Blog Posts

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE!

5/29/2020

As is likely the case for many of you, now that things are beginning to open back up, we Jacksons are boldly venturing out into society once again. The week has been consumed with tune-up, oil changes, and tire rotations for our vehicles, and with haircuts, doctor’s appointments, and the like for us.

On the list for the coming week are our periodic dental cleanings. I do not dread such experiences near as much now as I did when I was a child. All throughout my adult years, as a preacher, I have always tried to take care of my mouth. This has involved regular brushing, flossing, and gargling with mouth-wash. So, other than a little scraping for minute deposits of virtually unavoidable plaque, I generally come away from the dentist these days unscathed.

Of course, such never seemed to be the case when I was a child. In those days, I invariably faced an onslaught of cavities; and I still have the fillings in my teeth to prove how vigorously my dentist worked to win that battle!

All of this has reminded me of a conversation I had with my local dentist on my last trip to see him back before things shut down. I inquired about the process we used to undergo as children when we were given nasty tasting red tablets to chew on during our dental visits. He laughed and told me that these were called “dental disclosing tablets”. He then showed me a sample of them in a small package labeled “GUM Red Cote”.

It seems that they are still in use today. They remain a very effective means of doing just what their name purports. Whenever patients chew them, they discolor and highlight cavities in the teeth, thereby “disclosing” any place where attention is needed.

Thankfully, I did not have to chew any that day. But even without having to endure their terrible flavor all over again, I can still recall their awful taste so many decades ago.

Here’s a thought. What is true of overcoming cavities is also true in other areas. Sometimes in life, we may have to go through distasteful experiences. We may even have to swallow a thing or two that we would have not preferred to face. But such things can actually be quite beneficial for us, especially if they help to disclose our weaknesses and/or shortcomings.

The Bible gives us several examples of this. One such instance occurred in the life of the Apostle Peter. All four New Testament Gospels relate the story of Peter’s threefold denial of Christ: Matthew 26:69–74, Mark 14:66–72, Luke 22:55–62, and John 18:15–18, 25–27. As you may recall, earlier that evening, Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster ever crowed the next morning.

In response to that prediction, Peter had asserted that even if others denied Jesus, he himself never would (Matthew 26:33). He had then added that he was personally prepared to follow Jesus to prison, and, if need be, even to death (Luke 22:33). Yet, when the time came, he did exactly as Jesus had predicted, denying Him three times in rapid succession.

One can only imagine how bitter each of those three experiences was to Peter. The process was no doubt distasteful, even repugnant. And yet God knew it was exactly what Peter needed to experience in order to force him to come to grips with his true level of commitment (or lack thereof) to Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

Ironically, however, in the long run, Peter very likely cherished that difficult night. Why? Because he knew that it changed him forever. It forced this man whom Jesus had called be a fisher of men to “fish or cut bait”, as it were! It drove him to embrace Jesus Christ fully as his Savior and to commit fully to serving Him as his Lord!

Is anything in life presently leaving a bad taste in your life? Are you currently chewing on something that you are finding a bit hard to swallow? Could it possibly be that God is allowing you to undergo this precisely because He desires to disclose something in your life that desperately needs attention?

If so, then why not take a long hard look at what is coming to light?! Embrace this important disclosure, and take whatever steps that are necessary to address any flaws you uncover. In the long run, just like Peter, you’ll be glad you did! For the result will produce much more than a pretty smile. It will bring about joy in your heart as well!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: All above referenced scriptures verses can be found at: www.biblehub.com.

ONCE BITTEN…

5/26/2020

Jesus Christ was a consummate communicator Who chose to illustrate profound truths through simple illustrations. He used word pictures involving everyday activities such as sewing and reaping, investing, aiding others, and celebrating life events such as weddings.

Among the most memorable of His stories are those involving the joy one experiences at finding things that had been lost, such as lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons. These latter stories, especially, were powerful illustrations about God’s great love for us as His children.

Jesus also referenced items in the news, such as when a tower crashed and people were tragically killed. No doubt He did so because He knew that such items in the news gave Him an opportunity to address even weightier matters having to do with the eternal destiny of His hearers.

Those who communicate the message of Jesus Christ today would do well to follow the pattern He laid down so long ago. For even now, some two thousand years later, whether that communication be through preaching, teaching, writing, or any other form, effective illustrations remain powerful tools for relating the truth of God’s Word.

For this reason, like so many other Christian communicators, I learned long ago the effectiveness of good illustrations. I also learned to be on the look for them at every juncture in life. And sure enough, once I did, I began to see them most everywhere.

I thought I would cite one such example form the news this morning. It comes from a short piece headlined as “Brothers Allowed Black Widow To Sting Them Believing They'd Turn Into Spider-Man: Report”. According to the article,

Three young Bolivian boys, aged 12, 10 and 8, were hospitalized on May 14 when they were each stung by a black widow spider while tending goats in their small Bolivian village of Chayanta, a town in the Andean region of Potosi.

