Hello Everyone!

Yicks??Ǩ?the realization that five Sunday months affects the pattern of every other week postal mailings.

Yipee??Ǩ?the easy solution, make this an ??Ǩ?extra??Ǩ mailing (I look high and low for any excuse to visit with you);

Ahh??Ǩ?the solitude of driving 350 miles (700 double the pleasure round trip miles) made me forget all about the three flats (well, two flats and a new tire) and broken cassette radio the day before (and if you leave real early in the morning, there isn??Ǩ?Ѣt even any L.A. traffic!);

Ooh??Ǩ?the pleasure in surprise visiting friends (the last time I visited Don and Wanda Slaven, Hughson was mostly orchards, now it??Ǩ?Ѣs a bedroom community, and Wanda didn??Ǩ?Ѣt have to dash back to work!);

Hmmm??Ǩ?the tears of joy witnessing my (favorite) niece graduate 8th grade (look out Manteca High School, Sarah Vanderwall is coming through);

Hehe??Ǩ?the amusement of finding a restaurant open after dark with my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, their friends from church, and my parents (while not technically a restaurant, three cheers to In-n-Out for not rolling up their sidewalk at 9:00 PM and making a downright delicious hamburger??Ǩ?Duvall??Ǩ?Ѣs best competitor yet);

Haha??Ǩ?the hilarity of learning my dad starred in a school play fundraiser (had to buy a sport-coat and everything). But his hopes of an acting career were dashed by his sister (the self-appointed play critic) who said his kiss was all wrong. Not to worry! Enough money was raised that the class was able to go all the way to McKinney (from Chambersville) to the fanciest restaurant in town, where they were served a four-course dinner (and dessert was even on a clean plate, not a pie tin, thank you very much, Imogene Bonds). I can??Ǩ?Ѣt wait to hear my Aunt Frances??Ǩ?Ѣ version of the story (especially about the time she and Uncle Jackie double dated with my dad and a girl named Pig, who worked in a bank);

Ugh??Ǩ?the pain and sorrow in receiving news from others who are recovering from serious illness (Bill and Marge Key, Bill had a stroke) and grieving the loss of life (Bill and Barbara Bielecki??Ǩ?Ѣs son, Tim, took his life). I am praying for you all, as are others also;

Ah-ha??Ǩ?the anticipation of fellowship with our (remote) church family (I don??Ǩ?Ѣt know how Ralph Abee missed me, unless he needed Leota to give him directions [keep the mountains to your right], but not to worry cause Sunday??Ǩ?Ѣs coming and ??Ǩ?He Made Life Sweeter??Ǩ!);

Woohoo??Ǩ?the delight in hearing news from a far country (Texas, that is; congratulations James [son of Joe and Debbie] Vaughn in graduating high school!);

[Double} Woohoo??Ǩ?the privilege and thrill of attending the California State University Fullerton graduation. It??Ǩ?Ѣs not about almost being the baseball champions. It??Ǩ?Ѣs not about the 8500 students who would graduate in two shifts. It was all about just one student (and the only one) graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Johnny (hijo de Juan y Tita) Estudillo (hey, I am just glad he let??Ǩ?Ѣs me call him ??Ǩ?my friend,??Ǩ uh, ??Ǩ?mi amigo,??Ǩ that is!).

Arrgh??Ǩ?the agony that all this traveling, visiting, story-telling and commencing didn??Ǩ?Ѣt include sufficient time to write responsibly (and remember, ??Ǩ?click it or ticket??Ǩ).

Hello Everyone!

Let??Ǩ?Ѣs start with the end of the story, and is it ever good news! Success! Our little computer lab is up and running. Sure, there are still a few adjustments to be made, and a lot to learn, but instead of ??Ǩ?dys-,??Ǩ? we are simply ??Ǩ?functional??Ǩ! You cannot imagine the relief I feel in completing this undertaking.

Nearly two years ago we embarked on a course that would create a small computer center. The possibilities of how it could be used for the church and outreach were considered; for training, for skill improvement, for convenience, and for access to a whole library of Bible tools. As is usually the case, initial ideas can often expand beyond your wildest dreams once a work is operating.

The road from the beginning was like walking on an old goat-trail. In fact, this was not my project. But several others had already committed valuable time, skill, and resources to get us wired, arranged, and organized. The computers were all donated.

When the ??Ǩ?buck??Ǩ stopped on my desk, I knew that I was at a double disadvantage, because while I know how to use my computer, I know nothing of how to make them work (a necessary requirement for all ??Ǩ?small and/or large and hard to use type computers,??Ǩ unlike my Mac, you see). I say ??Ǩ?double??Ǩ because I realized that our solution also had to be, for the most part, financially free. Nor would we use pirated copies of proprietary software (I couldn??Ǩ?Ѣt answer ??Ǩ?what part of ??Ǩ?Thou shalt not steal??Ǩ don??Ǩ?Ѣt I understand???Ǩ correctly).

In seeking for a solution, I did find one which met every requirement. Yeah, I can say that in a single sentence. But it doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt represent the hours of research or the crash course on the innards of a computer and their function or even how to set up a network.

When it came time to configure the server and client computers, I was assured this was as simple as ??Ǩ?plug and play.??Ǩ Failing, I reverted to the old ??Ǩ?trial and error??Ǩ method. I sought the experts. Would you believe that the ??Ǩ?advice??Ǩ each one gave only made things worse? Two times, the solution involved getting the power source correctly aligned.

