The Gift of Summer

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Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecc 4:6

“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” (AI Bernstein)

Spring was anything but relaxing if you lived in the path of a busy tornado season or had kids in school. Memorial Day unofficially marks the beginning of summer when, theoretically, the pace of life slows down as kids are out of school, church activities get reduced, and the days are longer. Theoretically was the word I used, reality tells a different story. The days of yesterday, when you lazily stretched out on the grass to watch white, fluffy clouds move overhead, seem to be a fairy tale or at best, the figment of someone’s imagination.

For those who live in the North American region, June famously welcomes the return of those mystical little creatures called Hummingbirds. These unique little birds return after a restful vacation in South America for a long winter. Flying thousands of miles, they return to the same geographical area each year, and being gifted with amazing memories, they remember every flower and feeder they’ve visited. They are true lovers of sugar as they go straight for the glucose. These little birds eat more than twice their body weight daily, so they are not good role models if you want to lose weight.

Hummingbirds’ survival depends upon their staying in a nearly constant state of motion. These little “charmers” (that is what a group of Hummingbirds is called) hover over their food with wings fluttering at 50 times per second and heartbeats racing at 1,260 times per minute. There is just something relaxing about watching hummingbirds dart in and out at their feeder.

God made the hummingbirds to be in a constant state of motion, but he didn’t make you or me that way. God’s final stroke to his creative masterpiece, called creation, was simply “rest”. The other acts of creation have the description “And God saw that it was good” but on His final act of creation He didn’t call it good, He called it “holy.”

What a difference this one day of rest could make in our rhythm of life. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:2-3) John Lubbock writes, “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

You can name a lot of reasons, but somehow we tend to live with a hummingbird mentality, always in constant motion. Instead, God offered a model, or better yet, a God-given gift of rest. Somehow, we have been convinced that to survive, we have to be in a constant state of motion. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 74, “But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth…The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.”

Living at full speed can be physically draining, emotionally taxing, and spiritually deadening. Slowing down opens our soul more fully to God’s presence. David understood how the soul needed rest and God’s desire to give his children. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3a)

“The reason speed does violence against our souls is because our souls were meant to be tended to. There’s a preciousness, a tenderness to our souls that requires a slow observation. And so, when we’re living at this chaotic pace, we don’t give our souls the opportunity to rest, to breathe, to receive the nutrients from God that we desperately need.” (Rich Villodas)

Summer months can be a reflective time to focus on God’s gift of rest. “So, they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”—Mark 6:32. Summer months can bring something magical if we simply slow life’s pace down to spend a little time reflecting, pondering, or meditating. “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace)

The summer evening harmony of crickets, cicadas, and laughing children relaxes the soul and welcomes a place where you can “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” Psalm 37:7a

The warm balmy summer evenings give you a place to release your problems and anxiety as you are reminded, “The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:11-12)

The same summer months that bring the hummingbirds also bring the weeds in the garden and seemingly never-ending mowing. What you do with it becomes the question. Margaret Guenther reminds us, “Our waiting on God, then, requires ongoing attentiveness if it is to be more than an empty exercise in passivity. When we pay attention, our awareness is sharpened.”

Summer! What a great time to spread your blanket on top of the freshly mowed grass and spend a little time just pondering this beautiful creation of God. “A heart at peace gives life to the body,” (Pr 14:30a)

God is great!

I am reposting this in celebration of summer. We are in South Africa, revisiting many of the places that were part of our beginning journey in missions. Blessings to all!

The Flow of Life

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Photo by Rahul Sapra

 

They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. Romans 3:24-25

How would you like your child’s first words to be “snakes”? I am most grateful that our son’s first words were “lawnmower.” Visiting a snake park in Pretoria, South Africa, years ago, the guide shared with us that some of his first words were snake, and he just loved snakes! I’m not sure of the reason. Tim Friede decided it would be a great but unusual hobby to let venomous snakes bite him, but it turned into a passion.

Friede is a snake enthusiast from Wisconsin and is now the director of herpetology at the biotech startup Centivax. In 2001, he was a truck mechanic when he allowed a venomous cobra to bite him, with the aim of building up his own immunity as he pursued his hobby. He has experienced 200 bites from “all manner of venomous snakes” and injected himself with the venom of 700 specimens.

