A simple photograph of an evergreen tree reflecting in a puddle. There’s nothing unusual about it. You can’t see the tree itself, but you know it’s there and what it looks like.
Even if someone walks through the puddle, you’ll still see the reflection; it won’t be as clear, but it will be there. That’s the nature of reflections.
In a way, the bible talks about reflections. It uses the word image.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”Genesis 1:26-27
We are created “imago Dei” in the image of God. Our lives reflect Him. All people carry that image to some degree, even if it sonly hows the absence of God in their lives. He is still magnified because the absence of God in some lives shows the difference of having Him in someone’s life.
Every person’s life has value because it is in the image of God, that is, ontological dignity.
We are designed to be in relationship with God and others. His image gives us relational capacity.
Since we represent God, we are to show His character. That is our moral vocation.
As image bearers, we are given dominion to manage, not exploit the resources He gave us (or every type). We have representative dominion – we act as His ambassadors and stewards.
Believers have a calling to better representation since we have been saved and Holy Spirit dwells in us.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practicesand have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:5-10
What kind of an image are you reflecting. If people watched the puddle of your life, would the tree be seen more clearly over time? Would God be magnified even more by the way you represent Him, and compared to Jesus over time?
May the imago Dei be ever more clear in you. May you bring Him more glory day by day.
The university library was massive. Shelves of books on virtually every imaginable topic (and many that I have never conceived of) from every possible perspective on the issues. A person could read there for their entire lifetime and never put even a dent in the total number of books.
Fortunately, I wasn’t interested in reading all the topics. Some areas held no interest whatsoever for me. Others, I don’t have the expertise to even begin to decipher or understand. For example, I’ve never been able to grasp the fundamental concepts behind simple differential/integral calculus, so any book on that topic, or any topic that uses that knowledge as a foundation, would be beyond me.
The foreign language section would be beyond my grasp. I took some French in high school and university, but to be generous, it’s rusty. I can make out the occasional phrase in Latin, German, and Spanish, but I would not say I can speak any of those languages. I can say I don’t “speak the language” in French, German, Spanish, and several other languages.
I headed towards the seminary section of the library, looking for the topics I was interested in researching. Again, there was a bewildering array of books. For example, there were hundreds of biographies on Jesus (and I know they only have a sampling) some of which start with the belief that the Bible is true (as do I) and others which believe that there is no truth in the Bible at all.
Theological perspectives from the extreme liberal to the middle of the road, and from the ultra-conservative to the wildly charismatic, and from the frozen chosen to the chosen were available to read on many topics. Heretics and orthodox authors occupied the same shelves.
The topic of God, the claims of Jesus, and the path to salvation. These are some of, perhaps even the most vital issues of all. It’s no wonder that so many books have been written on these subjects.
Some people look at all those books and think, “Why should I read the Bible?” If the “experts” can’t agree, why should I even try? Some denominations or congregations even try to maintain control by encouraging this point of view.
The Bible is an incredible book. It contains truths so simple that a young child can understand them. It contains truths so vast that theologians have been arguing for thousands of years over the interpretations. If you are a believer, you have a built-in guide to help you understand the truth (Holy Spirit).
If you’re not a believer, no matter how much you read, you will never truly understand Scripture. Yet I know of many cases where people who weren’t believers, but had open, honest, searching hearts, asked God to reveal Himself to them when they read the Word, and He did.
I have thousands of hours of Bible reading and study under my belt. I have thousands of hours of reading commentaries, dictionaries, and other Bible-related books. I still have only begun to tap into the wealth of knowledge the Bible contains. There is more wisdom and truth in the Bible than in all the books in the university library for the person who will earnestly seek it.
I’ll never know it all, but with a little reading, anyone can sit down and learn through the Bible that Jesus loves them and will save them if they only ask. It will teach you what God is like and what He wants from us. It will teach you, rebuke you, correct you, and embrace you, if you will only open the covers and begin to read it.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Not sure where to begin reading your Bible? There are many plans available for daily Bible reading (we even have one on our website). Here’s one I recommend to people
Read the Gospel of John through two or three times
Read the four gospels through twice. By this point, you’ll have a good idea of who Jesus is.
Read the New Testament through twice. You’ll have a good basic knowledge.
Follow this by reading all of Scripture through from Genesis to Revelation.
