Christopher Columbus, the “Christ-Bearer”

I may be a two-days late as to when Columbus actually set foot onto shore after sailing for approximately six weeks but at some point, our politicians and even the people did not care what we were celebrating but only that they got a three-day holiday.

So you see, some are trying to make the Columbus Day celebration into a political statement, saying that Columbus didn’t set foot here on the United States soil but rather, there was a group of indigenous people already here. Some say those people came from northwest Asia crossing over into Alaska and down but others say they were from Central or South America, coming up. Still others want to give the credit of the discovery of the Americas to northern Europeans much earlier than Columbus.

We are going to take a look at Christopher Columbus, the man himself but it really started before he was 10 years old, when he was just a boy. He lived in Genoa, Italy and loved the sea! He was down at the docks whenever he wasn’t helping his father in his business. At this young age, Columbus and his mother, father and siblings attended a mass and it was at that feast of the patron Saint Christopher that Christopher Columbus realized that his name meant “Christ-Bearer”. It was at this age of 10 that Columbus decided that he would be a bearer of the Gospel to the heathens of far away lands. He would fulfill his love of the sea and carry the message of Christ. That was his dream.

Christopher had read these words from Zechariah 9:10, “he shall speak peace unto the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the end of the earth.” It was exactly what he knew God was calling him to do. From that point on, he prayed for God to allow him to share the Gospel to all people. In fact, years later, that is exactly why Queen Isabella encouraged her husband to provide the financial support for Columbus to sailing to the India by sailing west.

Christopher left home only a few years after his 10th birthday, never to return to Italy again. He lived for a number of years in Portugal where the king had promised to provide him with ships and provisions to find a new route to India but he was not honest and gave the ships and money to another. It is here that Christopher and his brother Bartholomew (a map maker) spent time and where Christopher met his first wife. They had a son but within a short time after, his wife died.

When Columbus realized that the king of Portugal was not going to provide him the means to sail, so Christopher took his son and moved to Spain to seek help for his dream. There, his son was cared for by the grace of God and Christopher set out to convince the King and Queen to fulfill his dream. This process took time, several years in fact but Christopher told everyone he met his dream.

While waiting to hear back from the King and Queen, he met his second wife. She gave him a second son. She supported Christopher’s dream and because of that, she would spend many years away from the husband that she loved.

It was worth the wait, all the prayers and missing his family for his brother Bartholomew still lived in Portugal. Finally, ten long years later, he was provided with two ships, the Pinta and the Nina. They were small and Christopher felt that he needed a third ship, a bit larger than the other two, its name was LaGallega but Christopher immediately renamed it to Santa Maria (Holy Mary) in honor of Jesus’s mother to honor God.

On August 3, 1492, Admiral Christopher Columbus set sail to take the Gospel to the heathen. Their first stop was the Canary Islands. Along the way, prayers could be heard often as Christopher led his men is praising the Lord in hymns. His intentions were to chart a route to China and India for their gold and spices. Instead, Columbus discovered a whole new land, the Bahamas and later many islands in what is now the West Indies.

He made three such trips to the “new world” struggling with men who rebelled, health issues and missing his family but he never regretted being a “Christ-Bearer”. And with that, you now have a little more of the story about the day that is celebrated here in the U.S. Christopher Columbus was a great, God-fearing man, a man full of adventure and courage.

Last 90 days…

We are getting close to October 1st and that means that many of you have either just started the New Testament or will be starting it within the next week or so. And for those of you who have not started reading through the Bible, this is your opportunity to read the New Testament yet this year. You can still use “Faithful Promises of God”, just flip to the page where Matthew 1 starts…that would be page 236.

What stories do you have to tell? What has God shown you as you have made a concerted effort to read through the Bible this year? What great treasures has He given you and what exciting changes have you made in your life? Did you keep a journal? If not, start now!

As I read the minor prophets, I am reminded often how God uses all our life circumstances to help us grow to be more like Christ. How God uses ordinary people, not those who are highly educated, to touch the hearts of hurting people and draw them to Jesus. He uses people like you and me…you don’t have to have everything perfect as you witness, just be real. And pray…it’s the Holy Spirit who works in that other person’s life to draw them to Himself.

