christian Life

by

TREES

There is much beauty and wonder in this world that God created.  From the elemental foundations of creation God produced a vast array of intricate and beautiful objects.  Each day the sun rises to illuminate before our eyes amazing things, yet because we are so use to them we often hardly notice.  Today I invite you to take a few moments to explore with me the wonder of trees.

Here in sun drenched California, we go to extremes to find shaded parking.  We are seeking a tree.  At the end of a day’s work, we arrive home to our wood structured homes and recline on a comfortable wood structured chair with perhaps a handful of almonds or an apple all brought to us by a tree.  Trees provide so much of life’s amenities.  Just think of all the things in our daily lives that come from trees.  Trees are immeasurably useful, but they also contribute to the aesthetics of life.

A grove of trees becomes a forest.  If you think of a forest, memories will flood your soul.  A lone palm tree may stir visions of a tropical island and a cool ocean breeze.  The quaking of an aspen grove is amazingly soothing.  What can compare with the beautiful colors of a New England forest in autumn?  There is something magical about walking on a path through a wooded area.  When we were children, the forest provided great adventures.  We have all been touched by the vision of trees.

When I was in the Navy, our missions often took us to sea for long periods of time.  During these times, there were two things that I sorely missed trees and potato chips.  (We’ll save the wonders of potato chips for a later discussion.)  I’ve always loved trees.  My childhood memories are deeply imprinted with trees.  On my grandparents farm in Pennsylvania stood a large maple tree near the chicken house.  I spent many hours in that tree.  By climbing high into its limbs, I could hide away from all cares, and my mind would flow with countless thoughts.  For a time, my family lived in rural Virginia.  Our home was right in the forest.  When the leaves fell in autumn, they piled as high as two feet.  My brothers, sisters and I would rake streets through the leaves and create our own city.  This city occupied many hours of play time.

There is so much wonder and beauty in God’s world.  Thank you for joining me for a few moments with trees.  Think of those parts of creation that most stimulate you.  Take time to enjoy them even if you only have time to explore your memories of them.  It will quiet your soul.

by

THE OUTCOME IS IN HIS HANDS

Today I have the privilege of helping a young man pass his driving test.  I don’t really know him.  I spent two hours giving him a driving lesson yesterday, and today I will go with him to the DMV for his test.  After today I will most likely never cross paths with him again.  I have shown him patience, kindness, and a little humor during our brief encounter.  This is what I do.  This is what God has asked me to do.  It’s my ministry.

When I am in the car with students I often have an opportunity to share my faith with them, but not always.  A few times I have prayed with a student.  I usually pray for them, but I have no idea of the eternal impact of our interactions.  This is in God’s hands.  He knows.  I am his servant doing his will as best I can.  I am getting old and tired, and I frequently want to quit.  His word to me is “Stay the Course”.

So today I will venture forth in my little car and teach students to drive.  I will rely on God to strengthen me when I’m weary, give me patience when I’ve run out, and encourage me when I’m down.  (Isn’t this what life as a Christian is all about, relying on God?)  Many times I feel that I can’t continue, but He gets me through.  My awareness of my need for Him has greatly increased.  The outcome of doing this job is in His hands.

by

NO CONDEMNATION

It happens so regularly that it’s predictable.  The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.  I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight.  Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.  I’ve tried everything and nothing helps.  I’m at the end of my rope.  Is there no one who can do anything for me?  Isn’t that the real question?  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.  He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.  With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved.  Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.  A new power is in operation.  The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (Romans 7:21-8:2 The Message)

What then is our responsibility in regard to sin?  This question reveals the trap that catches many believers.  We often feel that we should now more than ever focus on being sinless, missing the fact that we can’t make ourselves sinless.  We are still flawed by our inherited sinful nature.  Focusing on making ourselves sinless is self-indulgent and actually leads us away from God.  Our focus should be on God.  That is where we find freedom.  Paul calls it living in the Spirit not in the flesh.  All the power to overcome sin is in Christ Jesus.  We have no power in ourselves.  Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)  Our responsibility is to seek God.  He takes care of the rest.  Try sinning while you’re seeking God.

In closing, I’d like to remind you that we are justified through Christ’s blood shed on the cross.  That means we are acceptable in the sight of God.  We are welcome into the presence of God.  The work is finished.  There is no condemnation for us who have received Jesus.  When we are seeking God, he wants, and may I say is excited for, us to find him.  It is his delight for his children to know him.

by

DOES GOD REALLY CARE?

