A New Year's Goal 

I am not really a fan of making New Year's resolutions.  It seems that most people don't really take them seriously.  Anymore most people consider them made to be broken.  However, now

that the new year is approaching I would like to suggest a New Year's Goal.

I really can't remember how many years ago it was, maybe 25 or so.  I decided to start reading through the Bible in a year.  I began with the "Narrated Bible" which was later published under the title "The Daily Bible."  This Bible was put in as close to chronological order as the editor could make it and then divided up into daily readings.  I really enjoyed that and used that method for a few years.

After some time I began to long for more time in the New Testament.  I had been spending the majority of the year in the Old Testament and was ready for a change.  At that time I was still homeschooling several of my children and I received a planner which included a Bible reading plan that would get through the entire Bible in one year.  This plan included four readings a day.  There were historical, poetic, and two different New Testament readings.  I loved this plan and used it for years.   I tore those pages out of my planner and kept them in my Bible case.  I still have those pages and they are pretty worn.  

A few years ago some Bible publishers came out with Bibles that were printed without chapter and verse markings.  The idea was to be able to just read without the distractions of those markings, footnotes and etc.  We purchased a copy of the English Standard Version in this edition.  That became my new Bible reading plan.  I really enjoyed that method.  Over the years we have purchased this edition in several versions.  We bought a multi-volume ESV, a multi-volume ASV and the Holman Christian Standard.  I highly recommend these editions.

I have enjoyed continuing to use various versions through the years.  Not all versions are available in these editions but I believe more are being published.  This past year I decided to read the New American Standard from the copy we purchased when we were in college even before we were married.  It, of course, has the chapter and verse markings.  After having read the Bible without such markings I find it easier to ignore them, at least to an extent.  

All this to get back around to saying that now is a great time to set a goal of reading through the Bible in 2023.  I guarantee it will be a blessing to you.  I cannot tell you what a great blessing it has been to me to develop this practice.  

With the world all around us telling us all kinds of things and distracting us from listening to God's voice, it is vital that we spend time reading and meditating on God's word.  The lies of Satan can sound pretty convincing and if we are not listening to the right voice we will be led astray.  

Let's welcome the new year with a new goal.  Choose a method.  You can use one of my

methods or look online and find a method that suits you.  I recently discovered YouVersion and hope to make use of it in the new year.  I think they have Bible reading plans.  Whatever method you choose, be sure to stick with it and you will find yourself reaping the benefits.

Do you have a favorite Bible reading plan?  If so, please share it in the comments.  We would all like to hear about it.

 I Want to Be Like My Dad

We have all heard it.  Most children go through a time when they think their Dad is the greatest.  He can do no wrong.  We all enjoy watching cute little children imitating their dad's mannerisms and even saying they want to grow up to be just like their dad.  

As Christians we are called to be just like our Father!  Some time ago one of my Bible memory passages was Ephesians 5:1-2. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (ESV) 

I have thought of it often.  We are called to be like children who are loved by their dad and who want to imitate him.  Wow!  How can I possibly imitate God?  My husband and I were talking about this just the other day and I said something like this to him.  He responded with some thoughts sparked by something one of his professors used to say.

 “People complain that ‘be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’ is an unreachable, unreasonable goal. Well, what does one expect? A religion that has goals that are all reachable would be a human religion. The whole idea of Christianity is that we cannot measure up to God’s standards, that we must have help – his grace and mercy to reach his standards.

“A god that can be fully grasped by the human mind is a god not worth having. A god whose standards are reachable by unaided and sinful humans is not much of a god. Of course, the God of the Bible is beyond our understanding and beyond our unaided imitation. It is the very essence of God to be well beyond what we humans can reach.”

Becoming like God is a theme in the New Testament.  In Matthew 5:48.  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (ESV) Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with these words.  He has just finished giving his disciples instructions for how they are to live and this is how he sums it up.

Consider 1 Peter 1:15-16 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (ESV)  This passage quotes from the Old Testament (Lev. 11:44).  The idea of imitating and striving to become like God is not exclusive to the New Testament.

