One Of the Best Gifts

The older I get, the harder it is to remember all of the Christmases I've celebrated. It is even harder to remember many of the gifts I have received. This year, I have had a hard time coming up with a list for Kathy. She is the conduit to our families for ideas. I guess I'm more focused on celebrating the season and enjoying our family here at home, as well as our son's, their wives and children, when they get here later in December. I'm also looking forward to sitting by our tree, reading and enjoying the atmosphere of this wonderful season.

I've been working down in our basement for the past few days. We're painting, cleaning and scrubbing tile floors, installing new lights and generally getting ready for the holidays. As I was thinking about this blog yesterday, I noticed one of the best gifts I have ever received. The interesting thing about this gift is that it wasn't given to me at Christmas, it came to me when we moved from Manteca, California to Denver, Colorado. I worked at First Assembly in Manteca for 7 years, once in the 70s and the second time in the 80s. The second time we were there, I directed the choir every Sunday standing on a small step, in order for the last row of the choir to be able to see me. I have had to use a step in a couple of churches for this same reason. In fact, when we left First Assembly in Albany, Oregon, the choir all signed the step I used and they gave it to me as a parting gift. Apparently they didn't think that their next minister of music would be vertically challenged and would need the "box." The gift I received in Manteca was similar, but it was a small step stool built by the husband and father of two of my choir members. Here is a picture of my stool that was built by Don Graves.

I have used this stool for virtually every home project I have ever worked on. This week, in my basement, I have used it over and over again. By the way, Don's daughter Regina is one of the finest sopranos I have ever had in one of my choirs. She is a wonderful soloist. Her mom, Wanda, was very good as well. At a farewell reception, the Graves family presented this stool to me. Little did they know that 20 years later I would consider it one of the best gifts I have ever received. As you can see, it's a little beat up, painted on and a little rickety. But I suspect I'll use it until it completely falls apart.
 
This Christmas season I want to share, via this blog, some of the wonderful stories I have collected over the years. I will also share some of the remarkable gifts I have received. Regardless, I am so thankful for the wonderful gift of life that Christ gave us in His coming to earth to live, die and be resurrected to reconcile us to the Father. There is no better gift. This season is our chance to tell a desperate world about His coming, and His gift to us.

Time to put my stool away, I'm finished with it for this project. I'll keep it close by...

Ray Charles and Christmas Angel

The day after Thanksgiving is always a potpourri of activities for us. This year we shopped for some new lighting in our basement, I went to pick up a part for Nicole's car from the Toyota dealership, only to find out it was the wrong one, and Kathy and I spent time cleaning out our storage area in the basement and I installed our new lighting. We took some time to watch a Christmas movie titled Christmas Angel. It was the story of a wealthy philanthropist who found out late in life that it is better to give than receive. A multi-millionaire businessman who lost his wife and family because of his obsession with making money. In the end, he gave it all away to needy people. A little predictable, but a fun way to start the season.

The other thing I did has become a personal tradition. I watched, (I'm not sure how many times this is, but it is a lot), Ray Charles Celebrate A Gospel Christmas. In what may have been his last video taped concert, (Christmas 2003, Ray Charles died in June of 2004), Ray Charles sang Christmas songs, gospel songs and his famous arrangement of America, the Beautiful. In this concert he is joined by the 120 Voices of Jubilation from Newark, New Jersey. The wild thing about this concert is that it was performed in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is obvious from the first song that the audience is incredibly responsive to Ray Charles and all the music. They clap as each song starts, they clap in the middle and they go wild at the end. The interesting thing is that when the cameras pan the audience, there is not a single black person in the audience, and almost everyone on the stage is black. What a wonderful inter-cultural experience for all those folks. One of the memorable performances on this video is the Voices of Jubilation's rendition of Total Praise. The director is wonderful to watch. His animation makes the song come alive. The entire concert is a lot of fun and a great way to start the Christmas season. Ray Charles and the choir singing Oh, Happy Day is great.

Now, on the the big stuff. Unwinding the outdoor lights and making sure they all work...

Thanksgiving Day 2010

This morning I was up early to help register runners and walkers for the 20th Gobble Wobble 5K at our church. Every year this race is a benefit for Teen Challenge, a faith based drug rehab program that we support. Several hundred runners braved very cold and drizzly conditions to participate. I thank God for everyone who participated and gave unselfishly on this day to help others.

