Rick Anderson's Blog

The twenty-two year old Chinese girl named Daisy sat at my dinner table after the dinner dishes had been cleared from the table.  Four of us sat down to listen to her tell us her story about becoming a Christian.

As soon as she began, tears flowed freely down her cheeks.  She told us how she had come to Oregon as a college student and gotten involved in the party culture.  She had met some Christians as well, but one of her high school teachers in China had warned her to stay away from Christians because they were “crazy people”.  She found the Christians nice and genuine, but she was wary of getting too close to them because of what her teacher had said.

Months later, she came to realize that the Christians were always happy to see her and didn’t seem to have any agenda, unlike her party friends who were only happy when she was doing what they wanted her to do.  Then her boyfriend broke up with her and she was broken.  She recalled a Christian woman who just hugged her and told her that everything would be okay.

In spite of what her teacher had told her, she began to spend more and more with the Christians.  Finally, someone asked her if she wanted to accept Christ as her personal Savior and she said, “Yes!” 

She was so excited that she couldn’t wait to call her Mom and sister in China to tell them the news.  They were devastated!  Her Mom said, “Have we spent all this money on you so that you could go to America to become a Christian?  I want you home right away!”  Her sister cursed her and told her, “I’m not sending you any more money and you’re not my sister anymore!”

Daisy was heartbroken.  Now she was in a strange country and her family was angry with her.  She continued to pray and grow in her faith as she prayed for her family.

After two years, her family has softened toward her being a Christian.  Bother her Mom and sister have friends who have become Christians that have been working on them to accept Christ.  Her sister is even telling her, “I’ll pray for you if you pray for me!”  Daisy suspects that her sister is a Christian, too.

Jesus ran into a Roman centurion who had exemplified great faith.  Luke 7:9 tells us, When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” 

Five hundred and ninety million dollars!  Wow!  That’s a lot of money!  It’s impossible to imagine what a person could do with that kind of money!  Someone from Zephyr Hills, Florida, has just found out that they have hit the Powerball lottery and won an unimaginable amount of cash and become a multimillionaire overnight.

I don’t know that anyone could possibly be prepared for the extreme life change that will come with having that kind of wealth dumped in your lap in an instant.  Of course, they will be jubilant for a while but that kind of earthly wealth almost surely brings with it a host of issues that none of us could be prepared to handle.  There is different kind of treasure that the Bible speaks about that is even better than hitting the lottery!

For those of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have already won the grand prize, larger than any lottery payout in this world!  We have had our sins forgiven and live in peace with a loving God who lives inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. 

The Lord Himself guides and comforts us and helps us to bring Him glory as we live our lives following the Son of God’s plan for us.  It may not be glamorous.  It may at times be difficult.  But we have a peace that passes all understanding and we also know that one day, we will live with God forever in a place that is forever joyful.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of what it means to have the treasure of knowing God in Matthew 13:44-46.  “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.  Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.   When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

So maybe you didn’t win the Powerball lottery this weekend, but if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have something far more valuable than a pile of cash sitting in a bank vault somewhere.  You have a treasure that never fades away and that thieves can’t steal from you.  You know the living God in a personal way and that can never be taken from you…not ever!  Rejoice and be glad, for you have won the greatest treasure ever known through Jesus Christ!  Hallelujah!

I peered down at the gasoline level on my car as I came close to the exit north of Alexandria on our way home.  The gauge showed that I was low on gas, so I checked my digital readout to see how many more miles that I had before running out of gas.  The car said that I had 60 miles to go before running out of gas.

Kim was asleep, so I decided that it was only 38 miles to Natchitoches, LA, and we could get more gasoline there.  After all, I had more than a 20 mile buffer between the mileage ahead and the amount of gasoline that I had left.

As we breezed down the interstate, confident that my decision was the right one, I forgot about the gasoline until I heard a beeping sound a half-hour later.  I looked at the gas gauge and it was blinking fast.  I checked the next sign up ahead and saw that I had five more miles to Natchitoches.  That’s when I checked to see how far the digital readout said that I could go on the gas that I had.  It also said five miles!  Yikes!

