Blog Archives

NO MATTER THE PRICE…

4/29/2024

The following headline at www.Newser.com immediately caught my attention: “Cat Slips Into Amazon Returns Box, Takes 600-Mile Trip”. The sub-title read: “Galena is now back with her owners after making an unintentional journey from Utah to California”.

According to the writer, Jenn Gidman...

A cat from Utah is back safe with its owners after a frightening journey to California in an Amazon returns package. Carrie Clark says their indoor kitty Galena vanished from their home on April 10, and a frantic search ensued throughout their neighborhood for the next week, reports KSL. "The anxiety and stress of not knowing what happened to her was excruciating," Clark says. Then, "I got a call that changed everything," she posted to Facebook, per KTLA. That call was from a vet in California, more than 600 miles away, telling Clark they'd scanned the microchip for a cat that had been brought in and it was Galena.

"I didn't believe her at first and thought it was a prank," Clark tells KSL. As it turns out, a worker at an Amazon return center named Brandy had opened one of the boxes and discovered Galena stashed away with five pairs of work boots; Brandy dropped Galena off with the vet the next day after caring for it overnight. Clark says she and her husband realized that their cat must've slipped into a big box of returns they'd shipped out. The vet's phone call was the "most amazing, insane news in the entire world," Clark tells the BBC.

Clark and her husband flew to Los Angeles the next day to retrieve Galena, who knew her humans right away. "Galena instantly stopped shaking and relaxed in my arms when I got to hold her again," she tells KSL, noting that the cat was thinner and slightly dehydrated, but otherwise OK. She also attributes Galena's survival to a combination of factors, including Brandy being a rescue cat expert; mild weather conditions that allowed Galena to not be too cold or too hot; and a small slit in the box that gave her air to breathe. Now, Clark offers an important piece of advice for other pet owners: "Triple-check your Amazon boxes!"

Given that my wife and I own a cat, I can relate. Especially when “Bluey” has the propensity to explore any and every thing new on what she considers her turf. Just last week, my wife spent a frantic two hours searching for her after a repairman left. She feared that “Bluey” had climbed into his truck and been whisked away to parts unknown.

Fortunately, later in the day, “Her Royal Highness” (my name for “Bluey”) came sauntering home and deigned to grant us a brief audience before enjoying her accustomed sumptuous royal evening banquet.

Bluey’s arrogance and Galena’s misfortune notwithstanding, one cannot help but be touched by this story. The fear and disorientation of the hapless cat, the worry and fret of her owners, the empathy of the Amazon employee, the prudence of the veterinarian… all these things speak to the heart. For they reflect story after story employed in Holy Scripture to show us just how much we are loved by God.

After all, Adam and Eve went astray; but God still pursued them. The same can be said for Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Peter, Paul, and any number of characters that populate the pages of the Bible. The same can also be said of you and me. The Bible affirms this in Isaiah (chapter 53, verse 6) when it states: “All we like sheep have gone astray…”

This latter statement comes in the midst of the famed “Suffering Servant” passage (Chapter 52, Verse 13 – Chapter 53, Verse 12) of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, in which we get a prophetic preview of the forthcoming ministry of Jesus Christ - the very One ordained to be God’s suffering servant on behalf of all who have ever gone astray. This is why the latter half of Isaiah 53:6 states: “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

You see, in the story above, the cat’s owners, upon discovering the whereabouts of their lost pet, flung cost to the wind, and immediately made pursuit, irrespective of the price. At the news that their beloved pet had been found, neither the price of airline tickets, the price of a vet’s bill, nor the price of any other expense that might be incurred mattered. With joy, they journeyed forth to redeem Galena.

And in like manner, in Christ Jesus, God was about seeking and saving all who are lost, no matter the cost. Therefore, God laid upon His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, that cost, which was the sacrifice of His very life. The innocent for the guilty. The blameless for the beguiled. The pure for the contaminated.

As one who went astray, and who was sought and found and redeemed by the God I willingly abandoned, all I can say is “Thank you, Lord!”

I sincerely hope you share this sentiment!

