Blog Archives

TOPPED UP

7/30/2019

In America, we use the term “topping off” to refer to what happens when we stop and fill our gas tanks one more time before we hit the road. I discovered over the last week or two that people in other parts of the world call this “topping up”.

Of course, people, like cars, need energy to run. Every so often, a person’s creativity tank can run a little low. When this happens, it can be very beneficial to take a break and get away for a while in order to clear his or her mind and allow the tank to get refilled. For this reason, my own recent mini-sabbatical from blogging has been more than beneficial.

Actually, I have been away on a church sponsored Mission Trip to Kenya; and the trip has been very rewarding. Ostensibly, we spent a week working in the Spring Valley Baptist Children’s Centre and School in Nairobi, Kenya. Along the way, the Lord helped to refill my soul.

Begun in 1999, the Spring Valley ministry is now celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Kenyans Stanley Nganga (known affectionately as “Pastor Stanley”) and his wife, “Teacher” Alice, began the orphanage and school after they had gone on a church sponsored trip to the slums located in the Spring Valley area on the outskirts of Nairobi.

At the time, he was an accountant and she was a banker. Troubled by the astounding poverty and literal starvation they encountered (400 children died that year in Spring Valley from starvation, their bodies being thrown into the eponymous spring-fed creek running through the local valley), they prayed about it and decided to cash in their retirements and found an orphanage for the numerous homeless and destitute children of parents recently deceased as a result of AIDS.

Today, that ministry has grown to include right at 400 children! And the orphanage is expanding yet again. So, while we were there, we undertook the following:

-We delivered and distributed 12 large suitcases full of supplies (such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, etc… to the orphanage…

-We conducted two medical clinics seeing over one thousand people in all…

-We provided 30 pillows, blankets, and bed covers to thirty boys in the orphanage who did not previously have these most basic items…

-We fixed and repaired dozens of broken lights in five different buildings…

-We fixed and repaired scores of broken lockers in two dorm buildings…

-We built thirty new desks for thirty new students in classrooms…

-We repaired dozens of broken desks and handmade church pews…

-We made twenty plus home visits to deliver goods to families living in abject poverty…

-We helped serve over ten thousand meals (24 meals to each of over 400 children and 30 adults)…

-We taught two hours of hygiene classes…

-And we taught over twenty hours of Bible classes…

As we undertook these various projects, I like to feel like we helped to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of people while in Kenya. But, as long as I live, I will never get over the impact of this one trip on my life as well. The Lord clearly used my time in Africa trip to remind me of several things. Among them were:

-Just how good He has been to me…

-That to whom much is given, much is required…

-And of course, how much more of a blessing it is to give than to receive.

As if to underscore the truths, the Lord gave me an unexpected couple of surprises when we left Kenya and headed home. On the way back, we had a lengthy layover in Holland. Afforded this opportunity, we ventured out into Amsterdam to see what all we could see. In due time, we found ourselves at the house where Anne Frank and her family had been hidden away during the Nazi occupation of Holland in World War Two.

From there we took the train to Haarlem (the namesake of the more widely known community in the northern part of Manhattan Island, New York), and made our way to another significant place –one that had served as both a shop, a home, and a hiding place for numerous Jews in World War Two. That place was owned by the family of Corrie Ten Boom. She and her family were Christians who chose to harbor Jews and protect them from Nazis during the same Nazi occupation.

Of course, for those of you who have read Ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place, or else who may have seen the movie of the same name championed by Billy Graham, the courage of these Christians in the face of absolute evil is amazing!

Along with her entire family, Corrie Ten Boom was made to pay the price for sheltering innocent people from evil. She lost several family members to the Nazis in Concentration Camps; and, along with her sister, was herself interned in Ravensbrück. Sadly, her sister did not survive. But Corrie did; and afterward, the Lord laid it on her heart to write a book titled The Hiding Place.

Through this book, and the movie that followed, the Lord used her testimony in a powerful way. When Billy Graham discovered it, he asked her to participate in several of his crusades. Her testimony helped to make a difference in the lives of millions of people.

Corrie Ten Boom followed the example of our Lord and Savior and emptied herself completely on behalf of others. She gave all she had to give. And as a result, the Lord used her in a powerful way.

While our own time in Kenya did not impact millions of people, we did impact hundreds. In the process, I have been reminded that all God asks of any of us is to be willing to be used of Him. When we are so willing, and make ourselves available, He finds a way to make our service meaningful to others.

In any event, I am back home now; and my tank has definitely been “topped up”! From time to time over the coming days, I hope to sprinkle a story or two into my blog posts about what all the Lord allowed me to experience on this wonderful trip.