I immediately slowed down and tried to coast down the hills as much as possible.  I started to pray, “Please, Lord.  Kim doesn’t need to have to carry a gas can back to the car while I wait for her on the side of the road.  Please help us to make it to Natchitoches.”

When we got within a mile of the exit ramp, the digital display dropped from 1 to 0 miles to go in my tank.  I almost hyperventilated!  “Please, Lord!” I prayed to myself.

Wouldn’t you know it!  As we approached the exit, there on the side of the road was a pickup with a guy walking toward it carrying a gas can.  He had been in the same predicament as us but didn’t quite make it.

We cruised right by him and on to the gas station just off the side of the interstate.  You can imagine my prayers of thanksgiving as I pulled up to the gas pumps.  “Thank you, Lord, for saving Kim from having to tote that gas can all the way to the car.” 

I join with the Psalmist who wrote in Psalm 100; “Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

Strolling through the neighborhood the other day, a sight caught my eye and intrigued me.  There was a Siamese cat drinking from a bird bath.  Now, that’s not something that I see every day!  I couldn’t help but consider how Jesus had come to save the lost sheep of Israel, but that very salvation would end up being offered to the Gentiles, too.  Like the cat that drank from the birdbath, we are able to come to enjoy the saving grace of Christ that is extended to all people.

John, the Apostle, tells us in his Gospel account how Jesus spoke to the throngs of people gathered in Jerusalem at the culmination of the Feast of Tabernacles. Nearly all week, a daily procession of the priests went from the Temple to the Pool of Siloam to draw water and return through the Water Gate in order to pour the water out on the altar as a libation.  The marching was accompanied by singing, flute playing, dancing and the waving of branches. 

Jesus seems to use the ceremony involving the water as a backdrop to illustrate a teaching to the crowd.  John writes in Chapter 7:37-39; “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.)

Just as the tomcat drinks water from a bird bath; so each one of us may ‘come and drink’ from Jesus.  Regardless of our heritage or social status; irrespective of our skin color or genealogy; with no regard to our education level or financial condition, we may all come and drink from Christ.  Anyone can be saved from their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the ‘living water’, or the very presence of God living within the heart of the Believer. 

If you’re tired of being thirsty, then come to Jesus Christ and drink.  He will quench the thirst in your soul and give you peace as He forgives your sins and refreshes you with His Spirit. 

When church let out on Sunday, I helped a precious lady down the stairs and out to her car.  It was a beautiful day and it was an honor to escort this saint of God from the Lord’s house out to where her husband was getting into their vehicle.

As we passed by a small crepe myrtle tree in the front of the church, I noticed a bird nest about six feet off the ground nestled within the branches.  I showed it to Nadeyne as we marched by and she was excited to see it and thankful to the Lord to see it.

I couldn’t help but think to myself that it was a marvelous thing for a 90 year old woman to be captivated by a bird nest and to give praise to God for it.  I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she has the right idea.

Maybe we should be more aware and in awe of God and his creation.  Perhaps we ought to be smitten by the beauty of a sunset and the warmth of the sunshine in the spring.  Possibly, we should be thankful in all circumstances and filled with praise on our lips over the smallest of blessings.

The psalmist says in Psalm 84:2-4; “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.  Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!  What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.”

What if we worshipped the Lord wherever we found ourselves and rested in the Lord’s blessings at all times?  What would happen inside of us if we gave thanks to the Lord wherever we found ourselves?  Could it change our attitudes toward others and toward our life circumstances?  Could it help us put things in their proper perspective? 

Next time you see a bird nest, be sure to give thanks and worship the Lord.  Yes, wherever that happens to be, just praise the Lord.  For just as the swallow builds her nest near to the Lord, so may worship be ever near to our hearts as we live in awe of God’s mercy, grace and love. 

One of the lesser noticed colors that burst forth every spring in our neck of the woods is the lovely crimson clover!  My wife, Kim, won’t mow in front of her embroidery shop until after the blooms have shone their beauty and the clover has gone to seed.

