WORD From The Woods


Mark 14:32-50
     “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”  And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled”    


   This passage has always fascinated me because we see Jesus, the all powerful, all knowing creator of the universe praying to the Father, that He would remove the cup of betrayal, torture and death that was coming to him. Jesus knew exactly what was about to take place, yet he still went to the Father in prayer about it. We rarely, if ever go to our heavenly Father in prayer about things that we already know (or think we know) the outcome of. We tend to go to The Lord in prayer only when we're desperate and have no idea what to do. If Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, went to the Father in prayer about something he already knew, how much more should we as weak, finite humans go to our Father in heaven about all things? This passage underscores the weakness of mankind and our desperate need to literally wake up and pray! Jesus had been telling his disciples for some time, that he would be delivered over to be executed, but they still didn't get it. They couldn't even stay awake for one hour and pray with their Messiah about what was about to take place. It's easy to look at this passage and say "how could those pathetic disciples fall asleep so quickly?" How many times have you and I fallen asleep or let our mind drift to another place when we're praying or reading the word? I think that one of the reasons this passage was included in three of the gospels is to show us that in our own weakness we are normal, not to make an excuse but to show us that even Christ's inner circle still struggled with the same things we do.  Another person that I'd like to look at is Judas, like I said last week, we like to point our long self-righteous fingers at Judas in condemnation. Judas was part of Jesus' inner circle as well as the rest of the twelve, in fact he was probably the most trusted since he was entrusted with the groups finances. Jesus certainly loved Judas very much, it must have been so painful for him to watch his close friend fall to temptation and betray him for financial gain. I'm sure that as Jesus prayed and wept desperately to the Father in the garden that night, he was lifting his friend Judas up in prayer. As you go out this week, I hope that this passage will remind and encourage you to take everything to God in prayer, even those things that you already think you understand. If there are situations where people have hurt and betrayed you, lift them up in prayer, not in a self-righteous way hoping that God will show them how wrong they were, but that God would restore the relationship and that He would be glorified in the process because of the riches of His great mercy. 


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Mark 14:1-31
     “It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
     And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
     Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
     And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.
     And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
     And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.”




     This is a very familiar passage to anyone who has been in a bible teaching church for any length of time. But, I don't think we often stop and look at the heart of the woman that anointed Jesus with fine perfume compared to the heart of Judas Iscariot. We're all familiar with Judas, his betrayal of Jesus is something that even people who have never read the bible are familiar with. We tend to view Judas as one of the most vile sinners that has ever walked the planet, after all, he did betray the creator of the universe for the very temporal gratification that comes from thirty piece of silver. As followers of Jesus, we'd all like to think that we have a heart like the woman in this story, who was willing to sacrifice a very expensive possession to show honor to the Lord. I think at times, we as Christians have both a heart like the woman or a heart like Judas. We have all made sacrifices and face certain types of persecution to follow Jesus, but we also betray our Lord and creator for temporal gratification every single time we sin. It's easy to point our long self-righteous fingers at Judas, but if we're really honest with ourselves and with God, we have to admit that in our sin we are no better than Judas. The amazing thing is that we don't have to be stuck in that sin, we have a Passover Lamb! Every time we celebrate communion, we're pointing back to what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, and we are making a statement to the world that we have been forgiven for our betrayal. Our own sin is what nailed our Lord to the cross. Our own betrayal of Jesus is why he came down out of heaven to live in this world, facing persecution, hatred and death by those he came to save. When we step back and look at our own sin in this way, it causes us to have a deeper desire for a heart like the woman in this passage. This woman recognized that she was a sinner in desperate need of a savior, and she knew that was Jesus Christ, she was even willing to pour out her most valuable possession just to show honor to her Lord and savior!  In this life, money is the driving force behind everything. And especially in our industry, it takes a lot of money to stay in business. It's so easy for money and the busyness of life to take first place in our lives, and whether we want to admit it or not, that is a form of betraying our Lord. Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, should have first place in every area of our lives. As you go out this week, please think about this passage and how you can show honor to Jesus Christ through everything you do.