Now I'm home, I helped Kathy get the turkey stuffed and into the oven and now we have a few minutes to relax. While I try and be grateful all year long for God's blessings to us, this day really helps me reflect on the things that I am so thankful for. As I drove home from the church this morning, and called Kathy to let her know I was on my way, I was weepy as I thought about how much I love her and am thankful to God for her. This hasn't been the greatest year of our lives, but the love that we share and the support we give each other has helped make it a year that we can truly say "God has been faithful." I am thankful for all our children, our married children and grandchildren who are in Springfield, Missouri, Medford, Oregon and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am thankful for our three teenagers still at home. Even with the challenges that parenting has produced this year, our lives our enriched by our teenagers. I thank God for my parents, sisters and brother and their families, and Kathy's parents and siblings. I am thankful that our home is warm, there is food in the pantry, our bills are paid and we have a little money in the bank.

I am thankful that as I sat and read God's Word this morning, His promises are true and apply to me, because He loves me and has a relationship with me, by His choosing. I am thankful for friends who love us, and care about us, a church family that we can share our talent and ability with, and our country that has provided the freedom that we enjoy today to worship God like we choose. I am thankful for a day of rest, and the opportunity to reflect on the reasons for the peace and contentment that I feel. Have a blessed day as you thank God for His goodness to you.

My Utmost For His Highest

Oswald Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1874, the son of a Baptist minister. As a teenager, after hearing Charles Spurgeon preach, young Oswald surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Chambers studied for the ministry and was the first principal of the Bible Training College at Clapham Common, London. World War I exploded on Europe and the college was closed in 1915.

Chambers joined the staff of the YMCA and with his wife, Biddy, was sent to Europe to minister to the English and Australian troops stationed in Zeitoun and Ismailia. The YMCA constructed 72 by 40 foot reed huts for the soldiers to come and relax in. Within a week, Oswald Chambers had four hundred soldiers packed in each night to hear him teach the Bible. Hundreds came to Christ. He wrote in his diary, "There are so many 'saved' souls waiting instruction, and they take it with zest. There is no difficulty at all in getting men to 'decide' for Christ, they do it readily." Sadly, on November 17, 1917, Chambers died of complications from an appendix operation.

Chambers had written just one book before he died, Baffled to Fight Better, but he had kept a journal. Biddy (his wife) was a trained court stenographer and had taken down word for word many of his hundreds of messages delivered at colleges and military camps. She began editing his material into 365 daily readings and named it My Utmost for His Highest. She completed it in 1927, ten years after Oswald's death. Today the book remains among the top ten Christian titles sold annually.

What will be our legacy, yours and mine? God cannot only use our lives for His glory while we are alive and working for Him, but long after we are gone. O God, help us to keep our focus on You and what You have asked us to do. We'll leave the results to You, for Your glory.

Christmas Reading

Every year, for many years now, Kathy and I have purchased one or two Christmas books a year. Some have been collections of short stories, others are Christmas novels and some have been table top books. One of our favorite authors is Richard Paul Evans. His book, Christmas Box, is a classic. We also enjoyed The Christmas List, The Gift and others by him. This year Evans has a new book titled Promise Me. Kathy found it at Sam's Club the other day and brought it home with some other Christmas shopping. I decided to start reading it on Sunday evening and I finished it last night. Normally, I would wait until closer to Christmas, but since I am a minister of music, I have been selecting, rehearsing and planning for Christmas since July, so reading a Christmas book now fits right into where I am.

For me, part of the enjoyment of Christmas is to immerse myself in the lives of other people and their Christmas celebrations. Many of the stories I have read have been true life stories, others are fictional. All of them help me focus on the wonder of the coming of the Savior and His tremendous gift to me. Another thing I have discovered over the years is that Christmas can "blow right past" you if you let it. The busyness of the season can almost make Christmas one of the those things that you can't wait to come and go so that your schedule can slow down. I have found that if I have a Christmas book to read, even if all I have is a few minutes, those minutes can be so meaningful. Right after Thanksgiving we'll bring up a lot of our Christmas story collections books and put them on our living room coffee table. A cup of tea, a fire in the fireplace and a couple of Christmas stories helps melt away the busyness of the day. This year, in addition to all your Black Friday shopping, stop in a bookstore and look for their Christmas books display. It will be there, and there will be a lot of wonderful books there. Pick up a book of short stories, buy yourself some Constant Comment tea and that evening, read a couple of stories. It will do your soul good...

