Posts

Posted on

A Prayer For This Land

“if a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain, standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Oh great God of heaven and Earth, I bow my head in prayer to You this day, and pray for this land that stretches out before me

I call out to my Lord, that You would listen to me and feel compassion for the life that lives here

A drought has stricken our lands. It has made our fields dry and cracked. Our once lush forests have been weakened and are struggling. They have become like tinder that waits for a single spark to ignite them

All of life here is in retreat. The beauty of the west is disappearing and the survivors are hard pressed and stricken

The fires come in weary regularity now. They burn like gigantic furnaces that consume everything in their path and with a quickness that fiercely devoirs the gardens that once bloomed there

It has been heartwarming to witness the regrowth that springs up after. Like a miracle, it is a testament to the tenacity of these survivors. But, something is much different now, the old ground rules are being broken

For the heat and the drought is just relentless. Year after year it continues to surprise us and repeat itself

The rebirth of our lands and forests, so promising, is losing now . Restoration is being aborted, because of the harshness of our climate

The days keep growing warmer and the nights even more so. The heat and aridness are worse that anyone can remember

Our wet seasons happen in short bursts, and then vanish for months at a time. Brief periods of ‘normal weather’ are being displaced by strange periods of sun, winds, and drought

Lord look down upon us and this hard stricken land. Bring us relief for the sake of this beautiful place. Look fondly upon this land, for it is suffering

I can’t help but think of the ways in which we have caused all this

The excesses of our age that have tilted the balance and now wreak damage. Global warming is a man-made plague, a problem of our own making, and our responsibility 

This drought I see all around me is a consequence of our actions

Can I really ask God to help bring us relief?

Can I truly ask Him to clean up this mess that is a product of our disrespect for His creation?

Therefore, I will pray a new prayer. May we all develop a caring attitude for the Earth and all that lives here

Can we overcome the inertia and profit motives of our industries, so that we may focus on finding solutions to this difficult problem?

How great are the consequences if we decide to ignore and accept this and deadly for millions of people in the coming years

Climate change has the potential to accelerate rapidly from here. As it does, it will ripple unrest, starvation, and plagues across the globe

I will pray then that we commit to undoing the damage we have caused, and that we will work together throughout the world, to care for the health of our planet

For this I will pray for, and for this, I will accept responsibility  2/4/2022

Posted on

The Significance of Caring

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did also for me.’ Matthew 25:40

How is it that we have become separated from our home the earth? That we have forgotten the connection we have to its function and beauty?

Has our technology insulated us from this reality? Do we not remember that caring for the Earth is caring for all its people, and indeed, all other life?

Our God created this place for us and all the wonder that abounds here. It is not ours to do with as we please

Because of our standing and our place in the order of things, it falls to us to care for the health of this place. As stewards, each of us must try to leave this place in better condition for the next generations

We should lead as a good example to our children, so, they might learn this important truth and not ignore it like we have

It is such an obvious goal to achieve and should never be neglected again

I hope the children of the future will look back at us kindly and forgive our generation for not recognizing this sooner. For at no time in history has our species created such a damaging impact upon our home

We have no choice now; we must reduce the harm we are causing. Because caring for the earth is, caring for its people

This is especially critical for our poor, the needy, and the vulnerable. Are these not the same ones God calls us to care for?

Can we also learn to share this place with each other, and give our time and wealth to help solve these problems? It is not going to be easy, but it must be done 

Neglecting to address this will place incredibly difficult burdens on future generations

We must begin to act now and swiftly ramp up our effort so that we can lessen the impacts and begin to heal this incredible place

Each of us bears some responsibility, we are all in this together

Lend a hand in any way you can. Use your strengths and skill to help others and to reduce your impacts. Support the efforts of others and our leaders who recognize the magnitude of this crisis

Become a caregiver of this earth and of its people and life

There is so much to be done

God will honor those who honor Him. He will consider our efforts as helping Himself when we care for those affected by this danger

We are all in this together, let us act in love, with concern for those who need our help. 1/29/2022

Posted on

The Gift of Jesus

For the kingdom of heavens is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for His vineyard. Matthew 20:1

Jesus stands above the entire world, as its Creator and King

He lives in Spirit and in form before all people who dwell within this place

His Word call out to us across this great expanse and the Spirit of Christ searches the hearts of each one of us

The Christ, the Son of God, who was and is, and forever will be, is here with us. There is no place where He cannot reach and no power in heaven or Earth who rules above Him

He is our God

And He loves us

With love He made this Earth, our home, and by His amazing power God created things just so

In time, Jesus came to dwell with us and stood before us. He came to restore our place before the almighty God, so that all our sins could be wiped away and that we might be made more than we ever could be on our own

