As I listen to a unassuming opening funeral message, almost immediately, I ask myself why must we face all these trials. I have been tired of life, but I realize God has a plan for me and for everybody. I have these serendipitous thoughts as the Pastor begins:
We are here today to pay our tribute and our respect to a man of God, our brother, Maynard. Stensrude Not only have people from this congregation and community gathered, but many faithful Christians have come… who have respected him as a disciple of God, and have loved him as a friend. To know Maynard was to love him!
“How can we recognize the force of God”?
"Through good character, perseverance, value of time, callous hands, and a faith in God, you can live your dreams ." You see, Christianity doesn't have to be complicated. These words of simple meditations came from the Stensrude family traditional values which helped you/me unpack the simple but practical path to following Jesus.
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said:
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:2-5
I have asked in excess how can we recognize the force of God throughout my early years. Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli 1 Samuel 3:1-10. Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times Judges 6:17-22,36-40. When we are listening for God’s voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. And also have role models, When it comes to finding a good role model, a good thing to consider is whether the person you look up to consistently seeks to imitate 1 Peter 2:21. Does this person display the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit Galatians 5:22-23.? No human is perfect, and everyone will falter at some point in their lives Romans 3:23.
Does he or she strive to live in harmony with others Romans 12:16? You see at the celebration of life for Maynard Strensrude, my teammate and captain at Iowa State University in the 70’s. I truly can answer “yes” to these questions, and what a good and godly role model. Someone we desire to follow and emulate, that was unpretentious and humble to not have me say this; most of us have someone we look up to, He was a teacher, parent, friend and influencer in his one foot circle for Christ.
The Bible never exhorts us to have “childlike” faith, at least not in so many words. But at the celebration of Maynard funeral I was reminded of Matthew 18:2 Jesus says that we must “become as little children” in order to enter the kingdom of God.
The contexts of the five simple signs of genuine faith that their family life was based on, that Josh his son spoke on; as he eulogized his father. Those badges of simple faith came from his grandmother, no one knows where but for me it made me think simply of “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’.
As Josh spoke, I remember meeting his grandmother as a young athlete on their farm and how loving she was to me as she fixed the best sweet corn I ever had. This was the start of my threshold of change to joining Jesus on his mission. I remember reading Genesis right after that encounter with the Stensrude's family. That verse says to us that at the end of each day of creation God looked around at the work that he’d done, appreciate that it was good. But stay obedience in the same path for Christ. I thought to myself Maynard's family did that a lot.
As Jesus was messin with me during my change and during the funeral , He wants us to always be looking around, at the mountains, at the flowers, at the birds, and at the relationships(teammates) forming and playing out all around him and keep it simple; and you could tell from the twinkle in Maynard’s eyes and Maynard’s smile what he was thinking. “Oh man, that’s good. That’s really good This is one of the most important questions in the Christian life.
During our journey of connection in order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ in all we do (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ. The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) it took me a long time even today to allow the Spirit to transform and renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2)
Thinking on “things above” it is so hard to focus on the truths of God’s Word, so the message of simple really resonated in Josh's talk. not only guides us in what we should do but gives the reasons we should do it (grace, our position in Christ, our eternal reward, etc.).
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." John 10:27-29. If you hear and obey the voice of Jesus, then you are one of His sheep, and He will never let you go. Jesus gave a wonderful word picture here of Christians securely held within His loving hands and the Father’s almighty hands wrapping themselves around His, giving us a double assurance of eternal security.
Jesus promoted a humble, honest faith in God, and He used the innocence of a child as an example. Emulating the faith of children, we should simply take God at His Word. As children trust their earthly fathers, we should trust that our “Father in heaven [will] give good gifts to those who ask him”
God Bless You and This Ministry!
