Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Seek God’s Approval, Not Man’s

Luke 6:26 Seek God’s Approval, Not Man’s

“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular” (MSG).

When we flatter people, we are appreciated by them—not necessarily approved by God. Often to gain people’s approval we have to say things that may not be entirely true. That popularity lasts only until someone else says something more flattering. Then to regain our popularity we need to top their statements. Somewhere along the line of topping others, the truth often gets lost, and we find ourselves speaking things we never intended. Trapped in our own exaggerations, we may well go on to further untruths that will be very hard to substantiate. Truth telling may not make us popular, but we don’t have to apologize for telling the truth.

God appreciates those who are truth-tellers, and He will personally let them know it when they arrive in Heaven. I can imagine that His words will be, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For those who tell the truth, it will be a great feeling to be known in Heaven as someone God could trust with the truth. To hear those words from Jesus is worth infinitely more than hearing the praises of our friends and acquaintance on earth. One of the reasons it will be worth infinitely more is that those words will apply for eternity.

Lord, help me to remain true to You, help me to be a truth-teller, help me to speak often of your love.

Amazing Grace

2 Corinthians 13:14 Amazing Grace

“The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you” (MSG).

I turned on the tv this afternoon to TBN, and it was part-way through a concert by the Statler Brothers. Since they are one of my favorite Gospel groups, I decided to listen. I thought they looked older, and that was confirmed when it was announced that this program was “The Final Concert of the Statler Brothers.” Before they sang their final final number, they announced that the first song they had sung together was “Amazing Grace.” That was the song they were going to sing to close out their concert career. What a great way to begin and end a singing career. Not only is it probably the most well-known Gospel song ever sung, but those were the final words that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. Paul also included the love of God and the “intimate friendship” of the Holy Spirit in his farewell. It was essentially Paul’s benediction upon the Christians at Corinth.

At His crucifixion, I was presented with the final bill for all my sins, and it needed to be paid. Paraphrasing the Words of Jesus: “Give me that. I’ve got that covered.” I gave it to Him, and He paid it in full. In the same manner, your final sin bill was presented to you. Again, Jesus offered to take it and pay it in full, but He can’t pay it in full, or at all, unless you hand it to Him and ask Him to pay it. When you do, He will pay it in full. He offered to do the same for every person ever born. The final sin bill for every person ever born on earth was presented to each person. Again, Jesus will pay them in full for all those who hand their bills to Jesus and ask Him to pay them. He paid them ALL in full for those who ask Him to, and for them there is no punishment, no payment left to be paid. Don’t let your bill be outstanding. Each sin bill MUST be paid in full, and if Jesus doesn’t pay it, the one who committed each sin will be responsible for payment. Believe me, you don’t want to pay that bill. Payment will take an eternity.

Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing grace. Thank you, Father God, for your extravagant love, and thank you, Holy Spirit, for your intimate friendship. These three–amazing grace, extravagant love, and intimate friendship– were offered to you at the moment of Jesus’ sacrifice. Be sure to reach out and accept them.

The Most Painful Love of Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 3:12 The Most Painful Love of Jesus Christ

“And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you” (Message).

This is part of the prayer that Paul prayed on behalf of himself and Timothy to the Thessalonians, a young church needing encouragement. There are many things that Paul could have prayed for this group of young believers, but he prayed that they would be filled with love, the same love that he and Timothy had for them. He knows how much he and Timothy loved them, and he seems to be sure that they realized just how much they are loved by Paul and Timothy. And the best thing he can pray for them is that they be filled with love, not love as they are able, but the love they can receive from Jesus—a pure love that knows no boundaries. He wants them to receive so much love that it touches everyone they meet. He knows that their witness will be amazing if they are able to love as Christ does.

I would that I could pray that prayer for you, your family and your friends—that you would be filled with the love shown by Jesus Christ, a love not only shown by His accepting death, but also shown by His acceptance of the immense pain He experienced. When we read of the accounts of the torture prior to His being nailed to the cross, we have some idea of His pain, but He expressed His most intense pain when He stated in Mark 15:34: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” From the beginning of eternity past, He had NEVER been separated from Father God, and this pain was almost inexpressible. Up to this moment He had known it would happen, but He didn’t know just how painful it would be. But He accepted that most intense pain on behalf of you and me. I would that I could pray that you be filled with that love, but I can’t because no man can truly experience, or even imagine the pain that Jesus Christ experienced at that moment. The best I can do is pray that you, your family, and your friends would accept that love from our Savior. When you do, His love will spill over to those you meet and they will be greatly blessed, as you will.

Entrust Your Work to God

Philippians 1:6 Entrust Your Work to God

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT).

