Remember!

Last week when I was in Walmart, an elderly gentleman was driving one of those electric scooters in front of me. When he suddenly made a tight U-turn toward me, I jumped to the side. He had a good laugh at my expense and then we began to talk. He was over 90 years old and said he flew a P-38 in WWII. He was shot down over Borneo and spent over 3 months in a Japanese prison camp before he escaped. My wife was waiting for me and I had to go even though I could have stayed there all day listening to the stories he told. I can't help but think of him on the eve of Memorial Day. People like him helped insure the freedom we enjoy today. I am very grateful to them.

This has made me think of the importance of remembering. It has always played a role in man's relationship to God. God put the rainbow in the sky to remember His promise that He would never destroy the earth again by water (Genesis 9:16). Throughout the Torah (law), God instructed every aspect of building the Tabernacle, the utensils, and the garments for the priests. Several times God says these things were to be made a certain way as a memorial. Even the fourth commandment included the word "Remember" (Exodus 20:8).

Remembering helps us in so many ways.
1. It protects us. That is why Jesus said "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32). It was a warning.
2. It instructs us. The "things that were written afore time were written our learning (Romans 15:4).
3. It enriches us. Paul called Timothy to remember the faith that was in his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:4).
4. It encourages us. One example of this is found in Psalm 112:6, "Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance."
5. It connects us. This is why all Christians come together on the first day of every week. We are there for a memorial (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24,25).

On this Memorial Day, we will remember those who gave themselves for our national freedom. Yet, as important as that is, it pales in comparison to the ultimate sacrifice of love that Jesus made for us on that cruel cross. May we always be faithful to Him by remembering Him and what He did for us.

More On The Global Warming Front

Many scientists are taking a stand against the faulty conclusions of the Global Warming Movement. A petition has been signed by over 30,000 scientists who deny the doom and gloom predictions of the Al Gore crowd. Click here to read more about this. I doubt if you will hear about this in the mainstream media.

As Christians, we must realize that we are stewards of the environment God has provided for us. However, that does not mean we should be gullible. The fact is we must understand that there are people out there with ulterior motives who want to gain more power and control over the masses. May we do all we can to protect the environment. Furthermore, may we intelligently consider all the facts and sides of the issue.

Revealing Questions

One day when my father had "bus duty" at the school where he then served as assistant principal, someone threw some fireworks out a bus window. Dad got on the bus and asked, "Who threw that fire cracker?" To which, one little boy quickly replied, "That wasn't a fire cracker. It was a cherry bomb." Dad then said, "You come with me." The young man who spoke up revealed more than he ever intended.

I think we all do this more than we realize. We will say one thing, but a perceptive listener will glean much more from what we said than we intend. Sometimes people do jump to conclusions, but here I am talking about the fine art of reading between the lines. This can be seen in some of the questions we read in the Bible. For instance...

1. Genesis 4:9 "Am I my brother's keeper?" All God asked Cain was where Able was. This reply by Cain showed a certain amount of defensiveness. Of course, people often become defensive when they are guilty of something. That did turn out to be the case with Cain.

2. John 21:21 "What about this man?" Jesus had just finished confirming Peter's faith by asking him three times if he loved Him. Jesus then signified "by what death he would glorify God" and ended by saying "Follow me" (John 21:19). Peter's response at this point was not a good one. He saw John standing there and asked "But Lord, what about this man?" Jesus answered, "... what is that to you..." (21:23). Here Peter wanted off the "hot seat." He may have even revealed a bit of jealousy and selfishness. The main thing is he was minding other people's business when he should have been dealing with his own problems.

3. Matthew 19:18 "Which ones?" When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life, Jesus told him to "keep the commandments" (19:17). To which the young man asked "Which ones?" This question is puzzling to me. Did he hope to get by with only obeying a few? I do believe he was sincere in what he asked. Maybe he was making a distinction between the Bible and the man-made laws of the Jews. I hope so. After Jesus specified what commandments, he acknowledged that he had kept these and inquired, "What lack I yet?" (19:20). Of course, Jesus told him to sell all he had and give it to the poor and follow Him. The young man then went away sorrowful. Apparently, he had a problem with the command about covetousness. He wasn't willing to give up his great possessions to follow Jesus. It all seems to go back to his question, "Which ones?"