A small group stands in the sanctuary near the platform engaged in prayer.  The leader is training the group to seek the Lord’s words for those they pray for.  Suddenly the leader turns to one of the men and says, “She will be with you for a long time.”  The man is immediately convulsed with deep sobs.  He seems thoroughly overwhelmed by these simple words.  No one else knows why these words impact him so deeply, but he does.

I am that man.  About ten years ago my wife was having some health issues, and I began to worry that I was going to lose her.  This worry occupied much of my thought life almost to the point of obsession.  One afternoon as I was driving back to my office, the Lord spoke these words to me, “She will be with you for a long time.”  The prayer training seminar happened several months after this.  When the leader spoke those words to me, I was overwhelmed by God’s personal care for me.  What she spoke to me was word for word what God had spoken that day.  The lady was from out of town, and I had never met her until that day.  I had not shared with anyone what God had spoken to me.  I had never been as deeply touched as I was that day when God confirmed his word to me.

I felt I was being unfaithful by not trusting the lord for my wife, but He didn’t condemn me.  He just comforted me.  God’s love and mercy are truly amazing.  He cares for us.  This is my story of his care.  What has happened in your relationship with God that shows he cares?  Listen for his voice.  He desires an intimate, personal relationship with each of us.  He cares for us.

by

VALUABLE INSIGHTS

Situations come upon us from time to time in which prior information would be quite valuable.  Say you come upon a situation where two people are engaged in a quarrel.  What should you do?  If you don’t have much income, but you’re living comfortably, should you still give to the poor? Are you a person who has to have something to say about every subject?  A wealthy but stingy man invites you to dinner, should you go?  At work there’s a group of party animals that go out 3 or 4 times a week.  They spend the next day talking about the great time they had. When they invite you to join them, should you go?

These are just a few of the situation addressed in the Book of Proverbs.  Our God has provided us with a rich source of information for our daily lives.  Proverbs is not outdated wisdom, but it is full of wisdom for all times.  Provers contains 31 chapters.  By reading a chapter a day you can read the whole book in most months.  Try filling your day with rich practical information for your daily decisions.

You can find valuable insights into the situations I mentioned above by looking at these verses:

Proverbs:         26:17,  21:13,  21:23,  23:6-8,   23:20-21        {these are listed in order}

by

A SOLID FOUNDATION

Throughout my diverse teaching career the subject I most commonly taught was U.S. History.  Having spent my early years on the east coast, much of what I taught was set in places that were familiar to me. The inscriptions that I often read in those places were filled with Christian words and ideals.  It was obvious to me that our country had a Christian foundation.  Aren’t those inscriptions still there?  Aren’t our founding documents full of Biblical references?

What would be the purpose of denying this foundational connection to the Christian Religion?  Perhaps there are those who would go another way, to change the foundation.  Can you change the foundation without destroying the building?  If the foundation is faulty, don’t you have to build a new building?  What will be the foundation for this new building?

I will close with this excerpt from George Washington’s Farewell Address 1796:

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

by

LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES, BLESSINGS

I’m sitting here in my study looking at the weather station that shows it’s 105 degrees on the north side of my house in deep shade.  Yes, it’s hot!  In the back yard it’s 109.  My refrigerator died earlier this month, so I had to buy a new one.  My not very old washing machine quit working, but woo, I was able to fix it.  The espresso machine went on the fritz.  All this is happening when we’ve recently lost a fair portion of our monthly income.  Life has its difficulties.

In addition, I live in drought ridden California, so we’re trying to be very careful with our water usage.  A sprinkler valve stuck in my front yard sending a great wash of water down the street.  I replaced the valve, but not very well, so it broke loose and flooded the front yard.  Yes, and I forgot a hose I left running that flooded my back yard.  Really, I’m trying to be good!  The August water bill will reflect that I’m not being very successful.  Life has its difficulties.

As I reflect on these difficulties, I’m suddenly embarrassed.  A vision of the suffering across the earth passes through my mind.  I see the pictures of starvation, famine and war suffered by my fellow humans.  My difficulties pale in comparison.  I live a very comfortable and blessed life.

Even though it’s hot outside, my air conditioned house is a comfortable 80 degrees.  I love my new refrigerator, and it’ll be paid off in a few months.  I have the convenience of a washer and dryer right here in my house.  The espresso machine is working again!  And though we’ve had a financial set back, all our bills are paid.  Life has its blessings.

