3 Ways Gardening Inspires Faith

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Dean W.

Gardening inspires faith – our gardening adventure

My family and I spent a lot of time gardening last week. While I tilled our vegetable garden plot in the back yard, my wife weeded her flower beds around the house. After two days of tilling was done, we planted the tomatoes and peppers that she started from seed a couple months ago.

The next day I dug trenches for my grandsons to plant the potatoes, dragged hoe-lines for my daughter to plant green beans, and helped Lynn set the onions and other companion plants for the tomatoes. Yesterday Lynn planted more green beans while I drove posts for the fence around the garden. She did more planting among the tomatoes and I added some melon hills. In the evening she put together some planters for the deck and I installed her pussy-willow bush, a Mother’s Day gift from our girls.

The next morning Lynn added some plants to her landscaping and I planted a short row of cauliflower in our small raised bed where the lettuce, carrots, and broccoli already were. Then I went out to the garden to spread some wood chips in the pathways. It was supposed to rain that afternoon and I wanted to have that done so the rain could pack it.

Remembering The Story Farm

Whenever I work in the garden, I remember my dad’s garden at the farm. It ran along the driveway from the tree line in front of the house out to the ditch that bordered Indiana Highway 10, probably close to 1/4 acre. The garden fed our family of nine with green beans, sweet corn, and tomatoes for the year. We also grew melons, carrots, radishes and various squashes for seasonal use. You can read more about my dad’s releationship with the soil in The Story Farm.

My own garden has much humbler goals. Last year we grew enough green beans for our household and my son’s family to eat through this spring. We had just enough tomatoes and peppers to make some salsa. We ate our own potatoes through the winter.
We hope to have a similar green bean crop this year, but we scaled back the potatoes and increased the tomato plants with the hope of having our own tomato juice and paste to go along with the salsa.

Gardening in the Bible

The Bible was written in an farming culture. The Israelites were known as shepherds in Egypt, and many of the commandments they received from God through Moses had to do with their stewardship of the land He was about to give them.

Many of Jesus’ parables were about farming because most of the people he spoke to understood farming processes. Mark 4 has three farming parables that describe the kingdom of God. Paul and James both used farmers and farming to illustrate teachings in their letters.

Two weeks ago I blogged about 3 ways a Christian’s hope is better than the world’s hope. Those same three points are why Gardening inspires faith.

Gardening inspires faith in what Jesus did

When I plant a seed in the soil, I know the type of plant that will sprout. That is because “God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so.” Genesis 1:11

God proclaimed that grass, herbs, and trees yield fruit and seed “according to its kind”. He made a promise that each kind of seed would sprout its own kind of plant. So whenever I plant a seed in my garden’s soil, it inspires me to believe in what Jesus did from the beginning.

Jesus used this concept to teach us how to identify other people by their works.

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:16-20 (Also see Luke 6:43-45.)

James later used this principle in his rebuke to the church about how we use our tongues.

Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?

James 3:12

Planting and harvest are also part of the promises of God (Genesis 8:22, Psalm 107:37). So whenever I sow a physical seed in a garden, I believe what Jesus did.

Gardening inspires faith in what Jesus is doing

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

As we planted seed in our garden this week, I remembered this passage from Mark 4 about the farmer sowing the seed, then going about his days, “and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.”

Botanists and plant scientists can now tell us the stages a seed goes through to sprout or germinate (here’s just one article) But we still don’t know what features of the DNA inside a seed make it happen. We can observe the stages of germination and identify some factors that can be manipulated to affect germination, but we still don’t understand the ultimate source of the power in each seed.

Ultimately, it’s God’s design inside each seed that makes it sprout. That requires us to plant seeds in faith, because we don’t know what happens when we put the seed in the ground.
Solomon put it this way:

In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Jesus continues to uphold all things (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3) and God continues to work (John 5:17) and give us sunshine and rain (Matthew 5:45).

As the plants grow in the garden, I must trust that God’s design continues to work as he designed it and that His promises are true. Each plant will grow from blade to head to full grain.

Even weeding inspires faith

Back on the farm, after the crops were in the field and the garden was fully planted, Dad would take me outside after breakfast each day to weed part of the garden. It was never one of my favorite things to do. The summer heat and the tediousness of weeding made it an unpleasant task, but the fact that we would be back to weed the same areas next week irritated me more.

I never heard my father complain about weeding the garden. I don’t know why, but he seemed to enjoy it. I enjoy planting seed and plants, and I certainly enjoy harvesting (except green beans) but I still do not enjoy weeding.

Whenever I spend time pulling weeds one by one, I remember that God is also weeding me. He will cut away anything that is not going to bear the fruit He desires. My fruit will glorify Him.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned… By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:1-2,6,8

Gardening inspires faith in what Jesus is going to do

We know that our garden plants will shrivel (Isaiah 40:7-8). It’s part of the seedtime/harvest process. But before it shrivels, our hope is to harvest the fruit. That’s why we plant in faith, because we know there will be a harvest!

Jesus used sowing and harvest to describe the work of evangelism. He will work in the lives of those to whom we witness; sometimes we will sow the word of God, sometimes we will gather the harvest of souls.

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

John 4:35-38

We garden because He will bring the fruit. Gardening inspires us to believe in the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2).

Our gardens also remind us of Christ’s resurrection and His return. Paul uses a seed’s death and growth to explain how our bodies will be resurrected.

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body… So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Cor 15:35-38,42-44

James also used farming to encourage us to endure until Jesus returns.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

James 5:7

God is a Gardener

God started this whole gardening thing in Eden (Genesis 2:8). He continues to tend us as His garden so we can bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). He will establish another orchard in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2).

So keep gardening, and keep believing. Gardening inspires faith.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

My new book, The Story Farm, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for order from your local bookstore. Click here for more information.

Our first book, Families from the Beginning: Your Family, God’s Design, is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.
Follow this link to see a preview:  Families from the Beginning sample.