He is the savior of all the world, the one who can bring healing for our wounds. Christ can cure us from that which we had no hope or recourse

All the world dwells before Him, and He comes to offer us healing and hope

How confused and distracted are we who inhabit this place. Most of us do not know our God, or, even recognize the He exists

Few understand how great a gift to the world that Christ is; that He, who gave His life for us and so that we might be able to live before our God, forever, would come to us in Spirit and in truth

He give us each this opportunity for eternal life. Every person on Earth is offered this chance to believe upon Him. All, are equally given this gift, but few are those who accept it

The Son of God comes to us each day with His hands outstretched. Jesus calls out and offers us His promise, so that we might have life in all the abundance that God intended

Take hold of Him this day and every one hereafter. Pray and worship His name in faith and in truth, for He is the reason that we have life, and love, and being. 1/25/2022

Posted on

The Miracle of Life

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. Colossians 1:15-16

Blessed is the Lord our God, and righteous and holy, His Son, Jesus Christ

Through their Spirit and power, they formed all of creation and made it an incredible place, exceedingly great and incomprehensible

It is a place of awe and beauty that stretches out in distance so vast and far, that we are only just beginning to understand its depth

And here we are. This small blue planet tucked off into a corner of this wondrous expanse of a Universe. Where we breath and live out our lives and try to do the best we can with what we have

We have filled the earth with people, who each have their own hopes, dreams, and wishes

That this is an amazing place is indisputable. It has provided for us richly, throughout all of our history. That we can even exist, is based upon Earth’s perfect conditions

Life is a miracle

This earth is unique, a one in a trillion formation where life has taken place

Praise be to the God of the Universe, who found it in His heart to create such a place as this. His love is evident in all the things He made here

All of creation cries out in praise of the wisdom and power of what God has made

It is said that we should not worship creation, but only God Himself. And this is true, for creation can only tell of the glory of God

But this does not mean that we should not respect it, because it has been incredibly made; tailored for our very existence

Man is an amazing being, but we cannot stand alone. We cannot exist apart from the healthy working of our planet, nor should we treat this place as something to take advantage of

For we have been woven together with all of life here. We depend on a balance that lies between the elements of creation and the miracle we call life

We stand at a point in time unlike any other in history. By our actions we are changing the very balance that life depends on. We are sending this planet, God’s creation, on a dangerous course

What we do from here on out will have profound effect. It will determine the future history of life on this planet

Will we honor God and glorify Him alone? Can we, by our actions, correct this profound sin?           12/13/2019

Posted on

The Spirit of Praise

I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1

Give thanks to our God in heaven. Praise His holy name which is above all that we know. For He is our savior, the great Creator, the one who holds and keeps our fragile lives in safety

We should give thanks to Him who made us, and sing praises from our heart in deep appreciation

For He is good and honorable, glorious above all description. Come before Him each day with a spirit of thanksgiving. Begin each morning singing praises for His goodness, and live out each hour, giving thanks for all that He has done

Oh, if we only knew how wonderful God has been to us. If only the shades upon our eyes were removed and we could see Him how He truly is, we would bow and tremble in His presence and be astonished at how little we had thanked our Lord

Each one of us neglects to give appropriate honor to God and we’re often unthankful for the incredible blessings we have received. Instead, we cast our eyes upon lesser things, which have no glory compared to His

Grow closer to God through a thankful spirit. Open the eyes of your heart through a deeper faith and praise Him. Then you will see anew, the measure of His goodness and love

Renew your faith when you wake in the morning, and give honor to Him. Be thankful for the blessing of a daily provision and give thanks for everything that comes your way

For they are all gifts from God above, poured out for our lives, to build us up, that keep us strong

Don’t despair in the trials and afflictions that effect us, but rejoice in the love and salvation that comes only from God which far surpass the brief afflictions that effect us

Draw near to His side, sing praises to His name, begin again to consider all of the wonderful things He does. Be filled with a spirit of thanksgiving, and be transformed and renewed by the power of His love

We have such a great salvation through the work of Jesus Christ. How could we let a day go by without giving Him our deepest thanks?

