Flight Paths

Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley.

May the following help you in reaching out to the lost with the gospel.

What does mankind have that can help him gain knowledge? Only through his ability to reason and learn from

what he does – experience. but it is not enough. We cannot look inside ourselves and learn the answers to questions like: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Is there any reason for my being here? Unless there is a third source of knowledge these very important questions cannot be answered!  We can look around us and see our world and know there is an all-powerful Being who created the world and that He is eternal. (He was never born and He never died – He has always been!) Romans 1:20" For since the creation

of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being

understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Just looking at His power around us cannot answer our all questions, but we can know that this powerful Being

(God) CAN choose to answer our necessary questions. Without God there is nothing. With God there is everything

– including His words, the Bible. God is spirit – so how did He write the Bible? He told certain men what words to

speak to the people and these words were written down.  2Peter 1:20 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of one's own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  We have the Bible because God, the creator, loves us, his creation. In His own words, God tells us how we came into being. He tells us why we were created. He tells us what He wants us to do with our lives. He tells us what is going to happen in the future. He tells us He is not controlled by his creation. He tells us WE NEED HIM!  We learn in the Bible of THE PLAN God had in His mind before He created the heavens and the earth. His plan was made in order to keep us close to Him. Therefore, we learn of God’s justice and God’s everlasting kindness. By reading the Bible we can learn that God is our Creator and our Redeemer through Jesus Christ, His son. Hebrews 1:1 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in [His] Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

The Bible is not just a collection of stories, letters, and poems. They are all tied together perfectly. There is

agreement between them all – even though they were written throughout 1,500 years! Most of the time each writer didn’t even know what another writer had already written.and sometimes they didn’t even understand all of what they were writing! These forty writers were kings, prophets, teachers, musicians, farmers, a tax collector, a doctor, a tentmaker, two fishermen and two carpenters! Some of the writers had a lot of education, some had very little.  The book from God is a divine library that is tightly woven and it is complete.

Acts 20:26 "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink

from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”  Jude 1:3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” The Bible is still the same book today that it was 2000 years ago! The words have not been changed. We still have the Bible, even though evil men have tried to keep everyone from reading the Bible. Some have even burned all the Bibles they could find! Through God’s providence the Bible is forever. It is the only book that STILL has theanswers to all our questions. Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” But the Bible is a book that demands we LISTEN to it. Not only must we listen, but God’s words demands we DO what God wants us to do. It will change our lives but not by ways we might devise. Jer 10:23 “I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”

When we first read the Bible we do not learn right away all about God and his plan for mankind. God chose to

reveal Himself gradually and we see truth unfolding more and more as we read and study the Bible. It is an exciting journey to discover why we existence and the mystery of how we can be saved from ourselves and walk with God.  There are many ways to study the Bible. One of the best ways to study the Bible is to prepare a foundation for future study. We want to try and understand what each section in the Bible is about and then tie the section together with other sections of the Bible. In this way we can understand why the Bible is so important to us. It will also help us to see that the Bible is the living Word of God. We want to see God in a way that will cause us to love Him, and trust Him, and OBEY Him–all that He expects from us.

The Old Testament

LAW - The first 5 books were written by Moses, the man God chose to lead a special group of people out of

bondage to become God’s chosen nation, Israel. This nation would bring all men to God.

HISTORY - The next 12 books that were written about God’s chosen nation, how they served him and how they

tried to ignore God. It didn’t work, because God punished the Israelite nation by letting other countries conquer

them. After 70 years God allowed them to return to their land.

POETRY - The 5 books of poetry are of a personal nature and they deal with problems of the heart.

PROPHECY - The last 12 books of the Old Testament are prophecies which were first spoken in warning to

God’s special nation and to nations around them. These prophecies were then written down so that everyone could

know there was hope. A perfect man (God in the flesh) was going to come from heaven to save all men and rule a

kingdom that will never end.

The New Testament

GOSPELS - Again, there is order and unity in the books of the New Testament. The first four books tell about the

perfect man. These four books are the foundation for knowing Jesus Christ and how he was crucified without

cause, and then resurrected for all mankind.