Friede is a walking specimen for research. Centivax CEO, Dr. Jacob Glanville, was looking for a source of antibodies for broad protection from venom when he told Friede, “I’d love to get my hands on some of your blood.” Out of Friede’s blood, Centivax created an antivenom that offers “unparalleled” protection against 13 lethal snakes and partial protection from six others. According to the report, over 140,000 people die annually from snake bites, and another 450,000 are seriously injured. Centivax could end up dominating the estimated $600 million antivenom market, all because of one man’s obsession with snakes. (info from Holly Van Leuven article)

I’m not a big fan of snake bites, but I’m thankful Friede’s blood can be put to use for the well-being of others. The Cleveland Clinic website describes blood as an essential life force, constantly moving through the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients, and keeping us healthy.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood and or platelets, according to the American Red Cross, supplied by roughly 6.8 million people giving 13.6 million units. That is a lot of blood, considering the average adult carries about 10 pints of blood or 1.3 gallons. Forty-five % of people are O positive or negative, with 7% having O negative blood, which can mix with any blood type. Life is in the blood!

The spiritual parallel is so obvious, having just recently finished celebrating Easter, and in a couple of weeks, Pentecost. Culturally and spiritually, blood has always represented life, sacrifice, and potential for good and evil. We read in Leviticus, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.” (17:11)

Dr. Henry Morris wrote about the scientific accuracy hidden in the pages of Scripture. “There are many unexpected scientific truths that have lain hidden within its pages for thousands of years only to be recognized and appreciated in recent times. These principles are not expressed in modern technical jargon, of course, but nevertheless are presented accurately and beautifully, indicating remarkable understanding of nature by these ancient authors far in advance of their ‘discovery’ by modern scientists.”

Blood became the symbol of the unique covenant between God and his people. “Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.” (Exodus 24:8)

The gift of blood can tip the scales of life and death. The American Red Cross states that a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Donors willingly lay their arms out in a simple gesture of life as the technician inserts a needle to pull out the necessary blood that will give life to a stranger.

Jesus willingly laid out his arms so that His blood would become life for those not deserving of the gift. Yet it would be willingly given that those who received it would have a total transfusion of life.

“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matt 26:26-29)

You may not have been in a car wreck, resulting in a need for a blood transfusion, but all of us have been in a life wreck that, without the blood transfusion of Jesus, we have no chance.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8)

“His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His Ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity.” (Oswald Chambers)

God is great!

A Lasting Impact

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Photo by Holly Adams

So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. I Chronicles 28:8 NIV

Secretariat, considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time, won the Kentucky Derby last week. The first time he won was in 1973, winning the iconic Triple Crown Championship. Though Secretariat died in 1989, every racer in this year’s Kentucky Derby was his descendant. Sovereignty, who actually won the race, is a 5th-generation descendant. Whether in the animal or human world, that is a major accomplishment.

I doubt that Secretariat, the horse, gave much thought to what impact he would have on the generations that followed, but his owners most definitely did. Unfortunately, many people don’t consider what impact they will have on their 5th-generation descendants.

Mother’s Day was celebrated this past Sunday in the United States and several other countries worldwide. The roots for recognizing Mother’s Day began with Anna Jarvis’ efforts to recognize the important role of Mothers. Congress finally passed an amendment in 1914 recognizing Mother’s Day as an official holiday, with President  Woodrow Wilson signing it into law.

I have no doubts that since you are reading this post, you have a mother! Regardless of your age, whether she is still living or not, you can highlight the good and the not-so-good about her impact on your life. I had a wonderful mother; she was an encourager, loved people, took me to church whenever it was open, and could ask some of the most off-the-wall questions in the world. God used her impact in my life to plant seeds of faith and to learn to answer off-the-wall questions.

Agatha Christie said it well, “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” Booker T. Washington wrote, “If I have done anything in life worth attention, I feel sure that I inherited the disposition from my mother.”

“Your life is always shaped by the counsel you seek, listen to, and follow.” (Paul David Tripp). The vast majority of mothers do not have a degree in counseling or psychology, but they have provided a lifetime of counsel that will make a difference even in the 5th generation of their lineage. Mother’s Day provided us with an opportunity to pause and say thank you or to reflect on the person she was in our lives.

We do not get to choose how long we are on earth, but we do get to choose what impact we leave behind. How we impact the next generation will look different for each person, but there will be an impact.

Andrew Carnegie wrote an essay called The Gospel of Wealth in 1889, which became a critical piece of Bill Gates’ surprising announcement this week.  He said that he plans to give away most of his wealth before he dies. Gates, undoubtedly one of the richest men in the world, said that “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.” Gates went on to say, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.”

“God does not look at the external splendor of our work, but to the honesty and sincerity of it. God will rather forget princes, lords, mighty men of the earth, and vain and sinful potentates, than pass by a poor servant that fears him. Whoever seeks him will be sure to find him a rewarder.” Thomas Manton wrote this in the 1600’s but the truth of it is as relevant today as it was then.

David was approaching the end of his life. He had conquered empires, built buildings, united Israel as a nation, and made a ton of mistakes. Yet he never wavered in his love or passion for God. The one thing that he wanted to do more than anything was to build a temple to worship God. David had prepared for the building, laid out the design, and had the resources ready to begin. He was called a “man after God’s own heart”, so the answer to David’s prayer should be a resounding yes, right? Wrong, the answer was no, anyway, the way David wanted it answered.

