Sweet Words from Maine

Change

Most of us no longer work the family farm or commute to work in the mills. Our society is no longer primarily agrarian or industrial. However, a strange, pandemic induced twist has sent many workers back to work on “the farm” where trade tools are now computers rather than hay rakes and garden hoes.

Social values are also changing. As we become more affluent, cosmopolitan and liberal, we tend to exaggerate and elevate our desires into purposes and to think in relative terms rather than holding tightly to high moral standards. We seek fulfillment in easy living, special recognition, mega-mansions, expensive entertainment, sex wherever and with whom we want, and guarantees that we are not only free to do and have anything we want but that society should work for us to attain it.

Speaking to Solomon, King David gave this counsel: “My son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9 (NLT2)

That truth is both reassuring and disturbing. Where does God fit into our plans and thoughts? In our search for meaning and wholeness, we often resist God and the principles He designed to give us the best possible life. Our understanding of the world may change, but God’s purposes and the deep needs of our spirits will never be any different. That discovery of purpose is all about our souls and not about our material, sensual lives. It is more about humility and selflessness than self exultation.

Because we have become distorted images of what He created us to be, God has made a way for our restoration. In His wisdom, love, and grace, He meets the need of our fragile, fickle, stubborn, proud, poorly focused, broken, imperfect souls which are embodied in dust. He safe guards them by accepting the consequences of our waywardness through Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf and by forgiving us when we choose Him.

We may be ambiguous about being made in God’s image…but God is not. He has done everything possible to restore us to the image we are intended to be. Our repentance and His restorative power makes all the difference!

Considering Him and His life principles will transform the desires of our hearts.

Creation Knows!

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. (Job: 7-10)

For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made…(Romans 1:20)

The Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night
Hill and vale and tree and flower
Sun and moon and stars of light
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For the joy of human love
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends on earth, and friends above
For all gentle thoughts and mild
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For each perfect gift of thine
To our race so freely given
Graces human and divine
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise
This our joyful hymn of praise

Several stanzas from “For the Beauty of the Earth” , written by Folliot Pierpoint in 1864 when he was 29 years old.

Whose Pleasure?

Hidden behind these beautiful mountains ranges, expansive heavens, flowing rivers, color filled, forested valleys, and rolling hills lie ages of unraveled mysteries which challenge us to consider the unique design of our planet and how this vast universe transcends understanding while hinting that it is the place where we have always belonged.

Scripture’s statements about God’s creativity are amazing and reassuring but can also be startling and even mildly disconcerting at times . The King James Version says God “created all things for his pleasure.” Another version says He created what He “pleased.” (Revelations 4:10 NLT2)

Those should be comforting statements because what pleases God is good. However, to willful, self centered, authority-resistant humans who believe in self determination and concentrate on personal desires, such a doctrine is cringeworthy. It can appear to reveal a controlling, egotistical god whose creation is woefully flawed! That perception is often predicated upon the human experience of suffering and evil. So, tension arises between God’s capabilities, sovereign purposes, the concept of free will, and the sacred revelations of God’s flawless, holy, loving , just, omniscient, authoritative character.

Tension between these ideas lessens a bit if one considers that God acts within the confines of His holy, just, and loving character but also within an individual’s will, choices, and circumstances (good or evil) to accomplish His ultimate purpose of redemption and restoration of all creation! Perhaps the greatest example of the interaction of divine love and human evil is found in Christ’s sacrificial death for humanity’s salvation. He was crucified through the evil intents of men but for our ultimate benefit. That onerous and unspeakable provided hope for mankind.

Although there are many things which please God, there is one prerequisite. Faith! “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists.” (Hebrews 11:6) We are free to seek or not seek God. However, we cannot please Him by any means, efforts, or methods apart from belief.

Eden was ours before it became “Paradise Lost” due to our brokenness and unholy imperfections. However, God wants us to regain what was lost. So he fixed our brokenness by paying the consequences of our sins and thereby accepting us into his kingdom through Christ’s perfection and redemptive work. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Ephesians 1:7-8)

His grace plus our faith equate to a restored relationship with God. Jesus said that it pleases God to give us His Kingdom! “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” which the Apostle Paul reminds us is not a matter of eating and drinking but is a spiritual Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. It is a place of spiritual rest and protection. (Ephesians 2:8-9) (Luke 12:31-32)(Romans 14:17)

God has created us so that we may experience His pleasure. Everything that is good and perfect flows from His grace . Most importantly, He has given us Himself so that we might know the deep pleasures of peace and eternal hope.

