May 2023

Helicopter, Rescue, Emergency image

Rescue!

By / 3 minutes of reading / , ,

Our home is like that 1970s mullet haircut, business in the front and party in the back. On our small front lawn, we have glorious flowers (thanks to my wife), hostas (wife, also), and a tulip tree. It’s a very 1950s yard and house, but the backyard is quite different. Our large backyard is full of flora and fauna. This is where I have my office – I guess I’m part of the fauna. 😉

We have beautiful birds, from hummingbirds to hawks. At various times, we have had a vixen (female fox) give birth to her cubs under one of our sheds, a red-headed woodpecker attempt to mow off the tops of several of our trees, and Canadian geese stop by on their way to warmer weather or back to their homes in Canada.

I am blessed by this constant backyard activity, surrounded by these friends of mine. I enjoy my friends, but for them, they are often in life-or-death struggles. They got my attention this morning. I am at peace while being surrounded by battles for survival.

For Christ’s Bride1, many, if not most, of our brothers and sisters live in actual life-or-death environments. Here at home, our children are under attack, our culture is fractured, many local churches teeter on the brink of collapse, and more and more often, Christians find themselves in challenging and unexpected problems. But we have God’s promises, and they are still reliable. Here is one of them:

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

Psalms 34:7 NASB 1995

The “angel of the LORD” is singular2, but it is used in the same sense as the word “army” is singular. God is saying that an army of angels surrounds us; under the command of Jesus, they surround us for our protection. If we find ourselves entrapped by the enemy, they rescue us! This isn’t just a nice idea. This is a promise from God!

Right now, I have a grandchild that the enemy led into bondage. I know she is a child of God. I was there when she opened her heart to Jesus. I was the one that baptized her. I do not doubt that she is saved, but she has been deceived. She needs rescuing, and I am confident that the angels of God will break her free so she can return to the path of righteousness that we all are called to walk3.

So as I sit in my office, all around me are life-or-death battles. Satan fights against God, and God’s children are his battlefield. How marvelous it is to know that Jesus has already won this war. This is why we can say what Paul said: “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day4.”

I pray that you will rest in Christ’s transcendent peace5 while doing His work in this world of troubles. And if we don’t meet while in our jars of clay6, we will meet in glory!” Amen.

Image by gabeincognito0 from Pixabay

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[1]: 2 Corinthians 11:2 NLT
[2]: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
[3]: Proverbs 4:18–19 NLT
[4]: 2 Timothy 1:11–13 KJV
[5]: John 14:27 NIV
[6]: 2 Corinthians 4:7–9 ESV

Guitar Player Live Music Rock Guitar Music Player

Don’t Let the World In

By / 3 minutes of reading / , , , ,

The Blues

I enjoy some of Eric Clapton’s music, the Allman Brothers, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King, but I cannot let myself “live the blues.” The blues is a genre of music that often expresses feelings of sadness, despair, and loneliness. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying blues music, it is important to remember that these are just feelings, not realities. As Christians, we should not allow our souls to be touched by these negative emotions. Instead, we should focus on the hope and joy that we have in Christ. B.B. King famously sang the line, “Even the air I breathe is used.” That’s blues. That’s worldliness. That’s not the mind of Christ!

We Must Not Be Cosmopolitan

Daily, during my prayer time, I confess my sins to God, asking His forgiveness[1] and praying for His strength so that I can genuinely repent[2]. The world we live in is insidious. It creeps into every nook and cranny that it can. Just as there are frogs in South America that, if touched, will kill a person[3], so it is with the things of this world. As the apostle John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.[4]”

In John’s warning, the word he uses for the world is the Greek word κόσμον (kosmon), which is the root of our word cosmos. John is not writing about planets and constellations. Instead, John is writing about the world as a well-ordered whole. No part of the world is free from rebellion against God. Therefore, we must not touch the world.

He isn’t implying that we can’t hug a sinner or purchase food from worldly grocery stores. He is telling us that the world is a poisonous frog; we mustn’t allow our souls to touch the cosmos. We must not allow the darkness of the world to come into us. God is light[5], so our light must extinguish all darkness that attempts to come into us.

