October 2024 - Creation Beckons

Our Morality–Speak the Truth

Ephesians 4:25ESV Our Morality–Speak the Truth

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another” (ESV).

This is part one of a five part series about the Christian Lifestyle. Dr. David Jeremiah wrote a book called, Belief that Behaves, and this series was inspired by chapter 11, A New Lifestyle.” The five parts of the series are entitled, Our Morality, Our Moods, Our Money, Our Mouths, and Our Manners.

Speaking the truth seems to be a small part of our morality, but I think lying is the first easy step on the road to immorality. It’s easy to lie, and sometimes it appears to get us out of a tight spot. “No officer, I was not going over the speed limit.” Or, “But I was going only a couple of miles per hour over the speed limit.” And that’s when it costs you, sometimes–sometimes we can talk our way out of the ticket even though we did lie. “Hey, that lie didn’t hurt me, it actually helped.” Maybe the lie did get the person out of a speeding ticket, but that is not the measure we are to use if we profess to be Christian. We are to “put away falsehood.”

I don’t want to say that lying is an epidemic today, but I just watched a number of political ads on tv, and I can’t in all conscience claim that lying is not epidemic. Back-to-back political ads claimed that the opponent was lying. My guess would be that they were both lying about something. “No, they were stretching the truth.” The truth is not a thing that can be stretched. It is solid, and any attempt to stretch it, breaks it, and a lie results. Some would say that that is a pretty narrow view. Well, yes, it is. The truth is truth, and a lie is a lie. Nothing is ever almost true.

Why is truth the basic point used to describe our morality? Even when a lie is not the beginning of immorality, a lie is often used to cover up the immoral act. How many husbands, and how may wives have said, “No, I am not being unfaithful to you?” I know that some of them have told the truth, but I also know that some of them have been lying. Where does lying come from? John 8:44, in Jesus’ own words, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (ESV). If satan is the father of lies, then all lies must come from him, been fathered by him, and certainly are not in the will of God.

It takes great strength of character not to lie, and God realizes that we are not perfect, and we do lie. And, by repentance and Jesus’s sacrifice, we are cleansed from the lie. Because of our love for God, we do try not to lie, to live moral lives.

Return tomorrow for part two, Our Moods.

The Christian Lifestyle

Ephesians 4:25-32 The Christian Lifestyle

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and slander be put way from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV).

I realize that this is a long Scripture quote, but I have good reason. I have been reading Belief that Behaves by Dr. David Jeremiah, a book based on the book of Ephesians. This particular section, Ephesians 4:25-32, speaks of the Christian lifestyle as described by Paul in his letter of encouragement to the church at Ephesus, a city at the crossroads of Asia Minor. The city boasted of having the largest temple in the world to the Roman goddess, Diana. The temple featured many “priestesses,” actually prostitutes, of Diana. Men were encouraged or even expected to visit the temple regularly to “worship” there. Evidently, Ephesus had many other reasons that helped to make it difficult to maintain a Christian lifestyle in the city. In contrast to the life lived by most in Ephesus was the lifestyle of those professing to be followers of Jesus Christ, and this section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was to outline for them the daily choices they needed to make to live as Christians, enjoy the blessings of Christ, and to be a witness to their neighbors.

In this chapter, A New Lifestyle, in Dr. Jeremiah’s book, he breaks down the Christian lifestyle into five topics, our morality, our moods, our money, our mouths, and our manners. I discovered that I have much to learn about how to live Christianly, and I am working on it. These five areas of life that Paul wrote about several thousand years ago are equally relevant to us today if we are to live Christian lives for our own benefit and also as a witness to others who may wonder about our actions and attitudes as we navigate the traffic jam of living in 2024. It has been said that actions speak louder than words. If that is true, then we may have a more effective argument for the Christian life by what we do than be what we say as we learn from Paul how to live as Christ would have us live. Join me in the next few days as we explore each of these challenging topics.

P.S. Picture is from my grandmother’s 1955 King James Bible.

