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SPRINGING FORTH!

3/20/2023

As I write this, it is precisely 7:35 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, March 20, 2023. This means that for the last 2 hours and 11 minutes, it has officially been springtime! This is because, for those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere, 5:24 p.m. EDT marked the arrival of the Vernal Equinox, heralding the formal advent of spring.

Let me just say that I, for one, am very glad to see spring’s arrival! After all, spring represents many changes. Among them are cold weather giving way to warm weather, shorter days giving way to longer days, less darkness and more light, and largely as a result of all these, going from being cooped up inside to being let loose outside.

I find all these things especially significant this year. Long before John Steinbeck did so, William Shakespeare wrote of “the winter of our discontent”. Irrespective of its origins, my family and I can relate to that meaningful phrase.

In November, as cold weather, shorter days, and winter itself were all preparing to unfold, we buried my beloved sister. Four months to the day after her death, after a long and debilitating decline, my wife’s father also passed away.

In the intervening months, we lost more than one friend as well. Thus, to say that it was our own personal winter of discontent is to say the least. Little wonder that spring means so much to us this year.

After the great flood (in Genesis, chapter 8, verse 22), God gave a promise to all of us through the one He made to Noah and his descendants: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

In fulfilling this promise, God ever shows His goodness to us. For as winter annually gives way to spring, something far greater than a change of seasons is symbolized. For life springs forth; and death is forced to give way.

As it does, hope wins out over despair, joy defeats sadness, strength overthrows weakness, and victory ultimately routs defeat! And all of this affirms the truth of Psalm 30, verse 5, which tells us that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”.

For all these reasons, my family and I are very glad that spring has finally sprung!

CONTENT SOURCES:

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/spring-equinox-first-day-spring;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_of_Discontent_(disambiguation).

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/genesis/8-22.htm;

https://biblehub.com/psalms/30-5.htm.

GOOD QUESTIONS!

3/17/2023

Paul Powell once told a humorous story about three friends from the local congregation who were asked, “When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?”

The first, Artie, said, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.” The second, Eugene, commented, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who make a huge difference in people’s lives.” The third, Al, said, “I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”

I share this humorous story in light of what happened recently at my father-in-law’s funeral. Present and accounted for were four of my seven young grandsons. And among these was the one I lovingly refer to as “The Inquisitor”. He is all of three years old, and has, as they say, an inquiring mind.

Ensconced in my wife’s lap on the front row while I delivered the eulogy, he had much to say. Only rather than statements, he produced a plethora of questions, and these in staccato format… “Why is Papaw in that box? Who put him there?” “Why is he asleep?” “Why does he have a flag?” “Why are there flowers?” “Why is Granddaddy talking?”

To be sure, once “The Inquisitor” is older, he will likely begin to sort all these things out and make sense of them. In the meantime, I can offer him some helpful insights…

1. “Why is Papaw in that box? Who put him there?” Since time immemorial, people have recognized that once the spirit has departed, the physical body is uninhabited. We practice burial of the body because the Bible affirms (in Genesis 3:19) that “for (from) dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return”.

2. “Why is Papaw asleep?” Papaw is asleep because the Bible repeatedly affirms (cf. Acts 7:20; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 18; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16) that sleep is a euphemism for the mortal remains of deceased believers as they await the coming resurrection of the dead in the final days.

3. “Why does Papaw have a flag?” He has a flag draped upon his coffin because he proudly served his country when he was a younger man. Specifically, he served in the U. S. Army with distinction before being honorably discharged, and was decorated with several medals in the process.

5. “Why are there flowers?” Because people feel compelled to express their sympathy to the family, and have historically chosen to give flowers as a symbol of the beauty of life in the midst of death. After all, flowers bloom at the end of the darkness of wintertime and show forth their glory in the springtime, reminding us that “weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning”, as life ultimately wins out over death!

6. “Why is Granddaddy talking?” I was talking because it is right and fitting that we gather and extol our loved ones in their passing. An ancient Jewish sage once said: “Let us now gather and praise great men, and our fathers that begat us.” I was attempting to do that very thing, both to honor Papaw, and to glorify His Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Kudos to my little grandson for his insightful questions! Kudos as well to the man who lived his life in such a fashion that his passing prompted those very questions in the mind of his great grandson! For the questions prompted are essential to who he was as a person. And their answers are essential to the legacy and influence he left behind.

I thank God for the man my father-in-law was. I also thank God for the man that his great-grandson will one day become! May the latter, in his time, go on to accomplish and inspire just as much, if not more, as the former did in his time!

If he does, then he too will one day intrigue and inspire his own descendants, even as he himself was once intrigued and inspired by his forebears. No doubt, this is just as God intends!

