Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Love with Action

1 John 3:18 Love with Action

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and with truth” (NIV).

“I love you” may well be the most used words, and perhaps even the most over-used words in the English language. Many phone calls end with these treasured words, and they are often said when greeting someone we haven’t seen for a while, be it a week or a few years. I don’t mean to belittle the use of these words for they can have great meaning, but are we sure that we really mean them every time we say them? The Apostle John would have us put feet to these words. A paraphrase of John’s message in 1 John 3:18, may be “Love in action speaks much louder than love in words.”

In John 13:34, Jesus tells us, “A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NIV). Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at what we call the Last Supper, the last conversation He would have with them before He was crucified. As such, they had to have had special significance.

How had Jesus shown His love up to this point in time? Before He walked among us, He showed His love through the magnificence of creation. When He walked among us, He healed those who were sick. He promised hope, and He promised eternal life. He taught the ways of God not only in the Synagogue, but He also taught them in the streets, and He taught them in the countryside. No, Jesus was not one to spend all His time with the “important” people of the land. He walked and talked with John Q. Public, and He sat down to eat with him. People stopped Him along the road and asked Him to heal them. Even though he may have been on urgent business, He took the time to touch lepers and heal them, and He stopped when a blind man called for Him from the crowd. He held children in His lap even though His disciples tried to shoo them away. How did Jesus love? He loved with His actions, with His life.

Not long after Jesus spoke these words of command to love, He showed His love for all of us by giving His life as a sacrifice for each of us. He died to save us from our sins and to provide us with eternal life with Him.

Jesus commanded His disciples and us to love as He loved. I may not be asked to give my life for someone, but many have. I may not be asked to preach to large groups, but many have. I may not be asked to serve in a foreign mission field, but many have. I may not have been asked to show the love of Jesus through any of these very visible means, but I do believe that he expects me to show His love the ways He did—serving people’s needs on a daily basis, spending His time helping others in their day-to-day lives. When I do that, I believe that I obey Jesus in His command of John 13:34.

Love Is for Real

1 Corinthians 13:2 Love is for Real

“If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing” (NLT).

Wow, that’s quite a statement. Don’t you think that it would be impressive to others and draw them to God if I could move mountains? Well, it would certainly be impressive to their minds and perhaps make them wonder about this “faith” thing, and maybe want it. That’s a move in the right direction, but does the person really understand all that’s needed to get this “faith” thing to work? It takes a commitment to God and to His conditions, and it takes time to develop faith. There is a responsibility that goes along with that kind of faith. That kind of faith is not used for personal gain. It is used for the betterment of someone else. To get to the point where I use my faith to help someone else, I have to realize that God expects me to love. That’s the basic condition upon which He operates because God is love. God does not prefer love, God does not use love. God does not say that we should love, but it is His commandment to love. As Jesus spoke in Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’” (NIV). There you have it in the words of the master, Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s a command and not a suggestion. “But I don’t like my neighbor, he’s a real pest.” You are still commanded to love him. He may well need it more than some of your best friends.

As Paul tells in the Scripture above, “…but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” Being a person who will stand beside someone in his hour of need, lend a helping hand, speak encouragement, go beyond what the world would think is enough, and pray for him, will touch his heart even more than moving the mountain with faith. Moving the mountain is a “once and done” act, but being a friend in need, a friend indeed, touches the heart over a long period of time, and that touch will demonstrate God’s love and will draw the person to Him.

If you want to be “something,” love somebody with the love that God gives you to share. P.S. It might be harder than moving a mountain, but more satisfying.

Because God Said So

Psalm 114 Because God Said So

“When the Israelites escaped from Egypt—when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary, and Israel became his kingdom.

The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs! What’s wrong Red Sea, that made you hurry out of the way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like Lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock” (NLT).

Here’s a quick answer to the questions about the Red Sea and the Jordan River moving out of the way, and the mountains and hills skipping—Because God said so! God wanted it that way, and He made it happen that way in order to establish His nation, Israel, in the land of promise, the land He had chosen for them. “Israel became His kingdom,” and it still is His kingdom that He gave to His people, Israel—and so it shall remain forever, whatever man may say.

And on the way, He brought water out of solid rock, He fed them with food from the sky, both manna and quail. He kept their clothes from wearing out. Some may have seen that as a mixed blessing. The clothes never wore out, but they never got a new wardrobe. All this, God provided for forty years. Yet, only two of those who walked out of Egypt walked into the Promised Land. When they were presented with the first opportunity to enter the land, all but two who had been sent into the land to check it out decided not to enter in because the current residents were seen as giants, and even after all God had done for them, they didn’t believe that He would carry them to victory over the giants. The people believed the ten who thought the inhabitants of the Promised Land were too big to defeat, so only Joshua and Caleb walked in.

