Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Which Way to Go

Matthew 7:13,14 Which Way to Go

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention” (MSG).

The poem, “The Road Not Taken,” is also applicable to the Scripture above. The most quoted verse of the poem is: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

That also makes all the difference in the Scripture above, and that difference becomes obvious and all important at death. I can tell Robert Frost where the road well travelled ends, and where the less-travelled road ends. But I think I will let Matthew 7:13,14 do the telling. “The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.” Salvation itself is an easy step, accept Jesus Christ as Savior, and speak that aloud, and you have been saved. But those who wish a full and rewarding Christian life pursue Christ vigorously through reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship with fellow Christians, and listening to teaching from God’s chosen ministers. Do it. The rewards are well worth the effort.

One last note for those who have already accepted Jesus Christ as Savior—we have a responsibility to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The time has come to make the “less-travelled” road the road of choice for our friends, families, neighbors, and even those we don’t like until it becomes the “very well-travelled” road. Check it out in Mattherw 28:19,20.

Water That Refreshes

John 7:38,39 Water That Refreshes

“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory) (NLT).

I remember my father stopping with me at this spring along the New Baltimore Road in Bedford County, PA, when we went fishing. I have stopped there for a refreshing drink many times since those early visits, and as far as I know, the spring is still flowing. There is one change; the pvc pipe was not there when I was young. I’m blessed to know that refreshing water still flows from that pipe, giving a pick-me-up to anyone who stops.

The ”living water” that Jesus spoke of is the Holy Spirit that he sent to refresh us, guide us, comfort us, teach us, and remind us of Jesus’ words. The Holy Spirit is always available because He lives in us. He was put in us at our moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit can be described as a gentleman, not one to act without our permission. He will tell us what we should be doing, but if we say “no,” He will not demand it. But we miss a blessing every time we say “no” to Him. I always stop when I go by the spring where I first went with my father, and I am always refreshed. It’s always there, so if I don’t stop for refreshment, I miss it. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. He is always there, inside me, ready to bless me, to lead me on to bless others and to help me grow closer to my Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for nudging me on to acts of kindness, and I pray that I will be willing the next time you nudge me to speak to someone about the great joy of salvation. Open my mouth so that the “living water” of the joy of the Lord flows out of me often..

Same Old Road?

Psalm 16:11 Same Old Road?

“You make known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence and eternal pleasure at your right hand” (NIV).

Sounds great, “joy in your presence and eternal pleasure at your right hand.” Maybe I don’t have that every day. Maybe I don’t have that very often. If I believe the Word of God, and I am not experiencing joy and pleasure, then it must be something that I am doing, or something I am not doing. I must not be following the path of life that God has shown me. Following my path, my way, has not resulted in joy and eternal pleasure. If I’ve been doing the same old things, I can expect the same old results. If I look at my trail, it is probably worn deep like the one pictured above, To get new results, I will need to get off this old, worn, comfortable trail and strike out at a tangent, which may not be as comfortable as my old path. But before I decide on what tangent to take, I need to take the time to read God’s Word and ask God about it. It may take some time, but He will make the right path known to me. Then it is up to me to follow it. I will need to check frequently to be sure that I am following the path He has chosen for me. When I notice the same old unsatisfactory results, I know it is time to get back on His path. Then joy and pleasure along with challenges, will be in my present as well as my future.

God Loved

John 3:16 God Loved

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (KJV).

Part of Matthew Henry’s Commentary on this beloved Scripture says, “Here is the great gospel duty, and that is to believe in Jesus Christ: Here is the great gospel benefit: That whosoever believes in Jesus Christ shall not perish. God has taken away their sin, they shall not die; a pardon is purchased. They are entitled to the joys of heaven: they shall have everlasting life.” Matthew Henry points out that we have a DUTY, believe in Jesus; then, and only then, do we get the BENEFIT, eternity in heaven with our God.

The King James Version of John 3:16 is the one I grew up with, and you probably did, also, so that is the basic translation used in this posting. The remaining part of the message is ten official translations of this beloved verse and one unofficial translation, but I think you will like it as I do. I realize that this is repetitive, but this Scripture is a straight-forward statement of God’s love for us. Please take the time to read them all. Perhaps one of them will enhance this Scripture’s meaning to your heart.

For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life”(1599 Geneva Bible).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever” (New Life Version).

“God loved the people in the world so much that he gave his one and only Son to save them. As a result, everyone who believes in the Son will not die. Instead, they will live for ever with God” (Easy English Bible).

“For God so greatly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (English Standard Version).

“For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life” (The Voice).

“…for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing on him may not perish, but may have life age-during” (Young’s Literal Translation.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life” (The Message).

