Blog Archives

ALL IN THE FAMILY

5/29/2015

My son is getting married to a lovely young lady tomorrow. This makes the third and final of our three children to find and wed their life’s mate. First my daughter met and married a wonderful young man. Then my youngest son married his beautiful high school sweetheart. And now, our middle child will tie the proverbial knot as well.

Each time one of my children has wed, I have had a flood of memories about my own courtship and marriage more than three decades ago. Needless to say, as a young would be minister, I had little to offer in the way of earthly prospects for my future wife.

Recently, a couple happily married for more than sixty years gave me a book of humor titled Healing Through Humor by Charles and Frances Hunter. It contained the following story – one that hit a little too close to home for me as a preacher…

AND THE GOOD NEWS

A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man.

The father invited the fiancée to his study for a talk. "So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man.

"I am a Biblical scholar," he replies.

"A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?"

"I will study," the young man replies, "and God will provide for us."

"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asked the father.

"I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replies, "God will provide for us."

"And children?" asked the father. "How will you support children?"

"Don't worry, sir, God will provide," replies the fiancé.

The conversation proceeded like this, and each time the father questioned, the young idealist insists that God will provide.

Later, the mother asked, "How did it go, Honey?" The father answered, "He has no job and no plans, and he thinks I'm God."

Needless to say, I am extremely grateful that my own in-laws were willing to take a chance on me, unpromising as I was, way back in 1983. No doubt in large part because of that, my wife and I now have not only thirty-two years of a wonderful marriage to celebrate, but also three incredible children along with their respective spouses. I pray I never disappoint my gracious in-laws.

And I am also glad that my son’s new in-laws appear to be willing to take a similar chance on him. Just as I pray I never disappoint my own in-laws, I also pray that he never disappoint his either.

SOURCE: Charles and Frances Hunter, Healing through Humor (Lake Mary, Florida: Creation House Press, 2003), pp. 190-20.

This familiar joke is also available online, among numerous places, at: http://jokesdigest.com/cgi-bin/5209/jokepage1.cgi?jid=5791.

NOTE: In an added note of irony, the television show titled "All in the Family" was popular at the time I was courting and marrying my precious wife. In the natural give and take that occurred between my wife's family and me, we embodied the concept of "life imitating art".

As an only child, my wife filled the role of Gloria. Her father, a hard-working man with traditional values, represented the character of Archie; her mother as a devoted wife and mother that of Edith. That left me, as an eternal student with a chronically empty stomach and little prospects for gainful employment, in the role of Mike - or as I was affectionately referred to by Vickie's uncle: "Meathead".

WORTH DEFENDING

5/25/2015

Dr. Jim Denison runs a website titled “The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture” (cf.: http://www.denisonforum.org/) . His website and accompanying daily blog, available since 2009, is presented as a non-sectarian cultural commentary designed to engage contemporary issues with Biblical truth. The stated mission is: "to change the culture for the Kingdom. As a catalyst for moral and spiritual renewal, DFTC is joining God in building a global movement of culture-changing Christians."

His Memorial Day blog for today, May 25, 2015, is titled 'THE HIGHEST OBLIGATION AND PRIVILEGE OF CITIZENSHIP' and is available at: http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary/1615-the-highest-obligation-and-privilege-of-citizen
ship. I re-post it here, drawing special attention to point number three:

'THE HIGHEST OBLIGATION AND PRIVILEGE OF CITIZENSHIP'

"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us" (attributed to George Orwell).

Memorial Day is observed each year on the last Monday in May. It honors the 1.3 million Americans who died while serving in the U.S. military. Today was originally called Decoration Day, since families decorated the graves of their fallen loved ones on this day. The observance began in the years after the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

Many consider today to be "America's most solemn occasion." At 3:00 this afternoon local time, a moment of remembrance will take place. All Americans are asked to pause for one minute of reflection, gratitude and unity.

Famed U.S. General George Patton advised, "Live for something rather than die for nothing." He noted: "The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country." How can we "bear arms" for those whose sacrifice we remember today?

One: express your gratitude personally. Paul said to the Ephesians, "I do not cease to give thanks for you" (Ephesians 1:16a). If you know survivors whose loved ones died in military service, reach out to them today. Call or send a note or email to express your gratitude on this difficult but significant day. Go to a military cemetery or grave in your community, and pay your respects.

Two: pray for those who lost loved ones in the service of our country. Paul continued, ". . . remembering you in my prayers" (Ephesians 1:16b). Be specific in your intercession, and continue to pray daily.

Three: stand for the ideals our soldiers died to protect. I have asked numerous veterans what I can do to express my gratitude for their sacrifice. Each one, without fail, has answered: Make this a country worth defending. For Christians, working and praying for moral and spiritual awakening is the front line of the spiritual battle of our time.

