Blog Archives

PRESERVING FREEDOM

6/29/2015

While serving as Pastor of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Pastor Hyle Anderson wrote an article on the importance of preserving freedom. In the July, 2014 edition of “The Voice of the Saints” newsletter, he referenced a story originally told by James C. Helley titled "Freedom Lady", and then added:

Keep his point in mind also on this 4th of July… High atop the United States Capitol dome in Washington stands the statue of the stately “Freedom Lady,” almost 20 feet high. Her face is framed by a crest of stars. A shield of stars and stripes is in her left hand.

The sculptured Freedom Lady was brought from Rome during a fierce storm, and the captain ordered some cargo thrown overboard. The sailors wanted to include the heavy stone statue, but the captain refused, shouting above the wind, “No! Never! We’ll flounder before we throw ‘Freedom’ away.”

As the fourth of July rolls around, many of us will rightly be turning our attention to the concepts of independence and freedom. As we do, we will do well to remember that the freedoms that we enjoy came at a great price. Down through the centuries, soldiers and citizens, men and women alike, have made untold sacrifices in order to insure the freedoms we so often take for granted today.

This Independence Day, let us make certain that we recognize, appreciate, and value the freedoms we enjoy. Let us rededicate ourselves to preserving them. And above all, let us make certain that we do not carelessly and heedlessly throw them away. For without them, the journey of life will be intolerable.

SOURCE: Pastor Anderson's original article can be found online at: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/14JulyNews.pdf.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church’s current web site is: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/.

THANKS, DAD!

6/25/2015

As I have previously related, I grew up on a farm. At the time, I was focused primarily on how tough I perceived that was on me. I was rather envious of my friends who lived in the small city nearby. All I could see was their posh life played out in a brick home with a concrete driveway, replete with air conditioning, swimming pools, and the like.

By comparison, I lived in an antebellum farm house, with zero air conditioning, zero insulation, and a bored well that invariably ran dry every third day in the summer and fall months. Add to that the many chores I was expected to do, daily, weekly, and seasonally, including everything from cutting grass to bush-hogging, from shucking and shelling corn to getting up hay, and from feeding chickens and slopping hogs to gathering eggs and canning vegetables. Perhaps one can see how, at the time, I thought that life was so unfair.

And yet, looking back now after all these years, I can see that I really did not have it all that bad. In truth, we worked hard; but, growing up on a farm had its share of perks as well. I had fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit a plenty to eat. I had huge amounts of open spaces to run and play. I had horses, bicycles, go-carts, and motorcycles to ride and even an oval dirt track with banked curves crafted into the pasture upon which to do so.

Yes, life could be tough; but life was also good. At least it was until the spring of my seventh grade year. For that was the occasion in which I brought home a “U” on my report card. Now, even a teenager knows that, whatever else it is, a “U” is way, way below a “C” or even an “F”. Turns out it was for “Unacceptable”. To make matters worse, it was in something called “Deportment”. That, I soon discovered, was short for “Conduct”. Either way, none of it was good news!

I remember to this day what my father said to me: “Son, you may not be smart enough to sit in a classroom and learn anything. But you’ve got enough sense to sit there and keep your mouth shut!” In order to underscore his convictions on the matter, he promptly undertook “the nuclear option” (as I like to refer to it). He placed me on three months restriction. As I remember it, that meant “no, nothing, nada”!

No television, no trampoline, no motorcycle, no spending the night with friends, etc., etc… Essentially, I was not allowed to do anything other than to go to school and then to come home and do my chores and my homework! I do not remember much about those agonizing three months, other than they were the longest three months of my entire life!

But what I do remember is the lesson he taught me. Life is ultimately a good thing. It is filled with blessings, many of which we do not even acknowledge until we suddenly lose them, or else find them in jeopardy. In turn, life requires us to assume certain obligations. One cannot have rights without responsibilities. The two go hand in hand.

