Blog Archives

WASH JOB!

11/30/2020

At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had stumbled across a listing on a well-known internet auction site for a “Wash Away Your Sins” Handy Conversion Kit. The kit contained 1) three antibacterial towelettes that supposedly “kill sin on contact”, 2) one “Wash Away Your Sins” Cleansing Bar that supposedly “reduces guilt by 98% or more”, and 3) one “Wash Away Your Sins Handbook” with “step by step strategies and confessional log”.

Promoted as “A Sinner’s Necessity”, the “Easy to Use” kit, with its tempting “Do It Again Scent”, claimed to be “Tested and Approved” for “All 7 Deadly Sins”.

Intrigued, I read further. The wrapper for the “Wash Away Your Sins Cleansing Bar” contained inside further asserted that it was particularly effective on “vulgarities”. The instructions said “Insert in mouth, scrub, spit out, flush with water.

The next line was telling: “May be harmful if swallowed.” I’ll just say “Amen” to that! Personally, I found the whole thing a bit hard to swallow!

The advertised ingredients prove why: “An exotic blend of Somalian Frankincense, Indonesian Nutmeg & Ginger in 100% vegetable soap base.” The operative word here is “vegetable”! Allow me to explain.

In Genesis chapter 3, the Bible tells us that sin entered the world though the disobedience of Adam and Eve. That sinful nature was then passed on to their sons, Cain and Abel. When Cain and Abel came to worship God in Genesis chapter 4, Cain brought a plant offering, while Abel brought an animal offering. The result was that God had respect for Abel’s offering, but not for Cain’s. The question is why?

And the answer is because they were repeating the mistake made by Adam and Eve earlier in Genesis 3, when they had attempted to cover their own sin with fig leaves. God, however, covered them with animal skins. The implication is clear here. Because God had told Adam and Eve that the penalty for their sin would be death, and because He cannot lie, He had then allowed a vicarious, or substitutionary, death to take place on their behalf, in order that they might live while His word was honored.

This is why, in the 22nd verse of the 9th chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews, we read that, since everything is “cleansed with blood”, therefore, “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” for sins.

Of course, the problem with the system of animal sacrifice in the Old Testament is that it was temporary at best. A weekly sacrifice offered for sins previously committed did nothing for sins yet to come. For this reason, once and for all, in the fullness of time, God allowed His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to come into this world and give His life as a permanent atonement for the sins of men and women in all times, places, and circumstances.

And that includes you and me. This is why the Apostle John tells us (in chapter 1, verse 7) of his First New Testament Letter that, alone, “the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin”.

Now, I’m sure the makers of “Wash Away Your Sins” do not really believe that any mere man-made concoction can actually do away with the sinfulness of mankind. At least I hope they don’t! For in truth, only one thing can accomplish this - the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world for the remission of others’ sins!

Whether it’s a concoction of bloodless plants lain at an altar by a clueless Cain, or a bar of vegetable soap creatively marketed by profit-driven people, the result is the same. Employ either approach all you want; but once you have, your sins are sure to still be with you. What can truly wash away your sins? Mark it down. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

What about you today? Have you been to Jesus for His cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed? In the blood? In the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb? Are you garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? If not, then allow me to leave you with the words of hymn-writer Lewis E. Jones:

Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you o'er evil the victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood!

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Sin stains are lost in its life-giving flow
There's wonderful power in the blood!

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/9-22.htm; and
https://www.biblehub.com/1_john/1-7.htm.

HYMN SOURCES:

https://hymnary.org/text/would_you_be_free_from_the_burden_jones;
https://hymnary.org/text/have_you_been_to_jesus_for_the_cleansing; and
https://hymnary.org/text/what_can_wash_away_my_sin.

A GRATEFUL HEART

11/27/2020

Sometimes you read about history being made in the news. At other times, you witness that same history being made yourself before it ever gets reported in the news. I experienced both this week.

On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th, major news outlines reported the event which my wife and I had viewed live the night before with blaring headlines such as this: 'Wheel Of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Jokingly Calls Out 'Ungrateful' Contestant: 'I Finally Snapped!'

Melissa Roberto, reporting for www.Fox News.com, noted that the longtime gameshow host ultimately apologized, despite insisting he was “just teasing”.

What went down was this. Pat Sajak, the normally upbeat host of “Wheel of Fortune”, jokingly called out a contestant during the nightly episode. The result was that a great many viewers did not exactly know how to take what they had just witnessed.

It all began when a contestant solved a puzzle for things beginning with the word "kitchen." He (a man) gave the correct answer as: "Cabinet, oven, towels, sink". However, he then took it upon himself to continue speaking and to point out that the answer did not necessarily make sense.

“Kitchen oven? What was that?” he said. “Yeah, where else would you keep an oven?” Sajak quipped. “For sure in the kitchen, but who calls it a ‘kitchen oven?’” came the contestant’s retort. To which the host responded by saying: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!” Sajak said all this while laughing, as he added these words: “No, I'm just teasing. I finally snapped!”

