UNDER CONSTRUCTION

March 20, 2017 | lindamowles

We have just returned home from a trip through 5 different states – Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. We did not “tour” throughout all these states, we did drive through them on the interstate highways. It is easy to see the incredible variety of landscape that our country exhibits:

Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina make the driving scenic and sometimes scary.

fall-colors-in-east-tennessee — The mountains of East Tennessee.

Florida is significantly flatter than the mountains but there are beautiful beaches and palm trees, and fruit stands with fresh fruit even in March (we were there during the Strawberry Festival, yum!)

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida Intricate detail in palm tree — A beautiful palm tree in Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida.

Whether or not the terrain was hilly or flat, there was one feature that was the same throughout all the states. It was pervasive. It was ubiquitous! It is the orange road construction barrel.

Orange road construction barrel — Orange highway construction barrel. Some say it is our state flower, but I think it is all over our country!

Construction – it is good for the highways.

We know that there are potholes, uneven lanes, torn up pavement, all sorts of problems with the roadways and construction to repair such problems is good. You simply cannot get away from the barrels. They are put up when no construction is in sight, yet. They are put up when the grading equipment is alongside the lane of travel. They give evidence of the upcoming improvement in road conditions, which is good even if they cause some congestion and delay at the present time.

USED Crane visible from interstate in Nashville — Crane hovering over construction in downtown Nashville.

Construction – it is good for the cities.

When there is construction, there is growth. There is change and there is development. Sometimes people differ on how or where construction should occur, but there can be no dispute that construction changes things.

christ-of-the-ozarks-missouri-1968-3 — Christ of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA (circa 1965)

Construction – it is good for US.

Seeing the construction in each of the states we traveled reminded me of the construction that is going on in each one of us, every moment of every day. We don’t have red barrels to tell others of the ongoing construction in our lives, but we are “under construction” nonetheless.

Scripture teaches us that God loves us and that He gave His Son for us as an atonement for our sin. This enables us to have confidence that we will be with Him now and forever if we have faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for our salvation.

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Romans 5:9-10 ESV

“[I]f you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Romans 10:9-10 ESV

But, salvation is not the end of the story. Once we have received Jesus Christ into our heart through faith, we then become “under construction” as the Holy Spirit does His work in transforming us into the image of our Lord. I have heard it said “God loves us as we are, but he doesn’t want us to stay this way!” In other words, He desires that we be changed into the image of His Son.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 ESV

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Romans 8:29 ESV

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

Praise the Lord that we are “under construction”. We are lovingly being transformed by God from our sinful, earthly desires, impulses, thoughts, actions and words into the image of our Lord. But it takes time! While we are justified with God immediately upon our receiving the Lord Jesus as our Savior, the transformation into the image of the Lord is not an instantaneous occurrence.

A song written by Sim Wilson entitled “Please be patient with me” captures the concept well:

Chorus:

Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet.

When God gets through with me, when God gets through with me,

I shall come forth, I shall come forth like pure gold.

Verse:

If you should see me and I’m not walking right,

And if you should hear me and I’m not talking right;

Please remember what God has done for me,

When He gets through with me, I’ll be what He wants me to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yjsTLpo_vQ

This transformation does not occur through our own efforts. It does not come about through our own strength by struggling to keep all the commandments or by trying to copy good things that we see others doing.

This construction comes from the Holy Spirit’s work inside of us. It is an inward change. It is a change of our heart and of our will. In fact it is a total surrender of our own will to that of our Father.

Praise the Lord that He is transforming us as we live our life in grace through the Holy Spirit. Rest in Him and He will perform His good work in you.

Please be patient with me!

When He gets through with me, I’ll be what He wants me to be!

Father, I thank You for sending the Holy Spirit into our world so that He would work in the life of each of Your children, transforming them into the image of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, Series Post No. 3 OF TRANSFORMATION

April 29, 2016 | lindamowles

We come to to the end of the introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit and consider here transformation. That is, our transformation into the likeness of our Lord by the renewing of our minds. In short, it is our growth in righteousness!