Needless to say, these were tough lessons for me as a mere thirteen year old. Nonetheless, three months later, I brought home another report card – this time with a “B” in “Deportment”. And in short order, I found my privileges restored. Of course, in my heart of hearts, I knew that my father had been right. And, although I regret that I never really told him so, I owe him to this very day for the lessons learned from that entire episode.

I owe him because those lessons have sustained me throughout my life. In relation to my family, my work, my career, my citizenship, and in any one of a thousand other dynamics, I understand that life is both “a give and a take”, a “right and a responsibility”, “a getting and a giving”.

Little wonder that Jesus said (in Luke 12:48): “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” At thirteen, I was only focused on how much sacrifice was required of me as a kid tasked with farm chores on top of school work. My dad rightly wanted me to see that; but also to understand that, on the other side of the coin, much had been given to me as a result. The two went hand in hand.

How much better off we all might all be if we all simply understood and accepted this most basic truth.

NOTHING WASTED!

6/21/2015

I spent Father’s Day with family. Lunch was spent with my wife and her parents at their home, enjoying a nice meal and a relaxing afternoon. Later in the day, we journeyed over to my son’s home and enjoyed a dinner together there as well. He grilled steaks for my wife and me, as well as his wife’s parents. After dinner, we spent some time fishing the pond adjacent to his home.

As we did, we talked and laughed and reminisced about the times we had once spent together fishing the pond on our property back when he was a small boy growing up down in south Georgia. I failed to realize at the time what those days had meant to him. I now know.

On the way home tonight, I was reminded of a story I had read once about James Boswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson, who often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. We are told that the day was fixed in his adult mind, and he often reflected upon many of the things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experiences together.

After having heard of that particular expression so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell’s father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader found only one sentence entered: “Gone fishing today with my son; a day wasted.”

Gordon MacDonald opines on this story in his article titled “No Day Is Ever Wasted”. He writes:

Few have ever heard of Boswell’s father; many have heard of Boswell. But in spite of his relative obscurity, he must have managed to set a pace in his son’s life which lasted for a lifetime and beyond. On one day alone he inlaid along the grain of his son’s life ideas that would mark him long into his adulthood. What he did not only touched a boy’s life but also set in motion certain benefits that would affect the world of classical literature.

Too bad that Boswell’s father couldn’t appreciate the significance of a fishing trip and the pacesetting that was going on even while worms were being squeezed on to hooks. No day is ever wasted in the life of an effective father.

How right he is! A current ad campaign on the importance of fatherhood can be found at www.fatherhood.gov. It stresses the fact that the smallest moments can have to the biggest impacts on the life of a child.

Having now come full circle to witness the testimony of my grown children, I can see that much more clearly than I did when I was a young father struggling to balance my time between work and family. No day is ever wasted with one’s children. So, please, men, take time to be a dad today!

SOURCE: Gordon MacDonald, “No Day is Ever Wasted,” The Effective Father, 79–80, from KneEmail, as quoted at http://www.housetohouse.com/HTHPubPage.aspx?cid=13131.

THE WELCOMING WAVE

6/18/2015

The official Obituary read as follows:

William Mack Breazeale, of Lenoir City, passed away Monday, June 15, 2015, on his 88th birthday. Born in Lenoir City and a graduate of Lenoir City High School, Mack was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in World War II. He worked for many years for Tennessee Carolina Transportation Co., and retired to cattle farming. He was a member of First Baptist Church and the Tennessee Farm Bureau.

After listing his beloved parents and brother (those family members who had preceded him in death), the next paragraph was given to a delineation of the devoted family he left behind, including his faithful and loving wife of 68 years, his four adult children and their spouses, his seven grandchildren, and his ten great grandchildren, as well as his brothers, sisters, and in-laws.

Lastly, times and places for the receiving of friends, the funeral, and the interment service were enumerated.

The service, as might be expected, paid appropriate homage to his faith, his love for his family, and his service to his Lord, his country, and his fellow man. Fittingly, Mr. Breazeale was laid to rest the following morning at his family’s private cemetery on the farm where he resided.