SOURCES:

NEWS STORY:

https://www.newser.com/story/349641/cat-slips-into-amazon-returns-box-takes-600-mile-trip.html.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/kjv/isaiah/52.htm;

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

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SWALLOW!

4/24/2024

To be honest, it is quite insidious. And yet, it is also quite effective. Which is, I suppose, what makes it all so alarming. Allow me to explain…

Each week, as my wife and I mow the lawn, we first cut our grass. This involves running our two zero-turn riding mowers, followed by getting into the various nooks and crannies with the push mower. After this, we run the trimmer. (Of course, if you are from the southeastern United States, you might well call this a “Weed-Eater” irrespective of the actual brand). And after all this comes the edger. It alone gives the concrete driveway and sidewalk that straight edge that makes it look polished.

The very last step in the process is the application of weed-killer to any obstinate holdouts. When this happens, I walk around the yard and the driveway, searching out any weed that has dared to persist in the face of our onslaught. Once discovered, I apply the appropriate measures.

Much of this resistance occurs in the cracks and/or pressure lines cut into the concrete. For whatever reason, weeds seem to love taking root here. Every few weeks, a new yield seems to crop up in these obscure places.

As you might surmise, the outcome is never in question. Rounding it all up, the few squirts of isopropylamine salt so applied inevitably achieves its intended effect. The newly sprouted plant, having happily absorbed the moisture applied to it, also naively absorbs the poison.

And once it does, the consequence is inevitable. Within a day or two, as the chemical works its way into and throughout the plant, the green leaves begin to turn yellow. The process of photosynthesis is thereby curtailed; and the plant soon withers and dies.

Now, from the perspective of the unfortunate plant, it has simply taken in moisture. It then works to ingest that moisture and maximize its benefit for the purposes of continued health and growth.

But alas, the hapless plant has been duped. In anticipation of nourishment, it began its standard absorption processes. But in so doing, it also opened itself up to contamination, and eventually, to extermination.

What it never knew was that all of this was intentional on my part. You see, from the get-go, I had intended, first to deceive, and then to eliminate the ill-fated plant.

Reflecting on all of this, I have been reminded of the King James Bible’s injunction to beware the “wiles of the devil”, as found in the New Testament Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 11. The New International Version translates that verse this way: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

In the original Koine (or common) Greek in which the New Testament was written, the word employed here and variously translated as “wiles” and “schemes” is the word “methodeia”, which translates as “a predictable (or pre-set) method used in organized evil-doing” (or “well-crafted trickery”).

In this case, I readily admit that I schemed to deceive the hapless plants adorning the seams of my concrete driveway and sidewalk. My purpose, all along, was their demise.

Such might also be said of the Devil and his schemes with regard to many a hapless believer. His whole purpose is to do harm to those who choose to root themselves in any context that does not suit his chosen purposes. When he discovers anyone thriving apart from his wishes, he sets about employing a vast array of crafty schemes of deception that serve only to hinder or harm them.

Little wonder that (in the New Testament gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 10), Jesus admonished us to beware of the evil one, whose only agenda regarding us is to “steal and kill and destroy”.

Thus, an astute believer would do well to beware the deceptive schemes of the Devil. For whenever Satan proffers us something that purports to be in our best interest, such will undoubtedly not be the case.

Beware his enticements; you may find them so enticing that you want to lap them right up. But be careful what you swallow. For anything the evil one presents to us as much needed and life-sustaining will invariably prove to be something quite deadly in disguise.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/6-11.htm;

https://biblehub.com/greek/3180.htm;

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

THE BLOOMIN' TRUTH!

4/18/2024

It’s time for an update on my ongoing orchard project. To date, I have planted thirty fruit trees. As I have said before, if it grows in Zone Seven, I decided to give it a try. That try includes varieties of Apricots, Apples, Cherries, Figs, Kiwis, Nectarines, Paw Paws, Pears, Plums, Quinces, and many more…

To this I have added a lengthy row of fifty-four Blackberry vines, a medium row of twenty Raspberry bushes, and a short row of five Honeyberry bushes (a variety of Blueberries), as well as a grape arbor containing three Muscadine vines and three Scuppernong vines.

Top it all off with a large Catalpa worm tree for fishing in the adjacent creek, and voila! You have what I like to call a reasonably sustainable food source plot for decades to come.

