Bible

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THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF LIFE

(Psalm 30:6&7) When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”  Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

Did you ever have one of those days when everything was going right?  The sunrise surged forth with glorious rays of light, and the sun shone bright throughout the day.  With the sunset you were praising the Lord for a wonderful day.  Apparently King David had a time when all was right with the Lord, but then came a time of darkness. He felt that the Lord had turned away from him.  So it is for us all, the highs and lows of life are inevitable.  We have good days, and we have bad days.  We have days of praise and days of crying out.  But, eventually, we remember, there is never ending hope in the Lord.

When life rains on your parade, look for the rainbow of promise.  In verse 8, David cried out to the Lord, “To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy…”  When the day brings dark clouds, we can patiently wait for the clearing, for there is always hope in the Lord.  Cry out to him. For even though you feel he has turned his face from you, He’s never far away.

God will never forsake us. Eventually, as with David, we come to a time of praise.  Verses 11&12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.  Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”

A new day is coming; the dark clouds will be blown away.  When the dark clouds come, ask yourself, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).

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FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT

(1 John 4:15&16) If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

The Bible tells us why we are here and how we came about.  God created us.  God is presented to us in the scriptures as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God with three aspects or parts.  God created the entire physical realm in which we exist.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and omnipresent.  We are the crown of His creation, given charge to take care of the earth.  Yet, how do we relate to this amazing being.  

As Father, God takes on the position of authority.  He is the head.  He is our provider and protector.  God the Father is who we look to for help in our time of need.  With love and mercy, He corrects us and turns us to the right path.  Sometimes, He allows the consequences of our choices to teach us.  He is the perfect father.  The scriptures point out that God is slow to anger and abounding in love.  I’m glad that my Father has these two attributes. 

God the son came to earth and became one of us.  He walked through this life as we do.  He taught us many lessons to show us how we should live.  He lived as we live and suffered as we suffer.  The Son was given the name Jesus meaning God saves, and He did just that.  He gave his life to redeem us.  Through his death and resurrection, he purchased for us eternal life.  Jesus is our oldest brother, and He loves us. He is now in heaven interceding for us.

The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, indwells those of us who have believed in Jesus and accepted his redemption.  The Holy Spirit lives within us and counsels us, teaches us, and leads us in righteousness.  The fact that the Holy Spirit lives in us amazes me.  No other relationship is more personal.

I believe God has shown us exactly how He wants us to relate to him Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I think God is more complex than the three aspects he shares with us, but these aspects present the most personal interaction we can understand.  He takes care of us as our Father, loves us as our Brother, and through the Holy Spirit connects with us on a deep spiritual level.  God created us to love us.   His underlying characteristic is love.

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GOD’S CHILDREN

(Romans 8:17) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

When we met, Bonnie and I realized that we both had in our hearts the calling to raise children who needed someone to step into their lives and stand in for their absent parents.  We trusted God to send those children to us when the time was right.  As they came to us, we welcomed them into our home and loved them as our own.  We taught them about God, cared for them as best we knew how, and tried to be a good example for each one that they might live a new life in Christ.

 When they left our home they went into the world and began to discover life on their own.  Through the ups and downs of life, most of them have chosen to walk with Jesus. The few who haven’t remain in our hopes and prayers.  Our hope is that all of them will choose to receive the God who loves them.

We are God’s children sealed by his Spirit.  Many of God’s created ones, now walk the earth and are in need of a family.  God’s desire is that they would all come to him and become his children.  Those who have yet to receive his offer need us to tell them of God’s desire to be their Father.  Our part then, is to love them, teach them about God’s love, care for their needs as best we can, and set an example of what it is like to be a child of God.

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BEING AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS

(Philippians 4:9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.

Acts 9:1-19 tells the story of Saul’s conversion.  From there, he went on to bring the words of Jesus to many lost souls. Thousands were drawn into the kingdom of God.  After many years of ministry, he wound up a prisoner in Rome for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul, as he became known, was able to confidently say these words to the people of the church he started in Philippi.  Here we are two thousand years later reading these words that give us direction and a distinct challenge.

As a Christian, when I read this verse it sends me into reflection.  The obvious questions I ask myself, “Could I say these words to anybody; should I be able to say these words to anybody?”  I have the New Testament which reveals to me the teaching of Jesus, what he said I should do, and how I should live out my life as a child of God, yet I know my life still falls short of fully following his teachings.  Paul not only knew Jesus’ teaching, but he also knew the battle that we wage against our sinful nature.  (See Romans chapter 7)

In Philippians chapter 3 verses 10-12 Paul makes this statement, “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already attained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Jesus has taught me to love others, to forgive them, and be patient with them.  Trusting him and being content with his provision makes me a kinder more relaxed person.  However, I have not followed these lessons completely. The writers of the Bible have done their jobs in leading me to Jesus and teaching me his ways to the point that living in the Spirit is my heart’s desire, but the sinful nature is always waiting to trip me up.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit gives me power to resist temptation, and my love for Jesus strengthens me. 