The graveside service included full military honors conferred by the Loudon County Veterans Honor Guard, complete with a twenty-one gun salute, the playing of TAPS, and the presentation of a folded United States flag to his precious wife by his grandson Jason, who currently serves as a Captain in the United States Air force.

All of this was very moving, as one might expect. There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd, even among the men. And yet, as touching as these scenes were, that which impressed me the most was the homage penned by his grandson Jeff and read by his granddaughter Amy. With their permission, I am posting it here today.

When you grow up as a grandchild of Mack Breazeale, a.k.a. Papaw, there are certain things you inevitably will experience when you visit your grandparents on the farm.

You will marvel at how big Papaw is. 5 foot 17 inches, as he likes to say. You wonder if you'll ever be that tall. And you know right away that Papaw has a great sense of humor.

You will get to ride the lawnmower and perhaps even help steer it. You'll think you're driving, even though Papaw is in complete control.

You will get to sit inside tractors and big-rig trucks, which Papaw can drive. For a kid growing up, life doesn't get much cooler than seeing a full-size bed in the back of the truck cab.

You will sit on the back porch, eating watermelon or home-made ice cream with the family. You'll catch fireflies in the early evening. You'll jump (or fall) off the porch and skin your knee. Papaw will be there, taking it all in and enjoying the moment.

A loud crack of thunder will bring you to tears because the noise scares you. But that thunder pales in comparison to when Papaw raises his voice. Fortunately, he doesn't do it often. He rarely has to because when you get into mischief, he only has to tell you once to knock it off. Message received.

You will sit at the dinner table and drink out of a small glass. You will look at Papaw's glass, which is bigger than any glass you've ever seen, and wonder what it will be like one day to be bigger and drink out of a glass that size.

You will get overconfident and go to the refrigerator to pour yourself a glass of milk. Everything will go according to plan until you taste it and realize something has gone horribly wrong. You just poured yourself some buttermilk and didn't pay attention to the labels on the jugs, and now you have this full glass and don't know what to do with it. Papaw might be the only person anywhere who drinks buttermilk. He'll take care of your oversight.

You might get a nickname. Like Whistle Britches. Depends on what you do when Papaw is around.

You'll sit in an oversize recliner, watching University of Tennessee sports. If they win, you and Papaw will enjoy the game. If they lose, you and Papaw will opine about how long the coach will last. Or you might fall asleep in the recliner. The sleep will be peaceful, satisfying. You are in a sanctuary at the Breazeale farm.

As you get older, Papaw will start telling you stories about your parents before you existed. You'll appreciate the insight and be reminded that your parents were once your age, too. He'll tell you stories from his days driving trucks around the country and from when he was in the Army. He's still trying to figure out which "friends and neighbors" chose him to serve.

The years will roll on, and you'll recognize Papaw as a man who is deeply devoted to his wife, Virginia, a.k.a. Grandmama. It is their love, kindled nearly 70 years ago, that has brought to life their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Those three generations now number 32 individuals (and counting). Every single one of them is kind-hearted, loving, generous. That all comes from the example Grandmama and Papaw have lived.

Big Papaw loves his family. He recalls conversations he has had with people who ask if he ever wishes he had more money. His response is that he gets to watch his grandchildren grow up and that fact alone makes him richer than any man who has walked this earth. You realize Papaw has things figured out. You realize Papaw knows what's important in life. Papaw is content. Papaw is free. Papaw is at peace.

When your visit to the farm is over, and it is time to return home, Grandmama and Papaw will walk out to the car with you. You will hug them and say your farewells. Papaw will tell you to hurry back. "You know where to find us," he'll say. You'll get in your car and look out the back window and wave. They will wave back. And in your mind, that's where Papaw will always be: standing at his door, waving, eager to welcome you home again.

Well said, Jeff. Though I was not part of his earthly family, I was honored to have known this man that you and your family all properly hold in such high esteem. And I like to think that when I arrive in Heaven one day, like you and the rest of his wonderful family, one of the things I can look forward to is seeing my brother in Christ, Mack Breazeale, standing there welcoming me home.

