Christmas boxes are toys no matter what is in them. That is the conclusion I have come to as I watch my grandchildren open their presents.
First there is the wrapping paper around the box. There is a special joy on their faces as they tear off the paper. You can see the excitement and expectation as every layer of paper and box reveals a little more about the contents that awaits them.
Next comes the box. They finally get to see what is inside. Suddenly we see if it is clothes, toys, games, tools, or something totally unexpected. The surprise is half the fun as we watch the excitement being unwrapped.
Some things have to be tried on or played with immediately. Other things are stacked in a corner to be examined later. The fun of giving and receiving is followed by the enjoyment of having something new. All this fun began with an empty box. Before the box could be opened it had to be filled with a present someone picked out with you especially in mind.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44
A new year is like an empty box. I have heard it said that you only get out of life what you put into it. In fact, I’ve said it a few times. But that saying does not go nearly far enough. Like a present, a new year is also what others put into it for you. We are all connected to the world around us. And, we can find treasure as we unwrap every layer of our experiences of life.
Happy New Year
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Stockings by the Fire
I remember as a child waking up on Christmas morning and heading straight for the presents. Some time later in the morning we would remember the stockings that were pinned to the fireplace mantel. They were overlooked mostly because we already knew what was in them. Christmas Stockings at my house were always the same every year. They were white tube socks filled with assorted nuts and fruit and maybe some coins in the toe. Dad was responsible for doing the socks and he was predictable, most years.
After I got married I discovered that Christmas Stockings were a big deal in some homes. Joyce’s family used specially made stockings. They were shaped liked stockings but much larger and decorated for Christmas. In them we found new socks, (I always found it humorous that there were socks in my stocking!), and there were always fun things like pencils, toys, and snack food.
Joyce and I have carried on her family’s tradition. Every year before the presents can be opened we look inside the “stockings.” The actual decorative stockings hang in the living room. In their place we fill gift bags with goodies that the kids and grandkids always look forward to. Some things are practical, like new socks, and there are always fun surprises that we pick out especially for each person.
They say the tradition of Christmas Stockings goes all the way back the St. Nick himself. The original Nicholas was a fourth century Christian who became a lay preacher and because of his extraordinary devotion eventually became the Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey. As the story goes, he heard of a man with three daughters who was so poor he could not afford dowries so they could be married. Nicholas wanted to help but knew the man was too proud to accept charity so he walked by his house and threw three gold coins in the window. As it happened, the girls’ stockings were hanging by the fire to dry and by a miracle the coins landed in the stockings. The girls could get married and a legend was born.
Christmas has been a time of gift giving from the beginning. The wise men from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the baby Jesus. We give gifts to our children and each other. The gifts may be small or large, practical or fun, but they all represent the love and sacrifice that went into the gifts we give.
Jesus was, and is, God’s greatest gift to us. He continues to give us gifts through his Holy Spirit. As we fill our stockings and give our gifts this year I pray that we will take the time to remember his gift. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16)
Merry Christmas,
Robin & Joyce Cowin
After I got married I discovered that Christmas Stockings were a big deal in some homes. Joyce’s family used specially made stockings. They were shaped liked stockings but much larger and decorated for Christmas. In them we found new socks, (I always found it humorous that there were socks in my stocking!), and there were always fun things like pencils, toys, and snack food.
Joyce and I have carried on her family’s tradition. Every year before the presents can be opened we look inside the “stockings.” The actual decorative stockings hang in the living room. In their place we fill gift bags with goodies that the kids and grandkids always look forward to. Some things are practical, like new socks, and there are always fun surprises that we pick out especially for each person.
They say the tradition of Christmas Stockings goes all the way back the St. Nick himself. The original Nicholas was a fourth century Christian who became a lay preacher and because of his extraordinary devotion eventually became the Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey. As the story goes, he heard of a man with three daughters who was so poor he could not afford dowries so they could be married. Nicholas wanted to help but knew the man was too proud to accept charity so he walked by his house and threw three gold coins in the window. As it happened, the girls’ stockings were hanging by the fire to dry and by a miracle the coins landed in the stockings. The girls could get married and a legend was born.
Christmas has been a time of gift giving from the beginning. The wise men from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the baby Jesus. We give gifts to our children and each other. The gifts may be small or large, practical or fun, but they all represent the love and sacrifice that went into the gifts we give.
Jesus was, and is, God’s greatest gift to us. He continues to give us gifts through his Holy Spirit. As we fill our stockings and give our gifts this year I pray that we will take the time to remember his gift. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16)
Merry Christmas,
Robin & Joyce Cowin
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Ready for Winter
With fall in full force I have been giving some thought to winterizing. I have already winterized most things around my house. The hoses have been drained and the lawn mower is stored. I need more firewood and I still have a few things to take care of but for the most part I am ready for winter.
As I was making my mental list for winter I remembered a time in college when I was asked to help with a winterizing job. A friend of a friend had an opportunity to make some money winterizing greenhouses in the area. He covered them with plastic sheeting that helped protect the glass-covered houses from ice and snow. It seemed like an easy way to make a few bucks so I agreed to help.
The job involved unfolding the plastic on top of the greenhouse and tacking it down at the eaves. It was cold and windy and the plastic was uncooperative. He needed someone light and agile to go to the center of the roof and help with the plastic. He had asked me to do it. It seemed easy enough until I got to the middle and realized that there was no place to put my feet, surrounded by glass, and pushed around by the wind. The sound of cracking glass was unmistakable.
We heard him groan and we all worked faster to get the job done and get off the roof before someone fell through it. When he counted the cracked panes later he said that we would all have to share from our profit to cover the cost. I could see how much this pained him so I volunteered my profit to pay for the glass. He accepted my offer and I later found out that the homeowner was very understanding. He also admitted that he should not have attempted the job with the wind blowing like it was that night. So I ended up being the only one who did not make any money.
Preparing for change costs. Change happens to us often. We experience changes at work, in our families, with our relationships, and the world around us is always changing. We also go through changes at Church. We have to constantly be on our guard against the blowing winds of change and adjust our balance to minimize the cost. But no matter what we do there is always a cost involved.
Jesus often called us to count the cost. It was never a question of whether or not there would be a cost to following Him. He called us to always be ready to make sacrifices. He also promised great rewards for those sacrifices.
He said, “And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29 HCSB)
Obeying Jesus costs us and those around us. We may not see the rewards in this life but we gladly pay the cost because of who made the promise. We cannot stop change. We can follow the one who will lead us through it.
Bro. Robin
As I was making my mental list for winter I remembered a time in college when I was asked to help with a winterizing job. A friend of a friend had an opportunity to make some money winterizing greenhouses in the area. He covered them with plastic sheeting that helped protect the glass-covered houses from ice and snow. It seemed like an easy way to make a few bucks so I agreed to help.
The job involved unfolding the plastic on top of the greenhouse and tacking it down at the eaves. It was cold and windy and the plastic was uncooperative. He needed someone light and agile to go to the center of the roof and help with the plastic. He had asked me to do it. It seemed easy enough until I got to the middle and realized that there was no place to put my feet, surrounded by glass, and pushed around by the wind. The sound of cracking glass was unmistakable.
We heard him groan and we all worked faster to get the job done and get off the roof before someone fell through it. When he counted the cracked panes later he said that we would all have to share from our profit to cover the cost. I could see how much this pained him so I volunteered my profit to pay for the glass. He accepted my offer and I later found out that the homeowner was very understanding. He also admitted that he should not have attempted the job with the wind blowing like it was that night. So I ended up being the only one who did not make any money.
Preparing for change costs. Change happens to us often. We experience changes at work, in our families, with our relationships, and the world around us is always changing. We also go through changes at Church. We have to constantly be on our guard against the blowing winds of change and adjust our balance to minimize the cost. But no matter what we do there is always a cost involved.