Know that on the day that you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, He began His plan in your life. He has something for you to do, something that you are uniquely prepared to accomplish. And if He has a plan for you, He will most assuredly give you the tools you need to accomplish the task. Be prepared to be changed, to be stretched in ways you may have never imagined. It will be an interesting and sometimes challenging journey, but it will be both satisfying and enjoyable. Don’t worry about being able to do what God asks of you. He has all the tools in the world in His hands, and He is willing and eager to put them in your hands. “Trust” is the big word here. We have to trust Him; in fact, we have to totally trust Him in order to perform the task to the best of our abilities. Worry about our abilities to perform the task is unacceptable. Philippians 1:6 tells us that He will “continue his work until it is finally finished.” Once you begin his work, He will continue to prepare you and work within you so that you can complete the task. You can’t pass it off to someone else. No one else has the unique abilities you have that are necessary to fully do the work. Yes, you can delay the work and perhaps even refuse it, but if you do, you will know that something is missing in your life. So, for a fulfilled and satisfying life, accept the challenge of God, and work with Him. You’ll be glad you did. Oh, and how will you know when the task is finished? Philippians 1:6 also gives us that information—“until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” And that will be a day of great rejoicing when God says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Strength

Psalm 73:26 Strength

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (NIV).

Mountains suggest strength in any picture, and the suggestion is certainly important, but the strength of mountains compared to the strength of God is minimal. Mountains may last for many thousands of years, but God is from eternity past to eternity future. The verse above says, “…God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Thank God that I do not need to depend upon my strength alone. If I have the strength of God, and I do, then I can experience victory through any difficulty satan may throw at me. And how long can I count on God’s strength? I can count on His strength and support “forever.”

In the Word of God given through Isaiah 41:10, we are told, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The God of creation, Almighty God Jehovah, gets personal; “I am with you…I am your God. I will strengthen you…I will uphold you….” What more assurance do I need? Thank you, Lord, for providing me with all the strength I will ever need.

A Faithful Servant

2 Chronicles 16:9a A Faithful Servant

“For the eyes of the Lord ran to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (NKJV)

I wrote this message many years ago for a book of devotionals, and it seemed like today was a good day to celebrate Mike Morgan again.

I was recently asked to name and describe someone I admired, and the following is my answer.

His name is Michael Morgan, and he was born in the early 1950s in Elkhart, IN. His parents took him to church almost every Sunday, and to Sunday School before church. He belonged to the youth group in his church. After high school graduation, he went to work in the local mobile home factory. He married his high school sweetheart, and they had two children, a girl and a boy. He and his wife took their kids to Sunday School and church much as his parents had. Although his kids have grown and moved away, they see them several times a year.

Mike has never preached a sermon, has never spoken on the radio or TV, and has never gone on a mission trip to far away places or even close by. So what makes Mike a person I admire?

At work, he doesn’t preach his Christianity, but he does live it. His fellow workers have seen his faith in his offers for help when someone has a problem, in his willingness to say, “I will pray for you.” His oft- spoken question is, “What can I do to help?” When he was passed over for a promotion, he didn’t gripe and speak bad things about the man who got the promotion, and he was promoted later. He doesn’t swear, and he doesn’t raise his righteous anger when someone else does. He usually tells them later that he doesn’t appreciate foul language. Over the thirty-five years that he has worked at the mobile home plant, he has been known as someone who will help out in troubling times, and as someone who is fun at the company picnics.

At church, he has never been on the Deacon board, but he is available when some work is needed to be done. He almost always shows up for work days, and he doesn’t mind what work he does then. He does not forward himself, but he does offer advice when asked, and he prays anytime anyone asks and often before he asks. His advice is well thought out because it is based on Biblical passages he knows. Discussions regarding the future of the local church and the future of the Church at large are lively when he joins because he refuses to believe that God will allow His church to fail, and he does what is necessary to keep his church going. His wife often brings food to the home of someone who is ill. They are friendly with everyone and friends with many. Mike supports his church and his pastor with his actions, his words, and his finances. He thinks of the small things that need to be done, and he sees that they get done. If you were to ask him why he does these things, why he is like this, he would probably say, “Well, it needed to be done, and I had the time.” He never brags about the fact that he really does these things because he feels his church and the people in it are his ministry, the ministry entrusted to him by his Lord, Jesus Christ.

I have never met Mike Morgan; you see, there is no Mike Morgan. I made him up, but I’ve seen “him” in almost every church I’ve ever been in. Churches who have a “Mike Morgan” are greatly blessed. I admire greatly those unsung people who keep things going, don’t give up, and provide help and comfort to others just because that’s what they believe Jesus would have them do. Who is the “Mike or Martha Morgan in your church? Let him/her know he/she is appreciated.

