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Cheryl Mendoza

How He speaks to me…..Or… can't He just call my cell when He wants to talk?

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Advent: Hoping for Good!

I am reading through the Bible again…. Wait, that’s really not totally true. I am not really trying to “read through it”, I just keep reading it from Genesis to Revelation at my own pace.  It’s just my new favorite way to spend my time with God.   

I had just finished the old testament and opened up Matthew and I realized I was back at the  Christmas story.  Great timing!  Funny thing is, I typically move to the gospels this time of year. I like to be on the same page with the rest of the world.  That kind of unity of focus is something we don’t see a lot of, so I don’t want to waste the opportunity.  

During December I tend to go back and forth from Matthew to Luke and then to some of the prophets and their prophecies of the coming Messiah.  So today as I dwell on HOPE, I had to run outside and take a picture.  I could see the color of the sky through my curtains and knew it would be beautiful. Now don’t get me wrong, I had to put on a bunch of clothes first because  it is slightly chilly outside.  The effort was totally worth it! As I looked at the sunrise, I thought of the words of Zechariah…..

“Because of the God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and guide us to the path of peace”.  Luke: 1:78-79

Sunrise always fills me with HOPE..  A new day, a new opportunity  for good to happen.  I know there is also the chance of hardship, pain and the not so good happening.  But in the first rays of the dawn, my heart automatically HOPEs for good.  Truthfully, while the good might not be mine to claim, odds are something good will be happening to someone I love.  And that definitely is a good thing!  I also realize that the good I’ve received, may be what I’m called to give to someone else… And that might even be better!

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How do YOU know?

I asked them, “how do you know?”

He said, “do you see what he’s holding?  He always has the good book open when he speaks.”  

Again I asked, “but how do you know?”  

“Do you see the words on the screen,” she smiled “it makes it so easy to follow along.” 

“Yes, I see,” I answered, “but how do they know?” 

“Well, look at all the people” they said.  

“There is a lot, but how do we know?” 

“We are a bible preaching church,”  they said. 

And I wondered again, “how do they know?” 

And then it hit me, It’s not you, or they, or we, but I.   And while all had explanations, the only one that mattered was my own.  And in that moment I posed the question as it should have been from the beginning, “how do I know?” 

It was then I looked at the book in my hands.  Not as well worn as it should be, but getting there the older I got.  Verses underlined, notes of what spoke to me and dates to mark where I was waiting for God to do His work.  Dates that are growing into a timeline that shows the good He has already done….to see how far He has brought me.  

This is how I know.  Through a book written just for me, for you…. for all of us.  

There is only one way to know.  Open the Bible and make it your own. 

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Takin it to the streets! And when I say “IT” I mean LOVE!

I feel like this is a movie and I am starting with a flashback. So back in December 2024….

So to tell you the truth, this morning I started off looking at the news online.  Ugh!  Such a wrong move!  Now there’s a guarantee that my blood pressure will go up. So as I read about the threat of ANOTHER government shut down, because if you’re not paying attention all sides allow it to happen every year, there was a new twist to this years storyline and that is a man named Musk.  As I read of his objections to the spending bill and his opinion of what should happen to those who vote for it, I was so irritated.  Now are some of the things he says correct?  Of course!  Who wouldn’t want a balanced budget and the money spent to run the government be done in a fiscally responsible way?  What bothers me about him, is the fact that he can use his money to shape things, events and people.  I know that kind of power can be used for good or bad, but his boldness in assuming some kind of perceived authority because of the size of his bank account, is off putting to me.   I was angered by this power play, until a song popped into my head.  I’ve loved the song since 1981 and my MTV video zombie days, but I’ve always had a hard time understanding it.  

“History never repeats, I tell myself before I go to sleep,” the song starts.  

It’s a catchy song, but I couldn’t understand how he could be so sure that history will never repeat?  It seemed to me that history is set to continual repeat!  The other day though, I heard the song differently.  Maybe he was trying to convince himself that history doesn’t repeat?  Towards the end of the song he says, 

“And there’s a light shining in the dark, leading me on towards a change of heart.”  

Maybe by the end of the song he realizes that he was wrong, and that history does repeat?  I don’t know what the songwriter was trying to convey, but at that moment, I was reminded of the repetition of history. 

History merely repeats itself.  It has all been done before.  Nothing under the sun is truly new.  Ecclesiates 1:9

And in the repetition of history, I found peace.  Why?  Well, it comes down to remembering that while I haven’t been through this before, God has.  That means everything!  Through the years our country and world have had leaders in business, government, religion, medicine, science and humanities.  Some were good and others bad, but most were a combination of those elements to some degree or another.  No one is all good or all bad and most of the time we wind up being a bit of both.  The good news though is that we have made it through, and we will continue to not only survive, but thrive.  How do I know this?  I see it in God’s word, and I see it reflected in the history of our world.  While that may give me peace, in the greatest commandment, I have hope!

