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WHAT I LIKE ABOUT FRIDAYS

9/30/2016

A recent hit country music song revolves around the singer’s love of Sundays. As the song unfolds, he describes the various people and activities of a typical morning church service, followed by an afternoon of leisure with friends and family. He then repeats his assertion that these are the things he likes about Sundays.

The nostalgic bent of the song means that a great many people, including myself, have an affinity for the world he describes. As I listen to it, I can relate on so many levels to the scenes he describes.

Of course, as a Pastor, Sundays are my absolute favorite day of the week. I love worshiping with God’s people and experiencing the blessings that come with this day.

Now, Sunday might well be considered a work day for those of us who are preachers. And believe me; I’ve heard my share of jokes down through the years about how we only have to work one day a week. My only response to that is to say that, even then, if the sermon runs a little long, those same folk quickly complain that I work too long!

By contrast, my least favorite day of the week is Monday. This the day I pick up the proverbial pieces from Sunday - little notes handed me about this, that, or the other need, issue, or concern. It is also a day full of administrative meetings, all of which are necessary but somewhat taxing.

Little wonder that some ministers prefer to take Monday off. I can certainly understand why. But for me, doing so would only put me that much further behind the ball for the remainder of the quickly unfolding week.

By contrast, I like to take Fridays as my off day. To begin with, if there is no church activity on Saturday, it gives me some semblance of a weekend. Thursday evening thus becomes my Friday night, and Friday my Saturday, as it were. This is refreshing, because, by the time (the real) Saturday morning unfolds, my mind is usually totally consumed with thoughts of Sunday.

Thus, Fridays are filled with the standard fare – cutting grass, trips to the hardware store, running errands, getting haircuts, etc… Which brings me to my point.

This morning, while running around, I was reminded of the greater significance of Friday. You see, an automotive auction establishment is located between my house and town. I pretty much have to pass it going and coming. And Friday morning is the day and time of their big weekly sale.

This means that, beginning every Thursday evening and continuing early Friday mornings, a steady stream of used cars are hauled in. But, by mid-morning on Friday, another steady stream begins to unfold – that of formerly unwanted automobiles being carried away by their new owners.

On Thursday, the used vehicles were brought in, unwanted and dispensable. Yet, by mid-day on Friday, most all of them have been redeemed and carted off to a whole new life!

Every time I see this parade of used cars, newly revalued, cleaned up, and in transit to their new homes, I am reminded of the great work of redemption done by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on what is often termed “Good Friday”.

On Thursday night, a whole world of people - used up, marred and scarred by sin – had been declared by the Devil as of no value and worthy only of being discarded. But, on Friday, Jesus Christ hung on an old rugged cross and paid the price of redemption! So that by Easter Sunday morning, when He came up out of that grave, their value had been definitively re-established.

No doubt, this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Christians at Ephesus (Ephesians 2:1-10):

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesha and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

And so, my friends, all I can say is that I am glad that God’s son, Jesus Christ, did not take Friday off! He chose instead to show up for His appointed task; and, as He Himself said in the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 4, verse 34), “to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.”

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

MISSING THE POINT

9/26/2016

This past Sunday morning at our church, we shared the Lord’s Supper together as a component of our worship together. While presented to us in all four of the four New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the finest summary of the institution of this universally celebrated Christian Ordinance is found in the Apostle Paul’s first New Testament Letter to the Corinthian believers (chapter 11, verses 23-26):

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

At its very heart, the Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and anticipate His second coming. I believe with all my heart that this is as Jesus intended this simple meal to be interpreted. Anything beyond this only adds confusion to an otherwise unpretentious reminder of how much God loves us.

To illustrate, I share the following story first related by the famed communicator, Dr. Terry Fullam:

I'm thinking of a small-town church in upstate New York. They'd had a rector in that church for over thirty-five years. He was loved by the church and the community. After he retired, he was replaced by a young priest. It was his first church; he had a great desire to do well. He had been at the church several weeks when he began to perceive that the people were upset at him. He was troubled.

Eventually he called aside one of the lay leaders of the church and said, "I don't know what's wrong, but I have a feeling that there's something wrong."

The man said, "Well, Father, that's true. I hate to say it, but it's the way you do the Communion service."