Virgilio Pietro, epidemiology chief at the Bolivian Ministry of Health told Telemundo that it appears that the boys had poked the spider with a stick in the mistaken belief that a bite from the creature would give them powers like their comic book superhero Spider-Man.

Predictably, the first symptoms appeared within a few minutes. Their mother rushed them to a local health center. From there, they were transferred to a hospital in the town of Llallagua. And when the boys still failed to improve overnight, they were taken to the Children's Hospital in La Paz.

They arrived with severe muscular pain, sweating, fever and general tremors. Only after the administration of the proper serum against bites did they begin to improve. They were eventually discharged on May 20.

As i reflect on this news story, let me begin by saying that I am glad that the boys found medical treatment in time, and that they are better now. While the article correctly observes that black widow spiders are not usually aggressive, their bites can still be quite fatal to human beings. Therefore, it goes without saying that this story could have turned out quite differently.

But the preacher in me sees an illustration here of a far deeper sickness and a far more fatal outcome. In Chapter three of the Old Testament Book of Genesis, we read about Adam and Eve’s encounter with the serpent.

While the serpent was not necessarily aggressive toward them, he was nonetheless cunning in his approach. He fooled them into believing that just one bite from forbidden fruit would give them super-human powers. He told them they would even become as gods. Sadly, they fell for his ruse; and the outcome involved tragic consequences.

Far from enhancing their abilities and making them more powerful, the ingestion of the dangerous substance merely infected their souls with a spiritual poison called sin that would ultimately sicken them to the point of death.

But thankfully, the story does not end there. As we continue to read, we soon discover that Adam and Eve had a Heavenly Father Who loved them and came to their rescue. While there were to be many painful days ahead as a result of their disastrous bite, a divine serum would eventually be administered, resulting in full spiritual health and vitality.

That serum, of course, was the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s One and only son, applied when He gave his life to satisfy the wrath of God against the sin of mankind. And once bitten by sin, this is our only hope of salvation!

I, too, once suffered the consequences of the deadly bite of iniquity. But now, by God’s grace, I have been washed in the blood and had my soul cleansed of the power of sin. And I will forever be grateful to my Heavenly Father for not having given up on me, but staying with me until I was healed and made whole again.

I trust you share such a testimony. If not, you can. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in his New Testament Letter to the Romans (chapter 6, verse 23 NET Bible), “the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Thus, the Apostle John goes on to tell us (in his First New Testament Letter, chapter 1, verse 9) that: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I’m quite sure that one bite was enough for three little Brazilian boys. I doubt they will play around with poisonous spiders anymore. For them, “once bitten” was enough. For me, the same holds true with sin. I’ve known enough of the pain it causes; and I pray God now helps me keep a healthy distance from its deadly fangs!

NEWS ARTICLE SOURCE:

https://www.foxnews.com/world/bolivian-brothers-believing-they-would-become-spiderman-get-stung-by-dangerous-spider-report.

ORIGINAL SOURCE:

https://www.telemundoyakimatricities.com/hermanitos-se-dejan-picar-por-venenosa-arana-para-convertirse-en-spider-man/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/niv/genesis/3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/romans/6-23.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-9.htm.

MAKING AN IMPACT!

5/22/2020

The title of Daniel Canova’s article yesterday (May 21, 2020) on www.foxnews.com pretty much says it all: “European Golfer Joost Luiten ‘Almost Kills’ Girlfriend In Social-Distancing Trick Shot”.

The Dutch golfer shred on social media this week that he “almost killed” his girlfriend while practicing a “trick shot” with his caddy, who was throwing him his golf club from a few feet away due to coronavirus pandemic guidelines. Luiten, who is ranked the 98th golfer in the world, was attempting to go directly into a swing after he caught his club, but wasn’t initially having much success contacting the ball.

But, but after a few tries at it, he made solid contact and accidentally sent the ball in the direction of his girlfriend, Melanie-Jane Lancaster, who had been standing nearby shooting a video of Luiten’s activity.

The resultant video shows the golfer grabbing his face in shock as his girlfriend lets out a cry of pain. Fortunately, for all involved, Ms. Lancaster only suffered a bruise from the incident. The video was later posted to Instagram with this caption: “Pff playing golf with a caddy and keeping the 1.5m is hard. Almost killing my girlfriend in the process(sic) trying to master social distancing (she survived, just a bruise).”

Now, I’m not knocking Mr. Luiten. What unfolded was purely accidental and could have happened to anyone. But the truth is that just about everyone (including me) can relate to this situation. You see, we have all been in situations like the one in which he and his girlfriend suddenly found themselves.