Living in Awe

…‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,
for he gives us rain each spring and fall,
assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’

Jeremiah 5:24

With advanced farming methods, techniques, and technologies, we have figured out ways to assist God with crop production. So, it is easy to miss the wonder–the underlying miracle of life lying within the tiniest seed pushing it to fruit.

Similarly, we educate the human mind, glamorize the human body, and enjoy the pleasantries of materialism, but if we lack faith and neglect our souls, we miss the wonder and meaning of life and do not flourish as the intended images of God’s character.

By using an agricultural metaphor, Christ addressed how this kind of robust faith develops: “ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in tthis world will keep it for eternity.” (John 12:24-25 (NLT2)

Faith means a readiness to submit ones soul to God and is evidenced by humility, repentance, and selflessness. It entails a willingness to live under the rule of God rather than the rule of self and the ways of the world. It requires a belief in, or acceptance of, and submission to, the grace and authority of God and to the truth that we are morally broken, imperfect people who need forgiveness which holy God has lovingly and graciously provided through the amazing, redemptive, restorative work of the resurrected Christ, who made the awful payment for our sinfulness on the cross.

That kind of love should be awe inspiring enough. However, the Psalmist broadens the wonder by expressing the persistent biblical theme that God holds all of life in His hand! He is at the beginning and at the end!

“Let the whole world (reverence) the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.” (Psalm 33: 8-9, 20-22 (NLT2)

And Jude similarly expressed this wonder for God as he ended his letter to early believers: “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:25)

Creation draws our minds to God, who helps us blossom with the beauty of his character when we choose Him. That surely meets the requirements of awesomeness!

Good Beginnings…Good Endings…

Whether it is the dawning of a new day or the emergence of a beautiful, new life, a good beginning may increase the chance for a full, meaningful day or purposeful life but does not guarantee either. One fragile moment or one wrong step may change the trajectory of life forever.

Country music star Roy Clark expressed the hazards of a self absorbed life style in his 1969 song, “Yesterday when I was young” : “I never stopped to think what life was all about/And every conversation I can now recall/Concerns itself with me and nothing else at all.”

We have all experienced that need to define and prove and express our unique individualities and to live as we want without much consideration for others or their counsel. Wise mentors encourage us to be generous, consider end goals, and warn us about leading wasteful lives that end with regrets. Often we believe that means living emotionally and physically healthy lives, being financially independent, and feeling fulfilled and happy, but many times in our search, we ignore ultimate realities and the care of our souls.

Some might disagree with this concept of man’s nature and may ignore or disbelieve the theological fact that we are embodied souls and that our physical bodies are not who we are but are created to sense the glorious material world about us. They enable us to interpret and respond to our circumstances in physically, intellectually, emotionally, and morally appropriate ways.

When we focus on the material world of pleasures and comfort rather than nourishing our created purpose for knowing God and honoring Him in our relationships, we minimize our humanity and regretfully miss the mark of how to live an optimum soul life.

Ancient Scripture provides answers on how to live without regret. Consideration of the moral code will verify that. If we honor God with belief and trust, with awe and loving, respectful, righteous living and treat our neighbors honestly and justly and love them as we love ourselves then hostilities would cease, violence would abate, hatred would vanish and we would live in understanding and peace. Christ’s first big teaching session explored the fact that the root meaning of the Law is about who we are and not what we do. He explained the character traits that lead to a flourishing spiritual life and ended his sermon by saying, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ..But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.” (Deuteronomy 4:40) (Proverbs 3:1-2) (Proverbs 10:27) (Ephesians 6:2-3)(1 Peter 3:10) (Matthew 7:24-27)

If these sayings are true, they are worth investigating and building healthy minds and spirits which function within the purposes of God. Although there are no guaranteed outcomes, it would seem important to not only give children love, good values, encouragement, and opportunities but also to expose them to a belief system which includes God so that their lament will not be that of Clark’s lyrics: “Yesterday when I was young, The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned/ I always built to last on weak and shifting sand. I lived by night and shunned the naked light of the day/ And only now I see how the years ran away.”