As might be expected in the modern world, Twitter immediately exploded, indicating that fans at home were fairly split on the contestant's perceived umbrage, as well as whether or not it was wrong for the host, even in jest, to call a contestant “ungrateful”.

To quote Roberto’s article:

"Oh my @patsajak almost lost it on this dude #WheelOfFortune," another reacted.

One viewer sided with Darin, writing on Twitter, "kitchen oven is like saying bathroom toilet #wheeloffortune."

"I agree...who calls it a Kitchen Oven. #WheelOfFortune," another wrote.

"Pat was trying to be funny!" one person defended Sajak, adding that the "(non) confrontation" was so slight they may have missed it... He wasn’t ‘mean’ or condescending. I watch this every weeknight."

Another insisted: "He was kidding around. How does this get twisted into Pat losing it???"

It is worth noting here that the contestant in question’s appearance on the show was somewhat unique in that he revealed that his mother had been a three-night champion back in the 1980s. Add to this the fact that he himself ultimately took home $15,350, to say nothing of an “apology” from Sajak, who quipped: “I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just -- I don't remember your mother giving us trouble like you did.” Needless to say, he and his family all profited significantly from their association with this one game show!

Of course, some may view all of this as simply “much ado about nothing”. After all, even given that the syndicated version of “Wheel of Fortune” is currently in its 38th season, at the end of the day, we are still talking about a mere game show!

And yet, I would contend that we may indeed be talking about more here – much more. To begin with, as the Twitter storm that ensued clearly indicates, we live in a world where people feel increasingly free, and often even compelled, to offer their opinion about anything and everything! In days gone by, contestants on game shows appeared glad just to be there. But now, apparently, they feel free to comment on the perceived quality and/or satisfaction of their experience even as it is happening.

Of course, the strange thing here, as Sajak pointed out, is that the contestant in question had actually solved the puzzle and won a significant amount of money in the process! One might understand if he had offered an answer that had been ruled incorrect, or if he had been beaten by a fellow competitor. But the irony is that he got the answer right, winning tons of money in the process, and yet still had the unmitigated audacity to complain about nature of the question! Go figure!

Now, I myself did not chime in, either on Twitter as we viewed the episode, or in the comments section on the news article. But, as you can see, I’m effectively doing so now. Because, at the end of the day, I happen to think that Pat Sajak was right.

While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, this does not necessarily mean that he or she should offer that opinion at every turn. There is time and a place for everything, including sounding off. There is also a time for not doing so. So, beware! The modern penchant for spouting off, encouraged and exacerbated as it is by social media, may not necessarily always be appropriate!

Oh, and one more thing. Such a proclivity may be tell-tale, in that it really reflects a soul that is never truly satisfied, and thus, never truly grateful! Host Pat Sajak’s words are spot-on: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!”
My suspicion is that he is not the only one who feels that way.

For surely God Himself would be justified in such a feeling should He choose to level a similar accusation at us. After all, no one has ever been as generous to us as has our Heavenly Father. Yet, so often, what does He get from us in return, if not an attitude of ingratitude which only seeks to find things wrong with all the blessings we have received?!

No doubt it was providential, therefore, that, despite being filmed well in advance, this particular episode, complete with the scene in question, was fated to be broadcast nationwide on the very night before Thanksgiving. How apropos!

As you and I continue to process the leftovers of Thanksgiving Day, may we be faithful as well to process our many blessings. And may that process involve a grateful acknowledgement of, and not a sarcastic questioning of and/or complaining about the nature of what those God-given blessings are!

Lyricist Don Moen put it this way: “Give thanks, with a grateful heart!” The last four words are just as important as the first two ever were. For presuming to give God thanks without a truly grateful heart is at best disingenuous, and at worst blasphemous!

Therefore, let us give thanks; and let us do so with a truly grateful heart!

SOURCES:

NEWS STORY: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/wheel-of-fortune-pat-sajak-calls-out-ungrateful-contestant.

LYRICS: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/donmoen/givethanks.html.

WHAT CHA EATIN’?!

11/23/2020

Over the course of the past few weeks, I have posted several blogs about what all the Lord has been teaching me from my encounters with the various herds of cattle I come across while out walking each day. As I have continued to reflect on this matter, He has now shown me yet another spiritual principle from the lives of these simple creatures. I want to share it here.

I related earlier that Black Angus calves can be born at any time throughout the year; but that most tend to born either in the spring or the fall. In one pasture that I pass by daily, about five new fall-born calves now romp and stomp daily. The pasture just across the road used to contain about that many spring-born calves. But not anymore; for most of these are now locked up in the barn.

Conventionally, calves are weaned between the ages of 180 to 210 days, or six to seven months. Thus, the calves born in the spring of 2020 are all now undergoing the weaning process here in the fall. And from their perspective, at least, that process must be pretty painful.

It involves locking them up in the barn away from their mothers, where they can no longer have access to their mother’s udders. Instead, they are introduced to a diet of feed and hay. Apparently, as they make this transition, they are forced to undergo agonizing withdrawals, the likes of which few drug addicts have ever known!