David desired to build a place that would glorify God, but God would answer his prayer through his son, Solomon. “Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courtyards; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him.” (I Chron 28:6)

David accepted the no, trusting that God knew best. David accepted the no, immediately beginning the process of equipping Solomon for the task by laying out the plans and providing the accumulated resources for the building. David accepted the no, giving Solomon a word of blessing. “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.” (I Chron 28:20). David accepted the no, praying for his son. “And give my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.”

Society will recognize a few people by naming buildings and streets after them, but those buildings and roads will eventually fall into disrepair. Groups will recognize a few people by having monuments erected out of stone or metal, only to have a place for birds to rest on. However, those who passed on a legacy of faith and hope will impact the lives of their children, neighbors, co-workers, and friends, leaving behind living monuments. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV)

Building Living Monuments for God’s glory!

God is great!

Which Door? Blessing or Disaster

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My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

How would you define a blessing? A bigger home, a new Tesla, a vacation to Europe, or an 8% return on your stock market investments? If you are lying in a hospital bed with an incurable cancer, blessings would look very different. Blessing would look very different if you were homeless on the streets, fortunate to get one meal a day and a warm bed. A forever home to a foster care child would look like heaven on earth. Peter Scazzero, in his book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, shares a story about how an event can appear, either as a blessing or a disaster.

Scazzero tells the story of a wise old man living on one of China’s frontiers. When his son’s horse ran away and was stolen by nomads, the villagers offered their condolences to the son, but the father said, “What makes you so sure this is not a blessing?” Months later, the horse returned, bringing a magnificent stallion. Everyone congratulated the son’s good fortune, but now his father said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a disaster?”

It looked like a great blessing when the son’s household prospered from the horse, but then one day, while the son was riding the stallion, he fell off and broke his hip. Once again, the villagers offered their condolences for his misfortune, only to hear his father say, “What makes you so sure this is not a blessing?” A year later, nomads invaded the border, and every able-bodied man was required to go into battle. “The Chinese families living on the border lost nine of every ten men fighting.  Only because the son was lame did father and son survive to take care of each other.”

Scazzero writes, “What appeared like a blessing and success has often turned out to be a terrible thing. What appeared to be a terrible event has often turned out to be a rich blessing.”

Scripture is filled with disaster-to-blessing and blessing-to-disaster stories. Paul David Tripp writes, “It is vital for us to understand that the most important realities in all of life cannot be seen with our physical eyes. Our God, who sits on the throne of the universe, ruling with holy wisdom, absolute sovereignty, and awesome power, cannot be physically seen or touched. His existence, rule, and plan for his creatures are the most visible things in the world, but they are not physically visible.”

Satan, from the very beginning of creation, sought to destroy God’s good creation by sowing doubt and disobedience into Adam and Eve’s story. It is a story that could have ended in disaster until God stepped in and offered grace, mercy, and a way of redemption. The whole story was turned around from disaster to blessing.

Joseph was the apple of his father’s eye, a bit of a brat until he was sold into slavery by his brothers. What was a disaster when given to God ended up becoming a blessing. Joseph, at the end of his life, told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Exodus 50:20)

Samson was blessed with amazing power and fighting skills until he squandered his life in godless living and poor decision-making. A life began with potential having been set aside from birth, and yet ended up as a prisoner because “he did not know that the LORD had left him.” (Judges 16:19b)

Job went from having everything money could buy to hearing the advice of his wife, “Curse God and die!” Yet out of disaster upon disaster, Job stayed committed to God. “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:22) Job had no guarantees that anything good would come from his misery, yet he never lost faith. He was willing to accept what came, though he didn’t understand, nor would he ever fully understand.

Augustine would write centuries later, “If you understand, it is not God you understand.” Thomas Aquinas wrote a few more centuries later, after finishing his twenty-volume work on God, “This is the ultimate knowledge about God, to know that we do not know.” Scazzero finished his quote with the words, “I, too, can honestly say that the more I know about God, the less I know about him.”

We have just finished celebrating Easter. The cross was a terrible disaster, but when God took over, he turned the disaster into a rich blessing. The people watching the death of Jesus on the cross that afternoon saw a very different picture compared to the view from heaven. Jesus walked out of the tomb, breathing life into those who would follow.

Defining an event as a disaster or blessing can look different depending on your vantage point. Life may bring the mystery of trying to see how an event is either a disaster or a blessing, yet we hold strong in a foundation centered upon God’s love and purpose for us. “With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Ephesians 1:9-10

I offer condolences to Catholics around the world as they mourn the loss of Pope Francis, who died Easter Monday at the age of 88. You may disagree with his views politically and theologically, yet most could agree that he lived his life seeking to help the poor and marginalized of society. One of his consistent prayers that his grandmother taught him as a young child was, “Jesus, make my heart more like yours.” It is a simple prayer that is appropriate for any of us.