ACTS OF APOSTLES - The book of Acts tells the history of how the kingdom of God (the church) began and

what the men did who were sent by Jesus Christ to preach the good news. They were called Apostles. This book

tells us how you and I can enter the kingdom of God.

LETTERS TO CHRISTIANS - Next comes a group of letters (books) that were written by men guided by the

Holy Spirit. Some of these letters were addressed to different churches and some were written to certain preachers.

There are 21 letters in the New Testament.

PROPHECY - The last letter (book) in the New Testament was written by the apostle John. The Holy Spirit

guided him to tell the Christians not to give up hope. God is still in control of nations and events. His hand is upon

His own people. We live in hope of eternal life with Him.

Colossians 1:10 “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing

fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously.”

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

"Always back in" was my mantra for all aspects of being safe when I was out in the felon's world. It covered a number of other safety tricks I employed as a Community Control (House Arrest) Officer, but was also literal. We never knew when a probationer might be drunk, on drugs, or just had a fight with his girlfriend. A hasty exit might be necessary and also not being too obvious about it could be important for "the next time." An officer I had helped train knew the news reports were wrong when they said that I was shot while I was backing out.  He knew I would have backed in and thus, pulling straight out into the street.

After my excitement, I had numerous opportunities to speak on officer safety, so here are a few of the rules: I switched to an analog watch because it can be read in lower light without lighting you up and taking both hands; I had the door-operated light in my vehicle disabled so I would not be silhouetted every time I got in and out after dark; I used a clicker pen because I could operate it one handed; I kept my pepper spray available to my weak hand so if the situation escalated, my gun hand would not be tied up; I stood balanced on both feet, my right elbow in my left hand so that I looked like an attentive listener while actually my vitals were covered and my hands could move quickly for defense; and several more as well.

Actually, Christians daily go into a more dangerous world than any street I ever entered (1 Pet 5:8).  Yet, we carelessly go forth not only unarmed but apparently unaware of the dangers. A rule often repeated for being safe in the world is "be aware of your surroundings at all times. Interviews with criminals reveal they target the unaware, not the alert." This is not true of Satan. He already owns the unaware and targets the active Christian. We cannot avoid entering his world, so what safety tips can we use to avoid becoming his prey? Spiritual safety is not a one size fits all matter as the temptation that is very strong for one may not be a blip on another's radar. The following are suggestions and cannot all be used at once.

Fill your heart with hymns and songs of Zion.  Maybe it is just me, but I am much more likely to recall a spiritual song when I am in spiritual trouble than a scripture citation, no matter how glibly I can quote the passage. It is very difficult for Satan to keep pornographic fantasies in your head when you are singing—aloud or silently – "Holy, Holy, Holy." Humming "Angry Words" or even "Higher Ground" while in bad traffic and running late can prevent stress and road rage. The list can go on for as many types of temptations as man faces. God did not write 150 plus psalms without reason. The aptness of the song to the temptation is of little importance; the spiritual attitude it brings is your strength. And, have you noticed that many of the new songs are not easy to memorize and leave our armory empty?

Always back in—if you have any reason to suspect temptation in a situation you will be in, plan your exit in advance. If work took you there, your exit may cost you a sale or a promotion. But, staying most likely will cost your soul.

Know your strengths and keep them up front. Do not let your "sword arm" become entangled with matters that do not profit. Proclaim your faith often so you will be obligated to live up to it. Engage in reasoned conversations about Biblical morality. As Jesus said, "Let your light shine." Satan is the Lord of darkness and you just might save someone else too.

Don't silhouette yourself, stand in doorways, or focus on anything other than the dangers around you. You have no safe haven other than church and often Satan attacks your mind even there. The advertisements on TV, the books, the movies, the lifestyles of co-workers, the desire to blend in and avoid being a troublemaker all work against your faith, your growth, your salvation.

