God Bless the Farmers!

We live in Berrien County, Michigan, where the primary economic activity is agriculture. Apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, and many other fruits, plus almost every vegetable imaginable, and some of the most beautiful flowers you have ever seen are all grown here by hard-working men and women on the beautiful rolling hills of Berrien County.

This evening Carol and I drove home on the St Joseph Valley Parkway and I saw two pickups and a tractor out in a field working with their lights on. The sun had already set, and it was still twilight, but dark enough they needed pickup truck headlights to finish their long day’s work. It reminded me of my growing up days on the farm. I remember more than a few days like that, when we worked hard and long to get the work done and then would go home for a late supper, quick bath and longed for bed, then get up the next day and do it all again.

Farmers, orchardists, and vine-growers make our world a wonderful place to live. All around the globe they work in plots of one acre or less, all the way up to plantations with thousands of acres. We all eat well because of what they do. We drink marvelous juices and other drinks, and we enjoy the flowers they grow. Thank God for farmers!

As we passed those folks working out in the gathering darkness, I said a prayer of thanksgiving for them and asked God’s blessing on them and all agricultural workers around the globe.

It always amazes me, but it also excites me to think that in that brief moment of prayer, I was able to unleash blessings beyond anything I could comprehend. I have no idea how many farmers and agricultural workers there are in the world, but God does. He knows each one personally—knows them by name. He gave us this great gift of prayer that enables us to work together with God to be a blessing to each one even though we cannot even comprehend how many there are. God bless the farmers! 

 

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
    

I Believe! Part 5

This is the last of five posts that share my personal theological perspective. Thanks for reading it! 

I believe in a “no‑conflict” Gospel. I believe in the "Saving Gospel"— the truth and teachings of the Lord, Jesus Christ, preached under the power of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of souls. I also believe in the "Social Gospel"— the truth and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, lived out by the power of the Spirit for the redemption of society and improvement of the human situation. I see no conflict between the two— they are not two gospels, but one.

I believe in the value of humanity. I believe people are more sacred than things. Things are dispensable, but people are not. I believe God has more confidence in people than most people have in themselves. I have never met a person who, if standing in God’s place, would have had enough confidence in the disciples to leave the fate of the world in the hands of so few and so spiritually fragile, at the ascension of Jesus. God is depending on his people, but with great confidence! We are created good in the image of God, given a choice in the wisdom of God, defiled by sin to the disappointment of God, redeemed through grace by the Son of God, and restored to His image by the Spirit of God!

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.

 

I Believe! Part 4

 

I believe in the symbolism of the ordinances. The ordinances of the Church are symbolic expressions of living realities. Baptism is a symbol of salvation which has already taken place in the believer’s life. Communion is a symbol of the fellowship of the believer in a oneness with God and with the saints. Foot-washing is a symbol of service and the servant role of the believer, as exemplified by the Lord Jesus.

I believe in the principle of stewardship. Everything belongs to God by reason of creation, and we are to recognize this Divine ownership, accepting responsibility to replenish the earth as well as subdue it for the good of mankind. The Old Testament standard of the tithe is a minimum for Christian giving to God’s work.  The tithe is actually a symbol of Divine ownership of all our "possessions" rather than being merely that part of the income that belongs to God.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
  

I Believe! Part 3

I believe in the selfishness of sin. Every sin is basically some form of selfishness and every instance of selfishness is sin— the very opposite of righteousness. Selfishness, by its very nature, alienates people from God and from each other, hindering and ultimately destroying the Divine‑human oneness that is the essence of abundant living.

I believe in the wholesomeness of holiness. Holiness is the Divinely intended state of mankind and every unholiness involves some sort of destructive unwholesomeness and defeats God’s perfect Will for us. Holiness does not interfere with life but makes it decisively more enjoyable, more worthwhile and more satisfying. Body, mind, and spirit were created by a holy God for holy living, therefore any unholiness is destructive in any area of life.

I believe in three steps of relinquishment. I believe in salvation, where persons humble themselves before God, to ask forgiveness of past sin, and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Master of life. I believe in sanctification, where redeemed persons surrender their total being and every extension of themselves to God, requesting the infilling of His Holy Spirit, who cleanses us from the tendency toward selfishness and sets us apart for God’s sacred purposes. I believe the third step is "Becoming". As Christians continually yield themselves to the refining power of the Holy Spirit we become more and more restored to the image of God.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
   

I Believe! part 2

 

I believe in the authenticity of the Church. There is only one true Church, founded by Jesus Christ and kept by his Spirit. All the redeemed are members and though often hindered by artificial walls of creedalism and denominationalism, whatever name it uses, it is still God’s church. The foundation upon which the church is built is the fact that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

I believe in the Vitality of Mission. Mission is the church in action. Whether one saint alone, or many in unity, the church exists to do the work of God in and for a world that doesn’t know him. The church is not an institution. It is God in the flesh. What wind is to the atmosphere, mission is to the church.

I believe in the Reality of the Kingdom. I see the Kingdom of God as a present reality with Christ as our leader. I see Satan as an enemy who is bound and thus powerless to harm the Spirit‑filled Christian. Satan’s powers are primarily the powers of deception and those which are given him by individual persons. I believe Christ is coming again to bring Satan’s final defeat and to receive those prepared for his coming. At his coming the saints will rise to meet him and go with him to the place which he has prepared.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.