I Can See Clearly Now…

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day

These are the lyrics that Johny Nash sang back in 1972.  You can watch him sing it here if you so desire. (But please come back and read this when you are done watching the video.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkwJ-g0iJ6w

I just got glasses a couple of weeks ago and since I still struggle with vanity in this life I decided to get progressive lenses. (Bifocals seemed like such a nasty term.) After getting my eyes examined and ordering the glasses, the glasses place called me and said that my glasses were in. The day I had been looking for was here. No more reader glasses to wear. Now I have glasses to put on my head full time.

I went to the glasses place and put them on. “These will not work”, I said. My sight far away was okay, but seeing up close was a great struggle. The glasses lady told me that it would take time to get used to progressive lenses and not to wear my readers anymore. I thought to myself, “No way, lady. You are not seeing what I see. (or don’t see)” I wanted to go back to the old reader glasses. Just forget these new ones and give me the old!

Well, here I am a couple of weeks later writing this blog on my computer wearing my new glasses. I can see clearly now the fuzziness is gone. It just took some time and training.

Occasionally God’s Word can be like that. You read a passage and it seems to be a bit fuzzy. You look at it and say, “No way.” “It doesn’t make sense.” “It does not fit into my thought process.”  This is where that temptation to just throw out the Bible passage comes in. Saying that you will just go with your old way of thinking.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

Renewing our mind comes from the Bible, God’s Word. As followers of Jesus Christ: We study in order to rightly divide the truth. (2nd Timothy 2:15) We believe God’s Word will teach and transform us. (Hebrews 4:12) We understand that it is truth. (John 17:17) We go to the Bible for everything. (Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119) We ask God for understanding and the Holy Spirit teaches us. (John 14:26)

Maybe the Bible is a bit fuzzy to you at times. Maybe you have tried to read and study, but it just doesn’t make sense. Don’t give up. Continue to study. Ask someone who you know who teaches or preaches the depths of the Bible for help in your own study. Be diligent and become mature in God and His Word, then you will be able to say, “I can see clearly now.”

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5:14

The Most Read Book?

I just read an article that dealt with the most read books in the world in the past 50 years. And now for your reading entertainment, here are the top 10 books listed in this article:

10. Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy – 17 Million Copies

9. Diary of Anne Frank – 27 Million Copies

8. Think and Grow Rich – 30 Million Copies

7. Gone With the Wind – 33 Million Copies

6. Twilight – The Saga – 43 Million Copies

5. The Da Vinci Code – 57 Million Copies

4. Lord of the Rings – 103 Million Copies

3. Harry Potter – 400 Million Copies

2. Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-Tung – 820 Million Copies

And…Drum Roll, Please………

The number 1 book in the last 50 years…

Of course is the Bible – 3.9 Billion Copies

That’s right – 3.9 BILLION Copies sold. 3,900.000,000. That is mind boggling. As I write these words there are just over 6.8 Billion people in the world (with more being born every second). That is roughly a copy of the Bible for 59% of the world’s population.

My problem with this article is that it claims that these are the most read books in the past 50 years. I do not know anyone who has claimed to have read Mao Tse-Tung’s writings but I am sure that most of them that were printed were read. I do know quite a few people who have read the Harry Potter books. You run into them every day. When a new book in this particular series came out people lined up to purchase and read the latest installment of Harry Potter. People would stay up all night just to get the latest on Harry and his friends.

I have never seen people in line waiting to obtain a Bible. (At least not in this country.) I rarely hear of the stories and truths of the Bible talked about in everyday life. I would even estimate that less than 50% of people in church buildings even bring a Bible with them to the place where the Bible is to be taught and studied together. Have you read any of the books on this most read list? Is the Bible the most read book in your life?

If you want some exciting and amazing reading, then here is a new reading list for you:

10. Hitchhikers Guide to the Creator of the Galaxy - Genesis 1:1-31

9. Diary of Anna (when she saw the baby Jesus) – Luke 2:36-38

8. Think and Grow Rich in God – Ephesians 2:4-10

7. Gone with the Wind  - 2nd Kings 2:1-11

6. TheLight – The Savior – John 8:12

5. The Convicting One – Jude 1:14-15

4. Lord of All Things – Acts 10:34-43

3. Master Potter – Isaiah 64:8

2. Quotations from the Works of Moses’ Own Tongue – Deuteronomy 31:7-8

and of course,

1. The Entire  Bible – Psalm 119:160; 2nd Timothy 2:15; 1st Thessalonians 2:13

I pray that you treasure God’s Word and that it really is your most read book. God will change your life as you read His Word.

