Reconciled

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Footbridge across the Little Miami River. John Bryan State Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Depending on the parks and trails you hike, you may have the luxury of finding well-built footbridges that allow you to cross rivers and streams with ease. In more remote locations, however, where there are no bridges, fording fast-moving water can be a dangerous and potentially deadly task. If you have never forded difficult water and are unsure what to do, your wisest choice may be to go back the way you came. (See Safety Tips for Fording Streams and Rivers)

Fortunately in our Christian walk the bridge has already been built. The cost of constructing this particular bridge was very high, though, nothing less than the blood of God’s own Son shed on the cross. Christ, who was sinless, took on our sins “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” But, without Christ we are completely cut off from God; we have nothing to rely on but our own good works and righteousness, which, if examined honestly, we will find completely lacking. The good news is that it does not depend on our efforts because, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.”

The bridge is already standing, God calls us to the other side, and once there we have responsibilities that, as followers of Christ, we are expected to fulfill. He “gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” he “entrusted to us the message of reconciliation,” and now “we are ambassadors for Christ.” Again there is good news, it is not upon our own efforts that we must rely, because “in Christ” we are “a new creation.” And, as we read in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

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Nazareth to Bethlehem

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

4^th Sunday in Advent

Luke 2:1-5 – In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

Stopping for lunch and giving our feet some rest at a scenic spot off of Rough Trail. Red River Gorge, Slade, Kentucky.

I have never had the opportunity to travel to Israel, but thanks to the technology of Google Maps I was quickly able to determine that the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem, via modern day roads, is about 100 miles. Although the Bible provides no details of Joseph and Mary’s journey, their likely means of travel given their social status, was either by foot or possibly, in the best of conditions, riding on a donkey. Either way, it was a long and difficult trip.

More than 700 years before the birth of Christ the prophet Micah foretold the place of the Messiah’s birth, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2) The reason Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem in the first place was because of the decree from Caesar Augustus, someone who did not even acknowledge the God of the Israelites. If not for his decree there would have been no reason for a poor carpenter from Nazareth and his pregnant betrothed to make the difficult trip to Bethlehem. When you stop to consider the events that took place to ensure the fulfillment of this prophesy you realize just how incredible they are, and perhaps you can begin to understand the sovereignty of God.

Now translate that understanding into the circumstances of your own life and you may begin to think differently about the things that take place on any given day. When you put your trust in Christ you are turning your life over to the sovereign God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the one who had planned, in great detail, the birth of a Savior for his people, “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

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Follow in His Steps

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

1 Peter 2:21-24 – For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ²² He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³ When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Taking a break and enjoying the view after hiking the snow covered trail up to Emerald Lake. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

If you have ever hiked on snow, you know that it is easier to follow in the footsteps of someone who has gone ahead of you, rather than blazing the trail yourself. But, just because someone has traveled the path before you, does not mean the hike will be easy, you still need to do the work in order to get to the end of the journey and enjoy the scenic view.

Our walk as Christians is a lot like this. As we read in today’s passage from 1 Peter, we do have someone who has gone ahead of us, in whose footsteps we follow. We have someone who lived the perfect life that we are unable to live and who died the terrible death we so much deserve for our sinful ways. That someone is Christ, who took our sins to the cross and shed his blood so “that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Even though the trail has been blazed for us, we still have work we are called to do. And, while our works can never earn the salvation already bought for us by Christ’s blood shed on the cross, being a Christian does not mean we can just sit idly by. As we read in Christ’s own words from Luke 9:23-24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

The Christian walk is not always an easy one, especially when you consider in whose steps we follow. But the rewards at the end of the journey will far exceed even the most scenic and spectacular views we find at the end of the trails we travel in this life.

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Hear, My Son, Your Father’s Instruction

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Happy Birthday Dad! Seventy years young today!

Proverbs 1:7-9 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. ⁸ Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, ⁹ for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Grouse hunting with my dad and son (many years ago) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, near the town of Ralph.

Being raised learning to love the outdoors was a true blessing and something I have carried with me throughout the years. Hunting and fishing with dad are some of my fondest memories from childhood. But the greatest blessing of all was having parents who brought me up in the knowledge and fear of the Lord!

Fathers, the single most important thing you can do for your children is to raise them knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Read to them from the Bible. Teach them to bring everything to God in prayer. Set the example by being the spiritual leader of your family as God intended. Do not shirk that responsibility. Listen to Paul’s advice from Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

And children, as the fifth commandment, in Exodus 20:12, says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” This commandment, unlike the others actually carries with it a specific promise for being obedient. Not that we deserve a reward for obedience, nor are the other commandments are any less important; but, this is the only one that makes such a promise, making it noteworthy. Even Paul highlights this distinction in Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Thank you for all you have done for me throughout my life Dad! May God bless and keep you today and always!

Love,
Todd

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