Blog Archives

Moving On!

6/28/2018

The family of a minister friend of mine has had a busy couple of months. To begin with, he and his wife recently sold their home and purchased another one nearby. However, it just so happened that this move coincided with their youngest son’s graduation from high school. And then, add to that one last family trip to Florida following graduation, leaving a house full of boxes waiting to be sorted upon their return, and one can easily see what constituted all the busy-ness.

But, of course, the activity itself was intensified by the significance of the various events involved. In many respects, what unfolded was one life event inside of another life event inside of yet another life event. Any one of these was significant enough by itself; but when added up, their combined significance obvious had a considerable impact upon the family.

And there was more to come. Once they got home, yet another reality began to set in. Having just finished spending several days unpacking and sorting their belongings, they sat resting from their labors when their youngest son approached them and announced that he was going upstairs and have himself an official “Toy Story 3” moment.

His parents knew exactly what he was referring to. Perhaps you do as well. In the Toy Story series of movies, a young boy named Andy has a collection of favorite toys that proceed to have adventures of their own. While unbeknownst to him, these adventures ultimately had a bearing on his own life.

As the movies unfold successively, Andy himself ages. In the third movie, the plot revolves around this once little boy having come of age and having to say good-bye to his childhood toys as he prepares to heads off to college.

The young man’s allusion to this merely reflects the reality of his current situation. What he himself is now facing is the same as that reflected in the fictional character Andy – that the time has now come to say good-bye to the relative comforts and security of childhood and to embrace the daunting and disconcerting responsibilities of adulthood instead.

Along with his parents, I applaud him for this. The mere fact that he grasps this point places him in front of the curve. He is to be commended for recognizing and embracing what is a necessary if painful step in life.

For it will very likely be but the first of many such steps that he will be required to take as he moves forward in life. At every stage, you see, life presents us the opportunity to let go of yesterday and move boldly forward into tomorrow. And when it does, the security of the past will invariably have to be sacrificed if we are to experience the promise of the future.

Perhaps this is what the writer of the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes had in mind (in chapter 3, verses 1-8) when he said that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun, and included in that list “a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away…”

It is certainly part of what the Old Testament prophet Isaiah had in mind when he wrote (in chapter 43, verses 18-19): “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Isn’t it great to know that God cares for us at every step along life’s way? His blessings are sufficient for us at every part of life journey. And that means that as long as we are willing to embrace the future, He always promises to do something new and fresh and exciting in our lives.

This being the case, why not take some time and remember His blessings from yesterday, thanking Him as you do. But having done so, be quick to look forward to the blessings He has promised for tomorrow. And talk with Him about what all He has in store for you as you do! When tomorrow dawns, you’ll be glad you did!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/niv/ecclesiastes/3.htm and http://biblehub.com/niv/isaiah/43.htm.

CLEAN SWEEP

6/25/2018

My wife is a fanatic about keeping a clean house. Her attitude is pretty much, “Look, we may not have much; but what we do have is gonna be clean!” To their credit, this philosophy was instilled in her by her parents. Every Saturday morning of her childhood, they all pitched in and more or less scalded their home from floor to ceiling.

For my part, I am much more of straightener than a cleaner. By this I mean that my usual practice is more to straighten the house than to clean it. Very often, I do this last thing in the morning before I leave for the day. This too was instilled in me by my father, who insisted that my sisters and I do this when we were growing up.

To be sure, my wife helps in the daily straightening; and occasionally, I myself help in the weekly cleaning. But all of this combined means that our home gets straightened at least once a day, and cleaned thoroughly at least once a week.

Obviously, with the addition of grandchildren, our home often needs straightening more than once a day. And sometime, it also needs cleaning more than once a week. Even then, however, there are times when we need a more thorough cleaning.

Recently, my wife became dissatisfied at the degree of cleanliness in our carpet. While we have hardwood floors, the area where the grandchildren play the most is carpeted. She had repeatedly applied carpet cleaning agents to remove certain spots and stains; but she decided that this was not sufficient to get the job done. And then she called in the professionals.

Three days later, a virtual miracle had unfolded. Our carpet had been so thoroughly cleaned by the professionals that it actually looked about two shades lighter. It not only looked clean, it felt clean, and to be honest, it even smelled clean.

As I beheld the miracle, I could not help but think about just how much we had been deluding ourselves that we had kept our carpet clean on our own. In truth, all that running of the sweeper, all that vacuuming, all that spot remover, and all that elbow grease had done little more than placate our conscience as we fooled ourselves into thinking that we had sufficiently removed all the dirt and stain from our carpet.

