Weekend Words

 

From Be Still and Know... (these two reading followed each other and used the same key verse)

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Has some friend quoted this verse to you in time of trouble?  What was your reaction?  Did you answer, "That is alright for you to quote to me, but you are not going through the trouble I am"?  It is easy to share it with others but not so easy to apply it to the trouble we face ourselves.

Perhaps we should carefully consider each part of the verse to know what it really says.

First, Paul writes, "...all things WORK together for good."  It is not by luck or by accident but by God "working" in our lives.  In Philippians 2:13 (Phillips) Paul said, "For it is God who is at work within you."

It is not just some things that are working, or easy things, or pleasant things, but ALL things.  It doesn't say they have worked or will work, but "work" now, today.

Paul continues, "All things work TOGETHER."  When we view our experiences singly, often they are not good.  Yet as we commit them to God, He will work them together for our good.

Perhaps today you are questioning the circumstances in your life.  You may be asking God to remove them.  But God desires to accomplish His purpose for your life.  The pattern of His plan may not be clear to you yet, but you can be sure He is working and He wants to do nothing short of His best for you.  God puts "signs of assurance" along the path of our lives, saying, "God is at work."

Jeremiah 29:11 (Rotherham) says, "I know the plans I am planning for you, declareth Jehovah God, plans of welfare and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope."

What assurance this is for us today!  He doesn't say that we can hope or suppose that all things are working together for our good, but we can KNOW.

It has been said, "Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything."

Paul reminds us that not only do all our trials work together, but, "...all things work together for GOOD."  Is tragedy good?  Is sickness good?  Is bereavement good?  Usually we interpret good as comfort, ease, pleasure.  We think of good as being free from pain, having a lovely home, the latest luxuries, such things.  We measure good in terms of success, achievements of aims and goals in life.

But this is not God's way, necessarily, of demonstrating His goodness.  Through the trials and troubles that come into our lives He is proving His goodness.  The final results are good.  The good which God has promised may not always seem good to us as we go through it.  But we see only the immediate, while God knows the ultimate outworking of His plans for us.

It is important what we do in the difficult circumstances of our lives.  As we let God fit them together He will bring good out of them.  This is promised for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  It is more than having a passive attitude of submission to them, but it is letting God do the work.

He is not in a hurry as He works, but patiently waits for us to learn our lessons.

The Living Bible says, "We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans" (Romans 8:28).  Are we fitting into them?

When we work on a picture puzzle we put all its pieces out before us.  At first we wonder where to start and how the pieces will fit together.  As we begin to work, piece by piece, the picture begins to develop.  Eventually the puzzle is completed with a picture just like the picture on the box.

God's plan for our lives is to conform us to the image of His Son.  As we let Him fit every piece of our lives together, He transforms them more and more into the likeness of His Son.

Weekend Words

 Two readings from Beside the Still Waters this week.  On fear, faith and the future...

Lessons From Covid-19 - Read: John 14

"For in the time of trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me: he shall set me up upon a rock." - Psalm 27:5

The year 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as a year of infamy due to The Virus.  From its small beginning in Wuhan, China, the germ travelled quickly, spreading not only the respiratory disease but also widespread fear and panic.  In an effort to stop the virus, hundreds of businesses closed and employees went home, which jeopardized many people's financial future and rocked the global economy.

What is our response to the impact of the virus?  What are we learning from this unusual phenomenon?  As Christians, we urgently need to base our security and future on the fact that God Almighty is the only One in ultimate control of everything in time and eternity.  This belief will affect our behaviour in times of crisis.  Is God giving the world a wake up call?  Is He speaking to His people, the church?  On a personal level, am I learning what God wants me to learn from this crisis?

In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us what will happen in the ages that lead up to the end of time.  After He says that there will be trouble and fear, and many different disaster, He encourages us to endure to the end so we can be saved!

In today's Bible reading Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  How tremendously encouraging!  Ultimately, God is in control.  Jesus offers us peace and salvation.  Let us come to God and be washed in the blood of Jesus.  Then putting our hand in His, we can walk confidently into an unknown future, knowing that there is no safer place for us to be.