For about ten days, they do little more than loudly voice their complaints at a decibel designed to be just high enough for the entire world to hear! The only redeeming quality is that, with each passing day, their level of frustration, along with their resultant objections, decreases, until eventually, once they have finally given up on milk and focused entirely on a diet of plant matter, little complaint is proffered.

Now, it seems to me that all of this has spiritual application. After all, the Apostle Peter, in his First New Testament Letter (chapter 2, verse 2), gives the following admonition: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…” His point is that new believers should learn the essentials of the Christian life by focusing on basic Biblical principles.

But new-born cows were not intended to live indefinitely on milk; and neither were new-born Christians intended to live indefinitely on basic Biblical principles. There comes a time when calves must transition from mere milk to corn, alfalfa, hay, etc... Likewise, there comes a time when new-born believers must transition to a deeper study of God’s Word that produces more than just a rudimentary level awareness of its main characters, stories, and principles.

The Apostle Paul affirms this in his First New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 3, KJV) when he chides the believers there for not having matured and transitioned from the milk of the word to the meat of the word! Other translations use the term “solid food” rather than “meat”. Either way, Paul’s point is clear. There clearly comes a time when each and every believer should be growing and maturing in their walk with Christ!

Why, then, do so many seem not to be doing this? Famed preacher Vance Havner once reportedly said that the average church is far too full of spiritual “Baby Huies” who do little more than cry and complain because someone dared to change their formula!

Surely all of this raises questions for you and me. First, just how long have claimed to be “born again”? And in light of the answer to that, second, then of what does our spiritual diet consist? Is it milk? Or is it solid food? To what extent does any of this trouble us? And if it does concern us, just how vocal are we about it?

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/1_peter/2-2.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/kjv/1_corinthians/3.htm.

NOTE: “Baby Hughie” was a famous cartoon character who was a giant oversized baby who towered above his playmates.
Cf.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Huey.

SEE ALSO: http://vancehavner.com/;
as well as ttps://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&Keyword=Vance%5EHavner.

RIDING HERD!

11/20/2020

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that, since I have moved out to the country, I have been privileged to become somewhat reacquainted with rural living – something I had been away from for most of my adult life after having been blessed to grow up on a forty acre farm.

As I have continued my daily walks for exercise and reflection, I have also continued to encounter several herds of cattle populating the various pastures lining the roads near our home. And as I have done so, I have begun to learn more and more about the lives of the individual cows themselves.

Each pasture has its resident bull, of course, who reigns supreme over his respective herd. All except one pasture, that is. For this particular enclosure consists solely of a group of juvenile bulls, each of whom continually jousts for preeminence among his peers, while impatiently awaiting his own (hoped for) eventual time on the throne.

The other pastures all contain their similarly respective herds of cattle, including cows, heifers, yearlings, and, of course, newborn calves. These calves can be born at any time of the year; but mostly in the spring and the fall. In my daily interactions, I have come to know many of these on an individual basis.

Certain individuals are a bit shy, and always hang back away from the road. Others are much friendlier, and always seem to be right up near the fence. The latter welcome a reassuring word or friendly pat on the head from anyone willing to provide either.

Surprisingly, those closest to the fence are often the massive bulls themselves. According to the local farmers, these are all almost always very gentle - often following them (the farmers) around whenever they (the farmers) happen to be in the pasture.

By comparison, the cows in each herd can be far more dangerous to be around. This is especially true whenever they have a newborn calf around; for the former will defend the latter zealously. This last fact leads me to an incident I recently observed; and which I now wish to share with you.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking up a slight incline on the road about a mile from our home when I happened to glance to my left just in time to see a cow come up out of a gully and out into the pasture. She immediately turned, and began coaxing what was obviously a brand new calf up out of the same ravine.

I say brand new because, for several reasons, it was obvious to me that the calf had just been born. First, it was very small, much smaller than the other calves in the pasture. Second, it was wet all over. And third, it was very wobbly on its feet, stumbling awkwardly and nearly falling over with each uncertain step.

Nearby, I noticed a flock of vultures which had obviously alighted nearby on the ground. One by one, they began darting menacingly in and out toward the calf – ever pressing it, but never quite daring to get too close. This was obviously due to the presence of the cow. At the time, I assumed that they were just impatient to get at the afterbirth down in the wash where the calf had obviously just been born.

But then, an astounding thing unfolded! As I watched in disbelief, a vulture swooped down from the air and viciously pecked at the calf as it passed over. At this point, the cow herself reacted with furious abandon! She rushed past the calf, charging the flock of birds, forcefully and noisily dispersing them. Thereafter, she returned to the calf and stood boldly over it, using her head to gently nudge it up and over the rise and out into the pasture, where, already, other cows were arriving "en masse", as if in recognition that one of their own was in danger.

Dumfounded, I continued my walk on out to the lake, all the while earnestly reflecting on all I had just seen. I had always known that vultures were scavengers, but never that they were outright predators. Clearly, however, what I had witnessed was not just scavenging behavior, but outright predation.

