I will try to describe
here and now
just how that makes me feel
it’s important
after all
that we learn to talk about
the things that make us feel

so say those who know
the experts who tell us how to think
what to worry about
and how and when to feel

anyway
back to the moon
when I was young
my mom told me things
all kinds of things
about the moon
and about life in general

I always listened
as best I could
but must confess
I didn’t always understand

I must have been ten
before I realized
that the image of the rabbit
which I still see to this day
in the face of the moon
was not a living thing
not really there at all

I don’t know if I ever gave much thought
to just how perfectly round
the moon might be
few things
after all
are exactly as they might first appear

our first image of God
for example
may be distorted
by any number of things
by religious ideas and imagery
by television
books
or movies
by popular notions
by fears
hatreds
or the huge ignorance
so common to us all

even believers
experience many changes
in their views of God

first
He is our Judge
the perfect God Almighty
always right and righteous
always watching
ready to execute justice
swift and eternal
on sinners and saints alike

then
maybe
we learn to see Him
as Father and Son
as Savior and Shepherd
as Kindness and Mercy
as a bright Hope for eternity
a ticket to heaven
a light in the vast darkness
that is our understanding
of life and death
and whatever comes next

to see God as Spirit
is both impossible and necessary
we cannot see Spirit
but we can experience
the Presence and power
of God in this way
we can be taught
and filled
and lifted up
and made stronger
we can learn to hear
to be directed
we can
by the Spirit of God
learn to read ancient texts
that would otherwise
be so many dead words
confusing words and stories
and demands
for righteousness
and wisdom
that we simply do not possess
in our flesh and blood

to see God as Life
as Truth and Ultimate Reality
in a universe
that otherwise
poses more questions
than will ever be answered
here and now
in this age of knowledge
to see God as life
in this way
is to walk by faith
the faith of ancient prophets
and repentant sinners
of the Lord Jesus Himself
the Word eternal
who was made flesh
for our sakes

I have spent far more time
I think
wrestling with God
trying both to grasp His will
and His ways
and at the same time
to have my own way

I want to understand more
than God wishes to teach me
and I resist the perfect understanding
He works daily to give me
I want things to make sense
in earthly ways
while the Good Lord
labors to this very day
to teach me the reality
of life everlasting

eternal life
after all
begins here and now
not after we die

to my eyes
the moon is as round as it needs to be
always looking pretty much the same
even though it always looks different
at different times
the changes in appearance
have more to do with
the time of day or night
the time of the month
or even the time of the year
when I might happen to look up
than any changes or differences
in the moon itself

I suspect that God changes
very little
in His love or attitude toward us
as we go through our times
of darkness or light
fear or worry
frustration or faith
yet our perceptions vary greatly
according to the condition
of our hearts
on any given day
or as we lay waiting for sleep
to give us rest
in nights made long with thinking
wondering
wishing
hoping
pleading
or simply thanking God
for countless blessings already given

for me
then
the moon is round enough
and God is all He should be
all I ever really need
though I spend a lot of time
wanting more
that will not last anyway
while on my way
to a place
where I will see God
in all His glory
and where I will know
at last
as I am known

©2008 Jim Sutton

he talked on and on
an endless tale
stories and sagas
of epic struggles against nature itself
i listened but refused to believe

those things called smoke stacks
always churning out poisons and debris
and large moving machines
racing across the land
how could anyone believe

i listened
but was unmoved
not even entertained
and certainly not convinced
not one bit

what were those creatures called
the ones he said
walked about on two legs
they built cities
great stone towers and paved the earth

stupid things
whatever they were
to use everything up
throwing it all away
as they did

living in a make believe world
filled with artificial life
trying to remake all the earth
according to their whims
strange imaginations

i know the rabbit lied
about the rivers of stone
ribbons of rock
that stretched across the whole land
high ways he said they were

i never was a fan of fiction
or fantasy
i have no time for romantic tales
and rabbit dreams
but i listened for a while

after all
it was a long walk
a journey far
to go from coast to coast
his stories passed the time

whatever happened
did he say
to those two-legged things
where did they go
in such a hurry

