Shelters When the Storm Comes

 “Our home is gone! 
    Washed down the river.”
    -- Displaced resident of NC 

 “Our home went up in smoke!
   Only the chimney is standing,”
   -- Displaced resident of
                  Pacific Palisades, CA  

During recent months, the hurricane disaster in Southeast US and the widespread fire damage in California have made headlines.  Thousands of residents were displaced and many became homeless.  Thankfully, such major disasters are so rare that we tend to take for granted the blessings of home, food, schools, churches, and community services. Many of us recognize that each of these blessings that support our social and physical well-being are from the good hand of our Creator God. 

Providential Shelters in Creation
Weather-related disasters remind us of how frail and dependent we are upon the normal function of the created order around us.  The created order consists of interwoven relationships among soil, water, air, and living organisms.  Together, these vital resources make up what scientists call ecosystems.  Ecosystems support human life and millions of other species of animals, plants, and microbes.   

Many scientists have tried to explain and even duplicate these ecosystems and the “ecosystem services” they provide.  From the giant mammals to the tiny microbes that reside in the mammalian gut, scientists are humbled by their limited success.  Many will acknowledge that only God or an unnamed “intelligent designer” could have created such complexity.   

We can marvel at how each of the millions of species can flourish, each in its own environment to which it has been adapted.  Without their amazing, life-sustaining adaptations in structure and function, each species would be as displaced and homeless as human disaster victims.  Let’s examine one particular example to illustrate our point.

Case Example:  Skunk Cabbage
Let’s consider one example in the plant kingdom, a plant whose unsavory leaves have earned it the name, Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus).  This fascinating plant is a member of the Arum Family along with Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum).  Skunk cabbage grows lushly in wet soils along streams where the water seeps from surrounding hillsides.  In North America, this plant species is considered a Spring wildflower although it blooms while the cold and snow of February still dominates its habitat. 

Recently, while hiking in Clear Creek Park here in Wooster, I was fortunate to spot the emerging flowering structures of Skunk Cabbage poking through the snow near the banks of Clear Creek. 

 You may ask how these plants could emerge after over a week of steady subfreezing temperatures.  The answer lies in Skunk Cabbage’s unusual ability to generate its own heat!  Heat is generated within the tissues of the fleshy, thumb-size flower stalk called the spadix.  The spadix is sheltered inside a fleshy hoodlike structure called a spathe.  Temperatures inside the spathe may reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit!  We might say, Skunk Cabbage creates its own “Spring weather” in middle of winter.  By storing up reserves of carbohydrates the year before and then “burning” them in February, the plant stokes its cellular furnaces which warm the plant and give it an early start in competition with later Spring-blooming species. 

 Amazingly, the Skunk Cabbage spathe often becomes warm enough to melt the snow around it.  The warmed tissues give off a distinct odor of rotting meat which attracts carrion-feeding flies and gnats to enter the warm shelter.  Once inside, the insects come into contact with pollen from the Skunk Cabbage flowers.  Then, when they leave the spathe and enter neighboring spathes, these insect visitors unknowingly transfer pollen from plant to plant allowing “cross-pollination.” 

Our Skunk Cabbage system not only favors its own survival and flourishing but also that of multiple insect species.  Later in the year, certain animal species such as bears may eat the leaves and seeds.   Skunk Cabbage is only one of many examples of the amazing provisions we believe God has designed for survival and flourishing of plants and animals.  Such relationships within God’s creation suggest that we live in a world that favors life and flourishing, not misery and death.   

Providential Care through Human Compassion
Most of us have been afforded the opportunity to live in the shelter and provision of a “home” where our needs are met.  Unlike the winter-flying insects that must find warmth and shelter inside a Skunk Cabbage spathe, our homes are places of reliable shelter from the snow and cold of winter, and the pounding rains and blistering sun of summer.  Home is also a place of safety from those who disregard the law.  Best of all, home affords a place in which family and friendships can grow, flourish, and make memories. 

Those who suddenly lose their homes and all of its provisions during natural disasters are at the mercy of God who providentially uses compassionate people who are willing to respond to desperate calls for help.  Temporary safe shelters, water, food, and medical services are essential to begin the restoration of order and the opportunity to rebuild homes and community. 

Many individuals and families face hard times when illness, unemployment, or another unexpected crisis occurs.  That is why it is comforting to find local helping hands and ministries such as People to People Ministries (PTPM) here in Wooster, Ohio to come alongside.  We are among those who thank the director, Joe Szeker, his dedicated staff, and many local residents who donate their time, food, clothing, and other resources in support of PTP’s mission “to provide an immediate, realistic, and compassionate response to people with these basic needs when these needs are not being met through any other programs.”  When we as God's image bearers demonstrate caring compassion in practical ways toward our neighbor in need, we are expressing the loving heart of God, evident in both human communities and in the providential life-supporting systems of His creation.

Further Reading: 

More on Skunk Cabbage:  Go HERE.
People to People Ministries:   Go HERE.
God’s Economy in Creation:  Go HERE.

Treasures Along Roads Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

In his beloved poem, "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost uses the imagery of divergent roads where we as travelers in life must choose which road we will follow.  Indeed, our lives continually require us to make choices.  Some may have only minor consequence.  But Frost’s “fork in the road” analogy seems to suggest major choices we must make.  We all make choices that shape our moral and spiritual identity, form our social network, influence how we use material resources, and sensitize us to our vocational calling and purpose in life. Whether our choices are good or bad, we are all given time, talents, and treasures to use as stewards of these as gifts and opportunities.