So, what’s the meaning for me today? When God calls me to do something, and He begins to lead me, I need to follow Him, not just at the beginning, but until He tells me that I have arrived—have completed the task He asked of me. That’s easy for me to say, but it’s harder for me to do. Would I have had the faith of Joshua and Caleb, or would I have shied away, been scared off by the bad reports of men? Do I have the faith and trust today to follow through with God’s assignments, or will I fail the test and see my assignment completed by someone else? My prayer is like that of the father of the son who was tormented by an evil spirit, who said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (KJV) The translation for me is “I believe for this moment. Please help when I begin to falter.”

Proclaim Peace and Salvation

Isaiah 52:7 Proclaim Peace and Salvation

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7 (NIV).

In the musical, “The Sound of Music,” there is a title song, “The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music.” It’s a beautiful scene. The heroes have escaped the Nazis, and they are singing in a grassy meadow strewn with wild-flowers with a background of majestic snow-peaked mountains. How much more beautiful is the scene when the songs they sing are those of praise and worship to our Lord!

We are encouraged by the Scripture above to “bring good news, to “proclaim peace,” to “bring good tidings,” and “proclaim salvation.” Then we are to say, (I really think we are to shout), “Your God reigns!” When we do that, we top the scene from the Sound of Music no matter what our voices sound like. Our God enjoys the praises of His people in song from those “who can’t carry a tune in a bucket,” to those who sing classical opera, to those who sing in a modern, popular style, and even those who sing with a country twang. We benefit from singing His praises, He enjoys hearing us sing them, and others who may have never heard of salvation, peace, and joy are equally blessed. By singing His praises, whether it be on a mountain-top or in a jail cell, we are spreading the Good News of Jesus and perhaps presenting it for the first time to the lost. Let our feet be beautiful as the Word says in Isaiah 52:7.

Roads and Streams Where Needed

Isaiah 43:19 Roads and Streams Where Needed

“I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands” (CEV).

As desert dwellers, we can perhaps appreciate this verse better than others. My wife and I have driven on a road in the deserts of Nevada that is the flattest road and land that I have ever seen. It is also one of the most desolate places I have experienced. There are no plants or almost no plants in sight to either horizon. The land is so flat and desolate that it doesn’t matter if your car wanders off the pavement, except that you might not get to your desired destination. It’s a featureless plain that appears to have no driving hazards. The insidious and always-present danger of this road is the non-ending boredom of driving it. This stretch of road needs some hills, some turns, and especially, some water.

Thanks be to God that He has provided a more interesting life for us. Living the life of a Christian is the opposite of the land described in the previous paragraph. The reading of the Word provides new insight almost every time I read a passage. The Bible has been written by many different authors from many different places and also at many different times. But the message throughout is central and unchanging. The love and care God has for us, the ones He created for fellowship, shows up everywhere. It is intriguing to discover how God shows His love in the creation in Genesis, in the poetry so beautifully written in the center of the Word, to the salvation He presents to us in the Gospels, to the end of His amazing book, Revelation, where He draws to himself all who will accept His love.

Fellowship with our Lord is interesting and exciting because even though He does describe life on this earth from creation to eternity with Him, He doesn’t show us what might happen tomorrow. Along with the physical streams created by Him long ago, He has given us spiritual streams to carry us and nurture us all the way through our lives. Enjoyment is always present for us when we interact with others who have accepted Jesus. And, to top it off, He has given each of us a job or jobs to do. My boss created the entire universe, and He knows me, He knows what I do, and He provides guidance and help whenever I request it. Thank God that I don’t live on a featureless plain with nothing to do but indulge my desires. God has provided a fantastic planet, amazing spiritual wonders, and He has given me the privilege of living on this planet, experiencing the wonders of His love along with other children of His. Praise be to God!

God Bless America

God Bless America Irving Berlin

God Bless America

God bless America

Land that I love

Stand beside her

And guide her

Through the night

With a light from above

From the mountains

To the prairies

To the oceans white with foam

God bless America

My home sweet home

Flowing, Living Water

John 7:37,38 Flowing, Living Water

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” (NIV)

Jesus’ brothers had suggested to Jesus that He go to the festival in Jerusalem with them. According to Matthew Henry, their reason, ostensibly, for asking Jesus to go up to Jerusalem with them was two-fold. If He were to gain the support of the people and the Jewish leaders, they could bask in His popularity, but if He were to be disbelieved, they could disavow Him and not be tainted by their relationship with Him.

