Blog Posts

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!

1/13/2019

Johnny Nash once had a number one hit single titled " I Can See Clearly Now!". After what I recently went through, I can certainly relate!

Sometime in the fall of last year, I began to notice that the music channels in the upper region of our cable television selection were not working properly. Not that I visit them every day; but occasionally I like to put the television on a music channel and listen while I work on projects around the house.

I noticed that whenever I put the television on a music channel, I would be given the message that it would be available “shortly”. The problem was that “shortly” became “never”. I know because I decided to run an experiment. The day after Thanksgiving, I put the television in our bedroom on the “Sounds of the Seasons” channel and left it there just to see how long it would take. Twelve hours later, the “shortly” message was still being shown!

At this point, I was thoroughly heartbroken. I knew Christmas was coming on; and I was looking forward to having Christmas carols and seasonal songs in the background to help set the mood for Christmas. Alas, however, it was not meant to be. I went the whole Christmas season listening to CDs and iTunes instead.

But when January rolled around, I found myself tired of paying for services I was not receiving. So I called the cable company; and they promptly sent a technician out at the agreed upon time. After voluminous tests, he concluded that I had an interruption in my signal and informed me that, in such cases, the music channels always went out first.

He went outside and found that a wire had somehow been exposed out at the box. This wire had obviously been chewed upon by some varmint. Having replaced the wire, he then tested the incoming signal and determined that it was finally correct. But still no music channels! He continued testing and then concluded that my box was bad and needed replacing – which he next did.

The new cable box was much thinner and sleeker than the old one. It was also an HD capable box; whereas the prior one was not. I quickly told him I did not need an HD box because, even though our children had gotten us a big, fancy modern flat screen television with all the proverbial bells and whistles, I was simply too cheap to pay for HD. As a result, I did not need that particular box.

At this point, he connected the television and, to my amazement, showed me that I did indeed have access to HD programming. The cable package I have had for years includes HD! I had been paying for the HD signal all along, even though I had not known it!

I was simply stunned! All this time, your truly, a.k.a. “Mr. Tightwad”, could have been watching sports, movies, and documentaries in high definition and never knew it! All along, I had been watching an HD signal though a non-HD capable box, all while smugly assuring myself that I was being frugal. In reality, all I was doing was cheating myself! Something had been bought and paid for; but I had not embraced it. And worse of all, I had no one to blame but little ol’ me!

But not anymore! For the same amount of money per month, I am now living in a whole new world! I have now had my digital eyes opened and have seen the light of high definition! And I like it! So much so that there is now no going back! I won’t watch another ball game in low definition! Nor another movie! Nor another documentary! Not me!

Of course, somewhere in all of this is a good life lesson. In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 10, verse 10), Jesus tells us that He came in order that we might each have a full and abundant life. The New International Version says He came that we might “have life, and have it to the full”!

And yet, as I look around, I realize that many who profess faith in Jesus Christ do not always necessarily seem to enjoy a full, abundant, and/or meaningful life. Quite frankly, it seems as if they are living beneath their privilege!

To anyone experiencing such frustration, I would offer the following for consideration. Jesus Christ freely gives eternal life to all who seek Him. But it is important to remember that the wonderful thing about eternal life is that it involves both a quantity of life and a quality of life. It involves the hereafter, to be sure. But it also involves the here and now!

To be sure, having eternal life means that we will one day live forever with God in His presence in a wonderful and perfect world called Heaven. What a day, glorious day that will be! But eternal life means more than this. It also means that we can a quality of life here in this world that greatly surpasses anything this world has to offer!

Now, if Jesus is offering all of this to us, then why would we ever not avail ourselves of it?! Now, do not get me wrong, here. I am not naively asserting that once we embrace Christ as our Savior, all of our problems will somehow automatically disappear. But I am asserting that we can live a full, meaningful, and victorious life here and now even in the midst of difficulty!

It all has to do with our perspective! Once we are in Christ, we can then view life in an entirely different way! We can see this world and its concerns more clearly, more realistically, and in their proper perspective! We can look at life in spiritual high definition!

It is not by accident, therefore, that Jesus’ statement in John chapter 10 comes immediately after He has healed a blind man in John chapter 9. The testimony of that man was that he had been blind; but now he could see! Once he encountered Jesus Christ, for the first time in his life, he could truly see things in all of their splendor! And thanks to Jesus, so can we!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/john/10-10.htm and https://biblehub.com/niv/john/9.htm.

WE ARE THE Champions!

