My Ongoing Thoughts

LITTLE TYKES?!

4/6/2021

Nearly all of us have played with one or more of them at some point – Little Tykes, that is. They comprise a very extensive and very popular line of toys. Most likely, you, like I, first encountered them as a child. And now, like me, whenever you encounter them again as an adult, perhaps while playing along with a child, you still get to sense a little of the wonder of childhood. I got to experience some of that very wonder this past Sunday.

It was, of course, Easter Sunday. The service my wife and I attended was among the most unique we have ever experienced. We had been invited by our daughter to attend a special mid-morning Easter service with her and her family at a local high school football stadium.

We gladly accepted her invitation, in part because we desired to be there to be with her three young sons (and our three young grandsons). All three boys are under the age of five. She needed the help; and we needed the blessing.

The air was filled with excitement as the stadium filled and the service got under way. The music, though a bit loud for my 59 year old ears, was obviously God-ordained, especially for that particular gathering. Everyone around us seemed to be thoroughly engaged in sincerely worshipping the Lord.

The sermon that followed was what I considered to be an excellent message, in both its content and its delivery. In it, the pastor challenged all in attendance to consider what the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ means to us today. He delivered one profound truth after another, leaving me much to ponder.

At the same time, I will have to admit that I really only listened with one ear, as it were. With the other ear, and with both eyes, I largely helped to occupy my three rambunctious grandsons. As we played with Play-Doh (which was, along with similar assorted items and activities, provided by the host church to each child in an Easter activity bag upon entrance), I found myself reminiscing about the myriad of church services I myself attended as a small child.

(Would to the Good Lord I had had such distractions! Devoid of any such devices, I usually came up with my own. I literally counted every single fleck in the ceiling of the little country church we attended. I found ways to fight mighty wars between the fingers of my right and left hands. I formed imaginative images out of the distorted lights emanating from the stained glass windows; and on the rarest of occasions when a wasp became trapped inside the little sanctuary, I followed its every bounding movement off of the ceiling with unbridled enthusiasm and rapt attention!

I thought about these things and many more as I vainly endeavored to occupy my grandsons’ attention in order to allow my poor daughter a few moments respite in which she could actually worship God.

In the process, quite unexpectedly I was confronted again with the notion of what it means to be a child! As I molded Play-Doh into first a ring for their littler fingers, and then a watch for their little wrists, all the creativity, all the amazement, and in fact all the wonder of childhood suddenly flooded back over me! In and of itself, this was quite an experience. For a fair portion of the duration of the pastor’s sermon, I enjoyed the momentary escape from the pressures of adulthood into the joys of childhood.

Then came the end of the pastor’s sermon and the biggest blessing of all. As only a God-gifted speaker can do, he skillfully undertook an invitation, during which, “with every head bowed and every eye closed and no one moving about”, he clearly presented the plan of salvation and led any would-be converts present through the so- called “sinner’s prayer”.

It was at this point that the Lord truly spoke to me! As the Pastor was conducting the invitation, and in the process, leading any and every one present desiring to become a Christian through the sinner’s prayer, a little boy, who was clearly not more than two to three years of age and sitting with his family one row beneath us, began to pray OUT LOUD, repeating phrase by phrase, the exact words of the pastor that he was hearing over the loudspeakers.

As he fiddled with his toys, he stated loudly and clearly enough to be heard for twenty five feet in any direction the following words…

“Dear Lord…” (Followed by a pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“I know that I am a sinner…” (Followed by another pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“I know that I deserve judgment and Hell…” (Followed by yet another pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“But, this very moment, I confess my sins…” (Followed by still another pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“I ask forgiveness of my sins…” (Followed by a still further pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“And I ask you to come into my heart, make me a Christian, and give me new life.” (Followed by one final pause while the Pastor spoke.)

“Amen!” (This last spoken heartily!)

Along with around fifty or so surrounding people, I was deeply touched by the simplicity and innocence of the words being offered up by the little child. I do not know that he knew what he was actually saying, given his tender young age. It is likely that he has not yet reached the age of accountability in God’s eyes. But to his credit, he was clearly engaged!

As I beheld all of this, the admonition given by Jesus (in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 3) came to mind: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I’m glad I got to be a child once. I’m glad I got to be a so-called “little tyke”. In the process, I’m glad I got to live in a carefree time in which I was easily distracted by things that would later prove to be of little consequence! I am also glad that my parents took me to church; for it was there that I slowly began to comprehend the meaning of becoming a child of God!

For, in accordance with God’s perfect plan, there came a moment in time when I trusted in Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. And when this happened, it was done with simple child-like faith and obedience. I accepted the fact that I too was a sinner and that I deserved death and Hell. But God sent His One and Only Son into this world to die for my sins on Good Friday, that they might be forgiven, and then to rise again on Easter Sunday, in order that I might be given new life in Christ Jesus!

