Today we take a break from the homestretch of the "Ends of all things" series and reflect on the Ascension of Christ. During Holy Week just past, David Jeremiah reflected there as well, challenging people to remember if they had ever heard a sermon preached on the Ascension. Growing up Catholic, I had to raise my hand and admit I'd heard a few. And I'm going to stitch some verses together, so I can share with you 6 lessons from the event.
1- Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Mat 28:19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you...
Now, Jesus was THE BOSS. And He had a job for them- and us- to teach and reach the world. Obedience and service were to be their- and our- new watchwords.
2- Act 1:8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Note the exponential growth of their- and our- reach, beyond the comfort zone and into the vast unknowns. Here, they needed two more watchwords- faith and trust.
3-Mat 28:19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you...
In essence, they have now become Jesus's sales force, doing appointments and cold calls everywhere, the product being His example and His teachings, the value added being salvation.
4- Mat 28:20 ...And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus had already taught them about the end of the age- wars and rumors of war, pestilence, family against family- and the great falling away. This is a promise for us right now- no matter how messed up things get before He brings us home, He's with us!
5- Luk 24:50 And He led them out as far as Bethany. And lifting up His hands, He blessed them. Luk 24:51 And it happened as He blessed them, He withdrew from them and was carried up into Heaven.
It was no longer Jesus's job to do. Like any good manager, He withdrew to let His fully-trained staff do the job.
6- Act 1:10 And while they were looking intently into the heaven, He having gone, even behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, Act 1:11 who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, will come in the way you have seen Him going into Heaven.
So don't just stand there, get to work! He'll be watching how you do!
As you know, I avoid the longer work of the April A to Z blogging challenge by doing a two part Mash-Up post, with mini A to Z stories half on one post, half on another. This year, I totally blanked on a topic, when I came upon the idea of doing events that happened in April. As I made the decision and brought up my blog, I suddenly realized that I had an idea that was ignoring the A toZ nature of the event- and would have to do some fine-tuning on the fly. So, here we go...
A on April 1st- the sinking of the RMS Atlantic
Why not start with the White Star Line record holder for disaster until the Titanic. This was in 1873. This luxury liner of the time, powered mainly by steam, was heading for NYC when a headwind made for a rough ride. As the ship's engineer had been under-reporting their coal level (to give them a 'safety stock') and never bothered to tell the Captain, the Cappy thought they would run out before reaching the Big Apple. Thusly, and because the winds prevented them from raising the backup sails, he decided to divert to Halifax. Problems: No one in the crew had made the trip to Halifax before, and no one bothered to take proper precautions; they ended up 12 miles off course in fog, the Captain was left to sleep without being notified, and they hit an underwater rock. She partially capsized, the lifeboats were smashed against the hull by waves, and 535 people died.
B on April 2- the Bread Riot
In 1863, Mary Jackson led a group of 300 women armed with anything they could lay their hands on- and after informing the aide to the Virginia governor that confronted them, "We want bread, and bread we will have or die," they raided toe city of Richmond's shops, stealing "tens of thousands of dollars" (not sure if this is US or Confederate money) of supplies- including, from one shop owner, 500 pounds of bacon.
C on April 3- Cooper
Motorola's Martin Cooper makes the first mobile phone call.
D on April 4- Here's one they've missed so far...
The song Dixie is debuted in 1859 by a blackface group called Bryant's Minstrels. Imagine the uproar this one'll cause...
E on April 5- Only appropriate considering the date
Since I'm typing this up late on Easter Sunday, it's only fair to post that Easter Island was discovered by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. Of course, he was shooting for what we would one day call Antarctica, so...
F on April 7 (skipping a day because I can)- Fernando's boo-boo
Fernando Magellan in the 1521 leg of his trip around the world, was led to the island of Cebu, in what is now the Philippines, by it's leader, whom he had baptized and named Don Carlos after his current king back home. 20 days later, this leader would ask him to fight for him against a neighboring chief, and it would not end well for Ferdy.
G on April 8- Another small step
In 1964, the Gemini I- and the first Titan II launching system- surpassed expectations, taking the USA's first 2-man craft for a 4 lap ride. No humans inside, just dummies. No really, plastic people, not Wal-Mart shoppers.
