks

Because no one believes in me anymore

Everyone likes a winner

With my help, you’re guaranteed to win

And hey, man, you ain’t no sinner

You’ve got the truth within

And as your life slips by

You believe the lie that you did it on your own

But don’t worry

I’ll be there to help you share our dark eternal home

Oh, my job keeps getting easier

As day slips into day

The magazines, the newspapers

Print every word I say

This world is just my spinning top

It’s all like childs-play

You know, I dream that it will never stop

But I know it’s not that way

Still my work goes on and on

Always stronger than before

I’m gonna make it dark before the dawn

Since no one believes in me anymore

Well, now I used to have to sneak around

But now they just open their doors

You know, no one watches for my tricks

Since no one believes in me anymore

Well I’m gaining power by the hour

They’re falling by the score

You know, it’s getting very easy now

Since no one believes in me anymore

No one believes in me anymore

My heart breaks and so should yours that people are so misled. It is our privilege to be Jesus’ voice, hands, and feet in this world. When was the last time we shared Jesus with our neighbors, friends, or even family? Or better yet, when was the last time we prayed for these people to know Jesus and His unfailing love for us? I believe we are in the last days, and things on this earth as we know it are coming to a close. Let us be the people who SHARE JESUS with everyone we meet and do our best to be JESUS IN THIS WORLD.

God Bless all of you until next time we meet.

Works Cited:

Cahn, Jonathan. (2022). The Return of the Gods. Frontline Publication.

Green, Keith. . “No one believes in me anymore [Satan’s Boast].” For Him Who Has Ears to Hear. (May 20, 1977). Keith Green and Bill Maxwell.

Suffering for Christ

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

Barbara Lee, MSET

Many Christians in the United States wonder if they would be able to “suffer for Christ”. Now, has anyone ever “suffered for Christ”? How is this form of suffering different from our normal daily ordeals or hardships?

SCRIPTURE: 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1 Peter 4: 12-14, 16; NIV)

An Unwanted Blessing

My sister’s Bible class was discussing that in the United States it appears that we have not been “called to suffer for Christ”. After all, we aren’t tortured or killed due to our statement of faith when we go to church on Sunday or carry our own Bibles. Yet, my sister commented, “You have suffered greatly for Christ.” And this is the truth I’ve endured since at least 2015.

For about 12 years, I taught in the New Jersey Juvenile “Corrections System”. For about 10 years, I taught full-time in juvenile “corrections” in northernmost New Jersey. The last 2 years were atrocious with enforcement of the “modern educational ideology”. As teachers, we were told what we “could think, believe, and say”. I faced daily threats and weekly harassment which meant that I faced a very unsafe and hazardous working environment. Management wanted proper automatons. Often, I was able to “sidestep” the inmate’s questions or be abstruse in my answer. Yet I felt an “increasing sense of foreboding uneasiness” and had an “awareness” that momentarily I would be called to either defend my faith or just “go with the flow into Hell”. That day, there were only 2 choices for me, and I resolved to defend my faith in Christ. I just didn’t know what it would TRULY cost me.

In the classroom, an inmate told me about the FACT of evolution and told me of his belief about humans coming from apes. (You read that correctly.) I said that evolution is a theory and explains the similarities and differences in the world with different breeds of dogs, cats, and other living organisms. The inmate confronted me that it is a theory, and it is therefore a fact. I explained that a theory is a process of discovering the truth. Then (in front of the full class, and 2 additional classes of students, teachers, and the officers), I felt His Spirit fill me as I allowed His Spirit to confront the inmates’ deceptions that they were “accidental by-products of pond scum” and therefore not responsible for their actions.

Days later, an inmate who had been in one of those classes, confronted me at my desk in a different building and demanded that he be permitted to go on the computer under my access code (which was a “firing offense”). I refused his demand; so he reached across the desk, gripped my hand, pulling and pushing me across the desk multiple times. I screamed to get out of the classroom and locked the door. I knew I was severely injured since I spent hours trying to just sign my name and write a documentary narrative about the assault. A month later, I completed the resignation process, never to return.