Repeat…Repeat… Repeat
Reading twenty minutes a day will enable you to read through the whole Bible in a year. Reading a book a day will get you through cover to cover in 66 days.
Don’t worry that you don’t understand it all at once. No one does. You will find, though, that every time you gain new wisdom and insights. The more time you spend in the Word, the more you will realize how important it is and the more you will want to do it. Don’t be discouraged, it’s often hard to make new habits. If you slip, just pick it up again and keep on going.
Until next time, don’t be intimidated. Read the Bible. God had written a wonderful love letter to you within the pages of that book. He’s waiting for you to read it.
As we walked around the lake, I commented to my companion about the roses’ sweet smell.
He said, “I don’t smell any roses. All I can smell is those flowers over there.”
It took me a moment, but then I understood. The roses were an old variety, simple rugosa, which looks like a wild rose. They didn’t look anything like the fancy roses you buy at the florists by the dozen. They’re very attractive in their own right, but they just look so different that without knowing, you wouldn’t even think they are related.
It can be that way with the church. There is such a diversity in practice and in style that you’d never know that they were related. Some are incredibly ritualistic and solemn; others are very free-form and exuberant. Some have only a couple of members, while at the other extreme, the world’s biggest Christian church has more than 750,000 members. That congregation is bigger than many denominations.
In some, the pastor wears robes and is addressed as father. In others, the pastor wears shorts and a T-shirt and is called by his first name. In some congregations, it’s a man who leads and teaches, and in others, it’s a woman.
You’ll probably never find a “perfect” church. There will always be something that you don’t agree with, or people you don’t get along with. After all the church is full of people.
With all the diversity, how do you know it’s a good church? There are lots of counterfeits out there who claim to be Christian or who claim to use the Bible as the source of their teaching. How do you tell the good from the bad? How do you know whether it’s a rose or a noxious weed?
There are several good indicators.
Their view of the Bible: a rose recognizes the Bible is truth. If they deny the truth of Scripture they are a dandelion.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Their doctrine is sound. Contrary to what many might think, sound doctrine is important.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16
A good church teaches heaven and hell. It recognizes that the only way to salvation is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[a] by which we must be saved.”Acts 4:12
A good church recognizes that we are saved by God’s grace alone.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.Ephesians 2:8-9
A good church has a passion for the lost, and does more than talk about it.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the ageMatthew 28:19-20
A good church has love.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”John 13:34-35
Have a look at where you are worshipping. Is it a rose or a dandelion? There are no perfect churches outside of glory, but the basics must be in place.
Until next time, my prayer is that you find yourself affiliated with a rose.
There is a stereotype out there, particularly among non-Christian men, but even among men in the church. That thought is that Jesus was a weakling, a powerless wimp. He had no strength. “Gentle Jesus meek and mild,” “Little baby Jesus,” “Got himself killed before his ministry took off.”
Somehow, being a Christian, especially a Christian man, makes a man weak, a wimp. Meekness is confused with weakness. Meekness is strength and power restrained and under control.
Humility is confused with a lack of self-worth. Some say that putting the needs of others first is not what a “real man” would do. You must look out for number one! Yet, putting others first is exactly what the only perfect man who ever lived did,
Jesus confronted the established religious authorities on their errors. He overturned the tables of the sellers and money changers in the temple and drove them out with a whip. He willingly allowed himself to be falsely convicted, abused, mocked, ridiculed, and killed for the sake of others.
He still had time to demonstrate the love of God to a hostile world and to both teach and live in humility. He chose to be born in a hick town in the middle of nowhere and live, minister, and die in a backwater country in a corner of the empire.
Making our salvation possible was not the work of a wimp. We see such strength in some of his followers. Paul gave up a life as a well-regarded teacher brought up under the finest of rabbis, for a life of service to the true king. It was no easy road.
Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.2 Corinthians 11-23-28
He went to his death for Christ. The history of the church is filled with people who gave everything for Jesus. Even the ordinary person in the pew pays some price for following Jesus.
Wimps? Hardly. As cold as we might be? No. But we are all works in progress.
Our strength is in Christ. There is no greater cause.
Being a follower of Jesus is not for the faint of heart, but there is nothing that tops it. Nothing that comes close.