A Very Nice Visit With My Parents

Last December, my parents moved to the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. My sister relocated for a great job in the hotel industry and my parents moved with she and my brother-in-law. They live in the small town of Youngsville in a wonderful rural setting. When I was there earlier this week, all the leaves on the hardwood trees were turning yellow and red and it was beautiful. Two weeks ago my parents celebrated birthdays, 82 and 91. It was fun to be there so close to their birthdays. This was my first visit to their new home.

My dad has a lot trouble hearing, so our conversations were very short, but I was able to spend a lot of time with my mom, catching up on their move, all of our relatives that we do not see very often and catching her up on my family and all the things we are up to. The interesting thing was all the "spin off" conversations that a memory or an event took us on. I had several questions about the Spanish speaking church that I grew up in and that conversation brought back some neat memories. She reminded me of getting pulled over by a motorcycle policeman right in front of the the church because I pulled out in front of him without signaling or checking to see if anyone was coming. As I recall, I didn't get a ticket because I didn't have a license yet, just my permit. Another memory that I remember was a treat that happened every once in a while when we came home from our evening church service. It was usually fairly late and everyone was hungry. We stopped at a hamburger place where you could get a "bag of burgers for a buck" and a "bag of fries for a buck". For two dollars, we had a feast when we got home from church.

We reminisced about people that we had known and lost contact with, and people that have come back into our lives, largely with digital technology like Facebook. My memory of many of these folks was like I knew them many years ago. I was jarred back to reality more than once when I asked how old someone was now and my mom would say "I think they are in their eighties, or late seventies". Yikes, I remember them in their 20s and 30s. I suppose that some day in the next decade or two, I'll sit with my children and we'll do the same kind of reminiscing. I'll shock them with how old the people are that they remember, and we'll share great memories from every generation. One day, probably sooner than later, I won't be able to do this anymore with my parents. So I am very grateful for another opportunity to do that this week. We made plans to bring Kathy and our kids at home next summer to see them. I hope we can all do the same kind of reminiscing. I think it is really good for us to remember where we came from. It helps clarify where were are going.

This Was Quite An Election

I was up yesterday shortly after 4 AM to get ready to go to the election precinct where I have worked for the past several elections. We opened at 6 AM with many people in line and, except for a short lunch break, I did not sit down until our polls closed at 7 PM. I work at Gambrill Gardens, a retirement living center in West St. Louis County. A lot of our voters are elderly residents of the center. So, in addition to my normal job of helping people cast their ballots on the electronic and paper machines, many of the elderly voters need to have the ballot read to them, or they need special help with the touch screens. When I got home, I was exhausted, however, I really enjoyed the day.

In addition to the large turnout, we had close to 60%, I noticed a real determination on many people's part to "make a difference". In one form or another, many people said something like, "I want my vote to count" or "I want to help make a difference". On our ballot we had quite a few judge confirmations. It surprised me, with many of the elderly voters I assisted, how many of them voted NO on judge confirmations, almost as if there was a determination to sweep every area of government clean and start again.

I think the past 18 months have reignited a grass roots feeling in this country that the individual can make a difference. It has confirmed the idea that the will of the people cannot be ignored, and that if it is, the people will make changes. Now, Christians, it time to pray for new leaders, new direction and people in leadership who will be open to the wisdom and guidance of God. This was quite an election cycle, now let's do something with it.

I Had Hoped We'd Be Better Than This

I normally don't write two blogs in one day, but I could not let a recent quote from President Obama go without commenting on it. First, I am a patriotic American, second, I am a full blooded Latino, third, I am a Christian who prays for our elected leaders, including President Obama.