Jesus often called us to count the cost. It was never a question of whether or not there would be a cost to following Him. He called us to always be ready to make sacrifices. He also promised great rewards for those sacrifices.
He said, “And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29 HCSB)
Obeying Jesus costs us and those around us. We may not see the rewards in this life but we gladly pay the cost because of who made the promise. We cannot stop change. We can follow the one who will lead us through it.
Bro. Robin
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Fire
Fire can warm us and feed us. A warm stove can be the center of a home and represent the warm memories we have growing up. It can also be a problem when it gets out of control. The ability to make and control fire gives us an edge when it comes to survival in this world.
Starting a fire in my fireplace takes skill and patience. The end result is a warm and cozy living room. In addition to the fireplace I also have an outdoor grill. I like to grill all kinds of food when the family gets together. Last year I built an outdoor fire pit for when the weather gets cold. We have already used it once this year for s’mores with the grandkids.
The three grandsons were home with me when I was ready to light the fire pit. I had recently bought a fire starter that could be used for camping. It was a metal stick with magnesium on one side and flint steel on the other. I wanted to show it to the grandkids so I had them gathering sticks and dry grass. I shaved of some magnesium and then lit the metal shavings with sparks made by striking the steel. We then lit a small pile of dry grass and soon had a fire going.
In their eagerness, the boys began piling on more grass but it was green grass this time and they accidently put the fire out. We started the fire again with dry grass and twigs and soon we had a good bed of coals. We pulled out the marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers and began to enjoy an evening of roasted marshmallows and s’mores. The boys said later that it was the best evening ever. For boys there is nothing better than the combination of fire and sweets.
Paul told Timothy to, “keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6 HCSB) In the Old Testament a pillar of fire led the Children of Israel by night. Jeremiah said that if he could not speak in God’s name, “…there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones.” (20:9) John the Baptist said that Jesus would, “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16) When the Holy Spirit was given to us they observed that it looked like “flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” (Acts 2:3)
The Holy Spirit is compared to fire throughout the Bible. Like fire, the Spirit requires fuel and the freedom to burn. The Spirit, like a fire, can be quenched when we insist on doing things our way. The big difference is that a fire out of control is dangerous to our lives. When the Holy Spirit gets out of our control God is free to burn away everything that is not like Him. He wants us to supply fuel of our lives surrendered to Him and keep the fire stirred by obedience to His word. Then He will keep us fed and warm and give us the power to do His will.
Bro. Robin
Starting a fire in my fireplace takes skill and patience. The end result is a warm and cozy living room. In addition to the fireplace I also have an outdoor grill. I like to grill all kinds of food when the family gets together. Last year I built an outdoor fire pit for when the weather gets cold. We have already used it once this year for s’mores with the grandkids.
The three grandsons were home with me when I was ready to light the fire pit. I had recently bought a fire starter that could be used for camping. It was a metal stick with magnesium on one side and flint steel on the other. I wanted to show it to the grandkids so I had them gathering sticks and dry grass. I shaved of some magnesium and then lit the metal shavings with sparks made by striking the steel. We then lit a small pile of dry grass and soon had a fire going.
In their eagerness, the boys began piling on more grass but it was green grass this time and they accidently put the fire out. We started the fire again with dry grass and twigs and soon we had a good bed of coals. We pulled out the marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers and began to enjoy an evening of roasted marshmallows and s’mores. The boys said later that it was the best evening ever. For boys there is nothing better than the combination of fire and sweets.
Paul told Timothy to, “keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6 HCSB) In the Old Testament a pillar of fire led the Children of Israel by night. Jeremiah said that if he could not speak in God’s name, “…there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones.” (20:9) John the Baptist said that Jesus would, “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16) When the Holy Spirit was given to us they observed that it looked like “flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” (Acts 2:3)
The Holy Spirit is compared to fire throughout the Bible. Like fire, the Spirit requires fuel and the freedom to burn. The Spirit, like a fire, can be quenched when we insist on doing things our way. The big difference is that a fire out of control is dangerous to our lives. When the Holy Spirit gets out of our control God is free to burn away everything that is not like Him. He wants us to supply fuel of our lives surrendered to Him and keep the fire stirred by obedience to His word. Then He will keep us fed and warm and give us the power to do His will.
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Clear Waters
I stood on a bluff overlooking two streams of water as they merged into one a hundred feet below me. It was an amazing view both beautiful and dangerous at the same time.
It had been raining before we got there and we canoed all day in rain. The river had been rising all day and the canoeing got exciting with the high water producing challenging rapids. The danger kept other boaters away and we seemed to have the river to ourselves. We were exhausted when we made camp early in the afternoon.
Our campsite was a cabin next to a spring that could only be reached by boat. The spring flowed into the river along side a high gray bluff that was covered in green. The bluff overlooking our campsite was too great a temptation as we discussed what the view must be like from the top. We forgot our exhaustion as we climbed to the top and took in the view.
We looked down on the clear spring as it flowed into the muddy water of the rising river. At the intersection the water swirled in confusion as if trying to decide if it would continue on clear like the spring or muddy like the river. But the river was more powerful than the spring and we watched as an ugly transformation took place. The rising brown water of the river began to push its way into the stream of the spring. The spring was constant and was not getting any stronger. It became obvious that the river being fed by the rain would eventually overcome the spring if it continued to rise.
That night the river crested and in a few days it was back to normal. The river had turned muddy because the rain ran over the hills and valleys and brought everything that was loose on the surface into the river. The spring never stopped flowing clear water. After the rain stopped the constant flow of cold clear springs eventually cleared up the water and the river ran clear. Soon, the clear river once again attracted crowds of happy people playing in its water.
Thinking back about that experience I am reminded of the passage in James 3:1, “Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?” No, sweet and bitter water come from two different sources. If they try to merge it will only turn the good water bitter. But when the flow of bitter water is stopped and the sweet water is allowed to continue it will eventually all flow sweet again.
Our relationship with God is our most important relationship. As we draw near to him, the source of all that is holy and good, He clears up the dark places in our life. James 4:18 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Robin
It had been raining before we got there and we canoed all day in rain. The river had been rising all day and the canoeing got exciting with the high water producing challenging rapids. The danger kept other boaters away and we seemed to have the river to ourselves. We were exhausted when we made camp early in the afternoon.
Our campsite was a cabin next to a spring that could only be reached by boat. The spring flowed into the river along side a high gray bluff that was covered in green. The bluff overlooking our campsite was too great a temptation as we discussed what the view must be like from the top. We forgot our exhaustion as we climbed to the top and took in the view.
We looked down on the clear spring as it flowed into the muddy water of the rising river. At the intersection the water swirled in confusion as if trying to decide if it would continue on clear like the spring or muddy like the river. But the river was more powerful than the spring and we watched as an ugly transformation took place. The rising brown water of the river began to push its way into the stream of the spring. The spring was constant and was not getting any stronger. It became obvious that the river being fed by the rain would eventually overcome the spring if it continued to rise.
That night the river crested and in a few days it was back to normal. The river had turned muddy because the rain ran over the hills and valleys and brought everything that was loose on the surface into the river. The spring never stopped flowing clear water. After the rain stopped the constant flow of cold clear springs eventually cleared up the water and the river ran clear. Soon, the clear river once again attracted crowds of happy people playing in its water.
Thinking back about that experience I am reminded of the passage in James 3:1, “Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?” No, sweet and bitter water come from two different sources. If they try to merge it will only turn the good water bitter. But when the flow of bitter water is stopped and the sweet water is allowed to continue it will eventually all flow sweet again.