"The way I do the Communion service? What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not so much what you do as what you leave out."

"I don't think I leave out anything from the Communion service."

"Oh yes, you do. Just before our previous rector administered the chalice and wine to the people, he'd always go over and touch the radiator. And, then, he would--"

"Touch the radiator? I never heard of that liturgical tradition."

So the younger man called the former rector. He said, "I haven't even been here a month, and I'm in trouble."

"In trouble? Why?"

"Well, it's something to do with touching the radiator. Could that be possible? Did you do that?"

"Oh yes, I did. Always before I administered the chalice to the people, I touched the radiator to discharge the static electricity so I wouldn't shock them."

For over thirty-five years, the untutored people of his congregation had thought that was a part of the holy tradition. I have to tell you that church has now gained the name, "The Church of the Holy Radiator."

That's a ludicrous example, but often it's nothing more profound than that. Traditions get started, and people endure traditions for a long time. They mix it up with practical obedience to the living God.

As this story symbolizes, down through the centuries, a lot of man-made traditions have been built up around the Lord’s Supper – some of which could be considered are good; but a lot of which are not. What I love most about the Lord’s Supper is the beauty of its simplicity.

While fraught with rich symbolism and arguably unfathomable in its fullest theological implications, it nonetheless seems to me that our Lord has given us a beautiful reminder of His love that is so simple that even a child can understand it. No doubt we should endeavor, as much as it possible, to keep it that way.

SOURCE: This story originated with Dr. Terry Fullam. Though deceased, his material is still available widely on the internet, most often as citations within other works. See, for instance: http://www.fhefc.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/
docs/Mark_0701-23_The_Dangers_of_Legalism_2015.8181648.pdf. As well as: http://www.fbcwesttawakoni.org/sermon/Following%20the%20Examples%20of%20Jesus%20%20%20John%2013_14_17.pdf.

This particular story is most often cited as being from: "Worship: What We're Doing, and Why," Preaching Today, Tape No. 102.

SEE ALSO: http://lifeonwings.org/terry-fuliman.php, and also:https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Everett_L._Fullam.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/niv/1_corinthians/11.htm.

ASSIGNING VALUE

9/22/2016

In what is being called a “real-life plot twist”, a budding New Orleans novelist recently ran past firefighters and into his own burning home in order to save his laptop, upon which were stored two novels he had completed writing.

Self-described playwright, novelist and actor Gideon Hodge told why he did not hesitate before running in: "Despite my better sense, I just ran inside and grabbed it. I didn't think to be scared. Anybody that's ever created art, there's no replacing that. It's got pretty much my life's work."

Fortunately, his computer was intact, apparently having been sheltered by a table from water being used to douse the fire. Both author and accouterments emerged unscathed.

Alas, the same could not be said of his home. It took 67 firefighters more than two hours to subdue the three-alarm blaze, which had spread to the Broadmoor neighborhood house where Hodge lived from an empty, single-family house next door.

Ultimately, Mr. Hodge's home, along with his family's belongings, was completely destroyed. Thankfully, his friends responded by setting up a GoFundMe page, raising several thousand dollars in less than 24 hours.

With his rescued computer, Mr. Hodge posted a message of gratitude on Facebook, stating: "I thank you all for the outpouring of love that came forth during all of this... You have been more help than I could have imagined."

For my part, I feel for this man and his family. I have known people who have lost everything in house fires and had to start over. It is never easy. Nonetheless, things, as we all know, can be replaced. I am thankful his family survived unharmed - as I am the results of all his hard work in having created two complete novels.

As I have reflected on this story, I have asked myself the inevitable question: “What, of all the things in my home, would I value more than anything else? Faced with such a decision, what would I rush into a burning home to retrieve?”

While I would never wish such a fate on anyone, including myself, I am suggesting that it is a good exercise in ascertaining what truly holds value. For most assuredly, whatever you and/or I would choose to retrieve would be that which we saw as more important than anything else.

My short list may not be the same as yours. Neither would either of ours be likely to match that of the next person’s. But each list would reflect everyone’s respective heart.