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed” (Complete Jewish Bible).

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (Contemporary English Version).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (English Standard Version).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever” (New Life Version).

“God get plenny love an aloha fo da peopo inside da world. Dass why he sen me, his one an ony Boy. Cuz a dat, erybody dat trus me no goin get cut off from God fovea! Dey goin get da real kine life dat goin stay to da max fovea! (Hawaiian according to Google). (You have to read this one out loud to really understand it.)

The point is this: God loves you. Do your gospel duty, and you will receive the gospel benefit. Please!

The Christian Lifestyle

Proverbs 21:21 The Christian Lifestyle

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor” (NIV).

The last five messages have been about the Christian Lifestyle as described by Paul in Ephesians 4:25-32 and discussed in a book by Dr. David Jeremiah, Belief That Behaves. The five messages have been entitled, Our Morality, Our Moods, Our Money, Our Mouths, and Our Manners. We will finish the study today with several conclusions.

Although Paul wrote his message to the Ephesians, it has equal application today. Ephesus was a modern city of its time. situated along important trade routes. The city claimed to have the largest temple in the world dedicated to the goddess Diana, the goddess who encouraged the men to come often to the temple and “worship” Diana by spending time with the temple prostitutes. Another important factor in the daily life of the Ephesians was the business idea of “whatever it takes to get ahead,” so lying was in vogue and taking advantage of fellow entrepreneurs in order to make a profit was commonplace. Needless to say, many of the actions of the citizenry was not Christian-like.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was an encouragement to them to continue in what they had learned from Paul about the teachings of Jesus Christ. He was pleased that the Church in Ephesus had distanced itself from the everyday actions of the majority of those living in the city. On that basis, Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, is equally applicable to us today. We find ourselves in a world where cheating, lying, wrath, anger, clamor, stealing, and promiscuity seem to run rampant. Few Ephesians and few people today seem to be pursuing righteousness, love, and honor as taught by our Lord, while they seem to be spending much time, energy, and money seeking prosperity and the “good life.”

An on-line search for “lifestyles” resulted in the following list: Active Lifestyle, Healthy Lifestyle, Solo Lifestyle, Rural Lifestyle, Urban Lifestyle, Nomadic Lifestyle, Bohemian Lifestyle, and Digital Lifestyle. Christian Lifestyle wasn’t found in the list. Perhaps a description of the Christian Lifestyle wasn’t readily available. Well, I know where one can be found. The Christian Lifestyle is described in detail in a collection of 66 books called the Bible. I guess Google didn’t want to search that deeply. If a synopsis was wanted, Google could have spent a little time in the short book of Ephesians that contains just six short chapters.

So what is involved in living the Christian Lifestyle? Many would say that it is mostly made up of rules, dos, and don’ts. It is, and some of the don’t’s are these: don’t , lie, don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t cheat, don’t be mean or hateful. That’s okay with me. I’d rather not do any of those anyhow. We are, however, encouraged to go to church, read the Bible, pray, be kind, love your neighbor, and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I’m okay with those. In fact, I like doing those things. Going to church gives me frequent opportunity to gather with a large group of friends. Reading the Bible is exciting—I get to read about the past, even the ancient past, and I get to read about the future. The Bible is full of mysteries, personal stories of courage and devotion, advice on living by the wisest man who lived, Solomon, and promises from God, the creator of everything. When I pray, I get to talk with and interact with the God of the universe, and I receive comfort and peace of heart and mind. When I am kind, I usually receive kindness in return. When I love my neighbor, I know that I am being obedient to God. And, most importantly, by accepting Jesus, I am guaranteed an eternity with Him forever. I will get to speak face-to-face with the one who gave up His life so that I may live. I will get to hear Jesus say, “I love you, Ed,” and I will get to express my love for Him face-to-face. I am much more interested in the dos of the Christian Lifestyle than I am in the don’ts.

Thank you, Lord, for your provision for a Christian Lifestyle and for providing a guidebook that shows the way to live it. Even though I don’t always follow the guidebook closely, I am fully committed to the Christian Lifestyle, and I thank you for forgiving me when I don’t always follow the rules.

Thanks for joining me for this series, The Christian Lifestyle, that began with an introduction on October 31, 2024, and ends today, November 8, 2024.

Our Manners–Kindness and Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:30-32 Our Manners–Kindness and Forgiveness

“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 clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV).

This is part five of a five-part series about the Christian lifestyle inspired by Dr. Davd Jeremiah’s book, Belief That Behaves. This part is entitled, Our Manners—Kindness and Forgiveness.