What does Scripture say?

Paul tells us that the evidence of our being new creatures in Christ is the growth of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:21-22.

He then commands that we not remain glued to this world but that we should change our focus to our Savior.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

We are to allow our minds to be transformed and renewed by the Spirit of our Father. As the believer matures in the Lord, as she prays for understanding and wisdom, and as she reads the Word and is taught by teachers and preachers who base their lessons on the Word, the Holy Spirit will grow these characteristics in her. The ultimate purpose of this growth is that we will be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

The Holy Spirit renews our mind and heart by giving us a divine attitude. Paul says in Ephesians 4:22-24 that we are

“to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteous and holiness.”

Paul is repeating what Jesus said about pursuing righteousness. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus told his disciples:

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Seeking indicates active desire and longing. Seeking is not passive – it is not considering a suggestion. Seeking is searching and striving for the object sought. Seeking something is pursuing it with intent to find it. This seeking and pursuing righteousness is enabled in our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit.

We cannot be “created after the likeness of God” as Paul noted in Ephesians 4:24 other than through the transformation brought about by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and this transformation is evidenced by love both to God and to man.

How does this apply to my daily life?

So, what does all this have to do with the topic of our study – the fruit of the Spirit? Righteousness. It is what we are called to seek – it is what we are called to nurture – it is what we are called to desire – it is what we are called to do. He also reminds us of what John Calvin has said:

“There will be no excuse of the indolence of those who both conceal the gifts of God, and waste their time in idleness.”

Now, regarding Calvin’s statement, I was pretty sure I knew what “indolence” meant, but I checked it in the thesaurus just to be sure – I am sorry that I did. See what you think. I have listed the various synonyms for indolence, now you insert whichever word you think fits best in that quote – “There will be no excuse of the laziness, idleness, sloth, sluggishness, inactivity, apathy, or lethargy of those who both conceal the gifts of God and waste their time in idleness.”

If we are transformed into the image of Christ Jesus, how does this reveal itself? As previously noted, the transformation is evidenced by love to God and to man. That being the case, there are some questions that we have to answer:

Do I conceal the gifts of God by refusing to use my gifts, time, talent, and money for the kingdom of God?
- Do you?
Do I waste precious time God has given me in idleness or sluggishness, in apathy or, perhaps, in activities that do not reflect His presence in my life?
- Do you?
How do I express my love to God?
- What about you?
How do I express my love to others?
- What about you?
Am I pursuing righteousness or am I hoping that it will just drop on me in some sort of cloud?
- What about you?
Or, do I even care about righteousness in the first place?
- What about you?

The fruit of the Spirit becomes evident as the Holy Spirit works in our lives as we pursue righteousness in obedience to our Lord’s command. We can pursue righteousness because we know that God will supply all that we need to do so through His Holy Spirit.

Dr. R. C. Sproul encourages us by noting that “God has not given His people an unattainable goal; the Spirit enables us to please Him (see Hebrews 13:16). This is also reflected in Philippians 4:19 where Paul says:

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” [KJV]

Listen to the words of Philippians 4:19 as sung in My God Shall Supply from Integrity Music’s Scripture Memory Songs album entitled “Truth Sings the Word”..

Take some time to meditate this week on these questions and on the Scripture referenced above, and ask the Spirit of our God to prepare your heart and mind for the study of His work in our lives.

Next week we will begin our look at the first of the listing in Galatians 5: Love. [Hint: it is far more than casseroles and cards!]

Blessings to you and I pray that you will continue to walk with me as we learn about the fruit of the Holy Spirit and as we mature in our transformation into Christian believers who speak and act as Jesus did and who share in the passions that Jesus had for the lost sheep and for the worship of His Father, the Almighty God.

TRAINS – TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION!