God is great!

God’s Grace Is Never Redundant

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Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 NIV

I came to realize after a midnight emergency surgery as an eight-year-old that I could live a long and fruitful life without my appendix. It may be considered a redundant organ, but it sure caused me a tremendous amount of pain when it ruptured. It wouldn’t be considered a redundant organ for a second grader when you had to miss being in the school’s Christmas program. According to scientists, certain body organs adjusted to changing circumstances which forced them to adapt to the changes such as the appendix, wisdom teeth, and goosebumps. Now, I never realized that goosebumps were considered a body part until writing this post.

The lowly little appendix though is a great example of something making a comeback. New research shows the appendix may have an essential role in gut health, helping the immune system fight pathogens and houses bacteria that repopulate the gut microbiome after an illness or antibiotic use. (info from an article by Julia Craven) “Sometimes redundancy has a way of showing up under certain conditions; they’re not truly redundant. Going back to the appendix it’s been suggested that it does have a use,” according to Michael Snyder, director of the Snyder Lab at Stanford University.

There are natural causes for body organ changes but there is also a burgeoning plastic surgery business in body part changes. If it can be tucked, tightened, folded, adjusted, enlarged, or decreased you will find a booming business. Americans alone spent approximately $26 Billion on plastic or cosmetic surgery according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Globally that amount increases to $112 Billion with Brazil leading the world in cosmetic surgeries but the United States dominating in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Getting a liposuction was the most popular surgical procedure worldwide in 2023.

People may spend billions to get their body parts moved and realigned but spend precious little time on critical soul issues such as anger, anxiety, idolatry, bitterness, rage, slander, pride, and the list goes on. Plastic surgeons may give amazing results with all the money spent worldwide but can you imagine what a difference it would make if we chose to focus on doing some soul surgery?

The Apostle Paul may not have been a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, but he did have some valuable insight on what makes a person truly beautiful. Writing in the book of Ephesians he proposed some major surgical removals. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” His post-surgical recommendation followed, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32 NIV)

Paul understood long before society would be spending mega-billions on plastic surgery procedures that it would have limited value. The best Plastic Surgeon can only give temporary results, but Paul had a more eternal perspective in mind when he wrote, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:23-24)

Megan Fate Marshman, in her book, Relaxed writes, “First, we open our hearts and come out of hiding to our God who loves us. Crack open anxiety, worry, envy, jealousy, arrogance, pride, laziness, lust, disobedience. We can’t do this in a day because our hearts didn’t get that way in a day.”

March 5 begins the season of Lent when a large part of the church family celebrates 40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter. Historically it has been a time of giving up something with the intended purpose of drawing nearer to God. Instead of giving up something material such as coffee, chocolate, or electronics, can you imagine the impact if more focus on some of the things Paul mentioned? Granted it is harder to deal with anger than to give up chocolate but focusing on Paul’s lists would be life-changing.

I am not big on Christian cliché but one that makes a lot of sense is, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.”  Jesus understood fully that we would struggle to transform our lives and made provision that we wouldn’t have to do it alone. “Spiritual disciplines do not transform you. They open you to the God who can.” (Dr. John Coe) The transformed life starts and ends with Christ within you.

Jesus gave us an amazing way to deal with our soul’s burdens, himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Now that is a transformation that lasts forever!

God is great!

Love In The Air

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We love because he first loved us. I John 4:19 NIV

Are you looking for that perfect verse for your Friday’s Hallmark Valentine’s Day card? You might have a go with some of these timeless quotes. Cartoonist and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz wrote, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” That only works if you buy the good chocolates. For those a little more romantic sounding, you might try English writer and poet, Christina Rossetti, “Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine.”

For you poets at heart, you might go with something from William Shakespeare, “Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt Truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” This goes really well when quoting a verse from King James. If you are not really into Valentine’s Day you might try something a shade darker from Orson Welles, “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”

This Friday marks the second most popular holiday for sending cards, Valentine’s Day. Over 150 million cards will be exchanged during Valentine’s Day and that is just in the United States. J.C. Hall founder of Hallmark began selling Valentine’s Day postcards in 1910, adding greeting cards to their inventory in 1913. Hallmark may have profited from the day but they are not the creators of Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day was named for a martyred St. Valentine with its roots going back to the third century. History records a couple of priests who were both named Valentine but both had a love element to their tragic stories. One of the priests defied Emperor Claudius II who had decreed that soldiers made better fighting men if single but Valentine continued to secretly perform their marriages.