And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:37

So fast forward to today….MLK Jr and Inauguration Day 2025.  

How many problems could be solved with those simple directives…..

I had pretty much started writing this in December, and since I have a day off, today I knew I needed to finish.  While seeing the continual repetition of history brings me some peace, I do admit that while I think we will survive,  people can still be hurt.

Even when God is in control, it doesn’t mean challenges won’t arise, or that those in leadership won’t stink!   And if there are challenges, or those who govern decide to do what is not good for everyone, I believe that Jesus Himself has given us the key to be ready for whatever happens.  He gave us instructions that will cover those we do life with, if good happens and even if the not so good happens.  And it is through the actions of His people!

“Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself.”   

Love God.  Let the love of God fill you, so that you can bring that love to a messed up world!  His love is transformative!  That’s what gives us the ability to love our neighbor, like we love ourselves.  So if there is injustice or hate that is directed toward others, stand up and stand with those who are targeted.  Where there is a need, be an advocate and an avenue of assistance.  Bring the joy of your salvation to a world that needs some joy! Be the conduit of God’s love that I believe the Bible tells us we are!  When we all stand together and surround ourselves and our community with the love of God, He is more than able to cover each and every one of us in the strength of His hand.  

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Are You Ready for Christmas?

I am ready for Christmas!  The tree is up, decorations fill the house and jazz Christmas music is playing on my Spotify.  All the elements are in place for a blissful holiday season. Or are they?  While the house is ready on the inside, I am not so sure about the outside.  The weather outside may not be frightful yet, but it is certainly cold.  26 degrees that feels like 11 is not my typical cup of tea, so I am really trying to figure out this whole “dressing warmly” thing.  

While it’s pretty cold, it’s not really the weather that has me wondering if I am ready for the season, it’s my own head and heart that are my concern.  

Am I truly ready for Christmas?  

What does that look like and what does that mean for me?  

For some reason those are the questions I am asking myself this morning, because I do want to be ready for Christmas!  So here we go!  

The story of Jesus birth is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.  The two authors split up the narrative, so you end up putting it together like puzzle pieces.   I was reading in Luke, and struck by the priest Zechariah.  We know a good amount about him, priestly lineage, married, old, obedient and not only he, but his wife was righteous in God’s eyes.   We also know that they had no children. So while there was much good in both of their lives, there was also pain and disappointment.  In this part of the story, I also found a clue to being ready for Christmas. 

Here was this man who was a priest, taught about God from his youth, so he would be ready for the job he would one day fulfill.   He is serving God in the temple, and then is chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord.  There he burned incense with just a curtain separating him from the dwelling place of God on earth.  It was then that all heaven breaks loose!  (Well I couldn’t say it the other way!). He is met by an angel, but it’s not just any angel, but Gabriel himself.  After Gabriel relays the news of the impending pregnancy of his wife and the role that child would play, Zechariah questions, “How can I be sure this will happen?  I am an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”  This is when I imagine that Gabriel stands to his full height and in his indignation states, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God.” Luke 1:19. Like dude, who do you think I am?  While I may leave you awestruck, I am just a messenger for the God of the universe.  You are in the place where God dwells with man and you are questioning if what I say is true?  What kind of falsehood could even be spoken in this most holy place?  I imagine that thoughts like those may have rushed through Gabriels mind before he spoke.   

It seems to me that Zecharaiah was positioned to hear from God.  He was spiritually right and even physically in the Lord’s house.  The man was chosen by lot, or God Himself, to enter the dwelling place of God on earth.  There is no better position to be in than close to the Lord, set up to hear the whisper of His voice.  So…. How do I position myself to hear from God?  

Seeking to be righteous.  This is nothing holier than thou…..none of us are perfect and never will be.  Being righteous is about being right with God.  That is the work that Jesus did on the cross giving us that pathway to righteousness.  I seek to be righteous by reflection, confession and repentance.  

To not fear.  Did you know there are 366 verses in the Bible where people are told not to fear?  As I read through the story of Jesus birth, this story is filled with the reminder “do not fear.”   I was watching Grantchester last night, and one of the characters said, “Fear makes you feel that there is no way out.”  That trapped feeling can disrupt how I respond to God and others.  Fear brings distortion, but clarity comes with the absence of fear. 

