Monthly Archives: April 2019

I love spring in our valley!

Gone are the cold dark days of winter, the frozen ground, and chilly mornings. Instead, gentle breezes and warmer temperatures draw us into the outdoors, where bird songs welcome the new day. Lush grass covers our fields and the bright yellow blossoms of arrowleaf balsamroot carpet the hills. Everywhere new life springs up from the drab refuse of winter’s passing.

Nature itself seems to be transforming before our very eyes, as flowers spring up from the dark earth and new leaves unfold on every tree. This is a season of rebirth, new beginnings, a new start. It is a time of new life, renewal, hope. “…old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

This morning your Heavenly Father longs to bring a similar transformation to your life. For far too long you have endured the winter of your soul, weighed down by the dead refuse of old sins, poor decisions, and past mistakes. It is time for a new beginning, a new start.

With His blood Jesus paid the price for your sin and with His resurrection comes the promise of new life, a life which will never end, for all who believe. This morning He calls you to a new beginning, a new start. He says to you:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.”

Song of Solomon 2:10-12

Why cling any longer broken promises of the past, the overwhelming guilt of your past mistakes? New life is yours for the taking today.

The “winter is past…The time of singing has come…” Don’t wait a moment longer. Accept Jesus’ invitation right now, take His hand, and step together into a brighter tomorrow – a springtime that will never end!

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

It’s Easter Weekend, the holiest holiday of the year. Yesterday we remembered Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, willing laying down His life for us, purchasing with His blood our salvation. Tomorrow we will celebrate His resurrection and the promise it offers that, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25).

Obviously Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday give us ample reason to celebrate, but what about today? What does this Sabbath, this “day in-between”, tell us about God and His love for us?

There are many lessons to be learned from this “day in-between”, but one which stands out to me this morning is this – God never changes.

At the beginning of time, “…on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it…” (Genesis 2:2, 3)

Thousands of years later, with the triumphant cry, “It is finished!”, Jesus declared victory over the enemy. His work of redemption complete, the way cleared for the re-creation of the earth and its inhabitants, God again rested on the seventh day “from all his work which he had made.”

By resting in the tomb over the Sabbath hours, Jesus forever sanctified the seventh day Sabbath as a memorial of both creation and redemption, “because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 2:3)

Man may “think to change times and laws…” (Daniel 7:25), to change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first, but God declares, “I change not…” (Malachi 3:6). “He is the Rock, his work is perfect…” (Deuteronomy 32:4) and “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it…” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

The Sabbath was, is, and will always be a memorial of God’s creative and re-creative power
and throughout eternity, “from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:23).

This unchanging character of God gives us reassurance we can just trust Him in all things, that His word is true and His promises are sure. This gives us hope for tomorrow and peace for today.

This Easter Sabbath, this “day in-between”, put aside your troubles and your cares and rest in the arms of the One who gave His life for you. Trust in the God who changeth not and know that, no matter what comes your way, His promises are true and He will be “with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20).

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

Tuesday I spent part of the day with wires hooked up to my chest, sweating on a treadmill. I was getting the stress echo done which had been aborted 2 weeks ago when they found a small pericardial effusion.

Thankfully, things went well this time. My exercise tolerance was better than expected and there were no significant arrhythmias. Most importantly, the echo came back normal. Even the pericardial effusion was no longer visible. I am cleared to exercise without restrictions.

What I do with this good news is up to me. I can choose to continue my sedentary ways of the last few months, potentially setting myself up for future health problems down the road, or I can get off my butt and hit the road, paving the way for a healthier tomorrow. The choice is up to me.

Life is all about choices. To stay or to go. To follow the crowd or take a stand. To meekly submit or resist with every fiber of our being. To stay in bed or go to church. To drink or not to drink. The list goes on and on.

Some choices are seemingly small, like choosing between chocolate cake or an apple for dessert. However, even these small choices can have long term consequences, setting up patterns of behavior resulting in long-term success or failure.

And our choices do not just affect us. None of us live in a vacuum. The choices we make, even the small ones, can affect others for years to come in profound ways we may never fully realize. Remember Eve in the Garden? Even thousands of years later we’re still dealing with the consequences of that choice.

You may say, “Well, it’s my life isn’t it? I should be able to choose whatever I want!” True, but do so with the knowledge even your small choices can have big consequences for those around you.

This Sabbath morning, as you face another day of choices, remember the promise of James 1:5 that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Claim this promise for yourself and then go boldly forward into your day, trusting whatever choices you may face, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it…’ ” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)

God bless, have a great day, and, whatever else you do, make sure to make the most important choice of all – Choose God!

This week was a lot like a rollercoaster, with lots of ups and downs, highs and lows:

• Ana started the week feeling really sick, got better midweek, but now her symptoms are coming back.
• A friend had a beautiful baby girl, while another friend said a last goodbye to the wonderful mother who had given her life.
• One of our son’s got the job he’d been hoping for, but a couple days later our daughter’s beloved cat passed away.
• I got a big bill in the mail, but then received an unexpected bonus at work which more than covered the cost.

This is what life is like – highs and lows, ups and downs, sadness and joy, loss and gain, hope and despair. Sometimes we’re standing on a mountain peak and then, before we can enjoy the view, we’re plunged into the darkest valley.

Solomon put it well, when he said, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1. Life is constantly changing, often leaving us reeling from its twists and turns, ups and downs.

In spite of life’s uncertainties, there is one thing we can always count on – God loves us! That will never change, no matter what circumstances come our way. His love is everlasting, never failing, and is higher than the highest high and deeper than the lowest low. And no matter what comes your way today, God promises, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5.

This morning, whether you are standing on a mountain peak or walking through the valley of despair, reach out your hand to the One who is always there. Lean into HIs arms, trust in His power, and know this – no matter how high the highs or how deep the lows, you are never alone!