Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Refreshing Water in the Dry Lands

Isaiah 43:19-21 Refreshing Water in the Dry Lands

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (NIV).

The water in the picture is not a stream, nor a river. It is a lake formed behind a dam in northern Arizona. It certainly looks like a wasteland, and the water of the lake is definitely refreshing. Wild animals drink from it, cities receive both water and hydroelectric power from it, and many boating enthusiasts enjoy the joy of riding on its waters. It is a great refreshment for the area.

God provided water in the wilderness for His people, and the animals rejoiced because they also received benefit from God’s provision. We often don’t take notice of the tangential effects of God’s blessings upon His people. When God blesses His church by growing His love in them, the entire community is blessed. I don’t know if that could be called tangential blessing, but when the church grows in God’s love and shares that with the community, the entire community is blessed. That’s how churches grow, and that’s how God’s kingdom is intended to grow. We are the “streams in the wasteland.” You may well be the only stream of God’s love in your workplace, your local community, or even your family, and as such, you could be the bright spot in the day for many people. You may be providing the “tangential effect” of God’s love. That’s what God trains us to be and do. It may be uncomfortable. It may even be dangerous, but rewards are waiting in heaven for those who are faithful to the calling God has given each of us. Let’s be the “streams in the wasteland.”

God Is Without Comparison

Psalm 115:3 God Is Without Comparison

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (NIV).

Of course He does what He pleases. God is omnipotent. God is omniscient. God is omnipresent. Anyone who has those characteristics certainly can do whatever he pleases. Who is going to stop Him? That is an interesting question, and there is an answer. The one who can stop Him is Himself, but He has done nothing that would need to be stopped. There are those who fear God—fear that He will destroy us or destroy the world. He certainly has the ability to destroy us and the earth. After all, He created it—it is His. The one thing that keeps God from destroying us is another of His characteristics. There is one other “God is” that gives us peace and joy, one that shows His primary characteristic, one that is even more notable than the others. GOD IS LOVE! That trumps all the other “God is” characteristics. When that characteristic is combined with one not yet mentioned, “God is truth” we see that He will do and has done what is most beneficial to all of mankind. We can trust Him to act in our best interest. We are His creation. Why would he create us just to harm us or kill us? His words are creative, so He cannot lie. Whenever He speaks something, it happens, so it is impossible for Him to lie. One Scripture shows how much God loves us and how far He went to bless us, to bring us to His side for eternity. Most of us know those words of God, John 3:16, “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” (NIV).

We are all familiar with sin. We instinctively know when we have done something wrong—that’s sin. We all sin frequently. One other characteristic of God is that Father God cannot stand sin. In fact, He does not allow sin in His presence. Because of this characteristic we are all in great danger. Every man and every woman who has ever been born, has sinned, and continues to sin. God created us so that our spirit lives forever. With that in mind, we realize that there must be a place for those who sin to spend eternity, and if it can’t be with God, it must be someplace else. That place is called Hell, and it was provided as a place for satan and his demons who have rebelled against God to live for eternity. You don’t have to be a strong Christian to know that hell is a place of torment.

Okay, we’ve all sinned. God can’t stand sin. He will not allow it in His presence. Does that mean that we will all, sinners that we are, have to spend eternity in Hell? No, it doesn’t, and we read the reason above in John 3:16. In God’s love He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ who never sinned to receive all the punishment for all of us so we don’t have to go to hell. Wait, that’s not quite right. Anyone who wants to can go to hell. Going to hell is a decision. Anyone who decides to not believe in Jesus, God’s only Son, has made the decision to go to Hell. Don’t do that. Allow the love of God, His greatest characteristic, to be the cornerstone of your life. Receive Jesus and fulfill God’s greatest desire—to spend eternity with you.

Being Tender

Colossians 3:12,13 Being Tender

“Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his great love and concern for you, you should practice tender-hearted mercy and kindness to others. Don’t worry about making a good impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently. Be gentle and ready to forgive, never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (TLB).