By this I mean that, at some point or another, most of us have been engaged in some form of behavior that eventually hurt someone else, even when that was not at all our intention. Likewise, most of us have also been on the receiving end of someone else’s innocent, but nonetheless careless and/or reckless antics.

Many times in life this happens as a result of what we do (or do not do). But often, it happens merely as a result of what we say or do not say!

For this reason, it behooves us all to be sensitive to the impact that our words and deeds can have on others. As well as the lack of words and deeds.

This is especially important for those of us who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul reminds us of several great truths in his Second New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 5, verse 20). Here, he states that “we are Christ’s ambassadors”, that “God is making his appeal through us”, and that “We speak for Christ…” Simply put, we represent another One from another world, even while we live in the midst of this one!

Little wonder then that Paul later gave the following admonition to the Colossians in his New Testament Letter to them (in chapter 3, verse 17): “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

Both the things we say and the things we do invariably have an impact on others. Let’s be careful then, and as much as is possible, do our best to make certain that our words and deeds serve only to affirm and benefit others. For this is as Christ would have it!

ARTICLE SOURCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/european-golfer-almost-kills-girlfriend-social-distancing-trick-shot. The writer, Dan Canova, is a Sports Reporter for Fox News. He can be followed on Twitter @DanCanova.

The article provides an online link to the actual video, as captured by his girlfriend.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES:

https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/5-20.htm; and
https://biblehub.com/colossians/3-17.htm.

WEIGHTY MATTERS!

5/18/2020

Every conqueror throughout history has had to learn the same basic hard lesson: it is far easier to invade a territory than to occupy it! Whether it was Alexander marching his Greeks across the length and breadth of the mighty Persian empire and into far flung India, or simply Saddam gobbling up little Kuwait, the initial land grab has always proven a bit hard to hold.

Similarly, it took my wife and me only a few short days to move into our new home. Now, however, the process of settling in and actually establishing a long-term presence is underway. Only time will tell how long and how difficult this current phase of the occupation takes.

Nonetheless, we press on. And as each new box is opened, and its contents disgorged and situated, we get closer and closer to our goal. Bedroom, bathroom, living room - one by one, each new territory has been subdued and then fallen submissively into place.

Today, it was the pantry's turn. My wife worked diligently to conquer and to organize it. When she was finally done, I could not help but view her work with admiration. There on the shelves in front of me sat boxes of trail mix, peanuts, cashews, popcorn, Cheez-Its, and yes, even glorious Cheetos!

There were even some containers with chocolate flavored candy and other assorted high-calorie snacks. For my part, as might be imagined, I was beside myself with joy. It was like finding myself suddenly being reunited with long lost loved ones!

But alas! My joy was to be short-lived. For right there, in full view down on the floor in front of this marvelous display of gastronomic delight lay our bathroom scales! That’s right! My loving wife had strategically placed them there as a convicting reminder that the two of us will soon wear in public whatever we consume in private!

Needless to say, my appetite quickly began to wane. In due time, it had abated completely. And to this very moment, try as I might, no matter how many times I pass by those shelves, I just cannot bring myself to put one single snack in my mouth! Why? Because my conscience simply won’t allow it.

As I have reflected on the matter, I have been reminded of a Bible verse many of us learned back in the day in Vacation Bible School. It was the Old Testament Psalmist who originally declared (in chapter 119, verse 11): “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

That, of course, is the famed King James Version of this verse. The Good News Translation puts it this way: “I keep your law in my heart, so that I will not sin against you.” And the English Revised Version translates it as: “Thy word have I laid up in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Just as my wife has now laid a set of scales in the heart of our pantry in order to check any unbridled self-indulgence that might undermine our physical health, so does the Psalmist affirm that he has laid up God’s word in his heart to insure that he does not violate those Godly principles that govern his own spiritual health!

For my heart, I will likely never again look at our set of bathroom scales the same way. And whenever I do look at them, I pray that I will be reminded of the crucial importance of keeping God’s Word in a central place in my life as well!

Perhaps you might also need to reposition a thing or two in your life. Say, for instance, a set of scales? Or better yet, how about the Word of God itself?! After all, in the long run, your health - your spiritual health - may very well depend upon it!

SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/psalms/119-11.htm.

CLEAR CONNECTION

5/15/2020

Ask anyone who has undergone the process of moving and they will likely tell you that there is a great deal more involved in transitioning from one place of residence to another than merely packing, transporting, and then unpacking one’s possessions. I can now attest to this truth.

After several weeks occupied with such issues, I finally found time to turn my attention the equally important matter of getting our utilities squared away here in our new home. Chief among these has been the setting up of the electricity, gas, water, trash, and similar such accounts. After addressing these basic necessities, I then called and got set up for internet, telephone, and television.

In our previous residence, we received all three of these services in a bundle together through a dependable cable provider. Unfortunately, as cable does not extend out to where we now live, this is not an option. Therefore, having done my due diligence, I finally settled upon a reputable satellite service for these provisions.

