CLEOEJACKSONIII.COM
  • My Home Page
  • My Life and Ministry
  • My Ongoing Thoughts
  • My Favorite Bible Verses
  • My Favorite Stories
  • My Favorite Jokes
  • My Favorite Quotations
  • My Favorite Web Links
  • My Contact Info
"Helping Others Communicate"

THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

7/29/2021

 
Many of the towns my wife and I pass through between while driving between our house and my two sisters' houses down in Alabama have much in common.  To begin with, they are undoubtedly wonderful places to live.  Many have a central square with a court house in the center.  Even those which are not county seats still contain one or more major intersections of old state or federal highways.

Radiating out from the center of town is usually a number of beautiful old buildings, shops, and gorgeous old homes from a by-gone era.  The word that best seems to describe them all is picturesque.

But they have also tended to suffer from a similar ailment in that, for the most part, their respective downtown business districts were pretty much drying up.  As a general rule, many of the local businesses had long since relocated out to whatever four lane highway happens to by-pass the particular city in question.  Those that have not relocated have had to face the consequences of competing with superstores and fast food franchises which have cropped up.  Others simply could not compete and were forced out of business.

As of late, however, it is evident that many of these cities have become intentional about revitalizing their downtown business areas.  With funding from grants and other economic initiatives, these efforts have not been without success.  As a result, to the credit of many local communities, their respective Main Streets, Broadways, and Central Avenues are now beginning to rebound as they play host to with chic little shops and eateries designed to attract shoppers away from big box stores and franchised restaurants.

However, even the best laid plans can go awry.  One such town I passed though recently had completely reworked the intersection between its main street and the four-lane bypassing it.  New pavement had been laid down, along with beautiful landscaping, and clearly marked signage encouraging people to visit their downtown area. 

The only problem is that the big bold beautiful new sign pointing would-be visitors to the downtown area was pointing in the wrong direction.  Downtown was to the left; but the sing pointed to the right.  Anyone unfamiliar with the situation and seeking to visit downtown would have actually been directed away from downtown.

Apparently, I was not the only person to note this.  Not many days thereafter, when I again passed thought the same intersection, the large sign directing people downtown had been corrected and was now pointing in the right direction.

As I reflected on this, I came to several conclusions.  First, anyone can make a mistake.  In fact, we all do.  The important thing is to fix the mistake once we realize what we have done.  But that does not change the fact that mistakes, especially those involving giving direction to other people, are not only counterproductive but often costly.

Now, if this is true in regard to earthly matters such as economics and industry, how much more is it true in regard to spiritual matters?  Think about it.  As believers, we have been given the responsibility of directing people to the Lord and His Kingdom.  But if we give people the wrong directions – that is to say, if we point them in the way they should not go - do we not share some responsibility for their not ever arriving at the desired location?

In light of this, should we not always make absolutely certain that we are being clear about what direction we are pointing people in?  Should we not be very careful that we do not mislead people in directing them on their path to Almighty God?

In the 14th chapter of First Corinthians (verses 8 and 9), the Apostle Paul warns us to make sure that we do not sound an unclear trumpet call, but that we speak with words that are clearly understood so as not to confuse others about the gospel.  Given this admonition, may we be found faithful in the direction we give others about how they find their way home to God!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:  https://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/14.htm.

LIVING DANGEROUSLY

7/25/2021

 
Today’s title comes from back an Oscar-winning motion picture from back in the day starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver:  The Year of Living Dangerously.  The film’s title says it all, as Gibson plays a foreign correspondent sent to cover the tumultuous events unfolding during the overthrow of Indonesia’s President Sukarno in the 1960’s.  Little did he know that this one bold step would change his life forever.  (Spoiler alert: he meets the love of his life.)

Now, I myself have never lived through a political revolution and all its inherent dangers.  But that does not mean that I, like you, have not seen my share of danger; or else known others who have.  And like you, from time to time, I have even seen certain individuals intentionally flirt with danger.

But I have never seen anything like I did this past Sunday morning.  As my wife and I were coming across the parking lot and approaching the entrance to the Southern Baptist church we attend, what do you suppose we encountered?  I kid you not!  A chicken was strutting back and forth right outside the door.