All total, some one hundred and seventeen plants are now in the ground. And of that number, one hundred and fourteen are in rare form. They are sporting buds and blooms and leaves and even some fruit like nobody’s business!

Alas, however, three are not. These three are still quite dormant. Which three? Sadly, it is my three beloved Pomegranate trees. As I initially observed this, I was crest-fallen. The whole reason I planted these three Pomegranate trees was because my grandparents had one in their yard when I was a child; and oh, how I loved the fruit they produced!

I so wanted my children and grandchildren to have similar opportunities, and similar experiences as a result. Initially, I feared that I would have to shelve two years’ worth of work and dig up and discard the three trees before starting all over and replacing them with entirely new sprigs.

Thankfully, before I took those drastic steps, I decided to do an internet search as to when Pomegranate trees actually bloom. When I did, I discovered to my great delight that, of all the major fruit tree varieties, Pomegranate trees are among the very last to bud and bloom each spring. Indeed, it is not uncommon for them to bud and bloom in late May, and to then produce fruit well into the fall of the year. That gave me great heart.

The truth of this was underscored when article after article that I read also said that, while Pomegranate trees are among the latest of bloomers, Apricots, by comparison, are among the earliest. And lo and behold, among my thirty fruit trees, two are not only in full bloom, but also actually already bearing fruit. And which two trees are these? You guessed it – they are my Apricot trees!

Translation… Apricots are clearly early bloomers; while Pomegranates are clearly late bloomers.

As I have reflected on all of this, I have been reminded of how similar all of it is to how people are. In terms of human development, there are those who are clearly early bloomers and there are those who are clearly late bloomers.

I know individuals who bloomed early in life, winning just about every award they could in middle and high school, but accomplishing precious little thereafter. By contrast, I know individuals who bloomed later in life, accomplishing much of what they did after they finished high school, college, or whatever else that followed. The great irony, perhaps, is that both approaches should be equally valued.

Thank God for those who bloomed early. Samuel was a child when he heard the Lord speak to him. David was as teenager when he trusted the Lord to deliver the giant, Goliath, into his hands.

Similarly, thank God for those who bloomed later. Abraham was one hundred years old when Sarah, aged ninety, gave birth to Isaac. Moses was eighty years old when he finally got busy for the Lord. Zechariah was equally elderly when he was tasked with fathering John the Baptist. Together, all of these individuals exemplify how God intends for some to be late bloomers in His desire to use them.

The upshot of all of this is that God indeed uses both those who bloom early in life and those who bloom later in life. In each and every case, we are reminded that God has a unique purpose for every human life. For some, He wills that they bloom early. For others, He wills that they bloom a bit later.

The important thing in all of this is first, that we recognize God’s timing, and second, that our response unfolds accordingly. In each case, His will is paramount!

My own experience bears this out. My older sister was clearly an early bloomer. She married (with my parents’ consent) at age sixteen; thereafter, she bore three children, and once they were in school, promptly went into business for herself in her early twenties. Quite successfully I might add.

By comparison, my younger sister was more of a late bloomer. After high school, she worked a succession of jobs before getting married. After giving birth to her twos sons and getting them up and on their feet, she then went to college for six years, earning both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees before ever beginning her career as a public school teacher.

I myself was somewhat of a late bloomer as well. I did not begin to flourish, as it were, until well after my high school and college days. But in God’s perfect timing, I like to think that I eventually found my niche, and became somewhat productive in life.

Most moms would likely admit that they see the same sorts of differences on display in their own children. Most teachers would probably say they see it on display in classrooms. Most coaches would say they see it on display on ball fields. The analogies are abundant.

But the point in all of this is that, whether you are an early bloomer or a late blower, it is important recognize who you are as human being created in God’s image, and to appreciate whatever skillset with which He has gifted you.

We can’t all be Apricots. Nor can we all be Pomegranates. Some of us will bloom early as we produce what all God intends for us. Others of us will bloom a little later as we do the same. In all of this, working together, we become the multifaceted garden that God intends, blessing those around us, each in turn, as we grow and bare the fruit that enrich their lives of others.