Book Review
This month’s blog presents a book review of Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes, subtitled Wildlands of the Dayton, Ohio Region in 1800…and Today, authored by my friend, David Nolin.  From my vantage point, Dave seems to have taken "the one less traveled' -- one that “was grassy and wanted wear.” Whether I am correct in placing Dave on such a path and whether I’m making a correct application of Frost’s intent will remain to be seen.  I will leave it for Dave and other readers to comment and steer me aright if necessary.  But stay with me and we’ll see where this blog leads.

How Things Used to Be
One’s preference for the “road less travelled” can take different forms.  Some of us prefer to apply this preference literally when we leave the highways and interstates behind to view the landscape from rough and winding country roads.  We may even be prone to stop along country roads to hike offroad, where we are permitted, to find trails and paths less traveled, and where landscapes remind us of “how things used to be.”  Such places offer a quietness from the bustle of our busy world, solace to appreciate the beauty of the natural landscape, and time to observe the diversity of its resident flora and fauna.  For some of us, after we have rolled back the distractions of every-day life to reflect on the natural landscape, we encounter new and worthwhile questions.

The Author
Dave Nolin has been among those who have long been fascinated by “how things used to be” in the landscapes of southwestern Ohio.  During his 30-year career with Five Rivers MetroParks of Dayton, Ohio, Dave has been active in the discovery, acquisition, and land stewardship of numerous natural area treasures of the surrounding region.  

Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes gives us an account of what Nolin has learned from extensive field studies and research into historic accounts and mapped data, all of which he has compiled into an understandable, fascinating, and beautifully illustrated book.  Readers are treated to an account of “how things used to be” in landscapes of southwestern Ohio, the forces that have historically shaped these landscapes, and the land management principles that we ought to follow to maintain these biological and historical treasures.

For History Lovers
Readers of Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes who love history will be treated to numerous accounts describing the various plant communities of southwestern Ohio complete with color photos and maps.  Prior to the entry of agriculture and industry, Native Americans used fire to hunt game animals and maintain prairie grasslands for good grazing.  Readers who have believed that land stewards can keep landscapes “the way they used to be” by simply leaving them undisturbed will be in for a surprise.  From the historical records, Nolin argues just the opposite—the only way to conserve many of these natural areas such as open prairie grasslands is to disturb them!  In other words, in order to conserve them [Latin, con- (with) + servitium (service)] we must “serve with” them by planning and executing disturbances typical of those which have sustained them for centuries.  To use Robert Frost’s analogy, these natural areas are each like the road that “was grassy and wanted wear.”  

For Map Lovers
Readers who love maps will be interested in how Dave is leading the effort to refine an older map published in 1966.  This map, entitled Natural Vegetation of Ohio at the Time of the Earliest Land Surveys, was compiled from mapped data from the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) obtained prior to 1800.   

In Chapter 2, “Mapping a Lost World,” Dave explains his project to evaluate the PLSS data using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software in order to provide more accurate mapping of pre-settlement plant communities.  The result is a treat for readers who love both maps and history.   This is true because the aim of the project is to use documents containing pre-settlement data to go beneath the “landscape layer” familiar to us today in order to reconstruct an “historic landscape layer” that maps the plant communities as they existed in Ohio prior to 1800.  

Just in Time for Spring
The coming of Spring is a great time to follow “roads less traveled” to find the botanical treasures of remnant natural areas.  My wife and I are planning to use Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes to explore some of these natural areas.  Chapter 5, “Some Modern Lifeboats,” serves as a guide to twenty-one protected natural areas within the Dayton, Ohio region that are accessible to the public.  Nolin gives the location of each of these natural areas on a map of the Dayton regional area and describes the landscape and past disturbances.  Each natural area is also highlighted with photos of notable plant species and an aerial map of the designated hiking trails.

In conclusion, if you are among those of us who love the “road less traveled” or know someone who has that love, may I heartily recommend Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes.  And don’t be surprised this Spring if you are hiking in one of the treasured landscaped described in this book to run upon Dave Nolin and maybe his wife, Catherine, already there enjoying it.

Where to Purchase:
Nolin, David.  2024. Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes: Wildlands of the Dayton,
    Ohio Region in 1800…and Today. Generis Publishing.
    For more information and purchase, go HERE.

Recommended Further Reading:
Nolin, David.  2018. Discovery and Renewal on Huffman Prairie: Where Aviation
    Took Wing.  Kent State University Press 
    For purchase, go HERE.  Book review, go HERE.
More on conservation and land stewardship in this blog, enter keyword
    "conservation" in Search Oikonomia" box in the menu bar (right side -->).

Limits to Intimacy? 3. Confess Our Need, Call on the Helper

Most of us aspire toward close friendships and fulfilling marriages.  Satisfying interpersonal relationships are an essential part of our emotional, physical, and spiritual health.  Such relationships are characterized by sacrificial love, honesty, shared values, and unwavering commitment “through thick and thin.”  But how many of us know the bliss of such an intimate interpersonal relationship?

In Part 1 of “Limits to Intimacy,” we defined intimacy and discussed limits to intimacy in interpersonal relationships.  [See Part 1, HERE.]  Sadly, perfect human relationships are beyond human reach.  Wouldn’t you agree?  But there’s good news for us on this Valentine's Day!

