Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2014
"Just Over in the Gloryland"-Crimson River & Cross Road Quartets
Now this is "traveling music" for the Pilgrim on their way to the Eternal Home that is Heaven. Heavenly, uplifting, joyous music performed a number of years ago - circa 2005 - by the Crimson River Quartet (CRQ) and the Cross Road Quartet.
Cross Road nowadays is a defunct group, but the CRQ is still going strong in an age where there is less and less of live traveling Southern Gospel musical groups singing this kind of music in churches. I've got several of their CDs which were purchased after hearing them live at a church in Bakersfield a few years ago. Great investment versus the programming on subscription radio, which, like cable television, offers lots of programming but less and less quality in that programming.
I've been listening a lot lately to CRQ's "Live at Lake Hills" CD, where this musical number may be found. Recommended, and I'd go so far to say that the Crimson River Quartet is one of the official musical groups for this weblog. Rick Moore (no relation - I asked) and group love to "fun" each other by telling jokes in between songs, and their love of the Lord and his people are evident in their music ministry. OK, so some of the jokes are literally corny. . . but the "Oak Street" joke hits home to me a couple of different ways. An acquired taste, and one you'll not be ashamed to have. Just a great time listening to these folks.
Anyways, this tune is infectious. Clap your hands and sing the tenor part if you dare - and I can and do - and enjoy! I love the piano accompaniment in this piece. . . listen for it towards the end.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Marcos Brunet - Al que está sentado en el trono (To Him who sits on the throne)
Even if you don't know any Spanish, this worship song which was sung at Iglesia Verbo Cristiana in Cuenca is one that readily lifts up the name and power of Jesus Christ.
Several contemporary worship songs were sung in the worship services at Iglesia Verbo - some translations of English language praise and worship songs, many not - but this one has stuck in my head for some reason. Perhaps the quality of the artistic musical score and the heartening words from the Book of Revelation are part of that.
Anyways, it's here for you to listen to and view. Enjoy!
Translation into English
Song Title: To Him who Sits on the Throne
I want to know
Everyday more of you
Being in your presence and worship
Reveal your Glory
We want to go much more in You
We want your Presence. . . Jesus
Chorus:
To Him who sits on the throne
That lives forever and ever
Is the Glory
Is the Honor and Power
Is the Glory
Is the Honor and Power
To Him who sits on the throne
That lives forever and ever
Is the Glory
Is the Honor and Power
Is the Glory
Is the Honor and Power
* * *
(Some) thanks to Google Translate for the translation. . . with assist from my common sense. Language is a funny thing sometimes, and you have to have a sense of what the original author in the original language is trying to get across, rather than being too literal with the wording. Thank God I'm not doing Hebrew or Greek translations of the Bible just yet! (smile)
Friday, May 23, 2014
Cuenca and its US Expats on an ABC News Segment (2013)
Now that we're back home in California once again, I can once again use a desktop computer to much more efficiently make posts and edit them, too! Hard to do that kind of thing on a smaller laptop like the one we have.
Here's a video put out by ABC News on Cuenca and US expats. The information you see is true, though the two minutes clip hardly gives any depth to what we have found out and experienced. For more depth, please read the story text below the video. The story is well written, factual, and a very good piece that represents what Cuenca and Ecuador is to the American expat or potential expat.
Please pay attention, too, to the remarks in the comments section of that story by Edd Staton. He's giving the accurate take in his comments. . . and his interview in the video is also on the mark. No, we haven't met as yet, but I find his perspective very useful, especially on integrating and making friends with the native Cuencanos versus learning no Spanish, living in the expat "bubble," and trying to make Cuenca into another version of the United States.