What is more, my suspicion is that, after having drawn up an initial list, and then after having taken a little time to reflect upon its contents, I might be inclined to make some changes. For I may well not like what my list of items to be retrieved had to say about what all I value. But that, of course, is the point of the whole exercise.

In his second New Testament Letter (chapter 3, verses 10-14), the Apostle Peter reminds us that everything in this world is passing away. In fact, he tells us, as my wife is fond of saying about the things of this world, that “it’s all gonna burn”. Peter states:

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Peter’s point is well taken. That which we should value above all else is that which will transcend this world (and its inevitable destruction) and survive into the next: acts of “righteousness”.

And surely this is the very “treasure” about which Jesus Himself spoke in his famous “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 6, verses 19-21):

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So, my friend, “what’s on your list?” What do you truly value? And what proof of this do you display?

STORY SOURCE: FoxNews.com, Published September 16, 2016.

Cf.: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/16/real-life-plot-twist-novelist-runs-into-fiery-home-to-save-laptop.html. Fox News states that the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cf: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d3112c5eabf5428b918f68fa12cb8f67/one-books-novelist-runs-fiery-home-laptop.

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

GETTING READY

9/20/2016

Each year in America since 2004, the month of September has been designated as National Preparedness Month. The annual emphasis, known as the “READY” Campaign, is a joint venture promoted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The stated purpose is to get Americans prepared for the possibility of emergencies within their “homes, businesses, schools, and communities”. The “READY” Campaign correlates public education outreach through the dissemination of information designed to help the general public “prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks”.

That being said, preparation is not a bad idea. In fact, it is quite commendable. The Bible itself is full of admonishment with regard to preparation for the future. This comes to us in several ways, one of which is by presenting us with Godly examples.

In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Joseph rose to prominence in ancient Egypt by interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh and then advising the Egyptian king to take advantage of seven “fat” years (full of bumper crops) in order to be prepared for seven impending “lean” years of famine that were to follow.

With such examples also comes admonition. In the Old Testament Book of Proverbs (chapter 24, verses 30-34), Solomon makes the following observations:

30I passed by the field of the sluggard
         And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
31And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
         Its surface was covered with nettles,
         And its stone wall was broken down.
32When I saw, I reflected upon it;
         I looked, and received instruction.
33“A little sleep, a little slumber,
         A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34Then your poverty will come as a robber
         And your want like an armed man.

Again, in chapter 6, verses 6-11, he states:

6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,8yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - 11and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

The idea here is that it behooves each of us to spend a little time today getting prepared for tomorrow. If we don’t, we may live to regret it.

In the New Testament, Jesus also encourages us to think about and prepare in advance for what tomorrow may hold (and, by extension, be reminded of the consequences of not doing so). For instance, in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 14, verses 28-35), He says:

28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

While the illustration relates less to storing up and more to estimating cost and resources, the principle is still the same: thorough preparation in advance today makes for an easier go tomorrow, no matter what might come our way.

And if this is true for the things of this world, how much more is it true for eternity?! Indeed, the Bible has much more to say about the importance of preparing for the next world than the next day, week, month, or year.

Consider the story told by Jesus Himself in the New Testament Gospel of Luke (chapter 12, verse 16-21):

16…“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

He follows this up with a fairly lengthy admonition on the importance of not getting caught up in the things of this world:

22…“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your lifeb? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Is Jesus telling us not to prepare for tomorrow? No. He is simply reminding us that it does no good to prepare for the tomorrows of this world without first preparing for the tomorrow of the next world. And thus, fittingly, He then concludes all of this with a reminder about the coming end of this age:

35“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

All of this leads us to ask one simple question: “Are you ready for tomorrow?” If not, now would be a good time to start. But make certain to include preparation for the next world as well as the next day. For when it eventually unfolds, you will be very glad you did.

SOURCES: Read more at: https://www.ready.gov/. See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Preparedness_Month.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/.

THE BAD, THE GOOD, AND THE UNEXPECTED

9/15/2016

For the past several years, a piece has circulated on the internet about the events that unfolded aboard a Delta Airlines Jet on the day of 09/11/2001. Written by a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15, the following has been verified as TRUE by Snopes.com. (http://www.snopes.com/rumors/gander.asp.) I thought it fitting to post it here after a week of reflecting on the events of that significant day.