Good News

Jesus told us our Good News:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”” John 10:28–30 NLT

Image by Malachi Witt from Pixabay

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[1]: 1 John 1:9 NLT
[2]: 1 John 2:15–17
[3]: Poison Frog | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/poison-frog Accessed 5/18/2023
[4]: 2 Corinthians 7:10
[5]: 1 John 2:15–16 NLT

Old Door Hinge Rusty Metal Iron

What Do You See?

By / 3 minutes of reading / , ,

I typically start my day in our den. It’s a type of sanctuary for me in the mornings. As I began to walk into the room this morning, I noticed that the pin in one of the door hinges had begun working its way out of the hinge knuckles. I made a mental note to get a hammer and tamp the pin back into place, which is why I’m writing this account here. Both our Lord and my wife know that I’ll forget all about this bit of maintenance if I don’t write it down!

Wired to Notice

I’m wired to notice things that need maintenance. I nearly always look at the tread on our tires as I walk to get in our cars. I look at our roof when we’re pulling into our driveway. When I log in each morning, I check how much free disk space I have on my laptop’s drive. I see these things because I look for them. But if you ask me how much milk we still have or what we received in our mail, I’ll give you a blank stare. I don’t look for these things, so I don’t “see” them.

These thoughts today led me to what the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:11 NLT where he quoted from Ps 34:12–16:

“Turn away from evil and do good.
   Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

Searching Takes Effort

It’s striking that Peter wrote “search” for peace. We are encouraged by the Holy Spirit to search, to notice situations that need peace. Within the context of what Peter was writing about, this peace is with the people around us and with government officials. Peace is not like a door hinge or tire tread; it is more like searching for why your dishwasher is flooding your floor with water and fixing it. Often peace cannot be found without great effort.

God calls every believer to be a peacemaker. Jesus taught us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God1.” We may call ourselves God’s children, but if we want to be called children of God, we need to walk into trouble and use God’s wisdom, faith, and grace to transform trouble into peace. But we will never do this unless we are searching for peace. It’s a matter of sight.

Paraphrasing one of the times when Jesus healed a blind man:

Jesus asked the blind man, “Do you see anything?” The blind man said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly..‘’

Mark 8:22–25 NLT

Seeing Clearly

Searching for Godly peace is way beyond seeking inner peace through some sort of meditation. We are entirely unable to see clearly the situations that need peace. Even then, we cannot bring true peace into those problems without the Prince of Peace2, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, living in us. But…

Good News

The word “but” is marvelously powerful. It tells us that times and circumstances change. But, when the Prince of Peace is alive in us, we receive spiritual gift(s) from God to search for peace with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then the outcome from our searching will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ3.

Image by James Timothy Peters from Pixabay

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[1]: Matthew 5:9 NIV – Blessed are the peacemakers, for they – Bible Gateway
[2]: Isaiah 9:6 NIV – For to us a child is born, to us a son – Bible Gateway
[3]: 1 Peter 4:11 NLT

woman in black shirt holding black and silver weight scale

Weight A Minute! ;-)

By / 3 minutes of reading / , ,

I bet you’ve never wondered how much the Earth weighs. If you’re like me, you probably never gave much thought to this question. How did we survive so long without this knowledge!? 😜 Well, I’m here to enlighten you with what the BBC said! The Earth weighs 13,170,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds[1]. Sure, this is probably the most useless fact you’ll ever hear. But hey, it’s still a fact.

We have a tiny fact like that, but it carries a lot of weight. Jesus said:

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Matthew 5:18

Jesus was letting us know that God does not backtrack or make U-turns. The intent enshrined in the Law of Moses is the heart of God. Still, God knew that the Law of Moses would be replaced by the covenant established with Jesus[2]. Nevertheless, Jesus was telling us that until all of God’s will is accomplished, not even the smallest part will pass away. In chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of Matthew, this truth is expanded by Jesus.

A Weighty Fact

Now here is a compelling fact for you today. You are part of God’s will[3]. Not even the smallest part of His plan for you will pass away because He will not yield anything to the enemy[4]. You are a delight to God. You may see yourself as unworthy of such a special relationship with the one true God, and you would be right. None of us are worthy[5]. Our place in Christ Jesus is by His grace alone and not based on our smart and loquacious repartee. But just as the Father delights in His Son, so He delights in everyone that has abandoned their natural life and placed their faith in Jesus.