At the same time, I am glad that there eventually came another time when, as the apostle Paul says (in First Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 11): “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

You see… Becoming a Christian is easy; but being one is not. It requires that we not only receive Jesus as Savior at the foot of the cross; but also that we go forth from the empty tomb committed to serve Him as Lord! This latter part is not always easy. It entails giving ourselves completely to Him, and yielding fully to His Divine will and plan for our lives!

And yet, as we do this, god works His miraculous power in our lives and we find that we grow in grace, eventually becoming the mature followers of Christ we were each meant to be. We may start out as little tykes spiritually, but hopefully, over time, we grow into strong, fully developed believers, able to reproduce ourselves in others and helping them to become all God intended for them as well!

A popular children’s product commercial includes a well know phrase at the end of its jingle: “I’m a big kid now!” Sunday reminded me that this is exactly what I hope I now am spiritually. Having given my heart to Jesus, I will always see myself as a child of God. But I hope I will also be seen by others as a big child of God, in the sense that it will be evident to all that I have grown into both who and what God desired for me to be!

What I hope for myself, I also hope for you as well.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/18.htm; and

https://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/13.htm.

ALL I CAN DO FOR YOU!

4/2/2021

A few weeks ago, in an earlier blog post titled JUST DESERTS?!, I referenced a series of messages by Charles Swindoll on Matthew, chapters 1-7, called “The King’s Arrival”. I return to that series again today with regard to another story told by Swindoll. In his March 30, 2021 podcast titled “Our Favorite Sin, Part 3”, he shares an illustration that has particular relevance during this week leading up to Easter.

The following is a summary of Swindoll’s story…

Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II. He tells this story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks…

“Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.

On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.

He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless.

Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read: ‘This is all we can do for you now.’”

I find this story particularly significant as Holy week unfolds and Easter approaches. As I write this, it is Good Friday, the day commemorating when Christ was crucified. And I cannot help but see certain parallels here.

No one will ever know just who this anonymous Czech slave laborer was. Very likely, he died at the hands of his captors, the evil Nazis. But even in his adversity, he clearly found a way to insure that his imprisonment and death were not to be in vain. Even as he was at the mercy of his enemy, he found a way to impart life to his fellow man!

And there you have the gospel in a nutshell! For there, you have a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us on that very first Good Friday. Even as He was at the mercy of His enemy, the Evil One, even as he was imprisoned and giving His life on a Roman cross, He was still finding a way to give life to those He loved and cared for!

I am one of those He loved, and saved by His sacrifice. And so are you! I trust you already know this. If not, then I encourage you to revel in the Good News of the Gospel. For as the Bible tells us, “He died for us so that … we may live together with him.” May we never forget how much God loves us! May we exult in and celebrate His love forever!

SWINDOLL VERSION SOURCE:

https://subsplash.com/insightforliving_usa/lb/mi/+h95q2kg.

ORIGINAL STORY SOURCE:

Elmer Bendiner, The Fall of Fortresses (New York: Penguin Press, 1980), p. 139.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-10.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/isaiah/53.htm.

THE POWER OF STORYTELLING...

3/29/2021

Elsewhere on my website, I recount the essence of a story I first heard years ago as a small lad in a missions class at church. What makes this particular story unique for me is that it was the first time such a story somehow induced within me an appreciation for the power of commuting truth in the form of storytelling.

I am happy to report that, after a lifetime of searching for that one influential story, I have finally found it in the exact form that it was related to me. I recount it here in its entirety. It is the story of...

BIG JIM

Big Jim, as his friends called him, was sailing homeward. For three years he had lived a lonely life in the Klondike area of Alaska. His camp was located about 100 miles north of Dawson City. Jim was a prospector. He had gone to the Klondike with a fever for gold. After three years of washing sand out of the Klondike River, he had saved enough gold to weigh out $20,000. The gold was in a money belt tied around his waist.

As Jim looked over the railing of the ship and watched the boat plow through the water, his every thought was of home. As yet he had not decided just what he would do with all the money he would get when the gold dust was exchanged for dollars. Jim patted the heavy money belt about his waist. "Yep," he said aloud to himself, "it's all here."

Jim was running a risk carrying all this dust in the big money belt. But the risk would be worth the extra dollars he would get for selling in Seattle, Washington, rather than Fairbanks, Alaska. Then, too, Jim was not afraid of being robbed. He was big and strong; few men would ever dare to tackle Big Jim.

The trip had been very pleasant. In fact, Jim had enjoyed being with people. For three years he had lived alone, and the sight of people made him happy. On the trip Jim made friends with a little six year old girl. The two of them had become real friends.

Suddenly Jim was awakened from his thoughts by a loud scream. He felt the motors of the ship slacken their speed. Somebody yelled, "Man overboard." Jim looked over the rail, and there in the water he saw a little head bobbing on the surface. It was his little six year old friend. Without hesitating, Jim sprang into the water.

He splashed in the water near the girl. Only a few yards separated them. Big Jim tried to swim, but something held him back. It was the gold. He couldn't swim with all that gold dust tied around his waist. The weight held him back.

