June 17, 2008

loved by Him

(photographer unknown)

"Consider the mysteries of love,

and you will then have a vision

of the bosom of the Father,

whom the only-begotten God alone

has declared.

God Himself is love,

and for the sake of this love

He has made Himself known."

- St. Clement of Alexandria

"If we truly love Christ,

we shall care for those

who are loved by Him."

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

June 16, 2008

like dead leaves

"You will find it less easy to uproot faults

than to choke them by gaining virtues.

Do not think of your faults, still less of other's faults.

In every person who comes near you

look for what is good and strong;

honor that; try to imitate it,

and your faults will drop off

like dead leaves when their time comes."

- John Ruskin

June 15, 2008

Father

"The Greek word in the Bible for father is "pater"
which means: one who has infused his own spirit into others,
who actuates and governs their minds;
one who stands in a father's place
and looks after another in a paternal way."
- The New Testament Greek Lexicon

"Our Father, which art in Heaven..."
- The Lord's Prayer

"Father!
- to God himself
we cannot give a holier name.
- William Wordsworth

June 14, 2008

give me a drink

"Water is also one of the four elements,

the most beautiful of God's creations.

It is both wet and cold, heavy,

and with a tendency to descend,

and flows with great readiness.

It is this the Holy Scripture has in view when it says,

"And the darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

"Water, then, is the most beautiful element

and rich in usefulness,and purifies from all filth,

and not only from the filth of the body

but from that of the soul,

if it should have received the grace of the Spirit."

- John of Damascus

(Exposition of the Orthodox Faith)

"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry."

- Thomas Fuller

"Every man you meet is your son.

Every woman is your daughter.

Go find someone who's thirsty,

And give them water."

- Butch Hancock

(Give them Water, War and Peace, 2006)

"If you knew the gift of God

and who it is that asks you for a drink,

you would have asked him

and he would have given you living water."

- John 4:10 NIV

June 13, 2008

time to reap

"I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,
and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man"
with a crown of gold on his head
and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Then another angel came out of the temple
and called in a loud voice
to him who was sitting on the cloud,
"Take your sickle and reap,
because the time to reap has come,
for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
So he who was seated on the cloud
swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested."
- Revelation 14: 14-16 NIV

June 12, 2008

under the cross

"We do not put an obstacle in anyone's way.

Otherwise, fault may be found with our ministry.

Instead, in every way we demonstrate

that we are God's servants

by tremendous endurance

in the midst of difficulties, hardships, and calamities;

in beatings, imprisonments, and riots;

in hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger;

with purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness;

with the Holy Spirit,

genuine love, truthful speech, and divine power;

through the weapons of righteousness

in the right and left hands;

through honor and dishonor;

through ill repute and good repute;

perceived as deceivers and yet true,

as unknown and yet well-known,

as dying and yet—as you see—very much alive,

as punished and yet not killed,

as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing,

as poor and yet enriching many,

as having nothing

and yet possessing everything."

- 2 Corinthians 6: 3-10 ISV

June 11, 2008

What is it to be poor?
photo by David Keller
(trip to Peru)

Some place, perhaps several places,
I have heard adults
make the comment that they never knew
that they were poor when they were young.
Their parents never said that they were poor.

Their needs were met
and they were all very happy together...
contented.

Now I realize the difference between being poor,
living in poverty, and not having needs being met.
Here I'm referring to having the basics
without all the frills that most of us have...
TV sets, cars, etc.

I would bet that even some reading this
would say...hey... cars and TV sets are needs.

Perhaps it is somewhat relative dependent
on how well off we are and what we classify as our "needs",
but I'm talking about basic needs...
food, water, clothing, and a roof over our heads.

"It is not the man who has too little,
but the man who craves more, that is poor."
- Seneca

...to love and to be loved... neither one is poor

"I met in the street a very poor young man who was in love.
His hat was old, his coat worn,
his cloak was out at the elbows,
the water passed through his shoes, -
and the stars through his soul."
- Victor Hugo

"Who, being loved, is poor?"
- Oscar Wilde

"Content makes poor men rich;
discontent makes rich men poor."
- Benjamin Franklin

"You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat."
- Isaiah 25:4 NIV

What It Means To Be Poor

"One day a father of a very wealthy family
took his son on a trip to the country
with the firm purpose of showing his son
how poor people can be.
They spent a couple of days and nights
on the farm of what would be considered
a very poor family.