Our relationship with God is our most important relationship. As we draw near to him, the source of all that is holy and good, He clears up the dark places in our life. James 4:18 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Robin
Monday, December 12, 2011
Weeds
I had yard work chores in my Dad’s yard as I was growing up. But, I did not know the responsibility of my own yard until I was pastoring my first church and we were given a parsonage to live in. I soon found out that there was more to taking care of a yard than just mowing the grass.
One year I had a great crop of weeds. They were prickly and tall with a tough stem. I first tried to handle them like everything else in the yard. I mowed them all down. The weeds, however, grew much faster than the grass and mowing also seemed to encourage them to multiply.
As my problem grew so did my determination. I grabbed a bucket and I pulled them all out. Well, I pulled anyway. Some of them came out roots and all but most of them only came out level with the hard soil. Immediately after the next rain they were back with a vengeance and had multiplied again. They also looked taller as if taunting me with my failure.
I decided to try again. This time I grabbed a hand spade with my bucket. The soil was softer because of the rain. I meticulously removed each weed with the root and any weed that broke off I used the spade and dug out the root.
I actually had a neighbor who drove by and rolled down the window to tell me that will still never work. Every yard in the neighborhood had the same problem and we were just going to have to wait until winter and used weed and feed then, in her opinion.
To everyone’s surprise, including my own, the weeds stayed gone this time. Before the next spring I followed advice and used a high quality fertilizer. That year I had the best yard on the block. I also used the same fertilizer on the Churchyard and saw the same result there.
Remembering that experience always reminds me of the warning in Hebrew 12:14-15: “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many” God’s word is like that spade, digging out the root of bitterness. Pursuing a course that is opposite of peace produces a root of bitterness that leads to trouble. Peace and holiness go together. Peace and holiness both have to be pursued. You cannot have one without the other.
An unwanted root has to be removed completely or it will continue to grow back and multiply. The key to peace is forgiveness, which is also the key to removing the root of bitterness. Forgiveness should be followed up with holiness to keep the root from returning later. Peace, forgiveness, and holiness are personal pursuits that are part of a healthy spiritual life of a Christian. We cannot do this by ourselves but we can do all things through Christ.
Bro. Robin
One year I had a great crop of weeds. They were prickly and tall with a tough stem. I first tried to handle them like everything else in the yard. I mowed them all down. The weeds, however, grew much faster than the grass and mowing also seemed to encourage them to multiply.
As my problem grew so did my determination. I grabbed a bucket and I pulled them all out. Well, I pulled anyway. Some of them came out roots and all but most of them only came out level with the hard soil. Immediately after the next rain they were back with a vengeance and had multiplied again. They also looked taller as if taunting me with my failure.
I decided to try again. This time I grabbed a hand spade with my bucket. The soil was softer because of the rain. I meticulously removed each weed with the root and any weed that broke off I used the spade and dug out the root.
I actually had a neighbor who drove by and rolled down the window to tell me that will still never work. Every yard in the neighborhood had the same problem and we were just going to have to wait until winter and used weed and feed then, in her opinion.
To everyone’s surprise, including my own, the weeds stayed gone this time. Before the next spring I followed advice and used a high quality fertilizer. That year I had the best yard on the block. I also used the same fertilizer on the Churchyard and saw the same result there.
Remembering that experience always reminds me of the warning in Hebrew 12:14-15: “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many” God’s word is like that spade, digging out the root of bitterness. Pursuing a course that is opposite of peace produces a root of bitterness that leads to trouble. Peace and holiness go together. Peace and holiness both have to be pursued. You cannot have one without the other.
An unwanted root has to be removed completely or it will continue to grow back and multiply. The key to peace is forgiveness, which is also the key to removing the root of bitterness. Forgiveness should be followed up with holiness to keep the root from returning later. Peace, forgiveness, and holiness are personal pursuits that are part of a healthy spiritual life of a Christian. We cannot do this by ourselves but we can do all things through Christ.
Bro. Robin
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Checklist
Our drive to church every Sunday included as many rituals as the service. Mom would turn around and say, “Let me see you.” Then, a flowered handkerchief was first touched to her tongue and then to my face to scrub off whatever remained of breakfast. Then, I was handed an envelope and a pencil and began to check off the boxes.
Sunday School? That’s where we were going so I checked off the box. Offering? Mom handed me a dime and I checked off the box. Lesson studied? I picked up my quarterly, scanned the lesson, and checked off the box. Attending worship? No need to ask, everyone who went to Sunday school also stayed for worship. Bible brought? Always, the Bible was a precious book and we learned early to take care of it and take it to church. When I had all the boxes checked I added up 100%.
I got my first education in responsibility at church. As soon as I was able I was responsible for getting up and getting dressed for church every Sunday morning. We also went Sunday night and Wednesday night. Sunday morning had the checklist, Sunday night there were parts to present in Training Union, and Wednesday was Royal Ambassadors with books to complete for pins and prizes. I never questioned whether or not we did these things. Even when I was too sick to go to school I don’t remember ever being too sick to be allowed to stay home from church.
I read my lesson to check it off the list. I soon began to look forward to reading the lesson, not because of the list, but because of the things I was beginning to learn. I could attend worship for the points but in order to worship I had to participate. Bringing my bible was a responsibility but reading my Bible developed my relationship with God, who wrote it. In time I came to realize that getting 100% was not as important as giving 100%.
What’s on your list? Are there things you are doing just to check off the list and you hope one day God will pat you on the back and say, “Well done?” Paul said, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9 hcsb)
Read the Bible everyday and you will discover the joy and comfort of hearing God speak. Come to worship and experience His presence. Participate in small group studies, like Sunday School, and learn from others who are learning just like you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
Robin
Sunday School? That’s where we were going so I checked off the box. Offering? Mom handed me a dime and I checked off the box. Lesson studied? I picked up my quarterly, scanned the lesson, and checked off the box. Attending worship? No need to ask, everyone who went to Sunday school also stayed for worship. Bible brought? Always, the Bible was a precious book and we learned early to take care of it and take it to church. When I had all the boxes checked I added up 100%.
I got my first education in responsibility at church. As soon as I was able I was responsible for getting up and getting dressed for church every Sunday morning. We also went Sunday night and Wednesday night. Sunday morning had the checklist, Sunday night there were parts to present in Training Union, and Wednesday was Royal Ambassadors with books to complete for pins and prizes. I never questioned whether or not we did these things. Even when I was too sick to go to school I don’t remember ever being too sick to be allowed to stay home from church.
I read my lesson to check it off the list. I soon began to look forward to reading the lesson, not because of the list, but because of the things I was beginning to learn. I could attend worship for the points but in order to worship I had to participate. Bringing my bible was a responsibility but reading my Bible developed my relationship with God, who wrote it. In time I came to realize that getting 100% was not as important as giving 100%.
What’s on your list? Are there things you are doing just to check off the list and you hope one day God will pat you on the back and say, “Well done?” Paul said, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9 hcsb)
Read the Bible everyday and you will discover the joy and comfort of hearing God speak. Come to worship and experience His presence. Participate in small group studies, like Sunday School, and learn from others who are learning just like you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
Robin
Friday, November 11, 2011
Consequences
My first job in High School was as a lifeguard at a Baptist camp. I scanned the water looking for signs of distress that I had been trained to identify. When I saw someone who needed help I used my training and skill to rescue him or her. Over that summer I rescued many who were thankful that I knew what to do.
I did not know when I took the job that it also required me to help with maintenance duties around the camp. I had to mow the grass daily, which I enjoyed, and clean the considerable number of restrooms every morning, which I did not enjoy. In fact, I had never cleaned a restroom in my life and had to be shown how to do it. I know I did a poor job and worked hard to improve. At the end of the week, no matter how good or poor I had done, I still received the same pay that we had agreed upon.