Call it the preacher in me, but I soon saw the parallel between having a dirty carpet and having a dirty soul. My wife and I once had brand new beautifully clean carpet installed in our home. But in short order, the wear and tear of daily life turned this once spotless floor covering into a dirty and tarnished eyesore.

In like manner, our beautifully clean souls emerged from their freshly created state in Genesis chapter 1 only to be besotted by the blight of sin in Genesis chapter 3! Thereafter, men and women put forth enormous efforts over untold generations trying to clean and restore their precious souls to their former state. But alas, their efforts all came up short!

At best, they (and we) deluded ourselves into thinking that we had somehow succeeded in removing the terrible stain of sin. But the truth is, it remained.

And for this reason, an expert came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. That expert was none other than the One and Only Son of God, Jesus Christ. As the Bible tells us (in the First New Testament Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 7), the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin!

How clean are you? How clean is your soul? Is it tarnished? Is it stained with the terrible guilt of sin? Has it doggedly remained in such a state despite your repeated attempts to clean it all up? Then I have good news for you. The testimony of the Psalmist can be yours as well (Psalm 51:1-15):

1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Few things feel as good to the feet as walking on fresh clean carpet! But nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that one’s soul has been washed clean! Despite his terrible sin with Bathsheba, King David knew this feeling. Despite the terrible sins I have committed, I know this feeling. And despite your own shortcomings, I trust you know it as well!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/1_john/1-7.htm and
http://biblehub.com/niv/psalms/51.htm.

AFTERTASTE

6/22/2018

One of my favorite movies from back in the day is the 1954 science fiction classic, Them, starring James Arness and James Whitmore. The plot of the movie revolves around giant irradiated ants that have arisen in New Mexico as the result of fallout from nuclear testing in the southwestern United States.

All too predictably, the monstrous ants soon swarm and wind up in the concrete spillways and sewers of the Los Angeles River, where their nests must be found and eradicated before their offspring can wreak havoc on the city and its inhabitants.

While not nearly as fierce an opponent as these marauding eight foot long ants were, their smaller cousins have nonetheless kept my wife and I have been under siege for the past couple of weeks. In particular, we have been plagued with ants in our shower – to the tune of about ten or twelve a day.

Weary of picking them off one at a time, we called in an exterminator. He quickly analyzed our problem. The particular form of ant we have been keep encountering is an odorous house ant, which is attracted to sweeteners of all sorts. To make his point, he pinched a hapless ant and it gave off a slight sweet smell in the process. He then told us that the ants in our shower were very likely attracted to the fragrance in the shampoo.

Suffice it to say that the delicious smelling shampoo that has lured so many ants to our shower over the past few weeks has now come home to roost. Literally. The ants are gone now because the last few to return to their nest bearing a sweet tasting substance from our shower retuned not with shampoo, but with a little sweet smelling substance left by the exterminator. Only this substance contained something deadly as well as sweet.

Alas, if the poor ants in question had simply foraged in the abundance of our yard and nearby woods, their entire colony would likely still be alive. Sadly, they chose to venture out of bounds for an easy meal and paid the price.

As I have reflected on this little incident, I have been reminded of the story contained in the Bible in chapter 3 of the Old Testament Book of Genesis. Adam and Eve were given a wondrous garden in which to live – one that abounded with all types of fruits and vegetables. And they were allowed to eat of all its bounty save one plant: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Alas, however, the tempter came along and reminded them of the wondrous fruit this tree had to offer, and of how good it would be to the taste. As a result, they soon disregarded God’s rules and partook of this forbidden fruit.

No doubt it was good to the taste. But the aftertaste, left not in their mouths so much as in their hearts and minds, was not nearly so palatable. For having violated God’s law and, they then fell under the sentence of death as a consequence.

Ever since that day, the tempter has continued to excel at the business of luring people away from God. He delights in presenting us with luscious and seductive fruit, all the while concealing his true motive, which is our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and ultimately eternal demise.

By His grace, God gave His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from this sentence of spiritual death. Christ literally died in our place. As the Apostle Paul puts it (in the New Testament Book of Romans, chapter 5, verse 8): “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

He then explains (in chapter 6, verse 23) that even though the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Thus, (according to chapter 10, verses 9 and 10) he tells us:

9“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

I am thrilled to know that even though I was led astray by the tempter and violated God’s righteous laws in the process, I have nonetheless been gloriously saved through the vicarious death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on my behalf.