On their return from their trip,
the father asked his son,
"How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can be?"
the father asked.
"Oh Yeah" said the son.
"So what did you learn from the trip?"
asked the father.

The son answered,
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden
and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden
and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard
and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on
and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us,
but they serve others.
We buy our food,
but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us,
they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added,
"Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."
- Author Unknown

June 10, 2008

writer's block

Have you ever reached a stage in your writing...
your devotionals, your blog posts,
your comments, or your thoughts...
where you find it more difficult
to say what you want to say?
That should be...

to say what the LORD wants you to say.

Perhaps that is the problem.

We concentrate so much on what

we want to say

that we forget we should be saying

what He wants us to say.

The fact that you are having this difficulty

is almost a sure sign that the Lord

is working within you.

Is it simply a matter of priorities?

Actually it is more than that.

Having priorities implies

a self made list of what (or who) comes first.

Instead we should be so in tune with God

that we don't have to keep a list.

If our hearts are right with God (within us)

then out of us will naturally flow

the spirit of Christ.

It is hard for us to stop trying to think our way

to spirituality (which cannot be done)

and instead to give Him total control

to be used by Him for His glory.

By yielding to Him completely

we will become more free from things worldly

and find His peace.

He will alter our character (changing our direction and focus)

while we retain our individual personality.

This is what is meant to die to self

and be reborn...

to cast off the old man

and be made anew.

Rely not try.

Allow the Holy Spirit

to work within you

and trust completely in Him.

June 9, 2008

enough time?

"Not enough time in a day?

You work hard, without complaining and

you do quite a few service/volunteer projects

in the community and at church.

You always try hard to be useful and helpful.

Every so often you find a little free time but

not near enough to maintain even the simplest of hobbies.

Reading a good novel regularly

without forgetting what you have already read

the last time you were able to pick the book up

is futile.

What's a vacation... haven't had time for one of those

in a 'heck' of a long time have you?

Don't you deserve more out of life?

Save some of that precious time...

skip reading the Bible

and saying all those prayers every day.

You are doing God's work anyway...

I'm sure He will understand. Right?"

signed: Satan

(The above was based on a sermon

by Pastor Kevin King)

June 8, 2008

look through nature

Lessons from God are found throughout nature...

His creation.

Look closely and learn.

"Let children walk with Nature,

let them see the beautiful blendings

and communions of death and life,

their joyous inseparable unity,

as taught in woods and meadows,

plains and mountains and streams

of our blessed star,

and they will learn that death is stingless indeed,

and as beautiful as life."

- John Muir

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing

for us to turn again to the earth

and in the contemplation of her beauties

to know of wonder and humility."

- Rachel Carson

"Look through nature up to nature's God."

- Alexander Pope

June 7, 2008

loves us unconditionally
(photo by Bob Johnson)

Accepting others can be difficult

but sometimes it is even more difficult

to accept ourselves.

"The great freedom Jesus gives us is to be ourselves,

defined by His love

and our inner qualities and gifts

rather than by any kind of show

we put on for the world.

We are freed, like uncaged birds,

because God loves us unconditionally--

without degrees, promotions, elected offices,

or a cool crowd surrounding us."

- Leslie Williams

June 6, 2008

God through us sends rivers of blessings.

"If anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me,
as the Scripture has said,
streams of living water will flow from within him."
- John 7:37,38 NIV

"Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ.
The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.
It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him.
The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God,
not a call to do something for Him.
We are not sent to battle for God,
but to be used by God in His battles.
Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?"
- Oswald Chambers
(My Utmost For His Highest)

June 5, 2008

enjoy safe pasture

"Depend on it.

God's work done in God's way

will never lack God's supply."

- J. Hudson Taylor

"The safest place to be is within the will of God.

God's answers are wiser than our prayers."

- Author Unknown

"The blessed Savior is my guide,

With Him I can not stray;

My every need is well supplied,

Through every passing day."

