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"Helping Others Communicate"

TEAMWORK

3/28/2019

 
It seems that a certain psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and was giving an oral test.  Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked, "How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?"

A young man in the rear raised his hand and timidly answered, "A basketball coach?"

How true!  Few jobs out there hold as much pressure as that of Head Coach of a basketball team.  But coaches are not alone. As I write this, March Madness is unfolding across America.  The original 64 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have now been cut to 32 and then down to the “Sweet 16”.  From here, we move on to the “Elite 8”, then to the “Final 4”, before eventually getting down  to the business of crowning a pair of National NCAA Basketball champions.

Now, in basketball, to be sure, the head coach plays a critical role.  No one can deny that.  But, in truth, he or she is only one part of a much larger group.  This is because basketball is a team sport.  This is as opposed to an individual sport, like tennis or golf, where the player generally competes alone on the court or course.  In basketball, this team consists of players who play the position of guard, forward, and/or center.  Obviously, each of these positions requires unique skillsets.

What is more, among these various positions, there are still further specialties.  There are point guards who run plays and there are shooting guards who do just that - shoot the ball.  This is because point guards are gifted at ball handling and at passing.  By comparison, shooting guards, also called wings, are generally more skilled at scoring, and are usually prolific from the three-point range.

Similarly, some forwards are taller, so-called power forwards; and some are weak side, or small forwards.  While this sounds like the small forward is less valuable, in truth, he or she is usually the most versatile player on the court – able to play underneath the basket as well as shoot from outside. The center, of course, is the tallest player on the team and generally dominates in the lane and on the backboards.

And this all only involves offensive play.  Not surprisingly, each of the five players generally specializes in a given set of defensive skills as well.

At this point, many of you may be asking, “So what’s your point?” Just this… that if you think about it, in many respects, life is much more like a team sport than it is like an individual sport.  And I, for one, am thankful for this. 

As I go through life, I recognize that God has given me a certain set of skills.  I do my best to glorify Him by employing those skills to the best of my ability for the benefit of others.  But while there are some things I am skilled at, there are other things at which I am clearly not very good.  Thank God, then, that there are others who possess the skillsets that I do not.

Thus, when I effectively employ my given skills alongside others who do the same with their respective skills, we all benefit.  And the neatest thing of all is that our coach, our Heavenly Father, knows exactly what the skillset of every person is.  For this reason, He designs the flow of life such that there are times when I use my skills to benefit others (as well as myself); and there are time when others use their skills to benefit me (and themselves) in turn.

In the New Testament, the Apostles Peter and Paul agree on this one thing:  each of us should use whatever gift we have for the good of all.  Peter puts it this way (in First Peter, chapter 4, verse 10):  “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…”

To which Paul adds (in Romans chapter 12, verse 6):  “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”

For my part, I want to do just that – my part!   And I hope the same is true for you.  If it is, then working together, we can serve the common good and glorify our Heavenly Father in the process.  And any way you look at it, that is teamwork!

JOKE SOURCE:
Bits & Pieces, April 29, 1993, p. 22.  Also available widely online. See, for instance: 
http://jokes4all.net/coach-jokes.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: 

https://www.openbible.info/topics/spiritual_gifts.

UNIMAGINABLE!

3/25/2019

 
It has been our privilege this week to have Dr. Jeremiah Johnston with us at our church.  He is the president of the "Christian Thinkers Society".  Educated at Oxford, he has since been given a multifaceted ministry by God that has involved, among other things, being a professor, a broadcaster, a speaker, and an author.

In our series of meetings, Dr. Johnston has dealt with a different topic each session.  But the one he addressed tonight was, in my opinion at least, particularly enlightening.  As he discusses in his book, Unimaginable, one can hardly comprehend what the world would be like without Jesus Christ and the Christian faith.

For this reason, I wanted to devote a short blog tonight to a promo for his book.  He divides his topic into three sections:  “The World Before Christianity”, “The World Without Christianity”, and “The World With Christianity”. 

