Sunday’s Blessing – 07/26/20 – Created to Create; Freedom to Choose

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/26/20 – Created to Create; Freedom to Choose

My pastor is going through a series called “The God Who Is There.” It is a great study so far, looking first at creation, then moving through scripture to see all God is and all He has done. It’s in my wheelhouse! I love learning about the character and nature of God. There are so many misconceptions spoken from pulpits around the world. It frustrates me to hear some talk of “knowing God,” but then prove they have no idea who He is. He gave us so much information about Himself through the writers of both the Old and New Covenants.

One of my favorite statements in scripture is: “God created man in His image.” The very first thing we learn about God comes from Genesis 1:1; the first verse in the Bible: “In the beginning, God created …” He creates! It’s who He is. It’s what He does! And it’s how He created us to be – Creative!

I know we are prone to quickly concede that we are not creative. I’m one of those people. Usually, they are referring to things like art (painting, sculpting, etc.), music (singing, playing an instrument, composing, etc.), writing (poetry, prose, novels, etc.), and the like. Just because you are not labeled an “artist” doesn’t mean you are not creative. Believe it or not, you have created a lifestyle. Admittedly, some of it may have been forced on you by others (parents, siblings, close friends, spouse, teachers, ministers, government, etc.), but even then, you have chosen to continue doing them. Rebellion can be a factor in your lifestyle. It could be pride or a vice. Regardless of how you got to here, there were creative forces at work.

A second attribute God place inside us as part of “His image” was the ability to choose: He gave us a will. That is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. We decide what we want to do as an occupation, where to live, who to marry, etc. But one of the most important aspects of the ability to choose is this: we can decide we do not like where we are in life right now and make a change. That is powerful! Is it easy? No. Many will resist your desire to change because it makes them uncomfortable. Most like life to be a placid lake where there are no waves; nothing to rock the boat.

Back to the first attribute: Creative. The first step in accessing your creativity is to accept the fact that God made you creative. The second is take a truthful look at your life and see the creative things you are already doing. Maybe it’s growing plants, or building things, or even working puzzles and games which draw on your ability to reason or see things outside the box. All of this is creativity. The third step is to look for ways to use this creativity in your work. If you cannot use it in your present job or occupation, perhaps you could look for one that does. Take some classes (they don’t have to be expensive college courses). Check with the library, church, community center, or even the bulletin board at the local grocery store. You would be amazed at how many opportunities there are to learn new things. Read a book, watch a YouTube video, or find other creatives who have like passions and interests as you and follow them.

The primary reason people do not express their creativity is the fear of failure or rejection by others. “What if no one likes it?” God does! “What if I don’t do it right?” You just learned something. Instead ask these questions. “What if it fills a need?” “What if it can provide some income?” “What if it gives me pleasure, making me feel fulfilled?” That’s exactly what God did! After creating things, He stepped back and said, “This is good.” You are your own worst critic. Give yourself some room to gain experience. You cannot grow without exercise. Try something. Anything. As Nike says, “Just do it.”

One of my favorite Bible teachers from the ‘80s was Marilyn Hickey. She had a phrase she used often: “Do it afraid!” Without taking time to tell the whole story (read it in Judges 6-8), Gideon is a prime example for us to follow. Just before his major victory over the Midianites, God directed him to go down to the enemy’s camp. God added, “If you are afraid, take your servant Phurah with you.” The next verse says, “Gideon and Phurah went …” It’s ok to have reservations about new things, but do not let that keep you from taking the next step. Do it afraid!

Today’s blessing:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)

Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/19/2026 – Coincidence or Confluence?

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/19/2026 – Coincidence or Confluence?

Years ago, I worked with a guy who loved words as much as I do. We used to challenge each other to find words we had never heard before. One of the words he introduced me to was confluence. It is used to describe the place where two rivers join together, for example. It can be applied to any two or more things becoming one as they move toward their appointed place.

