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      Oops! I sort of slipped in my own ignorance last week and got spanked for it. We tend to compartmentalize products under a more common name which has been used in advertizing so much it has become a household name. For instance, we don’t ask for a bandage to cover our boo-boo, we ask for a Band-Aid. In like manner we refer to facial tissues as Kleenex, cotton swabs as Q-Tips, and bleach as Clorox, as a sort of “genericization” of brand-name products. I referred to an aerosol string product as Silly String and in the process misrepresented the brand-name product as dangerous. In fact the brand-name, made in the USA, is environmentally and user safe. My ignorance of the no longer imported knock-off of the brand-name was triggered by once again seeing a couple of short video clips of the illegal imported product warming up some birthday parties. I wish to submit my apologies to Silly String Products and their Spray Streamer product. I need to be more careful comparing what’s and what-not’s.

      I always found it difficult to keep up with the ever increasing use of letters being used to represent government programs, corporations, non-profit organizations and the like. There’s now a whole new language being produced by the electronic, cyber-space, fast-paced world of today. The lingo of acronym-ism is off the charts with netlingo.com, alone, listing over 1800 texting shorthand acronyms. The one I had to chuckle at when I heard it the other day was, “FOMO” …Fear Of Missing Out. The average cell phone user sends 200 text messages per month, which includes the average teenager texting 3000+ messages per month. I grew up being taught that you couldn’t be in two places at once, but I think in the multi-tasking world of today a person has the opportunity to be in several places at once, in color and in real time. It’s only a matter of time before we discover that UFO’s really are futuristic time travelers.
      I found it to be a sort of split decision when it comes to the baby-boomers embracing, or not, all the gadgets of the 21st century. I was sort of dragged into the new millennium kicking and screaming but have since compromised to accepting and re-educating myself on the basics of the computer evolution and how I can use it without it taking over my whole being. I thought I would share a few senior citizen texting codes with y’all. ATD …At The Doctors; GGPBL …Got to Go Pacemaker Battery Low; BFF …Best Friend Fell; OMSG …Oh my! Sorry, Gas; TTYL …Talk To You Louder; GHA …Got Heartburn Again; BTW …Bring The Wheelchair; ROFLACGU …Rolling On The Floor Laughing And Can’t Get Up; FWIW …Forgot Where I Was.
      [Colossians 1:215-24] Many years ago I heard a hook phrase, acronym: BIBLE …Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, which I guess fits, but first of all people need to know that Bible means book or a collection of writings. The Holy Bible is a collection of God inspired writings used to teach of God and the Way of our reconciliation to God. Our sins, which have separated us from God, must be removed, for God cannot be in the presence of sin, so that we can have a personal relationship with God. The Bible, God’s Word, instructs us in the way that will bring us into a sinless fellowship relationship with God, and what we must do to continue living as God wills us to live. We are made in the image of God, spirit. One day my spirit will return to God and judged as to what I did in the body. I can stand righteous before God.

The Writing Is On The Wall

      It has yet to be determined what happened to “Big Tex”, the iconic greeter of guests to the Texas State Fair. Personally, I think someone applied too much sunscreen to his face and it caught fire. Things like this happen when we don’t read the product use directions closely. Every time we think we’re having fun somebody does something stupid, then someone gets hurts and the party’s over. A simple fun product like “silly string” is very dangerous after reading the warnings on the can. “Highly flammable” and “Could cause irritations to skin and eyes” and “Should not be used in enclosed areas”, that means inside the house, should convince you to put it back on the shelf before taking it home for your child’s birthday party. I think the whole idea is, burning candles and the lack of fresh air don’t mix with evaporating petroleum products no matter how much fun you’re having. Sunscreen is supposed to keep you from burning!

