Had a recent trip to Devonport with Marnie. We stopped in at the Harbourmaster's Cafe (white building on the river front) for coffee and cake...
A lovely view of the Mersey River from the cafe, and on the other side of the river, the Spirit of Tasmania, the vehicle/passenger ferry that does an overnight crossing of Bass Strait, from Devonport to the mainland (Melbourne). Takes about 8-10 hours, depending on weather conditions...
Been spreading mulch/wood chips from the recent tree lopping we had done...
And helping Marnie and Denver put up a new front fence...
Progress! One side done...
All that work makes a body hungry, so made a chocolate slice for sustenance...
Finally got a little skirt made for Amy Joy...
And two little blankets crocheted for the cat shelter...
Back to knitting the scarves for the shoeboxes now...
So I was glad to get back home for my coffee and a browse of some back issues of Anabaptist Voice magazine...
A godly young lady called Michaela contacted me recently about her Christian blog for women Daughters for His Glory. If you're looking for some worthwhile and encouraging reading, there is plenty on her blog! Much food for thought, as well as lovely photos!
I'm going to visit there for a while now, as I work my way through her previous post...
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6
I was waiting at the airport to fly home after having back surgery a week earlier. When departure time drew close and my flight still wasn't announced, I finally went to the information desk. There the agent informed me that I was at the wrong gate and that my plane had already left. I suffered the keen disappointment of missing my flight!
This experience illustrates how some people view the church. John goes to the "airport" (church), thinking this is a sure way to get to his "home" (heaven). He takes a seat and waits. He watches the many people, observes several quarrels, and tries to pass the time with a magazine. John feels comfortable because he knows he is at the right airport. He becomes distracted by the sights around him. While John sits patiently waiting, the plane leaves without him.
Do we become members of a church, thinking this will get us to heaven? Jesus surely is the way to Heaven, and the church is an important help in getting there. But the church will not give us a free ride; we have our own part to do. We need to have a living, vibrant relationship with our Pilot, Jesus Christ. We must heed His instructions and love the other "passengers", helping the needy, visiting those who are sick or in prison, and doing good even to those who wrong us.
In Matthew 25 we read about the King dividing the sheep and the goats. The King did not go by what they professed to believe, but by how they had treated the "least" of His brethren. Let us live for Jesus and obey His teachings, lest we suffer the terrible disappointment of discovering that we have missed our flight.
Levi Miller - Roberts, MT
Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are. - Luke 13:26-27
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" - Psalm 91:1
Insecurity is a characteristic of many people today. They are constantly searching for ways to give themselves greater security. They purchase insurance to cover every conceivable kind of hazard. They install various kinds of protective devices to give safety in their homes. Yet with all these precautions they are still fearful and worried.
The above verse is a favorite Scripture. Psalm 91 has been called the "Traveller's Psalm," for its blessings can be appropriated for our journey through life. It is a hymn of trust and assurance. The Berkeley translation calls it "Divine Security." It brings words of comfort, peace and strength.
In the midst of our worry and fear-filled lives, God has a secret place where we can live with Him in perfect security. "Dwelleth" means to reside habitually with Him; it means to live in His presence. There we have a place of safety. No harm can touch us, we are protected from danger, and we are safe IN HIM.
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty (Whose power no foe can withstand)" (Psalm 91:1, Amplified)
When the storms of life break on us we have a secret place where we can run for safety. When we are misunderstood, when false rumors are circulated about us, when we are deeply hurt by someone dear to us, we can hide under the shadow of our almighty God, and feel His comfort and understanding pour into our hearts. He can minister to us as no one else can.
There we find ourselves having heart to heart communion with God. In Song of Solomon 2:3 we read "I sat down under His shadow with great delight." "Sat down" indicates abiding there with no desire to leave His presence.
There in His presence we find protection, security, peace, and delight.
It has been said that "under the shadow of God's wing the little shadows of life are blended into His peace and thus lose their terror."
"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." - 2 Corinthians 1:12
In the verse above, simplicity speaks of being sincere, unmixed, uncomplicated, and free of slyness and cunning. First there is the simplicity of humble faith in God. All the complicated questions of how the heavens and earth came into being are answered by simply believing that God created them. This gives a solid foundation on which to build other beliefs.
God also orders and controls everything for His own good purposes, and He holds man accountable for his actions. When man disobeyed, sin and death came upon the human race, but God had already planned the simplicity of salvation through Christ. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is no work or recompense that man can perform to be reconciled to God, only by faith in Christ and His blood sacrifice can reconciliation be accomplished.
Then there is the simplicity of godly sincerity and holy living. "Doth deliver" (verse 10) is in the present tense, and this can speak of daily victory in Christian living. It stands to reason that God delivers men not only from hell but also from the sins that take men to hell.
Lastly there is the simplicity of worshipping God. Reading the Bible, praying, attending church, and keeping Jesus first are simple things we can do to be prepared for His return to claim His pure and faithful bride, the church. "But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth [confession], and in thy heart [faith]" (Deuteronomy 30:14).
Daniel Stauffer - Ephrata, PA
Often it's our own will and stubbornness that makes things complicated.
Purpose of Heart: Read Daniel 1
"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." - Daniel 1:8
It takes courage to stand for God and truth when we are in the minority. It actually takes more than courage. We need dedicated commitment, unwavering faith, and the grace of God to stand alone. Among the four young men in today's Bible reading, Daniel in particular had an unblemished, sterling character of loyalty to God.
Daniel was a captive, far away from his home and his people. He could have reasoned many things. Why make a scene just over food? But Daniel was governed by principles that did not let him compromise. Truth anchors the heart of Christians today. God's commands become our guide, and His promises support us in pursuing a course in life that is different from that of our peers.
