September 2024 - Creation Beckons

Behind the Scenes; Knowing God

John 17:3 Behind the Scenes; Knowing God

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (NLT).

It was intriguing to walk behind the waterfall, to see from behind the scenes. We don’t often get to see what the backs of waterfalls look like. When we do, we feel like we understand them better, or at least have a different perspective. So how do we get to understand God better, to get behind the scenes and find out what is really going on? It’s no secret; there are two best ways to understand God, to draw closer to Him: 1. Read His Word, 2. Pray. That’s it. Those are the two best ways to get to know and understand God well, as well as we as humans can understand the creator of the universe. He wants us to draw close to Him, to learn about Him, and grasp His greatness and love. It’s never too late to begin this fascinating journey, and I am convinced that it will never end, even throughout eternity.

Attention to Detail

Genesis 1:24 Attention to Detail

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.’ And that is what happened” (NLT).

And each animal is its own kind. Just look at the details, the white and brown stripes on the back, the white and dark stripes on the face, and the tiny feet and claws. Try to imagine the tiny heart that beats to send blood throughout this beautiful animal’s body. Try to imagine the even tinier arteries and veins that carry the blood throughout the body. Try to imagine the digestive organs from the sharp teeth through the intestines. This is certainly not the smallest animal, not even the smallest mammal, but it serves to illustrate the attention to detail that the Creator bestowed upon the smallest of creatures. If He lavished that much attention and love on this small animal that scurries along the ground, how much more attention and love did He lavish on His greatest creative achievement, the creation of man in the image of God. We, the ones created in His image are the “apple of His eye,” the ones He loves most, and the ones from whom He expects the most. It is a great joy to return love to God and to know that He craves and appreciates that love. Thank you, Lord, for loving me and for craving my love.

This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

Psalm 118:24 This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (NKJV).

That’s right, when we think of this verse, we usually think of bright times, joyous times as pictured above. That’s a good thing to do—rejoice in the good times. Praise God when his blessings are apparent, when the trail ahead is interesting and good friends are enjoying a hike together. That’s the kind of day when we like to “rejoice and be glad in it.”

But there are other days when the sun isn’t shining very brightly, the clouds are hanging low, and things just aren’t going our way–when there just doesn’t seem to be any light in the day.

Guess what? This is still a day the Lord made, and we are to “rejoice and be glad in it” also. Today started out like one of those lifeless days with difficult problems. It was hard to “rejoice and be glad in it.” Then God caused me to think of the fantastic family I have. And the love we all share. He also reminded me that His Son, Jesus, loves me enough that He sacrificed Himself on the cross of Calvary so that He could spend eternity with me. Jesus did that so He could spend time with me! Wow! Then, in the middle of the morning, the problem that seemed insurmountable earlier was chopped down to size. So, this day that began with me mumbling and grumbling now has me rejoicing and being glad in it. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness.

Restoration from the Burning of Sin

1 John 1:9 Restoration from the Burning of Sin

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (KJV).

This tree branch suffered burning from a forest fire at Sunset Crater National Monument in northern Arizona last year, but, as you can see, the center was preserved intact. The outer layers of the limb protected the inside, insulated it from the vast heat that enveloped the outside. Jesus did so much more for us on the cross. He not only protected us, He cleansed us from sin. While this limb did die because the tree was felled by the fire, we have more protection. When we confess and repent, our sins are forgiven as if they had never happened. No dark ring of burned matter is found on our bodies, our souls, or our spirits. Jesus accepted all of that burning upon Himself. Father God sees no sin in the heart, soul, or spirit of the believer who has asked Jesus to forgive his sins, so He has no reason to ban him from His side or even from His throne room. If fact, because of our relationship with Jesus, He welcomes us with open arms into His presence forever. All the good that God has prepared for us is available for our enjoyment and blessing.

Son of God, Son of Man

Colossians 2:9 Son of God, Son of Man

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” (NLT).

