This blog came to me as I was previewing a book I offered to my oldest son to use for an assignment in his AWANA book. The assignment was to read a book about a missionary and write a short summary about them. The book I offered to him was given to me while I served as a summer missionary in Pennsylvania. It is entitled Borden of Yale by Mrs. Howard Taylor (Bethany House Publishers, 1988). The book is about a young, wealthy man, William Borden, who in the late 1800's had forsaken his life of big business to become a missionary to the unreached people of Kansu, China. He trained at two prominent theological seminaries, Yale and Princeton, and performed vital ministry at a respected organization with the initials Y.M.C.A. He sadly died at the age of 25 in Egypt.
Needless to say, this child who read all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia series complained that the book was too long (207 pages) and didn't want to use it. He chose another shorter text while I gleaned a few passages from the discarded book. I saw two familiar names at the start of the seventeenth chapter and the author's commentary concerning the release of the last will and testament of both men.
The passage reads:
Two remarkable wills were probated within a few days of each other in the spring that followed Borden's sailing for Egypt, one his own, made in the fall of 1912, and the other that of J. Pierpont Morgan, who died possessed of almost a hundred million dollars. Though a devout believer, who prefaced his will with the statement, "I commit my soul into the hands of my Savior, in full confidence that having redeemed it and washed it in His most precious blood, He will present it faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father." Mr. Morgan at the age of seventy-five left little more than half as much to the work of God as William Borden left at twenty-five.
The last sentence of the passage impressed me, but didn't surprise me. I saw that despite the shared beliefs of the two prominent gentlemen that the end goal of each was profoundly different concerning their investments. Borden looked to the needs of the less fortunate in China and reaped an outstanding testimony of service that inspired many to share the Gospel of Christ to the world. The other, J.P. Morgan, left a wealth that now our present government is foolishly trying to save due to unwise investments. What we invest is important, but what we invest IN gives the tell-tale sign of what we foresee the future should look like.
I want to conclude this blog with a quote from the first paragraph of chapter seventeen:
Who is there tonight who can always see the shadow of the Cross falling upon his banking account? Who is there who has the mark of the nails and the print of the spear in his plans and life, his love and devotion and daily program of intercession? Who is there who has heard the word of Jesus and is quietly, obediently, every day, as He has told you and me, taking up his cross to follow Him? -- Rev. Samuel M. Zwemer, D.D.
(Please read Luke 18:18-30)
-- Brian
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Busy
Have you ever had one of those days where it just seems like everything is happening at once? That was my day today. I had two kids with doctor appointments, and then my oldest for some reason, thought he should mess with the speciman cups in the bathroom of the pediatrician's office while in the bathroom. Then I get home to have kids trash their rooms, refuse to take naps, and all while I am trying to get laundry done and work at the same time. I have been working on putting things together as the national rescue is going to be getting over 100 dogs after November 29th, and I have to put a list together of all Kentucky homes that can help. I haven't even gotten to other things like cleaning off the desk, coming up with what we are going to have for dinner, posting pictures and videos that are sitting on the camera, etc. Oh what a day. :) -- Jennifer
Friday, November 14, 2008
Three Truths and One Not So True
When we tend to introduce ourselves, we really have to share a considerable amount of information, in a very short amount of time, and the person listening to us has to accept whatever we say is true. I was challenged once by a group of my fellow teachers at a new school that I was teaching at to share two things that are true about myself and one that is not so true. Now, if you know me, it will be easy to pick the right one out. If not, I want you to take a good guess.
1. I met my wife while serving in the Army.
2. I am a father of six children.
3. I potty-trained myself.
Before anyone who knows me spoils it for the ones who don't, I will give you a hint. I can honestly say that number 2 and 3 are true. Number 1 is not because I met my wife before entering the military.
When we get to know someone there are a few facts that may surprise us. Two Sunday's ago, I shared a lesson with a group of 3rd through 5th graders concerning Moses. Now anyone who thinks that they are very familiar with Moses would be able to ramble off several facts about his life. These facts would be that his mother and father were Hebrew slaves, he was put in a basket in the Nile River, and he was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter. Each of these are true, but they really don't tell the full story.
Yes, Moses was born to two Hebrew slaves, but what we fail to share is that he was the youngest son with two older siblings -- a brother and sister, so when the babies were sent to their deaths in the Nile River, he was born under a new Pharoah. What is interesting is that if you research this Pharoah, he came from a group who originated from the land of Canaan and like what normally happens in those times, they invaded a weak Egypt and took power and control. What is interesting, is that this group knew about the Hebrew people and had a long standing hatred for them. So when they went into power, and they saw that these Hebrew people were vast in number, they knew that they had to do some population control or else they would be thrown from power by their worst enemy.
This brings me to Moses and that water-tight basket. Think about it. Pharoah's law was that all male babies were to be thrown into the Nile River. How creative Moses' mother was to take some liberty with the law and create a little boat for her little baby boy to ride in. Pharoah never declared a law stating that these baby boys were not allowed some level of guardianship let alone a personal yacht.
This brings me to the last point. How convenient that big sister was appointed the guardian and she conveniently had all the right information to share with Pharoah's daughter. You have to be kidding me if you think that the Pharoah's daughter would be so naive to think that this strange Hebrew girl from nowhere was just out enjoying a day at the river. She knew this little girl had to be the baby's sister, but Pharoah's daughter played along with the game and told her to go find a suitable Hebrew woman to nurse this cute little boy from the river. Big sister very likely with a wink said, "I know the right woman. Let me go get her." The most amazing deal in history was made when mom was getting paid to take care of her own child! Don't you wish that was available today?