Things worked well for several days; and we were quite satisfied. But then, all of a sudden, we lost our signal. We abruptly found ourselves without internet, telephone, and/or television. Ouch! In the short term, we managed to survive by tapping into my cellphone’s built-in “mobile hot spot” app. But we needed more than this. So we called a repairman.

When the repairman showed up earlier today, we quickly discovered what the problem was. I learned about something called a “TRIA” unit. The acronym “TRIA” stands for “Transmit and Receive Integrated Assembly”. This unit sits directly opposite the dish on satellite receivers and manages the signals to and from the satellite above to the modem inside one’s home. It is often described as the brains of one’s satellite dish.

In layman’s terms, what a “TRIA” does is facilitate the communication back and forth between one’s computer and the communications satellite orbiting miles overhead in the heavens above. And ours was not working correctly!

Why? Because, for whatever reason, condensation had built up behind the lens in the “TRIA” and was now interfering with the two way signal between the satellite above and the modem within. The repairman replaced the faulty “TRIA” unit and “Voilà!”, everything immediately began to work correctly!

Now, I do not know exactly why the “TRIA” unit on our satellite dish was faulty. But for whatever reason, it was. Water, a foreign substance which did not belong there, had somehow found its way inside the unit; and when it did, it interfered with the signal so that the unit no longer worked in the way in which it was designed. As a result, the communication between the satellite above and our modem within our home was effectively blocked.

As I reflected on this matter, I was reminded of what happened in chapter 3 of the Old Testament Book of Genesis, when sin entered into the equation and disrupted the communication between Heaven and earth. As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, our relationship with Heaven was permanently broken. And it took a uniquely qualified Repairman to fix the issue!

Enter Jesus Christ! God’s Son came into this world and gave His life in order to fix our problem! As a result of His reparative action, our relationship with Heaven above has been mended. And now, by God’s grace, communication with Heaven is once again possible, and beneficial!

In his First New Testament Letter (chapter 1, verse 9), the apostle John states: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Based on this truth from God’s Word, I challenge you to consider whether or not there is any obstruction between your heart and Heaven’s throne.

If there is, then by all means, call upon the Ultimate Repairman Himself, Jesus Christ; and allow Him to do what He alone can do –which is to clear away any and all impurities that inhibit your rapport with Heaven! Once you do, your relationship with Heaven will be forever restored!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-9.htm.

A RETURN TO NORMALCY

5/11/2020

Warren G. Harding ran for the office of President of the United States in the 1920 election with the slogan “A Return to Normalcy”. These were the days immediately following the First World War, wherein almost everyone’s life had been interrupted and forever altered. In such a time, his slogan must have resonated well with American voters; for he defeated his Democratic opponent, James M. Cox, by nearly a 2 to 1 margin.

Harding promised to return the United States to its pre-war character, before the concept of total war and all it entailed had consumed the minds of the American people. He summarized his approach this way:

America's present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality.

No doubt many today can relate to this sentiment! How many of us find ourselves longing for the “good ol’ days” before we ever heard of something called COVID-19?! It is with great anticipation, therefore, that so many await “the return to normalcy” as the pandemic subsides in the coming days. I, for one, am among them!

I retired from the pastorate on March 8th of this year. One week later, churches all over America stopped worshiping together “en masse”. It’s now been two months and many of them are still not yet gathering for worship. As a Pastor, I am not accustomed to not attending church. While I certainly understand the reasoning behind “flattening the curve”, I just miss assembling regularly with the people of God.

As if this sudden loss of interaction with our church family of nearly two decades was not bad enough, my wife and I also found ourselves being uprooted from the home in which he we had lived for the past nineteen years. The last two months have been consumed with the move (packing, transporting, and unpacking) from our previous home to our new one.

Thus, in a period of two short months, we have had to undergo very significant changes in three major contexts of life: professional, residential, and ecclesiastical. Needless to say, none of these have been easy. As a result, the two of us are in complete agreement that we are now ready for a “return to normalcy”!

In 586 B.C., the children of Judah were besieged and overrun by the Babylonians. Almost out of nowhere, the people of God were captured and marched off in chains to a foreign land hundreds of miles away. There, in Babylon, for the next seventy years, they were held in captivity.

During that time, they longed for what all they had once had, and also for the future in which they could have it once again. Eventually, in 516 B.C., God answered their prayers and allowed them to return home. But when they did, they found a land that was at once both the same and different. To be sure, it was still Judah, the very land they had been given by God. And yet, it was a very different Judah! For it had changed considerably over the intervening years. And while it would always be home for them, it would never be quite the same as it had been before.

Of course, the good news in all of this is that even though their circumstances had changed, their God had not! He was the One consistent force in their lives. He was the One who was the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And with His help and guidance, therefore, they could make a life again, no matter what their circumstances!