The world before Christianity was a world of suffering, fear, inequality, and bondage.  Let’s face it - the ancient world was a brutal place!  And yet, the world without Christianity is no better.  It eventually manifests itself in such cruel, ruthless, and hateful expressions as Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, and other, similar totalitarian regimes committing unspeakable brutalities.

By contrast, the world with Christianity has become a place with new hope, new life, and new freedom for untold numbers of people.  Throughout history, billions of oppressed individuals have been elevated as the cause of Christ has become a “Tour de Force” for good for all people everywhere!

Continuing in the vein of earlier books such as What If the Bible Had Never Been Written? and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, Dr. Johnston’s book is perhaps best summed up by Dr. Jack Graham, Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas thusly:

“It is essential that we understand the influence of Christ and the Christian faith upon civilization and culture. Our witness in the world is at stake, and one of the most significant reasons we believe and share our message is the massive impact of Christianity upon the lives of millions…”

I wholeheartedly concur.  If you want to strengthen your understanding of the historical impact of Christianity, then I highly recommend that you secure a copy of Dr. Johnston’s book and read it soon.  Your heart will be blessed for having done so. 

More importantly, you will find a new and powerful way to fulfill the admonition of the Apostle Peter in his first New Testament letter (chapter 3, verses 15) to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have … with gentleness and respect.”


BOOK SOURCES: 

Jeremiah J. Johnston, Unimaginable:  What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2017.  Available at retailers nationwide.

D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If The Bible Had Never Been Written? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998). 

D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001).  

In these latter two books, also available at retailers nationwide, the authors detail Christianity’s impact on charity, education, politics, civil liberties, science, economics, sexuality, medicine, morality, art, and many other matters over the last two thousand years.

JEREMIAH JOHNSTON’S WEBSITE: 
www.ChristianThinkers.com.

SEE ALSO:  
http://myfaithradio.com/programs/jeremiah-johnston-show/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:  
https://biblehub.com/1_peter/3-15.htm.

STAND BY...  FOR A BLESSING

3/21/2019

 
It is hard to believe that it has now been ten years since Paul Harvey passed away.  Beloved by tens of millions of Americans, he was a mainstay of daily news and commentary for decades. His well-known radio broadcasts were heard nationwide on over 1200 ABC News Radio Network stations, as well as 400 Armed Forces Stations.

Back in the day, I too enjoyed his fifteen minute news and commentary delivered via radio six days per week, at noon and again in the evening.  He had a unique style that spoke every bit as much to the heart of his listeners as it did to their minds.

Each day, with his uniquely Midwestern accent, he intoned his broadcast these words:  “Hello Americans!  This is Paul Harvey.  Stand by for news!” At the end of his broadcast, he would invariably end with “Paul Harvey… Good day!”

In honor of this beloved man, I want to devote my post today to a couple of significant web links.  The first is: 
http://www.paulharveyarchives.com/index.htm.  Billing itself as the unofficial Paul Harvey archives, this web site contains lots of information about Paul Harvey and his life’s work.

The second web link has to do with a much loved radio program for which Paul Harvey was also known.  It was titled “The Rest of the Story” (nowadays referred to as “TROTS”) and ran for over 3000 episodes.  Over 600 of these can be found at
https://archive.org/details/PaulHarveyTROTS.  But a much more definitive collection, containing over 3000 episodes, has been assembled at: http://www.paulharveyarchives.com/trots/.

Originally broadcast between 1967 and 2009, virtually all of these programs are around 3 minutes and 45 seconds long.  According to Wikipedia, “The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line "And now you know the rest of the story."

For my part, as both a lover of history and a budding young communicator constantly on the lookout for illustrative material, I viewed “TROTS” as a God-send.  Remember, this was largely in a day and age before the internet.

For this reason, I snatched up the few books that were published containing print versions of some of the episodes.  Though now out of print, these works are still available today from booksellers online, under the titles of The Rest of the Story and More of The Rest of the Story, as well as the companion volumes titled For What It’s Worth and Destiny.

