The seasons have changed from summer to fall. Leaves are changing from green to red, orange, yellow, and brown. We stop wearing shorts and begin wearing sweaters. We begin thinking of Halloween and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Change. The Bible talks about change as well. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” As I reflect on the changing seasons, I think of my great-grandmother who saw tremendous change in her lifetime. My Great-grandma Burnett died at almost 100 years old when I was in eleventh grade. I was blessed to have known her. As she got older and started needing more assistance, my grandparents moved her house trailer into their back yard in Owosso. She would walk up to the house to eat meals and visit and watch TV before going back across the yard to her trailer for the night. When I visited my grandparents, I would walk out to Great-grandma Burnett’s pink and white house trailer to visit her. I remember that her trailer had an old musty smell, and there was lots of old stuff all around. Her lamps were old. Her furniture was old. Her dishes were old. Sometimes when I was there, she would give me old 3-cent stamps that were in mint condition. She just saved them through the years in case she needed them. Sometimes she would give me what we called “bread-wrapper” rugs. She would braid the plastic bread wrappers into round or oval rugs. I would take them home to my mom, and she would put them down in our kitchen and entryways. My brother and I would try to figure out which bread wrapper brands were used to make the rugs. I also remember that my Great grandma would eat every bit of food that was on her plate. She would take bread and wipe up every bit of juice that was there. If she didn’t have bread, she would take her finger and wipe up whatever crumb or bit of food was still on the plate. By the time she got done eating, the plate looked as if it had never been used. And if you were sitting next to my Great-grandma, and you still had food on your plate at the end of the meal, she would reach over and pick up the food left on your plate and eat it. Or she would take her finger and swipe up the left-over gravy or mashed potatoes. I sometimes wondered why Great-grandma was like that. Why not buy new stuff? Why worry about scraps of food left on a plate? My grandmother explained to me that Great-grandma Burnett lived through the Great Depression that took place in the 1930s. Nobody had money. There was no work for people to do so they could earn money. Families struggled to keep a roof over their head, food in their stomach, and clothes on their back. My Great-grandmother went through all of that, and it changed her. She became more frugal. She didn’t waste anything. Nothing was taken for granted, because one didn’t know what would happen and what might be needed. Hard times will change you, too. It’s up to you to make sure you learn the lessons from whatever season you’re in. It’s up to you to make sure this season’s hardships make you better, not bitter. What are you learning in the season you are in, whether it is one of plenty or one of shortages? Maybe up until now you’ve taken God for granted and basically ignored him. Maybe you’ve taken your relationship with Jesus for granted, and you’ve not worked very hard to have a relationship of prayer and Bible reading with him. Maybe you’ve taken the church for granted, assuming that it will always be open for you to participate in as you please, and so you only participate when it is convenient, thinking you’ll always have more time to go. It will be a waste of this season if God isn’t somehow changing you. Get intentional about your walk with the Lord so that he can transform and renew your mind. Then you will know his good, pleasing and perfect will. Changing for the better with you, Tyler
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When my wife and I travel to California in a few days to visit with family, it will be an enjoyable reunion. We will visit with my step-mother and two brothers, but one significant person will be missing: my dad. He died this past June at 80 years old. I had not seen my dad very often throughout the years since he and my mother divorced when I was five years old. We talked on the phone occasionally, but not as much as we should have. At the encouragement of my wife, however, I became more intentional about reconnecting with Dad over the last two or three years with visits out to California and more phone calls than I would typically make. I’m glad my wife and I made it a priority to reconnect and enjoy our relationship with Dad. I had no idea he would now be gone. In 2018 Patrick Reed won the Master’s Golf Tournament. Patrick’s parents, Bill and Jeanette Reed, however, weren’t present at Augusta National to celebrate with him even though they live within blocks of the course. Patrick didn’t want his parents there. A few months earlier when they attempted to follow him at Pinehurst in North Carolina, Patrick and his wife Justine demanded security escort them off the course. According to a Sports Illustrated article, he and his parents became estranged because of a rift that developed between Reed and his family going back six years to 2012 when the parents expressed concern that Patrick, at age 22, was too young to marry Justine. Reed and his fiancé cut off all communication with them from that point on. I get it that there are two sides to every story, but this is sad. I also get it that normally it’s not one major blow-up that fractures a relationship, but a series of minor offenses that lead to a lifetime of increased alienation. Someone once said, however, “Anger gets you into trouble but pride keeps you there.” That’s so true. Don’t let that happen in your family. Life is too short, and meaningful relationships are too few to permit that kind of tragedy to go on. If you are currently