I suppose you know by now that this is not simply a story about setting up computers or sticking a feather in my hat. There are several analogies to the Gospel and the Christian life that might help us learn to be better aware of God??Ǩ?Ѣs work among us.

Salvation involves finding the right (only) solution. If you haven??Ǩ?Ѣt yet found Jesus Christ??Ǩ?keep looking. Don??Ǩ?Ѣt give up. Don??Ǩ?Ѣt quit. Keep searching. You will come to learn that when you find Him, He had you in His sight all along. However, pursuing salvation in your own way is like being connected to the wrong port??Ǩ?nothing will work. It is only when we are connected rightly (by grace through faith) that we are genuinely saved. The satisfaction of accomplishing an impossible task is so minute, it doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt even begin to compare with the joy in having the burden and weariness of your sin removed forever.

What has become ??Ǩ?old hat??Ǩ for us who have been saved for a longer period of time may not be as quickly or easily understood or assimilated by a new believer today, primarily because so many have not had the privilege of growing up in a time when Biblical doctrines were still at the core of our society. You could say they are at a ??Ǩ?double disadvantage.??Ǩ There is a new language to learn and a new lifestyle to adopt??Ǩ?it takes time. Sure, some new believers are more eager at the outset (and they shouldn??Ǩ?Ѣt be held back), but a relationship (with Jesus Christ) is all about time, not ability.

Sometimes the ??Ǩ?experts??Ǩ only make things worse by our impatience and inaccurate assumptions. We often overlook the fact that our struggles or others problems are ??Ǩ?not against flesh and blood??Ǩ (that is, only earthly in nature), but ??Ǩ?against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places??Ǩ (that is, also spiritual in nature).

That??Ǩ?Ѣs the story. It was not only good news, it was double good! In case you are wondering, it??Ǩ?Ѣs a fedora.

Hello Everyone!

One of the great tragedies in English literature was published in 1623, Shakespeare??Ǩ?Ѣs Macbeth. Near the end, the queen??Ǩ?Macbeth??Ǩ?Ѣs wife??Ǩ?dies. By this time he has so lost his conscience that he is unable to feel anything at all. He expresses his weariness in the following famous lines:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life??Ǩ?Ѣs but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing
[Macbeth, act 5, scene 5].

Four centuries later, many would still agree. History has no goal, it is merely ??Ǩ?a tale told by an idiot [of]??Ǩthe way to dusty death.??Ǩ Life has no destiny because it is like ??Ǩ?a walking shadow.??Ǩ More than two millennia prior to Shakespeare, Solomon agreed, ??Ǩ?vanity of vanities, all is vanity (emptiness, hollow; or as Pastor Rigsby Abel-y translates it ??Ǩ?pfffft!??Ǩ). These are eerie word pictures and worse, depressing ideas.

How fortunate for believers to know that God has a goal, a destiny, a script, if you will, for all of time and space.

In Revelation 5, the scroll written on both sides contains ??Ǩ?His Story,??Ǩ especially concerning the days yet to come. ??Ǩ?Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?,??Ǩ the angel asked. By the time we read verse 5, we are assured that Jesus knows all about events between the first century and the end-time judgments??Ǩ?the breaking of the seals. He is also in charge of making the end-time judgments unfold according to His plan??Ǩ?opening the scroll and looking inside.

It is the response of the four living creatures (v. 8), the twenty-four elders (v. 8), the many angels (v. 11), and every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth (v. 13) to the Lamb??Ǩ?Ѣs taking the scroll that points us to our part in history??Ǩ?Ѣs goal and life??Ǩ?Ѣs destiny. Jesus Christ, the Lamb is to receive all worship.

Surely we join in God??Ǩ?Ѣs eternal plan there and then by choosing to worship Jesus Christ on earth here and now.

Less than a quarter century after Macbeth was published, a grand gathering of English theologians, meeting as the Westminster Assembly, published what has become the famous Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647. They had the proper answer to Macbeth??Ǩ?Ѣs lament, Solomon??Ǩ?Ѣs dismay, and the age-old question: ??Ǩ?Is there a purpose to life and all of history???Ǩ Yes! They said, ??Ǩ?Man??Ǩ?Ѣs chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.??Ǩ

That is certainly a noble and lofty goal for history and humanity. But when you look around, we sadly conclude that many have missed the focus and intent of our aim. We recognize that the final chapter is not yet written, and that we ourselves often need clarification and realignment. Still we wonder why so many are wearied, as Macbeth, and believe that life is ??Ǩ?signifying nothing.??Ǩ Read this loose paraphrase from a little preacher I hear frequently for another possible clue to the correction of our failure: ??Ǩ?The church has done well at encouraging witness to the lost and motivating works of all kinds, but the church has woefully wobbled at engaging in Spirit and Truth worship.??Ǩ

How can believers best live to teach and encourage one another, and proclaim to the world, contrary to Macbeth, that history has an end; and, unlike Solomon, that life is more than ??Ǩ?pfffft!??Ǩ?

The hymn writer Matthew Bridges drew from the imagery of Revelation 5, with his majestic invitation for God??Ǩ?Ѣs people on earth to genuinely worship, ??Ǩ?Crown Him with Many Crowns.??Ǩ His summons is that we join with the millions who worship around the throne and on earth:

Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified:
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

This is a better word picture??Ǩ?it inspires hope and is an encouraging reminder to be faithful in genuine worship.