Psalm 19:7-11 - The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Prodigious Appellations (Big Words)

Type III Paraesophageal Hernia. That was a diagnosis given for a man who is a member of our church. Well, I know what a hernia is. I know what an esophagus is. But put all that together and it becomes a bit mysterious. Here is the definition: “Enlargement of the esophageal hiatus in the diaphragm through which the stomach and possibly other intraabdominal organs migrate into the chest. Type III being when the Gastroesophageal Junction herniates to the chest , along with a paraesophageal component.”

Now you know what those prodigious appellations mean. Maybe.

Many times we dislike and avoid big words. We hear them. We read them. We don’t understand them, so then our usual course of action is to skip over them. The man in our church and the surgeons did not skip over these words. They were very important to the life of this man. (He is recovering wonderfully since his surgery.) You cannot dumb down the medical language without taking away some of its meaning. The greatness of the definition comes when you dig into the depths of its meaning.

1st John 4:10 - In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Propitiation is one of those prodigious appellations. Outside the Bible I have rarely seen it used. Many see this word in their Bible and just pass it by. But again, the greatness comes when you dig into the depths of the meaning of the word. Propitiation means the appeasement or averting of God’s wrath on sinners. What Jesus did on the cross took away the wrath of God on sinners who commit their lives to Him. It brings with it the concepts of forgiveness and mercy and grace and peace and hope and love and life. There is great depth in the meaning of propitiation.

Let me encourage you not to skip over the prodigious appellations you come across in life. There are great depths of knowledge and wisdom held in depths of their meanings.

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

A Quick Melting Away

This morning I woke up to snow. I checked the news and almost every school had been cancelled in the area. It wasn’t much snow, but enough to make some slippery driving.

As I typically do after a snow, I went out and shoveled the small parking lot on the east side of the church building. I wanted to get the snow off so the sun could warm up the asphalt and get it completely free of any slick spots. I was outside for about 45 minutes and had a great time shoveling and pushing the snow around. I really do love snow.

Being the great father that I am, I decided to let my son do our own driveway and sidewalk. I was going to tell him to do it when I went home for lunch. Well, 12 o’clock rolled around and I went home to eat (we live right next door to the church) and walked on a nice clean sidewalk and noticed the drive was cleared of all snow. Aaron hadn’t touched the shovel – God took care of it. The sun had come out and melted the snow off the sidewalk and driveway.

God brought a quick melting away.

Sometimes our heart can become icy. Days and weeks and sometimes months and years of being away from God have caused a coldness that seems to cover our life. We don’t have any assurance of His grace or love or joy. We lack a true worship of Him that we used to know. We seem so far away and that far away land is very cold and icy.

Psalm 75:1 – We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for Your name is near.

This is a great attribute of God – His nearness. We do not have to go to some Mecca to find Him. He is near. He wants to melt away the icy coldness so that we can know the joy of warm fellowship with Him.

Jeremiah 24:7 - I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

If you are in that cold icy land that is distant to God, call out to Him. He is near. Return to Him with your whole life and know the joy of His warmth. Call out to Him and He will bring a quick melting away to your life.

To Tell The Truth

I know…it’s been forever since I wrote my last post. My life has been filled with a billion different events and pulls on my life. The whole world has been calling and writing and emailing and texting and facebooking and twittering and visiting me with something that I should do or read or hear or etc.   My life has been on the go 24 hours a day/7 days a week. With family and church and softball coaching and friends and fire department and all the rest of the stuff in my life, I haven’t had a single minute of time for myself or for this blog.

Did you catch all of the exaggerations in my opening paragraph? The truth is that it has not been forever since my last blog and there haven’t been a billion pulls on my life. If I had actually been busy 24/7 I would be dead right now and as far as I can tell, I am not dead.

People so often speak in these exaggerated terms and when they (we) do it diminishes the true value of those words. And that in turn leads to a diminished truth.

When you read the following verses in the Bible, do you read them with diminished definitions?

Exodus 15:18 – The Lord will reign forever and ever.

Psalm 33:11 -The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

Psalm 119:160 -The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

1st John 2:17 – And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

These are just some of the forever verses in the scriptures. There are many others dealing with eternity and God and us. There are even more verses with words that we seem to read with diminished definitions. I am so thankful that mankind’s diminishing does nothing to the truth of God’s word.