Notice 1 John 3:1-3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (ESV)  We are God's children and some day will truly be like Him.  This hope motivates us to imitate Him.

This striving to be like Him will never be completely fulfilled during this earthly life.  It is a continuing task.  It is a daily attempt. We must keep this goal before our minds.  We cannot do it alone.  It is God Himself who will help us.

What can we do?  We must get to know God if we want to imitate Him.  Read His book daily.  Meditate on the words you read.  Learn about God's actions toward humanity.  Read about the incarnate God, Jesus Christ.

Some years ago it became popular to ask, "What Would Jesus Do?"  Many people took to wearing bracelets with that question printed on them to remind themselves to ask when they faced a decision or a difficult situation.  The question is a good one and can be helpful, but only if we know what Jesus did.  How can we expect to know how Jesus would respond in a given situation if we have never learned or studied how He did respond to the situations he faced on this earth?  Read the word, study the word, join others in studying the word, read books by those who have studied the word.  Get to know God.  Then begin the lifelong task of imitating Him.

 Perspective

For the most part, Americans are well-insulated from what is happening in the rest of the world.  Unless we make a deliberate effort we just focus on our own lives and how things are going in our corner of the world.

Yesterday we had an experience that has become unusual in this Southern African country.  Our power was off for hours.  We do occasionally have an outage when there is a severe storm but usually they do not last long.  This one lasted about six hours, although it did come on briefly (and I do mean briefly!) a few times before it finally stayed on. That was a bit difficult.  Since it went off in the afternoon it was not too difficult until it came time to fix supper and then as it got dark.  We have some special blessings.  A small generator was donated to us for the use of the church at Timbutini.  Most of the time during the week it stays with us.  We were able to keep our refrigerator cold and then as it got dark even have one light and charge the phone.  I did have to make some adjustments to what we were going to have for supper but that was not a hardship.  

Contrast that with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.  The attackers have deliberately damaged or destroyed their infrastructure so that they have very little access to electricity.  Whereas it is summer and warm weather here in the southern hemisphere, it is bitter cold winter in Ukraine.  People are struggling just to keep warm.  They have no idea when the attacks will stop and when they will have reliable utilities again.  For us the outage was an inconvenience.  For them it is life threatening.  A REAL problem.

Consider the people of Somalia.  Did you know that they are in the midst of a famine?  It is unlikely that it made the news in North America.  I had to adjust my meal plans due to the power outage but I had something to prepare.  The people of Somalia are watching their children suffer and die because they have nothing to feed them.  They have a REAL problem.

I know that things are getting more difficult in North America as inflation is high and prices are rising.  Many people are having to adjust their travel plans or eliminate some of the spending they usually do at Christmas time.  How many of your neighbors are living in cold, dark homes?  How many are sitting in the subways while missiles fly overhead?  How many people do you know who are malnourished and watching their children suffer and die?  

Consider your blessings.  Put things in perspective.  Pray for those who are suffering.  Share your blessings with the poor and needy (there are a lot of them all over the world).  Praise God that he gave you enough and to spare and use it for His glory.

Stand Firm

Human beings do not like pain and suffering.  We do just about anything to avoid them.  Yet, James tells us to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4 ESV)  The trials we face may cause us pain and suffering.  As Christians we are called to respond joyfully knowing that God will use them to bring us closer to being like Him.  

Jesus encourages us with these words,  "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV)  As long as we are living in this world we will have troubles of many kinds. We can face them with confidence and courage remembering that our Savior has overcome the world.  

Consider the Savior that we follow.  He left the glory of heaven and was born on earth to a poor family.  He had to work hard.  Shortly after he began his ministry the persecution and troubles began.  He was abused.  He was falsely accused.  He was beaten.  He was cruelly put to death.  Why do we think that we should not have any troubles in this life?