1/7/2019

“We are the champions!” So sang the rock group known as “Queen”. Well, here it is Championship Monday; and someone will be able to claim that before this night is over. As I type this, Alabama and Clemson are slugging it out for the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. And to every true football fan’s delight, this game is certainly living up to its billing. So far, in the first half at least, it is a real barn-burner!

Of course, we southerners are quite passionate about our football. (I’ve blogged about this matter before. See for instance, MASTERING THE GAME, 01/28/2013.)

Unfortunately for me, being a Georgia Bulldogs fan whose season is already over, my own passion has been dimmed somewhat. But hey, even though we lost the Sugar Bowl to Texas, we did garner 11 wins. Thus, my new mantra is “Wait till next year!” This year, we won the SEC East; maybe next year, we’ll win the SEC itself! And from there, who knows? There's always next year!

Of course, it did not help any that before my team lost their bowl game to Texas, they also lost the SEC title game to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Nor did it help that my uncle lives in Texas! Nor that my two sisters and their families all live in Alabama! Nor does it help that I have several friends who all graduated from Clemson! Rest assured that all of these entities have, each in turn, subtly reminded me that their own respective seasons did not end on January 1, 2019 with a loss!

Oh well, at least I can take solace in knowing that no matter how tonight turns out, I will be able to even the proverbial score against at least one of the offending parties above! Somebody’s gonna lose tonight; and when they do, boy oh boy, are they’re gonna hear about it from me!

All that being said, and perhaps to alleviate some of the tension surrounding tonight’s big game, I thought I would just take the opportunity to post a little football humor tonight. Enjoy…

It seems that, during the Super Bowl, there was another football game of note unfolding between the big animals and the little animals. Not surprisingly, the big animals were soon crushing the little animals. Thus it was that the coach of the little animals made an impassioned speech at half-time to rally his team.

It just so happened that the big animals got the ball first at the start of the second half. On the first play, however, the strongest animal, the elephant, got stopped cold for no gain. On the second play, the toughest animal, the rhinoceros, was also stopped for no gain. And then, on third down, the heaviest animal, the hippopotamus, was even thrown for a five yard loss!

To, everyone’s amazement, the big animals were forced to punt!Over on the sidelines, as the defense huddled around the little animals’ coach, he asked excitedly, "Who stopped that elephant?" "I did" said the centipede. "Who stopped the rhino?" "Uh, that was me too," said the centipede. "And how about the hippo? Who hit him for a five yard loss?" "Well, that was me as well," said the centipede.

"SO, WHERE WERE YOU THE FIRST HALF?!" demanded the coach. "Well…" said the centipede, "I was having my ankles taped."

Seriously, football is a great game! But unlike individual sports such as tennis or golf, football is a team sport. As such, it requires each of the twenty-two players on the field doing their part, each playing their position, and each using whatever skills they have to make an impact and contribute to the overall success of the team!

Of course, great big linemen are typically quite strong, but not very fast. Much lighter backs are usually fleet of foot, but not necessarily as robust as others. Still others are good at ball handling, or at punting, or at place-kicking. By definition, therefore, a championship team is first and foremost just that: a team!

This all reminds us of a basic principle in life. As John Donne said, “No man is an island unto himself.” The vast majority of us do the things we do in life in concert with others. Some of us play as a part of a team. But whether we are involved in sports or not, we typically live as part of a family, work as a part of a company, and worship as a part of a church. And we absolutely function as part of a community!

As social beings, therefore, it behooves us to learn to work in conjunction with others. We do this best when we recognize what our own skillset is, and employ it for the good of others. But we also need to accept the fact that others may be better than we are at certain things. And in so doing, learn to depend upon them even as we demonstrate to them that that they can confidently depend upon us to do our part.

I assure you that learning to live this way will make us much more than the annual champion of some particular league in some particular sport; it will make us champions in life!

SOURCE: http://www.jokesabout.net/football-animal-superbowl.

NOTE: The Bible has much to say about teamwork. For instance:
"For the body is not one member, but many." (1 Corinthians 12:14)
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor." (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." (Ephesians 4:11)
"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17)
"We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth." (3 John 1:8)
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1:10)

SEE ALSO: http://teamworkdefinition.com/quotesfromthebible/.

SADDLE UP!

1/4/2019

In 2014, members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. In 2001, a group of voters selected by the Recording Industry Association of America ranked it as the 98th best song of the entire Twentieth Century! Four years earlier, in 1997, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. And four years prior to that, in 1993, it even made the soundtrack of the film “Sleepless in Seattle”.