A decision had to be made. Jim must decide between the gold and the girl. Jim decided. He unbuckled the money belt, pulled it from around his waist, and let it go. His big hands then lunged for the girl. He had reached her in time. By now the lifeboat was being lowered from the steamer. Jim and his little friend stayed afloat until the boat reached them and they were pulled from the water.

When Jim handed the little girl to the crewmen in the lifeboat, he yelled out, "I lost the gold, but I saved a life."

Jim's little friend was important to him, and he was willing to pay a valuable price to save her life.

As simple as it is, this little story held me spellbound as little boy. Later, as I reflected on it, I came to see that it is clearly a beautiful picture of God's One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, and of just how much He loves you and me. He loves us so much that He gave up the riches of Heaven and dove down into this world to save us! That is how much we mean to Him!

Want to know more? Then I encourage you to read the three stories told by Jesus Himself in the fifteenth chapter of the New Testament of Luke. Then read the story of Nicodemus in the third chapter of the New Testament Gospel of John, where you will see how Jesus applies these stories to us. Do this and you will find out just how much God loves you!

STORY SOURCE: Black, Frank, The PAGE Manual: For Crusader Royal Ambassadors in Grade 4 (Memphis, TN: Brotherhood Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention), p. 16.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/15.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/john/3.htm.

HIGH LIVING!

3/26/2021

While perusing the headlines a day or so ago, I was struck by one in particular. The caption read “First House on The Moon Could Be Yours for $60M: Study”. Now, admittedly, living on the moon sounds cool; but, unfortunately, it seems that there’s a kicker or two.

To begin with, according to Michael Ruiz of wwwfoxbusiness.com, it seems that the first ever proposed house on the moon will come with a very hefty price-tag. The estimated monthly payment alone is around $320,000. That is based on a 30 year mortgage for the $60 million price, which raises the true total cost, with interest, to well over $90 million! Ouch!

The United Kingdom finance site, Money.co.uk, conducted a study utilizing SpaceX’s blastoff weight pricing in order to estimate what it would cost to bring construction materials, tools and laborers to the moon to begin the work. Additional cost factors included the new technology that lunar dwellings would require for life support, etc…

Such considerations would have to include “withstanding the low-gravity conditions, airtight seals, and ‘meteor proof windows’.” Finally, traditional factors such as property markups, placed at over 27%, were injected to reach their estimated totals.

But this is just for construction. Obviously, living on the moon will engender additional costs, including ongoing needs for power, food and water. A simple 34-panel solar energy setup would run around $23,000, while a top end nuclear reactor would add on a cool $1 billion to the total cost.

Of course, even though a single nuclear reactor, fueled by the moon’s abundant stores of helium-3, would cost more up front, it would likely also eventually lead to a far lower cost for lunar energy. (This from Ricard Dinan, the CEO of Pulsar Fusion, which builds reactor components.) Now, if that price tag induces heartburn, grab some antacid, because there’s even more bad news. That tidy sum only manages to get you a mere 1,356 square feet! Even given the current trend toward tiny living spaces, that may be pushing things a bit much.

The article contains a layout of a standard floor plan for a lunar home, complete with labeling for the ten equally proportioned 135.6 square foot, purpose assigned rooms living, eating, working, sleeping farming, etc.).

PICTURE SOURCE: Money.co.uk/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share alike.

There is some good news in all of this, however. Despite all of these astronomical construction and living costs, lunar acreage seems to be dirt cheap. Prices range from as little as $20 an acre to up around $130. As it is on earth, location appears to be everything.

(The article states that “Price per acreage was calculated based on the Lunar Registry, a wing of the Luna Society which purports to sell land on the moon. Purchasers are promised a Full Moon Atlas on CD-ROM.”)

Also, projections are that once the first house is up and running, with all its tools and crews in place, later houses would cost a bit less. The estimates are only around $51 million each. Given that the homes would need to be equipped to grow food and recycle water on-site in order to save on transportation costs, it is likely that a lunar infrastructure would eventually be built up. Once this happened, future home costs would drop even further.

Let the buyer beware, however. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans member nations from claiming any off-world sovereignty. This means that it remains unclear for now how property rights might work.

No one seems to know exactly when this first home on the moon will be available. It could be quite some time. In the meantime, we will all just have to make do down here on earth.

For my part, I do not know if I will still be here when that day comes. Even if I am, I doubt seriously if I could afford such a home. And to be honest, I do not know that I would even desire to live in such a place.

But no matter, because I already have a Heavenly home awaiting me. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has promised me this in the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 14, verses 1-3), when He said:

“1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. 2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”

Imagine that, a home prepared for His followers by the very Son of God Himself! And it’s not tiny either! The Bible elsewhere gives more explicit details about this wonderful dwelling place. If you want to know more, just read the 21st and 22nd chapters of the New Testament Book of Revelation.

The greatest thing of all is that my Heavenly home does not cost me anything. It was given to me as a result of the grace of God. This does not mean that it did not cost anything. The price tag was the highest ever paid. And that price was paid by Jesus Himself when He purchased my redemption by giving His life on an old rugged cross.

