My Ongoing Thoughts

HELP ME, JESUS!

1/17/2025

Well, here it is the third Friday of January. So, I will take this opportunity ask you a question. How are you coming with those pesky New Year’s Resolutions?

The good news is that if you are still working at keeping them, the chances are that you will continue to do so. Why do I say this? Because people whose business it is to know such things tell us that the second Friday in January is “Quitter’s Day”.

According to www.Nationaltoday.com…

Quitter’s Day is held on the second Friday in January. This year, it falls on January 10. The tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions began some 4,000 years ago with the ancient Babylonians. For them, the year did not begin in January but in mid-March — on the first moon after the spring equinox. Quitter’s Day is set aside to recognize those who set new year goals and fail to achieve them — and to encourage and equip them to try again and ultimately succeed. Research has shown that people quit their resolutions for the year by the second Friday of January.

The article goes on to say:

In 2019, extensive research was conducted by Strava — a social network for athletes — and it was found that approximately 80% of people who made New Year’s resolutions have tapped out by the second week of January. Making deductions from the available 800 million user-logged activities in that year, Strava even went on to predict that the second Friday of January was the fateful day when the motivations of most quitters begin to decline. The main areas of focus for resolutions involve exercise, eating habits, and weight loss.

Therefore, if you have persisted in your resolutions for a full seven days beyond “Quitter’s Day”, you are clearly on track to have continued success. So, stay the course, my friend. That is certainly what I intend to do.

But what does it take to do that? Many things, no doubt. Among them, to be sure, are dogged commitment, personal discipline, and unwavering resolve. But even then, it is still not easy to display these qualities consistently in one’s own strength. Therefore, accountability is almost essential.

Perhaps that is why so much emphasis is placed in the Bible on supporting one another. We are told in Proverbs (chapter 27, verse 17), “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

We are further reminded in Ecclesiastes (chapter 4, verses 9-12) that two are stronger than one. We read:

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Clearly, the Bible shows us the value of friends - not just having one, but being one. For of all the qualities of friendship, perhaps the one that is the most crucial is encouragement. Thus…

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we read:
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.

In Proverbs 27:17, we read:
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

In James 5:16, we read:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

In Romans 15:1, we read:
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

In Hebrews 10:24-25, we read:
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

In 1 Corinthians 12:26, we read:
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

and In Philippians 2:4, we read:
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Working together with others, you can improve your lot in life and theirs.

Of course, the Bible also says in Proverbs (chapter 18, verse 24) that “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The one true Friend above all others is, of course, Jesus Christ. He tells us repeatedly in the Gospels that He is our friend (Luke 12:4; John 15:15).

And with this Friend pulling for us, we can find strength beyond our wildest expectations. As the Apostle Paul reminds us (in his New Testament Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 13): “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

What all are you hoping to accomplish this year? With regard to your health? To your career? To your finances? Or more importantly, to your relationships? To your parents and grandparents? To your siblings? To your marriage? To your children? To your grandchildren? And above all, with regard to your Lord and Savior Himself?

Help yourself to these goals. But help others as well. And when you need a little help, rely on others. Above all, rely on the Lord Himself! Together, you will go forward and achieve success beyond your wildest dreams!

SOURCES:

https://nationaltoday.com/quitters-day/;

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/10/quitters-day-new-years-resolutions/77559275007/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/27-17.htm;

https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/4-10.htm. See the Cross References here as well.

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/18-24.htm;

https://biblehub.com/luke/12-4.htm;

https://biblehub.com/john/15-15.htm;

https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-13.htm.

THE FACTS OF LIFE!

1/13/2025

In a little over a week, the 25th anniversary of my father’s death will occur. He departed this life on January 23, 2000. Naturally, in light of this, I have spent a good deal of time reflecting on him, on his life, on his impact, and on his legacy. All of this in turn has led me to reflect on the meaning of life in general as well.