Invitation to Unlimited Intimacy
What if you received an invitation to form a friendship or marriage with a sure guarantee that it would mature into one with no limit to intimacy?  In addition, what if you were also welcomed into an exemplary interpersonal relationship to emulate; one that also offered free counseling when needed?  Wouldn’t such a prospect be worth pursuing?   The good news is:  Such a perfect interpersonal relationship does exist!  In fact, we have already tried to describe the nature of this most intimate relationship in Part 2 [Click HERE.].  It is the divine relationship among the three Persons of the Triune Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Best of all, we are each invited to participate in the joy of this divine relationship.

The Bible reveals to us that, The Father sent the Son [Jesus Christ] to be the Savior of the world (John 1 John 4: 14), and …everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (Romans 10: 13).  But saved for what?  Saved to receive and enjoy the gift of eternal life in a relationship with God.  And what is eternal life?  It is the gift of new life for those who are redeemed (purchased and freed) from the slavery of self and sin and restored from the fall of Adam.  Jesus, the Son, defined eternal life while He prayed in this way:  This is eternal life, that they may know You [Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17: 3).  Imagine this!   Eternal life is to know God intimately and personally—forever!

The Triune God has an amazing purpose in His invitation to us to “call on the Name of the LORD.”  We can be saved into eternal life for the purpose (in Jesus’s words) that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17: 21).  Reread this part of Jesus’s prayer to His Father, spoken the day before His crucifixion.  Meditate on the depth of intimacy into which God invites us!

Eternal life is not simply an eternal, blissful existence.  It begins at the moment we hear and respond in faith to the Triune God’s call:
“Come unto Me!  Come and be one with Me,” invites the Father.
“Even as Christ is in Me,” declares the Father, and “as I AM in the Son.
Jesus’s invitation is clear: “So come, be in Us, so the world may believe that You (Father) sent Me.”  

We who are Christ-followers ought to be amazed each time we realize that the shed blood and resurrection of Christ and His gift of faith to believe (Ephesians 2: 8-10) opens the way for God to invite us to become partakers of His divine nature!   The Apostle Peter wrote of this divine invitation (emphasis added):

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by evil desires (2 Peter 1: 3-4).

Ingredients for Intimacy
What specifically are the necessary ingredients for an intimate interpersonal relationship?  At least one is found in Jesus’s teaching about the vine and branches in John 15.  

💜Christ-Centered:  An intimate friendship or marriage between two flawed individuals requires that each be yielded to God in saving faith as branches dependent on Christ, the Vine (John 15).  As each friend or spouse abides, he or she receives the life-giving “sap,” the love and power of Christ, through the filling of His Holy Spirit.  When each one willingly “dies to self and selfishness,” God’s Spirit can work more fully in us to produce His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… (Galatians 5: 22-23).  When the members of a relationship each practice the character virtues of Christ as friends or spouses, they are becoming “partakers of the divine nature.”

Experiencing and practicing the character virtues of the Eternal Life of the Spirit within us requires that we feed upon the Word of God as our daily spiritual bread.  When anxious thoughts arise, we ought to Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful (Colossians 3: 15).  When we need wisdom or correction, God’s Spirit prompts us to Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God (verse 16).

God lovingly communicates to us through His Word and through His Spirit abiding in us.  In return, our intimacy with God in friendships and in marriage is sustained through prayer.

😌Prayer:  Psalm 139 may be the most intimate prayer recorded in the Bible.  David, who expressed this prayer to God had a remarkable resume. Beginning as a common shepherd boy, he became an outstanding musician, psalmist, warrior, and king.  Most importantly, in 1 Samuel 16: 13, we learn that as a young man, David was anointed with oil by the godly judge and prophet Samuel in the midst of his brothers.  The Scripture adds that, as anointing oil was applied and running down from David’s head, the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.  

And so, David, filled with the Holy Spirit, begins his prayer in reverence to God, addressing Him “LORD,” or in Hebrew, Yahweh (Psalm 139: 1).  “LORD” (all in caps) translates into our English verb “to be” and is expressed as, “I AM!”  When we address God in prayer as “LORD,” we are acknowledging Him as the “eternally existent One.”  Consider this!  Although we are finite creatures, bound by our temporal, earthly existence, God invites us into a personal relationship with our eternally existent “LORD.”  Prayers lifted to God from our Spirit-filled souls interconnect our lives with the Eternal Life of our Savior and God.  Communion with God through prayer and abiding daily in His Word completes the “spiritual circuitry.” This completed circuit allows the free flow of knowledge of the Truth to sustain us as “partakers of the divine nature.”

😊Knowledge is the third ingredient for an intimate relationship.  In Psalm 139: 1, David acknowledges God’s profound, personal knowledge of his innermost being.  David begins, O LORD, You have searched me and known me (verse 1).  Then, he reverently recounts all the ways God knows him (verses 2-18).   As the table below illustrates, we found at least seven areas of his life in which David humbly acknowledged God’s complete knowledge of him.  [CLICK on table to enlarge.] 

God’s complete knowledge of each person transcends space, time, and even the spoken word.  God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts before we speak or act.  As he meditates on God’s omniscience, David exclaims:  Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  The answer is: "Nowhere!"  But there is more that we can apply to deepen our relationships.

Prior to their sin, Genesis 2 records that the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Genesis 2: 25).  The human race began in a perfect creation with a perfect marriage.  The male and the female were designed to cleave to one another and be as “one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24), realized physically by their sexual union, and intellectually and emotionally by their intimate, personal knowing of one another’s thoughts and intentions.  This blessed intimacy was corrupted by sin when Adam and Eve yielded to Satan’s temptation and rebelled against God’s design for them in the Garden of Eden [See Part 2, HERE.]