©Jim Sutton

left i see the mountain wall
right i see the green and blue water
of an endless boundless ocean

yellow sun and cold blackness of night
changing places chase each other
in endless tireless succession

shadows moving against the ground
mark passing clouds and seasons
but leave no marks or traces

endless is the pattern
time keeps pushing against me
but always passes on without me

sometimes i stop to look for meaning
but finding none that i can comprehend
i continue on

in the universe
out between the stars
is that laughter
or is it endless silent weeping

warm sunlight on my face
gentle starlight in my eyes
i breathe the breath of life

all would be vain
nothing but the agony and confusion
if not for his presence

all my memories fading
flashes of moments now long past
remind me that he is there

the lord has always been there
and wherever i will go
beyond this path and time
i know he will be there too

desert mountains
oceans vast
crowded cities all alone
he is and always was
and forever will be
with me

©2008 Jim Sutton

clowns and shadows
do not fill his dreams and visions
but flowered meadows bright
under sunlit skies of perfect deepest blue
where here and there a mountainous cloud
or occasional shining eagle
glides high

i wish i could remember it all
the things and places
and smiling laughing faces
the music and laughter and battles
and races and endless celebration that
charles imagines

train rides along high mountain passes
ladies and old men rocking
from side to side
in seats made of shining brass
with red leather cushions
while little girls dance merrily
in the aisles
with dolls held aloft
their golden curls or blue black locks
flying high then swooping low
as though the wind
were playing inside the cars

boys of course are not dancing
but dueling
or fighting off wild animals
bandits and things from outer space
fighting to keep the train
and all passengers safe

meanwhile
bright purple leopards leap about
and enormous whales peek out
from under the seats
alligators eat cotton candy
and ice cream from sugary
crunchy cones

in such a land as that
i laugh and shout
walking running playing
along the shores of undiscovered seas
fighting hordes of pirates
or leading the same in attacks
against wealthy evil men
who steal widowed mothers blind

in that land of never-ending joy
we never rest or sit or stand still
our legs are strong
and never weary of running
faster than the wind we race about
that’s how it is
when charles imagines

we journey far
we journey far

crossing deserts and hills
mountains and plains
bounding rivers in single leaps
to rescue villages
or whole realms
from dragons and giants
or rulers cruel
we ride great tigers across ocean bottoms
and arm wrestle with giant octopi

how endlessly
how tirelessly
we play both day and night
never sleeping or wanting to go home
always feasting on fried chicken
and apple pie
eating pork chops and pizza
with wild berries for dessert

in such a place as that
i have no fear

we walk and run and play
leaping high as the mountains
when the need or mood arises
lifting city buses filled with elephants
and using only one hand at that
laughing at every fearsome thing
fearing nothing at all

except maybe
the tyrannosaurus rex
that roams the forests thick and dark
along the outer fringes
of all the stories and adventures
that charles imagines

we build long wooden boats
topped with flapping sails
and ride them up into the skies
sweeping out past seas of stars
beyond blue moons and bright green suns
past planets of every size and hue
and galaxies spiraling outward forever
even beyond the universe itself
or so charles imagines

my good friend charles
my only friend charles

charles, the face in the mirror
across the room
from my great iron bed
where always i lie under heavy blankets
while nurses and doctors
come and go
bringing medicines and meals and shots
and more tests

the endless shaking of heads
and deepening frowns
while i wait for end results

i rest and dream
reaching to grasp the day
when at last i fly away
on real white horses
one day soon

i’ll go to stay forever
in that land of life
and endless play
where dancing trees
and singing mountains
welcome every child

that cheerful land
that happy land
that charles so easily imagines.