Fortunately life need not end as the song does: “There are so many songs in me that won’t be sung/I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue/ The time has come for me to pay /forYesterday when I was young…

We all fall short of perfection, but despite our folly and sometimes awful regrets, God understands our frailties and lovingly extends grace and mercy to us. He identifies with us. He experienced humanity’s physical and soul suffering through Christ, who in perfection and an incomprehensible, sacrificial, loving act paid for our imperfections, our moral failures, our sins by dying for us so that we can be forgiven and was resurrected so that we can have eternal hope when we believe. It is by trust alone that we are reconciled with God. (Romans 5:8)

Regret need not be our final lament. We all will have things we wish we had done or said differently, but trusting God who loves us enough to give us a new beginning in which lie daily mercies gives us purpose and the promise of a great ending.

O’ The Times and The Seasons

End of Day, End of Season, Sullivan, Maine

There is a rhythm to life. As the world spins around the sun, seasons blend, and “time flies.”For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”(Genesis 8:22) Always fragile and unpredictable, life slowly shifts and slows, and then we “fly away”.

Change is inevitable in this world. In contrast, Scripture points to God’s immutable nature and upholds the idea that what He has purposed will be done. His constancy is posed as a rhetorical question in the book of Numbers: “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19) The Psalmists sang about God’s providential wisdom and compassionate purposes, repeatedly invoked God as Israel’s “Rock” of salvation, and proclaimed that “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:11) Those plans “of his heart” included redeeming and restoring broken humanity to Himself through faith in the Messiah, the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)

When he wrote about the Gospel, the Apostle Peter echoed and affirmed Isaiah’s statement: “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:23-25) (Isaiah 40:6-8) And in his sermon on the mount, Christ pointed us to the importance of truth when he spoke the parable about building life on solid foundations. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock…everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7:24,26) Later he would say, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) That is true because his character does not change with the times and seasons. He “is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Such information should be good news for an increasingly divided society which is experiencing high levels of anxiety, addictions, and violent acting out behaviors and which does not accept or understand the universally healthy moral standard for living out our created purposes and the most meaningful life possible. Life’s complexities, challenges, inconsistencies, and uncertainties can be very unsettling- even devastating. Obviously doing our own thing, self-determination, situational ethics, and loving ourselves more than God or others aren’t philosophies working well for us.

The times and seasons just keep on changing as do the human standards by which we choose to live; but if we trust the intentional, steadfast, and transformative power of God’s Word, which brings light to our minds and meaning and wholeness to our souls through exhortation, rebuke, and enlightenment, we will be guided to a steadfast faith of peace, joy, and hope.

O’ The Times and Seasons!

It’s Going to be a Bright Sun Shiny Day…

Just as pockets of morning mist and heavy fog frequently limit vision and blur coastal Maine, a need for corrective lenses or cataract surgery may alter or distort our perception of the world we inhabit. That may have been one reason that Christ’s disciples did not always recognize him despite the fact that they had lived large chunks of life with him. They held intimate and deep conversations as they shared meals and walked the shores and dusty roads of Galilee. They knew his voice from endless teaching encounters and had witnessed powerful, amazing, countless miracles. But on occasion, they didn’t immediately recognize him!. (John 20:11-18 ), (Luke 24:13-21 ), ( John 21:1-13 ).

However, physical limitations were not the only reasons clouding their vision. Clearing the haze of misperception and misunderstanding always takes time. The disciples had to evaluate their way through layers of meaningful religious history, traditions, concepts, and assumptions. Three years of mentoring, a crucifixion, a resurrection, an ascension, and Pentecost transpired before Christ’s disciples began to fully comprehend Christ’s teachings, his divine nature, and God’s Kingdom purposes and how eternally crucial he and his message are to the whole world -not just the Jewish nation.

The Apostle Paul admittedly was right when he said, “Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror.” Our lives are wrapped in mysteries and clouded with uncertainties, unsolvable puzzles, and pesky questions which have haunted every human generation. So, we ponder and speculate and attach our fragile life philosophies to fuzzy ideas and theories and tend to believe what we accept to be rational or convenient because it fits the lifestyle we desire. We hope to subdue our restless search for meaning.