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Romans 14
    “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”


    This is a pretty long passage for a devotional, but I really think you need to take all of Chapter 14 together to really understand what’s being communicated. There’s not a lot I can add to it, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll share a few thoughts. We usually only hear one side of this passage, the part about causing a brother to stumble.
    (There’s a sermon by R.C. Sproul called “The tyranny of the weaker brother,” that’s well worth listening to on this subject. Here’s a link to it.  https://youtu.be/_hX-ifma5-k)
     Paul begins this passage by talking about casting judgement on another Christ follower for exercising his freedom in Christ in what he eats or drinks. We don’t deal with the eating side of this much, Americans could honestly use a lot more harsh judgement in their eating habits. We have become a nation of lazy gluttons. Some fasting and prayer would do us all some good spiritually and physically! In the culture we live in, especially as loggers, we do deal with the issue of drinking alcohol a lot. I think the reason Paul, begins by warning against casting judgement for eating and drinking is that it’s a big spiritual problem for many Christians, especially for those that God had delivered from drunkenness and gluttony. When someone has had a problem with alcohol or any other sin, it’s easy to judge another who can exercise freedom in a particular area without falling into sin with it. Drinking is probably the most common example of this. While it is wrong to get drunk, and drunkenness leads to all sorts of sins, it’s just as wrong and sinful to stand in judgement of another Christian who can enjoy a couple cold beers without being a drunk. But, the second part of this passage addresses the reality that we need to be careful with freedom we have. Just because we can have a few beers, doesn’t mean we should throw it in the face of another believer that might have a big problem with drunkenness. Just like anything in the Christian life, we have to be good stewards of the freedoms we have and be wise about how and if we exercise them. Remember, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. So, the question we need to ask is, “can we glorify God in what we eat and drink?” I really enjoy craft beer, and collect whisky from all around the world. I don’t do it to get drunk, I enjoy the art, the process and the stories behind the different kinds of beer and whisky. These are good things to enjoy responsibly, and can add joy to life and be shared with others. Our enjoyment of this life and fellowship with others can and does glorify God, because He made the world and everything in it! But, it comes with a big responsibility to represent Christ well. The last verse brings up an important point as well, if you have a doubt about wether or not doing a certain thing would be a sin and you do it anyway, it was a sin because you did it in doubt and not by faith. We are called as Christians, to do everything to the glory of Christ. In Christ and His grace, there is great freedom and liberty, but also great responsibility as stewards of that grace!We have the word of God and the Holy Spirit living within, so we have all that we need to discern these things!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Joshua 4
   “When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, "Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground." For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”


    The crossing of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan River are two of the most memorable stories about the nation of Israel in the bible. In this passage, God instructs Joshua, the new leader of Israel, to construct a memorial with the twelve stones from the Jordan so that the generations to come would see them and be reminded of God's awesome providence in bringing them through the wilderness. Most of the nation at this point had little or no connection with the exodus from Egypt, crossing the Jordan was this generation's most incredible experience with their Lord. God wanted them to have a visible reminder that His hand is mighty, so that they would fear Him throughout the coming generations. We read these amazing stories of God's mighty hand at work throughout the Old Testament and we wonder how these Israelites could fall away from faithfully following God so easily, but if we examine our own lives honestly I think we'd all have to admit that we're just as weak as the nation of Israel was at times. This is why God has preserved these stories in the bible for generations, so that we can look back on them even today to catch a glimpse of who He really is. I think we can learn a lot from what Joshua did here, we should have ways of remembering God's divine providence in our lives. Though God probably hasn’t parted the waters of a great body of water for you pass through, if you have walked with Him for any time at all, He has probably done some seemingly impossible things in your life. When we go through something, maybe a difficult trial that God guided us through or an awesome mountain top experience with Him, it's easy to remember how mighty His hand is immediately following the experience. As time passes, we easily forget just how awesome and mighty He really is. Wether we construct a pillar of twelve stones in the front yard (which I don't recommend since it's just another thing to mow around) or keep a record in a journal, we need to find ways to remind ourselves of His mighty hand, that we may fear the Lord God forever. We humans are a forgetful and thankless creature, taking God and His grace for granted every single day. Think back over your life at how many times God has worked in ways both great and small, find ways to leave pillars so that the coming generations will not forget the only God who saves, and they will look back and remember the legacy of faith that we left for them to follow.