Don’t Just Hear, Listen

Luke 19:47,48 Don’t Just Hear, Listen

“Every day he was teaching in the temple courts, but the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the leaders of the people continued to look for a way to put him to death. They could not find any way to do it, because all the people were clinging to him and listening” (EHV)

Most translations of this Scripture do not include the word “listening” at the end of verse 48. Most include the word, “hearing” or go on to describe what was happening as “intently hearing, hung on His words.” I recently read a devotional based on this Scripture and got an interesting perspective based on the word “listening.” The author, Roger G. Palms, using the DLNT translation, stated that the people did more than hear Jesus’ words, did more than hang on His words; they listened to Jesus and heard His heart. Earlier in the gospel of Luke, chapter 8, verse 21, Jesus said, “…My brethren are these that hear the Word of God and do it” (KJV). So, according to Jesus, we are not truly His followers unless we do what the Word says. In other words, He was saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Jesus was correct. Of course Jesus was correct, but it is important that we place the proper emphasis on the passage—“do it.” We can read the Gospels. We can quote the Gospels. We can even preach the Gospels, but if our actions don’t mirror our words, our reading, speaking and preaching are of no effect. Non-Christians, who hear us speak or preach the Gospel and observe us not living it, use that as reason to not accept the “Good News” of Jesus. That’s quite a statement, putting the blame for people not receiving Christ as Savior on us when we don’t “do as we say.” Maybe we need to think of that the next time we cut someone off in traffic, especially if we have a Christan sticker on our bumper. Maybe we need to think of that the next time we lose our temper and say inappropriate words of scorn to someone who disagrees with us. Maybe we need to think of that the next time we don’t return the excess change given to us by a store clerk. Maybe we need to think of that the next time we speak evil of someone, especially someone known to be a Christian. If we want our words to make a positive difference—someone accepting Christ as Savior– we need to make sure that our actions and words agree in a positive manner. Lord, help us to be effective witnesses for you in both word and deed.

I Am the True God

Psalm 46:10 I Am the True God

“Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God. I am honored among all the nations, I am honored over all the earth” (Voice).

Of course the prime statement in the verse above is: “I am the True God.” We are to understand that Jehovah is the one and only True God, but we can’t understand if we don’t stop, look, and listen. God is speaking through the Psalmist in this verse. He is the one telling us to be still and calm. In today’s world of constant stimulation–radio, tv, internet, and phone– it is difficult to experience quiet. We seem to feel that we actually need all this stimulation. How often do we drive without having music, talk show, or sports playing through the car’s sound system? My guess is that the sound system in the car powers up as soon as the electrical system turns on. That’s the way it is in my car. We spend our evenings sitting in front of a large television often watching whatever comes on. Most homes have more than one tv so each person can satisfy his/her own viewing choices. How many of us have earphones or ear buds active even while we are walking for exercise? Is there any place or time when we do not experience external stimulus? The quietest place I have ever been is on the pontoon of a floatplane on the surface of a remote lake in Alaska. I remember thinking, “There are no artificial sounds. The only thing I hear is the water lapping on the pontoon and the rain failing on the lake.” What a peaceful and quiet time that was.

Where and when can we find true quiet? My wife and I find it in the woods or beside a country stream. I can find it in my office if I close the door or in my bedroom at night. We have to decide to get away from outside stimulus and then make the effort to do just that.

Why is it important to get away from outside stimulus and to quiet our minds? The inference in Psalm 46:10 is that we need to be quiet, be still and be calm so that we can see and understand that Jehovah is the one True God and that Jesus is His Son. There is no way to draw close to God if we don’t take the time and make the effort to read His Word, speak to Him in prayer, and listen with both heart and mind. To do so, we have to make God the most important thing, at least for that moment, and be still, be calm, and listen. The word is “meditate.” We need to meditate on the Word, and we need to take time to listen for His still small voice. When we make that investment of time, attention, and effort, we will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of Him. Each time we do draw close to Him, our desire to draw close grows even stronger, and the reward grows larger. It’s worth the time. It’s worth the effort. Draw close and be blessed.

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, 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.

Radiant with Hope

Romans 15:13 Radiant with Hope

“May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope” (Phillips).

The droplets of a spring rain on the petals of pink flowers bring us hope for the coming season. Spring is here! Winter is definitely over, and hope has arrived with the first few flowers of spring. We seem to get a natural feeling of joy and a sense that good things lie ahead. We could quote the Scripture above and say, “That’s what I mean.”

It’s probably not a coincidence that spring comes at the same time of the year as the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Springtime brings us hope and joy, but the hope and joy brought to us by the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord by far surpasses that brought by the change of season. The leaves that clothe the trees with hope in the spring give way to the mature, darker green leaves of summer that speak of our lives here on earth. That is, lives that are finite. The green leaves turn into gloriously colored leaves in the fall before they drop to the ground and are crunched underfoot. As we mature in Christ, we grow into mature believers who are capable of gathering new ones to the fold. In later life, we may be better used to change into sources of wisdom for younger believers. There comes a time when our physical body ceases living and is buried in the ground. But we have two things that no other part of creation has, soul and spirit. After we leave our physical body behind, our soul and our spirit live on into eternity.

Trees shed their leaves each fall and have to grow new ones in the spring. We could say that the life of the tree is resurrected each spring. That’s not true for us. Jesus Christ died a physical death once so that we might have a glorious eternal life with Him. No more decay in our lives, only the joy of living eternally in heaven IF we accept the sacrifice of Jesus. IF we don’t accept the sacrifice of Jesus, we will still live eternally, but never in the presence of God or in the presence of those of us who have received Jesus as Savior. Those who deny Jesus will wish to be able to die in order to escape torment. So, I encourage you, I ask you, I implore you to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then we will meet some day in heaven.