Attached is the Spring Valley newsletter summarizing our trip…

pinellas_and_1st_baptist_lenoir_mission_trip__1_.pdf

REFILL AS NEEDED

7/11/2019

When I was a boy growing up on a farm down in Georgia, we raised lots of cows and hogs. Technically, we were not farmers, as other than our personal garden, we really only harvested corn and hay in order to feed our livestock. The more proper term for what we did, therefore, was animal husbandry.

But whatever you call it, I learned early on that livestock had to be cared for daily – meaning mostly that they had to be fed and watered every single day. And my father and grandfather made it plain to me that it was my job to see that all this got done.

To facilitate this, they brought in a bulldozer and created a small retaining pond on the creek that ran through our property from which we could draw water for the various animals housed in pens and stables. From time to time, we also used the pond for irrigation purposes. But even as a small lad, I realized that the level of water in the pond had to be managed carefully.

Especially during the dry summer months, the pond needed time to replenish itself. Otherwise, it would be sucked dry. However, left to itself, without us overly taxing its content, it would eventually refill. The obvious lesson I learned back then was that we had to be careful not to take more out of the pond than it could sustain.

I share this because I have come to realize that the human spirit is much the same. As one who communicates regularly, through preaching, teaching, and writing, I know what it can be like to have one’s levels of creativity run low.

Like Elijah of old, who more than once rested and replenished his body and spirit before continuing the ministry God had given him, I will be taking a little time off over the next week or two in order to allow my own well of creativity to replenish itself. I will resume posting when my reservoir has once again been filled.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: Elijah rested multiple times in chapters 17-19 of the Old Testament book of I Kings. Cf.: https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_kings/17.htm, and https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_kings/19.htm.

HEART OF GOLD

7/8/2019

Lynn Jost holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University and is a Professor of Old Testament and Director of the Center for Anabaptist Studies at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California. He shares the following story about what happened during the reign of King Frederick William III of Prussia.

It seems that the king found himself and his nation in trouble. Wars had been costly; and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people; and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable.

So, after careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would thus be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 1813” or “I gave silver for iron, 1813”, etc...

The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than they did their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear iron jewelry; and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron, in order for all to see their true devotion.

Dr. Jost goes on to assert that when Christians come to their King, they too are called to exchange the flourishes of their former life for a cross.

This past Sunday, I shared a message from the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 19, verses 1-10, on Zacchaeus titled "When Worlds Collide". The Bible makes plain that before he met Jesus Christ, Zacchaeus lived a self-centered and self-enriching life. But after he came to know Jesus, he made a 180 degree turnabout.

According to verse 8, he became so convicted by His devotion to His Master that he pledged to give half of his earthly possessions to the poor, and also to repay fourfold to anyone he had previously cheated.

In short, Zacchaeus demonstrated what it means to become a committed follower of Jesus Christ. For in the New Testament Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, verse 34, Jesus once told His disciples that those would follow Him must first deny themselves and take up their cross.

In effect, Zacchaeus did just that. Like the women of Prussia, he traded gold for a cross! And in the process, he helped to strengthen and advance the Kingdom of God – both on earth and in Heaven!

Of course, all of this raises crucial questions for us; does it not? What exactly have we traded for the cross? What exactly have we sacrificed for the Kingdom of God? What exactly have we given up for the glory of our Savior?

STORY SOURCE: Available widely online. See, for instance: https://bible.org/illustration/i-gave-gold-iron.

SEE ALSO: https://www.fresno.edu/person/367/lynn-jost-phd.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/luke/19-1.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/mark/8-34.htm.

THREE CHEERS!

7/4/2019

Earlier today, I attended a patriotic function in which the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was proudly recited by all present. This was immediately followed by the hardy singing of the National Anthem by the same group. Of course, both of these patriotic expressions are dear to the heart of the vast majority of Americans. What is more, both also have official sanction for their usage.

Our National Anthem, titled "The Star-Spangled Banner", was first recognized for official use by the United States Navy in 1889. It gained great traction during World War One, before eventually being made the official United States National Anthem by Congressional resolution and Presidential signature on March 3, 1931.

A few years later, the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag was officially adopted by the United Sates Congress in the first year of World War Two in 1942.

Little did I know, as this day began, that a third such official expression, called "The American Creed", also exists. I am glad that I have now discovered its existence.

This third expression of American patriotism came about during World War One, when a Maryland man named William Tyler Page won a nationwide 1917 patriotic contest for "the best summary of American political faith founded upon things fundamental in American history and tradition".

Shortly thereafter, on April 3, 1918, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution formally accepting the statement as "The American's Creed".

I thought it appropriate, therefore, to share this official, if little known document from American history with my readers on this special day in which we are celebrating our nation’s independence. Its two short paragraphs clearly remind us what our founding fathers well understood - that human responsibilities are always the source of human rights.