   

😔Humble Submission:  God had created Adam and Eve, and gifted them with an intimate relationship that reflected the perfect intimacy within the Triune Godhead as we discussed in Part 2 [Click HERE.].  But the first couple chose what they thought was the “better and wiser way.”  Genesis 3: 8 reveals that ...they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  When God came seeking Adam and Eve (He knew exactly where they were physically and spiritually.), He saw the couple hiding from Him and hiding from each other by the fig leaves they had sewn together.  We, as Adam’s fallen descendants, have inherited their sinful nature and proneness to hide.

The central biblical narrative is an account of God lovingly seeking Adam’s fallen descendants and ultimately sending His Son, Jesus Christ, as the perfect Lamb to atone for our sin and bring us back to intimate oneness with Him --that is, to become “partakers of the divine nature” as noted above.  If we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, then God’s Spirit and His Word convict us to confess our sin and repent (turn from our sin).   Then, we can become forthright in our prayers and in our actions toward God and in our friendships and marriages.

Inventory of Our Intimacy
Imagine a conversation with your friend or your spouse if you knew they were all-knowing (omniscient) like God is!  But we all know they are not omniscient.  So, we are tempted to hide or hold back information; and, to suspect, mistrust, and misjudge one another.   It follows that the degree of intimacy with our friend or spouse depends on the degree to which we have each, individually submitted to God, and then worked together to promote a relationship of trust and openness.  Let’s pursue this logic to make an inventory of our relationships.

😌Honest Confession:  When we are tempted to selfishly hide truth and be dishonest with our friend or spouse; or, if we discover that we have wrongly accused them; in either case, we have sinned.  Thankfully, it helps us to remember two things:  First, as the Apostle John wrote in essence, “if we say we have no sin (or boast that we are not to blame), we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8).”   But…if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (v. 9).  Submission to God, confession, and repentance completes the “circuit” for greater intimacy with God and with our friend or spouse.  We need to be continually checking our spiritual circuitry. 

👂Applying Scripture-Fed Prayer:  Second, we must be disciplined in keeping the “circuit” between us and God open by continuing in God’s Word daily (His Word to us) and abiding in Christ through prayer (our words and thoughts to God).  The discipline of making time for daily Scripture-fed prayer is not easy.  We must give high priority to regularly set aside time for quiet solace to commune with God through our spirit and hear from Him through His Spirit and Word.  Charles Swindoll shares the following challenge in his book, Intimacy with the Almighty¹ :  

Intimacy with the Almighty calls for disciplines that are no longer valued or emulated by the majority today.  To begin with, there must be simplicity, which allows us the room to reorder our private world.  Then, there must be silence, a rarity in our time.  Silence, as we've seen in Scripture, makes our moments of stillness meaningful.

Here again we can learn from David.  Long before Christ came, David seems to have concluded how wise it was for him to yield to the all-knowing God and the convicting power of God’s Word.  Hebrews 4: 12 tells us that God’s Word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4: 12).  At times, this process can be harsh and threatening. But thankfully, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4: 15).  Instead of denying our sin or trying to hide it from God or others, the next verse lovingly calls us to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Is there any place more intimate than at the throne of God where Christ intercedes with us as our Advocate seated at God’s right hand?

👂Responding to Intimacy with God:  When we prayerfully read the whole of Psalm 139 as we hope you will, and pray the message of each verse back to God in reverent, humble, submission, we reinforce a spirit of repentance – i.e. a commitment to turn from our sinful ways and yield to God’s Spirit who convicts us and transforms our thinking (Romans 12: 1-3).  As we have noted earlier, David begins this prayer-psalm acknowledging that God had searched him and known him fully.  After rehearsing all the ways God intimately knows him, David humbly calls on God:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
     Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
     And lead me in the everlasting way.
                                   - Psalm 139: 23-24

David’s prayer is offered from a humble, contrite heart with full admission of his need for God’s Spirit to find both hidden faults and willful sins (Psalm 19: 13-14).  David asks to be delivered from both so that he may experience the “joy of Thy salvation” (Psalm 51: 12) and willingly follow God’s “everlasting way” (Psalm 139: 24).  Then, he will be blameless, having reached “a state of moral integrity and purity before God;” a state, not of moral perfection, but of mature awareness of his continual need to press on while leaning upon the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide.

How Will You Respond?
We hope you have responded to our invitation take biblical inventory of one of your Intimate relationships as outlined above?  We urge you to come prayerfully before God’s throne to respond according to the conviction of His Spirit and Word.  If you have never repented of your sin and received Christ’s sacrificial blood atonement for it, check out the simple outline of “Steps to Peace with God” (Click HERE.) which provides helpful Scripture and a prayer.  As always, you may post your comments or questions below using the “Comment” link.  Or you may contact us at silviusj@gmail.com.

😌A Christ-follower’s Prayer:  Father in Heaven, thank you that we can call you “Father” because Your Son, Jesus obediently left Heaven’s glory and took upon Himself all the sin and sorrows of the world, bearing them on His Cross, dying there, and raising to new life which opened the way for us to be saved by faith in Him.  Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit for opening your eternal intimacy to spill out Your love through the blood of Christ so that you, Holy God, can invite us into intimate relationship with you as partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by evil desire (2 Peter 1: 4).  Convict us of sin or any distraction that deters us from pursuing and achieving intimacy with you, God, and in our friendships and marriages.   Amen.