To be humble.  The humility of those who trusted God to work out their lives abounds in this story.  For me this year, most noticeably is Elizabeth.  She is in the lineage of Aaron, the priestly line of Israel, married to Zechariah who is also a descendant of Aaron.  Here is a woman who should be looked up to and admired, but there is a problem.  We read by her own words, that she is disgraced. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children” Luke 1:25b. Yet, she was “Righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” Luke 1:6.  That takes humility!  Up to this time in her life she has lived with a cloud over her head.  You know how people talk, and I can just imagine what was said behind her back.  And I am sure she would’ve imagined too.  Yet she did as she was called to do, live blamelessly before her God.  

I will admit, it’s been a couple of days writing down my thoughts, and I’ve already had a run in with one of my points.  And I lost.  That was one day though, and I thank God for new mornings that come with the opportunity to start all over again.  To position myself in a way so that I will be ready for Christmas! 

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Just do it….

I noticed her again at church.  Sitting alone and with a blank expression.  It could have meant anything, but I guess from her body language, I assumed she was alone.  There was no one sitting with her, and expression seemed sad.  I missed her one Sunday, as I wanted to shake her hand after service, but she was gone before I could speak with her.  This Sunday was different.  It was time to greet people, and I had again forgotten about that haunted look.  Greeting time was almost over when I remembered, or was reminded as I like to think.  I moved from my spot and walked over and shook her hand and introduced myself.  Her face lit up and I was gifted by a very lovely smile.  It was just a moment and then it was gone.  I saw her later and she was speaking with a gentleman after the service.  Maybe she wasn’t as alone as I thought? 

It was then I wondered if the moment wasn’t really for her at all, maybe it had been just for me?  An exercise in wholeness, where a still small voice prompted me from hearing to doing.  

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So what are you trying to say?

I heard something the other day and I thought, “so what are you trying to say?”  

It’s happened a couple of times during a preach, just a quick comment about a character or story in the bible.  It may go something like, “you’ve probably never heard of this,” and they name an obscure character or bible story.  When I hear a comment like that, it just strikes me funny, and not in the “ha ha” way.  Maybe they say it that way because what they really want to say, “you would know it if you read your bible,” might not be received so well.  

Now don’t get me wrong, because for longer than I care to admit, I would probably be like, “yep never heard of that guy.”  That definitely changed when I picked up my bible and just started reading through it.  I wasn’t doing anything special like following a study, reading the bible in a year,  or doing it with a group of people.  I was just reading and underlining things that jumped out at me.  In turn, I found that I liked it!  Reading the bible is like having a conversation with God.  It’s a long, and slightly confusing conversation at times, but a conversation where I slowly know Him better.  Most of the time, it’s also helped me know me better too.    

After pondering it, I wondered if the answer to my question really mattered?  Why?  Well, whatever the reason the comment was made, it seemed like a missed opportunity.  A teachable moment if you will.  I know, those are what we think belong to children, but we adults have them too.  

So I wondered, what if instead of tossing off a comment that may or may not be useful, why not see this as a teachable moment?  Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to encourage your listeners to read for themselves what God has placed in His book?  Instead of just assuming they’ve never heard of the character or story, ask IF it’s new to them?  If it is, that is the perfect time to invite them to go home and read through the passage  themselves. To take some time and ponder what the words say and the context of when they were written.  To make space for the Holy Spirit to take the words on the page, and the message from the pulpit to speak into our every day lives.  

So if you hear a comment like that in a preach, sermon, teaching (whatever you happen to call it) just remember the opportunity you have before you.  If the story or character IS new to you, check it out more!  Read the passage in different translations, check out a commentary and talk about it with a friend.  The stories are old, but we are told that “there is nothing new under the sun.”  So in these stories and the people who lived them out, we have the opportunity to see a reflection of our own lives.  

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Gettin’ back to workin’ it out!

I am feeling a sense of renewal today.  I feel like I’ve just finished a good rest.  Maybe I needed time to rest, be quiet and listen?  Time to hear that still small voice and work to align my heart with what I’ve heard.  

Or maybe I was sleep walking?  Going through the motions, getting things done, and wrestling with God.  Trying to shut out that still small voice, and trying to get Him to align with my plan.    

….“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”  Ephesians 5:14

I love this verse because it always reminds me of the movie “Shawn of the Dead.”  I know, not high art, but It was through this movie that God gave me a perspective of a life I could easily fall into.  

We humans are all at risk of sleep walking.  It’s hard to sleep though a whole life, but maybe there are periods of time that just seem to slip through our fingers.  Periods of time we waste just going through the motions.  I believe my time has been a bit of both.  Time to seek and see what is next on the horizon, while wrestling against what I already know.  Time to get back to the writing that helps me “work out” my salvation, and hopefully encourages others along the way. 

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