I retained a New Jersey legal firm for Worker’s Compensation, and over 5 years received no medical care through Worker’s Compensation. After the assault, Delaware Medicaid provided me with all appropriate surgeries which seem to me to be directly related to the assault. Since I am no longer in the “Injustice System”, it appears I just don’t understand “the law”. Yet the consequences of the assault have been unparalleled. I have had 1 cervical fusion of my neck (3-7) and 3 lumbar fusions (from my 3rd vertebrae which is near the base of my ribcage to the end of my spine) trying to repair the extensive damage from the assault.

Unwanted Lessons

Many Biblical characters endured “fiery ordeals”. The most logical examples of enduring “fiery trials” would be Daniel, Joseph, and Esther who encountered “strange”, life-shattering experiences. Daniel was (supposedly) a teenager when he was taken to another country and forced to renounce everything that was of value to him. Joseph was a spoiled, young man who was sold into slavery, and then taken to another country and accused of crimes that he didn’t commit. Esther was a young woman who was taken to another country, and she won the Miss World Pageant. She was blatantly told to not speak of her faith. Yet, she followed God’s directions through her uncle and wisely saved the Hebrew nation. Each of these people exemplified faith when it was critical.

Moses, Gideon, and Joshua encountered “fiery trials” of a different sort. Moses had to reject his “adopted culture” and lead perhaps an “army” of millions of complaining “sheep” through the wilderness. Each sheep “knew” that they could do a better job than Moses. Gideon had significant “self-esteem” issues as God told him to fight against a far more powerful and prepared army. Like most people, Gideon tried to work out the solution based on his understanding and wisdom but had to listen to hear God’s mystifying directions. Joshua took the “army of sheep” from Moses and had to be prepared to enforce a “death penalty” on any friend or family member who refused to follow God’s directions.

So, as a Christian, would these “fiery ordeals” seem something “strange” to you? The “greats”— Daniel, Joseph, Esther, Moses, Gideon, and Joshua made their choice to suffer for their faith. But, if you are given the choice to suffer for Christ”, could you? Each of these people fought battles to defend the Truth of God. Each character risked their life, and the lives of those that they loved, to speak the truth of God.

So, my friend, the question is: What would you do for Christ?

Relaxing Through the Mountains

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

EDITOR’S NOTE; Today we welcome Babara Lee to “Walking With Jesus!”

Relaxing Through the Mountains

Barbara Lee, MSET

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34: 6-8. (Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Psalm/41/2)

UP THE MOUNTAIN

Sometime near Resurrection Day at the start of the millennium, I was driving to a colleague’s home before driving with him in his car to a work-related conference. I was on “Skyline Drive” which is a two-mile-high, serpentine road, with two lanes. On one side was the precipitous drop, and on the other side the perpendicular wall of rock. The surrounding view from the mountaintop was of a green land neatly divided into fields and squares with a small-town underneath, but it was “suicide” to look down while driving. Skyline Drive had one lane going up the mountain and the other lane going down with no physical division between the lanes but with constant twists throughout the two miles. From above, I assume that the road looked like a lazy, peaceful, serpent relaxing in the sun on a grassy field with a “full- tummy”. In the springtime, verdant trees covered everything; and in the fall, the land was awash with colors as the trees changed shades. The picturesque scenery was gorgeous from the incline unless . . . .

…at the top of the mountain, my brakes completely failed! There was no apparent cause since the car wasn’t “that ancient”, and had been maintained on schedule, yet my foot pedal just went to the floor. I panicked, (briefly cursed), and prayed, something like, “Oh ****, Oh God!!” And then I was “off to the races”!

