HE DID ALL OF THIS FOR YOU!
Month: December 2023
Fit Together Perfectly
Ephesians 4:15-16 Fit Together Perfectly
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (NLT).
The Lord keeps bringing up in my mind the concept of church unity, use of individual gifts, and the interfacing of all the gifts of the church family to make a more effective body for Him. So, if it seems like I am repeating myself, I believe it is by design.
This building is put together without nails. The beams have been cut and hewn to fit together perfectly, or at least as perfect as they could be made at the time. Each beam fits perfectly with two other beams at each end. That makes four other beams that each beam must fit with perfectly together. Given the length of the beams, that’s pretty precise fitting and cutting to make the whole building “foursquare” and sturdy.
God does the same with His Church with one difference. For this building, the beams had no say in how they would be formed to fit together. In the Church, God has to deal with people—the same people He endowed with freedom of choice. He doesn’t have the freedom to shape the pieces of His church to the exact specifications that He knows will work best. We have a lot to say about how well we will fit together with those with whom we worship. God can speak as strongly as He likes, as forcefully as He desires, but we still have the freedom of choice that He gave to us.
There are some things we can do to fit together with others in the manner God would like. First, we can read His written Word that teaches us how to live. That owner’s manual gives all the basic blueprints for anyone who wants to live a committed Christian life. Second, we can spend time in conversation with Him in prayer. Prayer is vital and is much more effective if we are willing to spend as much time listening as we do in speaking. After all, who knows better about anything, the creator of the universe or me? I’m guessing I come in second in that comparison. In our conversations with Him we can learn how to become fine-tuned to the others in our church bodies. Third, we need to listen to the ones that God has charged with the teaching of and caring for the flock. We are the sheep of His pasture, and we need to be attentive to the shepherds He has put over us. If we will do these three things, our local churches will become more effective and more loving than they have even been. Will they be perfect? No, because we are humans with faults, and we tend to sin. We make mistakes ,and we often miss the mark, but if we will allow God to shape us and form us, we will find that we fit together pretty well with the other believers with whom we associate as a church body.
It’s time for us to make a concerted effort to allow God to conform us all to the best fit, so we can bring glory to our God.
All One Family
Galatians 3:28 All One Family
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (KJV).
According to scientists, the trees above are not individual trees, but are “sisters” or “brothers” because they all share the same root. Aspen trees are almost always seen as rather close-grown groups. That’s what Galatians 3:28 says about us as Christians. We all have the same root, Christ Jesus. If we all have the same root, then we are closely related, brothers and sisters. Since we all have Jesus Christ as our root we should be closer than earthly brothers and sisters because He is the best and strongest root ever. We often call each other “Brother” or “Sister,” but do we really mean it. If we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, then we should be pretty close in caring for each other. In a close family something that affects one member almost always has an effect of all other members of the family. If it’s a problem, we gather to give support, and if it is great news, then we all rejoice together. I know that we do act that way in many churches to some extent, but maybe it’s time to take the titles more seriously. With worldly opposition to the church seeming to grow, we need to secure our bonds to each other with the love and caring that Jesus shows. Maybe it’s time to become as Proverbs 18:24 states, “…but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” In any case, brother, sister, friend—we are all from the same root—Christ Jesus. Let us love as He does.
A Place for Encouragement
Hebrews 10:24-25 A Place for Encouragement
“We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other especially since you know the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (CEV).
Isn’t that what we are supposed to be as a church– thoughtful, helpful, and encouraging? We found this sign in a campground we visited near Ramona, California, over ten years ago. I sincerely hope that both the sign and the attitude remain today. It was a pleasant place physically—surrounded by trees, trees crowded with birds that filled the air with their songs. We met people there who were friendly and helpful, including a man who was the original chaplain for the USAF Academy.
