Who is God?

 “To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike?" Isaiah 46:5

If our thinking about God is not correct then every other doctrine we apply our minds to will also be incorrect. This is the most important doctrine yet people seem to think they are free to make up their minds as to what God is like. So some who call themselves Christians say, ‘My god would never send anyone to hell.’ Such a statement is only possible if you ignore all that the Bible has to say and just impose your own thoughts on the subject. This attitude is responsible for what is possibly the greatest sin a person can commit—to reduce God to terms that are acceptable to us (Psalm 50:21). This is why in the Old Testament one of the sins that grieved God the most was idolatry. This is to substitute man-made objects and ideas in the place of the one true God (Jeremiah 10:3–5). It is a slander on the character of God and all worship that flows from it is worthless

Sincerity is not sufficient.

 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

  “God doesn’t care what you believe, as long as you’re sincere,” say many of our culture today.  “All religions lead ultimately to the same reality. It doesn’t matter which road you take to get there, as long as you follow your chosen road faithfully. Don’t be critical of the alternative roads other people choose.”

   To those who accept the Bible as God’s Word, this is crazy. What does the Bible say about following your chosen road faithfully? “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov 14:12). Jesus said, “The gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it” (Matt. 7:13). 

   It is Satan who doesn’t care what we believe—or how sincerely we believe it—as long as what we believe is error. To portray God as tolerant of all forms of worship is to deny the God of Scripture. After all, this was His first commandment: “I am the Lord your God.… You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:2–3).

  If we believe the Bible, we cannot concede that other religions might be true as well. If we believe that Christ is Lord of all, and if we truly love Him, we cannot go along agreeing with the doctrines of those who deny Him (1 Cor. 16:22). We must stand firm against the schemes of the devil by being firmly immersed and knowledgeable in God's Word, His Doctrines, and His Truth. 

  The content of our faith is crucial. Sincerity is not sufficient. We can be sincerely wrong.

God's word....for War or Peace?

  Like many people, I use Scripture to defend my views. But so does Satan. In Matthew 4, the devil says: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ ”. In turn, Jesus responds with Scripture, “Again, it is written, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test’ ”
   While the devil used Scripture for his own purposes, Jesus used them for God’s. This teaches us that Scripture alone isn’t enough: it must be contextualized and balanced with other Scripture.
This story raises the question, “Will we use Scripture to defend our own positions, or use it to defend God’s?” It’s easy to quote Scripture only to defend our personal theological position. Sometimes we are too focused on being “right” and not necessarily on helping other believers. However, while we might believe that being “right” will ultimately help them, it’s possible that we’re inhibiting the gospel message instead. We might even be the one driving them away.
  When we use Scripture for our own gains or battles, we are acting like Christ’s tempter—not Christ. We might think that we are defending the gospel, but if it’s not about Christ’s virgin birth, suffering, death, resurrection, or continued presence in our lives, it’s really not about the fundamental truths. It’s about our battle—about what we want. Instead, let’s act more like Christ. Let’s use Scripture in the proper context, balancing it with other Scripture.

No whining.....

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Revelation 22:12

We are to be rewarded, not only for work done, but for burdens borne; and I am not sure but that the brightest rewards will be for those who have borne burdens without murmuring. On that day He will take the lily, that has been growing so long among thorns, and lift it up to be the glory and wonder of all the universe; and the fragrance of that lily will draw forth ineffable praises from all the hosts of Heaven. (-Andrew Bonar)  

Choices.

Therefore will we also serve the Lord; for He is our God. – Joshua 24:18

   To every person there comes that time when we must use our greatest power—freedom of choice.  There are set before us the good and the bad, the high and the low, the great and the small, the false and the true, the big and the little.  Out of all this we must choose.
   It is a pity that so much of our human power is consumed in making choices between those things that are material and temporal. Fading away.  So often we are content to choose only between the bad and the low, the small and the false.  It would be so much better to confine our choices to that which is good and high and the great and true and big.  It would be so much better for man to choose God.
But....we have to know Him. His word, His truth, His ways. That takes time, commitment, perseverance, ordering priorities.
   There is something final, satisfying and eternal in choosing God.  When we choose him it affects all minor decisions.  I pray I will sets my eyes more and more on Him and that the things of this earth, this life, will grow dim as I see His surpassing glory!

