My Father's Honor Flight

When I was 17, a man named Bill married my mother. I had known him for years, because he was the father of one of my dearest friends. He saw my mother one day and asked me if I thought she would want to go on a date. I said, "NO." Three weeks later, they married.

When Bill was 17, he volunteered to join the U.S. Coast Guard. A short time later he was headed for the Pacific Islands to join the armada as part of the invasion of Okinawa. By God's grace he came home safely, leaving behind fallen comrades, returning to live in the free world he fought to protect. Bill raised three girls - now my sisters. He worked hard with his hands and built things, never forgetting the sacrifices of the other men who didn't return home.

Bill is a gentle man with big strong hands, and arms that encircle with re-assuring hugs. At church he serves as a greeter, where he has been renamed, Hugger Bill. His embraces are testimonies of the great love God has for us -- a love Bill also shares verbally, and freely with anyone who will listen.

In May, At 88 years old, Bill joined other WW2 Veterans on an Honor Flight to visit the memorial in Washington, D.C. He had this to say about one part of his visit:

" So much death surrounded us at Arlington Cemetery I could feel it. But I found life -- a high point for me in all of this -- at the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. To see a soldier parading and showing respect for the unknown fallen ones overwhelmed me. To me, this was life in the middle of all that death. I respected those soldiers who were a different breed of men, such authority, such discipline, so beautiful."

 "They fought together as brothers-in-arms. They died together and now they sleep side by side. To them we have a solemn obligation." ~Admiral Chester A. Nimitz

After returning home from the Honor Flight, Bill was invited to a celebration. The night before, he could not sleep. You see, he had received new orders from his Commander. Bill knew the next day would be a matter of life and death for some of his comrades. There were over 300 people in attendance. Bill maneuvered to the podium and requested an opportunity to speak. He was allotted THIRTY SECONDS. Bill boldly stepped up to the microphone:

" I need to tell you something very important.  You are all old guys and won't live here much longer.  But you will live either in heaven or in hell and I for one really don't want to see any of you go to hell - that's a terrible place to go. I read the book."  

He continued to map out the path to heaven through Jesus. My mother remarked that all were so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. These men, who defended our country when they were young, were there with canes and with walkers and in wheel chairs. They were from all parts of the service.  Many of them were over 90 years old. One man spent three years in a tank in Patton's army.

They all received their travel orders to the next place via Bill.

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Roman's 10:9

Hats off to you, Bill Cowper

I love you!

Once and For All

"It is finished."

*****Wondrous Love *****

 The babe born in the stable grew up and said:

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17

And how does a child receive love?

Easily
Playfully
Hopefully
Gleefully
Trustingly
Greedily
Immediately
Unreservedly

What Does A "Real" Follower of Christ Look Like?....... We look like RSB's

Last night Jim and I watched a TV program about Adolf Hitler and the devilish power he gained over a nation of people, causing them to attempt to destroy the Jews, the sick, the lame, the mentally unstable -- and anyone else who wouldn't fall in line with his plan for the world. People followed Hitler out of selfish desires, devotion to a cause, fear, coercion, etc. I went to bed shaking my head at the weakness of the human condition.  Instead of thinking," Those stupid people," I thought, "People are so stupid."

When Jesus came to minister on Earth, he spoke to people just like you and me. Some of them were looking for a rescue from their "humanness" and its disastrous results. Others were happily living their selfish lives with selfish motives. Some had tried righteousness and sacrifice; some had practiced following teachers, but all were subject to the same human condition of selfishness. They were all Unredeemed Selfish Brats.

Jesus' conversation with people of his day went like this, 'None of this stuff you are trying will work. The only thing that will work is what I am about to do for you. I am about to give my body, my blood -- my life so that you can be reunited with my Father. And unless you receive me and the truth of my death and promised (and fulfilled) resurrection, you will be  subject to the rules of the World, now and forever. Period!' (I am obviously using my words, here.)

Whether you believe it or not, Jesus' life, death and resurrection are documented, historical facts.  Just like Hitler's speeches,  his reign over Germany and his ultimate demise are historical facts.  But look at the difference!  One man was a selfish, megalomaniac imposing his ideas and ideals on people; while the other gave up his right to rule over us and instead paid with his life for every selfish act that anyone who ever lived has done or will do.  Did you know that is where the phrase 'once and for all' came from?

One man exacted a price and destroyed anything blocking his path; the other paid a price and saved anyone who would follow his way. 'Take up my cross and follow me.'

I realize this is offensive -- even ridiculous -- to people like you and like me. It is offensive to realize that we are selfish, rude beings and that we can't fix ourselves. But it is true and you and I know it. And the only difference between a redeemed selfish brat (RSB) and an un-redeemed one (USB) -- is death.

Yes, death. The redeemed selfish brat is dead, yet living free; the unredeemed selfish brat is living, but in a deadly prison.

Oh, you are still reading?

When Christ opened my heart to his redeeming love, I, that is my "self," died. Now, I have the option of climbing back into my selfishness, or LIVING a new life, following the example of LOVE that my redeemer set for me. Unlike the Un-redeemed Selfish Brat, USB, I have been  forgiven all my errors (made and yet unmade) and I've been given new tools to work in the new soil to produce a crop worthy of  Jesus' example of sacrifice. But, like all RSB's (Redeemed Selfish Brats) I fail constantly. That's why it is so hard to tell the two apart. (Just in case you've been wondering.)

When Adolf Hitler came to rule in Germany, he was speaking to people just like you and me. Some of them were looking for a rescue from their "humanness" and its disastrous results.  Others were happily living their selfish lives with selfish motives. Some had tried righteousness and sacrifice; some had practiced following teachers, but all were subject to the same human condition of selfishness. Does that sound familiar?  It should.

My point is that people are people.  In our natural state, we will follow whatever feeds our USBness. God leaves the choice to us, sort of.  He does not coerce, plead, bribe or bully people into being RSBs. This is how he does it, he uses people like me, people who know they are only RSB's, to tell others about his plan and his solution to their problems. This is the plan: admit that you are a selfish brat, stuck in a world with others just like you, Understand that God offered you a way out at his own expense. At this point you die,you are released, then you live again to tell about it. It is really that simple...not easy...simple.

Hitler is dead.  Jesus lives.  Rebecca Neville is dead, Becky lives to tell about it -- in Jesus. Done.

If you are a USB, and you know who you are, you have an invitation to accept your "release papers." I received my papers about 30 years ago. You might be interested to know that I never met the person who told me how to become a RSB.  Her name was Corrie Ten Boom. She was the only one from her Dutch Christian family to survive Hitler's reign. Corrie went to prison for hiding Jews in a secret room of her home, a Hiding Place.

After much suffering, and more than a few answers to prayer, she was given a "Certificate of Discharge," to get out of Ravensbruck, one of Hitler's death camps. It was the only way to get out of there alive. And God arranged it because he knew Corrie would spend the rest of her life, another thirty years, telling others about the Hiding Place that people have in Jesus and how to get out of the death camp they are in.

The kind of certificate that gets us out of here is the one that Jesus offers; it is the one that is stamped upon my heart -- RELEASED. Some day I will tell Corrie how much I appreciated her book. Whether you are a USB or a RSB, I encourage you to read  it: The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.

What does a "real" follower of Christ look like? "Entlassen," --  Released!