The custodian at the camp taught me many lessons. One of the most valuable came unexpectedly. He reserved the mowing of one field for himself and had cut the grass in a pattern that left long rows of cut grass that could easily be raked. One night some of us on the staff decided to have fun throwing the piles of grass at each other. The next morning he called us in and handed us rakes. I learned that there were consequences for my actions. I was paid for my disobedience just as I was paid at the end of the week for my work.
Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) Paul compares sin to having a job. No matter how good or poor you do the wage is still the same, death. Salvation, on the other hand, is a gift, not a job. Jesus dove in to rescue us in our distress. His gift of life gives us freedom from sin and power to do right. He is working in us to turn our freedom into holiness.
Bro. Robin
I did not know when I took the job that it also required me to help with maintenance duties around the camp. I had to mow the grass daily, which I enjoyed, and clean the considerable number of restrooms every morning, which I did not enjoy. In fact, I had never cleaned a restroom in my life and had to be shown how to do it. I know I did a poor job and worked hard to improve. At the end of the week, no matter how good or poor I had done, I still received the same pay that we had agreed upon.
The custodian at the camp taught me many lessons. One of the most valuable came unexpectedly. He reserved the mowing of one field for himself and had cut the grass in a pattern that left long rows of cut grass that could easily be raked. One night some of us on the staff decided to have fun throwing the piles of grass at each other. The next morning he called us in and handed us rakes. I learned that there were consequences for my actions. I was paid for my disobedience just as I was paid at the end of the week for my work.
Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) Paul compares sin to having a job. No matter how good or poor you do the wage is still the same, death. Salvation, on the other hand, is a gift, not a job. Jesus dove in to rescue us in our distress. His gift of life gives us freedom from sin and power to do right. He is working in us to turn our freedom into holiness.
Bro. Robin
Friday, August 12, 2011
Mangos
We were trying to cool off in the warm tropical afternoon by soaking in the local swimming hole. Our mission to the Dominican Republic had occupied our morning with Vacation Bible School and we were all ready for a break. A waterfall cascaded thirty feet or more feet into a pool that a few locals knew about, including Daniel who grew up here. He was standing on the bank and was now holding a brown bag I had not noticed before. He reached in and pulled out a fresh mango and tossed it to me.
I thought I knew how to eat a mango and it has always required a knife. I must have had a questioning look on my face as I held it up and looked at Daniel. He carried another mango with him back into the water and then said, “Watch.” He bit into the mango and began pealing it with his teeth. Mangos can be messy but there was no need to worry about that surrounded by flowing water. I followed his lead and found it to be the most delicious mango I had ever eaten. Not only that, I found that it was fun to eat a mango the way the natives did.
It always amazes me how something as small as eating a mango or sharing a meal can help you relate to someone. Being able to relate can prepare you for sharing the gospel. When I talk to children I sit on the floor and get at their eyelevel. That helps them see me and helps me see them where they are. When I meet someone new I want to know what he or she likes. If I can find a way to identify with them it will help me communicate the gospel. It is not enough to be heard we also need to be understood.
Lottie Moon was criticized in her day for dressing in Chinese attire. Yet, she reached the people and today we remember her for being a visionary as well as a missionary. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” (1 Cor. 9:22, HCSB)
Look around you and see if you can discover new ways to relate to the people you meet. What can we do, what changes can we make that will help us present the gospel to those who need to hear and understand? Are we willing to become all things to all people for the gospel?
Bro. Robin
I thought I knew how to eat a mango and it has always required a knife. I must have had a questioning look on my face as I held it up and looked at Daniel. He carried another mango with him back into the water and then said, “Watch.” He bit into the mango and began pealing it with his teeth. Mangos can be messy but there was no need to worry about that surrounded by flowing water. I followed his lead and found it to be the most delicious mango I had ever eaten. Not only that, I found that it was fun to eat a mango the way the natives did.
It always amazes me how something as small as eating a mango or sharing a meal can help you relate to someone. Being able to relate can prepare you for sharing the gospel. When I talk to children I sit on the floor and get at their eyelevel. That helps them see me and helps me see them where they are. When I meet someone new I want to know what he or she likes. If I can find a way to identify with them it will help me communicate the gospel. It is not enough to be heard we also need to be understood.
Lottie Moon was criticized in her day for dressing in Chinese attire. Yet, she reached the people and today we remember her for being a visionary as well as a missionary. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” (1 Cor. 9:22, HCSB)
Look around you and see if you can discover new ways to relate to the people you meet. What can we do, what changes can we make that will help us present the gospel to those who need to hear and understand? Are we willing to become all things to all people for the gospel?
Bro. Robin
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Angel
As we flew into New York City the Statue of Liberty greeted us off the left side of our plane. For a moment we were so captured by the sight that we put aside the thought that our next flight was only an hour away and we would be very pressed for time. There had been a medical emergency on board and we would have to wait for paramedics before we could leave the plane. By the time we walked out we now had forty-five minutes.
As we entered the airport we looked for directions. I turned left, then right, and spotted a man in a suit wearing official looking badges. I walked up to him.
“Excuse me, can you tell me the fastest way to our next flight?” I showed him my boarding pass.
“Uh, you’re never going to make that.” He looked behind me and saw the rest of our group. “You need to follow me. How many are in your group?”
“Seven,” I said, as we followed him at a fast pace to a door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONELL ONLY.
“You are going to have to stay close together. We only have a few seconds before an alarm sounds so we need to all go in together.” He swiped his key card and we followed him down a stairway to another door that let us out on the tarmac. Outside there was a bus parked that he loaded us on and then got in the driver’s seat. “You asked the right person.” He said.
“This was God,” I replied. “We are on a mission trip and God is taking care of us.” He laughed in agreement as he drove us around the airport and stopped at another door.
“We have to stay together just like last time.” He swiped his card and held the door as we all ran up the stairs and opened a door into the airport.
We found ourselves standing by our gate as the plane was being loaded. We made it by the grace of God and the help of an “angel.” He did not follow us up the stairs and we never saw him again. We gave him our thanks many times as he escorted us. We debated whether he was a real supernatural angel or just a man God used as one. I suppose it doesn’t matter. There were too many factors for this to be coincidence. God was there taking care of us, getting us to our fight to go on mission for him.
We saw God move many times on our Mission to the Dominican Republic. We give him the glory for eight souls saved, four churches ministered to, well over a hundred children and youth in three days of Vacation Bible School, and countless lives touched with the Gospel, including our own. Hebrews 4:12 begins, “For the word of God is living and active…” Sometimes we get to experience his word.
Bro. Robin
As we entered the airport we looked for directions. I turned left, then right, and spotted a man in a suit wearing official looking badges. I walked up to him.
“Excuse me, can you tell me the fastest way to our next flight?” I showed him my boarding pass.
“Uh, you’re never going to make that.” He looked behind me and saw the rest of our group. “You need to follow me. How many are in your group?”
“Seven,” I said, as we followed him at a fast pace to a door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONELL ONLY.
“You are going to have to stay close together. We only have a few seconds before an alarm sounds so we need to all go in together.” He swiped his key card and we followed him down a stairway to another door that let us out on the tarmac. Outside there was a bus parked that he loaded us on and then got in the driver’s seat. “You asked the right person.” He said.
“This was God,” I replied. “We are on a mission trip and God is taking care of us.” He laughed in agreement as he drove us around the airport and stopped at another door.
“We have to stay together just like last time.” He swiped his card and held the door as we all ran up the stairs and opened a door into the airport.