"If we walk in the light as he is in the light…"

Keith Ward

Last Tuesday, several of my sisters in the Lord met for an intense Bible study.  We were at it for well over an hour.  We opened our Bibles and read and discussed topics that were deep and heavy.  We came away with many new insights, some of them probably different than if it had been a mixed class or a class led by a man.  Women do have a different perspective.  The Tuesday before that we did the same thing, and the Tuesday before that, and the one before that, as far back as 25 years.  We call it the Ladies’ Bible Class, not because it is some organization separate from the church which has a name, but just to identify to others who might be interested what it is, a group of women, Christians with the same roles in life and the same problems those roles entail, who meet and study together. 

            But let’s just consider the past two months’ worth of classes—about 12 hours.  What if, instead of meeting 8 times for an hour and a half each, we met two days for 6 hours of study and discussion each day?  Would that be wrong?  If we are studying the same thing, participating in the same activities, why isn’t it just another means to edify?  And if, because we have a chance to study without children sitting in our laps (due to Christian husbands who are concerned for their wives’ spiritual education), we decide to have it someplace besides the meetinghouse, but we each pay our own way and nothing comes out of the church treasury, isn’t that too just another ladies Bible class?  That is exactly what a women’s retreat is—time to get away from the distractions of life for an extended period and do some in-depth Bible study and encourage one another.

            These groups are not making themselves into an organization of any kind at all.  They are simply doing what the word says—retreating.  Jesus “retreated” when he went to be alone and pray.  Isaac “retreated” when he went out into the field in the evening to meditate (Gen 24:63).  Did that make what they were doing an organization?  Even if they had taken a friend to discuss spiritual things with them, no organization existed, just a few people who were spiritually minded enough to set aside the time to study together or pray together.

            I have also read the accusation that any time women retreat for Bible study it shows a dissatisfaction with the edification the church can provide.  That the church is supposed to be where we find all our spiritual blessings, including prayer, teaching, and encouragement.  That women who do these things may have good intentions, but they are doing it in an unscriptural, unauthorized way, separate from the church where they should be finding all their needs met.

            The Bible tells us that some of the church in Jerusalem met in the home of Mary the mother of Mark to pray for Peter when he was in prison (Acts 12).  Was that wrong?  We can easily infer that it was not the whole church—no one’s house is big enough for that.  That means a group of Christians that was not the church met for something besides the regular worship, not because they didn’t pray enough at their assembly, but because they felt the need to pray even more.  Does that mean they were not satisfied with God’s arrangement?  Are we not allowed to come together for even more prayer than we have on Sundays?

            A few members of the church meeting somewhere besides the appointed meeting place for more study does not constitute setting up an organization.  If women’s retreats, or week-ends as they are sometimes called, are wrong, so are Ladies’ Bible Classes.  So are Men’s Training Classes.  So are gospel sings in people’s homes or out in the park or in an auditorium somewhere.  So are personal Bible studies.  But of course, none of those things are wrong.  God has ordained that the older women and men teach the younger women and men, that children be taught, the unbelievers be taught by all of us, not just the preacher.  In the early church they often met “house to house.”  Weren’t their needs being met in the assembly?  Of course they were, so this is obviously something other than an attempt to go beyond the purpose of the church.

            And then we have that group of men who met to show others exactly what God wanted them to do about Judaizers and their demand that Gentile Christians be circumcised (Acts 15).  They did that with a long meeting where they gave approved examples, read the scriptures, discussed and prayed.  It was not the church.  In fact, it was members of more than one church.  Some people call it a Council.  What people call it does not make it what it is not.  These men “retreated” from daily life for the sake of edification.

            “Women’s retreat” is not a name any more than “church of Christ” is a name.  Both are descriptions.  Maybe some of us need a little more edification about that. 

            Some of us have become so wedded to our traditions that we have forgotten what is and is not tradition, “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.”  Fulfilling generic commands to teach and edify with “new” methods does not make them automatically wrong or you had better take that power point away from your preacher. 

And just what makes this retreat thing “new” anyway?  Aside from all the Bible examples already given, Lydia met with a group of women down by the river.  I think we are in good company.

Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, Acts 16:24-25.

