Build A Fun Travelogue with Google Earth Pro
I am creating a series of maps that depict the travels of the Apostle Paul. This is Part One of the tutorials about how I created the first one, The Road to Damascus.
The 80/15 Principle
Many of you may be thinking that I’m referring to the book by the name, “The 80/20 Principle.” Possibly you are thinking of the Pareto Rule that asserts that 80% of outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% of all causes (or inputs) for any given event — whatever that means. More likely you believe that the 80/20 rule pertains to church congregations where it is said that 80% of the work of any congregation is done by 20% of the congregants.
There is much to be said about my last example above, most congregations can use more volunteer effort. The work of the Body of Christ is essential to the spread of the Gospel. Take a moment to review 1 Corinthians 12:12-22
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Co 12:12–22). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Especially, read verse 22. If you belong to a congregation (Gk. ἐκκλησία, or ecclesia), you are indispensable! So, think and pray about how you can help your ecclesia. Think outside the box, though. Perhaps you play guitar and sing Christian songs. Don’t volunteer for the Praise Team, learn some hymns, and go to a nearby nursing home to volunteer there. That is as much the work of the Body of Christ as working inside the building where His Body meets.
So, if you are thinking that the 80/20 principle got downgraded and now 15% of the ecclesia is doing 80% of the work, find your niche and get to work!
No, the 80/15 principle is from something our Pastor, Todd DuBord, mentioned in his sermon on March 10, 2024. His third from last message before he retires from pastoral ministry. Look back at 1 Corinthians 12 for a moment. To misquote Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
This is especially true when the Holy Spirit is involved, He will help the Body do the work necessary. As Pastor Todd retires, many of the Body will step in; Elder Scott Cory will take the pulpit every Sunday in April and I am looking forward to his messages. Even a teeny part of the Body, like me, will pitch in due to the occasion of my thirtieth Re-Birthday (May 5, though I will be out of town that week so it will possibly happen some other Sunday in May).
No, 80/15 refers to the wattage of our light. Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said,
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 5:14–16). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
What is the wattage of your lamp? If truth be told, my wattage is much closer to 15, and probably less if I’m being honest. Understand this; when and where your light shines can make a huge impact for the Gospel.
For instance, if things are going great for you and you are generating an 80-Watt light, that isn’t as great as you might think.
When things are going well, the sun is shining, and birds are singing that 80-Watts isn’t really that bright. Imagine that “city set on a hill” on a sunny day. 80-Watts doesn’t illuminate very much because the sun is far brighter.
But what if it’s Snoopy’s dark and stormy night? 80-Watts, indeed, even 15-Watts becomes a shining beacon. That barely 3-Watt light bulb that I can manage to generate when things are bleak might not be much, but it is a light that illuminates for someone else to see Christ.
Those are the times when the people around us can’t understand how we can still shine our light, weak as it is. When things are at their worst, that is when unbelievers wonder how we can have any kind of positive attitude. That is when they will ask the question that is inferred by Peter when he says in 1 Peter 3:15:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Pe 3:15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
80-Watts on a bright sunny day doesn’t exhibit that hope, but 2 or 3-Watts during a “Dark Night of the Soul” can do more for the Gospel than 1000-Watts when life is sunny.
A Seamless Loop
As a Boomer, I’m not supposed to be able to do these things, I’m supposed to be confused by tech, but I am not, which is what makes me an OK Boomer. In the end, I want to encourage people to try new things. What is the worst thing that can happen? besides, if I can do these things, anyone can.
In this video I reveal how I create seamless loops out of video footage. To get started, you don’t need a fancy camera, or high end software, and as you will see in the video, you don’t even need a tripod!
You can make one of these videos with a phone, a computer and the free version of Davinci Resolve, which you can download here: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Disclaimer: Davinci Resolve does require a computer that has a dedicated graphics card.
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What Does It Say?
Proverbs 22:17–21
17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Pr 22:17–21). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
I have a saying that I often use, and that is; “What does the Bible say?” No one seems to have an answer when I ask. This may be an American phenomenon, perhaps the Church in other Western countries as well, but it seems that Christians too often get their opinions from the world around them and not from the Bible.