We found ourselves standing by our gate as the plane was being loaded. We made it by the grace of God and the help of an “angel.” He did not follow us up the stairs and we never saw him again. We gave him our thanks many times as he escorted us. We debated whether he was a real supernatural angel or just a man God used as one. I suppose it doesn’t matter. There were too many factors for this to be coincidence. God was there taking care of us, getting us to our fight to go on mission for him.
We saw God move many times on our Mission to the Dominican Republic. We give him the glory for eight souls saved, four churches ministered to, well over a hundred children and youth in three days of Vacation Bible School, and countless lives touched with the Gospel, including our own. Hebrews 4:12 begins, “For the word of God is living and active…” Sometimes we get to experience his word.
Bro. Robin
Packing
Whenever I get ready for a mission trip it is hard to think of anything but what I need to pack. I make my lists, pile everything on the floor, pack it all in, then start pulling out those things I don’t really need. It is all too easy to over pack and over think the details.
I remember some of the things we have packed on mission trips. One year we took oatmeal cream pies. By the time we took them out they were mashed so flat we referred to them as crepes. We knew cookies would never survive the trip so Joyce made us energy balls out of peanut butter, wheat germ, and other things. They mashed together and became cubes but were still very tasty. Our driver could not get enough of them!
I always tell team members to bring old clothes to give away. One year we were constantly bugged by a craft dealer who tried every day to sell us his wares. We figured out he liked to barter and many of us traded our old clothes for some nice souvenirs. Everyone was happy.
Packing can be a good spiritual exercise. It forces us to prioritize. You are limited by space and guided by the activities that are planned. We Americans have too much stuff. We have a hard time deciding what to take to go share the gospel with people who are blessed if they have a change of clothes.
When Paul was in prison he wrote to Timothy and asked for three things. “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” (2 Timothy 4:13 ESV) He wanted a warm coat, His bible, and his personal notes. Very likely he was arrested with only the clothes on his back. These were his few most important possessions.
I think I need more than that to ride comfortably on an airplane. I look at my carry-on pile and I am with Paul for about a second. I see my Bible, journal, and passport. Then I also see a pillow, earplugs, medicine, flashlight, phone, and a laptop. Okay, I’m just getting started. But what do I really need besides the first three? What do you really need? All we really need is Jesus. That is why we go.
Bro. Robin
I remember some of the things we have packed on mission trips. One year we took oatmeal cream pies. By the time we took them out they were mashed so flat we referred to them as crepes. We knew cookies would never survive the trip so Joyce made us energy balls out of peanut butter, wheat germ, and other things. They mashed together and became cubes but were still very tasty. Our driver could not get enough of them!
I always tell team members to bring old clothes to give away. One year we were constantly bugged by a craft dealer who tried every day to sell us his wares. We figured out he liked to barter and many of us traded our old clothes for some nice souvenirs. Everyone was happy.
Packing can be a good spiritual exercise. It forces us to prioritize. You are limited by space and guided by the activities that are planned. We Americans have too much stuff. We have a hard time deciding what to take to go share the gospel with people who are blessed if they have a change of clothes.
When Paul was in prison he wrote to Timothy and asked for three things. “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” (2 Timothy 4:13 ESV) He wanted a warm coat, His bible, and his personal notes. Very likely he was arrested with only the clothes on his back. These were his few most important possessions.
I think I need more than that to ride comfortably on an airplane. I look at my carry-on pile and I am with Paul for about a second. I see my Bible, journal, and passport. Then I also see a pillow, earplugs, medicine, flashlight, phone, and a laptop. Okay, I’m just getting started. But what do I really need besides the first three? What do you really need? All we really need is Jesus. That is why we go.
Bro. Robin
Monday, July 04, 2011
Fireworks
When we were kids we never went to a fireworks display. We always made our own. We pulled out what money we thought we could afford to spend and headed for the fireworks stand. We bought a variety of fireworks that we thought Mom would like to see. Then we spent the rest of the money on firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets and a few roman candles.
We thought the instructions on the fireworks were funny. We have all read them. “Lay on ground, light, run away.” Are you kidding? We did it a little different. We thought it was more fun to light, throw at friend, roll on ground laughing. Of course, the night always ended the same way. We kept lighting fireworks until someone got hurt. Then we would go home saying next time we will pay more attention to the instructions. Fortunately there were no serious injuries.
Fireworks are fun and we use them to celebrate great events. Independence day, the fourth of July, is one of those great events for us. We enjoy sitting outside at the park with kids and grandkids watching the town fireworks display.
For some people fireworks on the Fourth remind them of the sights and sounds of battle and the price that was paid for our freedom. For others it is the excitement of celebrating our freedom with noise and lights. We should also remember that the freedom we have to assemble and watch the display is the same freedom that guarantees our freedom to worship God as we want. Fireworks are a bold statement that we enjoy our freedoms loudly and deliberately.
Paul said to the Corinthians “…Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17). We have the freedom to be still and know God. We have the freedom to make noise about it. Praise God for our freedom, with a joyful noise!
Bro. Robin
We thought the instructions on the fireworks were funny. We have all read them. “Lay on ground, light, run away.” Are you kidding? We did it a little different. We thought it was more fun to light, throw at friend, roll on ground laughing. Of course, the night always ended the same way. We kept lighting fireworks until someone got hurt. Then we would go home saying next time we will pay more attention to the instructions. Fortunately there were no serious injuries.
Fireworks are fun and we use them to celebrate great events. Independence day, the fourth of July, is one of those great events for us. We enjoy sitting outside at the park with kids and grandkids watching the town fireworks display.
For some people fireworks on the Fourth remind them of the sights and sounds of battle and the price that was paid for our freedom. For others it is the excitement of celebrating our freedom with noise and lights. We should also remember that the freedom we have to assemble and watch the display is the same freedom that guarantees our freedom to worship God as we want. Fireworks are a bold statement that we enjoy our freedoms loudly and deliberately.
Paul said to the Corinthians “…Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17). We have the freedom to be still and know God. We have the freedom to make noise about it. Praise God for our freedom, with a joyful noise!
Bro. Robin
Saturday, July 02, 2011
After the Storm
We were driving home from visiting the grandparents near Kingfisher, Oklahoma. The countryside between Kingfisher and Okeene, where I was pastor at the time, was so flat that our four small children made a game of seeing who could spot the red stoplight in Okeene first. We were more that ten miles out when I heard one of them call out from the back seat of our station wagon.
“I see Okeene!!”
As we approached the turnoff that would take us north and home I looked west and saw that the little town of Hitchcock, less than a quarter of a mile away, was completely covered in a thick black cloud that went from the sky to the ground. I turned north and turned on the radio as I remarked, “Looks like they are really getting it in Hitchcock.”
A few miles down the road the radio announced that there was a report of a tornado on the ground at Hitchcock, Oklahoma, and there were damage reports coming in. There were no serious injuries. It was not much of a town before the tornado. I realized that we had seen a tornado but I did not know what I was looking at as I drove by it. There was no funnel, just a big black cloud that I learned later was a wall cloud and the tornado was inside it.
Recently we spent another evening watching the weather and making sure we had everything important in the closet in the middle of the house. Tornadoes have been devastating to many areas this year. Several of them have been close to us both physically and emotionally.
We spent many years doing our shopping in Joplin, Missouri. As they called out the streets and businesses that were destroyed we thought about the last time we saw them. I spent many hours visiting church members at St. Johns Hospital. I have been in nearly every part of that hospital at different times. Just down the road from them is Freeman Hospital, the other major medical facility in Joplin. We need to pray for them also as they took as many of the patients as they could from St. Johns, as did many other hospitals in Missouri and Arkansas.
Tornadoes are natural events over which we have no control. In fact, there is little in life that we can really control to the extent that we would like. The Bible does not promise control or complete protection from such things. God’s word promise peace and restoration. He promises that there is something better later.