      I have a hard time ignoring the history of the world and watching the blissful citizens of this country repeating the same devastating blunders that have brought other nations to ruin. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” We have heard it over and over again, but we don’t believe it. Douglas McArthur said, “History fails to report a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has either been a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to the ultimate national disaster.” Sin is a nation’s shame. Lying, business dishonesty, pleasure-seeking, murder, rape, fraud, drunkenness, abortion, drug addiction, robbery, lust, selfishness, greed, homosexuality, pornography, gambling and such fill our newspapers and airwaves. Things like this can’t be ignored hoping they’ll go away. Peter Marshall once said, “By our tolerance of some wrongs, we have come close to being intolerant of the right.” I’m afraid we’ve surpassed that prediction as there are those who are pressing hard to muzzle the moral teachings of the Bible and those who herald it to the remnant of the faithful. In his “Farewell Address” George Washington stated, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensible support. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor and subvert these great pillars of human happiness – these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.” He went on to say, “…both reason and experience forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” He doesn’t sound like a supporter of “separation of church and state” to me.
      [Daniel 5] King Belshazzar was giving a big party in the palace for a thousand of his nobles and drinking wine with them. He ordered that the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, be brought in so they could drink from them. While the plunder of the temple was being desecrated, God’s judgment and wrath fell upon Belshazzar. A hand appeared and wrote God’s judgment on the wall for all to see. In the story no one could interpret the writing except one, Daniel, whom everyone said was a man with “the spirit of the gods”. Daniel reminded the king how his father fell from the throne and said, “…you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.” Then Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall. Our days are numbered without God’s grace.

Overlooking The Obvious

      I was having a conversation with a man the other day, whose father had recently passed away, about how different the world is today compared to when we were kids. He was having a problem with where to start cleaning up and reluctantly disposing of a man’s life left behind. Being of the same age, growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, we remembered how our dad’s never disposed of anything. Even if something was worthless, it was cleaned up and shelved, because it had the potential to supply replacement parts, or bits and pieces to repair something else. All that stuff kept and protected for so long has become totally worthless in today’s mechanical world. If one were to break down any sort of gadget today, he might get it fixed and operating again, but getting it back together and useable is a whole other problem. It’s cheaper and less frustrating to simply throw it in the trash and buy a new one. The replacement will, more likely as not, be cheaper and have more features to do more things, faster and more accurately, anyway. It’s a throw-away world and I still see the potential in everything I hesitate to throw in the trash. Some day I’m going to need that.

      Just when we think things couldn’t get any worse, we’re being informed that a cyber attack on the US, and the world, could make any mechanical war of the past look like a sandbox squabble. The computer age and our dependency on the computer to regulate and operate vital life sustaining systems, has opened the door to malicious destructive programming directed to render operating computers useless, or to run out of control into a mode of self-destruction. Once again I think man has overlooked the obvious in his quest to dominate the world with his power of thinking, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) once asked, “Did you let your schooling get in the way of learning?” I remember as a child hearing the warning of letting machines run machines, it would be a great downfall some day. I think things are going to get real interesting, real soon.
      The Lone Ranger and Tonto were camping for the night in the desert. After they got their tent set up, both men settled down and fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, “Kemo Sabe; look toward sky; what you see?” The Lone Ranger replies, “I see millions of stars.” “What that tell you?” asked Tonto. The Lone Ranger ponders for a moment, and then says, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorogically, it appears we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you Tonto?” …“Someone steal tent.”
      [Psalm 33] Man’s thirst for knowledge and understanding has him seeking in places that only open doors to greater wonders. Bigger telescopes are being used in an attempt to find the edges of the universe and space probes are being distributed to discover life beyond earth. God has instilled in the hearts of men the want to, to investigate and discover and learn, but man misuses it. Instead of wanting to know the greatness of God, man is trying to discover the limitations of God. In His wonderful sense of humor, God is willing to entertain those who will not accept that this was all made for man alone. We seem to always overlook the obvious. The glory of God is everywhere.

I Pray I Never Forget

      Wow, it’s already October! Where has the year gone? The weather is changing and the evening sun is retiring earlier, leaving us in the dark sooner than we want. Snow is flying in the northern states reminding us that winter, such as it is in South Texas, will be upon us before we know it. This is the time of year when we misplace our sweaters and light jackets everywhere. We search for something warm to wear in the early morning only to remember we forgot it at work or it’s in the car, outside in the cold. So, we go to the closet, or open a dresser drawer and select another wrap to insolate our body from the uncomfortable cold, which we’ll probably forget when we go home in a lingering warm pseudo summer afternoon. I’ve never used up a jacket in Texas.