January 30, 2016 | lindamowles

At the outset, I want to thank my Beloved Husband for acting as my consultant extraordinaire on the topic of trains, engines, fuel, etc. This has been a hobby/interest of his for decades and I appreciate his willingness to help me with the accuracy of my account below.

——-

Every Christmas we watch the 1946 classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a man who gave up his personal dreams in order to help others. The primary dream that George Bailey had was to travel across the world, having adventures and thrills that were simply not available in the small town of Bedford Falls.

Near the beginning of the movie, George hears a train whistle and the following colloquy occurs between George and Uncle Billy:

George: There she blows. You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?

Uncle Billy: Uh huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served; dinner…

George: No no no no. Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.

Trains. Where distances made it virtually impossible for travel between communities, the train removed that impossibility; indeed, they increased mobility and the speed at which you could cross our continent. In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad even linked both sides of our country together!

Long train — Long passenger train going to California.

Take for example this long passenger train going cross country, from Illinois to California. The picture does not say the destination, but I was on that train in 1955 as we went to visit my grandparents.

Train travel expanded the horizon so that people could experience areas of the country far from their local community. Families that were divided by hundreds and thousands of miles could now visit, after a marvelous trip on the train.

There were trains of various sizes and purposes, fueled by a variety of materials; but all were intended to go from one place to another.

The Norfolk and Western 611 is a steam engine that was based in Roanoke, Virginia. My husband has a long history with this particular locomotive. It has recently been restored to pull excursions.

Train 611 in curve — The 611 steaming through a curve.

The Alaska Railroad runs trains throughout the State of Alaska and the trains provide vital links to supplies and assistance to those folks who live in areas outside of the cities. Numerous reality television shows illustrate the railroad and its involvement with the “off-griders” in Alaska.

Train Alaska Railroad train engine, cropped Anchorage (C) — Alaska Railroad train engine.

The Alaska Railroad also has tours of the state, with beautiful observation cars for the tourists’ enjoyment.

Train Alaska Railroad Train observation car, Anchorage Alaska, Moore (C) — Alaska Railroad observation car.

Railroad train - inside observation car — Inside the Alaska Railroad observation car.

And there are train engines that have specialized purposes … consider the snow plow in Alaska!

Train - snow plow on engine front — Snow plow to be used on the train tracks in Alaska.

Then there are the trains that carry freight from one place to another. Imagine how many trucks would be required to carry the freight that one train can pull!

Train - Freight train Rio Grande — Freight train Rio Grande Railroad.

Yosemite 2011 Sugar Pine Railroad Train (C) — Yosemite Sugar Pine Mountain Railroad.

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you can go just a little off the road and find train tracks that have long been abandoned, reminiscent of the logging activity that took place there centuries ago.

Train Century old logging railroad train in Blue Ridge Mountains — Centuries old abandoned logging tracks through mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Trains made the impossible possible. The Iron Horse pulled loads that were way beyond the ability of human or equine strength. The train could go into terrain and through inclement weather better than any transport available to man. Communities were brought closer because of the connection made by the train schedule. Isolation was lessened when the train arrived with materials from far away places.

Indeed, trains encouraged dreams and imaginations, as exploration of what was beyond the normalcy of life became a reality. While airline and automobile travel may have eclipsed the train for some, it is hard to comprehend what our country would be like if it were not for the trains that belched their way onto the scene in the Nineteenth Century.

But trains would not have accomplished the revolution that they did if they just sat on the tracks and didn’t GO. In order for the Iron Horse to fulfill its mission, it needed power. That power came from various sources: wood, coal, diesel oil, and electricity, but there is no debate that power was required to have functional trains.

As Christians, we are to be Jesus’ hands and feet, His words are to come from us and we are to express His love to those around us. It certainly is no easy task since we are sinners, saved by grace, and we have to fight our sinful nature to do that which Jesus commands. In short, we cannot live the Christian life in our own power – we have to have the Holy Spirit within us to give us the power to overcome evil, sin and Satan.

