Month: September 2023

Be Fruitful and Multiply

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

One of the first things God told Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful and multiply.” I have always taken that to mean physically produce more children and populate the earth. This morning in my devotional, my eyes were opened to a spiritual meaning, also.

God repeated this command to Noah when he disembarked from the ark and came out on dry land, a totally clean earth with all of the sin wiped out.

Again, this certainly does mean populate the earth. But I think it also means to tell the new people that are born about God.

I wasn’t in the Garden of Eden with Adam, nor was I on the ark with Noah. But because of these ancestors of all of us, we exist. Physically, we have life. What about spiritual life?

In the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His disciples just before He ascended to the Father, he did not say “be fruitful and multiply.” Instead, He applied God’s truth to the spiritual and told the disciples to go and make other disciples. How does one do that? By telling them about Jesus! By giving God the glory for all that He did through Jesus. God has not changed His word because God does not lie or change. He has, however, expanded on it. When we go out and tell others about Jesus, we are being fruitful and we are multiplying. We are adding souls to the Kingdom of God and more people who are ready and willing to give Him the glory. Having three children, I did the physical part of “being fruitful and multiplying.” But how many spiritual sons and daughters have been added to God’s Kingdom because of seeds that I have sown? I don’t really know because I am not always there for the harvest. God didn’t say to make sure you stick around for the harvest, but He did say to make disciples. To me, that means to lead people to the truth of the Gospel and then to establish them in God’s Word.

Thus, once again, God has enlightened me to more truth in His Word than I realized was there. Being fruitful is not just giving birth physically. It can also mean being fruitful and telling others about Jesus. If each one tells one, and they in turn tell others, there is the multiplication factor. God’s plan all along has been for His Kingdom to expand, for all to come to the knowledge of the Lord. We have His command and we are expected to act on it!

A Prayer for Today and Maybe Everyday

On By vickleaIn Song, Video2 Comments

Authors have written books about the day after 9-11. Presidents have made speeches. Congress has passed resolutions. But I have done nothing on the day after one of the worst days in the history of the United States. This morning I was feeling kind of out of sorts, not really discouraged, but just not feeling as though I had done much for the survivors, the people left behind. Then, in Dr. Denison’s Forum this morning, was this song that is also a prayer. I share it with you in the hope that you will join me in praying it, today and everyday that you remember. You don’t have to remember the words, but I hope that the heart of the message will touch you deeply in your soul, where you long to make a difference.

God of the Poor Lyrics by Graham A. Kendrick

Beauty for brokenness

Hope for despair

Lord, in your suffering

This is our prayer

Bread for the children

Justice, joy, peace

Sunrise to sunset

Your kingdom increase!

Shelter for fragile lives

Cures for their ills

Work for the craftsman

Trade for their skills

Land for the dispossessed

Rights for the weak

Voices to plead the cause

Of those who can’t speak

Friend of the weak

Give us compassion we pray

Melt our cold hearts

Let tears fall like rain

Come, change our love

From a spark to a flame

Refuge from cruel wars

Havens from fear

Cities for sanctuary

Freedoms to share

Peace to the killing-fields

Scorched earth to green

Christ for the bitterness

His cross for the pain

Friend of the weak

Give us compassion we pray

Melt our cold hearts

Let tears fall like rain

Come, change our love

From a spark to a flame

Rest for the ravaged earth

Oceans and streams

Plundered and poisoned

Our future, our dreams

Lord, end our madness

Carelessness, greed

Make us content with

The things that we need

Friend of the weak

Give us compassion we pray

Melt our cold hearts

Let tears fall like rain

Come, change our love

From a spark to a flame

Lighten our darkness

Breathe on this flame

Until your justice

Burns brightly again

Until the nations

Learn of your ways

Seek your salvation

And bring you their praise

Friend of the weak

Give us compassion we pray

Melt our cold hearts

Let tears fall like rain

Come, change our love

From a spark to a flame

Friend of the weak

Give us compassion we pray

Melt our cold hearts

Let tears fall like rain

Come, change our love

From a spark to a flame

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Graham A. Kendrick

God of the Poor (Beauty for Brokenness) lyrics © Make Way Music

God of the Poor-Graham Kendrick

Not Forgotten

On By vickleaIn anniversary, Scripture1 Comment

Twenty-two years ago, the unthinkable happened in the most well-known city in our nation. Two airplanes, two buildings toppled, a multitude of lives lost. So many went to work that morning and never expected the tragedies about to happen. Not only in NYC, but also in a little town called Shanksville, PA where heroic civilians wrestled control of a flying plane that was weaponized by terrorists. And then there was the attack on our nation’s military might, the Pentagon itself. The heroes are too many to name, but a grateful nation salutes them today. May we never forget the sacrifices of so many so that others might live. May we always remember the families left behind to grieve and a nation that was forever changed.