But Jesus did not do this just for me. He did it for every single man and woman who ever lived, including you! Would you like a home in Heaven for all eternity? You can have one! The next three verses of John 14 (verses 4-6), tells how this is possible:

4“You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The way to a home in Heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Having discovered this basic truth, I have trusted in Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, and now look forward to living eternally with Him in Heaven. I hope you have done the same. If not, I hope you soon will.

ARTICLE SOURCE:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/real-estate/first-house-on-moon.

Based on a much more in depth article appearing at: https://www.money.co.uk/mortgages/moon-mortgages.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/john/14.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/21.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/22.htm.

PLAYING WITH FIRE!

3/23/2021

The news today carried a story about a tourist who filmed herself playing with an octopus, but not knowing as she did that she was “playing with fire” in the process! As reported by Michael Hollan on www.FoxNews.com, while vacationing in Bali, Kaylin Phillips filmed herself holding what she thought was just a charming little octopus she had happened upon while exploring the beach.

After she put the animal down, however, she soon learned just how dangerous the little thing truly was. She later posted the footage to her TikTok account, where she wrote “Going to Bali and unknowingly holding one of the most dangerous animals.” The video, which at the time the article was posted had already been viewed over 5.7 million times, goes one to identify the sea creature as a blue-ringed octopus.

The blue-ringed octopus is capable of injecting a deadly venom with its bite, The Sun reports. This venom contains a deadly neurotoxin that is capable of causing respiratory arrest in just minutes.

Needless to say, given that the video footage shows Phillips playfully cuddling the octopus in her hand, she remains very fortunate that it did not bite her. The blue-ringed octopus’ bite is powerful enough to kill humans.

Phillips herself commented on the video, saying, “I actually held two of them in the same day. I tried to feed them oranges for a solid 20 minutes.” She later added that, after having found out just how much danger she had been in, she called her dad crying.

The article goes on to report that numerous TikTokers wrote in to offer helpful advice, with one user summarizing, “Advice from marine biology/zoology: Never ever pick up, touch or eat anything brightly colored. Period, animal or plants.” Another agreed, postulating that Phillips likely used up all her luck on that one!

Even the reporter himself chimed in with some good advice: “Just because something is cute doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. I would add a hardy “Amen”!

The wisdom of the ages dictates that “playing with fire can be dangerous”! This simple principle reminds us that it is neither wise nor safe to approach things that demand our respect in a careless or frivolous manner! Doing so will invariably entail consequences.

And yet, time and again, in every generation and in every context, people seem to fall prey to such temptations. At times, this may be done out of simple ignorance. At other times, it gets done by accident. At still other times, it is done intentionally, often in an attempt to receive the perceived gratification and/or reward that accompanies any such behavior.

Sadly, of course, the cost all too often outweighs the thrill! The bill, when it comes due, is far more than the individual had ever intended to pay. Nonetheless, the bill must be paid! The toll must be exacted!

This is precisely why the Word of God admonishes us not to play around with things that can prove to be detrimental to us. Way back in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of a certain tree. The temptation to do otherwise was powerful. And when they succumbed, the consequences proved deadly! This pattern, once established, continued to manifest itself in every generation throughout Scripture…

Gehazi played with fire when he coveted the riches of Naaman the Syrian, and deceitfully pursued them! David played with fire when he lusted over the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and deceitfully pursued her! Ananias and Sapphira played with fire when they desired recognition and prestige over others, and deceitfully pursued it! The list is endless…

In every case, the consequences were more than they bargained for. Gehazi received not only Naaman’s wealth, but also his leprosy. David got time with Bathsheba, but also with the prophet Nathan! And Ananias and Sapphira got remembered for something alright; only it was not at all for what they had intended!

All of this begs a question of you and me. Are we playing with fire? Are we playing around with things we have no business messing with? And if so, have we considered the consequences of any such behavior?!

So, my friends, be careful. Be very, very careful! For truly, if you play with fire, you may very well find that you get burned in the process!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/bali-tourist-filmed-holding-deadly-octopus-blue-ringed.

NOTE:

Interestingly enough, a similar article in the news this week told how another man flirted with danger, and miraculously lived to see another day: https://www.foxnews.com/us/san-diego-man-arrested-for-taking-2-year-old-inside-elephant-exhibit-at-san-diego-zoo.

In both stories, thankfully, the parties involved survived relatively unscathed. Nonetheless, each story also serves to illustrate the point that playing around with things we have no business messing with can prove to be quite dangerous in the long run!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/2_kings/5.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/2_samuel/12.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/acts/5.htm.

WIND POWER!

3/18/2021

The year was 1968. My mother and my aunt took my cousins, my sister, and I to see the Walt Disney production titled “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day” at the FOX Theatre in downtown Atlanta. As I recall, it was about Pooh Bear and his pals experiencing a breezy day on what they understood to be “Winds-day” – an obvious play on Wednesday. Well, today was not a Wednesday; but a Thursday. Nonetheless, it was still a very windy day!