Nonetheless, like all believers, I still face temptation. We Christians may be saved for eternity, but we must still live in this fallen world, where the tempter, at least for now, runs amok. This means that temptation must still be faced – and that on a daily basis.

But I praise the Lord that even in this ongoing struggle against temptation and sin, I am not without help. In the later New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 10, verse 13), the Apostle Paul further states:

13“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

To be sure, temptation is a powerful thing. In fact, it is arguably the single greatest weapon in the arsenal of the evil one to be used against us. And yet, it does not always have to lead to defeat and disgrace in our lives as believers. With God's help, we can soon learn to anticipate and avoid the wiles of the Devil!

It was William Shakespeare who once famously said: “All that glitters is not gold.” In much the same way, not everything that appeals to our sense of sight or smell proves to be in our best interest once it is consumed and ingested.

So, remember my friends, beware the luscious and fragrant traps of the evil one! Or else, you might just swallow something that leaves you with a terrible aftertaste!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

http://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm.
http://biblehub.com/romans/5-8.htm.
http://biblehub.com/romans/6-23.htm.
http://biblehub.com/niv/romans/10.htm.
http://biblehub.com/nlt/1_corinthians/10.htm.

NOTE: Before finding lasting fame portraying U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon in 635 episodes from 1955-1975 on the television show, Gunsmoke, James Arness also starred in another science fiction classic in 1951: Howard Hawks’ The Thing from Another World. He plays an alien who crash lands near the Arctic Circle and attacks the U.S. Air Force personnel sent to investigate.

HOT WATER!

6/18/2018

We have been facing a rather unpleasant experience over the last day or so at the Jackson house. Something called a "thermocouple" appears to have gone out on our hot water heater; and the result has been that we have gone from the two traditional settings in the shower (hot and cold) to two new settings: cold and even colder!

As everyone knows, taking a cold shower is bad enough. One usually shivers his or her way through the terribly brief process. Indeed, “In and out” would be the best way to put it.

But when one is out of hot water, all sorts of other normal processes are also suddenly put on hold. White clothes cannot be washed effectively when there is no hot water. The dishes cannot be properly cleaned when the dishwasher cannot be run for lack of hot water. Nor can the kitchen sink be filled with hot water to wash them by hand. Indeed, most anything related to cleaning, sanitizing, or even cooking can also suffer a bit.

Given all this, let’s just say that we will be pleased when this day has come and gone. The repairman has been contacted and the appointment has been made. Hopefully, by the end of the day, he will have come and done his work; and the problem will have been solved.

As I have pondered this business of being out of hot water, I have obviously been reminded of all the issues that it can present. But this minor crisis has also brought to mind the consequences one can face when he or she is not out of hot water, but rather in hot water!

Indeed, the phrase "in hot water" has come to mean that someone is in deep trouble. And let’s be honest, life certainly presents us with many chances to find ourselves in such circumstances.

As I reflect back over my life, there have been many times when I have found myself in hot water. Some of these times were no fault of mine. One can simply wind up at the wrong place at the wrong time, as it were. We have all been there.

And yet, if I am honest, most of the times when I, myself, have wound up in hot water, it has been the result of my own doing. Whether it was getting caught in little white lies, about not having done my homework or not finishing my vegetables, or having transgressed in more serious affairs, such as something mean I either said or did to one of my sisters growing up, I learned early on in life that I often found myself having to face the consequences of my own actions.

The most tremendous set of consequences I have had to face has been the result of both something I did and did not do. The Bible tells me that I, like every other person, am a sinner. As the apostle Paul puts it in the New Testament book of Romans (chapter 3, verse 23): "Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Biblically, I am a sinner on two counts. First, I am a sinner by nature. I inherited this sin nature form Adam and Eve. The Apostle Paul again affirms this in his New Testament teaching in the Book of Romans, chapter 5, where he tells us in verse 12 that that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin. Later, in verse 18, he tells us that just one trespass (by Adam) resulted in condemnation for all people.

But even if I had not been born with a sinful nature, I most assuredly would have brought one about on my own; for I am also a sinner by choice. To be certain, my predicament is great here. For I struggle with temptation and sin on a daily basis. This is also affirmed by Paul two chapters later, in Roman 7, where in verses 18-20, he says:

18"I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

He concludes this passage (in verses 24 and 25) by asking and immediately answering one of the most famous questions ever posed:

24"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

I tried desperately to figure out how to fix my hot water heater. But alas, all my tinkering amounted to naught. So I swallowed my pride and asked for help. I have called in an expert. And He will surely do for me and my wife what we cannot do for ourselves.