Here in East Texas, the crimson clover can be seen on the side of the road, in pastures and timberland as well as planted on power line and pipeline right-of-ways.  It is considered to be an excellent food source for wildlife as well as provide an excellent source for honey production.

It is no coincidence, I believe, that the appearance of the crimson flowers on the clover always happens in and around Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Yet the resurrection isn’t what the dark red flowers remind us of though, is it?

I am aware that in certain circles, even within some churches, it isn’t politically correct to talk about the “blood of Christ” anymore.  I know that it may seem a little distasteful to talk about “blood”, but let’s face it: our sins had caused such a distance between us and God that it took the murder of His Son on the cross to pay the price for them! 

I’m afraid that no amount of diplomacy or discretion will ever change that fact.  The only thing that I can say is, “Thanks be to God that He was willing to pay that price for us!  Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Revelations 12:11 tells us plainly, “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.”  Without the blood of Christ being shed to pay the price for our sins, there would be no forgiveness of sins for any of us!

So rejoice that God loved you enough to send His Son into the world to spill His precious blood so that you might have your sins forgiven and be made right with Him once and for all! 

In the words of the old hymn written by Robert Lowry over a century ago, “What can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!  What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

And Hallelujah!!

I tromped into the SFA Wesley Foundation the other day and asked a couple of the girls if the pastor, Tom, was there.

“He’s out on the back,” they replied, “taking pictures.”

I wondered what in the world he might be taking pictures of as I wandered toward the back door.  I saw Tom as I pushed through the door and noticed immediately that he had a camera with a huge lens in his hand as he focused on something in the corner of the porch ceiling.

“Come and look at this!” he said as he motioned toward the brown object stuck in the corner.  As I got closer, it finally dawned on me that the object wasn’t a dirt dauber nest or a wasp nest, but it was a small, furry creature.  Tom was taking pictures of a little brown bat that was perfectly content hanging upside down taking a siesta.

It intrigued me that this little guy had decided to hang out right in broad daylight on the Wesley Foundation back porch.

I couldn’t help but think that this pint-sized bat’s upside-down view of things reminds me of how believers are supposed to view the same world that the bat peers out upon.

Paul tells the church in Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 4:18; “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  He continues with the assertion in Chapter 5:7; “For we live by believing and not by seeing.”

An interesting mindset that Paul is suggesting…to not get too caught up in the worries of this world but to walk by faith in Christ.  I’m sure to the rest of the world, that viewpoint sounds a little “batty”!  To those of us who are walking by faith and not by sight, we endure the struggles of this world by holding onto our faith in God and not trusting in human strength or wisdom.

Okay, it’s official.  You can tell the whole world that I’m a little “batty” because I look at the world a little bit upside-down, trusting in the Lord at all times and in all situations.  So, how about it?  Could it be that you’re a little “batty”, too?

I was walking through the neighborhood the other afternoon, enjoying the beautiful spring weather and admiring the blossoms that had burst out everywhere, when I happened to see a small bush with purple flowers.

I stepped closer to inspect the shrub growing in someone’s front yard and the beautiful flowers that emitted an intoxicating aroma.  “What a marvelous plant,” I thought to myself.

A few hours later, I was driving through town and spotted the same plant with the beautiful, purple blooms and it wasn’t nearly the same small bush that I had seen in my neighbor’s yard.  This time it had climbed onto a house and up into some trees, engulfing them in their lavender splendor and powerful aroma.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the plant that I’m speaking about is none other than the wisteria vine which can be shaped into a small bush if kept pruned.  Left to grow without pruning, it is very hardy and grows very quickly. 

I couldn’t help but reflect on the role of Believers in Jesus Christ.  We are present in this world in order to bear witness for Christ.  Paul has a different way of expressing the whole idea in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; “Now he (God) uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.  Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.”

As we grow in our faith and as we touch the hearts and lives of others, may we spread the Good News about Christ like a sweet perfume.  In order for us to grow, we are not unlike the wisteria, as it needs to draw nourishment, sunlight, water and oxygen from the environment in order to grow.