It is at this point that my wife and I can relate to God’s people of so long ago. We too have found ourselves in a position where our world has changed – both suddenly and rapidly. And in the process, we have longed for “a return to normalcy”.

Thankfully, after two months of furious activity, our world is finally starting to settle down. While to some degree, we are still living out of boxes, we are at least ensconced in our new residence. While we have new phone number, at least we have phone service. While our mail is in the process of being forwarded to a new address, at least we have mail service. While we have a new internet service provider, at least we have access to the web. And while we have all kinds of new channel numbers, at least we have cable TV! (After all, who could possibly live without access to The Andy Griffith Show?!)

Of course, having one’s life settle down involves so much more than merely the accoutrements of one’s residence. This is especially true for me in my profession as a Minister.

Therefore, now that I have “settled in” to my new home, I also plan to “settle in” to a new discipline. To begin with, I was forced to let my exercise cycle go during the process of our move. But this very day, I resumed exercising.

In a similar fashion, our recent move necessitated interruptions to my previously established regimen of blogging. However, as of tonight, I am now “back on track” there as well.

Just as our God has not changed, neither has my calling to serve Him! The only change here is in what capacity. As many of you know, I felt led to retire from the pastorate solely for the purpose of transitioning to a writing career. It is now my firm intention to follow through on that and begin writing in earnest. Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to continue to post regular blogs with what I hope are thoughtful and relevant ideas.

At the same time, I hope to begin writing books, and especially novels, which will be designed to have an impact for the Kingdom of God in this world. (I will be saying more about all of this in the coming days.)

In the meantime, as I continue boldly down this unknown trail into what will become my own personal and professional “new normal”, I covet your prayers. May God bless my efforts as I now pursue what all I believe He has called me to do!

STATUS CHECK...

5/4/2020

To All My Faithful Blog Post Readers...

Thank you for being patient with me during these last few days. Over the past week, my wife and I have been in the process of moving from one home to another. During this time of transition, I have found myself without two key ingredients essential for sharing my ongoing thoughts.

The first of these has been having basic access to the internet. I was without it for a few days. But, thanks to my new ISP, as this short update shows, I now have that issue resolved.

The second issue has been even more critical. It has to do with time. As anyone who communicates regularly knows, it simply takes time to compose and present one's thoughts. Unfortunately, over the last week, the process of relocation has so occupied my time that I have not had the opportunity to write any regular blog posts.

By God's grace, however, we are finally getting settled in at our new residence. As a result, my plans are to resume blogging in earnest by the end of this week - hopefully with little or no further interruptions in the foreseeable future.

Until then, my wife and I appreciate your prayers. As well as your forbearance. They each mean a lot!

NOTEWORTHY!

4/29/2020

The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. is closed right now due to the coronavirus pandemic. But when it does reopen, it will have two very special Bibles on display for the viewing public. These two Bibles belonged to none other than Elvis Presley.

According to an article published earlier today on www.FoxNews.com and titled “Elvis Presley's Notes Show He Probably Read This Book of the Bible Most”, the young man who would go on to change the world from the little town of Tupelo, Mississippi apparently read his Bible fairly regularly.

The article reminds us that we should not necessarily be surprised that Elvis’ work was somehow impacted by the Bible. After all, he got his start performing in an Assembly of God Church back there in Tupelo.

What is more, though Elvis was known as the King of Rock n’ Roll, his only Grammy awards were actually for his Gospel music, winning “Best Sacred Performance” in 1967 and “Best Inspirational Performance” in both 1972 and 1974.

In any event, as the title suggests, one Biblical Book in particular seems to have had special appeal for him: the Old Testament Book of Psalms. The museum's lead curator of art and exhibitions, Amy Van Dyke, said she could tell it was "something special to him" by all the notes found in the margins.

According to Van Dyke, "His favorite book, from what it looks like, was the book of Psalms. Because in the book of Psalms there's a lot of notations and writings in there, which makes sense because it's a book of songs. So for a musician, it made a lot of sense. And in the back of that Bible, there's also some writing and some stanzas that he's written in there and poems and other things that really spoke to him."

Dr. Jeffrey Kloha, chief curatorial officer at the museum, further reminds us that it should be no surprise that the “King” spent so much time in the Book of Psalms. “Musicians have always found inspiration in the Psalms," Kloha said. "Like Elvis, J. S. Bach, for example, wrote notes in his Bible throughout the Psalms. This is because the Psalms themselves are intended to be sung, and have been sung in churches and synagogues for centuries.”

If you desire to know more, check out a series called "Lonesome Curator" on www.YouTube.com. Here, the Museum of the Bible staff has been sharing about its treasures while the gates remain closed. For now, though, based on this article, I have a thought or two to share.

To be sure, there are those who believe it is wrong to write notes inside a Bible. In the world where I grew up, this was certainly the case. Some considered it a grievous sin to “mark up” God’s Word.

