CHANGE IS A-COMING

From one day to the next, we face change. Change in relationships, in government and religion, in education and business, and in nature. Nothing is sure except death and taxes, some people say. We followers of Christ can add that God never changes. He is faithful in all that He says and does. He is the One who helps us to meet every change with grace, wisdom, and joy. Praise the Lord!

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Transformers

Before the days of buried cables, an electric line ran from a pole by our road to a pole in the yard and from there to our house and barn. The roadside pole held a transformer that changed electric power from high voltage—enough to serve the neighborhood—to a lower voltage for only our house and barn.

The word transform means to change in nature, form, or appearance. Transformation also means metamorphosis, as in a tadpole changing into a frog or a caterpillar into a butterfly. By our own effort we can cause transformations, too—a run-down house into a castle, a rock into a polished gem, a piece of wood into a table. An overweight mom can, by diet and exercise, transform her body into one that’s unrecognizably beautiful. A failing student can become a successful scientist through hard work and determination.

 The Bible speaks of transformation, too. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

In this context, the words conform and transform are opposites. Instead of being conformed, or molded, by the values of the world or era we live in, Paul wants us to be transformed. Spiritual transformation begins in the mind and heart. When our mind is dedicated to worldly concerns, it will be tossed back and forth by cultural fads. Throughout history, culture continues to change from one societal fad or belief to another, sometimes at the whim of a single person.

As followers of Christ, we can resist the temptations our culture espouses. If we choose to believe the truth of God’s Word and consistently meditate on it, the Holy Spirit will guide and shape our thoughts and behaviors. Such action will renew our mind until “we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Obtaining the mind of Christ is a lifetime process. We gain success one day and fall back the next. Our baby steps toward spiritual maturity require persistent effort and daily prayer. God promises to help us when we ask, when we are willing to do our part. God is a God of miracles, yet most change comes through hard work empowered by His Spirit.

Lord, thank You for transforming our minds into the mind of Christ. As we do our part, give us strength, encouragement, and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.  

SOON LAUNCHING MY NEWEST BABY- "TROUBLE AT FISH CAMP"

Look out, kids and young-at-hearts! My exciting adventure book, Trouble at Fish Camp, is now available. You can find it on Amazon and other ebook reader sites as both print and ebook.

What’s it about, you ask? A bear, a bully, and a buried secret.

As soon as I decide on a venue, I’ll be scheduling a Book Launch. Following that will be various book signings and talks at some of the same places I appeared with my first book in the “Ways of the Williwaw” series, Williwaw Winds. I’ll keep you informed.

I also plan to start a Clown Ministry, using my books as a tool to teach kids of age 8 and up about positive living. But I NEED A NAME. Will you help me out? “Silly Sally the Clown” has already been taken. Not that I would consider it, anyway.

Should the name have something to do with writing, perhaps? Should it sound silly? Humorous? How about something like “Courage the Clown?” Can you think of a better one?

If you provide a catchy name I fall in love with, I’ll give you a free copy of Trouble at Fish Camp.

LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND

Thank God for His patience over our mistakes. Thank Him, too, for the Godly patience in our loved ones, friends, and bosses when we err. Patience is an offshoot of love, but sometimes it takes time (and patience!) to learn how to be patient with others—and ourselves—over mistakes made. With God’s help, we can do it.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES   by Sally Bair

Oops!

I accidentally sent the same devotional article twice. That’s not the first mistake I’ve made this week. I chalk it up to brain overload, resulting in poor organization and forgetfulness.

We all make mistakes. And we usually excuse ourselves in some manner or form. Sometimes, though, we whip ourselves with slashing words such as, “How dumb could I be?” Or, “Dad always told me I was stupid. Guess I proved him right.” Or, “How can anyone like me after such a stupid mistake?”

Perhaps some of you readers were disappointed at having to read my same column twice—or not at all. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Some of our mistakes, however, can be costly. When we lie or renege on a promise, we can lose the trust of someone. When we break a promise to eat properly, we may risk our health. When we let our temper run amok or speak thoughtlessly, we may lose a friendship.

Some people constantly excuse themselves from their mistakes. They often blame others, including God. And some of us look at the mistakes of others as character weaknesses. I’m guilty of that at times, and glad I’m not God, or they’d get their come-uppance, that’s for sure. I have to keep reminding myself that the speck in their eye is nothing compared to the log in my own.

God, being holy yet patient, promises to remove our mistakes, sins, shortcomings or whatever we want to call them. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) We need only to ask for His forgiveness, and His help in avoiding them in the future.