These days, I still love to listen to “TROTS”.  (They make for great listening while walking, driving, etc...) I urge you to do the same.  If you do, not only will you learn a lot of history, but you will likely be both entertained and blessed in the process as well.

SOURCES:  

https://www.orangeleader.com/2019/03/13/the-idle-american-leaders-greatly-missed/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rest_of_the_Story.

SEE ALSO: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8KlgDx1lrk&feature=youtu.be;
https://www.npr.org/2014/10/09/354718833/the-rest-of-the-story-paul-harvey-conservative-talk-radio-pioneer.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE!

3/18/2019

 
A hit song a generation ago bears the title I have appropriated for my post today.  It came to me as I was driving home from my recent trip to Atlanta.  I had made the trip down over spring break for a whole host of reasons.

First, I needed to follow up on my mother’s headstone. As my regular readers are aware, she passed away last year.  Her memorial has now been installed; and I might add that the company that prepared and installed it did an excellent job.

Secondly, my stepfather had cataract surgery.  Given that two of my uncles are overcoming recent illnesses, I needed to go down and see them all.  Lastly, my twin interests in history in general and in genealogy in particular have combined to make me somewhat of the family historian.  All of these reasons together compelled me to take some time to make a visit down to my home state of Georgia.

Of course, Georgia has changed a lot since I moved to Tennessee nearly two decades ago.  The population has greatly increased.  And with this has come numerous other changes.  Each time I go home, there are more and more people, and thus more and more houses and businesses, and above all, traffic!

Traffic is so congested in Atlanta that, as is the case in most other large metropolitan areas, special traffic rules have been put into place.  One of these is the HOV lane.  For those from less congested parts of the nation, HOV stands for “High Occupancy Vehicle”. 

In an attempt to discourage excess traffic and encourage carpooling, the left lanes of all three of Atlanta’s intersecting Interstate Expressways (I-75, I-85, and I-20) are all closed to any vehicle containing only one person (with the exception of motorcycles).

Thus, when headed down to my home town south of Atlanta with my wife, we took advantage of this lane, especially as it tends to keep moving swifter than its counterparts. We sailed right through Atlanta with little difficulty.  However, on the way back north to Tennessee, my wife rode as far as the north Georgia Mountains with my sister, who was doing some buying for her home interior business.

This put me in a vehicle by myself.  It also kept me out of the HOV lane.  Even worse, it put me in a position of stop and go interstate traffic while I watched with envy those who were zipping by me in the HOV lane. 

Only too late did I realize that this whole scenario might have been concocted by my sister before she asked my wife to ride with her – thus putting her in the fast lane while I was left to putt along in all the congestion! (If I were texting here, I would place the little emoji that is making the face like it is puzzling over something! Hmmmm!!!)

But the Lord used this experience to speak to me.  To begin with, as we make our way through life, we can either travel alone or with others. This much is clear.  Travelling with others is much preferable to travelling alone!

However, even when we are alone, we do not have to be.  For in the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 13, verse 5), our Lord has promised never to leave us nor to forsake us.  Imagine that!  The resurrected Savior and Lord of all creation, Jesus Christ Himself, has given us His personal promise to abide with us! 

And for this reason, no matter what we come against, no matter the difficulty, no matter the struggle, no matter the opposition, we do not face it alone!  God Himself is here with us, empowering and encouraging us as we go forth to victory!

Most of those zipping by me last week in the HOV lane were doing just that - they were zipping on by.  I envied them for that. But more significantly, they were merrily interacting with others as they did.  I envied them even more for this!

That is not to say that they did not have difficulties themselves, that they did not have deadlines to meet, or that they did not have frustrations or fears of their own to face.  It is to say that, as they were travelling along, they were not travelling alone!  They each had a companion for their journey.

And as I go through life, I am well aware that I will always face my own share of difficulties.  Being a born-again believer does not keep me from facing my own fears and frustrations.  But this much I know – because of Jesus Christ, I do not have to face these things alone!  While I may be beset with the traffic of life all around me, I am not boxed in.  Nor do I have to bog down with the burden. 

