Not Neglecting to Meet Together

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

A quartet of ring-billed gulls gathered together along the shores of Lake Erie. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania.

I suspect my introverted nature and desire for solitude are traits I share with many who enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Time alone for prayer, reflection, or simply to get away and recharge our batteries is a good thing. As I wrote about in a previous blog post, there are plenty of examples in Christ’s own earthly ministry where he and his disciples took time to get away.

But, as much as we may enjoy our time alone, today’s passage from Hebrews reminds us that we should not neglect gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. From the first pages of the Bible we discover that God himself is relational, and, that we are relational beings, created in his image. In Genesis 1: 26-27 we read,

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

There is much more to these verses, but I have two points that I want to highlight here. First, God says “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Here God refers to himself using the plural pronouns us and our, not the singular, me and my. ¹ God is clearly relational. Second, he created us male and female in his image. We, too, are relational beings. From the beginning, we were created with a deep need for a relationship with God, as well as relationships with other people. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world where all of our relationships are complicated by sin and selfishness.

But, there is good news! As Christians we have hope through Christ. As Christians we have the opportunity, as today’s passage tells us, to encourage and “stir up one another to love and good works.” Of course, we can only do these things as long as we are “not neglecting to meet together.”

Read more about my “God is Revealed…“ category of posts

¹ While an explanation and defense of the central Christian doctrine of the Trinity is beyond the scope of a short devotional, this verse does clearly point to the relational nature of God. If you want to explore the doctrine of the Trinity further, I recommend this link to the Monergism.com website where you will find numerous links to many excellent writings on the doctrine of the Trinity.

An Image Formed

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Acts 17:29-31 – Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Shoreline image reflected in the waters of Stonelick Lake. Stonelick State Park, Pleasant Plain, Ohio.

Too often we substitute our own blurry images for the clear picture God has given us of himself in the Bible. We focus on the gifts rather than the giver, the reflection rather than the true object of our faith. While Scripture clearly tells us that the beauty of nature reflects the glory of God, we must always remember that we are called to worship God, our Creator, not his creation.

Take time today to study God’s word for yourself, so that you can be sure it is God himself you are worshipping and not some blurry image created by the “imagination of man,” be it yours or someone else’s.

Read more about my “God is Revealed…“ category of posts

My First Blog

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

In the Bible we are told the story of God’s creation of the universe, the heavens, the earth, skies, waters, plants, animals, and ultimately of mankind, in God’s own image. In Romans 1:20 we are told that God’s creation is sufficient to make us aware of his existence.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (ESV)

And, while God has most certainly given us an amazing world filled with natural beauty that points us to his glory, without his inspired, infallible word, the Bible, we cannot truly know God nor his plan for our salvation in a fallen world. Modern society is certainly out of touch with nature, but more importantly we are out of touch with our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer, the God of the Bible.

This blog is written from a Christian perspective and assumes that God is the master and creator of all things. I hope to not only highlight some of the amazing wilderness that God has blessed my wife and me to experience, but also to bring a Christian perspective on nature and the outdoors, particularly how we use hiking as a ministry for Christian fellowship and retreat as well as evangelism and outreach.

By no means do I intend to elevate nature to an object of worship! God’s creation is a magnificent gift for us to enjoy, however, the glory must always be God’s. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, himself, used the outdoors as an integral part of his ministry while here on earth. And, I believe this is a model that we can use in our own ministries today. I plan to share more thoughts on this subject in future posts.

Posts you find here will range from the theological to the secular and will cover a broad range of topics all generally relating to the outdoors and outdoor ministry. I hope to include reviews of books (Christian and secular), parks, trails, and gear. Some posts will be shorter snippets, resources, ideas, tips, and techniques for outdoor ministry, hiking, camping, wilderness survival, and whatever else may seem fitting to the outdoor ministry theme of this site. And, from time to time, I hope to dig deeper into the biblical and theological principles behind my ministry, under the category of “The Hiker’s Ramblings,” as this post is categorized.

This is my first time venturing into the world of blogging, so please bear with me as I learn!

I hope that you will find my posts useful, thought provoking, and edifying. But, most of all, I hope that God’s glory will always shine through. Because, our God is truly an awesome God!!!!

Yours in Christ,
Todd the Hiker

Who is Todd the Hiker? See my About the Author page.