Nathan Wanner - Cincinnati, IA

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Fearfulness - Read: Luke 21:20-38

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." - John 14:1

Years ago I worked at a sawmill with a very fearful man.  One day a severe storm blew in with high winds and large hail.  This man became so terrified that he would have run out into the storm if we had not held him back.  When we asked him where he wanted to go, he said, "I don't know; anywhere but here."  He was completely overcome by fear.

We live in a time of widespread fear and anxiety.  Violence, civil unrest, riots, shootings, and global sickness are rampant.  Handgun sales and concealed carry permits are at an unprecedented level.  Many people express fear of a governmental collapse.  In Luke 21:26 Jesus spoke of "men's hearts failing them for fear."  In verse 28 He said, "when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."  These are precious, comforting words from our Saviour.

Matthew 24:6 says, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that ye be not troubled."  Fear of war and other calamities can quickly reach debilitating proportions if allowed to grow unchecked.  The more we are controlled by fears, the more fearful we will become.  We need faith that says, "the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

As Christians we have a living hope in Christ Jesus that provides security in the present life with all its fears and perplexities.  Even more, it reaches into the future and gives assurance of being with our Lord in eternity.  This glorious hope is "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast..." (Hebrews 6:19)

Denver Yoder - Somerset, OH

On the home front...

 I actually ventured further afield this week, and did a bush walk with Marnie, in the Latrobe area.  There are some lovely walks up that way!  We had perfect pre-Spring weather.  It's not officially Spring till September...

"Man cannot be independent of nature.  In one way or another he must live in relation to it, and there are only two alternatives: the way of the frontiersman, whose response to nature was to dominate it, to assert his presence in it by destroying it; or the way of Thoreau, who went to the natural places to become quiet in them, to learn from them, to be restored by them." - Wendell Berry

the Mersey River

the wattle is in bloom

tree tops

what goes up must come down

fungi

"Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer...

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." - John Muir (1838-1914)

And back home again...

I mentioned starting the pastel scarf in my previous 'home front' post.  I enjoyed knitting it so much that I made another one in darker colours.  It's a great way to use up leftover amounts of yarn, and I'm now knitting some smaller ones for the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes...

these will be sent to a charity

I enjoyed reading Elizabeth Goudge (as mentioned previously), having never read any of her books.  I will get back to more of her, but I am now reading The Amish Way...

I don't seem to be able to stay away from books like this for long.  

Anabaptist books are my default!

Our Spring-like weather didn't last for long, but I did manage to get the grass mowed yesterday, before winter returned today...  

Not that I am complaining, grey/cloudy is my kinda day!  I'm pleased I got my walk in early this morning before the rain started in earnest, and is supposed to continue for the next few days.

I read this quote today...

"May gentle and beautiful moments be yours today."

It is my wish for you...

xx

Weekend Words

 This week many of my readings seemed to be about giving.  Not just financially, but 'of ourselves', to help others.  I couldn't choose, so if there is too much reading for one sitting, you might like to come back to this over the next week.  Much to think about...

From the Bruderhof Blog...

A Sidewalk Messenger

August 3, 2021 by Chris Zimmerman

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash.

It was at least a dozen years ago, but I can remember it like it was yesterday: the oppressive heat and humidity of a summer night in New York; the heavy beat of R&B pulsing from cars parked along the avenue; the thwack of a basketball from a nearby playground; and the darkness on West 140th, where the street lights always seemed to be broken.

I was just nearing Edgecombe when I tripped on a shoe. It belonged to a man on the sidewalk. His head was propped on a balled-up hoodie, and his legs were splayed, with two or three bulky shopping bags – his worldly possessions? – safely wedged between them. I apologized. No response. Maybe he was just a passed-out drunk. Then he grunted something. I crouched to see if he was okay. He assured me everything was good. “Just weary,” he sighed. “I’m so tired of walking. Only thing keeping me goin’ right now is this.” He straightened himself and pointed to a short motto stitched on the camouflage jacket he was wearing. I bent closer. It read “Hebrews 13:5.”