On my return walk, I happened upon the farmer who owns the herd of cattle in question. I shared what all I had earlier seen; and he confirmed that this was indeed the case. He did in fact have a new born calf in the pasture, born earlier that day. What is more, vultures were in fact predators as well as scavengers.

He then related how he had once lost a calf that had been attacked by vultures even as it was being born! Coming out head first, the poor creature had had its eyes pecked out before its body had even hit the ground!

He further affirmed that the most vulnerable time for a calf is just after it has been born. Once it has been introduced to the herd, it is generally considered to be safe. Until then, it is in danger!

This was all somewhat confirmed in the days that followed; as I observed the newborn calf, easily distinguishable from the others because he still lacked his ear tag, secure in the midst of the herd. Here, he could variously be seen nursing, sleeping, and/or just plain frolicking, all with nary a worry in the world.

As I continue to reflect on this, I cannot help but see certain parallels (and principles) for the people of God. To begin with, we were intended to live our lives, not alone, but in community. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone; so Adam and Eve were given each other, as well as their children, with whom to dwell. Similarly, individual Christians are not intended to live out their spiritual lives alone, but rather as a part of a family - one consisting of forebears, brothers and sisters, and hopefully offspring (new believers) in Christ.

Moreover, new believers in Christ, like the newborn calf I observed, are the most vulnerable members of that family. Of course, the attack upon chosen newborns has always been a favorite approach of the evil one. After all, in the opening chapters of the Bible, using the serpent, he himself tried to waylay the first of all humans when he went after Adam and Eve. In the process, all of their descendants (including you and me) were cursed.

Later in the Old Testament, using Pharaoh, Satan tried to have Moses killed as an infant. In the process, a great many Israelites died. And of course, in the fullness of time, as is recorded in the Gospels, using Herod, he then tried the same with Jesus Himself. In the process, the slaughter of the innocents unfolded, as every male descendent in Judea under the age of two was put to death.

Coming forward, in the New Testament Book of Acts, we see the infantile church under attack, as the Devil went after each of the Apostles in turn, attempting to circumvent, first their maturity, and then their ability to reproduce their own faith in Christ in the hearts of others.

Of course, in none of these endeavors did he ultimately have success. Yet, even today, he persists in attacking newborn believers, even as they are at their most vulnerable state!

Thank God, therefore, that they are not alone. For God, in his wisdom, has given them the church. For this reason, those of us who comprise the church are responsible, not only for reproducing our faith in others, but also for watching over, protecting, and nurturing these new believers until such time as they themselves are both secure and mature in Christ.

For my part, I will not soon forget the passion with which I observed a lone cow jump to the defense of her newborn calf. Nor will I forget the response of an entire herd as one of their own was found to be under attack.

And I pray that I will also remember the spiritual lesson(s) attached to both of these sights. As I do, I hope I will always be reminded to do my best to look out for new believers within the family of God, and to help them to achieve their full potential as they grow to maturity in Christ!

In short, as a believer, I am responsible for “riding herd” on God’s people! May I be found faithful in all this entails!

THE GREAT DISCOVERY!

11/16/2020

Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I find that I am finally able to delve a little deeper into my own family history. The technical name for this field of study is genealogy. I suppose that, as a lover of both family and history, it was only natural that sooner or later, I would get into this, as it affords me the added joy of combining these two pursuits into one rewarding hobby. Few things are as satisfying as discovering some hitherto unknown little jewel of information about one of my ancestors.

Of course, unlike back in the day when genealogical research was difficult and time consuming, these days, there are many, many online tools available to assist a person in hereditary studies. Some, such as www.usgenweb.org, are free; while others, such as www.ancestry.com, are fee-based platforms. But whichever way one chooses to go in his or her research, as the field of genealogy continues to grow and expand, more and more of each type of resource are continually coming online.

One of the newest of these is www.newspapers.com, which now purports to be the world’s largest online newspaper database. With over 19,600 newspapers from the 1700s–2000s archived, and with literally millions of additional pages being added every month, it has helped to revolutionize the field of genealogical studies by adding a rich new layer of records to family history research.

It also provides a goldmine of articles for those, such as me, who communicate for a living. Here is one such example, as found in Jenny Ashcraft’s recent November 12, 2020 blog post titled “Uncovering Hidden Treasures” on the official www.newspapers.com blog site…

“Who doesn’t love a good hidden treasure story? The newspapers are filled with stories of ordinary people who uncover extraordinary treasures in the most unusual places. Whether found in a hidden secret compartment or buried in the ground, these stories might leave you wondering if there is a hidden treasure in your house! Here are a few fun treasure stories we’ve uncovered.

In 1924, the owner of a house built in 1860 made plans to demolish it. The house was originally owned by a bank president. During the demolition, workers found a concealed compartment containing $100,000 in gold coins. That is equivalent to $1.5 million today!