THE EMERGENCY BRAKE

On a road which was constantly used, I was able to swing the car left and right down the narrow pathway, until at the end of this “suicide ride”, I thought briefly about taking the car into a local shopping center’s parking lot until it would slow to a stop. As the weight of the car started pulling it backwards into oncoming traffic, I THEN REMEMBERED the emergency brake and pulled the car to the side and engaged the emergency brake. It was at this time that the local police stopped by on the other side of the road, and the officer asked if I needed help.

My first thought was, I could have used your help a few seconds ago! But I said, “I am contacting my mechanic.” Since my friend’s husband was an auto mechanic, and the road was all uphill, I was simply calling him to see if he was available.

Pete, my “expert mechanic”, examined the car and said there are multiple, “redundant” systems to prevent this from happening and asked if he could send the parts to the manufacturer. My comment was, “Take any parts, but can you fix it?” He gave me the estimate and time and drove me, his overwhelmed friend, home.

I purchased a new car thereafter and remembered the lesson. I could have been hit by a car going up the hill or hit someone else as my car was flying “out of control” down the hill. I might have been pushed over the sheer cliff or have hit the sheer rock face; yet neither one happened. Angels provided a safe path for me down since God had His purpose.

HEED THE SIGNS

How often are we oblivious to God’s clear signs and displays of His love, protection, and provision for us? It may not be as obvious as clearly as that experience. We run outside to do our daily tasks without a thought about giving God thanks, see a picturesque sky and don’t think of The Maker, and then eat delicious food and not recognize Our Provider. If you were a parent of a child who constantly refused to show gratitude, how often would you keep giving more? If you had family members who rarely took time to take their head from the electronic devices, would you graciously give them more? Yet, Our Father wants our simple thanks.

When we recognize His Power, Authority, and Glory; God wants to shower us with even more blessings. Our Creator doesn’t need us since He could clearly make “children of Abraham” from rocks (Matthew 3: 9). But He wants us as family, and He chooses us as His friends. And for those who choose to follow His Heart, God invites us to grow and mature through those choices.

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology explains who the “Angel of the Lord” is from biblestudytools.com (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/angel-of-the-lord/). Most people, when they see an angel, are struck with fear. The “Angel of The Lord” carries God’s messages and is identified with God. This angel can be a messenger of good or evil, but always does what is right. In Genesis 16:7-14, the Lord’s angel tells Hagar to return to Sarai. The angel of the Lord also pronounces a curse on people who “refused to come to the Lord” (Judges 5: 23), puts Israel’s enemies to death (2 Kings 19: 35), and commissions Abraham to confront Pharaoh (Joshua 5: 13-15; Exodus 3: 5) about withholding the Hebrews, “God’s only son” (Gen 22: 11-18).

Far from such a powerful angel, God provided me with an angel when I needed His protection and provision. God is “no respecter of people”, and I am no closer to God’s heart than any other child of God. I am quite certain that we sometimes feel that the vehicles of our life are so “out of control” and all we want to do is put the brakes on the vehicles that appear to be carrying us down the precipitous mountain; but we must try to remember that though we may want to put on the brakes, God can always send His angels to safely escort us to His place of safety and joy.

RELEASE FROM YOUR PRISONS: THE TWO KEYS

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

From the desk of EW Tryens

Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted shall be uprooted. (MATTHEW 15:13)

MENTAL PRISONS

Jesus Christ is the sweetest name I know. It is with confession of the name that we were born again and received the Holy Spirit . You become Spiritually a son of God with power, but your soul and body remain unchanged, your mind and the way you think is unchanged. If you fear everything, the fear remains. If you suffer from depression, that remains. The worst prisons are the ones in your mind, the mental images of what you think about, or the way you think about a subject.

God –who loves us– has given us a way out.

FORM A CLEAR IMAGE

Mental prisons mean we limit our lives by not changing our thinking. Clearness and concern are two keys to releasing us from prisons. When you are born-again, you receive the Holy Spirit but your mind is still only what you make it. Our thoughts can be powerful! Your mind can become a prison. Suppose you are broke and the rent is due. Pick a verse that speaks to you and memorize that verse. Thank God for your deliverance.