Posted in Thoughts about Scripture, Lessons from Scripture, Other stuff | Leave a comment

3 Simple Questions to Find Your Life Purpose

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Dean W.

How do you find your life purpose?

It’s a question most people ask themselves many times. The gravest mistake any person can make is to believe that there is no life purpose, specifically your life.
When you understand that life has a purpose, you can find your life purpose and fulfill it.

There are three simple questions that help you find your life purpose:

  • Who are you?
  • Where are you?
  • What do you do?

How do I answer these questions?

These questions are answered by your worldview.

“Everybody has a worldview. It is the way we each view life, the belief system with which we interpret the the world; we use it to explain history and plan for the future. It affects our thoughts about ourselves and the intentions behind our actions.”

Dean and Lynn Wickert, Families from the Beginning, (Harrison, OH: Families from the Beginning, 2014), pages 1-2.

Worldviews are built upon presuppositions, which are unproven assumptions accepted by faith. Because presuppositions are reflections of our faith, our worldviews are inherently religious.

Ken Ham, the founder of Answers in Genesis says:

“in an ultimate sense, there are only two religious views in the world – beliefs built on man’s fallible word and the one that’s built on the infallible Word of God.”

Ken Ham, “Only Two”, AnswersinGenesis.org, Answers in Genesis, August 1, 2018, https://answersingenesis.org/worldview/only-two/

If this is true (and I agree that it is), the main difference between these two religious views is adherence to an absolute standard that originates outside of men. I’d like to examine these three questions to find your life purpose in light of these two worldviews.

1. Who are you?

Man’s word

The question of who you are is handled very differently in these two worldviews. Man’s view is that you are either a result of random chance, or that you are a pawn in a game played by unknown forces. Life purpose is focused on the individual.

In the materialist view your existence is the result of chemical reactions over eons of time driven only by random mutations that successively enabled survival. In this view your life purpose is simply to ensure the human species survives to the next generation, and possibly to develop some mechanism that will allow future generations to thrive. Then you die, and that’s it.

In non-Christian spiritual worldviews, the hope of somehow attaining the afterlife means your life purpose is to do enough of the right type of deeds to earn access to a better next life. The required deeds vary depending on the religion that is dictating the type(s) of afterlife available. Then you die and maybe become something else.

God’s Word

The Bible’s view of who you are is distinctly God-centered. Our identify is who He says we are.

  • First, you are created in God’s image [Genesis 1:26] for His glory [Isaiah 43:7].
  • Second, He created you as a male or a female [Genesis 1:27].
  • Third, your relationship with God is marred by sin [Genesis 3:7-8, Romans 3:23].
  • Fourth, only God can correct the third point [Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:7-9]. He did that, which restored who we are to the first and second points.

As a Christian man or woman your life purpose begins with who God says you are: His child [1 John 3:1]. The assurance of a continued relationship with Him after this life makes the deeds you do now a matter of obedience to a loving Father, not a striving to be good enough. While our deeds are an important part of the process of conforming us to His image in this world, their eternal value has more to do with how He uses them to reconcile others to Himself.

Who you are is an indicator of life purpose because God created you for His glory. If your purpose is to glorify the God who created you, then your personality, your appearance, your intellect, and your history can all point to His purpose for your life.

2. Where are you?

The question of where you are has many factors.

Where are you physically on Earth (location)?
Where are you in history (time)?
Where are you in your growth as a human (process)?

Where you live has something to do with your life purpose; it is the “home base” of everything you do. Our locations can change; many of us live somewhere other than where we were born.

Man’s word

Materialists tell us that our original location is just as random as our existence, and any choices to move are simply survival-centric instincts that will hopefully enhance our reach into the next generation. The spiritualist will defend our location as the best place to “reach the next level” or to be effective in our good works. Unsuitable locations are simply Fate dealing you a bad hand, and there is nothing to do about it.

If your time frame is unlucky, that’s just it; it’s unlucky. So much for your next generations.

Your process as a growing human is randomly experienced. Physical growth moderates intellectual growth, intellectual growth controls emotional responses, and they are all tied to chemical imbalances which are functions of chance.

God’s Word

The Bible deals with where we are immediately after Adam disobeyed. God’s call, question, and challenge to him was “Where are you? [Genesis 3:9]” He was telling Adam to consider that he was physically hiding in the trees [Genesis 3:8], that he was at the beginning of human history [Genesis 2:24, 3:20], and that he had fallen back [Genesis 3:17-19] in his growth as a human created in God’s image.

While God created the whole earth to be inhabited [Isaiah 45:18], He also distributed mankind across the globe [Genesis 11:8-9] so they could each find Him [Acts 17:26-27]. Christians should understand that our physical location gives us a ministry opportunity, wherever it is.

Because God is all-knowing and ever-present, our place in time is sacred, because He created us “for such a time as this [Esther 4:14]”. His plans to bring Christ “in the fullness of the times [Galatians 4:4, Ephesians 1:10]” shows that each person’s time on the earth is for a reason, and that He knows all our days [Psalm 139:16].

In God’s eyes, our position in the process of growth as a person may be the most important part of where we are.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29*

Since He created us in His image and our sin ruins that likeness, His plan is to conform us to the image of Jesus, to be just like our firstborn brother. That process is life-long, and will only be complete when He returns and conforms us to His glorious body[Philippians 3:21].

Abraham understood where he was physically, in history, and in his walk with God. It’s all in God’s call to him in Genesis 12:1-3:

Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This call told Abram to change his location, understand his time, and recognize where he was in the process. All these helped indicate Abram’s life purpose. When you are looking for your life’s purpose, remember where you are.

3. What do you do?

We each have many abilities but some of those abilities are specifically important indicators of your life purpose.
It’s not our works to gain rewards that point us toward purpose, but rather the inherent abilities that make us unique. Anyone can follow rules, but it’s the type of activity that suits us that leads us to find purpose.