In 1928, George Maher invented a metal detector. While scanning the ground on a farm near Natchez, Mississippi, he discovered a cache of coins buried two feet deep. The money was buried shortly before the fall of Vicksburg during the Civil War. Maher’s find validated his invention and allowed him to deposit more than $1,000 in the bank.

In 1986, two workmen found a hidden room on the third floor of a 140-year old Italianate home overlooking Cayuga Lake in New York. The door to the room didn’t have a handle and was disguised by wood paneling matching the room. A desk and shelves further guarded the doorway. Once inside the secret room, the men discovered three steamer trunks filled with 19th-century toys, historical items, and at least $10,000 in coins.

In 1935, after the death of an Oklahoma pioneer, his four daughters inherited his valuable estate. An attorney representing the daughters visited a farm owned by the pioneer to take an inventory. An aged caretaker told the attorney that additional valuables were hidden in an old office building in Wheeling, West Virginia. The treasure, he said, dated back to the Kings of France.

Traveling to West Virginia, the attorney discovered a partition and false fireplace inside the office building. He removed them and found a dim passageway to an attic where he discovered three brass chests filled with a fortune in gold and silver.

The treasure once belonged to Louis S. Delaplaine, the U.S. consul in British Guiana. Delaplaine kept a luxurious apartment in the West Virginia office building. The discovery added to the valuable estate inherited by the four daughters who were related to Delaplaine by marriage. They also received an island in Lake Huron gifted to Delaplaine by Queen Victoria.

Not all treasure is money. In 1929, a man was examining the contents of an old wooden chest found in the attic of a home in Westport, Connecticut, when he came upon a rare daguerreotype. Further examination revealed the image was that of Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

Another historical treasure was discovered in 1998 by C. P. Weaver. She had papers and documents passed down through her family stored in her attic. After seeing the movie Glory about a troop of Black Civil War soldiers, it stirred something in Weaver’s memory. She went to the attic and retrieved the stash of papers and discovered the fragile diary of Union Col. Nathan W. Daniels, commander of the Second Louisiana Native Guards, one of the first Black regiments organized in the Civil War. The diary was eventually published and provided priceless historical understanding.

In 1998, a Florida couple bought a painting at the thrift store for $1.99. The painting turned out to be an original by Auguste Rodin, sculptor of the masterpiece, The Thinker. Their $2 investment was valued at $14,000 and earned them an invitation to appear on an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show about uncovered hidden treasures.”

The post concludes with this invitation: “Have you ever discovered a hidden treasure? Tell us about it in the comments below, and search Newspapers.com for many more treasure stories.”

At this writing (four days after the post), 48 people have responded, with many of these sharing similar personal stories of found treasure.

As I read these amazing stories, I could not help but think of the story Jesus once told in the 16th chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Matthew. Crouched in the midst of far more famous parables such as that of the Sower (who went forth to sow), the Wheat and the Tares, and the Mustard Seed, among others, is this little gem relayed in one single verse (v. 44): “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

He followed that up immediately with a similar parable in verses 45-46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Jesus’ point in these two parables is that the Christian life can be compared to a great treasure of immeasurable worth, the discovery of which compels all those who find it to renounce everything else in life, and pursue it with complete abandon.

And He was right! The world has its share of treasures, to be sure. But none of these even begin to compare to the value of the treasure of Heaven! Nor can the happiness that accompanies their fleeting custody compare to the everlasting joy of possessing a home in Heaven, where the very streets themselves are paved in purest gold!

Besides, as Jim Elliot once famously reminded us, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose!”

Have you made this great discovery? If not, I hope you soon do! Of course, if you have found this immense treasure, then my final question is this: “How do you now plan to respond?!”

SOURCES:

BLOG POST: Jenny Ashcraft, “Uncovering Hidden Treasures” at https://blog.newspapers.com/uncovering-hidden-treasure/, November 12,2020.

JIM ELLIOT QUOTE: https://www.kevinhalloran.net/jim-elliot-quote-he-is-no-fool/.

SCRIPTURE: https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/13.htm.

A MATTER OF TRUST!

11/13/2020

My in-laws recently gave their ATV to my wife and me. After expressing our sincere gratitude, we began sorting through the file they had kept on the vehicle. The first thing we discovered is that, though considered an off-road vehicle for use on private property, it still came with a title, which would now need to be properly transferred.

Accordingly, we set about getting everything put into our names in accordance with appropriate regulations. Thus, we made our way to our county court house, before swinging by to see our insurance carrier. It was while we were at the local county clerk’s office conducting our business that I overheard a conversation between a local resident and the individual handling the window adjacent to us. Here is the gist of that conversation…

CLERK: “Can I help you?”

RESIDENT: “Yes ma’am. I’m here to renew a license plate.”

CLERK: “Okay. Do you have your current registration?”

RESIDENT: “I do; but I do not want to renew the prestige plate that is currently on the vehicle. It’s an older vehicle that I have just now begun restoring. So, to save a little money, just give me a standard plate for it until I can eventually get it all back together and roadworthy again.”