Trust in God

Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (NLT).

The building perched over the edge of the Grand Canyon, is Kolb Brothers’ Studio. In the early 1900s the Kolb brothers decided to base their photography and adventuring business at the Grand Canyon. By 1906, they had begun construction on their home, photography studio, and home base for their activities in this advantageous spot. It has expanded a lot since those early days, but their trust in the rocks of the wall of the Grand Canyon seems to have been justified. They had faith that the rock wall would remain as a firm and strong foundation for their building. The building is still there and serves as a museum, displaying much of their work and describing their many adventures in the Canyon.

The Kolb brothers put their faith and trust in the rock wall they built on and on the beauty of the Grand Canyon. It was a good thing to do. The building survived and their work flourished. It was a good thing for their lifetimes, but at their deaths that strong rock wall was no longer of any use to them. We have a rock that we can trust, not only for now, but also for eternity. His name is Jesus. He is omniscient—He knows everything. That’s right, He knows everything. He did create the universe, so He should know everything about it. He created mankind. So He should know everything about human beings. He loved you, and He loved me enough to die on a cross to provide forgiveness for all of our sins—every sin for everyone, so He knows everything about you, and He knows everything about me. I can trust Him to know, at all times, what is best for me. Why should I trust my ideas and strategies of life when the God of the Universe knows what is best and is willing to share that information with me? There are four very important words in the first sentence of today’s Scripture: “with all your heart.” That means, what He says, I do, because I can trust Him completely and have faith in Him totally. Now, I fibbed a little in the previous sentence. I don’t always do what He tells me to. When I don’t do what He says, it must mean that I think that I know better than He does what is best for me–that I am smarter than He is. Frankly, that’s a pretty stupid thing to do, but like all of us, sometimes we just want our way. The great thing is that He cares enough to pick us up, dust us off, and put us back on the right track, if we will let Him.

Thank you, Jesus, my everlasting Rock, and please forgive me for sinning—not listening to you.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14 Father, Son, Holy Spirit

“May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (NIV).

This verse is a benediction, a farewell from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. He seems to want them to remember that the God they love and obey can be described as three, Father, Son, and Holly Ghost. As children of Israel, they were very familiar with God the Father. As followers of Jesus they were certainly familiar with Jesus the Son, and Jesus had told them that the Father would send them a counselor, the Holy Spirit. Since he spoke of the three members of the Trinity in one verse, He seems to wants to remind them that, even though there are three parts of God, the Trinity, He is still one God whose every thought and action has been to bless them and draw them close to Him.

This picture illustrates the three parts of the Trinity of God, and it also illustrates the closeness to the three members of the Trinity. In this picture we can see water in its three forms; gas as the fog above the river, solid as the ice resting below the fog, and liquid beneath the ice. Water in all three forms can be seen in this picture and the photograph brings them all close together as one.

This verse shows the three parts of the Trinity, and it also shows the ways in which each part interacts with us, God’s planned grand finale of all creation. Jesus brings us peace. John 14:27 (NIV) tells us, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” God sends His love. We read in John 3:16 (NIV), “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.” The Holy Spirit brings us fellowship. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV) we are told that even though we may be many, we, as the Trinity of God, are one: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.”

We are blessed in many ways by our God, so let us receive and enjoy the peace and love and fellowship we have been given. And then let us pass them on to those we meet.

Know Jesus, No Fear; No Jesus, Know Fear

John 14:27 Know Jesus, No Fear; No Jesus, Know Fear

“I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid” (CEV).

Crater Lake is a placid place of great beauty. I have often said that Crater Lake is the definition of “blue.” The present site of Crater Lake certainly fits the Scripture concerning peace. It is a peaceful place, but it wasn’t a peaceful place thousands of years ago as Mount Mazama erupted and the height of the mountain was lowered from 12,000 feet to about 8,100 feet. The mountain exploded, emptying the huge magma chamber beneath the mountain causing the remaining mountain to collapse inwardly, forming a caldera, a bowl for the 1,900 foot deep Crater Lake. Ash from this eruption continued to fall for about three years.

