An interesting story in The Paper, Vol. 52, No. 14, focused on known graves of various members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. For example, the grave of Meriwether Lewis lies at milepost 386 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee, William Clark in Bellefontaine Cemetery in North St. Louis. A 40-foot granite obelisk marks his grave.
George Shannon, the youngest member of the Expedition, lies in Palmyra, Missouri. John Colter, perhaps the most famous of the enlisted men—the first white man in Yellowstone and the survivor of two close calls with death before he left the mountains forever. A direct descendant of Colter says the grave lies on private property on a hill overlooking the Missouri River outside New Haven, Missouri. Sergeant Charles Floyd's grave would be in the Missouri River had his bones not been exhumed and placed in a grave on a hill overlooking the Big Muddy. That gives an idea of humanity's earthly fate. We're born, we live, we die, we're buried. Most of us remembered by a few and a far lesser number remembered by posterity. Abraham Lincoln's final resting place is under 60 feet of concrete in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. This writer recalls reading the story of an aged Springfield man who, as a boy, had been present in the early 1900's when authorities opened Lincoln's casket to verify it held his corpse. (There were conspiracy theories that claimed it didn't.) That boy was the last person to see the dead President. End Part I
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Christ's acceptance of the honors laid at his feet and shouted in praise of him turned a breeze of JOY into a Jubilee hurricane. Think of three lessons we learn from his Triumphal Entry.
First, seeing how easily Jewish nationalism could be whipped into religious frenzy, we understand how wisely Jesus repeatedly refused to capitalize on his miracles. Any miracle, especially the resurrection miracles, especially Lazarus' resurrection, could have turned God's love and forgiveness into political uprisings against the Romans. Second, Jesus always knew God's imprimatur verified his Purpose. The Transfiguration proved it privately; the Triumphal Entry proved it publicly. Though none but he understood either meaning. He alone knew he lived out God's will in both events. While others appreciated what he had done on Palm Sundaywee, only he knew what he WOULD DO, coming to Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, offering peace with God, not conquest of others. Three, the celebration of his ministry on the ridges of Olivet merely symbolized in an historic setting the eternal Glory ascribed to him in Revelation 5. It's said that we see but 10% of the vast universe now, for all of Hubble's brilliant penetration into deep space. How much less do we understand the Majesty of Jesus Christ now and forever. The Triumphal Entry offered a kindergarten exposure of his Presence, our personal understanding a first grade appreciation. But Revelation 5 gets us started on an education of Jesus that goes on eternally Ephesians 2:4-7. Christian friends, looking forward to our end here that Jesus Christ turns into a beginning with him that has no end! Where we stand as individuals in the throng proclaiming under the Holy Spirit's direction, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever" Revelation 5:13. Amen. Fini Jesus exited Martha's courtyard into Bethany's public to smattering, then rippling, then vigorous applause as recognition of him increased. These blogs explore the single difference that turned his journey to Jerusalem into a national triumph and himself into an international figure a week later. Factors that don't explain the difference include: geography, agriculture, villages, holidays or, even, the very presence of Jesus of Nazareth.
Galatians 4:4 by application offered the scriptural reason: Jesus came to earth in the Fulness of Time and came to this Sunday at just the Right Time—as the following reasons prove. First, he walked every other time up the grade to Olivet's summit. This time occurred the initial difference that served as catalyst for all supervening results—Peter and John both felt inspired to remove their outer cloaks and throw them over the donkey's back as a saddle—and JESUS PERMITTED IT. Second, when one of them formed a stirrup from his clasped hands, JESUS ACCEPTED being hoisted aboard. Those simple acts stimulated similar actions in many standing by, watching. From all over the assembled throng men's coats flew off, women's headbands flew off, children's neckerchiefs flew off:
A vast crowd assembled as many more pilgrims came up from Jericho through the village. Someone among them began singing a Psalm of hope, of praise, of deliverance. And soon more psalms were spontaneously sung:
For 3 ½ years Galileans had seen Jesus perform miracles on miracle. And every time he:
But here, on the mountain leading to the fabled City of David, he heard the joyous delirium filling to overflowing the Jewish psyche that his previous prohibitions blasted into adulation turned ballistic. He had been appreciated! He:
Study II Corinthians 4:16-5:5 to find the apostle's inductive reasoning leading to his declaration of our Life-Purpose. Career-Choice multiplies with all the multiple personalities alive. But Life-Purpose for each person born remains singular, as II Corinthians 5:5 declares: God made each of us to find Eternal Life in his Son.
That's Biblical truth, not philosophy. Had it been philosophical, it would have as many goals as humans. Since it's Biblical, from God, it means humans have a SINGLE PURPOSE in living—to find eternal life before death disrupts our existence and we die without it! God has declared that ALL...let that word resonate in our minds until we apply it to ourself...ALL who come to Christ asking forgiveness HAVE IT! ALL who follow him in daily discipleship POSSESS eternal life as an ongoing gift of forgiveness. That's a PROMISE, wrapped around a WARNING. God is too kind to deny our right of choice; and too wise, too sovereign and too sure of himself to let any WAY but his WAY succeed for us. Our life-purpose has the valuable practical point of making every Christian the most important person in the neighborhood, in the workplace, in a residential care facility, in society. For every disciple has within him the Grace that remains...whatever happens; the peace with God that grows...whatever happens; the fellowship with other Christians that energizes...whatever happens. AND...FOREMOST...the promise that if we fail in our career-choice, but succeed in our life-purpose, all is GAIN and nothing of significance is LOST. With such a promise, why would anyone senselessly reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Fini In 1974, when IRA's became a fact of life in financial planning, Fidelity Investments had $3.9 B in assets under management. When Ned Johnson III retired as chairman in 2014, Fidelity Investments had $5.7 T (as in trillions) in assets under management. Ned Johnson's career-choice: leading a flourishing company into skyrocketing success.