And in so doing, we affirm our commitment to glorifying the Father by being a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, Who told us in the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 15, verse 8) that: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Whoever you are, with whatever God has gifted you, find a way in God’s timing, to bloom! For great things will surely come of it once you do!

And that's the bloomin' truth!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/john/15-8.htm.

CHILD’S PLAY?!

4/13/2024

The story is told of a man who arrived a bit late one afternoon to a little league baseball game. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing-we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”

As I pen this, it is late at night. My wife and I have just gotten home form the fifth little league game in six days. All I will say about tonight’s game is how thankful I am for the mercy rule of seven runs per inning, or I might still be at the field. The next two evenings also have games scheduled. While I look forward to them, I can only hope they will not be quite as lengthy.

Oh well, such is to be expected when you have been blessed with seven grandsons. And my wife and I would not have it any other way.

She grew up playing organized recreation league softball. Her father helped coach her various teams. In truth, she was (and still is) a gifted athlete. Growing up on a farm, after school chores largely prevented me from participation in organized sports. I did play some ball in middle and high school; but I was never what one might consider an outstanding athlete.

Still, I recognize the value to kids of participating in organized sports. For here, one learns to improve his or her basic physical skills, including balance, hand to eye coordination, stamina, and the like. One also learns basic mathematical skills, as he or she deals with pitch counts, outs, innings, and similar matters.

Beyond this, one learns rules and how to apply them, both for fair play and for one’s advantage in competition. Lastly, such lessons as personal discipline, sportsmanship, how to be a team player, how to both a good winner and a good loser, etc. are also brought to bear.

For these and other reasons, even with the busy schedule with which a Pastor is so often strapped, my wife and I always saw to it that our three children were each given the opportunity to participate in team sports – be that football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, and/or track. We knew that doing so would be beneficial for them.

We are not the first to appreciate all sports have to offer. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul often referenced sports, underscoring their value. For instance, he employs sports metaphors in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 2 Timothy 4:8; Philippians 3:13-14; Galatians 5:7; and (if one assumes that he is the author the book of Hebrews) also in Hebrews 12:1-3. In these various passages, he talks about such concepts as forgetting, reaching, pressing, as well as striving for the prize.

I could not help but reflect on these things as my grandson came to the plate tonight. In his first game, he struck out twice. In his second game, he finally got on base via an error made by the opposing team. In game three, he actually got two hits and two RBIs. Tonight, he topped all of this with a home run!

Ok. Let me back up and qualify the last statement. He made great contact, driving the ball to left field. His first base coach sent him around first to second base, where an overthrow allowed him to advance to third. Just as he arrived at the base, the opposing second basemen had recovered the ball and fired it toward third, where the third baseman failed to catch it. As the ball dribbled up to the dugout wall, the third base coach sent my grandson barreling home.

The ball arrived at home plate a couple of seconds after my grandson slid in amidst a cloud of dust. Suffice it to say that a single with a three base error instantly became an inside the park homerun in the eyes of an adoring family and accompanying fans!

Of course, he has a long way to go when it comes to figuring out how to play the game. But for now, the exhilaration of getting a hit, running the bases, and making it home, all without being tagged out, made quite an impression on the little lad. He was beaming with pride as the game ended and he came running into our midst to celebrate!

And yet, more was on display here than mere child’s play - far more. You see, my strong suspicion is that underneath all the excitement and merriment, a much more serious matter was unfolding. For as he made contact, as he drove the ball, as he advanced to first, as he grasped the errors that allowed him to advance, and as he finally raced to the plate at the urging of a third base coach and 30 to 40 fans, he was slowly and subtly beginning to figure out the rules to the game.

It was all starting to make sense. Hitting, running, scoring, all these things were starting to make sense as the fundamentals of the game. I have no doubt that tonight, as this little five year old boy laid down to sleep, he found himself actually looking forward to his next game, his next at bat, his next chance to run the bases, his next chance to make it home! And when that time comes, he will likely have much more confidence, which will likely translate into much more production.

