Memorial Year

 

I registered for the draft when I was in college, but I feel fortunate that I was never called to serve.  Most of my friends that are my age are in the same boat.  My dad served in the army, but did not face combat.  It's interesting to me that many of those that have served see it as one of the most important things they have ever done, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  I recognize that others had their lives ruined by the trauma, or worse, gave their lives.  On Memorial Day especially, I am overwhelmed by the sacrifice that all of them made for me and for every person who enjoys the freedom that their service bought.  I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and had some time to reflect on what others have done for us.  I want to reflect on this more all year long.  I found this short video which captures my sentiment. 

The Fair Way

I played some golf in my younger years, but I never played enough to be good enough to enjoy it.  But I do still enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon watching the final round of a professional golf tournament on TV.  If you are a fan of professional golf, you are also likely a fan of Scottie Scheffler who is currently ranked number one in the world.  His golf skills are hitting on all cylinders right now, and this past weekend, he won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.  Beyond his incredible skills, I love watching his demeanor on the course.  He is steady and humble, and even when he puts himself in a tough position, he seems to keep his wits about him.   Scottie's countenance on the golf course reflects what he hopes for in his life off the course.  In an interview last Thursday he said, “I feel like I’ve been given a gift to play golf, but at the end of the day, the golf tournament is over,” Scheffler said. “You take your hat off, shake hands, and you move on. And so, my faith is such an important part of my golf game because it’s not only an important part of my life but it’s what helps me kind of realize that it’s not that big of a deal. I’m called to compete; I’m not called to go win every single golf tournament. Do I want to win every single golf tournament? Of course. But at the end of the day, that’s not what’s gonna satisfy my soul.”  I love seeing people in the spotlight that are not ashamed to share how Jesus has changed their life.

Ear Witness Account

I was introduced to Jesus as soon as my parents could get me through the church doors as an infant, and I accepted him as my Savior when I was in middle school at a church camp.  I never really questioned his existence.  But there are people all over the world that have never even heard of Him, and there are others who have heard of Him but don't believe that He was the Son of God or that He even existed.  The most detailed accounts of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are in the New Testament, but those that don't believe those accounts say that they could have been made up by fanatic followers of the day.  I recently learned that one of the first non-biblical accounts of Jesus was written by Flavius Josephus just a few decades after Jesus' death.  Josephus was a Jewish historian and military leader, and was not a follower of Jesus.   While all of the details do not match exactly with the accounts in Scripture, scholars believe that fact actually contributes to the authenticity.  If the writings were by someone promoting a supposedly concocted Jesus story, they probably would have made the details match.  Here is the text from Book 18, Chapter 3.3 of Josephus' "The Antiquities of the Jews":

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross,^[9] those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day;^[10] as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

If we choose to accept that Jesus is the Son of God, then we have no choice but to fall on our knees and worship Him.  And that begins a lifetime of trying to know Him more and live according to His instructions.  If you aren't a believer, I would love to talk to you about what He has done for me.

All In The Family

 

A couple of months ago, I posted about Brandt Aiken, who we knew when he was a child in our church.  30 years later, he is now one of the pastors at The Journey in Lavonia, GA.   This past weekend, we got to see his cousin, Mark Thomas, preach at Hagen Creek Community Church in Lula, GA.  We have some friends looking for a church in that area, and we were aware that Mark had started a church there, so we took the opportunity to visit as well.  There was something warmly familiar about listening to Mark preach, and that is due to the fact that his dad, JoJo Thomas, had been our pastor in South Gwinnett for the 20 years that we lived there while we were raising our kids.  Mark did an amazing job of taking a familiar Bible passage and giving it new life through his eyes and his personal experiences.  It was satisfying to see Mark's love for Jesus lead him to start a new church that would give others a chance to know God more.  If you are looking for a great chance to worship in the Lula area, stop in.  You won't be disappointed.