©2008 jim sutton

Of course, these days, our society is working hard as ever to convince us that we should not be taking any important principles from Scripture. American society is in love with science these days. Not as much as in the first half of the last century perhaps, when science dominated as the chief source of all truth and wisdom, but most people still look to science for clear thinking on the basics of life.

Today, science is having to share its exalted place with superstition and quite a few pagan ideas. I saw this trend emerging in the 1960’s. In those days a growing number of “mainstream” people were beginning to explore some of “the old ways” a little more. Not with any great seriousness, of course, but through the lens of fiction in both literature and film.

I think that the love too many Americans have with drugs helped to push them to look for more interesting explanations for the hows and whys of modern life. You will remember that the 1960’s and 70’s were a season of dropping out and experimenting with all kinds of drugs. The art and thought that grew out of such experiences reflected the loss of order and discipline in American thinking.

The fact the people began taking a second look at life and its meaning was not in itself bad. A great many people from all walks of life discovered God and the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ in their searches. But the loss of a disciplined mind always has less than desirable consequences in the long run, I think.

Today, fiction is king among the young and many of the older as well. Movies and games, with their special effects, rule over the minds of developing children. Just as an entire generation of adults do very little thinking about anything, so do the children learn how to simply experience life without much concern about truth and reality.

You can see where we are as a result of this lifestyle. We do whatever feels good with little regard to the consequences.

Christians are also behaving in this way more than we should. We give our attention to what we want, and tend to avoid the truth that God gives us — truth that can keep us from much of the pain and unhappiness that always results from undisciplined thinking and living.

If we know Jesus Christ, we need to follow Him and His teaching, knowing by faith that we will have a better end when we trust the Lord. Our feelings and wants are not good guides to take us through the darkness and confusion of this world. We need the steady hand of God, and the direction of His Holy Spirit. We will do well to pay close attention to the messages, lessons and teachings of God recorded for us in Holy Scripture. God does not mislead His own, and His own, Jesus says, will follow Him.

Jim

Jim

I am not one to feel a lot of fear or sadness. My personality reacts to repeated disappointments with anger. When my efforts at moving forward meet with repeated failure, I tend to grit my teeth and push harder. I will almost always become angry with my circumstances, and with whatever I see as an obstacle to what I want.

It is easy for me to be satisfied for a time with less, so far as money or things are concerned. But I am not so patient when it comes to accomplishment. If I put forth effort, I expect results. I don’t have to win every time or even make a lot of progress, but I do expect to move forward.

When I get into a situation where a pattern of sameness develops, I soon become frustrated and angry. I am not so bothered by problems in general as by the problem that refuses to go away. Mind games, like, “try to see problem as an opportunity,” tend not to work for me. But the truth is, of course, that many problems really are opportunities to learn. Solving a very difficult problem can result in much more than a personal solution. It can launch a new career, a new product, or at least a new method.

I guess I tend to see problems and difficult situations in life as sand dunes in a vast desert. There are small dunes and really large dunes. Each one must be climbed in order to get beyond it. Trying to walk around dunes (to avoid climbing) will not accomplish anything good. Such effort will only help to disorient and exhaust.

At the top of some of the dunes, one can see for a good distance. And off in the distance one may see happiness — or what appears to be happiness — shimmering in the desert heat. That happiness may take on the form of a tree, which would give shade, or a pool of cool water, which would give refreshment, or even a full blown oasis, with trees, dates and water. It matter very little what we see or think we see. Too often it will prove to be only a mirage. And even if we do actually see and reach a full blown oasis, we are still out there, in the desert, with many miles to go before we reach the end of it.

Life is filled with both difficulties and unexpected joys. Good things happen at least as often as bad things. But for people like me, the bad things begin to stand out more and more when they seem to be keeping us from the results we seek. Real results can seem, while still on the way, like a shimmering mirage on the horizon. But we often do finally reach them. And when we do, the next horizon — the next desired result — becomes the all important goal.

