An Eclipse Connection?
It is a day of cold temperatures, but I am grateful for the warmth my Father provides in the depths of my soul! All praise to Him!
1 Corinthians 15:58 (<<click here to read the passage)
This morning, I caught sight of a friend’s sharing of a post that tied the upcoming solar eclipse (coming April 8, 2024) with the last two (August of 2017 and October of 2023) and linked all three to a foreboding forecast of end times prophecy. There was Scripture, there was a lot of numerology (the belief that numbers have hidden meanings and spiritual significance that can reveal, amongst other things, the future), and mention of how these different events have crossed over perfect numbers of cities in the U.S. with the names of Salem (referencing Jerusalem), as well as Ninevah. Cities named Little Egypt, Rapture, Alpha, and Omega were also referred to.
In the past, I’ve expressed my thoughts on pursuing end-time predictions and obsession before, but I want to be very clear here. This could all point to something significant; the possibility is there. But… it could also be a lot of work, and calculating that equals absolutely nothing.
After I looked through it, I wondered how much time people invest in putting those kinds of things together…and then I wondered if they were that invested in finding lost sheep in our world. I genuinely believe that that is how we should be readying ourselves for the Lord’s return.
Today’s passage gives us direction.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose]. AMP
My Life Application Study Bible, in the note on this verse, says in part,
Sometimes we become apathetic about serving the Lord because we don’t see any results. Knowing that Christ has won the ultimate victory should affect the way we live right now. Don’t let discouragement over an apparent lack of results keep you from doing the work of the Lord enthusiastically as you have opportunity.
Oh, that we would not get discouraged about investing our time, energy, and resources in reaching the lost. And most importantly, don’t let your pursuit of knowledge eclipse your pursuit of those who need Jesus.
Mar 19th, 2024, Tues, 12:45 pm
Seeds for Eternity
Weariness has not left my body or mind from this past weekend’s events. Father, I ask that You enable me to focus on You and avoid distractions that would pull me from You. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (<<click here to read the passage)
We visited Karen’s mom yesterday. She lives in a memory care facility not far from us. We usually visit in her room, but she was already in the common area (an area for meals and interaction), so we sat at a table there.
That table held sprouting seeds from a project they did on March 4th, planting tomatoes and marigolds. (Her mom enjoyed picking fresh cherry tomatoes from planters around the enclosed walking area last year!) Well, we’re about two weeks out from their planting, and the tomatoes, at least, were sprouting nicely. I’m sure the residents are eagerly anticipating this year’s harvest.
One thing consistent with plants that I am familiar with is that seeds look nothing like the fruit they bear. The picture above is of tomato seeds. Unless you know your seeds well, you’d be hard-pressed to know you’d get tomatoes by planting them.
In today’s passage, Paul speaks of seeds. Our bodies will die; that’s just the way it is. There is no way out for us. At the end of verse 36, he states,
When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. NLT
I find verses 42-44a very encouraging, especially with more and more people dealing with cancer, illness, and heart disease. Our churches’ prayer lists are overflowing, and there are so many obituaries. But read these words,
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. The [human] body that is sown is perishable and mortal, it is raised imperishable and immortal. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. AMP
As much as we cling to this earthly life, it is not the end-all many hold it to be. There is much more in store for those who love the Lord!
And the greatest news of all?
So it is written [in Scripture], “The first man, Adam, became a living soul (an individual);” the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit [restoring the dead to life]. v45 AMP
And this, too!
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [the man of dust], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [the Man of heaven]. v49 AMP
The Word speaks much better than I ever could!
Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed]. For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death]. And when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says, “Death is swallowed up in victory (vanquished forever). O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose]. v51-58 AMP
Mar 18th, 2024, Mon, 12:50 pm
I Have a Friend…And It Is Not Time
This past week, Father, I had a lot of things pulling at me. During this time together, may I be able to focus on You and what is most important for me to understand and communicate. Amen.
********
I have a friend…and it is not time.
I have a friend who was welcomed home over the weekend. He bravely battled Stage 4 brain cancer, and now his war is over. He could have been my brother. He is about a year younger than me.
I wish I had been a better friend to him while I knew him. I prayed for him and encouraged others to do the same. I served as his pastor, and when he could not attend church, he faithfully watched online. …but none of it seems enough looking back over it all.
I wish I could have spent more time by his side through the bulk of his battle, been with him through his treatments, and taken more opportunities to encourage him, be it through calling, texting, or writing. But time has not been my friend.
It was even more difficult because he was not the first friend to go through these things. Almost two years ago, I lost another dear friend – this one to leukemia. Though two decades older than me, his passing left a hole in my heart…and now I have gone down the path once more.
I have lost others, but these two men, at least in my heart and mind, cast a spotlight on my inadequacies…my failures. They deserved far more from me than was given – not because I didn’t want to, but, as we all know, there are only so many hours in a day. I’m not making excuses; it’s just the truth. A full-time job, three churches, writing almost every day, home responsibilities, and family time all add up quickly. Even though those are all legitimate responsibilities, it does little to assuage my guilt.