This day reminds us that no price for our nation is too high. Consider the story of Nathan Hale. When the War for Independence began, he joined his five brothers in fighting the British. Before a very strategic battle, General Washington asked for a volunteer to go on a spy mission behind enemy lines. Hale stepped forward. Disguised as a Dutch teacher, he spent a week gathering information on the position of British troops. He was discovered on September 21, 1776. The next day, just before he was hanged, he made his famous declaration: "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."

Poet Wallace Bruce described the fallen heroes we remember today: "Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours." Let's do our duty well.

Well said, Dr. Denison. May we all go forth from this day more committed than ever to make this country "worth defending"!

SCHOOL’S OUT!

5/22/2015

Former President George W. Bush spoke at commencement exercises at Southern Methodist University in Dallas this past week. In a self-deprecating reference to his days at Yale University, he said, "To those of you who are graduating this afternoon with high honors, awards and distinctions, I say, 'Well done!’ And as I like to tell the C students: You too, can be president."

I am reminded of a couple of coffee cups that sit on my shelf. One says: “I’m proud to be gradated… I’m proud to be gradiated… I’m proud to be gratuatiated… I’m proud to be done!” The other says: “I have a BA, I have an MA, I have a PhD, Now all I need is a JOB!” I guess the latter is designed for the student with high honors and the former for the one who will one day be President!

Either way, whether at the top of the class or the bottom, students all over America are graduating this time of year. Indeed, my wife and I just returned from another state where our own son, Caleb, graduated from Flight School.

After twelve years of public school, four years of college, a term at Officers Candidate School, and now a year of Flight school, he will tell you himself that he is quite ready to make the transition to the workaday world. I was too at his age. (In fact, my own father used to joke that he knew what I would be when I finally got out of school - I’d be forty!)

Needless to say, my wife and I are very proud of our son for having accomplished all he has at the tender age of 25. And we cannot wait to see what all else God has in store for him in the next 25 years as well.

In doing so, we join with parents and grandparents everywhere across this great land over this past week in acknowledging the tremendous accomplishments of our children. We wish them all the very best; and we pray that the sky is the limit as they now seek to apply their God given gifts in whatever field of endeavor to which they have been called.

ROGER THAT!

5/18/2015

The news this week carried a story stating that airlines are expecting record numbers of travelers this year as the summer vacation season unfolds. No doubt, this is somewhat related to our slow but inevitable recovery from the great recession of 2008 and following.

Be advised! If you are one of those passengers, you will probably not get through your trip without a glitch or two. Long lines at flight check-ins and TSA screenings are only the beginning of sorrows. Flight delays and increasingly extended time sitting on tarmacs will invariably plague many travelers.

So, I thought I would do a little to help relieve the tension in advance by posting today some airline humor today. A web site titled www.Pilotfriend.com has a web page tiled Aviation Humor. It concludes several funny exchanges between cockpit personnel and air traffic controllers. Here are a few…

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Pilot and Tower...

Controller to aircraft that just landed: "Bear right, next intersection"

Pilot: "Roger, we have him in sight"

________________________________________

ATC: "Cessna G-ABCD What are your intentions? "

Cessna: "To get my Commercial Pilots License and Instrument Rating.

ATC: "I meant in the next five minutes not years."

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(Transmission as a DC-10 rolls out long after a fast landing...)

San Jose Tower: American 751 heavy, turn right at the end if able. If not able, take the Guadalupe exit off of Highway 101 back to the airport.

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(Heard on the radio - Really)

Cessna: "Jones tower, Cessna 12345, student pilot, I am out of fuel."

Tower: "Roger Cessna 12345, reduce airspeed to best glide!! Do you have the airfield in sight?!?!!"

Cessna: "Uh...tower, I am on the south ramp; I just want to know where the fuel truck is."

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Just for everyone's information, Korso is a district of Vantaa, Finland.

It was a sunny day at EFHK (Helsinki-Vantaa) and a Finnair MD-11 was moving towards rwy 22L.

FIN MD: Tower, those photographers should be moved from their place...

Tower: Fin MD: They have permission for being (a short pause)

FIN MD: Tower: They really should be removed.

Tower: Fin MD: They really have permission... (a pause again)

Fin MD: Tower: We're lined up on rwy 22L. Remove those photographers.

Tower: Fin MD: For the last time. They have permission, so they won't be removed!

Fin MD: Tower: Ok then. Will be flying to Beijing and those boys will fly to Korso!

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Cessna 152: "Flight Level Three Thousand, Seven Hundred"

Controller: "Roger, contact Houston Space Centre"

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Beech Baron: Uh, ATC, verify you want me to taxi in front of the 747.