I’m ever improving as I follow Jesus.  I believe all of God’s children fit into the ever improving but not yet perfected category.  I guess we are all the not yet perfected examples of what it’s like to be a child of God.

 Could I say the words that Paul said to the Philippians?  Well, I’d rather just walk side by side as a brother in Christ, then to say follow my example.  Nonetheless, if someone wants to follow me, they will find me seeking the ways of Jesus, because that’s my goal. 

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PRAYING WITH OUR BROTHER JESUS

(Matthew 6:9-13) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

When Jesus came to earth to save us, his prayers were always addressed to his Father.  When he taught his disciples to pray, he started them with “Our Father”.  In that prayer there is an intimacy in the word “our” that I hadn’t noticed before.  When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying to our Father with our brother Jesus.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brothers and sisters.”  Our savior is also our oldest brother.  We are God’s children.  When we pray “Our Father” we are praying with our Brother Jesus who taught us to pray.

We are not abandoned; we are included. We belong to an eternal family with God as our Father and Jesus our brother.  There is a closeness available to us through Jesus that is offered by our Father because he loves us, and he has chosen us to be his. 

On the day we go to be with our Father God and our Brother Jesus, our place within the family will be fully understood.  I don’t think we can completely comprehend this now, but be of good cheer knowing that we are included.  Our prayers are supported and encouraged by Jesus the one who taught us to pray “Our Father”.

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THE SOLUTION FOR OUR SINS

(1 John 1:8-10 and 2:1-2) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

As one who has been walking with the Lord for some time, I find myself often falling short of the glory of God, which is sin.  I also find myself much more aware of my short comings as I get closer to the Lord.  Any actions which are not loving, patient, or kind are sins, since they fall short of the Glory of God.  Unfortunately, these are actions which often occur in my daily life.  What hope would I have if not for Jesus and the grace he paid such a dear price to provide for me?

In The Lord’s Prayer Jesus instructs us to ask Our Father to forgive us of our sins (see Mathew 6:8-13).  I need to pray this prayer daily.  There are times when my sin is more willful and obvious.  Then my prayer is more specific, and my heart more deeply repentant.

 I love my Father, and he loves me.  He has, through his grace, provided me with this relationship, and it is in the context of this relationship that I can deal with sin.

In this life, sin is something with which we must constantly contend.  As God’s children we have been forgiven for our past sins, and we are being continually forgiven for our present and future sins because God is faithful.  All we have to do is ask.

We needed a way to overcome our sins.  Jesus came, and he gave us the solution for our sins by becoming the ransom for our sins.  He covered all the sins that have been and will be committed by all people from the beginning of the world to the end.   Those who receive him are granted his gift of forgiveness, and they will be set free from their debt of sin, declared righteous, and granted eternal life.  God’s love for us is amazingly wonderful.

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GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT

(1Timothy 6:6-8) 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.

(Godliness – Devoted to God – having the divine qualities of God)

(Contentment – a state of happiness and satisfaction) 

  The Apostle Paul tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain.  In our consumeristic society it is hard to imagine being content.  But wouldn’t it be great to live devoted to God, have his divine qualities, and live in a state of happiness and satisfaction?  That would be great gain indeed.  Well, I think that will be our natural state in eternity.  Reaching that state here in our earthly dwelling is a challenge.  Paul’s instruction to Timothy here in chapter 6 helps us find the path to godliness and contentment.

In the first five verses of Chapter 6 Paul talks about how we should treat each other.  What I get from these verses is that focusing on the needs of others and letting God take care of us is the best way to Godliness and contentment.  Our lives should be entrusted to the hand of God whatever our situation.  It’s much easier to be Godly when we surrender to the fact that God is in charge, and trust him with our basic needs and social status.  Our position in life is a part of God’s plan for us.  It is okay to be where God has placed us.  He knows best.

(1Timothy 6:9-10) 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.

Here in verses 9 and 10 Paul gives the final clarification of what can distract us from Godliness and keep us from contentment.  The love of money, and therefore the things that money can buy, leads us down a path of discontent and away from God. 

So we find in these verses the means to gaining a godly perspective.  Having a Godly perspective will set us on the path to Godliness and contentment.