JOKE SOURCE:

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66830.pdf; p. 73.

QUOTE SOURCE:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Sirach%2044&version=RSV.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com.

CLOCK WATCHIN’!

3/13/2023

An article on www.Newser.com titled “It May Not Be What Time You Think It Is” caught my attention yesterday. Of course, it was only after I clicked on it that I realized I had been duped. For it proved to be merely yet another article about how the current generation eschews the semi-annual ritual of time change and would like to see it done away with altogether.

Now, for my part, I do not necessarily look forward to time change. It always takes a day or two (or three) to adjust, especially when I lose an hour’s sleep in the morning each spring. And yet, I like the extra hour’s sleep in the fall. Still, I grew up with it; and I happen to like an extra hour of sunlight. So, for this reasons as much as any other, I have come to accept it as an inevitable and normal part of life.

Still, it seems that millennials don’t seem to share my acceptance of fate. And for this reason, they perpetually raise a hue and cry each spring and fall. Hence, the article read, somewhat predictably, as follows…

“Standard time came to an end in most parts of the United States on Sunday. The transition to daylight saving time became official at 2am local time, meaning almost everyone lost an hour of sleep. Until daylight saving time ends in the wee hours of Nov. 5, the sun will rise later in the morning than it has during standard time but it will stay light for longer until the evening. No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas, per the AP.

A 2021 poll found that most people in the United States want to avoid switching between daylight saving and standard time, though there is no consensus behind which should be used all year. The poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only 25% of those questioned said they preferred to switch back and forth between standard and daylight saving time. Forty-three percent said they would like to see standard time used during the entire year, while 32% preferred that daylight saving time be used all year. Some lawmakers are on the case.”

Enough said? Yes, enough said (at least about the insufferable generational divide over something as simple as time change)! For now, at least, I want to return to what intrigued me in the first place – the title of the article: “It May Not Be What Time You Think It Is”.

Forget the tracking of hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year, decade to decade, and/or even century to century. In fact, forget the regulation of temporal things altogether. What I have in mind here is the notion of an eternal clock. That being said, could it be that it is even now later than I, or you, or anyone else actually realizes it is?!

After all, in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 32 and 33, we read: “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.”

The same Jesus Who said this also spent many another discourse expounding on just what He meant by “all these things”. As Matthew 24:3 records, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” To this, our Lord’s answer was manifold…

To begin with, He told us that men posing as Him will try to deceive people in the last days. Matthew 24:23-24 states: “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible.”

Next, He said there would be wars and rumors of wars. In Matthew 24:6, He states: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Beyond this, He went on to tell us that there would be earthquakes and famines. Matthew 24:7-8, says: “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Add to these earthly signs those in the heavens above us… Luke 21:25-26 says: “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

We are also told that there would also be lots of scoffers. II Peter 3:3-4 tells us: “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He'll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”

And of course, there will also be the coming of the Antichrist. This will certainly be a sign of the end. I John 2:18, tells us: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Add to all of this the moral conditions that will also be characteristic of society in the last days. II Timothy 3:1-5 tells us: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

Incessant talk of peace and safety are also signs of the last days. I Thessalonians 5:2-3 states: “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Lastly, the Bible tells us that the Gospel will be proclaimed to the whole world before the end will come. Matthew 24:14 records: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Given the advent of the internet and satellite communications and all these entail, I will ask you to judge as to whether or not this has now been fulfilled.

Little wonder, in light of all of this, that in Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus also admonished us to “… be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return.”

It’s that time of year when most of us focus our attention on the clock. Clearly, however, whatever time it is, it’s later than most people think!

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/332624/it-may-not-be-what-time-you-think-it-is.html.

PROPHECY SOURCES:

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/signs-jesus-coming.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/.

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

3/6/2023

My wonderful father-in-law, John Bruce Brackin, affectionately known to our family as “Papaw”, went home to Heaven to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, March 5, 2023.

Born October 20, 1932, he was blessed with a long life of 90 plus years, which he chose to live to the fullest. A native of Blount County, Tennessee, he grew up one of eleven children in a home without electricity, running water, or indoor facilities, but quite full of love.

After finishing high school, he served in the United Sates Army, receiving three medals, before coming home to marry his high school sweetheart, Eva Lee Russell, following her own graduation from the University of Tennessee. Together, they created a happy home and raised a beautiful daughter, Vickie Denisha Brackin. Later, she married yours truly, and, together, we blessed them with three grandchildren and, eventually, seven great-grandsons.