Yesterday, addressing a Latino audience, the President said; "And if Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, we're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder - and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2." When I heard a replay of this quote, I was extremely disappointed and terribly frustrated at the bottom feeding level of rhetoric that the upcoming election is generating. I believe our country has always taken pride in the fact that we could disagree politically and ideologically, but when push came to shove, we would unite again to get the job done. Our transitions of power at presidential election time have always been orderly, regardless of how heated and dividing the rhetoric might have been. I can never remember, however, anyone calling someone who didn't agree with you an enemy. In particular, using the word to describe a large class of people, who do not agree with you. Use of the word enemy takes the situation to a new level, a level that may make it impossible to unite again after the next election is over. Punish is a word that implies much more than just winning or losing an election. It implies a continuing action that goes far beyond the casting of a ballot. I have been concerned for our country as the discussion about illegal immigration, health care, the economy and other issues has become so contentious. Now, with the leader of our country talking in terms of enemies and punishing, who will be the uniter? Who can we look to? Obviously, as a Christian, my prayer focus doesn't change, but emotionally it is much harder to pray for a president that sees me as his enemy, as someone who needs to be punished. I have had to work at praying for him because I don't support his handling of the economy, or the passage of the massive health care bill, or the US government's lawsuit against Arizona, a state that is merely trying to enforce federal law already on the books. But I will continue to pray, because my Lord has asked me to.
O God, times are tough, and getting tougher. We need Your wisdom, Your grace, Your love. Help us, O God, to make a difference in these contentious times. We need You, O God. Our country needs You. We are a needy people and You must be Lord of our lives. Thank You, because we can trust You and Your word.

The Dreaded Check Engine Light

I hate it when warning lights start showing up on my dashboard. If the car manufacturer's were really honest, when the Check Engine graphic on the dash goes on, it should read, "Plan on spending anywhere from $125 to $500 to get this light to go off. You will probably have to go back 2 or 3 times to the repair shop, and then for weeks after you spend the money, you will glance down at your dash every 30 seconds because you think it will go back on. Just as you finally decide that it really is fixed, it will go back on, normally the week before you have to have a safety check in order to license your car for another year." On Saturday I was able to get a warning light to go off that indicated that I had a tail light, brake light, or other light out. I checked and checked and none of the lights were out. Then, after I pulled my car into the garage to see the lights better in the dark, I noticed that one of the brake lights was dimmer than the other one. Being a devoted DIYer, (do it yourself) I took both sets of lights apart and tried to figure out what the problem was. After an hour or so, I finally noticed that one of the wires going to the affected light socket didn't look like the other one. I took it apart and actually fixed it. Another DIY victory. I can't imagine how much that would have cost at a repair shop. Since this is a safety item, it needed to be fixed in order to license my car by the end of October.

This morning I took my car in for the safety inspection, paid my $12 and smugly awaited a positive outcome. Alas, it wasn't to be. I have a right front axle that needs to be replaced, Grrr. Since I take my vehicles to the same mechanic, they let it slide and passed my car anyway, with my pledge that I would get if fixed, soon. I sense another DIY project... Then it was on to the Check Engine light. 3 hours and $257 later, my check engine light was off. I learned all about EGRs and compression modulators and still felt taken.  

On the way home I noticed I was looking at the dash every few seconds. Maybe if I stop looking at it, the check engine light will just go on and I can start the "taking it back to the mechanic" routine. I love my car, I hate my car. :)

The 99ers

One of the stories on 60 Minutes tonight was about people in the Silicon Valley (the high tech area in the San Francisco Bay Area of California) who have lost their jobs to the current recession. Most of the story revolved around a type of town hall meeting for people who were unemployed. It was part support group, part 12 Step type meeting and part revival meeting. They called themselves the 99ers. (Unemployment benefits were extended by Congress to 99 weeks. Because of the huge cost, Congress will probably not extend the benefits again.) The 60 Minutes commentator interviewed several people. Most of them were high level professionals who made everywhere from $70,000 a year to well over $200,000. In many cases they had exhausted their unemployment insurance, cashed out their retirement accounts and gone through all of their savings. These were single and married people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

The comments were almost nearly the same. Most people said something like "I can't believe this has happened to me", or "I never believed it would take 2 years, 3 years to find another job". One single lady who had exhausted all of her resources finally moved into an attic space in a friend of a friends house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. This single lady in her 50s was virtually at the end of the financial line. Another family had used all of their savings, they had used their children's college savings accounts and were trying to sell their home. The man, who lost his $200,000 a year job, had exhausted his unemployment insurance and had taken all of his 401K account to buy a franchise business that cleans home heating and AC vents. Sadly, because of the recession there wasn't enough work to make any money. They were at the end of their financial rope.