It is often said that March is either supposed to come in as a lion and go out as a lamb, or else come in as lamb and go out as a lion. This year, it may well come in as a lamb, turn into a lion, and then revert to a lamb, as the middle of the month has been quite gusty. In fact, the winds today were whipping through an impressive speed of 17 miles per hour.

At first glance, that may not sound like much; but trust me, it is. As I went walking this afternoon, I found myself facing the full force of such a headwind. Each successive step required more than the average expenditure of energy just to make progress.

The good news, however, is that I only faced this difficulty up until halfway through my journey. Once I got out to the lake, turned around, and began my return journey, I quickly found that what had previously been a difficult headwind soon became a benevolent tailwind.

I do not necessarily know how much longer it had taken me to get to the midway point of my walk; but I am quite confident that I made up for it on the return trip. Suffice it to say that with a 17 mph tailwind, I found myself being borne swiftly along with each passing step.

Not surprisingly, over the course of an hour’s walk, I spent a good deal of time reflecting on these things. The thoughts I then had now comprise the remainder of my blog post.

It strikes me that the wind is a good metaphor of how we move through life. By this I mean that there are clearly times when we each face unfavorable winds; just as there are times when we each enjoy favorable ones. And I myself am living proof of this principle.

You see, there have been many times in my life when I have had to work my way forward against forceful opposition. In these times, it can be said that the prevailing winds were against me; and that I have had to fight vigorously for each and every inch of ground gained.

Whether it was passing the fourth grade, or beating out the competition for a job opening, or winning my would-be wife’s favor over other possible suitors, I literally cannot count the number of times I have had to face and then overcome opposition. In such times, the key to success has been little more than perseverance.

At other times in life, such as breezing through algebra in the ninth grade, successfully fairing in a newly landed job position, or else enjoying the beautiful wife of my youth, the winds of life have clearly been favorable for me.

Now, obviously, given the option, I would have always chosen the latter. After all, who would not prefer to go through life with little or no difficulty? But the truth is that I know in my heart that it was most often those times when I faced opposition that I truly grew and/or excelled. And surely, this was of God!

Remember that the same Lord Who sent a strong wind to deliver Moses and his fellow Israelites from Pharaoh and his army at the parting of the Red Sea also sent a strong wind against the Mediterranean Sea to buffet a little ship containing the disobedient and unfaithful prophet Jonah. In both cases, of course, God had the best interest of His chosen servant at heart.

But the point is that, even if it was for differing purposes, both Moses and Jonah came up against prevailing winds. So, let’s face it, the winds of opposition, whenever we encounter them, may very well be God-ordained!

After all, calm seas never made for skilled sailors! It is only when we face some form of resistance that we grow stronger. Ask any weightlifter! It is only as we struggle that we succeed. Ask any wrestler! And it is only as we struggle and succeed that we grow more skillful, and more confident in the process! Ask any Christian!

I once read that a ship in a harbor is safe; but that this is not what ships were made for. So pray not for a life free of difficulty; but rather for the strength to overcome whatever difficulty may come your way! You will be much better off for it in the long run. And that, my friends, is no bluster!

SOURCES:

SCRIPTURAL BASIS: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Wind.

WINNEH THE POOH MOVIE: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063819/;
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_the_Pooh_and_the_Blustery_Day.

NOTE: The FOX Theatre is, of course, a world famous downtown Atlanta landmark, second only in significance to the nearby Loews' Grand Theatre, where GONE WITH THE WIND premiered in 1939. At the time, however, I must confess that, like any red-blooded American boy, I was far less focused on either GONE WITH THE WIND or WINNIE THE POOH and far more focused on the 1968 release of PLANET OF THE APES (starring Charlton Heston) as provocatively advertised on all the posters out in the foyer!

Cf.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Theatre_(Atlanta)
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loew%27s_Grand_Theatre.

BON APPÉTIT?!

3/15/2021

In my previous post, I wrote about my observations regarding a pair of hawks recently choosing to nest in our yard. They are not the only birds I get to observe each day. As I take my regular walks, I also get to see any number of other bird species going about their daily lives as well. Their behavior is always instructional; even if it is not always desirable to behold.

Not long ago, as I strolled down by the lake, I was suddenly startled by a sound akin to a large volume of air being quickly and forcefully moved by some object or objects. It is not much of a stretch to say that it sounded like a set of helicopter blades beginning to gain traction as they struggled to lift a heavy fuselage into the air.

When I heard the noise, I involuntarily recoiled. But I soon recovered my senses enough to look up and realize that three or four large vultures were lifting off from the ground just inside the woods about fifteen feet away from me. They did not go far, alighting on the nearest branches above them in order to assess the situation.

I paused, scanning the woods where they had been, and soon saw what had been the object of their attention. It was a large deceased raccoon. I did not know what had killed it, or how it had died; but I quickly concluded that at least its earthly remains were not going to go to waste. Not wishing to interfere any further in the unfolding drama, I did not linger long, but quickly went on my way.

