Grace vs. False Accuser

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Galatians 6:1 Good News Translation

6 My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too.

 

We arrived at Helderberg College near the end of January, 1976. I had been hired to teach math and computer science there. Folks there warmly welcomed us, and we moved into a house on campus. We appreciated coming from a Michigan winter into full blown summer with temperatures reaching over 100º (40º C).

We took our oldest child, Esther, down to Helderberg Primary School and registered her and got her a uniform to wear. She seemed to enjoy going to school and making friends there.

A week or so later we got a call from Children Services. They told us that they knew that we had a child of school age and that we were subject to a fine for keeping her out of school. I was stunned. Someone was after our blood. After informing them that Esther was indeed in school, they calmed down, and we never heard any more about it. I’m sure they checked in with her school and found out that what I told them was correct.

We could stand on our front porch and view the beautiful, blue False Bay forming a grand panorama in front of us; framed by Table Mountain and the Cape peninsula on our right and the Hottentots Holland Mountains reaching out into the Indian Ocean on our left. Behind us towered Helderberg Mountain on whose slopes our home was built.[2]

This was the beginning of our tenure at Helderberg. A string of little things made what should have been a wonderful time in what is truly one of the most beautiful sites in the world, the winter of our existence.

Many of the Christians there believed in a judgmental Christ. They drove themselves nearly to death trying to keep all the biblical law in order that they might somehow earn their way into heaven. It is a discouraging life and often makes the practitioners very critical of everyone else.

The book of Galatians in the Bible contains Paul’s scolding of those who try to live by the law. He emphasizes that we are saved by grace through believing in Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, Paul calls the Galatians foolish for trying to earn their way into heaven. Many of those trying to earn heaven become critical believers. They even refuse to accept Galatians as an inspired part of the Bible; therefore, they don’t read it. Some of them warned me about reading the book and told me I should be aware that it would land me in hell for sure.

I encourage you to take your Bible and read Galatians and form your own opinion of it. Try reading it in several different translations just to get the feel of it.

Lord, thank You for giving us salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to love all of Your children and treat them gently.

 

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[1] https://travel.sygic.com/en/poi/false-bay-poi:20406237

[2]  The Hottentot Holland Mountains stretch from the left edge of the picture all the way across the center of the picture until they plunge into the ocean on the right. About a third of the way across the picture is a tiny spur with round rocks pointing upwards: this spur is Helderberg Mountain. Our home was on the right most slope of this mountain,

By Reason of Strength they be Fourscore

[1]

 

 Psalm 90:10 Contemporary English Version

¹⁰ We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
    if we are healthy,
but even our best years
    bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
    and we disappear

 

James gives a Christian commentary on that verse: “My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, or you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.”[2]

Today is my 81^st birthday. I have now surpassed the four-score point.  I must confess that as I look back over 81 years, I have had my trouble and sorrow.  On the other hand, I have enjoyed life even in the darkest times.  In the past year my prostate cancer has returned but not with a vengeance yet.  I suffered a stroke, and this prompted my oncologist to say, “Now you are no longer fighting cancer, you are fighting to stay alive. So, stop taking…” and he listed most of my cancer medications.

We had a car accident where a semi pushed us sideways down a freeway ramp at ever increasing speeds. When I took the car in to the body shop a few days later, I was told that my insurance would probably total my car because of the damages—even though I was able to drive it home from the accident. My wife and daughter were in the car, yet none of the three of us suffered any injuries. God has been very good!

Sylvia stated, “Our guardian angels were really looking after us!” To which some wag quipped, “If they were looking after you, why didn’t they prevent you from having an accident?”

We took a lovely trip back east this past summer. We escaped some of the relentless 100º (40ºC) weather and attended Sylvia’s family reunion in North Carolina. At each family reunion we noticed that some of our beloved family members have cashed in on “suddenly our time is up and we disappear.”

However, we are laying concrete plans for a trip to Africa this year and a trip to see a total solar eclipse next year. In the meantime, we may suddenly disappear.

At this point I can only say,

 Thank You, Lord, for a good life and many happy years!

[3]

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[1] https://biblepic.com/psalms/90-10.htm

[2] James 1: 2-3 GNT

[3] https://www.irish-folk-songs.com/three-score-and-ten-lyrics-chords-and-sheet-music.html

God and Good Living

 

[1]

 Deuteronomy 8:7 Good News Translation

⁷ The Lord your God is bringing you into a fertile land—a land that has rivers and springs, and underground streams gushing out into the valleys and hills;

 

Shortly after we were married, we spent five years on a rural mission station in Africa. I was sent there to teach math and science. We lived in a lovely mud brick house that was plastered and whitewashed, and had red cement floors. We had electric lights in every room and one electric outlet per room. The electricity was only on from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. If the electricity didn’t come on, I had to shoulder my tool box and hike a couple blocks and fix the generator. We often left the lights switched on, for obvious reasons. Our kerosene operated fridge needed the wick adjusted every so often or the flame would either go out or get too high and coat the ceiling with soot.

We had cold running water. I took a cold dip in the bathtub each morning. During droughts I would leave water in the tub for days and take a dip in it each morning. When we had water problems, I shouldered my tool box and hiked a mile down to the water pump—we had no car—and fix the pump. This might take only a couple hours or a fortnight. If the lights or water went off, it meant the entire mission was without lights or water. When I didn’t notice, someone would come and pound on my door—there were no telephones. When the drains were blocked anywhere on campus, it was my duty to unblock them.