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic. All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain.

As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had that “All Business” look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta’s main office in Atlanta and simply read, “All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination.”

No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland.

He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian traffic controller and approval was granted immediately - no questions asked. We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving our request.

While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the hijackings.

We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the air. We told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport in Gander, Newfoundland, to have it checked out.

We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There was much grumbling among the passengers, but that’s nothing new! Forty minutes later, we landed in Gander. Local time at Gander was 12:30 PM …. that’s 11:00 AM EST. There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world that had taken this detour on their way to the US.

After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The reality is that we are here for another reason.” Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane. In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were US commercial jets.

Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada. Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.

Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning. Passengers were not happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word. Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red Cross. After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and were taken in vans to a small hotel.

We had no idea where our passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander!

We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the US airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while. We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.

Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the “plane people.” We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time.

Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and found out what they had been doing for the past two days. What we found out was incredible…

Gander and all the surrounding communities (within about a 75 Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers.

Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their time to take care of the “guests”.

Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes.

Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility. There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration.

Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available to everyone once a day. During the day, passengers were offered “Excursion” trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests.

Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travelers.

Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully. It was absolutely incredible.

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling. Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.

And then a very unusual thing happened. One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said “of course” and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days.

He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewisporte. He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte.

He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers. When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

The gentleman, a MD from Virginia, promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well. As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million and has assisted 134 students in college education.

I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them. It reminds me how much good there is in the world.

In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today’s world this story confirms that there are still a lot of good people in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

9/12/2016

As was the case with so many congregations across this great land yesterday, our church family took a moment to remember those whom our country lost fifteen years ago on September 11, 2001.

In the process, I read a poem composed by a gifted lady in our church family named Pat Walker. As so many of you have requested it, I am posting her poem here today. (For permission to reprint, please contact me thorough this website and I will place you in touch with Mrs. Walker.)

September 11, 2001: A Day We Will Never Forget

Where were you on this tragic day
That our world was forever changed?
A day when all our hopes and dreams
And for many of us, our priorities, rearranged.

It started out as just another day
People rushing to where commitments led
Never for a second did anyone dream
Of the tragic events that lay ahead.

It all happened so very quickly
There was no time to really think
But as all the unbelievable scenes unfolded
It made our hearts and spirits sink.

Thousands lost their lives that day
In the towers, the Pentagon, and in the planes they perished
Also, men and women who answered their call
Forever their memory we'll always cherish.

In all the chaos people came
To share their love and help others cope
Such outpouring of unity and strength
Gave all the world a brand new hope.

We will keep this day always in our hearts
Not ever forgetting the strength and examples so many set
United we'll stand and keep looking to God
Promising to all - September 11, 2001 We Will Never Forget.

SOURCE: Copyright by Pat Walker, Lenoir City, TN. September 11, 2016. All rights reserved. Again, for permission to reprint, please contact me thorough this website and I will gladly place you in touch with Mrs. Walker.

THROUGH IT ALL

9/8/2016

In his book, Come Before Winter, famed Christian communicator Charles "Chuck" Swindoll shares an insightful illustration on how God often builds character within a person. He writes:

In the northeastern United States, codfish are a big commercial business. Note the following facts: There is a market for eastern cod all over, especially in the sections farthest removed from the northeastern coastline. But the public demand posed a problem to the shippers.

At first they froze the cod, then shipped them elsewhere, but the freeze took away much of the flavor. So they experimented with shipping them alive, in tanks of seawater, but that proved even worse. Not only was it more expensive, the cod still lost its flavor, and, in addition, became soft and mushy. The texture was seriously affected.

Finally, some creative shipper solved the problem in a most innovative manner. The codfish were placed in the tank of water along with their natural enemy - the catfish. From the time the cod left the East Coast until it arrived at its westernmost destination, those ornery catfish chased the cod all over the tank.

And, you guessed it - when the cod arrived at the market, they were as fresh as when they were first caught. There was no loss of flavor nor was the texture affected. If anything, it was better than before.