So, when my wife’s cousin recently posted a piece on Facebook titled REAL COWBOY LOGIC’S POST, it caught my attention. I thought it fitting for such a time as this. Here it is, exactly as posted…

When you die, don't worry about your body...
Your relatives and funeral staff will do it. I know this first hand. I’ve done it myself…
They will take you out of the house and deliver you to the funeral home of your family’s choice.
They will take off your clothes
They will wash you
They will dress you up
They will even apply makeup to make you look presentable
Many will come to the funeral to honor you.
Some will even cancel their plans and ask for leave to go to the funeral.
Your things--things you hate to be borrowed will be sold, donated or burned.
Your keys
Your tools
Your books
Your CDs, DVDs, games
Your collections
Your clothes...
And be sure the world won't stop and cry for you.
The economy will continue.
You will be replaced in work. Someone with the same or even better ability will take your place.
Your property will switch to heirs.
And don't doubt the small and big things you have done in your life will be spoken of, judged, doubted and criticized.
People who only knew your face will say, ′′Poor thing!"
Your good friends will cry for a few hours or several days, but then they will laugh again.
Your pets will get used to the new owner.
Your pictures will be hanging on the wall for a while, then they will be put on furniture and finally stored at the bottom of the box.
Someone else will sit on your couch and eat from it.
Deep pain in your home will last a year, two, maybe ten... Then you will join the memories and then your story will end.
It will end among people, end here, end in this world.
But your story begins in a new reality... in your life after death.
The things you once have will lose their meaning. You cannot bring your earthly possessions here.
the beauty of your body
last name
property
loans
working position
bank account
the house
the car
academic titles
Classmates
trophies
Friends of the world
man / woman
the kids
the family...
In your new life, you will only need your soul.
The only property that will last is the soul.
......................................................................................
The big question is: Do you know where your soul is going after this life is over?
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
The Bible is clear that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3).
John 3:18 explains in the simplest terms who will go to heaven and who will go to hell: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." So, those who go to hell are specifically those who do not believe in Jesus’ name.
Simply, if you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, by grace alone, through faith alone, you will spend eternity in heaven. If you do not receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be eternally separated from God (Matthew 25:46).
The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
We can choose to trust in Jesus’ payment for our sin, or we can choose to pay for our sins ourselves—but we must remember that the payment for our sin is eternity in hell.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31)

For my part, I will take this opportunity to share several things in light of this post.

To begin with, I thank God for my earthly father. Like me, he was not a perfect man. But he was a good man. He was also a good father. He gave me life, and then invested heavily in me. He nurtured me, cared for me, provided for me, disciplined me, taught me, and inspired me - in all aspects of my life. In short, he loved me, as he did my two sisters. And for that, I (we) will always be thankful.

Still, despite all these things, upon his death, so much of what is said above wound up applying to him, to his accomplishments, to his belongings, and even to his memory in this world. Alas, the facts of life in this world ultimately applied to him just as they inevitably do to everyone.

But thank God what else is said above also wound up applying to him. For there came a time in his earthly life when my earthly father embraced the grace of my Heavenly Father, and became a born-again follower of Jesus Christ.

And for this reason, I am confident that, twenty-five years ago this month, he simply traded life in this world for life in another, far better and far more satisfying world! Praise God, the facts of life in that world now apply to him just as they will to all who accept Jesus Christ!

After all these years, I find that I still miss my father terribly. But I have concluded that the passing of a quarter century now means that I am only that much closer to seeing him again!

For due largely to the influence of my earthly father and upbringing he provided me, I, too, came to the place where I embraced the same Savior and same Lord that he did. And as a result, these days, I find myself focusing less and less on the things of this world, and more and more on the things of the world to come!

By the way, my two sisters share the same testimony. I trust you can say the same.

SOURCE:

https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=507574944067180&id=100044440356207.

SPECIAL BLESSING

1/7/2025

The recent holiday stretch has been a mixed blessing for yours truly. It was bad enough that my beloved Georgia Bulldogs lost their College Football Playoff game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But to add insult to injury, I wound up with a horrible cold that laid me up for four or five days.

The good news is that I’m better now. The better news is that the good of the holidays far outweighed the bad, as I became the recipient of any number for blessings during this same stretch.

To begin with, my family and I have all now been allowed to live into yet another calendar year. We are each reasonably healthy and quite blessed. We enjoyed celebrating our family and our Lord on His birthday, as we gathered, feasted, and partied together.

In the process, I received my share of gifts, which made me happy. But I was given even greater joy as I watched others receive the gifts I gave to them. Hopefully, the memories we made together will live on in the minds and hearts of everyone involved.

For my part, however, one memory will stand out above all the others. That was the special blessing I had of seeing my oldest grandson take communion for the very first time as we all attended the annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service at church.