We had a small garden with one papaya tree in it. Often someone would come by and pick my unripe papaya and come to my door and try to sell it to me.

By contrast, now we live in a lovely home about the same size in California. The house is wood framed with plaster walls. The floors are cement and covered with carpet or tile. We have lights and several outlets in every room and electricity all day long. On the rare occasion the lights go out, we wait for only a few seconds, and they come on again. We have an electrically powered fridge that needs no special attention.

We have hot and cold running water. In cool weather I take a warm shower each morning. In hot weather I usually take a morning dip in our swimming pool. Rarely does the water go off, and we are notified beforehand that it will be off. When the drains get plugged, I phone a plumber. We have several working phones that sometimes call us too often.

Two cars park in the garage. In the yard, we have a small orchard with lots of citrus fruit, guavas, avocados, figs, and bananas that supply us with more than enough to feed ourselves and the rats around us.

In the yard behind the first house I had dug a garbage hole, where we dumped all our garbage—when it filled up, I would light it and let it burn. It would sometimes burn for more than a day. Then I could pack it down and add more garbage. Here at this new house, I place all the garbage in three bins, which are emptied weekly, by the city.

Yet in both houses we found joy and love and comfort. It’s not just what one has or lacks that makes it pleasant or unpleasant. The attitude we adopt can make each sufficient and livable.

Thank You, Lord, for these common luxurious necessities that You keep us supplied with in all circumstances.

 

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[1] Our home in Africa

Show Hospitality to Strangers?

 

[1]

Hebrews 13:2 Good News Translation

² Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.

 

During our stay in Iowa City while I was working on my doctorate, I also served as a church elder for the little Adventist church there. The duties were fairly minimal. Since our pastor had two churches, he would only come to ours every second week. It frequently became my duty to preach a sermon on Sabbaths he wasn’t there. An unexpected, but common duty, one not listed in the Church Manual, was to host Adventist travelers through the state who needed a room for the night. The telephone number of the church was the head elder’s number.

One such traveler was an old couple in a beat-up car. They were missionaries in some far-eastern country who were on furlough and were headed back to the mission-field. We had a very blessed visit with them. They shared lots of stories of faith that moved our hearts and served as fodder for a sermon or two. Evidently, they enjoyed it, too; a couple years later they stopped by on a second furlough, and we had another rewarding evening. Sylvia loved visiting with and hosting them. We shared Christmas letters for several years.

On one occasion, such hosting backfired. A young fellow came in who told us he was a church member from down in Texas. He had the brogue to match. He arrived in time for lunch and ate ravenously. It was obvious why he weighed well over 400 pounds. He made some evident slip ups as he was describing his activities in his home church. For example, he referred to communion as a sacrament; he ate meat at church potlucks—which rarely happens. [My Dad remarked on more than one occasion that if someone really wanted to learn how to prepare vegetarian meals, they should come to a few Adventist potlucks to find delicious dishes.] When he referred to going to church on Sunday, I asked him about it. He quickly added that he was only recently baptized and still used the old terminology, occasionally.

My brother and family happened to be visiting at the time, and we let the visitor take a nap in the room they were staying in. When we went to call him for supper, he had disappeared. Later my brother found that several hundred dollars had been taken from his billfold that had been in the room while the guest was napping. It was a costly way to discover that our guest was not one of God’s angels!

Lord, thank You for blessing us with Your “strangers.” May we not turn away those You send because of one bad experience.

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[1] https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-13-2                 

Be Still And Know

 

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Psalm 46:10 King James Version

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God

 

Often while I am sitting at my desk writing, our doggie, Katie, will come in and lie down at my feet. She will stay there as long as I don’t leave. She loves to accompany me when I go somewhere, and I think she finds that if she is with me, I’ll often take her along. If she is not with me, she may miss out on being with me when I do something else.

At least once a day we like to take a walk. If it’s daylight, then we walk in the hills surrounding our home. Once she is in the hills, I can let her off the leash, and she can run all over and explore her surroundings. If she detects a scent in a hole, she will dig in it vigorously, hoping to dislodge the occupant. She fancies herself a great hunter.

Often, we will dog sit our son’s dog, Oso.  When I’m sitting at my desk, Katie will assume her post at my feet. Oso will continuously pace the floor. When the time stretches as I write, Oso will eventually lie down. There is one big difference, however: Katie relaxes on her side; Oso lies down with all four paws under him ready to move at his slightest whim. He is constantly restless.

Katie has lived with us about 4 years and trusts us implicitly. She knows that we love her and will do the best we can for her. Oso doesn’t fully trust us; he questions our love for him. That seems natural—after all, Katie is at home, and Oso isn’t. However, the dogs behave the same way when they are both with my son. Oso is still the restless one. There appears to be a basic difference in the nature of the two.

You have noticed, of course, that there are some people who spend their time worrying while others seemed to be relaxed about their future. I think God is trying to tell us that we can trust Him with our future. After all, He is God. He promises us that He will do the best for us. He is God!

Thank You, Lord, that You are God. You always do the best for us. Help me to rest confidently in Your care.

 

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[1] https://post.bark.co/health/why-does-my-dog-lie-on-my-feet/