The Light of the World

This morning we had a meaningful service at our little country church.  It's a tradition we've done for quite some time.  We call it the "Lighting of the Tree."  We have a normal Morning Worship Service, with Bible Study, singing of old hymns and carols, prayer and a message.  This morning's message was on Luke 1 beginning in verse 26 when the angel Gabriel was sent to announce to Mary about her being chosen to give birth to the Christ Child.  The angel told Mary, "The Lord is with you."    He went on to tell her the great news that she, a virgin, had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah.  Mary, of course, had lots of questions.  Before leaving, the angel told her, "With God, nothing is impossible!"

At the end of the message, the lights are dimmed and a big candle on top of the tree, representing Jesus, is lighted.  600 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah was speaking to Israel.  Due to their idolatry and unbelief, they had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians.  They were in dark times.  Isaiah had hope, though:

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.  Isaiah 9:1-2

In Matthew 4:12-16 we see Jesus' inauguration of His ministry fulfilling this prophecy.  Jesus had many "I AM" statements: I AM the Good Shepherd, I AM the way, the truth, and the life, I AM the gate, I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the resurrection and the life.  One other I AM statement was Jesus saying, "I AM the Light of the World."

The theme of Jesus as the Light of the world is prominent in New Testament Scripture: 

• John 1:4-5
• John 8:12
• John 9:5
• John 12:46

Jesus was truly the Son of God and came to the world to save sinners.  In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus gives the believer a challenge for the ages!  Go shine your light before men.  Illuminate the darkness.  Live lives that point to Jesus.  Be intentional about shining your light.  Give all glory to God.

At the conclusion of Scripture reading, our church family is invited, one by one to come to the front and light a candle to represent the light of Jesus living within believers and a commitment to shine our lights for Christ.

It is a quiet time, a reflective time as the candles on our tree are lit, one by one, as the piano is softly played.

The tree was constructed by the father of the gentleman in the photo above many years ago.

Even though our church is small, it took quite a while for everyone to get their candles lit.  There was no rush though.  It was a peaceful, worshipful moment.

One thing important about a light, if you take a lighthouse, for example.  The light keeps people from being shipwrecked onto the rocks.  The light also gives guidance so that those who are lost, may find their way home.

Jesus is that perfect Light!  Shine, Jesus, Shine.  May we shine for You in all we do.

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

My sister is a remarkable woman.  She is the mother of six boys, works a full time job teaching high school and makes cakes as a side-hustle.  As a result, her schedule is full.  I get tired just thinking about all she fits in a 24 hour day.  Recently, her second oldest son got married in Natchitoches.  We talked about it on the blog a little while back.  Jenny, in addition to being mother of the groom, took on the responsibility of making BOTH the bride's cake and the groom's cake.

She never let's anyone see her sweat.  She's motivated by doing things at the very last minute.  It always works out.  Around noon on the day of the wedding that was to take place that afternoon, the cake-making operation went into overdrive.  She got the cake put together and (surprisingly) enlisted the help of my brother and I to bedazzle the top of the cake with fresh, red raspberries.  We washed our hands and began methodically placing the raspberries atop the cake, sneaking a few to eat during the process.

My brother, Kristian, calculating the width of a raspberry while ciphering the radius of the cake

Before you knew it, the cake was about finished.  It looked elegant and smelled delicious.  There were raspberries left over and we indulged ourselves.

Jenny feverishly worked to get things finalized, piping more icing onto the cake.

Now that the cake was done, we just had to get it out to the venue of the wedding reception.  This happened to be about 8 miles out of Natchitoches, in the country.  Amid the rolling hills and oak trees, a big white tent was set up in the middle of a rodeo arena.  That was the next mission: to get the cakes out to the reception site, a tall task, to be sure.

Everyone loaded up in their Tahoe and Jenny hopped in the very back to hold the cake.  All was going well.  However, once you get near the rehearsal venue, the road changes from paved road to gravel road.  Unfortunately, the gravel road had what we call "corduroy" in it.  Some people call this "washboard."  I think you get the point.  There are deep grooves in the road that will rattle the fillings out of your head.  Imagine what it could do to a wedding cake!