My wife I were unable to go forward and receive communion ourselves. But that was only because we willingly took the responsibility of staying back and sitting with the younger grandsons, the smallest of was sick with a cold, and coughing continuously.

We did not do this in order to boast about it. We simply did so because I thought it was the proper thing to do. That is to say, we gladly did it so that our daughter and her husband could go forward with their eldest son and, together, take communion as a family.

By now, you have probably surmised, quite correctly, that I caught my youngest grandson’s cold. But I would gladly endure the discomfort and distress I have undergone overt eh last week for the memory of seeing my grandson take his first communion. I will carry that memory with me throughout the remainder of my life.

In the process, of course, I have both been reminded that it is indeed much more blessed to give than to receive! For perhaps, this entire episode is but a small reflection of the whole purpose of Christmas. I remind you that the Bible tells us that Christmas is ultimately about Christ giving Himself to become a sacrifice in order that we might be made whole and enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Thus, the Apostle Paul tells us (in his First New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 3) that Christ came into this world, suffered, died, and was raised again to life, all on our behalf. The writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews further tells us (in chapter 4) that Jesus is our High Priest, Who sacrificed Himself that we may “approach the throne of God’s grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us”.

Together, these two passages sum up God’s great Christmas gift to us in Christ Jesus. And together, they also remind us of what we can and should do for others, especially at Christmas.

And so, my friend, if Christ has sacrificed so much for me, then I will gladly suffer a little in order for my grandson to grow in his relationship with the Lord. For the memory of my recent sickness will soon be forgotten; but the memory of seeing my grandson take his first communion will stay with me forever.

And I trust that the Lord will continue to give me many more opportunities to sacrifice on behalf of him, his siblings, and his cousins in the coming year. That will be blessing enough for me!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/15.htm#footnotes;

https://biblehub.com/niv/hebrews/4.htm.

GENTLE REMINDERS

1/3/2025

Tributes have been pouring in for former President Jimmy Carter, who died over the recent holidays. To be sure, his single term as president came during a turbulent time marred by political terrorism abroad and financial turmoil at home. Historians will continue to debate how these and many more aspects of the times formed his presidential legacy.

Still, there is no debating the fact that he was America’s most impactful former president. Let alone the fact that he lived to be 100, his life after the White House was marked by multiple accomplishments, including the establishment of the Carter Center and its many endeavors as well the advancement of Habitat for Humanity and its praiseworthy mission.

Along the way, he garnered many awards, including a Nobel Peace Prize. The latter is fitting as he will no doubt be remembered most for his meek, gentle nature, based upon his deep and abiding convictions as a born-again believer in, and follower of, Jesus Christ.

This is likely why Carter prided himself on being known as a man of the people. One way in which he manifested this characteristic was through his habit of personally shaking hands with every single individual on an airplane whenever he flew publicly. Delta airlines CEO confirmed this in a tribute he posted, sharing several pictures of Carter making his way through aircraft cabins greeting passengers one by one.

This latter reminded me of a documentary I once saw on Air Force One. It contained a segment on the day that Nixon resigned and departed Washington D.C. for California aboard Air Force One. The world best remembers this trip as the day Air Force One changed its Call Sign from Air Force One to SAM 27000 mid-flight due to Gerald Ford being sworn in as the new president.

But the documentary contains another poignant moment. When Nixon was departing the airplane, he thanked the pilot, Captain Ralph Albertazzie, and then apologized to him, stating that it had been his attention all along to promote the Air Force officer. He had simply gotten too busy and had kept putting the matter off in light of what he perceived as more pressing issues.

Regrettably, as he was now no longer president, it was too late to act. For all that, he said he was now sorry, and asked the man’s forgiveness. In response, of course, the pilot graciously told him that he understood, and that an apology was not necessary.

I love this story because it reminds us that we need to be careful not to allow the hassles of everyday life, no matter how pressing, to interfere with personal commitments we make to ourselves and to others. We all know how easy this is to do. No doubt many of you, just like me, have similar stories of regret that we could recount.

But what better time is there to commit not to fall prey to such remorse again in the future than at the dawning of a new year?

The Bible is full of stories of people whose lives were full of regret. Samson had regrets. Jonah had regrets. David had regrets. Peter had regrets. Paul had regrets. So did John Mark, as well as a host of others. And yet, the Bible recounts these stories for two primary reasons – first, to show us that everyone is frail, and second, to show us that God gives each of us second chances.

