Who do you trust?

Which theme shall we go with for this February devotional article? Primary elections and the future of America? Valentines Day and true love? Black History month? Heart-health awareness? Groundhog Day marks six more weeks until equinox? The evils of Carnival and the “redemptive” works of Lent? No, let’s go big — and controversial.

A friend at church said that his 85 year-old mother was declining in health and did not have hope of salvation after years of church membership and countless agonized prayers that she has not yet attained perfection.

Another friend says his mother is bitterly angry with her family when they talk to her of God’s grace, because she believes they offer “cheap” grace. Her name is on the wall and she’s found wanting, she says.

A friend in my Bible study group describes his “Romans 7 life” of struggling against his sinful nature instead of moving into the “Romans 8 life” of trust that God can and will give us the divine nature.

Who or what do you trust the most when it comes to spiritual matters? Take this list slowly and one at a time:

• Dr. Phil, Oprah, Joel Osteen, media preachers (even “ours”)
• Inspired religious authors
• Your parents or your spouse
• The person who brought you into “the Church”
• The people of your congregation
• Your pastor
• The denominational officers
• The church guide book or its list of fundamental beliefs
• Church pioneers
• The “way we’ve always done it” in a religious system set up by minds greater than your own
• Your ability to obey the 10 Commandments
• Your theological understanding of Bible truths

Or do you place your whole, entire trust in the Word of God, namely, Jesus Christ, our Savior?

If you answered YES to the last question, then you should have no dispute with what follows; only an affirmation of hope. If you answered YES or YES-BUT to any of the previous list, you are living in the dark and cold of spiritual winter, because none of those people, things, or behaviors has the power to save you.

The Revelation 14 messages given by the three angels are to worship Creator-God and give Him glory, to leave the false worship system and its death penalty, to obey God’s voice and have enduring faith in Jesus, and to rest in Jesus.

What does it mean to have “faith” in Jesus? That you believe He exists? (Even the demons believe that way.) That you demonstrate you are a follower by keeping the Law of Moses?

NO (Romans 3:21-22). You must have faith in Jesus’ ability to save you, even when you know — you remember all too well — that you are not worthy of saving.

I’ll be blunt here: Who are you to say that Jesus’ gift is not sufficient to save you? “How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29 NIV.

When we confess our sins (not when we’re perfect or “cured” of them), God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse from ALL unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9.) When we confess, sins are instantly:

• Finished
• Done
• Forgiven
• Thrown away to the abyss

We remember our sins, but God has chosen — decided — to forget them eternally. He will not bring them up ever again, as Satan would have you believe. They’re not sitting on a sagging shelf in readiness to add back into your sin-bank when you fall, as you undoubtedly will.

Once your sin is forgiven and forgotten forever, God declares you “righteous.” Here is the part to remember: When Jesus created this world, He pronounced His creation GOOD, and when He creates in you a new heart, the divine nature, he also pronounces His new creation GOOD, “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14 NIV.

Notice that God’s Word says that in the past, by one perfect sacrifice, Jesus “made perfect forever.” That’s where the Father chooses to see your bare-naked, deformed and sickly self as clothed in Jesus’ robe of righteousness. You are invisible because Jesus stands there. Then the Word says, “those who are being made holy.” That’s where God does the reparative work to develop you into that new creature with His holy character.

But you do NOT attain perfection in order to be saved. Before He created this world, God resolved to love and save us to His uttermost ability. Jesus bought you at His cross. You, nearly dead from the vicious torture of slavery to sin, He redeemed and declared perfect, which actually means healthy, whole, complete, and mature.

The same God who was satisfied with the perfection of His created world and all features and creatures within it, says the same about you: GOOD. RIGHTEOUS. PERFECT.

“By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God's undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 CEV.

“I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” John 10:10-11 CEV.

The entire Bible is packed with words of hope and restoration. Therefore, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Love sent His Son to save and not condemn (John 3:16-17).

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19 NIV.

So is there any reason for bitterness? Is there any reason to hold back from shouting with all confidence that Jesus, for the joy set before Him, and for the sake of His own delight, saved you and you expect to either be caught up in the clouds or be awakened by your Creator's voice — with radiant joy!

Trans-Species Morphing

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 NIV

I have a friend in British Columbia who is an elementary school teacher, but thinks, eats, dreams, breathes--fishing. Particularly salmon. At the birth of his first grandson, he told the weight and length of the newborn, which he described as "nice salmon size."