As believers, we draw our nourishment from worship, the Bible, prayer, fellowship with other believers, fasting, and celebrating the sacraments, to name a few.  Without proper sustenance, the wisteria wouldn’t grow the way that it should.  We, as Christians, are no different. 

I hope that you plug into a Bible-believing church near you and grow steadily in your faith, so that you might spread the knowledge of Christ like a sweet fragrance through the living of your life in Christ.  May we grow in our love for God and others and may we bring great glory to the name of the Lord. 

I was sitting with my family in a hotel restaurant in a city that I had never heard of before I came to China.  The couple that was dining with us was both doctors that we had just met at our hotel.  When we finished our meal, we would depart to go our separate ways, likely to never meet again.

I knew that God wanted me to try to reach the man with the Good News about Jesus, so I asked him, “What do you think about Christianity?”

He smiled and quickly replied, “I think that it is a fine religion, but I am an atheist and believe in the big bang theory and evolution.”

I looked down at my food, said a quick prayer and replied, “You’re a smarter man than I am, so I’m not going to argue with you about the big bang theory and evolution.  However, I choose to believe that God created the heavens and the earth.  He made it all and it was very good.  The first humans walked in perfect harmony with God and had a close relationship with Him.  Those people ended up sinning against God by doing the one thing that He commanded them not to do and because of that, we have earthquakes, cancer, famine, war and we all must die as a result of their sin.”

I continued, “But I also believe that God loved us enough to want to save us from our fallen state.  He sent His own Son to pay the price for our sins by dying on an old Roman cross and being raised from the dead on the third day.  Because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us, we can be back in right relationship with God just as He intended it to be.  All that we have to do is believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.”

As I looked at the man, his lip began to quiver.

“One day, Doctor Shao, do you think that you might want to have Jesus forgive you of your sins so that you can be made right with God?”

He looked at me and said, “Yes, I do.”

I knew God wanted me to prod, so I replied, “Do you want to do it right now?”

He said, “Yes, I do.”

There in the middle of the crowded restaurant in a city on the other side of the world during a meeting between two individuals that seemed to everyone to be nothing more than a chance encounter, we bowed our heads as Dr. Shao invited Jesus Christ to be Lord of His life.

That, my friends is why Jesus died on Calvary so long ago.  He came to seek and to save the lost, regardless of where they are from or the color of their skin.  In Luke 19:10, Jesus says, “For the Son of Mancame to seek and save those who are lost.”

He came to make a way so that we might be saved and made right with God.  How about you?  Do you believe in Jesus?  All it takes is a simple prayer to invite Him to be Lord of your life.  Won’t you invite Him in today?

Well, she was finally ready to give it a shot!  So I got Lucy’s bike out of the garage and to the end of the driveway.  She got on it rather tentatively as it’s the first time that she’s gotten on a bike without training wheels.

I pushed her off to a start and kept her balanced as she gained speed.  “Pedal!” I demanded.  She complied and soon I had to jog to stay up.  She kept leaning from one side to the other, so I had to work to keep her upright.

After several tries, Kim took over and began to coach her.  Lucy was so scared that she might make a mistake and crash. 

I tried to comfort her by confessing to her that I had fallen on my childhood bikes many, many times and had the scars to prove it!  That didn’t seem to give her any reassurance at all.

Finally, she quit…for the time being.  We haven’t given up and will try again another day.  She will learn to ride a bike on her own soon enough.

You know, the same thing can be said about our faith walk.  We can be tentative about taking our faith to the next level.  When the opportunity to participate in a Bible study or ministry comes along at church, it’s easy for us to shy away.  We can all come up with a laundry list of excuses.  On the flip side, we certainly can’t be expected to participate in everything that’s offered, but we do need to take advantage of some opportunities to grow in our faith and to minister to others.

That’s how we learn how to get our balance and become disciples who are capable of ministering to others as God grows us in our knowledge and understanding of Him and His love for us.  We don’t have to worry about crashing because God is in control and the results are up to Him.

Paul tells us in Colossians 1:9-10; “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

So let’s all get out on our faith cycle and peddle for all we’re worth…And let’s leave the results up to the Lord!