I was attracted to the tender light green ends of the branches above. They are the most tender, and because they are at the very end of the branches, they are also the most vulnerable. In the Scripture above we are told that we are to “practice tender-hearted mercy and kindness to others.” God has the right to ask that of us because of the great love and patience He has shown us. But if I do that, I will be vulnerable and easily hurt. That’s right, but the Scripture also tells us to “suffer quietly and patiently.” That seems like a lot to ask of us, but then, that’s a lot of love He has shown us. Just ask Jesus about suffering quietly and patiently. He did all of that, and He did it for me and for you. He did it so that we could enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. When I think about Jesus’ suffering, I find it harder to complain about the hurts that I might receive by showing a tender heart to those who need understanding or mercy. And when I am hurt by others. I am to “be gentle and ready to forgive, never holding grudges.” I must forgive because I have been forgiven.

There are many people in this world who are in great need of a tenderhearted listener, one who will show kindness and mercy, and it is our joy to provide that. That may be the strongest sermon we can ever preach. A “thank you” received from someone who has been raised from despair through our actions is a fantastic reward. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40, “The king will answer them, ‘I tell you this: ‘You did all these things to help other people. They were not important people, but they were my friends. When you helped them, then you helped me’” (EASY).

A Wise Man Prays

James 5:16 A Wise Man Prays

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (KJV).

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

April 30, 1863

President Abraham Lincoln

Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer

Living Water

John 7:38 Living Water

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (KJV)

Waters continually flow over Minerva Terrace in Yellowstone National Park, and though the formations appear to be permanent, they do change, albeit slowly. If you visit Minerva Terrace and then return several years later, you will notice small changes. Over decades the changes become more obvious. These waters may not appear to be “living waters,” but the returning visitor notices the growth. The terraces continue to grow because the water contains fine particles of limestone that precipitate as the water flows.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, my life should show growth over the course of years because those gifts God places in us are supposed to make changes in our surroundings as we go through life. The growth for many people may not be easily seen in their lives, but it becomes abundantly clear in the lives of people they have blessed just by living in a manner that expresses the teachings of Christ. Not many are called to the more obvious ministries such as preaching or evangelizing, but be assured that the Christian life you live may well be the tool God uses to draw someone to Him. You may be the one whose example can bring a particular person to Christ. You may never know in this life who that is, but perhaps someday in the streets of heaven, someone may walk up to you and thank you for the example you lived.

Jesus, the Magnificent Bridge

1 Timothy 2:5 Jesus, the Magnificent Bridge

“There is one God and one mediator so that human beings can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is himself human” (NCV).

The picture is of the bridge just below the Glen Canyon Dam. It’s a picturesque and impressive bridge. It’s easy to see the engineering that went into building this impressive structure that spans the deep and wide canyon beneath it. It will take you and your car safely across the chasm from one side to the other. Many people cross it in both directions each day. By the way, there are other bridges further down the valley that serve the same purpose.

I took the liberty of superimposing an image of another bridge on this picture. This bridge represents the bridge from earth to heaven, and it is, for us at least, a one- way bridge—from earth to heaven. That bridge is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the only way to get from earth to heaven. There are no other bridges to get from earth to heaven. Jesus Christ is the only one, and we represent this bridge by the cross, an ancient instrument of death. Victory over sin is gained only by clinging to Jesus. By hanging on that cross Jesus became the mediator between God and man. That bridge does not have an impressive structure of steel beams to hold it up, but it does have the strength of one single man, Jesus Christ, to hold it strong enough for everybody who wants to cross from earth to heaven to do so safely. The blood of our Savior is imprinted on that cross and His blood will hold it unshakeable until the last sinner has crossed from sin to forgiveness.

Thank you, Jesus, for being our bridge to heaven and eternal life with you.

Everybody Is Big League

1 Peter 4:10 Everybody Is Big League

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (NIV).

This was the home field of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, a triple A affiliate of several major league baseball teams. The players’ next step was the major leagues—the Big Time. They were all playing hard to get their shot at the big time or to get back to the big time. They were good players; some would make it and some would not. Major league teams have a roster limit of 26 players, which means that any time one of these guys got called up, someone else was sent down. Elation and heart-break are frequent emotions for these men. While some will become long-time major leaguers, most will, at best, play a few years in the major leagues, and some will never make it.