The story ended without any answers, just an overall sense of hopelessness. You wonder how people in this situation cope? Many Christians are in this same situation. Without the promises of God, and the family of God that these people belong to, it would be hopeless. If this recession continues to improve at the very slow pace it is, I think we as the family of God will need to stretch ourselves as we help fellow believers who are caught in this almost unbelievable situation. We may need to figure out ways to give major help; financial, spiritual and practical. We also need to find ways to reach out to people who don't know the Lord, who are panicked and have no where to turn. God help us make a difference. Help us to be so thankful for what you have blessed us with and be willing to give a lot of your blessings away.

"Joy To the World" For A Missions Convention

There are some categories of Christian life that very little music is written for. One of those is for a Missions emphasis service. As our younger generations get further away from hymnal singing, it gets harder to find and pick Missions oriented music.

This past week I was trying to find a good opening song for our 2nd week of Mission's services. I remembered reading about a hymnal that Issac Watts published in 1719. It was titled Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. Watts paraphrased 138 of the Psalms with the intent of having people who sang these hymns, sing them from a New Testament meaning and style.

Psalm 98, verses 1 through 3 says: Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

This Psalm anticipates the time when Jehovah will be the God of the whole earth and His kingdom will reign over all the nations. With this Psalm talking about God's salvation and revealing His righteousness to the nations, it seemed like the perfect hymn for our Missions service. In giving this Psalm a New Testament expression of praise for the salvation of God, Watts chose to begin by giving praise for the God who became incarnate as the Babe of Bethlehem. Issac Watts titled Psalm 98, The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom.

Sometime later, the title was changed to Joy To the World, and has become one of the most beloved Christmas hymns. I must admit, it was a little weird, but we sang Joy To the World yesterday, October 14th, as a Missions hymn. I think it worked.

Are the Windows Of Heaven Shut For You?

One of the toughest spots to be in as Christians is when we feel like our prayers are not being heard. It's as if Heaven has been closed to us. Usually this comes at a time when we are struggling with one or more serious issues, we recognize that God is the only one who can really help, and it seems like He doesn't care.

In Psalm 77, starting at verse 7, David writes this; "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

The temptation at this point is to help God remember all the good things you have done. All the ministry you have provided in His name, all the selfless acts of kindness you have performed, reminding Him of all your sacrifice. However, David continues to write in verse 13; Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

While it is tempting to try and make God aware of all the good reasons why He should be responding to our prayers, David's approach brings worship, praise and his requests to God in a manner that is consistent with the character of God. A God who loves our worship, our praise and loves to manifest His power among us. God will answer you in His time, in His way, and you will be amazed. Hang on, this season of time will not last. God loves you so much, and He hears every word you whisper to Him.

It Is So Much Easier To Be A Man

This week I observed another "changing of the season" ritual in our bedroom. Kathy changing from her summer wardrobe to her fall wardrobe. For a couple of days there were piles of clothes on our bed, our living room couches, hanging up in our bathroom and other places I'm sure I was unaware of. Of course she made a trip to Target to buy more plastic storage tubs, to join the other storage tubs we already have in our basement. I watched with fascination as the piles grew, then shrunk as clothes got sorted on other piles, into the closet, back out of the closet, into a tub, out of that tub into another tub. Finally, all the clothes made the transition. I took the tubs down to the basement, however, not into storage yet, we still need to organize the other tubs that are already down there. After all, in a couple of months, her Christmas clothes tubs will need to come up. Then came the shoes. You can't wear summer shoes in the fall, after all. Piles of shoes and sandals. Why does a person keep all the shoe boxes?

Just as the clothes transfer ended, the fall jewelry sort started. Kathy has two drawers in her chest of drawers just for jewelry. I must admit, it is cataloged well, and fairly neat. I was amused watching her sort and move jewelry around, talking to herself about what would go with what, and trying on things she hadn't worn in a while. Watching her busyness with her jewelry reminded me to do a quick inventory of mine. Yep, my two rings that never come off my fingers are still there and the only watch I wear is on my dresser. After she showed me her new fall finger nail polish color, the fall switchover was complete. I was exhausted...

However, I was inspired to take a look at my fall wardrobe to make sure I'm ready. Let's see, I've got two clean undershirts and it appears at least one long sleeved shirt is ironed. Now, I'll polish my brown pair of shoes and my black pair and I think I'll be ready. Oh, and yes, my pair of Christmas socks are in my sock drawer just where I put them after last Christmas.

It sure is easier being a man.