I am referring, of course, to Gene Autry’s signature classic: "Back in the Saddle Again". And although he was not the first to record it, Autry’s version of it, way back in 1939, became a gold record!

Perhaps you are familiar with the lyrics:

I'm back in the saddle again…
Out where a friend is a friend…
Where the longhorn cattle feed…
On the lowly jimson weed…
I'm back in the saddle again!

Now that this little ditty is stuck in your head, I’ll get to my point. As the holidays come to an end, and as the month of January unfolds, most of us find ourselves getting back in the saddle! We return to our routine, to our day in and day out and week in and week out cycle of existence.

Not everyone looks forward to this. For some, the mind-numbing boredom such a routine portends is almost unbearable. Others dread it less for the monotony and more for the sense that they are trapped. More fearful than bored, they feel that they are wasting precious time and opportunity in this, that, or the other repetitious pursuit, always busy but never actually accomplishing very much.

And yet, I would suggest that the discipline of a routine is the very essence of accomplishment and fulfillment in life! Consider what the Bible has to say about the importance of having a routine in the lives of three key figures:

Of Daniel, the Bible says:

“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously….” (Daniel 6:10 ESV)

Of Paul, it says:

“And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures…” (Acts 17:2 ESV)

And of Jesus, Himself, the Scriptures say:

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read…” (Luke 4:16 ESV)

Daniel, Paul, and Jesus all appeared to have gotten in the saddle and stayed there! They each developed routine behaviors that were beneficial to them and also to those they encountered. Among these routine behaviors were praying, attending services at the Lord’s house, and discussing their faith with others. Having developed them, they obviously persisted. And God used these things to give them repeated victories in their lives.

In the same way, I challenge you to consider that most of our own victories in life will come about in and by the daily routines we develop and maintain in the coming year. One of the most decorated athletes of ancient Greece was Milo of Croton. He was not a mythological individual like Hercules, but rather a real man noted for his many victories in the various Greek games.

He was said to have developed his great strength by lifting a newborn calf and carrying it a certain distance and then setting it down. He then repeated this exact same feat day in and day out as the calf matured into a full grown bull. As the days passed and turned into years, the bull grew heavier and heavier. And so did Milo’s strength and stamina as a result!

Similarly, individuals like Daniel, Paul, and Jesus all possessed great spiritual strength and stamina that gave them many spiritual victories. This was doubtless due to the fact that they each pursued a daily routine of spiritual nurture and exercise. And the same can be true for us.

So, my friend, as 2019 unfolds, why not commit to developing and maintaining some essential daily routines? Do this in all areas of your life – but especially the spiritual. And then, slowly but surely, as the minutes tick by, and as the hours become days, and as these become weeks, you will doubtless become stronger and better at all you undertake to do. You will most likely experience more and more daily victorious as well!

Who knows? Before long, perhaps, it might even be said of you as it was of individuals like Daniel and Paul and, above all, Jesus: “such was his custom”!

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_in_the_Saddle_Again;
https://genius.com/Gene-autry-back-in-the-saddle-again-lyrics;
https://www.openbible.info/topics/routine;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_of_Croton.

WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS?!

1/1/2019

Like so many, my wife and I have now spent the last 24 hours or so boxing up and packing away our treasured Christmas decorations. This conglomeration of adornments has grown exponentially over the decades, and now consumes numerous boxes and the better part of an entire closet.

In fact, the only thing that is larger is my collection of Christmas music, which I absolutely love. As is the case for so many people, my own personal collection of Christmas songs is a combination of religious and secular music. The former includes numerous well-known carols and hymns while the latter includes an assortment of pop favorites from the 1940s up to the present day.

Unlike the more physical accoutrements of Christmas, these songs can all be neatly packed into playlists that only consume disc space on my device. Sadly, however, just like the more physical counterparts of Christmas décor, these songs too will all now be securely tucked away and left completely undisturbed for the next eleven months.

As I helped my wife pack away all of our Christmas paraphernalia, I listened to one last round of these songs. As I did, one set of lines from one song in particular struck me. They are from the song “So This Is Christmas” by John Lennon.

So this is Christmas;
And what have you done?
Another year over,
And a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas;
I hope you have fun.
The near and the dear one,
The old and the young.

A very merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year!
Let's hope it's a good one…
Without any fear!

As yet another Christmas Day gives way to yet another New Year’s Day in general, and as 2018 gives way to 2019 in particular, I find myself haunted by these words: “Another year over.” Even more troubling are the words: “And what have you done?”