CLERK: “Okay. No problem. Now, on that standard plate, do you want one with or without the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ printed on it?”

I must admit that I was completely caught off guard by this last question. I knew the phrase was on our state car tags, and had been as long as I could remember. But apparently, it is now considered optional, with each vehicle owner responsible for determining whether or not he or she desires to have it displayed.

I decided to go home and do as little research on the subject, whereupon I discovered the following facts. The phrase “In God We Trust” is: 1) the official national motto of the United States of America (as it has been since 1956), 2) found on official United States coinage and currency, 3) found on multiple U.S. state seals, 4) found on multiple U.S. state flags, and 5) also found on the license plates of nineteen different U.S. states.

What is more, by overwhelming votes, both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives have recently reaffirmed the phrase as the official national motto. Numerous court cases over the years have repeatedly resulted in rulings that the use of the phrase on public documents and insignia is completely constitutional.

Perhaps most interesting, as recently as 2003, according to a joint poll conducted by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, fully 90% of Americans support the inscription "In God We Trust" on U.S. coinage and currency. Interestingly enough, it was shortly thereafter that things began to change.

After nearly 150 years with the motto on one flat side of U.S. coinage, the 2007 the George Washington dollar coins issued that year included the motto only in small print on the edge of the coin!

Interestingly enough, through a supposed mint error, several coins were even produced with smooth edges that did not include the motto. They are known today as “Godless dollars”. Of course, the mint claimed it was all a big mistake.

But either way, many people saw all of this as an intentional way of marginalizing the phrase “In God We Trust”. And now, barely a dozen years or so later, it is arguable that the phrase is once again beginning to be sidelined.

But even if not, the question asked by the clerk of the citizen at the local court house is one that has relevance for all of us in this great country – “Do you want to be tagged as someone with or without ‘In God We trust’?”

Seriously, do you want your life to display trust in God or not? Do you want your possessions, your activities, your behaviors, your convictions, your values, and any and all other indicators of your true heart to say “In God I Trust” or not?!

My wife and I are extremely grateful for the trust shown to us by her parents. They did not have to bless us with such a wonderful gift. But they did, along with many other wonderful blessings. As a result, we pray that we will never violate that trust!

In like manner, we know that it is only by God’s blessing that we get to live in such a wonderful country as the United States of America, as well as to enjoy all the additional freedoms and benefits that come with this.

The Biblical book of Proverbs (chapter 3, verses 5-6) gives us this instruction: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Needless to say, this admonition has particular relevance in a day and age in which trusting in God is increasingly presented as optional.

In light of these things, may we all always be ready, willing, and able to affirm that our trust is in God, and in God alone!

STATISTICAL SOURCES: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust; and https://www.conservapedia.com/In_God_We_Trust.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/kjv/proverbs/3.htm.

LESSONS TO LIVE BY!

11/9/2020

I grew up in a typical nuclear family of the 1960’s. While not quite the Cleavers of television fame, my father, mother, sister, and I shared similar comforts and complaints while living on a forty acre farm as we generally enjoyed life together. Later on, when I was nine years old, my younger sister joined us (making us the butt of many a “Jackson 5” joke; but many of my earliest memories involved only the four listed above. However, even then, five individuals did gather for supper each night.

You see, each evening, we ate supper together around the table. (Yes, once upon a time, families did this most every night!) As we did, the four of us welcomed Walter Cronkite, the lead anchor for CBS Nightly News, into our midst. He faithfully joined us via the television set that my dad had playing over in the corner of the room, in order that he could catch up on the news of the day.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Cronkite was repeatedly voted the most trustworthy man in America. His thirty minute nightly broadcast always concluded with the classic phrase “And that’s the way it is”, followed by his giving the day of the week and the date, before finishing with his salutary “This is Walter Cronkite, CBS News. Good night.” And each evening, when he told us that was the way it was, we believed him.

We were not alone. Cronkite dominated the news for nearly two decades before retiring in 1981. Of course, the broadcast networks’ domination of the news soon followed, as channels devoted entirely to 24 hour newscasts began to arise on cable systems. Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and the like are all standard fare today. But they were novel in the 1980s. In the years to come, I would find myself looking back longingly for the days when Cronkite told us the news without an angle or bias. My suspicion is that I am not the only one who feels this way at times. But I digress…

It was about this time that my young wife and I, newly married, moved off to seminary and set up house-keeping in a little one bedroom apartment some four miles off campus. Barely of age, we found ourselves a thousand miles from home and family. But we persevered; and little by little, we made a home for ourselves.

It was about this time that we too welcomed a nightly guest into our home. The year was 1984; and his name was Alex Trebek, the host of the new nighttime version of the television trivia game show, Jeopardy!.

Little did we know that Alex would come to spend most every weekday evening with us for the next three and a half decades! And now, he too has signed off for the last time. Tens of millions of people the world over join my wife and I tonight as we mourn the passing of this wonderful man.