Suddenly the cake broke into 3 pieces.  Like the walls of Jericho, the cake and carefully placed raspberries tumbled.  What a mess!  The wedding was only a few hours away now but Jenny was unshaken, unflappable and unfazed.  Here's what she did:  To hold it together until the wedding reception started, she took cardboard and placed around the edges of the cake and then put a ribbon around the cardboard and cinched it up.  The cake came back together.  Everything worked out.  Jenny bound up the broken cake.  All in attendance enjoyed the delicious and beautiful cake.

I've thought about that a lot over the past several weeks.  It reminded me of something.  In Isaiah 61:1 Isaiah said, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;"

What great news for Israel!  The Prophet Isaiah was saying that one day Israel would be restored and all would work out.  700 years later, at the inauguration of Jesus Christ's public ministry, He walked to the synagogue, opened the scroll and, out of all the verses in Scripture, read that very verse, saying, "Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  The Messiah, Jesus, had come to bring salvation and... bind up the broken-hearted.  Perhaps you are broken-hearted.  You are crushed in spirit.  You have no hope.  Your dreams are unrealized.  Discouragement, sadness, and depression abounds.

I have good news for you.  First, you are not alone.  Jesus knows what it feels like.  You see, He was despised and rejected of men.  They put the King of Glory on a cross and killed Him.  Fortunately, that's not the end of the story.  Jesus' death and then resurrection in His finished work at Calvary, gave us victory over sin and death.  We deserved death and yet HE stood in our place, pardoning us and taking the full weight of punishment upon Himself.  The Word tells us that He was wounded for our transgressions.  By His stripes, we are healed!

Maybe we're right smack-dab in the middle of sin right now.  Maybe our lives, like that raspberry-topped bride's cake, has broken into pieces.  What was once beautiful and put together is now an unmitigated disaster - a mess.  Our very heart is broken.  Time has run out and all appears lost.  Have no fear.  We have an Advocate, a Friend who sticketh closer than a brother.  One who has carried our burdens and has forgiven us.  One who has promised to bind up the brokenhearted.  Place your trust in Jesus today.

Psalm 147:3 "He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds."

Red Sky At Night

 I ran out to the road the other day and captured this beautiful red sunset.  What a sight!

It reminded me of the old saying, "Red sky in morning, sailor's take warning.  Red sky at night, sailor's delight."  I'm not going sailing, but if the saying is true, tonight would be the night to do it.  Did you know that this old saying is mentioned in the Bible?  It is found in Matthew 16:2-3, mentioned by our Lord.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.  3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

The Sadducees and Pharisees were two rival parties, but their hatred for Jesus caused them to be in agreement.  That brings up another old saying, by the way: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."  These religious leaders were looking for a sign.  They wanted Him to work a miracle in order that they might believe He is the Christ.  They were always looking for signs and wonders.  These people had the Son of God sitting before them.  Prophecy was being fulfilled before their very eyes and yet they were blind.  No one is as blind as he who just won't see.

Here's the thing:  A miracle or sign or wonder will not convict you to turn from your unbelief to salvation.  Why did Jesus bring up the weather?  He was making the point that their blindness was deliberate.  He was telling them that they had no problems looking at Creation that HE created and draw conclusions to guide them, yet they were confronted by evidence that He had shown them repeatedly and couldn't connect the dots.  Their own Scripture pointed prophecies of the Messiah coming that they should have recognized, but their eyes seemed to be closed to the truth.

Their eyes were closed.  Their hearts were hardened.  In verse 4 Jesus called them an adulterous generation.  Now some of them may have been committing adultery in terms of not being faithful to their wives, but Jesus was speaking more of spiritual adultery.  They were God's chosen people and they were not faithful to Him.  Instead, they were trusting in a set of rules and laws that they had manufactured.  They were worshipping a god they had constructed.  If they were following God, they would have recognized the Messiah in their midst.

Have you recognized the Messiah?  Do you know Jesus?  Have you manufactured a god or a system that you're trusting to get you to Heaven?  Jesus is the One foretold by the Old Testament prophets.  He is the promised Messiah that solved the "sin problem" that originated in Genesis 3.  He is the Good News that the New Testament speaks of.  Try as we might, we can't purchase salvation.  The smartest men and women can't invent a cure for our terminal sinful condition.  All it takes is faith, placing full reliance on Jesus for the remission of your sins.  Despite the weather forecast, if you trust Him, regardless the color of the sky at morning or night, you'll sail into eternity secure with Him.