Hat tip to GoGoGringo http://www.gogogringo.com/ for the sourcing of this video. Much good information on Cuenca and Ecuador via their site as well. Here's the link I first saw, and the very in depth discussion of a lot more issues of international cooperation than first meets the eye: http://www.gogo-gringo.com/blog/cuenca-retirees-featured-on-abc-world-news
Here's a video put out by ABC News on Cuenca and US expats. The information you see is true, though the two minutes clip hardly gives any depth to what we have found out and experienced. For more depth, please read the story text below the video. The story is well written, factual, and a very good piece that represents what Cuenca and Ecuador is to the American expat or potential expat.
Please pay attention, too, to the remarks in the comments section of that story by Edd Staton. He's giving the accurate take in his comments. . . and his interview in the video is also on the mark. No, we haven't met as yet, but I find his perspective very useful, especially on integrating and making friends with the native Cuencanos versus learning no Spanish, living in the expat "bubble," and trying to make Cuenca into another version of the United States.
Hat tip to GoGoGringo http://www.gogogringo.com/ for the sourcing of this video. Much good information on Cuenca and Ecuador via their site as well. Here's the link I first saw, and the very in depth discussion of a lot more issues of international cooperation than first meets the eye: http://www.gogo-gringo.com/blog/cuenca-retirees-featured-on-abc-world-news
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Blind Side
And now for something different. . . just in time for football season, for the football fans out there!
What do you do when you find someone out in the cold, walking down the road in the rain and it looks like they don't know where they're going? The easy thing to do is to keep on going. The harder thing to do is to stop, turn back, inquire of the person, and let him in. That's essentially how this story begins. What happens is simply golden.
The Blind Side is an incredibly true story of Leigh Ann Tuohy and her "son" Micheal Oher. Distributed by Warner Brothers and released in theaters in 2009, it's the story of what one family (with the will and means to do it) can do to help another. Michael is in essence Leigh Ann's "starfish." You've perhaps heard the saying about the dying starfish washing up onto the shore, and about the one person who threw one back so it could live. Did it affect the other starfish? No. But did it affect the one starfish that was thrown back into the sea? Absolutely! You now know the premise of the film. Here's the preview:
What do you do when you find someone out in the cold, walking down the road in the rain and it looks like they don't know where they're going? The easy thing to do is to keep on going. The harder thing to do is to stop, turn back, inquire of the person, and let him in. That's essentially how this story begins. What happens is simply golden.
The Blind Side is an incredibly true story of Leigh Ann Tuohy and her "son" Micheal Oher. Distributed by Warner Brothers and released in theaters in 2009, it's the story of what one family (with the will and means to do it) can do to help another. Michael is in essence Leigh Ann's "starfish." You've perhaps heard the saying about the dying starfish washing up onto the shore, and about the one person who threw one back so it could live. Did it affect the other starfish? No. But did it affect the one starfish that was thrown back into the sea? Absolutely! You now know the premise of the film. Here's the preview:
Now that you've seen the preview, go out and rent or buy the film. Great inspirational true story with an all too rare - from an entertainment industry standpoint - wonderful ending. Not a fairy tale, but the real thing.
Here's the real life protagonist in this true story, Leigh Ann Tuohy, on YouTube to tell her story (in two parts for video) on how the film was made and about Michael. She's our guest video blogger. Yes, she's speaking as she is receiving an award, but the award isn't the focus. Someone else is. May her remarks inspire you as they have inspired me. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Don't Miss Out!
If you could do something to provide life, or keep yourself living, would you do it? Sure you would. That's pretty much an easy answer to give. But is it really? What if there was a cost to your decision. . . a consequence to kick in, or someone to whom you were held to account with? What then?
I give you two examples of this kind of decision. One is a video in the positive (providing life) and one is in the negative (taking life away). On to the videotape. . .
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus[d] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Give the bread, give the bread. . . that's all they are thinking about. Bread. Physical mortal life. Jesus' bread is far different from what they are used to: the bread of life. No hunger, no thirst - ever! But that's not good enough for the people. They don't pisteuo Jesus, and so go on nonbelieving. That's called eternal death - eternal separation from God and heaven. A sobering thought it should be.