-----------------
Footnotes:
¹Charles R. Swindoll. 1996.  Intimacy with the Almighty.  Word Publishing.

²Oikonomia. "Learning to Know Ourselves: 3. True, Lasting Inclusion."  June 26, 2024 [Click HERE.]

Limits to Intimacy? 2. Not So, in God!

Perfect interpersonal relationships do not exist.  Wouldn’t you agree?  Yet most of us have an inner desire to find deep, intimate friendships and fulfilling marriages. 

In "Limits to Intimacy?" Part 1, we defined intimacy, we questioned whether there are limits to intimacy in interpersonal relationships, and we outlined five types of intimacy in human relationships. [See Part 1, HERE.]  We also received private communications in which some of you shared important insights on the subject of intimacy.

Our “Blog in a Nutshell” [See on LEFT.] summarizes Part 1 and explains what you will read in Part 2.  As always, we welcome your insights and questions at the “Comment” link below.

Beginning of Intimacy
The word intimate means “inmost, innermost, deepest.”  When applied to human relationships, it describes a warm friendship or close association which may or may not have a romantic component.  In a romantic relationship, erotic love (Gr. eros) is usually present which, as Pastor Timothy Keller describes it, the couple face each other and blissfully share in mutual adoration as if nothing else existed.  In contrast, “friendship love” (Gr. phileo) pictures two people standing side-by-side with their eyes focused on admiring another object, person, sport, hobby, shared belief, or cause.  According to Keller, friendship love develops in those special moments when one person learns that another person shares the same interest or value as if to realize, “You enjoy it, too?" or, “You believe it, too?”

God created humans to be relational beings.  We find meaning, purpose and fulfillment by forming and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships.  These relationships are most certain to endure and thrive when we invite God to be at the center.  Contrary to the other religions of the world, Judeo-Christian theology reveals that the LORD God, Jehovah, has made a way for humans to establish a loving friendship with Him.  Yes, “friendship with Almighty God!"  As we grow in the intimacy of fellowship in our obedient walk with Jesus Christ, we find ourselves loving what He loves and doing what He would do.  Because of our shared values, we find ourselves joyfully saying to our Savior, “You, too?” 

God Invites Intimacy
Still, many people view Jehovah God just like any other god-- distant, impersonal, and uncaring.  Why should they seek a friendship with a God they do not trust?  How can they be sure God is not a “cosmic killjoy?”  Isn’t God so “altogether other” and “all-powerful” compared to us?  How could there be any joy or fun in a relationship with a distant God who claims to be “holy” and “almighty?”  The answer lies in another attribute of God’s character and nature:  God has revealed himself as "Love" (Gr. agape) which He expresses as unconditional, sacrificial, and benevolent behavior toward us in both His character and actions (John 3 :16).

The Scriptures reveal that God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were still (rebellious) sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5: 8).  Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friend (John 15: 13).  When we realize we are rebels against a loving God, we yield to God’s loving pursuit, and His Spirit indwells us to produce the fruit of Love, Joy, Peace, and more (John 15: 1-10; Galatians 5: 22-23).  If we abide in Christ, we can share the testimony of John:  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5: 3).  When we gladly obey God as an expression of our love and desire for friendship with Jesus, He responds:  You are My friends if you do what I command you (John 15: 14).  

But still, many remain skeptical.  Some will accept that “God is love,” but ask how can one become an intimate friend with a God knowing that He also occupies a position of sovereign power over us?  God is our powerful Creator (Genesis 1-2) and we are “the created.”  How then is our friendship with God any different than employee to employer?  After all, we can be close friends with our bosses at work but these friendships are ultimately conditioned upon our job performance.  Can we be any more intimate with God than this?  Again, the answer lies in the nature of God.

Triune Godhead:  Eternal Intimacy
It is it true that God is love.  It is God’s abundant, overflowing love that causes Him to be an eternally relational Being.  He is One God in three Persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit, all three in a perfect, loving, purposeful, relationship as One.  It is from within this pre-existing, loving relationship in the Godhead that God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… (Genesis 1: 26).  

Pastor Timothy Keller has taught that although God is our Almighty Creator and Ruler, He pursues intimacy with humankind not primarily with His Power as Creator but rather, with His unfailing Love.  From the very beginning of creation, God’s relationship to His creation was not about His Power, but about His Love which had been emanating as a fragrance from the eternal, loving relationships within the Godhead from eternity past. [Hear Tim Keller’s message, "Praying in the Psalms," HERE.]  

Broken Intimacy with God
Adam and Eve were created in the image of God to enjoy perfect love and intimacy with God. He instituted marriage to be an intimate relationship between the man and woman, a relationship in which they could come to know each other deeply and without fear, shame, or any other reservation.  This is intimacy without limits!  However, they were deceived by Satan, ate the forbidden fruit, and immediately became estranged from each other and from God (Genesis 3).

Before the Fall, the man and the woman had been “naked and unashamed” with nothing to hide.  But their sin caused them to hide themselves from each other and from God.  Perfect intimacy between them and with God was destroyed.  So, God sacrificed an animal to create skin coverings them (Genesis 3: 21).  This shedding of blood foreshadowed the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect Lamb sent to take away the sin of the world and to restore broken relationships.

In Philippians 2: 7-8, the Apostle Paul describes the sacrificial path of suffering that Jesus walked for us on His way to the Cross:  Jesus… emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  How would Christ the Son of God have walked this path of unspeakable suffering and death were it not for His continual, intimate communion with His Father in Heaven?  It would have been impossible!  If we desire to build intimate friendships and marriages, what better relationship is there to study than the perfect one between God the Father and God His incarnated Son whose character and behavior we are to emulate?   