Please remember all of the heroes and their families on the 22nd anniversary of a horrific attack that took so many so quickly.

Let us remember that most of those who died did not die for friends or family. Rather, they died for strangers that they were trying to help, for work colleagues that they tried to rescue. Jesus lay down His life; no one took it from Him. The heroes of 9-11 were robbed of life by evil, but evil did not win that day. Love did! Never forget.

A Participation Trophy

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

There is a relatively new thing in our culture today that awards trophies to every child who participates in an activity. Stating firmly that the group is a team and that they don’t want to “cause any hard feelings” or wound any young egos, every child, whether they have done a good job or not, receives a participation trophy. I have also noticed in some schools that every child gets an award for some kind of attribute that the teacher has noticed. Many of these are tongue-in-cheek and seem to be all in good fun. But what happens when that child grows up and goes to church every Sunday, taking that as the sign that they are doing just fine in their relationship with God? Is that true? Does God award those who faithfully attend church and do good deeds in His Name a participation trophy, opening wide the gates of Heaven so that they can enter in?

Sadly, the answer is “no.” One has to actually have a relationship with God in order to enter into eternity with Him. Just showing up every Sunday and every Wednesday and never establishing an individual communication with the Father that includes confession, repentance and acceptance of responsibility will not guarantee your placement into an eternal resting place with Him. There is a cost to following Jesus; it is the total dedication of your life to Him and a daily desire to serve at His pleasure, doing His will regardless of the cost to you. Maybe you don’t get the promotion you wanted because you are adamant about your faith. Maybe you aren’t popular with the “in crowd” because you live to please Jesus only. I don’t know the cost to you, but God does. It will never be more than you can pay, but it may be more that you are willing to sacrifice.

Jesus promises a crown of life to those who are faithful. He does not say that this crown is given to those who show up every Sunday, do the most good works and say the Father’s Name the loudest. Read the Word to find out what faithfulness entails. For Jesus, it was going to the cross, doing God’s will and not His own. For Paul, it was being imprisoned and shipwrecked, beaten innumerable times and still preaching about Jesus. What does faithfulness look like for you? I am not saying that you can earn salvation. That is not possible because it is a free gift from the throne of God to each of us. What I am saying is don’t delude yourself into thinking that all is fine with you and God if you show up and warm a pew every Sunday and then live like you don’t know God exists the rest of the time. There are no participation trophies with God. He doesn’t want to “cause hard feelings” or wound egos, but God cannot and will not look on sin and His standards are firm and do not change. He has requirements that include following Him and being obedient to Him and being willing to listen to His directions, not our own desires. That’s a hard truth that you can’t get into Heaven by checking off boxes that say you’re a good person who went to church, gave a tithe, helped others when you could and didn’t commit sins that made the newspapers. God doesn’t lie and if He sent His Only Son to the cross to die for your sins, He is absolutely serious that He requires some real commitment to Him on your part, not a seat warming participant but a God-fearing, God-proclaiming active player on the field of battle against sin.

These verses are sobering reminders that God is in the business of saving souls, not rewarding participation trophies just so your feelings aren’t hurt.

The Sin of the World

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

What is the world’s sin? My first thought was selfishness or greed or pride. But God has a different view and His is absolutely correct!