Maybe it is in the way we read the Bible? To many people the Word of God is a collection of sayings by which to live their lives. And, as the Scripture above attests, it is, but it is more than that.
In the Casting Crowns song, The Word is Alive the following words are spoken:
The Bible was inscribed over a period of 2000 years
In times of war and in days of peace
By kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers
Fishermen, singers and shepherdsThe marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive
Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman; 2007 Primary Wave Brian (Chapman Sp Acct); Sparrow Song; Be Essential Songs; My Refuge Music
Could have been produced by such a diverse crowd
Over a period of time which staggers the imagination
Jesus is its grand subject, our good is designed
And the glory of God is its end
Do we get that God’s Word must be the source for our opinions? When we allow MSNBC, CNN, OANN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox news, AP, Reuters or the myriad of todays “Influencers” (take your pick) to determine what opinion we should take on social issues, we do an injustice to what God has provided for us.
This morning, I read an article on Challies.com. (Link at the bottom, I’m afraid people will go there and not come back here. 😊)
Tim didn’t write much of the article, he merely allowed Theodore Cuyler’s words to take precedence. For those who don’t know him; Theodore Ledyard Cuyler (January 10, 1822 – February 26, 1909) was an American Presbyterian minister and writer. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_L._Cuyler).
If the words of Mark Hall & Steven Curtis Chapman above seem poetic to you then Cuyler’s are gonna knock your socks off. Here is the final paragraph:
Such is the wondrous volume which God has given to man, and which outweighs all the libraries on the globe. It contains many writings, yet is it but one book. It has many writers, yet it is all from one Author, the Almighty Spirit of God. The pure, white, spotless fleece hath throughout its connecting fibers; the fabric is divine in its origin, its unity, and its imperishable power and glory.
Link at the end
We must stop allowing the world to give us our opinions, God’s Word is “divine in its origin” the opinions of the world are not. People’s opinions change, for instance did you know that former President Clinton used MAGA long before former President Trump? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWHlLsUIG8E&ab_channel=GregChambers). The opinions of people who aren’t rooted in the Word will be one thing today and another tomorrow. A Christian who lets the world, these news networks or influencers, form their opinion is the double-minded person in James, who wrote:
James 1:5-8
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.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jas 1:5–8). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
When we read the Word are we ever mindful that it is a cohesive whole, that it is complete and enough for every part of life? Wanna know what to think about social issues of today? How about immigration? Here is a taste; the Bible says to welcome the “sojourner,” but in Exodus chapter 12 it says that those sojourners are subject to the laws of their adopted country, see also Leviticus 24. Remember, circumcision was one of those laws when Exodus was written. No one is asking anything so drastic of those sojourners who wish to come here.
Lawbreakers should not be welcome in any society, on the other hand, perhaps immigration laws can be adjusted to make it easier for those who want to come here legally to make a better life for themselves and their families. It’s difficult to make the case that you are a law-abiding sojourner when your first act is to break the law of the country you want to call home.
Whatever the social issue, the answer is in the Word. We need to stop looking to news commentators or the influencers of today for our opinions. Pop Culture is a moving target, and many of its followers eventually find that they have become the target.
Do you want to know what to think about any of the issues facing our country today? Ask God, it is in His Word.
Please be sure to subscribe before you click the promised Challies link: https://www.challies.com/articles/right-to-the-point/
Remember Lot’s Wife
I stood in church yesterday giving announcements and telling people about the new Church App and Church Website that I am working on; 64 years old and I am the tech guy; I am an OK Boomer after all. During those announcements I told our Pastor, Todd DuBord, that we don’t want him to return.
Perhaps some explanation is in order. Our pastor is retiring from pastoral ministry, his last Sunday will be Easter Sunday. He feels a calling elsewhere — he just doesn’t know what this calling is or where this calling is going to take him. I imagine that it is a frightening prospect for him; the not knowing. If I recall correctly, except for a seven- or eight-year period, he has been a pastor since achieving his Master of Divinity degree in the 1980’s.
Part of me envies this call on his life, and part (most of me, if I’m being honest) is glad that I don’t have the same call.