Mr. Breazeale’s official Obituary is posted at: http://www.news-herald.net/obituaries/william-mack-breazeale/article_2112866e-1464-11e5-91dd-9fd0ff8b7ef8.html.

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

6/15/2015

Our recent car show at the church was a wonderful event. As I alluded to in my last post, over 300 participants brought in antique cars, trucks, tractors, and motorcycles. There was even a fully restored 1950s era school bus. But for many, the hit of the day were the radio controlled aircraft being flown out on our soccer fields.

After seeing video taken from drones that flew over our event, I began to think about what the world must look like from up above. Fortunately, the folks over at "Fly Boyz Blog" have provided us just such a perspective. Their web site contains a series of stunning aerial photographs that give us a high flying bird’s (or pilot's) perspective on the world we all inhabit here below.

I am reposting these pictures here today. As you look at them, hover your cursor over each photo in order to read more about the place you are viewing. (The originals can be found at: http://www.flyboyzblog.com/as-a-pilot-sees-the-world/.)

Barcelona is the 2nd largest city in Spain and is known for its striking architecture.

An urban park in New York City, Central Park provides many opportunities for entertainment, sports, boating, and leisure.

Maze at Longleat England

The capital of Mexico is one of the most important financial centers in North America.

The beautiful Italian city of Venice is situated on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges.

Situated on the Amstel River, Amsterdam was one of the most important ports in the world in the 17th century.

In addition to several pyramids, Giza is also home to the Great Sphinx and ancient temples.

Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the 3 waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls, is one of the most voluminous waterfalls in the world.

Chicago is quite the bustling city – it’s the third most populous in the country and is an international hub for finance and tech.

Each spring, the tulips in The Netherlands turn large parts of the country into a colorful patchwork.

The medieval city center of Bern is surrounded by the Aare River and features a large collection of historic sites.

Most of New Caledonia’s mangrove swamps can be found on the western coast, accounting for 80% of that area.

Dubai sits on the emirate’s northern coastline and has become notable for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings.

Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea and one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.

This coastal desert in southern Africa stretches for over 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles).

Situated on the Seine River, Paris is the capital of France and one of the world’s leading business and cultural centers.

This stunning Turkish Valley has a total length of 4,400 meters (14,435 feet).

Shanghai China

Cape Town is famous for its natural setting in South Africa, and for several well-known landmarks.

Moscow Russia

With a recorded history that spans around 3,400 years, Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities.

This coastal seaport is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada.

Now the most populous city in the Maldives, Male was once the King’s Island, where ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled.

Seattle, Washington

Vatican City is a walled enclave within Rome, ruled by the Bishop of Rome – the Pope.

The residents of this valley, situated in the heart of a rural district, greatly depend on agriculture.

Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city that’s built along a 3 kilometer (2 mile) stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline.

Rio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil and has architecture that dates back to the 16th century.

China is home to many rice terraces that claim the slopes of hilly areas. Some spots have been cultivated for over 1000 years.

A Lake in Pomerania Poland

Wow! It is amazing what such a perspective provides. Birds and pilots get to see these sorts of things every day. And so does our Lord. Psalm 53:2 tells us this: "God looks down from heaven on all mankind..."

But God’s purpose in looking down is not simply to be amazed by the intricacies of His own creation. His purpose is to see something far more important. The second part of the above verse tells us why God looks down: "to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."

The Psalmist earlier tells us what makes men and women so special in God's eyes. We are the crowning glory of His creation:

1Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?c

5You have made themd a little lower than the angelse and crowned themf with glory and honor. 6You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under theirg feet: 7all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You see, according to the Bible, of all God’s creation, only human beings were made in the image of Almighty God. Genesis 1:27 states: "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." this is said of no other aspect of His creation.