So this Jewish crowd grumble about Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life. They know him only as a carpenter's son, son of Joseph, and not as anyone else (which he is. . . eternal lifegiver and judge of all). Jesus then states "51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
That flesh part is one that confounds the Jews. They reply with " “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” It's one I probably would have asked not knowing anything more about Jesus than they did at that time before his crucifiction and resurrection.
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Have you ever heard of initiation ceremonies? Now, I'm not an expert on every world religion out there, but I imagine there's one where you drink someone's blood and/or eat their flesh. There's cannibalism out there in human society, both in history and at the present time, as well as those who drink human blood. We all know from the HIV/AIDS situation how it's important not to share infected blood from those infected with HIV in blood transfusions, for example. The deal here is folks, if you share in another's flesh and/or blood, you partake wholly and completely of them, without reservation. You aren't just a pal or casual acquaintance. You're a true blue friend. A friend for life!
This is what Jesus is driving at. Going all the way. Not having artificial boundaries from a human intellectual point of view on Jesus. Not having simply intellectual assent. No more knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus. Through and through. No reservations, no regrets. A friend for life.
Red left his abode and job at the grocery store to follow his friend Andy in Zihuatenejo. He hoped to find a better life there, and did, recognizing that if he did go back, he would be found in violation of his parole. So he didn't go back. He came.
You can too, friend. You can too. I did. So can you.
Selah.
I give you two examples of this kind of decision. One is a video in the positive (providing life) and one is in the negative (taking life away). On to the videotape. . .
As you can see from the above clip from The Shawshank Redemption, Red left his place and gave up his life to follow Andy in Zihuatenejo, Mexico. I love that last line from Morgan Freeman, who played Red: "I hope." That's what it's all about, friends.
Our next video is in the negative: what do you abstain from or avoid to keep your life? Watch!
Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich gives the warning at 1:13 in the clip: "By the way, we had that water come in special for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley." The response from the Ms. Sanchez character is mostly nonverbal as she refrains from drinking the now recognized deadly water, lowers the glass, and declares the meeting over. Visibly shook up, and put on the spot by Erin and her law partner Ed Masry, Ms. Sanchez backs down in the presence of her law partners, as well as the opposing side in the legal case. Telling scene. . .
* * *
The Gospel of John, chapter 6 contains the "Bread of Life" discourse of Jesus, which is below in its entirety.
I Am the Bread of Life
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.The Words of Eternal Life
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
* * *
Let's set the scene here. Jesus has just fed 5000 people with fish and bread on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, on a hillside. The people sought him not to find out how he got to the other side of the Sea of Galilee so quickly, but when. The "when" aspect of their question reveals the spiritual condition of their hearts - the when shows Jesus they are looking to be fed the fish and bread again, and are not concerned with how Jesus got to where he now was (a story in itself, as Jesus walked on the water and approached the disciples' boat, and once in, the boat immediately came to land where they were headed - see verses 19 and 20).
Jesus calls them out on this. From our passage: 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
There's a limit to this physical world. Food only lasts so long. The human body lives on this earth physically only so many years. One can intellectually assent to someone being right or true, and not be changed physically beyond that. Faith begins when you go beyond the physical world, and trust in "things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). This is what Jesus is driving at in this conversation. Hoping in what is unseen that is beyond this mortal life. Eternal Life.
The next question from the people is "what must we do? Jesus replies with "believe in him (Jesus) who he (the Father) has sent." Now the word believe here in verse 29 is pisteuo in the Greek (Strong's Concordance word #4100) which has to do with being persuaded, and placing confidence in another, even saving faith. The Apostle John uses the word 85 times in his Gospel, and 7 times in 1 John. A rather important word to him, and to us.