Samson, Jonah, David, Peter, Paul, and John Mark were all given further opportunities in life to do right by their Lord, their fellow man, and themselves. They all did just that. And what is true for them is also true for us.

As 2024 gives way to 2025, do you have regrets over yesterday? Then, I encourage you to look to the Apostle Paul, who admonished the Philippians (chapter 3, verses 13 and 14) to follow his example of "forgetting what lies behind" and instead, "focusing on what lies ahead and pressing on". Thereafter, as he told the Galatians (in chapter 6, verse 10): "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people."

All of this is to say that we may not be able to undo the mistakes of yesterday; but we can commit to do our best not to repeat them in the future. For our God is a gracious God; and He always gives us second chances. Whenever He does, may we take advantage of these opportunities to do right by Him, by others, and by ourselves.

SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/jimmy-carter-carried-out-travel-ritual-every-time-he-boarded-flight;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VC-137C_SAM_27000.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/philippians/3-13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/galatians/6-10.htm.

NOTE:

I pride myself on thoroughly documenting my sources. For this reason, I am still working to verify the actual documentary containing the story of Nixon and Captain Albertazzie. It is most likely from the History channel’s “MODERN MARVELS: AIR FORCE ONE – A HISTORY” (1997: A&E Television Networks Catalog Number AAE72281). If not, then it is from “Air Force One”, a video documentary released by National Geographic on VHS in 2001 and released on DVD in 2003 (ASIN: ‎B00005MEPQ). Back in the day, these were the only channels we received on cable tv. I will update this posting when I have verified the actual source.

GOOD INTENTIONS!

12/30/2024

Someone recently asked me if I intended to stay up and see the New Year in. When I replied that I might, I was told to be sure that I was standing only on my left foot as the clock struck midnight. That way, I would be sure to start off the New Year on the right foot!

Well, I do hope to start 2025 off on the right foot. But more than this, I hope to end it that way as well. Allow me to explain.

A prominent life insurance company currently has an advertising campaign that employs the terms “coulda”, “woulda”, and “shoulda”. In a series of vignettes, people appear in rapid succession regretting the fact that they never bought life insurance - the first says she “woulda” but didn’t, the second saying he “coulda” but didn’t, and the third saying she “shoulda” but didn’t.

Of course, the point of the commercial is that getting life insurance is something that needs to be accomplished and not put off. Besides, as they say, it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!

But the principle employed in the commercial transcends the acquisition of life insurance. It finds application in many other aspects of life as well – especially as one year gives way to another.

Like many people, I usually make out a list of New Year’s Resolutions. To be more accurate, I usually make out a list of things I intend to accomplish in the coming year – sort of an annual “To Do” list. As I look back on 2024, I am pleased with the fact that I was able to see a number of these tasks completed.

However, as always, there were a few that I did not manage to finish. Some were begun, but never concluded. Sadly, others were never even begun. The reason? Well, you see, I have many. To begin with, I “coulda”, but I didn’t. Plus, I “woulda”, but I didn’t. Oh, and also, I “shoulda”, but I didn’t.

Now, as the year winds down, I find that I am full of regrets at not having done so many of the things I said I was going to do in 2024. And I do not like this feeling! For this reason, I have promised myself that if the Lord allows me to draw breath in the coming year, I plan to attack my “2025 To Do List” with vigor!

And in so doing, I hope to fulfil the Biblical admonition about “making the very most of (my) time on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence” (Ephesians 5:16, Amplified Bible).

The host of the television commercial referenced above concludes by talking about how we often put off what we know we should be doing; and, before the know it, another year has passed. He then says: “Don’t regret what you didn’t do ‘yesterday’... Feel great about saying ‘yes today’!”

That’s not a bad principle to apply, particularly at this time of the year, as we reflect on what all we left undone last year and what all we need to do this coming year!

SOURCE:

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3937780505/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/5-16.htm.

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

12/25/2024

As a child, before I came of age and discovered Atlanta’s WQXI AM pop station, I largely listened to the music chosen by my parents. This consisted of either “easy listening” on Atlanta’s WLTA FM or else “country” on WPLO AM. The latter was then dominated by the “Nashville Sound”.