Likewise, years ago, after getting myself into enough hot water in life, I finally concluded that I could not fix my own sin problem either. And in that matter, like the Apostle Paul, I called upon an expert - Jesus Christ – who fixed what none of us could otherwise fix.

As Paul so eloquently put it (in Romans chapter 5, verses 18-19):

18"Just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

And that, my friend, warms my heart no matter how much cold water the old world throws on me!

SCRIPTURE VERSES:
http://biblehub.com/romans/3-23.htm and
http://biblehub.com/niv/romans/5.htm and
http://biblehub.com/niv/romans/7.htm.

A LETTER FROM DAD

6/14/2018

With Father’s Day occurring this coming Sunday, I have found myself thinking a lot about my earthly father and the love he had for me and my sisters as we grew up. My father, who is now in Heaven, was not often one to express his love verbally. But he was certainly one who showed his love by the faithful provision for and continuous nurture of his children.

When I think of all the ways my earthly father showed his love for me, I am reminded of the love my Heavenly Father has for me, and for you, and of all the ways He chooses to show that love to us.

In light of this, I thought I would post a piece here today from my files that reminds us of the love our Heavenly Father has for us.

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you ~ Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image ~ Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being ~ Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring ~ Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived ~ Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation ~ Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book ~ Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born ~ Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me ~ John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your father ~ 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father ~ Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand ~ James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins against you ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you ~ Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad, Almighty God

If God has blessed you with an earthly father who faithfully showed his love to you, and if this man is still alive, then please take time to tell him what he means to you on this special day.

And if that man is already deceased, then find some way to honor him with your life - not the least of which would be to love any children God may have given you even as you yourself have been loved.

And above all, on this special weekend, remember your Heavenly Father, for He is the One Who loves you as no one ever has or ever can!

SOURCE: From a clipping in some unknown publication in my sermon folder on “Father’s Day”. Also available widely online. See, for instance: http://aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com/search?q=father%27s+day+.

MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN!

6/11/2018

One of the singular privileges of a minister’s profession is to be involved in the uniting of young couples in holy matrimony. A pastor learns early on that funerals and weddings are a part of the normal flow of life; and while the former is often accompanied by tears of sadness, the latter most often involves much laughter and great joy.

For my part, over the years, I have been involved in scores of weddings. I was blessed to officiate at all three of my children’s weddings, as well as my younger sister’s wedding. (I had not yet surrendered to the ministry when my older sister to married; or I likely would have been a part of that ceremony too.)

I have also been privileged to tie the knot, as it were, for several nieces and nephews. Hopefully, one day, I can even participate in my own grandchildren’s’ weddings.

Of course, of all the weddings I have been a part of, two stand out far more than all the rest. The first of these is my own wedding, which occurred exactly 35 years ago today. That’s right! As the picture below depicts, on June 11, 1983, my precious bride, Vickie, and I got ourselves hitched!

And all I can say is that she must be a glutton for punishment; because she has faithfully stuck by me for over three and a half decades now. In fact, we met in the tenth grade and dated for seven years before we got married. So, altogether, we have spent forty two years together as a couple – thirty five of which have been as husband and wife.

I thank God in Heaven for my precious wife! My relationship with her is the single most important relationship I have in this world! To be honest, I have no idea where I would be without her love and support. And my sincere hope and prayer is that we get to spend our entire lives in this world together. Nothing on earth would make me a happier man.

I say that my relationship with my wife is the single most important relationship I have in this world; and it is. But there is one relationship I have that supersedes even it. And the same is true for her. That is the personal relationship that each of us enjoys with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is the other significant marriage I referenced above.

I prayed to receive Christ as my personal Lord and Savior on May 4, 1970. According to the Bible, when I entered into this relationship with Him, I became a part of the church, which, among other things, the Bible describes as the "bride of Christ".

In a famous passage in the New Testament Book of Ephesians, (chapter 5, verses 31-33) where he addresses the relationships between husbands and wives, the Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament Book of Genesis (chapter 2, verse 24) as he makes the following assertion:

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.

Thus, my role as a husband to my earthly wife is informed by, guided by, and only superseded by my role as a part of the bride of my heavenly Savior!