(Ironically, many of those same people readily filled in the genealogical charts provided in the pages of their family bibles. And if no such charts were there, they eagerly wrote the names and births of their children and grandchildren. Even more ironic, they often gobbled up the notes of C. I. Schofield printed in the margins as if they were as inspired as the very words of Holy Writ they accompanied!)

My own conviction, however, is that it is entirely appropriate to write notes in one’s Bible. I say this for two reasons…

First, because no document in the history of this world is more noteworthy than is the Holy Bible itself! By this I mean that no other written work is more designed to evoke a response from human beings than is the Word of God! And this leads to the second reason.

A Bible filled with notes is a Bible that has been read! More than this, a Bible filled with notes is a Bible with which some reader has had some level of genuine personal interaction! In short, a marked up Bible got read, and got embraced!

Such was clearly the case for a man named Elvis Aaron Presley. Such is the case for yours truly. (I, too, have many “marked up” Bibles!)

The real question is: “Is such the case for you?!” If your own Bible were ever put on display, would it testify to your having read it? More to the point, would it testify to the fact that you interacted with it? That you believed it? And that you believed it enough to put its assertions into practice? In effect, that you tried it and proved its relevance?

Before you answer, remember that whatever your response is, it will be worthy of being noted!

SOURCE: https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/bible-elvis-presley-favorite-book-museum-washington-dc.

NOTE: The reporter, Caleb Parke, is an associate editor for www.FoxNews.com. He can be followed on Twitter @calebparke.

CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?!

4/24/2020

A few years ago, a popular cell phone commercial employed the catchphrase: “Can you hear me now?” My title today is a play on that question.

On my desk in my study, I have what is a called a “Hidden Jesus” plaque that looks much like the following on taken from www.worthpoint.com:

Did you see Jesus here? If not, look again. And then look again. Eventually, you will see “Jesus”. And once you see Him there, never again will you not see Him there!

As I begin to focus my thoughts on my future writing career, I have now planned out several books. One of them that I am working on has the running title of “Christ in the Movies”. In it, I plan to explore how often and when and where Jesus is reflected in movies and television.

Continuing my thoughts from my last post on “The Andy Griffith Show”, I thought I would devote tonight’s blog to one such example of how Jesus can be seen in film.

Fans of the series will be familiar enough with the first episode of the third season, titled “Mr. McBeevee”. According to “The Andy Griffith Show Wiki”, in this episode:

Opie weaves the fabulous tale of Mr. McBeevee, a man who walks in the treetops, wears a silver hat, has twelve extra hands, blows smoke from his ears, and jingles when he walks as if he had rings on his fingers and bells on his toes. But other than those few quirks, Mr. McBeevee is normal.

Andy and Barney laugh it off, but when Opie brings back a quarter he claims was given to him by his friend, Andy is forced to call the stories to a halt. Faced with the threat of a spanking, Opie is still unable to betray the existence of Mr. McBeevee. Andy may have to accept the unacceptable in the face of Opie's insistence.

Later, when out for a walk, Andy happens past the very same tree Mr. McBeevee, a telephone linesman, is working in. Andy gets his own introduction to the man who walks in the trees and Opie is vindicated.

To “accept the unacceptable” is better grasped by the reviewing the actual script. As recounted by M. G. Piety, the two crucial scenes in the episode unfold as follows:

“Opie,” Andy says, “there comes a time when you have to stop the play acting and tell the truth, and that time is now, right now. Opie, I want you to be man enough to tell me that Mr. McBeevee is just make believe. That’s all you have to say and it will all be forgotten. But if you don’t, then something else is going to happen. I believe you know what I mean, don’t you.”

“Yes, Pa,” Opie mumbles without looking up.

“Alright,” says Andy, “I want you to say that Mr. McBeevee is just make believe.”
But Opie can’t do it. He tries, but he stops before he can complete the sentence.
“I can’t Pa,” he says trembling and looking directly into his father’s eyes. “Mr. McBeevee isn’t make believe. He’s real.”

Andy shakes his head sadly.

“Don’t you believe me Pa? Opie asks pleadingly, "Don’t you Pa?”

Opie, lower lip trembling, is on the verge of tears. Andy stares disappointedly into his son’s face. Then suddenly his expression changes. There’s a brief look of incredulity, not at what his son is saying, but at something else, something at which the viewer can only guess. He sighs resignedly, smiles slightly, and responds: “I believe you.”

When Andy comes downstairs again to Barney and Aunt Bee, he informs them that he has not spanked Opie after all.

“Well that’s good,” says Barney with obvious relief. “He learned his lesson. A good talking to is the best thing. Making him stay in his room…”

“I didn’t do that either,” says Andy, lighting a cigarette.

“Well what did you do?” asks Barney.

“I told him I believed him,” responds Andy.