Another thing about God. He doesn’t want us to tear out our hair or walk on hot coals because of our mistakes. Self-condemnation shouldn’t be in the Christian’s vocabulary. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 12:1)

Mistakes can be serious. We must not treat them lightly but we don’t want to dwell on those we make accidentally. God knows we aren’t perfect. The mistakes we make from our bad choices, however—sometimes willfully—are more serious. Even then, God, through Christ, will not only forgive us when we ask humbly, He will also give us power and strength to avoid making more mistakes. Then we can live with freedom from regret, recrimination, and anxiety.

Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help us to be forgiving and nonjudgmental of the mistakes of others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

NOISES IN THE NIGHT

When I heard the heavy breathing outside my bedroom window, I could have pulled into my shell, crablike, of blankets and pillows. My heart could have raced. My hand could have reached for the cell phone to call 911. But I didn’t. Yes, I wondered what caused the noise, but calmly I praised God while asking Him for protection. His peace truly does pass all understanding. I pray that you experience it, too.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Hermit Crabs

I met a young boy who keeps hermit crabs for pets. The hermit crab offers some light into human nature. Called a hermit because it lives in a shell, it gives the sense that fear motivates its actions. Its fragile body prompts it to retreat into its shell at the slightest provocation of danger. As it grows, it climbs out of its crowded shell and crawls into a larger one that it has found somewhere on the beach.

We humans are like hermit crabs when we crawl into our self-made, emotional shells, perceiving danger. As we mature, we find larger shells to use as perceived safety. Some of us remain fragile throughout life, always afraid to take risks, always vulnerable to outside threats of danger.

Others, like Stephen who followed Jesus, relied on the strength of God rather than on his own strength. Stephen was “full of faith and power, and did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8) Jewish leaders and others argued with him but “were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.” (verse10) They stirred up people against him and brought him to the authorities because of his so-called lies. Stephen would not be deterred. He spoke passionately about how Jesus fulfilled the Jewish prophecies as the Messiah.

Stephen, consumed with following God’s will, answered his tormenters, trusting the Holy Spirit to empower him as he spoke. His determination to please God gave him the strength to face stoning.

Stephen was no hermit crab. He had no fragile psyche but the strength of God. He had no desire to cower in a shell of fear but exhibited, through the Holy Spirit, boldness and strength. Stephen’s message is considered the most hard-hitting message in the New Testament letters. He went so far as to ask God to forgive his assassins, following in the example of Jesus, our forgiver.

The result was astounding. As he gazed into heaven, he “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Verse 55) Jesus, who is seated at God’s right hand, stood—perhaps to honor Stephen for his sacrifice and to meet him face to face.

Do we trust in the power of God’s Spirit? Or do we trust in our self-made, crab-like shells that ultimately grow too small and ineffectual for a victorious life?
Lord, help us be more like Stephen, unafraid, willing to trust Your Spirit’s power to help us through any situation at any cost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

On our trip to the Gunflint Trail, we really didn’t expect to see a moose, although we hoped we would. Then on our last night there, during a backroad drive at dusk, there stood a moose at the side of the road. The sight topped our trip like creamy frosting on a cake.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Special Surprise Gifts

My sister came home from kindergarten one day and told our mom, “I made you a special Christmas present but I won’t tell you what it is.” The next day she came home with another message. “I made you a special candy dish but I won’t tell you who it’s for.” Mom chuckled to herself and pretended her daughter’s “secret” gift would be a surprise.

Unlike Mom’s expected gift, sometimes we’re given unexpected gifts: a ring hidden by a man for his intended bride, wrapped gifts that kids manage to leave unopened until the morning of Christmas, a text message that reads, LY (love you).

Special, surprise gifts are nice. God is the ultimate gift-giver. He often surprises us with special blessings, such as an unexpected rainbow or a special insight into His Word—something we’ve read over and over, yet a later reading brings an Aha moment. Other times He reassures us of His love through something we heard, read, or remembered. He loves to bring joy into our lives, even as my sister did with her gift to our mother.

God delivers us from evil, temptations, and bad habits, too, when we ask. We shouldn’t be surprised by any of His gifts, but sometimes our unbelief brings shock when we discover He answered our prayer. Then our faith rises a notch.

God’s special gifts should always bring gratitude and joy that compels us to share them with others. Jesus shared His gifts with everyone He met. His healing love touched—and still touches—untold millions. Even the undeserving. Even doubters like Thomas, hot-headed and impulsive Peter, and fearful followers like us.   

He delivers to us incomparable love, immeasurable joy, and peace beyond understanding. He also provides for our needs, reconciles us to Himself and others, and forgives us our sins. Once we grasp the full meaning of His love, we naturally want to share it with our neighbors—even to the exclusion of our own desires.