The people asked Jesus for a sign again. This was so soon after the feeding of the five thousand, and a further indication of them not believing (pisteuo) in Jesus, placing their trust in him for eternal life. They talk of the manna given to Israel in the wilderness by Moses. Jesus lets them on a little secret: physically it looked like Moses fed them the manna from heaven, but it was really the Father who did it. The spirit world, heaven (and hell), and God are not seen, but are nevertheless real.
Jesus then said this:
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.Give the bread, give the bread. . . that's all they are thinking about. Bread. Physical mortal life. Jesus' bread is far different from what they are used to: the bread of life. No hunger, no thirst - ever! But that's not good enough for the people. They don't pisteuo Jesus, and so go on nonbelieving. That's called eternal death - eternal separation from God and heaven. A sobering thought it should be.
So this Jewish crowd grumble about Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life. They know him only as a carpenter's son, son of Joseph, and not as anyone else (which he is. . . eternal lifegiver and judge of all). Jesus then states "51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
That flesh part is one that confounds the Jews. They reply with " “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” It's one I probably would have asked not knowing anything more about Jesus than they did at that time before his crucifiction and resurrection.
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Have you ever heard of initiation ceremonies? Now, I'm not an expert on every world religion out there, but I imagine there's one where you drink someone's blood and/or eat their flesh. There's cannibalism out there in human society, both in history and at the present time, as well as those who drink human blood. We all know from the HIV/AIDS situation how it's important not to share infected blood from those infected with HIV in blood transfusions, for example. The deal here is folks, if you share in another's flesh and/or blood, you partake wholly and completely of them, without reservation. You aren't just a pal or casual acquaintance. You're a true blue friend. A friend for life!
This is what Jesus is driving at. Going all the way. Not having artificial boundaries from a human intellectual point of view on Jesus. Not having simply intellectual assent. No more knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus. Through and through. No reservations, no regrets. A friend for life.
Red left his abode and job at the grocery store to follow his friend Andy in Zihuatenejo. He hoped to find a better life there, and did, recognizing that if he did go back, he would be found in violation of his parole. So he didn't go back. He came.
You can too, friend. You can too. I did. So can you.
Selah.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Whatever Happened to This Way of Thinking?
Time for a memory lane retrospective. I got to thinking - after seeing a very few television commercials of late - whatever happened to the old way of doing advertisements? Not only were they slower paced, but they appealed to your reasoning ability, and not your emotions like the contemporary ads do now. They also came from a worldview of definite right from wrong, and what to do versus what not to do. Witness exhibit A, a 1951 Westinghouse television set advertisement:
You can be sure if it's Westinghouse was a line I remembered from constant exposure while growing up to its advertisements. The whole notion of one being able to be sure about something. . . anything. . . sprang from this one lil' long running advertisement campaign, still playing strong in the 1960's of my childhood.
OK, try one from my Dad's former company:
The most trusted name in electronics, RCA would tag in its advertisements in the 1960's. Hmmm. . . a name you could trust. What a concept that is lost to folks living today in 21st Century North American culture.
Bonus round: here's an RCA consumer sales training film from 1959 made at RCA's old headquarters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. My Dad was a field electronics engineer technical representative at the time for RCA Service Company, with Defense Department contracts to fulfill. I remember visiting the outside of this building from time to time as we traveled by car as a family in the 1960's, even though we lived on the west coast of the United States, and New Jersey is on the east coast.
Dependable - Reliable - Quality in every TV set. That's how this video begins its message. In those days especially for Black and White televisions, that was very much the case given the vacuum tube technology and nascent solid state electronics cards that made up newer sets of the era. There's anectdotal evidence that sets of this era outlast the "made for the landfill" electronics made for our current time. They certainly lasted longer than just a few years like current television sets do. Far longer, in fact.
