Deuteronomy 10:21
Good News Translation
21 Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you.
Great and marvelous are Your works, O God.
Indeed, I praise You, O God, for the great and astounding things You have done for me!
[1]
Sylvia in helicopter after her fall while Wil and our daughter Julia look on.
2 Corinthians 4:16
Good News Translation
16 For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our
physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day
after day.
Recently, Sylvia and I were walking along the crest of La
Sierra Hills in front of our home. We met a woman coming towards us who
stopped, and we exchanged pleasantries.
She told us she had started her hike down by La Sierra
University. She had come up past the flag on Two Bit, the hill behind the
university, and then down and back up along this ridge to Pumpkin Rock. Now she
was headed home the same way, although she would probably bypass Two Bit. That
is a distance of probably 10 miles with lots of altitude gain. I congratulated
her on the accomplishment.
“I’m 56 and having to work to keep up my fitness. It’s good
to see you still climbing up here.” She complimented us. She couldn’t help but
see that we were older than she.
“We’ve been doing this for 35 years now. In four more months,
I’ll be 80.” I commented.
“I hope I’ll be doing as well when I get there.” She said
wistfully
Yes, I do believe that our continued activity is beneficial.
However, our physical being is obviously decaying. We are supporting more and
more doctors. It takes us longer to go where we want to go. I used to take the
Poop Rock Trail up to the top of the ridge in 13 minutes. I did that for years.
I timed myself on the trail recently, and it took me 29 minutes. That’s more
than double the time, but at least I made it in good spirits.
By the grace of God, my spiritual being is being renewed day
after day as I allow it to be.
Dear Lord, thank You for not giving up on me! Help me in
my spiritual journey day by day.
Philippians 4:4
King James Version
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Things have changed. Hurray! Rejoice! For the last few
weeks, we have attended in the actual sanctuary. At the church and the
governor’s, request, we have been wearing masks. This does make recognizing
each other a bit difficult at times. But we do get to exchange pleasantries,
and more importantly, we do get to actually chat to each other. Almost everyone
is full of happiness that they are back in church. They have good news to share
about their own accomplishments, their families’ activities, successful medical
treatments, and the like. Rejoice!
There are, of course, the usual few for whom nothing has
gone well. Their car is acting up: it needs new bakes, maybe a new transmission
even. Their shirt-tail cousin lost his lease on his house, or she had a bad
time with Covid, or he wants a hand-out, or she won’t leave but wants to
continue leaching. Their health is playing havoc with them: the back-ache just
won’t go away, or their cancer is still growing after two interminable sessions
of chemo.
I can’t tell these poor souls to rejoice! I can rejoice
because it isn’t happening to me. But what if it is indeed happening to me?
Even then I can rejoice in the Lord! I have the Lord and His promises. I
rejoice that He has saved me by His grace! I rejoice that I am looking forward
to better things. I can rejoice that He is working things out for me.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!
Psalm 92:14
King James Version
[The righteous] shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they
shall be fat and flourishing;
I wrote this letter to a friend of mine who suffered a hemorrhagic
stroke recently:
Dear John,
Your stroke both stunned and dismayed me. And this hit you before
you even had a chance to retire. However, I don’t believe God is finished with
you, I do believe that He is trying to communicate something to you. Dad used
to say that in order for God to get things through to him, He sometimes had to
hit him across the head with a two-by-four. God waited for three years after I
retired to hit me with west Nile virus and recurrent cancer. He wanted me to
get my act together and use my retirement to “bring forth fruit” in my old age.
Now is the time to claim this beautiful promise from Psalm
92: the righteous “shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat
and flourishing.” In fact, read the whole psalm, and while you’re about it,
read Psalm 91. Our God is strong to save and heal!
Before Christ left His disciples, He reassured them: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John included this in his gospel for us.
Christ knew we would go through really trying times, but He is never going to forget any one of us. He promised us in Luke 11: “I say unto you, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’”
You may remember that my friend,
Bob, had a nasty stroke some thirty-odd years ago. It left him with a limp, but
he recovered well. We are praying that God will heal you, too; and restore you
to full health!
Thank You Father, that You never
do forget us and promise us a fruitful old age.
[1] https://www.app.com/story/life/home-garden/luxury/mansions/2016/12/29/5-most-incredible-mansions-shore/95870234/
Isaiah 40:31
Good News Translation
31 But those who trust in the Lord for
help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.
Yohana[2]
was leaving the local State Department of Education office when he was jumped
by several thugs. They knocked him down, kicked him, and in general beat him
up. Then they ran away. He dragged himself to his feet. On the next corner a
policeman relaxed under the shade of the building looking the other way. The
sole purpose was to wound him in the hopes of teaching him a lesson. He was
thwarting the purpose of the office, and they could do this easily by slipping
a few untraceable notes of currency into these miscreants’ hands and the hand
of the police.