Trebek, of course, passed away peacefully earlier today, surrounded by his family, after a long and difficult struggle with pancreatic cancer. And even though I personally never met the man, I nonetheless feel as though I have lost a life-long friend! Once again, I am very likely not alone here.

Our nights will now be different without him. But his presence will still be felt still far into the future. Not just because of decades of reruns that will surely now be broadcast; but because of the fun and entertaining way he helped us to learn about our world, broadening our horizons and perspectives on life in the process. Indeed, he was, as one journalist called him, a “pleasant distraction” from the cares of the world.

And maybe that was why I valued him so! As a child, I was largely oblivious to the greater realities of this world. Coming of age, men like Walter Cronkite taught me that, as unpleasant as it may be, part of my growing up was my having to recognize and address these issues and concerns.

Later, as an adult continually awash in such matters, Alex Trebek reminded me of the value of laying them aside periodically, in favor of some leisurely activity that allowed the mind to be refreshed, even as it was fed and nourished. Brief as it was, my nightly half-hours spent with Mr. Trebek and company watching Jeopardy! helped me to do just that!

In this regard, if for no other reason, I am in debt to both Walter Cronkite and Alex Trebek. Both gave me some important lessons to live by, as he former urged me to grow up and embrace responsibility, while the latter reminded me to be careful as I did, because all work and no play could easily make me a dull boy!

At this point in my life, I hope I have learned these lessons. I also hope that I have modeled them for others – for my children, my grandchildren, and the many individuals with whom I have been privileged to cross paths in life.

After all, both principles are quite Biblical; for the same Lord Who moved the Apostle Paul to remind us of the importance of embracing responsibility with words like “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” also reminded us of the importance of stepping aside on occasion and resting up in the midst of that responsibility. (See Scriptures below.)

More than just preach these things, this same Lord also practiced them. For no Son ever grew up and accepted and shouldered responsibility as significantly as did He. Nor did anyone ever find as much satisfaction as He later rested from the fulfillment of His earthly responsibilities!

You and I honor men like Cronkite and Trebek whenever we acknowledge our debt to them for the little lessons of life they taught us. Better yet, we glorify Jesus Christ when we acknowledge our debt to Him, and then heed His admonitions and follow His example!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://www.biblehub.com/1_corinthians/13-11.htm; https://biblehub.com/mark/6-31.htm; and https://biblehub.com/mark/6-32.htm.

NOTE: It was only after I had penned (but before I had posted) this blog that I came across the following quote in an article on Vanity Fair Magazine’s website:

“Ken Jennings, who in 2004 won 74 Jeopardy! games in a row, the longest winning streak in game show history, compared Trebek to news anchor Walter Cronkite in a 2019 tweet, calling him an ‘authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every night, almost to the point of ritual.’ Reader’s Digest ranked Trebek among the top 10 most trusted people in America (he was No. 8).”

Yet again, it seems, I am not alone in my thinking!

Cf.: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/11/alex-trebek-television-mainstay-for-decades-has-died-at-age-80.

LIFE WITHOUT WORRY!

11/6/2020

What a week it has been! My oldest grandson (Let’s call him “#1”) has been busy attending his first year of preschool, while his two younger brothers (grandsons “#3” and “#5”) have both been at home with their mother. Meanwhile, yours truly has been busy babysitting grandson “#4”; while my wife has been keeping grandson “#2”, all because of his little brother, grandson “#6”, who has just now been born!

(For what it’s worth, grandson “#7” is, now due in the spring. Apparently, my wife and I cannot buy a granddaughter, as they say, with love nor money!)

Now, in what amounts to somewhat of an irony, grandson “#1” was born on Election Day in 2016 and grandson “#6” was born on Election Day 2020. (Despite this, I assure you that neither is named Donald and neither is named Joe.) Grandson “#7” is not likely to continue this streak; unless the current political situation remains so unresolved that it necessitates some sort of heretofore unprecedented runoff election in the spring.

Of course, it goes without saying that a great many people out there have been more than distraught this week over the current political situation. And yet, in the meantime, my strong suspicion is that not one single one of my six grandsons has even taken notice!

The reason is obvious. With ages ranging from four days to four years, none of them fret and worry over any such matters. Nor do they need to. What they do need to do is what have been doing all along – which is to trust implicitly in their parents and grandparents, all of whom in return have zealously loved, protected, provided, and cared for them, and will continue to do just the same.

As I have reflected on all of these matters, I have been reminded that I, too, have spent an awful lot of time in my life fretting and worrying about the things of this world. And yet, in truth, I now realize that I never should have! Why? Because I too have a Heavenly Father Who always has, and Who always will, address these issues on my behalf!

He, and He alone, has promised to love, protect, provide, and care for me. And the more I grasp that promise, the more and more I choose to trust in Him and him alone. As a result, the less and less I choose to fret and worry; and therefore, the more and more I choose to reside peacefully in His reassuring embrace!