I am reminded that life itself is a precious gift - as is each and every day that the future hands us! You, like me, are a human being created by Almighty God. Alone among His creation, we have been made “in His image”. As such, we are the crowning work of God’s creative endeavor!

Also as such, we have each been uniquely gifted by Him for the sole purpose of bringing Him glory and honor! And the best way to do this is to make use of our individual God-given talents and gifts!

Now, to be sure, not everyone can paint like Leonardo, or sculpt like Michelangelo, or write like Shakespeare. Nor is everyone possessed of the skills needed to compose a musical score, to handle a ball, to employ a scalpel, or to conceive of and to invent technological wonders.

Jesus’ famed “Parable of the Talents” (in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14-30) affirms all of this in showing us that God equips each of us differently. In Jesus’ story, some are five-talent people, some are two-talent people, and some are one-talent people.

Nevertheless, God holds each of us equally accountable for how we utilize whatever He has given to us. Thus, what matters most in this life is what we each do with what we have each been given by our Creator! As a certain preacher once put it: “Life is largely about whatcha do with whatcha got!”

As 2019 unfolds, I ask those of you who visit my blog regularly to pray for me that I will find more and more ways to make the best use of what all God has entrusted to me – be that endowment material, physical, intellectual, relational, and/or spiritual in nature! In return, I shall do the same for you.

Thereafter, we can each fearlessly go forth into this new year and do our best to make it one in which we will have not only accomplished much, but also made more and more of a difference by the lives we have lead.

After all, as Jesus Himself put it (in the New Testament Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verse 48), “to whom much is given, much is required”. Indeed, a God-given and God-endowed life is truly a terrible thing to waste!

LYRICS SOURCE: http://www.metrolyrics.com/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics-john-lennon.html.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/25.htm; and https://biblehub.com/luke/12-48.htm.

TITLE SOURCE: The title of today’s post comes from a classic country music song sung by Freddie Fender back in the day. In it, a man pines for a lost lover, and confronts the fact that he has now wasted far too many days and nights over the heartbreak she caused him. The lyrics themselves are a subtle reminder to put the past behind us and get on with our lives. Given that life never quite turns out the way we plan, and is often full of disappointments, this in itself is not a bad admonition for New Year’s Day!

CROSS(ING) PURPOSES

12/29/2018

A recent news story included the following disappointing statement: "The annual reenactment of George Washington's daring 1776 crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day has once again been left high and dry as organizers announced Monday that the river crossing portion of the reenactment will not take place due to high river conditions following recent rainfall."

Apparently, this is the second year in a row that the famous historical event has been nixed. This year, the water was too high. Conversely, last year, the water was too low. (Apparently, the river’s water level needs to be at least nine feet above sea level to use the usual Durham style boats; and water levels were not up to snuff.)

Either way, what it amounts to is this: for the second year in a row, those who honor George Washington by imitating his famous deed of crossing the Delaware just couldn’t pull it off!

Now, do not get me wrong. I understand that this is merely a reenactment. As such, there is no need to push forward in unsafe conditions where people’s lives may be put at risk. As they say, better to be safe than sorry.

And to be sure, the reenactment of Washington’s crossing is quite an undertaking. The annual event, replete with speeches and similar fanfare, draws hundreds and even thousands of people to the banks of the Delaware River in Washington Crossing, Pa., and Titusville, N.J.

Of course, it was here that the famed original crossing took place by Washington and his troops on the night of December 25-26, 1776. That bitterly cold night, boats ferried some 2,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 18 cannons across the river. Washington then forced marched his troops several miles downriver before surprising and attacking Hessian mercenaries hired by the British in the streets of Trenton.

The crossing was immortalized in an 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze titled “Washington Crossing the Delaware”, that hangs today in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting (first row, center above) is how most people view the event in their mind.

Other depictions exist. There is an 1871 painting by George Caleb Bingham titled “Washington Crossing the Delaware”. But this painting (second row above on the left) likely does not do as much justice to what Washington and his men faced that night. An 1819 depiction of the crossing by Thomas Sully probably comes closer to the reality they face. This last one (second row above on the right) shows the treacherous snow and ice enveloping not just the river itself, but the entire valley.

Having personally visited both the site and the museum attached to it, I well remember how difficult and treacherous the original crossing was described as being. To say the least, it took daring, bravery, and courage. It also took plenty of what people used to call “pluck” (great determination). Many of Washington’s men had no food, no winter clothing, and no shoes. They literally wrapped their feet and themselves in rags and doggedly plodded forward into a bitterly cold and completely uncertain night.