Man’s word

The materialist will claim that different survival strengths that developed in our ancestors are more prevalent in some humans than others and those strengths should be further enhanced to ensure preservation of the species. Weaknesses can be bolstered over time to become strengths.

Other religions of man will say the strengths of an individual serve to help them attain the blessings of their religion if they follow the rules.

God’s Word

God recognizes specific giftedness early in the Bible and in Israel’s history, God called out men whose skill made them suited for specific tasks to serve him.

find your life purpose; the tabernacle
Moses’ tabernacle by Bazalel and Aholiab
  • Before the Flood [Genesis 4:20-22].
  • Moses complained about his lack of certain skills which his brother Aaron had [Exodus 4:10, 14].
  • Bezalel and Aholiab [Exodus 31:2-6] led the gifted artisans that manufactured Moses’ wilderness tabernacle.
  • Huram [1 Kings 7:13-14] led Solomon’s temple project.
  • Asaph’s sons [1 Chronicles 25:1] were separated for service as skilled musicians.

In the New Testament, Paul recognizes that everyone has gifts, and we should all exercise our gifts to help one another.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:3-8

Paul indicates that these gifts are from God, and that we should think carefully (soberly) to determine the purpose of our gifts. It will help find your life purpose.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11 that some offices in the church are gifts from God. But those gifts, or service positions, were not dependent on the individuals’ talents, but on God’s callings. Apostles are listed as given and appointed for the church in Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28, but what we know about those apostles personally appointed by Jesus shows us that they were not all talented. The variety of temperaments among the Twelve is proof that the apostleship gift isn’t likely to show up in any modern personality profiles.

What are your passions, the things that either excite or provoke you? What makes you want to jump in and help or charge in and fight? Those passions are what you do, your personal bent, your knack, your genius.

So how does what you do indicate your life purpose? When you know who you are and where you are, your God-given natural tendencies will fill a need in the kingdom of God. If you are follower of Jesus, He will take everything you are, wherever you are, and work through you to glorify His Father [John 15:8].

Does life purpose change?

Another lesson we learn from the apostles’ lives is that your life purpose may seem to change over time. It’s a function of the growth of who you are in Christ, where you are in your walk with Him, and what you do with the opportunities around you.

Find your life purpose!

Where your passion intersects in your location and time with a need of the world or a need of the kingdom of God, you have found your life purpose.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

My new book, The Story Farm, is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for order from your local bookstore. Click here for more information.

Our first book, Families from the Beginning: Your Family, God’s Design. It is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon. Follow this link to see a preview:  Families from the Beginning sample.

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter.

Posted in Christian Family Apologetics, Lessons from Scripture, Thoughts about Scripture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

3 Ways Christian Hope is Better than the World’s Hope

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Dean W.

What is Christian Hope?

Hope is a word that is used regularly in our language, but if you ask someone to define what they mean when they use it, their replies can be vague. That’s because hope is a non-physical entity, something that is real, but you can’t touch it. You can’t touch it, but you can share it.

The world’s dictionary definitions use the word “or” which gives options for your understanding, but also shows that hope is hard pin down. We use the word as both a verb and a noun. The verb is defined as a desire or a feeling; the noun can be the feeling or desire, or the object of our desire.

But we often use “hope” just like a wish, a desire without any real expectation that it will be fulfilled. Sometimes our hope has a reasonable level of expectation. I like the Cambridge Dictionary’s definition:

to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might

“Meaning of hope in English”, Cambridge Dictionary, Accessed 5/13/2021, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/hope

I prefer this definition because it recognizes that real hope must have a reason. That’s why Christian hope is better than the world’s hope.

Christian hope in what Jesus did

While hope is generally about something in the future, a lot of hope is based on knowledge of the past. Because something happened in the past, we can hope that similar circumstances will produce similar results. Weather prediction is a hope based on past experience. Farmers plant seeds with a confident hope that they will sprout, based on past experience.

Christian hope acknowledges what God has done in the past. His promise to Noah gives Christians hope that is superior to any global warming alarmism:

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22*

Christians realize that our hope for physical (and spiritual) healing is based on what Christ did.

…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

This verse is a great example of hope because the phrase “by whose stripes you were healed” is a reference to Isaiah 53:5:

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

This passage in Isaiah is messianic, a prophecy about Jesus’ ministry as the Savior of our souls and the sacrifice that He paid for our sins. The English Bible versions generally translate the Hebrew in Isaiah as a present or future event (”are healed”) while they translate Peter’s Greek as a past transaction (”were healed”). I’m not enough of a scholar of the ancient languages to determine if that difference is significant, but it’s consistent across translations.

The Christian hope is based on what Jesus did and what God promised, not just on our own wishes or desires. That also goes for our hope of heaven.

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel… Colossians 1:3-5

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

Christian hope in what Jesus is doing

Hope is a powerful force in the present. It’s often the motivator that keeps people actively participating in an event when they have no obvious incentive to do so. Sometimes is a wishful hope, just something to grasp because there is nothing else on which to hold.

Ther is always hope... for the Christian.
There is always hope.

The boy doesn’t look like he believes Aragorn, and that’s valid. Aragorn did not share everything he knew. He knew Gandalf was currently working on bringing help, and that was the foundation for his hope. This scene is not in the book, where instead Aragorn has a conversation with Theoden in which he tells him not to give up hope while Gandalf is still active. In both the book and the movie, Gandalf shows up to turn the tide of battle in the morning.

That’s the danger of the world’s hope. It has no basis on anything you can count on. The hope expressed for things to get better often is just a wish that things were not what they are.

Christian hope for the present is based on the fact that God is working now.

But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” John 5:17

Our hope is also based on the present calling to serve Him.

