Good day brothers and sister. It’s Columbus Day weekend and here in the State of Washington it is also Indigenous Peoples Day. In recent years some historians have tried to paint an ugly picture of Columbus and to even demonize him. Now for years we may have had an exaggerated view of him, but certainly not a negative view of him. He felt that he could find a new quicker way to have trade with India. He had gone to the Queen of Spain for financing his trips. He was a Christian man who desired to spread Christianity as he knew it. In his travels he discovered that he still had some funding problems and he indeed turned his eyes away from the Lord and his trust too. Greed had found its way in through the heart of a man and it possessed him. His original intent was indeed good, but the end result was not so pretty. God still found a way to use this sinful man to spread his word of truth and love. Christianity did indeed find its way into the New World. What you see today is the world’s hatred of Christianity and thus they find ways to demonize the messengers of the faith. God did bless the New World with probably the best nation in the history of the world. The United States is something that most certainly did come up from a man that dared to try to see the world differently and like him has had its faults. As a descendent of the Chippewa tribe of Indigenous Peoples here I can point out and dwell on the many atrocities of the men that came here and changed our world. Instead I will praise the Lord for those who were sent through those many years until now to minister to us about a loving God. A good God that has helped us come through those many changes in our world and blessed us. Let’s see what the Smart Book has for us today;
Psalm 111 Amplified Bible
The LORD Praised for His Goodness.
111 Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD,
Studied by all those who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence];
He will remember His covenant forever.
6He has declared and made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice;
All His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy).
8 They are upheld forever and ever;
They are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness.
9He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name—[inspiring reverence and godly fear].
10The [reverent] fear of the LORD is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;
A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the LORD;
His praise endures forever.
There we have it, we have a good God. He has done great works. Those of us who delight in Him can read of His many great works. He will remember us and His promise to us forever. He has sent redemption to us. Because of the death of Christ on the cross we have redemption. He has ordained this New Covenant of Love with us forever. The name Yeshua or Jesus is holy and awesome. We will find that if we reverently fear the Lord we will find the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding and a teachable heart will be possessed by anyone who will do the will of the Lord. His praise indeed endures forever.
So enjoy your Columbus Day in the name of the Lord. Thank the Lord for this fallen man his desire to spread the Good News of Christ to a new world. The seed was indeed planted and it grew and grew into a Western Church that is recognized around the world today. Praise the Lord for his mighty works.
The Lord bless and keep you, His face shine upon you,
Chaplain Loehne