Rather, together with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I can make my way forward on the road of life with a peace that passes all understanding.  And the sole difference is His very presence with me as I journey along!  The same can be true for you.

This being March 18, I leave you with the famed prayer of St. Patrick, who is purported to have prayed:

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
of the Lord of creation.


Amen!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: 

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/13-5.htm.

PRAYER OF PATRICK SOURCE:

https://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/morning/the-prayer-of-st-patrick.aspx#wVR43LgWl6sC0zoR.99.

PRIMARY COLORS

3/15/2019

 
As I pen this blog post, it is Friday, March 15, 2019.  The day after tomorrow is, of course,  St. Patrick’s Day.  And it goes without saying that this was always one of those special days that we  looked so forward to as children in primary school.  On this special day, we always made certain to dress in green.  That way, we could not be pinched. 

But woe be unto any classmate who failed to remember, and mistakenly showed up with no green on.  By the end of the school day, he or she would invariably be more red than any other color – mostly from whelps as a result of having been pinched so often by so many.

Of course, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many places across the western world - especially in places where there is a large concentration of people of Irish decent.  The reason for this is that Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle due to the fact that it is so green as a result of the nourishing rain it receives from the northern Atlantic Ocean, making it a verdant place indeed.

The connection to St. Patrick is that Patrick (or rather Patricius) was the individual who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century.  For this reason, the feast day associated with the patron saint of Ireland is celebrated festively by people of Irish descent.  While few actual historical records from Patrick’s time have survived to the modern era, there are some stories that have come down to us.  One such story concerns the conversion of the King of Ireland.

Specifically, the story has to do with the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century.  Apparently, sometime during the baptismal rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. Blood colored the baptismal water red.  It was only after the after the baptism was over that Patrick looked down and saw all the blood.

Realizing what he had obviously done, the preacher begged the king's forgiveness.  “Why did you suffer this pain in silence?  Why did you not cry out?” Patrick wanted to know. To which the king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual!"

Christian Baptism, of course, does not occur in blood, but rather in water.  But in a technical sense, Christian Baptism is reserved for those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus.  As the author of the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 9, verse 22) tells us:  “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

The Apostle John adds to this by telling us (in chapter 1, verse 7 of his eponymous first New Testament Letter that “the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin.”

In light of this, the question asked by hymn-writer E. A. Hoffman of old bears repeating this St. Patrick’s Day…


Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?


Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?


Are you walking daily by the Savior's side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?


When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?


Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!


I hope so.  If not, then ask yourself one last question – that posed by the Ethiopian eunuch in the New Testament Book of Acts (chapter 8, verse 36): “What prevents me from being baptized?”

And then hear Philip’s answer and the Ethiopian’s’ response in verse 37: “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”


STORY SOURCE:
Available widely on the internet in varying forms.  See, for instance:

https://bible.org/illustration/king%E2%80%99s-baptism;
https://www.libraryireland.com/HistoryIreland/Baptism-Aengus.php;
http://www.markfisherauthor.com/2017/04/king-aengus-baptism-rock-of-cashel/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/hebrews/9-22.htm;
https://www.biblehub.com/1_john/1-7.htm;
https://biblehub.com/nasb/acts/8.htm.
 
HYMN LYRICS SOURCE:
https://hymnary.org/text/have_you_been_to_jesus_for_the_cleansing.

FOR MORE ON ST. PATRICK HIMSELF, SEE:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/real-st-patrick.html;
https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick;
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick.

TV OR NOT TV… THAT IS THE QUESTION!

3/11/2019

 
Shakespeare had Hamlet famously assert in a soliloquy: “To be or not to be. That is the question!” My post today poses a similar concern:  “TV or not TV”.  For in this modern world, that too is a very significant question!

I will begin by saying that I realize more and more with each passing day just how much the world has changed since I was a child.  These days, we are bombarded with digital media in every conceivable form and from every imaginable direction.  In addition to computers, pads, pods, and smartphones, all delivering digital information and entertainment to us over the World Wide Web, we also have broadcast, cable, and satellite television and radio.