Only human beings have a Divine spark within them. And thusly, only human beings, even in their rebellion, were so special to God that He would incarnate Himself as one of them and come to redeem them through His sacrificial death on a cross.

I leave you with these great truths from the eighth chapter of the Biblical Book of Proverbs. Verse 4 affirms that God, Who looks down from Heaven to see if anyone actually seeks Him as their Creator, cries out: “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind… And what does He say? Verse 17 answers that: “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me…” And why does this matter? Verses 35 and 36 tell us: “For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord. But those who fail to find me harm themselves…”

When God looks down on me, I hope He sees an open and willing heart, one which gladly seeks Him. I hope He sees the same in you. If so, then what He sees is pleasing to Him. If not, then I know that what He sees no doubt breaks His heart.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://www.biblehub.com/.

WHAT A RIDE!

6/12/2015

Several years ago, singer/songwriter Dan Seals had a hit song titled "My Old Yellow Car". It is written from the perspective of a very successful middle-aged individual who, though now wealthy and in possession of one or more high dollar automobiles, is nonetheless pining over his beloved, but long lost, first set of wheels.

She weren't much to look at, she weren't much to ride,
She was missing a window on her passenger side.
The floorboard was patched up with paper and tar,
But I really was something in my old yellow car.

An American boy with his hands on the wheel,
Of a dream that was made of American steel.
Though the seats had the smell of a nickel cigar,
I really was something in my old yellow car.

Somewhere in a pile of rubber and steel,
There's a rusty old shell of an automobile.
And if engines could run on desires alone,
That old yellow car would be driving me home.

After a verse or two describing what all happened in his old car, ranging from sickness and regurgitation to smooching and romance, he then compares his situation in that day to this one, ending his thoughts with what amounts to a prayer…

Take a look at me now throwing money around,
I'm paying somebody to drive me downtown.
Got a Mercedes Benz with a TV and bar,
And, God, I wish I was driving my old yellow car.
God, I wish I was driving my old yellow car!

Most everyone who ever had a beloved first car or truck can relate to these words. My wife and I still cling to the memories her old 1966 Mustang from high school, of my 1973 C-10 Chevy pick-up, and our first ever post college vehicle purchase: our prized 1983 CJ-7. And yet, none of these can compare to what will be on display tomorrow as our church hosts her eleventh annual “Cruise In” Antique Car Show.

Here, one will be able to see most everything from Model T’s of the teens to Muscle Cars of the seventies. And every single one of the large number of cars, trucks, tractors, and motorcycles on display will be there for only one reason – because someone cared enough to redeem them.

You see, what will set the hundreds of vehicles there tomorrow apart from the thousands of others that now reside in fields, barns, junk yards and scrapheaps in this area is simply that someone cared enough about them at some point to seek them out, to acquire them, and to undertake the extensive and expensive process of restoring them. This brings me to my point...

Each time I walk through this dazzling display of automobiles, I am reminded that this is a picture of humanity. Like worn out and abandoned automobiles everywhere, human beings, so often used up and beaten down by the ravages of sin, can find themselves discarded and abandoned, with little or no apparent sense of value.

But that all changed when Jesus Christ showed up. God’s Son saw in us inestimable value. He prized us so much that He sought us out. He then paid the price to redeem us and undertook the labor to restore us. The result? We have even more value to him now than before. Why? Because that which was lost to Him has now been found and fully restored.

While there were no rusted out automobiles in the first century, there were certainly parallels. Perhaps the best example is the one which I referenced in my previous blog, the story commonly referred to as "The Parable of the Prodigal Son", as told by Jesus Himself in the fifteenth chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Luke (verses 11-31):

11Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Dead, but now alive! Lost, but now found! Rusted, discarded, and abandoned, but now redeemed and restored! All I can say is “What a ride!” Better yet, “What a redeemer!”

NOTE: Dan Seals (February 8, 1948 – March 25, 2009) was the younger brother of soft rock duo “Seals & Crofts” member, Jim Seals. Dan himself was once one half of the duo “England Dan & John Ford Coley” before pursuing a solo career in country music. Along the way, he had many, many recognizable hit songs.