GIVE GOD YOUR CONCERNS

Holding God’s word in your mind gives you a picture of your abundance . Try to increase your time in the Word. Your mind is a Holy Spirit computer: garbage in, garbage out. Put good things into your mind. Take words from the Bible and memorize verse. This takes time but is worth the effort. If in a half an hour you forget and go back to thinking your old way, you will not gain deliverance \. You will have a blurred picture in your mind.

THE FOUR KINGDOMS

For God so loved the world that He sent His only son. Once we are born again, we become sons and daughters of God – actual members of God’s family ! In the world there are four kingdoms:

The plant kingdom,
the animal kingdom,
the kingdom of man,
and the spiritual kingdom of God. With the righteousness of God we stand without any sense of sin, guilt, or condemnation . We belong to the Kingdom of God!

What an amazing promise!

And God is able to make all grace abound, so that in all things, in all times, you will abound in every good work. (II Corinthians 9:8 )

To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

Musings from a Musician

By: Valerie Pilkington

I just keep doing my best, pray that it’s blessed and Jesus takes care of the rest

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:3, ESV)

WHEN IT NEEDS TO END

We recently had the disaffiliation vote here at church. The term “Disaffiliation” means to “end a formal relationship with a group” (Oxford Languages Dictionary). In this case, we were voting to end Atonement’s relationship with the United Methodist Church due to differences in Biblical teachings. I was so impressed by Pastor Amy’s sensitivity to the few members who voted no. I saw this as an example of Amy’s obedience to the Holy Spirit to be considerate of others’ feelings. Change and growth seem to go hand in hand, and I know that these people who voted no do not want to change and have reasons why they love being United Methodists. I have had these lyrics to a song stuck in my head for the past few months, about being brave enough to do what is right in God’s eyes, and not just what is easy for us.

To obey is better than sacrifice, I don’t need your money, I want your life

And I hear you say that I’m coming back soon, But you act like I’ll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet. How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat

And I can’t help weeping of how it will be. If you keep on ignoring My words

Well you pray to prosper and succeed, But your flesh is something I just can’t feed

The Bible speaks of this in 1 Samuel:

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22 ESV)

CHANGE IS HARD

Change and growing pains, in my opinion, go hand in hand. It hurts to admit we need to grow in knowledge and experience of loving our Lord. Now we realize we need to change and grow, and with growth comes the growing pains we ALL experience. As we look to you, Lord Jesus, remember us, and lead us in the ways you WANT us all to go in.

Here’s the rest of the lyrics from Keith Green’s song:

To obey is better than sacrifice, I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights

Cause if you can’t come to Me every day, Then don’t bother coming at all La, la, la

To obey is better than sacrifice, I want hearts of fire, Not your prayers of ice

And I’m coming quickly, To give back to you, According to what you have done

MERCY AND SACRIFICE

The Book of Matthew also talks about mercy and sacrifice:

And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. (Matthew 12:7)

Thank you, Jesus, for your gifts of Mercy and Grace, we need them everyday. Remember Mercy is “not receiving something you deserve” while Grace is “receiving something you don’t deserve.” We all deserve to be separated from God, but Grace says everything that Jesus has, is OURS, and we are God’s precious children. Growth hurts. The ache and discomfort of pain can be agonizing, but it is necessary and always beneficial. God created us, not to stay stagnant, but to always be growing in him and becoming more like Jesus. But it’s not easy, and we can certainly stunt it.

Know that in the midst of heartache and pain, God is molding and growing you. Be confident in the promise from God that he is making you more like Jesus as you allow him to do the work he desires to do in you.

Stubbornness makes us do things we shouldn’t do, and cuts us off from others (even those who want to help us) — simply because we insist on our own way and won’t admit we might be wrong. But stubbornness also cuts us off from God, because it makes us refuse to seek His will or listen to His Word.

