Year of the Bible

“And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3, KJV).

When I was a boy, my grandfather used to say, “If you can put salt on a bird’s tail, you can catch the bird.” He would then hand us the saltshaker, and off we children went for hours of fun that brought joy and laughter to the adults watching from the porch. Needless to say, we wasted lots of salt and could never get close enough to those illusive birds.

“God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song” (Isa. 12:2, NKJV).

The phone rang. A voice on the other end had bad news to share with me.

“Your dad is not getting better,” she said.

That sunny day turned gloomy and gray.

Prone to depression, I asked my husband, “How can I be happy when dad is suffering? How can I enjoy the sunny days when he is cooped up in a hospital and I cannot visit?”

Thankfully, there is Someone who is faithful and kind and who every morning gives me the strength to continue on my journey. He promises to carry my burdens and heavy load.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1, NASB).

Jesus’ teaching in John 15:1 illustrates our dependence on Him: “I am the true vine,” He says. How often have we tried to be the vine, but produced sour grapes—the ugly works of the flesh? We have tried to find holiness and love for others in ourselves, which we will never find. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature” (Rom. 7:18, NIV).

Jesus, the true Vine, will produce the fruit of the Spirit as we allow Him to live in us. “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live” (Gal. 2:20, KJV). Paul, who was crucified with Christ, was not the vine, vainly trying to do his best. He was the branch, whose self-confidence was broken and dependent on the Lord.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105, NKJV).

It seems as if the jungle, the mountains and rural areas are favorite destinations to send new ministers. I was no exception. My first district was in the deep forest of Nicaragua, surrounded by rushing rivers and deep lagoons. Our congregations resided in small communities nestled around these lagoons. Ninety percent of travel between them was by river, so we used an outboard motorboat to carry out pastoral work.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11, NKJV).

“The term ‘armed to the teeth’ originated in Port Royal Jamaica in the 1600s when pirates were constantly looking for ships to loot and their guns were very primitive. As a result, pirates could shoot only once before a long reloading process. Consequently, they needed to carry a gun in each hand, and perhaps in each pocket. For extra power, they would also hold a knife between their teeth. To be ‘armed to the teeth’ means to carry the maximum number of weapons possible.”*