H on April 9- Hooray for Henry
Henry V is crowned King of England in 1413. Nine years later, a double case of dysentery and heatstroke combined to kill him. Had he lasted another 52 days, he may well have been crowned King of France as well.
I on April 11- Didn't expect this struggle
Had a hard time finding a good fit here; the 1979 deposition and exile of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was as good as I found.
J on April 12- Even a blind man can do it
Way back in 1012, what must have seemed the final battle for the throne in Bohemia came when Oldrich blinded Jaromir, who fled to Poland. But 21 years later, Jaromir comes back and kicks Oldrich out again. But Oldrich's son booted him the next year; all indications are that Jaromir never saw it coming.
K on April 13- Perhaps a bit premature
Lajos Kossuth in 1849 read off the declaration of Hungarian independence from the Austrian Empire during the revolution of 1849, after a string of victories against the Austrians and their Russian allies. However, that "independence" lasted exactly 4 months, as his successor surrendered to the Russians on August 13th.
L on April 15- the circle closes...
In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln calls for 70,000 volunteers to face the rebellion of the slave states; the same day in 1865, he dies from the shot fired by John Wilkes Booth.
Happy Resurrection Sunday! Here's this week's posts:
The Better Part, Day #87:
I just happened to notice that almost everything that I have underlined in my Bible (from 5-6 years or more ago) involved verses I could apply to others; a quiver of arrows. Kind of shocked me how little I knew how to use God's Word, and how perfect I must have thought I was....
The Better Part, Day #88:
Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Pro 30:6 Do not add to His Words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar.
Yesterday, a friend posted that someone "famous and should have known better" said that "Jesus would have backed vaccinations".
My reply: "I don't see why He wouldn't. Don't see why He would, either." My thoughts went to Luke 13:
Luk 13:1 And some were present at the same time reporting to Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And answering, Jesus said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all men who lived in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
The topical news was NEVER his concern- only the souls of men. My guess is, if you asked Him about vaccinations, He MIGHT say something along the lines of, You may die sooner, you may die later, but unless you repent, you will likewise perish- meaning the SECOND death.
The Better Part, day #89:
Yesterday, I told myself it would be okay if I didn't post because, well, I just hadn't felt drawn to anything. Big mistake, translate to, "Didn't feel like putting in the effort." On a day where I already took myself to task for not being appreciative when the usual daily trials eased a bit, that was incredibly stupid.
The Better Part Day#90:
Today, I was reading a David Jeremiah article, among whose bullet points was, "Stay Consistent", mentioning that we need to show the same walk to others, no matter the stress level. I literally had JUST said, "Boy, I suck at that!" and 2 minutes later, I got job-switched and went on a tirade. But Satan didn't get the clear win- when I apologized, I showed my boss the section I had just read, and told her, "I hate pop quizzes." Witness opportunity 1, devil 0!
The Better Part, Day # 91:
Deut. 21:23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
If you go by timeline, here were Satan's plans to defeat Jesus directly: Plan A was to murder Him as a child- for though as God He is immortal, as man He was mortal, one place, one time. When that failed, Plan B was direct temptation, probably not starting and certainly not ending with the incident in the desert. Plan C was the most diabolical and most well planned- he would get man to hang Him from a tree- thus making Him cursed to God. Along the way, he would have man refine "the tree" into the most exquisite torture device imaginable, thus getting the most revenge he could on God.
But guess what? It was all part of God's plan, and what Satan may have thought was his sweet victory was indeed his lasting defeat.
The Better Part, Day #92:
As the sun rose on the empty tomb, there were a variety of reactions about it from those involved in the stories told in the Gospels and by Paul. The Pharisees told themselves what they knew to be lies, to maintain their lifestyle and power base; Mary Magdalene couldn't grasp and so acted as if she didn't hear what was told her. Peter likely cursed himself for not responding to what he had known for a long time; James, the Lord's brother, likely reacted in profound amazement. And Thomas, he said, "Prove it!"
Perhaps this is why I identify with Peter; I always had the bones, took a while to put flesh on them, longer still to make it breathe. Where are you before the empty tomb?