LYRICS SOURCE: Dan Seals - My Old Yellow Car Lyrics | MetroLyrics.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/niv/luke/15.htm.

THE NOTEBOOK

6/9/2015

Tyler Campbell is an exceptional young man who pastors the First Baptist Church of Perry, Florida. It was my privilege to speak for him this past Sunday morning while I was on vacation down in the Sunshine State.

Because I was planning to speak, I had taken my Sermon Planning Notebook with me, along with my individual sermon notes for the message I was to share. Unfortunately, when I returned home, I could not find my notebook.

Now, for the average person, that may not seem like much of an issue. But for me, as a Pastor who speaks multiple times per week throughout the year, it was disastrous. My planning calendar for the entire year, my forms (Yes, Pastors utilize checklists in preparing for worship and preaching!), and lots of thoughts and notes sketched out for messages yet to be preached are all contained in that one three ring binder.

Needless to say, when I realized I could not find my notebook, I panicked. Few things could be as disastrous for me as the loss of that single book. I went thought my luggage. I searched and researched my vehicle. I even got on the phone and called the hotel where we stayed in Florida – but all to no avail!

When I had at last given up all hope, my precious wife came up the steps from my study with the notebook in hand. It had been there in plain sight all along. Somehow, I had just repeatedly overlooked it in my futile search.

All I can say is that the severity of my distress was suddenly replaced by the ecstasy of my delight. I was elated. That which was so valuable to me, and which had been lost to me, had now been found and restored to me by someone dear to me!

I was reminded of the fifteenth chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus tells three different parables, or stories, about the rejoicing that accompanies the recovery of lost things. The first two (in verses 3-10) have to do with a lost sheep and a lost coin:

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coinsa and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

These two parables set up one of the most famous ones Jesus ever told: that of the Prodigal (or Lost) Son (in v,v. 11ff.):

11Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

My joy at the recovery of a lost notebook likely cannot compare to that of the woman finding her lost coin or the shepherd his lost sheep, and certainly not to that of a lost child who is found and welcomed home by a once broken-hearted father!

And all of these things only illustrate the joy that our Heavenly Father has when one of us, as His lost children, returns to Him! And how is that possible? By the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ, Who, like the determined woman and the unwavering shepherd, refuses to rest until He has brought home all those who are precious to God! As Jesus himself said (in Luke 19:10): 10“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

For my part, I share the testimony of the great hymn writer of old, John Newton, who said:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

And that, my friends, is reason to rejoice!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/niv/luke/15.htm
and http://biblehub.com/niv/luke/19.htm.

HYMN LYRICS SOURCE: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Amazing_Grace/.

REST STOP

6/5/2015

Most everyone in America is familiar with our Interstate Highway System. Founded in 1956, this network of controlled-access highways was championed by President Eisenhower after he viewed the German Autobahn in World War Two. The $425 billion system contains 47,856 miles of expressways, and conveys about one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the nation annually.

In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east-west highways are assigned even numbers and increase from south to north; while north-south highways are assigned odd numbers and increase from west to east. This numbering system holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass. Here in East Tennessee, for example, I-40 runs east-west; while I-75 runs north-south.

Additionally, auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas. One such example is I-285, which encircles my home town of Atlanta, Georgia.

One other significant feature of the Interstate Highway System is the provision of periodic Rest Areas. These sporadically placed sites, sometimes referred to as rest stops, travel plazas, or service areas, are public facilities, located adjacent to primary expressways, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads.

If you have ever travelled on our nations’ interstates, then I am sure you know the value of such rest stops. Positioned every sixty or so miles apart, they can be a welcome site if one is in need of a break from driving. With restroom facilities, vending machines, places to picnic, as well as to walk around and stretch one’s legs, these rest areas are a valuable provision for those who travel the length and breadth of our nation.