Thirty five years ago, my wife and I celebrated our nuptials! I will treasure this memory as long as I live! But one day, somewhere out there in the future, I will celebrate the other wedding of which I am a part. As The Apostle John puts it in the New Testament book of Revelation (chapter 19, verse 6-9):

6Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” 9Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

I will always remember with great fondness the events of that second weekend in June back in 1983! A rehearsal dinner, a marriage ceremony, a wedding reception, and a wonderful honeymoon! I still remember how excited I was as the big events approached! I cherish their memory to this very day.

And yet, nowadays, I also find myself looking forward to another special series of matrimonial events out there in the future – when the Bridegroom will return for His bride; and I along with all believers everywhere, will be taken to be with Him in His Father’s house, where we will solemnize our relationship and celebrate this event with a time of feasting and festivity like never before!

And thus, I leave you with the prayer of the Apostle John at the end of the Bible: “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
http://biblehub.com/niv/ephesians/5.htm.
http://biblehub.com/niv/revelation/19.htm.
http://biblehub.com/revelation/22-20.htm.

BACK IN STYLE!

6/8/2018

It has happened again - another barn find! This time, it involves a huge hoard of cars and trucks found in a barn on a South Dakota farm. The huge collection of Dodge and Plymouth vehicles, plus a few Chevys and Cadillacs, were all stored up by a Mopar fanatic named Alan Rietz.

His wife said he did so because he did not want to see them modified for racing or destroyed in demolition derbies. Now, a year after he died, they have been re-discovered and are all heading to the auction block.

The collection is largely comprised of late 1960s and early 1970s era muscle cars. it includes a rare 1970 Plymouth Road Runner convertible that was used for everyday driving by Mrs. Rietz, as well as a numbers-matching 1970 Dodge Super Bee 440 6-pack and a 1976 Plymouth Trail Duster SUV.

The newest among them is a 1983 Dodge Mirada convertible with red velvet interior upholstery, which, apart from its weathered paint, apparently looks as bright as the day it came off the factory floor. Other vehicles include Dodge Power Wagons and Ram Chargers, and a wonderful 1961 Jeep-based wrecker.

One can only wonder at what these long neglected vehicles will look like when the wonderful restorations likely envisioned by the new owners come to pass. They will surely be impressive sights to see.

This weekend, our church hosts their annual “Cruise-In” car show. We have been doing so for over a decade and a half now. The event grows every year, both in participation and in attendance. And I personally cannot wait to see the wonderful collection of restored vehicles sure to be on display this Saturday.

Every year, as I walk among all of the gorgeous old cars on display, I am reminded of what God has done for me. Like these old cars, I was originally wrought by my Creator in the splendor of His image. But the ravages of sin took its toll on me over time. I wound up worn out, used up, and marred and damaged to such a point that many would have viewed me as beyond all hope.

But then something wonderful happened. I was lost; but Jesus Christ found me. Having found me, He redeemed me. And in the process, He restored me to my original splendor as a human being.

In the New Testament Book of Titus (chapter 2, verse 14), we are told Christ gave Himself for us in order to redeem us. The word used by the Apostle Paul and translated as “redeem” is the “Koine” (or “Common”) Greek term, “loo-tro'-o”, which means “to release (or set free) by paying the full ransom price”; thus, “to restore something back into the possession of its rightful owner”. Scholars tell us that the term was often used of first century slaves being bought on the auction block.

I am thankful that Jesus Christ was willing to pay the full price for my redemption, by giving His life on an old rugged cross and thereby satisfying the wrath of God against the price of my sin. In the process, He redeemed me and put me back into a proper relationship with my Creator.

And by His grace, each and every day, He continues to work on me, restoring me to the fullness of my potential by helping me to conform to his image! While I am not now what I one day will be, I praise God that I am now more than I ever was without Jesus Christ!

And for this reason, just as a beautifully restored vehicle testifies by its condition to the one who found, retrieved, and restored it, I will praise the name of my redeemer for all eternity!

STORY SOURCE:
https://worldsnewz.com/2018/06/08/farm-find-huge-hoard-of-dodge-and-plymouth-cars-and-trucks-heading-to-auction/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
http://biblehub.com/text/titus/2-14.htm.

LOST AND FOUND

6/4/2018

In a well-known Old Testament passage in the Bible, the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 3, verses 1-8) famously declares:

1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

The admonitions contained in verses 4 and 6,: “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”, and also “a time to search and a time to give up”, have particular relevance for my family this day, and especially for my sister.