Career-Choice need not leave us outside God's Grace. Many gifted professionals in secular life have been dedicated Christians. I mention only Jerome Hines, the late Metropolitan Opera star. However, Career-Choice has the danger of being mistaken for Life-Purpose. When people see themselves as: "It's what I was meant to be and do." "It was my destiny." "That's what I am." All true visions people have of themselves, whether an animal lover, a nature enthusiast, a business mogul or a philosopher. But NO. Those are simply Career-Choices, not our Life-Purpose. In a toast at a party given in honor of Lewis and Clark, Lewis raised a glass and said, "May works be the test of patriotism as they ought....to be of religion." Correct. But only as the result of our Life-Purpose. God expects his people, saved by Grace Alone through Faith, to do the good works he planned beforehand they should do Ephesians 2:8-10. We can do nothing to merit salvation, but must do whatever activity it takes to let our light shine for Jesus Matthew 5:16. End Part I In October, 2021, the New York Public Library's main office instituted a "forgiveness of late fees for all returned overdue books in all its 200 branches." The goal was to increase visits to the libraries after being on limited schedules due to Covid-19. The promise exceeded their expectation. With the increase of 9% - 15% of personal visits came 21,000 overdue or lost books in three boroughs and 16,000 in a fourth.
The explanations given for keeping the books offer at least three spiritual lessons. First, humanity doesn't return novels, histories or cassettes to God. They are things. We must return the made-in-God's-Image OURSELVES. Second, humanity can never say, as one person claimed, the books she kept helped her get through her personal life and career; they were so important they became her family. No human can ever say, "I've done as well without God by keeping life under my control." Since God created humans to find eternal life, II Corinthians 5:1-5, and Jesus alone not only gives a present life full and pressed-down to overflowing, John 10:10, but eternal life, we must have God in our life! Grizzly bears, mountain lions and Great White sharks do very well without God, but humans MUST SUBMIT to HIM to reach their full potential here and eternal life hereafter. Third, God presently offers to all who accept Christ: forgiveness of sins—removed and obliterated; and daily peace with God, an inestimable pleasure. Now is the Day of Salvation, while we live, think and can repent and be baptized. Come while we may. Forgiveness for each is for a limited time. We can die any day. We can get too old to want to change. Repent while we can. For remaining unforgiven in this world means we face Christ's wrath at Judgment, not his forgiveness. Now he's our Savior. If rejected, he's then our Judge. Savior means he forgives. Judge means he's Just—and Just means he punishes, for all unforgiven sinners deserve Hell. Ernie Cowan writs an Outdoors feature for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He always has an interesting column about the happenings on Mt. Hoo, where they live.
All his studies revolve around nature and its creatures. His latest profiled two bushtit birds—say that word carefully—who found each other and occupied a house he cleaned and repainted for them. Their diet consists of insects and spiders (hooray for eating spiders!). They also sit on the ledge of the Cowan's window and gently peck, awakening the humans inside. Ernie said that "bird scientists" tell him that their pecking is an attack on the reflection in the glass. That may be true, but it doesn't take into consideration the experience a couple in Oceana had. One morning a bird couple began pecking on Katherine and Yevgeny's window. She didn't know why. When she went outside to see, a snake crawled across the patio. Another time she left both patio and house screens open. A bird flew into the house in back and out through the front door. Pretty soon, as if it was bringing a friend, two birds flew in the back and out the front. Ernie said he chose to think of the bushtits as his "connection with nature." That's the call of nature lovers. They find in geography and its creatures what satisfies their sense of belonging. It's a complete misunderstanding of creation. God designed it to serve physical needs of production, agriculture, scenery and seasons. And even our sense of beauty or magnificence. But NOT to give us rest, peace, relaxation and PURPOSE. Isaiah 26:3-4 encourages us to find peace in steadfastly focusing on God. Philippians 4:7 says the "peace of God...guards our hearts and minds." It isn't likely that naturalists will change their view about nature. But their mistake is a mis-use of their soul and an offense against their spirit, made in God's image. Humanity needs to realize that OUR NEXUS with God provides all WE need—the WE being US inside the body. WE belong to God, not to the animal world! And long after creation suffers incineration, with all its creatures, WE will have new bodies in a new heaven and earth in which to PRAISE God as our only HELPER in his NEW CITY! Discipleship in Eden included a daily walk with Jesus as a right. Discipleship since includes a daily denial of self as a necessity Matthew 16:24.
However big the mental lot we devote to God, acres in the mind remain untilled. Plow them Jeremiah 4:3. Jesus succeeded in uniting in himself the antagonist personalities of the Twelve. Why can't our churches unite our diverse personalities under his Powerful Presence? If we see God as gracious, we serve him in love. If we see him as hard and demanding, we serve him from duty. But no feeling we have about God excuses us from SERVING GOD. The only failure in discipleship God condemns is NOT TRYING Luke 19:20-23. If ministers fear preaching hard challenges to their congregations, perhaps they didn't give hard gospel facts to interested individuals. For whatever we win people with we win them to. If we use old age as a reason not to change our thinking and behavior, maybe we should have dedicated our youth to thinking and behavior that time would honor, not need changing. Since Jesus came as light and life full of grace and truth, John 1:4, 9, 14, 17, shouldn't our lives embody dynamic spiritual illumination? The noble centurion Cornelius needed Jesus as Savior despite being God-fearing, generous in benevolence and consistent in prayer Acts 11:14. How then can the moral person, who isn't God-fearing, generous in benevolence and consistent in prayer think he DOESN'T? |
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