God In the Whirlwind, by Tim Ellsworth

In the circles of the blogworld that I frequent, there have already been a couple of reviews of this book offered, but I feel compelled to add my two-cents worth.

This book chronicles the accounts of several students and faculty of Union University in Jackson, TN, whose lives were miraculously spared from the fury of an EF4 tornado on February 5 of this year.

I have never read a book (the Bible of course being considered separately) that fed my faith like this book. On a night when emergency personnel informed the local hospital that they should be prepared for one hundred casualties, God providentially delivered everyone on campus from dying in this storm.

Testimony after testimony provides a cohesive and gripping account that literally left me with goosebumps on my arms and tears in my eyes. Without a doubt, the faith and lives of those who encountered this twister have been changed forever.

It is a powerful testimony of the grace and glory of God. My recommendation is, “Buy this book.” Read it. Read it again and then pass it along to a friend who may be going through a storm of their own. It just may encourage them to look for God in their whirlwind.

As football season is approaching, NFL teams are preparing for the opening of training camp and the commencement of preseason schedules. Soon it will be time for players to fight for a spot on the roster, teams to decide who those players are and for prognosticators to sit on their lofty perch and tell us whether or not the Patriots are going to be able to go undefeated without their top videographer.

Emerging from this hum and chatter is the rumor of Brett Favre’s return from a short-lived retirement. So far, neither Brett nor the Green Bay Packers are saying a whole lot of anything of substance, but this thought has been lurking just beneath the surface of the fond farewell that Brett has been receiving over the past few months.

I am a bit conflicted about this. I am a big fan of Brett Favre and have been for several years. When I watched him play I was reminded of what the NFL was like when I was a kid. I loved his gunslinger’s mindset and his winning attitude. He played the game as it was supposed to be played, for the fun of it. There is a big part of me that would love to see my favorite player return and lead his team to one more year of glory.

That is the idealist in me.

The realist in me says that this is a game for young guys. Aaron Rodgers has been the patient understudy for three years now. Everyone close to the situation says the kid is more than ready to step onto Lambeau Field and begin another brilliant chapter in the Packer’s illustrious history.

Favre has absolutely nothing left to prove. The only reason for coming back is the aforementioned love of the game. The old warhorse still has the heart for one more charge. Yes, he would still be better than probably two-thirds of the quarterbacks currently starting in the league, but not that much better. The years are starting to catch up.

He has a stellar legacy that is sure to land him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He has the Superbowl rings, the awards, the accolades and the cherished memories of millions of fans, some as far removed from the frozen tundra as myself. We remember him as being great when he left. If he returns now he risks being remembered as being great “in his day”, joining the countless number of veterans whose desire for one more season caused them to discount the diminishment of their skills. He risks being scrutinized and second-guessed every time he tries to force a pass into double coverage. He risks the humiliation of a cold shoulder from the Packer’s brain trust at best, or a mid-season benching at worst.

Don’t do it, Brett.

I couldn’t believe this news headline:

Experts Say Gasoline Is Overpriced

It appears that only when Congress hears from “Experts” do they get the message.

Speaking of which, someone once broke down the word “expert” for me. “Ex” is “has-been”, “spurt” is “a squirt under pressure.”

It’s been a while since I’ve done a weekend survey. The topic for this one is annoying TV commercials. There are several companies attempting to sell products over the airwaves right now who should fire their ad campaign executives as well as the people who hired them. These commercials go beyond bad to downright annoying. Instead of encouraging me to try their product, they have actually pushed me away by the incredibly low level of intelligence of their ads. Here they are in no particular order:

The GEICO commercials with the talking lizard.

The Sonic Drive-in ads with the really dumb guy.

The Verizon Wireless ad with the carolers singing “We Wish You a Happy Deal Day”.

The Coke Zero commercials where Coca-Cola corporate reps are trying to decide if it is feasible to sue themselves for taste infringement.

And am I the only one who is wierded out by the gigantic plastic Burger King who suddenly appears in people’s bedrooms with a breakfast tray?

Thanks for allowing me to vent a little. Feel free to add to the list. God bless and have a great weekend.

Last week was one that was full of blessings. I suppose we could really say that about every week, but this one was especially so.

Our church held Vacation Bible School beginning on Sunday evening. We had an incredible week that was the highest attended we have ever had. The kids were enthusiastic and the adults really worked together as a team. Several good contacts with unchurched families were made. Most importantly, two children placed their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

On Tuesday, we got the news that my oldest son, Clay, had received a good report on an unusual mole that had been removed from his back a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said that it was not malignant. Thanks a bunch to all of you who offered prayers on his behalf.

After such a full week, we were ready for a little getaway, so my family and I travelled to the Julian Bruce State Park at St. George Island, Florida. We had a wonderful day at the beach and experienced some beautiful sights. Some sea turtles had recently hatched and you could see the trails through the sand where they had made their way to the water. We saw a number of different birds, but to cap everything off, we had all four swam out to the sand bar that was about forty or fifty yards offshore. While we were there, playing in about three feet of crystal-clear water, four dolphins came swimming by within just a few yards of us. They were unhurried, one even stuck his head out of the water to get a better look at us. It was an amazing moment.

On the way back home, we swung by our old haunt, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and drove down to the lighthouse at sunset. On our way in we had a close encounter with a raccoon. Coming out we got a good look at a great horned owl and a pair of ospreys. We even got to see a whip-poor-will. As often as I have heard these birds sing at night, this was the first one I had actually seen.

Praise the Lord for His everlasting goodness.