Life is like this. It a constant coming together of things as we navigate our paths. Confluence describes a graceful coming together, which builds momentum to create a more powerful force capable of doing so much more than either could do alone. Synergy is often used to describe this by using the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” However, when things come together, it’s not always a wonderful result. One other word my coworker introduced to me was cacophony. This word defines the sound you hear before an orchestra begins playing the symphony. Each member is getting their instruments warmed up, or tuned, or reviewing a particular phrase of the music. It’s an unpleasant sound filled with dissonance and confusion until the conductor calls them to attention. Under his direction, what was once a cacophony becomes a beautiful confluence of sound which moves the listeners to emotional bliss.

I saw a movie recently which illustrated this confluence of life in a very creative way. The title was “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things.” In similar fashion to Groundhog Day, a teen finds himself living the same day over and over, trying to understand the cause, and eventually, the solution to get out of the loop of time. Unlike Groundhog Day, this young man discovers someone else living in this repetitive cycle. Together, they work at cracking the code to get them back to their usual lives.

By taking a thought the young man shared with her, the young lady embarks on her own to discover the mystery which holds them in this repetitive experience. Several significant events had been logged by the young man who knew they held some significance. The young lady found the dependence the seemingly independent acts came together to form a map. There wasn’t one big reason for the endless cycle, but instead it was many “tiny perfect things” which came together to show them what would eventually bring “tomorrow”.

This is a remarkable way to picture how life is to be lived. In a single moment it is sometimes impossible to see how this will ever shape the future or become a mile post which would one day lead others to a better future. The young lady eventually completed the “map” and the two sojourners finally reached “tomorrow”.

So often I hear people speak of coincidences which seem to just “happen” in life, not realizing these could actually be part of God’s confluence in our life. Never treat an experience as meaningless or insignificant, because what may seem like the onset of cacophony, you could be on the brink of a time of confluence which could propel you forward to your destiny. In essence, life is simply a “Map of Tiny Perfect Things.”

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/12/2026 – Father or Benefactor?

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/12/2026 – Father or Benefactor?

I’m reading a book by C. S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, on the Psalms. It’s not, by his own admission, an academic treatment of the book in the Bible. Instead, it is a look through various lenses of the book as a whole, drawing certain conclusions about the motivation and meaning of the different writers. One topic discussed is on the view of Old Testament religious thought regarding life and the hereafter.

Lewis makes a statement that really caught my attention. He said it is only after discovering a relationship with the Father that Heaven and Hell make any sense at all. Heaven, by definition, is being present with God. Hell is the absence of God. Prior to a relationship (getting saved in evangelical-speak) with the Creator, the idea of Heaven is something to be obtained only through a rigorous adherence to a set of laws and behavior worthy of acceptance by the Almighty. Hell is the place of eternal torment where those who do not meet the mark are banished.

If “being saved” is driven by the desire to make Heaven when you die, or to miss Hell, what do you really gain in this life by the experience? Instead, the focus of “making disciples” should be introducing others to their Maker, Who made a way for fallen man to get restored into fellowship by receiving the forgiveness provided through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, Who came to earth as the Son of Man in order to die on the cross to pay the price required for the sin of all mankind. He did all of this so that we (mankind) could finally know the Father personally, as friend to friend, in a life changing relationship which we crave but cannot find in another person. This is Heaven! To think otherwise is to discount any experience we can have while we still live on earth. To relegate true happiness to Heaven (the hereafter) is to accept God’s offer to live with Him forever after we die, but treat everything until then as toil and trouble we must endure until the end.

Thus, the title of today’s blog: Father or Benefactor? Did you become a Christian in order to experience closeness with the One Who loves you most or simply appease Him until you inherit Heaven when we die? He has promised Heaven (presence with Him forever) but His primary desire to have a relationship with you now! He wants to be so much more than a Benefactor to bless you in the end. He wants to “walk with you in the cool of the day” like He did with Adam. He wants to visit with you on the mountain like He did with Moses. He wants to inhabit you every minute of every day as He promised He would, through the Holy Spirit. The real joy in being a Christian is the presence of God in your life 24/7 – in THIS life, not just the one to come!