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GOD’S INVITATION

(Jeremiah 29:12&13) Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The world is inundated with theories, religious ideas, and deceptions concerning God.    From denying God’s existence to religious fanaticism, the topic of a god or gods has been with us since the beginning.  All of us have chosen to be aligned with one or more opinions about God. 

The Bible contains many invitations from God for us to find him.  Is he real, does he care about us, can we really know him?  He makes it clear that if we respond to his invitation, we won’t be disappointed.  We will find the answer to our questions.

Think of seeking God as a great adventure.  He has a kingdom filled with wonderful treasures that can be yours.  Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (see Matthew 13:45&46).”  In this world we seek out many things, but God and his kingdom is the greatest find and worthy of giving up everything else.

As I write this blog post, I do it with full confidence shored up by more than forty years of walking with our loving God.  If you seek him with all your heart, you will find him.  He wants us to come to him; he desires a relationship with all of us. 

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QUESTIONING GOD’S LOVE

(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.

As the principal of a Christian school, I often had the opportunity to meet with parents.  One particular meeting I have never forgotten.  The meeting was with a mother who was distressed over her child, her financial situation, and other family difficulties.  In the course of sharing her trials, she made the statement that she and her son had been discussing whether God still loved them.  I responded to that statement by saying that we could never doubt God’s love because of the cross.  It was apparent right away that my response had impacted her, yet I was equally impacted by these words.   It was as if a third party had intervened and spoken to us.  That is why this meeting among the many others has remained prominent in my memory.

Questioning God’s love for us during times of testing is a very human thing to do.  When times are hard and trials are many, we may feel alone and unloved.  However, the question of whether he loves us was indeed answered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.    Jesus himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  God has demonstrated in an undeniable way his love for us.  Even in our darkest hour, this light of truth shines through.  “God loves you” is not just a tired cliché but an eternal truth.

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THANKING GOD FOR ANSWERED PRAYER

(Psalm 118:21) I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 

There are many reasons to give thanks to the Lord.  The obvious number one reason is our salvation.  Our sins are forgiven because Jesus took our sins upon himself and paid the ransom for us on the cross. And then there’s eternal life.  I’m also very grateful for that.  But what about the everyday answers to our prayers.  Sometimes I just go on about my business, and I don’t even recognize that God has answered my prayer. 

A couple of weeks ago, my wife called me from the bathroom saying she couldn’t turn off the water to the bathtub.  I quickly went to the bathroom to see what the problem was.  The valve had stuck open and wouldn’t stop pouring water into the tub.  I tried to get it closed and finally hit it very hard with my fist.  Fortunately the bruise on my hand was worth it.  The valve closed.

With company coming, I quickly got to work fixing it.  I shut off the water to the house, and, with my handy valve pulling tool (I’m proud of my specialty tools), I managed to extract the valve.  I took it to the Ace Hardware man, and he pulled one off the rack for me. Away I went to install my new valve.  As with most easy fixes, there was a problem.  I couldn’t get the new valve to fit right.  I tried everything I could think of to make it work even modifying the pin that held the valve in place.  Nothing worked.  The best I could accomplish was warm water.  If I turned the knob to the hot side I got warm water, to the cold side I got warm water.  I finally decided that the Ace Hardware man gave me the wrong valve.

After company left and I had a day when I was home alone, I turned off the water, pulled the valve, and headed back to the Ace Hardware. 

The purpose of telling you this story has a lot to do with that second trip to the hardware store.  Driving along, I realized that I was having trouble catching my breath.  I remembered only one other time did this happened to me.  The doctor told me that it was anxiety.  Yes, I was overly worked up about this valve problem.  I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me.  I asked that he’d help me resolve this problem.

Arriving at the store, I hastily went to the plumbing department to discuss the problem.  During the discussion to convince the man behind the counter that I had the wrong valve, I showed him how the pin didn’t fit.  He reached over and turned the valve 90 degrees.  The pin fit just like it was supposed to, and he pointed out that now with the valve in the correct position the hot and cold would work correctly.  A moment of silence prevailed.  My error became so obvious.  I thanked him for straightening me out, pick up the valve, and left the building.

Even in my humiliated state, I understood that my anxious moments were finished.  Now I could go home and restore normal valve function to the bathtub.  I was elated that the problem was resolved.    Then the realization came over me that God had answered my prayer.  I spent the rest of the trip home expressing thankfulness to God, for he had answered me. 

Asking God for help, for wisdom and guidance in these everyday situations, is a big part of my relationship with God.  I find that he is always faithful to answer me.  I just need to be faithful to thank him.