A lawyer asked Jesus a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:36-39) 

Lord, thank You for giving us Your special gifts—hope for eternal life with You and blessings during our earthly life. In Jesus’ name, amen..

SUMMERTIME AND THE WORK'S NOT FINISHED

Farmers and gardeners find summertime the busiest time of year. And the most rewarding. Work pays off. It provides us with beauty, bounty, and good health. In the spiritual sense, working for the Lord gives us joy, and a sense of satisfaction in knowing we did the best we could for Him.

I’m going on a four-day jaunt up the Gunflint Trail in northeast Minnesota with family. This will be a time of relaxing, yet being open to work for the Lord there, too. I look forward to opportunities to spread His love and peace. May you be open to them as well.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Faith and Works

A friend of mine recently lost her husband to Alzheimer’s disease. Although he will be missed by his family and friends, they have the biblical assurance that he’s now living in heaven with his Lord. His life was a strong testimony of faith and of service.

My friend’s husband used countless opportunities to show the love of Christ to people he met. He never hesitated to tell his friends, family, and even strangers that Jesus loved them and wanted them to have the same peace and joy he had in a life surrendered to God.

This man went a step further in his attempt to spread the Good News of salvation. Every year he made a list of people, a list which he called “The Ten Most Wanted” by God. He prayed for these ten people. He befriended them, advised them in their problems, and helped them in any way he could. And he shared his faith with them. Through his Christ-like acts and his personal testimony, he drew them to a new faith in Christ.

Every year he marked off the names on his list until, by year’s end, all ten would be checked off. And then he made a new list for the next year. His method of evangelism showed me clearly that one does not have to be a preacher, evangelist, or missionary to reach thousands of souls. One at a time, people can hear the Gospel message—through our words and our actions.

My friend’s husband believed that God would help him reach his Ten Most Wanted for Christ. His faith sustained him in that yearly task and it became his compelling mission—for he was acting not only in faith, but in love.

“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead … show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18) We need both faith and works to succeed in our Christian life, and the two must work in that order. Faith in God isn’t enough. We must share that faith with others through our good works. Conversely, our good works will not save us. They must come, rather, as a by-product of our faith.

Lord, we ask for a strong faith in Your promises that will compel us to do the work which You have set before us. Whether we offer a meal, a prayer, or a hug, help us to do it with the love of Christ. Thank You for the inspiring examples of faith and love such as exhibited by my friend’s husband. In Jesus’ name, amen.

WHAT DO WE HIDE FROM?

Sometimes a person’s “cover-up” is obvious in the way they speak or act. We see this in children when they have lied and the expression on their faces tells us they’re trying to hide behind their guilt. When we adults look within ourselves, we too may discover that we’re trying to hide behind our true feelings. Perhaps then is the time to spend with God—who sees all and knows all—in confession and in trust that He will help us overcome our self-deceptions.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Hermit Crabs

I met a young boy who keeps hermit crabs for pets. The hermit crab offers some light into human nature. Called a hermit because it lives in a shell, it gives the sense that fear motivates its actions. Its fragile body prompts it to retreat into its shell at the slightest provocation of danger. As it grows, it climbs out of its crowded shell and crawls into a larger one that it has found somewhere on the beach.

We humans are like hermit crabs when we crawl into our self-made, emotional shells, perceiving danger. As we mature, we find larger shells to use as perceived safety. Some of us remain fragile throughout life, always afraid to take risks, always vulnerable to outside threats of danger.

Others, like Stephen who followed Jesus, relied on the strength of God rather than on his own strength. Stephen was “full of faith and power, and did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8) Jewish leaders and others argued with him but “were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.” (verse10) They stirred up people against him and brought him to the authorities because of his so-called lies. Stephen would not be deterred. He spoke passionately about how Jesus fulfilled the Jewish prophecies as the Messiah.

Stephen, consumed with following God’s will, answered his tormenters, trusting the Holy Spirit to empower him as he spoke. His determination to please God gave him the strength to face stoning.

Stephen was no hermit crab. He had no fragile psyche but the strength of God. He had no desire to cower in a shell of fear but exhibited, through the Holy Spirit, boldness and strength. Stephen’s message is considered the most hard-hitting message in the New Testament letters. He went so far as to ask God to forgive his assassins, following in the example of Jesus, our forgiver.

The result was astounding. As he gazed into heaven, he “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Verse 55) Jesus, who is seated at God’s right hand, stood—perhaps to honor Stephen for his sacrifice and to meet him face to face.

Do we trust in the power of God’s Spirit? Or do we trust in our self-made, crab-like shells that ultimately grow too small and ineffectual for a victorious life?

Lord, help us be more like Stephen, unafraid, willing to trust Your Spirit’s power to help us through any situation at any cost. In Jesus’ name, amen.