When Jesus travelled with His disciples, He often taught them along the way. The destination on any given day often seemed less important than the teaching along the way. I try very hard to keep that in mind when I am becoming frustrated with the path at hand.

Jesus used the time in the boat and on the road to ask questions and to explain important truths. The questions were aimed at making the disciples think about things they were not accustomed to thinking about, and thinking in ways that were new to them. The Lord wanted to teach them to see the world through His eyes. If they were like me, I’m sure that sometimes it must have seemed as though they would never get the lessons.

But one truth remains: God is a very great Teacher. He always gets the lesson across. In the process, He does not become frustrated or angry or sad or fearful. He knows how to do whatever needs to be done to teach any human heart the lessons it needs to learn — either in this life or in the next.

Happiness, like the desert mirage, eventually proves to be real after all. There really are places where the trees grow tall and fruitful by a cool spring of water. There really is an end to the long trek. There really is the last dune we must climb — an end to the desert sands and the first green place, the first lake, the first beaches bordering an endless sea of pale blue green.

Jim

But there is more at stake here than simply being right or wrong about some things. Spiritual darkness is evil itself. It opposes God and truth and life. It destroys all that is pure and innocent and good in the world. Yet it only promises pleasure and entertainment and satisfaction.

Spiritual darkness reveals and expresses itself in many ways in our modern society. But more important, it has powerful allies in every human life. The body itself, and even the human mind, already trained in the past by the desires of the body and the customs of this world, is a natural ally of darkness. Why? Because the human flesh has only the wish to fulfill all its cravings and desires, and it willingly follows anyone and anything that promises to grant such fulfillment.

Spiritual darkness does not fulfill anything, ultimately, except death — both physical and spiritual. It makes many promises to lure human attention away from the light, away from God’s help and rescue. But it has only one goal: total and eternal destruction of the human life.

For example, see what the apostle Paul writes to the ancient believers in Rome, late in the first century: “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law — indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8, NRSV)

It would be impossible for anyone born into this world to escape the wiles and deceptions of darkness had God not provided us with a Savior. God sent His own Son to save us, to rescue us from the delusions, the enslaving powers and the ultimate destruction of darkness. Jesus lived among us and taught us the truth about God. (Read His teachings in the Gospel accounts of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.)

But Jesus did far more than simply tell us the truth. He lived it out. And then He even gave up His own perfect life in order to die in our place. He suffered and died on a cruel Roman cross for our sins and shortcomings. He paid the price for all our wrongdoings.

Still, He did more. After 3 days, Jesus Christ came up out of the grave, defeating death and leading all who hope in Him to eternal victory and life.

So we are set free, even to this day, when we trust in Jesus, placing our lives in His hands.

How do we know He did all these things?

Well, we have the solid testimony of God’s Spirit in the writings of the Holy Bible. And we have the experience of life itself.

For more information about the resurrection of Jesus, visit Christian Answers.

Of course, real Christians already know that Jesus Christ is risen. They have the witness of the Holy Spirit within, and the powerful testimony of the Scriptures to confirm their convictions.

Millions of lives all around the world have been powerfully transformed by the Spirit of God as a result of men, women and children believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that living testimony is already powerful evidence that Jesus Christ really is all that He says He is. To this very day He raises the dead to life again, cures many diseases, and saves all who place their hope in Him.

But there are still those in every generation who cannot bring themselves to believe the good news. Remember the time in Scripture when Moses sent out the 12 spies to look over the land of Promise? Joshua and Caleb brought back a true report, and all of the spies helped to bring back the physical evidences of how fruitful and blessed the land was. (See the core of the story in Numbers 13:21 thru 14:10.)

But the people, including 10 of the spies, could not believe that God would given them the land. Only the tiniest minority trusted what God had said, and could see the hand of God already powerfully at work. The New Testament letter to the Hebrews has much to say about the unbelief of the people who refused to believe God in the wilderness.