Prior to the beginning of his ministry, immediately after his baptism by John, Jesus was led into the wilderness and was tempted 40 days by Satan. Jesus successfully withstood the tests hurled at him and, at the conclusion of the 40 days, Scripture tells us in Luke 4:14 that:

Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.

Through this Holy Spirit, He was able to heal and teach as no other had done before. See Luke 4:32 where we read that the people “were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.” The King James Version of this verse says that “for his word was with power.”

In Luke 14:29 Jesus promises that the disciples would receive power from the Father, but they need to wait.

“And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

In the Book of Acts, Jesus tells his disciples why they would receive power from His Father:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 [ESV]

On the day of Pentecost, this promise was fulfilled, and as evidence of the power of the Spirit that filled the disciples, we read:

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 [ESV]

The same Spirit that powered Jesus is available to us as Christians for the empowerment of our life and witness. Indeed, when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our heart and we read the Scripture with open eyes and an understanding that the Spirit provides. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be bold in our testimony so that we give an answer to any who ask about our Savior. In short, the Holy Spirit is the power for our life in Christ.

The train transformed our world. Its power accomplished much and we have evidence of the trains’ successful work throughout not just our land but the entire world. Trains had a variety of functions and purposes, but they all worked together to transform society.

Jesus Christ has transformed our world in a much more important, eternal way. His disciples are not all the same, each has his/her own spiritual gift to be used for building up of the Body of Christ. One by one, His disciples are spreading the gospel throughout the world and people are hearing of His work and saving atoning grace through His death and resurrection. Through that witness, God’s mercy is extended to people who are becoming children of God and are being adopted into His family through faith in Christ alone.

The train cannot sit in the station without power and expect to do any work. The train’s impact on the world becomes evident when power is used to get the job done. Likewise, we, as Christians and believers in Jesus Christ, cannot sit in the church pew and expect that we have fulfilled some sort of obligation to our Savior. We must access the all-sufficient power of the Spirit that will transform all those who are to come to salvation in Jesus Christ. We must represent Jesus Christ to each individual we meet, all through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Father, forgive me when I have failed to access the power you have provided through the Holy Spirit. Forgive me when I have not ministered to others as Christ would have me do, simply because I was too lazy to take action. Forgive me when I have failed to spread your Word to others in need. May I have the impact on my world that you want me to have so that your kingdom will be increased, all to your glory and honor.

THE BUTTERFLY AND THE REFORMATION

October 29, 2015October 29, 2015 | lindamowles

THE BUTTERFLY AND THE REFORMATION

A number of years ago, we visited the Butterfly Farm on Grand Cayman Island as an excursion from our cruise ship. I saw the name “Butterfly Farm” and, being the literalist, saw long rows of planted butterflies. At first I thought it was a joke, but finding out that it was a legitimate, informative place, we decided to go on the tour.

It was a wonderful time and we learned a great deal about these small animals. Hurricane Ivan had passed across the island, causing severe destruction. As we learned during our tour, one of the significant casualties was the butterfly population. Essentially, the butterflies were blown out to sea by the force of the hurricane. While this might not seem like a big deal at first, it is huge inasmuch as butterflies pollinate plants, just as bees do; therefore, we/humans need butterflies for food propagation.

Therefore, a “butterfly farm” was established to repopulate the butterflies on the island. The “building” was essentially a mesh wall with a mesh roof, into which were planted shrubs, flowers, trees and grasses that would provide the food and shelter. Butterflies were brought in from other areas of the world and placed in this protected environment. When they were ready and in sufficient numbers, the roof would come off and they could be released into the area.

Butterflies - getting to know you! — Butterflies – getting to know you!

Of course, the butterflies were more than willing to work toward repopulation. While we were there we saw these two butterflies doing their part to assist in the growth of the island’s butterfly community. The pictures in this post were taken by my husband, but most of the scientific information that is included came from the website for The Butterfly Farm on St. Maartin, found at: http://www.thebutterflyfarm.com.