Passover 2025

You may have been thinking as you read the title to this post, "I thought they were Christians."  We are.  For the last twenty-something years, we celebrate the Passover, but from a Christian perspective.  It's an exciting event we look forward to each year.  Tricia busies herself in the kitchen the day before, roasting lamb with rosemary and herbs, preparing wild rice, roasted beets and kohlrabi, snap beans, cole slaw, squash with chicken, tabbouleh, hummus, with homemade cheesecake and coffee for dessert.

The table is set in the dining room with fine china and silver.  After church we gather for our Passover Seder.  Both Russ and Benjamin joined us for the festivities.  Unfortunately, Laura Lee was unable to join us, but we pray next year she will.  Over the years, we've invited numerous guests to join us as it is a special event to share and celebrate.

We gathered around the table and got ready to begin.  

Mother lights the candles to get things started.

The seder lasts about an hour and we follow a guide called the Haggadah, or the Telling.  It orders the meal, and it is read as everyone follows along.

There are special foods that symbolize different things in the story, there are prayers and rituals, and the audience is invited to participate as we put dots of wine on the plate as the 10 plagues are read aloud.  The story from Exodus is read that recounts Moses leading his people out of Egypt.

Each person participates in reading and asking questions.  Four cups of sparkling grape juice are poured signifying, The Cup of Sanctification, The Cup of Deliverance, The Cup of Redemption, and The Cup of Praise.

The significance of the matzoh being unleavened and striped and pierced is discussed.  We learn and remember the significance of Passover to the Christian.  Just as the Israelites applied the blood to the doorposts of their home so that the Angel of Death would pass over their home, we remember that the blood of Jesus, the Passover Lamb, applied to our hearts give us freedom from the slavery of sin and give us life eternal.

In John's Gospel, John 1:29 to be exact, John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus walking up, said, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."  It was a very important thing to say.  Jesus is our Passover Lamb!

Image Credit

Passover.  A day of remembering.  A day to enjoy faith, family and food!  Next Sunday we'll celebrate Resurrection Sunday, where we'll celebrate the high point in the Christian life, when Jesus rose from the grave victorious over sin! 

The North Star

Yesterday night, Tricia and I were walking with Belle, our dog, around the yard.  It was quiet, except for the occasional passing car.  The night air was crisp, no mosquitoes yet, and the stars shone brilliantly in the sky.  It was a peaceful, enjoyable evening.  My wife and I talked about important questions that often plague us, including questions of existential import like, "If you had to choose, would you rather have a slice of pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, or coconut cream pie?"  (Coconut cream pie won, but I would choose to have a sliver of each one!)

As we looked up while walking due west, two 'stars' caught our eyes.  Can you see them?  They are directly in the middle of the photograph below - one brighter than the other.

I've never been real good at identifying constellations.  I had to come in and search for the answer on the computer.  Here is a zoomed in photo of the 'stars' for a better reference point.

As it turns out, they aren't stars at all.  They're planets.  Venus is the brighter one on top and Jupiter is the dimmer one on the bottom.  As the month of March goes on, Venus will climb higher and Jupiter will drop lower.  By the end of March, Jupiter will be hard to spot as it will be low on the horizon.  Very interesting to me!

This morning in church, the preacher told a somewhat related story that I'll try to recount.  I love the movie "Lonesome Dove".  We just finished watching 1883.  Both shows had a cook who drove the chuck wagons.  They were memorable characters.  The cook's primary job was to ensure that the cowboys received three hearty meals each day.  It was hot, tiring work and a treacherous journey, with many pitfalls along the way.  They were driving cattle from Texas to the rail head in Kansas City.  

But the cook had another responsibility that could not be overlooked.  After cooking the evening meal and cleaning up, the last thing that the cook would do before bedding down for the night, would be to take the tongue of the chuck wagon and point it toward the North Star.  You see, during  daylight hours, the North Star wasn't visible and familiar landmarks may not be easily discernable.  At nighttime, however, the North Star was there pointing you toward your destination.

There's a spiritual truth here.  Jesus is our North Star.  He is the Word made flesh.  This old world we're living in has many distractions, signs pointing the wrong way, familiar landmarks obscured by the 'wisdom' of man.  Oh, what folly we fall prey to in our journey.  These all are broad paths that lead to destruction.  There's a narrow way, however, that leads to life and Jesus is pointing the way.  In fact, He is the Way.  May we always ensure our wagon is pointed in the right direction, toward Jesus!