Let me encourage you to read the Bible as it really is – The very truth of God. You will begin to see God and His kingdom in a more wonderful and complete way.

Jeremiah 15:16 -Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

It’s Always The Same…Or is it?

As most of you know, I went on a kayak trip the last weekend in February. It was cold. The days were beautiful and sunny with the temps in the low 40′s, but the night was not sunny at all. The warmth of the full moon just wasn’t there. My thermometer read a chilly 19 degrees when we woke up. The frost was on the sleeping bag and everything else. But even with the frosty cold air, the trip was awesome!

This was my third annual winter kayak trip and there have been many more summer river adventures. We haven’t varied much on our trips so you would think that it would get boring seeing the same things over and over. That thinking isn’t quite right. Last year we saw about 25 eagles. This year only 2. We have seen snow and rain and minks and raccoons and deer and turtles and wild horses and crows and people and ice and well, a bunch of other stuff. Each trip is different.

Highlights from this year’s trip:

Putting in at Round Spring (Jon & Tim)

An Icy Trip

God's Amazing Creation

Two Rednecks Getting Warm

Once you stop laughing at the above picture, let’s get back to my point.

I have been on this same stretch of river many times. The quiet, still, slow moving parts and the fast, splashing, almost overturning parts. Many times on the same parts but always something new and exciting to see.

It is the same way with God’s Word, the Bible. You may read a particular passage over and over at different times in your life but there is always something new and exciting.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Don’t read or study God’s Word thinking that it will be a boring trip over the same material. There should be amazement at the quiet, still, slow moving parts and excitement when we come to the fast moving parts. We just have to have our eyes open to what God is wanting us to learn.

Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

The “Why’s” of a 4 year Old

As most parents know there comes a time in child rearing where the most annoying word in the English language is the word “why”. A child of around 4 (more or less) starts asking why about everything.     Why is the sky blue? Why do I have hair? Why do dogs bark? Why do I have to go to bed? Why? Why? Why?

We are so thankful when the “why” stage becomes a thing of the past. In actuality though, it is just the vocalization that becomes a thing of the past. The “why’s” are still there, but are mainly contained inside. Inside and somewhat quiet until something bad happens in life and the persistent “why’s” come back again.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I received a call informing me that a former church member took her life. She was only 38 years old and left behind an 11 year old daughter. It was a shock to my mind. Why would this happen? Why would she do such a thing?

I have my opinions, but I cannot fully know the why. So, what do I do?

When a child asks the question, “Why is the sky blue?”, the answer

“A clear cloudless day-time sky is blue because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light.  When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colors because the blue light has been scattered out and away from the line of sight.”

is not the answer they are looking for. They cannot comprehend the complexities of a scientific answer. So we say, “Because God made it that way.” (which is a great answer)  or some other answer. Part of what the child is seeking is the answer to the question, but more so the comfort in knowing that someone has the answer.

I cannot comprehend all the complexities of life. It is far above my capacity to do so, but I do know Someone who has every answer and the complexities are simple to Him.

The Creator knows all about His creation.

Knowing that I will not know or even understand the why’s I go to God and I ask for His comfort and strength. I gain comfort knowing He has the answer.

Isaiah 40:28-31 – Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

If you have some “why’s” in your life right now, go to God. Trust Him. Gain comfort from Him and then comfort others with that same comfort that is given to you.

With Great Anticipation

One week from tomorrow I will begin my 3rd annual overnight winter kayak trip on the Current River, putting in at Round Spring. There is great anticipation in my heart and I am looking forward to getting out on the river. (Not in the river, just on the river. . . hopefully.) There is a different atmosphere out in the river wilderness during the wintertime. You meet very few people on the river (because it is cold) and more animals come out to see why you are on the river (because there are very few people out there being that it is COLD!). I love it. I can’t wait!

I have been preparing for the trip for a few weeks now, both mentally and physically. Got some new gear (rated to -40 degrees) to keep me warm (because it is cold) while on the river (again, not in the river). Been thinking about what food to take, how to pack the sleeping bag and extra clothes, the coffee pot and coffee to warm me up (because it is cold). Been looking at the route and the place to stop and sleep (no tents: tents are for sissies). Basically, I have been preparing for a future time and place of joy.

As Christians we are to be looking forward to a future time and a future joy. The place where we will see Jesus face to face. A place of perfect peace. A place of joy beyond our imagination. God will replace this sin-cursed world and sky with something brand new.

