Don Taylor, fisher of men

On Christmas Day, 2010, my uncle Don Taylor (above) went home to be with the Lord. Don, a native of Anacortes, Washington, loved the outdoors, including the waters of the Pacific Northwest. After becoming a Christian in his early twenties, Don attended the seminary and was ordained as a Lutheran pastor. A career in ministry included service as skipper of the MV Christian, a ship focused on men's ministry. I took this photo during a trip up the Pacific Coast of British Columbia in 1978. In a conversation earlier this year I asked Uncle Don his favorite Bible verse. There was no single verse, but among those he mentioned was Romans 5:20:
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just  as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Donald Taylor, born on July 2, 1925, was preceded in death by his bride of 64 years, Helene Berentson Taylor, who died on December 8, 2010.

My Savior, my sins

The following is an excerpt from "The Calvary Road," a wonderful little book written by Roy Hession in 1950:
"A saintly African Christian told a congregation once that, as he was climbing the hill to the meeting, he heard steps behind him. He turned and saw a man carrying a very heavy load up the hill on his back. He was full of sympathy for him and spoke to him. Then he noticed that His hands were scarred, and he realized it was Jesus. He said to him, "Lord, are you carrying the sins of the world up that hill?"
"No," said the Lord Jesus, "not the world's sins, just yours!"
As that African simply told the vision God has just given him, the people's hearts and his heart were broken as they saw their sins at the cross. Our hearts need to be broken, too, and only when they are shall we be willing for the confessions, the apologies, the reconciliations and the restitutions that are involved in a true repentance of sin."

God, our ever faithful Provider and Protector

We were encouraged at Bible study last night in a teaching that included Psalm 105, "an exhortation to Israel to worship and trust in the Lord." I was reminded once again of the observation I heard from a pastor a couple of years ago at a men's conference: "His past faithfulness demands my present trust." Following are three reassuring Scriptures, starting with David in the Psalms and moving to Paul and Peter, writing to fellow believers after Christ's death, resurrection and ascension.

Psalm 105: 14-15
"He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake He rebuked kings:
'Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm'."

2 Thessalonians 3:3
"But the Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."

1 Peter 1:3-5
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy He has given us new birth, into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade
-- kept in Heaven for you, who through faith are shielded
by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready
to be revealed in the last time."

Chilean miners say 'Thank you, Lord'

As a member of a local Salvation Army Advisory Board, I look forward to receiving "New Frontier," a tabloid publication of the international Christian organization. The most recent issue contained "revelations" regarding the story of 33 Chilean men trapped in a mine for 69 days. The following excerpt is from Salvation Army Lt. Col. Mervyn Morelock's column titled "prayerPower."

"While the mainstream media reported the facts of the rescue (a grueling, 22-hour process), here are some things you may not have heard. Each miner came up alone in the rescue capsule. Most (perhaps all) were wearing special yellow T-shirts, created for them by the Chilean branch of Campus Crusade for Christ. Emblazoned boldly across the front of the T-shirts were the words, in Spanish, 'Thank you, Lord.' The miners, in fact, had requested these words. The shirts were made and delivered to them while they waited for rescue."

"Written on the back of the shirts was the Scripture verse: 'porque en su mano estan.' It was Psalm 95:4: 'In His hands are the depths of the earth, the heights of the mountains are His also.' The Rev. Aldredo Cooper, chaplain to the President of Chile, said of the rescued miners: 'They are all waiting to testify to the Lord Jesus Christ. All 33 of them are saying they found God in the mine. Five or six were already Christians and held services down in the mine. Many went down with no faith at all, but they will say this: 'We were not 33; we were 34 because Jesus Christ was with us down there'."

I am reminded of the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ... thrown into a furnace so hot that guards died in the process of pushing them inside. Once inside, the three young men were seen with a fourth man. Ultimately, they emerged unscathed. Their companion during this trial: Jesus Christ, the Redeemer King who will not leave us or forsake us.

I give thanks today for God's grace, as evidenced in the rescue of every miner in this critical situation. I trust that each man will be true to his pledge to testify to the saving power of Jesus Christ. I pray that their testimonies ... like the story of their rescue, will be heard around the world, to the glory of God.