External forces, internal beauty

Years ago one of my brothers in a men's group was a master woodworker. In fact, Andrew created the beautiful bowl pictured above and made a gift of it to me before moving to eastern Washington.

I recently read through old notes from that men's group and found an item about observations shared by the woodworker. He talked about the ravages suffered by many trees, some twisted in the wind, some discolored or scarred by disease. He then referenced the visible "bark" of our lives … often marred and unattractive.

Beauty resulting from the external forces on a tree is revealed inside, when the tree is opened. It is there we see grain, colors and markings unique to that tree. That beauty is there all along, often made even more so by outside forces.

The same can be said of "invisible" beauty inside of us. Consider how often God uses the challenges of our lives, in our physical man, to cause changes of eternal value inside, in our spiritual man. Be assured, our Creator sees the beauty within each of us.

I am accordingly reminded to look at others through His eyes, rather than drawing conclusions based on the "bark" I see in front of me.

It is also important to recall from Bible study how God often used hardships to prepare His people for what He would call them to in the future. And to recall that there is nothing we can suffer that our Redeemer Jesus did not suffer in His life here on earth.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has ascended into Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16

Divine appointments on the water

No pun intended, but this photograph prompts a flood of memories for me.

The photo was taken in 2006 by my son Mark, who on a trip to Chatterbox Falls in British Columbia found a small opening in the rocks during a climb. He descended into the confined space for this unique view of a small waterfall near the larger one.

This was a trip orchestrated by God. A weeklong "retreat" of a small group of men on a brother's beautiful wooden sailboat. As Mark and I visited on the deck of the boat motoring north to Chatterbox, I was reminded of a men's retreat I had experienced with my father years before that … also to British Columbia.

Both trips required that God "clear our calendars" at the same time for rare opportunities to take time away from jobs. Both trips put father and son together with a group of Christian brothers for several days of fellowship, Bible study and prayer.

In addition to the precious memories of these trips, I have a few journal entries from this trip with Mark and the others. Snippets from that journal:

* Am I worshipping the gifts, or am I worshipping the giver?

* Often when I say to God, "I can't do that," I really mean "I don't want to do that."

* The saved sinner thanks God for His grace. The beloved son lays claim to the Father's awesome plan and asks to understand his place in that plan.

Among its many rewards, this trip gave me opportunity to watch with a mix of humility and pride as my son interacted with the other men on the boat. Pride as he revealed his heart, humility as I recognized (yet again) that he is uniquely created, gifted and loved by the Father apart from my influence.

I know that while Mark and I each recall different aspects of the trip, we share a sense of joy and gratitude for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of the "eternal value" variety.

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." John 1:7

"For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." Matthew 18:20

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17

Good news? The greatest news of all time!

Today, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I recall with a smile the many headlines I wrote during my career as a newspaper editor. All words long since forgotten.

But these words: "He is risen!" are the biggest headline in all of history!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your faithfulness to the Father … no act of obedience has ever been so great! May we boldly share this news whenever, wherever You would have us declare that You are The Way!

The darkness has not overcome The Light

I took a photo of the "supermoon" this week, convinced it would serve well as a scripture eCard image. When I looked at this image on my computer screen I thought of the gospel of John, who often refers to Jesus as "The Light." When I looked up John 1:4-5 in the NASB, however, I was reminded of my confusion about the phrase: "...and the darkness did not comprehend it." "Does that mean those who walk in the darkness do not comprehend the gospel?" I asked myself. Time to visit Blue Letter Bible for a word study. There I found that another definition of the word translated in NASB as "comprehend" was "overcome" or "overtake: to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain." A citation of another Scripture with the same word (katalambano) led to John 12:35: "So Jesus said to them, 'For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes'." I now see the meaning of John 1:5 more clearly. The word "comprehend" as translated in the NASB did not mean "understand." It means "overtake." The Light -- Jesus Christ the Messiah -- will never be "overtaken" by the darkness of Satan, our sin nature and this fallen world. The Light is life! Death and sin were defeated at the cross so that all who believe might have life eternal, "cleansed by His blood" and made righteous in Him. Thank you, Jesus, for Your obedience to the Father and His plan that made the way for us to have our sin debt forgiven so we can be co-heirs, righteous in Your righteousness! As the song says, "The cross meant to kill is our victory!" Christ is risen! He lives in the hearts of His children. He intercedes for us at the throne of the Father. And He will return, first to draw His bride the church to Him in Heaven, and then to rule and reign for 1,000 years on a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-27 and Isaiah 65:17), and into eternity.