Intimacy of God the Father and Son
Intimate relationships between people as image-bearers of God are ultimately made possible by the sacrificial love and redemption purchased by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3: 18).  The Gospel of John, Chapter 17, includes the “High Priestly Prayer of Christ.”  This precious Scripture invites us to “listen in on” the prayer of Jesus Christ to His Father only a few hours before He went to the Cross to die for sinners.  Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb and fulfilled all that the Jewish priestly sacrificial system had foreshadowed for many centuries before.  

A careful study of Jesus’s “High Priestly Prayer” reveals several qualities and attributes that are an integral part of the perfect and holy intimacy of the Triune Godhead.  Here are three that are essential for any intimate human relationship:
(a)  Prayer, in solitude where possible, and with loved ones
(b)  Love (mutual, unconditional, agape) for God and for one another
(c)  Knowing God personally and yielding to His will
Before reading further, we suggest that you take a pause and carefully read John 17.  As you read, notice how the three qualities that build intimacy are evident in Jesus’s prayer.

Through Prayer
In John 17: 1, we read the first words of Jesus’s intimate prayer to His Father in Heaven:  Father, the hour has come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee…  There is no more perfect intimacy than that which is between God the Father and Christ, His Son.  And, there’s no more necessary gift of God to His redeemed children at Christ’s expense than the ability to pray with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ; and, if married, to pray with our spouses.  Jesus paid the price to make possible intimate human relationships built upon the discipline of prayer.

Back to the hours before His crucifixion, Jesus was already aware of the weight of His responsibility to bear the sin of the world.  He had nowhere to turn but to His Father.  Jesus’s first words, Father, the hour has come, remind us that the Father and the Son had shared an endearing relationship all the way from eternity past.  Jesus then asks that the Father sustain and glorify Him as God’s Lamb as He is about to offer Himself in the sacrifice of His life.

Through Mutual Love
We should also note that the “High Priestly Prayer” (John 17) contains several elements that express the shared love and authority within the Triune Godhead and the overflowing love for mankind that spills from the Godhead.  These elements include the following:

(a) Submission to His Father:  For their sakes I sanctify Myself [set Myself apart for this purpose], that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth (John 17: 19).  Jesus expresses commitment to His redemptive mission:  To glorify His Father by yielding Himself as a “servant steward” under His Father’s authority.   As such, Jesus becomes God’s “Love Gift” made possible by His suffering and death as a sinless Lamb-- even death on a Cross (John 17: 1-2, 4; Philippians 2: 5-8).  

(b) Intimate relationship with God:  This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17: 3).  The Apostle Paul expressed his desire to know God intimately while rejecting things he once valued.  He wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death… (Philippians 3: 10).

(c) Intercession on behalf of His Own:  Jesus interceded before the Father’s throne on behalf of His disciples, and He still intercedes for us and for those who will believe in Him in the future (John 17: 5-26).

(d) Prays for Church Unity:  …that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17: 21).  Jesus prays that His church, birthed out of His death and resurrection, will powerfully witness to the world that His followers live in loving unity with each other because they live in intimate love and unity with the Father, Son, and Spirit. (John 17: 21) (John 17: 20-23). Francis Schaeffer has claimed that the unity among Christians within the Body of Christ is the greatest testimony and apologetic for the authenticity of the Christian faith². 

Prayer in Solitude
It is likely that Jesus prayed His “High Priestly Prayer” in some form during many occasions when he would slip away to a place of solitude (e.g. Matthew 14: 23; Mark 1: 35; Luke 5: 16; 6: 12).  Jesus not only modeled prayers for us in form and content, but He also modeled the practice of finding places of solitude where distractions are minimized.  Jesus in His humanity was applying God’s command in Psalm 46: 10, Be still and know that I am God…  [For more Scriptures about Jesus praying, click HERE.]

Chuck Swindoll wrote¹, "We are commanded to stop (literally)... rest. relax, let go, and make time for Him.  The scene is one of stillness and quietness, listening and waiting before Him.  Such foreign experiences in these busy times!  Nevertheless, knowing God deeply and intimately requires such discipline.  Silence is indispensable if we hope to add depth to our spiritual life."

On one occasion, Jesus’s disciples found Him praying alone and were so inspired that they asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11: 1).  We ought to be encouraged that God not only commands us to pray (1 Thessalonians 5: 17) but through Christ our Advocate (1 John 2: 1), He always lives to make intercession… for us (Hebrews 7: 25; Romans 8: 27).  What’s more, the Holy Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8: 26).

Invitation to Intimacy with God
If you are a Christ-follower, we hope your experience of rereading and meditating on John 17, preferably in a quiet place where God’s Spirit can speak to you, will bring you into an awareness of the awesome power of the intimate love and purity of holiness that exists when we bow before the throne of the Triune God.  Think of it!  Jesus our Advocate with the Father is praying on our behalf, saying: …as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, [I Your Son, now pray] that _(insert your name)__ also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17: 21).  Jesus, in His High Priestly role, continually intercedes for us, deeply desiring that we come as we are and receive His gift of salvation followed by daily fellowship and spiritual renewal (Matthew 11: 28-31; John 15: 1-5).