You see, as if to add the proverbial “insult” to “injury”, the recent sickness and death of our mother was capped off for my poor sister by the loss of several of her most beloved pieces of jewelry, and of her wedding ring in particular.

Upon discovering her loss, she spent days looking every conceivable place for their whereabouts. My other sister and my wife both joined in the search with her. In the process, they turned the house upside down, as it were. But they never found the missing jewelry.

As the days and weeks passed, the gravity of this loss set in. In truth, few things are as cherished as are wedding rings. For this reason, their loss only served to exacerbate her grief and weigh further upon her heart. Until today, that is.

Late this afternoon, the various smart phones within our family begin blowing up with the news - the exultant news - that my sister's missing jewelry had been found! It was discovered rolled up in the folded sleeping pad of her granddaughter, right where it had inadvertently been placed late one evening at the end of a stress-filled day some three and a half weeks ago!

Needless, to say, the joy in both my sister’s voice and heart was palpable, even from an entire state away!

As I rejoiced with her in her good news, I could not help but think of a parable that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, once shared. In the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 15 is often referred to as the lostness chapter.

Here, Jesus relates three successive stories designed to illustrate just how much God loves us and rejoices at our salvation. In the two more well-known stories of the three, He relates how a shepherd rejoices at finding a lost sheep and how a father rejoices at the return of his long lost “prodigal” son.

But sandwiched between these two, and often overlooked, is a third story – about a woman who finds a lost coin of great value. In Luke 15, verses 8-10, we find the following:

8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins 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.”

I am thankful that the woman in this story persisted in her exhaustive search until the found her treasured lost coin. I am thankful as well that my sister persisted in her search until she found her beloved lost jewelry. But above all, I am thankful that my Heavenly Father persisted until sinners such as me, who were lost, were eventually found!

No joy on earth compares to the joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents and comes back to God! And while there are joys in this life, there is surely none greater than that of a lost sinner who repents and finds his or her way home, of one having been lost only to be found by God!

The famed hymn-writer of old, John Newton, understood my sister’s exuberance. As did he that of the shepherd, the woman, and the father in the three stories Jesus related. In a combination of inspiration and eloquence rarely equaled in the English language, he stated it thus:

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.

Little wonder then, that Newton’s famous hymn concludes with an equally inspired stanza:

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise,
Than when we first begun.

I do not know if my sister’s jewelry is singing her praises right now. If I were a diamond, made to shine in radiant splendor, and I suddenly found myself ignominiously lost under some sleeping pad, I would rejoice to know that I had been diligently sought by my owner until found, and then put proudly on display for all the world to see! I would sing her praises forever!

But this one thing I do know. I am not a diamond. I am something worth far more than mere carbon crystal! I am a living, breathing human being created in the image of Almighty God!

And as so, I am of such inestimable value to Him that even though I was lost in the dregs of sin, He sought and sought until He found me. And having found me, He redeemed me! To quote another famous hymnist, “He sought me, and bought me, with His redeeming blood!”

And for this reason, above all others, I rejoice today! For I know first-hand what it means to have been lost, and then to have been found!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

http://biblehub.com/niv/ecclesiastes/3.htm
http://biblehub.com/niv/luke/15.htm

HYMN SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
http://wordtoworship.com/song/3125

MEANINGFUL THOUGHTS

6/1/2018

Words cannot express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and support which I have received during the recent passing of my mother. The same holds true for my family, all of whom join with me in offering this sincere and heartfelt statement of appreciation for all of the visits, calls, e-mails, text messages, cards, and letters we have received.

The various gestures, prayers, and words of comfort you have offered have meant more than you can imagine. Whether it was something as time consuming as a meal, or as simple as a texted emoje, each and every response has been meaningful to us in our hour of need. Indeed, sometimes, just the simplest of overtures have mean the most.

One such example is this poem that I received from a dear fiend. I post it here today because the message it contains has spoken volumes to me in this time. If you, like me, have loved ones in Heaven, then I trust this poem speaks as much to your heart as it does to mine.

SOURCE: www.pinterest.com. This version is obviously an expansion of the famous poem by Frances & Kathleen Coelho.

NOTE: The comments section at http://wordsofapoet.com/2008/01/10/god-saw-you-getting-tired/ contains a lengthy discussion on the ongoing dispute over the exact authorship, copyright, dating, and registration of this poem. The above version, obviously sourced from Facebook, makes no claim on authorship and thus complies with the stated wishes of the individual claiming original authorship.