- Edgar Cooper Mason

from: Satisfied

"Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture."

- Psalm 37:3 NIV

June 4, 2008

do our best

in season and out of season

"Preach the Word;

be prepared in season and out of season;

correct, rebuke and encourage—

with great patience and careful instruction."

- 2 Timothy 4:2 NIV

"Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency

to "be ready" only "out of season."

The season does not refer to time;

it refers to us.

This verse says, "Preach the Word!

Be ready in season and out of season."

In other words, we should "be ready"

whether we feel like it or not.

If we do only what we feel inclined to do,

some of us would never do anything.

There are some people who are

totally unemployable in the spiritual realm.

They are spiritually feeble and weak,

and they refuse to do anything

unless they are supernaturally inspired.

The proof that our relationship is right with God

is that we do our best

whether we feel inspired or not."

- Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost For His Highest)

June 3, 2008

totally insignificant

The things that are the most real

are the things we cannot see...

the unseen, the things we cannot buy,

the things that are freely given by God,

the things of eternity.

"It's sobering to contemplate how much time,

effort, sacrifice, compromise, and attention

we give to acquiring and increasing

our supply of something

that is totally insignificant in eternity."

- Anne Graham Lotz

June 2, 2008

united in Christ

We are the Body of Christ.

We are a very diverse group... we Christians...

each of us bring to the Body our own

personality and our own personal insight.

We all are commanded

to encourage and support each other...

o offer each other our thoughts and,

if needed to gently correct through a sincere

and helpful attitude...

in summary...to grow with each other.

In these current times we must all

be aware of identity theft...

a certain amount of privacy is needed.

We must be careful not to give out

certain information and make it public.

However we, as the Body of Christ,

must also be careful of what C. S. Lewis calls

"selfish privacy".

"The sacrifice of selfish privacy

which is daily demanded of us

is daily repaid a hundredfold

in the true growth of personality

which the life of the Body encourages."

- C. S. Lewis

"There is no warrant for the‘Lone Ranger Christian Syndrome’

so popular... these days."

- James R. White

June 1, 2008

Virginia bluebells

The prolific presence of the bluebell

in a woods is sometimes called a

bluebell woods.

It is an area of serenity and peace

where the bluebells humbly bow their heads

and silently ring out a call to worship.

"If we are children of God,

we have a tremendous treasure in nature

and will realize that it is holy and sacred.

We will see God reaching out to us

in every wind that blows,

every sunrise and sunset,

every cloud in the sky,

every flower that blooms,

and every leaf that fades,

if we will only begin to use

our blinded thinking (our starved imagination)

to visualize it."

- Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost For His Highest)

May 31, 2008

The coat of faith

What is more likely to cause a Christian

to forget God and/or abandon Him?

Have you ever been told by someone

that is it is easy for you

to believe and trust in the Lord

because you haven't experienced their woes...

their trials and their tribulations?

The idea being that it is easy to have faith

when everything is going so well for you.

I submit that it is far easier,

and more subtle, for man

to leave God's presence,

ignore, and even forget Him

when he grows to feel less "needing"

and more self-sufficient.

The Bible is filled with such stories.

In the Aesop fable about the dispute

of who was more powerful...

the North Wind or the Sun...

it was the North Wind that brought to bear

all of his stormy weather

against the man

in an attempt to remove his coat.

All that the North Wind did

was to cause the man to wrap his coat

more tightly around himself.

If we let the man's coat be a symbol

(and represent) his faith,

the same can be said

for the effect of the storms of life on us.

Those trials and tribulations,

while causing some to curse

and/or to question God,

most often cause us

to more tightly cling to our faith

even as we are brought to our knees.

In the same Aesop fable,

it was the sun that proved more powerful.

Bestowing sunshine and warmth

upon the man caused him to

"voluntarily" remove his coat.

We must always be very careful of allowing

our highly blessed and worldly successful selfs

from becoming too self reliant

and thus less needful of God.

We must completely die to self,

be ever mindful of Him,

and allow Him to take

permanent command of our lives,

trusting Him, praising Him,

and thanking Him

for all of His love and His grace.

"For therein is the righteousness of God

revealed from faith to faith:

as it is written,

The just shall live by faith."