…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints… Ephesians 1:18

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling…Ephesians 4:1-4

Christian hope in what Jesus is going to do

The world’s hope for the future rests on man. We expect the government to help us, or for nations to reduce wasteful emissions to preserve the planet, or for scientific discoveries to heal us or allow us to survive. But for every hope based on man’s achievements, there is more reason to despair.

All the alarmists will agree that man is his own worst enemy, and for that reason we must be controlled. But the controllers are also men. So it seems like the future is doomed.

Christian hope is based on what God has promised to do in the future. Because God has already fulfilled so many of His promises in Jesus Christ, we can have hope that our future is bright. He gave us the Bible so we can hope in something greater than what we see in the world around us.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

The main Christian hope is the hope of the resurrection, which was promised by the One who Created everything, and who paid the price for our sin through His Son, and who then proved it by raising Him from the dead. Those facts give us hope in His promise of a future resurrection.

having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Acts 24:15

Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! Acts 26:6-7

Paul considered the hope of eternal life part of the motivation for his ministry:

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; Titus 1:1-2

In fact, Paul was so sure of Christ’s return and our future resurrection that he told the Thessalonians that they should not mourn for their dead like the world mourns because of that hope:

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

The Christian hope is founded on the history of everything God has done in the world, the present truth of what He is doing now, and on the future which He has promised us. It’s not a wish or a transient desire, but a sure confidence “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

My new book, The Story Farm, is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for order from your local bookstore. Click here for more information.

Our first book, Families from the Beginning: Your Family, God’s Design, is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.
Follow this link to see a preview:  Families from the Beginning sample.

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter.

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5 Benefits of Heterosexual Monogamous Marriage, and 1 Strong Reason Why

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Dean W.

Marriage works, but why?

There are lots of reasons marriage is a good thing. In fact, it is such a good thing that many people who do not qualify for marriage want it so much that they will go to extreme measures to be considered “married”.

Whether they like it or not, everyone must acknowledge that in all cultures, the historical foundation of marriage is one man and one woman for life. Cultures may attempt to redefine what they consider a marriage, but the histories of cultures that move away from heterosexual monogamous marriage tend to fail within a couple generations.

Here are just 5 of the benefits of heterosexual monogamous marriage followed by the one big reason why it works.

1. Heterosexual monogamous marriage creates an atmosphere of cooperation

Men and women are very different, physically different, intellectually different, and emotionally different. These differences do not make one gender more valuable than the other, but they do affect their ability to get along. Successful heterosexual marriage requires that both the man and woman learn to accept their mate’s strengths, adapt to each other’s weaknesses, and celebrate the ways they are different. This cooperation and collaboration creates an environment where feeling of community can spread to others. It’s a foundation for strong neighborhoods.

2. Heterosexual monogamous marriage creates healthy children

The human race will not continue without procreation. While many children are conceived outside the confines of monogamous marriage, research shows that children raised in households with monogamous heterosexual parents are more likely to succeed in the categories used to measure success: education, physical health, emotional stability, financial stability, etc.

3. Heterosexual monogamous marriage provides consistent role models

Having both a father and mother gives children of both sexes role models for their future. Boys and girls both benefit from having a father involved in their life, and they both also learn how to live from their mother. But the best role models they can see is the model of a good marriage, so they can prepare to relate to the opposite sex in their own marriages.

4. Heterosexual monogamous marriage provides a better financial future

Research consistently shows that families with male and female parents who are married continuously have better financial standing than non-married families. The correlation is attributed to various factors, from both parents working to its antithesis that one parent staying home makes the household more cost-efficient.

5. Heterosexual monogamous marriage opens more doors

Studies also show children from two-parent homes have more opportunities to participate in extra activities because the cooperation of two parents allows more time to attend lessons, practices, and events.

Here’s the one reason heterosexual monogamous marriage works

To put it simply, it’s designed by God.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:27-28*

God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) and after organizing it and establishing it to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18) he made one man and one woman and told them to procreate and govern His creation. In the more detailed explanation of the human origin in chapter 2, God declares:

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

This sets the pattern of heterosexual monogamous marriage, one man-one woman for life. Each new household should have this foundation, generation after generation. There are some aberrations like Lamech (Genesis 4:19), Jacob (Genesis 29:27-30), and of course Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-3), but the recognized standard through the scriptures is one man, one woman for life. Malachi the prophet rebuked the Israelites because the forgot their covenant of marriage for life (Malachi 2:14).

Support for heterosexual monogamous marriage in the New Testament

In the New Testament, Jesus points the Jews back to the establishment of the one man-one woman for life marriage in Genesis.

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:4-6 See also Mark 10:2-10.

Paul explained to the Ephesians that heterosexual monogamous marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Some may erroneously say the Church consists of many people, so Jesus is a polygamist. But that heresy is put aside by Jesus’ prayer and Paul’s declaration that the members of the church are one body.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

John 17:20-23

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Romans 12:4-5

Qualifications for leadership based on heterosexual monogamous marriage

Paul felt so strongly about marriage being for one man and one woman that he listed it as one of the qualifications for church leadership.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… 1 Timothy 3:2
Let deacons be the husbands of one wife… 1 Timothy 3:12
…appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife… Titus 1:5-6

Paul went so far as to make heterosexual monogamous marriage a qualification for a widow with no family to receive support from the church.

Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man… 1 Timothy 5:9

Many will claim that marriage between one man and one woman for life is a social construct; but the Bible, human history, basic human biology, and sociology all indicate otherwise. Heterosexual monogamous marriage is God’s plan and pattern for human society, and He uses it repeatedly as an expression of His love for His people.

“I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.”

Hosea 2:19-20

I study the creation, fall and redemption of marriage in our first book, Families from the Beginning: Your Family, God’s Design. It is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.
Follow this link to see a preview:  Families from the Beginning sample.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

My new book, The Story Farm, is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for order from your local bookstore. Click here for more information.