Being adopted by the King is the best thing you could ever do. It’s so simple a child can understand it and act on it. Maybe the problem is the relationship you had with your father wasn’t great. I get that. I lost my father when I was nine. I lost the only grandfather I ever knew when I was nine. Even though I came to faith in Christ just before my tenth birthday, it took a long time for me to understand what it meant to know God as Father; to know the joy of entering his presence (or Him mine); to know the comfort of sharing the issues I face; to hear His voice speak and all the troubles I thought I had diminish to their rightful priority; to realize He will never not be there. 

If Heaven is all there is then why do we stay on earth for so long after we become the Children of God? Get a new perspective today. Realize the present IS Heaven (the presence of God). As a Christian, you will never experience Hell (separation from God). Live your life from that reality and it will make all the difference.

Sunday's Blessing - 07/05/2026 - God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

Sunday's Blessing - 07/05/2026 - God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

One of the first books I wrote was The Names of God. It has quite a few names (or phrases) describing God's character and and nature. Recently I started writing on this topic again. One of the most recent is God of Jeshurun. I wanted to share it here. Let me know your thoughts.

God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

Deuteronomy 33:26 (ESV) 

There is none like God, O Jeshurun,

who rides through the heavens to your help,

through the skies in his majesty.

If there was ever a human who knew the character and nature of God, with the possible exception of Adam and Eve, Moses would be at the top of the list. God revealed Himself to Moses in so many ways during his lifetime: the fiery visits on Mt. Sinai, passing before him in the cleft of the rock, the face-to-face visits in the Tabernacle, and the list goes on.

The last time Moses spoke to Israel before his death, he gave a blessing to each tribe which made up the people of God, His Chosen People. While speaking to Asher (which means “happy one”), Moses said, “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.” Deuteronomy 33:24 (ESV). He followed that with the comment about “the God of Jeshurun” riding through the heavens to your aid.

Jeshurun is used four times in scripture to refer to Israel; three times in Deuteronomy and once in Isaiah. It means “upright one.” After all that had occurred the previous forty years in the wilderness, and the four hundred and thirty years before that in Egypt, God now refers to Israel as His “Upright One.” Shortly after this talk from Moses, Israel would finally cross the Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land. God, speaking through Moses, gave them a promise in the blessing for Asher that He would be their God and would come to their aid.

This blessing given to Asher was the last words Moses spoke. He ended the blessing with, “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.” Deuteronomy 33:29 (ESV)

The wonderful truth about this scripture is it applies to us, the Church, as well. We have not taken Israel’s place as the Chosen Ones, but through the blood of Jesus we have been made “Upright Ones” by redemption. The God of Jeshurun not only came to the aid of Israel, but He also comes to our aid to enforce the New Covenant which includes better promises. God no longer “rides through the skies in His majesty” to get to us because He indwells us by the Holy Spirit. He is ever-present to comfort, protect, guide, or empower – whatever is needed – in the life of His sons and daughters.

Let us live as Asher – the Happy One – as we are the most blessed because of the favor shown to us by our Lord, knowing the same God of Jeshurun is also our God. We have been “dipped” in the oil of the Holy Spirit, anointed for service of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We, too, have “the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph!” As Christians, we have the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, as described in Ephesians 6.

Seeing how God interacts with His people, Israel, and later His Church, shows so much about His character and nature. He loved Israel and would call them by different names to reflect the love He had for them then, and now us. We live from the position of knowing God considers us to be “upright” because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have the freedom to be happy without the weight of guilt and condemnation now that we have been reconciled to the Father as His own.

Receive the blessing Moses gave to Asher as your own. The Father loves you so much!