February 2024 - Creation Beckons

Filled with the Spirit

Galatians 5:22,23 Filled with the Spirit

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

The water of Crater Lake in Oregon is among the purest there is. No river runs into it. All of the water in the lake comes from the sky as either rain or snow. And no rivers flow out of Crater Lake. There is a similarity in the source of the water for Crater Lake and the source of the purest things in our lives, those listed as fruit of the Spirit. There the similarity ends, however. The fruit of the Spirit is to flow out of our daily lives. Now, I’m sure that we can agree that none of us exhibits all of these aspects of the fruit of the Spirit–at least not all at one time.

In the old-time hymn, “Have Thine Own Way Lord,” there is a portion of the last verse that goes, “Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.” If we are truly willing to let the Lord have His own way in our lives, and we should be, then the traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should be evident. In short, we should be blessed people who are willing and eager to allow all our blessings to flow through us to those we meet. Hey, I can do that to my friends, but do I do that to those I don’t appreciate or agree with? There is nothing in Galatians 5:22,23 that limits the use of this precious fruit of the Spirit. If we now read Romans 12:18, we find where these characteristics come into play. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (NIV). When we use the fruit of the Spirit daily, we will have done as we’ve been instructed in Romans 12:18. Then peace depends upon others and how they react. Not all will respond in a positive manner, and that’s when we need to “double down” on the fruit of the Spirit. God will notice and will appreciate our effort. Lord, give me strength to show the fruit of the Spirit to all I meet.

I Lift My Voice

Psalm 71:8 I Lift My Voice

“My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long” (NIV).

One of my favorite places to rest, relax, and praise the Lord, sometimes aloud and sometimes quietly, is by the banks of a river or stream. My spirits are lifted to a higher level when I can see the water flow by and hear the rush of the stream. If there is a waterfall, my enjoyment is even better. When I took this particular picture in Ohiopyle, PA, I got to enjoy the rush of the waterfall, the ripple of the river, the beauty of the trees, and the vastness of the sky. So much of God’s creation was right there in front of me to remind me of the Creator of the universe. Seeing it now makes me think of the praise song, I Love You, Lord. “I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you. O, my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King in what You hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.” It’s a simple and short chorus, but it expresses my feelings well when I am enjoying the greatness of His creation. My soul does rejoice whenever I lift my voice to sing to Him, and I want my Lord to take joy in it also. I know that He created us for fellowship, and He yearns to hear our voices and to experience the lifting of our hearts to Him in song. It doesn’t matter to God whether the singer has the velvet tones of Bing Crosby the rasping voice of Willie Nelson, or the voice of one who “can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” One doesn’t even have to sing to give God joy; just speaking His name or spending time in prayer will bring Him pleasure, also. I know someone who because of a physical problem, cannot speak, but I am convinced that God takes great joy when she thinks of Him or sends her thoughts heavenward. Communication from us to our Lord is always a “sweet, sweet sound in His ear.” He even likes to hear our complaints, and He wants to know our questions and our concerns. While our communication to God is most often aloud, His answers to us are very seldom aloud; they are most often received not with our ears, but with our spirits and our hearts. We need to learn how to listen with our spirits and our hearts. I have learned to recognize the knowing in my heart and the quickening in my spirit as the voice of the God of the universe who has taken note of me, and my heart rejoices in His presence.

On Earth Is Not His Equal

Psalm 113:5-8 On Earth Is Not His Equal

“Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people” (NIV).

The Sequoia tree pictured above is majestic, and there are few trees on all the earth that equal this particular tree in either height or breadth. We can call it majestic because it stands out from all others. That’s quite an accolade for this tree—very few on the entire earth that can equal it. Well, our God is well beyond all that. As the Hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God says, “On earth is not his equal.”

Our God is majestic, there is nothing else we know that is as majestic as He. We are told in Psalm 113 that God has to stoop down to look on the heavens and the earth. That’s BIG. That’s MAJESTIC! But even with all His majesty, He takes notice of the poor and needy. He lifts the poor and the needy from the worst places on earth and puts them with princes. He doesn’t just put them with the princes, He seats them with the princes, making them equal with the princes of His people. Our God cares enough, loves us enough to take notice of each of us. In His eye, no one is superior to any other person. We are all equal in His sight. How can that be? We have different levels of learning, different abilities. How then, can we all be equal? To God it is simple. We are all in His presence because He raised each of us from sin to righteousness through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before we accepted Jesus, we were all equal in the one thing of importance to God—we were sinners. After we accepted Jesus Christ, we were all equal because we were now cleansed of sin and able to be in the presence of Almighty God.

The majesty of God may well be evident in His size and His acts of creation, but greater is His majesty in mercy and grace and love. Enjoy His love and blessing every day.

Rest In the Lord

Psalm 4:8 Rest In the Lord

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (NIV).

If I can lie down and sleep, I am certainly at rest. The Lord makes it possible for me to rest, to be in peace.