Sounds like a big job to put away all those negative things: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. We are not just to put them away, we are to replace them with good characteristics or actions: kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. I find it interesting that six nasty things can be replaced by three good things and then life will be incredibly better. Maybe that demonstrates that the traits we get from God are twice as powerful as those we get from satan. I know that my Savior, Jesus, defeated satan and humiliated him in front of his followers, so certainly his gifts are more powerful than the traits we get from satan.

Unfortunately those negative traits are often used against the ones we love the most, our family members. “Oh, he or she will understand.” Maybe he or she won’t understand and relationships can be broken or at least damaged for a time. Sometimes we think we need to use good manners with strangers but not with those we love. The word “love” implies that we will treat those we love with special care just because we love them, and that includes good manners.

Dr Jeremiah states in His book, Belief That Behaves, “Verse 32 (of Ephesians, chapter four) modifies the Golden Rule. It doesn’t say ‘Treat others as you would like them to treat you.’ It says, ‘Treat others as God has treated you.’” That’s a significant difference. The last part of that quote could be paraphrased as, “Forgive others as God has forgiven you.” God has not only forgiven our sins, He has forgotten them. He holds no grudges, and He expects us to do the same. If we are to live a Christian lifestyle, we need to forgive and to hold no grudges. That sounds like grace to me.

We all think of helping an older person across the street as kindness, but there are myriad ways we can show kindness every day. To do so, we need to do as the Lord ask us to do, think of others needs before our own. Often kindness given will result in kindness received, and at least in our immediate neighborhood, life will be more peaceful and enjoyable. It is not always easy to be forgiving, kind, and tenderhearted. Some people we encounter will be confrontive, rude, or even mean and hateful. That’s when we need to depend upon the help of the Holy Spirit to help us to respond to their attacks with kindness and forgiveness. This is when Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:39 come into play: “But I say to you. Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Jesus didn’t say it was easy; He just said that that is what we should do.

Thanks for reading this five-part series on the Christian lifetstyle. Please return tomorrow for a conclusion to this series.

Our Mouths–Encourage not Discourage

Ephesians 4:29 Our Mouths–Encourage, Not Discourage

“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” (ESV).

This is part four of a five-part series on the Christian lifestyle. This series was inspired by Dr David Jeremiah’s book, Belief That Behaves. The five parts of the series are entitled, Our Morality, Our Moods, Our Money, Our Mouths, and Our Manners.

The Word tells us what a powerful and dangerous weapon the mouth is. I believe that the mouth is like a grenade Once a hand grenade has exploded, it is impossible to put all the pieces back inside the grenade. All the small pieces of metal inside the grenade have been released with such a force that they tear through any flesh they encounter, making the grenade and grenade launcher the most lethal of the close contact weapons. Mayhem and chaos are the results of the explosion of a hand grenade. The same can be said of the mouth and the words it emits. Once they have been sent forth, they explode upon anyone and everyone who hears them. Hateful words can wound the one they are aimed at, but they are such that they also explode upon anyone near the intended target and can cause unease, concern, or even pain in them. Often the one who speaks the words is sorrowful for what he or she said, and has remorse, but it’s too late now. The words are out there for anyone to hear, and they cannot be stuffed back into the mouth; their effects are felt by all those who hear them.

Let me turn that last paragraph around by suggesting that words of praise, thankfulness, and blessing can also be spoken from the same mouth. Again, everyone who hears them, the one spoken to, bystanders, and the one speaking them is affected by the words. Words of blessing, thankfulness, and approval bring peace and joy to the hearers and the speakers. And when we speak words of praise and worship to our Lord, we include Him in the list of those blessed. So I suggest that we watch our words and do our best to send out grenades of blessing when we speak.

Two other important Scriptures come to mind: Proverbs 18:20,21; “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (ESV), and Romans 10:9; “…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (ESV). The first verse reminds us that we need to speak of God’s blessing, claim them, and the second verse focuses on the best thing ever to result from the words we speak, salvation. We have to speak the words of asking for forgiveness of sin, and we have to acknowledge that Jesus, the Son of God raised from the dead, is Lord in order to receive salvation. That’s the great eternal result of the words we speak, eternity in heaven with our Lord.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the last in the five-part series, Our Manners

Our Money–Share Our Wealth

Ephesians 4:29 Share Our Wealth

“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” (ESV).

This is part three of a five-part series about the Christian lifestyle—our morality, our moods, our money, our mouths, and our manners. This series was inspired by Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Belief That Behaves.