We exchanged names – his was Kent, and I asked him again if he was really all right. He insisted he was. I asked where he lived, and he nodded toward St. Nicholas Park, a block up the street. “My peoples threw me out again last week,” he added. He didn’t offer why, except to say that Satan was after him and proving hard to shake. Drugs, I guessed, or alcohol. Not that it mattered.

I asked about work. “Delta Force,” he said, “Airborne. Been in the army since 1980. You’re in the services, too, right?” I shook my head, but he immediately corrected me. “Sure you are. Ain’t no such thing as a civilian. Everybody fighting for something. If you ain’t, you oughtta be.”

We chatted for another minute or two. No, he didn’t need food, and he had a bottle of water. Everything was good. I wished him a safe night. As I rose to go, he stopped me. “Let’s pray for that right now.” I sat down on the concrete next to him, and he took my hands in his. He prayed loudly and forcefully, calling on Brother Jesus to guide us on the right path, and to be with everyone in the city through the night. Two women coming up the block made a careful arc around us.

Later that night, at home, I looked up Hebrews 13:5 (and 6): “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, because God has said: Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Then you can say with confidence: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

That was Kent’s verse. I saw mine above it – Hebrews 13:1: “Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers, for by so doing one may unwittingly entertain angels.”

From Our Daily Bread...

Extending Grace to Others - read Acts 4:32-35

"God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them."

Our son spent the early years of his life in a children's home prior to our adopting him.  Before leaving the cinder-block building together to go home, we asked to collect his belongings.  Sadly, he had none.  We exchanged the clothes he was wearing for the new items we'd brought for him and also left some clothing for the other children.  Even though I was grieved by how little he had, I rejoiced that we could now help meet his physical and emotional needs.

A few years later, we saw a person asking for donations for families in need.  My son was eager to donate his stuffed animals and a few coins to help them.  Given his background, he might have (understandably) been more inclined to hold tightly to his belongings.

I'd like to think the reason for his generous response was the same as that of the early church.  "God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all" that nobody in their midst had need (Acts 4:33-34).  The people willingly sold their own possessions to provide for one another's needs.

When we become aware of the needs of others, whether material or intangible, may God's grace be so powerfully at work in us that we respond as they did, willingly giving from our hearts to those in need.  This makes us vessels of God's grace as fellow believers in Jesus, "one in heart and mind" (v32).

- Kirsten Holmberg

"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" - 1 John 3:17

From Amish Peace...

When I am Weak, Then Strength Comes

"Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31

When do you feel the strongest?  For me it's not when I have someone giving me a helping hand, but when I am offering help or hope to others.  Sometimes I've been completely weary, and then someone - a child, a friend, a neighbor - asked for help.  My first inclination has been to decline, but I've discovered that when God's strength flows through me to help another person, I benefit.  This is true in the Amish community, too:

Intrigued.  That's the word to describe how Dr Bryan Cloyd, Professor of Accounting at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, felt when he learned that a busload of Amish from Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, was coming to honor the victims of the April 2007 school shooting.  Dr Cloyd's only daughter, Austin, age eighteen, was one of thirty-two victims who lost their lives in the rampage...

The purpose of the Amish visit was to bring the Comfort Quilt to Virginia Tech.  After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, a school in Ohio created a simple patchwork quilt for children whose parents had been killed in the attacks.  A school in New Jersey hung the quilt, and there it stayed - until four years later, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.  The Comfort Quilt was sent to a school in Mississippi that had taken in many displaced New Orleans students.  When the Nickel Mines school shooting occurred, the Comfort Quilt moved again... this time to bring comfort to the Amish families of Nickel Mines.  After the Virginia Tech tragedy, the Amish made the decision that the quilt should be moved again.

Those who delivered the quilt were the very ones who had lost their daughters in the Nickel Mines shooting.  Instead of allowing their weary grief to burden them, they spread hope to others who had recently faced tragedy.

You can find the same to be true.  When you give out of your weariness, not only will you help others, but also God will strengthen you in the process.

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." - 1 Peter 3:8-9

All photos (except 'the hands' in the first article) are from Another Life is Possible - a beautiful book!

Weekend Words

Recently I read these messages about travelling light.  From different perspectives...

From Our Daily Bread...