Here's one that is a real cultural gem and is pretty much lost to the current culture nowadays:
Putting you first keeps us first was the Chevrolet Division of General Motors' advertising slogan for the 1969 model year. . . into 1970 advertisements as well. Sounds a lot like this verse from Matthew 20 beginning at the last half of verse 25:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[c] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[d] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
How many people live their lives with the attitude of being a servant. . . putting others first before themselves? Not too many, I might add. Countercultural to the "me first, what's in front of my nose" attitude so often seen today.
The culture today certainly has a lot more ambiguity and mistrust and a whole lot less dependability and trust than it used to have. A relativistic worldview, one fed by Secular Humanism ("Man is the measure of all things") and one that has forgotten all too readily its historic cultural pointers to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. . . the One on whom you can be sure on, and is the One whom to place your trust. . . because He put us first before himself.
Selah.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Kindness Club
My wife, who is a Registered Nurse, referred to me, her loving husband, a patient of hers who for reasons I won't go into couldn't get transportation to the doctor. So I took this woman to her doctor's appointment, which is some 70 miles away from her residence. As is my habit, I brought along a book to read while waiting in the waiting room. Lately I've been reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas whose link is here: http://www.christianbook.com/bonhoeffer-pastor-martyr-prophet-spy/eric-metaxas/9781595551382/pd/551382 . I'll be posting my reflections on the book, a very engrossing and captivating read, in the days to come. But I digress.
While I was in the doctor's waiting room, I was asked by a woman patient, "who's that on the cover on that book?"
"Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Do you know who he was?" I asked her kindly.
"Was he Russian or something?" she replied.
"No, he was German," I answered back.
"Oh, what kind of German?" she inquired.
"The kind who gave up his life to be against Hitler and the Third Reich," I matter of factly stated.
A long pause ensued.
"So Hitler killed him?" she timidly exclaimed.
"Those under his authority, yes," I answered calmly. He was executed in prison weeks before the Allies had a chance to find him and to set him free."
Another long pause ensued.
"Who wrote the book?" she asked.
"Eric Metaxas," I replied. He's a guy the late Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship mentored, who now shares the commentator duties like Chuck did on the Breakpoint program found on the radio and the Internet."
"Charles Colson?" she excitedly exclaimed. "Prison Fellowship?" Her eyes grew wider and her expression of recognizing a friend was unmistakable.
"Yes, Charles Colson of Watergate fame and Prison Fellowship Ministries. You've heard of him?" I asked.
"Oh, I certainly have!" she exuded. "I have a son who is a young adult in State prison in Delano." I gave a sad looking look of recognizance in reply.
She gave her story of woe to me about her son. Long story short, she is concerned that he will reoffend again and break the law, landing himself in prison once again, becoming an habitual offender and be locked away for years. . . maybe decades. His heart is not at peace with God, and even though he has watched the thought provoking film The Shawshank Redemption over and over while in prison, is in contact with the chaplain there and sees Prison Fellowship volunteers, he has yet to truly give up control of his life and turn the control over his life to God. This is the stark reality he is in in the midst of the extreme lack of privacy and the confinement prison affords.
Funny that my employment happens to be behind bars these days as an education professional. . . well, no. Serendipitous, actually. The Lord knows what he is doing, and placed such a one as this mother in my purview while I was waiting for the one in their doctor's care. Get this: seated right next to this woman was another lady, whose husband is locked up in prison for a longer period - decades, from what I heard. In his case, he has made his reconciliation with God and has received forgiveness for his many sins, and though he is a prisoner and locked up for many more years, the Lord has truly set him free in his heart and spirit! Across the aisle, yet another woman knew of Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship. . . I don't remember any of her other details right now. Was this a God moment or what?
The most natural thing to do in a moment like this, after our first lady poured our her heart concerning her fears about what could happen to her son, and seeing the literal "cloud of witnesses" that shared in her suffering and related to her situation. . . was to pray. I led us in doing so, all of us holding hands right there under the watch of the medical office's receptionist, who I suppose didn't bat an eye! (smile) Tears of joy were shed at the end, and warm hugs as well.