Over the next week, I continue to encounter the vultures there as they went about their task. With each passing day, there was less and less of the raccoon and fewer and fewer birds to be seen. Now, neither remains.

Of course, buzzards, as we call them here in the south, are a common sight. Indeed, hardly a day goes by when a person cannot look up into the sky and see a flock of them circling overhead. What is more, as ugly as they may appear, and as disgusting as the job they undertake to do may seem, they are nonetheless a vital part of the ecosystem as they tirelessly search for and remove carrion from the landscape.

Even though I knew all of this, I was not really prepared for what I observed yesterday as I took an afternoon walk. Not far from the house, I looked up to see flock of them circling. I noticed as I made my way down the road that their number seemed to be growing. Altogether, I soon counted thirteen birds soaring high above.

But I soon noticed that the birds kept narrowing their circle, and descending lower and lower to the ground with each pass. By the time I reached the spot directly beneath them, they were so low (about the height of a typical telephone pole) that I instinctively kept a wary eye upon them as I passed beneath, less one of them should swoop down and peck me or something. In the process, I very nearly overlooked the rather obvious object of their appetite.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a large black object lying in the pasture just over the fence row. It was a large deceased black buzzard. The reality of the situation soon sunk in. I do not know what caused the death of the unfortunate bird. But one thing was obvious. Thirteen voracious birds above me were now preparing to descend upon and consume one of their very own! Once again, I did not linger. I had no appetite for watching the dead be eaten!

As I made my way down the road, I reflected on something. It's bad enough watching the dead be eaten. But how much worse it is to watch the living being eaten!

Who among us has not seen a documentary on television where a pack or pride of predators has caught and begun consuming a prey animal even while it was still alive? Such sights are gruesome to behold.

But as disturbing as they are to behold, they are nothing compared to watching what happens when certain species turn upon their very own. A feeding frenzy comes to mind. Often times, lions feasting on a carcass, will lose control and snap at one another, sometimes invoking devastating injuries in the process.

Worse yet, in the ocean, schools of feeding sharks have been observed being worked up into such a frenzy that they begin snapping at anything within reach of their jaws, including members of their own kind. Many instances have been documented wherein a given shark has been wounded, and then turned upon by the rest of the school. In such cases, the unfortunate individual is soon reduced to shreds.

Can those of us who follow Jesus Christ we learn from any of this? I believe we can. As I write this, a certain prominent politician has been in the national news for multiple accusations of impropriety against him. A political cartoon came out today picturing a shark fin in the water with his name on it, trailing blood. Swimming around this fin a half dozen or so other fins can be seen ominously circling!

Do not get me wrong. My purpose here is not to be political. You can draw your own conclusions; but the obvious intent of the cartoon is that the politician in question is now vulnerable, and sensing this, members of his own party are now perfectly willing to turn on him for their own benefit.

The reality is that such behavior is common - not just in politics, but in most all human endeavors! Sadly, it even happens among believers. The Apostle Paul encountered just such an example at the church in ancient Galatia.

In his New Testament Letter to the Galatians (chapter 5, verses 14 and 15), he warns them of the consequences of their actions when he writes:

“14The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 15But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.”

This simple statement contains a profound admonition! It reminds us as Christians that we are called to be a family, united in our love, and in our opposition to the proper enemy of our faith. For our real enemy is not each other; but rather the truly evil one, otherwise referred to in Scripture as Satan, or the Devil. Therefore, he, and not our fellow believers, should be the focus of our opposition.

Yet, sadly, in my years as a Pastor, I observed that often, the quickest way to get a crowd at a Baptist Church was to have a controversial topic on the agenda of a business meeting! Conversely, if there was nothing contentious to address, it could sometimes be hard even to get a quorum!

Let us be better than this! Let us remember that we are brothers and sisters in Christ who need to be united, and who love, affirm, and support one another. As we do, let us also remember who our true enemy is; and let us turn our attention to defeating him and his agenda, rather than one another.

For arguably, the future of the church depends equally upon our love for one another and our common defense of the faith!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/bsb/galatians/5.htm.

WHAT WE OUGHTA!

3/12/2021

A pair of hawks has recently taken up residence here on our property. They are not the more common “Red-Tailed” species. Rather, they are the less common “Red Shouldered” variant. Either way, they are absolutely magnificent creatures who have now set about building a nest and raising their young.

Watching them day by day as I have done has allowed me to come to understand their habits and to appreciate their struggles. Indeed, I cannot count the number of times I have peered out the window as one or the other of them has mounted a branch and sat patiently hunting for a careless squirrel or rabbit.

Nor can I count the number of times I have seen one or the other of them swoop in with a mouse, a small snake, or some such creature dangling from their respective beaks, obviously intended as a meal for their burgeoning brood.

Whenever they do so, it is easy to recognize their cries as they announce their arrival to either their mate and/or their offspring. Their screeches literally fill the air for minutes on end.