 Walking With Jesus - Read Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." - Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Lean food rations, waterproof boots, and a map are some of the essentials carried by hikers on the John Muir Trail.  The John Muir trail is a 211-mile path in the western United States that winds across creeks, around lakes and woods, and up and over mountains, encompassing 47,000 feet of elevation gain.  Because traversing this trail takes about three weeks, carrying the right amount of supplies is critical.  Too much and you will run out of strength to carry it all; too little and you won't have what you need for the journey.

Finishing well on our journey as believers in Jesus also requires careful consideration of what we bring.  In Hebrews 12, we're told to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."  The author compares our lives to a "race marked out for us," one in which we must "not grow weary and lose heart" (vv. 1, 3).  To become overburdened with sin or distracted by things outside of God's purpose for us is to carry an unnecessary weight.

Just as their are packing lists for the John Muir Trail, God has provided directions for following Jesus in the Bible.  We can know what habits, dreams, and desires are worth bringing along by examining them in light of the Scriptures.  When we travel light, we're able to finish well.

From Letters from Ruth's Attic...

Traveling Light

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

The Christian life is like climbing a mountain.  For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger.

Christina Rossetti wrote;

"Does the road wind uphill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend."

Whether our climb is easy of difficult, we need to be in shape spiritually to travel light.

To be in shape spiritually, we need spiritual nourishment and exercise.  We need to spend less time reading about the bible and spend more time studying the Bible.  Then we need to apply what we learn - carefully and vigorously - to our lives, to live out daily what we have taken in.

To travel light, we need to lighten our loads.  Some of us may need to trim off excess weight.  Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend.  (Remember the caution: "Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.")

When the disciples were sent out two by two, they traveled light - "without money bag, knapsack, and sandals" (Luke 22:35, NKJV).

Times change, situations vary, and God's orders to His followers are individualized.  But the need and the message continue the same - and the goal.  It's up to us to be in shape to travel light.

Father, please reveal the things that prevent me from fully obeying Your call.  Thank You for guiding me as I drop these 'weights' from my life. Amen

 

Weekend Words

 From Pilgrim Ministry...

The Snare of Google - Luke Bennetch

How much should children of God know of the world, its people, and its practices? At what point does knowledge of evil affect righteous living? Is Gospel simplicity and innocence a thing of the past? The devil has always been busy getting his “news” into the hands of the masses. He has hijacked postal mail, radio, television, and now internet to carry his corruption in abundance. In our "Google Society," one now has the unprecedented capability of asking the medium questions on any subject that comes to mind. These “features” come with the package of accepting the internet for legitimate use. We do well to continue the search for safety and godliness in a world of evil.

Romans 16:19 says, “For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” Is this still a valid teaching for us today? Are we sure we are accomplishing this? Philippians 2:15 challenges us, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

The Scriptures also hold up the call to study the Word and fill our mind with The Truth (2Tim 2:15 and 2Tim 3:15-17). What our mind is filled with will affect our choices and responses. It will affect our loves and pursuits.

Is it acceptable for us to know the popular movie stars, the renowned singers, and the sports stars of our day? But all you have to do is Google the name, and you can learn about them. You don't need to watch the movies or listen to the music. You just keep Google handy, and you can be knowledgeable of the world and its people.

When my parents named me, they were thinking of Luke in the Bible. I remember being out in public works and telling someone my name. They said, “Oh, Luke Skywalker.” I was innocent and had no clue who they meant. They were shocked that I didn’t know this character. Since that time, I have met business people who connect my name with the Bible. I appreciate that connection even though many of those people do not practice the Bible like we do.

What happens when our youth know about the world’s youth stars and follow them in the news? Should we be alarmed when our young people know the sports teams and their top players? Is there a price that we pay for this “connection” to the world? Or is it all innocent knowledge that won’t hurt a thing?

Someone once asked me what I thought about the practice of kneeling before your girlfriend to propose marriage to her. I didn’t know this was even done. A simple Google search can lead you to all kinds of practices and unique spots to propose marriage. Is this helpful for the Christian couple? Will this contribute to solid home life and godliness? Or will it teach us the latest fads of the world?