The last time I cast a line into Minnesota’s Rainy Lake, I was nine. My uncle David baited the hook with something squishy, and I caught a Northern pike, which my Aunt Helen cleaned. We ate it for dinner, and I choked on a bone. Ever since, I’ve disliked fishy-tasting food.

Recently, I attended a professional development seminar on fishing. It wasn’t about trout, bass, or salmon. It was about marketing. So often, we drop a line into the water and expect fish to fight each other for the honor of taking the hook (the hook being our product, donating to our ministry, or joining our cause). That’s absurd!

Christians who want to share the gospel and motivate others to join in service to humanity, should think like the fish we’re targeting. Go where the fish are. Use the lures the fish like, not what the fishermen like.

My pastor once taught that fishers are hunters, not agriculturalists. They know how to prepare nets, where to cast them, what kind of lure is needed, and where and when to expect the best results. They cooperate with other fishers. They know how to harvest and process the catch.

Those skills mastered, Jesus transformed His disciples from aggressive fish hunters to protective, providing shepherds, when He called Peter and his disciples to feed His sheep.

A church sign said: “Be ye fishers of men. You catch them—He’ll clean them.” That’s right. Catch new people for God’s kingdom. But don’t even think about reforming them to your image of a proper Christian. Let the Holy Spirit have His way with them and transform them from fish to sheep!

I’ve drawn strange metaphors here: fishermen morph into shepherds and fish morph into sheep. But it points up our inability to change anything or anyone. Only the Creator can do that work. By the way, where are you on the road from fish to sheep?

Sodium Chloride of the Earth

You are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13 NIV

Salt has many uses, some of which are flavoring, thawing, abrasiveness, preservation, buoyancy, cleansing, corrosion, and medicinal. Salt was an essential part of the Old Testament sacrificial system. It was one of the currencies by which the Roman army was paid ("salary").

I walked into the Dead Sea with flip-flops and lost my footing as they kept pushing to the surface against my will. You can’t help but float in the strong salt brine. Don’t splash, either, as the brine will sting your eyes and lips.

Many roadwork crews use salt on highways both for thawing the ice and providing traction, but that salt prevents or kills plant growth along the highways, and it corrodes vehicles.

For thousands of years, salt has been a preservative for food, including meats, fish, olives, and pickles. It provides the fizz in soda pop, speeds the process in the ice cream churn, and scrubs the grime off whatever it’s applied to. Baking soda absorbs odors.

Our bodies need salt to prevent dehydration. When I worked in hot and windy Jordan on an archaeology dig, I was encouraged to eat more salt than usual. But too much salt will cause water retention, which is not good for blood pressure or injured areas. Some medications and sport drinks are compounded with salts to efficiently disperse in our tissues.

We mostly think of salt as a flavoring. It enhances the flavor of herbs, vegetables, nuts, meats, and especially meat substitutes. Imagine Chinese food without salty soy sauce. Some foods are unthinkable without salt. Tofu, gluten, popcorn, and potato chips would be tasteless without salt, fit mostly for mail packaging!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 MSG, Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?

Do you see the yin-yang here? There needs to be balance. Without you and me, the salt of the earth, restoring balance, people of the world know only bland and boring. I’d quite like to be in God’s salt shaker in Today’s Special!

Hostile prayers

Pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44 NIV

"If they are calling on their God against us, though they bear no arms, they still fight us by pursuing us with hostile prayers.” –Aethelfrith (d. 616 AD), referring to British Christian monks.

I’ve heard of prayer warriors, but this beats all! Would the “hostile” prayers be for curses to be rained down on the bad guys? Or for the enemy’s hard hearts to be softened and turned to the Lord, thus bringing compassion and mercy back to the pray-ers? Christ told His followers to pray for those who persecute us, to forgive them, and to sacrifice our own comfort to assist them.

Who’s the first person that comes to mind when you think of an enemy? Man or woman, let’s call that person Aethelfrith for now. That enemy destroyed something or someone you loved, or stole what was rightfully yours. Aethelfrith has, perhaps, pursued and hounded you, invaded your boundaries, or usurped leadership. Aethelfrith does not share your values, nor has he any notion of asking your forgiveness or making restitution, much less reconciliation.

So what do you do about Aethelfrith? Ignore him and hope he goes away? Take up weapons? Retaliate by invading his territory? Submit passively to his patently unchristian authority and terrorist tactics? Burn with resentment?

