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REDEEMING THE TIME

8/29/2011

Today’s post comes from a combination of two factors. The first has to do with the fact that I am simply a fanatic about the “R.M.S. Titanic”! It all started way back in my 7th grade year. We were assigned class presentations in Mrs. Zachary’s Social Studies class. A group of my classmates did a presentation on the Titanic, which in retrospect consisted of little more than them having stood in front of the class and held open an Encyclopedia Britannica to a picture of the Titanic while they related the barest rudiments of the story.

Nonetheless, I was hooked. I began to read everything I could find in our school library about this great tragedy. At the time, I assumed the remains of the ship were lost forever. However, when Robert Ballard discovered the wreck in the mid 1980’s, I was re-enthralled. Once again, I started collecting all the information about this tragic story that I could. To this day, I still record all the Titanic documentaries for which I become aware. I have also garnered quite a little collection of Titanic books along the way (not to mention a movie or two). In fact, my wife calls me a Titanic junkie!

Of course, we are now less than a year away from the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. As we approach April 15, 2012, more and more documentaries, books, trivia, memorabilia, and commemoratives will be produced. Much of it will be repetitive. Some of it will be new material. All of it will be fascinating to me.

You see, for a preacher, the story of the R.M.S. Titanic is, in many respects, the ultimate source for illustrations. In this one single, tragic event, we find virtually every component of the human circumstance portrayed, from hubris to prejudice to cowardice to sacrifice to love.

All of which brings me to my second factor. Yesterday was our Global Missions Celebration at First Baptist, Lenoir City. We entered into agreements with various Missions entities. We celebrated with them in worship, and later with a meal. Then we followed all of this last night with a wonderful worship musical titled “Into All the World”. When I got home, I was simply elated over this wonderful day.

When I finally sat down to unwind, I turned on the television and discovered, to my surprise, that a brand new two-hour documentary on the Titanic was being broadcast. As I watched this program, which was in fact full of new information on that historic “Night to Remember”, I was reminded again of the human predicament.

We are all on the ship of fate, sailing headlong into our appointment with our eternal destiny. Many are unaware of this. For them, there awaits an impending tragedy: that of stepping off into eternity unprepared to meet their God. They are blissfully “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” as they flit away precious moments in their futile endeavors in life.

Others, hopefully, are wiser, redeeming the time, understanding as the Word of God says, that the days are few. I hope that you see the purpose of this post. We, as Christians, above all people, must recognize what is truly happening around us. We must redeem the time. We must take advantage of every God-given moment to make a difference while we can. We must cry out to a lost and dying world that death and eternity and hell are real; and also that salvation is available only to those who will act now, and receive Jesus Christ while there is still time. We must be on mission for Jesus. We must do it now. We must. We simply must.

ALASKAN FACTS

8/25/2011

Ever wanted to know more about Alaska, our 49th state? Here are some basic facts which I took from the back of a state highway map:

ALASKA'S SYMBOLS
-MOTTO: "NORTH TO THE FUTURE"
-FISH: KING SALMON
-FLOWER: FORGET ME NOT
-TREE: SITKA SPRUCE
-MINERAL: GOLD
-GEM: JADE
-SPORT: DOG MUSHING BIRD: WILLOW PTARMIGAN
-INSECT: 4 SPOT SKIMMER DRAGONFLY
-SONG: ALASKA FLAG SONG

DAY LIGHT
-SUMMER SOLSTICE: 19.21 HRS
-WINTER SOLSTICE: 5 28 HRS
-IN BARROW, THE SUN RISES MAY 10TH, AND SETS AUGUST 2, FOR 84 DAYS OF LIGHT. THE SUN SETS NOVEMBER 18, AND RISES JANUARY 24, FOR 67 DAYS OF DARKNESS

VASTNESS
-586,000 SQUARE MILES, MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE OF TEXAS. (Or as they like to say in Alaska, 2.5 times as big when the tide goes out!)