The clouds obviously separate the snow-capped mountains from the desert foliage. We know that the two parts of the scene, snowy mountains and desert plants are connected behind the cloud. It may be difficult to believe that desert plants and snowy peaks can exist so close to each other, to actually be part of the same section of earth. One thing it shows is that the mountain peaks are high above the desert plants. Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man in John 9:35-37: “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man answered, ‘Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.’ ‘You have seen him,’ Jesus said, ‘and he is speaking to you.’” God the Father calls Jesus the Son of God in Luke 3:22: “…and the Holy Spirit in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” While living on Earth, Jesus was known as the Son of Man and the Son of God—two separate names for the same person. It is a blessing to realize that the Son of God came to earth and became the Son of Man in order to provide the only possible sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. While we may think of the “Son of God” to be high above the “Son of Man,” He is one and the same. Thank you, Jesus, for becoming as one of us to atone for my sins. I am eternally grateful, and I will be able to thank you daily throughout eternity for your sacrifice.

Receive Your Gift

Romans 6:23 Receive Your Gift

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV).

It doesn’t snow often in Tucson, but it snows on the surrounding mountains often enough that we get to see the line between snow and no snow on the mountains fairly frequently. I once was hiking up a trail with the snow line close enough that I could see it, but it moved up the mountain as fast or faster than I could climb. I never quite reached it. A first glance of the snow line shows a rather sharp demarcation between snow and no snow, but as we look closer, we notice that there are indentations and sharp cornices where the line is not quite straight. It’s possible to be standing at a height below the snow line, but still see snow below because of an indentation. Satan would love to convince us that the “sin line” is like that, a little wavy, not consistent. He’s wrong. There is no thing such as “almost a sin,” and “just a little bit of sin.” God has set a definite line between sin and truth, and “the wages of sin is death” whether the sin is a “little sin” or a “great big sin.” There is no wiggle room when it comes to sin. Don’t fall for satan’s lie—sin is sin and there is only one punishment for sin—death. “I guess I’m doomed then.” NO, I AM NOT DOOMED! Jesus accepted the punishment for all my sins, every one of them, past, present, and future. Jesus has accepted the wages for my sin and for your sin, and for your neighbors’ sin, and for the sin of Johann Gonzales in Seville, Spain. But in order to receive this gift of sin forgiveness we need to ask Jesus for it and then accept it. Have you ever refused a Christmas gift? I doubt that you have. Well, don’t refuse this gift. It is the best one you will ever receive. It’s the gift of eternal life. Once you accept it, it is as if you had never sinned, from the “little” sins to the “great big ones.” Jesus makes you pure and clean, and nobody else can do that. Here’s hoping that you receive Jesus’ gift of sin forgiveness. If you do, I’ll get to meet you some day in heaven. I’m looking forward to that.

Blown by the Wind

James 1:6 Blown by the Wind

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (NIV).

Obviously, the wave above is being blown by the wind. The whole wave is moving toward the shore, but the top of it is being blown back out to sea. The individual water drops are not making headway toward the land, the direction the wave is moving.

This verse speaks a hard truth,:“But when you ask, you must believe.” And then the part about doubt comes in. I don’t want to be blown by the wind. I want to move toward a solution to my problem, but my doubt keeps moving me away from my desired outcome. I don’t mean that I don’t get my prayers answered, but I’m sure they would be answered much sooner if I could just get rid of doubt. I am amazed at people who say, “I never doubted that God would answer my prayer and solve my problem.” WOW! It’s not often that I can say, “I never doubted.” I’m like the man who asked Jesus to heal his son who was possessed by a spirit who caused him to have seizures. He said, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Mark 9:22b (NIV) Jesus’ answer to the father was, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” And the man answered, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-24 (NIV) I believe that this was included in the Holy Scriptures to give hope to those of us who fight doubt. When we pray and ask for an answer, we can also ask for more belief. God loves us, and His desire is to answer our prayers—help us with our challenges, including the challenge of having strong faith.

I think my least favorite word in the Bible is the word, “just,” as in, “Just believe.” Sometimes that is hard. We know we don’t deserve the answer we are asking for, and we are afraid that our faith is not strong enough to get the job done. That’s the time I throw myself on the mercy of God and ask Him to give me the faith to get it done. I lean on His grace and His love.

Do I have doubts? Do I wonder if I have enough faith? The answer to both questions is “yes,” but I know that I have a God who loves me and wants to help me grow in Him, increase my faith and trust Him completely. He helps me grow when I speak with Him, when I read His Word, and when I listen to saints who have a close walk with Jesus. So I can say in confidence, “I believe. Help thou my unbelief.”