ATC: Yeah, it's OK. He's not hungry.

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Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff"

Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to departure...by the way as we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway."

Tower: "National 63 cleared for takeoff...did you copy the report from Eastern?"

National 63: "Roger, Tower, cleared for takeoff... yes, we've already notified our caterers."

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Pilot: Oakland Ground, Cessna 1234 at Sierra Academy. Taxi, Destination Stockton

Ground: Cessna 1234, Taxi Approved, report leaving the airport

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Pilot: "Bratislava Tower, this is Oscar Oscar Kilo established ILS 16."

Tower: "Oscar Oscar Kilo, Guten Tag, cleared to land 16, wind calm and by the way: this is Wien Tower."

Pilot: (short break) "Bratislava Tower, Oscar Oscar Kilo passed the outer marker."

Tower: "Oscar Oscar Kilo roger, and once more: you are approaching Vienna!"

Pilot: (short break again) "Confirm, this is NOT Bratislava?"

Tower: "You can believe me, this is Vienna!

Pilot: (once again short break) "But why? We want to go to Bratislava, not to Vienna!"

Tower: "Oscar Oscar Kilo, roger. Discontinue approach, turn left and climb to 5000 feet, vectors to Bratislava."

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Tower: "Delta Zulu Romeo, turn right now and report your heading."

Pilot: "Wilco. 341, 342, 343, 344, 345..."

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Tower: "Hotel Papa Oscar climb four thousand to six thousand and maintain."

Pilot: "Hotel Papa Oscar, climbing flight level 100."

Tower: "Hotel Papa Oscar, climb to flight level 60 and maintain."

Pilot: "But four plus six is ten, isn't it?"

Tower: "You should climb, not add up."

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A beautiful summer day with good thermals, near Billund airport, Denmark:

Billund ATC: "Gliders 82 and D5, state position and altitude?"

82: Overhead Coal Lake, 6400 feet."

D5: "Same position, same altitude."

ATC (cool, dry voice): "So should I go get my collision report form?"

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Tower: "Mission 123, do you have problems?"

Pilot: "I think, I have lost my compass."

Tower: "Judging the way you are flying, you lost the whole instrument panel!"

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Controller: "CRX600, are you on course to SUL?"

Pilot: "More or less."

Controller: "So proceed a little bit more to SUL."

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Pilot: "Good morning, Frankfurt ground, KLM 242 request start up and push back, please."

Tower: "KLM 242 expect start up in two hours."

Pilot: "Please confirm: two hours delay?"

Tower: "Affirmative."

Pilot: "In that case, cancel the good morning!"

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On a serious note, most all people experience increased mounts of stress during travel. And as followers of Jesus Christ, you and I will be little different. But one way to lessen the stress of this otherwise hectic process is to view it as an opportunity for bona fide ministry.

In the midst of all the stress, a bit of humor, a sympathetic word, or an extra act of kindness extended to a stranger will go a long way toward touching his or her soul. And this may very well provide an opportunity for sharing more about the love of Jesus Christ. Doing this will thereby redeem the whole stressful situation, and very likely improve not only the life of the person or persons you encounter, but also your own life as well.

Besides, speaking of those who fly a lot, Hebrews 13:2 reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

SOURCE: These and a great many others can be found at: http://www.pilotfriend.com/humour/jokes/twr.htm.

OWNER’S MANUAL

5/14/2015

Well, at long last, I am mobile again. A month or so after my automobile wreck, I have acquired another vehicle. Thankfully, my father-in-law was gracious enough to allow me the use of his truck for a few weeks. But now I have taken the proverbial plunge and signed on the dotted line.

My last vehicle was a 2005 model year Ford. My newest ride is a 2011 model year Ford. And all I can say is “Wow!” I am simply dumbfounded at all the electronic upgrades and gadgets that were affixed to cars in the intervening six years!

Of course, one might expect these things in a Lincoln, but not a Ford. Apparently what was once considered luxury is now considered pretty standard fare for automobiles.

And to be honest, all of this new electronic wizardry is more than a little intimidating - if not to the younger generation, then certainly to an aging baby-boomer such as myself. But thank the Lord for one essential element still contained within the vehicle: a good old fashioned “Owner’s Manual”.

Whenever I find myself confused over how this or that button, control, switch, or item associated with the vehicle functions, all I have to do is to consult the Owner’s Manual. And in short order, I find myself saying with satisfaction, “Oh, cool, now I see!”

Why? Because what is puzzling or mysterious to me is not to the folks at Ford who designed and built the vehicle to begin with!

