Caring for God's Creation

     From the beginning of creation, God assigned to man the task of caring for His creation.  He was to work the ground and have dominion over every living creature.  Genesis 1:26-28 tells us:  "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And God blessed them.  And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"
     What a great responsibility and privilege was given to man and woman.  They were created to bear the image of God and to tend all the good things He had created.  However, we know from the story told in Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve sinned against and broke fellowship with Him.  The harmony which the Lord had created was now broken.  No longer would man be able to easily work the ground, and even the relationship to all creation was disrupted including the care for and treatment of animals.  To see how the perfect creation which God has made has fallen into disrepair since the Fall of Man, we have only to look at the news.  Disappearing species of animals, pollution,
and disease has taken its toll on both creatures and man alike.  Paul wrote these words in Romans 8:21-22: "21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."  With the fall, we have all seen the corruption of sin and its effects upon this world.  Recently, some terrible examples have been prominent in the headlines.
     A man in Arcadia, FL poured gasoline over his dog and set him on fire.  The animal was not killed but suffered serious burns.  He was rescued and underwent weeks of intensive treatment to save his life and his vision.  A team of veterinarians in the Tampa Bay area worked very hard to save his life.  Seeing recent pictures of this dog demonstrates his return to health.  We can only shake our head in wonder as to how someone could do such a thing.
     In another case, as yet unresolved, the police found a dog drowned with a cinder block tied to it.  No one knows who did this deed but again, why would someone want to harm an innocent animal?  There are rescue shelters, ads that can be placed in the newspaper, and even neighbors who might want this dog.  However, it all goes back to the heart of the problem.  Man is fallen.  His heart is darkened by sin and he only thinks of himself.  This spreads to every relationship and to the treatment of animals.

When God regenerates a heart and man turns from his sin to Christ, we see a different picture.  No longer is man cruel to his neighbor or to the beasts which God has given to his care.
     Proverbs 12:10 reads:  "Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."  The footnote in my Reformation Study Bible says:  "God takes account of our treatment of animals.  This is consistent with concern for the right order of things in the world.  The wicked person is incapable of kindness even towards his livestock."  There is the difference between those who have a new heart from God through Christ and those who do not.
     A friend of mine told me that we can tell a lot about a man's character by how he treats his animals, and I have to agree.  Cruelty to animals, disregard for God's creation, and animosity towards others all point to a fallen nature.  As my husband would say, "It all goes back to the Garden."
     Through Christ, we have the privilege of having our sins forgiven through His sacrifice on the cross.  We receive a new heart and see all that God has created through His eyes.  With that new outlook,  we are meant to love one another and fulfill the mandate which God gave to man from the beginning.  Having dominion over this earth and creation means we are to take care of it for the glory of God.  As believers, let us look with new wonder at all that God has made.  Then, may we be found faithful to care for God's creation as He has called us to do.  Selah!