Yohana was a short, slight man, self-educated, and the
principal of a school founded over a century ago by missionaries. He was not
the type one would brand as an imposing hero. Yet He was highly principled and
loyal to his goals and purposes. And he was a personal friend.
The newly independent State had every intention of changing
the mission school into a state school. But since the school had never accepted
state funds to operate, they didn’t have the authority under the state
constitution to do so. For well over a year, they had been sending rabble
rousers onto campus twice a week, under the guise of petty politicians. The unstated
goal was to raise a riot on campus; however, they came in under the guise of
fostering a great appreciation of the State. This included opposing
Christianity in any of its forms and redirecting student devotion from Christ
to that of accepting the state as the ultimate benefactor. It painted
missionaries as frauds and charlatans who were there purely for their own
enrichment.
As principal, Yohana quietly but firmly retained a
consistent educational program, and the expected riots never occurred. Now the
State was attempting to break him physically and mentally. He trusted in the
Lord as his strength. Finally, the frustrated officials sent a posse out to
arrest him. With the help of friends, he evaded the posse and fled to a
neighboring state, as on wings like eagles. There he was able to pursue his
career with the Lord, unmolested. The State’s malicious goals were thwarted,
and a half century later, the school continues to thrive under its original purpose—to train leaders
for Christ.
We trust in You, Lord,
to continually renew our strength according to Your promises.
1 Timothy 2:1-2
Good News Translation
2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and
thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; 2 for
kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and
peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.
Right here in very tranquil western Riverside there have
been over 50 shootings near us during the last several weeks. Of course, this
is not totally true. Actually, the shootings have been on the freeway that runs
near us. They have been with BB guns that have knocked out windows in passing white
cars. And who knows how many shots were fired, that totally missed any vehicles
or hit a vehicle but didn’t knock out a window? I assume that less than one
percent of the shootings actually hit their targets! Therefore, there must be
thousands of shots. And they have been on a twenty mile stretch of the highway.
Last week they arrested someone whom they suspect of making one of the shots,
and I haven’t heard about any more since then.
None of these have been in our quiet neighborhood. But one
can only imagine that if nothing were done about it, this lawless vandalism would
become common place. Furthermore, it would escalate until nothing would be
safe. We would no longer be able to live a quiet and peaceful life.
Joe, a neighbor of mine, told me he wants to renounce his U.
S. citizenship and be declared a North American citizen. This way, he thinks,
he would not have to pay taxes but could live peacefully enjoying the benefits
of being surrounded by citizens who are law abiding and are paying for his services
and freedom. His would, of course, be one of the loudest critical voices
decrying the deterioration of society when it happened. What we have seen coupled
with legitimate protests recently would become the norm.
Dear God, please continue to support and guide those who
preserve our peace.
[1]
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/01/shattered-rental-cars-go-sort-wild/
Philippians 4:12-13
Good News Translation
12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more
than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am
content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too
little. 13 I have the strength to face all
conditions by the power that Christ gives me.
In 1986 we moved to California. The sale of our home in
Massachusetts had fallen through, so we were still making house payments on it,
and we were paying exorbitant rent on the house we were living in. We now had
three kids in church school. I remember lamenting to the Lord, “Not again,
Lord, please!” Then our house back east sold for approximately what we paid for
our home in California.
A year after we were first married, I was as grad student,
and Sylvia had a good job, but it fell through. We were able to borrow enough
for me to finish school and move to Africa. Then our second year in Tanzania,
the TAD made a big mistake in our salary, and we were with no money for six
months. Things eased gradually until I went back to grad school with two kids.
Then we had to go on food stamps for a couple years, but the Lord blessed, and
we lived very well towards the end. In fact, we were living better than we had previously
throughout our married life. Back in Africa double digit inflation and another
bigger mistake by the TAD (Trans African Division that employed us) thrust us
back into a hand-to-mouth existence. In spite of this, we have always had a roof
over our heads and have never gone hungry.
We moved to Massachusetts, and I took a second job so we
could afford to buy a house. In spite of my two jobs, our bank balance would
drop to less than $10 at the end of most months. Still the Lord was good to us,
and we were able to grow at least half of the food we ate for seven years. The
old clunkers we drove kept right on clunking. Then in California I again took
on a second job. God heard my lament, and things did improve—slowly but steadily until my retirement
in 2013. I remember walking in the hills and praising God for the prosperity he
had granted us. I also remember having a premonition that things would change.
… Again.
Since then, West Nile virus, threatening blindness, and cancer
take their toll. This miserable pandemic has cramped our style. It appears that
we, as a nation, are facing serious inflation and possible national financial
collapse. In spite of all this, I have a solid confidence to say with Paul, “I have
the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me!”
Thank You, Lord, that everyone reading this blog has the
very same promise that God will continue to look after them, too.
[1]
https://line.17qq.com/articles/oohncpdov.html