“You told him you BELIEVED him,” Barney blurts out. “But Andy, what he told you is impossible!”

“Well,” Andy explains, “a whole lot of times I’ve asked him to believe things that to his mind must have seemed just as impossible.”

“But Andy, the silver hat, the jingling, the smoke from his ears, what about all that?”

“Well,” says Andy, “I guess at a time like this, when you’re asked to believe something that just doesn’t seem possible, that’s a moment that decides whether you’ve got faith in somebody or not.”

“Well how can you explain it all?” asks Barney.

“I can’t,” responds Andy.

“But you do believe in Mr. McBeevee?”

“No,” responds Andy. ”But I believe in Opie.”

More than one person has pointed out that before he became an actor, Andy Griffith gave some consideration to becoming a Christian Minister in the Moravian Church. As a singer, he also recorded and released numerous gospel songs. For this reason, it is not hard to see the Christian imagery intentionally embedded within this particular scene.

Opie has met an individual who comes down from above with the business of improving communication and relationships between people. This individual is good to Opie, who is turn wants others to come to know him as well. But Opie’s testimony about this individual and his many characteristics and abilities is not received well by others, who view Opie’s words with great suspicion.

One among them, however, chooses to believe the testimony despite the irrationality of it all. Later, when the time comes, this person (Andy) is rewarded by also coming to know the same wonderful individual from above.

The closing scene is particularly powerful. As Andy wanders through the woods, he walls out the name of “Mr. McBeevee” in utter desperation. To his great surprise, Mr. McBeevee actually answers. The script then puts it this way:

When he finally climbs down to the ground, the man says:

“McBeevee at your service. What can I do for you?”

“You walk around in the trees,” Andy says, grinning incredulously. “You’ve got a silver hat, and you jingle. You can make smoke come out of your ears, can’t you!” he says. (This, it turns out, is a trick Mr. McBeevee showed Opie where he exhales cigarette smoke into his cupped hand and then releases it after moving the hand to his ear.)

“I sure am glad to meet you!” says Andy, who then proceeds to shake Mr. McBeevee’s hand with a vigor that threatens to remove his entire arm from its socket.

Interestingly enough, names in Scottish beginning with “Mac” or “Mc” mean “Son of”. Therefore, “McBeevee” means “Son of Beevee”. I do not know definitively what “Beevee” means. But it may well be related to “Baigh”, meaning “from the upper part” (presumably of Scotland). If so, then the meaning of the name is simply “son from the upper part”.

As Christians, we also give testimony to an Individual Who is “the Son from the upper part”. He too has unique characteristics and abilities. He too came down from above to improve our ability to relate – both to our Father above and to our brothers and sisters here beneath. In the process, He too gives us good gifts. Therefore, He too brings us great joy once we meet and come to know Him!

To be sure, others may not believe our testimony about Him. And yet, we remain steadfast in our resolve to share what we have both seen and heard of Him! Hopefully, through our faithfulness to stand firm in our testimony about Him, others will eventually come to know Him as well!

In the fourth chapter of the New Testament Book of Acts, the Apostles Peter and John are arrested and dragged before the religious authorities of their day, where they are threatened if they do not stop testifying about Jesus Christ. In verses 19-20, we read their response: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard!”

Opie stood firm in his testimony about “Mr. McBeevee”, who came from above and blessed him personally. Peter and John stood firm in their testimony about Jesus Christ, Who also came from above and Who blessed all who encountered Him. We, too, must stand firm in our own testimony about this same Jesus, and about His ability to bless all who come to know Him!

Hopefully, if we do, the testimony of those we encounter will mirror that of Andy, when they also say: “Jesus, I sure am glad to meet you!”

SOURCES:

PLAQUE PICTURE: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/jesus-optical-illusion-name-plaque-wood-sign-hand.

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW (TAGS) INFO:

https://mayberry.fandom.com/wiki/Mr._McBeevee_(episode);
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0512516/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Griffith.

SEE ALSO:

https://metv.com/lists/6-things-you-never-noticed-in-the-andy-griffith-show-favorite-mr-mcbeevee.

SCOTTISH NAMES:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mac-surname-prefix;
https://family.disney.com/baby-names/baby-boy-names/meaning-of-baigh/.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/niv/acts/4.htm.

NOTE: I am clearly not the first person to recognize such a connection. See, for instance:

http://www.oocities.org/jamntm/opie.html.tmp; as well as
https://pietyonkierkegaard.com/2015/02/22/mr-mcbeevee/.

Soren Kierkegaard was a famous Danish theologian of the nineteenth century noted primarily for his emphasis on the necessity of a “leap of faith” for eternal salvation. Cf.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_of_faith#The_leap_into_sin_and_into_faith.

Several years ago, an official “Mayberry” Small Group Bible Study Series was released based on the Christian principles exhibited in “The Andy Griffith Show”.