Look at the truth and examine your heart. It isn’t strength that keeps you away, it’s foolish pride. Take the step of humility and accept Christ today.
There are times in life when it feels like you can’t see what’s coming around the next bend. It can be unnerving or even immobilizing. It makes it hard to trust God.
We do our best to take control of whatever is coming, but the reality is that we aren’t in control of anything, except our choices, and there are usually a limited number of options. That can be a terrifying or liberating truth.
Knowing we aren’t in control often drives people to one of two places. There are control freaks who try to manage every detail, and the less control they have, the more they fight and suffer. Then there are the fatalists who think it’s going to happen anyway, so “why bother trying?
We need to trust the ultimate source of control is God himself, the creator and sustainer of the world. I find it freeing to know that while I can’t control every situation, the one who loves me controls my ultimate destination.
Faith in Him carries weight and freedom.
He lights the way. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”Psalm 119:105
He controls the past, present, and future. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. He gives every believer the Spirit. He loves us beyond measure.
We have the Word, the church, and the testimony of those who have gone before us to strengthen us when we are worried about the road ahead.
I was editing my children’s book series and researching woodstoves when I recalled something from years ago.
My parents moved to a farm not long after I left high school. Technically, it was more of a homestead: 160 acres, mostly cleared, a 1950’s mobile home with no indoor plumbing and heated entirely by an old wood stove in the living room. It was a dream come true for Dad; I’m sure Mom went because it was Dad’s dream.
I’d often travel up for a few days to give them a break and let them get away. One very cold winter evening, I arrived after they had already left. Not being experienced with wood stove hearths, I quickly got a fire going.
When it didn’t warm things up fast enough for me, the less-than-genius part of me stoked it even fuller. As soon as it burned down a little, I rammed it full again. Before long, it wasn’t warm; it was so hot that I was genuinely afraid the place was going to catch on fire.
I panicked. I filled a bucket with ice-cold water, opened the door, and threw it into the firebox. That dampened the fire but filled the house with smoke and steam. The stove made some awful groaning noises.
It was then that I realized the folly of throwing cold water on a near-glowing cast-iron woodstove. Fortunately, nothing broke, and while the fire risk was contained, I had to clean up, air out, and restart the process. All the while, I had the image of the stove cracking when I threw in the water, and the fire spreading everywhere.
I wasn’t yet a follower of Christ, yet God had his hand of protection over me. Perhaps I wasn’t in danger at all, that time, yet I know of many times His hand protected me.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
I often wonder if we will see all the places His hand was on us, after we get to glory. I suspect the number of times will boggle our minds. Whether we ever know that or not, He is worthy of praise.
Good morning, it seems like forever since we last chatted. Here in BC, it was the Family Day long weekend, so there have been no Gleanings since Friday.
We got a skiff of snow last night. Most of it is already gone except for some shady spots on the lawn. It melted into thick, scraper-resistant ice on the windshield, making it harder than usual to get the car ready for Kathy to go to work. I found myself mumbling, rather than being grateful, to live in a place where snow is rare.
Ooops!
How easy it is to slip back into old habits, whether it’s grumbling or something else. I’m grateful that God is so patient with us and never gives up on His promise to conform us into the image of Jesus.
I can’t generate enough willpower to break all the old fleshly ways under my own strength. I need Holy Spirit power to break me through. Fortunately, he dwells in all believers.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will bein you.John 14:15-17
He transforms us from the inside out. Those are the places we can’t reach ourselves. We can modify our behaviors to some degree by willpower alone, but real transforming power comes from deep within.
Sometimes, he changes us instantaneously, and at others, it is a long process. I can be a slow learner.
I am grateful that I didn’t have to change and get my life cleaned up before approaching His throne of Grace. I would never be able to do it without the imputed righteousness of Christ.
He sees me covered by the blood and growing, and that pleases Him. He hears the Spirit groaning when I don’t even know what to pray for, and He answers.
I’m not all that I will be, but I’m far from what I was. All of that is His work in me (and you).
I’m learning to repent more quickly, and I’m likely to stand longer between falls, and that’s progress.
Praise god for the changes He is making in us all.
Yesterday, I spent time studying the tiny New Testament book “Jude”. Written by one of Jesus’s brothers. It is so short (1 chapter, only 24 verses) that it is often overlooked, yet it contains some very important teaching.
