Musings from My Sun Porch

  How should we respond to persecution?             Give thanks that we are counted worthy to bear Christ’s name.               Pray for strength and stamina for those who are being persecuted.             Pray that the persecutors will see Christ in the lives of the persecuted. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11, 12 NIV84).      How should we pray for the lost?             Remember that God desires everyone to be saved.             Look past any diffe...

                 For the last few weeks, we have been constantly reminded that we are in a battle between good and evil.   That should not come as a shock to any Christians, as the apostle Paul told us that almost 2000 years ago.             “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV84).             Every day, the time for Christ’s return grows nearer.   Satan knows that and is pulling out all the stops to make hell as crowded as possible.   The problem is that most Christians, including me, have been content to sit on the sidelines, refusing to speak out against the sin that is ravaging our world.   More importantly, we have fail...

               Why is it so hard to find satisfaction in this life? I think the answer is that we weren’t made for this world.   Solomon tells us that God “has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11b NLT).   We weren’t made for this world, so to find satisfaction, we need to know why we were created. Only the Scripture can answer that question.   Paul tells us that all things were created by God and for God (Colossians 1:16).   So, we were created for God’s pleasure .   Our Father desires a personal relationship with every one of us because that brings Him pleasure.   That doesn’t mean that He needs us or that we are His equal.   It simply means that we can bring Him joy. So, how do we do that?   At the very end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and ...

                 This past week was a reminder to each of us that we aren’t promised tomorrow.   Death is not a respecter of age, family status, political status, or our relationship with Christ.   None of us knows when that day will come, but unless Christ returns first, it will come.   The question is, how should we live each day knowing that it could be our last?             As I read the book of Esther recently, I couldn’t help but wonder how the Jews prepared when the evil decree designed by Haman to destroy them was issued. Yes, they had 11 months' warning, but still, how would you prepare if you knew someone was coming to kill you? The Scripture doesn’t tell us how they initially responded, but we know that God used Esther to deliver them from that fate.             Today, Christians all over the world f...

                 When you see someone whose life is falling apart, what is your first reaction?   Be honest.   If their marriage is falling apart, our first reaction is often that one of them must have cheated.   If someone loses their job, we may think, “What did they do to make the boss that angry?”   The truth is that often, our first reaction is to assume that the individual is responsible for their problems.   Sometimes that’s true, but sometimes the trouble in our lives is the result of living in a fallen world.             Job’s friends were just like us.   No matter how much he claimed his innocence and pleaded his case, they were convinced that his calamities were the result of sin(s) in his life.   They were confident that he just needed to confess his sin(s) and ask for forgiveness.   (Job 22:5 and 21 – 23). They were wrong! ...

                 It’s been a sad few days in our country.   On Wednesday, the life of a young man who loved God, his family, and his country, in that order, ended far too soon.   Yesterday, we recalled the destruction and devastation of September 11, 2021, and remembered the thousands of lives that were lost that day.             I didn’t know Charlie Kirk personally, but I knew of his faith and his commitment to bringing the younger generation back to the values that this country once held dear.   I also knew that he welcomed open dialogue and debate and did not attempt to denounce or malign those who did not agree with him.   The loss of one so young with those values was enough to bring a tear to my eye when I heard of his passing.             Yesterday, I watched the news media replay the fall of the T...

                 In the book of Nehemiah, the author recounts some of the history of the Israelites.   He credits God, and rightly so, for delivering them from slavery in Egypt, for leading them into the promised land, and for giving them victories over kingdoms and nations (Nehemiah 9:7-30).   In those same passages, he describes the people’s arrogance, disobedience, and stubbornness, which resulted in their rebellion against God.   They continuously rejected Him and His representatives.             With their rebellion came times of trouble, and when they were ultimately brought to their knees, then came repentance.   Nehemiah said that when they were oppressed, they cried out to God.   What did God do?   He rescued them!             Then, unfortunately, the cycle began all over again.   R...

                 Ever had a time in your life when everything seemed to go wrong at once?   I’m sure we all have—probably more than once.   I remember one particularly difficult week, when I thought the walls were caving in.   I had just decided to sell my law practice without any idea what the future might hold, but doing my best to trust God’s leading.   That would have been difficult enough, but then came the storm. First, I had a misunderstanding with a friend.   Then, my nephew, who is like a son to me, was in the hospital with a serious infection.   Finally, the fire department ordered the immediate evacuation of my office due to a gas leak in our building.   At that point, I just knew the office was going to blow up.   How could things get any worse?             I think that may have been what Job was feeling concerning all the terribl...

                 Recently, my daily bible reading has taken me through the book of Job.   I will readily admit that, for me, Job is one of the most, if not the most, difficult book for me to understand.   During this reading, I think I have come to have a better understanding of at least some parts of it, so over the next couple of posts, I will try to share some of my observations.             As we are first introduced to Job, we find that he is “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8 NIV84).   Even so, in a very short period, he loses all his possessions, all his children are killed, and then, he is afflicted with painful boils over his entire body.   In other words, he experienced a lifetime of suffering in just a few short days. It’s no wonder that his wife told him to “curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NIV84).    ...