Here is what Jesus said to the church in Smyrna  "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10 ESV)

This world is under the power of darkness.  We see evil gaining a foothold everywhere we look.  We are facing the very real possibility of suffering for our faith.  This is nothing new.  Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).  He will do everything possible to discourage and trip up God's people.

We often forget that we are aliens living in a land not our own.  Hebrews 11 lists many heroes of faith.  They recognized that they were aliens, strangers in a land not their own.  We are part of that company.

Christians in the first century faced severe persecution.  They were living in the Roman Empire.  The emperor Nero was a tremendously evil man.  He lived in open sin.  He is said to have used Christians as torches to light his gardens, burning them to death.  We can read of Christians who were thrown to the lions or forced to face the gladiators.  Yet, many were faithful unto death and we benefit from their faithfulness as they passed on the faith.  

Persecution of Christians is already very real in many parts of the world.  Many of us grew up in places where the society was mostly in favor of Christians and Christianity.  Sadly, that is changing.  We must be aware and strive for faithfulness.  We must encourage one another.  We must focus on the word.  The world will try to convince us that we can compromise.  Do not be deceived.

Consider the case of Leah Sharibu.  Leah was one of 110 girls kidnapped from her boarding school in northern Nigeria on February 19, 2018 by militant Muslims.  Five girls died during the abduction.  Leah was 14 years old at the time of her abduction.  In March of 2018 the kidnappers returned 104 girls but they kept Leah.  Why did they keep her?  Leah refused to convert to Islam.  Leah follows Jesus Christ.  From that time to this, Leah has never been released.  The abductors threaten to keep her as a "slave for life."  Leah could have been released along with the other 104 girls over four years ago, but she refused to deny her Lord.

Most of us are unlikely to face the challenges that Leah and others like her are facing.  Our challenges will come in more subtle ways.  We will be pressured to conform to the world's agenda.  We will face difficulty in the work place, at school and even in our homes and, sadly, churches.  We may face loss of income or alienation from former friends and family.  Be warned, standing up for the truth will not be popular.  What it will be is right.  Faithfulness will lead to the crown of life.

(As I write this many American Christians are feeling discouraged and perhaps even hopeless about the direction of our society.  We must encourage one another to be strong and faithful.)

(The photo of Leah was taken before her abduction.)

God Hates Sin

"Love can forbear, and Love can forgive...but Love can never be reconciled to an unlovely object....He can never therefore be reconciled to your sin, because sin itself is incapable of being altered; but He may be reconciled to your person, because that may be restored."  Traherne, "Centuries of Meditation", II, 30

I have recently been reading C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain.  The above quote was at the beginning of the chapter on Divine Goodness.  

These days we hear people who claim to be Christians upholding sin in the lives of others and saying "God is love" as if that means that we should tolerate and even celebrate the sin.  If a Christian dares to speak out against those who live in open sin yet expect to be welcomed as a brother or sister, they are put down with these words.  

Indeed God is truly love.  That is his nature as we are shown throughout scripture.  At the same time we see that God hates sin.  A loving God must hate anything which destroys his people.  God cannot act contrary to his nature.  One of our former professors used to say something like this:  There are things God cannot do.  For example, He cannot lie, for He is truth.  He cannot die, for He is life.

The quote from Traherne makes it so clear.  God cannot accept sin.  If he accepted sin he would not be loving the person.  He longs to restore us to a perfect relationship with Him.  

We are called upon to love like Jesus loves.  If God could just accept sin there would have been no reason for Jesus to die on the cross.  Accepting the sin along with the sinner is not the way Jesus loves.  He came to reconcile us to the Father and show us how to live.  

Human beings will always try to be gods, deciding what is right and wrong for themselves.  Denying absolute truth and making up their own "truth."  Don't be deceived.  

God is love and He cannot be reconciled to sin.  

(I am finding The Problem of Pain to be a bit more difficult reading than other of Lewis' books I have read.  However, there are some great chapters and the chapter on Divine Goodness is one of them.  I recommend reading it for a clearer exposition on this topic.)