About now you’re wondering where the scriptures and the adaption of a spiritual message are.  Well here it is.  When living in God’s world, trust him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (See Proverbs 3:5)  Both difficulties and blessings are covered by this verse.  It is his world.  We can trust him with the outcome.  He worked out our salvation.  He can handle all the rest.  He loves us through the difficulties and the blessings.

by

FAITH AND DOUBT

Are you convinced that Christianity is true? Do you ever doubt your belief? Does God really exist? Is my belief in vain? Do these questions of doubt haunt you at times? They do me. During these times of doubt I have two processes that I follow, reason and experience. Reason alone cannot restore faith, but it can help.   Walking back through my life and remembering my experiences with God seals the breach in my faith, and I am restored.

These nagging questions that challenge my faith cause me to return to the process of reasoning. I start with the basic question of where did I and all I know come from. There are only two possible answers. It all came about by some accidental occurrence of events over millions and billions of years, or an intelligent force designed it. The complexity of the universe and the existence of life itself lead me to believe that an intelligent force designed it. And if this is so, what do I know about this intelligent force. I have concluded that the Bible is the most reliable source of information about this intelligent force. This process, to remind myself of the logic of my belief, gets me started. But the most interesting truth about this reasoning process is that it all came about after I believed. My belief in God is therefore founded in something other than reason.

I next reminisce on my experiences with God. God has spoken to me at key moments in my life, and he drew me to himself. He answered prayers and provided miracles all to build a relationship of trust. My faith is rooted in a relationship with God that he has built over many years. Then I remember, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Ah, my faith is based not on my ability to reason, but on my relationship with God. Experience trumps reason. The questioning of my faith is entrenched in my reasoning skills. My reasoning is faulty, but my experience is sound. There is no argument against what I have experienced.

I feel that faith is even more deeply based on a spiritual foundation. When I first believed reason played a small part, experience barely existed, yet I was drawn to God. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him …” (John 6:44). My reason and my experience came because God drew me. I simply said yes to him. I believe because I was predestined to believe. God is sovereign over all his creation, even me.

by

PRAISE THE LORD

The other day, I was driving along the city streets when I started to feel a sensation through my being.  From within came persuasion to praise the Lord.  I started to pull my car to the side when all the cars around me just came to a halt.  People began to step out of their cars.  Then an unexpected sight developed before my eye.  All those around me began to lift their hands toward the sky, and their mouths were moving as if they were talking to the sky.  As this phenomenon progressed, I could hear the words of praise coming from those around me.  Following along, I joined this spontaneous worship and praise.

The scene propagated as far as I could see.  People lifted their hands and spoke words of praise.  The trees that lined the street began to lift their branches toward the sky.  A tiny squirrel, poised on a tree branch, raised its voice and tiny paws upward.  On the street corner, a dog lifted his head and howled toward the sky.   The combined sound of our praise increased in a crescendo of love and thanksgiving.  It seemed as if the entirety of creation was lifting praise to the Lord.

While reading the words of Psalm 148 this visualization came to me.  I was imagining what the whole of creation praising its creator might look like.  What a stirring thought, the whole of creation giving to our God what is rightly due him.  The psalmist states in verse 5 “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.”  In the midst of our busy week, let’s stop and remember to give praise to the one who created us.

by

TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD

The title above comes from Psalm 37:3.  Trust in the Lord and do good.  This is wisdom for God’s people from King David who later, in verses 8&9, exhorts us to: Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.   These verses challenge us, but they also comfort us.  Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, I believe June 26, 2015 is a day to be marked as another “in your face God” moment for our country.  That is why I was looking for comfort and direction from Psalm 37.  God’s people need to be aware that God is not surprised by the decisions of man.  He gave them over to a depraved mind because of their rejection of him.  He is in charge, and we belong to him.  We are redeemed!  And we are bearers of his message of love and forgiveness.  Nothing good will come if Christians join the ranks of haters and revilers.

In Romans 1:18-32 Paul gives a clear dissertation on what’s happening.  He starts out: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”  Reading on we see that the depravity over taking our nation is because we have turned our backs to God.  Even the futility of our thinking, the illogical thinking of our leaders is a result of denying God.  So, what should be our response to this evil?

I think that we should trust in the Lord and do good.  God has his hand on all that is taking place on the earth with a promise to work it out for his glory and our good.  Trust him!  As King David pointed out, hating, fretting and being filled with wrath only leads to evil.  Our charge is to do good, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Do good to those who spitefully use you.  Jesus made it clear how we are to proceed.  Don’t turn your back to him.