Dene Ward

Thirty years ago I saw a dress in a catalogue that I adored.  My style tends to be plain, tailored, and dark.  I generally like a blousy waistline because it makes me look like I have one, which I haven’t had since I was about two years old.  Every time that catalogue came, I salivated over that dress, a black shirtwaist with long button-cuff sleeves and a broad, white collar embroidered on the edges.  At that time we just couldn’t afford it.  Feeding two teenage boys and paying a mortgage on a state salary and music studio tuitions was almost more than we could handle.

            A couple of years ago I was wandering through a second hand clothing store.  You would be surprised the bargains you can find if you are careful.  I have bought name brands for literally one-tenth their original price, some of them with the original price tags still on them, the extra buttons still sealed in plastic. 

            That day I saw the black arms hanging out from the press of the rack; I saw the white collar.  Could it be?  I checked the neckline for the label and found the old catalogue name.  So I pulled it out and felt a thrill.  This was the dress I had wished for.  Thirty years ago it was a $45 dress.  This store wanted $6.00!  Then came the moment of truth:  I checked the size.  Yes!  Just to make sure, I tried it on, and then quickly shelled out my $6 and change for tax.  It almost made me believe in fate.

            This dress is long sleeved and a fairly heavy knit so it was just after Thanksgiving before I could wear it here in Florida.  I wore it to church that Sunday.  One of the first people I saw, a sweet five year old, came running up and exclaimed, “Mrs. Dene!  You look just like a pilgrim!”  I laughed a little, gave her a hug and thanked her.  Before I was halfway down the hall, another child came running up and said the same thing, word for word. 

            Okay, I thought.  I look like a pilgrim.  Maybe it’s too close to Thanksgiving to wear this.

            In the middle of January I wore it again.  A third sweet child gave me the same compliment.  It was enough to make me wonder, do they teach this phrase in the Bible classes these days?  But I suppose what capped it all was a good friend who came up to me and laughed, saying, “You look like a pilgrim!”

            I donated the dress to another thrift store.  All I could see when I looked in the mirror were the missing white cap, buckled shoes and white stockings.  It certainly isn’t what I thought of when I used to moon over that catalogue.

            I wonder if Abraham and Sarah had in mind the pilgrim life God had planned for them when they answered the call to “Go to a land I will show you.”  That doesn’t necessarily sound like they would always be nomads.  It doesn’t sound like they would never have an earthly home again.  When someone tells me to go, usually they have a specific destination in mind.

            Even if they didn’t understand that in the beginning, they finally did.  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God, Heb 11:8-10.  Eventually they knew they would never have a home on this earth, that the real one was waiting beyond the border of physical life and death.

            We must eventually, and as soon as possible, learn the same thing.  Our culture is too caught up in the here and now, in instant gratification, in “if it feels good do it.”  We think this is what matters.  That’s why we let it bother us so much when things do not go right.  That’s why we become angry over the inconsequential and throw away the truly valuable, including our hope.  They made me mad and they are going to know it!  They took what’s mine, and I have a right to take it back.  They hurt me and now I am going to hurt them—usually in exactly the same low way they hurt me. 

            If I know what it means to be a pilgrim in this world, none of that matters.  I don’t need to throw a tantrum.  I don’t need to get even.  I don’t need to have more and more and more because everyone else has it.  I don’t even need an easy, carefree life with no trials.  It will never compare to Heaven no matter how wonderful it is, and it certainly isn’t worth giving up Heaven for.

            Maybe I should have kept the “Pilgrim” dress.  Maybe it would have reminded me of things I need to remember, when I need to remember them most.  Maybe you need to wear it, too.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city, Heb 11:13,15.

Dene Ward

When I was very small, my favorite song was “Wake Up, Little Susie.”  I am probably dating myself with that admission.  In case you are from a different generation, the song was about a young couple who fell asleep during their movie date, and were afraid of what people might think. 

            Psalm 103 is David’s version of the song—one he is singing to himself.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ​Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, vv 1-2.  I found it difficult to see that “wake up” admonition, I admit.  But every commentator I checked, five of them, saw it clear as a bell.  One likened it to Psalm 42:5:  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.  That one is much easier to see.  Why are you so depressed, he asks himself, when you have the salvation offered by God?  Now look again at 103:  Bless the Lord…and forget not his benefits.