There's an old country song by Red Steagall, called "The Wagon Tongue," that tells the story of making sure your wagon is headed in the right direction.  The chorus is in bold below as well as the video of the song.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Life is like a grassy sea,
The trail ain’t always plain.
One may lead to pleasure
And the other lead to pain.
But you’ll never lose direction
And you’ll know just where you are,
If you’ll always point your wagon tongue
Toward the old North Star.

Let's make sure our wagon is pointed toward Jesus!

Merry Christmas to All!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.    Isaiah 9:6

 

What a great day!  Merry Christmas everyone.  Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, so we had abbreviated services at our little church.  No Sunday School - just Morning Worship at 10 AM.  I hope you were able to make it to Services to honor our Savior.  We opened the service reading about the birth of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2 along with prayer and special music: "Sweet Little Jesus Boy."

We sang a few carols - Silent Night, Joy to the World and Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.  It was a beautiful time of corporate worship.  Jesus is truly that Light that shines brighter and brighter even in this darkened world.  Over 25 years ago, this tree of light was made and we light it up with candles.  Each family comes up and takes turns lighting up the tree. 

It takes quite a while to light it all up, but once its done, it is a sight to behold!

It was truly a good time of worship together.  We had a number of members that were out today, but we had a number of guests to join us in praising God.

Once the tree was all lit up, we sang, "There's Something About That Name."

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There's just something about that name.

Master, Savior, Jesus, Like the fragrance after the rain,

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and earth proclaim.

Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away,

But there's something about that name.

The Sonnier Family at Our Maker's Acres Family Farm wish you and yours the very best Christmas and a blessed and Happy New Year.

What Happened to Your Hand?

 

I snapped the photo above during a recent trip to my family doctor.  The painting was hanging on the wall in the examination room.  While I waiting for my doctor to arrive, I walked across the room and examined the painting.  Nice!  I liked it.  I remember reading some solid advice from a little book my Mom bought me over 30 years ago entitled, "Life's Little Instruction Book."  One of the entries said, "Find a doctor your age and grow old with him."  Now, granted, I don't go to the doctor much.  Maybe once a year for an annual checkup.  I think I missed my last two, though.  Oops!

Anyway, the painting caught my eye.  It shows "modern-dressed" children gathered around the feet of Jesus.  They are in a beautiful garden, and a little girl is sitting in Jesus' lap.  Jesus is affectionately showing the girl attention.  The little girl has a look of concern on her face and is pointing at Jesus' hand and asking, "What happened to your hand?"  We see in the Bible that Jesus showed his hands to someone.  In John Chapter 20 Jesus showed his hands and pierced side to "doubting" Thomas in order to help him to believe that it was indeed Jesus before him.  

The 1945 painting by Harry Anderson is tender and touching.  Jesus does indeed love the little children and His scars bear evidence of what He did on that cross for you and for me.

Have you failed in your plan of your storm-tossed life?

Place your hand in the nail-scarred hand;

Are you weary and worn from its toil and strife?

Place your hand in the nail-scarred hand.

Place your hand in the nail-scarred hand,

Place your hand in the nail-scarred hand;

He will keep to the end,

He's your dearest friend,

Place your hand in the nail-scarred hand.

The Nest Egg

Matthew 23:37 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

In this Scripture reading, Jesus laments over Jerusalem's wickedness.  In a beautiful picture of grace, Jesus uses a word picture of how He wishes, like a mother hen, to protect and provide for His people.  He wanted to provide comfort and warmth and security - and yet they were unwilling.

This illustration is driven home (literally) each day on Our Maker's Acres Family Farm.  As I gathered eggs in the barn Sunday afternoon, a broody hen sitting on her nest caught my attention.  This hen sits on her eggs and objects to our moving her out of the way to collect them.  She desires to hatch out her little chicks instead of her eggs becoming our breakfast.  She fluffs out her feathers to make herself look larger and more formidable than she actually is.  She makes mean noises to frighten us away.  If we're still undeterred by her objections, she'll peck at our hands with her beak.

There are times in which we'll relent, and allow the hens to set and hatch out her little ones.  The baby chicks soon follow behind her, learning to scratch and peck at bits of grain on the ground, imitating their momma.  They'll often stray, but the momma hen's clucking guides them to safety under her protective wings.  Sometimes one or two will dart through the fence and find themselves separated from the hen.  She dutifully scurries to their rescue, scolding them until they are back beneath her.