This picture and the story of Crater Lake make me think of the 1000 year reign of Jesus here on earth after the Great Tribulation. There will have been seven years of lawlessness from the heart of satan—the worst time period ever experienced by mankind. Satan will have his way here for the seven-year tribulation period. I’ll leave you to imagine the appearance and the character of this planet and its inhabitants after satan’s heyday. At the end of this seven-year period, Jesus will return, defeat satan, imprison him for a thousand years, and reign as King. He will bring a peace unlike any peace given by or known by man. I am looking forward to that peaceful time of living and reigning with Him. So the Word is, “…don’t be worried or afraid.” Jesus will return and be the ultimate ruler, one who rules with love.:

Then, because I have accepted Jesus as Savior, I will spend eternity with Him in heaven, so because I KNOW Jesus, I have NO fear. If I had not accepted Jesus as Savior, I would have eternity to spend in hell, and then because I have NO Jesus, I would KNOW fear.

Whose Voice Will You Hear?

Psalm 19:1-4 Whose Voice Will You Hear?

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun” (CEV).

Every day we hear voices clamoring at us, “Buy my product. It’s the best.” Or more frequently, “You might have (some disease), and you need our medication. Ask your doctor about it.” “Does your child have all the vaccinations and shots he or she needs to be fully protected? Get their immunizations up to date” (A little guilt is included in that one.) “Car repairs are expensive. Buy our coverage and you will never need to pay for a covered repair again.” These commercials are countless and often repeated, and I am pretty sure that some advertisements are recorded at higher volume levels. If you are like me, you are the middle man between the USPS and the garbage can on a daily basis for the unsolicited mailed advertisements. I almost missed some of their favorite tactics: “Call this number.” “Text XXXX to 9999 to order.” “Scan the code on your screen.”

Okay, that’s enough of that. The point is made that we are constantly bombarded by much of the world to draw our attention to whatever they are selling or telling. Whether the truth is being told in the ads or not is almost immaterial because of the vague language used. They are never subtle about the need to respond, however, they are demanding.

I’d like to direct your attention to One who is not demanding, always tells the truth, and offers much more than any advertisement you have ever seen. He offers eternal life in heaven. But how does He get our attention. I suggest that you walk outside, day or night, and spend just a few minutes looking 360 degrees around and from the sky to the ground. What you see was created by the One who loves you totally. He created all of this universe for us, for our enjoyment and to demonstrate His power, His glory, and His love for us. He is not trying to sell anything, but He is offering free gifts—peace, joy, love, eternal life. His creation is calling us, is beckoning us to come to Him and receive all that He has to give. Now, that’s the voice I want to hear, that I want to focus on. Dear God, thank you for all you have done for us, and yes, I am answering your call to me. Your voice draws me to you.

Because He Lives

Luke 24:6,7 Because He Lives

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again” (NIV).

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song entitled, “Because He Lives.” It is a favorite of mine, and I’d like to share it with you.

“God sent His Son, they called Him, Jesus,

He came to love, heal, and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!”

That’s right, “Life is worth the living just because He lives.” He fulfilled the prophecies about Him, and He did what He said He would do. The Bible and the Words of the Lord were both proven to be true. That gives me great hope; it encourages me immensely. He loved; He healed; He forgave my sins on the cross; He bought my pardon, and He guaranteed me a place in heaven with Him for all of eternity!

He arose from the dead and then He rose into heaven to sit beside God the Father where He intercedes with the Father on our behalf. In John 16:23 He says, “When that time comes, you won’t have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name” (CEV). He is with us every day, and He sent us the Holy Spirit to remind us of the words that Jesus said.

Yes, “Life is worth the living just because He lives.”

Encourage Each Other

Hebrews 10:24,25 Encourage Each Other

(Sonrise—the Son, Jesus, the Light of the World, is about to return!)

“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 that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (CEV).