Be a Waterbuck

Earlier this week my husband and I spent a few days at Hlane Royal National Park, a game reserve about an hour and a half from our home, in celebration of our forty-seventh wedding anniversary. 

We enjoyed being surrounded by God's amazing and varied creation.

On Tuesday we decided to take a game viewing drive with one of the rangers.  Our ranger was a fount of information about the animals we saw.  

One of the many interesting animals was the waterbuck.  What our guide told us about this animal led me to think, hence this post.

When the waterbuck is being pursued by a lion he runs for the water.  As he nears the water he secretes an oily substance that coats his body so that he becomes somewhat water repellent.  In addition this substance has an odor and causes the meat to taste terrible.  When the lion gets wind of that scent he stops his pursuit knowing that even if he did manage to catch the waterbuck it would be inedible.

We as Christians need to be like the waterbuck.  Our enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us.  When we are being pursued we should run straight to the Lord.  We should have so much of God's word within us that it becomes our protection.  The Holy Spirit within us will bring scripture to our minds when we are under stress.  

Of course the comparison fails at one point (at least).  The waterbuck does not have to do anything to be able to secrete the oily substance that protects him.  It is part of his design.  We must deliberately plant the word of God in our minds and hearts so that it will be there when we are under attack.  

Be a waterbuck.  Run to the Lord.  Seek the protection his word can give.

 

 I Don't Have Time

Quite a few years ago my husband was asked to perform a wedding for a couple in Dover, Ohio.  Since he had to be there for a couple of days his host family took him to see some of the sights.  The place that made the greatest impression on him was the Warther Museum.  Some time later when we were in the area we went together to visit the museum. 

The Warther Museum was once the home of Mooney and Freida Warther and their five children.  Mooney worked in a steel mill and his wife worked hard taking care of the children, growing a huge garden, teaching community classes and collecting buttons.  

Both Mooney and Freida were very busy people but they found time for their creative hobbies.  Mooney had taught himself woodcarving as a young child after finding a rusty pocketknife while caring for the cows.  Freida had been given her mother's button box (as the oldest girl in the family this was the Swiss tradition) and also collected many thousands of buttons through the years.  

Mooney went on to carve amazingly intricate and accurate carvings of trains among other items.  Freida began laying out the buttons in beautiful quilt-like patterns.  The museum is filled with their work.  There is a building completely dedicated to Freida's button creations. 

When my husband visited the first time he was able to take a guided tour.  One of the visitors asked the tour guide how Mooney and Freida had time to pursue their hobbies while also working so hard.  The answer, "They didn't have television."  Now we would also add that they didn't have social media or the internet.

This all came to mind during a discussion we had after breakfast this morning.  I asked my husband how his class went yesterday evening.  He expressed some frustration over the fact that his students come to class unprepared which means time must be taken during the class period to read the material.

Sadly, this is a common problem.  Christians who claim to love the Lord and express their desire to grow spiritually often do not take the time to prepare for Bible class.  

In a recent sermon it was mentioned that if a school child spent only two hours per week in school it would take them ninety years to get the same number of hours that a child in this country would spend in school from the ages of 5 to 18.  Imagine if that child also refused to prepare his lessons.  Even if they spent the hours for those ninety years, they would still be under-educated.

James tells us, So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17 (ESV).  Could we go so far as to say that for those who know they should prepare for their Bible classes and who don't are sinning?

Consider what you are teaching your children if you make certain they do their schoolwork but don't even check to see if they have prepared for their Bible class.  What example are you setting if you are always unprepared for Bible class?

We like to say that we just don't have time.  Mooney and Freida had the same 24 hours in a day as we have.  You have time to do the things you really want to do.  It is easy for Satan to tell us that we are too busy to read our Bibles, prepare our lessons and pray.  

(By the way, if you are ever in Dover, Ohio, I strongly urge you to visit the Warther Museum.  It is worth it.)

(The picture above on the left is an older picture of Mooney working on a carving.  You can see some of his trains in the background.  The picture on the right is of some of Freida's button pictures.)