Having crossed the river, they then marched through snow and ice for several miles before attacking the enemy. The motto for the night was “Victory or Death!” The result was the former! Only three Americans were killed and six wounded, while 22 Hessians were killed with 98 wounded. The Americans captured 1,000 prisoners and seized muskets, powder, and artillery. Not to mention, food, clothing, supplies, and warmth and shelter!

We are told that the victory had a marked effect on the revolution’s cause – especially on the morale of the troops! Soldiers, many of whom had been considering not re-enlisting, celebrated the victory. Washington's own role as leader was secured. And most important of all, both Congress and a fledgling nation gained renewed enthusiasm for the war, complete with fresh political fury and funding.

At this point, my regular readers may be asking: “So, what’s your point?” Only that one has to be impressed at the mettle of these brave men! What they did was hard enough in peace time. But to do what they did and then go on to fight and defeat an enemy is more than merely impressive! It is heroic! And yet, a little over two centuries later, with no real cold weather about, our imitation of their deeds is hampered and/or cancelled by mere water levels.

I am reminded that some two thousand years ago, there was another individual who undertook a brave series of steps at Christmas. Jesus Christ took a bold step from Heaven down to earth. And in so doing, He began a journey that would take Him into the greatest battle ever fought at Calvary. Here, He would be cursed, mocked, spit upon, slapped, beaten, whipped, and even crucified! And yet, He would persevere and ultimately come out victorious in that greatest of all battles!

Some two thousand years later, however, it seems as if we who are pledged to bear His name and imitate His great commitment, find ourselves so easily distracted, discouraged, and/or dissuaded. If our Lord and Savior was faithful to His calling, then surely we can be faithful to emulate Him and fulfill the calling we have been given in His name! Especially at Christmas time!

And so, my friend, take heart. Boldly step forth and, in what Thomas à Kempis called "the imitation of Christ", go where God has called you to go, do what God has called you to do, and meet whomever God has called you to meet.

Along the way, if you encounter obstacles, do not shrink from them, no matter how daunting they may be. Rather, knowing God has clearly called and equipped you, take heart, rise above and cross over any such barriers, knowing that God does not necessarily call the equipped so much as He equips the called!

As the writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews puts it (chapter 13, verses 20-21): 20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Amen indeed!

ARTICLE SOURCE:
Published by reporter Lukas Mikelionis on December 26, 2018 on Fox News. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.

Cf.: https://www.foxnews.com/us/christmas-day-re-enactment-of-george-washington-crossing-delaware-river-nixed-for-second-year-in-a-row.

PAINTING SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_(1851_painting)#/media/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_1856-71_George_Caleb_Bingham.jpg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington%27s_crossing_of_the_Delaware_River#/media/File:1819_Passage_OfThe_Delaware_byThomasSully_MFABoston.jpeg.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/hebrews/13.htm.

LAVISHED WITH LOVE!

12/25/2018

Most people know what they do of the birth of Jesus Christ through the twin accounts written in the New Testament Gospels of Luke and Matthew. In chapter 2 of his Gospel, Luke tells us of the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born before being visited by the shepherds at the direction of the heavenly host.

Matthew chapter 2 then tells of the visit of the star-following wise men bearing their gifts before Mary and Joseph depart for the safety of a sojourn in Egypt prior to eventually returning to Nazareth where Jesus will then grow to adulthood.

But there is another, less well-known Biblical account of Christ’s coming into this world. We find it in the opening chapter of the New Testament Gospel of John. It differs from the aforementioned accounts in that Luke and Matthew may be said to provide us with the physical details of Christ’s birth whereas John addresses the metaphysical aspects. His account is as follows…

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Focus again on verses 12 and 13:

12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Later on, John further underscores the significance of these words in the opening verse of the third chapter of his First New Testament Letter when he writes: “Behold what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

The dictionary defines “lavish” as: “to give, heap, or bestow something freely and in great abundance to someone or something”. Indeed, there may well be no more wonderful statement to summarize what Christmas is all about than this!

In sending His one and only Son into this world, very God of the universe has “lavished” His love upon us! He did this because He has deemed to make us His very own children! And that is why the message of Christmas is and always will be one of “good tidings of great joy … to all people”!

SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/kjv/luke/2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/kjv/matthew/2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/kjv/john/1.htm;
https://www.biblehub.com/1_john/3-1.htm.

DUMBSTRUCK!