Until next time, please keep our leadership in prayer, as we make this transition. And YES GOD, you can have ALL of US.

God Bless You.

In case you want to hear the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS7vml271Ts

Ya Got to Know

Posted on March 25, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

By Marian Humphrey

“Good News from a Leaky Pen”

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23: 4-5, KJV)

It’s not news that starting with Covid 19, strange and not so pleasant things have been popping up right and left in our world and in our families. There are more illnesses and money problems and killings, just to name a few. Though our church is highly blessed, we ,too, have had unusual challenges. I wanted to glean from Pastor Amy in hopes of borrowing some of her continued vim and vigor and sense of joy, as she lovingly pastors us during these times.

So, I asked her, “How do you juggle it all with such consistency”?

Looking over her shoulder as she flitted past me, she boldly stated, “Ya’ gota know when to hold ‘em, and when to fold ‘em”!

That quip filled my brain as I pondered, “how do I do that”. I was led to visit Kenny Roger’s song, “The Gambler”, which prompted me to write the following parody:

Ya Got to Know ~

In the dark of a clubhouse

You keep on ending at a table

Seems dependent on the luck of the draw.

So, you got to know when to hold ‘em;

And know when to fold ‘em;

Know when to walk away,

And know when to run.

But you been dealt all the aces,

cause your dealer ain’t no card shark.

You know he’s never done you wrong,

He’s always done you right.

So, take a swig from his fountain;

Be fortified for the challenge,

Though you’re still at this table,

He will always steer you right.

Take time to count your blessings.

While you’re sittin’ at this table,

He’s put you in the winner’s seat,

Dealt you the winner’s hand.

He’ll let you know when to hold ‘em;

And also when to fold ‘em;

You’ll know when to walk away,

And there’s partners by your side.

As I re -read what I wrote, I was amazed at how much God was truly partnering with me in the creating. It was now clear to me that it was also a parody right out of His book.

Ah, that we all take time to count our blessings while filling up on God’s spiritual fountain so we, too, will be clear about what cards to hold and which to fold, as we with joy walk on through unusual challenges.

It seems so natural to hold onto thoughts and feelings I ought to be readily throwing into God’s hands and pitching or by passing the great loving advice God wants me to grasp and hold onto. Surely this season of Lent is indeed a fine time to thank God for the hand we’ve been dealt and ask him how to play our cards.

RELEASE FROM YOUR PRISONS

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week’s post is by Liz Tryens.

Elizabeth Tryens

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

NEW PARENTS

When I was a small child, the thought of a new birth fascinated me! I thought a new mother or a new father would be a personal liberator, someone like Jesus Christ whose love is never ending. But a child cannot choose his own parents, and neither could I.

Without new and improved parents, I had to find a different path towards the love I desired. And in doing that, I needed to face some of the worst things about myself: the prison of my defeats, my unbelief, my lack of trust. While John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..”, the love of God was not always something that I saw in my house or in the church, God’s house. For a long time, my own prisons kept me in bondage. I needed to realize the second part of the verse: “whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

THE BONDAGE OF PRISONS

Freeing myself from my own prisons was not an easy task. I needed a spiritual rescue! Just as athletes need to train before they can swim, ski, or box, I needed to train my spiritual muscles. The power of evil that has surrounded mankind since the fall in the Garden of Eden needs to be fought off! In was in that Garden that God’s words established the covenant of spiritual death to those who ignored God’s words.

Freeing yourself from spiritual prisons is a difficult task. We may not be able to choose a new mother or father to take the place of the ones who failed us, but we CAN choose to take God as our Father, and his son as our brother.

We can step out of the prisons we have created and have new life in Him. We can be “born again” into a new and loving family.