I hadn’t intended to let this much time slide by without posting. Time flies when you’re busy.

My family and I had a very nice (albeit short) vacation. We watched the Braves get clobbered, ate some good barbecue, visited a church where the preacher didn’t even carry a Bible into the pulpit, visited Callaway Gardens, hiked all the way to the bottom of Providence Canyon and hiked all the way to the top again (those who know me realize what an accomplishment THAT was!), came home for Clay to have his little procedure done (still waiting on the results), watched as he and his baseball team battled hard to take second place in their league tournament, put up fifteen gallons of snap beans and ten gallons of squash, picked five gallons each of butterbeans and black-eyed peas, been sick (along with my youngest, Glen) for the last three days with some kind of bug, and amidst it all still have been having church and ministry going on.

What’s up with you?

This was the question that the Philippian jailer posed to Paul and Silas after the midnight earthquake in Acts 16:30. Their answer was short and simple, “Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

I was asked by a fellow believer at my church recently, “What exactly do you think a person must believe in order to be saved?”

The content of saving faith has been a hot topic recently among some of the blogs that I frequent. The answers run the gamut of a broad spectrum of extremes, with many other positions between the two.

Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

There are two texts that I believe shed some light upon exactly what it is that we must believe in order to be saved:

1. Romans 10:9-10, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
2. I Corinthians 15:1-4, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Both Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:9-10 refer to Jesus as being “Lord”. This recognition of His lordship is where I believe we find the element of repentance imbedded in saving faith. This recognition is not a work of the flesh, but is indeed a “change of mind”, realizing that it is to Jesus that we are accountable and that it is He who holds the keys to eternity. He alone has the authority and the ability to provide salvation to those who believe. It is an awareness that we are a sinner, that we are not “okay” as we are and that we have a definite need to be forgiven of God.

When the angels announced His birth to the shepherds in Luke 2:11, they stated, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

His work as Savior was coupled with His lordship, even at His birth.

These texts also refer to Him by His name, Jesus. One must know in whom they are believing to be saved. Rom. 10:14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? It is not enough to receive Him as a mere teacher or prophet, one must believe that He is the Son of God, receiving Him as the light of God come into the darkness of this world. (John 1:12)

These texts also refer to Jesus as “Christ”. There can be no salvation apart from a belief in what Jesus did as the “anointed one” to cover our sins. The Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world is the only worthy sacrifice for our redemption. It is only through the message of the cross that one understands their need of salvation. One must understand that they are a sinner in need of divine forgiveness and that Jesus has provided access to that forgiveness by His death, burial and resurrection.

If you are reading this post and have never put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would encourage you to take this step. Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. Come to Him in faith, believing that He is the Son of God and that He died and rose again to cover your sins and you can receive His gift of eternal life.

It is my honor to announce that my brother, Cameron, is graduating tonight from Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem, N.C. with a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies.

Cameron has been working faithfully for some time now to complete this degree. His dedication has caused him to be the recipient of a fine scholarship that will allow him to pursue his Ph.D., for which he had already been accepted in the doctoral program.

Congratulations, Cameron. We are all proud of you and thankful for the way that God is using you. Keep up the good work.

It happened a little over a week ago, but I am just now finding the time to write about it. My two sons and I took a field trip to our favorite haunt, St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge. It would take a whole series of posts to describe all that we saw and experienced, but it was an incredible day observing the glory of God in His creation.

We were able to get within arm’s length of baby alligators, saw some awesome sights on a hiking trail, identified over 50 different species of birds, had a nice picnic lunch, took a boat ride on the nearby Wakulla River where we saw a 12 1/2 foot long gator literally launch himself out of the water in an attempt to catch a FLYING great blue heron. We then went swimming in the 69 degree water of the springs there. We grilled some brats and sausage for supper and discovered a new dessert that was almost too good to be true, ROASTED CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS STUCK BETWEEN THE SEPARATED PARTS OF AN OREO COOKIE. (Kings should eat so well.) We saw deer, a raccoon, got buzzed by a bat, serenaded by bullfrogs and illuminated by fireflies.

It was a trip that started at 7:30 A.M. and ended about 10:00 P.M. and it was non-stop, but we all decided we would do it again in a heartbeat.

Here are a few pictures of some of the things we saw.

Is God great or what?

Dr. Adrian Rogers once told the story of a young Indian prince who became the leader of his province while he was still a child. As this was during the time when India was a part of the British Empire, it was customary for such rulers to visit Queen Victoria and pay homage to her.

In an effort to impress her, he ignored the the counsel of his advisors and presented, as a gift to the Queen, a very large and precious diamond. This diamond was without question the most valuable item that was in his province.

Years went by and the prince became a man. Twenty years or so passed before he visited London again. The Queen’s counsellors told her that it was possible that this prince would request the return of the diamond. If he did so, protocol demanded that she oblige him.

Sure enough, as he received his audience with the Queen, he asked her if he could have the diamond. She commanded that the gem be returned to the prince. Upon receiving it, he turned to Her Majesty with the stone in hand and said, “Your Highness, when I gave this diamond to you, I was only a child. I did not understand the value of this gem and what it represented for the people I rule. Now that I am a man, I do realize the value of it and what it means. As a man, I now give you this stone again.”

Many of us have made commitments to God at earlier times in our lives. Perhaps at a revival, concert, youth camp or some other event, we made a “decision” for Christ that we might not have fully understood. Since that time we have come to a fuller awareness of exactly what was at stake. Maybe it is time that we renewed that commitment to God with the full knowledge of what we are doing, motivated by love for Him.

“He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”