Much of the teaching surrounds false teaching and false fellowship in the church.
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4
Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.Jude 1:8-13
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Theysaid to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[ stained by the flesh. Jude 1:17-22
Jude’s warning has grave implications for today. The church is awash in poor teaching. The word “sin” has become politically unacceptable in many churches and has been exchanged for a victim philosophy, i.e., “It’s not my fault … it’s my parents or the abuse I suffered.”
Please understand that I am not trying to minimize the damage others have caused to many people. There is no doubt that circumstances can be terrible and bring us to horrible places, BUT we need to take responsibility for our own actions at some time and deal with them. Our sin will never be forgiven if we will not admit we are sinners.
One megachurch that comes to mind has a huge international following, but its leader has publicly stated that people do not need to know they are sinners. The church preaches a gospel of self-esteem, allowing people to feel good all the way to hell. True self-esteem comes from knowing who we are in Christ and experiencing His forgiveness and unconditional love for us.
There are churches with Christian roots that have abandoned the “need” for Christ. They teach that there are many paths to salvation. In doing so, they do just as Jude warned they would. They “deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” These teachers pollute the truth, and their own destruction follows them. It has been ordained so from before the beginning.
What about those who choose to follow such teaching, either by choosing to ignore the truth or by simple ignorance? They need to hear the truth and be brought to safety. Jude had this to say to us …
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[ stained by the flesh Jude 1:20-23
We are to snatch them away from hell’s fires. We are to love them but hate what they have been taught and their sin. We need to be careful not to condemn the teaching, not the teacher.
If you know people stuck under these false teachers, pray for them. Encourage them to read the Word for themselves. Invite them to a church where the truth is proclaimed. Sitting under false teaching is not a small matter; it could be the difference between life and death for many.
Until next time, keep “building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”
I’ve been thinking of whitewash since a passage came up in my Wednesday group. Whitewash is, of course, a mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures. The fence in today’s image has been whitewashed.
Jesus had some harsh, but true words to say to the Pharisees.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27
Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of the day for their outward religion and hard hearts. Knowing that Jesus often used the words of the Old Testament in His teaching, I did some digging and came across the following.
“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. Ezekiel 33:10-16
That’s a pretty powerful rebuke. Fortunately for us, it was for the Pharisees. Right? Unfortunately, not, we can whitewash with the best of them.
We are quite capable of putting on our pretty Sunday morning church faces, reading our Bibles, going to church, and even doing ministry under our own power. But the Lord sees right through that.
We might fool others. We might even fool ourselves since we are very good at self-deception. We’ll never fool him.
He looks to our hearts, not the outward appearance.
Are you a whitewash Christian? Only you and the Lord know, but your faith needs to move from your head to your heart. Our goal is to become Christlike, not perfect seeming Christians, but dead on the inside.
Late last week, we took a road trip to Manning Park for a walk along the Skagit River Trail. We needed some fresh air, some mountain time, and a touch of snow (but not on our streets or driveway). It’s just over an hour’s drive away, so it’s relatively handy.
I find that when I get out in nature, it often clears my head (as well as my lungs) and helps me “see and hear” God more easily. I took this shot of a nearby cliff face from where we parked. Even through the haze, it’s beautiful.
That mountain has stood there for a long time. It looks as if it will still stand there for a long time. Yet the face is slowly changing. Erosion and rockslides are subtly recarving the face. We live in an area prone to earthquakes and with active volcanoes; either could totally transform the mountain.
Even the things we consider rock solid don’t last forever. We live in a broken world that is destined for destruction. The day will come when even the mountains and the oceans will burn up.
If everything will be destroyed, why bother trying to preserve any of it? Humankind was put on this little blue planet, third from the sun, to steward it.
We have been appointed to a God-given task to steward a part of His kingdom. Its eventual disposition is in the hands of the owner, but in the interim, we manage it until His return.
I’m reminded of the parable of the talents (or minas) where the master gives the servants responsibility for a certain sum, and there is an accounting when he returns. (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27)
How well will we fare when the master returns and we face a review of our stewardship? Not well in general.
I’m not suggesting we all become earth worshippers; that’s a sin. Simply that we could all make small changes to be better stewards.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever compared our stewardship to those parables before?