Jesus refused to go with them, but He did leave shortly after they did. He went not to gain popularity or to justify Himself in the eyes of the Jewish leaders. He went to walk and talk with the people until His appointed time had come. The time had come at the end of the Festival of Tabernacles when Jesus stood and said in a loud voice the words of John 7:37 and 38. To be sure, the time had come, the people were gathered, and He could speak the words of God to the most people without any preamble by the Jewish leaders. The words would not be diminished by any comment the leaders would have made or questions they would have asked before He spoke these stirring words of calling people to Himself.

If we thirst, Jesus has the water that will satisfy thirst and, at the same time, give a desire to drink more and more of the water He offers. Those who drink it will not only be satisfied, but they will become a conduit of the same water, a conduit that calls others to the source, God the Father and God the Son. This living water is the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us to lead us, guide us, and direct us in the ways of our Lord. Be encouraged. Not only do we receive this living water, we can also be the way by which others receive it. We fulfill the desires of our God when we help bless others in this way.

Let the Water Flow

Exodus 17:6 Let the Water Flow

“I will stand thee before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel” (NIV).

The Israelites had gladly left Egypt and had seen Pharaoh’s army killed by the Lord at the Red Sea. They were now in the desert and had no source of water that they could see. God didn’t bring them out to the desert to die of thirst. He knew that He was their source for all things, including water, and He worked through Moses as He had been doing. When Moses went to God with the water problem, God did what God does—He provided all the water they needed, once again proving His faithfulness to His chosen people.

Moses had to put his trust in God, as he had so many times on this journey. God put Moses on the spot by telling him to stand by a dry rock and hit it with his staff. He also told Moses to make sure that the leaders of Israel were there. It seems as though God wanted to demonstrate to the leaders that Moses was, indeed, His chosen man among His chosen people. Moses again put his trust in God and did as he was told. Wow!—water out of a dry rock, and not just a trickle. It was enough for all the many thousands of the people of Israel and their animals to drink, and in the middle of the desert. When God does something He does it right! That’s a good thing for us to remember. Can we summon the faith and trust in God that Moses demonstrated? If and when we do, we will also experience God doing above and beyond all that we can imagine. God is all mighty. Let’s join our levels of faith together until we make God rejoice and release His great power on our behalf.

Justice Rolls on Like a River

Amos 5:24 Justice Rolls on Like a River

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (ESV).

We spent two weeks in Idaho this summer, and water seemed to be at the center of much of the beauty of God’s creation that we saw. We saw snow in the mountains, water in smooth flowing rivers, water in rushing streams, water gushing over waterfalls, water in deep beautiful blue lakes, and even water in steam from geysers. I’ve said this before, and I will say it again: God’s creation is amazingly beautiful. Water always seems to be in motion, even in lakes and oceans. Of course, tides continually roll in the oceans, and lakes are often in motion because of the breezes that flow over them. Even water in geysers continually boils or even spouts high in the air. Needless to say, we were quite blessed by God’s use of water in creation.

I’ve often thought of the necessity of having a source of the water that flows in rivers. It never just appears. Sure it does; God makes it rain and snow. Those two things, rain and snow, are the source of all water that flows. And when the water flows, it has to be replaced or the rivers and streams will run dry. If lakes have no incoming source of water, they eventually dry up. There is one ultimate source of water. God created the seas during creation, and that water has been recirculating ever since through the processes of evaporation and precipitation.

This Scripture, Amos 5:24, tells that God wants justice to continually roll like rivers and righteousness to flow forever. Well, if justice and righteousness are to continually roll and flow, they have to be replenished. God took care of that. He is filled with justice and righteousness, and it flows from Him continually. Psalm 89:14 proclaims that: “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you” (NIV). He gives us a great opportunity, or should I say opportunities, to be the riverbeds through which justice and righteousness flow. What a joy it is to be a conduit by which God blesses His people. As children of God, we are expected to add to justice and righteousness, love, and faithfulness. We are given opportunities to do that every day, so let’s go forth and represent our Savior, Jesus, well as we live each day. The world yearns for justice, righteousness love, and faithfulness. Let these four things flow through us.

God Created (2)

Genesis 1:1 God Created (2)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (NKJV).

He created the heavens and the earth with great beauty for our enjoyment and benefit and as a means to draw us to Him. Enjoy a few examples of His creativity.