Earning the Right To Lead People To Christ

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the process of leading people to Christ. If we are surrounded by a world (our immediate circle of neighbors, acquaintances, workplace friends, relatives, etc.) that desperately needs Christ, than how does the process begin where sharing Christ becomes a natural part of our lives. A story I recently read, by Jonathan Fallwell, the senior pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, is part of the key.

Jonathan tells of going with his father, Jerry Fallwell, on a trip to debate Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine. After the debate, Mr. Flynt asked Jerry Fallwell if he could give he and his son a ride back to Lynchburg, Virginia after the debate. Mr. Fallwell agreed and they boarded Mr. Flynt's beautiful black and gold Gulfstream III. On the trip the two men talked as if they were old friends, about sports, food, politics and many other topics. After they landed, Jonathan Fallwell asked his dad about that conversation, a conversation that really bothered Jonathan. "Dad, how is it that you can sit on that airplane and carry on a conversation with him as if you guys were old friends. He is the exact opposite of everything you believe in; he does all of the things that you preach against; and yet you were treating him as you would someone from our own church. Why?" Jonathan then wrote this; "Dad's response changed my whole outlook on ministry. He said, 'Jonathan, there's going to be a day when Larry Flynt is hurting and lonely and will be looking for help and guidance. He is going to pick up the phone and call someone who can help him. I want to earn the right to be that phone call!'"

Isn't this how Christ lived his life on earth. He was severely criticized for spending time with sinners, yet I'm sure He knew that one day they would call on Him in their time of need. O God, help me, help us, to develop the kind of relationships with people who do not know you in such a way that it earns us the right to be the "phone call" of help that leads them to You.

Stopping People From Running Into the Pit

This morning we began our annual Missions emphasis at our church. During one of the praise & worship songs, Mighty To Save, (the lyrics talk about our mighty God's power and His salvation) I remembered an incident from the middle 80s that I related to our 8:15 AM service congregation. Kathy and I were serving on the staff of the PTL Television Network and I was also on the pastoral staff of Heritage Village Church. It was a holiday weekend and PTL usually had many holiday events, including All Night Sings. All the greats in gospel music were invited. That weekend Maude Aimee Humbard was one of the singing guests and her husband, Pastor Rex Humbard, was along for the trip. He was the long time pastor of The Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio, and at one time reached more people around the world by television than any other Christian broadcast.

Rex Humbard was driven by the task of preaching and leading people to Christ. He was known as a "soul winner", a person who has a single focus of leading people to Jesus. On this particular weekend, during the early hours of the morning, while the All Night Sing was going on in the main auditorium, I went behind the auditorium into a large hallway where there were refreshments and chairs for performers to sit on. Rex was there all by himself, sitting in a chair near the refreshments. I asked if I could sit down and talk with him. He said yes. In the course of our conversation, I asked him what had started him on the ministry path of being so focused on leading people to Christ. He told me about an early dream or vision he had. "I was driving on a rural road. As I drove past a large field, I noticed many cars pulled over and people running to the center of the field. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped my car and started walking toward the center of the field. As I got closer to the center, I realized that there was a large pit in the center. Many people tried to hold themselves back, but they couldn't and fell screaming into the pit. Others, as they were running, never even slowed down and fell into the pit. I immediately realized that this was an opening to Hell and I had to stop people from falling into the pit."

This was near the end of his public ministry. Probably close to 50 years of preaching and teaching. As he told me the story, I could tell he had the same passion, and the story was just as real that night as it was when he first experienced it. Incredible. Are there any more Rex Humbards out there?

Getting Back On the Right Track

Nehemiah was tremendously used of God to bless Israel by hearing from God, and carrying out a plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The Biblical account of Nehemiah and his efforts are inspiring and have many applications to our lives as Christians. While this was a wonderful time in the lives of the nation of Israel, another momentous event took place at the same time. On October 8th, 445 B.C., Ezra, the high priest at the time, brought the scroll of the Law before an assembly of all the Jews in Jerusalem.

The date was significant because it was the first day of the Hebrew civil calendar. Ezra began reading at daybreak and read until noon. Historians tell us that the people stood and listened attentively and began to weep as they realized that what they were hearing were the very words of God. The reading of the Law on October 8, 445 B.C. was a turning point in the history of Israel. Until that day, the people's lives centered around the the temple. On this day they became a people whose religious life centered on a book - God's book.

The next day, October 9th, family leaders, priests and Levites met with Ezra to go over the Law in greater detail. Their detailed study led them to celebrat the Feast of Tabernacles again, and more importantly, it led them to celebrate again the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur on October 17th.