It is still available at: https://www.christianbook.com/mayberry-bible-study-leader-vol-1/9780979125904/pd/125904.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS!

4/21/2020

One of the promises that I made myself once I retired was that I was going to try to learn to relax a little more. I say this only because, as a Senior Pastor for decades, I rarely found such opportunity. For years, I seemed to find myself never able to catch up. There was always something else to do at the end of each day!

For this reason, I fell into the pattern of spending evening after evening on my cell phone and/or laptop returning phone calls, and/or answering text messages, emails, or similar correspondence. And if these things were not pressing, then writing a blog post, a letter of some sort, or else working on the next sermon to be delivered was.

All that changed a few weeks ago. While I still answer calls, messages, and emails, and while I still write blog posts, my nightly routine now intentionally involves at least a little relaxation. In the process, I have re-discovered my love for “The Andy Griffith Show”.

I would that the old “40 Acres Backlot” where “The Andy Griffith Show” was filmed still existed. Sadly, it was torn down back in the mid-1970s and paved over with office complexes. How nice it would be to visit the fictional Mayberry and walk down familiar streets! At least, though, we can still visit Mayberry each night on the classic television channel.

Most of us know the cast of characters we find there all too well. Sheriff Taylor, Deputy Fife, Aunt Bee, Opie, Floyd the Barber, cousins Gomer and Goober Pyle, Mayors Pike and Stoner, Helen Crump, Thelma Lou, Otis, Clara, venerable old Judd, Reverend Tucker, John Masters, Howard Sprague, and Emmet Clark.

Beyond the regulars were the interlopers who regularly passed through town – Earnest T. Bass, the Darlings, the so-called “Fun Girls”, and Rafe Hollister. It would be hard to imagine Mayberry without any of these unique characters. Each and every one regularly brought his or her own unique blend into the mix that was “The Andy Griffith Show”.

But lately, I have noticed another group of recurrent characters on the “The Andy Griffith Show” – one that rarely if ever gets any attention. Yet, without these faithful cast members consistently doing their part, the show could have never been as wildly successful as it has been over the decades.

The people I am referencing are the “townsfolk”. In one episode, Sheriff Taylor references some 2000 people who reside in Mayberry. You see some portion of them in almost every episode as they quietly populate the town of Mayberry. They can be seen walking by in the background, standing in line at the Mayberry Savings Bank, shopping in Weaver’s department store, getting gas at Wally’s filling station, and even sitting attentively in church.

Often, they can be counted on to congregate in mass on the streets whenever Deputy Fife has found it necessary to climax some scene by calling upon them to cease and disperse.

They do not get to talk. (One assumes that the Screen Actor Guild, or some such governing entity, allowed the production company to pay them less if they technically uttered no lines.) However, they are often heard mumbling, grumbling, cheering and/or amen-ing as the scene dictates.

The point is that they were an integral part of just about every episode. Mayberry would not have been possible without them. And yet, they were never officially recognized. We do not know their names (of either the fictional character or the actual actors who portrayed them). Their names do not appear in either the opening or closing the episode credits. In short, they fulfill a vital role in an anonymous capacity!

As I have reflected on this, I have been reminded of the church of Jesus Christ. In most congregations, a select few receive a fair amount of attention. These include ministers, church staff, church officers, committee members, teachers, etc… All these individuals tend to receive recognition for their service to the church.

But beyond this, there is a whole host of individuals who populate the church. And the vast majority of these faithfully serve the Lord in obscurity. They quietly go about the business of making the church what the church is. They do this day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out. And they do so in relative anonymity.

Yet, try and run the church and/or her ministries without them! To do so would not be difficult; to do so would be impossible! For this reason, I take this opportunity to pause and say thank you to all those who quietly go about serving the Lord; and who do so with little or no expectation of acknowledgment or recognition.

These days, I am personally intent upon discovering just who those unknown “extras” on the “The Andy Griffith Show” cast actually were. I, for one, appreciate all they did to enhance the value of the show! So, for me, it is quite rewarding to search the internet and uncover such information.

But just as I have come to appreciate the unsung heroes of Mayberry, even so have I come to appreciate those of the church of Jesus Christ! More to the point, I find myself eagerly awaiting the day when the roll is called up yonder and the books are opened. For then, and only then, will we fully appreciate the part played by each and every person in the church!

In the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapter 20, verse 12), the Apostle John says, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

My suspicion is that, when that day comes, we will all be more than a little surprised to discover just who did what for the Kingdom of God!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/revelation/20-12.htm.

SEE ALSO: Mark 10:29-30; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:10; and Revelation 2:23, 22:12.

ALSO, FOR A FUN FEW MINUTES, VISIT THE FICTIONAL "MAYBERRY", N.C. AT: http://www.retroweb.com/40acres.html. Be sure to click on the "Virtual Tour" tab and take the tour.

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