It is often sad to find that one day there are four baby chicks following the momma and the next day there are only three - one lost to a predator who was successful in separating them!  It reminds me of the old hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," in which one of the verses says,

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it, With thy Spirit from above."

Aren't we often like that roaming, wandering chick who refuses protection because we are proud, headstrong, stiff-necked?  ... The verse ends, sorrowfully, with "Yet you were unwilling..."  May we be willing to fall under the protection and watchcare of our Savior.

May we be willing...

Merry Christmas to All, And to All a Good Night

Well another Christmas has come and in less than three hours, will be gone.  The year 2020 will be upon us.  Time marches on indeed. 

On Christmas Eve we gathered at my Mom & Dad's house to eat, to visit with family members, and to eventually open gifts.  It is very easy to get distracted this time of year with the presents, the fellowship, and the food.  There's nothing inherently wrong with food, presents, and visiting.  One must constantly strain, however, to focus on things that are eternal and not temporal.  The world and the system of this world dangles carrots on the end of sticks and we follow.  But we're not supposed to be following carrots...

All the kids and grandkids gather around in the den on Christmas Eve and my Dad reads from the Gospel of Luke.

The "Christmas Story" is a nice story.  It is a simple story - a joyous story.  One can almost imagine the scents of animals and hay and sounds of farm animals and a baby crying and sights in that stable 2000 years ago.  A proud mother and father.  Bewildered animals.  Worshipful shepherds.

The birth of the Christ Child was foretold 700 years prior.  His birth was a big deal.  The bigger deal was that thirty three years later, He was pierced for our transgressions.  He suffered and died a cruel death on a sinner's cross, despite never sinning.  Three days later, He rose from the death, victorious over the grave.  If we believe in Him (Messiah), we can spend eternity with Him in Paradise!

2 Corinthians 9:15 King James Version (KJV)

15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.  

Merry Christmas, Fellow Believers! The Savior of the World Has Come!

A good friend of mine sent me the link below just last night at just the right time.  I needed to hear it.  I've listened to it too many times to count.  The Isaacs have voices that sound like angels and this song helps me to focus on the birth of the Christ Child.

Click the arrow below, turn up the volume and take a listen.  I hope it blesses you like it blesses me.  Finally, we here at Our Maker's Acres Family Farms wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.  The Savior of the World Has Come!

Isaiah 9:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Never Will the Rocks Cry Out in My Place

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday.  We planned a skit for the kids to do in which they basically re-enacted Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.  We opted to not bring a donkey into the church.  However, palm fronds seemed to be a necessary item to have on Palm Sunday.  So I got the ladder, leaned it up against the side of the palm and climbed up the tree.  When I got to the point at which the palm fronds were, I took the Harbor Freight foldable pruning saw out of my back pocket and began sawing.

As I sawed, they dropped to the ground below.  I sawed about 10 of them in total and then climbed down.  It would be best if each child could hold a palm branch and say, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Here's the thing with our palm branches, though.  They have these huge thorns that stick out and cut you.  I never can prune this tree without shedding blood.  I had Benjamin cut off all the thorns with some pruning shears so the little kids would cut up their fingers while waving the branches.

While I was brainstorming how to do this skit, I figured just having palm branches wouldn't alone capture the feel of Old Town Jerusalem.  We needed something more!  I figure Jerusalem probably was a bustling city with street markets with vendors trading their wares and probably... Yeah, there were probably goats bleating along the streets.  I'm sure there were baby goats, too.

So the kids carried palm fronds and some carried baby goats.  The kids (and adults) enjoyed the skit.  I'll admit that I was straining, hoping that the goats wouldn't make a mess (#1 or #2) on the carpet in church.  Fortunately, they didn't.

"Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD!"

The climax of the drama to me at least, was when the Pharisees told Jesus to stop the people from praising Him as if He were God.

In Luke 19:40, Jesus answered: "I tell you," He answered, "if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out."

God's Will will be done.  He is sovereign.  If we are reluctant to do His Will, He will work his will through another willing vessel.  How sad, though, that rocks could take the place of His Creation in praising Him?

Some of those people praising Him, however, days later were yelling, "Crucify Him!"  How fickle we can be.  How we can allow the prevailing winds of the world sway us back and forth!  May we remain faithful to Him.  As we prepare for Resurrection Sunday, may we be thankful for the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross that reconciled us with the Father. 