Now for the famous $64 question… “Does this not work the same way in one’s spiritual life?” The New Testament reminds us that it does. Followers of Jesus are described as babes in Christ who mature over time. They are born anew, they exist off of spiritual milk, and they begin to grow in their faith. In time, they move from the milk of the word to the meat of the word. As they do, they practice spiritual discipline. They exercise their spiritual muscles. They refine their spiritual sight. They coordinate their spiritual senses.

In the process, they mature and become adept at spiritual matters. Soon, they begin to experience little victories. And little victories then give way to bigger victories. Ultimately, the bigger victories become more and more significant. Eventually, of course, the ultimate victory of eternal life is achieved. Such things give believers heart.

Little wonder that the Apostle Paul affirmed (in the New Testament Book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 13-14):

This one thing I focus on: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

The writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews (in chapter 12, verses 1-3) echoes this sentiment when he writes:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Amen! That, my friends, is well worth hearing. For that, my friends, is far more than mere child’s play!

JOKE SOURCE:

https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Hope/201350/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://jmichaellester.com/lessons-from-pauls-references-to-athletics/;

https://biblehub.com/nlt/philippians/3.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/hebrews/12.htm.

GIVE ME STRENGTH!

4/8/2024

For scores of millions of people in North America, today was a historic day. The last total solar eclipse of the sun for the next two decades unfolded in a southwest to northeast swath that crisscrossed the heart of the continent.

While we were not in the path of totality here in east Tennessee, being a bit too far to the east, we still experienced the eclipse at around 89%. When it could be seen, that is. A rainy morning gave way just to sunshine just as the eclipse began.

We got to watch about ten to fifteen minutes of the unfolding drama as the normally circular solar disc started to flatten out from the southwestern side. Then clouds and rain moved back in. By the time the rain ended, hours later, the sun was shining freely, as the eclipse had long since passed.

And while I was disappointed for my grandsons, I was okay with missing out for myself. The reason? My wife, children, and I all experienced the total eclipse of the sun back in 2017 when Knoxville was in the path of totality. What is more, if the Lord tarries in His return, my grandson should all have the opportunity to witness a total eclipse in another twenty years or so.

All that being said, I am happy for all those who got to see today’s eclipse in its full splendor. No doubt, it is an experience that will be remembered and cherished by them for a lifetime.

Still, perhaps because I knew in advance that we were not in the path of totality, as well as that inclement weather was predicted to obscure visibility, I was less focused on the solar eclipse marked on this date, April 8, 2024, and more on another significant event marked this day.

You see, exactly fifty years ago today, as a 12 year old boy, I sat with my family glued to the local television channel in Atlanta, Georgia as we watched “Hammerin’ Hank” Henry Aaron belt out his 715th home run, officially surpassing the record of 714 held for decades by George Herman “Babe” Ruth.

At least as compared to day, as a boy growing up on a farm in rural Georgia in the 1960s and 1970s, I had precious few options for entertainment. We went to fairgrounds for traveling carnivals, arenas for horse shows, NASCAR tracks for races, and state parks for camping. And on rare occasions, we even took in a Braves game at the old Fulton County Stadium in the heart of downtown Atlanta.

It was later torn down and supplanted by “The Ted” (Turner Field) across the street, which has now been converted into Georgia State University’s Stadium, as the Braves have moved on out to the suburbs in Cobb county. But when “The Ted” was constructed and the Fulton County stadium was demolished and turned into a parking lot, a brass plaque was placed where home plate once stood, and where Aaron set the record that fateful day.

Like many a Braves fan, I reveled in the moment when I stood on that very spot and relived in my mind Vin Scully’s unforgettable call of “a marvelous moment” on that memorable day.

Of course, much of my take on the Braves came, not from the networks, but from radio broadcasts on WSB, AM 750 as called by Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson, Sr. I cannot count the number of times I lay in bed at night and heard Hamilton intone “Going, going, gone!” as “Hammerin’ Hank” belted yet another home run, all while my complete collection of Coca-Cola Bottle Caps featuring the entire line-up of the Atlanta Braves sat ensconced nearby on my nightstand.

When he retired in twelve years later in 1986, he had amassed an astounding 755 home runs, along with 3771 hits, 2297 RBIs, and a lifetime batting average of .305.