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


1 Peter 4:1-11
     “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self- controlled and sober- minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”


     I think that this passage has a really important message to all believers, but it’s especially important to us who work in the logging industry.  Peter charges his readers to be good stewards of God’s grace. Now, I don’t think anyone understands good stewardship better than those of us who work in the woods. We’ve all see the “cut and run” practices of some timber companies, and we’ve seen good, responsible, sustainable stewardship of other company’s management practices. The timber companies that have invested in good site prep and planting, and maybe a good thinning program will see a huge reward when they get to final harvest. It takes hard work, great investment and a willingness to see the end result and not run for the quick money here and now to have a healthy sustainable forest that will produce for the coming generations. The grace that God has poured out on us is no different, in that it requires good stewardship on our part. If we come to Christ and receive his grace but never tell those around us about it then we are wasting the most precious resource that we have ever been given. If we receive God’s grace but don’t seek after Him and allow him to work in us and though us so that the world around us sees a difference, then we are taking His grace for granted. In this passage, Peter tells us not to follow the world around us into all kinds of human passions such as drunkenness, lust and idolatry. He says that other people will be surprised when we don’t follow them in these things and they will ridicule us, but we need to remember that they will all give an account to God one day for what they have done. This is exactly why the gospel needs to be shared with the world around us! If we follow the world in various worldly passions, then we cheapen and waste God’s grace. We need to remember that this life is short and what we do now matters for all eternity! As you go out this week and work hard at whatever it is you do, remember that if you have received God’s grace through Jesus Christ, we must work even harder to be good stewards of that grace!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


1 Peter 2:1-12
“And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation”




     In this passage, Peter uses a metaphor about the construction of a stone building to illustrate an awesome spiritual truth to his readers. Peter likens Christ to a cornerstone in a great building made with many stones. The cornerstone of a building was the first stone set upon the foundation and all the other stones would be set in reference to the cornerstone. It was the most important stone in the whole building and if it wasn’t set right, the entire building would be out of alignment and could crumble if not centered upon the foundation. The really awesome part of Peter’s illustration is that we, as believers in Christ, are living stones in this building as well! And this building is like the holy temple of God since the Holy Spirit dwells within us as Christians.  As Christians, or “living stones’’ in the temple of God, we are called to seek Christ and to live a Christ-like example before the world. Peter tells us that just as infants seek their mothers milk because it’s good and nourishes them for growth, we should seek Christ if indeed we have tasted His goodness.  And in Him we will grow from spiritual infants into mature Christ followers. We are called to seek Christ and His righteousness because the whole world is watching us as living stones in the temple of God. Peter tells us to put away all malice and deceit, to abstain from all worldly passions and sinfulness because we are Christ’s witness to the watching world. I don’t have to give any examples of worldliness to folks in the timber industry, it’s all around us every day and it’s so easy to fall into. Laying these things down and dying to our own selfish pursuits are the spiritual sacrifices that God desires. (Psalm 51) We are the gospel in living form bearing witness to all those we come into contact with. If people read the gospel, spelled out by the testimony of your life, what will they see? Will they see the goodness and character of Christ shining through you and desire to have what you have as an infant desires it’s mothers nourishment?  When we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we enter into something so much bigger than ourselves and our own selfish pursuits. As living stones in the temple of God we are an integral part of the greatest building project in all eternity, the Kingdom of God!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Romans 5
     “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”   


    In Paul’s letter to the Roman Church, he talks a lot about the law, judgement, righteousness and faith. In this passage, we see how all of that is brought together in Christ. Paul makes is clear that we aren’t justified by doing good works or keeping the law, we’re justified by God’s amazing grace though faith in Jesus Christ! I love the way that Paul emphasizes the awesome power and grace of what Christ did through His sacrifice on the cross. Most of us would lay down our life for a close family member, maybe for a good friend, most likely not for a convicted felon though. But, Christ laid down His life for humanity while many were still living for sinful pursuits, before we were even born and committed our first sin! Paul goes through a series of comparisons between Adam and Christ. He explains that just as sin entered the world though one man, Adam, salvation came into the world through one man, Jesus Christ. I love how he lays this out! If sin came into all of humanity through one common man, how much more can God’s grace abound though one man like Jesus Christ, who is actually the creator of the universe! I love verse 16-17, “And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” And, in verse 20, it says that the law came not so that man could follow enough rules to please God, but that their sin would be made so apparent that their need for Grace would be undeniable! Adam’s rebellion brought sin and death into the whole world, past present and future. God’s plan of redemption though Jesus Christ brought life and grace beyond measure into the world. God is so good and so powerful, that His plan of redemption is retroactive back to Adam and reaches into the future thousands of years until the end of time! That is the kind of God we serve, rejoice in that this week!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry- ​