Accordingly, I moved back and forth with ease between the croonings of either Perry Como or Jim Reeves pouring forth from the RCA Mark 8 Floor-Model Stereo that dominated our living room, depending entirely upon the mood my parents were in at the moment.

At Christmas time, however, things changed. Throughout the month of December, country and easy listening artists were largely replaced by the Christmas music of choral and big band groups. When this happened, the radio was turned off and the LP recordings of such groups as the Robert Shaw Chorale, the Harry Simone Singers, and the Westminster Abbey Choir permeated our home.

Later, it would fashionable for most all artists, whether Christian, country, pop, or even rock, to record and release Christmas albums and CDs. To this has been added an ever-growing assortment of novelty songs and movie soundtracks that, when combined with the aforementioned albums and CDs, largely comprise the modern day Christmas musical canon.

And to be honest, this then became the selections that my wife and I and our children have mostly listened to during the holidays over the years. But these days, I find myself increasingly returning to the Christmas music of my childhood. I have spent a small fortune finding and downloading the musical selections I once so enjoyed.

Thus it was that, while out walking yesterday and listening to my “Childhood Christmas” playlist, I came across the Eddy Arnold classic titled “C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S”. I thought it fitting to post the lyrics here this day…

When I was but a youngster
Christmas meant one thing
That I'd be getting lots of toys that day

I learned a whole lot different
When Mother sat me down
And taught me to spell 'Christmas' this way:

'C' is for the Christ child, born upon this day
'H' for herald angels in the night
'R' means our Redeemer
'I' means Israel
'S' is for the star that shone so bright
'T' is for three wise men, they who travelled far
'M' is for the manger where He lay
'A' is for all He stands for
'S' means Shepard's came

And that's why there's a Christmas day!

And that's why there's a Christmas day!

A simple song, a beautiful message, and above all, a fitting reminder for Christmas Day!

For when all the layers of modern Christmases have been peeled away, when all the music and lights and decorations and presents and foodstuffs and movies and any one of a thousand other trappings are removed, the essence of Christmas still comes down to the simple message found in Matthew 1:18-2:12, Luke 2:1-12, and John 1:1-14, but best summed up in John 3:16-17:

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.

May we never forget this! May we always remember why we have, and why we celebrate, Christmas Day!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/luke/2.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/1.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/2.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/1.htm.

SONG LYRICS:

https://genius.com/Perry-como-c-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s-lyrics.

SEE ALSO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PH6BR1NOTI.

PERENNIAL TRUTHS!

12/21/2024

As I write this, it is all but the dead of winter. Okay, officially winter just arrived earlier this day at 4:21am. What is more, it will last for another three full months. So that would technically make the dead of winter a month and half from now, or halfway through the winter months. But given the fact that it will be a bone-chilling 22 degrees tonight on this, the shortest day of the year, I stand by my assertion.

As I look outside my window, all trees save for the Cedars, which are evergreens, are stripped of their foliage. For the time being, at least, they have ceased to photosynthesize, and now sit dormant for the season. In the fulness of time, they will put forth new foliage and begin the process all over again.

That is a quality of all the tress in my yard. They are perennial in nature. This means they come back year after year. The same is true for the grass in my yard, as it is for the shrubs and several of my wife’s decorative plants. But not for all of them.

For many of the flowers she put out in the spring to beautify our home were not perennials, but rather annuals. When planted they, too, grew, budded, and bloomed. But they only did so for one cycle. Thereafter, they were done. And after time, they were all but forgotten.

Think about it… Yes, they were once here. They once stood proudly, flowing back and forth in the wind, drawing the eye of all who passed by. They once proclaimed their magnificence to anyone who would behold them in their short-lived glory. But only once. For after having once strutted themselves in their opulence, they never did so again. Instead, their destiny was to have their remains plucked up and cast aside even as another generation of annuals eagerly waits to take their place in the sun.

Conversely, the many wonderful cedar trees that inhabit our property all stand tall day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, unceasingly clothed in a rich blanket of greenery as they silently testify to the ongoing hardiness of life which nature has imbued within them.

I trust you see my point. “Here today, gone tomorrow” versus “Here today, here tomorrow”! Which would you rather have as your testimony? Sure, the cedar trees will not shoot forth this spring with an abundant adornment of flowers that scream, “Look at me! Look at me!” But when those plants that do so have long disappeared, the cedars will still be standing tall, boldly declaring the strength of the life they have within them. Even in the dead of winter!