How shall we do when we want to give some roses to a shut-in? Do you realize that the world has a system of meanings set up around the giving of roses? The color and number of roses are supposed to mean something. I shouldn’t even tell you this because perhaps you were simple concerning this. But should we feel compelled to know and do according to the world’s pattern of rose-giving? What happened to Gospel simplicity of picking Grandma a few roses and cheering her up?

I believe there are several subtle snares we should ponder deeply on this subject. Is it safe to say that fascination with worldly wisdom will lead us in the paths of the world? Can we expect to receive help from the world to live the Christian life? Will we replace parental and brotherhood council with research from the web?

Another snare is the time we spend with God, and His Word can be robbed by worldly pursuits. We should stop at the end of a day and compare how often we turned to Google or electronic news media with how much we turned to God and His Word. How many minutes did we spend praying, how many minutes surfing? How much Godly meditation time did I have today? Do I sort out life’s questions by turning to the Word or the world?

There is also the Satanic voice saying, “You are missing something if you are a simple, innocent child of God.” Every one of us faces that pull toward the world, but it is especially strong for youth. Is it wise to feed this quest? Will feeding it make it easier to be a Bible believing, separated Christian?

Knowledge of evil, at first, is repulsive to Christians. But repeated exposure to the reality of wickedness does eventually bring callousness to it, and sin no longer appears so sinful. For this reason, we need constant vigilance to view society and its evils through the lens of the Word, not the evil tinted lens of the world!

We also face social pressures when others seem to know this bit of worldly knowledge, and we are in the dark. We can feel inferior. Others can talk about people, news, events, and practices we never heard about. Family gathering and church picnic conversations can center on the world’s popular subjects. We can begin to feel like we must get these connections to keep up with what is going on in the world around us.

Families can feel like they must do web research on potential names for their children, so they avoid a name of a bad character in the movie world. What happened to simply using a name book and choosing a name with a good meaning regardless of the movie or political world? What happened to the appreciation for good Bible names? Must my parents feel bad today because they gave me a name that makes some think of a movie character?

The heart and soul of this burden is the question, “How versed should a child of God be in the worldly wisdom of our day?” How much pressure should we feel to keep abreast with news, names, events, and practices? This question begs for an answer in our day. If we will keep the faith, we must give this question a fair answer.

It is true, Christians need to be alert and understand that some words and expressions of the world have bad meanings. We should be cautiously skeptical towards the world’s popular phrases and terms. We should choose good names for our children. There is a place for awareness of things we should not be associated with. Parents need to help their children avoid bad words, improper gestures, etc. But this is often done best by mature adults fellowshipping together and helping each other with these things.

Google is relatively new. Internet use has not yet proved the test of time for faithful Christian use. Will we be cautiously skeptical of the world’s pressures upon us? Will we be alert to inroads of worldliness that may choke our spiritual lives? Will we unashamedly restrict our intake from worldly sources while increasing our intake of Bible study, worship, meditation, and prayer?

********************************

From Beside the Still Waters...

Open Doors and Closed Doors - Read Matthew 7:1-20

"And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there." - Revelation 21:25

During the current pandemic we see a lot of closed doors.  Numerous stores and other businesses have signs saying, "Sorry, we are closed."  Many countries have closed their borders to international travelers.  Fear has gripped the hearts of many people.  

For Christians it is a blessing and great comfort to know that the gateway to God is never closed.  It will remain open until Jesus returns,  yet according to verse 14 of today's Bible reading, only a few choose to enter.

The strait gate and the narrow way place restrictions on a person's life, and such restrictions are difficult for human nature.  It becomes obvious that the gate into heaven is not the easiest gate to enter.  Jesus gave the requirements in Matthew 16:24: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself , and take up his cross, and follow me."  That is why most people reject the narrow door and choose the wide door.  They withdraw from surrendering their will and accepting the required conditions for entrance.

When God calls us out of this life, we will pass through the final door.  The door will close behind us, and it will then be forever too late to change our destiny.

Daniel 12:2 speaks of "everlasting life" for some, and of "shame and everlasting contempt" for others.  Heaven's door will be open only for those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and are wearing the wedding garment (Matthew 22:11)  "These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:13-17).  What a glorious victory for the children of God!

Denver Yoder - Somerset, OH

"Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." - Revelation 3:8