On more than one occasion, as this scene has unfolded, I have been reminded of the words to a song first made popular by Burl Ives titled “Little White Duck” …

“There's a little white duck sitting in the water
Little white duck doing what he oughta
He took a bite of a lily pad
Flapped his wings and he said, "I'm glad"
That I'm a little white duck sitting in the water
Quack, quack, quack

There's a little green frog swimming in the water
Little green frog doing what he oughta
He jumped right off of the lily pad
That the little duck bit and he said, "I'm glad"
That I'm a little green frog swimming in the water
Gulp, gulp, gulp

There's a little black bug floating on the water
A little black bug doing what he oughta
He tickled the frog on the lily pad
That the little duck bit and he said, "I'm glad"
That I'm a little black bug floating on the water
Quick, quick, quick

There's a little red snake lying in the water
A little red snake doing what he oughta
He frightened the duck and the frog so bad
And he ate the little bug and he said, "I'm glad"
That I'm a little red snake lying in the water
Sss, sss, sss

And now there's nobody left sitting in the water
Nobody left doing what he oughta
Nothing left but the lily pad
The duck and the frog ran away
There's nobody left sitting in the water
Boo, hoo, hoo

Because of the snake that ate the bug
That tickled the frog, that went kerchug
There's nobody left to sing about alas and alak
Not even the little white duck
Quack, quack, quack, quack”.

Now, I grant that hawks do not make quacking noises. Instead, they screech. Nonetheless, whatever sound they make, it is obvious that whichever of the two hawks I have been variously observing this spring is still simply doing “what they oughta”!

All of this is to say that, as they go about living their daily lives, they are simply being who they are designed to be, doing what they are designed to do, and, in the process, accomplishing what they are designed to accomplish! And in this sense, they are simply glorifying the God Who created them!

But they are doing one other thing in the process. They are convicting me. Precisely because they challenge me to ask myself whether or not I am doing the same! As I observe them, I find myself asking some fundamental questions…

Am I being who I was created to be? Am I doing what I was created to do? Am I accomplishing what I was designed to accomplish? And above all, am I glorifying the God Who created me to be and to do and to accomplish for His glory?

In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 17, verse 4), Jesus Christ prayed His great High Priestly prayer to the Heavenly Father in which He included the following statement: “I have now glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.”

Now, I do not know if hawks can pray or not. But I do know that I myself can. Consequentially, I find myself increasingly asking whether or not I can pray the following prayer with integrity: “Lord, I can now honestly say that I have accomplished the purpose for which I ever came into this world in that I have glorified You with all I have both been and done.”

Jesus Christ could pray just such a prayer! Why? Because He did just what He alleged! The evident question for me, therefore, is: “Can I pray such a prayer?” Have I spent my life glorifying God simply by being all that He made me to be and by doing all that He made me to do?

Of course, this raises one last equally as obvious question, does it not? That question is: “Can you, yourself, pray any such prayer?!”

LYRICS SOURCE: http://www.songlyrics.com/burl-ives/the-little-white-duck-lyrics/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/john/17-4.htm.

JUST DESERTS?!

3/9/2021

On his podcast, expositor Charles Swindoll has a series on Matthew 1-7 titled “The King’s Arrival”. Included is one message on Matthew 5:21-26 of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, titled “Steering Clear of Murder, Part 2”. In it, Swindoll tells a story about a man who had recently retired.

Apparently, he had too much time on his hands; and as a result, he and his wife were soon on one another’s nerves. Tired of her presence, he stormed off to the store and returned with a can of peaches, which he began to eat in front of her.

She inquired as to what he was eating and where he had acquired it. He told her it was can of peaches, and that he had stolen it from the store. Incensed, she promptly tuned him in to the authorities, whereupon he was arrested for shoplifting.

When he went before the judge, he was asked, “What did you steal?” “A can of peaches,” the man retorted. The judge then asked him why he had stolen the can of peaches; and he shot back that he had been hungry.

The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can. He stated that there had been six. To which the judge sternly responded, “Then, to teach you a lesson, I will now give you six days in jail!”

Just then, before the judge could officially pronounce his verdict and punishment, the man’s wife, who had been sitting in the back of the courtroom observing the proceedings, jumped to her feet and asked the judge if she could say something. The judge said, “What is it you wish to say?”; and the wife replied, “Your Honor, he also stole a whole can of peas!”

We all get the point of the story! It seems that this woman was determined to see that her husband got everything was coming to him! After we get done chuckling, however, those of us who are willing to be honest will likely have to admit that this story hits a little too close to home!

Granted, not everyone has shoplifted; not everyone has stolen; not everyone has fussed and fought with a spouse. But every single individual who has ever lived has sinned to some degree, and thereby come short of the glory of God!

As a result, everyone single person who has ever lived, myself included, is also guilty before the Eternal Judge, and deserving of punishment for his or her trespasses.