The hedge of God surrounded Job and yet he went through events that cost him everything. In the middle of it all Job said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (esv) In the end Job was blessed far more than at his beginning. That is the promise of God that we can put our trust in.
Bro. Robin
“I see Okeene!!”
As we approached the turnoff that would take us north and home I looked west and saw that the little town of Hitchcock, less than a quarter of a mile away, was completely covered in a thick black cloud that went from the sky to the ground. I turned north and turned on the radio as I remarked, “Looks like they are really getting it in Hitchcock.”
A few miles down the road the radio announced that there was a report of a tornado on the ground at Hitchcock, Oklahoma, and there were damage reports coming in. There were no serious injuries. It was not much of a town before the tornado. I realized that we had seen a tornado but I did not know what I was looking at as I drove by it. There was no funnel, just a big black cloud that I learned later was a wall cloud and the tornado was inside it.
Recently we spent another evening watching the weather and making sure we had everything important in the closet in the middle of the house. Tornadoes have been devastating to many areas this year. Several of them have been close to us both physically and emotionally.
We spent many years doing our shopping in Joplin, Missouri. As they called out the streets and businesses that were destroyed we thought about the last time we saw them. I spent many hours visiting church members at St. Johns Hospital. I have been in nearly every part of that hospital at different times. Just down the road from them is Freeman Hospital, the other major medical facility in Joplin. We need to pray for them also as they took as many of the patients as they could from St. Johns, as did many other hospitals in Missouri and Arkansas.
Tornadoes are natural events over which we have no control. In fact, there is little in life that we can really control to the extent that we would like. The Bible does not promise control or complete protection from such things. God’s word promise peace and restoration. He promises that there is something better later.
The hedge of God surrounded Job and yet he went through events that cost him everything. In the middle of it all Job said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (esv) In the end Job was blessed far more than at his beginning. That is the promise of God that we can put our trust in.
Bro. Robin
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Making Points
This week I went to a soccer game with my grandsons. As a grandparent I am understandably proud of the remarkable ability of each of them. They are each on different teams and they have a good attitude about it all even when they occasionally play each other. That was what made this game particularly fun. One of them played goalie for one team. The other played a field position for the other team. The parents kept score while the kids just played.
As a spectator there is more to watch than the game. There are players on and off the field. Children are made to play. They play all out with each other or against each other. If there is no game to play they will invent one.
Adults want to play but many of us have forgotten how. For some it is enough to experience the game through our children. For others it is all about the competition. The realities of life have taken all the fun out of the game and instead it becomes a battle.
The two groups of adults are easy to spot. One group sits and enjoys the game while other children play around them. The other group stands or walks the sidelines. This group always keeps score and you always know who to ask if you want to know where we stand.
Everyone at the game is committed. Some are committed to cheer the play while others are committed to score points. I see the same two groups in other areas of life whether it is at work, play, or church. Some are committed to enjoy the moment and the blessings God gives with every new experience. Others are committed to making points, impress, and get ahead.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 5:21. I think about what he said as I watch the game. For me, it is not the points. I see two boys on opposing teams and I want them both to enjoy the game. They are my treasure and I want the best of blessings for them.
Our treasure should be people, not points. Points are a part of this world “…where moths and rust destroy,” (19). Love is forever.
Robin
As a spectator there is more to watch than the game. There are players on and off the field. Children are made to play. They play all out with each other or against each other. If there is no game to play they will invent one.
Adults want to play but many of us have forgotten how. For some it is enough to experience the game through our children. For others it is all about the competition. The realities of life have taken all the fun out of the game and instead it becomes a battle.
The two groups of adults are easy to spot. One group sits and enjoys the game while other children play around them. The other group stands or walks the sidelines. This group always keeps score and you always know who to ask if you want to know where we stand.
Everyone at the game is committed. Some are committed to cheer the play while others are committed to score points. I see the same two groups in other areas of life whether it is at work, play, or church. Some are committed to enjoy the moment and the blessings God gives with every new experience. Others are committed to making points, impress, and get ahead.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 5:21. I think about what he said as I watch the game. For me, it is not the points. I see two boys on opposing teams and I want them both to enjoy the game. They are my treasure and I want the best of blessings for them.
Our treasure should be people, not points. Points are a part of this world “…where moths and rust destroy,” (19). Love is forever.
Robin
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Hidden Danger
We drove down a road in southern Missouri on our way to a place we had planned to spend the night. We were four college friends on a camping trip. The weather had been rainy for several days. As we came to a bridge we saw that cars had stopped on either side of the swollen river. The water was going over the bridge, an a few yards of the road leading to it, but it did not seem to be very deep. We debated with each other about crossing the bridge under these conditions. Some thought that the raging river underneath the bridge made it too risky while others thought that the shallowness of the water over the bridge made it safe. We decided that since no one else was crossing the bridge that we would turn around and find another way.
The next day we picked up a paper and saw on the front page a picture of the very bridge we had seen the day before. The caption under the picture described how the force of the water had moved the bridge and repositioned it a few yards downstream. While it looked like everything was normal the road leading to the bridge now led to the river. Disaster and death was hidden by a few inches of water that kept the casual observer from seeing the truth.
What was it that kept us from attempting to cross the river that day? If we had stopped to ask we would have been told that the bridge had moved. But we did not stop to ask. If we had gotten out of the car and looked closer we would have seen what the shallow water was hiding. But we did not stop to look closely at the danger.
We discussed it among ourselves and compared our experience and our observations. It looked safe to the risk takers but dangerous to the cautious. The deciding factor was the simple observation. No one else was crossing the bridge while many were looking at it.
We may not always see the hidden dangers that are in front of us. They can be hidden by something small, as small as a thin rush of water. A crowd of people may be nearby and the casual observer may think that their presence also means approval. A closer look at the crowd may reveal that they are looking at the danger but doing nothing to keep people away from it. The crowd can hide the danger and we can get a false sense of security when we rely on the presence of others to protect us from danger.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) We may not always see the danger but we can always trust in God. In Christ is real security. He gives us the vision to see the dangers we can avoid, strength to overcome the dangers we cannot avoid, and wisdom to face the dangers from which we need to learn. He promised to always be with us, in rain or shine.
Robin
The next day we picked up a paper and saw on the front page a picture of the very bridge we had seen the day before. The caption under the picture described how the force of the water had moved the bridge and repositioned it a few yards downstream. While it looked like everything was normal the road leading to the bridge now led to the river. Disaster and death was hidden by a few inches of water that kept the casual observer from seeing the truth.
What was it that kept us from attempting to cross the river that day? If we had stopped to ask we would have been told that the bridge had moved. But we did not stop to ask. If we had gotten out of the car and looked closer we would have seen what the shallow water was hiding. But we did not stop to look closely at the danger.
We discussed it among ourselves and compared our experience and our observations. It looked safe to the risk takers but dangerous to the cautious. The deciding factor was the simple observation. No one else was crossing the bridge while many were looking at it.
We may not always see the hidden dangers that are in front of us. They can be hidden by something small, as small as a thin rush of water. A crowd of people may be nearby and the casual observer may think that their presence also means approval. A closer look at the crowd may reveal that they are looking at the danger but doing nothing to keep people away from it. The crowd can hide the danger and we can get a false sense of security when we rely on the presence of others to protect us from danger.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) We may not always see the danger but we can always trust in God. In Christ is real security. He gives us the vision to see the dangers we can avoid, strength to overcome the dangers we cannot avoid, and wisdom to face the dangers from which we need to learn. He promised to always be with us, in rain or shine.
Robin
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Brothers at our Side
I enjoy the occasional fishing trip with my brothers. I have four older brothers and while they often fish with each other I am usually too far away to go with them. The times I have gone with them have been memorable. We all learned to fish with our dad who was an avid fisherman.