12/20/2018

An old legend comes down to us about a wise and good king who ruled long ago in the ancient Middle East. The king loved his people. He wanted to know all about them – about how they lived, about their struggles, and about all their hardships.

Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left.

Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

This ancient folktale reminds us what the current season is all about. For it was at the very first Christmas that the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to us. And in the process, He gave us the greatest gift that could ever be given – He gave Himself to you and me.

In in his Second New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 9, verse 15) the Apostle Paul discusses Christ’s coming into this world. As he does, he calls Jesus Christ God’s "unspeakable gift" to us. The Koine (or common) Greek word Paul uses here in the original language of the New Testament is "anekdiḗgētos", meaning "not able to be fully declared".

It occurs nowhere else and is used of no other person or event in the entire Bible! That is to say that God’s gift to us in Christ is so unique as to be beyond all words! God’s magnanimous gift of Himself to at Christmas is so astounding as to leave us speechless!

Like the shepherds of old, we find that we stand in awe! Like Peter tells us in his First New Testament Letter (chapter 1, verse 8), we find ourselves full of "unspeakable joy"! And like Zechariah in the face of the angel’s announcement in Luke’s New Testament Gospel (chapter 1:5-25), we are completely dumbstruck as we witness the unfolding of God’s miraculous grace!

And yet, once we recover, we immediately join in with all of these, with Paul himself, and boldly proclaim with joy: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!"

STORY SOURCE: Available widely online in various forms. See, for instance: http://www.gospelweb.net/Christmas/StoryOfThePersianKing.htm.

BIBLE SOURCES: https://www.biblehub.com/1_peter/1-8.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/1.htm;
https://www.biblehub.com/2_corinthians/9-15.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/greek/411.htm.

BACK ON DUTY!

12/18/2018

My last few blog posts have focused on items related to World War Two. I thought I would share one last such thought today.

One of my favorite movies is Midway, the star-studded 1976 drama that portrays the pivotal battle of Midway Island fought in the middle of the Pacific Ocean from June 4-6, 1942. To the producers’ credit, the film presents the battle in a fairly balanced manner, showing the event as it unfolded from the perspective of both the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States forces.

In the process, it shows the strengths and weaknesses of each side, as well as the costly mistakes each party brought to the fray. Above all, perhaps, it is a lesson in how even the seemingly smallest of matters can have a huge impact on the outcome of significant historical events.

In a classic scene in the movie, the battle is brewing and the Japanese Commander in charge of the air attack, Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, is somewhat apprehensive because two of his key staff members are ill and unable to perform their duties. It unfolds this way…

Nagumo: “Where's Commander Genda?”
Captain Aoki: “He's in sick bay, Admiral. Influenza.”
Nagumo: “When does the doctor think he can resume his duties?”
Captain Aoki: “In three or four days.”
Nagumo: “I don't like beginning this operation without my best air commander.”
Captain Aoki: “We have another sick bay casualty: Commander Fuchida has appendicitis.”
Nagumo: “Fuchida too? We'll need a replacement.”
Captain Aoki: “Genda suggests a veteran torpedo pilot: Lieutenant Tomonaga.”
Nagumo: “If Genda says so, I want to see Tomonaga right away.”
Captain Aoki: “Yes, Sir.”
Nagumo: “Fuchida, the man who led my first strike on Pearl Harbor, out. Genda, who planned it, both ill. Very bad luck, Sir, very bad luck.”

Sometime later, as the battle is unfolding, Staff Officer Minoru Genda makes his way to the bridge of the Carrier Akagi and reports to Admiral Nagumo. A second conversation unfolds…

Genda: “Admiral.”
Nagumo: “Genda!”
Genda: “My apologies. I've been away from my duties much too long.”
Nagumo: “Genda, how are you?”
Genda: “I'm well enough to take charge of air operations.”
Nagumo: “And so you shall, my friend. Prepare an air search plan right away.”
Genda: “For what area?”
Nagumo: “Where I would deploy my carriers if I were an American commander. There, northeast of Midway.”

And thus, the battle is joined.

Nonetheless, it is arguable that the expertise of men like Genda and Fuchida was missed at just the time it was needed. Battle, like life itself, is a very fluid thing. And the proficiency of gifted individuals doing their jobs in just the right way at just the right time often has a significant impact on the outcome. As does the lack thereof!

I say all that to say why it is that I as a Pastor do not like to be sick – especially on the Lord’s Day! At the risk of sounding pompous, I am confident enough to believe that God had both called me and gifted me to serve Him in my capacity as a communicator of the Gospel.