Alas, however, records are made to be broken. And years later, Barry Bonds would go on to surpass Aaron with a total of 762 homers. Of course, he would do this in 22 seasons compared to Aaron’s 23. But along the way, he would only amass 2935 hits and 1996 RBIs while batting. 298, all well under Aaron’s numbers.
Oh, and there is one other notable difference. Both Ruth and Aaron posted their numbers without the assistance of steroids.

Little wonder that baseballs hit by Ruth and Aaron on display in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York are all found today just as they were when originally retrieved.

But not so with the record-setting ball hit by Bonds. For boldly emblazoned on the very ball which he hit to surpass Aaron for his record setting 756th home run is a large unavoidable asterisk! Why the asterisk? Because both the MLB and the Board Members at Cooperstown had to tacitly admit that a man utilizing performing enhancing drugs has an unfair advantage over a man who performs without them.

Kudos to any and all who play by the rules! After all, to do otherwise is, in effect, to cheat. It is to present oneself as something he or she is not. It is, thereby, a way of obtaining something that one is not technically entitled to obtain. Little wonder that it deserves an asterisk.

For my part, I freely admit that I have never amounted to much. The Apostle Paul once referred to himself as the chief of all sinners. In a similar manner, I will readily refer to myself here, not only as the chief of all sinners, but also as the chief of all incompetents!

But while I have never amounted to much, what things I have accomplished have largely been achieved without shortcuts. I can honestly say that I have not depended upon performance enhancing measures as a means of making a name for myself and/or leaving a mark. And I happen to believe this is as God intended.

After all, it was He Who made me who I am. And it was He Who gifted me to be able to do what all I have and will accomplish. And that may or may not involve being enshrined at Cooperstown, New York (MLB), at Canton, Ohio (NFL), or at Springfield, Massachusetts (NBA).

Popeye the Sailor once famously quipped, “I am what I am.” For my part, I echo this sentiment; for I truly am just what I am. I am both who and what God created me to be. And it behooves me to accept this, and then to act accordingly.

In his First New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 15, verse 10), the Apostle Paul stated “… by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.”

Don’t miss the two truths on display here. First, it was God, Who in His grace, made Paul who he was. This same truth applies to everyone everywhere. And second, God’s doing so was not without purpose. That is to say, He made Paul into who Paul was precisely in order that Paul might accomplish all the things that God intended to accomplish through him.

No wonder Paul would go on to accomplish such great things. He did so in the power of His Lord and Savior. Little wonder that he would later tell the believers at Philippi: “I can do all things through Christ Who gives strength.” It was because he had already shared his conclusion with the believers at Rome that “If God be for me, who can be against me?”

Paul knew it was God Who had made him; it was God Who had gifted him; it was God Who empowered him; and it was God Who would give him victory. He needed to look nowhere else for either encouragement or empowerment. He knew he would finish his course and receive his proper reward at that time. And he when that came, it would not be marred by any asterisk of pretense.

Likewise, when the day comes that I do eventually pass the finish line, I trust that I will have done so in the manner in which God intended – in and though God’s grace alone, with full integrity and without the asterisk of pretense.

And also in the knowledge that I did so in the power of Jesus Christ alone, without support from or dependence upon any other means. For only then can I spend eternity truly echoing the testimony of the hymn writer who once said…

"How can I say thanks
For the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved
Yet You gave to prove Your love for me;

The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am and ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee

Just let me live my life
Let it pleasing, Lord to Thee
And if I gain any praise
Let it go to Calvary

To God be the glory
To God be the glory
For the things He has done

With His blood He has saved me
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory
For the things He has done"

Amen!

SOURCES:

NEWS STORY:

https://sports.yahoo.com/anniversary-aarons-715th-homer-hall-162342533.html.

SEE ALSO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjqYThEVoSQ;

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

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

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

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/15-10.htm;

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

https://biblehub.com/romans/8-31.htm;

https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-10.htm;

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

SONG LYRICS:

https://genius.com/Andrae-crouch-my-tribute-lyrics.