Scripture says:
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 3:19-4:2)

And just before that the Scripture says: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:12,13)

And by this we see the real reason why people fail to believe God’s promises. They fail because of sin. For if a man refuses the warnings of God, and refuses the truth of God that reveals God’s will for daily life, then how can he believe the promises of good things to come for those who obey? Sin is the deadly enemy of faith. And faith in God is the deadly enemy of sin.

Scripture has more to say about these things:

In the Gospel of John:  “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:17-21)

And again, in Galatians, the Bible says to the believer:  Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious:   fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

Mark those, then, who do not and who cannot believe what God says in the Bible. For we know that the Scriptures are inspired by God’s own Spirit, just as He says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17. And if the Bible is given to us by God, then all who reject it or who refuse to submit to the rule of God only show who and what they really are.

As the Scripture says:
“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” (1 John 2:22-26)

But for all who believe the Good News of Jesus Christ, we rejoice in His resurrection from the dead, and in all the promises of God. Amen.

If you have not fully trusted in Jesus, you can find more help here.

Christian Believers

You may find more helpful materials as you look around on this blog.   But the greatest source of help will be the Bible, which is God’s own Word.  Other Christians may also a big source of help, if they have a real and meaningful walk with the Lord (many religious-minded people call themselves “Christian” but do not follow Jesus).  When you visit with people who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, they can share with you, pray with you and help you find the information you need.

Where can you find such people?  One good place is the local church.  Christians often meet for worship, prayer and group study.  Find a church that believes the Bible, and you will find people who know the Lord.  Ask God to help you find real Christian believers to meet with.

Trust in Jesus today and follow Him with all that is in you. His eternal and perfect light will push out the powers of darkness — enabling you to have a life that is truly filled of life and light and truth.

(This article can also be found at my website: www.thegospelwitness.com)

Jim

As Jesus walked out onto the road, a man ran up to Him.  Getting down on his knees, the man asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

But Jesus asked him, “Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but the one God.  You know the commands: “You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal.  You shall not give false testimony. You shall not cheat.  Honor your father and your mother…”

The man said, “Teacher, I’ve kept all of these since I was a boy.”

Then Jesus looked at him, and loved him. He said, “You still lack one thing.  Go and sell whatever you own.  Give  the money to the poor, so you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, take up the cross and follow Me.”

At these words the man’s heart fell, because he owned many possessions.  And he went away very sad.  Then Jesus turned and looked at His disciples and said, “How very difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”  And the disciples were shocked and confused by His words.

But again Jesus said, “Children, how hard it is for people who trust in money  to enter into the kingdom of God!  It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a wealthy person to enter into God’s kingdom.”

Now the disciples were even more perplexed, asking among themselves, “Then who is able to be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings, it is impossible, but not with God.  For with God all things are possible.”  (Mark 10:17 –27)

The simple fact is, none of us is able to do all that would have to be done in order to make everything right with God.  Our hearts are never quite pure enough, long enough to see such a task through.  And even if we were able to stop doing all the wrong things, how can we make right the bad choices made in the past?  We cannot pay for the sins we have already committed.

Saving ourselves is impossible, as Jesus said.  But it is not impossible for God.  The price was terribly high , even for God.  Saving lost sinners would cost God His own beloved Son.  It would cost Jesus His own life.  Yet God loved human beings so much that He was willing to offer up His Son so that anyone who trust in Christ would be saved.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross, spilling His life’s blood for sins He never committed.  He died for you and me, and for all who need a Savior.  He took away the sins of the world.  Now anyone who believes God can have eternal life.

That’s good news.  If your life needs the changing, saving power of Jesus Christ, trust in Him today and be saved.  He will save you from yourself, from all your wrong choices and from the power of sin and death.

Need to know more?  Go here: Peace with God

Can your life really be changed?  Find out here: How to have a New Life
God bless you

Jim

Be sure to comment on the product designs you like, in order to see more new things that you will find appealing.
Jim