            For isn’t that exactly what we do?  We go along in our ordinary, normal lives, nothing important happens, nothing exciting happens, and we become complacent in our service and even a little despondent in our ordinariness, and forget what God has done for us.  But just think about this morning.  You woke up in your comfortable bed (check) in your comfortable house (check), possibly next to your beloved (check).  You ate a breakfast from a pantry and refrigerator full of possibilities (check).  You stood in front of a closet and chose from among all those clothes what you wanted to wear (check).  You might have gotten in your car (check) and driven to school or work or the store without mishap (check).  How many blessings is that already that you never even noticed?  How many more will you receive the rest of the day, and still not notice?

            “Forget not his benefits!” David reminds himself—and later on the people of Israel, and ultimately us.  Why is it that when something bad happens we will blame God, but never think to give Him credit for all the good we enjoy nearly every single minute of the day?  “Wake up and praise the Lord!”

            And then there is this:  while God gives us brethren to encourage us, David shows us that in the final analysis, we are responsible for our own rousing.  We cannot blame the church, we cannot blame the elders, we cannot blame our families if we fall into hopelessness and despair—it’s my business to see myself clearly, to notice when I need a nudge or a prod or even a kick in the rear.  And after I have awakened, then I will follow David’s example of leadership and wake others too. 

            Which is what this has been, I hope—wake up little Susie, or Joey, or Charlie, or Cathy, or whatever your name may be.  Do not forget the benefits of being God’s child.  Always count your blessings, no matter how trite that may seem.  David did.  He’s not a bad leader to follow.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change, James 1:17.

Dene Ward

For people who are quick to quote John 4:24, that our worship must be “in spirit and in truth” and then simplify that to doing right things with the right attitude, which only begins to touch that statement, we certainly do a lot of “worshipping that which we know not” (4:22). 

            So tell me, when you sing “A Mighty Fortress” and you reach the second verse, what exactly do you think you are calling the Lord when you sing, “Lord Sabaoth his name?”  No, it is not “Lord of the Sabbath,” which is what I thought for many years

            Sabaoth is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word Tzebhaoth.  I don’t even pretend to be a Greek or Hebrew scholar, but I can read English fairly well.  The word means armies or hosts.  In fact, it can even refer to a specific campaign the army might be involved in at any given time.  It is above all a military word.  So any time you see “Lord of hosts” in your Bible you are seeing the word Sabaoth or Tzebhaoth, depending upon whether you are reading the Old Testament or the New.

            I cannot find the actual Hebrew word un-translated in any English version of the Old Testament—it is always converted to “LORD of hosts” or “Jehovah of hosts.”  But you can find Sabaoth un-translated in the older versions of the New Testament in Romans 9:29 and James 5:4. 

            And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short. And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah, Rom 9:27-29.

            This passage is twice as powerful when you understand the meaning of the word.  The Lord, who commands all the powers and armies of the universe, could easily have wiped Israel off the earth.  But in His mercy, He spared a remnant, Isaiah says.  Paul’s point is that God has in the past come close to obliterating the Jewish race, and He will have no trouble doing it again if necessary.  That’s the kind of power He has.

            Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries out: and the criesB of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, James 5:4.

            This passage makes you just as shivery.  Anyone who cheats the laborers of their hire should remember that the Lord of Sabaoth hears their cry and is there to defend them.  Do you really want the Lord of hosts with all His armies of angels and spiritual beings fighting you?

            Now look back at the song.  “For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.”  That may well be said about Satan, but we have Lord Sabaoth on our side—the Lord of hosts, the commander of all the spiritual forces of good “and He must win the battle.” 

            We miss so much when we don’t care enough to research the songs we are singing.  In fact, I have heard people complain about “all this archaic language.”  If it’s in the Bible, people, we ought to care, and if we believe all those pet scriptures we always quote, we will want to “sing with the spirit and the understanding,” 1 Cor 14:24.  The context of that passage may be spiritual gifts, but the meaning in every context is that what we sing must be understandable and edifying, and that requires some effort on our parts, not simply deleting certain hymns from our repertoire because we don't understand them and won't work to find out what they mean.  All those "ignorant" people, as we call them, hundreds of years ago knew what they meant. 