In a recent conversation with the Lord, He reminded me of the steadfastness of His love. He told me that I cannot earn His love, but I can never lose it, either. He gave it to me even before I was born, and it is mine as long as I live—and through eternity if I choose to accept it. He told me to rest in the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He also told me emphatically to tell others to do the same. So, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” God’s Word to you is, “Rest in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He also told me, “Do that and all else will follow.” That was an intense and joyful conversation, one I will remember for a very long time.

God’s love is available to us from eternity past to eternity future. It is vital that we accept His love, accept the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. If we reject His love, then we have rejected Him and have rejected Jesus’ sacrifice. If we do that, there is no way possible for us to live in His love after our physical death. He will still love those who reject Him, but they will be separated from Him forever. Please be sure to accept the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus so that I will get to meet you on the streets of Heaven. I look forward to rejoicing with you over the love of our God.

God Is BIG (2)

Colossians 3:16 God Is BIG (2)

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

This is the last of the messages in the series of twenty adjectives that describe God. I pray that you have found them to be useful.

Mount Rainier is one of the biggest mountain in North America, but it is as a grain of sand on the seashore in comparison to the size of God. He created the entire universe, so He must be larger than the universe. In the past few weeks, we have used twenty adjectives to describe God. Perhaps they can give us some idea of the breadth and depth of God and the breadth and depth of His love for us. Here’s a quick review of the twenty adjectives we used. I’m certain you can come up with many more adjectives that describe our great God.

God Is Loving.

God Is Immutable.

God Is Merciful.

God Is Infinite.

God Is Generous.

God Is Omniscient.

God Is Peaceful.

God Is Just.

God Is Faithful.

God Is Holy.

God Is Good.

God Is Sovereign.

God Is Wise.

God Is Omnipotent.

God Is Compassionate.

God Is Self-Sufficient.

God Is Gracious.

God Is Spiritual.

God Is Glorious.

God Is Big.

Yes, He is all those and more, and the best thing to remember is that God Is love!

God Is BIG

Colossians 1:16 God Is BIG

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I wrote two different messages for this last entry in the twenty adjectives that describe God. Tomorrow I will post God Is BIG2. Be sure to check for it tomorrow morning.

Denali is the biggest mountain in North America, but it is a grain of sand on the seashore in comparison to the size of God. He created the entire universe, so He must be larger than the universe. The size of His creation is beyond comprehension, but there is one thing larger than the universe, and that is the love that God has for us, for you.

God created the Andromeda Galaxy for you.

God created Alpha Centauri for you.

God created the solar system for you.

God created the sun for you.

God created the earth for you.

God created oxygen for you.

God created apples for you.

God created green beans for you.

God created petunias for you.

God created mountains for you.

God created rivers for you.

God created water for you.

God created persimmons for you.

God created cotton for you.

God created elephants for you.

God created eagles for you.

God created goldfish for you.

God created horses for you.

God created maple trees for you.

God created copper for you.

God created diamonds for you.

God created cardinals for you.

God created sunsets for you.

God created colors for you.

God created you for Himself.

You’ve accepted all these things that God created for you.

Now it’s time for you to accept the best that God gave you.

God gave His Son, Jesus for you.

Jesus gave His life for you.

Accept these last two gifts and enjoy eternity with the great God who created all of this for you.

If you have accepted all of these I will see you someday in eternity.

God Is Glorious

Psalm 19:1 God Is Glorious

John 1:14

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NIV)

Glacier Bay in Alaska is certainly glorious in beauty. In this case, I would say that the mountains and the seas proclaim the work of His hands. I have visited 47 of the 50 United States, and this is one of my favorite places and views. The glory of God’s creation is certainly evident. When we take the time to stand and look at the work of the Creator all around us, we become convinced of the glorious nature of the One who created all that we see, but that’s just the beginning. After he created the fullness of the earth and inhabited it with plants, trees, animals, fish, and birds, He created mankind. He didn’t just create mankind, He created mankind in His image, and then He did a remarkable thing. He breathed life into the first man with His own breath, thereby making mankind eternal beings.

He created us for His fellowship, but He didn’t demand that we love Him or worship Him. He gave us free will so He could ask us to love Him and worship Him. Mankind rejected God’s love by disobeying the only rule in the Garden of Eden. He ate from the forbidden tree, the tree that would allow sin to enter the earth through mankind. By doing this, Man created a split between himself and God and was no longer able to live beside or with His Creator.

Then God showed His glorious nature even more than He did through creation. He provided a way for man to again fellowship with God. He sent His only Son to earth to live as a man, take on Himself all the sins of mankind, and accept the punishment for each and every one of those sins. The magnitude of His love for us was made manifest by this supreme sacrifice. This deed was much more glorious that the original act of creation. In creation, He created the universe out of nothing but His words, but at Calvary, He entered into this life and participated by giving Jesus’ own life as a sacrifice. He gave up something very precious to Him—His only Beloved Son. At Calvary, Father God had to turn His back on His one and only Son in order for the sacrifice to be complete.