I share this today because, in many respects, it is a metaphor for life. As we each travel life’s highway, we busy ourselves with getting from Point A to Point B. Along the way, we become hard-driven, pressing ever forward toward objectives in light of deadlines and payoffs. But, if we are not careful, we can overdo it. We can stay at the wheel too long; and in the process, exhaust ourselves. If we push ourselves too hard, we may wind up in trouble. At best, we may wind up in the dish. At worse, we may crash and burn.

And that is why periodic rest stops are important in life. Whether it is a simple weekend getaway or a full blown vacation, time off for a little rest and relaxation is a valuable component of the journey of life.

For my own part, my wife and I have just concluded a little time off for some much needed “R and R”. Already, I can tell the difference. Already, I feel refreshed and better prepared for the various tasks of life that still lay ahead of me. Already, I find myself eager to get back up onto life’s highway and move forward.

I hope you have had the opportunity to pull over and enjoy a little rest stop as well. If not, I hope you soon will. As a result, I hope you find yourself rested, renewed, and recharged. For, like me, you will most likely need it in the days to come.

UNDERSTANDING THE GROUND RULES!

6/1/2015

Well, after their honeymoon, my oldest son and his beautiful new wife are now preparing to start their lives together in earnest. As one might imagine, several folks have come to him with friendly advice on what makes for a long and lasting marriage.

I chose not to do so, biding my time, and trusting that eventually he would come to me as his father for my opinion on the matter. When he did, I just shared an old story passed along to me by my own father.

To hear my father tell it…

"Well, your mother and I went out west for our honeymoon after marriage. We stayed at a dude ranch. Having selected a horse riding excursion, we started the ride- each on our own mount. My horse was pretty much okay, but the one on which my new bride (your mother) was riding, seemed to be a crazy one.

On the way ahead, that horse got spooked and jumped suddenly, making your mother topple over. Recovering her position from the ground, she patted the horse's back and said "It’s okay. This is your first time!"

She climbed up on the horse and continued with the ride. After a while, it all happened again. This second time, she again kept calm, patted the horse, and said "This is your second time", and then again climbed back in the saddle and continued on.

A little while later, almost on schedule, the horse dropped her for the third time. Getting to her feet, she silently took out a pistol from her purse and shot the horse dead!!!

I could not believe what I was seeing. I shouted at her: "What in the world did you do that for? Are you nuts?! You just killed that poor beast! Have you gone crazy?"

She gave me a silent look; and then in a cool and composed posture, she said: "This is your first time!"

And since that very moment, we have lived happily ever after - no arguments, no quarrels, no petty fights. Just pure marital bliss!"

All jokes aside, what makes for a long and lasting marriage? I believe the answer is to be found in the fifth chapter of the Apostle Paul’s New Testament letter to the Ephesians, verses 21-33, where he declares:

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

This passage is often much maligned in the modern world, as it speaks of a wife’s submission to her husband in verse 22. But those who do so miss the point of the passage.

To begin with, in this same chapter, only three verses later, Paul challenges husbands to love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”. Now, at the very least, that is a tall order! For Christ sacrificed all He had for the church (whom the Bible calls His bride) – even his own life!

More significantly, before Paul ever makes the assertion about wives submitting to their husbands, he first declares in verse 21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The word translated “submit” is from the Koine Greek term, “hupo-tassó”, meaning “to arrange under”.

Thus, Paul is calling on all married persons, whether husband or wife, to freely submit to their respective spouse. In other words, to put it in plain language, marriage is a two way street! There will be times when each partner will have to give way to the other. Any marriage founded on the assumption that one party is always allowed to lord it over the other will invariably end in bitter disappointment, for all involved.

So, husbands, love your wives. And be prepared along the way to give a little bit every so often. And what is true for husbands is also true for wives. Love and submit. Give and take. And before you know it, you will have enjoyed along and lasting relationship together.

HUMOR SOURCE: This joke is based on a similar version found at: http://jayesh.profitfromprices.com/Fun_best_anniversary_jokes.htm.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/niv/ephesians/5.htm.