Psalm 23: A Meditation

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

Musings from a Musician

By: Valerie Pilkington

I just keep doing my best, pray that it’s blessed and Jesus takes care of the rest

I was listening to Joseph Prince about a week ago and was struck by how often he goes back to the original texts, Hebrew or Greek, and expounds on meanings. I thought I would do the same. It was not as easy as I thought, and I found help on a website called Hebrews4christians.com. Here is another version of Psalm 23. I am quoting from the Complete Jewish Bible:

The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 A psalm of David: Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

Mizmor le-David. Adonai Ro’i, lo echsar

Adonai Ro’i “The LORD my shepherd,” hearkens to Gen 49:24, where God is described as “The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” If God is Israel’s Shepherd, then His followers are (tzon mar’ito) – the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

Lo echsar – “I shall not lack,” hearkens to Gen 22:14, where God is called (Adonai Yireh), “The LORD will Provide (or will see).” Since the LORD is our Shepherd, we will not lack His provision. God will see and fully understand our needs.

Green Pastures

Psalm 23:2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water,

Bin’ot deshe yarbitzeini, ‘al-mei menuchot yenahaleini

Menuchah means rest, quietness, and derives from (nachat), from which the name (noach, meaning “rest”) comes. The phrase ‘al-mei menuchot refers to “still” or “comforting” waters. (elohei khol-nechamah), the “God of all comfort” is the term the Apostle Paul uses in 2 Cor 1:3. This image reminds us that God is (Adonai Shalom), the “God of peace” (Judges 6:24).

On the Right Paths

Psalm 23:3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name.

Nafshi yeshoveiv, yancheini ve-ma’gelei-tzedek le-ma’an shemo.

The word yeshoveiv (“He restoreth”) comes from (shuv), which means “to turn or return,” and is the root of the word (teshuvah), meaning turning back to God through repentance. As the Good Shepherd, (ha-ro’eh ha-tov), the LORD gives calls His sheep back to the right path.
The phrase ve-ma’gelei-tzedek uses the construct form of (ma’gal), a sort of track or entrenchment created by cattle being driven by a shepherd. Ma’gelei tzedek suggests that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep to tracks or pathways for His Name sake.

Death Dark Ravens

Psalm 23:4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.

Gam ki-eilekh be-gei tzalmavet lo-‘ira ra,
ki-attah immadi, shivtekha u-mish’antekha heimmah yenachamuni.

Even though we might walk within be-gei tzalmavet, a death-like valley of shrouded darkness, God’s sheep can say, lo-‘ira ra, “I will fear no evil,” since the LORD is (Adonai Tzeva’ot), the LORD of the armies of heaven, who is always present as (Adonai Shammah), the “God who is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

A Table Before Enemies

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup.

Ta’arokh lefanai shulchan neged tzorerai,
dishanta va-shemen roshi, kosi revayah

The LORD honors His followers by setting a shulchan – or table in front of their enemies (i.e., those who cause the followers of the LORD tzuris, or grief). This image suggests the idea of (Adonai nissi), the LORD my banner (or the LORD my miracle. The phrase (dashanti va-shemen roshi) means “you fatten my head with oil.” Since fat animals were considered the healthiest, and fat was regarded as the best part of the sacrifice (Psalm 20:3), the head of the follower of the LORD is said to be “anointed with oil” as a poetic description of the blessing of God. The overflowing cup also suggests the image of (Adonai Yireh), “The LORD will Provide.

Goodness and Mercy

Psalm 23:6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.

Akh tov va-chesed yirdefuni kol-yemei chaiyai,
ve-shavti be-veit-Adonai le-orekh yamim.

Goodness (tov) and unfailing love (chesed) are said to “pursue me” (yirdefuni) all the days of my life. The verb used here, (radaf), means to run after, to track (as a hunter might track his prey), to pursue and take captive, suggesting that the Good Shepherd is relentless in His care and love for His sheep. God will haunt His followers with the truth of His goodness and unfailing love all the days of their lives. Yielding to the love of God causes you to return to the “house of the LORD” (the verb ve-shavti comes from (shuv), which means “to turn or return,” and is the root of the word (teshuvah).