-ALASKA IS BOTH AMERICA’S EASTERN MOST AND WESTERN MOST STATE (Due to Time Zones and the International Date Line) THIS MAKES ALASKA AT ONCE THE NORTHERN MOST, THE EASTERN MOST, AND THE WESTERN MOST STATE IN THE USA

VOLCANOES
-52 ACTIVE VOLCANOES AND MOST ARE PART OF THE PACIFIC'S "RING OF FIRE"

EARTHQUAKES
-10 QUAKES GREATER THAN MAGNITUDE 8.0 ON THE RICHTER SCALE SINCE 1889.
-ALASKA HAS APPROXIMATELY 50 QUAKES PER YEAR WITH A MAGNITUDE GREATER THAN 5 ON THE RICHTER SALE.
-1964 WAS THE LARGEST QUAKE IN NORTH AMERICA’S RECORDED HISTORY AT 9.5

MOUNTAINS
-OF AMERICA’S 20 HIGHEST PEAKS, 17 ARE IN ALASKA
-MT MCKINLEY (ALSO CALLED “DENALI”, MEANING “THE GREAT ONE” IN THE NATIVE ATHABASCAN LANGUAGE ) IS THE HIGHEST PEAK IN NORTH AMERICA AT 20,320 FT.
-ALASKA ALSO HAS: MT. ST. ELIAS AT 18,008 FT., MT. FORAKER AT 17,400 FT., MT. BONA AT 16,500 FT., MT. BLACKBURN AT 16,390 FT., AND MT. SANFORD AT 16,237 FT.

GLACIERS
-100,000 GLACIERS COVERING 30,000 SQUARE MILES, MANY OF WHICH ARE IN FACT GROWING RATHER THAN RECEEDING
-MALASPIN, AT 850 SQUARE MILES, IS THE LARGEST AND ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND

Amazing, to say the least! Needless to say, Mrs. Vickie and I were overwhelmed by the majesty of this great land on our recent trip. As I said on Wednesday night, if someone you know does not believe in God, just send them to Alaska.

And yet, these facts are not near as impressive as the facts I gleaned from another book. The Bible says something even more amazing. Let me explain.

As we cruised the inside passage from Vancouver to Seward, and then travelled on to Anchorage by rail, I marveled at the awesomeness of God as displayed in the vastness of His creative ability all over the place in Alaska.

I was reminded also of my own seeming insignificance by comparison. As Steven Crane once said, "A man said to the universe: 'Sir, I exist!’ 'However,' replied the universe. 'The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." It is so easy to feel puny and irrelevant in the face of such grandeur.

And yet, the Bible tells us that men and women (meaning you and I), and not mountains and glaciers, are the crowning glory of God’s creation (Psalm 8). We, alone, have been created in His image (Genesis 1 and 2). And it was for us, alone, that He gave His only begotten Son, in order that we might have eternal life (John 3).

No my friends, God never died for a mountain or a glacier or a tundra. God never died for a bird or a moose or a bear or a whale. But God gave all He could give to redeem you and me. That, beloved, is the most marvelous thing of all!

As John puts it in his Gospel, "For 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." ( John 3:16) Amen!

SOUTH FROM ALASKA

8/22/2011

Although a little sleep deprived, and still suffering slightly from jet lag, Mrs. Vickie and I have now returned from our trip to Alaska. All we can say is, “WOW!” The two of us agree that in all our born days, neither of us have ever seen anything in nature that can compare with the beauty of that marvelous place.

Let me say “Thank you!” again to our church family for having provided this wonderful opportunity for us. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. In the coming weeks, no doubt, my messages will be generously sprinkled with illustrations garnered from this magnificent experience.

In the meantime, I thought I would post a cute story or two that we heard along the way. As Alaska is noted for fishing and hunting, here is one story each. Enjoy…

George and Frank had been sitting out on a lake all day ice fishing. George had been having no luck at all; and Frank had been pulling fish after fish out of his hole in the ice. George finally leaned over and asked the other what his secret was.

"Mu mupu meep ma mrrms mrrm" was the reply.

"Geez, Frank, what was that?"

"Mu mupu meep ma mrrms mrrm" Frank replied.

"Good grief Frank, still can't understand what you're saying."

Frank spit something into his hand and said very clearly, "I said, 'YOU GOTTA KEEP THE WORMS WARM.'"

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Another time, Lloyd and Bruce flew into the Alaskan interior to go moose hunting. They had a good hunt, and both managed to get a large moose.

When the plane returned to pick them up, the pilot looked at the animals and said, "This little plane won't lift all of us, the equipment, and both of these animals. You'll have to leave one. We'd never make it over the trees on the take-off."

"That's baloney", said Bruce.

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed, "you're just chicken. We came out here last year and got two moose and that pilot had some guts; he wasn't afraid to take off."

"Yeah," said Bruce, "and his plane wasn't any bigger than yours!"