When he first told me that he was retiring and that he feels that God wants him elsewhere, my first thought was the words of Jesus in Matthew, “Remember Lot’s wife.” This was an incorrect assumption on my part, that is a Scripture about eschatology, or the end times. The actual Scripture that fits the situation is in Luke:
Luke 9:61–62
61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Lk 9:61–62). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
We at Mount Lassen Community Church (MLCC) want his new ministry to be fruitful. We will be praying for him and his new ministry, but if he looks back it may have a detrimental effect on both MLCC and Todd DuBord.
I’m also gonna miss the guy, a lot. I hope he is around regularly, visiting and encouraging those of us who remain at MLCC. We will have a very large void to fill, but allowing a window for his return could cause his ministry to falter, and possibly cause the ministry of MLCC to falter as well. That could be disastrous for both. Matthew Henry writes this about it:
Those who begin with the work of God, must resolve to go on, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back, leads to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. He only that endures to the end shall be saved.
Henry, M., & Scott, T. (1997). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Lk 9:57). Logos Research Systems.
It is going to be emotional for me as the time draws near, he and I have worked closely for a decade. He sometimes thinks I am a magician. He has asked things like; “Can you add subtitles to this video?” or, “Can you remove part of this video?” or, “Make a video fit a song.” I’m an OK Boomer, so, yes, I can, because God has gifted me with a desire to learn this techy stuff.
I don’t know what a new pastor may want, but as long as I use those gifts that God has given me to for His purposes I will be in the place He has for me. Even if that place is telling our pastor not to return.
A Davinci Resolve Tutorial
I thought I would “up my game” as non-boomers would say. Here is a video I created that is a tutorial for using Davinci Resolve to create a countdown video. This would be of interest to nerds like myself who do multimedia for church. It was a lot of fun to make, but quite time consuming. I was not able to write an article this week but may write 500 words or so for my Freeform Writing page tomorrow.
Having a “face for radio,” I waffled back and forth for a while whether I would put my image in the intro, in the end I realized that it reflected what my blog, An OK Boomer was about. I’m 64 years old so I shouldn’t be a techy guy, but I am.
Lastly, please be kind, it was my first attempt.
My First Blog Post
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
O Doctor, My Doctor
The title of this video may sound familiar.
Walt Whitman wrote “O Captain! My Captain!” as he mourned the death of Abraham Lincoln. The Captain had led his people through a terrible conflict, but at the moment of victory, he was gone.
There is no perfect parallel between Lincoln and Jesus. Lincoln died, and his story ended. Jesus died on the cross, but death could not hold Him. Three days later, He rose again.
And yet, Whitman’s words brought another thought to mind: What if we could call upon our Savior not only as our King, our Shepherd, or our Lord, but as our Doctor?
Because Scripture gives us good reason to do so.
“Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed.” Jeremiah 17:14
“I have seen his ways, and will heal him.” Isaiah 57:18
God is the One who ultimately heals. We may be grateful for doctors, medicine, and the remarkable ways God has given our bodies the ability to recover. But there are wounds no physician can see and diseases no medicine can cure.
The sickness of sin reaches deeper than the body.
And so, we come to the Great Physician.
Jesus did not stand at a safe distance from our suffering. He entered it. He was wounded. He died. And then He rose again – not merely demonstrating that He could restore a body, but declaring His authority over death itself.
“You see, it was God Who said in Deuteronomy 32, 39. ‘I kill and make alive. I wound, and I heal.’”
Sometimes we pray for healing, and God restores someone to health. Sometimes He gives strength to endure. And sometimes, the healing comes when someone we love goes home to be with Jesus.
That is difficult for us to understand. But our hope rests not in understanding every answer.
Our hope rests in the Doctor.
The One who created us knows exactly what is broken. The One who gave us life can restore it. And the One who conquered death will one day make all things new.
O Doctor, my Doctor.
O Doctor, my Doctor.
Sometimes healing comes through restored health. Sometimes it comes through strength to endure. And sometimes, the healing comes when our loved ones go home to be with Jesus.
“Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed.” — Jeremiah 17:14
The Women at the Wells
There was simply too much rich Scripture woven into this idea to fit comfortably into a two – minute video. Rather than rush through the connections, I thought I would expand on them here, because the more I looked at these stories, the more I began to see a beautiful pattern running through Scripture.
Throughout Scripture, wells become places of unexpected encounters. They are places where people come thirsty, where strangers meet, where water is drawn—and sometimes, where lives are changed.
Three women in particular stand out in the Old Testament. Rebekah meets Abraham’s servant at a well in Paddan Aram. He has come looking for a bride for Isaac, and Rebekah’s willingness to draw water becomes part of the remarkable story of how God brings them together. Rachel encounters Jacob at a well in Haran, where Jacob rolls away the stone and waters Rachel’s flock. And in Midian, Moses encounters Zipporah and her sisters at a well. When shepherds drive them away, Moses intervenes and waters their flock.
Three women. Three wells. Three encounters involving water, rescue, and marriage.
Then John takes us to another well.
Jesus comes to Jacob’s well in Samaria and meets a woman whose life does not resemble the women we have just encountered. Her marital history is complicated. She is a Samaritan, and Jesus is a Jewish man. Cultural, religious, and social boundaries stand between them. Yet Jesus deliberately crosses those boundaries to meet her.
And here the familiar pattern begins to change. In the earlier accounts, water is given to the man or to his animals. But at Jacob’s well, Jesus asks a thirsty woman for a drink – and then offers her something far greater than the water she came to draw: living water.
But the One who meets her is unlike anyone who came before.
The first three women encountered men who would become a bridegroom, or was connected to a bridegroom. Rebekah encountered the servant sent to find Isaac’s bride. Rachel encountered Jacob, who would become her husband. Zipporah encountered Moses, who would become hers.
But at Jacob’s well, the Bridegroom Himself had come.
And He had not come looking for a woman who had proven herself worthy. He came looking for someone who was thirsty.
That is where this story becomes more than an interesting parallel to the Old Testament. It becomes a picture of grace.
Jesus knew exactly who this woman was. He knew her history. He knew her failures. He knew her thirst. And He went to Samaria anyway.
John tells us that Jesus “had to” pass through Samaria. The Greek is ἔδει (edei), from δεῖ (dei) – a word expressing necessity: it was necessary.
Jesus was not wandering aimlessly through the countryside. The Savior of the world, God in the flesh, had an appointment at a well. An appointment with a woman who needed grace.
And perhaps that is why this story reaches far beyond one Samaritan woman two thousand years ago. Because we are not so different from her. We may come to different wells, carrying different burdens and different histories. We may have learned to hide our thirst from everyone around us. But Jesus already knows.
He knows the wounds. He knows the failures. He knows the things we would rather keep hidden. And He comes anyway.
He doesn’t wait for us to become worthy of His love. He meets us where we are – warts, wounds, failures and all.
We come thirsty.
And the Bridegroom gives us living water.
He gives us the greatest gift anyone can give.
He gives us Himself.
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Counting Costs
A young woman recently shared something on Instagram that caught my attention: the Greek word translated “believe” in John 3:16 is πιστεύω (pisteuō).
It was something I’d already known, but had never really investigated very deeply. The word “believe,” here in the US, is rather passive. We believe it will rain. We believe the restaurant will be crowded. We believe something to be true.
But πιστεύω carries a much deeper idea. It speaks of trust, confidence, commitment – of placing yourself in what you believe.
That got me thinking.
John 3:16 is often presented as though eternal life begins with simply believing a set of facts about Jesus. And certainly, faith begins with believing who He is and what He has done. But biblical faith doesn’t end there. It calls us to follow Him.
And following Jesus has a cost.
Jesus didn’t hide that cost from the crowds who followed Him. In Luke 14, He told them plainly that anyone who would become His disciple must be willing to take up his cross and follow Him. He even told them to count the cost before they began.
That’s a challenging message in a culture where Christianity can sometimes be reduced to a decision, a prayer, or an affirmation.
Jesus calls us to something much more profound.
He calls us to Himself.
And when we understand what He has done for us, the question isn’t simply, “Do I believe?”