What wonderful pictures of ALL that our Lord does for the US his sheep. Reminds me of words from a song, the goodness of God.

I love Your voice You have led me through the fire In the darkest night You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father I’ve known You as a Friend And I have lived in the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God

‘Cause Your goodness is running after It’s running after me Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me With my life laid down I’m surrendered now I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after It’s running after me

In case you are interested, here is a link to the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3WDGpZjV4U

Waiting Rooms

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, KJV)

THE HARD PART

“I’ll be waiting for you,” the woman said into her cell phone. “Yes, the ambulance should be here soon.” She heaved a sigh. “I know, honey. I pray Daddy will be okay as well.” Her body collapsed into the molded plastic chair of the waiting room with the weariness I knew only too well.

I hadn’t been eavesdropping, but the waiting room outside the ER at Crozer Medical Center echoed and was unusually empty on this Saturday night. From my own molded plastic chair across the aisle, I had made a similar phone call to my daughter just moments before. In the meantime, I waited and picked up my knitting project from what Bonnie and I called our “go-bags”. We’d been doing hospital runs for years. Waiting was always the hardest part.

LIKE AN EAGLE

The prophet Isaiah knew something about waiting. Isaiah 40:31 says “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength”. These words were meant to comfort the people of Israel who had been displaced from their homes and exiled from the Temple. Waiting was not a time to wring hands and moan, but a time to exercise faith that God would, in the right time, act.

That’s not to say that waiting is easy. Anyone who’s ever sat in a hospital waiting room knows the challenge of the task! But let’s think of the next part of the verse: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” Eagles know a thing or two about storms. Have you ever seen an eagle soaring up into the sky and wondered why? God has provided eagles with the ability to know that a storm is coming on; the eagle will allow the winds of the storm to lift it up to a higher spot. It doesn’t ESCAPE the storm but uses the tempest of the storm to lift it higher.

And higher.

SOARING ABOVE

We’d been through many storms in the years since my husband had been so seriously injured. By keeping our hearts and minds on God, my family had kept from being overcome by the many challenges of a chronically ill family member.

I thought about that now as I put down my knitting needles. I had no idea how long it would be until my daughter arrived to wait with me or until the ambulance brought my husband in. I had no idea what this latest health crisis would entail or how long he night remain in the hospital.

But I did know how to wait.

I put my knitting back in my bag, gathered up my possessions, and crossed the aisle to the woman sitting across from me.

WAITING OUT THE WINDS

“Hello,” I said. “I don’t mean to interrupt you. But I couldn’t help but hear your phone conversation. I feel that we might be on a similar journey tonight.” I smiled. “My husband is being brought in by ambulance. I just called my daughter to come.”

The woman looked up at me, worry etched across her face. “My husband, too,” she said. “And I just called my daughter.”

I nodded. “Waiting is hard. I thought that perhaps, until our daughters come, we could wait together.”

“That would be wonderful,” she said and, moving her handbag, motioned me to sit next to her.

We exchanged a few words, but we didn’t really talk. We didn’t trade names, or phone numbers, or information about our husbands. We just waited.

But we didn’t wait alone.

In due course, our daughters both arrived and the woman and I parted. After a while, a nurse came and called the woman and her daughter back to the patient rooms.

“Thank you,” she said quietly as she passed my chair. “God bless you.”

I didn’t see her again but I knew that we had been there for each other at a time when no one should be alone.

During the two decades of Ron’s illnesses, Bonnie and I often found ourselves wedged into the molded plastic chairs of the typical hospital waiting room. We took comfort in being with each other and, whenever possible, we passed along our faith in God to others we met on our long journey.

Waiting is hard. But we never wait alone.

It Ends with an E

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Linda Cobourn

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35

A PHONE CALL

July 20, 2019

The phone rings at 6:00 PM Sunday evening, the display flashing the number of the medical examiner’s office. The two older kids have gone home with their partners, Allen has taken over the computer in my office, and I am sitting in the living room, sipping from a cup of tea and trying not to look at Ron’s empty chair. I pick up the phone.