This kind of moment I'll call "The Kindness Club." To become a member of it, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew so well, one must endure suffering. But not suffering alone. . . hope is present as well. Hope in the things of Eternity, where there is no prison except in Hell. . . and we shall feast at His table, rejoicing at what the Lord Jesus did for us in remitting our many sins. The Apostle Paul knew of suffering and its connection with hope, to wit:
(Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
James also knew of trials and suffering through the testing of one's faith, and its response in (unnatural from the world's perspective) joy:
(James 1:2-4, NASB)
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various [a]trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [b] endurance. 4 And let [c] endurance have its perfect [d]result, so that you may be [e] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
John records Jesus saying these immortal words on our subject:
(John 16:33, ESV)
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John, later in his life, undoubtably reflected some more on these words of our Lord in this part of his letter (1 John 5:4, ESV):
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.
Hence the title from the old Gospel hymn, "Faith is the Victory!" I love indeed the refrain from that song so much. . . in fact, the whole song. Here it is:
While I was in the doctor's waiting room, I was asked by a woman patient, "who's that on the cover on that book?"
"Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Do you know who he was?" I asked her kindly.
"Was he Russian or something?" she replied.
"No, he was German," I answered back.
"Oh, what kind of German?" she inquired.
"The kind who gave up his life to be against Hitler and the Third Reich," I matter of factly stated.
A long pause ensued.
"So Hitler killed him?" she timidly exclaimed.
"Those under his authority, yes," I answered calmly. He was executed in prison weeks before the Allies had a chance to find him and to set him free."
Another long pause ensued.
"Who wrote the book?" she asked.
"Eric Metaxas," I replied. He's a guy the late Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship mentored, who now shares the commentator duties like Chuck did on the Breakpoint program found on the radio and the Internet."
"Charles Colson?" she excitedly exclaimed. "Prison Fellowship?" Her eyes grew wider and her expression of recognizing a friend was unmistakable.
"Yes, Charles Colson of Watergate fame and Prison Fellowship Ministries. You've heard of him?" I asked.
"Oh, I certainly have!" she exuded. "I have a son who is a young adult in State prison in Delano." I gave a sad looking look of recognizance in reply.
She gave her story of woe to me about her son. Long story short, she is concerned that he will reoffend again and break the law, landing himself in prison once again, becoming an habitual offender and be locked away for years. . . maybe decades. His heart is not at peace with God, and even though he has watched the thought provoking film The Shawshank Redemption over and over while in prison, is in contact with the chaplain there and sees Prison Fellowship volunteers, he has yet to truly give up control of his life and turn the control over his life to God. This is the stark reality he is in in the midst of the extreme lack of privacy and the confinement prison affords.
Funny that my employment happens to be behind bars these days as an education professional. . . well, no. Serendipitous, actually. The Lord knows what he is doing, and placed such a one as this mother in my purview while I was waiting for the one in their doctor's care. Get this: seated right next to this woman was another lady, whose husband is locked up in prison for a longer period - decades, from what I heard. In his case, he has made his reconciliation with God and has received forgiveness for his many sins, and though he is a prisoner and locked up for many more years, the Lord has truly set him free in his heart and spirit! Across the aisle, yet another woman knew of Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship. . . I don't remember any of her other details right now. Was this a God moment or what?
The most natural thing to do in a moment like this, after our first lady poured our her heart concerning her fears about what could happen to her son, and seeing the literal "cloud of witnesses" that shared in her suffering and related to her situation. . . was to pray. I led us in doing so, all of us holding hands right there under the watch of the medical office's receptionist, who I suppose didn't bat an eye! (smile) Tears of joy were shed at the end, and warm hugs as well.