No Room In the Inn

So the other afternoon, I was walking out to do evening chores as the sun was going down.  The cows were gathered around the hay ring, chewing on hay to fill their bellies.  Soon, I'd bring them in the barn, give them all some dairy ration mixed with alfalfa and beet pulp.  That always makes them happy.  Even though it was a little cool, the lights in the window of the barn were casting a warm glow that got me thinking.

We're in the season in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  As I look at the barn, I think of the following verse from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 2:7 (KJV)  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Joseph, by order of Caesar Augustus, was being called back to his hometown to register for a census.  But wait a minute.  Mary was pregnant.  Very pregnant.  I'm sure that it was really difficult to travel in such state.  To make matters worse, lots of people were traveling during census time and there was no vacancy in the inn.  They had to make do and sleep out in the stable.

Nativity scenes always look so rustic and nice.  Now, I'm not sure how the barn or cave that Jesus was born in actually looked, but I have a feeling that nativity scenes have an 'optimistic' slant.  I never see spider webs or rats or puddles of urine or piles of poop in nativity scenes, but I know full well that stables where animals are kept contain such things.  It isn't pretty.  It doesn't smell good.  It is loud with animal noises, full of insects and crowded with cows, goats, chickens and sheep.  It is not nice to talk about.

To be sure, it isn't a place fit for a King.  But He humbled Himself, and came to earth as a suffering servant.  He would grow up and eventually die a cruel death to break the curse of sin and death.

As we remember the birth of our Lord, I am reminded of His humility, His compassion, and His love for mankind.  He came to bring Peace on Earth and Good will to Mankind.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Philippians 2:5-8

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ who brings salvation to those who believe! 

The Best Protection Ever

 He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.  - Psalm 91:4

The other night I headed out to the barn to do my nightly chores.  Up until now the momma hen always sat in the corner of the stall with her two little chicks tucked up underneath her.  Tonight however, the momma hen had flown up to the top of the gate to the large stall.  Her wings were pitched at a strange angle.  But where were the little ones?  I hope that another snake hadn't eaten them.  

As I looked a little closer, I realized that one of the little chicks was right beneath her!  She was sitting on her baby to protect her.  She looked at me menacingly.  Is she giving me the evil eye, or what?  But where is the other chick?

I lifted her wing to find out.  Yep, sure enough, just as the verse above says, the chick is seeking protection under the sheltering wings.

Peek-a-boo!

The imagery in that verse is so strong and descriptive.  Just as the chicks seek refuge from danger (like snakes and rats in the barn), we seek the same from Our Creator.  He is indeed our Shield and Bulwark.

That is not the only verse that uses the imagery of protective wings.  In Luke 13:34 Jesus says:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

It is kind of neat to think about the fact that Jesus, as a boy in Nazareth, may have walked into his father's wood shop and found a momma hen protecting her baby chicks and that example of concern, care, and protection made an indelible mark on Him.  On the other hand, He is God.  He is the Almighty.  He made it all.  He knows how momma hens protect their little ones.  

The imagery of a hen protecting their young was, I'm sure, a familiar sight to those He was teaching in Luke 13 and I'm sure it struck a chord with them.  The tragic part of verse 34 comes at the very end - "and ye would not!"  Like the momma hen, Jesus wanted to gather them and protect them, but they were stiff-necked and would not allow Him to.  It would be a mistake to attribute that folly to the Jews of Jesus' day and not realize that we are guilty of that today.

When we go outside the protection of the Sheltering Arms, we put ourselves in harm's way from him who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  There is evil in the world today.  There is civil unrest and violence and men kill one another.  As I type this, riots are breaking out in Charlotte, North Carolina. Lord keep us under your protective wings and may we not stray from you.

Resurrection Sunday

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.  1 Corinthians 15:12-19

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Last night we were preparing for a Resurrection Day Drama that our Youth Group was putting on during Worship Services today.  Tricia was sewing some tunics for Russ (Simon Peter) and Benjamin (Doubting Thomas) to wear.  I was painting a cardboard stone that was rolled away from the empty tomb.  While we were working on it, "The Ten Commandments" was on TV.

I watched as Moses knelt before the burning bush and the LORD said "I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  I am come to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them to a good land - a land flowing with milk and honey."