It’s this:
“Am I willing to follow Him – whatever the cost?”
That is what this video, Counting Costs, explores.
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His Extravagance
We often think of generosity in terms of what we have left to give. Our time is limited. Our energy runs out. Our attention can only stretch so far. When we are already focused on one urgent need, it is easy to overlook another.
But Jesus is different.
In Luke 8, Jesus is on His way to the home of Jairus, whose twelve-year-old daughter is dying. The situation is urgent. Yet along the way, a woman reaches out in faith and touches His garment – and Jesus stops for her.
He was not too busy for her.
There is another detail here that is easy to miss. This woman had suffered for twelve years – the same length of time that Jairus’s daughter had been alive. Whether Luke intends us to see significance in the parallel or simply records these remarkable circumstances, the contrast is striking: a woman who had endured twelve years of suffering and a twelve-year-old child whose life was slipping away.
Jesus met them both.
His compassion was not diminished by another person’s need. His power was not exhausted by one miracle. His grace simply flowed from Him to another who desperately needed it.
That is the extravagance of Christ.
Like the stream flowing in this video, His grace keeps moving. It does not run dry because someone else has received it.
Maybe you feel hidden in the crowd, carrying a need no one else can see. Or perhaps you are waiting for an answer while circumstances grow darker.
Take heart.
Jesus sees you. His grace is not limited, His compassion is not exhausted, and His goodness has not reached its end.
Come to Him. His fountain never runs dry.
One last thing to add to this; there are millions of people around the world who believe that a grown man marrying a six-year-old (consummating that marriage only three years later when she was only nine-years-old) is acceptable. They will tell you that, at age nine, this girl had become a woman.
Now, contrast that with Jesus’ treatment of the woman who touched his garment (in the Greek the word used for woman was γυνή, pronounced goo-nay). The woman (γυνή) had been bleeding for twelve years, the Greek literally says “an issue, or flow of blood.” This wasn’t merely a physical ailment – according to Levitical law, her condition rendered her ritually unclean, making anyone she touched unclean as well. She was classified as a zabah, a woman with abnormal discharge beyond normal menstruation.
Now, the final contrast – Jesus uses the words Ἡ παῖς (pronounced ho paheece) for the girl. This is sometimes translated servant, but almost as often it is rendered as child or girl or boy. Had Jesus been referring to Jairus’ daughter as a woman, the word γυνή would have been used.
Make no mistake, Jesus considered a twelve-year-old to be a child, a girl, not a woman.
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Yet, I Will Rejoice
Fire leaves behind a landscape that can be difficult to look at – blackened trees, empty foundations, and the reminders of what once stood there.
But if you walk through a burned forest long enough, you begin to notice something else.
Life.
A tiny pine sapling pushing through the ash. New growth appearing along side the charred remains. Evidence that what looks dead is not necessarily the end of the story.
That is the picture behind this video, Yet, I Will Rejoice.
Living in the mountains of Northern California, wildfire is not an abstract idea for us. We have watched it destroy communities, experienced evacuation ourselves, and seen firsthand the devastation left behind. But we have also seen something else: resilience, restoration and new life.
Habakkuk understood what it meant to look at circumstances that offered no reason for worldly optimism and still choose joy.
Not because things were going well.
Not because there was plenty in the fields or livestock in the stalls.
But because God was still God.
There are seasons when the things we depend upon can disappear. Possessions can be lost. Plans can change. Circumstances can leave us standing among the ashes.
Yet God remains.
The little sapling growing among the blackened trees became a reminder to me that destruction does not have the final word.
And neither do our circumstances.
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
Sometimes faith simply looks like this:
Looking at the ashes – and rejoicing anyway.
The burned forest, the ruins of Greenville, and the devastation left by the fires remind us that earthly things can disappear. But a small pine sapling growing among blackened trees tells another story: God can bring new life from the ashes.
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” – Habakkuk 3:18
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Amen, Amen
There are some things God says once. And there are some things He says again.
When Scripture repeats itself, we should stop and listen.
In the New Testament, Jesus often began His most important statements with the words, “Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν” – “Amen amen.” It was a divine way of saying, Pay attention. What I am about to tell you matters.