The pilot got angry, and said, "Well, if he did it, then I can do it; I can fly as well as anybody!" So they loaded up, taxied at full throttle across the lake, and began the takeoff.

The plane almost made it; but didn't have the lift to clear the trees at the end of the lake. It clipped the top, then flipped, then broke up, scattering the baggage, animal carcasses, and passengers all through the brush.

Still alive, but shaken and dazed, the pilot sat up, shook his head to clear it, and said "Where are we?"

Bruce rolled out from being thrown in a bush, looked around, and said, "I'd say, about a hundred yards further than last year, wouldn’t you, Lloyd?!"

Note: This and many other Alaskan jokes can be found at: http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/humor/jokes.html.

BUYING BACK THE BOAT

8/10/2011

Continuing in the vein of my last post, I wanted to share another classic illustration of the atonement. I first heard this story from Dr. Richard Lee. He is currently the Pastor of First Redeemer Church in Cummings, GA. When I was a child, he was the Pastor of my home church: New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, GA. I was privileged to sit under his preaching and teaching for several years.

I remember him telling this story, just as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I was utterly captivated. I never forgot the story. Years later, I contacted him and asked him for a copy of the story. He sent it to me, and I am posting it here today. I hope you enjoy it. More to the point, I hope you can use it for the purpose it is intended: to illustrate the glorious message of the good news of Jesus Christ.

There was once a man who worked for months together with his little boy to build a toy sailboat. Every night after he came home from work, the father and son would disappear into the garage for hours. It was labor of love - love for each other and for the thing they were creating.

The wooden hull was painted bright red, and it was trimmed with gleaming white sails.

When it was finished, they traveled to a nearby lake for the little boat's trial run. Before launching it, the father tied a string to its stern to keep it from sailing out too far.

The boat performed beautifully; but before long a motorboat, crossing the lake, cut the string; and the sailboat drifted out of sight on the large lake. All attempts to find it were fruitless, and both father and son wept over its loss.

A few weeks later, as the boy was walking home from school, he passed his favorite toy store, and was amazed to see a toy sailboat in the window - his sailboat! He ran inside to claim the boat, telling the proprietor about his experience on the lake.

The storeowner explained that he had found the boat while on a fishing trip. “You may be its maker”, he said, “but as a finder I am its legal owner. You may have it back - for fifty dollars.” The boy was stunned at how much it would cost him to regain his boat; but since it was so precious to him, he quickly set about earning the money to buy it back.

Months later, the day finally came when he joyfully walked into the toy store and handed the owner fifty dollars in exchange for his sailboat. It was the happiest day of his life!

As he left the store, he held the boat up to the sunlight. Its colors gleamed as though newly painted. “I made you; but I lost you," he said. "Now, I've bought you back. That makes you twice mine; and twice mine is mine forever!"

THE DRAWBRIDGE

8/8/2011

This past Sunday in our morning worship services, I shared an edited video clip of the movie MOST. The full movie itself can easily be found for sale online in DVD format. Multiple edited copies are also posted on YouTube. The particular one I showed can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8XsKwtAOgI&feature=related.

This video is based on a classic story about a drawbridge operator and his only son. It beautifully illustrates God’s love for us in Christ. If you prefer a printed version, as some do, I am posting it below. While the story is readily available through a simple Google search on the web, my particular source is listed at the bottom of the page. I hope this is helpful to all who communicate the good news of God in Jesus Christ.

A man had the duty to raise a drawbridge to allow the steamers to pass on the river below and to lower it again for trains to cross over the river on land. One day, this man's son visited him, desiring to watch his father at work. Quite curious, as most boys are, he peeked into a trapdoor that was always left open so his father could keep an eye on the great machinery that raised and lowered the bridge.

Suddenly, the boy lost his footing and tumbled into the gears. As the father tried to reach down and pull him out, he heard the whistle of an approaching train. He knew the train would be full of people and that it would be impossible to stop the fast-moving locomotive, therefore, the bridge must be lowered!

A terrible dilemma confronted him: if he saved the people, his son would be crushed in the cogs. Frantically, he tried to free the boy, but to no avail. Finally, the father put his hand to the lever that would start the machinery. He paused and then, with tears he pulled it. The giant gears began to work and the bridge clamped down just in time to save the train.

The passengers, not knowing what the father had done, were laughing and making merry; yet the bridge keeper had chosen to save their lives at the cost of his son's.