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It struck me how, like the Israelites, we are in bondage - bondage to the cruel taskmaster of sin.  We are cursed from sin that first entered into the world from back in the Garden with Adam and Eve. That sin broke the fellowship with Almighty God, separating us from a Holy God.  But thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift. He sent His Son Jesus to die a cruel death on a cross and shed His Blood for my sin and yours.  But it didn't end there.  On the third day He arose. He Lives! There are no bones in that empty Tomb. Because of His finished work on the cross, He saved those who put their trust in Him from death.  We have victory in Jesus!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Guiding Principles

I haven't posted a serious, non-farming related post in a while, but something's been on my mind.  I'm a casual observer of our culture and being an old-fashioned traditionalist, some things have me scratching my head.

I've been thinking a lot about our direction as a culture, specifically, things that direct our lives. How do people get their bearings?  How do we build the moral constructs in our lives that define right and wrong?  What determines the course that we will take in our lives?

Back in the old days, ship captains would use a sextant, a compass, and a telescope to find the North Star in order to navigate through dangerous seas. The North Star was critical for navigation before the advent of GPS, mapquest, or OnStar.  The North Star is virtually fixed and once this star was located, it could be used to calculate direction and the angle of altitude to determine latitude.  The crucial thing to realize is that other stars' positions appear to move throughout the night sky.  If you were using them to navigate by instead of a pole star, you'd be quickly lost.

Hmmm.  What can we learn by that?  I'm thinking that we should set our course based on timeless, immovable 'landmarks' and not base our direction or convictions based on guideposts that shift over time and circumstance.

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Where else do we get our 'marching orders' that determine the course that our lives will move in?  Well, the Institution of the Family is another important determinant.  I was blessed to have been born into a great family.  A family that taught me faith, gave me love and support, and gave me great principles upon which to build my life.  My Mom & Dad pointed me in the right direction and gave me boundaries.  Now, I could go off course for sure, and I did from time to time, but the Book of Proverbs gives us some real wisdom here:

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

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Still, we have free will.  We can rebel. Or dysfunctional families may not instill values or may instill faulty values.  What is guiding us then?

How are we going to live?  Well, we like to say we are a civilized people.  We live under the rule of law. We have laws codified that give a law-abiding people boundaries.  From a National Standpoint, governments have some form of a constitution that sets in stone, hopefully, some guiding principles and limitations.  One of the US Naturalization Test Questions says: "What does the Constitution do?"  The correct answer is:

1. Sets up the Government
2. Defines the Government
3. Protects Basic Rights of Americans

What happens, though, when that document can be re-interpreted or ignored?  It would seem that as a country we could quickly lose our way, similar to a ship's captain who has used a moving star instead of a pole star to calculate his journey.  The situation, though, is more dire than aimlessly drifting, lost at sea.  We are drifting toward the rocks.

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In thinking of the Law, I am reminded of the Ten Commandments.  God sent Moses down from Mount Sinai with tablets of stone containing some guiding principles that He wanted His people to follow.  What happens when we determine as a stubborn and stiff-necked people, that we don't want to follow some of these commandments?  Or perhaps we rationalize and make excuses when we deviate from them?  Or maybe we've become so arrogant that we think that those rules are archaic and old fashioned and don't fit in with the culture of today. Maybe we can create our own rules?

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God, through great men inspired by His Holy Spirit, penned the Bible.

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The Bible, God's Holy Word, gives instruction, guidance, direction.  It is the Owner's Manual for the human species.  If you want to learn about Accounting, you study an accounting book, and if you want to learn to cook, you read a cook book.  If we want to learn about God and the purpose that He has for our lives, and mostly, the direction we should take, we should read God's Book.  Too often we don't.  Or we pick and choose convenient things to follow (and to ignore).  Or we'll pick certain things out of context and twist and turn the Word of God to suit our needs du jour.  We want to set our own course in life.  We become like the hard-headed people in Israel, who it was spoken of in the very last verse in the very last chapter of the Book of Judges:

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  Judges 21:25

Wow!  Sounds like today, huh?  Everyone determining their own morality.  To that, I think of this:

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

In doing so, we become like a rudderless ship, whose anchor has given way, and we're drifting dangerously toward a rocky reef.  We're the captain of the ship, masters of our destiny, and we've broken away from our moorings (Bible, Law, Constitution, Traditional Family Values).  We must look so foolish to our Creator.

There is a lighthouse, by the way.  Jesus points the way to safety.  Jesus, through His shed blood, gave those who believe on Him life!  Jesus is the immovable rock.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”  Matthew 7:24-27

Won't you build your house on the Rock and get your guiding principles from HIM?