The romantic side of Valentine’s Day is a rather recent event, dating back to the 14th century thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. Then along came Richard Cadbury in the 19th century with heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and the Hallmark line of greeting cards in the 20th century. Valentine’s Day is our one day out of 365 marked exclusively to focus on love!

Valentine’s Day may be a nice way to express how one feels with gifts of cards, flowers, chocolate, and jewelry. However, long before Hallmark printed their first card, Cadbury molded his first heart-shaped chocolate and Chaucer penned his sonnet, God showed us true love. He took us into the depths of love and showed us the enduring and unbreakable nature of what is true love. He gave us love when we didn’t deserve it yet willingly died for us. (Rom 5:8). He showed us a love that sacrificed His only Son. (John 3:16). He showed us love that we should be called “children of God.” (I John 3:1)

The world’s standard for love often comes down to what makes me feel good about myself, or what I enjoy doing. Even when love is focused on someone else, it still comes down to what I can get out of it, how it makes me feel or how can it help me. It is not surprising that the me part gets pretty big in worldly love.

Dave Mercer asked his Old Testament professor when he was in seminary, “What is the one thing that I should walk away with when studying the Old Testament?” The professor’s answer was short and simple, “The unconditional love of God.”

The unconditional love of God is actually a good summary of all of Scripture. From day one of Genesis until the closing curtain of earth, God’s love has permeated all of life. It is a love that at times has been very costly for God. Adam and Eve set the script for disobedience, but God rewrote the script back to how He intended it to be, unconditional. The cost continued to mount until Jesus spoke those heaven-shattering words, “It is finished.”

The Puritan writer John Owen wrote, “The fountain of the grace and mercy of Christ is infinite…His love is eternal, free, and unchangeable. Whom he loves, he loves unto the end! His love is such as never had a beginning and shall never have an end. He is the Beloved of our souls, holy, harmless, and undefiled, full of grace and truth.”

Love in the English language can cover everything from I love Chick-fil-A to the words spoken at the bedside of your dying partner in life. Love can be used in terms of sacrifice, romance, and mushy sentiments but it fails to capture the power of what it can be. The word love can be used to motivate, encourage, express feelings, or manipulate.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:4-8a,13 NIV)

There are few definitions of love greater than what Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinth church. He gave us definitions for love which do not just sound nice on a sentimental greeting card but how love can make a difference in our lives every day. It is a love lived out that impacts the world around us. We can be grateful that God gave us a true definition of love, He gave himself! Now that is what I call a Valentine’s Day!

God is great!

 

 

 

What’s Happening Tomorrow

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You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21 NLT

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” These words of wisdom from Yogi Berra could easily apply to a list of 1925 predictions made for 2025. Dr. A.R. Wentz predicted that we would communicate with a pocket-sized apparatus. He predicted that we would take a pill every day as our food source instead of having to work at planting and cultivating crops. He was confident that there would be world peace, a common world currency, and universal free trade by 2025. (based on an article by Mark Price, Akron Beacon)

So how did he do? Dr. Wentz was spot on with the pocket-size apparatus. The current statistics show roughly 98% of Americans own a mobile phone, with the average age being 11.6 when people get their first phone.  Though industrial chemicals are found in lots of food, no one is simply popping a pill to get their nutrients, and, even as a sci-fi fan, I am thankful for home-cooked meals. Dr. Wentz missed the mark on world peace, currency, and free trade – unless you consider Bitcoins!

Sir Ronald Ross tried his hand at predicting the future in 1925. Sir Ross predicted we would all live to be 150 years old because of scientific advances. E.E. Fournier d’Albe expected a Utopian society for everyone by 2025. “The earth will be under one government, and one language will be written and understood, or even spoken, all over the globe…Travel and commerce will be free and unfettered, and calamities will be alleviated and dangers met by the united forces of all mankind.” I will let you draw your conclusion on how Dr. d’Albe did on his predictions.

It was a little hit-and-miss on 2025 projections, so what do the future predictions look like? Quantumrun Foresight has 390 predictions out on its 2050 timeline. They are predicting that skyscrapers will function as cities within themselves to address a growing population projected to be 6.3 billion people living in cities, that the average number of connected devices per person will be 25, the total share of global car sales for autonomous vehicles will equal 90 percent and coffee will become a luxury due to climate change and the loss of suitable farming land. This last one is pretty scary for us coffee drinkers. (Future Timeline, Quantumrun Foresight)

Abraham Lincoln and Iker Urrutia both had some insights related to the future. Lincoln’s observation of the future was, “The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it.” Urrutia in a similar fashion said, “The future doesn’t happen to us; we build and shape it. We have agency over it, but we need to start building it today.”