Butterflies are a type of insect. They belong to the order of insects called Lepidoptera, which means “scaly wings”. The butterfly’s life cycle is made up of four stages, each of which are unique and very different from each other. This process is called metamorphosis which means “change of form.” First, the butterfly starts as an egg. After about a week, the egg hatches and a tiny caterpillar emerges. The caterpillar eats and gets bigger and bigger, ultimately shedding its skin 4 to 6 times. Here is a picture of a leaf at the Butterfly Farm on which a caterpillar has attached itself.

After 2 to 4 weeks, the caterpillar will be full grown and it then transforms itself into a chrysalis/ or pupa. It hangs from a tree or bush, appearing to be doing nothing, but inside the caterpillar’s body becomes the adult structure of the butterfly. This stage takes 10 to 15 days.

Then, the former caterpillar emerges as a beautiful butterfly.

Butterfly - stained glass — Butterfly – stained glass

But that emergence did not come easily … the insect has to struggle inside the cocoon, pushing against the sides before ultimately breaking through into the sunlight.

If the cocoon is cut so that the butterfly can emerge without struggle, the butterfly is doomed to live on land, unable to fly. Getting out of the cocoon the easy way costs the butterfly the opportunity to soar. It is the struggle to escape the cocoon that allows its wings to strengthen so that, after the struggle, flight is possible.

In other words, it is in the struggle itself that strength is born.

This week is Reformation Week – a time of remembering October 31, 1517, the day that Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The debate that arose out of this action culminated in what is now called the Protestant Reformation.

One of the primary teachings of the Reformation is that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Good works do not constitute any basis for our right standing before God; rather, our good works are the result of and the witness to our faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-10.

Justification, God’s declaration that we are not guilty, that we are forgiven of our sin, and that we have righteousness in His sight comes to us because through our faith alone the Father imputes to us, or reckons to our account, the perfect righteousness of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

In other words, the Reformation’s call is that the just shall live by faith alone, in Christ alone.

Being justified, however, is not the end of the question. There is a responsibility to live a Christ-centered life when we are justified by His sacrifice. Paul says we are new creatures when we have yielded our lives to Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17.

Elaborating on this statement, Paul says in Ephesians 4:22-24 that we are to:

“put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Even though we may not like hearing the message, we too are to put off the old self. This is a struggle, but we need to recognize that it is in the struggle that we are strengthened. We may lose some of the battles but, even if we lose the round, at the end of the day we are stronger than we were before the struggle began.

I don’t know if I agree with the “No pain – No gain” mantra, but I do know that it has been through the painful times of life that I have gained new understanding of God’s grace, His mercy, His guidance and His love.

So, how do I view difficult times? How do you?

Remember the butterfly. Before the caterpillar can become the beautiful butterfly it is destined to be, it must go through all the stages and struggles. Only then will it emerge as the new creature that can fly far above the ground to which it formerly was attached.

Then, praise God that He is with us, in both difficult and easy times. Praise Him that his grace and mercy is always sufficient for our struggles as we seek to put the old self away so that we can be renewed in the likeness of our Lord. When struggles come, praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit is present with us to give us strength and clarity of mind and soul as we resist temptation and stand strong in the struggle. Praise Him too that so many years ago men were ready to stand up for the Gospel and to remind us that salvation comes through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Thank you, Father, for the provision and protection of your Word and for the work of Martin Luther and other saints of the church who suffered greatly for their proclamation that justification is a matter of faith in Christ alone, and for the resulting Reformation. Thank you too for the times when I have struggled, even when I have lost my way; for during those times, you gently guided me back to you and the struggle itself strengthened me for the rest of the journey. Thank you for the beautiful butterfly, who daily illustrates the concept that difficulties are for a time, that there are struggles and hardships, but that the end result is worth the struggle as we grow in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ through your grace and mercy.