Beware False Teachers

   For well over a year now, our Sunday School class has been studying Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones book entitled "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount".  If I could commend a book worthy of time and effort, it would be this one.  No one has ever made this sermon delivered by our Savior more clear than Dr. Lloyd-Jones.  I find myself deeply convicted at how I live for Christ.
     In our study for this week, we covered a topic that is very pertinent to all of us today.  The scripture given is found in Matthew 7:15-20:  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."  Unfortunately, false teachers are as much present today as they were in the days of the early church.  This is why this warning is so important for us to consider.  So, the next question is how do we recognize a false teacher?
     Many people think they would be easy to distinguish; however, this is not necessarily true.  Their conduct is not outrageous, but to the contrary, as Dr Lloyd-Jones describes, a false teacher is often someone who is very pleasant, nice and appears to be a Christian to the core.  His general teaching is all right, and the terminology he uses also would identify him as a Christian teacher.  The problem for us is that there seems to be nothing glaringly wrong, but remember what our Lord advised us in His sermon:  "you will know them by their fruits."  A person's teaching and their life cannot be separated and this is one aspect we need to keep in mind as we examine someone in ministry.  As we listen to their teaching, we must look beneath the surface to see what they are not saying as much as what they do say.  Often they skip over things like "sin", "hell", God's wrath, and moral accountability for our actions.  Instead, they emphasize a comforting message about God's love that pleases everyone.  In some ways, we could say that a false teacher is all things to all men.
      When it comes to doctrine, we will find that a false teacher almost never emphasizes this in his/her message.  They never get down to particularizing their belief system but keep things somewhat vague.  Discussion of righteousness, holiness, and justice are absent.  He/she doesn't say they don't believe this but they do not bring it up.  Again, they mainly center on God's all encompassing love.  In the words of Dr. Lloyd-Jones:  "To conceal the truth is as reprehensible and as damnable as to proclaim an utter heresy; and that is why the effect of such teaching is that of a 'ravening wolf'" (Page 502 "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount").
     Another keynote deletion from their message is just how serious sin is to our soul.  These teachers never tell us we are perfect but they downplay sin.  Likewise, they never emphasize our utter helplessness in coming to God nor do they talk in depth about the work of Christ as our substitute on the cross.  Yes, they may talk about Jesus, His death and His example, but often he/she merely sentimentalizes about the Lord.  They never preach the "offense of the cross" as Paul did.
     In addition, a false teacher never emphasizes repentance.  His approach is the wide gate that Jesus spoke of and the goal is to get as many through that gate by making a decision for Christ which doesn't emphasize how black our hearts really are or how deep our sin is. The numbers of decisions are what counts to the false teacher.  By contrast, Dr. Lloyd-Jones said that this flies in the face of the early Puritans like George Whitefield and others who made men tremble in their boots for days and weeks over their sin.  Their turning from sin was real, deep and lasting.
     Finally, a false teacher never discusses the absolute necessity of living a holy life.  The narrow way is not what he/she teaches.  Instead, their form of holiness matches that of the Pharisees.  It is
easy believe-ism without great demands.  A false teacher rarely talks about self-examination either but simply says "Look to Jesus".  It is good to keep our eyes on the Lord but we are also instructed to examine ourselves and see if there is any wicked way in us.
     Today, there are any number of teachers out there that talk about morals, emotions, feelings, mysticism, the love of God.  However, we are called to look at their fruit.  Examine what they are saying.  Does it line up with God's Word?  Are they telling the whole story of salvation and how black our sins are or are they merely making us feel comfortable and better about ourselves?  Paul, in speaking to Timothy, predicted the rise of these kinds of teachers when he wrote this in 2 Timothy 4:3:  "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."  We are called to be vigilant and to heed the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.  May we be well equipped by knowing God's Word to inspect the fruit of a teacher to know if what they say is based on His truth.  Selah!


Photography by Aaron Thayer at Naples Botanical Garden.

The Bone Field

The graveyard behind the Church of the Holy Rood in
Stirling, Scotland

     At present, if I were to describe the appearance of our home, I would have to call it a bone field.  We have been taking care of our "grand dog" for our son since September.  Being a puppy (he has since turned 1), he loves to chew everything in sight.  So, we got him a large number of  beef bones that he can safely chew.  The problem is he has many of them and even though we put them away in his toy box at night, he drags every one of them out and chews a little on each one throughout the day.  It is better than chewing our shoes and other belongings but honestly, it looks as though a large cow died in our house.
     As I was talking with my husband about the large number of bones scattered about, I started recalling another bone field in my mind.  In the book of Ezekiel the prophet, we read in Chapter 37 verses 1-14 about a vision that Ezekiel had.  The prophet recounts that in the spirit the Lord led him to a valley of dry bones and asked him if these bones could live again.  Ezekiel said that only the Lord would know that.  God instructed him to prophesy over the bones and they would come together and live again.  Indeed, in this vision, as Ezekiel did what the Lord commanded, the bones rose up and came together a "vast army".  Then the Lord concludes with these words to the prophet:  "Then He said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.'  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:  Behold, 'I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will bring you into the land of Israel.  And 'you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.  Then you shall know that I am the Lord;  I have spoken and I will do it, declares the Lord."  Indeed, God did just as He said He would.  He returned His people to the land from which they were taken.  However, there is a greater implication for this story.
     Just like the field of dead men's bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision, we are all dead in our trespasses and sins.  We are in exile from God because we are sinners from birth.  The Bible says, "There are none righteous, no not one." (Romans 3:10)  If we do not believe this, all we have to do is pick up the newspaper every day to see the acts of sinful men and women.  Like the Children of Israel we have no hope for a better future because even all the government programs, laws and leaders cannot fill the empty void in our life that only Christ can fill.
     In this passage of Scripture which shows us the continuity of the Bible from Old to New Testament, we have a picture of what happens when God breathes life into our old dry bones.  He calls us to Himself.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves any more than those dead dry bones in the field could raise themselves up.  God spoke and the bones came to life.  When God draws us by His Spirit, we awaken from the death grip of sin.  Then, we can come to Him in sincere repentance as we see our filthy rags of sin and empty life.  He raises us from death to life...the new life in Christ who becomes our Lord and Savior.  As God returned Israel to their land, He returns us to a right relationship with Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ.
     Today is Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent for Christians.  It is a forty day time of reflection, prayer, fasting, and renewal as we prepare for holy week when Christ was betrayed, crucified and buried for our sins.  Then, on Easter, we celebrate His resurrection which is a promise to all who believe in Him.  Like Christ, we will be raised again from death...not just spiritually but physically.  We will have a new body that will never decay, become sick or die.  All the bondage of our current physical shortcomings will be gone.  This is good news!
     What Ezekiel saw in the Spirit not only foreshadowed the return of the Children of Israel to their land but also foreshadowed the resurrection to life in Christ.  Even as believers, we often return to the bone field where life is dry and hopeless, but we do not need to stay there.  God has given us His Spirit, His breath of life and we have only to call upon Him in repentance to return again to a fresh new start.  Praise God for His mercy and salvation!