2nd Peter 3:13-14 – But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

We are to be looking forward to this future place, this future time. God also tells us, in our anticipation of waiting on the future, to be preparing ourselves in the here and now. Diligently placing the qualities and obedience in our lives that God has told us should be in our lives. (All found in the Bible.)

I don’t know what you are looking forward to doing tomorrow or next week. It may be something even more awesome than winter kayaking on the Current River. Whatever you are waiting for, also set your heart on the best future yet to come in Jesus. Then live your life like you are heading there right now with all joy and anticipation.

The Not-So-Hidden Picture

Where’s Waldo? That was a question I asked my kids when they were younger. We would look through a book trying to find Waldo in the mass of other people on the page. We had “I Spy” books and other books that would lead us to find something that was right in front of us. These items were tough to find because of the plethora of items on the page. (Plethora!!! Stop using big words. O.K. — How ’bout “bunches”.) These books are popular because they contain Not-So-Hidden pictures that are plain to see.

Below is a picture that hangs in my office. A man sitting on a rock by a stream reading a Biblical scroll. The verse on the bottom right is Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

As you look at this poorly photographed picture, do you see the not-so-hidden picture?

I found this picture in a bookstore with the question “Do you see the hidden picture?” written above it. To be honest, I never saw what was hidden until someone pointed it out to me. As soon as I understood what I was looking at I was amazed. It was right there in front of me. A picture of Jesus looking down at the man. Now the only thing I see when I look at the picture is Jesus looking at the man reading the scroll.

I think it is easier to see with the picture being small but in case you were like me in missing the not-so-hidden picture, here it is with the outline of the head drawn on the glass of the picture.

Now go back to the original picture. You can’t miss seeing the image of Jesus. (Actually, some artists idea of what Jesus looked like.) But it is there. The Not-So-Hidden picture is Not-So-Hidden at all!!

It is the same way with all of creation around us. Some will look at the universe and completely miss the not-so-hidden picture. They see only material and energy. They look at the universe through telescopes for the big picture and through microscopes for the small picture, yet, so many have their eyes closed to the truth of the picture.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing.  Isaiah 40:26

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.    Isaiah 40:28

Everywhere I look I see the not-so-hidden picture – - God’s handiwork. I am amazed when people can’t see what He has done. Instead of saying “Where’s Waldo?” they say “Where’s God?”.  So we must say to all we see, “Lift up your eyes and see His handiwork.” and continue to proclaim His glory and salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

BOGOF

BOGOF – One of my favorite group of letters. I got an email from Dairy Queen that gave me a link to print out a coupon. Not just any coupon, but a BOGOF coupon – Buy One Get One Free. If I buy a 16 ounce Blizzard they will give me another 16 ounce Blizzard for free. What a great deal! BOGOF brings a smile to face and happiness to my tongue. In just a little bit my wife and I are going to the land of DQ to use the BOGOF. (Yes, even in the midst of winter.) Smiles and happiness. Happiness and smiles.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because wall sinned – Romans 5:12

Wow. I just jumped from smiling happiness to total, complete sadness. This is some really bad news. One man’s sin brought in death and sin. Now we really can’t blame Adam because we all have made the same choice. We chose sin. We know sin has brought in death. It is all around us. Someday we will also die. But this death that was brought in goes beyond just the physical. This sin also brought in spiritual death. Spiritually separated from God. That is horrible news.

But there is more. There is good news. News that should bring in happiness and smiles.  Not from an email with a link, but from the truth of God’s Word, the Bible.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.  Romans 5:15

Granted, this is not some sort of coupon to print out and redeem. We can’t buy the grace of God. We can’t do anything to earn the free gift of salvation, but I hope you kind of see the loose tie with the BOGOF.   Jesus, the only Son of God, came and gave His life for the many. By this one Man’s act, many would be saved. God’s grace has been poured out on many. Not just smiles and happiness, but true joy and true peace and true hope and true love and true life.

I am looking forward to going to Dairy Queen this evening. A celebration of tastes. There will be other smiling people there who are also enjoying the delights of the Blizzard.

There is an even greater time that I enjoy. Being with other Christians at church (and other places). A place where we really celebrate together the truth of God’s love through Jesus Christ – where we sing about His grace and share with one another the greatness of God.

Thank you, God for the Free Gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ! (And thank you for Dairy Queen.)