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5 Important Questions about the Presence of the Lord

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Dean W.

God’s presence

There are a lot of questions about something called “the presence of the Lord” or “the presence of God”. This topic came to my mind during a men’s Bible study a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking about it since. These are my answers to some common questions about God’s presence.

If you want a more in depth study, a classic book on this subject is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

What is meant by God’s presence?

Let me start with this note of clarity. I am talking about the presence of the God of the Bible, the Christian God, Jehovah, the self-existing One. This God is omnipresent, always everywhere at all times. He is outside of the time-space-matter continuum in which we live. As the Creator of everything, He must be fully present with everything.

If He’s already everywhere, why is there a distinction of His presence?

The presence of God (or the presence of the Lord) is a constant theme in the Bible. Adam regularly experienced the presence of God before he sinned. We know this because in Genesis 3:8 he and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” He obviously knew what the presence of the Lord was or he would not have felt the need to hide from it.

The rest of the Old Testament is about Jehovah’s desire to be with His people, and man’s inability to be worthy of it.

How does God show His presence?

Abraham was in God’s presence when the Lord promised him in a vision that his family would be God’s people and He would be their God (Genesis 17:8). He then stood in the presence of the Lord manifested as a Man to intercede for the righteous people in Sodom (Genesis 18:22-23).

the presence of the Lord as a pillar of fire
The presence of God as a Pillar of fire over the Ark of the Covenant

When they came out of Egypt, the Israelites recognized His presence as a cloud by day and a fire by night (Exodus 13:21, Numbers 9:15-16), and as thunder and lightning and fire on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16). But Moses experienced the presence of God when “the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11).

For the nation of Israel, the presence of the Lord was associated with the Ark of the Covenant, and David’s greatest desire was to bring it to Jerusalem and build a temple for it (2 Samuel 7:1-3; 1 Chronicles 22:7). He wrote a lot about the benefits of God’s presence such as joy (Psalm 16:11), gladness (Psalm 21:6), and protection (Psalm 31:20, 91:1). These verses don’t seem to be talking about the Ark of the Covenant, but about the presence of God in David’s life. His plea in Psalm 51:11 connects God’s presence with the Holy Spirit.

David’s son Solomon built the temple. At its dedication ceremony, the presence of God was displayed by a cloud and glory that was so awesome that the priests could not stand up to do their duties (1 Kings 8:10-11, 2 Chronicles 5:14).

One of my favorite Old Testament passages about the presence of God is Elijah’s experience:

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13

What do Christians mean when they talk about the presence of the Lord?

In the passage above, Elijah rightly discerned the presence of the Lord. It wasn’t in the loud displays of power, but in the quiet word.

This brings me to my definition of God’s presence:

The presence of God is a close awareness of His Person.

The presence of the Lord is personal. He is a personal God who desires a personal relationship with each of us. As Christians, that relationship is manifested by “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)

What does it mean to feel God’s presence?

We know we are in the presence of God when He speaks to our hearts personally. While there are occasionally material manifestations of God’s presence (see Acts 2:2-3 and Acts 16:25-26), that is not how we are expected to sense His presence. It’s more personal than that.

Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would guide us into truth and tell us things to come (John 16:13). The word translated as Helper or Comforter means “one called to one’s side”. He is a personal guide, One with whom we can have a relationship of joy, peace, strength, and hope.

How do you enter God’s presence?

I don’t always feel the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, but that’s not His fault. He’s always here. My ability to get in the presence of the Lord is dependent on my faith. It’s not something I can earn, God’s presence is a gift of grace. His grace allows me to access his presence by faith.

Abide in Him

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15: 7-10

Jesus told us that abiding in Him will bear fruit in our lives and glorify God. That includes keeping his words and his commands. In the next verses he grants us His joy and gives us His command to love one another. (John 15:11-12)

Praise

David showed us the role of praise in entering God’s presence:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:1-2

A couple verses in Psalm 100 also instruct us to:

Come before His presence with singing… enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:2,4

Paul and Silas put praise to work in the dungeon of the Philippian jail, “praying and singing hymns to God”. His presence was in their hearts giving them joy, then He confirmed His presence in their praise with a chain-breaking earthquake (Acts 16:25-26).

Believe

“You believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1
It is only by faith in Jesus that anyone can come into the presence of God. It is by grace we believe by faith (Ephesians 2:8), and by faith we come to God (Hebrews 11:6) through Jesus (John 14:6).

Bold faith

Because we know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 6:69) we can speak his word boldly as we should (Acts 4:29,31; Ephesians 6:19-20). That same faith gives us bold access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and into the Holiest (Hebrews 10: 19).

The presence of God in eternity

The Bible tells us the beginning of man’s access to the presence of the Lord (Adam in the garden), why that access was broken (the fall), and what God did to restore us to His presence (the death and resurrection of Jesus through the family of Abraham). In Revelation, God shows us what the final access to His presence will be like:

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

In describing the New Jerusalem, John explained the lack of a temple to denote God’s presence as a result of the open access to the Almighty through the Lamb.

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:22-24

The Lamb is its light.

These passages also depict a personal presence of the Lord with His people.

It’s personal

When we come into the presence of the Lord, it’s personal. Even when a group of believers experience His presence (Matthew 18:20) each person has their own experience (Luke 24:32, Acts 2:7-8). As a believer in Jesus, you always have access to the presence of God (Matthew 18:20). So apply your faith and enter into His presence.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

My new book, The Story Farm, is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for order from your local bookstore. Click here for more information.

Our first book, Families from the Beginning: Your Family, God’s Design, is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.
Follow this link to see a preview:  Families from the Beginning sample.

Sign up for the Families from the Beginning newsletter and read previous newsletters.

Posted in Thoughts about Scripture, Lessons from Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment

9 Reviews of Christian Family Books that were Life-changing and Helped our Family

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Dean W.

Here’s 9 reviews of Christian family books that help families.

