The seventh and final tome in the most successful book series of all time has been written, published, and read. The books thrilled and captivated readers for a variety of reasons, all well documented. Author J.K. Rowling brilliantly and imaginatively created characters and story lines rich with depth and meaning. People of all ages worldwide have shown and will continue to show their gratitude by buying, reading, and sharing the story of "the boy who lived" with many for years to come.
It should be noted that the series has not been without controversy and concern by many who feel the books are dark in nature and promote activity in occultic practices. This writer, a concerned Christian parent of three, decided to read the first book when his son told him of the exciting book he had just picked up describing the goings-on at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and once having done so, came to his own conclusions. Many others have done the same, coming down on both sides of the argument - I respect all of the personal convictions regarding the issue, but, quite frankly want to turn the focus from the books "du jour" to the Book for all ages, the Holy Bible.
In reading from the book which bears his name, I was reminded that the prophet Jeremiah, writing some 2,500 years ago (we'll see if Ms. Rowling's writings are pertinent in the year 4500 AD!), spoke of a more important and awe-inspiring Potter. In Jeremiah 18, the prophet writes,
Jeremiah 18
At the Potter's House
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it...
The Potter described here is no fictional boy, but the sovereign King of the universe, the one true God, resplendent in abiding holiness. This Potter has no equal and needs no assistance -- he holds not only men, but nations in his hands and shapes them as He wills. In addition, this passage reminds us of our national obligation to repent and turn from our wicked ways before the judgment of God befalls us. How humbling it is for us to know that individuals are like grass which withers and blows away, here today and gone tomorrow, and that nations are like dust on the scales...But, how awe-inspiring to also know that He loves us with an everlasting love and that all mankind is created in His eternal image, designed to live forever in His loving embrace...
Enjoy the newest Potter or ignore him if you will, but never forget the Eternal Potter, the one who molds us in love, designs us with infinite care, calls us to fulfill our destiny and purpose in Him, and empowers us through the timeless victory of Jesus Christ...Even the most ardent of Potter fans must agree,if honest, that truth is indeed, greater than fiction...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
First Place
The 20th century prophetic voice of A.W. Tozer once said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Do you have the courage to consider that question? It takes courage to do so because our answers will reveal a lot about ourselves. It may reveal that we have no conception of God at all. Worse, it may reveal that we don't care. Perhaps even worse still, it may expose our focus upon our own selfish souls.
Don't be afraid to try - God already knows us intimately - the question is, "Do we know him?" Beware Christian! You may be saying, "This is not for me to consider, I'm already a believer." Ah, but that is not the point - it is a sad and tragic truth that not many of his children know the Father very well. If we did we would not be living such ineffective and unproductive lives for Him.
We need a new proclamation of the importance of striving after God - desiring to know Him better and better and not being satisfied until we have experienced Him intimately and powerfully, again and again and again. All of the great men and women of God were never satisfied with where they were in their following of Christ -- but today, we are satisfied with simply playing games, practicing empty rituals, and pondering only that which is of the earth.
Stop looking inward! Stop looking around! Look up Christian! Have the eyes of faith and the heart of conviction needed to see through the clouds of doubt and unbelief and past the obstacles of stony indifference and perhaps you will see, for the first time, that which is truly awe-inspiring. He alone is worthy of that kind of attention and focus -- after all, it takes hard work to see the invisible!
What comes into your mind when you think about God? Is it the burden of sin and the obligation to turn to God in saving faith that presses upon every honest soul? Don't fear! Unless the weight of the burden is crushing and felt and understood to be impossible to cast off in our own power, the good news of Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross on our behalf will mean nothing."Until we see a vision of God high and lifted up, there will be no woe and no burden." One will not even feel the weight of all of the vast sins one is under!
The church is failing to do her job as a champion and proclaimer of such truths. How do I know? Not by looking at the opposition to Christ and His message from those without - that is to be expected - it's from seeing no fear of God from within that tells me all I need to know. As the prophet gives his final clarion call, I only ask, "Christian, are you listening?" " The heaviest obligation upon the church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him. In all her prayers, this should have first place." Amen.
Don't be afraid to try - God already knows us intimately - the question is, "Do we know him?" Beware Christian! You may be saying, "This is not for me to consider, I'm already a believer." Ah, but that is not the point - it is a sad and tragic truth that not many of his children know the Father very well. If we did we would not be living such ineffective and unproductive lives for Him.
We need a new proclamation of the importance of striving after God - desiring to know Him better and better and not being satisfied until we have experienced Him intimately and powerfully, again and again and again. All of the great men and women of God were never satisfied with where they were in their following of Christ -- but today, we are satisfied with simply playing games, practicing empty rituals, and pondering only that which is of the earth.