'Triumph' and tragedy, hope for tomorrow

Last Sunday's livestream teaching from our pastor featured parallels between incidents in the lives of Joseph and Jesus. Both, for example, went willingly in response to their fathers' directives.

Another parallel was raw hatred of others directed toward Joseph and Jesus. This comparison led to John 11:48, where it was noted that Jewish leaders plotted against Jesus from the early days of His ministry:

"If we let him go on like this, all men will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." John 11:48

For a few minutes during this Bible teaching I was stuck on that reality: tragedy in the midst of the ‘triumphant’ entry and joyous reception from the people of God's city Jerusalem.

I realized that the same is true today in regard to the preaching of the gospel: “If we let them (the Christians) go on like this, all men will believe in Him…”

Satan’s desire always is to deny Jesus and shut down -- even kill -- His followers, warning of dire consequences (in this world) if The Truth is shared. So it is that on many occasions Jesus issued warnings to His followers: "In this world you WILL have trouble."

May we take comfort, Lord, in the fact that You promise to walk with us every step of the way through this life, never leaving or forsaking us. May we continue to see Your strength, to act and speak in accordance with Your will as we battle continuously with Satan and the natural world. May hatred inspire us to respond in love. May the joy of our relationship with You prompt us to introduce others to You. We love You, Jesus. Amen.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

Sharing Christ via the Internet

What a joy it is these days to combine my loves of scriptures and photography to create eCards I can share with family and friends.

I live on Fidalgo Island, just north of a much larger island: Whidbey. I attend church on North Whidbey, just a mile or so from one of the most photographed locations in the Northwest: Deception Pass. My "commute" to and from church has yielded opportunities for some of my favorite photos, including this shot of a bald eagle.

This prolonged period of social distancing in the midst of the international coronavirus pandemic has inspired me to create more eCards than ever … sharing them with loved ones in "virtual" conversations via email, texts and social media.

For all of its toxic content, Lord, you have added the Internet to the toolbox of your believers to serve your divine purposes. While Satan intends evil with the explosive advance of technology, make it serve Your good purposes. Physical isolation and fellowship gaps have been remedied in part by the ability of Christians to reach out electronically via emails, telephone texts, and video broadcasts. We thank you, Lord, for these opportunities to edify, exhort and encourage one another. We give thanks for the knowledge that lives will be saved as the salvation message is presented and hearts are surrendered to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer King.

"But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Daniel 12:4

Mountaintop or valley

I shouldn't have been surprised.

A few days ago, as shelter-at-home directives became more common across a nation suffering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, I had a chance to visit with a brother in Christ who moved away a few years back.

In the course of our telephone conversation I made the observation that we cannot live each day on the mountaintop, that we spend most of our days in the valley.

His answer was immediate: "I disagree."

Rather than being defensive, I waited eagerly to hear what came next. I was not disappointed.

I could "see" my dear brother's face as his voice changed in excitement:

"I'm on top of the mountain," he said. "I am in God's hands. My soul is safe. That's all that matters -- we are gold in God's eyes! I love it. It's just fantastic!"

Because I know he always speaks to me from a heart of love, I embraced this "mountaintop message" immediately. My brother knows the word, he knows Jesus as Lord of his life -- and he is happy to share the joy of that relationship with everyone, saved or pre-saved.

"The only time we are in the valley," he said, "is when we take our eyes off Jesus. It is then that we must take our eyes off of ourselves -- and look back on God."

This is not a man whose life has been free of struggle and heartache. Quite the contrary. But he is a man who truly demonstrates the daily life of a once despondent, hopeless creature who was "born again" in Christ. He is living this life joyfully, serving in love, with eager anticipation of the indescribable joys of eternal life in Heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for my dear brother in Christ. Thank you for the reminder that "God's got us, and relationship with Him gives us the gift of a never-ending joy."

"... and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8

(Note: I found this pilothouse instrument photo in my archives, thought immediately that even as we "hunker down," we should seek ways to represent Christ from home: "All Ahead Full!" We do not reach the tape in this race until we physically die, or Christ returns for His church.)