Even the most basic of cable television packages these days comes with scores, if not hundreds, of channel choices.  And nowadays, television has expanded into delivery formats that far surpass traditional delivery systems.  In addition to simple broadcast, cable, and satellite formats, television programming is now delivered via the internet in such formats as HULU, NETFLIX, ROKU, SLING TV, and numerous other similar media services providers.

What is more, these new delivery systems not only provide traditional television and movie offerings, but like most cable networks, they are now even producing their own original programming.  Add to this the fact that most televisions these days are Smart TVs, equipped to receive and display internet signals, thus making possible the viewing of YouTube, Vimeo, and other video-sharing websites on one’s television screen, and you can easily see that today’s viewers have a plethora of programming to choose from.  Quite literally, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of videos available for viewing at the click of a few buttons. 

Compare and contrast that to what things were like when I was a boy growing up on a farm some thirty miles south of Atlanta back in the 1960s.  We had three VHF network channels to choose from:  ABC (at the time WXIA-TV channel 11), CBS (at the time WAGA-TV channel 5), and NBC (at the time WSB-TV channel 2).  FOX did not yet exist.  Neither did cable.  Beyond this, we had two or three UHF channels, including channels 17 (at the time, WTCG-TV, though later to become WTBS and then Superstation TBS), 36 (at the time WQXI-TV), and 46 (at the time WHAE-TV).  Other than Channel 8 (Public Broadcasting), that was it. Period!

Imagine telling some young kid today that all he or she has to choose from is a mere six or seven television channels!  They would likely think you were out of your mind!

And yet, quantity does not necessarily imply quality!  Just because people now have hundreds (or even thousands) of choices for viewing does not necessarily mean that they also have better programming options available to them. Indeed, it is for this very reason that, in our own case, my wife and I find ourselves increasingly drawn to classic television over modern programming.

Granted, this may well have to do with our age.  It is only natural that one becomes nostalgic as he or she ages, longing for an earlier, by-gone era when life seemed less complicated and much simpler by comparison to the present day.

But a careful assessment of the content of television programming from previous generations, especially when compared with that of the modern era, will quickly reveal that things have changed - arguably for the worse.  Whether dramas or situational comedies, television programming of the past was much more wholesome than it is today.  It included far less profanity, far less obscenity, far less vulgarity, and far less indecency than it does today.  That much is simply undeniable!

What is more, most programs of the past tended to be redemptive in that they were designed to convey some sort of moral at the culmination of the episode.  Good most always won out in the end.  The “bad guys” most always got caught and paid the price for their transgressions.  In the process, essential values about good and evil and right and wrong were both affirmed and confirmed.  Sadly, this does not necessarily happen today!

For my part, I have not given up completely on modern television programming.  It still has much to offer – as long as one is prudent in his or her viewing choices.  The important thing to remember is that one does not have to sit back and mindlessly consume whatever is offered up on this or that given network.

As you make you viewing choices, pay careful attention to what the program you are watching is really attempting to communicate.  Is there an underlying message?  If so, is that message wholesome?  Does it reflect your own values?  If not, then by all means, change the channel!  Better yet, block the channel so your children and grandchildren are not exposed to it at your expense!

Likewise, pay attention to the commercials as well.  Sometimes, networks will air traditional programming, known by all to be wholesome, only to intersperse it with commercials and/or promos for programming that clearly does not reflect the same values as the program being shown!

Simply put, don’t tune in to some network showing some wholesome 1960s era situational comedy only to find that the majority of commercials are from that given network promoting its own programming, the values of which are clearly antithetical to those on display in the sitcom being shown.  If you do, you are allowing the network to accomplish their deceptive tactic and goals.  Instead, change the channel!  You, not that network, control your viewing habits.  Accordingly, you, not the given network programmers, control your own values!

One last thought.  Psalm 101, verse 3 says “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes.”  (Click on the link below and read the various translations of this one significant verse!)  Make yourself a sign and place it above your television with this one verse form God’s word.  I assure you that it will impact your viewing habits!  Most likely for the better!  Doing so will certainly answer the question of “TV or not TV?”  I guarantee it!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: 
https://biblehub.com/psalms/101-3.htm.

