Share the good news while there is yet time

 

^{Matthew 24:8 "Jesus immediately went on to explain some of the signs to come, such as wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, false teachers, and the persecution of Christians. We are seeing all of these things today, including nations fighting nations, and He described them as the beginning of birth pangs."}

Lord, I thank you for Your word, for prophecies fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. May Your faithfulness in my life, as well as signs of Your return for Your church, inspire me to a sense of urgency so I am eager to share the gospel to those in the dark.

Moonshot features creation story: 1968

 
It was the night before Christmas in 1968 when the Apollo 8 astronauts beamed back a message for “the good Earth” while circling the moon. NASA Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first to orbit the moon on Dec. 24, 1968. NASA managers had told the Apollo 8 astronauts to prepare to share some words with the world that would be broadcast around the globe. The crew was given the creative freedom to choose what to say but were told “to do something appropriate,” Borman said in a 2008 interview. With that in mind, they chose to read the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis from the Bible:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
 

Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters that were below the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse “heaven.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the waters He called “seas”; and God saw that it was good.”

USAF Maj. Gen. (ret) Anders now calls Anacortes home. He is founder of the Heritage Flight Museum in Burlington.

Photos: Astronauts James (Jim) Lovell, Frank Borman, and William (Bill) Anders pose for a portrait in their space suits on November 22, 1968, just less than a month before they would orbit the Moon. Astronaut Anders, courtesy of Heritage Flight Museum.

God's handiwork

A rare period of snow and ice has me "restricted" in terms of photography opportunities this week. So it is I began looking around the house for options. I didn't have to look far. On a table by a living room window is this beautiful orchid, displaying its tropical beauty even as we prepare for Christmas. Take the photo, match with a scripture and you have it -- my newest eCard.

Wait for the Lord

 

Time together in the Word

 

Is there anything better than reading the Bible out loud with a loved one?

A friend of mine shared with me not long ago that he and his wife have been starting the day with Scripture and prayer.

I recently committed to a 90-day reading of the New Testament, and my wife jumped at the suggestion we share some of those readings together. When we do, we take turns reading, and it is a coveted time.

One of our shared readings recently was Matthew 19 regarding marriage. “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Love and marriage are precious gifts, part of God’s design for those He created in His own image. May we always be eager to share our “oneness” in Bible study, conversation and prayer.

Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Listen to the Lord, live securely

 

Gospel message not complicated

 This "gospel in a nutshell" Scripture is worth memorizing.

'I AM HE'

 A year ago we visited the "Bavarian village" of Leavenworth in eastern Washington. Among the photos I took was this shot of the misty mountains to the west. I designed this scripture card with cellphones in mind. Makes a great screensaver.

Humility in Christ

 

My wife was excited to see this fragile splash of color as one of her orchids bloomed even as cold days become shorter.

I saw the flowers and thought immediately of what a great image it would make for a scripture card. After partnering with this verse from Micah I was pleasantly surprised to hear two people respond by declaring: "That's one of my favorite Bible verses!"

Thank you, Lord, for once again affirming my habit of sharing your word in conjunction with photography, one of my passions.