For once we were dead in our sins, but now are alive through Him. We had no hope for our future, but now have the gift of eternal life

Strive to give God that which He so richly deserves. Fill your life with a spirit of love and honor for Him by giving the Lord your honest praises in a spirit of thanksgiving. 2/1998

Posted on

Judge Not

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way that you judge others, you will be judged. Matthew 7:1

Lord, may Your wisdom and grace flood over me, so that I learn to forgive and respect others. May I choose not to judge people, but honor them for who they are

The nature inside of me shouts out for justice. It is impatient and quick to pass judgement and here have been times when I have spoken out against people, when my actions have hurt and caused harm

Forgive me, oh Lord, teach me Your wisdom, show me Your love, so that I may bring honor to You in all that I do

Those that look down on the poor, and especially those that mistreat them, show disrespect for their Maker. By their actions, they demonstrate their contempt for Him who rules in heaven

Our God, who made each of us under heaven, He knows each of them by name. How can we not know that it is not our place to judge them? Worse yet, that we do harm to these whom God loves

They are the poor, the different, the sick, and the impaired; The lowly, the starving, those pushed aside, and the unloved. God loves them all, for they are his children

The Lord, our God, surprises us by His love. Recognize that it is only because of His grace and happenstance that we could be in their place

Look upon your Maker, make your heart and actions right before Him. Rouse your faith, so that you can act out with love. Swallow your pride, for you are not so different from them

Bless your fellow believers. Show love, even to your enemies. Be kind to the poor amongst you, so that you might know the love of God

God so loved us that He gave His only Son, Jesus. We were lost and forgotten in our sins, but He has come and shown us mercy and grace and causes the sun to shine upon each of us, forever

God causes the rain and sunshine to fall upon everyone, so that there is blessing. However, there is great iniquity in this world, but God’s love is the force that makes things just and right

Our true path to salvation lies not in judging others, but by showing God’s love to others throughout our life   12/3/2021

Posted on

A Mornings View

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

The heavens call out to me this morning. They sing a chorus over the darkened land

Their song shouts forth the glory of their place in the heavens above and speaks in quiet praise of the wonder of God’s creation

What joy I feel to see the stars and planets sparkling. How awesome to watch the smiling sliver of the moon poking up just above the horizon. The sun is chasing it, not far behind. Reflected light from earth illuminates the dim circle of its face

Great is our God who made all of this, He is wise beyond all the capabilities of our mind. By His power with a Word, He swung all this into motion. What wondrous things He has done

Our world is set amidst this endless creation. We have been cast as a grain of sand into the vastness of this place

How blessed am I to see all this beauty today, to ponder the width and depth of all God has made and to see its power, depth, and glory

It’s amazing that we have just begun to explore this space around us

Our ships have sailed out across the solar system

Our feet have walked upon the dusty surface of the moon

Our eyes have looked out across nearly 14 billion light years of space and seen to near the beginning of all we know that is

But God knows infinitely more

I wonder about our future here on this planet, can we somehow overcome our frailties?

Will our species grow more compassionate and loving towards each other, so we don’t mess up our chances for survival or a good outcome

For we are self-centered creatures, prone to greed and war. We have learned many amazing things, but have failed to solve the most difficult problems of our times

Our God looks down from the heavens above. He sees and knows what lies within us and offers us the wisdom of His Word and Spirit; the grace and mercy of His salvation, He freely gives

Will we truly acknowledge Him and go before Him in faith this day?

Oh, the beauty and wonder of God’s creation, what an incredible place He has made

Our Earth was formed by the strength and will of His hands and we were brought forth here, as His children

Our problems, which we have created, are rising above our heads. They threaten are very existence, but with God, we have the promise of a future

When we connect with Him, the creator of all that is, we will see and know that every good answer resides in Him.  11/30/20

Posted on

Shine Gods Light…

In the same way, let your light shine before everyone, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Give thanks to the Lord our God, lift up praises unto His name, for He is continually good and loving towards us

We have been given this life.

As like the sun we rise in our morning. By the grace of God, we shine in brightness at our noon hour, yet eventually we come to the end of our day and set below the horizon, and there, all our life shines forth like the color of a magical sunset

Beautiful and mysterious are our lives, Each one is a gift to be treasured, an opportunity to reflect the love and brilliance of our creator

Never dim the light that God has put in you. Don’t shade it because of doubts or fear. Allow as many particles of His light as possible to shine through you, so that the light of His love and truth can encourage others

We are living spirits cast in earthen clay, designed by a blueprint called by our name. A marvelous collection of matter and energy interacts within us during our lifetime, it helps make us who we are

Give thanks to our God for this opportunity to live. May we always give Him praise and our blessing for this incredible gift

For no matter what may happen along our path through life, whether it is for our good or is seemingly bad, all that matters is that He gets the glory.