Bruce worked for over thirty years at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Hapeville, Georgia, before retiring and moving back to east Tennessee. He enjoyed sports, especially football, basketball, and stock car racing, as well as gardening, bee-keeping, working in his yard, and walking. His favorite pastime, though, was coon hunting, which he undertook as long as he was able, raising and training multiple coon dogs along the way.

Mostly, he loved getting together with his family and friends and celebrating the simple blessings of life. A faithful participant as long as he was able to attend, Bruce was a member of Lenoir City First Baptist Church and the David Davis Sunday School Class.

He was preceded in death by his father, John McKinley Brackin, his mother, Freddie Estella Wilson Brackin, and nine of his ten siblings: Myrtle Pauline Brackin (Tipton), Bobby Ralph Brackin, Johnnie Elizabeth Brackin, Addie June Brackin (Oliver), Jimmy Ray Brackin, Carolyn Virginia Brackin (Nichols), Sammy Darrell Brackin, Terry Kenneth Brackin, and Gary Brackin. He has now been reunited with these loved ones, as well as a great-grandbaby, who also awaited him in Heaven.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 63 years, Eva Lee Russell Brackin; his daughter, Vickie Denisha Brackin Jackson, and me, her husband, Cleo Eugene Jackson, III; granddaughter Andrea Danile Jackson Whisman, her husband, Billy, and their three sons, Will, Wally, and Wes; grandson John Caleb Jackson, his wife, Whitney, and their two sons, Rhett and Callahan; and grandson Micah Paul Jackson, his wife, Jordan, and their two sons, Grey and Finn; as well as by his brother, Dennis Lynn Brackin, and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 12 noon until 2pm on Thursday, March, 9, 2023 in the Miller Funeral Home Chapel in Maryville, Tennessee, who is in charge of arrangements. A Service of Celebration for Bruce’s life will then be held at 3pm, with Rev. Greg Brackin and me, Dr. Cleo E. Jackson, III, officiating. Interment will follow at Grandview Cemetery in Maryville, Tennessee.

WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH...

3/2/2023

As the month of March unfolds, so do the various National Collegiate Athletic Association Conference Basketball tournaments. These will all be followed by the annual National Invitational Tournament and also the NCAA National Championship Tournament, culminating in the famed Final Four Weekend, which results in the crowing of a National Championship for some College or University.

For my part, I enjoy watching a little basketball on occasion. Back in the day, I even played on a team or two. But my mother in law dearly loved basketball. She played in high school and in college, and to this day, faithfully follows her favorite teams.

All the “hoop-la” about basketball this time of year reminded me of an article I came across a few years ago. The piece appeared in “The Guardian” back on April 5, 2017 and was titled: “Hard Maple: Why Basketball's Perfect Surface Has Lasted More Than a Century”.

The subtitle was equally intriguing: “Since It Was Invented In 1891, Almost Everything about Basketball Has Changed. But One Constant Is the Maple Flooring – Hard, Durable and Beautiful To Look At”.

It seems that the one thing about basketball that hasn't changed since James Naismith invented the game way back in 1891 is the floor of a basketball court. Even the first game was played on a floor of hard maple. Why was maple selected? Well, it seems that maple flooring is harder than red oak, black walnut, or cherry flooring, and its tight grain made it easier to clean and maintain.

The icing on the cake was the discovery that maple flooring also turned out to be the perfect surface for dribbling a basketball. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the NCAA said the official courts for both the men's and women's Final Fours were made of “500 trees of northern maple carefully harvested from the Two-Hearted River Forest Reserve in Michigan's Upper Peninsula”.

Later on, professional teams followed suit. The courts of all but one National Basketball Association team are composed of hard maple. The Boston Celtics alone play on a red-oak parquet floor. Still, hard maple offers the most consistent playing surface, and also provides “bounce-back”, or shock resistance, which helps to lessen fatigue on players’ knees and ankles.

As I read this article, I was reminded of the importance of a good foundation. It really does matter what the floor of a basketball court consists of. The same is true for football fields, baseball fields, and soccer fields. And if what is underneath matters in sports, how much more does it matter in life itself?!

Little wonder that Jesus reminded us of the importance of a good foundation in life. In the conclusion to His famed Sermon on the Mount (as recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 24-27), He states:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Basketball players need and appreciate a good solid floor beneath them as they pursue their sport. In much the same manner, you and I need a solid foundation underneath us as we go about the pursuits of life.

There is no better foundation for this than the one provided for us by the Lord Himself! I myself have chosen to walk there. I hope you have as well.

STORY SOURCE:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/apr/05/hard-maple-basketball-surface-nba.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/7.htm.

​SPRINGING FORTH!

GOOD QUESTIONS!

CLOCK WATCHIN’!

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH...

Cleo E. Jackson, III

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