Let’s see if we can practice what we preach.

​The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. — Selah, Psa 46:7.

Dene Ward

We live under a couple of huge live oaks, trees so big it would take half a dozen people holding stretched out hands to reach around them.  That means when I planted a flower bed on the west side of the house under one of those trees, the lee side so to speak, I had to be careful what I put there.  Anything with a “full sun” tag wouldn’t make it.  But it also means that I can grow things outside that others might need to take inside on a frosty morning.  The tree protects them with both the extra degree or two of heat it gives off and its shelter from the settling dew that crisps into frost on a winter morning.

            Isn’t that how we raise our children, on the sheltered side of life, and even on the sheltered side of the church?  That is as it should be.  Children shouldn’t need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.  They shouldn’t be concerned with the office politics their parents must put up with.  They certainly shouldn’t hear about church squabbles.  Your job as a parent is to protect them from those things. 

            But you can’t do that forever.  Sooner or later they need to learn about people, about their imperfections, maybe even the danger they pose to others.  That’s why we teach them that no one should touch them in certain places, that they should never get in the car with a stranger, or accept candy, or look for lost puppies.  It’s unfortunate, but we do it because we love our children.

            I am afraid we are not that smart about teaching our children about problems among brethren.  It isn’t just the false teaching wolves we need to teach them about, though more of that would be helpful.  We seem to have raised a generation that thinks everyone out there is harmless and means well because they speak in syrupy tones and sentimental mush-mouth.  No, the thing we must be most careful about is how they see us handling the disappointments with our brethren.  What they see us do and say can make or break their spiritual survival.

            When Keith was preaching full time, we saw people who claimed to be Christians acting in every way but that.  We saw couples at each other’s throats.  We saw family cliques.  We received physical threats.  We were tossed out on our ears more than once for his preaching the truth.  It may be that the only thing that kept us both faithful was realizing how these things might affect our children if we didn’t handle them carefully. 

            When they were old enough to understand what was happening, we never blamed the church.  We never blamed God.  We told them that sometimes people were not perfect, even good people--sometimes they just made a mistake.  I was NOT going to let what those people had done to us cost my children their souls.  They were what mattered. 

            As they grew older, we talked often about being faithful to God, not to a place or a group.  We reminded them about Judas.  What would have happened if the other apostles had let Judas’s monumental failure run them off?  What about Peter, their erstwhile leader?  If everyone had given up because of his denial there would have been nothing for him to return to upon his repentance.  The mission of the church depended upon those men staying faithful regardless.  God was counting on them.  We told them over and over, you never let what someone else does determine your faithfulness.  God expects you to do the right thing no matter what those people do.  I had to learn to control my depression and discouragement and not give my children cause to leave the Lord. 

            We planted our children on the sheltered side of the house, but then we moved them slowly one foot at a time to a place where the sun would beat down on them and the cold would leave frost on their leaves.  Finally they were as inured as possible from the effects of other people’s failures, including our own.  If they ever fall away, they know better than to blame someone else.

            Be careful what your children hear you say about your brethren.  Be careful what they see in your actions and attitudes.  Sooner or later they will need to stand the heat of the noonday sun and the bitter cold of a spiritual winter.  Don’t give them an easy excuse not to.

For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you 

1 Corinthians 11:19

Dene Ward

We live on a hillside.  You don’t really notice it when you first drive onto the property.  The hill is shallow as hills go, dropping about twenty feet in five hundred.  In another climate one would seldom think anything of it.  But in Florida, in the summer, torrential downpours are common.  Not too long ago we had two and a half inches come down in less than thirty minutes.  Two or three days before we had six inches, but it took all day to accumulate that.  When nearly half that much pours out of the sky in such a short time, you feel like ten have fallen instead.