If the Church is truly the Body of Christ, should we not be doing the things Jesus did? If there is to be any place of encouragement in this world, it should certainly be the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. He loved, comforted, and encouraged people throughout His ministry, and He taught the way to find eternal life. He spent His life, His death, and His resurrection to give us the ultimate encouragement—the promise of eternal life with Him. But before that day of heavenly existence, we live on this earth with its constant bombardment of strife, anger, hate, sin, and discouragement. The message of hope that Jesus presented was not just for the “sweet by and by.” He showed us how to live in hope, joy, and love here on earth. Each of us cries, laughs, rejoices, and sorrows during this life, and we need encouragement. It is our place as followers of the Prince of Peace to provide that encouragement as needed.
Anyone who enters one of the churches that claims to be a church of our Lord should find encouragement during whatever period of time he spends there. I’ve observed in many churches, including the one I presently attend, Faith Community Church East in Tucson, AZ, people laughing, sometimes people crying, and always people worshipping and praising our God. I’ve also found Faith Community Church East to be a good place to meet and make new friends, close friends who show the love of Christ. I hope and pray that your church is like that. If not, I have two suggestions: 1. Come join us. 2. Make your church into the kind of church where everyone is welcomed, loved, and appreciated.
All of what I have said about encouragement is certainly important, but without the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, a church is just another social club. A social club may be nice, but we need to remember that the membership in any social club ends when we leave this earth. So, make sure that your church membership extends into eternity.
If you have stopped physically attending a church as many have since Covid, you are missing a lot even if you “go to church” on-line. I have yet to find an on-line service that provides the handshakes, the hugs, and the eye-to-eye contact that is easy to find in the aisles and pews of the physical church. See you there!
But Then, God
Isaiah 60:1 But Then, God
“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (NKJV).
As I was looking through my photographs, I came across this one and was impressed by the way in which it shows the great light of the Lord shining through in times of trouble. It really lifts my spirit to have this visual image of God’s help and love being constantly available to me. Whenever I need Him, all I need to do is call on His name, Jesus. No matter how dark and heavy the problem, He is able to shine His glory through it. I guess that’s why the statement, “But then, God” is so encouraging in the Christian life.
The NKJV translation used above gives all the important facts, but the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, puts meat on the bones: “Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” Yes, even in depression, or maybe especially in depression, it is important to remember the Lord and call on Him. He will not only help you, but He will make you shine! When He answers my call, He brings with Him His light, makes it my light, and makes me shine in the glory of the Lord. Hallelujah! His help and presence lift me through and out of the dark clouds of my depression, and He makes me glad. All glory, honor, worship and praise is due Him!
What a List!
2 Peter 1:3-11 What a List!
I read this Scripture this past week in numerous translations. But, the message doesn’t change. Peter gives a rather long and somewhat daunting list of things we should be adding to our lives. In the NIV translation, the list as given in verses five through seven is direct and to the point: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”
The Living Bible includes all the same things, but gives them different names and puts verbs with them to show the actions we need to take: “But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith, you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply.”
Both translations follow these three verses with an admonition to work at obtaining these qualities if we want to be effective as Christians. Well, after reading these verses, I was quite convicted that I’m pretty far from completing this list. I want to be an effective Christian, and I take hope from the beginning words of verse five in the NIV translation, “For this very reason make every effort to add….” I’m making an effort, and I believe that God is pleased with my efforts, and He will help me on the path through this list of desirable qualities. How are you doing with Peter’s daunting list?
Follow the One Who Knows the Way
Proverbs 3:5-6 Follow the One Who Knows the Way
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (NLT).
Imagine you are on a golf course that you have never played before, and it’s a foggy morning. Fortunately, your playing partner has played this course often. He knows where each green lies in respect to the tee. He knows where the trouble spots are, and he knows the best route from tee to green on every hole. I think I’ve set up a situation where you would want to follow the lead of your playing partner, take his advice, and follow his path throughout the round of golf. In every round of golf I have played, there have been times when my ball didn’t quite go the direction I wanted it to go. Unexpected things seemed to happen every time I played golf. I certainly needed the advice of a partner who knew the course well. On a day like the one pictured above, anyone following me would have known where I went off line, and may well have benefited from my errors.