In different sessions of counseling with couples, Lynn and I often recommend books for the counselees to read. The recommendations vary from couple to couple, for the simple reason that each couple has their own needs that may be helped by the information in a book.

Why recommend books?

Attentive reading is a proven way to gather information to be implemented in your life. Humans can grasp ideas through well-written information better than many other instruction methods. God wrote the commandments on stone tablets so they could be read and obeyed (Exodus 24:12, Exodus 31:18). Moses then re-wrote them and wrote all the other words God spoke to him in the Law so the people of Israel could be informed of what God expected (Deuteronomy 31:9-13).

Job wanted his words written in a book (Job 19:23), but Solomon exclaimed that there were a lot of books that were written (Ecclesiastes 12:12) and that studying is wearisome. Here’s another book that I cannot recommend that you read because it’s not available for us, but it is probably the most important book in history: The Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15).

The perfect book for you

Of course, the perfect book for anyone to read is the Bible, and we always point people to that top resource. Every other book ever written must be measured against that standard.

Books are great resources to recommend, but not all books. Just like any other resource, books are an expression of the people who write them, and when the author is fallen, their book is going to reflect that fallen nature.

Books by Christian authors will also reflect the author’s failings. The books we recommend are not perfect, they are written by fallible humans who may or may not hear from God for each word they write. But each of these books provided some nugget of truth that Lynn and I implemented in our lives.

I will not claim that the books in our list are the absolute best books available for their topics, but these are books that helped the Wickerts in our walk with God as individuals, as a couple, and as parents. Although I can’t say that we read these books in their entirety, I will explain the main truth we garnered from each book and supply links where you can purchase them.

Heres the quick list of nine reviews of Christian family books that helped our family:

The Wickert’s Book List (short version)

Books for Individual Christian Family Living

Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes

I led a men’s study through this book years ago, and many of the truths I garnered were single sentences or simple phrases that stuck with me. Here are a few:

“Men, the mere fact of fatherhood has endowed you with terrifying power in the lives of your sons and daughters, because they have an innate, God-given passion for you.”
“Habitual honesty…”
“The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak… but rather his ability to bridle his tongue.”

I opened the session on the chapter with that last quote with 30 minutes of silence and only a white board with this quote.

The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

Lynn picked up this book at a home school conference one year. When she read it, there were some definite changes. She said it gave her “encouragement, direction, and clarity for what I was doing at the time as a wife and a mother.”

There is a workbook/study guide for this book, and Stuart Scott wrote a companion book, The Exemplary Husband, a couple years after The Excellent Wife gained popularity. It is also a good book, but ranks below the book on the top of this list.

Books for Marriage

Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I first heard Dr. Eggerichs on the radio on Dr. Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” broadcast. I don’t remember why I was in the car to hear it in the middle of the day, but when I got back to my office, I drew the diagram he described. I took my drawing home and shared it with Lynn. We discussed it and saw the wisdom of recognizing “the Crazy Cycle”. I didn’t find out until years later that this book existed, because I didn’t hear the whole show.

Every time I explain the crazy cycle to couples, they nod their heads in an understanding way, as if to say, “Yep, that’s us.”

There are some who have issues with some of Eggerich’s lessons, but I believe his distinction between the needs of men and women are biblical and helpful. It’s not unusual for Lynn and I to stop and laugh in the middle of a “discussion” because we just recognized ourselves in “the Crazy Cycle”.

Is God in Your Marriage? by Leo Godzich

We met Leo Godzich when he presented a marriage conference at our church. He and his wife came to present multiple times, and we learned a lot about marriage counseling from them through their National Association of Marriage Enhancement (NAME) ministry.

While the book is full of biblical truth and practical advice, the first line in the book is a statement that changed our perspective:

“God did not make marriage to make you happy. God made marriage to spiritually mature you.”

That opening, along with his clear definition of marriage as a covenant, opened our eyes to a larger vision for our marriage.

Books for Parents

Raising Your Children for Christ by Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray was a Christian author who lived from 1828 to 1917 and wrote many books encouraging Christians to live godly lives. The fact that many of his books are re-published and continue to affect Christians today speaks to the timelessness of his writing. A revised version was also published called Raising Your Child to Love God, which is also very good.

This book was written for Christian parents “who long to have their homes truly consecrated to God” (from his preface).

The greatest lesson I took from this book is Murray’s repeated challenge that if we want our children to love God, we must love Him first. The challenge to raise a godly family began with a challenge to be godly people first:

“Parents must be what they want their children to be.”

This challenge, with biblical examples, teaching, and practical instructions, permeates the book. When I finished reading it, I felt awed by the immensity of parenting, and encouraged that raising godly children CAN BE DONE.

What the Bible Says about Child Training by J. Richard Fugate

Over twenty years ago, we led a small group of parents through a video series that Richard Fugate presented. We were surprised at how many of the parents attending had never considered the Bible as a guidebook for parenting, and it sparked a passion in us to help parents as much as we could.

Two of the concepts we integrated into our own family from this book are related:

  • an intentional, loving chastisement process, and
  • the importance of using a rod for that chastisement.

Mr. Fugate suggests a step-by-step chastisement process which we modified to fit our families needs. The specific steps weren’t as important as the commitment to follow a consistent process to train and correct our children. It has been a source of joy to watch our children develop their own chastisement processes for their children.

The Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson

Friends who know our sweet, kind, creative middle child are surprised that we bought this book because of her.

Dobson, who wrote Love Must Be Tough and many other books to help families, learned a lot of the concepts in this book from his parents. He was one of the first to point out that a strong will in a child can be a good thing.

The lesson from this book that stood out the most for us as parents is the necessity of accepting your child’s defiant challenge of your leadership… and winning it. It’s not a might-makes-right type of victory, but an expression of proper God-given authority. It means you must stay in the battle as long as it takes to win.