Each one of us is in a tank of particular inescapable circumstances. It is painful enough to stay in the tank. But in addition, there are God-appointed 'catfish' to bring sufficient tension to keep us alive, flavored, alert, fresh, and growing. It's all a part of God's project to shape our character so we will be more like His Son.

Understand why the catfish are in your salt-water tank. Understand they are part of God's method of producing character in your life, and mine. Let's not lose the flavor or the salt.

Well said, Dr. Swindoll! A perfect example of this can be found in the Old Testament Book of Ruth. As the book unfolds, an Israelite woman named Naomi seems to have wonderful life. Everything is going well for her and her family in Bethlehem. Happily married, she and her husband, Elimelech, have been blessed with two sons.

But then things start to go inexplicably bad for all concerned. A famine arises, forcing her family to become refugees in a foreign land called Moab. Upon arrival, her husband dies. In a short time, she also suffers the loss of both of her sons.

But she remains faithful to her God. And after about ten years, thing get better back home. When she decides to return, her daughter-in-law, a Moabite woman named Ruth, insists on going with her. Little did either of them know that Ruth was destined to meet and marry a man named Boaz; and that from their union would come Obed, who would sire Jesse, who would then father a young lad named David, who was destined to be the greatest King in the history of ancient Israel.

So, my friend, if you find yourself inexplicably tormented, attacked seemingly at every turn by a continual plague of difficult circumstance, do not despair. One never knows what God is up to. One never knows how His divine plan is being worked out as He moves us from point A to point B on the journey of life that He has planned for each of us from all eternity.

One day, when we have finally arrived, and when we have the benefit of hindsight, we may well be delighted to connect the dots and understand just exactly why He allowed us to be poked, pricked, and prodded incessantly all along life’s journey.

And despite our wounds, despite our scabs, despite our scars, we will be pleased to have arrived just where He wanted us to be: all for His divine purposes. Surely that will be worth the struggle. Surely that will be worth the hassle. And if you don’t believe me, just wait till we get to Heaven and ask a woman named Naomi!

CHARLES SWINDOLL STORY SOURCE: https://books.google.com/books?id=Mm_U1VqZ9qoC&pg=PT41&lpg=PT41&dq=swindoll+codfish&source=bl&ots
=BR47SvrOKh&sig=SoniA0cxHRWsj0F9YUK6wcn7PD8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0a
hUKEwj2lrfcqIHPAhXGHD4KHUvKAEoQ6AEITjAI#v=onepage&q=swindoll%20codfish&f=false.

This story is also available widely on the internet. See, for example, http://www.kubik.org/lighter/character.htm.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

9/5/2016

Several years ago, my wife and I were privileged to visit the world famous Salisbury Cathedral in England. This is quite an impressive structure, being one of twenty such cathedrals that were built in the years immediately after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William the Conqueror seized control of England and Wales. It was built in the Early English Gothic style and has a simple layout in the shape of a cross.

Now, in and of itself, that may not sound all that impressive. But consider that, somehow, nearly 800 years ago, with no electricity, no diesel engines, no cranes, indeed with no modern construction machinery at all, men and women still succeeded in completing a true marvel of architectural engineering, even by today's construction standards.

With a height of 225 feet, and an additional 180 feet of spire (for a total height of 405 feet!), and a length of 442 feet, the size of this gorgeous building is simply awe-inspiring. Even more amazing is the amount of material employed: 450 tons of lead, 3,000 tons of timber, and 70,000 tons of stone! All of this was assembled over a period of 38 years, from 1220 to 1258 AD.

Still not impressed? Remember that at the time, people had no access to gunpowder, knew nothing of the inner workings of the human body, let alone the internal combustion engine, and actually thought the world was flat!

In any event, while we were taking a tour, our guide told us a story that I have never forgotten. It seems that…

A man came upon a construction site where three people were working. He asked the first, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am laying bricks and trying to hang on two more hours till quitting time.”

He asked the second, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am building a wall to make my boss happy.”

As he approached the third, he heard him humming a tune as he passionately toiled away, and asked, “What are you doing?” The man stood, looked up at the sky, and smiled, “I am building a cathedral to the glory of Almighty God!”

I love the truth embodied in this story - especially on Labor Day weekend: our labor in this world is imbued with much more meaning if we view it as work done for God's glory!