      I’ve been told, ‘Old age ain’t for sissy’s’ and ‘The first thing to go is the memory’. I do know one thing; in today’s world one can get multi-tasking and totally lose his way, I do it all the time. A poem, “Forgetter Be Forgotten” by James Casey says it best. “My forgetter's getting better; But my rememberer is broke. To you that may seem funny; But, to me, that is no joke. For when I'm 'here' I'm wondering if I really should be 'there'; And, when I try to think it through, I haven't got a prayer! Oft times I walk into a room; Say 'what am I here for’? I wrack my brain, but all in vain! A zero is my score. At times I put something away; Where it is safe, but, Gee! The person it is safest from; Is, generally, me! When shopping I may see someone; Say 'Hi' and have a chat; Then, when the person walks away I ask myself, 'who was that’? Yes, my forgetter's getting better; While my rememberer is broke, And it's driving me plumb crazy; And that's really not a joke.” This writer knows me well and we’ve never met.

      [Romans 1: 16] “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” “I am a part of the ‘Fellowship of the Unashamed’. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.” (Authorship unsure) I pray I never forget the one whom I belong. I pray I never forget the one who saved me from the fall.

Stop The Presses

      “Stop the presses!” I’ll bet that phrase used to trigger an adrenalin rush in type setters, back in the days when newspaper type was hand set. It is a phrase, used in the news media industry as an exclamation indicating the arrival of extremely significant news or an extremely grave error. The term signified the discovery of the need to change the content of an issue just before, or during its printing. Since this meant that the printing press literally had to be stopped, or delayed, much of the existing copies of a publication, which had already been printed, would have to be discarded at great cost. Today print type is no longer set by hand, but stopping the presses is still a costly adrenalin rush; revising computer layouts, burning new ink plates and resetting the presses. Mostly, today, the phrase is used in a sarcastic way when a discovery prompts the need to immediately stop work on a project in any given industry. I had my week planned which included preparing a lesson to preach from the pulpit on Sunday morning in the absence of our resident preacher. Tuesday afternoon I was finishing a repair project in the church building when I was notified a member of the congregation had passed away, a friend and mentor of mine. “Stop the presses!” No one else was available to preach his funeral and I felt honored to be able to do it, so volunteered. I was told I did well, but believe me, preachers and ministers don’t receive enough praise for the work they do. The demand on their time, at times, is very stressful and I for one am happy I don’t have to do it every week. I’m not as young as I used to be.

      A preacher spoke a little longer than usual one Sunday morning. A little old lady approached him after worship and asked “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a wonderful speaker?” (He immediately thought to himself, “Now isn’t that great. It’s always encouraging when the members recognize my abilities.”) He told her, “No, as a matter of fact no one has ever told me that I’m a wonderful speaker.” She quickly responded with, “Well then, whatever gave you the idea that you are?”
      The preacher was opening his mail one morning. Taking a single sheet of paper from an envelop he found only one word written on it, ‘FOOL’. The following Sunday he announced to the assembled congregation, “I have known many people who have written letters to me and forgotten to sing their names. But this week, I received a letter from someone who signed their name and had forgotten to write the letter.”
      [Isaiah 6: 8] Isaiah has learned of the judgment the Lord is going to bring upon Israel and in a vision, which he finds himself in the presence of the Lord, and like the lost son (Luke 15:17-20), Isaiah comes to his senses and confesses to the Lord he is one of the people God is distressed with. Because of his confession God takes away his guilt and gives atonement for his sins. The Lord needs someone to go to His people preparing them for His coming wrath. “…Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah has a decision to make about his new relationship with God. God has forgiven him of his sins, separating him from those he once associated with. He said, “Here am I. Send me!” When life screams out, “Stop the presses!” the dedicated minister will always answer the call. We all need to confess our sins to the Lord, come into His presence and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. When we do this, we establish a new relationship with God, and when the need arises, we’ll ever say, “Here am I. Send me!”