Talk about living dangerously!  Do not miss the irony here.  After all, Southern Baptists are known for certain things.  Above all else, of course, they (we) are referred to as a “People of the Book” due to our love for Holy Scripture. 

But like all people everywhere, we also have a propensity for certain earthly delights.  And chief among them, perhaps, is our love for “Southern Fried Chicken”.  This is especially true of Baptist Pastors.  Many a joke has been uttered about entire chickens “entering the ministry” whenever the local minister was invited over for Sunday dinner!

These days, casseroles have largely taken over at church dinners.  But most ministers really do not care so much about how the gospel bird is prepared so long as it is actually on the table!  Many people are at a loss to explain the love we preachers have for chicken.  Perhaps we are somewhat justified in our assault on all things poultry.  After all, was it not a rooster that once ratted out poor Simon Peter?!  While I personally know of no secretly sworn initiative to get even on Peter’s behalf being undertaken by ministers, many of us still seem to do so quite willingly.

I also do not know what became of the chicken referenced above.  It was gone when church let out.  I can only assume that in a day and age where people largely acquire pre-packaged meat at the grocery store, it managed to depart the premises intact.

But for the life of me, I simply cannot get the image of it strutting about just outside the door of a Baptist church on a Sunday morning out of my mind.  It is obvious that just as God once used the bold crowing of a rooster to speak to the heart of Peter, so also did He use this particular chicken to speak to my own heart.  Granted, the latter never once crowed, but its mere presence was enough to declare volumes.

And what was the message it delivered?  As I have reflected on this, I have concluded that if its presence in front of the very door through which a multitude of Baptists were passing signified anything, it was surely the power of boldness!  And maybe the need for boldness in life is a worthwhile lesson for each of us to ponder anew today.

Frances Schaffer once famously asked the question:  “How should we then live?”  In a world where we are often opposed, persecuted, and/or oppressed by those who desire to see our demise as believers, how are we to conduct ourselves?

The natural inclination, of course, is simply to play it safe – to sit back and hide ourselves away so as not in any way to endanger ourselves.  In high school biology, we learned about the natural tendency of the human body to seek the point of lowest resistance.  When we stand, if possible, we lean.  When we sit, if possible, we slump. Etc, etc…  It’s an apt metaphor for our spiritual behavior as well.

But surely we were not given our bodies for the sole purpose of always taking it easy.  We were not given strong skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems only to sit back and play it safe.  No, we were given these things to act, to move, to achieve, and to accomplish.  And if we always chose to play it safe, none of these things can ever occur.  Even worse, there are consequences for continuously failing to utilize these endowments.  Unused muscles grow weak, as do bones and reflexes.   

Of course, what is true in our physical lives is also true in our spiritual lives.  We are not meant simply to sit back and play it safe.  We have been gifted by Almighty God with certain spiritual endowments; and we are expected to put these to use for His kingdom.  Only by boldly going forth, boldly taking our stand, and boldly engaging this world, especially in the face of opposition, can we ever expect to make any real difference.  Only in this way cane we ever have any sort of real victory!

We are free to choose otherwise.  But if we choose not to, then our spiritual muscles will surely atrophy.  Our spiritual frames will likely grow weak, and we will invariably lose our spiritual edge, becoming complacent, lazy, and soft in the process.  And all these things will only serve to make us easy pickings for the enemy!

So don’t live your life always playing it safe, my friends.  After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Not to mix too many metaphors here, but as more than one pundit has put it, go ahead, get out on that limb, because, after all, that‘s where the fruit is!

How true!  Anything worthwhile I have ever achieved, obtained, or enjoyed in life has come about only as a result of my having put forth some amount of effort.  This has been true in all areas of my life – from my health to my relationships to my education to my finances to my career.  On and on I could go. And it has been true in my faith as well!

So, no matter what you call it - taking the plunge, pushing the envelope, going for broke, etc - it is arguably in our best interest that we should ever be willing to do it!.  It might be disconcerting at first, especially if we are unaccustomed to doing so.  It might even be seen as dangerous.  It will certainly take boldness.  But ultimately, that is what we were made for.  And that is the only way we will ever have victory!

I leave you with words so often attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:  “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

SOURCES:

MOVIE:
   
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086617/.