Pressing on....

... but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

  Paul was the greatest leader in the history of the church, but he wasn’t cocky.  He knew he was still a work in progress.  Paul’s days were filled with starting churches, managing leaders, and taking the gospel to everyone in the known world, but he reduced his job description to “one thing.”  We’d interpret his comments in management terms as the rigorous commitment to a singular objective that has two parts: not dwelling on the past, but reaching ahead to achieve the vision of the future.
  The past can bog us down in two distinctly different ways: Some of us feel ashamed by failures in our personal lives or in business, and our minds are haunted by those memories.  Every decision we make is colored by our grief and the fear that we’ll make the same mistake again.  Others of us, though, live in past glories.  We’ve enjoyed stunning success, but instead of using our gains as a foundation for future growth, we keep reliving those memories.  Living in the past, whether failed or successful, takes our lives out of focus.  Paul says, “Forget the past and move on.”  As a new year begins, I need to press on. This world, this nation, this life, have so many things that can get me distracted and take my eyes away from the Lord. I pray I will be more intentional in running His race as the new year unfolds. Welcome 2018.

Christmas 2018

   2018 is almost over. This year was an emotional one marked with good times as well as an abundance of tears.
  The hard part was the sudden death of my brother-in-law Mark. He was diagnosed with cancer in early March and within 29 days passed away. He had turned 65 a few months earlier, not been ill, not had any symptoms, and was loving his retirement. Then gone. I spent many weeks in Ohio throughout the year helping my sister Debbie work thru her grief and all the “stuff” that takes place after the loss of a spouse.
    The good news of the year is that I retired completely from my pharmacy career at the end of December, 2017. It was time. Too many changes happening in the profession, so many new drugs, laws, regulations, insurance issues to keep up with. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. 40 years was enough. The timing was perfect (although I didn’t realize it then) since I was free to go to Ohio and help my sister and family as long as needed. I have totally enjoyed retirement ...no regrets.
    Mike loves retirement and has had a successful year with his lawn and landscape projects. Our yard resembles a small private park thanks to his labor of love. Exquisite!
    We both continue to enjoy hiking,  jeeping and living in Northern Arizona. Tons of  beautiful places to check out within a days drive of Sedona. We plan to do more “exploring” this coming year.
    I turned 65 this fall and am now a Medicare recipient. Hard to believe!
I am grateful that Mike and I are both pretty healthy, all things considered.
   As this  year winds down, I am reminded to embrace each day as if it may be my last one and to love the people that are in my life whether they are agreeable or not. Cookie, at 16+, is still my little senior bundle of joy.

    Thanking the Lord for a difficult but blessed year. 

             Have a Wonderful Christmas season!  

   

Seasons of Love

Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.  Song of Solomon 2:11-12

  Romantic relationships, as well as our relationship with God, go through seasons.  Sometimes, we feel as if we’re in the midst of winter, mustering the discipline to keep going even through there’s little warmth.  The deadness of plants in late winter symbolizes the barrenness of our hearts, but it doesn’t last forever.  Soon, the first signs of spring appear, warmth returns, and hope fills our hearts.
  We can learn a lot about walking with God by observing mature marriages.  They begin with the heat of passion and the idealism of pure love, but when the honeymoon ends, reality hits husbands and wives hard.  A time of reassessment is necessary but challenging.  If they fail to rebuild their relationship based on realistic expectations and good communication, the marriage becomes an empty shell.  However, if the winter of discontent ultimately leads to richer conversations and deeper affection, the marriage flourishes as never before.
   In the same way, many of us began our Christian experience with great joy and high hopes.  In those early days, God gives us wonderful experiences to confirm our faith. Then sooner or later, He may choose a more difficult curriculum for us.  Struggles, disappointments, and misunderstandings about the nature of the Christian life threaten our fledgling faith, but the winter season provides the opportunity to go deeper and grow closer to God.
In the seasons of the year, in romantic relationships, and in our walks with God, the beauty of spring doesn’t come without the dormancy of winter.  If we develop greater trust when it’s cold and dark, we’ll experience more love in the warmth of spring. (-Zig Ziglar)

Heartache

  February 15,2018. Sometimes unexpected life circumstances  hit me in my gut, taking my breath away, bringing me to my knees, causing me to look up and ask the Lord, "Why?".  Today is one of those days. My sister Debbie just found out that her husband Mark is full of cancer and it has moved to his brain.