I am not suggesting that we go around trying to read something in to every little thing others say. The point is this. We would do well to ponder the words that come out of our own mouths. Maybe we can learn a little more about what is really in our own hearts.

Freed-Hardeman 139th Commencement

Susan Galloway, our daughter, graduated today from FHU. For the first time in six years, we do not have a child attending Freed! Susan and David, her husband, will both attend Memphis State this fall to begin the Master of Fine Arts program in Theater. David will specialize in Set Design, and Susan will focus on Directing. Their dream is to one day own and operate their own theater. From the looks of things, they are going to be well prepared to make that dream a reality.

Another highlight of the day was the commencement speaker. They out did themselves this year by getting the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown. She was on the short list of the latest Supreme Court nomination possibilities, and is now on the U.S. court of Appeals in Washington D.C. since being nominated by President Bush, and finally being confirmed two or three years ago. Her address was outstanding! I was very impressed. We are fortunate not only to have a Christian sitting on the bench in Washington, but to have this Christian in that high position.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Two Proud Parents

David and Susan Galloway

Janice Rogers Brown

Monica and Mallory Collins of Doniphan also graduated with degrees in Social Work. Congratulations girls!

"Mom's Overture"

Mother's Day is Sunday! You have to appreciate godly mothers. Proverbs 31:10-31 tells us about one we often call "the virtuous woman," but much of what she does has to do with being a mother as much as being a wife. Christian mothers are one of the great hopes for the future of the Church on earth. There is no way we can be grateful enough for all they do. Jim Faughn sent me this You Tube clip by Anita Renfroe which shows her performing what she calls the "Mom's Overture." I really enjoyed it, and I hope you do as well.



Thank you, and Happy Mother's Day, Moms!!!

Becoming A Vessel Of Honor

In 2 Timothy 2:15-26, Paul uses the analogy of a vessel. This analogy harkens back to that of Jeremiah 18:1-6. In this passage, the Apostle explains how we can be what God expects us to be. To do this, he first points out the...

I. Material In The Church.
Paul begins by saying, "In a great house" (20). This is a reference to the Church (1 Timothy 3:15). He makes the point that there are different qualities of vessels in the Church. Some of these vessels are of honor and some of dishonor. Those Christians who are typical of the vessels of dishonor do serious harm to the Church. Yet, those who are considered vessels of honor are a credit (Matthew 5:16). Are we stuck in one category or another? No, you can change, but it is a...

II. Matter of Choice.
Notice Paul's choice of words in verse 21. "If anyone cleanses himself from the latter." This indicates that each individual must accept personal responsibility. The word "If" may be a small word, but it has a huge meaning. "If" shows that something is conditional. In this case, it means we have a choice to be either a vessel of honor or of dishonor. Again, notice that Paul speaks of how one "cleanses himself." Obviously, we do play a role in our own salvation. It is not enough to say God saves us. He does, but that does not mean we don't have any responsibility to God as well. When one says "I'm saved by grace, and I don't have to do anything," it is lazy grace. This "lazy grace" is not going to save anyone. Then Paul said, "He will be a vessel of honor." This is a very special kind of vessel. This can be you! The vessel of honor is "Sanctified" (2 Timothy 1:9). It is "Useful for the Master" (2 Timothy 4:11). It is "Prepared for every good work" (Titus 1:16). So then, how can one choose to be a vessel of honor?

III. Moving Toward Christ.
First, one can move toward Christ by being diligent in the study of God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15). Second, becoming a vessel of honor includes shunning profane and idle babblings (16). Third, departing from sin is imperative (19). Fourth, one can be what God wants him to be by fleeing youthful lusts (22). Fifth, one must avoid foolishness (23,24). Finally, we should keep a proper attitude as we do all we can do to correct those who are in sin (25,26). May we all be vessels of honor!

Biblical Values Wins At The Box Office

I just read an interesting article which shows that 9 out of 10 of the top movies of 2007 reflected biblical or traditional values and, pro-American, pro-capitalist themes. Click here to read the full article.

The fact that Hollywood continues to put out so many movies that are not fit to be watched is proof that they have an evil agenda. They would rather corrupt our children and our nation than make money. Their worldly, godless world view is more important to them than profit. This should be a warning to all Christians. The "secular progressives" are willing to fight for their beliefs. What about us? Are we ready to take a stand for God, Jesus, His Church, His Word, and biblical values?