Without belief in God and His Son who offers the free gift of salvation, mankind continues to live in sin, separated from God. The sad thing is that most people, at least here in the U.S., know about God but they don’t choose to have a relationship with Him. They choose to refuse to believe in Him. Have you ever heard the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it”? That’s how some people are about God. They want Him to prove His power and show them nothing but grace and mercy instead of what we all deserve, which is judgment. The fact is that God already proved His power over death, sin and the grave when Jesus rose from the dead. He proved His love when He sent His only Son to die for us. And yet, some refuse to believe for various reasons, none of which make sense. Jesus is the answer to all of life’s problems, mankind is in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean of sin and they refuse to believe in the Lord because they just don’t want to change the way that they’re living. They are too attached to their lifestyle of sin to try to change it. Sad commentary on stubbornness, isn’t it? Satan said, “I will” and proceeded to challenge God’s authority and power. Jesus said “Not my will, but Yours be done.” I choose to believe in the unselfish and truth-telling Lord of Heaven and earth instead of the prince of the air who will one day be condemned into the Lake of Fire. Those who refuse to believe are choosing their own destiny, and the consequences that they will suffer are eternal. As Christians, we need to do all we can, whenever we can, to persuade those deniers to turn and believe and repent. But we also need to accept that the final choice is theirs, no matter how much it hurts to acknowledge that we cannot save people. Only God can do that. One thing we need to be aware of is that we need to pray before we go on the battlefield, gird up with our spiritual armor and get ready for battle. Satan wants their souls to spend eternity with him. God wants them to believe so that they can spend eternity with Him. The ultimate choice is theirs; our responsibility is to share the truth of the choices that they are making.

The Lord

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song1 Comment

Who is the Lord of your life? Is it yourself? Something you have accomplished in your life that you are proud of? A material possession that means more to you than anything? Or perhaps your family whom you love dearly. These things may be important to us, but none of them can be the Lord of your life. There is only one Lord, one God, and as a dear pastor used to say, “It ain’t you!”

Only our God can help us when we are fearful. He is our Lord.

God’s Spirit was sent to abide in each of us and gives us the freedom to choose to make Him Lord in all of our daily decisions.

God is our lighthouse, the one who shows us the way and gives us the power and strength to follow the right path towards eternity with Him.

My Lighthouse-Rend Collective

He is Lord-Elevation Worship

My Encouragement for Today

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Remember when you didn’t worry at all about anything because you knew your parents were taking care of everything for you? Food was prepared and served for you, clothes were purchased, rides were arranged or provided. I never remember getting one single bill during my childhood. My parents just did what parents do, they took care of us. And like most children, we just took their provision and care for granted.

As an adult, we are assaulted on every side by things that could cause us great concern. I say “could” because if we are leaning in to our Heavenly Father, we know that He is caring and providing for us just as our loving parents used to do. The storms of life are many and unexpected, but nothing surprises God and He is a stable rock for us to cling to in a sea of change that threatens to overwhelm us.

Lest you think I must be going through a really tough time right now, I’m not, at least not currently. But life has a tendency to throw curve balls when we least expect them, so I am clinging to this Scripture to help me through whatever comes next. God holds on to me just as I hold on to Him and His promises. The verse clearly says I will help you. It doesn’t get any better than that. He is as close as our hand reaching out and promises His assistance, no matter what we may need. He is our steadfast source of strength and ready to battle with us against the waves of life. He may not take us out of the storm. In fact, in my experience, that rarely happens. However, He is there in the storm with us, calming our hearts so that we can make it through to the calm that awaits us after the storm passes. Storms of life come and go, but our God is always there. Always!

Where Do You Get Your Encouragement?

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

All of us have days in which we just feel like we cannot do one more thing for one more person, not even ourselves. We are plodding along in life and then something happens to force us to take stock of where we have been and where we are going. That pause, that quiet moment, even when I feel as though I am asking God for answers, is the time when I get the greatest encouragement.

Most of us don’t have a team of cheerleaders shouting for us to keep going, that we can make it, But the Bible tells us that we do have a “cloud of witnesses,” the great patriarchs who have gone before us and perhaps loved ones who have already passed away. They are our cheering section. But God is our great encourager.

Sometimes, I feel as though I had plans and then life happens and the plans fall through. But God’s plans never fail. He is faithfully loving and will never abandon me, leaving me to wander alone aimlessly searching for purpose. He has given me a purpose and He has a plan. Even at my advanced age, I am still useful to God’s big blueprint plan for mankind. I was reminded of that when I visited my son and his family and was asked repeatedly to tell stories from the Bible by the children. They are hungry for God’s word and I had the knowledge to share with them. I think that is part of God’s plan, for me and for them.

I must confess that as my body ages, I tire more easily, and some days I just want to stop doing. But God in His mercy gives me the grace and strength to keep going, reminding me that He is still working on me as I work for Him. Because God is my great encourager, He will not sit idly by while I throw a “pity party.” He invites Himself to attend and reminds me of all that He has done for me so that the party meant to take place in the Land of the Mollygrubs ends up being held in the Land of Thankfulness and Gratitude. God will always be there, continuing His work in me, until He calls me home. And I pray that I will be willing and able to continue my work for Him all the way to the blessed end of my life here on earth.