The answer is 1400 years old. The Celtic Christians of northwestern Britain and Wales had been burned out, raped, pillaged, terrorized, and invaded by the pagan Anglo-Saxon King Aethelfrith. By Aethelfrith’s testimony, they pursued him with “hostile” prayers, calling on the Lord of Hosts to fight for them. Aethelfrith was killed in battle shortly afterward, and his immediate successors converted to Christianity, founding York Minster, monasteries, and Christian education all over the north of England.

So what will the Lord of Hosts do when you pursue your Aethelfrith with “hostile” prayer? It will be exciting to watch, even if we never see the “movie” until heaven. Jesus has already won the war at the cross, and He is just and merciful. If you ally with Him, you share in His victory.

Jesus said, "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that." Matthew 5:44-45 MSG

In memory of my amazing, brilliant mom

In memory of my mother, Judith Louise Anson Robinson, who passed away January 5, 1993. She was an artist (see paintings here), piano teacher, poet, gardener, inveterate reader, businesswoman, genealogist, compassionate Christian, and homemaker, but best of all, MOM.
Judith Anson (Forsell) with little brother David Forsell, ca 1942
Judith with cousin Raymond Prebil, her best friend through childhood
1946 or 1947: Judith hunched over with asthma
April 1950: Ray Prebil and Judith. Snow? International Falls, Minnesota should explain that!1953: Judith dressed for high school prom
1954: Judith sunbathing at lake in northern Minnesota
1955: siblings David Forsell, Lloyd Steen, Harriet Steen, Judith Anson
Sept 9, 1955: Judith marries Kenneth Robinson
Nov 29, 1956: Judith and her mother, Lois Stone Steen
1957: Judith and Ken Robinson, Phoenix, Arizona
1960: Christy and Judith
1963: Ken, Judith, Brian and Christy
1968: Judith, Ken, Brian, Christy, and Gypsy

1974: Judith Anson Robinson

1975: Christy and Judith in photo booth
1979: Three generations: Judith, Christy, and Lois
Christmas Eve, 1992: two weeks before Judith's passing. Ken, Judith, Christy, Stacey, Jacob, Brian, and EricaJanuary 2009: Stone family reunion of Judith's siblings, cousins, and uncle and aunt--and me, representing my mom.2009: Judith's siblings David Forsell, Lloyd Steen, and Harriet Steen Bosico; me (in blue); with my mom's uncle and aunt, Russell and Mary Stone

Jesus overheard and said, "Don't be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right."

Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, "Don't cry. She didn't die; she's sleeping." They laughed at him. They knew she was dead.

Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, "My dear child, get up." She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! Luke 8:50-54 MSG

The New Testament was written in everyday Greek, known as "Koine." The word for "spirit," "air," and "breath" was pneuma. My mother's lifelong, chronic illness began with severe asthma, which developed into emphysema before she was a teenager. All her life, she struggled for breath. She has the breath of eternal life now.
"She was up in an instant, up and breathing again!"

Forget About the Future?

This year, I have many life-changing events happening in a short time: selling my home of 11 years, packing and moving my belongings from southern California to Arizona, camping with my brother's family before finding a rental house to move my stuff into, finding-nailing down-starting a new job, and more! So much is unknown, and I'm a planner, so this is uncomfortable change.

Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Sometime in the next months, you’ve decided to lose weight, learn a language, find a significant other, start voice lessons, stop bad habits, exercise more, or clean the garage. Most people forget or break their resolutions within two weeks of making them.

Recently, a song which had been just background noise, arrested me with the line, “Forget about the future, let’s get on with the past.”

That’s pretty anti-committal and unwilling to face the uncertainty of the unknown. But how many of us have done that? (Over and over?) Don’t raise your hands—we’re all pretty obvious. All right, let’s not forget about the future, or get on with the past, but maybe we could concentrate on the present at least?

That never-say-die apostle Paul wrote, “Forgetting what is behind [the past] and straining toward what is ahead [the future], I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”

Straining toward the future! Every morning at 5:30, my Border collie acts like a Siberian husky, pulling me along, choking in her eagerness to sniff the next tree in the parkway. There’s high tension in that leash, as I drowsily stumble along behind, mumbling, “Slow down, doggie! It’s too early to be enthusiastic.”

The thought that God wants me to strain toward what is ahead is a hard teaching. We all tend to “think differently,” but God intends to make it clear that instead of our being a reluctant Jonah, He wants us to take the path of least resistance to Him. God will lead us toward the goal and its prize. And it seems clear from His Word that He wants us to forget the past and get on with the future. If there’s no tension on your spiritual collar, you’re not really straining. Where is God leading today? Get out there, and pull like a working dog!