I could go on and blow you out of the water with this myth that Moses hid the fact that he was Hebrew. I won't go into details as to why everyone in Egypt including the palace, knew that he was a Hebrew. If you really read the Scriptures, they point to the fact that the people in the palace knew that there was something different about Moses. Moses lived in that palace by the grace and protection of God. This child didn't have a charmed life. He had a God-guided life. God had a purpose for him, and though he didn't know the details, his parents didn't know the details, Pharoah didn't know the details, and Pharoah's daughter didn't even know the details, the fact is God knew the details and wrote it out so amazingly well.
When we go through life, we really have a hard time when things don't work out as we have planned. We want to construct a great future for ourselves, but wouldn't you know it, we always encounter a piece of the puzzle that doesn't seem to fit. This is where hindsight is always 20/20 (if you don't know what that means -- you see things better after everything is done). I believe that God created the past so that when we get to a point where we don't understand and reflect, He can pull out those little details that He used before to make you into the person that He is wanting you to be. When Moses wrote about his life in the book of Exodus, I can only picture him chuckling at all those specific little details that God had used, that at the time seemed so mystical and odd, and in seeing those details taking comfort that as he is leading the people to the Promised Land, God has that way mapped out.
I don't know where you are in your journey, but I know that mine seems rather "strange," but I look at a few of the subtle pieces and I can chuckle and say, "God just loves to use those little details to show me that He has my way prepared. I just need to follow Him."
For more information refer to Exodus Chapters 1 and 2
--Brian
1. I met my wife while serving in the Army.
2. I am a father of six children.
3. I potty-trained myself.
Before anyone who knows me spoils it for the ones who don't, I will give you a hint. I can honestly say that number 2 and 3 are true. Number 1 is not because I met my wife before entering the military.
When we get to know someone there are a few facts that may surprise us. Two Sunday's ago, I shared a lesson with a group of 3rd through 5th graders concerning Moses. Now anyone who thinks that they are very familiar with Moses would be able to ramble off several facts about his life. These facts would be that his mother and father were Hebrew slaves, he was put in a basket in the Nile River, and he was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter. Each of these are true, but they really don't tell the full story.
Yes, Moses was born to two Hebrew slaves, but what we fail to share is that he was the youngest son with two older siblings -- a brother and sister, so when the babies were sent to their deaths in the Nile River, he was born under a new Pharoah. What is interesting is that if you research this Pharoah, he came from a group who originated from the land of Canaan and like what normally happens in those times, they invaded a weak Egypt and took power and control. What is interesting, is that this group knew about the Hebrew people and had a long standing hatred for them. So when they went into power, and they saw that these Hebrew people were vast in number, they knew that they had to do some population control or else they would be thrown from power by their worst enemy.
This brings me to Moses and that water-tight basket. Think about it. Pharoah's law was that all male babies were to be thrown into the Nile River. How creative Moses' mother was to take some liberty with the law and create a little boat for her little baby boy to ride in. Pharoah never declared a law stating that these baby boys were not allowed some level of guardianship let alone a personal yacht.
This brings me to the last point. How convenient that big sister was appointed the guardian and she conveniently had all the right information to share with Pharoah's daughter. You have to be kidding me if you think that the Pharoah's daughter would be so naive to think that this strange Hebrew girl from nowhere was just out enjoying a day at the river. She knew this little girl had to be the baby's sister, but Pharoah's daughter played along with the game and told her to go find a suitable Hebrew woman to nurse this cute little boy from the river. Big sister very likely with a wink said, "I know the right woman. Let me go get her." The most amazing deal in history was made when mom was getting paid to take care of her own child! Don't you wish that was available today?
I could go on and blow you out of the water with this myth that Moses hid the fact that he was Hebrew. I won't go into details as to why everyone in Egypt including the palace, knew that he was a Hebrew. If you really read the Scriptures, they point to the fact that the people in the palace knew that there was something different about Moses. Moses lived in that palace by the grace and protection of God. This child didn't have a charmed life. He had a God-guided life. God had a purpose for him, and though he didn't know the details, his parents didn't know the details, Pharoah didn't know the details, and Pharoah's daughter didn't even know the details, the fact is God knew the details and wrote it out so amazingly well.
When we go through life, we really have a hard time when things don't work out as we have planned. We want to construct a great future for ourselves, but wouldn't you know it, we always encounter a piece of the puzzle that doesn't seem to fit. This is where hindsight is always 20/20 (if you don't know what that means -- you see things better after everything is done). I believe that God created the past so that when we get to a point where we don't understand and reflect, He can pull out those little details that He used before to make you into the person that He is wanting you to be. When Moses wrote about his life in the book of Exodus, I can only picture him chuckling at all those specific little details that God had used, that at the time seemed so mystical and odd, and in seeing those details taking comfort that as he is leading the people to the Promised Land, God has that way mapped out.
I don't know where you are in your journey, but I know that mine seems rather "strange," but I look at a few of the subtle pieces and I can chuckle and say, "God just loves to use those little details to show me that He has my way prepared. I just need to follow Him."
For more information refer to Exodus Chapters 1 and 2
--Brian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)