A Believable God

As we make our way towards heaven, it requires copious amounts of faith.  It is this faith which not only sustains us, but fuels us, and prepares our way into heaven. Hebrews 11:6 states that ". . . without faith it is impossible to please Him. . . ."  Pleasing God is my dearest desire, without which my life is an aimless ship adrift on the ocean of time and space.

Tomorrow morning, Rodger and I are putting our faith into the hands of an eye surgeon as he undergoes a refractive lensectomy on his right eye.  We trust in the doctors skill to do the job with mastery and excellence.  But we don't blindly do this.  We know that the surgeons at this center have a good reputation.  They have many years of combined experience and success to bolster our confidence in them.

Our faith in God is no less based on blind faith, but on the recorded deeds of our God.  The Bible is full of His promises, kept.  He never waivered in doing what He said, whether it was in response to faithful living, or discipline of His chosen people.

Not only is God's hand seen in the events of the Bible, but His reliability is seen in creation.  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, each faithfully follows one another throughout the years.  There is variation in their character, some are warmer, some are colder, wetter, drier, stormier, and on and on, but they do come without fail.  The sun is always there, whether we see it or feel it's heat.  The moon continues to orbit our earth, night after night.

These things, big and little help me believe in a God Who is Himself believable, reliable, trustworthy and faithful.  My faith is built on those things I can judge.  Even though I cannot feel Him, see Him or hear Him, I know by the record of those who did that He is.  I believe because the complexity and wonderful design nature speaks to a Creator.

So my life depends, not on whether God answers our prayers in the way we want tomorrow.  But on His faithfulness in doing what is best.  He sees the big picture.  I know that no matter the specific outcome that He will faithfully keep us and love us.  He will care for us until we do see Him face to face.

The journey continues;  sometimes over rocky ground, sometimes smooth.  But no matter, His hand guides and steadies.  It picks me up when I fall because He is totally dependable and believable.

Mentoring

I was reading a bit on the Barna web page about the millennial departure from the church and one statement stood out. The need for mentors. And not preacher or elder mentors necessarily, but faithful men and women who can take a young person by the hand and show them how important and how relevant belonging to Christ's body is. 

We've got to take responsibility for our young people. Think about what we put emphasis on throughout the year. Good grades, getting to sports events, going to prom, getting graduated, going to the right college, getting a good job, finding yourself, getting married, having kids, the list goes on. But where is the church? How are young people supposed to know how important their faith in God and their involvement in the church is when we've cluttered their lives with all this other stuff that's just going to burn up in the end? What are they seeing in our lives? Are we dedicated to the Lord more than one hour on Sunday morning? Do we find our niche in the church and serve others? How can we expect the young people to want to belong if we're not showing them the dedication ourselves? 

Invite a young person to come with you when you serve! Don't just assume they're too busy! My two are inundated with opportunities to serve, and we try to encourage it as much as possible. Young people need to know they're needed. And they should know it's important to be involved. 

I would love to go on with more on this track, but I'm sure you've got other posts you'd like to read. Thanks for your time. 


Thank you to Judy Preston for letting me share her thoughts here today!

Today in America it is Flag Day.  It was first observed on June 14th, 1877, 100 years after congress passed the first flag resolution.

I have always been grateful to be an American, where our religious freedom was protected by the constitution of our country.

Today in the chaos of our changing world, we should be thankful for the many blessings we have.  But we should also spend time on our knees asking God to guide our leaders as they make decisions that will impact us now and generations to come.  We cannot deny that things are changing and not for the better.  Ungodly people are making decisions and influencing change that will directly affect us and our descendants in their ability to worship our God and live as Christians.

Now, having said that, I want to qualify with this:  No matter what happens, God is still God.  He is still the Captain of my destiny and the Lord of my life.  The man in the White House will in no way change what I believe or Who I worship.

I love America, but I love God more.  I am blessed to live in a country where we have freedom to worship how we desire.  But freedom comes with responsibility.  One, to remind each successive generation of the sacrifices made for that freedom and also, the responsibility to share the truth of God's word with those around me.

God gives true freedom, no matter where you live.  The freedom from sin and death are greater than the freedom to live where you like or do what you want.  Eternity has two destinations.  Everyone has a choice which they will choose.

Where will you spend your eternity?  You may go where you wish, but I choose to spend it with God, praising the God Who offers us the only true freedom.  Whether you live in war torn city or quiet, peaceful nations, the real answer to all of life's trouble is to look to the Creator and accept the ultimate gift, Jesus perfect sacrifice, offered on the cross for us.

 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  Romans 6:1-4 New King James Version