This kind of moment I'll call "The Kindness Club." To become a member of it, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew so well, one must endure suffering. But not suffering alone. . . hope is present as well. Hope in the things of Eternity, where there is no prison except in Hell. . . and we shall feast at His table, rejoicing at what the Lord Jesus did for us in remitting our many sins. The Apostle Paul knew of suffering and its connection with hope, to wit:
(Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
James also knew of trials and suffering through the testing of one's faith, and its response in (unnatural from the world's perspective) joy:
(James 1:2-4, NASB)
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various [a]trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [b] endurance. 4 And let [c] endurance have its perfect [d]result, so that you may be [e] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
John records Jesus saying these immortal words on our subject:
(John 16:33, ESV)
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John, later in his life, undoubtably reflected some more on these words of our Lord in this part of his letter (1 John 5:4, ESV):
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.
Hence the title from the old Gospel hymn, "Faith is the Victory!" I love indeed the refrain from that song so much. . . in fact, the whole song. Here it is:
Wonderful to see folks from the United Arab Emirates who are - I take it - literate or becoming literate in English partaking of the Christian faith and singing this marvelous, uplifting old Ira Sankey hymn. This is how I learned the words to 1 John 5:4. . . and how you can too! It is part of the "music rumbling through my head," as I mentioned awhile back in a previous post.
It's not how polished you are in singing it - or living out your faith. It's about taking His hand and letting him completing the journey with you, taking his yoke upon you, and having a lighter burden, since you allow Jesus to carry the load. Trusting Jesus, walking with Jesus. . . all the way. That's how to have true freedom in a place like prison, my friends! Out of prison too. . . Until next time. . .
Selah.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Words (and music) from a fellow Pilgrim
No, I didn't say it, but I wish I had. Guess who is our guest blogger?
We get awfully big when we have all that assurance, and all that confidence, and all that jazz. It's just hard to give it up and get in to where you really want to go. If you're a very brave person, I highly recommend a serious reading of the scriptures, and instead of always trying to understand it, so that it fits your theology, I would just really like to challenge you to read it and say, "That's what it says; of course it doesn't make sense, it's true!" And Truth very seldom makes sense.
We want to become healthy and prosperous and unaffected by the world, and He wants us to encounter the world in such a way as He did, which is a way that will eventually kill us. So we ask for all the wrong things and we get all the wrong things. That's why I think it's hard for a rich person to get into heaven, because they've been going the wrong direction for so long it's hard to turn around.
* * *
We get awfully big when we have all that assurance, and all that confidence, and all that jazz. It's just hard to give it up and get in to where you really want to go. If you're a very brave person, I highly recommend a serious reading of the scriptures, and instead of always trying to understand it, so that it fits your theology, I would just really like to challenge you to read it and say, "That's what it says; of course it doesn't make sense, it's true!" And Truth very seldom makes sense.
We want to become healthy and prosperous and unaffected by the world, and He wants us to encounter the world in such a way as He did, which is a way that will eventually kill us. So we ask for all the wrong things and we get all the wrong things. That's why I think it's hard for a rich person to get into heaven, because they've been going the wrong direction for so long it's hard to turn around.
* * *
These words are from the late great Rich Mullins, who may be gone from this present Earth but not forgotten in many a Pilgrim's heart, including especially mine. Rich spoke them during one of the last concerts he ever gave two weeks before he died in a tragic Jeep/commercial truck accident in Illinois in 1997. The story of how he came to give this concert and stay with a family there, plus the concert, words, music and all, are on the following YouTube video. Enjoy!
If you're looking for the song Rich sang after saying the words I quoted above, here it is:
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Few Words About Being Real
I came across (hat tip to Jonathan Macy on Chris Johnson's Facebook page) an incredible video of a gentleman who I have never heard of - at least I think I haven't as yet - giving a very compelling, winsome, humorous, engaging talk at the National Prayer Breakfast held last February 2. The speaker is Eric Metaxas. The President and First Lady were present, as were 4,000 others at the Washington Hilton that day. Lots to digest and learn from here. Enjoy!
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