  So many questions flood my being. Mark had just gotten a clean bill of health after having a multitude of tests run. He had broken his collarbone a month or so ago, and then a couple of his ribs. The doctors didn't know what caused that and put him through numerous tests...x-ray, blood work, bone scans, cancer tests, on and on. Verdict, nothing wrong. Good to go.

Since he was still having some pain, the doctor gave him muscle relaxants and pain meds. After taking 3 days of the muscle relaxant he became delirious, hallucinating, slurring his speech and unable to walk. I told Debbie to stop the drug and wait. After 48 hours he was clear thinking again and feeling pretty good, but still unable to stand up and walk. Two more days passed and still not able to walk.

 Debbie had the ambulance take him to the hospital this morning for assessment. Why can't he walk?

CANCER.  Everywhere.

What about that clean bill of health????

  They have both been thru so much. Debbie's ex-husband being in a car wreck that left him in a coma for six months, and then brain damaged. She nursed him back to health for several years until he became violent.  Her son Billie who was born with a chronic condition had to go thru numerous surgeries from the time he was a child. She cared for him for years. He died at 18 due to complications. Now, Mark.

 The Lord deals us each a different hand. A hand that He wants to use so that we may come to know Him up close and personal in our circumstances and glorify Him. His ways our perfect, even when things seem so devastating and beyond comprehension.

 My heart breaks for them and the pain they are experiencing. Mentally I know we live in a fallen, depraved world. A world where satan is prince. Where life is really a blink of the eye. Eternity looms ahead. Forever.  Our destiny is in the Lord's hands. Christ my Savior has promised me and inheritance with Him. What could be better? Nothing.  In my earthly circumstances I still cry out....Why?

Meanwhile, I pray for the salvation of my loved ones.....

Mike, Debbie, Mark in Hawaii 2010

Christmas 2017

Silent Night

Hello from Sedona!  2018 is almost here and another fun filled year gone.

   Once again Mike toiled at our landscape. The lawn was thriving until the heat of summer hit and burned it up. He began again, from square one, this time with a different type of grass. LOTS of  hard labor. Next summer will be the test of success….or not. I am keeping my fingers crossed! In the meantime, he has been burning up the hiking trails with his friend Larry.

    I am still enjoying my paper crafting, Bible study, hiking, and part time pharmacy job. Nothing really new in those areas.

   Our solar system, installed last January, is producing 120% of our electrical needs, resulting in an almost non-existent electric bill.  Yea!

    In October, Mike and I went on an amazing two week vacation to Kauai with my nephew Tim and his wife Gena. Since they both enjoy hiking we repeated  many of our favorite hikes around the island. We had a great time and took almost 4000 photos between the four of us. Once back home, I created a Shuttefly photo book using about 200 of the pictures. So many incredible memories made.

    We had numerous visits from family and friends again this year and always look forward to these special times. I made several journeys to Ohio to visit my family. My dad turned 90 this year and is still as ornery as ever, continuing to win most of the card games we play.

     After 160,00 miles, we retired my 2002 Honda CRV and got a brand new 2018 Subaru Forester to take its place. I am getting used to all the high technology features it has….like automatic transmission! Ha! No more clutch pedal and 5 speed shifting for me. Mike and I also graduated to smart-phones from our little “dumb” flip-phones. We can now text and use the maps function to figure out where we need to be, usually on the couch.  We are finally moving into the 21st century!

 Cookie is now 15+ years old and though slower, just as cute as always and still my little shadow.

   Well, those are the 2017  highlights from the Smith family.

                                Wishing you a Blessed Christmas and Peace-filled year.

Cookie at 15+ years!