in a less-than-ideal relationship, I want to encourage you to bury the hatchet (and not in the other person’s body!). First Corinthians 13:5 reminds us, “…love keeps no record of wrongs.” Don’t keep score. Don’t think it’s your assignment to get even. Don’t demand an apology. Forget who was right and who was wrong. Will to forgive regardless of how you feel. Find some way to warmly reach out, and don’t expect an overwhelming response. As Bob Russell puts it in one of his blogs, “Ice takes a while to melt.” The Apostle Paul gives good counsel for living in harmony with one another when he says this in Romans 12:17-21 -- “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” If you have tense relationships with relatives, I challenge you to put the above commands into practice. Maybe God will use your initiative to bring about reconciliation faster than you dreamed possible. It’s certainly worth a try, and you’ll be glad you did. I am. More importantly, you’re going to stand before God someday, and He taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Blessings to you, Tyler Have you noticed? There’s a spiritual battle going on right now for the allegiance of people’s heart, soul, and mind in our nation. Without telling you how to vote in this fall’s elections, I want to encourage you to consider seriously what it means to be an informed, active citizen as a Christian. Bob Russell, in a June 2020 blog, challenges readers to imagine that a godly couple unexpectedly inherits $10 million. How should they react? Their first response should be one of deep gratitude both to the benefactor and to God, the giver of every good gift. There should also be an overwhelming sense of responsibility to be wise stewards and not squander their fortune. Unearned wealth could spoil their kids or destroy their faith if unprepared, so they need to train their children to be sensible money managers. The Bible says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). As I think about what is going on in our nation currently, the same stewardship principles apply to our country. We have inherited the invaluable gift of a constitutional republic from our forefathers—a unique government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This has produced the freest, most prosperous and opportunistic country in the history of the world. The precious liberty we enjoy cost the lives of thousands of American soldiers and patriots. Sadly, Americans today have been very poor stewards of that trust. Instead of being grateful, we take it for granted. Instead of taking the necessary effort to preserve it, we don’t even bother to be informed voters and citizens. Instead of training our children to appreciate God’s magnificent gift, we have allowed secular ideologies and anti-God influencers intent on dismissing the country’s value to brainwash us with propaganda about what a racist, materialistic, sexually oppressive, war-mongering nation we have been. As Russell puts it, we are frittering away our precious heritage like the prodigal son who squandered his wealth in wild living. In Kingdoms in Conflict, Charles Colson wrote, “[Christians have] always had trouble with the concept of patriotism. They have vacillated between two extremes—the God-and-country, wrap-the-flag-around-the-cross mentality and the simply-passing-through mind-set.” Colson points out that since the Vietnam War, the “passing-through” mind-set has become more prevalent among followers of Christ. “[It] is represented by those who believe they are simply sojourners with loyalties only in the Kingdom beyond. Patriotism has become a dirty word to them.” Some contend that “we don’t want to be guilty of ‘nationalism’—worshipping our country rather than worshipping God.” But are Christians worshipping the nation by being patriotic? I content that they are not. It’s not idolatry to give God thanks for a special country and to work for its good any more than it is idolatry to give God thanks for your beloved mother on Mother’s Day. Granted, patriotism can be taken to the extreme, but so can multiculturalism. Politics has encroached on religious matters in recent years and our silence about some of the issues surrenders precious spiritual territory. Consider the current political subjects that were originally biblical issues: intelligent design; the creation of men and women; family; the right to life; the sanctity of marriage; racial equality; the proper treatment of the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens; religious freedom; parental rights and responsibilities; criminal justice; sexual morality; and especially the source of truth. While churches withdraw from the public arena, godless policies, like a dangerous virus, invade spiritual territory and threaten the vitality of the church as well as human flourishing. If Christians don’t get involved in public issues soon, the precious gift of liberty and a flourishing life will be squandered and our grandchildren will not enjoy the religious freedoms we cavalierly take for granted. In the mid-19th century, Lord Melbourne, the chief political adviser to Queen Victoria, was pro-slavery. He objected to William Wilberforce and other Christians who used spiritual arguments for the abolition of the slave trade. Melbourne argued, “Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade public life.” Courageous abolitionists didn’t remain silent because slavery was a political issue. As the salt of the earth, they made a huge difference in the political arena. So should we. A.W. Tozer wrote years ago, “A frightened world needs a fearless church.” It is time for God’s church to be assertively strong and courageous in full belief the Lord our God will go before us. We don’t have to be angry or obnoxious, but we do need to be informed and involved. Something to think about…and act upon. Tyler In an article for DailyWire.com (6/28/22), Michael Brown discusses what we can learn from the most recent Gallup Poll regarding the declining faith of Americans. In case you haven’t heard, a new Gallup Poll documents a dramatic drop in Americans’ faith in God, raising serious concerns about the spiritual condition of our country. As summarized by Life Site News, “The numbers have gone from 98% professed believers 50 years ago to 81% in 2022.” In 2012, the University of Chicago released a report on “Beliefs about God across Time and Countries,” revealing that in America, the percentage of those with strong convictions about God who said, “I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it,” was 60.6 percent. The Gallup Poll also indicates that college graduates were less likely to believe in God than those without a college degree, dropping from 83 percent in 2013-2017 to 78 percent in 2022, and from 89 percent in 2013-2017 to 84 percent in 2022, respectively. The differences are not dramatic, but does this indicate that the more you learn and the smarter you are, the less you will be inclined to believe in God? No, it does not. Instead, these differences could simply point to the anti-God, anti-Christian mentality that is pervasive in many leading colleges and universities in America. (Brown documents this in his book: The Silencing of the Lambs.) Many young people who study at secular colleges and universities lose their faith because of an anti-God mentality that is taught by some professors. Our nation’s secular colleges and universities are not neutral when it comes to cultural beliefs and philosophies that are being promoted there. In many cases, they are assertively and aggressively promoting ideological agendas that oppose the Biblical worldview about family, sexuality, morality, societal flourishing, and Christian faith. This is one reason why our church supports ministries like His House Campus Ministry: They are making a difference to help keep alive the faith of Christians who attend college by providing a place for them to pursue worship, friendships, and spiritual development, while reaching out to others who are searching for the spiritual truth that Christianity provides. Scott Austin, Executive Director for HHCM, recently shared a story of the difference this ministry makes: Joe Hogoboom, Associate Campus Minister at Ferris State University, told about Noah, a welding student, who has a genuinely kind heart and listens intently while asking thoughtful questions about spiritual matters. Noah had a hunger to know more about God. He and Joe would go for walks together on campus and talk about life, relationships, even politics. In their early conversations, Noah held religion at an arm’s length away, but as time went on, he could see how God and Scripture should be the lens through which we look at all things. Eventually, Noah expressed his faith in Jesus as his Savior and Lord, and as Joe Hogoboom puts it, “One of the greatest honors from my time with Noah was getting to baptize him at the winter retreat.” They continue to talk a lot about the Kingdom of God, the depth of this decision, and the impact it will have. Noah is totally committed to God. Joe and Noah’s friendship continues to grow as Joe invests time and energy to helping Noah become an active disciple of Jesus Christ. Organizations such as His House are providing significant ministry and service in places where the typical church may not have easy access. Furthermore, they are making a difference in young people’s lives as they work with them to help them thrive spiritually and flourish in life through godly choices. Whether you are a parent whose son or daughter is heading off to college in the fall, or whether you are a member of the church who cares about what is being taught on college campuses, your participation in, and support of, campus ministry matters and is making a difference. Tyler Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, but the temperatures don’t always see it that way. Sometimes June can be quite cool, but we long for the heat. Just as we desire for summer to be hot, God desires for our spiritual life to be “hot.” In her May 26, 2022 devotion for Our Daily Bread, Patricia Raybon writes the following: Temperatures where we live in Colorado can change quickly—sometimes within a few minutes. So my husband, Dan, was curious about the temperature differences in and around our home. As a fan of gadgets, he was excited to unpack his latest “toy”—a thermometer showing temperature readings from four “zones” around our house. Joking that it was a “silly” gadget, I was surprised to find myself frequently checking the temperatures too. The differences inside and out fascinated me. Jesus used temperature to describe the “lukewarm” church in Laodicea, one of the richest of the seven cities cited in the book of Revelation. A bustling banking, clothing, and medical hub, the city was hampered by a poor water supply, so it needed an aqueduct to carry water from a hot spring. By the time the water arrived in Laodicea, however, it was neither hot nor cold. The church was tepid too. Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16). As Christ explained, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent” (v. 19). Our Savior’s plea remains urgent for us too. Are you spiritually neither hot nor cold? Accept His correction and ask Him to help you live an earnest, fired-up faith. As spring turns into summer, be sure to remain intentional about your walk with God so that you are thriving spiritually each day with Him. Don’t let your faith turn lukewarm or cold. Keep it on fire by participating with the church in worship and Bible study, by disciplining yourself to pray and read God’s Word each day, by being generous, and by staying in contact with your Christian church family and friends. Happy summer! Tyler |
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