That’s right, I am talking about life, particularly the Christian life. I’ve never been here before. But I do have a partner who knows the course intimately. After all, He created it. His advice is quite valuable to me as I travel this life where I can’t see very far ahead at any point. All I have to do is follow His advice. He even wrote a book that shows the best way to live the Christian life. His number one piece of advice is, “Follow me, I know the way.” Sometimes I do that, and life goes well, but other times when I decide to go my own way, things don’t seem to go very well. One great thing about my life partner, Jesus, is that He walks with me even when I go off line, and He shows me the way back, the best way to get back on track. He has even accepted all the penalties I have earned, and He has taken all of them on Himself, so I can be free of the ultimate penalty of sin—life in the absence of God.
Someone following me in my steps through life can see the mistakes I have made. He can also see the places where my Savior has steered me back to the path. And if the person were to follow me to the end of my life, he would discover that I have reached the goal no matter how crooked my path may have been simply because my Savior loved me enough to be patient with me. He loved me enough to show me the way home, my heavenly home. I need to say that at no time has my Savior demanded that I obey Him or even follow His direction. The ultimate decision about where I go at the end of my life is left entirely up to me. Follow Jesus and we will get to spend time together in eternity. I know where I will spend eternity, and I hope that you will be there.
Worship the Creator, not the Creation
Hebrews 3:3-4 Worship the Creator, not the Creation
“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of the house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything” (NIV).
Moses has been revered by the Jewish people for centuries for he led them out of slavery in Egypt. He also led them to the Promise Land, but that was after forty years of wandering around the deserts of North Africa. They seem to have revered Moses more centuries after his death than they did while he was leading them. He is often mentioned as the most loved, revered, and respected of all Jewish leaders. But that will change when they accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, their salvation, the one who will lead them to the eternal Promised Land. Then Jesus will have more respect and honor with them than Moses has ever had. On another plane, Jesus is greater than Moses simply because He created everything in the universe.
There are those who worship mountains, and impressive they are, difficult to climb and pass, evenly seemingly impossible to cross, but they are just one of the many things that Jesus created; therefore they are of less honor and deserve less respect than their creator. Denali, the highest mountain in North America, is beautiful, demands respect, but is not worthy of worship. Jesus who created every mountain on earth, every planet in the solar system, every star in the milky Way Galaxy, and every galaxy in the universe is the only one worthy of worship. He is the only way to salvation—the only way to eternal life. So, enjoy the mountains, enjoy the earth, enjoy the entire universe, but reserve your greatest respect, love, honor, and worship for Him.
God–Three in One
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 God–Three in One
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (NIV).
Although the Bible never uses the word, “Trinity,” it is inferred in numerous passages of Scripture. In the verses quoted above, the Father is referenced to as “God,” and both Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are referenced specifically. I see the Trinity visually in the picture above with God the Father at the top, and Jesus the Son at his right hand while the Holy Spirit is shown at His left hand. To my eye and to my mind the picture would be incomplete if any of the three parts were missing. Certainly the Trinity would equally be incomplete if any of the three parts, God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit were to be missing in any description of God.
One interesting aspect of the picture is the Cross of Christ at the very top. That symbolizes for me, the importance, indeed the central most act of the Trinity that was accomplished on the cross of Christ. Without the Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross the rest of the Trinity would have no meaning for us because we would have no access to Father God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit would have never been given. We would be lost in sin and doomed to eternity without any contact with God. We still can have that eventuality if we do not accept Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for our sins, and do not accept Jesus as our Savior. There is always rejoicing in heaven whenever a sinner accepts the gift of eternal life with God through the sacrifice of Jesus. Be sure that you have given the residents of Heaven cause to rejoice, shout, and sing—accept Jesus.
Timothy David Stickle
Timothy David Stickle
In memory and honor of my cousin, United State Marine Corps Private First Class Timothy David Stickle. Tim was born on December 26, 1948, and he was killed in Quang Nam, Viet Nam, on December 11, 1968, just fifteen days before his twentieth birthday. Tim is one of many of our citizens who have given their lives because their nation, our nation, asked them to sacrifice. I honor them all! May God’s blessing rest upon their families. For your service, I thank all of you who have served.