- Romans 1:17 KJB

"Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

- Romans 5:1 KJB

May 30, 2008

Making life complicated?

"To throw a perfume on the violet...

Is wasteful and ridiculous excess."

- William Shakespeare

"Sometimes the questions are complicated

and the answers are simple."

- Dr. Seuss

"All the great things are simple,

and many can be expressed in a single word:

freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope."

- Winston Churchill

"When the solution is simple, God is answering."

- Albert Einstein

May 29, 2008

The peace of God
photo by David Keller
(trip to Peru)

Years ago at the school where I taught,
I said hi, in the hall, to one of the other teachers
and asked him how he was doing.

His response was...
"Much better than I have any right to be."

At the time I thought it a rather unusual and odd remark.
Thinking about it much later
I can see now that there is a lot
of truth in that remark
for all of us redeemed Christians.

Without God's grace we would all be lost,
for we are undeserving
and unable to save ourselves.

"Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion..."
- Psalm 103:2-4 NIV

"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:6,7 NIV

May 28, 2008

the church picnic

"They broke bread...and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily

those who were being saved."

- Acts 2: 46,47 NIV

"The primary joy of life is acceptance, approval,

the sense of appreciation

and companionship of our human comrades.

Many men do not understand that the need for fellowship

is really as deep as the need for food,

and so they go through life

accepting many substitutes for genuine, warm, simple."

- Joshua Loth Liebman

May 27, 2008

genuine loveliness

"The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God

is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality.

Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian.

If I wonder if I am being of any use to God,

I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness

of the touch of the Lord.

"He who believes in Me . . .

out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" ( John 7:38 ).

And if I examine the outflow,

I lose the touch of the Lord.

Who are the people who have influenced us most?

Certainly not the ones who thought they did,

but those who did not have even the slightest idea

that they were influencing us.

In the Christian life,

godly influence is never conscious of itself.

If we are conscious of our influence,

it ceases to have the genuine loveliness

which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus.

He produces in the commonplace

something that is inspiring."

- Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost For His Highest)

May 26, 2008

loved by the King

Are you a silent ambassador for Christ?

He expects you to stand before others
and proclaim your faith.
Share your testimony, your enthusiasm,
your special insight, and
your hopes and dreams.

Support and encourage others to do the same.

"There seems to be a chilling fear
of holy enthusiasm
among the people of God.
We try to tell how happy we are -
but we remain so well-controlled
that there are very few waves of glory
experienced in our midst."
- A. W. Tozer

"How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing."
from:
How Can I Keep From Singing

May 25, 2008

The dash of life.

While taking a walk through a cemetery
I noticed that several of the tombstones (headstones)
gave the date of birth followed by a dash
and then the date of death.

It hit me that the dash represents
all those years inbetween...
the years of earthly life...
over before we realize it.

What are you doing with your dash through life?
Has it, among other things,
been a period of spiritual growth?
What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind?
Don't just be an example of"what not" to be.

Everyone can grow in Christ
by making the right choices...
that is giving yourself completely to Him
and trusting completely in Him.
Following His will for His glory
results in the greatest legacy
you can leave behind
and makes your dash through life meaningful.

"Our days are numbered.

One of the primary goals in our lives

should be to prepare for our last day.

The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions,

but in the quality of our lives.

What preparations should we be making now?

The greatest waste in all of our earth,

which cannot be recycled or reclaimed,

is our waste of the time

that God has given us each day."

- Billy Graham

May 24, 2008

brings out the best in me
photo by David Keller
(trip to Peru)

"Now friendship in those days
was a bit different from what it is today;
friends did not have to agree on everything
and often agreed on practically nothing.
They were people with whom you could argue all day
and yet never get irritated or angry at all.
In today's world we seem to have lost
the real meaning of friendship.
If someone disagrees with us,
it is fashionable today to dislike them for it.
This is silly and robs us
of the best kind of friends we could find,
for if we are always agreed with,
we can never really have a serious conversation;
we cannot learn from someone who agrees with what we say."
- Douglas H. Gresham
(from Jack's Life: A Memory of C.S. Lewis)

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.
Before him I may think aloud."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."
- Henry Ford

May 23, 2008

playing by the same rules

Have you ever played a game with someone

who makes up the rules (or changes the rules) as you play?