So, if you think you should assign yourself as a second-stringer for God, “weight a minute!” Even the most negligible, lightweight bit of God’s will shall not pass away. All of His plans will be accomplished, and His plans include you and me.

As for the weight of the Earth, maybe the next time you look up at the sky or feel the ground beneath your feet, you’ll appreciate how incredible God’s creation is. We live on this massive ball of rock and water that orbits a giant ball of fire in a vast and expanding universe. God is so cool!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

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[1]: Source: How much does the Earth weigh? – BBC News. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-29108451/how-much-does-the-earth-weigh Accessed 5/1/2023.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-29108451/how-much-does-the-earth-weigh Accessed 5/1/2023.)
[2]: Mark 14:24 He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many… Biblehub. https://biblehub.com/mark/14-24.htm
[3]: Ephesians 1:3–4 NIV – Praise for Spiritual Blessings in – Bible Gateway. Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1%3A3%E2%80%934&version=NIV
[4]: 1 Corinthians 15:24 NIV – Then the end will come, when he hands – Bible Gateway. Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A24&version=NIV
[5]: Psalm 14:3 NIV – All have turned away, all have become – Bible Gateway. Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+14%3A3&version=NIV

Girl Mud Run Slope Help Challenge Woman Tough

Look After Each Other

By / 4 minutes of reading / , ,

One of the first events in the Bible is when God asks Adam’s son Cain the rhetorical question, “Where is Able, your brother? 1” God knew that Cain had murdered Able, but in God’s grace, He was allowing Cain to confess his sin and seek God’s forgiveness. Instead, Cain’s foolish answer was, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

Cain’s question has a clear answer – yes, you are responsible for your brother. Many mothers and grandmothers have asked similar questions to older siblings: “Where is Andy? You know it’s your job to keep an eye on your younger brother.” The term “keeper” in this context means to act as a protector or guardian.

Look After Each Other.

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”

Turning back to the Bible, we find in the book of Hebrews the command, “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God2.” God’s grace saves us, and it is through His grace that we are productive citizens of His kingdom.

As believers in Christ Jesus our Lord, each of us carries a personal responsibility to be protectors of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s easy for us to build a wall around the meaning of this verse. If we narrow down this verse’s significance to solely spiritual aspects, we can claim that we have done everything in our power to safeguard our fellow believers from missing out on the grace of God. But how can others tell if we have? 

It may be difficult for believers to know that we failed God’s command, but we know, just as Cain knew his brother was dead. You and I have the responsibility to help fellow believers from falling back into worldliness; that’s not an easy job. 

Real Faith Produces Real Actions.

A 20th-century Chinese Christian and martyr said, “When two Christians happen to meet, their time together should be a time of mutual refreshing.” We should be a blessing to fellow believers, as they should be to us. When we part company, we both should be strengthened in our relationship with Jesus and in our determination to produce good deeds to show our faith in God to ourselves and others.

“What kind of faith is saving faith? James’s question3 is rhetorical; the obvious answer is that faith without works cannot save. Faith that yields no deeds is not saving faith. The New Testament does not teach justification by the profession of faith or the claim to faith; it teaches justification by the possession of true faith.”

R.C. Sproul

What Are Good Deeds?

You may ask, “What good deeds can I do to show true faith in Jesus?” This starts with encouraging fellow believers to stay faithful to their calling. Remind Christians that are going through a rough patch in their lives what Peter wrote: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you4.”

We should be more generous than any unbeliever and love more sincerely than all nonbelievers. In our conversations, we should have the mindset of elevating Jesus instead of ourselves. We need to speak about the mercy and grace that God has made available to humanity through Jesus, the only true Savior. 

Don’t Come Empty Handed.

When our day comes to stand before Jesus and explain what we did with the life He gave us5, we should be ready to tell of things Jesus did through our faith in Him. “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works6.” Therefore, in this life, we give by faith, help by faith, pray by faith, suffer by faith, encourage by faith, defend the Gospel by faith, do the impossible by faith. 

Our Calling

Jesus, God’s Messiah, calls us to do what Cain failed to do. We must be our brothers and sisters’ keepers.

Image by madsmith33 from Pixabay

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[1]: Genesis 4:9 ESV
[2]:Hebrews 12:15 NLT
[3]: James 2:14 NLT
[4]: 1 Peter 5:10 ESV
[5]: Romans 14:12
[6]: James 2:26 NLT

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