I have been reading through the Bible this year with the God Sightings version. I cannot tell you how many times God's word has given me a thought or promise to live by for the day. Sometimes it is a nugget of enlightenment that brings such joy and peace to my spirit. I can't imagine an entire city being so moved by God's Word that they wept as one and vowed to live by His law. What an incredible event.

Fond Memories

As I get older, I discover that I remember specific incidents less and less. I'm not totally sure why that is. I wonder if our brain's "memory hard drive" gets too full and gets selective about what it remembers. It would be nice if we got a "memory almost full" message so we could purge memories that were not as significant as others. Some memories are so special that we remember them over and over, and tell the stories to the same people more than once.

For instance, my dad has some wonderful stories of growing up in Colorado. He lived there at a time when there was abundant game and fish every time he and his adult relatives went into the woods. I have heard some of his fishing stories more than once, and I have enjoyed them every time. I suspect that it doesn't occur to him that he has told the stories before because they are still so vivid in his mind. Each time he tells the story, it's as if the memory has just come to him. I find that there are memories that I recall just like that. Memories that are so vivid that I can recall almost even the most insignificant detail. Then Kathy will ask me, "do you remember...", and I have no clue what she is talking about. Don't tell her, but sometimes when I'm nodding yes and smiling as she talks, I have no memory whatsoever of the event she is recalling in "vivid color."

One of those memories for me is a vacation we took to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the mid 80s. We were both working on the staff of The PTL Television Network and I was on the ministerial staff of Heritage Village Church. Jason, Aimee, Josh and I were fishing on the pier at Myrtle Beach and having a great time. Josh was 3 or 4 and more interested in what was on the pier than in fishing. We had bought him a little Snoopy pole and I had baited it and propped it up on the pier railing so I could see it if a fish started biting. Well, a fish did bite, in fact, it bit so hard it pulled the pole right off the pier into the ocean. "Splash", "what was that", "oh no, Josh's pole is in the water". And that was that. Once we got Josh calmed down with promises of buying another pole, we went back to fishing with the poles we had left. About a half hour later, I got a pretty good bite on my pole, set the hook and started bringing in the fish. As the line started to come in I couldn't believe what I was seeing come out of the water. My hook had hooked Josh's Snoopy pole. I carefully pulled it in, and then let Josh reel in the fish that his pole had hooked and was still securely there. We kept that pole for a long time, well after the time Josh graduated to a larger fishing pole. Finally, in one of our moves, the Snoopy pole didn't make it. That's okay, the memory is firmly embedded in my memory. I suppose I have told the story to someone more than once. But that's okay, older guys can get away with that.

If you know me very well, you know I love Christmas stories. I collect them, tell them and live them. I love story tellers and try my best to be a good one. Stories relate life, and love, and the good things about us. Relish your memories and tell the stories, even if you tell them more than once to the same person.

It's Almost Time For "The Smell"

There are some things that are distinct to every season. When spring arrives, winter clothes go in the closet, lawn tools get tuned up, and your yard get spruced up for the growing season. Each season has its own routine. My favorite season is spring, probably because I love to watch the bleakness of winter wake up. I enjoy seeing buds on the trees, the beginnings of growth on all kinds of bushes, and the first green shoots that come from bulbs that have been dormant all winter. Some of the first signs of life are the various flowering trees. We have a large Bradford Pear tree in our front yard that is covered in beautiful white blooms. I love spring.

There is one part of Fall, however, that I really enjoy. Fall comes, as you know, at the perfect time. It seems like just when you can't take one more hot, humid day, the temperature starts to change. In St. Louis, there is a period of time that our air conditioner is turned off, and the heater is not needed. Not only does it help our utility bill for a few days, it is a great time of year from a temperature standpoint. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Then comes that one night, or early morning when the heater comes on. I love the smell of the first time the heater goes on! It is a great smell. It says winter is coming, it says it is time to snuggle under a warm blanket, it says its time to make sure the firewood is dry and the kindling is ready. The sad part of it, however, is that it only happens once. You can't duplicate it because when all the dust, spider webs and other stuff in your heater ducts gets burned up by the heater flames, the smell is gone. I think if someone would bottle it up and put it in a spray can, it would sell. I know I would buy some. There is one thing I make sure of when it is time to turn the heater on. I never light the pilot light before I go to bed. It would be a sad Fall if the heater came on at night and everyone was asleep and missed "The Smell." Tonight is is supposed to get down to 38 degrees. With it that cold, we may a little heat in the morning. Can't wait, maybe we'll enjoy "The Smell" tomorrow... 