He Guides my Feet

Habakkuk 3:19 He Guides My Feet

“The Lord gives me strength, He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me stand on the mountains….” (CEV)

I took this picture fifty-three years ago. Norma and I, her twin sister, Dorla, her husband, Ernie, and another couple, Wayne and Sue, took a camping trip to Glacier National Park where we spent much of our time on hiking trails. This was a 7 ½ mile hike to Granite Park Chalet, where we slept on rugged bunks wearing all our clothes and all the blankets we could get. We noticed something interesting as we walked up to the bunkhouse. Sticking out from the door were numerous long, sharp spikes. We were told that they discouraged the grizzly bear from knocking down the door and entering.

Each couple had a child of about two years of age with us, and each couple alternated carrying their child in a “Gerry” pack from which the kids could look at the scenery or take a nap. All three of the kids were good campers, and they gave us insight to the sights through their eyes.

The trail began at Logan Pass, went along the Garden Wall that overlooked a deep valley with a river and a long lake, across snow fields, across rocky slopes that ran along the edge of the Garden Wall, and ended up at Granite Park Chalet with this magnificent view of aptly named, Heaven’s Peak. What a glorious hike it was. Even when the view was not long distance, the things close by were interesting—interesting included rocky mountain sheep. Once we got to the chalet. we saw a group of people and a ranger looking through a spotting scope. When we asked what they were looking at, they let us look at the grizzly bear mother and cub less than a hundred yards off the trial we had just hiked.

I believe this hike to be a metaphor for my Christian life. I have walked this walk alongside my wife of sixty years. We were joined on this journey for many years by Ernie and Dorla until they both moved on to an even more spectacular place, heaven. Throughout my Christian life there have been many exciting times, from teaching in Christian schools, to having a Christian ministry to campgrounds across the United States. Now we are providing church services in an assisted living home two Sundays a month. In between the exciting times, there were years of living for and learning to know our Lord Jesus better day-by-day. There have been times when the “spikes through the door” provided protection, and there were times when we later on looked back and saw times when the “grizzly bear” had been close to where we walked. At the end of this hike mentioned above, we saw Heaven’s Peak, and we had a safe and beautiful place to stay for the night. At the end of my Christian life here on earth, I will see the real “Heaven’s Peak” as I am welcomed into the best place I could ever stay, except this stay will not be for a night—it will last forever, and it will be in the company of my Lord, Jesus Christ, who created every bit of the beauty I saw on the trail to Granite Park Chalet. I’ll look for you there.

Is It Still There?

Psalm 66:4 Is It Still there?

“All the earth worships Thee; they sing praises to Thee; sing praises to Thy name” (RSV).

This sign was there at the Grand Canyon sixty years ago. I wonder, is it still there? The Scripture is still true: “All the earth worships thee; they sing praises to Thee; sing praises to They name.” All the earth does worship the Lord. It’s only the people who have stopped singing praises to His name. Just look around and observe the earth still singing the praises of the Creator. He has created fantastic beauty. Just feet away from this sign is one of the views that people from all over the world travel thousands of miles to see—the Grand Canyon. Okay, not all the people have stopped singing praise to Him. There are still many millions on this earth who appreciate the beauty that God has created, and they worship and praise Him for it.

When Jesus was entering Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, the people were saying in Luke 20:38, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (NKJV). The Pharisees told Jesus to stop the people from saying such things. His answer, in verse 40 was,”…I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (NKJV). I wonder if that would happen today. Would the rocks cry out? They do to me. They speak of the glory of God in all their myriad shapes, colors, and composition. But I am not going to wait for the rocks to cry out. “Praise the Lord for He is good!” Won’t you join me today and praise the Lord out loud where people can hear you? Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf. We can certainly speak to the world on His behalf. Let’s do it. Let’s praise the Lord out loud every day.

Thoughts to Ponder(3)

Deuteronomy 6:5 Thoughts to Ponder(3)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (NKJV).

I will wait upon the Lord with faith and trust and joy and peace, for He is good, and He cares for me.

God sent His best. Jesus gave His all. The least I can do is praise Him every day.

If I were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

Do I have the welcome mat out for Jesus today?

Would someone guess that I was a Christian by my actions?

When the heat of life drives the bad stuff to the top, let God skim it off. He knows where and how to get rid of it.

My salvation doesn’t depend upon my goodness. It depends upon the mercy of God. THANK GOD!

Every day, find time to be alone with God. He always has time for you.

Think about and pray for one different person every day.

Today might be the last chance you have to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Take it! You’ll be glad you did.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!