When I read these two verses, I see two slightly different connotations for the word “encouraging.” In verse 24, “encouraging” is specific, to two things. We are encouraged to be thoughtful of each other, and we are encouraged to do helpful things for each other. It is important that we do those two things. When we do them, we bless our friends and family. It is also important that we do these two things as a normal part of our lives so that others may notice and wonder or even ask why are we different from the world.

In verse 25, I get the idea that we are to be encouraging because of the condition of the world, or because of difficulties others may be experiencing. Living today can certainly be stressful, and satan uses every opportunity he can to raise doubts, worry, and fear in the hearts of many. Because we daily experience the love and care of our Lord, we are in a position to encourage many with the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He cared for each one of us enough that He died on a cruel wooden cross to offer eternal life and love to any who will accept it.

Even our Christian brothers and sisters need periodic encouragement because of the stresses and anxieties present in our lives here on the earth. Nations are fighting nations or threatening to attack other nations; crime on the streets is up to the point of concern about safety even in our own homes; many of todays’ entertainment offerings are violent or sexually explicit; disparagement of the founders of our nation is rampant; and disdain for our God is evident in many of today’s public utterances. We need to encourage each other with the many promises written in the Holy Bible for our enlightenment. (I like “light” in the middle of “enlightenment” because it points to the Light of the World, Jesus.)

It’s Time to Help

Philippians 2:4 It’s Time to Help

“Do not think about the things that you want to do for yourself. Each of you should think also about how you can help other people” (EASY).

This has become a very sad picture for me. We took this while on a ministry trip for Creation Beckons that we took in 2012. I have used this picture with the words, “rest” and “peace” as captions both on this website and on notecards. This was a most restful and peaceful place along the Jonathan River in South Carolina, not far from Asheville, North Carolina.

From what I have been able to read, Jonathan Creek certainly flooded, many feet over its banks. I know the swing from this peaceful site has been swept away, and as far as I can tell, the campground has been destroyed.

What was once a reminder of God’s peace and rest has become a reminder that many people in both North and South Carolina as well as other nearby states are in dire circumstances. Some will be without electricity for months, meaning, for one thing, no heat this fall. Water supplies are contaminated, and roads are washed out and will remain so for a long time. We need to help these fellow Americans not only to rebuild their lives, but also to live from day to day now. Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Blessing are two Christian groups active in providing for daily living and for continuing support for the many people affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Samaritan’s Purse is part of Franklin Graham’s ministry and can be reached at www.samariatnspurse.org. Operation Blessing is part of Christian Broadcasting Network and can be reached at www.operationblessing.org. You may know of other places offering help. It doesn’t matter where the help comes from, but it does matter that we help. These hurricanes and the damage they caused may have receded in the news, but lots of people are still hurting. I encourage you to do whatever you can to help the people affected by Hurricane Helene, and also Hurricane Milton. Let us show the love of God to these people.

Unity of the Church

Psalm 133:1 The Unity of the Chuirch

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (NIV)

The birds pictured above, part of the great flocks that descend upon the Willcox area each winter, are together in unity in that they agree where they are going. But if we were to examine each bird closely, we would discover that they differ in various ways: the size and shape of the wings, the size of the feet, the color composition of the feathers, and the ability to fly fast and long. Despite their differences, they have a common purpose, to arrive at this place, at this time. Some flocks fly in a large “V” shape with each bird taking his turn at the head of the “V.” Their strength lies in the unity they show in each bird’s willingness to take his place at the head and to be satisfied when he is not leading.

We, as the Church, have been given one major common purpose, as stated in Matthew 28:19,20–“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (NIV). That is our common goal as given to us by our Lord. We are also told in Romans 14:19, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (NIV). So while we are going about accomplishing our mission, we are to do it in a manner that “leads to peace.” That brings us back to the Scripture quoted above, Psalm 133:1. We need to live together in unity. Jesus tells us one way to draw people to Him in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NIV). If we will truly love one another, there will be unity and peace in the Church.