I grant there is some truth in both men’s quotes but they left out a major element, as do many of the futurist projections: God is left out of the equation. The temptation towards self-reliance is all very real, yet without God, plans are out of balance.

Billy Graham lived a life that gave God center stage and recognized how little he could predict the future. Dr. Graham said of the future, “Only God knows the future, but we can certainly learn a great deal about it from the Bible. Over and over through the ages of time God sent his prophets to the people to warn them of things to come. Rather than be fascinated in man’s predictions that fall short, be fascinated about what God has done—and is doing—in the world. Explore the great truths of Scripture, for when we delve into the book of wisdom and ask the Lord to open its truth, he will.”

Most of us would agree it is hard just planning for tomorrow, forgetting about hundreds of years from now. Somedays it is hard enough just to plan for dinner tonight. What does God think about the future for you?

God’s vision for you is one of hope. More than likely all of us will find ourselves in “Babylon” struggling through a life crisis, a health issue, or family problems but then God comes alongside us with the words, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” –Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT

God’s vision for you is one of courage. A message that he will be with you through everything. There will be days when you struggle with confidence, doubting your every decision but then God comes alongside you with the message, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

God’s vision for you is one of refuge. His is a promise of safety in the middle of your storms when the sky is dark and the roads impassable. God pulls you close with the message, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So, we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! –Psalm 46:1-3 NLT

You think your future projections are good since they are based on solid statistics or you make projections based on current trends only for them to collapse because of something out of your control. C.S. Lewis in his The Screwtape Letters wrote, “In a word, The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time—for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.”

John Greenleaf Whittier beautifully captured the future in his old hymn, written in 1867 – I Know Not What the Future:

I know not what the future hath of marvel or surprise,

Assured alone that life and death his mercy underlies.

And thou, O Lord, by whom are seen Thy creatures as they be,

Forgive me if too close I lean my human heart on thee.  (Baptist Hymnal,1975 Edition)

God is great!

Thank you for subscribing to Prayer Safari, may you find encouragement, hope, and purpose as you read.

Is There No End to Evil?

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For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matthew 15:19 NIV

Daniel left his home in Nigeria with the promise of a life-changing opportunity in the UK. Instead, this young Nigerian came face to face with evil becoming a victim of the nearly 50 million people in the global slavery trade. The numbers include boys and girls, men and women who are held in bondage as sex slaves, domestic servants, and child soldiers. (Global Slavery Index) However, Daniel was part of a growing segment of slavery dedicated to organ harvesting. “He was going to literally be cut up like a piece of meat, take what they wanted out of him and then stitch him back up,” according to Cristina Huddleston with the Justice and Care organization. Roughly 10% of all transplants worldwide are believed to be illegal.

Evil works to undermine God’s creation by dehumanizing mankind and creating mayhem. It acts out in the recent murder of Brian Thompson in NYC but is even worse when many praise the murder. Another is the dehumanizing of Lily Phillips, a 23-year-old Londoner who had sex with 100 men in 24 hours and chronicled it online for her OnlyFans subscribers. (James Emery White, Church&Culture)

Is there no end to what evil will do? Evil has filled the pages of history with its devastation, horror, and suffering. Evil has scarred humankind in various forms from the slave traffickers of old and the present, the deviant hearts of men such as Hitler, Stalin, and Judas, the devasting natural effects of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, or the ideological madness that would fly planes into buildings killing thousands. Evil may have no limit in what it will do but it has an adversary in God who hears the cries of his creation.

God stands at the crossroads against the vile cruelty and injustice carried out, to push back the darkness. “Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9) David’s cry for help has been the cry of the innocent throughout history, “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Ps 57:1)

Two significant events that looked evil boldly in the face stand back to back on the calendar this month, Sanctity of Life Sunday and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Both days approached an evil with the same God-driven passion for justice and mercy bringing hope and life to its victims. Both have the foundational understanding that all of humanity was created in God’s image and deserve to be treated with respect.

Yesterday marked Sanctity of Life Sunday. Many churches set aside the day to commemorate the importance of human life. The day fosters an awareness of the impact that abortion has had on society, highlights the driving forces behind the “why” someone would choose an abortion, and most importantly, reaffirms the dignity and purpose of God-given life. “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”—Psalm 8:2

Monday marks a uniquely American observance commemorating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. This Baptist pastor could have kept busy with the pressing needs of his local congregation. Yet, Dr. King felt the burden to face the evils caused by racial injustice. Bill Gaultiere writes, “Dr. King’s love for Jesus and his experience as a pastor changed how he and his followers rallied against racial inequality. He insisted the fight for freedom must be walked in Jesus’ way of peace and non-violence.”

We have a Savior who is not above our difficulties nor turns away from us but has descended into the very pits of destruction and hopelessness to be with us. Os Guinness writes, “No other god has wounds.”