We find that same emphasis in Ezekiel. God doesn’t merely promise once to remove the stony heart of His people and give them a heart of flesh. He says it again.
Ezekiel 11:19b
“I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,”
And then:
Ezekiel 36:26b
“I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”
That repetition matters.
A heart of flesh is tender toward God. It doesn’t treat sin casually. It responds when God corrects. It bends when He leads. And where once there was resistance, grace creates affection for Christ.
As you watch this video, notice the beauty of God’s creation around you. New growth, flowing water, morning light – all reminders that the God who gives life to His creation is also the God who gives new hearts to His people.
A stony heart doesn’t make itself tender.
God does.
And when God says it twice, we should listen.
“Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν” – Amen amen.
God promised not once, but twice, that He would remove the stony heart and give His people a heart of flesh.
A tender heart is not a perfect heart. It is a heart that grieves over sin, responds to God’s Word, bows to His will, and loves Christ.
The God who gives life to His creation is still in the business of giving new hearts.
Amen amen.
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Remember
We see rainbows and often think of beauty, hope, or new beginnings. But the rainbow has a far greater purpose. A far greater purpose than the purpose of the “alphabet religion” which has co-opted the rainbow.
God placed it in the heavens as a reminder – not primarily for us to remember something, but for Him to remember His covenant.
Genesis 9:15 says, “I will remember my covenant.” He continues in Genesis 9:16, “The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (emphasis mine)
That changes the way we look at the rainbow.
It is easy for us to think that the rainbow is a reminder of our responsibility to remember God and His promises. But Scripture points us in another direction. The rainbow is God’s reminder of His covenant. It declares something about His faithfulness, not ours.
Our memories are imperfect. Our faith can waver. We can become distracted, discouraged, and uncertain. But God does not forget. His covenant does not depend upon our ability to hold on to Him. It rests upon His unchanging commitment to His people.
As you watch these moments of rainbows appearing across the landscape, consider what God intended when He placed that sign in the clouds. It is more than a beautiful display of light and color. It is a reminder that God’s promises stand because God remembers.
And that is where our security is found.
When our memories fail, He remembers.
When our faith feels weak, He remains faithful.
When we struggle to hold on to Him, He never lets go of our hand.
So the next time you see a rainbow, remember what it was placed there to proclaim:
God remembers His covenant.
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Belonging
There is something about standing beside the ocean that puts our lives into perspective. Wave after wave rolls toward the shore, drawn by forces we cannot see. We can watch it, hear it, and feel its power, but we cannot control it.
As I filmed these waves at Point St. George near Crescent City, California, I found myself thinking about the certainty contained in one simple phrase from the words of Jesus:
“All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.” ~ John 6:37
There is both mystery and comfort in those words.
Jesus does not say that some may come if they are strong enough, good enough, or determined enough. He says they will come. The Father gives them to the Son, and Christ faithfully brings them to Himself. His grace reaches into hearts that once resisted Him and awakens a desire for the Savior they once rejected.
Yet this does not make our response unnecessary. Those whom Christ calls must still come. Faith is not something we can delegate to someone else. We come personally to Jesus, trusting Him as our only hope of salvation.
And then comes one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture: “He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.”
Think about that for a moment.
Christ does not receive us reluctantly. He does not tolerate us because He has no choice. He welcomes those who come to Him. The One who created the oceans and commands their waves opens His arms to sinners who trust Him.
We may spend much of our lives wondering where we fit, where we are wanted, or where we truly belong.
In Christ, we can stop wondering.
We belong to Him.
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No Exemptions
Our prayers can become small when our world becomes small. We pray for the people we know, the places we love, and the needs we can see. But Psalm 72:19 calls us to something much bigger: “Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!”
No exemptions. No nation beyond His reach. No people outside the invitation of His mercy.
As the earth turns, this short meditation reminds us that Christ did not save us merely to make us comfortable. His grace should move us to pray, to work, and to long for His glory to reach every corner of the world.
May the mercy that has changed us become the mercy we long to see shared with others.
Let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.
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The Fig Tree & the Apple Tree
Matthew 24:32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.”
