Musings from My Sun Porch

                 Today, we live in a society that is ripe with sin and discord.   Crime has soared, sin is promoted, and more and more people are dying every day without the hope of Christ.   If we are not careful, it can be so easy to fall prey to the sinful ideas that are being promoted all around us.   Remember, Peter told us “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8 NIV84).   The question is:   how do we guard against that lion?             I wouldn’t want to face a real lion but if I did, some of the suggestions include standing and facing them; don’t turn your back.   You might also speak firmly in a loud voice but don’t scream.   Then, as a last resort, throw everything you have at them.             The lion we face is Satan, and he may b...

                 Now you know that I’ve been a Christian for 59 years.   If you think that means that I’ve had it all figured out for 59 years, you are badly mistaken.   My walk with Christ has been a learning experience.   I must admit that the first thirty years were more like treading water than growth.   These past twenty-plus years have been much different.   So, what changed?             In the first half of my life, sadly I seldom consulted God about my major life decisions.   In high school, I was very interested in ministry but at that time, the ministry was not an open door for women, so I followed my second love which was law and justice.   When I graduated from law school, once again I chose between two job opportunities without consulting God. The change came when difficulties arose in my life, difficulties that I could not resolve ...

                 59 years ago tomorrow, I gave my life to Christ and was baptized.   I had decided several months before that I needed to take that step, but two things held me back.   First, I was afraid of water.   I know it’s stupid now, but to that preteen girl who hated those awful boys who always tried to dunk the girls at the pool, I dreaded the thought of my head going underwater.               My second excuse was even worse.   Several of my friends had already taken that step and I couldn’t see any difference in them, so I figured what was the point.   Lame, huh?               The truth is that there are people all over the world who have those same two excuses, although I must admit, theirs are a lot more serious than mine.   They are afraid to accept Christ because in doing ...

                 Moses was given a privilege unlike any that we have ever encountered.   He went up on Mt. Sinai and talked directly with God.   That intimate meeting with the Creator of the universe left Moses’ face so radiant that the Israelites were afraid to come near him.   However, that radiance was short-lived, and the radiance began to fade.   As a result, Moses covered his face with a veil, so the loss of radiance would not be apparent to the Israelites (Exodus 34: 29 – 35).             While Moses’ radiance was not permanent, Paul makes it clear in II Corinthians 3:18 that because we are in Christ, our “unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory”. He continues in that verse telling us that we “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NIV84).       ...

               My Sunday School class has spent over a year studying the book of Romans. As we approach the end of the letter, Paul begins to reveal more about his character and motives.  When you examine his life, there is much we can learn about the kind of people we should be as we also serve Christ.             He begins by reminding the Romans that they know the Gospel and the points that he has emphasized to them.  If we claim to be Christians, then we also know the basic Gospel message, and we are also competent, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, to share that message with others.             He speaks of his calling to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles but makes it clear that whatever he may have accomplished, it is only by the grace of God.  His humility is an example to us.  Whatever talents, ab...

                 The Story of the Prodigal Son is probably the most famous of all the stories Jesus told.   Whenever we hear it, the emphasis is almost always on the Prodigal Son.   So much so that we almost forget there was another son.   When you consider both sons in the story, the question becomes:   Which son are you most alike?             Before I answer that question, let me tell you a little about myself.    I’m a type A personality, who likes everything planned out and organized.   I doubt that I have a spontaneous bone in my body.               I’m also a rule follower.   Recently, at one of my great-nephew’s ballgames, I walked in carrying my chair as usual only to find a sign saying, “No Chairs Allowed”.   I immediately turned around and headed to the car with the...

  Last week my 13-year-old great-nephew asked me the question: “What does it mean to fear God?”   I tried to give him an answer talking about both God’s wrath and His grace but I’m not sure that the answer was as complete as it should have been, so bear with me while I give it another shot. When we talk about fear, we usually do so about something dangerous.   We fear bad people with guns, or the possibility of being in a car accident, or a fire that might burn down our house.    I remember the first time I took an airplane ride; I was terrified.   My friend would attest to that.   She claims that she still has the marks on her wrist which I held tight.   Those kinds of fears are all too real, but they do not explain fear when we talk about God. The Scripture says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10 NIV84).   That may seem to be a strange statement, but when you stop to consider who God is, a loving reve...

                 Recently I've been involved in several conversations about Disciple Making.   Most of the people in the discussions, including myself, have been Christians for a long time.   We can readily tell you what it means to be a disciple.   It means to follow Jesus and His teachings, to be a student of His Word, to do our best to be obedient to his teachings, and to develop a personal relationship with Him as our Savior.   It also means that we are to tell others about Him and share the good news of the Gospel with people everywhere. The problem is that most of us don’t think we know how to make disciples.   We know how to be a disciple, but we don't know how to make disciples.   Why?   We thought it was because we'd never been taught. It may be true that we’ve never had a specific class on “Disciple Making”, but I think, like so many things in Christianity, we try to make it a lot more c...

                 Have you ever had one of those weeks when you were just dead tired, and everything seemed to be going wrong?   You know the kind I’m talking about.   Those are the weeks where you probably gave a 110% the week before, doing your job, caring for your family, and all the other responsibilities that you carry every week.   Though they may be routine, we must admit that some weeks are harder than others.               Sometimes it’s the completion of a project that you lived with almost constantly for days and finally, it is complete.   Other times, it’s a family event like a milestone anniversary or birthday, or a vacation that you have planned for months.   Now, it’s finally over and you want to breathe a sigh of relief.   The problem is that daily life doesn’t stop.            ...