Could There Be Life On Planet Gliese 581g?

Astronomers say they have spotted, for the first time, a planet beyond our own in what is sometimes called the Goldilocks zone for life: Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. This new planet sits smack in the middle of what astronomers refer to as the habitable zone, unlike any of the nearly 500 other planets astronomers have found outside our solar system. And, it is in our galactic neighborhood, suggesting that plenty of Earth-like planets circle other stars.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about this strange planet. It is about three times the mass of Earth, slightly larger in width and much closer to its star - 14 million miles away versus our 93 million. It's so close to its version of the sun that it orbits every 37 days. And it doesn't rotate much, so one side is almost always bright, the other dark. Temperatures can be as hot as 160 degrees or as frigid as 25 degrees below zero, but in between - in the land of constant sunrise - it would be "shirt-sleeve weather." It is unknown whether water actually exists on the planet, and what kind of atmosphere it has. But because conditions are ideal for liquid water, and because there always seems to be life on Earth where there is water, astronomer Steven Vogt of the University of California at Santa Cruz believes "that chances for life on this planet are 100 percent."

The only problem with all of this is that the planet is 120 trillion miles away, so it would take several generations for a spaceship to get there. However, while this seems like a long distance, in the scheme of the vast universe, this planet is "like right in our face, right next door to us," astronomer Vogt said in an interview.

Hebrews 11:3 tells us: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Ephesians 4:10 says: He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. Many verses in the Bible tell us about a Creator unlimited by time or space. We cannot even comprehend distances like 120 trillion miles. Somehow that doesn't seem to me to be "right in our face, right next door to us." Last summer we drove out to the West Coast and back to St. Louis, about 8,500 miles, and we were totally exhausted. The incredible thing about this is that the God who created the universe, who I am sure, delights in us finding things like new planets, is the same God who knows me intimately. The Bible tells me that he knows things about me that I do not even know. Have you ever tried to count the number of hairs on your head? Once again, science, and specifically astronomy, have blown me away with the vastness of God, and yet He knows and loves me, me. Wow...

Some Thoughts About Judas and Remorse

I had an interesting conversation with Nicole, our 18 year old first year college student, recently. She is writing a script for our youth human video team. Part of the script deals with Judas, the disciple that betrayed Jesus. She said that basically what she has been taught is that Judas was a greedy person who probably didn't believe in Jesus from the start and only followed Him for what he could get personally. In the script she is writing, she was wondering if there was more to the story, did he feel any remorse, and will Judas be in Heaven? I gave her a couple of things to think about regarding what the scriptures have to say, particularly in Matthew 26 and 27.

After we ended our conversation, I did some more thinking about Judas and what his motivation was in betraying Jesus, and then his tragic end. The one question Nicole asked, "will Judas be in Heaven?", really got me thinking. It seems like one of the keys to Judas' motivation may be found in the story of the expensive perfume being poured on his head while he was at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. Mark says "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, 'Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor'. And they rebuked her harshly." Was Judas among these? Was this a tipping point for Judas? Verse 10 of Mark 14 says, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them". The "Then" of this verse comes right after the account of the perfume incident. Interesting thought...

One more thought, why would Judas ask during the Lord's Supper if he was the betrayer unless he thought that Jesus would not know, and not point him out? Would he make himself the deliberate object of scorn in front of his peers? Even after all the miraculous events that Judas had experienced with Jesus, he apparently did not believe that Christ was God, and was all knowing. I think Judas was taken completely by surprise when Jesus said, "Yes, it is you." I believe that Judas' world was turned upside down by that one incident. Now, for the first time, he clearly understood who Christ was, and that he would be "selling Him down the river". I believe that from the time that night that he kissed Christ in the garden to point Him out until the next morning when Judas went to the temple to return the money, he was in the greatest anguish a person could be in. Early the next morning, when he could not resolve the situation, when he couldn't fix it, in desperation he threw the money at the priests and ran out and took his own life.

Will we see Judas in Heaven? As the rope tightened around his neck, did Judas have time to breathe the words, "O God, please forgive me?" What do you think?