If you are not a Christ-follower, or even if you are by your professed faith in Him, have you ever thought what you will do when you stand before the throne of God Almighty?  Moses, in fear and reverence, removed his sandals (Exodus 3: 5).  Isaiah said, “Woe, …I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6: 1-5); and the Apostle John, upon encountering the glorified Christ, fell to the ground at His feet, being overwhelmed by the holy majesty of the Lamb of God (Revelation 1: 17).  

Yet, along with the fierce holiness and majesty of a just God is His gracious invitation to us sinners to come boldly into His presence because we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One [Jesus Christ] who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need (Hebrews 4: 15-16).

How Will You Respond to God’s Invitation to Intimate Relationship?  It is clear from the Bible that those who encountered the holiness of God Almighty wasted no time in responding in reverent fear and humble worship.  We have already noted that Moses, Isaiah, and the Apostle John all recognized their unworthiness.  Luke 3: 3 speaks of a “baptism of repentance,” meaning that our response ought to be a humble willingness to turn from our old ways of thought and action, our sin being buried as symbolized by our being submerged in baptism; and reborn to a new beginning.  Along with our spiritual “rebirth” is a baptism into the Body of Christ in which we can abide in intimate fellowship with the Triune God as partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1: 4).  How will you respond to God’s invitation?  We urge you to come before God’s throne and His Word to respond according to the conviction of His Spirit and Word.  The simple outline of “Steps to Peace with God” (Click HERE.) provides helpful Scripture and a prayer.

A Christ-follower’s Prayer:  Father in Heaven, thank you that we can call you “Father” because Your Son, Jesus obediently left Heaven’s glory and took upon Himself all the sin and sorrows of the world, bearing them on His Cross, dying there, and raising to new life which opened the way for us to be saved by faith in Him.  Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit for opening your eternal intimacy to spill out Your love through the blood of Christ so that you, Holy God, can invite us into intimate relationship with you as partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by evil desire (2 Peter 1: 4).  Personally, I pray that you will continue to work in me through Your Word and through those who challenge me. Help me to lay aside the entanglements and the sin that so easily besets me and interferes with developing a more intimate relationship with my wife, family, and friends.  Amen.

-----------------
Looking Ahead to Part 3:  In Part 1 and Part 2, we have discussed the nature of intimacy in human relationships and between us and God.  It is clear from Scripture that God is holy and powerful, but He is also gracious, loving, and relational.  Indeed, God has given His Son to redeem us so that we might share in loving intimacy with Him.
In Part 3, we discuss how God's omniscience as expressed in His intimate knowledge of each one of us is intended to show us how much He loves and values us personally.  God's intimate knowledge of us also becomes the basis for the Joy we can have when we yield to His pursuit and become pursuers of Him as our Father and Friend.  To read Part 3, Click HERE.

-----------------
Footnotes:
¹ Charles Swindoll. 1996.  Intimacy with the Almighty, Word Publishing.

 ² Curtis Heffelfinger. 2018. The Peace Making Church, Baker Books. p. 107.

Christmas Greetings to Family & Friends - 2024

God Came to Us
Merry Christmas, dear family and friends.  Once again, we are caught up in the celebration of Christmas.  Christmas is celebrated in many ways around the world, but Advent comes with only one message:  Emmanuel—“God with us.”  God came in the Person of Jesus Christ.  It is because of the Advent of Christ that we can be encouraged this Christmas—because He came to be with us.  Now it’s our turn to come to Him.

The hymn, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” invites us to come joyfully, sing to the LORD, and tell of His glory much like the unnamed psalmist did in Psalm 96 (emphasis added):

Sing to the LORD a new song;
    Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
    Proclaim good tidings of His salvation
    from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
    His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
                                 - Psalm 96: 1-3

It is with this spirit of praise and thankfulness to God for His greatest Gift-- the Way of salvation through His Son Jesus, that our letter comes to you.  We have no intention to boast of family accomplishments; but rather, to inform you about our family and encourage you in the process.

Come and Be with Us
It was a highlight for us this year when our son Brad and daughter Mindy, and their loved ones each said, “Come be with us.”  In February, Brad and Raquel invited us to share a condo with them in Naples for several days.  It was a welcome break from the Ohio winter to enjoy some warm-weather activities with them. We were also privileged to spend a couple of weeks with Abby's sister Donna and her husband, Larry, in Winter Haven.  

Brad, Raquel, and their partners are now in the 20th year of their faith-based ministry to children, the Little Leaders Company.  They are marking this milestone with the launch of a series of colorful “Backyard Adventure” books that complement their faith-based video series.  The video series focuses on teaching character qualities and basic skills like learning the animals.  From our experience introducing the videos and books to the 2-year-olds we teach at our church, these resources are well suited for parents looking for meaningful ways to teach their children. [[Click HERE for website.]

In March, Mindy, Steve, and family invited us to enjoy their time-share with them in Myrtle Beach and to celebrate Abby’s and Della Rose’s birthdays.  On the road trip down, we enjoyed meaningful conversation with granddaughter Kiara and her husband, John.  The trip was a welcome break for Mindy who works for WellBe Senior Medical as a clinical educator of nurse practitioners locally and out of state.  Our granddaughter, Della Rose, and her friend, Lily, were also with us and enjoyed their break from school—and we enjoyed them.

We look forward to being together as family again this Christmas, especially to see grandson Caleb and his wife, Soni, whose schedules often prevent them from joining us from their home in the Pittsburgh area.  Caleb is a truckdriver for Papa John’s Pizza and supplies fresh dough and accessories to stores around the tri-state area and beyond.  Soni works in the medical health services.