As today was a lot of Asian commie crap on April 2, 1966, let's do this instead. Yesterday was April Fools Day, and so I looked through the list of songs that were #1 ON April Fools Day, as released by Cashbox and Billboard. Now, there were 8 times at least one of them had a chart on release date April 1st from 1945-96 (the "Cashbox Era"). One of those times was messed up because CB didn't start putting their charts out on Saturday until, after a 12-day absence, they switched to Saturday on November 8, 1947. As a result, they had an April Fooler in 1946 (Oh, What Seemed To Be by Frankie Carle and orch.), while BB had theirs in 1944 (Jimmy Dorsey's Besame Mucho). The other seven times, they even matched the song every time- EXCEPT for one year BB switched to Mondays for about 6 years, which meant they missed an April Fools that CB didn't. So, here's your opening contest: Which one of these songs got lost in Billboard's Monday shuffle, and did not make a BB April 1st chart?
1950- Music! Music! Music! by Teresa Brewer;
1961- Blue Moon, Marcels;
1967- Happy Together, Turtles;
1972- A Horse With No Name, America;
1978- Night Fever, Bee Gees;
1989- Eternal Flame, Bangles;
or 1995- Take A Bow, Madonna!
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Hi, fellas! Ready to try this again?
John: Whatever gets our names on the marquee, wot?
That's the attitude! So this week, we had 20 contestants from 89 stations, and...
Ringo: Hey, wait! Where's Parsley?
Well, as usual, he took a week off with you all coming in, and...
Paul: That's rather a poor showing! And after we did his Christmas thing!
John: What to expect from a bloke who thinks Bologna Casserole is haute cuisine...
George: For God's sake, DON'T Mention that stuff! My stomach still growls...
Perhaps we could get on with it, despite MR Petty Pants and his ill-timed vacations. Anyway, after we take out the three that never charted, the one that hit here last year, and the two that haven't debuted yet, it left us with what started out to be a real close 9-way battle... and ended up a tight five way battle for second, and a runaway winner! Gentlemen, who's first?
Paul: Well, I don't see as Richard should go at all, considering he snuck in here last week...
Ringo: An' whose fault was that that I didn't receive notice of the change in plans?
John: We taped a note to your bloody bedroom door!
Ringo: Which fell off, and me mom popped it in the rubbish! You couldn't have got me on the phone...
George: Oh, your line is connected this week?
Guys! I think what I will do is have our attorney dope this out! Horace...
HB: Good heavens, you lot! This is how you behave in public?
Ringo: Generally it's how we behave here...
While they get this on track, I believe we'll watch one of this week's two M10 debuts! At #10 this week, here's brand spanking new Maddie and Tae...
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Okay, have we got it hashed out?
HB: I believe it will go swimmingly from here. Oldest first, please...
Ringo: That would be me. BUT, they have convinced me to step aside so the lads can evenly divide the finalists between them, in return for doing the Overseas, If You Please.
Okay, but that usually goes after the Finalists and the next video...
Ringo: Which I have also magnanimously agreed to, in lieu of not having to divide last week's paycheck four ways, as the contract may have required...
May have?
HB: It could be fought on circumstances, but the gentlemen know how fair I am...
John: Which is why we let him come to you when you gave him that job offer...
Fine. Finalists, please?
John: As second oldest, I will start the rotation. Choose from...
These Boots Are Made For Walkin', Nancy Sinatra, #7 on CB this week...
Paul: It is my honor to introduce OUR tune, Nowhere Man, at #3 this week.
George: I have the Lovin' Spoonful with Daydream, at #5...
John: Me again, with the Righteous Brothers with Soul And Inspiration at #8...
Paul: It is again my honor to introduce NOT our tune, but Cher with Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) at #15...
George: And lastly, the Mamas and Papas with California Dreamin' at #4.