DOING RIGHT!

3/7/2019

 
Decades ago, in a community where I lived in another state, I had a very good friend who served as a Deacon in the church I pastored.  His name was Tom and he is now in Heaven.  I know, therefore, that his faith has now been made sight.  And even though I do not know what all else he is now experiencing, I do know that when I see him again, I too will share the same blessings he currently enjoys.
 
For now, however, I remember him as he was back when I knew him – an upstanding Christian man who was wise beyond his years and who found joy in the midst of all life’s circumstances, including the unexpected and tragic death of his teenage son. 

One thing in particular that I remember about Tom was the wisdom he was noted for dispensing.  He was especially fond of one certain catch phrase above all others.  Very often, he would be heard saying: “You’ve got to do right! Just do right!”  On occasion, he would add these words:  “God will take care of everything else - if you just do right!”  

I cannot tell you how many times over the intervening years that I have reflected on Tom’s wisdom in general, and on this, his favorite phrase, in particular.  What is more, over time, I have come to employ it quite often myself.  To be honest, all of my children likely had this phrase burned into their own psyches through its oft repeated utterance from my own lips.

One regret that I have is that I never asked Tom where he got this phrase.  Older now, and a bit more well read, my suspicion these days is that it came from a poem penned by Norman Macleod way back in 1857 that was titled “Trust in God and Do the Right”.

First published in The Edinburgh Christian Magazine, MacLeod’s poem was eventually set to music and turned into a popular song by Arthur Sullivan in 1871.  The words are as follows:


Courage, brother! do not stumble,
Though thy path is dark as night;
There's a star to guide the humble-
Trust in God and do the right.

Let the road be long and dreary,
And its ending out of sight;
Foot it bravely--strong or weary,
Trust in God and do the right.

Perish "policy" and cunning,
Perish all that fears the light;
Whether losing, whether winning,
Trust in God and do the right.

Trust no party, trust no faction,
Trust no leaders in the fight;
But in every word and action
Trust in God and do the right.

Trust no forms of guilty passion,
Fiends can look like angels bright;
Trust no custom, school, or fashion,
Trust in God and do the right.

Some will hate thee, some will love thee,
Some will flatter, some will slight;
Turn from man, and look above thee,
Trust in God and do the right.

Simple rule and safest guiding,
Inward peace and inward light;
Star upon our path abiding,
TRUST IN GOD AND DO THE RIGHT.


Kudos to Mr. Macleod!  The wisdom proffered in this piece of poetry is timeless.  It worked in 1857 and it still works in the 2019. No doubt it has also worked every moment of every day in between. 

The Bible itself affirms this wisdom.  In the 37th Psalm, verse 3, David as much as stated this great principle when he wrote: “Trust in the LORD and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.”

I’m thankful for the admonition of a good friend like Tom.  As I am for the affirmation of an inspired poet like Norman Macleod over a century before Tom was born.  But above all, I’m thankful for the promise of God’s Word millennia ago. 

Our Heavenly Father has not promised us a life without pain. Or without struggle. Or without difficulty. But He has promised us that He will take care of those who both trust in Him and do right by Him.  And that is enough for me!

Each day that I live, I hope and pray that I will be seen by both my fellow man and my Heavenly Father as someone who has just decided to “Do right and trust God”!

POEM SOURCE:  
https://crossroad.to/Victory/poems/trust-do-right.htm.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: 
https://biblehub.com/psalms/37-3.htm.

NOTE:  As I recounted in an earlier blog post, “For Dad” (06/19/2017), a story from the 1980s demonstrates this principle well.  David Wallechinsky, in his book titled The Complete Book of the Olympics, shares the following story about American sprinter Carl Lewis:

At his father's funeral (in 1987), American Carl Lewis placed his 100-meter gold medal from the 1984 Olympics in his father's hands. "Don't worry," he told his surprised mother. "I'll get another one."