QUOTES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Should_We_Then_Live%3F;

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/11/13/limb/;

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/02/09/boldness/.

RELEVANT SCRIPTURE:
 
https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/26.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/luke/22.htm.

GO AHEAD!

7/19/2021

 
As I write this blog, the 33rd annual broadcast of “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel has just wrapped up.  Now broadcast in over 72 countries, and heavily promoted via social networks, it has become the longest-running cable television programming event in history.

No doubt inspired by its success, and not to be outdone, the National Geographic Channel introduced “SharkFest” a few years ago.  Rather than focusing on sharks for one single week, however, Nat Geo spreads its programming out over a six week period each summer. 

Between the two channels and their two approaches, a reasonably attentive viewer can pretty much become an expert on all matters related to sharks.


Not that any of this necessarily matters for my purposes here.  I have just been enjoying the shark-based programming, even as I learned from it. Which brings me to my point… 

One of the things I came to appreciate down through the years as a teacher was that learning should be fun.  The periodic injection of humor into the learning experience always seemed to enhance it.

Of course, what is true for teaching is also true for blogging.  And for this reason, I find it appropriate to season my blog posts with a little humor here and there.  That being said, I thought I would post a story here today that came to mind as I watched “Shark Week”.  It seems that…

A wealthy west Texas rancher had an unmarried daughter. He decided to give a party and invite every eligible bachelor in the county, where had a big barbecue around his swimming pool.

At the appropriate hour he announced that he had filled the pool with man-eating sharks, and that anybody who would swim the length of that pool could have a million dollars, a thousand acres of land, or the hand of his daughter in marriage. They could take their choice.

He had hardly gotten the proposition out of his mouth when there was a splash and he saw a man was literally flying through the water.

He popped out on the bank right at the feet of the rancher and the rancher said to him, “Congratulations! I didn’t believe anybody would take me up on my offer. But you did and now you have a choice: Do you want a million dollars?” He replied, “No, I don’t want that.”

“Do you want a thousand acres of land?” the rancher asked. “No,” replied the man, “I don’t want that.”

“Well, then, you want my daughter’s hand in marriage?” “No,” the man replied, “I don’t want that.”

“Well,” the rancher asked, “what do you want?” The man wiped the water off of his face and hair and said, “I just want to get my hands on the man that shoved me.”


Thankfully, I’ve never personally had to brave a pool full of man-eating sharks.  Nor would I want to.  However, on many an occasion, I have found myself needing a gentle nudge in order to go forward.  And the vast majority of times, whenever this has happened, I have emerged thankful that someone did indeed give me that prod.

The ratings for the National Geographic Channel’s “SharkFest” arguably illustrate that the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” motivated them to either get into the game or get left behind.  And my suspicion is that the bean counters at Nat Geo are kind of glad they got that gentle nudge. 

Are you currently standing on some precipice overlooking some disconcerting or frightening difficulty before you?  If so, do you need a gentle nudge or two in order to proceed?  If so, be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, which are  common experiences for believers.

Biblically, a man named Simeon was “moved by the Spirit” to go into the temple where Joseph and Mary were dedicating the baby Jesus to God (Luke 2:27).  Later, once grown, Jesus Himself was “led by the Spirit” into the desert to be tempted by the Devil (Luke 4:1).  And later still, the Apostle Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” to make a trip to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22).

Let’s face it. It can be somewhat scary to take the proverbial “plunge”.  No doubt it was for the individuals in each of these Biblical examples.  But it can also be very rewarding!  The Biblical story affirms this.  As will you, if you follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your daily life.  Such is the promise of God!

SOURCES: 

SHARK ITEMS: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Week;
https://www.discovery.com/shark-week;
and https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/topic/sharkfest
.

JOKE: 

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507, #51, p.37.

SCRIPTURE: 

https://biblehub.com/luke/2-27.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/4-1.htm;
and
https://biblehub.com/acts/20-22.htm.

NOTE:  The astute shark enthusiast will probably note that my title for today’s blog post, “Go Ahead!”, is actually a play on one of the more famous lines from the movie JAWS, when, just before the shark makes its very first appearance, Chief Brody repeats Captain Quint’s order to his mate Hooper to proceed “Slow Ahead!”

MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL!

