Concerning the Times and the Seasons

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 – Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. ² For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Icicles on the face of the waterfall on Flat Fork Creek. Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio.

Winter hiking requires additional preparations that you may not consider in other seasons, unless you hike in the high mountains where you need to be prepared for extreme weather any time of the year. Carrying a cutting tool, fire starting supplies, a map and compass, a first aid kit, and enough food and water are important all the time, but even more so in cold weather; and clothing, that you may barely give a second thought to in warmer weather, becomes a major concern in the winter. The key to being prepared is to “expect the unexpected,” so you are ready to handle any situation. When you are away from civilization you often cannot just call 911 when an emergency arises, and even if you can it will likely take rescuers much longer to get to you than when you are at home. (REI’s website has a great article with Winter Camping and Backpacking Tips if you want to read more.)

Today’s passage from 1 Thessalonians 5 is all about being prepared in the “times and seasons” while we await the second coming of Christ. And just like a winter hike, these preparations we make in our Christian walk are necessary because there is an element of the unexpected, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” In Matthew 24:44 Jesus, himself, tells his disciples, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” And in Matthew 25:13, he says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Clearly we do not know when the Lord will come again, and because of this we need to be ready at any time. Fortunately in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Paul gives us advice on some things we can do to prepare, as well as some things not to do, that are written almost in checklist fashion:

¹²We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

If we read this passage daily and heeded Paul’s advice, how much more joyful could we be in our approach to life? How would it change our outlook and our expectations if we actually did what we are told to do in these eleven short verses?

Do you think this sounds impossible? Well, we find good news as Paul concludes the body of his letter to the believers in Thessalonica with these great words of encouragement:

²³ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

These are words that we too should take to heart. They are words that give us hope because it means we are not doing this alone, and they are words that apply equally to us as believers today!

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Tossed By the Wind

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

James 1:2-8 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Sunset over the wind tossed waters of Stonelick Lake on a blustery late December evening. Stonelick State Park, Pleasant Plain, Ohio.

I have mentioned in the past that I enjoy photographing sunrises and sunsets, though, on this particular evening’s trip to Stonelick State Park the ground was very muddy due to recent heavy rains, the spectacularly colored sky never quite materialized, and the wind was so blustery that the reflections off the lake, I desire, were just not there. Despite things not turning out as I wanted, it was still a good opportunity to get out, do some photography with a friend, and learn a little about capturing a decent shot in less than ideal conditions.

In today’s passage James begins by telling us we should take joy when we encounter trials and have our faith tested. This, he says, produces steadfastness, which, when allowed to take full effect, makes us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Much as the process of forging steel shapes and perfects the metal into a finished product, so too do the difficulties we face in life and in our walk with Christ help to shape and perfect us into the person God wants us to be.

Often times we gain far more wisdom from our failures than from our successes, and by asking God for wisdom we need to realize that his method for teaching us may not be as straightforward as just picking up our Bibles, opening to some particular page and finding the answer we seek. I am by no means proposing that we set our Bibles aside, however God does frequently teach us through life’s experiences, as James is suggesting here. If our faith is based on pure academic knowledge I would offer that it is incomplete.

James tells us to “ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” This does not mean we should expect God to answer all our prayers with the specific outcome we desire, but rather, that we need to hold firm in our faith especially when things do not turn out as planned. We need to understand that the problems and struggles we face serve God’s purpose, and that they will likely give us exactly the wisdom we asked him for, in the first place.

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By the Breath of God Ice Is Given

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Job 37:10-13 – By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. ¹¹ He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. ¹² They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. ¹³ Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.

The waterfall on Flat Fork Creek is nearly frozen over with ice after a bout of sub-zero temperatures. Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio.

Today’s passage from the book of Job reminds us that God is sovereign over all of his creation, even the winter weather, for “By the breath of God ice is given.” One question often asked by those who doubt God’s sovereignty is, how a loving God can let bad things like storms or natural disasters happen?” Even as Christians we do not always understand God’s purpose behind the events in our own lives, let alone those in the larger world around us.

But, as we read here, God is most certainly in control and his purposes are achieved, for the clouds “turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world.” We also read of some possible reasons behind God’s actions, they may be “for correction or for his land or for love,” even though we may not fully comprehend the reasons at the time.

With prayer, patience, and perseverance perhaps in time we will understand God’s purposes, whether in the little things or the big, or perhaps not. Either way, in the mean time we need to rest in the hope and promise of Christ and in the words of Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

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Whiter than Snow

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 51:7-12 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Freshly fallen snow along a fence line near the Carl A. Rahe Access. Little Miami State Park, Foster, Ohio.

While this photo is not from the winter storm that has blanketed us with snow here in southwestern Ohio today, I felt a winter theme was definitely in order for today’s post. I hope to get out and add a few nice winter photos to my “portfolio” tomorrow.

The amazing thing about photography is that we can capture a moment in time and preserve it, allowing it to be appreciated for years to come. What I find even more amazing, though, is that our God, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of the universe, does not see our sins like the photographs in an old family album. Fortunately for us, through the blood shed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God has blotted out all our iniquities and removed the stain of sin from our lives. Through Christ’s blood we have been washed clean and can rejoice knowing that we have been made whiter than snow!

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