A year later, in the 100-meter final at the 1988 games, Lewis was competing against Canadian world-record-holder Ben Johnson. Halfway through the race Johnson was five feet in front. Lewis was convinced he could catch him. But at 80 meters, he was still five feet behind. It's over, Dad, Lewis thought.


As Johnson crossed the finish, he stared back at Lewis and thrust his right arm in the air, index finger extended. Lewis was exasperated. He had noticed Johnson's bulging muscles and yellow-tinged eyes, both indications of steroid use. "I didn't have the medal, but I could still give to my father by acting with class and dignity," Lewis said later. He shook Johnson's hand and left the track.


But then came the announcement that Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was stripped of his medal. The gold went to Lewis, a replacement for the medal he had given his father.


Cf.:  
https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/for-dad.

WIND AT OUR BACK

3/4/2019

 
Louis Casiano published a report for FoxNews.com on February 20, 2019 about a commercial airline flight that reached the blistering speed of 801 mph while flying from west to east some 35,000 feet above Pennsylvania!

How is this possible?  Let’s just say that it had a little help from Mother Nature.  More specifically, it had assistance from the Jet Stream, the high-altitude air current along which storms travel. The Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles to London reached the record breaking speed with the help of this strong tail wind flowing across the North American continent.  

One jet captain, Peter James, tweeted: “[N]ever ever seen this kind of tailwind in my life as a commercial pilot.” How right he was! The record velocity attained by the Boeing 787 twin-jet aircraft was well above the speed of sound - which is 767 mph.

Now, obviously, commercial aircraft are not designed to fly at supersonic speeds. But then again, whether an aircraft breaks the sound barrier is dependent on its airspeed, and not its ground speed.  In any event, all’s well that ends well!  The flight arrived in London a full 48 minutes early.

Now, the typical Boeing 787 has a cruising speed of around 561 mph.  And prior flights have reached top speeds of 776 mph before.  But this is still way below the new pace set that eventful Monday this past February.

Apparently the record setting flight was not alone, as several other high speed flights were also recorded that day.  One from Los Angeles to New York City hit 678 mph at 39,000 feet over Ohio; and a 737 aircraft en-route from Chicago to New York passed 700 mph the following morning.

The article states that the jet stream was so strong that flight times from Dallas to Boston dipped from the customary three-and-a-half hours to below three hours.  Such is the awesome power of the jet stream!

As I read this article, I found myself remembering the words of Jesus to the Pharisee Nicodemus in the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 3, verse 8), when He described the work of the Spirit in the life of those who believe in Him as similar to the way the wind works.

Later, in the New Testament Book of Acts (chapter 2, verses 1 and 2) the Bible says: “1When the day of Pentecost came, the believers were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

From that point forward, it is arguable that the remainder of the New Testament is the record of the Holy Spirit bearing various believers aloft as they undertake one incredible feat after another in the name of Jesus Christ!

I do not know where you are at right now in your life, or what you are up against at this particular moment.  But this much I do know.  The Bible promises us that the Holy Spirit of God provides direction and strength and power to rise above and to overcome whatever difficulties anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ may be up against.  

As the “Paraclete”, or “one called out alongside of”, the Holy Spirit literally comes alongside of us and gives us the added wherewithal to break all spiritual barriers, to accomplish our goal, to arrive at our destination, and to win the race as we do!

In light of this, I agree with the hymn-writer of old, who put it this way:                                                                                                                        
“O Holy Spirit, wind of God,
O Holy Spirit, wind of God,
give me your power today,
to live in you always:
O Holy Spirit, breathe on me.”


ARTICLE SOURCE: 

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/jet-stream-helps-flight-reach-801-mph-breaks-speed-of-sound.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: 

https://biblehub.com/bsb/john/3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/acts/2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/john/14-26.htm;
https://biblehub.com/greek/parakle_tos_3875.htm;
https://biblehub.com/greek/3875.htm.

HYMN LYRICS SOURCE:
https://hymnary.org/text/o_holy_spirit_breathe_on_me.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

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