Bird River Bible Blog

This morning as I was sitting in the kitchen, munching on some toast, I was watching Ronnie, the cook, chop up apples for an apple crisp. She had in front of her this big bowl of these beautiful, red delicious apples. There was one apple, in particular that she picked up that looked like it was going to be the best of the bunch. When she sliced it in half, we were both surprised (and me, a little grossed out) that it was totally rotten in the middle. The whole middle was brown. On the outside it was beautiful; on the inside it was rotten. Strange.
So then I was reading my Bible about how God talked to this priest Samuel and Samuel in turn would talk to the people of Israel about pretty much anything God wanted to them to know about. So anyway, the nation of Israel had first been led by priests, then by judges, and then they wanted a king. It was Samuel’s job to anoint the king that God had chosen. The first king of Israel was Saul. When the Bible describes Saul, it says that he was “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others.” (I Samuel 9:2). Saul was a pretty good king at first, listening to God, and winning victories over his enemies. But then Saul decided to stop listening to God. God would tell Saul to do something, and Saul would think he knew better, and did something a little different than what he had been commanded to do. Samuel went to Saul and told him, “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (I Samuel 13:14) Samuel then was told by God to meet the next king of Israel. God led him to meet a man named Jesse who had 8 sons. Jesse had 7 of his sons come before Samuel. When Samuel saw the first son he thought that for sure that had to be the one. But God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7). God repeated himself in this way through the 7 sons. Samuel asked Jesse if he had anymore sons and he called in David from the fields where he was looking after the sheep. David came in and he was the one that the Lord chose to be king over Israel: a simple shepherd boy ended up being the greatest king in Israel’s entire history.
Whether you are handsome, beautiful, athletic, smart, plain, or have under-average grades, you should know that God sees the real you. He sees past all of that outside stuff like beauty and smarts and sees what is in your heart. Isn’t it amazing that there is a God out there that knows the real me and the real you? Let me remind you of that verse again:

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

“Do this in remembrance of me.” At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, North America pauses to remember those who have fallen, fighting for freedom. This year, Remembrance Day will hit a little closer to home for our younger generation, as we have seen dozens of Canadian soldiers die in war, over this past year. So on November 11th, at 11 am I, along with millions of other North Americans, will pause to remember those brave souls who have fought so hard, for freedom and for peace.
November 11th isn’t the only day that we as Christians have been called to remember past events. There was a fierce battle fought 2000 years ago, that we are regularly called to remember. At what we now call the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper, Jesus sat down to the Passover Feast, His last supper before He died on the cross.
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:25-26
As Christians, it is important for us to remember that Jesus Christ paid a huge price to save us all. It is because of God’s infinite love that we have a hope for the future, to be able to live eternally in heaven. Sometimes I forget about Jesus’ sacrifice of His perfect self, to save me, and I have many complaints about my life. If we can remember Christ’s death on the cross and how he conquered death and came to life again, I am sure that in turn we will be more thankful about the life we have been given. This Remembrance Day, while you pause to remember the soldiers that have fallen, remember also, Jesus Christ and what He has done for you.

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11

Well. There’s snow. Everywhere. A blanket….no, an enormously thick quilt has covered the entire camp in snow. I think we have about 1/2 foot of snow now so I’m going to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing for the first time ever. In less than a week, Sarah, Chuck, Jenny-Lynn, and I will be