In all of this there is a parable: the heavenly Father, too, saw the blessed Savior being nailed to a cross while people laughed and mocked and spit upon Him and yet, "He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all."

Source: James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1988), p. 38.

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A SENIOR ADULT?

8/5/2011

Before I change my focus, I thought I would post one last piece relating to the last couple and having to do with senior adults. This one came my way some time ago from a friend. Unfortunately, I had one of my own increasingly frequent “Senior Moments” and forgot about it, so I didn’t use it from the pulpit. When I finally remembered it, I decided it would be a good blog post to end this week.

In any event, how well individuals do on the quiz speaks volumes about both their age and their level of cultural literacy while growing up in days gone by. Enjoy…

A TEST FOR OLD KIDS

This is a test for us “old kids”! The answers are printed below; but don't cheat, as it spoils the fun.

01. After the Lone Ranger saved the day and rode off into the sunset, the grateful citizens would ask, Who was that masked man? Invariably, someone would answer, I don't know, but he left this behind. What did he leave behind?________________.

02. When the Beatles first came to the U.S. back in early 1964, we all watched them on The _______________ Show.

03 'Get your kicks, __________________.'

04. 'The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to ___________________.'

05. 'In the jungle, the mighty jungle, ________________.'

06. After the Twist, The Mashed Potato, and the Watusi, we 'danced' under a stick that was lowered as low as we could go in a dance called the '_____________.'

07. Nestle's makes the very best . .. . . _______________.

08. Satchmo was America 's 'Ambassador of Goodwill.' Our parents shared this great jazz trumpet player with us. His name was _________________.

09. What takes a licking and keeps on ticking? _______________.

10 . Red Skeleton's hobo character was named __________________ and Red always ended his television show by saying, 'Good Night, and ________________.'

11. Some Americans who protested the Vietnam War did so by burning their______________.

12. The cute little car with the engine in the back and the trunk in the front was called the VW. What other names did it go by? ____________ and _______________.

13. In 1971, singer Don MacLean sang a song about, 'the day the music died.' This was a tribute to ___________________.

14. We can remember the first satellite placed into orbit. The Russians did it. It was called ___________________.

15. One of the big fads of the late 50's and 60's was a large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist. It was called the_________________.

ANSWERS :

01. The Lone Ranger left behind a silver bullet.

02. The Ed Sullivan Show

03. On Route 66

04. protect the innocent

05. The Lion Sleeps Tonight

06. The limbo

07. Chocolate

08. Louis Armstrong

09. The Timex watch

10. Freddy, The Freeloader and 'God Bless'

11. Draft cards (Bras were also burned. Not flags, as some have guessed.)

12. Beetle or Bug

13. Buddy Holly

14. Sputnik

15. Hoola-hoop

For my part, I got 14 out of 15. (Missed the Route 66 one!) So, how did you do? "Are you Smarter than a Senior Adult?" Well, one thing is for sure. If you are like me, whether you aced it or not, at least it kept you busy and let you forget your aches and pains for a few minutes!

And for you younger folks. You might be suirprised to discover just what all Senior Adults do know. And that not just about culture, but about life. In truth, their many years have allowed them to accumulate not just knowledge, but also wisdom. So, feel free to pick their brains ever so often. You might ne surprised at what all they know, and at what all you can learn from them too.

OLD BARNS AND OLD PEOPLE

8/1/2011

Yesterday was Senior Adult Emphasis Day at our church. My message was based on Proverbs 20:29: “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.”

The point of this simple verse is that older people are just as beautiful as younger people, only in a different way. After the message, I received the following by e-mail form one of our church members. I only wish I had of had this one when I was preparing my message, as it would have fit perfectly with the theme.

I hope you enjoy it. It is titled “Old Barns and Old People”.

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type; you could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale.

I told him he had a funny idea of beauty. Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. Also, the summer sun has beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray.

Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.

That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home that he's building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and the scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood like that.

It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure, we turn silver gray too. And lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He's doing. And as the years pass, He's busy using the hard weather of our lives, as well as the dry spells and the stormy seasons too, to do a job of beautifying our souls - one that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!

They took the old barn down today and hauled it away. To beautify a rich man's house.  And I reckon someday you and I'll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on that Great Farm in the Sky.

And I suspect we'll be all the more beautiful then for the seasons we've been through here. And just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father's house. May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. And I do sincerely thank God for my wonderful friends and family who care about me even though I show all the signs of weathering life!

Well said!