The Lord doesn't play those kind of games
and the rules (laws) that He has given us
never change.

He never changes either.

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone -
but paradoxically, if we cannot trust,
neither can we find love or joy."
- Walter Anderson

We can trust in Him.

"The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure

and altogether righteous."

- Psalm 19: 7-9 NIV

May 22, 2008

circinate vernation

"The fiddlehead, or circinate vernation,
unrolls as the fern matures and grows
due to more growth in the inside of the curl.
At this stage it is called a crozier (after the shepherd's crook)
or fiddlehead (after the scrollwork at the top of a violin)."
- taken from Wikipedia

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our savior
we begin to grow from the inside out
and slowly unfurl... maturing in the spirit...
as we grow toward the light.

It is also interesting to point out the reference to a crozier.

"The traditional explanation for the form of Western croziers,

beyond the obvious reference to the bishop

as a shepherd to his flock,

is this:

the pointed ferrule at the base

symbolizes the obligation of the prelate

to goad [gently and with sensitivity] the spiritually lazy;

the crook at the top,

his obligation to draw back those who stray from the faith;

and the staff itself

his obligation to stand as a firm support for the faithful."

- taken from Wikipedia

Isn't it all our obligation (a command directly from God)

to be shepherds for each other...

even to those who are given a position of authority

and offer us instruction and guidance?

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin,

you who are spiritual should restore him gently.

But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Carry each other's burdens,

and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing,

he deceives himself.

Each one should test his own actions.

Then he can take pride in himself,

without comparing himself to somebody else,

for each one should carry his own load.

Anyone who receives instruction in the word

must share all good things with his instructor.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.

A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature,

from that nature will reap destruction;

the one who sows to please the Spirit,

from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to all people,

especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

- Galatians 6: 1-10 NIV

"Dear friends, since God so loved us,

we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

- 1 John 4:11,12 NIV

May 21, 2008

The SonRays daily devotionals

(two years old today)

I pray that they have been and will continue to be
helpful, inspirational, supportive, and encouraging
as you walk with Him and grow in Him.

I ask for your prayers in this simple ministry.
If you find them beneficial to you or you know of someone
who may benefit from them,
please pass them on for His glory.

God bless!

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all."
- 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

May 20, 2008

what His hands have made

"I pray also that you will have

greater understanding in your heart

so you will know the hope to which he has called us

and that you will know how rich and glorious

are the blessings God has promised his holy people.

And you will know that God's power

is very great for us who believe."

- Ephesians 1:18,19 NCV

"I love you, Lord,

not doubtingly but with absolute certainty.

Your Word beat upon my heart

until I fell in love with you

and now the universe and everything in it

tells me to love you..."

- St. Augustine

"The heavens tell the glory of God,

and the skies announce

what his hands have made."

- Psalm 19:1 NCV

May 19, 2008

too small to be made into a burden

When the sky gets dark, and the storm comes with its rain

the tree branch becomes so burdened and heavy laden

with water that it bends down to the ground.

But when the sun comes out,

as it always does,

the water evaporates and the branch once more

reaches up toward the light.

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it,

casts the shadow of our burden behind us."

- Samuel Smiles

"A sacred burden is this life ye bear:

Look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly,

Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly.

Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin,

But onward, upward, till the goal ye win."

- Frances Anne Kemble

"Worry, doubt, fear and despair are the enemies

which slowly bring us down to the ground..."

- Douglas MacArthur

"Do not anticipate trouble

or worry about what may never happen.

Keep in the [Son]light."

- Benjamin Franklin

"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer

is too small to be made into a burden."

- Corrie ten Boom

May 18, 2008

searching for the truth

Faith and Science...do they clash?

(part 2)

Jesus Christ was a carpenter by trade.

As a young man Jesus learned to work with wood

eventually developing His own style.

It is quite possible that when finished with a piece,

others who were familiar with His style would be able to say,

"that was made by Jesus Christ...

see how He formed the... "

I'm not saying that God necessarily has a particular sty