This is Jasper, a border collie-maremma cross. His temperament is by far more maremma than collie. he is very determined. He lived with us when we had the acreage, but when we moved to the city, he and Misty, the border collie, moved to a friend’s farm, where they live happily today.
Border collies are hyperactive herding dogs that seem to have to work to live. Maremmas are livestock guard dogs that are content to lie on a raised area, surveying their kingdom and flock with regal authority until danger arises. Then watch out.
Jasper is a master at regally surveying his domain until danger arises. Unless there’s a squirrel. A squirrel throws a switch in his brain, and he just must get them. Then he thinks he’s a hunting dog crossed with a beaver.
You can see from the picture that he has a squirrel treed and is determined to bring it down. Yes, he gets so excited that he gnaws the tree.
That’s determination…or madness.
There’s a lot of that sort of determination come madness in the world. The world is determined to dethrone God and do whatever it wants. That’s bad enough, but they want everyone else to celebrate the insanity.
What is evil is now considered normal, even virtuous, by many.
The Bible has some thoughts on that subject. The prophet Isiah was inspired by God to write on the subject 2800 years ago.
Such people are under the wrath of God. Still, there is hope they will see the light and turn back before it’s too late.
Our job isn’t to hate or judge these people; it’s to love them. Loving them doesn’t mean that we accept or follow their view, but it does mean that we pray for them, meet their needs when we can, and treat them as our neighbours.
We, too, were lost in our sin and enemies of God at one point, and in His mercy, He reached down and saved us. Let’s pray He does the same even for those we might consider our enemies.
A simple photo of a bucket of pretty rocks. It caught my eye because I love rocks. Since I was a small child, I have gone through many phases of collecting and working with stones and minerals. I can’t imagine how many shiny stones my mother must have dug out of my pants pockets on laundry days. If I’m honest, it can still happen today.
Collectors range from the casual to the obsessed, from the small child bringing a few shiny stones home in their pocket to those who travel the world to collect the perfect piece.
A collector might simply collect pieces that catch their eye while out walking. Someone else might spend vast sums of money purchasing rare and unique specimens. One person might bring home common pieces, while another might collect only a particular type. Everyone’s tastes and circumstances are different.
I have found that rock collectors are very willing to talk about what they collect and often share their collections. I have had great conversations with perfect strangers on beaches, gravel bars or even in the landscaped sections of parking lots about rocks. The rock bug seems to bite early in life and never go away for most people.
A conundrum for rock collectors (or collectors of anything else for that matter) is “what to do with them when you have brought them home?” How do you display them? How do you make room for more?
Of course, there will never be enough room. There will always be more or bigger specimens to collect. The variety of stone is virtually inexhaustible. Many are found in only one location in the world. Others are common, but they come in an infinite array of colors, shapes, and patterns.
There is a set of something that is guaranteed to be complete in time. That set is the church. I don’t mean the outward manifestation of denominations and groups, or buildings or even the gathering of believers. I am referring to everyone throughout time that God has ordained to be saved.
True believers are a gift to Christ from the Father.
If we are a gift from the perfect Father to his precious Son, we will not be lost. Everyone, from everywhere, in any era that is included in the present, will be saved.
Knowing that doesn’t give us an excuse not to evangelize. We don’t know what our effectiveness will be, but God commands us to go. We go in obedience, trusting in Him for results.
Knowing that all are secure in the Lord’s hands ought to give us comfort. We know the Lord won’t return until all the sheep are gathered. We can rest assured that anyone in the ranks of the yet unborn who is called of God will be secure.
We can pray, serve and evangelize in the comfort of knowing that God’s precious gift to the Son will be intact.
God won’t be displaying us in a basket. We will be transformed into everything he made us to be and will be in His presence for eternity to come.
He elected His followers before the beginning of time to complete His work in them.
For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-29
Believers are chosen by a perfect God for a holy, eternal purpose. My bucket of rocks might be pretty enough, but it will never compare with the wonder of the assembled, glorified church in the presence of their God.