Good words for today—“Let the thief no longer steal.” I have a friend who is the check-out clerk in a local drug store. One day in a conversation we had about the business, he told me that people come in the front door daily, pick up several candy bars and leave without paying. He also told me that many of these people do the same thing several times a week. He has been told by the management to do nothing, to say nothing, just let them leave. With the work load that the police department has, they are not going to respond to a call involved stolen candy bars. In fact, in our neighboring state of California, they will neither arrest nor prosecute anyone stealing anything or anythings with a value less than $950. Sounds like a license to steal, but do we want our police departments spending their valuable time on “petty thefts?” It’s a problem solvable only by a change in the morals of the nation. Some time ago, one of the local WalMart stores was set up for a smash and grab robbery by thieves who started a fire in the paper goods department. While everyone was busy rushing around getting customers out and containing the fire, the gang of thieves grabbed what they wanted and walked out with everybody else. Needless to say, thievery is a common occurrence in our nation, and we don’t know how to stop it. Some stores have started locking up small items that fit in a pocket or purse. I believe that all stores have a line item in their budgets entitled, “Losses by theft.”

“In this one verse, Paul tells the Christians in Ephesus to stop stealing. Then he tells them to get an honest job and earn money. What does he tell them to do with the money they earn? Share it with anyone in need. One New Testament commentator said this “This verse may be the most striking description of conversion in the New Testament: ‘The thief is to become a philanthropist.’” Dr. Jeremiah says, “Do not take what is not yours but work hard so that you may be able to give to others what is not theirs.” Wow, Paul is asking people who used to steal to get a job and give to others, a complete turnaround. That’s what Jesus did. By dying on the cross, He obtained forgiveness from sin, and He didn’t need forgiveness for Himself, because He didn’t sin. He earned sin forgiveness, and He gave it away to anyone who would accept it. I believe Paul was telling the Ephesians, and us, to do as Jesus did, give to those who are in need.

We are told by Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” I want God to be pleased with me, and I am sure you desire the same. “Quit stealing” may not apply to all of us, but being generous with those in need is something that God likes all of us to do, so as part of the Christian lifestyle, we are to help everyone we can.

Join us tomorrow for part four of our series, Our Mouths.

Our Moods–Control Anger

Ephesians 4:26,27 Our Moods–Control Anger

“Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (ESV).

This is part two in our five-part series about the Christian lifestyle—our morality, our moods, our money, our mouths, and our manners. This series was inspired by Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Belief That Behaves.

Dr. Jeremiah believes that “Paul wasn’t talking about getting angry at things like traffic or the day’s news. He was talking about getting mad at your ‘neighbor.’” When we get angry at a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance, it becomes personal, and when it gets personal, feelings get hurt, relationships are broken, and harm is done to the soul and spirit of the offender and the offended. Disagreement can be spoken, and anger can be expressed without “calling names” or attacking a person’s personality.

We have examples of Jesus getting angry. The occasion of Jesus clearing the temple of the merchants is well known. He showed His anger in actions and words. He was angry because some people were using the requirement to offer animals for sacrifice as an opportunity to rob and cheat people by offering “acceptable” animals at a high price. Some suggest that the merchants may have bribed the priests to refuse many animals people brought for the required sacrifice so they would have to buy other animals from the merchants at extravagant prices. In Matthew 21:12,13 Jesus called the merchants “a den of thieves” and overturned their tables and drove them out. Jesus disciples quoted Psalm 69:9, saying, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” There are two accounts of Jesus cleansing the temple in this way. The passage in John 2:13-17 was early in His ministry, just after He changed water into wine. The passage in Matthew 21:12,13 describes an occasion at the beginning of Holy Week, just after Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and had been hailed as the “Son of David.”

Jesus also exhibited anger in Mark 3:4,5 as He healed a man’s shriveled hand on the Sabbath. The religious leaders had been looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, and healing on the Sabbath, evidently, was against their rules. Before He healed the man, Jesus asked them if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. They refused to answer Him. In verse five we are told, “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was completely restored.” Jesus was angry that the religious leaders raised their rules above the helping of a man who needed to be healed.

In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus takes the religious leaders to task for misleading the people, for putting strict rules on them, and for misinterpreting the writings of Moses to their own benefit. He accuses them of having neglected “the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”

Jesus’ anger was addressed against misuse of His Father’s house and the uncaring and unsympathetic attitudes of those in charge of the Temple. In other words, they were misusing their power for their own benefit and not showing the love of God to those in their care.

In Ephesians Paul does not tell us not to be angry: rather he tells us to control our anger and not let it control us—put a limit on it, and end it before we go to bed; do not let it cause us to go too far in expressing it by causing permanent damage to a relationship; be sure we control it rather than letting satan take over our emotions for his benefit. Anger is a strong emotion and it takes the support of the Holy Spirit to keep it in control. It may be difficult to pray or even hear from the Lord during periods of anger, but we need to do so in order to use anger at appropriate times and in an appropriate way.

Come back tomorrow for part three, Our Money.

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.