We Can Come to Him
Each year we are becoming more aware of our age.  But we still enjoy walking together, relaxing in our sunroom or deck, gardening and landscaping, and playing games or watching old movies when the weather is cold.  One of us enjoys reading and writing more than the other.

In addition to our home, we enjoy being with our family and with our church family.  Regarding our church, we are privileged to attend and co-lead our small group which meets weekly in our home.  We pray for each other and encourage one another as we seek to apply the teaching/preaching each Sunday from God’s Word by our pastor, Zach Swift.  Our small group recently enjoyed a night of caroling.  In order to keep ourselves young (or make us feel old?) Abby and I have been teaching the 2-year-olds one Sunday each month as part of our church’s Christian education program.  John also co-leads a mid-week, Scripture-fed prayer fellowship with a brother in Christ, Brad Will.

In summary, the past year was like the quiet waters of a stream flowing through a gentle landscape, but then becoming turbulent as it passes down steep valleys.  In March, Abby’s sister Donna passed from this Earth into God’s presence after nearly a year of bravely battling cancer.  [Read more HERE.]  Thankfully, in April, our turbulent waters were calmed by the announcement from granddaughter Kiara and her husband John that they have the prospect of being parents in January, 2025.  Elizabeth Maetta regularly makes herself known to her mommy and we are looking forward to meeting our first great-grandchild.

As Summer turned toward Autumn, our dear friend and brother in Christ, Rex Young, slipped away into Heaven on his 75th birthday after courageously bearing with a six-year bout of cancer.  [Read more HERE.]  We were reminded of the promise of Psalm 23: 2b and v. 4 (paraphrased): “You lead us beside the still waters…  Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with us LORD, and your rod and staff, they comfort us.”

Many of you who read our Christmas letter can relate to both the quiet and the turbulent waters.  But, we can find comfort in remembering that Christmas is the story of God taking on human flesh in the Person of Jesus and dwelling among us.  He came not to condemn us, but to bear our sins and our sorrows (Isaiah 53: 4), and to lift us up through His Spirit that we might be saved (John 3: 16-17).

We thank each of you who have stayed connected with us in some way in 2024 through various communications or by your invitations or visits.  We invite you to leave a greeting using the "Comments" link below.

Have a blessed Christmas and New Year,

God’s Love In Action from the Solid Rock

In our previous blog, “Thanksgiving for Multiethnicity – Part 2” [See HERE.], we featured Lapman and Ching Ching Lun and family who are demonstrating an obedient response to God’s Great Commission to go and “make disciples of all the nations.”  One of Ching Ching’s journal entries describes the ministry of Bileg Solid Rock Mission in Kampong Thom, Cambodia [See HERE].  Her description perfectly captures a local Body of Christ when it is on mission.

Love of Christ in Action
Today, we got to witness how village outreach and feeding centers change the lives of the local community.  In addition to their own Sunday morning service, every Sunday afternoon, the staff (along with the orphans at the home) from Bileg Solid Rock Missions would travel to multiple villages to preach the Gospel.  By modeling and practicing this together, these young people saw the importance of sharing the Gospel and living on purpose.

After the program, the kids that come to the feeding center all received a warm meal.  These kids came from poor villages, and many of their parents had to find work in a different city, or even in neighboring Thailand or Vietnam.  They came hungry of course, but the most important thing is that they are also spiritually hungry.  These same kids would be registered for the program and followed through and mentored all the way through school until they become adults! 

Pastor Yean Rith grew up in this village, and went to MANNA Worldwide’s feeding center as a young boy.  His family was poor, and the feeding center gave him food, but more importantly, they taught him about God.  He got saved, and years later, came back to serve his own village.  This is just a beautiful example of God’s amazing grace!!   
[From:  Ching Ching Lun, 12-15-24 in Kampong Thom, Cambodia]

Bileg Solid Rock Missions
At the heart of Jesus’s teaching both by His example and His Word in Scripture are His Great Commandment (Matthew 22: 35-40) and His Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18b-20).

A lawyer asked Jesus, “Which is the great commandment in the law?”  Jesus replied (emphasis added):

“ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22: 35-40

As the Risen Christ was preparing to ascend into Heaven, he spoke to His followers, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  -- Matthew 28: 18b-20

The Vision of Bileg Solid Rock Mission is to carry out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in Cambodia through various humanitarian services that will result in the improvement of the quality of life of the people in the areas of health, education and culture.

The Goal:  To significantly contribute to the delivery of medical and health services, education and livelihood opportunities to the people in the covered communities so that they may become more productive and useful citizens of their country and of the world.

How Will We Respond?
Ching Ching Lun’s account of the ministry of love and compassion at Bileg Solid Rock Missions reveals Christ-followers who are living and serving in obedience to Christ’s "two Great’s” in the Scriptures above.  God’s Great Commission, when carried out in the spirit of God’s Great Commandment, adorns the Gospel of Christ with His love in action.  Sharing the Gospel of salvation brings lives from spiritual darkness into the Light and Eternal Life through faith in Christ.  Sharing God’s love through provision of food, medical and health services, education and livelihood opportunities complements the mission’s evangelism and discipleship in practical ways that help meet the needs of the whole person.

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another, even as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another. – John 13: 34-35

Our Cambodian brethren and the Lun Family provide examples of how members of the Body of Christ ought to respond to Christ's call to love one another as He loves us; and, to go and make disciples of all the nations.  During this Advent season and as we consider goals for the New Year, let us pray for 'God's Spirit to convict and lead us in using our time, talents, and treasures in ways that show the love of Christ.