Thanks, guys, thanks, Horace! And your dubious assist this week: Where the full Panel placed on 1966's year end chart:
79- Slim Harpo, Baby You Can Scratch My Back
69- Yardbirds, Shapes of Things
60- finalist, Nowhere Man
50- BJ Thomas, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
46- finalist, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
37- Rolling Stones, 19th Nervous Breakdown
27- finalist, Daydream
26- finalist, These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
17- finalist, Soul And Inspiration
10- Rascals, Good Lovin'
1(tie)- finalist, California Dreamin'
1 (tie)- SSgt Barry Sadler, Ballad Of The Green Berets
And now, here's the debut at #9. I have heard the news items about this guy recently- you can find them on your own if you like. I have seen his apology, I believe it to be sincere. I am not a cancel culturist, and this is all I will say on that subject. Coming in at #9, brand new stuff from Har Mar Superstar:
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You may not know the face, but you probably know the voice- game show announcer, Charlie O'Donnell, the main voice until his death on Wheel Of Fortune (1975-80, 1989-2010). And why is he on the 6D? Because his was the voice on a song-collage of 1966 news events read as a nightly news broadcast, with the Christmas hymn Silent Night woven through them as a counterpoint, not surprisingly called, Seven O'Clock News/Silent Night. This was on the lp Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme lp, which you might guess correctly was the Simon and Garfunkel disc that featured the song Scarborough Fair. It also held the 6D victim this week, sitting at #6 without a Panel vote- Homeward Bound.
Ringo: Oh, yes, it looks so different when you spell it! Anyway, both South Africa and Australia were playing These Boots Are Made For Walking; New Zealand had Herman's Hermits, with A Must To Avoid; those wonderful and tasteful Canadians were playing Nowhere Man; and back home, we were grooving to the Walker Brothers and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More.
Also, our agreement allows me to tell you that this week's biggest mover was Paul Revere and the Raiders with Kicks, up 45 from 86 to 41.
Thank you, R-I-N-G-O!
Ringo: Excuse me? Oh, oh right, yes, very droll. Ha ha!
So which year was it that Billboard did their "let's try Mondays" experiment? Well, it was between April 29th of 1957 and January 6th of 1962, so if you took Blue Moon by the Marcels, you're a winner!
And now, the rest of the M10:
8- Weezer spends its 8th week on at #8, down a pair, with Grapes of Wrath. Anyone else catch that line I love, "Hanging with your Yossarian/He's kind of just like me/We fight 'til we get free" ?
7- Elton John up 3 with Big Man In A Little Suit.
6- Dami Im up one with Lonely Cactus.
5- Pale Waves on the way back down, 3 to 5 with You Don't Own Me.
4- The Fratellis up one with Action Replay.
3- In its ninth week, Home Free and Don McLean's American Pie slips one more back- and takes over 2nd all time. Holding this spot would tie it for first next week.
2- Only one week at the top for The Explorer's Club and Don't Waste Her Time, sliding back one.
Which means the new #1-
,,,Matthew Sweet and Blown Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the Panelists...
California Dreamin' got you 5.6%...
These Boots gets 6.7%...
Daydream and Bang Bang get you 7.8%...
Nowhere Man got you 8.9%....
So yer winner, with 30.33%....
...The Righteous Bros with Soul And Inspiration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Join me and the Brothers, Lord willing, next time for 1967!
About a year ago, a song introduced slow-learning me to the concept of an "Irish goodbye", and it is an Irish goodbye of sorts that Paul does here at the end of this letter. He always ends a letter with a doxology, and I saw at least four full or partial ones in the last two chapters of this book. Each one had to do with a topical concern, that can easily apply to us, and the doxology that followed addressed what Christ would do to get them- and us- past the concern.
First doxology: Concern- worry
2Th 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, who has loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2Th 2:17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
The concern here, the main concern of the letter entire, was that some had come after Paul and tried to convince this church that Jesus had already come again- and somehow, they missed it. In the second of 3 chapters, Paul step-by-steps why this wasn't the case. It was a needless worry- as all worries are- and Paul reminded them that God was there to bring His comfort, and establish them in their stand against Satan and His lies. God has already given us the consolation we need, in that He sent Christ to ensure our eternal future, if we believe.
Second doxology: Concern- protection
2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and guard you from the evil.
This was in response to Paul's own request that they pray for him and his entourage (Silvanus and Timothy) to be protected against evil men and that they be left free to continue spreading the Word. By their prayers for the Apostle, they would likewise be girding themselves, that they might stand against evil and be protected from it.