How committed are we to God and truth? How much or how little does it take to determine whether we will stand or compromise in our loyalty to God? Are we precommitted to truth and predetermined to stand, or are we governed by situational ethics? Whether we stand or fall depends on our personal relationship with God.
If we have a heart of true purpose, we will chart our course at safe places. We will avoid any thing that appears questionable. Daniel did not seek a compromise, nor did he reason that his circumstances allowed an exception in his allegiance to God. Like Moses, Daniel chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25).
Finally, Daniel made his request humbly and respectfully. God will always bless those who purpose to do what is right. How important is God's blessing to us? If we desire the reward of the godly, we must be willing to pay whatever the cost may be.
Denver Yoder - Somerset, OH
Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known.
If God is sovereign and things will be as they are going to be anyway, why bother to pray? There are several reasons. The first is really all we need to know: God has told us to pray. It is a commandment, and if we love Him, we obey His commands.
Second, Jesus prayed. People sometimes say that the only reason for prayer is that we need to be changed. Certainly we do, but that is not the only reason to pray. Jesus was not being made more holy by prayer. He was communing with His Father. He was asking for things. He was thanking God. In His Gethsemane prayer He was beseeching the Father to prevent what was about to take place. He was also laying down His own will.
Third, prayer is a law of the universe. As God has ordained that certain physical laws should govern the operation of this universe, so He has ordained the spiritual law. Books simply will not stay put on the table without the operation of gravity - although God could cause them, by divine fiat, to stay. Certain things simply will not happen without the operation of prayer, although God could cause them, by divine fiat, to happen.
The Bible is full of examples of people doing what they could do and asking God to do what they couldn't do. In other words, the pattern given to us is both to work and pray. Nehemiah and the people of Israel worked hard to build the wall of Jerusalem but were strenuously opposed by Sanballat and Tobiah, who banded together with Arabs, Ammonites and Ashdodites to attack. "So we prayed to our God," wrote Nehemiah, "and posted a guard day and night against them" (Nehemiah 4:9)
From Beside the Still Waters...
When at Wits' End - Read: Psalm 107:21-43
"For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves ... They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end." - Psalm 107:25-27
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult, distressful situation in which you exhausted every feasible possibility and were at a loss to know what to do? You were up against a brick wall, so to speak. Then you were where the mariners in today's Bible reading found themselves - helpless and hopeless!
But notice that God was in charge of the situation all along. It was He who commanded and raised the stormy wind. We might say that He allowed the natural processes He had set in motion to take their course. But He was still at the helm! And since He is God, the noise of the wind and the crashing of the waves did not drown out the cries of the distressed. God stilled the storm and brought the mariners to their desired destination.
The Son of God demonstrated God's power over literal storms at sea when He was on earth, but what about the turbulences we sometimes experience on the sea of life? Is God the Master over them too? Just ask any true Christian. Likely the answer will be somewhat like this: "Yes, if you cry to God in faith with a pure heart and request it of Him." But he will probably add, "If it is God's will."
You see, the same power that can still a storm is also able to give peace to the soul amid the storm! God may teach valuable lessons about the faith and endurance so needful in Christian experience, by letting the storm continue to rage. Let's be convinced that divine power is available either to still the storm or to still our soul while in the storm - and let's utilize that power.
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the worlds goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father." - 1 John 2:15 (The Message)
Do you consider yourself worldly? If you drive a car, have a phone, and enjoy modern conveniences you are - at least according to the Amish. They believe that worldly things take our time and attention away from godly things. When we're driving in our cars, we're not spending time at home. When we're talking on the phone, we're not talking to the people who are with us. When we're focused on gadgets, we can miss the opportunity to connect with others in our community.
How can we live in the world without loving the world? It all comes down to focus. Everyone has focus. But the question is, Are you focused on getting more "things" or are you focused on using all you have to glorify God? Are you making Him the main focus of your life and your days?
"Life works better when we know how to glance at things but gaze at God," writes Welsh minister and author Selwyn Hughes. "Seeing Him clearly will enable us to see all other things clearly."
The first Anabaptists chose to change their lifestyles in order to draw closer to God. Even though they faced persecution, what they chose to focus on continued for generations. And that's really the point, isn't it? The world is always changing, but God never changes. There will be new cars, new phones, and new gadgets every year, but as Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Here's something you may want to consider: are you worldly focused, or are you heavenly focused? As you focus on the second part of the question, the first part will begin to take care of itself.
From Beside the Still Waters...
Of Faith and Understanding - Read Colossians 1
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5
A friend once told me, "Your trouble is that you have to figure out everything." There is a certain satisfaction in getting things figured out. But when it comes to matters of faith, we need to believe even if we don't fully understand. To the man whose child had an unclean spirit, Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." He cried out with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). Thus we see that often our problem is not a lack of understanding, but rather that we stumble because of unbelief.
People who sought Jesus after He had miraculously fed a multitude asked, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28-28). Faith may not be easy to attain. There is a certain amount of difficulty in believing. Just as a miracle can't be figured out, so faith is not readily understood. Nevertheless, exercising faith has its rewards.
We need to "continue in the faith" in order to be "grounded and settled" in the Lord. It's not that we fully understand, but that we have the assurance of receiving the understanding we need to do God's will.
Today's key verse has an important clue. If we trust in the Lord, things will work out much better than if we lean on our own understanding. Trusting Him to guide us will make a difference in our lives. If we willingly give up our own understanding by faith, He will give us true understanding. Then we can experience His blessing: "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).