Stop looking inward! Stop looking around! Look up Christian! Have the eyes of faith and the heart of conviction needed to see through the clouds of doubt and unbelief and past the obstacles of stony indifference and perhaps you will see, for the first time, that which is truly awe-inspiring. He alone is worthy of that kind of attention and focus -- after all, it takes hard work to see the invisible!
What comes into your mind when you think about God? Is it the burden of sin and the obligation to turn to God in saving faith that presses upon every honest soul? Don't fear! Unless the weight of the burden is crushing and felt and understood to be impossible to cast off in our own power, the good news of Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross on our behalf will mean nothing."Until we see a vision of God high and lifted up, there will be no woe and no burden." One will not even feel the weight of all of the vast sins one is under!
The church is failing to do her job as a champion and proclaimer of such truths. How do I know? Not by looking at the opposition to Christ and His message from those without - that is to be expected - it's from seeing no fear of God from within that tells me all I need to know. As the prophet gives his final clarion call, I only ask, "Christian, are you listening?" " The heaviest obligation upon the church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him. In all her prayers, this should have first place." Amen.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Greetings all...My name is Norm Rust - I am a follower of Jesus Christ and my earthly passion is American history...I graduated with honors from UMBC with a BS in history, class of '85...It is truly tragic that so many of our citizens know virtually nothing about the marvelous historical heritage of America, the land Lincoln called "the last, best hope of earth." This God-kissed land has been the champion, defender, and protector of freedom both at home and around the world. Despite the problems, faults, and shortcomings of her people and despite the distance which still needs to be traveled to reach the full realization of her ideals, lady liberty's torch still is held high above the most blessed nation the world has ever known. This is not something for Americans to be prideful about - in fact, her people should be humbled, mindful of their responsibility to be proper stewards and sharers of such an inheritance. We have received it not because of our greatness, but because of God's sovereign choice...Our servant-like attitude will only help to honor the God who has so blessed and lead all to minister to those in need everywhere for all time...I share the following essay to remind us all that freedom is not free and that we must never forget the hall of heroes that wind back through the corridors of our history from this very day to the gangplank of the Mayflower...A great statesman once said that a nation is best judged not by the materials it creates or the power it has attained, but by the men it produces...It's an honor to share with you the stories that have, in many cases, been long forgotten...No more...Please pause to ponder, to listen, and to remember...
Listen to the Story…
In 2004, our nation rectified a nearly sixty year-old wrong. Last year, we apologized and reflected anew, thankful that, at last, things had been made right. May 8, 2005 commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe; August 14 and September 2 did the same for the campaign in the Pacific. As the calendar again turns and our opportunities to express our gratitude slip with the sands of time, may we truly listen to their tale of inspiration and triumph.
Sixteen million Americans served in the varied branches of the armed forces between 1941 – 1945. Millions more on the homefront contributed to the war effort, uniting together to turn this land, in the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, into “a great arsenal of democracy.” During the war years, the United States of America produced 5,777 merchant ships, 1,556 naval vessels, 299,293 aircraft, 634,569 jeeps, 88,410 tanks, 2,383,311 support vehicles, 6,500,000 rifles, 40,000,000,000 bullets and two atomic bombs.
As those two testaments to the destructive power of mankind fell upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this awesome production machine was producing six times the armaments of Great Britian, more than sixty percent of the total munitions of the allied powers, and forty percent of all the world’s arms. At war’s end, the scope of America’s power and possessions was overwhelming; yet, in spite of this truth, she used her extraordinary might not for conquest, but for liberation. As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, in 1945, “…the United States stands, at this moment, at the summit of the world.”
Having noted the vastness of her riches and magnanimity, America’s most precious contribution to the effort to save the world from tyranny was none of these. It was the costly sacrifice of 405,399 of her sons upon the altar of freedom. Additionally, over 500,000 young men returned home physically maimed with wounds that would be lifelong reminders of the horrors of war. Untold numbers also carried with them emotional scars that seared deeply – not into the flesh, but into the tender soul of the soldier. As we, with reverent gaze, examine such offerings of life and pain, it is altogether proper that we also listen to the story of what these men did. It must be told, heeded, and written on our hearts, every word.
What had met the children of this nation’s most challenged generation was, quite simply, the greatest catastrophe in the history of the world. Over fifty million men, women, and children perished between 1939 – 1945 – over twenty million Russians alone. All were victims of the hate and death-filled ideologies of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. What our humble heroes, who overcame and conquered such evil, have now been honored with is the first national memorial dedicated to all those who served this nation at its moment of extreme peril.