We can see this principle demonstrated in Scripture. Solomon proffers wisdom for human laborers in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 9, verses 9-10):

“Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun - all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

Later, in his New Testament letter to the Colossians (chapter 3, verses 23-24), the Apostle Paul builds on this same theme:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

These two passages are similar, but not exactly the same; for Solomon’s’ original admonition to approach one’s labor with all human might is now taken a step further. Paul’s admonishment is for us who are believers to approach our labor with all our hearts!

The reason? Because followers of Jesus Christ are doing their work, not solely for the benefit and approval of mere human authority, but also for the Lord Jesus Christ! And indeed, the opinion of our Heavenly Master matters far more than that of any earthly boss!

So, tomorrow morning, as Labor Day weekend comes to an end and you and I return to work, let us be careful to give it our all. For, it is ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ we are serving!

STORY SOURCE: The above story was indeed related by a tour guide. That notwithstanding, this story that he told is available widely in various forms on the internet. See, for instance:

http://www.storlietelling.com/2013/08/14/bricks-walls-cathedrals-a-story-bite-to-lead-with-vision/.

SCRIPTURE VERSE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/niv/ecclesiastes/9.htm and http://biblehub.com/niv/colossians/3.htm.

MORE ABOUT SALISBURY CATHEDRAL CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/history. (I highly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to visit the Cathedral do so. In addition to having the world’s oldest working clock and the best preserved original copy of the Magna Carta Libertatum itself, the Cathedral sits only eight miles from Stonehenge. All in all, it is quite a worthwhile visit.)

A COUPLE OF POINTED REMINDERS

9/1/2016

About a week ago, I had a little rise come up on my right index finger. It was small, but sore to the touch. And it also hurt to bend my finger. So, I decided to take action. Now, I apologize for being gross here; but I squeezed it and squeezed it until it popped and a bloody fluid emerged. Only then did I realize the truth of the matter.

What I had assumed was a small whitehead boil, perhaps from an infected hair follicle on my knuckle, was in fact a far deeper problem. The black tip of a large wood splinter exuded from the hole. Obviously, it had somehow embedded itself in my knuckle and now sorely needed attention. In short order, I had the intruder out. Needless to say, immediate relief ensued!

A week passed and then, earlier today, I went to the dermatologist to have an annual skin exam. (Years ago, while in college, I life-guarded for several summers. I now see the need to make certain I did not do irreparable damage to my skin.)

In any event, after having examined (and pronounced as safe) all the questionable spots I had concerns over, the doctor then inquired about a spot on my index finger – not the one on my right hand recovering from the splinter; but the one on my left hand. In the end, the only spot that got frozen with liquid nitrogen was the one on my left index finger.

The week's results? Thankfully, I now no longer have a rise on my right finger. Nor does it hurt. But alas, I now have a huge one on left finger! And ouch! Brother, does it hurt! But at least I know that in time it too will scab over and then disappear. And I will then have two healthy and strong index fingers, hopefully for years to come.

(And believe me, this matters - especially to one such as myself who never paid much attention in typing class back in the day; and who even now composes blogs via hunting and pecking the keyboard with this two index fingers!)

By now, of course, you may be asking, “What is your point in sharing these two stories about your two pointing fingers?” I answer by saying that I have been reminded, not once, but twice now of just how valuable these two little digits are.

You see, I normally take for granted the existence and associated health of each one. It is only when the viability of one or both is threatened in some way (as both have been this past week) that I pause to consider their true value.

More than once throughout this day, I have thought back to the cowboy wisdom proffered by my father. Among his many maxims was one that I heard on multiple occasions: “Son, if you’ll just learn to take care of the little things, the big things will pretty much take care of themselves!”

Perhaps Jesus had something akin to this in mind when, in Luke’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 16, verse 10, New Living Translation), He said: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”

In truth, I have been reminded anew of the importance of little things! I thank God that He has given me two reasonably healthy and functional index fingers. And I intend to demonstrate to Him just how much these are valued by taking care of them. More than this, I intend on using them to glorify Him each and every day.

(Even if that means having to type a blog post with a huge bandage impeding my progress by interfering with every other key stroke.)

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/luke/16-10.htm.