7/16/2021

 
The folks over at the Book of World Records office have certainly had a busy week.  Let’s just say that they have had plenty to chew on as they have worked to verify two new world records.

The first is for the world’s most expensive hamburger.  According to numerous media outlets, Dutch Restauranter Robbert Jan de Veen was inspired to create the priciest burger in history.  He soon had a buyer, as Rober Wilemse, chairman of the Royal Dutch Food and Beverage Association, paid Veen $5,964 for his creation.

This transaction surpassed the prior Guinness World Record holder for the most expensive burger, when a mere $4,971 was shelled out to an Oregon restaurant back in 2011.

In an apparent case of follow the leader, another eating establishment was then led this week to create the world’s most expensive order of French fries.  Arriving just in time for “National French Fry Day”, a world-renowned Upper East Side restaurant reopened this week in New York City, and promptly broke the Guinness World Record for the most expensive French fries ever with its offering of “Creme de la Creme Pommes Frites”.  A serving of these award-winning fries costs a whopping $200!

Wow!  That’s over $6000 for a burger and fries!  All I can say is that, at prices like these, one can only assume the helpings being served up are indeed super-sized!  After all, that’s quite a price to pay for a single meal.

And yet, I would suggest that once, long ago, an even more expensive meal was undertaken - one that cost far more than any other meal ever consumed.  We read about it in the very first book of the Bible.  Genesis, chapter 3, contains the story of Adam and Eve and the eating of the forbidden fruit.

Prohibited by God from eating of tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they nonetheless tasted and then consumed its fruit.  But at what a price!  The costs for doing so, when they came due, were far greater than either had anticipated.

They lost their innocence.  They lost their home in paradise.  They lost the blessing of living free of the curse of pain, sickness, and sorrow.  Ultimately, they lost their very lives!  Oh, the price they paid for swallowing a bite of sin!  It turned into much more than a mouthful!  It turned into the expensive price ever paid for a single meal – death!

Happily, by the grace of God, the story does not end there.  They (as well as we, their descendants) have been given the chance at new life.  The price for our tasting sin was ultimately paid by the sacrificial death of God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.  As the Bible tells us (in John 3:16), “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The third chapter of the Old Testament Book of Genesis records the costliest meal ever consumed. The third chapter of the New Testament Gook of John records the incredible price that was paid for that meal.  The Son of God died that we might live!

Chew on that, my friends!  I assure you that, with each munch, it will taste sweeter and sweeter!

NEWS ITEM SOURCES: 

https://nypost.com/2021/07/14/worlds-most-expensive-burger-sold-for-5964/;

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/nyc-restaurant-world-record-fancy-french-fries.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm.

https://biblehub.com/niv/john/3.htm.

THANK GOD FOR KIDS!

7/8/2021

 
I’m a tad late in my regular twice-weekly blog post - but not without good excuse.  Let’s just say I was out doing some “field research”.  You see, my wife and I have spent the last few days at the lake with our children and grandsons.

After several days with my grandsons, all I can say is “Thank God for kids!”  Perhaps you remember the hit song by the same name as released by the Oak Ridge Boys back in the day.  The lyrics are as follows…

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought
There wouldn't be no Santa Claus
Or look what the stork just brought
Thank God for kids.

We'd all live in a quiet house
Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse
And Kool Aid on the couch
Thank God for kids.

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child?

Daddy, how does this thing fly?
And a hundred other wheres and whys
I really don't know but I try
Thank God for kids.

When I look down in those trusting eyes
That look to me I realize
There's love that I can't buy
Thank God for kids.

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child?


These words were brought home to me again and again as I experienced the joy of witnessing my grandsons experiencing many of the wonders of life for the very first time.  Such firsts included…

playing and splashing in the water, jumping off a dock, baiting a hook, reeling in a fish, riding in a boat, being pulled on a tube, chasing bubbles across the yard (from a bubble-making wand), catching fireflies, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, eating ice cream sandwiches, making “s’mores” over a camp fire, playing putt putt, going on a hike and finding footprints that may or may not have been from either “bigfoot” or
“T-Rex”, and several other such activities that little boys find immensely fascinating!

This week will surely live on as a memorable experience in the minds of my grandsons.  Who among us can forget experiencing such things for the very first time?  And yet, in the short term, these experiences may well be more meaningful to me than to them.