Stay humble through it all and remember that we are His instruments; the music may not sound pretty to us but to the spiritually tuned, it is ever so beautiful. I can’t stress enough that reading through the Bible, from cover to cover, will change your life because you will meet the One who will change it. Our Heavenly Father loves each of us dearly and He waits for us to surrender our lives to Him.

What does that surrender look like? You will see it throughout God’s Word as God shows us sinners who turned from their past and became new creatures in Christ. The tears that come when we see our filthy lives compared to Christ. The hunger of not getting enough of God’s Word and making new friendships that are deeper because you share the same Father. We experience a joy even in times of sorrow because He walks with us through those hard times. That dance you have with the Savior is the best dance of all, He gently leads you on the ballroom floor of life and at times it feels like He picks you up and carries you. Oh, the love of the Savior…He is calling you today, longing to take you into His loving arms. Are you ready to surrender?

The Lord Blessed…

It is no secret that I identify with the book of Job and Job’s life along with many other parts of Scripture. I saw the similarities years ago when I first became aware that I was sensitive to many foods and chemicals. I could understand how Job suffered and I also had so called friends who told me I must have sin in my life otherwise, God would heal me.

I was a new Christian at that point and was just starting to read the Bible daily. Each time I read something and realized that I was not pleasing to God, I’d stop and ask Him to forgive me. The big things, the little things and all in between things, oh my, I certainly was the biggest of sinners there was around! And today, I still ask Him to forgive me for my sins as I never seem to get it. Do any of us?

As Paul was hard on himself, “What a wretched man I am!” (Rom 7:24a), the more I read the Bible, I realize that I too, am wretched. As God reveals our offensive ways, He is giving us grace to not only ask forgiveness but to change our ways to be more pleasing to Him. To change our ways…

I have been so sick, not being able to eat what most can, having been exposed to carbon monoxide not once, but twice in my life. Recently finding out that I was exposed to Monsanto’s experimental chemicals when I was in Basic Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama in the 60’s. Being taken advantage of by people that I thought were friends and others that I thought loved me and the abuse is beyond anything that should ever be mentioned…having suffered PTSD because of the abuse. My body in so much pain from Chikungunya, still suffering to this day. I think the pain that hurts the most is when you have loved ones that don’t stand by you but also point an accusing finger.

Yes, I can identify with Job and until recently wondered if I would ever be blessed in the latter part of my life (see Job 42:12). Now, at 70 years young, after having suffered two years ago (it took a year to find out what had happened) and I thought I would never work with children again, finding out that the health issues I was discovering were not recent but undiagnosed health issues that I’ve had all my life. With all this having happened in my life, I can now smile and praise God for allowing me to go through such sorrow and pain, and I can say I do feel deeper than many so as to minister to many. I understand the pain of one who is not accepted by those around.

The joy that I experience when a grandchild knocks on my door, just stopping by for a few minutes to see how I am doing. Having my children call on a regular basis, checking in on me. And need I say a whole lot about those beautiful great-grands? What a blessing God has given me in my old age! I mustn’t forget the number of children that I’ve worked with as an educational therapist over the years who still keep in touch and bring me such delight.

Although most of my blessings are not material, I am still thankful for what He’s given me!

Oh, I almost forgot to add that He’s also given me the longings of my youth, when at 15 years old, I wanted to write a book, publish it and have people buy it. Not only one book but two and maybe a third in the future. This along with His giving me the strength to start working with children once again, and with that, I feel such exhilaration when I ponder what He has for me as I teach the children. Certainly, in my latter years, God is blessing me beyond anything I would have ever thought possible.

In our times of troubles and pain, please remember that God is shaping you…we have a choice in how we react. We can give the evil one credit (as many seem to do these days), or we can see that God is using it for His glory. We see this not only with Job but also with Joseph (starting in Gen 37) and many other places throughout Scripture. God uses our painful times to strengthen us for His service!

For years I whined and complained and gave satan recognition for attacking me but I truly started to grow in Christ when I realized that my own flesh had taken me to some of the places that were so painful. I want to remind you (and myself) that when we are suffering, God wants us to learn a valuable lesson. Each of our lessons can be different but nothing goes against His Word. What is He teaching you this day?