On one occasion four of us were fishing side by side in an icy stream trying to catch trout that had just been released upstream. There were many other fishermen there that day looking for the right spot and best lure to catch fish. If the lure we had on did not work we would step back away from the stream and tie on a different one.
My oldest brother, Charley, was fishing in between Ross and Jerry, and I was just downstream from them. Mike had found a place off to himself. Charley stepped back to try a different lure when a stranger walked up and started casting from Charley’s spot.
“Hello,” Charley said.
“Just trying to get closer to the water,” answered the stranger.
“I can help you get closer to the water,” replied Charley, as he stood up and stepped toward the stranger.
The stranger, with a startled look, did not answer, but picked up his tackle and walked away. I am sure he did not have a clue that the men standing on either side of him were all brothers. We stood there acting almost disinterested during the whole incident, but fully aware of what was going on.
Charley looked at Ross and Jerry and asked, “Why didn’t you say something?
They both started laughing and one of them said, “We were just waiting to see what you were going to do. Looks like you didn’t need our help.”
Sometimes we look at the stream in front of us. It may be the street that connects our house to others or the hallway that connects us at work. We know that Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. He wants us to tell the other people around us about him and invite them to come with us to hear his good news. So what is stopping us? Are we afraid? Do we feel alone in this stream?
There are brothers on either side of us too. Jesus promised we would never be alone. Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” This is one of my favorite promises. No matter where I am he does not just show up when I need him. He camps around me all the time.
When I stand at the stream to fish for people I am surrounded by brothers on either side. There are other fisherman, Christian brothers and sisters, and God’s presence always there to encourage me.
Do not be afraid. Invite those around you to hear the good news.
Brother Robin
On one occasion four of us were fishing side by side in an icy stream trying to catch trout that had just been released upstream. There were many other fishermen there that day looking for the right spot and best lure to catch fish. If the lure we had on did not work we would step back away from the stream and tie on a different one.
My oldest brother, Charley, was fishing in between Ross and Jerry, and I was just downstream from them. Mike had found a place off to himself. Charley stepped back to try a different lure when a stranger walked up and started casting from Charley’s spot.
“Hello,” Charley said.
“Just trying to get closer to the water,” answered the stranger.
“I can help you get closer to the water,” replied Charley, as he stood up and stepped toward the stranger.
The stranger, with a startled look, did not answer, but picked up his tackle and walked away. I am sure he did not have a clue that the men standing on either side of him were all brothers. We stood there acting almost disinterested during the whole incident, but fully aware of what was going on.
Charley looked at Ross and Jerry and asked, “Why didn’t you say something?
They both started laughing and one of them said, “We were just waiting to see what you were going to do. Looks like you didn’t need our help.”
Sometimes we look at the stream in front of us. It may be the street that connects our house to others or the hallway that connects us at work. We know that Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. He wants us to tell the other people around us about him and invite them to come with us to hear his good news. So what is stopping us? Are we afraid? Do we feel alone in this stream?
There are brothers on either side of us too. Jesus promised we would never be alone. Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” This is one of my favorite promises. No matter where I am he does not just show up when I need him. He camps around me all the time.
When I stand at the stream to fish for people I am surrounded by brothers on either side. There are other fisherman, Christian brothers and sisters, and God’s presence always there to encourage me.
Do not be afraid. Invite those around you to hear the good news.
Brother Robin
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Fruit Trees
When I was growing up there were always fruit trees in the yard. In the backyard there were apple, peach, pear, and cherry trees. At the far back of the yard we had a big garden with grape vines and plum trees on one side. In front there were cherry bushes that produced small but delicious red cherries at just the right height for me to grab a handful as I mowed the grass in the summer.
I always helped Dad with the pruning and the harvesting. I was small enough to climb high and toss the fruit down to waiting hands. We all helped put the fruit up in jars for canning. I enjoyed it so much that Joyce and I still pick and can fruit every summer. I now have blueberries, grapes, and raspberries I am nurturing for future enjoyment.
Producing fruit takes time, patience, and some skill at working the trees, bushes, and vines. Branches have to be pruned to make the fruit better. Good fruit does not happen by accident.
Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that we are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. When we do we can avoid the works of the flesh and will practice the fruit of the Spirit. In the middle of the discussion on the fruit of the Spirit he says, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit we must also follow the Spirit.” (5:24-25, HCSB)
This direct connection between the fruit of the Spirit and crucifying the flesh reminds me of the pruning necessary for good fruit. When we seek and practice the fruit of the Spirit we are crucifying the flesh and its desires.
Fruit is made to carry the seed. God wrapped the seed inside a delicious fruit so we would eat the fruit and discard the seed and the result would be more fruit. The fruit of the Spirit works the same way. When the fruit of the Spirit is genuine it passes from us to those around us and they become bearers of the same fruit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22, HCSB) Every single person bearing genuine Spiritual fruit can help us all bear fruit of the Spirit.
Bro. Robin
I always helped Dad with the pruning and the harvesting. I was small enough to climb high and toss the fruit down to waiting hands. We all helped put the fruit up in jars for canning. I enjoyed it so much that Joyce and I still pick and can fruit every summer. I now have blueberries, grapes, and raspberries I am nurturing for future enjoyment.
Producing fruit takes time, patience, and some skill at working the trees, bushes, and vines. Branches have to be pruned to make the fruit better. Good fruit does not happen by accident.
Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that we are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. When we do we can avoid the works of the flesh and will practice the fruit of the Spirit. In the middle of the discussion on the fruit of the Spirit he says, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit we must also follow the Spirit.” (5:24-25, HCSB)
This direct connection between the fruit of the Spirit and crucifying the flesh reminds me of the pruning necessary for good fruit. When we seek and practice the fruit of the Spirit we are crucifying the flesh and its desires.
Fruit is made to carry the seed. God wrapped the seed inside a delicious fruit so we would eat the fruit and discard the seed and the result would be more fruit. The fruit of the Spirit works the same way. When the fruit of the Spirit is genuine it passes from us to those around us and they become bearers of the same fruit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22, HCSB) Every single person bearing genuine Spiritual fruit can help us all bear fruit of the Spirit.
Bro. Robin
One lane or the other
“Make up your mind, get in one lane or the other.”
Driving down the road I often find myself talking to the other drivers. I know they cannot hear me. And, it is probably a good thing they can’t. Like when I am on a wide four-lane highway and the car in front of me is on a Sunday drive.
We don’t do as much Sunday driving as we used to. That’s when we used to get out with the family and just drive around and look at the countryside. These days I still find myself referring to people who drive slow and watch the scenery more than the road as Sunday drivers. Going for a drive should be enjoyable but one must still pay attention to the road and be courteous to those around them.
There is a safety problem when a driver is not paying attention to the lanes. He is a danger to himself and to others around him when he cannot drive in one lane or the other. He can drift into another car or run off the road. Pay attention to the lanes and everyone is safer.
Paul told the Galatian Christians, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 HCSB) You have a choice. You can walk in the Spirit or you can walk in the flesh. You cannot do both at the same time. Get in one lane or the other.
If you walk in the flesh you will do all sorts of things that you know no one should do. You will be immoral, hateful, rebellious, selfish, divisive, envious, a drunk, and anything similar. (verses 19-21). You will chew on each other and spit each other out. A person who has no problem with that will not inherit God’s Kingdom.
If you walk in the Spirit you will love your neighbor as yourself and fulfill everything God requires of us. Not only that, but if you walk in the Spirit you will also avoid the dangers and pitfalls of walking in the flesh. Get in one lane or the other. Better yet, get in the right lane and walk in the Spirit.