The officially adopted "American Creed" states:

"I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies."

I, for one, proudly affirm this creed. I hope you do as well.

SOURCES:

http://www.usflag.org/american.creed.html;

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

NOTE: "The American Creed" by William Tyler Page is not to be confused with "An American's Creed" by Dean Alfange. "An American's Creed" (or simply "My Creed"), for the composition of which Alfrange was given an award in 1952 by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, originally appeared in This Week Magazine. A condensed version later appeared in Reader's Digest in both the October 1952 and January 1954 issues. It reads as follows:

"I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon. I seek to develop whatever talents God gave me—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any earthly master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say – 'This, with God's help, I have done.' All this is what it means to be an American."

Cf.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Alfange.

EMBRACING OUR DESTINY

7/2/2019

In his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From A Totally Different Life, author Mark Batterson relates the following account of what happened exactly 156 years ago today at a heretofore unknown little hamlet of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

A union officer in the Civil War named Joshua Chamberlain was a student of theology and a professor of rhetoric, but not really a soldier. Nonetheless, when duty called, Chamberlain answered. Along the way, he climbed the ranks to become Colonel of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

On July 2, 1863, Chamberlain and his three-hundred-soldier regiment were all that stood between the Confederates and certain defeat. At 2:30 P.M., the 15th and 47th Alabama infantry regiments of the Confederate army charged; but Chamberlain and his men held their ground.

Thereafter, a second, third, fourth, and fifth charge all followed. By the last charge, only 80 blue clad men stood standing. Chamberlain himself was knocked down by a bullet that hit his belt buckle; but the 24-year-old schoolteacher got right back up. Little did he know that this was to be his date with destiny.

When a certain Sergeant Tozier informed Chamberlain that no reinforcements were coming and his men were down to one round of ammunition per soldier, Chamberlain knew he needed to act decisively. Just then, a lookout informed Colonel Chamberlain that the Confederates were forming rank.

Of course, the rational thing to do at that point, with no ammunition and no reinforcements, would have been to surrender. But Chamberlain made a defining decision. In full view of the enemy, Chamberlain climbed onto a barricade of stones and gave a command. He pointed his sword forward and yelled, "Charge!"

Though vastly outnumbered, his men fixed bayonets and started running straight at the Confederate army. They caught them off guard by executing a great right wheel. The result was that, in what ranks as one of the most improbable victories in military history, 80 Union soldiers literally captured 4,000 Confederate soldiers inside of five minutes.

As astounding as that is, many historians believe that if Chamberlain had not charged when he did, the Confederate army would have gained the high ground, likely won the Battle of Gettysburg, and even eventually won the war. After all, just over the hill from where Chamberlain captured the Confederates lay an 80 mile stretch of railroad line running all the way into Washington, D.C. - one that was completely undefended by any Union Army!

And herein lies the great lesson for all of us: one man's courage definitely saved the day, likely saved the war, and even arguably saved the Union!

Batterson’s summary of that day’s events has particular meaning for me. Joshua Chamberlain’s great grandson, Charlie Chamberlain, was for years a member of the church where I currently serve as pastor. I was privileged to get to know this man in depth before he passed on to Heaven. As I did, I was blessed to hear him share with understandable pride about his famous forbear, who was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his exploits at Gettysburg.

Of course, Batterson’s whole point in including this illustration in his book is to make the very point that his sub-title asserts: on any given day, each and every one of us truly are just one decision away from a totally different life. We never know when destiny will come calling. But when it does, we, like Joshua Chamberlain of old, must be willing to step forward and answer the call. And if we are, we might well find out that we can change not only our own lives, but the lives of others around us forever!

To date, since its inception, a total of 3,524 United States Congressional Medals of Honor have been awarded. It is safe to say that not one of the recipients got out of bed the day they earned their medal with the stated intention of doing so. Nonetheless, in each and every case, when the opportunity presented itself, the would-be recipient stepped forward and acted bravely and decisively!

As a result, the lives of each and every American alive since that day have been affected. Our freedoms have been guaranteed and our future has been secured. Therefore, as we celebrate our nation’s independence over the next couple of days, I pray we will remember the willingness of these men and women to take whatever steps they were called upon to take on our behalf.

That willingness changed their destiny. It changed ours as well!

SOURCE: Mark Batterson, All In: You Are One Decision away from A Totally Different Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), pp. 33-34.

SEE ALSO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Chamberlain.

AS WELL AS: http://www.mohhsus.com/medal-of-honor.

TOPPED UP

REFILL AS NEEDED

HEART OF GOLD

THREE CHEERS!

EMBRACING OUR DESTINY

Cleo E. Jackson, III

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