NOTE: The first time my father ever took me to a Braves game at Fulton County Stadium, I was utterly in awe! As we went from aisle to aisle, making our way around the enormous circular stadium toward out seats, I glanced in. I honestly thought the place was so big that the view from each portal we briefly accessed was an entirely different game that was underway, and that we were merely searching for the one game among so many that we wanted to watch!

STILL STANDING!

4/5/2024

Over the past three months, the headlines have reported on no less than five earthquakes – one in western Japan, one in Queens, New York, one in one in Los Angeles, California, one in Taiwan, and this morning, one in Lebanon, New Jersey.

Sadly, any toll in human lives is tragic. Eight people died in the Japanese quake; as did nine more in the Taiwan quake. My heart goes out to the families and communities where these losses occurred. Still, the loss of life reported in these two instances is far, far less than in prior years. By comparison, the last big quake in Taiwan, which occurred twenty-five years ago, took the lives of some two thousand, four hundred people.

What is more, as earthquakes go, most of these have done comparatively little property damage. We are told that the chief reason for this is that such large death tolls in the past have led to changes in building codes. The result is that more and more buildings constructed in recent years have been able to withstand much of the destructive forces unleashed by earthquakes.

One such example is a ten story building in Taiwan. According to one news story:

In the wake of Thursday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan, "the precariously leaning 10-story Uranus Building quickly became a symbol of the tragedy," reports Nikkei Asia. But the fact that it's standing at all is a sign of just how well prepared the country was for a major quake, argues the New York Times.

A fire official in Hualien tells Reuters the building had consisted of a basement level and nine above-ground floors; "the first and second floors are now underground," he said.

And yet it "remained largely intact, allowing residents to climb to safety out the windows of upper stories," per the Times, which delves into the steps Taiwan has taken since it first accounted for earthquake resistance in its building codes in 1974.

Kudos to all those who understood the danger and took the appropriate steps to ensure that this structure, along with numerous others like it erected all across Taiwan, were all able to stand when the inevitable onslaught occurred. Such measures no doubt account for the drastic reduction in loss of life figures.

As I read these accounts, I could not help but reminded of Jesus’ admonition in His famed “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in chapter 7, verses 24-27, of the New Testament Gospel of Matthew:

“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.”

To my knowledge, over the years, I have lived through three earthquakes. Only one was truly noticeable to the senses. Thankfully, all three were negligible in their effects.

But while I have had little actual experience with the earth itself quaking underneath me, I have had lots of experience with what might be called earth-shattering events. By this, I mean that I have seen the fierce onslaught of damage that life so often seems to throw at men and women.

But I have also seen one other thing. Time and again, I have witnessed people who took the wise precaution of building their lives upon Jesus still standing after just such an onslaught. True, they may have suffered terribly, been injured, or even been even left somewhat askew as a result of the experience, but they were still standing in the end!

Why? Because they had built their lives upon the only proper foundation, the only truly Solid Rock – the One and Only Son of God, Jesus Christ.

By the way, this is not only I have seen in the lives of others; it is also something I have experienced personally. For I, too, have had my share of jolting experiences in life. I, too, have found myself being shaken to the very core by certain of life’s difficulties. And yet, my testimony, like that of so many others who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ is this: “I’m still standing!”

By God’s grace, by God’s power, by God’s help, I’m still standing.
The same can be true for you, my friend. As the Apostle John puts it (in chapter one, verse twelve) in his New Testament Gospel: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power…” Power to be born again, power to live a full and meaningful life, power to stand, no matter what one might face in life – all these things are available through Christ Jesus!

NEWS SOURCES:

https://www.newser.com/tag/23658/1/earthquake.html;

https://www.newser.com/story/348639/that-this-building-didnt-fall-is-a-testament-to-taiwan.html.

SCRIPTURES:

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

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

NO MATTER THE PRICE…

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SWALLOW!

THE BLOOMIN' TRUTH!

CHILD’S PLAY?!

GIVE ME STRENGTH!

STILL STANDING!

Cleo E. Jackson, III

Archives

Categories

NO MATTER THE PRICE…

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SWALLOW!

THE BLOOMIN' TRUTH!

​CHILD’S PLAY?!

GIVE ME STRENGTH!

STILL STANDING!

Cleo E. Jackson, III

Archives

Categories

CHILD’S PLAY?!