Simple Symbols Explained

Several years ago I went into a book store and saw a book that had five simple symbols on the cover. The name of the book was called “Witness” by Debbie Webb and Mary Owen. Reading the book overview it basically explained that this book was a fictional book, or one that was based upon the author’s own imagination. The author’s of this book have written what reads like a personal memoir of Mary Magdalene (who was a real person), but told a “fictional” story of her life after her encounter with the real Christ. Within the book five simple symbols were used to explain the good news.

The first symbol is a down arrow. This lets us know about what Jesus said of Himself in John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” One can go back to the first chapter of John and also read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

The second symbol is what in the time of Jesus was one of execution. It would be equivalent in our time as an electric chair or even less brutal, a lethal injection. The cross was the way the worst of criminals were punished. However, before the foundation of the world God had already known it would become the altar in which would be used for the “perfect, blameless Lamb” be sacrificed for the redemption of all who choose to believe.

The third symbol is an empty tomb. If Jesus had died and stayed within the tomb there would be no real truth or meaning of Christianity. Former atheist, turned author and pastor Lee Strobel documents his journey to “disprove” the resurrection of Jesus after his wife became a believer. He was challenged that if he could prove it didn’t really happen, then there is no real basis for Christianity. Needless to say his search led him to becoming one who now accepts and shares the truth of the empty tomb.

The fourth symbol is the up arrow. It can symbolize that Christ did rise from the dead and that He also ascended into Heaven as recorded in Luke 24:50-51. Peter also wrote about where Christ had gone once He had been lifted out of their sight. “…by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God” (1 Peter 2:21-22).

The fifth symbol is like the first in that it is another down arrow. This time he will not be coming to the earth as a babe in a manger, but as a reigning King that brings forth righteous judgement. It is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that, “the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout…”

These five simple symbols can tell of the greatest story ever told. Just like the atheist turned pastor, search out the truths each symbol represents and abide in Christ with confidence waiting for the last symbol to be fulfilled.

~TRS

2/16/25

Come What May

Rays of Hope ~ Tim Stockton

Writing poetry has been something that I have enjoyed doing since the early 90s. I sat down tonight to write a column and was not sure at all what to write about. I typically keep a notebook next to my bed so that when I have an idea I will jot it down or most of the time will continue to keep writing until it is finished. I picked up the notebook and flipped through some pages and came to a poem dated November 16, 2024 entitled, “Come What May.”

This then made me think of what my family had just read in our nightly devotions from the book of Job. If you know anything about the Bible or not most may have heard of the suffering of Job who the Bible declares was a righteous man, yet he had great troubles, trials, and tribulations to the point that his wife basically told him to “curse God and die.” Then his best friends came to support him and console him but ended up basically telling him that he must have done something really bad in order to have all of this “bad stuff” keep happening to him. In a quick snapshot basically Job had been so blessed with riches, family, respect, wisdom, and integrity that Satan challenges God stating if God removed all of the blessings Job would curse God and not follow Him.

My kids used to watch a show where the brother was presented with an obstacle of sorts, but his motto would always be, “Challenge accepted!” I am not saying this is what God said to the devil; but in essence He did. He gave the devil permission to cause all of the bad, traumatic, grief-causing events to take place in his life. The way it reads basically all in a matter of very short time he lost his wealth, all his children died at one time in a storm that destroyed the house they were in. Then eventually Job’s own body was impacted with what is described like boils and sores, that covered his entire body, causing immense pain and discomfort. He also was under great emotional and mental health distress with the death of all his children and possessions. Job did get discouraged and at times seemed to wonder where God was in all of this.

However, “come what may” Job would never curse or blame God for what had happened, but he did get to a place he did not understand why he was having to go through all that he had. Nevertheless, he never turned to the point he lost his faith in God. Back to the poem some of the verses say, “Even when times get rough, believing I am never enough. Walking through valleys, eyes blinded to truly never see, yet…Come what may, being filled with doubt. I know His light will lead me out. Come what may. I will trust in the Lord. Come what may. I will seek out His way. Come what may.”

~TRS 2-3-25

Never Enter In

Never Enter In

I typically have not shared any poems that I have written over the years on this blog, but I have shared many on some social media posts. For whatever reason I decided to share it on this blog.