Today, many Christians believe we are living in the last of the last days. Those who embrace Premillennial Dispensationalism often point to current events as evidence that Christ’s return is drawing very near. Historic Premillennialists also look for Christ’s return before His millennial reign, though many are more careful about the way they connect present-day events with specific prophecies.
Whatever one’s position, history teaches us to approach prophecy with humility.
Charles Taze Russell confidently predicted dates for Christ’s return. Every prediction failed. He was not the first to make that mistake, nor the last. Jesus Himself settled the matter when He said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows… but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36).
Our calling has never been to determine the day.
Our calling is to be ready.
There is a familiar saying, often attributed to Martin Luther, though historians question whether he actually spoke the words:
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Whether Luther said it or not, the thought captures a profoundly biblical attitude.
If Christ returns tomorrow, I will rejoice beyond anything words can express.
But if He tarries another year, another decade, or another century, I pray that He finds me faithfully doing the work He has entrusted to me. I want to continue sharing the gospel. I want to encourage fellow believers. I want to serve wherever God has placed me. In other words, I want to keep planting my apple tree.
The world around us may encourage speculation. Headlines come and go. Every generation has witnessed wars, political upheaval, natural disasters, and moral decline. Some have confidently declared that the end had arrived, only to watch history continue.
Jesus called us to something better.
He called us to faithfulness.
The fig tree reminds us that summer is near. In the same way, the signs Christ described remind us that His return is certain. Whether it is today or generations from now is not for us to know. But every sunrise gives us another opportunity to live for Him, to love others in His name, and to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.
So as summer moves toward those Summer Doldrums but life continues at a breakneck pace, let’s not allow it to push our thoughts of God aside. Instead, let the sight of fruit laden branches remind us that our Lord is faithful to every promise He has made.
So as summer moves toward those inevitable summer doldrums, even while life continues at a breakneck pace, let’s not allow the busyness of the season to push our thoughts of God aside. Instead, whenever we see the fig tree clothed in leaves or the orchards heavy with fruit, may we remember that our Lord is faithful to every promise He has made. One day, just as surely as summer follows the budding branch, our King will return. Until then, may He find us faithfully planting our apple trees.
Some seasons leave us feeling strong. Others leave us bruised.
Jesus knows the difference.
In Matthew 12:20, we are given one of the most comforting pictures of our Savior: “He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.” Rather than casting aside those who are weary, discouraged, or struggling, Christ gently restores them with compassion and unfailing grace.
Set against the quiet beauty of a sunset over the wetlands, this short devotional reflects on the tenderness of our Savior toward those whose faith feels fragile. If you have ever wondered whether God still cares for you in your weakness, this reminder is for you.
Watch the video below, and be encouraged by the gentle hands of Christ.
A Bruised Reed
There are moments in Scripture that seem almost too simple to notice, yet they contain some of the deepest truths of the Christian faith. One of those moments is found after the resurrection when we read that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. It is a quiet detail, but one filled with hope.
Mary’s past was marked by brokenness, yet she became a beautiful testimony of Christ’s delivering power. Her story reminds us that our past does not define our future. The Savior who freed her from bondage welcomed her into close fellowship and entrusted her with the joyful news that He had risen.
This short video, Delivered by Christ, reflects on that remarkable encounter. Set against a peaceful sunset over Lake Almanor, it is an invitation to pause for a few moments and remember that Christ still calls His people by name. His grace still breaks chains. His presence still turns sorrow into joy. And His delivering power is just as real today as it was on that resurrection morning. I pray this video encourages you to rest in the freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ.
Delivered By Christ
The Christian life is more than knowing what Christ has done for us—it is learning to walk with Him every day. Following Delivered by Christ, this devotional reflects on the example of Mary Magdalene, whose love for Jesus led her to seek Him before the sun had fully risen.
Filmed against the peaceful waters of Northern California’s Feather River, this video reminds us that fellowship with Christ begins with a heart that longs for His presence. Like the steady flow of the river, His grace is constant, inviting us to seek Him each new morning with faith, courage, and love.
Steven Stoops -- TUCOR Five One Seven Productions 
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