I genuinely do not think either of these gentlemen begrudged my time for other things. I am grateful for the hours afforded to me in my friend’s last hours on this earth, and they will always be cherished as a privilege extended by God Himself. Yet still, I have heard other people speak poorly of other pastors who have been negligent in calling on them. I think we will just have to let God be the judge of that. Some may be negligent, but I believe it is often just out of a pastor’s control, and we do our best with the time we have.
I grieve, too, but I would plea for grace. God is undoubtedly gracious, but may we extend the same in our own lives. I have many friends, but time is not one of them.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 NIV
Mar 17th, 2024, Sun, 1:01 pm
Source of Power
Father, right off, I want to thank You for the beautiful day and safe travels with students today, both to and from our destination. Help me be attentive to Your message to me this evening. Amen.
********
Every day, I rise and go about the tasks at hand. Quite often, they are a hodge podge of variety. This week so far is full to the brim with numerous situations – calling hours for the father of a loved one, a doctor’s appointment with my wife, a trip with Future Farmers of America students (including very enjoyable conversations with their advisor), another trip to an Academic Challenge with other students, a church meeting, professional development training with my fellow bus drivers, presiding over a funeral of a beloved aunt, delivering a hospital bed to a friend in need. And, of course, the everyday parts of life, interacting with my coworkers and the kids on my routes, as well as time with Karen and interaction with my parents and son, be it by phone or text.
Some situations have me interacting with Your children, Lord. But others know nothing of You. In those instances, I run here and there, going to and fro in a very dark world. Regardless of who I interact with, Your light, Lord, is ever so bright within me. I do my best to let it shine brightly for all to see readily. You have called me to let the light you gave me pierce the darkness all about me.
As I referred to yesterday, it’s easy to think that we, and we alone, are responsible for generating the power we need to sustain our light. But we are incapable in that we simply do not have the reserves to do so. Lord Jesus, You, and You alone have an endless supply of power and resources we can tap into. But the one thing that absolutely must happen is that we have to spend time with You – not a hit or miss kind of thing but a consistent, and I mean daily, commitment of interaction with You…reading Your Word, speaking with, and listening to You is of utmost importance.
Back when I worked at Kohl’s, one of the many things we sold was solar watches. They never needed a new battery, but to continue functioning, they had to be exposed to light regularly. Occasionally, someone would bring one in for a new battery because it had stopped working. I’d ask if it had been kept in a drawer for a while, and almost every time, it had. I’d instruct them to set the watch in a window with direct sunlight, and it would recharge in a couple of days.
If we are to follow You, Lord, we cannot avoid being with You and expect to have the power we need to let our lights shine. Sunday worship is vital, but in reality, it isn’t enough. Daily contact is critical, too. Constant exposure to Your power and light is what keeps us charged.
Lord, I am here. Charge me. Empower me. May my light shine forth brightly for You.
For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness. Psalm 18:28 AMP
(A major redo of a post from Mar 14th, 2019, Tues, 6:19 am)
Mar 13th, 2024, Wed, 7:37 pm
Steady and Firm
Coming into this week, I knew it was packed, pretty much from start to finish. There is something every single day – Sunday through Saturday! Father, I ask for Your strength, Your love, and Your wisdom. As I’ve mentioned several times to my congregations over the last few weeks, our resources run low or dry up, but Yours are unfathomable! And You are more than able and willing to share!
1 Corinthians 15:29-34 (<<click here to read the passage)
Going a little further with what I said in my opening prayer, there are many instances where, in all honesty, we are going against the flow of humanity. What many hold to be true may not be so.
In this particular passage, the Apostle Paul addresses his readers’ battle against those who denied Jesus’ resurrection. (Yet today, our world is also full of naysayers.) There are multiple things in which we hold to what we believe is the right and proper way to do something, while others cast caution to the wind and bend rules and regulations left and right.
For example, telling the truth. I was raised always to tell the truth and would still be hard-pressed to tell a “white lie.” One incident that I still get teased about is when I was supposed to get my wife to a local eatery for a “surprise” birthday get-together for her. Her family was going to be there, as well as mine. When she asked why we were going to that particular location, all I could think was that my mom really enjoyed their soft-serve ice cream. (I asked Karen about it again this evening, and she still thought it was hilarious that I couldn’t come up with something more “creative.)
Now, that is more humorous than serious, but you get the idea. We could talk about sneaking out to party with friends as a teenager, or pilfering office supplies from work because “everybody” does it, and many other scenarios, but there are times when we can’t go along with the crowd and have to stand up for what is right.
You might think these examples are trivial, but what about matters of the heart that could have long-lasting impacts on our faith?
Paul, quoting a famous Greek dramatist Menander (342-291 B.C.), states,
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” v33
My Life Application Study Bible says,
Don’t let your relationships with unbelievers lead you away from Christ or cause your faith to waver.
I don’t know about you, but often, I just run out of resources. In going against the crowd, I grow weak—Jesus is strong. My patience wears thin, and my love wanes—Jesus is the epitome of love! My knowledge and understanding of circumstances become inadequate – Jesus knows everything (that’s what omniscient means!)
Jesus – He is all we need. In Him, we can stand steady and firm in our faith; that is the only way we cannot falter in our interaction with the world!
Mar 12th, 2024, Tues, 6:35 pm