December 2009 word cloud

In Conclusion

Forget what happened long ago! Don't think about the past. I am creating something new. Isaiah 43:18, 19 CEV

The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: “And in conclusion...”

Today is New Year’s Eve. Today’s news will carry summaries of the big stories of this year, and tomorrow’s will be about the first children born in the new year. You may rush to donate to your church or charity before the year’s tax-deduction books close. Perhaps you’ll finish off the Christmas sweets today, knowing that the diet resumes tomorrow.

This is a significant day. It’s the day when people remember one year and look forward to a clean start in the next. The Roman god Janus, after whom January was named, was the god of gates and doorways, depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions.


The Lord Jesus, who is our true Door and Gate, said, "I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture." John 10:9 CEV

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Heaven forbid that we should forget our experiences or the way that God has led us. No, that’s why He gave us reason and wisdom, the application of knowledge. He wants us to forget and forgive ungodly actions and imperfect human ways, and look forward with joyful anticipation to the work He wants to do in us, and through us to humanity. Don’t dwell in past glories or miseries—walk by faith into the future.

The future springs up: could it be a spring of fresh water bubbling up through gravel, or the tension in a metal spiral spring? Either way, there’s irrepressible energy coming to you from God.

What new thing will God do in you in the coming year? What gift has He given you that He’s eagerly waiting to unwrap and set before you? Don’t wait for tomorrow—accept it today!

We Shall Be Changed

We will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. 1 Corinthians 15:51 NIV

Sign on a church nursery door: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” As a teenager, I worked for a Nazarene church on Sunday mornings, where I was in charge of 20 to 30 babies every week. My helpers and I changed every child’s diapers multiple times. We learned that even the stinkiest substances wash off with soap. But I don’t think that kind of changing is quite what the apostle meant!

Let’s go back to Paul’s discussion: what happens when Jesus comes. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed… But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52, 57, 58 NIV

It’s been quite a year, filled with long hours, events and projects that came to fruition, accomplishments at church and work, improving the home and garden, struggling with a healthy lifestyle, and challenges in the family. Some of us lost jobs and income, lost friends in relationship changes, lost loved ones to death, lost savings or pension to the economy...

The important thing to remember, though, is to not lose heart, but give yourself fully to whatever work God calls you to do. All that labor, though it may seem foolish to a secular-minded person, is not in vain. It’s not silly to God. He values the efforts we make. Who has not assigned a task to a child or subordinate, and thought, “I could finish this in a tenth of the time it takes me to teach it.” Creator-God could speak or even think the word, and it would be accomplished, but how would we grow or learn, or value the fruits of our labors? The very acts of planning, executing, and following up, are the methods God uses to change us.

Change, whether it’s lifestyle or attitude, is difficult when we attempt it alone. Trying to be good is completely impossible! But Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 NIV

He can do it in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.

The Best Part of Waking Up

Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 CEV

You have to love that Folgers Coffee commercial where they show the good-looking young man returning home to surprise his family on Christmas morning, and three generations awaken in a delightful mood, with perfect hair and no facial pillow marks, to drink coffee in their jammies and celebrate the reunion.

What a scene. We have total recall of that best of all Christmases, until we really do wake up and smell the coffee, and realize that Hey! That never happened! The commercial makes you nostalgic and misty-eyed over an experience you never had.

What really happened is: your sister’s family is broken and her kids are split between households every holiday; your son can’t make it because he has to work on Christmas; your mother and her new husband would just like to spend the holiday in a “low-key” way with a restaurant meal and TV specials (meaning without interference from relatives); and your favorite aunt or uncle passed away right around Christmas last year. Instead of a Waltons Homecoming or Touched By an Angel Christmas, you got a Simpsons or Malcolm in the Middle (in other words, horrifying) Christmas.

Unrealistic expectations (especially those generated by a marketing firm) can make real-life special occasions seem bitter or sad. But remember the times, both Christmas and everyday, when God turned it around: when all your plans crashed, but church members or neighbors invited you to fellowship in their homes and treated you as family. Or you volunteered at the homeless shelter and found peace in acting as the hands of Jesus. Or you just stayed home alone in your unattractive-but-warm fuzzy robe and a mug of coffee. God is faithful and has not forgotten you.

The LORD’s…compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22 NKJV

“The best part of waking up” isn’t what’s steaming in your cup. It’s the brimming heart of God, whose mercy and compassion are new every morning!