This writing came about after reading 1 Corinthians 10…it is written as if it were from one of the people who saw the power of God walking across on dry ground leaving the bondage of Egypt, yet became one of the many who grumbled and complained and went back to his own ways. He knew that he and most of the others were not going into the Promise Land, so the poem is as if it is from him as a warning to future generations…

NEVER ENTER IN

Cold and hungry brought out to a place surely to die. I was in bondage, yet had plenty to eat so my mind wonders why.

Why am I here in this new wilderness? I was a slave but now being free I find no rest. Grumble and complain is all I now seem to do. I thought things would be better since I’d made it through.

The Rock had sustained me and I experienced His grace. Yet, slowly but surely I began to exit the race.

I stopped running in the ways I knew I should. I quit doing the things I knew I could. I had seen the might of God on both sides of me. Walking across dry ground from being in bondage to now being free. I never thought I would end up worse off than before. But, that will happen when you stop living in the ways of the LORD. If you think you can continue to live in sin, you too may find your Promise Land to never enter in.

~TRS 1-25-25

Awakening Your Faith

I was once told by a former Sunday School teacher that when something happens in “threes” it may be wise to take heed to what’s going on. This past week I heard 3 different people at 3 different times talking about the time the disciples had followed Jesus onto a boat, but a great storm arose. It wasn’t just a small storm with some thunder and lightning. It was a very scary time in which the disciples believed they may face an untimely death. The word perish means to “suffer death, typically in a violent or sudden way. As the disciples feared for their lives as the water was crashing over into the boat they finally found Jesus asleep in the boat.

They awoke Him crying out that they are perishing, yet He was the one trying to wake them up to a new level of faith. Jesus said unto them, “Why are you so afraid, and have such little faith?” At this point Jesus had not yet calmed the storm. This means the thunder was still clapping and the lightning was lighting up the sky. The winds were blowing fiercely and waves were still crashing down inside the ship.

Jesus was still laying down when He had asked them about their little faith. “…Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the sea; and there was a great calm” Matthew 8:26. By this time in the disciples following Jesus they had heard Him preach and teach. They had seen Him heal all manner of illnesses and cast out demons, and when they were now at a point in their lives having to face a storm they knew where to go in order for Him to save them.

At the time they possibly had no idea what Christ was going to do in order to save them, because they all were astonished and marveled being amazed that even the wind and the sea obeyed His command. This was to give them a glimpse that He was from the beginning of the earth and more specifically on the second and third days was the one who created the heavens and the sea. If He had spoken them into existence then of course He could tell them to stop.

Through facing storms in our own lives we can hopefully hear the Spirit telling us to “wake up your faith.” See that Christ can keep us safe even in the midst of the storm. We can learn from the disciples to follow Him and learn from the wind and the sea to obey Him.

Our faith and obedience will help us weather any storms of life we may face.

~TRS 1/19/25

The GIFT of Giving

The GIFT of Giving

One can look up the definition of gift and it will explain that a gift is something that is given without any expectation of payment. Recently I was able to share that to understand the depths of what a gift is we just have to remember the acronym, G.I.F.T.

As in the definition of a gift it has to be “Given, Intentionally, Free-willing,” with some “Feeling, Thought, and Time” put into it. The greatest gift ever given was from the Creator of the universe, nature, and all things which are all gifts to enjoy as well, but still the greatest is the One who fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, the Messiah.

A recent headline in the news is that the Bible has picked up in sales in the past few months and since 2020 with people looking for purpose. The Bible has been a number one selling book of all times because within it one, if they are willing to find it, will find their purpose between it’s pages. This is not only a gift for yourselves, but others in your life.

John 3:16 is a verse within the Bible that most have heard about even if they have never read it for themselves. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Within this verse it lets us know that God “gave.” To give us His Son is a gift that was intentional, because He has the feeling of Love for us. He also put thought and time into the gift.

He knew that from the beginning that Jesus would be given to a broken world as it states in Revelation 13:8 that Jesus is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” This means that God foreknew that once He created the people, in the garden, in the world, that was in the universe He spoke into existence was tempted they would fall into sin and need a Savior.

This shows He was intentional and thought about how to bring the “Ultimate Gift” to the earth in order for us to have an opportunity to receive it. Just like any gift that is given to us we have a choice of whether to accept it or not. You may have heard about this gift and know it is there waiting for you to open, but it will be your choice of when this gift is opened in your own life.