We regularly recommend this book to parents who want to shape their child’s strong will into a force for God’s kingdom.

Books that are not about Family, but are about Families

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

OK, it’s not an easy read or particularly entertaining, but this historical classic taught us two main lessons (among others):

  • Our country’s first European settlers were dedicated Christians who exhibited Christ-likeness in everything so that the generations to come would enjoy God’s blessings;
  • One of the main reasons they went through the extreme hardships required to establish a God-centered society was FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

In chapter four, Bradford list the reasons why their congregation decided to settle in America. Their third clear reason was that their children were being led astray by the secular nation (Holland) in which they currently lived. This they found “still more lamentable, and of all sorrows most heavy to be borne…”

The fact that the Puritan pilgrims thought their families worth the utmost sacrifice was both an encouragement and a challenge.

To Have and To Hold by Mary Johnston

This is a long novel, but I have read it aloud over multiple weeks multiple times. My children love it for a number of reasons:

  • The godly example of a Christian man who considers his marriage covenant sacred,
  • His confused and scared wife who married him only because his home was in the wilderness away from her pursuers,
  • The entertaining minister who helped them.

These are all part of a story that includes colonial rusticism, imperial intrigue, high seas swashbuckling, aboriginal attacks, duels of honor, personal spiritual growth, and the growing love of a man and wife.

We recommend this book because it is a great read-aloud resource, and we believe reading to your children is one of the best activities to encourage relationships and foster mental growth. Because it is a long-time favorite, I recently re-read some of our favorite chapters to my 23- and 21-year-old daughters. It can be one of your favorites, too.

That’s our list.

I hope you find these reviews of Christian family books helpful. Of course, there are many more books on our bookshelves that we often recommend to others, including Families from the Beginning and The Story Farm by our favorite author. But these came to the top of our list because we can point to attitudes and truths in our lives that are there because of these books.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

Pop-up scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Posted in Bibilical Family, Marriage, Thoughts about Scripture | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Gideon’s Answers

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Dean W.

Last week I blogged about the different ways Jesus answers our prayers. I gave examples of three types of answers from Jesus: the “Yes”, the question, and the rebuke. But it’s not just in the New Testament that God gives those answer types. Those types of answers are given to our heroes of faith in the Old Testament, also. Gideon is a great example.

Gideon’s prayers

When we talk about the account of Gideon in the book of Judges, it’s common for Christians to discount it as an example of God’s working through someone in spite of that person’s lack of faith. We point to Gideon’s obvious distrust of the angel of the Lord that first appeared to him, the cover of darkness over his first action against false gods, his need for repeated “fleeces” to prove to himself that God was with him, and the complete collapse of his family after his death. But we must remember that the whole point of the book of Judges is to chronicle the failures of a people of which it was repeated: “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. (Judges 17:6, 21:25)

We may not consider Gideon’s early story a great example of faith, but here’s what I noticed: Every one of Gideon’s prayers were answered.

Question, Rebuke, Yes

Gideon’s first conversation with the Lord is begun by God, who gives him an encouraging greeting. Gideon’s response is a prayer of complaint and sarcasm (just being real) which God answers by calling out his sarcasm (”this might of yours”) and a question: “Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:12-14)

When Gideon begins to give excuses about why he wasn’t a good option, God rebukes him with a reminder that it was God’s presence that would do the work. (Judges 6:15-16)

Then Gideon asked God to stick around so he could bring Him some food, and God said “Yes” (Judges 6:17-18). When Gideon later asked God for the fleece proofs, he got two more yeses (Judges 6:36-40).

The scripture doesn’t record any more of Gideon’s prayers, but when the Midianites and Amalekites filled the Valley of Jezreel, he obeyed God’s instructions and delivered Israel, beginning a 40-year peace and gaining a mention in the Hebrews “faith hall of fame” (Hebrews 11:32).

Gideon, me, and you

Yes, Gideon was a bit of a knucklehead, and that gives me hope. Gideon and many other examples like him remind me that I should not tell God how I expect Him to answer me, but I must listen for His loving rebuke, His probing question, and His encouraging yes.

Like Gideon, we have to obey so God can do the work. Just like God told Gideon “Surely I will be with you, and you shall…” (Judges 6:16), Jesus told you and me, “Go… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

When have you heard a “Yes”, a question, or a rebuke? Tell me in the comments.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

I did an interview this week about The Story Farm on the local radio station in the county where I grew up. Here’s a link where you can listen to it: WKVI.

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

Pop-up scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Posted in Lessons from Scripture, Thoughts about Scripture | Leave a comment

Jesus Answers

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Dean W.

Expecting answers

As a Christian, when you pray, do you expect an answer?

Our prayers are normally in the form of requests for blessings or understanding and supplications for deliverance from evil. But what type of response do we expect?

When we ask Jesus a question, his answer can be a “Yes,” a question, or a rebuke.

Getting the “Yes”

The “Yes” answers are simple, they come from the Lord’s compassion for us and his desire to bless us. “I am willing, be clean” (Matthew 8:3, Mark 1:41)*

Our requests that are according to His will always receive a yes.

This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Most Christians can testify about times when they got a “Yes” from God: a healing, a changed circumstance, a miraculous provision.

Questions for questions

The other answers from Jesus are harder to take. When he answers our requests with a question, it generally requires some self-reflection on our part. An example is His answer to the religious leaders when they asked about His authority:

Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’”(Matthew 21:24-25)

This questioning reply caused considerable debate among them and forced them to acknowledge their own weakness of conviction.

I clearly remember a time when my prayer was answered by a question. I was asking God for the funds to begin going to college for engineering. I laid out my case like this: I need this college education so I can advance my career so I can earn more money so I can provide for my family. His question to me was clear: “Do you need a college education for Me to supply all your needs according to My riches in glory?”