But that is where the glorious good news of the Gospel comes in. For the same Bible that tells us that we are guilty of sin and deserving of punishment also tells us that we can be gloriously forgiven by our Lord.

In his New Testament Gospel (chapter 3, verses 16-18), the Apostle John puts it this way:

“16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

This is precisely why the word “Gospel” means “good news”. As the Apostle Paul puts it in his New Testament Letter to the Romans (chapter 8, verses 1-2):

“1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

That my friends, is indeed good news! That is indeed a reason to celebrate!

SOURCES:

SWINDOLL STORY: https://subspla.sh/wvp8spx.

NOTE: This is a variation on an oldie but goodie, that is available widely on the internet. See for instance: https://hotjokes.net/can-of-peas/.

SCRIPTURES: https://biblehub.com/niv/john/3.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/8.htm.

NOTE: The simplest presentation of the Gospel can be found in what has been termed the “Roman Road to Salvation”. Anyone wanting to know more can read the following verses in the New Testament Book of Romans:

Chapter   3, Verse   10
Chapter 3, Verse   23
Chapter   6, Verse   23a
Chapter   5, Verse   8
Chapter   6, Verse   23b
Chapter 10, Verse   13
Chapter 10, Verses 9-10

LITTLE BIG THINGS!

3/5/2021

Dustin Hoffman once starred in a movie titled “Little Big Man”. My thoughts today have less to do with little and big men, and more to do with little and big things. Let me explain.

In just over one month, my wife and I are expecting the arrival of our seventh grandson. The remarkable thing is that every single one of them will have been born within the last four and a half years. That’s an average of one new grandson every eight months. Any way you look at it, we have truly been blessed!

And the blessings just keep on coming. Each new day has its share of these blessings as yet another thing happens in one or the other of their lives that that warms our hearts. The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (chapter 11, verse 6) speaks of the time when little children will lead adults; and daily, our grandsons lead my wife and me into one joyous moment after another.

I once read somewhere that the human brain grows at an exponential rate in the first few years of life. Needless to say, therefore, that each of my grandsons is learning by leaps and bounds with every passing day. One can almost hear the synapses in their little brain cells clicking as their neurons continuously make connections, recording each new observation and its resultant conclusion in the process.

But they are not the only ones learning. The truth is that my wife and I find ourselves continuously learning from them even as they learn from life itself.

We have observed that all their senses are extremely acute. To begin with, they explore most everything by their sense of taste. Sooner or later, in the earliest months of life, most everything they encounter will find its way into their mouths. But their ears also work quite well; as it is obvious that they never fail to miss the slightest noise that is any way out of the ordinary.

As they progress, of course, their ears pick up on words, which they soon convey to their mouths, and then eventually repeat. For this reason, all of us, parents and grandparents alike, have had to learn to be careful with just exactly what we have to say!

But the sharpest of their senses seems to be their eyesight. Granted that they are all much closer to the ground, and therefore, more easily able to spot things down low from that level; but they are forever finding the smallest of things on the floor - a spec of lint, a crumb, a lady bug, a piece of dirt cast off from someone’s shoe, etc…

And when they find them, they seem to know instinctively that these things do not properly belong in the environment. Even when they are too young to articulate what it is that they desire to communicate, they either pick these things up and bring them to you, or else they come and grab you by the hand and lead you to the spot where the object lies in order to point it out to you. Either way, they do so grunting and gesticulating all the while.

In this simple behavior, of course, they clearly demonstrate that they have a sense of right and wrong. Something is amiss; and they know it! Granted, that, in and of itself, is a good thing. Nonetheless, the irony is that even as they focus on the littlest of things being out of place, they remain blissfully ignorant of far greater things going on around them. A hurricane could be blowing outside; and they would never know it, even as they focus on a dead fly lying on the windowsill.

Is there a lesson in all of this for you and me? Perhaps so; for it is arguable that obsessing over little things while remaining oblivious to far bigger things is simply the sign of a lack of maturity. Let me be clear. I am not faulting my grandsons here. I behaved much the same as they do at their age. But as I grew and matured, I focused less and less on little, inconsequential things, and more and more on bigger and more consequential things.

I say this because it strikes me that any number of people out there spend their lives obsessing over little, inconsequential things even as they fail to take note of far bigger and far more consequential matters!

In his First New Testament Letter to the Christians at the Church in Corinth (chapter 13, verse 11) the Apostle Paul once made the following statement: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

And there you have it! We live in a world full of little things – things that, at first glance, admittedly may seem consequential, but in reality are of little to no consequence in light of other things that really do matter. And a sure sign of maturity in the life a believer is that he or she eventually grasps this very principle; and then moves on, and begins to focus on those things that really do matter!

In light of this, my prayer, not only for my grandsons, but also for my wife and me, is that there comes a time in life when we all move beyond merely focusing on and obsessing on the little, inconsequential things in life, and begin focusing and obsessing instead on those things that really do matter - chief among them matters of eternal consequence!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/isaiah/11-6.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/13-11.htm.

SEE ALSO: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065988/.

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