And what is true of manufactured vehicles is also true of created human beings! As we live out our lives, we very often find ourselves facing puzzling or confusing situations. But thank Heaven we do not have to stumble blindly along. Because the One Who has created us has also given us an Owner’s Manual, as it were.

He, God, has given us a very special book, which we call the Bible, and by which we can find the answers to life’s most puzzling questions and thereby live our lives as our Creator intended them to be lived.

If you are familiar with the Holy Bible, then you may well be aware of what I am saying. If not, then I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Bible and familiarize yourself with its teachings. You may be surprised to discover just what a blessing it will become in your life.

For, as the Bible itself declares (in the Book of Psalms 119:105): “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Little wonder then that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, also said (in John 8:12), “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

NO CHARGE

5/10/2015

As another Mother’s Day comes to a conclusion, many of us have been reminded again of just how much we owe to our mothers. Most of us have occasionally reflected on where all we would or would not be today without our mother’s influence. And yet, all of us could do with a periodic reminder about what our moms have done for us.

For this reason, I thought I would post this day the following short story, first written by M. Adam several years ago. It is titled “Paid in Full”.

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00

For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00

For going to the store for you: $.50

Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25

Taking out the garbage: $1.00

For getting a good report card: $5.00

For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00

Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me:

No Charge

For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you:

No Charge

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years:

No Charge

For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead:

No Charge

For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:

No Charge

Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is:

No Charge.

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".

For what all do you owe your mom today? After you have thought about this for a while, and if you haven’t already done so, why not take the time to tell her how much you appreciate her for what all she has done for you?

If it is too late to tell her because she has already gone on to her Heavenly reward, then at least make certain to thank God today for what all she did for you when she was here. And then honor her memory by committing to do for others as she once did for you.

SOURCE: http://www.shortstories101.com/story/paid-in-full-1190/.

A PRAYER FOR AMERICA

5/7/2015

On this first Thursday in May, 2015, a great many Americans are undertaking the annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.

I thought it would be fitting this day to post the prayer offered by Pastor Greg Laurie approximately two years ago, on May 2nd, 2013, when he served as the honorary chairman for the National Day of Prayer event in Washington, DC:

“Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.

How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.

Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms, and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.

Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6).

That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land (2 Chronicles7:14).

Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

SOURCE: http://www.harvest.org/harvest-online/news/207.html.

See also: http://nationaldayofprayer.org/.

A HOPEFUL FUTURE

5/3/2015

In the 26th Psalm (verse 8), the writer states: “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.” This past Saturday, I was privileged to see this verse lived out by an entire community of people, as I gathered along with hundreds of other individuals to participate in the rededication of the newly refurbished Hopeful Primitive Baptist Church in northern Fayette County, Georgia.

I referenced this in an earlier blog titled GOING HOME (dated 04/20/2015 below). The 190 year old Church sits in the community where I grew up, not three miles (as the crow flies) from the farm where I spent my childhood. My great, great, great, great grandfather, Jordan Jackson, was a founding member and Deacon there back in 1825.

As I participated in the program for the day, I was reminded again of the similarities with what is recorded in the Old Testament Book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 24, verses 1-14:

1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

4Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. 5He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites did not act at once.

6Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?” 7Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

8At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. 9A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.

11Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money.

12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple. 13The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it.

14When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.

As the young king Joash took the throne, his first order of business was to look to the needs of the House of the Lord. Because of his concerns for its continued well-being, he led the priests and the people of Judah to raise money and undertake the task of refurbishment. As a result, the House of God was strengthened and continued its important ministry presence in the life of the Jewish people.

I am thankful to Mr. Dean Breest and countless others who saw a similar need in the venerable old Hopeful Church. And also that, as a result, they took it upon themselves to raise the necessary funds and labor needed to refurbish this historic landmark in the Hopeful community.

Because of Joash’s actions, the work of Moses in building the original Tabernacle some 650 or so years earlier was not in vain. Nor was the work of Solomon in constructing the first permanent Temple 200 or so years earlier. And because of Joash’s actions, the Temple of the Lord would still be functioning when Jesus Christ came into this world some 800 or so years later.

Likewise, because of what the good citizens of Hopeful community have now done in this generation, the faith and work of my great, great, great grandparents in helping to found this historic church back in 1825 was not in vain. The continued ministry presence of this church in that community even today is also validated. But, most importantly, one now has the hope that this particular Baptist Church will continue to be alive and well and flourishing in her God given ministry context when Jesus Christ once again returns to this earth!

NOTE: If you would like to know more about the renovation of historic Hopeful Baptist Church, you can follow the updates on special Facebook pages at: https://www.facebook.com/hopeful1825/info?tab=page_info and https://www.facebook.com/hopeful1825.