ALL GOD/ALL MAN

AT CHRISTMAS WE HEAR "AWAY IN A MANGER"
PART OF THE SONG SAYS
"THE CATTLE ARE LOWING, THE BABY AWAKES,
BUT LITTLE LORD JESUS, NO CRYING HE MAKES"

DID JESUS , AS A BABY, NOT CRY? HE WEPT WHEN HIS FRIEND LAZARUS DIED.
ISN'T CRYING SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR A BABY?

OR IS CRYING ALWAYS BAD?

WHEN HE WAS WORKING IN HIS EARTHLY FATHER'S CARPENTRY SHOP,
DID HE EVER MISS A NAIL AND HIT HIS FINGER?
IF HE DID...DIDN'T HE KNOW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
AND IF HE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, WHY DID HE CONTINUE TO SWING THE HAMMER?

DID HE EVER MAKE A MISTAKE IN THE SHOP AND NEED TO DO IT OVER?
ESPECIALLY WHEN JOSEPH WAS TEACHING HIM?
OR WAS ALL HIS CARPENTRY WORK PERFECT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING?

SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT "HE GREW IN FAVOR
WITH BOTH GOD AND MAN"

IN 4 PLACES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IT SAYS HE KNEW NO SIN.

HE IS GOD.

SCRIPTURE TELLS US HE WAS "TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS AS WE ARE."

HE IS MAN.

WHEN HE FACED THE CROSS IN GETHSEMANE, HE SAID, "FATHER IF IT IS POSSIBLE, MAY THIS CUP BE TAKEN FROM ME. (a human reaction) YET NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL."

I WILL NEVER, AT LEAST ON THIS EARTH, UNDERSTAND HIM FULLY. HE IS THE GOD-MAN. HE IS MY SAVIOUR!! HE UNDERSTANDS ME AND HE SHOWED HIS LOVE FOR ME EVEN THOUGH I AM A SINNER "HE DIED FOR ME".

ONLY THE GOD-MAN COULD DO THAT!!

FEAR

YESTERDAY, OUR YOUNGEST SON, JAY, AND FAMILY CALLED FROM ALASKA ON SKYPE. WITH THEIR VIDEO CAM THEY SHOWED AN OWL STANDING ON THEIR WINDOW SILL OCCASIONALLY LOOKING INTO THEIR HOUSE BUT MOSTLY LOOKING DOWN OUTDOORS. IT WAS STILL DARK THERE. THE FAMILY FIGURED OUT WHY THE OWL KEPT LOOKING DOWN. A MOUSE WOULD POKE HIS HEAD OUT OF ITS HOLE UNDER THE DOG HOUSE AND SCURRY BACK BEFORE THE OWL COULD SWOOP DOWN AND CATCH IT. FEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME I WAS WATCHING THE BIRD FEEDER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. IT WAS CROWDED WITH LITTLE BIRDS. THEY WERE HUNGRY AS WE HAVE ABOUT 9 INCHES OF SNOW COVERING EVERYTHING AND IT IS 20 DEGREES. SUDDENLY A LARGE STELLAR JAY SWOOPED IN TO EAT. ALL THE LITTLE BIRDS WERE FRIGHTENED AWAY. FEAR. I COULD NOT HELP BUT THINK, "ANIMALS LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR."

WHAT ABOUT US?
DO WE LIVE IN FEAR? FEAR OF WHAT?

WE WONDER WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER RETIREMENT?
WILL OUR HEALTH CONTINUE TO BE GOOD?
SOME HAVE FEARS ABOUT THEIR ETERNAL DESTINY.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT "PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR."
I CANNOT HELP BUT THINK OF THE BIBLE VERSE IN II TIMOTHY 1:12 THAT SAYS,"I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND AM CONVINCED THAT HE IS ABLE TO GUARD WHAT I HAVE ENTRUSTED TO HIM FOR THAT DAY." WHATEVER THAT DAY MIGHT BE.

AGAIN, THE PASSAGE IN PHILIPPIANS 4:7 TELLS ME THAT AS I REJOICE AND TRUST IN THE LORD, "THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS."

SO...FEAR IS REAL...EVEN FOR HUMANS.

BUT FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS OVERCOMES FEAR! WE CAN COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM...AND HAVE PEACE.

REAL PEACE ON HEART!!!!

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING EVEN RETIREMENT

December 4, 2008

I came across and interesting phrase in Psalms 109:23
It says, “ I am fading away as an evening shadow”.
This is interesting to me because it articulates in some way what I feel.
I am about to send my letter of official retirement to the Mission.
Although I have not been as deeply involved as in the past,
I have been involved in the inner circle of leadership for years.
Evening has come for me and I will fade away as the evening shadow.
And this is not bad...it is necessary and inevitable.
Evening shadows are comforting.
Evening shadows are restful.
Evening shadows are a prelude of the night.
And work is finished when night comes.
And following night comes a New Day when there will be no evening shadows.
This brings comfort and satisfaction.



December 6, 2008

Well, today I took a major step in life.
Fifty-four years ago, in 1954, Jeanie and I began ministry in Alaska.
We arrived there May 12, 1954, our oldest son, Marty’s first birthday.
He just sent me a note saying, “Wow, that’s a big step to retire.”
I guess it is.
However, since there is no doubt in our minds that this is the thing to do...
There is peace and contentment.
Some people say there is no Biblical basis for retirement.
I can understand their thoughts
One never retires from:
Obedience to the Lord
Prayer
Serving our God
Trying to bring Him glory
Walking daily with Him
And a lot of other responsibilities to family, friends, and others.
There is a Biblical precedence for retirement, however.
It is found in Numbers 8:25, speaking of the Levites.
It says, “But at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.”
Verse 26 goes on to say, “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but
they themselves must not do the work.”
So,
That’s what we plan to do!