The love of God is much more glorious than anything He did during creation. Thank you, dear God, for your glorious love.

God Is Spiritual

John 14:16,17 God Is Spiritual

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (NIV).

Our God is a triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triunity of these three is a great mystery. Each one is distinct, but together they make up one God. Jesus spoke to the Father throughout the New Testament. God, the Father spoke at the baptism of Jesus: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” Matthew 3:17 (NIV). In the focal verse of this message, John 14:16,17, Jesus says that He will ask the Father, and He will send the Holy Spirit. All three are spoken of in the same verse of Scripture. That’s it, God is three in one.

If God will send the Holy Spirit to be a helper and advisor and a counselor, we can certainly say that God is spiritual. He is using the Holy Spirit, part of our triune God, as His personal presence in this world today. The Holy Spirit carries all the authority of God, speaks with the knowledge of God, and acts with the love of God.

We are made up of three parts, body, mind, and spirit, and our spirits are most able to interact with the Holy Spirit. When we say we “got a Word from the Lord,” we mean that we heard from the Holy Spirit. How do we hear from the Holy Spirit? Once in the Old Testament, God wrote words on a wall for a leader and his close followers to read. As mentioned earlier, God spoke audibly at Jesus’ baptism. We have the audible words that Jesus spoke recorded in the New Testament. All of that is great, but how can we hear from the Holy Spirit. I believe that one of the best ways is to spend as much time listening as we do speaking when we pray. We often don’t give the Holy Spirit any time to respond before we move on to our next point in our prayer. Listening while praying is a learned activity, and a worthwhile one.

Many mentions are made in the New Testament of “speaking in tongues.” There are things that our minds are not capable of expressing to God, and our spirit can express them by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our spirit and give our voice the words to speak in a language either earthly or heavenly that we have not learned. This is one time when we allow our spirit, one third of our being, to operate on its own. We let our body do things on its own, and we allow our soul, our mind, to think things on its own. The third part of our being, the spirit, has been given to us by God for a reason. I believe that reason is to give us a greater ability to communicate with Him when our hearts are broken or when we are bewildered, and our minds just can’t come up with the “right words.” Speaking in tongues is a learned activity and a valuable one.

Yes, God is spiritual, and because He is spiritual, He has given us the Holy Spirit, a counselor, a helper, an advisor, and an interpreter. Thank you, God for sending us the Holy Spirit.

God Is Gracious

Psalm 86:15 God Is Gracious

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (NKJV).

The dictionary defines gracious as having and showing kindness, mercy and compassion. Those three words certainly describe God. We have already had messages that describe God as being merciful and compassionate. He has frequently shown mercy to me when I deserved anything but mercy and has shown compassion when I have needed loving care. The grace of God is immeasurable. His kindness, mercy, and compassion are visible wherever we look. Anyone we speak to can relate numerous stories of God’s mercy, kindness and compassion, usually occurring in the past few days or weeks. It would probably be a good exercise for me to stop writing and suggest that you and I take a few minutes to think about the past month and write down some of the times God has shown His gracious nature to us.

If you have done what I asked, there is no need for me to write any more. Our experiences with God have undoubtedly shown Him to be quite gracious. All that remains is to go to prayer and thank Him. Thank you, Lord!

God Is Self-Sufficient

Acts 17:24-25 God Is Self-Sufficient

“The God who made this world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (NIV).

Paul spoke these words in Athens as he was addressing a gathering of Athenian philosophers. They had many gods, and Paul observed statures and monuments to the many gods throughout the city. He even saw an inscription “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” He then went on to introduce them to this “unknown god” of theirs, the known God, the God of Jesus Christ. As can be seen from the Scripture above, God made it all, and He needs nothing. Paul’s all-encompassing words were, “Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

Before I began to write this message, I asked God for His help. He led me to read a daily devotional from a book of devotionals, Drawing Near by Pasquale Mingarelli, a writer I admire. We agree that God uses His creation to draw us to Him. Mingarelli says that since God created everything, He is not part of creation, but independent of creation. He goes on to say, “God does not need the help of creation to exist. Everything in creation needs the help of creation and the help of God to exist. God alone is self-existent.” All life on earth is dependent upon something else in order to exist. God created it that way. Mingarelli says that trees need sun and soil, animals need food, fish need water, and mammals need air. Ultimately, He created everything in such a way that we and every part of creation depend upon Him. Colossians 1:17 tells us: “He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together” (TLB).

God was and is self-sufficient. He didn’t need us, and He doesn’t need us, but He desired us. He wanted to be able to fellowship, so He created all of this, every single bit of creation so that we would be able to live and enjoy a beautiful world that invites us to study it and come to appreciate God, the creator. Since we didn’t obey His one basic rule, “Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” we couldn’t fellowship with Him. So He provided a way for us to still be with Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, so we could obtain forgiveness for not just that one sin, but also for every sin committed since then. Once we accept that sacrifice of Jesus, we have eternal fellowship with God. So, God is self-sufficient, but He desired us, and that is our great blessing.