            It was as if a giant bucket were being upended over us.  We could hardly see the blueberries only a hundred feet away.  The roar on the metal roof was deafening.  The rushing water overwhelmed the culvert in the drive and washed over the road and out to the garden where it ran against the berm in a narrow creek clearly visible from the house.  We had built that berm precisely because of rains like this one—we were tired of wading “downstream” to rescue washed away garden plants. 

            Eventually we left our viewing station on the porch which was not much shelter in a rain like that—the merest breeze left us damp and shivering, even in the summer.  So we stepped back inside and looked out the windows to the north.  Now you could really tell—we are definitely on a hill.  Water ran like a river across the entire width of the yard, from the front steps to the fence, ten to twelve inches deep.  We watched leaves, twigs, and moss float “downstream” to the run on the east side of the property.  After the rain stopped, it kept running, draining the whole hillside, for another two hours.

            A week after that rain, I walked the path the water had taken.  Leaves were washed into piles a foot deep along the runnel.  Limbs hung up on some of the bushes but others, dragged by the running water, lay piled up against the fence which had acted as a sieve as the water ran through it.  Channels several inches deep marked the dried mud, and the grass was still bent over in the direction the water had flowed.  Running water is powerful.  And that leads us to an even more powerful Flood.

            The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep, Gen 7:17-20.

            The waters of the great Flood “prevailed.”  Those waters not only covered the earth, they drowned every living creature on it that was not in the ark or swimming in the newly created worldwide ocean.  Have you ever seen a flash flood?  No one can win against those “prevailing” waters.  If you try to hang on to something, you simply wear out and are washed downstream. 

            The same word is used in Ex 17:11: So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.  We are talking about winning a war with that word; that’s the strength implied in its use.  It should be no surprise that “prevailed” is also translated “strong” and “mighty.”

            So why is that important?  Because the same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 117:2.  For great [that same Hebrew word] is His steadfast love toward us.  God’s love for us is strong; it is mighty.  It is like rushing water that carries along everything in its path.  It is like an army winning a war.  Sometimes we seem to doubt that.  “But I’ve been so bad,” we say, “how can God love me?”  He can love you because His love is great. It can prevail against the worst of sins.

            The next time you doubt it, think about flood waters.  Think about an army that can win a war.  God’s love is just like those things.  It prevails over all.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom 8:38,39.

Dene Ward

I think there is a part in all of us that wants to show off for our parents.  Over the last several years, I have gotten into distance swimming as an exercise routine.  I swim across a cove and back on the island every couple of days, roughly 0.7 mile.  Nobody in my family had ever seen me swim it.  None of us had ever been big swimmers until I stumbled into it.  So, when Mom and Dad came to visit late last October, I drug them to the beach.  (It was my day for swimming.  I had gotten to the point that if I missed, I got antsy, but there was a big part of "Look at me, Mommy and Daddy!" in it.)  I swam a longer route than usual, nearly 0.9 mile, and Mom and Dad were appropriately impressed.  (No, they didn't give me a lollipop.) 

Dad asked something regarding my concern about getting into trouble while swimming.  I grinned and said, "I don't get into trouble in the water."  His response was, "That's a dangerous attitude."  I completely understand his point.  Cockiness in dangerous situations is stupid and leads people into serious injury and death routinely.   And, make no mistake, open water swimming has dangers.  The Gulf of Mexico is not a big pool, as several tourists find out to their dismay each year.  Even the intercoastal waterway, which is where I usually swim, has tidal currents, wind driven chop that can get dicey, and aquatic wildlife that can range from cute, to annoying to truly dangerous.  Dad, however, had misunderstood my statement.  

You see, people don't drown because they get out over their heads and can't swim back.  People drown because they panic, then exhaust themselves flailing about, and then begin to despair.  It is almost like giving up and allowing oneself to go under.  Almost everyone can float.  Stay calm, roll over on your back and float.  While doing so, think.  How are you going to get back?  Then implement your plan, resting occasionally as needed.  The key is to stay calm.  I routinely go out a hundred yards or so on the days in between long swims and just practice being calm in the water.  I practice several different drown-proofing techniques.  I hang out in 8-10 feet of water for 45 minutes and learn to think of that as one of my natural environments.  Which is why when, on two occasions, my left shoulder just decided it was done for the day, I didn't drown.  I shrugged (one shouldered) and sidestroked to shore.  You see?  I don't get in trouble in the water, because no matter what happens, I can stay calm and handle it.  Which kind of reminds me of Psalm 46.  