I share this with you four days out from Christmas in order to illustrate what Christ has done for us by His incarnation. He came into this world for one reason – to imbue us with life! Before God clothed himself in human flesh and came into this world, ours was but a fleeting existence. At best, all that could be said of any of us was that we were born, we lived, and that we tried to have significance. But we still eventually passed off the scene, destined to be forgotten for all eternity.

But the incarnation changed all that. For, as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians (in his Second New Testament Letter, chapter 5, verses 16-21):

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And this is why Christmas matters! For by sending His One and Only Son into this world, our Heavenly Father was reconciling us to Himself through Jesus Christ. As the Apostle John puts it (in his First New Testament Letter, chapter 5, verses 11-15):

11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Did you catch it? Without Christ, we have no life. But with Christ, we have life, and we have that life to the full! In other words, “here today, gone tomorrow” or “here today, here forever”!

Given this, I echo the admonition of the Apostle Paul as I say, “I implore you, my friend, on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God this Christmas!” For in so doing, you will receive the greatest gift you could ever be given – the gift of eternal life!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/2_corinthians/5.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/1_john/5.htm.

https://biblehub.com/john/10-10.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/12/20/winter-solstice-2024-first-day-of-winter/77085291007/.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial.

For what it’s worth, the technical definition of a perennial is that which lives longer than two years. This distinguishes it from either an annual or a biennial. By definition, this certainly makes the truth of Christmas a perennial truth, as it has been with us for some two thousand years now. But more to the point, the truth of Christmas is eternal. For not only has it been true for two millennia; it will continue to be true for all eternity as well!

PROFOUNDLY SIMPLE!

12/18/2024

After I retired from full-time Pastoral Ministry, I thinned out my professional library considerably. I did so by giving many of my books to a younger generation of ministers. But I certainly did not part with all my theological books. The reason? I have begun writing novels; and more than one of those I have planned have plots involving Biblical and/or theological issues.

One set of books I kept was what might be termed the magnum opus of theologian Karl Barth: the multivolume work Church Dogmatics. Barth rose to prominence when he wrote the Barmen Declaration, which rejected the influence of Nazism on German Christianity by arguing that “the Church's allegiance to the God of Jesus Christ should give it the impetus and resources to resist the influence of other lords, such as the German Führer, Adolf Hitler”.

Rejecting the liberal theology of the nineteenth century, he helped to found the Confessing Church in Germany before settling in as a Professor of Theology at the University of Basel in Switzerland.
Thereafter, he set about writing his Church Dogmatics, in which he laid out his Christian beliefs. The five volume, 9,000 page, 6,000,000 word work was still unfinished at the time of his death. But it became the foundation of the Neo-Orthodox movement within Christian theology, rejecting the liberal theology of the preceding century.

I share this to tell the following story, which I first heard while in seminary. It seems that in 1962, while in his mid-seventies, Barth was asked to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of a captivating closing lecture, the president of the seminary announced that Dr. Barth was not well and was quite tired, and though he thought that Dr. Barth would like to be open for questions, he shouldn’t be expected to handle the strain.

Then he said, "Therefore, I will ask just one question on behalf of all of us." He turned to the renowned theologian and asked, "Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all?"

It was the perfect question for a man who had written literally tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put into print. The students held pencils right up against their writing pads, ready to take down verbatim the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time.

Karl Barth closed his tired eyes, and he thought for a minute, and then he half smiled, opened his eyes, and said to those young seminarians, "The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!'"

Wow! There you have it! Summed up in one simple line by one of the greatest Christian theologians who ever lived is the greatest truth of the Christian faith! "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!"

I love this story; and share it here at Christmas time because of its relevance. For in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16, we have the proof of this: "For 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."

John’s statement here, taken directly from the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself, comes shortly after his own comments on the incarnation in chapter 1, verses 1-18:

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

And that is the great truth of Christmas… The Word was made flesh, in order that we might become the children of God! This is a truth so profound that its implications cannot begin to be exhausted, not even by the most gifted of minds; and yet it is so simple that even a child can comprehend it!

STORY SOURCE:

Available widely on the internet. See, for example:

https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/84078/one-of-the-greatest-theologians-that-ever-liv-by-lalachan-abraham.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/3-16.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/1.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Barth;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-orthodoxy;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Loves_Me.