In the early ‘70’s, the popular song “I Can See Clearly Now” promised that despite hindrances the way ahead would eventually become clear. “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 /Sun-shiny day..”

The Apostle Paul did give assurance that one day “…we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that (we) know now is partial and incomplete, but then (we) will know everything completely, just as God now knows (us) completely.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT2) If that is correct, the implication is that there is a reality beyond our full comprehension and this physical world. No amount of cogitating, investigating, theorizing, or philosophizing can fully appreciate that reality in the present. Compounding that problem is a reluctance to add divine revelation, the miraculous, and God’s providence into the reality equation. So, skepticism and disbelief diminish our view of God and Scripture and even allow us to redact Jesus and the Gospel from our narratives. However, it is important to remember that we all live by faith in something or someone. We develop our life views from personal and historical experiences and through the influence of others.

We can still hear Jesus teach through the personal accounts of John, Peter, Matthew and James, who observed Jesus perform miracles, suffer unjust crucifixion, live in a post resurrection state, and physically ascend into heaven. Their belief endured through deprivation, isolation, persecution, and even to the point of death. What they knew to be truth included far more than what their physical senses revealed to them. The Apostle Paul spoke of that kind of Christian confidence: “…we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

So, is it possible that there is a grand logic, a truly magnificent meaning to lives, a reality that exceeds human understanding but has been revealed in the purposes and life of a crucified Rabbi who rose from the dead over 2000 years ago? Is it possible that perceiving life through the lens of faith in Jesus will one day result in “a bright, bright /Sun-shiny day…” of clarity?

That is worth more than a second thought!

Which Way from Here.

Weather Vane in Bucks Harbor (Brookin), Maine

Many of us are directionally challenged. We can usually tell “up” from “down”, but determining compass points or right from left may cause some temporary anxiety like the lost city folk must have felt when they asked for directions from an old Mainer who in his thick Downeast accent told them “You can’t get they-ah from he-ah.”

Despite diverse geographic locations and cultural backgrounds, we are all traveling in a direction quite simply defined by the title of the book and subsequent 1950’s war movie “From here to Eternity.” For some this spiritual journey will be short; for others there may be many uncertain miles to go before reaching that mysterious vastness beyond time. What really matters most is the route taken.

There are no shortage of advisors with varying suggestions for our journey. We must choose wisely because the wisdom of this world is wonky, and there are wolves in sheep’s clothing waiting to take advantage of our spiritual needs and vulnerabilities. We struggle to evaluate the trustworthiness of varied and frequently divergent opinions, theories, and anecdotal wisdom from philosophers, scientists, teachers, mentors, spiritual leaders, activists, ideologues, and theologians. Discernment may be a difficult process, but does it really matter what one believes?

It mattered to Israel! Jeremiah implored Israel to follow the principle that God had repeatedly revealed to them and which time and again proved itself true. “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16)

The Psalms are packed with lyrical confidence that God is the source of goodness, meaning, and purpose. “All the paths of Jehovah are lovingkindness and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10) “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love for I have put trust in you. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:5-8) “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!” (Psalm 119:9-12)/ “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”(Psalm 119:37) “…I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.” (Psalm 119:44-45)

Centuries after the Psalmists sang and the Prophets spoke, the Apostle Peter made a similar point when he assured his readers: “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God…” (2 Peter 1:19-21)

That is also why the Apostle Paul could clarify why God’s Word is so significant and powerful. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The great thing about the truths of Scripture is that they are totally reliable, do not need improvement, don’t change, and are totally pertainent to life. Because of this, God’s Word inspired the confidence, obedience, sacrifice, and enduring faith of Old Testament saints whose histories testify to the faithfulness and love and patience of God. (Hebrews 11) And Christ’s incarnation as the living Word, as the real life expression of God to humanity, more fully revealed and confirmed God’s redemptive plan that salvation comes through faith —not human endeavor. Faith powerfully transformed Christ’s disciples. After spending three years observing Jesus and then seeing and touching the risen Christ, they had no question that Christ was “ the Way, the Truth, and the Life” and were so convinced of his authenticity as God in humanity that they sacrificed their lives proclaiming him, his sacrifice, and his resurrection.

So, if Scripture is a divinely inspired, reliable guide for living and if it shines light on our journey to eternal hope, then we can’t miss the Way when we follow the path of faith mapped out in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”