A stained glass window in the Church of the Holy Rood
Stirling, Scotland

     If you are reading this and have never committed your life to Christ, I challenge you to leave that old bone field and come into real life that is abundant and grace filled.  You will never be the same.  If you are a believer reading this who has fallen and stumbled back into sin, you need not stay there.  God has given you the privilege of coming to Him in confession and He will forgive you.
     Picking up those dog bones every evening reminds me that I don't live in that bone field any more.  I am a new creation in Christ.  He isn't finished with me yet, but I rest in Him to complete that which He has begun in me.  You have that hope too if you belong to Him.  The best news is that we don't have to stay in a bone field any more!  Selah!

I welcome your thoughts and comments as always.  They are an encouragement to me and others.

Ever Doubt the Sin Nature?

     Here we are once again at the most wonderful time of the year when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Warm feelings abound, good will seems to be observed in extra measure and there is a kinder, gentler attitude among our fellow men or is there?
     During the long holiday weekend following Thanksgiving, our daughter and her husband went shopping for bargains during the "early" Black Friday sales.  In one store while they were looking at several items, they heard a fight break out over some video games that were on special.  It was at this point our daughter told us she did not feel safe.  Of course, it could have been worse.  She could have been at the store where a woman pepper sprayed her competition in order to get what she wanted.  At another location, someone was shot.  The newspaper reported a customer saying she witnessed two women fighting over towels which cost $1.28.  I find this all hard to imagine, but the Bible tells us that we should not be surprised since "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  If ever there is evidence of our sin nature, this is one occasion we can see it clearly.
     When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in the Garden, not only were they cast out of this paradise but they also brought sin and death to all mankind.  As Paul goes on to write in Romans 5, he notes:  "Therefore just as sin came into the world through one man, and death, through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...."(verse 12).  Because sin has permeated every part of our being (our thoughts, our will, our soul), we are slaves to sin and dead to righteousness.  It is not until the Lord awakens us by regenerating our soul that we can come to faith in Christ who alone liberates us from sin and death.  His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection has broken the curse for us.  He carried our sin, and by His blood, we are made whole and clean.  However, it does not stop there.  Our life is a journey as we grow in our faith through prayer, study of God's Word and fellowship with other believers. Nevertheless, we would be foolish to think we will not fall into sin again.  As long as the "old flesh" still clings to us (though its power is broken), we can succumb to old besetting sins once more.  This is why it is so important for us to daily walk by God's Spirit, and be aware of what the Bible calls sin.

     In the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he enumerates the sins of the flesh and why it is important to lean upon the Holy Spirit.  He writes:  "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (verses 17-21).  We need to remember that Paul was writing to believers here.  He knew the frailty of our flesh, and made clear how we must walk by the Spirit.  In fact, verse 16 says:  "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."  Paul's opening verse of this chapter starts out with a call to take a stand:  "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).  The only way we can over come our tendency to return to the sins of the flesh is to rely upon the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to stand.
     If ever we have doubted the sin nature, Black Friday incidents certainly point to man's selfishness.  However, it isn't limited to this one day out of the year, and unfortunately, there are times when we see Christians also demonstrate sin in their lives.  The Good News is that the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem came to set us free.  He bought our pardon with His blood.  As believers, we need to meditate on this and live it out day by day as we prepare for this holy celebration.  We do not have to live according to the flesh.  Paul concludes chapter 5 to Galatian believers with these words of encouragement:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against  such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:22-26).  Putting into practice this walk in the Spirit will bring glory to God and bless our fellow man.  Take time this Advent season to think on these things and be the example to others of Christ's love.  This is what our world needs much more than a Play Station game or some other bargain on the shelf.  Selah!


I welcome your thoughts and comments here.  Please feel free to leave a word of encouragement.