And when I am unable to fulfill my responsibilities, as I have been over the last few days to due to a bout with the flu, it is very frustrating! (Hence, the recent gap in my blog posts.) And in the words of Captain Genda, I feel as though I have been away from my duties much too long!

That being said, I am glad to report that I am now beginning to feel much better and will no doubt soon return to my responsibilities. And like the aforementioned Captain, I will add that, hopefully, I am well now enough to resume my duties!

Thanks to all those who offered prayers for my speedy recovery. I have felt them. The good Lord willing, I will be back on station right soon!

SOURCES: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/midway-script-transcript-charlton-heston.html.

SEE ALSO: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074899/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(1976_film) as well as Professor Gordon Prang's masterful work, Miracle at Midway (New York: Penguin Books, 1983).

NOTE ALSO: The movie is being re-made and scheduled to be released in 2019. Cf.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(1976_film).

NOW WE KNOW…

12/10/2018

In my last blog, posted on Pearl Harbor Day, I pointed out the importance of remembering the men and women who sacrificed so much for our freedom.

Little did I know what would appear in the news the very next day. It seems as if several families may now get the closing they have sought for nearly eight decades. Advances in modern forensic science, particularly in DNA reclamation and analysis, have now made it possible to identify some of the service personnel who lost their lives that fateful day.

In an article posted on Fox News, writer Perry Chiaramonte tells us that nearly 2,400 members of the U.S. military were killed in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. And out of that number, 429 Sailors and Marines were killed on the Battleship USS Oklahoma. It famously capsized after it was struck by several torpedoes during the infamous December 7th, 1941 attack.

It seems that only 35 were identified in the years immediately after the attack. The ship itself was raised in 1942 and remains of the rest were exhumed and found to be unidentifiable. Thereafter, they were interred in graves marked as “Unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

He goes on to explain that In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency started exhuming nearly 400 sets of such remains after a determination had been made that forensic science and genealogical research from families had advanced to the point that identifications were now possible.

As of December of this year, 186 Sailors and Marines from the Oklahoma who were previously marked as “Unknown” have now been successfully identified!

I praise the Lord that this has now unfolded. If at all possible, not one single one of these individuals deserves to go unidentified. Hollywood CGI notwithstanding, one cannot begin to imagine what all they went through! I am confident that each and every individual who perished that fateful day did his (or her) best in their moment of destiny!

They fought hard; they gave all they had; and they died gloriously in defense of this great nation! And they now deserve the recognition they have been deprived of for so long!

At the same time, I am reminded in this that there are a great many more untold deeds of bravery and valor! The men and women who died at Pearl Harbor are not alone. All throughout history, innumerable individuals have given their all for a greater cause and the good of their fellow man, only to have their deeds and their names go unrecorded by posterity.

For this reason, I cannot wait till that day in Heaven when the books are finally opened and the deeds of all such heroes are finally made known. No doubt, on that day, we will finally be able to say: “Now we know!”

STORY SOURCE: https://www.foxnews.com/us/pearl-harbor-sailors-finally-laid-to-rest-77-years-later-thanks-to-dna-testing.
SEE ALSO: Revelation 20:11-15.

WORTH REMEMBERING

12/7/2018

I am writing this on December 7, 2018, the 77th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asserted at the time would a be a date that would live in infamy. As I have shared on previous blogs that fell on this calendar date, I hope I will always be mindful of the great sacrifice laid down by so many that eventful day on behalf of this great nation in which we live.

TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Channel has spent the day showing several wonderful period films relating to this significant historical event. In the months and years immediately after its occurrence, Hollywood did her part to help mobilize America for defense by producing quite a few wonderful, if now all but forgotten, classic films.

Today’s line-up has included December 7th: The Movie (a 1943 documentary style film designed to educate the public on the events leading up to the attack), Air Force ( another 1943 movie chronicling the crew of a B-17 bomber named the “Mary Ann” as she arrived from the U.S. mainland just as the attack was occurring, as well as her additional action in the war), and the 1944 classic, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (about Colonel Doolittle’s heroic retaliatory bombing raid on Japan just a little over four months after Pearl Harbor).

I highly recommend these films, as they were all made during the war itself. For this reason, they give the viewer a little of the sense of uncertainly that still pervaded the American psyche at the time. After all, victory in World War Two would not come for another year or two; and the outcome was in no way certain at the time.