Can we trust God to help us as we face the crippling effects caused by the forces of wickedness? Pastor and author Jim Denison wrote, “God understands our suffering because he has experienced it with us. I know this is a commonplace observation for Christians, but no other religion in human history has made such a claim. The Greeks would never have suggested that Zeus feels our pain. Muslims view Allah as distant and impervious to our fallenness. Buddhists and Hindus view ultimate reality as impersonal and cannot imagine this Reality being born in a cave, laid in a feed trough, and dying on a cross.”

Dr. King when facing threats and ready to give up prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid…I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” Dr. King then wrote, “At that moment, I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced God before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, Stand up for justice, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever. Almost at once, my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.” (Stride Toward Freedom)

God knows our pains, has known the pains of those who have gone before us and will know the pain of those who come after us. Evil, wickedness, and destruction have met their match in God who loves us, cares for us, and walks with us. Baptist pastor and denominational leader Paul Powell once wrote “To solve man’s basic problem, we must give him a new heart. We must change the seat of his moral, spiritual, and intellectual being. He must be made right on the inside.”

Evil’s hold on mankind was broken when Jesus spoke his last words on the cross, “It is finished!” The darkness was broken, the barrier to God torn apart and grace poured out. Yes, the ugliness of evil still scars the land but God continues to reclaim, recreate, and bring light to His creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17)

God is great!

Another Year, Another Resolution

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Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 NASB

Is it just me or are there more people in the gym this morning? You may have said this to yourself last week since most gyms, health centers, or fitness groups get a large increase in new or old members returning—the main reason: New Year’s resolutions. The leading resolutions include losing weight and getting fit. If you have a gym membership don’t lose heart, only 9% of Americans keep them. So, by February you should be back to sweating alone.

Making resolutions for the new year is nothing new since the practice dates back to ancient times. The Babylonians as far back as 2000 B.C. celebrated with a 12-day festival. A major resolution for them was the return of borrowed farm equipment. The tradition of resolutions was adopted by the ancient Romans when they made promises of good behavior for the coming year. Knights of the Middle Ages would renew their vows to chivalry by placing their hands on a peacock.

Resolutions to change something within oneself have been most prevalent. A Boston newspaper carried a story in 1813 highlighting why resolutions were made. “And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behavior, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.” (Catherine Boeckmann, The Old Farmer’s Almanac)

Resolutions have shifted over time with the culture. The top two resolutions according to a Gallup Poll in 1947 were, “Improve my disposition, be more understanding, control my temper and Improve my character, live a better life.” The top two resolutions today are “lose weight and get organized.”

Resolutions to lose weight, get fit, be better organized, spend less, save more, or spend more time with family are all good things. So why do so many of us fail to keep our resolutions? Who doesn’t want to be skinnier, more muscular, more organized, and simply better?

We often fail because of the “why” we are making the resolution. Similarly, we fail because it is hard to stay motivated with a resolution that starts with a negative focus,  resolutions that have no accountability or we simply fail to keep them because they are really not important to us.

Maybe the medieval knights were on the right road when they renewed their vow to chivalry. Their resolutions were focused on the greater good of others, not themselves. “Over the years, however, resolutions seem to have migrated from denying physical indulgences to general self-improvement, like losing weight. While it may seem superficial, medical sociologist Natalie Boero of San Jose State University suggests that today’s resolutions are also a reflection of status, financial wealth, responsibility, and self-discipline—which isn’t that different from how the New Year’s resolution tradition began.” (Boeckmann)

You could get some good advice from Paul in his letter to the Ephesians about writing your resolutions. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NASB)

“So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with Him and develop a relationship with Him. This is impossible to do.” (Jerry Bridges)

Resolutions that begin with the focus on us are harder to maintain over the course of time. Resolutions that begin with a focus on something or someone else stand a greater amount of success. This is the reason a daily resolve to walk with God will last not only for the year but throughout eternity.

I do not even pretend to resolve to keep my office organized but occasionally in a fit of organizing, I do come across treasures. This week in cleaning out a file I found a bit of spiritual history, a most fitting piece in this resolution-making season. The why I kept it is beyond me but I found Jeannie Elliff’s 2007 goals or if you will, resolutions.  Whatever the reason, it was a good reminder to me to always set my goals/resolutions Godward. Though Jeannie walked through Heaven’s doors several years ago, she left behind a legacy of faith for others to follow.

Jeannie was a missionary, pastor wife but most importantly, a child of God. Henry Blackaby wrote, “One of the best ways to prevent your heart from growing cold is to regularly talk with God.” You may not have known Jeannie but her quiet, dignified life was marked with a fire for God that she kept burning throughout her life. She titled her goals, “Joy in the Journey,” which was quite appropriate for someone who took time to walk with God daily, a life singularly purposed on pleasing God.