WORD From The Woods


Ephesians 2:1-10
    “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."


     One of the things I love about Paul's writings is that once in a while he just breaks into a Salvation message to remind his readers of the foundation of their faith, and that's what we see here in the first part of chapter 2. Paul reminds us that before Christ, we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. He reminds us that we were following the ways of this world, and that we were actually following the prince of the power of the air, who is satan. Now we might not want to think that we could ever follow satan, but if we aren't following Christ then we are following satan. There are only two ways to go and Paul reminds us of this reality, as he says in verse 3, we were once living in the passions of our flesh and were by nature, children of wrath. But God was so merciful, as John wrote in his gospel, He loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to be our Savior that we might have eternal life!  Even though we were once dead in our sins, in Christ we are made alive and can grow in our relationship with Him for all eternity! Paul makes clear in  verses 8 & 9 that we are saved only by God's grace, not by any good works that we can do, but by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  As believers in Christ we are created as a new creation and called to do good works in the name of Christ, our Savior and Lord! This is all part of the "inheritance" that Paul has been speaks about. I thank God for our Salvation in Christ! I hope and pray that this passage is a reminder to you as it is to me, of who we are in Christ and what we are called to do, that is to serve anf glorify Him!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Romans 16
   “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”


    I’m always amazed at the passion Paul shows for the people he wrote to as he closes his letters!  You can tell by his words how committed to Christ he was, but also how much he cared for the people he was called to mister to. These weren’t just acquaintances he saw at church and then forgot about until the next time. These were deep relationships with people that he had been involved with, in real discipleship where they were ministering to one another and growing together in the Lord. We desperately need more of these kind of relationships with other Christ-Followers! We’ve become so superficial in American christian culture, we just don’t dig deep into relationships and discipleship with other believers. If we want to be really effective at sharing the gospel with the world around us, we have to be effective at living the Christian life, not only in our relationship with Christ but also in our relationship with other believers. We’re all part of the body of Christ and our relationship to one another is a direct testimony about Christ, to the world. This is what Fellowship of Christian Loggers is about. It’s about connecting Christians in the timber industry to be able to encourage and strengthen each other to be a more effective witness where they’re working day after day. I really want to work towards making more connections with you guys and encourage you to reach out right where you’re at. Please reach out to us if we can help more to encourage and equip you, to build relationships and disciple folks in your part of the world. It’s never been so easy in the history of the world to stay connected with one another as it is today with our awesome technology, but we have to be careful not to hide behind it. We can never replace face to face conversation, and just doing life together. I can reach around the world to you guys in a matter of seconds, but it’s up to each one of us to put boots on the ground where we live and work, and live for Christ each day!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


1 Timothy 6:11-21
    “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.”


    This is the end of this letter from Paul to Timothy, and it’s my favorite passage in the whole letter. Last week we read about some things that Paul was warning against that we should flee from, this week we read about what to pursue, godliness! We are to pursue godliness though faith in Jesus Christ! Pursue Christ by faith in Him and take hold of the eternal life and attributes of godliness that come to us through salvation found only in Him. This is the deposit that Paul tells Timothy that he has been intrusted with. This deposit is what we should pursue and store up riches in the things of God instead of pursuing the riches of this world! There really isn’t anything more I could add to what Paul already wrote here, this passage says it perfectly. Read this passage again and again, know it and write it on the tablet of your heart. Make this the pattern of your life in Christ!


As Paul Said “Grace be with you!”


God Bless and have great week! -Terry-