Robin
Driving down the road I often find myself talking to the other drivers. I know they cannot hear me. And, it is probably a good thing they can’t. Like when I am on a wide four-lane highway and the car in front of me is on a Sunday drive.
We don’t do as much Sunday driving as we used to. That’s when we used to get out with the family and just drive around and look at the countryside. These days I still find myself referring to people who drive slow and watch the scenery more than the road as Sunday drivers. Going for a drive should be enjoyable but one must still pay attention to the road and be courteous to those around them.
There is a safety problem when a driver is not paying attention to the lanes. He is a danger to himself and to others around him when he cannot drive in one lane or the other. He can drift into another car or run off the road. Pay attention to the lanes and everyone is safer.
Paul told the Galatian Christians, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 HCSB) You have a choice. You can walk in the Spirit or you can walk in the flesh. You cannot do both at the same time. Get in one lane or the other.
If you walk in the flesh you will do all sorts of things that you know no one should do. You will be immoral, hateful, rebellious, selfish, divisive, envious, a drunk, and anything similar. (verses 19-21). You will chew on each other and spit each other out. A person who has no problem with that will not inherit God’s Kingdom.
If you walk in the Spirit you will love your neighbor as yourself and fulfill everything God requires of us. Not only that, but if you walk in the Spirit you will also avoid the dangers and pitfalls of walking in the flesh. Get in one lane or the other. Better yet, get in the right lane and walk in the Spirit.
Robin
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Like Riding a Bike
One of my favorite Christmas gifts was a bicycle. I could not wait to learn to ride it. Dad made it his job to teach me. He told me a few simple rules. Then, he held his hand on the back of the bicycle seat and gave me a push.
The first few times he let go I went a few yards and fell over. It soon became apparent that I needed the lessons he was trying to teach me. I have also learned that these lessons are still important. Rules teach us many things beyond the rules themselves.
First he told me to keep my balance and peddle. If I stopped either one I would fall. Balance and motion go together. We cannot stand still. We were not made that way. We were made with arms and legs and a mouth, ears, and senses. We were made to go places and experience things. Where we go and what we experience are up to us. That is where the balance comes in. We can pedal too hard and lean too far and still fall and hurt ourselves.
Next he told me to go straight. Going straight is not only a part of keeping balance it is also necessary for learning how to control the bike. You cannot learn how to safely turn until you first know how to go straight.
Another important rule is to learn how to use the brakes. Why is that not the first lesson? The purpose of a bike is to go not to sit still. Dad showed me where the brakes were before I got on the bike. But knowing where they are and learning how to use them are two different things. You can only learn how to use the brakes if you are moving.
He also told me to stay on the road. That is important if you want to stay safe. There are dangers off the road that can be avoided if you stay on the road and watch where you are going. There are also hazards on the road such as pot holes, rocks, hills, etc. Learning to control the bike is part of the experience and comes with practice.
Finally, enjoy the ride. If you follow the rules you will get to the place where you can feel the wind in your face and enjoy the whole experience. That is the goal and when you get there you realize that was the reason for the rules all along.
Paul said, “So then, the law was our guardian, (teacher), until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24 ESV) The purpose of the law is to teach us grace. It is just like learning to ride a bike. If you reject the rules you will fall and get hurt. Follow the rules and enjoy the ride.
Robin
The first few times he let go I went a few yards and fell over. It soon became apparent that I needed the lessons he was trying to teach me. I have also learned that these lessons are still important. Rules teach us many things beyond the rules themselves.
First he told me to keep my balance and peddle. If I stopped either one I would fall. Balance and motion go together. We cannot stand still. We were not made that way. We were made with arms and legs and a mouth, ears, and senses. We were made to go places and experience things. Where we go and what we experience are up to us. That is where the balance comes in. We can pedal too hard and lean too far and still fall and hurt ourselves.
Next he told me to go straight. Going straight is not only a part of keeping balance it is also necessary for learning how to control the bike. You cannot learn how to safely turn until you first know how to go straight.
Another important rule is to learn how to use the brakes. Why is that not the first lesson? The purpose of a bike is to go not to sit still. Dad showed me where the brakes were before I got on the bike. But knowing where they are and learning how to use them are two different things. You can only learn how to use the brakes if you are moving.
He also told me to stay on the road. That is important if you want to stay safe. There are dangers off the road that can be avoided if you stay on the road and watch where you are going. There are also hazards on the road such as pot holes, rocks, hills, etc. Learning to control the bike is part of the experience and comes with practice.
Finally, enjoy the ride. If you follow the rules you will get to the place where you can feel the wind in your face and enjoy the whole experience. That is the goal and when you get there you realize that was the reason for the rules all along.
Paul said, “So then, the law was our guardian, (teacher), until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24 ESV) The purpose of the law is to teach us grace. It is just like learning to ride a bike. If you reject the rules you will fall and get hurt. Follow the rules and enjoy the ride.
Robin
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Responsibility
When I was growing up my first job to take out the trash. As I got a little older I was also allowed to take matches and burn the trash. That required more responsibility because I had to stay there and watch it until the flames died down. Later, as I got bigger, the job of mowing the lawn was added to the list.
I was expected to do my job as needed without being asked. In return I was given an allowance, fifty cents at first, of which I gave a dime for my offering every week. When my hobby changed from comic books to model cars my allowance was raised to two dollars, and my offering was raised to a quarter.
If I forgot to do my job, my Dad only had to say, “Go mow the grass,” once and I was walking out the door to get the mower. That is how I learned responsibility. I didn’t do it for the money or because I might be punished if I disobeyed. Those consequences never came up because it never occurred to me that I had a choice. I knew what was expected and I did it.
Jesus began his ministry with the direct command, “Follow me,” (Matthew 4:19) and ended his ministry with another command, “Go.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Everything in between was related to either the first command or the last. The last command is called The Great Commission.
The wording of the Great Commission in Acts tells us not only to go but where to go. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV
The Great Commission is neither optional nor transferrable. In other words, we all need to do our part. This is what is expected of all of us. We cannot have someone do it for us.
When we talk about different jobs in the kingdom I most often hear about jobs like teaching, and prayer support. When Jesus was describing the parts available for us all to do he did not list those things that come to many of our minds. Jesus talked about places, parts of the earth, where we are to go.
We may not all be able to go everywhere but we can all go somewhere. Some of us can go across the street with the love of God. Some of us can go around the world. The Great Commission is our responsibility for all of us to keep. What is your part?
Robin Cowin
I was expected to do my job as needed without being asked. In return I was given an allowance, fifty cents at first, of which I gave a dime for my offering every week. When my hobby changed from comic books to model cars my allowance was raised to two dollars, and my offering was raised to a quarter.
If I forgot to do my job, my Dad only had to say, “Go mow the grass,” once and I was walking out the door to get the mower. That is how I learned responsibility. I didn’t do it for the money or because I might be punished if I disobeyed. Those consequences never came up because it never occurred to me that I had a choice. I knew what was expected and I did it.
Jesus began his ministry with the direct command, “Follow me,” (Matthew 4:19) and ended his ministry with another command, “Go.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Everything in between was related to either the first command or the last. The last command is called The Great Commission.
The wording of the Great Commission in Acts tells us not only to go but where to go. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV
The Great Commission is neither optional nor transferrable. In other words, we all need to do our part. This is what is expected of all of us. We cannot have someone do it for us.
When we talk about different jobs in the kingdom I most often hear about jobs like teaching, and prayer support. When Jesus was describing the parts available for us all to do he did not list those things that come to many of our minds. Jesus talked about places, parts of the earth, where we are to go.
We may not all be able to go everywhere but we can all go somewhere. Some of us can go across the street with the love of God. Some of us can go around the world. The Great Commission is our responsibility for all of us to keep. What is your part?
Robin Cowin
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