  1. I will purpose to have conduct worthy of the gospel. Phil 1:27-29
  2. I will display a selfless humility. Phil 2:3-8
  3. I will keep striving to know Christ. Phil 3:7-11

Whatever resolutions you make this year, let each one of them reflect the great joy and hope that you have in Jesus. Though I am not a prolific resolution maker, there is one that I desire to be central to my life story. I resolve to make this one life that I have been given to be lived in the fullness of God’s purposes for me, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20-21)

I pray you experience the joy and blessing of walking closely with God this year.

God is great!

Finding Your Way to Bethlehem: Faith

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A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. And the glory of the LORD will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mount of the LORD has spoken. Isiah 40:3-5 CSB

There is something extraordinary about international travel. There is the adventure and excitement, and then reality hits when you are sitting elbow to elbow with your knees at your chin in your 24-inch-wide seat (give or take a few inches). That is, unless as you are boarding you tell the flight attendant one of the magic numbers where you get to turn to the left. You get to head to paradise in the air with seats that recline into a bed, full-course dinners, and one-on-one attention. Now, I am not personally acquainted with first-class travel, but I do read a lot. Maybe someday!

My economy section seats were always much better than the woman who boarded a Delta flight last week at New York’s JFK on her way to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Though her ticket was free, she had to move between lavatories during the flight because she neglected to get a ticket for the flight. According to investigators, the woman got past multiple security checkpoints to board the plane, hiding in the aircraft’s bathrooms during the flight. Paris officials boarded the plane when it landed and arrested the stowaway who is now waiting for deportation back to the United States. Traveling is never easy, but I definitely do not recommend the way this woman traveled to Paris. (based on Nov 30 reports- CNN and USA Today)

The road to Bethlehem was not an easy journey for those on it but they knew of God’s promise of a Messiah. Advent allows us time to slow down and reflect upon the coming of Jesus. Advent allows us to travel the road to Bethlehem not as stowaways but as ones seeking again to walk in a renewed freshness of faith. Thomas Aquinas wrote of faith,  “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Theologian and writer Henri Nouwen wrote about Advent, “I am struck by the fact that the prophets speaking about the future of Israel always kept reminding their people of God’s great works in the past. They could look forward with confidence because they could look backward with awe to Yahweh’s great deeds. I pray that Advent will offer me the opportunity to deepen my memory of God’s great deeds in time and will set me free to look forward to the fulfillment of time by him who came and is still to come.”

The road of faith is often found in times of waiting. Now a lot of us have an aversion to waiting which has probably not changed through the generations. Luke records one couple’s marathon waiting season for a baby. He writes about Zechariah and Elizabeth, “But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.” (Luke 1:7)

Waiting can test the very core of our faith, leading to doubt and even fear. Elizabeth and Zechariah could have grown bitter and angry at God because they had served well and most likely had prayed every day for a child. Luke even records that “both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.” (1:6) Waiting is often one of the most difficult encounters on the road of faith.

Waiting has a way of making us insensitive when the answer does come. Zechariah was going about his priestly duties in the Temple when he was confronted by “An angel of the Lord.” Angels have a way of getting our attention but even more when they tell you your prayers have been answered. “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” Great news that got even better. “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.”

Waiting can cause you to lose sight of how God could choose to answer. You have one picture in mind, but God’s answers are totally different from what you expected. Maybe Zechariah was having a bad day, maybe someone didn’t show up for work that day, or maybe he was just tired, but his negative response did not sit well with God’s angel. “How can I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” This is probably not the thing to say when God is answering your prayer.

Zechariah’s doubting response did not change God’s plan. They were going to have a baby! What Zechariah got was nine months of not being able to talk. Was it a punishment or God’s grace? It was perhaps a little of both. In those nine months, Zechariah lost the most important tool he had as a priest: his voice. His voice was the main tool that he used daily to teach, counsel, and perform his priestly duties. His focus was no longer on doing things for God but on being with God.

Waiting changed everything for Zechariah. When tradition would call for the baby to be named after himself, Zechariah chose to listen to God’s voice. “He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” In his time of speechlessness, he came to see it as a blessing, no longer was the focus on what Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted but on what God was going to do through this child.

Waiting gave Zechariah a new voice. “Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.” (Luke 1:64-65)
Zechariah and Elizabeth’s stories were only given a few short lines but what we do know is that they found their way to Bethlehem. Zechariah’s new voice “was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” We know very little of their final chapter of life except the results of having parented John, God’s prophet to the nation. “The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” (v80).

Waiting, especially when you are on the road to Bethlehem, can be spiritually challenging and often physically exhausting. Yet waiting can be God’s gift of grace giving us courage, strength, and a new voice to our faith.

God is great!