For this reason, I choose to affirm what the Apostle Paul said (in his Second New Testament Letter to Timothy, chapter 1, verse 12) “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

In short, I have elected to place my trust in my Heavenly Father, believing that He, and He alone, will take care of me; that He, and He alone, will meet my every need; and that He, and He alone, will therefore rightfully see me safely through to another world – one in which the cares, fears, and realities of this present world will be forgotten and no longer be of any concern!

Now, I do not know what sort of week you have had. Maybe it started out all “rosy red” and then ended up “bluer than blue”. Or perhaps it was just the opposite. Either way, I want to assure you that God is still on His throne! Neither His power nor His authority has been subverted. Nor has His Divine will! And He will fulfill His promise to you meet your every need!

In closing, I leave you with the question that Jesus, Himself, once asked His disciples: “Why do you worry?” Of course, you, and you alone, are capable of answering any such question!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/2_timothy/1-12.htm; and
https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-28.htm.

REDEMPTIVE PERSPECTIVE

11/2/2020

“This Changed Everything!” Such was the caption on the-mail appearing in my inbox recently that caught my attention. Intrigued, I read further…

“Did you know that October 31 is an international holiday? No, not that one. It is Reformation Day. On October 31 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous for some, and infamous to others, ‘95 Theses’ to the door of the Whittenburg Castle Church. This event was the spark that ignited the Reformation that changed history forever.”

These facts I had learned years ago in college and seminary. But, of course, not everyone is privileged to get to study church history in detail. This is why I am devoting today’s blog to this subject. While the secular world recognizes October 31st each year as Halloween, the church calendar recognizes it as “All Hallow’s Eve”, occurring one day prior to “All Saints Day”. (If you are unaware of these things, I encourage you read more on this matter. A simple internet search will provide you with much information on the subject.)

In any event, some church historians have argued that Luther’s decision to post his “95 theses” on “All Hallow’s Eve” was likely intentional. He may well have chosen this day to underscore just how much the church had become misguided in so many of her emphases. But even if he didn’t, the good that came about as a result of his actions on that one 31st day of October in 1517 surely outweighs the evil celebrated by the world at large on that same day each and every year. But I digress…

My love for church history long ago led me to become a supporter of the Christian History Institute, which regularly publishes Christian History Magazine. This is the very entity that has now become a driving force behind “Redeem TV”, which is why the email referenced above went on to state:

“Redeem TV and Christian History Institute invite you to celebrate ‘Reformation Day’ with us by watching ‘This Changed Everything’ - a 3 episode feature, seen on PBS, that chronicles the events of the Reformation and its far reaching effects on everything from marriage to the monarchy.”

Kudos to the folks at the Christian History Institute for working to bring us “Redeem TV”. Here, one can find such wholesome content as the animated series Torchlighters (about heroes of the Faith), God With Us (the story of Jesus), and Pilgrim’s Progress (a classic in world literature); engaging movies such as Bonhoeffer: Agent Of Grace (about the well-known German Pastor who stood up to the Nazis); and informative documentaries such as Corrie ten Boom: A Faith Undefeated and Navajo Code Talkers.

These and many other equally redemptive programs are available on this refreshing new platform. If you are looking to find a better use of your small screen than that typically presented and offered to you by so many modern content providers, then why not check out this rewarding option?

Doing this may just “change everything” about your viewing habits! Better yet, it may well “change everything” about your perspective on life!

After all, surely this is part of what the Apostle Paul had in mind in his closing admonition to the Philippian believers when he wrote the following to them in his New Testament Letter (chapter 4, verse 8): “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

SOURCES:
According to their website (https://redeemtv.com/about): “Redeem TV is a donor-supported, ad-free, streaming service with no fees. Our goal is to provide edifying and redemptive visual media content for all ages. We offer an ever-growing library of over 1,500 quality dramas, documentaries, animated features, children’s favorites, episodic series, Bible studies and more, with new titles added every week. Redeem TV is the latest effort of Vision Video, which has been distributing and producing Christian media content for many decades.

We were founded by Ken Curtis as Gateway Films in the early 1970’s with the purpose of distributing 16mm films to churches. Vision Video came into being in the early 1980’s with the advent of home-consumer video. In recent years, streaming video has become a major part of our distribution efforts. Through all of the technological changes our mission has remained constant: to produce and distribute quality visual media that communicates the Gospel in effective and relevant ways to contemporary audiences.

In order to continue to reach a worldwide audience with the message of the Gospel, we believe, it is time to offer our own state-of-the-art streaming video platform. Our hope is that Redeem TV will continue to bless our global communities with stories of truth, hope and faith for generations to come.”

NOTE: The primary output of the Christian History Institute is, of course, Christian History Magazine. I highly recommend this quality publication, which has now reached its 136th issue. By tradition, each issue is normally devoted to one particular subject. It has been published quarterly since the early 1980s. Previous individual print issues can usually be found for sale on sites such as www.ebay.com and www.amazon.com. All back issues are available digitally for download at: https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/. Please understand that the publication of this magazine depends entirely upon the support of readers. The same is true as well for the streaming of quality programming at “Redeem TV”, which can only be made possible through viewer donations.

SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/niv/philippians/4.htm.