What a difference there is on God’s team! First of all, there are no minor leagues. Everybody is on God’s all-time all-star team. “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11 NIV). Everyone on His team is a starter. God expects each of us to do the job that he or she has assigned, and no one’s job is more important than anyone else’s. We do not have to worry about being “sent down” because we have not performed as well as God may like. God depends upon us, but He is very patient with each of us. There is no roster limit for God’s team. We get to choose to join God’s team, and when we do, He assigns us a position, one in which we can serve Him best. We are not waiting for our “shot” at the big time. Once we are on His team, we are already in the big time.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to be a big part of your team. Help me to do my best.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148 Praise the Lord!

“Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them forever and ever—he issues a decree that will never pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creature and all ocean depths. Lightning and hail, snow and clouds. Stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord” (NIV).

What else is there to say? PRAISE THE LORD!!! EVERYDAY!!!

So Shall We Bloom

Isaiah 61:11 So Shall We Bloom

“For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise spring forth before all the nations” (NKJV).

This spiny cactus brings forth brightly colored beautiful flowers, and they are what get noticed the most, the flowers, as they should. Are not pretty flowers more interesting and enjoyable to view than the spiny stems on which they grow? We are the plants that grow in His garden, and no matter how spiny and difficult our times past, the brighter shines the righteousness and praise that spring forth from us. Righteousness is shown by the quality of the lives we live, the kindness, the caring, and the love of God we express. The praise that springs forth from our voices as we grow and grow closer to Him becomes more beautiful each day.

Yes, as the earth brings forth beauty in the flowers that it grows, so do we bring forth righteousness and praise for our Lord. He has filled us with His Holy Spirit, and as we let the Holy Spirit work in our lives, the more attractive we become and the more attractive the call of Jesus Christ. To fulfill the desires of God for our lives we must let Him shine through so much that the spiny hurtful parts of our past are greatly overshadowed by His glory showing through us.

God’s Will for Us

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 God’s Will for Us

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Paul gives us simple instructions for us if we want to do God’s will—rejoice, pray, thank. I believe that if we do these three things, our commitment to Him will be obvious to others. I also believe that if we do these things, we will live in a manner that will draw others to Him.

“Rejoice always.” I take that to mean that I should be joyful, with a pleasant countenance on my face and the love of Christ showing in my heart and actions all the time. It sounds easy, but we all know that it is difficult to maintain a joyful attitude today with all the garbage that satan is throwing at us. It becomes easier when we remember that the one who lives within us, Jesus Christ, defeated satan several thousand years ago, and He gave us the joy of living in that victory.

“Pray continually.” Now that’s pretty hard. I have to go to work and interact with others. How can I be praying then? Well, not all of our prayers need to be audible. Many of my prayers are done in my heart or in my spirit even when, or perhaps especially when, I am with others. How can I pray when I am driving? That’s often a good time to pray, rather than saying some of the other things that might leap out of our mouths. Often others I see when I am driving “obviously” need prayer or we need to pray for protection from them and from our own mistakes. Those prayers can frequently be spoken aloud. How can I pray when I am studying or reading? This is another good time to be praying, praying for insight and understanding, and probably not praying aloud. I think God wants us to be aware of His constant presence, His nearness, all the time. He wants us to know that conversation with Him is instantaneous any time. Paul used the word, “continually” instead of “continuously.” I believe that he used continually to indicate that even though we can’t actually pray all the time, we can maintain an atitude of prayerfulness all the time.

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Many have said that we need to be thankful in all circumstances, but not necessarily for all circumstances. Others say that we really should be thankful for all circumstances because those are often the times for drawing closer to Him and for growing. Whichever we believe, we need to be thankful for God’s presence, help, and love through all circumstances. It certainly is true that, whatever the circumstance, we do have many things for which to be thankful.

So, thank you, Paul, for reminding us of these three instructions from God. I do know that when I keep them in mind, my life is happier and, certainly, more peaceful.