It is only repentance that opens this gift. A gift that can never be repaid. Our gift back to God is giving of our will to Him which also has to be intentional with love. For the greatest thing we can do is to love the Lord God with all our heart, mind, and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. Receiving this gift will change the way we feel and the way we think and the more time we put into this “GIFT” the more giving we will be.

~TRS 12/22/24

Breaking Cycles Through Transformation

Breaking Cycles Through Transformation

It was a while back in another time and another place when a young woman being the oldest gained the responsibility of solely taking care of all the siblings, plus waiting on her father after her mother died. At fifteen she was no longer in school. At sixteen she began looking for a way out. At seventeen she met a rebel who promised to deliver her from the bondage her life had become. At eighteen she had handed over the responsibility to the next eldest girl and she was married with a child and a new set of responsibilities. Her husband, the rebel, had lessened the load a little and he often reminded her of that. However, within a few years she had two children and an alcoholic rebel to care for. Times were tough, but she managed to make the most of it as best she could.

Some years passed and she had become a widow. She never dreamed she would be a widow so early in her life, and the life the rebel had promised her he was never able to deliver. It’s not that he was a very bad person, but his habits were hard to break. Actually, his habits had broken him and his family. Being a widow with two teens was no easy task either. If the road wasn’t a hard one many times she thought she was on the wrong one. Her son, the eldest of the siblings, unfortunately began to follow in his father’s footsteps. Many times she had bailed him out of trouble. She began to believe that it must be her gift to help “save” her family from hard times. Never realizing that her help oftentimes just enabled her family to continue going down the wrong paths of life.

Being responsible is an important quality for all to have but it was demanded of her from an early age to take on more than her share. Therefore, she came to believe that she had to be responsible for practically everyone. This belief had turned her hair grayer way before her time. Plus, her children then were never able to suffer the consequences of their wrong actions. Her children never learned to take responsibility for the choices they made.

Her daughter had it easy compared to her when she was her age. However, at sixteen her daughter already found her way out. Her mom didn’t hear from her for nine months and then her daughter came back and she had become a grandmother. Grandmother was now busy filling her day with the responsibility of raising another baby. Raising a child was very different now than when she was younger. Her daughter didn’t feel the great weight of responsibility of raising a child, because Grandmother did everything. Therefore, over the next few years her daughter had two more children by different men.

The fathers of the children lacked just as much responsibility as the mother, but Grandmother kept enabling them to be that way. Eventually the daughter met another man and moved away leaving her three children in the care of the one who had been caring for them anyway and the cycle continued. Cycles continue when no change happens. Allow God to transform what our choices can’t seem to change.

Originally written 24 years ago. ~ TRS

Taking Control To Stop Identity Theft

Rays of Hope ~ Tim Stockton

A continuation from the last article that can also be read from the blog timstocktonraysofhope.com is about how it is God who defines us and gives us our identity. Living in the present people have to be aware of the fact there are dishonest, crooked, and manipulative people who are out to steal as many identities that they can. The very first identity theft came soon after the beginning and the original two people had their true identities stolen by the “father of lies and deception.”

When sin came into the world it changed the human relationship to God from that point on. From even before that point God knew and made a plan to bring restoration. In a somewhat comical, yet serious explanation Jase Robertson, from the Duck Dynasty family in a YouTube short from Truthimus.com states, “We can know the entire Bible in 60 seconds. From Genesis to Malachi it tells that Jesus is coming to earth in human form because we humans are flawed. The four gospels tell of when Jesus; God in human form came to the earth. Then Acts through Revelation lets us know that Jesus is coming back.”

Revelation 13:8 states that Jesus is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.” This means God knew what the human race would do to need salvation even before He created them, yet He did anyway and therefore made a plan on how to bring salvation to all those who choose to believe.

As explained in the Defined study from the Kendrick brothers, “God’s love for us, His desire for a relationship with us, and our identity as His image bearers never changed.” God is always calling us closer but we have to have “ears to hear.” The deceiver is still out to “steal, kill, and destroy” any and all opportunities that are given to accept and know Truth. Jesus explained in the parable of the sower about how the same seed (the Word of God) was sown on the different types of soil and how if it doesn’t take root the enemy will “snatch it away.”

We do all we can to protect our identity from being stolen like hiding our pin numbers, using passwords, securing our devices, and using privacy controls. Likewise, we need to do all we can to protect our true identities God designed within us and become the Light bearers that we were always meant to be.

11-17-24 ~ TRS