It is an awesome thing, the different things that draw our attention from the Lord on a minute-by-minute basis. We have all these wonderful distractions all around us: Desktop computers, laptops and iPads, iPods and must we forget the iPhones, and their like…
We have our, “social media” programs that pull us from reaching out to others face-to-face in person on a personal basis, and we are quickly learning how to become hermits, in a sense. What is so unusual considering all of this is the wealth of information that TRUTHFULLY overwhelms us, in light of these “things” that we so enjoy. Can you say: “Data Overload?”
I remember as a child waking-up every morning, walking into the dining room and seeing my Dad sitting there, coffee cooling with wisps of moisture rising-up, the newspaper covering his face. My Mom working steadily over the stove, cooking breakfast for all of us, bacon and eggs scenting an otherwise stale room.
A short-lived conversation would eventually erupt from my Dad, according to some unusual newsworthy article. “Yee Gods and little fishes!” My Mom would exclaim with the death of an egg-yoke in the pan. Perfection in cooking was her forte. I would take my place at the table in my usual chair, next to my Dad. “Morning Son” would come from behind the paper. “Good morning Dad…Mom” I would reply. And so this is how our day would begin at 0600hrs.
Such were the days of old, from my mind, precious though they may be. I would have to guess my forte is a history buff of sorts, ending with my articles of the written word. I like to think of being a fly, so to speak and being there, observing the various situations. I have taken many, many, trips throughout history and have been blessed to see many things and of course, by virtue of the “things” I spoke of in the above paragraphs.
I have watched, “Tora, Tora, Tora” and “Twelve O’clock High” — flying with the pilots on missions of that day and time. I have boarded old planes and ships like the USS Lexington and I am usually assaulted with the smells of yesteryear, faded times, the sweat and tears of those that lived and died there. I relish these things each and every time!
I once showed my wife a series about the Titanic and its time in being built in the shipyard in Ireland. She loves the romances in the Victorian age, some of those individuals built that behemoth of a ship─doomed─for shaking their fists in the face of God: “A ship even God could not sink.” How prophetic and ironic as well.
How odd as well, that the Historians of today, choose the verbiage, “Mother Nature sunk the Titanic” rather than exclaiming that: “God sank it for man’s willingness to disgrace HIM.” SIN in man does indeed, have consequences. History is full consequences and yet how many are willing to sit and think of life in these terms?
I myself on the other hand, love to see the panes of glass in some old building and wonder to myself, what situations have these panes of glass seen across their time? To hear the stories and events they witnessed would be music to the ears. The volumes of pages, in books, would be enormous to say the least. Yet for me, today, I am humbled beyond mention to have learned and through the written Word, witnessed the beating and death of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I write in an effort to express the sacrifice that Jesus made to give us the gift of salvation through HIS blood, that HE shed on Calvary for the remission of our SINS. As I said before, being a fly on the proverbial wall of history is exhilarating…though at times, I witness the profound worthlessness of humanity (in my view).
The good pastor addresses his congregation:
“Brothers and sisters…God did not become a human and come here to make life easier for you and me, HE came to DIE for you and me!”
Bam! The excited pastor strikes the podium.
“Are you not able to envision the pain of HIS beatings by the Romans? For by HIS stripes are we saved or the spikes that were driven through HIS hands and feet? Have you NO empathy for the extreme pain we caused HIM, the ONE that never sinned, that NEVER deserved any of it…and yet, HE chose to take all that upon HIMSELF for YOU and me!”
There are exclamations of, “Amen…Amen!”
“Do you not understand the implications of any man saying, ‘The Titanic…a ship even GOD cannot sink!’ Such heresy…to shake ones fist in the face of GOD Almighty! And then we face the fact that God almost took half the passengers, to prove HIS point! And then we take out time here on this planet and carouse around like a tomcat, drinking and getting drunk, shaming our Lord and Savior, in whose image we were created? Have we lost our direction and spiritual compass? The answer is an unequivocal: YES!”
Bam! Another strike upon the podium as the pastor admonishes the group.
You see, being the fly on the wall does have its advantages, but GOD Almighty is not concerned with the fly, HE is concerned with the spirits, the souls of mankind. HE wants what is best for us and that is found in HIS Word─the Bible. The end of which IS life eternal with Jesus Christ in heaven!
That is, of course, if you take what you read in the Bible and change your life according to what is there. Any book, textbook for school or the Bible for that matter, is ONLY worthwhile IF you read it and understand what you have read and then apply it to your life.
The Bible is the ONLY Text, known to man, that not only tells us where we came from, but HOW we were created, how others lived in times before us and how we are to live today. According to God, and then…what is to come in the future! It is NO coincidence, that the Bible is the ONLY Book that can do this and is 100 percent correct each and every time! The prophecies of the Old Testament have been proven to be 100 percent accurate in its entirety! Now that is one really significant point to take notice of.
2 Timothy 3.15-17: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (emphasis added)
Glass panes, in varying levels ofperfection, have been usedcommerciallylong before the 1700s. Having said that, there is much that these panes of glass have witnessed, stories unknown by in large, because they, like you and me are individual in their existence. Thisis why Iwishthey could speak and tell what they know, some of which we wouldprobablybe horrified by, while others would lend bits ofinformationthat would help us in the long run.
The one thing I do know about these glass panes is this: They reflect who we all are, individually and as a society, and yet the Bible had this written in it over 3000 years ago. How odd that we seldom refer to the Bible for its information on anything!
Jeremiah 17.9-10: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
This brings us to the point: What would our panes of glass say about you and me IF they were to talk?
John 3.16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”