“Hello.”

“This is Jenny,” says the voice on the line. “From last night.” I inhale sharply, the images and sounds replaying in my brain. EMT’s. Flashing lights. Ambulance. Police. Hurried phone calls. Panicked offspring.

“I wanted to tell you that we’ve ruled your husband’s death as natural causes, due to cardiac arrest. He simply fell asleep and his heart stopped. He would have felt no pain, had no warning.”

I let my breath out slowly. “Thank you,” I say. “It helps us to know that.”

There is a pause on the other end of the line. I take a sip of my tepid tea. My relationship with this young woman will be brief, based only upon this heart rending loss. I know nothing of her faith, but I say it anyway. “It helps us to know that Ron fell asleep and, when he woke up, he saw God.”

Jenny does not respond. I wait, years of practice in hospital ER’s and trauma

wards teaching me patience. “You know,” she says quietly, “this job is pretty sad. I see a lot of the same thing, day after day. And the families I meet sort of blend together. But,” and I think I hear her voice crack a bit, “I’m going to remember your family.”

I manage a weak laugh. “Well, we’re pretty memorable,” I say, thinking of how my tall children–most over 6 feet–towered over the petite young lady who came to examine Ron.

“You are.” I can imagine a smile. “Because your family showed me something I seldom see in this job. Love.”

SOMETHING OFTEN UNSEEN

Love. It hasn’t always been easy. There have been too many surgeries, too many hospitalizations, too many chunks of Ron torn away from us in the last 19 years. Things that should have been his responsibilities fell onto me. And the last two years, when Ron needed help with everything, were particularly grueling. To the outside world, it would appear that Ron’s later life held little worth.

But the world would be wrong. Every time he was hospitalized, we were given a chance to demonstrate our faith. Not a surgery or an infection or a treatment happened without prayers for doctors and nurses, without hymns and Bible verses filling his room. Without cards from my students, holiday decorations, visits from our children, and as much love as we could pack into a ten by ten foot space.

Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to “ go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

“When I was examining your husband,” Jenny continues, “I could see he had been well cared for. He was clean, no bruises, no sores. It was evident to me that he’d had excellent care. But even more than that was what I heard from you and your children in the kitchen.” She sighs. “Too often I hear people arguing when someone dies, blaming each other, fighting over possessions. But you and your children were telling stories about your husband, crying some and laughing some, sharing good memories.” Her voice gentles. “He was someone I wish I had known.”

I am touched by her words and I choose my own carefully. “We know Ron is Heaven,” I say. “We have faith that his struggle is over and he is with God.”

PLANTED SEEDS

“It was nice to see that faith,” she says. “And I just wanted to tell you that, well, your husband and your family shared something special with me. Gave me some things to think about.”

Jenny and I talk a few more minutes. She says I should feel free to call her if I have any questions about Ron’s death. I know I will not. Jenny’s entrance into our lives has been brief, but I cannot help but believe she is richer for it.

As I hang up the phone, I see in my mind flashes of the many hospital rooms Ron has inhabited. We planted seeds there. It had not been our choice, but we went into the world we had been thrust into and preached the gospel the best way we could (Mark 16:15).

I get up from my seat and head to the kitchen to warm my tea and as I do, I pause at the chair where Ron so recently sat, the chair where he died. I give it a pat and smile.

Even at the end of his life, Ron was an example to other people.

Category: Blog

NO ONE BELIEVES IN ME ANYMORE

Suffering for Christ

Relaxing Through the Mountains

RELEASE FROM YOUR PRISONS: THE TWO KEYS

To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

Ya Got to Know

RELEASE FROM YOUR PRISONS

Psalm 23: A Meditation

Waiting Rooms

It Ends with an E

PRAYER REQUEST

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