1-3  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah"

Do you ever feel like your world is falling apart?  In either your personal life or as you look around and don't recognize the country you grew up in?  Are there days you would be ready to swear that the earth is sliding into the sea?  Stay calm, because God is your refuge and strength.

6-7  "The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah"

I know there are times when it seems that everyone is against us.  When standing for even the concept of truth, much less God's truth, seems to outrage the world.  Stay calm and keep swimming, because the LORD of Hosts, who can melt the world with the sound of His voice, is with us.  

Just like in open water swimming, panic and despair are what kills in our spiritual life.  We start to think that we just can't handle the bullying and ridicule anymore.  We just can't keep ourselves from the ever nearer and easier to achieve temptations of the world.   We just aren't going to make it, as the waves crash over our heads.  Stay calm.  Breathe and know that you can make it, not because you are such a great swimmer, but because God is right there with you.  He is your refuge, providing rest if you will just avail yourself of it.  He is your strength, to keep you swimming.  He is with you.  Stay calm; rely on Him, keep swimming.

Ps. 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God."

Lucas Ward

When our boys were in middle school we gave them a croquet set.  At first they seemed a little disappointed—croquet?  How boring.  Then we actually started playing and they discovered strategy, like whacking your opponent completely out of bounds with one of your free shots.  Now that was fun.

            We have settled down to annual games during the holidays whenever we get together.  It is the perfect way to let the turkey digest, and we usually wind up playing two or three times.  But that time of year means a less than clear playing field on what is already a rollercoaster lawn.  Our yard, you see, isn’t exactly a lawn.  It’s an old watermelon field, and though the rows have settled somewhat after thirty-odd years, we still have low spots, gopher holes, ant hills, and armadillo mounds.  But in the fall we also have sycamore leaves the size of paper plates, pine cones, piles of Spanish moss, and cast off twigs from the windy fronts that come through every few days between October and March.  You cannot keep it cleaned up if you want to do something besides yard work with your life.  So when you swing your mallet, no matter how carefully you have aimed, you never really know where your ball will end up.  We call it “ultimate croquet.”  Anyone who is used to a tabletop green lawn would be easy pickings for one of us—even me, the perennial loser.

            All those “hazards” make for an interesting game of croquet, but let me tell you something.  I have learned the hard way that an interesting life is not that great.  I have dug ditches in a flooding rainstorm, cowered over my children during a tornado, prayed all night during a hurricane, climbed out of a totaled car, followed an ambulance all the way to the hospital, hugged a seizing baby in my lap as we drove ninety down country roads to the doctor’s office, bandaged bullet wounds, hauled drinking water and bath water for a month, signed my life away before experimental surgeries—well, you get the picture. Give me dull and routine any day. 

            Dull and routine is exactly what Paul told Timothy to pray for.  I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim 2:1-5. 

            Did you catch that?  Pray that our leaders will do what is necessary for us to have a “tranquil and quiet life” so that all men can “come to a knowledge of the truth.”  God’s ministers cannot preach the gospel in a country where everyone is in hiding or running in terror from the enemy, where you never have enough security to sit down with a man and discuss something spiritual for an hour or so, where you wonder how you will feed your family that night, let alone the next day.  The Pax Romana was one of the reasons the gospel could spread—peace in the known world.  That along with the ease of travel because every country was part of the same empire and a worldwide language made the first century “the fullness of times” predicted in the prophets.

            I don’t have much sympathy for people who are easily bored, who seem to think that life must always be exciting or it isn’t worth living.  I am here to tell you that excitement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  And God gave us plenty to do during those dull, routine times.  It’s called serving others and spreading the Word.  If you want some excitement, try that.  It’s even better than Ultimate Croquet.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 1 Thes 4:9-11.

Dene Ward