Third doxology: Concern- obedience
2Th 3:5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.
This came from the preceding verse where Paul expresses his confidence that they are doing- and will keep doing, what they have been taught. This, in a way, is the same prayer he has been praying the whole time- that they take comfort in God's love for them, and be patient in waiting for the Lord, thus diffusing the rumors that started their problems in the first place.
Final doxology: Concern- church divisions
2Th 3:16 And may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
The final problem that Paul addressed was that, as a result of the false teachers, several of the otherwise faithful "deduced" that since Jesus had already returned, they had no further need of earthly concerns- especially working for a living! Paul had to make sure they were firm with these people- since man has a vested self-interest in being lazy and idle- but to mind that they were still brothers, if mistaken. If they would do what was necessary to keep this heresy from spreading, the church would be at peace. If they let it go on, not so much.
Summing up, Paul, through their concerns, addressed the main concerns of all Christians. In worry, remember that God's got it handled. In fighting evil, he gives us an example of praying for others first, that God would take care of you as well. In obedience, he asks us to remember God's love- so great He sent His Son- and Christ's patience with us. And in divisions, to work firmly and lovingly for peace.
This week's FB posts- and thanks for all the comments on these!
The Better Part, Day #81:
1Co 3:21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,
1Co 3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours,
1Co 3:23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Today I heard Charles Stanley in tears, describing how, even though he'd read this verse so many times, he had had to get on his knees and ask Jesus to show him what it truly meant. What great truth brings such a veteran man of God to tears? That is between him and Jesus; for me, it was the thought that a man so long in the ministry STILL finds the treasures in God's Word so precious. What it meant might help me to knowledge, but those tears brought me to praise.
The Better part, Day #82:
Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
In the midst of my afternoon prayer for refreshing, how is this for a refreshing thought? You're in heaven, and a friend says, "Hey, remember when?" And you look at them and smile, and answer, "No... I really don't!"
The Better Part, day #83:
Mat 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
There are days, and places, where you hear this and you think, "Wait a minute, does this mean everything gets easy when you become a Christian?" And no, else He wouldn't have also said, "In this world, you will have tribulations..." This is a promise for heaven; BUT... once saved, we are in the heavenlies, as Paul said. Which means, avoiding temporal mechanics, we are already seated with Jesus, and we are experiencing the lightened yoke. And, if we have that knowledge in hand, we have a bit of that lightness already, even in the heaviness of what we term "here and now".
The Better part, day #84:
Confession time: Last night, I took care of too many other things first and didn't get around to a post.l It had been a long day, and what I thought I'd post about was buried in my mind, and being to lazy to put it to thought, I told myself, "Even the Pastors we listen to have reruns once in a while."
Their excuse: They are cutting them from Sunday sermons in front of their congregations. I just have to find something to treasure in God's Word every day. In other words, I was full of it. I WILL be doing better. Some nights I will have a good reason- last night was not it. Remind me tomorrow, I need to tell the Chicken Wire story.
The Better Part, Day#85:
So yesterday Charles Stanley was talking about how sin attacks best when you're in HALT- hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. In the course of talking defense against this, he said something that hit me 'twixt the eyes:
"...and if you aren't daily seeking God's Word, you're not building a wall, you're making chicken wire."
And that so applies to me. I (not I, but God) have built a solid chicken coop, with battlements and walls thick enough to fend off all but direct strikes from a nuke (exaggerating for contrast), but there is one door, which one fox knows how to get in, that's made of chicken wire. And my own best efforts at security have only put a hook-and-loop lock on it. Lord, I need you to put a proper door there. Certain parts of me are unwilling to do it, because it reminds me of the 'old days' and the fox is a cute little fellow whose robbing me blind. I cannot count on me.
The Better Part, Day #86:
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are also called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.
When I struggle, when I want to fall, let this remind me. I have a claim through Christ of eternal life, I have a calling, and my witness ripples out to others.
A lone man looking for means of expression in a tsunami of information. Seeking truth justice and the American way in the perspective of a Nixon conservative. And the Commissioner of the free world's smallest and best fantasy football league.
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