I knew the scripture He was referencing (Phil 4:19). I thought it over for about 15 seconds. Then I said, “No, I don’t need a college education for You to provide all my needs according to Your riches in glory.”

“OK,” He said, “I want your time.”
Shortly after that conversation He began to open doors to part-time ministries that I could not have done if I was spending my evenings in school. And He has met all our needs.

Rebukes

When our requests are out of line or come from a lack of faith, sometimes Jesus answers with a rebuke. The disciples learned this on stormy seas, their panicked petitions for help were answered by “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) or “Why are you fearful?” (Matthew 8:26).

Peter was rebuked in the same way when he fell off the water.

But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31)

James later made the point that errant prayers require a rebuke: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)

One day I was praying (actually, I was complaining) to God about my wife, telling Him how frustrated I was with something she had or had not done. I don’t remember what I was upset about, but I never forgot the rebuke I received.

“Do you realized the reason you are frustrated is because you’re being selfish?”

“No way!” I thought. But I realized it was true. I wanted my way, and if I quit being selfish, the frustration and anger would go away. I looked a little deeper and realized that MOST of the times I was frustrated with Lynn, I was being selfish. What a heart check! It gave me a reference point for future disagreements: Am I being selfish?

What will you do with His answer?

When you pray, are you ready for any answer? Getting the “Yes” is awesome, but the questions and rebukes offer us more growth if we are willing to receive them.

When you pray, what are you going to do with Jesus’ answer?

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the World English Bible (WEB).

Pop-up scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Posted in Lessons from Scripture, Marriage, Thoughts about Scripture | Leave a comment

Great Friday

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Dean W.

Good Friday

Today is a high holiday in the Christian calendar, the day we remember the price Jesus paid for our sins. It’s traditionally a somber observance. But for the Christian, it has to be celebrated with gratitude and hope, because we know what happened three days after Jesus’ death.

The requirement for justice against our sin was pronounced in the Garden of Eden:

Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17 WEB*

Every human must suffer the consequence of sin in their physical body because

…as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:12

Justice Satisfied

But the justice that condemns us to a second death (Revelation 20:14) was satisfied by Jesus’ death on the cross.

…for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26

We are finite spiritual beings, with a beginning but no end. But we have offended an infinite God. Since our offense is infinite, we cannot ever redeem ourselves. Only an infinite sacrifice is enough to atone us to God, and since He is the only infinite One, He…

…emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. Philippians 2:7-8

Fully Man, Fully God

Even though He was fully man, the Bible tells us clearly that Jesus was fully God, able to reconcile us to Himself completely.

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Because Jesus was the completely appropriate and fully effective payment for our sin debt, God is able to righteously pardon our sin and remove all charges against us.

You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:14

Great Friday

That’s why we celebrate the day Jesus died, because his resurrection from the dead justified all of us who believe in Him.

…but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. Romans 4:24-25

Because He lives, He is able to save us completely. His resurrection declares the power of his death for us.

But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24-25

Have a great Resurrection Celebration this weekend!

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the World English Bible (WEB).

Pop-up scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.

Posted in Lessons from Scripture, Thoughts about Scripture | Leave a comment

You Can Buy The Story Farm Now!

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Dean W.

Finished!

The Story Farm

The Story Farm is published! I finally took Lynn’s advice to “stop tweaking it.” It seemed that over the last week, after I got my first proof copies, I kept seeing little things that I thought had to be changed. Well, on an early morning this week, while I was still in bed, I got the final piece, the part that was bugging me about the book, the single paragraph that said the last thing that I wanted to say.

I got up about 5AM, made an editorial correction I had seen the night before, and wrote a new last paragraph in the Introduction.

However, it didn’t fit with the thoughts of the Intro, so I moved it to the Preface. But it didn’t fit in the thoughts or the page space of the Preface. I realized that this last paragraph best fit in the first page of the book, the Dedication. Once I included it with the Dedication note to our children and grandchildren, I knew I was done.

Later that morning I submitted the manuscript to KDP. By bedtime that night I had also submitted the file for the Kindle ebook. The paperback went live on Amazon yesterday, the Kindle version is live for pre-order and will download on your device on April 2nd.

It’s a bathroom book

Some people may not like this crude idea, but I often tell people that I consider The Story Farm a “bathroom book”. The chapters are short, mostly between 1000 and 2000 words, which is a four-to-ten-minute read. In other words, you can read a chapter in one sitting.

Here’s a fact about my parents’ house that’s not in the book: when they designed the upstairs bathroom, my dad had the builder insert a book niche in the wall by the toilet. It always had a selection of magazines (especially “Reader’s Digest”) and novels. We grew up reading on the toilet. So I am hopeful and proud that my book about the lessons from their farm is going to end up in a lot of bathrooms.

The last paragraph

I know what you’re wondering: What was that magical last paragraph? It was the answer to a question that no one asked, but I had to answer for my family, because it was personal. I struggled with this emotion while writing each story and I wanted to address it somewhere in the book. It points to the heart of our relationships with our parents.

Because I know you want to see it, the full dedication is below. The second paragraph is the clincher for The Story Farm.

Dedicated to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of August and Elaine Wickert, and the generations to follow. May this book remind you of your heritage and may your heritage guide you in your future.

I used “Augie” and “Elaine” in this book to help tell their stories, but I was never comfortable calling my parents by their first names. While they were living, and now that they are gone, they have always been “Dad” and “Mom”. I hope they will always be “Grandpa” and “Grandma” to you.

Buy The Story Farm

I am sure you will like this book. Give it to your family for Easter. If you’re unsure whether you will enjoy this book, go to the book’s page on Amazon, choose the Look Inside feature on the paperback page and read the first chapter, “The Story Table”.

If nothing else, buy it for bathroom reading. You can get the Kindle version for your phone or Kindle fire.

Thank you.

By His calling, in His strength,

Dean

Posted in Book Discussion, The Story Table (Book) | Leave a comment