Many in the modern era are more familiar with the story of what happened on December 7, 1941 due to its retelling in the 2001 epic war film, Pearl Harbor, starring Bren Affleck and Josh Hartnett and a whole host of a-list actors. This film portrays the days leading up to Pearl Harbor, the attack itself, the immediate aftermath, and the response of America in her first few months into World War Two, culminating in the bombing of Japan by Doolittle’s Raiders.

As I have shared before in earlier posts, Japan attempted a sweeping conquest of the Pacific, with well-coordinated and near simultaneous Japanese attacks on the U.S. held Hawaiian and Philippine Islands, as well as Guam and Wake Island, along with portions of the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

However, Japanese forces failed in at least two major objectives in the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. While America suffered terrible losses in life and among her battleships, the failure of Japan to finish off the numerous fuel reserves stored nearby and, even more consequential, to catch the United States’ aircraft carriers at anchor in Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941 were blunders that would soon prove catastrophic.

What is more, of the twenty-one ships damaged or lost in the attack, all but three were eventually repaired and returned to service by U.S. forces. Thus, what may have seemed like a decisive pre-emptive strike by Japan soon turned into a Pyrrhic victory at best!

Accordingly, six months after Pearl Harbor, on May 4-8, 1942, America essentially fought Japan to a draw in the first ever battle between aircraft carriers, each sinking one carrier of the other’s fleet. One month later, on June 4-6, 1942, in the Battle of Midway, America won a decisive victory, sinking four Japanese carriers against only one carrier lost. Even more significantly, the Japanese had 248 aircraft destroyed and over 3,000 killed, many of whom were their most seasoned pilots.

From that day forward, barely seven months after Pearl Harbor, Japan was on the defensive as America began an island-hopping campaign across the Pacific that eventually reclaimed all the territory Japan had conquered and ultimately led to the defeat of Japan and the occupation of her home islands.

But in the dark days immediately after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew that his fellow Americans were struggling with fear, doubt, and the specter of defeat. As a leader, he understood that it was his job to find a way to inspire them. So he set his cabinet the task of finding some way to retaliate against Japan and give the American people the all-important boost in morale that they so desperately needed.

The result was a surprise raid in April, 1942, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and consisting of Sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium range bombers that were launched without fighter escort from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep in the Western Pacific Ocean.

The bold plan called for flying over Japan, dropping bombs on major targets, and then flying on to China before eventually landing in non-Japanese occupied territory. Unfortunately, the U.S. Fleet was sighted and the bombers had to be launched at a far greater distance than anticipated, thus limiting fuel supply.

Many planes finished the mission with little or no fuel, with most crashing far short of their desired landing spots and into Japanese occupied territory. After many harrowing experiences, all but three of the eighty crew members survived and eventually made it back home.

While the mission inflicted very little actual military destruction itself, the damage to the collective psyche on the Japanese due to an attack on their homeland that they had heretofore considered impregnable was considerable.

More to the point, the effect on America’s morale was tremendous. The Doolittle raid, carried out by brave men, conceived by top brass, and inspired by a true leader was of incalculable significance to the outcome of World War Two.

I conclude by sharing a link to a classic scene from the above mentioned 2001 movie, Pearl Harbor. In this scene, Josh Hartnett portrays a pilot named "Danny" who had earlier survived Pearl Harbor and has just flown in the Doolittle Raid, and who has now crash landed in occupied China and been taken prisoner. The Japanese are about kill his best friend “Rafe”, portrayed by Ben Affleck. The imagery is powerful, and also deeply theological, as Danny, lashed to a wooden crossbeam, willingly sacrifices his own life in order to save that of his friend, Rafe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasKTohEbaI (Beginning at 1 minute, 50 seconds of the overall 4 minute, 10 second clip).

I cannot watch this scene without being reminded, first of the sacrifice of so many one my behalf in order that I might enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Untold Americans in every generation have placed themselves in harm’s way in order that you and I might live and prosper in the land of the free and the home of the brave! May we never forget their sacrifice!

In like manner, on an infamous day in history known as “Good Friday”, another Individual gave His life in order that you and I might have life, and have it to the full. That Individual was God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Who allowed Himself to be lashed and nailed to the beam of a cross, where He willingly sacrificed His life for our freedom from sin and its consequences. In so doing, He set us free not only for this world, but for all eternity.

On this anniversary of the “Day of Infamy”, may we ever be faithful to express our appreciation to Him as well! For not only did He give us the principle that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”; He also demonstrated it for us by doing this very thing! And that, my friends, is worth remembering!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/john/15-13.htm.

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