In the last article, note the following statement: "Jesus Loves Me" is a Christian hymn written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called Say and Seal, written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in which the words were spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child.

WORTHY WORDS OF WISDOM

12/13/2024

My sainted mother-in-law turns ninety in the coming year. Any way you look at it, that is a long and full life. And she’s not done yet.

These days, she rightfully engages in something she has certainly earned the right to - she dispenses a lot of wisdom. So, when she recently handed me a sheet of paper with the following, I took note. I post it here in the hopes that you benefit from it. It is titled…

AN OLD FARMER’S ADVICE

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best ever.
Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
Always drink upstream from the herd. Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
Live simply. Love passionately. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

I was musing on the many truths reflected in these words purportedly presented by a wise old farmer when my wife came in with a similar, but stronger set of truths. She had been out “junkin’” - meaning she was visiting garage sales looking for interesting items – when she came across a plaque with the following “Country Commandments”…

There Is Only One God
No False Gods
No Cuss’n Gather on Sundays
Mind Your Ma and Pa
No Kill’n Cheatin’ Is Forbidden
Ya’ll Don’t Steal
No White Lies or Gossip’n
No Hankerin’ for Others’ Stuff

I trust you realize these latter admonitions are merely an intentionally rural way of re-stating the Ten Commandments. But, as such, they are much more than country aphorisms. For they are words of wisdom, not from a country farmer, but from a Heavenly Father!

For my part, I have learned to heed the advice of older, wiser individuals. And this especially applies to individuals like farmers, who have little time for either theatrics or pretense.

But if it behooves me to heed the wisdom of earthly sages, how much more does it behoove me to heed the wisdom of Heaven? For if scoffing at wisdom proffered from earthly sources will have earthly consequences, how much more will scoffing at the admonitions from Heaven have eternal consequences?!

SOURCE:

My immediate source was an old paper copy from my mother-in-law. After further research, I discovered that the same material occurs in numerous places on the internet. See, for instance:

https://m.farms.com/expertscommentary/27-important-lessons-from-older-farmers-87079.aspx.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/exodus/20.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/deuteronomy/5.htm.

BACK IN STEP!

12/9/2024

Recently, while out on my daily walk, I came across some neighbors of mine. They were also out for their regular exercise. As I came down the hill toward the lake, they were coming up the hill toward me. Only, they were walking backwards up the hill!

I ventured a joke as we passed, telling them that we had that much in common, in that I had spent more time than I could remember in life going backward rather than going forward! They laughed; but then told me that this was a regular part of their walking routine, as it helped with coordination as well as working muscles not always used when going forward. In short, they were doing this on purpose as it was in their best interest!

As I walked on down the roadway, I reflected on the fact that what they were asserting was good for their physical health and vitality probably had applications for life in general. After all, does it not behoove each of us, periodically, to pause, take a step or two backward, and utilize the process to improve ourselves and our standing? It probably does.

At this time of year, as the twelfth and final month has now unfolded, you are probably a lot like me in that you are focused in on Christmas and all it entails. If you are, good for you! As I asserted in my last post, Christmas is God’s greatest gift to us! For Christmas represents God’s passionate desire to see us spend eternity with Him, all made possible through the person and work of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

But Christmas, coming as close as it does to the end of the calendar year, is also a time of reflection. Given that God has done so much for us, is it not prudent to take a little time at Christmas and ask just what we have done with what all God has given us?! In other words, to pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all we have devoted ourselves to over the past year of our lives…

For this reason, believe it or not, one of the songs I have come to appreciate this time of year was penned by John Lennon. It is titled “So, This is Christmas”, and contains these haunting lyrics as the opening verse: “So this is Christmas; and what have you done? Another year over; and a new one just begun…”

Perhaps this is why the Bible confronts us with a similar admonition, recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke (chapter 12, verse 48), where Jesus says: “To whom much is given, much will be required.”

As Christmas unfolds, therefore, why not pause, take a step back, and reflect on what all God has given you? And in the process, why not ask yourself what you have done with what all He has given you?

After all, everything you have is clearly God’s gift to you. But what you do with everything you have been given is surely your gift back to Him!

LYRICS SOURCE:

https://www.songlyrics.com/john-lennon/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/luke/12-48.htm.

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