“In what way?” you might ask.  To which, the first answer I would give is:  “In the sense that the many firsts they experienced served to remind me of many such firsts in my own life!” 

After all, who among us cannot help but reminded through the experiences of our children and grandchildren of the very experiences that we ourselves once underwent?!

And as this remembrance came to me, so did a realization; for just as my forebears provided such opportunities for me, even so am I now responsible to provide these very opportunities for my descendants.

But I would offer a second answer as well.  And that is that the innocence of childhood begs not only an acknowledgment of their initial experiences in life, but also an acknowledgment of their ongoing experiences - as well as the ultimate outcome of those experiences.

And that is why the last verse of this song has been on my mind more than anything else…

“When you get down on your knees tonight
And thank the Lord for His guiding light
Pray they turn out right.
Thank God for kids.
Mmm, Thank God for kids.”


Above all else, therefore, I pray that each and every one of my grandsons “turns out right”.  As I do, I also pledge to do all I can to support their parents (my children) in order to see that this actually comes to pass. 

​If it does, then I’ll have all the more reason to say: “Thank God for kids!”


SONG LYRICS SOURCE:
​ 

​https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/oakridgeboys/thankgodforkids.html.

CHANGING COLORS

7/2/2021

 
As Independence Day approaches, my family and I will be joining lots of our fellow Americans this weekend in celebrating the “Red, White, and Blue”.  For together, these three colors symbolize both our nation and her values.  

When he proclaimed 1986 “The Year of the Flag”, President Ronald Reagan put it this way:  “The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish - red for courage and readiness to sacrifice, white for pure intentions and high ideals, and blue for vigilance and justice.”

Of course, these three colors also symbolize other things.  If someone is feeling blue, they are likely depressed.  If someone is red-faced, they might be feeling embarrassed or angry.  Likewise, if someone is pale or overly white, they may be said to be feeling sickly.

The Bible makes use of these colors as well.  It directly references the blue skies and the deep blue seas, as well as red blood and crimson fabrics and décor.  It also speaks to feelings of depression or despair; as it does to feelings of anger as well as paleness due to fright and/or sickness.

But perhaps the most vivid imagery of red and white in the Bible comes from the writings of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, who said in the 18th verse of his opening chapter: “Come now, let’s reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
​
Isaiah goes on to prophesy that God will send a Messiah who will make this possible by becoming a suffering servant Who will accomplish this His by giving His life as an atonement for many.  The prophet specifically details all of this between chapter 52, verse 13 and chapter 53, verse 12, where he affirms that this righteous Servant will bear the sins of other and justify them in the process.

Christians, of course, understand these prophecies to have been fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  By His gracious sacrifice, our sins, though as scarlet, have now been made as pure as white snow!

​I could not help but be reminded of all of this earlier today.  My wife and I recently had a metal garage constructed adjacent to our home.  Like many people, we just needed some place to put our lawnmower, weed-eater, and such.  The building has white sides and a black roof.  But, when the summer sun hits the building early in the morning, the roof seems to miraculously change color – from a dull black to a gleaming white.  See for yourself...
Picture
Picture
As I beheld this amazing spectacle, I was reminded of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.  Praise God, through His atoning work, our sins, as vile and dark and black as they are, have miraculously been made gleaming white, and as pure as new-fallen snow!  In short, it is the introduction of the Son into my life that has changed forever how my soul is now seen in Heaven.

I am thankful this weekend for the red, white, and blue as seen in our American flag.  Together, these colors represent my freedom in this world, as well as the sacrifices and values inherent in that freedom.  I am thankful as well for the two most vivid colors depicted in Scripture, red and white; for together, they represent my spiritual freedom!

FLAG INFORMATION SOURCE:   
Available widely on the internet.  See, for instance: https://swampland.time.com/2013/07/04/why-the-u-s-flag-is-red-white-and-blue/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: 
https://biblehub.com/isaiah/1-18.htm; https://biblehub.com/niv/isaiah/52.htm; and https://biblehub.com/niv/isaiah/53.htm.

SEE ALSO:
​And excellent short discussion of  colors in Scripture can be found at:  
http://dentonpbc.org/colors.htm.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All