For the sum of everything created is far less amazing than our glorious creator

Give thanks, fill your life with a spirit of thanksgiving, for you are alive in this time and this place

Our God, who has known you since the beginning of time, brought you here. Why? That is for you to find out

We all must work out our own path towards salvation. The quality of our faith must be forged through our own relationship with God

What we do with the light of His Spirit through the words and truth that He reveals unto us, is to shine forth His light into a darkened world

So that there might be hope where there once was no hope and that love might abound, where only hate and anger once ruled. So that goodness and mercy might break down the walls of doubt, injustice, and corruption; and above all, that God might be magnified and His glory revealed

Life is truly an amazing adventure. It is much more than it seems

For after God shines His light upon us, we are changed. The life that we thought we had before fades before His brilliance and we begin to see anew the incredibly good and beautiful reason for life

Go before your God and praise Him. Pray a new prayer to Him this day

Soak in the light of His life, so that you may shine forth His light and goodness to all the world around you  11/25/2021

Posted on

Thanksgiving Offering

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. Psalm 100:4

Consider this day, what you should offer your God. What would be an acceptable gift, for one so great and mighty

What could He possibly need?

For God created all the heavens and the earth. He owns it all, there is nothing that is not His

All the world we live in lies within the palm of His hand. It is His creation. There’s not a single atom within this planet He does not own. All that live upon it were born from His will

He gave breath and life to all who dwell here, both plant and animal, microbe, and fungi

The God of all made the stars that dwell in the sky, He crafted their forms and gave rise to their clusters. He moved His arm and they swirled into galaxies, the courses they take were charted by Him from the beginning. Our God owns them all

What could we offer such a mighty God, who owns each of our lives, who gave us our breath, our life, our body, our heart, and our soul?

He has blessed us with our life, may we revere Him all of our days

In beauty and in death, in triumph and in our struggles, through health and during illness, with our richness and in our want, He stands with us, as our maker and our God

How could we not give thanks for the goodness of His creation and for all the things that He has blessed us with throughout our lives

What is life if we don’t recognize His place in the order of things?

We have riches and opportunities available that we have not seen yet. We have His Word and His Spirit to direct us so that we might live in all fullness of life

We have our families and friends and a great multitude of believers all around us, who He gave to us

They bless us, and He gives us many opportunities to bless them, so that love would abound. Yet, God’s love surpasses all

For He gave us hope in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him He provided the map that leads off to eternity so that we might dwell with God forever

He Himself has given us this all. Should we not give to Him by His own example?

Give thanks and live out His gift of love that flows through you with all your mind, body, soul, and strength. It is our only true means of offering something of value to Him.   9/8/2021

Posted on

The Wonder of Water

All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place from where streams come, there they return again. Ecc 1:6

There is something beautiful about watching a river flow into the sea. To see them, born in mountains high and distant, rushing into the vastness of the oceans of our earth

What stories could those waters tell?

How many lives did they touch along the way?

Who thanked the river for the countless blessings it gave as it crossed their land?

Water is a miracle. It is the magic substance that all of life depends on, the stuff that we are made of

Earth is set apart from everything else we see in the universe by its water. It’s what makes this planet full of an abundance of life

Water is the solution that allows us to exist. All the millions of processes happening in us every second, occur only because of its incredible qualities

Its chemical properties are amazingly varied and unique. Water dissolves, transports, adheres, oxidizes, reduces, blends, and mixes. It flows, floats in the air, and becomes like a rock when it’s cold

It can gently wash the dust from a leaf, or, split solid rock and wear down mountains

On Earth it is ever present and life giving. All of life relies on its life sustaining properties

God has created an incredible world for us to live in. He has made this watery place filled with great abundance. It exists in a perfect balance of temperature, gravity, and mix of elements that ebb and flow, supporting this miracle we call life

Give thanks, be in awe of this wonder created by His hands. consider the wonder of water and its beauty; the power of the ocean when a storm has stirred it, when it creates mountainous waves of awesome power

Remember the beauty of a waterfall cascading over cliffs, the roar of rapids in a river at flood stage; the towering summits of thunderstorms white against the sky that pour flooding torrents of rainfall upon the land beneath

How beautiful to watch a river meet the sea, to observe it completing a cycle that gives life to all it touches

How distressing then, is it to see scarcity and pollution. Of lack, that has caused great suffering across this world

To see the flash floods and rising seas that threaten so many, or to hear about pollution that we have dumped into our precious waters; poison that has stricken many who have no choice in the matter

All these tragedies are of our own making, caused by a warming climate and the runaway waste of industry. Propagated by selfish and cost centered decisions that value wealth above our health

Water, one of God’s most miraculous substances is being defiled and altered

As we raise the earths temperature and reduce the quality of our waters, we place all life into increasing peril

God has made us responsible for what we do here within His glorious creation. It is up to us to clean up our waste and give honor to Him and regard all that dwells within His world

Consider, this day, what we are doing to our waters. Thank God for the wonder of its existence, then make a difference with your life.  11/12/2021