This monument stands as a silent witness to our devotion to freedom and a poignant reminder of the everlasting love, honor, and respect in which its defenders are held. Sadly, its realization was almost six decades too late. The living members of the generation which honored us with their service are now dying, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission, at a rate of over 1,100 per day – there are less than four million still living. Sorrowfully, many will never walk its hallowed environs, established fittingly within the presence of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Indeed now, between that which honors the father who saved the nation at its birth and the father who saved her unto its new birth of freedom, rises a tribute to the children who saved her in the mid-life of her greatness.
Many of them will never see or know of this cherished place; but alas, they already saw and they already knew. They knowingly saw the shadow of danger in the brightness of their youth and they went, responding to the calling of their time, fulfilling their duty and their destiny with distinction. They most assuredly knew something of what Civil War brother-in-arms Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. reflected upon when he wrote, “If there is any part of your life where you should have been and did what you should have done it is in the great Olympiad of ’61 to ’65. What have you felt or looked upon since that is not pitifully small in comparison? In our youth, our hearts were touched with fire. It is for us to bear the report to those who come after us.”
Deep within their being, they would also concur with Shakespeare’s Henry V, who roused his countrymen to battle thusly, “Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbor his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together.”
Indeed they saw and they knew. Certainly, however, it is even more important for children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to come and ponder, awe-inspired by their courage and accomplishments. They must learn that these, our heroes, in the words of historian Steven Ambrose, “…did more to help spread democracy around the world than any other generation in history. They knew the difference between right and wrong and didn’t want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So, they fought and won and we, all of us, for all succeeding generations must be forever profoundly grateful.”
Ironically, the memorial serves as a deathless reminder of all those who gave themselves in death that this nation’s posterity and the posterity of so many other lands might know the blessings of liberty. Let it be our hope, as it was Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s for Gettysburg, that it be a place where “…reverent men and women from afar, and generations which know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them shall come to ponder and dream; and lo! The shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”
Gratefully, the vision is passing into the souls of America’s current sons, clearly exhibited in the words, life, and death of twenty-seven year-old former National Football League star Sgt. Pat Tillman, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Army Ranger Regiment, killed in a firefight in Afghanistan by friendly fire. He once stated, shortly after September 11, 2001, “I play football and it just seems so unimportant compared to everything that’s taken place. I feel guilty even having this interview. My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a thing. I’ve always thought about Pearl Harbor and the people…and what they were going through…their screaming and the passion they exuded and how they lost their lives. I think of stuff like that. I imagine I’ll probably have a few other things to think about now. Maybe a fireman running up those stairs.”
Upon learning of his story, most of his fellow countrymen would wonder how Sgt. Tillman could walk away from a 1.2 million dollar annual contract to place himself, compensated at a small fraction of that amount, in a foreign, hostile land replete with mortal peril. For Sgt. Tillman, however, the question had always been, in light of his forefathers and fellow warriors, “How could he not?” One wonders, as his life waned on that fire-filled hill, did his mind wax with thoughts of fulfilled purpose – of one’s conscience reconciled to one’s duty? Truly, monuments to courage and honor are erected of marble and granite, but let us never forget that they first rise to soaring heights from the seeds of sacrifice watered by the blood of the fallen.
In a Sports Illustrated piece published after Sgt. Tillman’s death, it was recorded that Elizabeth McKenrick, wife of 4th Ranger Training Battalion Commander Terry McKenrick, wisely directed her nine year-old’s heart and every American hearthstone to this quintessential patriot’s grave. Generally, she does not allow her children to watch news regarding the war for fear that they will worry for their father; but when she saw the reports about Sgt. Tillman, she called the young one to her side: “Listen,” she said. “Listen to the story of what this man did.”
Listen indeed. And remember, all of them. Those of the greatest generation and those of every great generation. One of the Almighty’s many blessings upon our heritage is the unbroken line of heroes that wind through the halls of our history. As we turn to look at them with those eyes of reverence, shrouded in tears, we can almost see them, resplendent in abiding youth. They seem to be calling, beckoning us to meet them outside – within the gates of the hallowed grounds ‘neath which they reside. One such place, the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, is home to 10,943 boys whose sodded beds and immaculate marble, star and cross headboards all look west toward the land they loved and left, never to return. In a chapel there, midst them all, a message is inscribed. May God impel us all to engrave it upon our hearts and minds, never to forget:
“Think not only upon their passing,” it reads. “Remember the glory of their spirit.”
Norm Rust graduated with a degree in history from the Univ. of Md., Baltimore County. He lives in Halethorpe and is currently available to conduct workshops and seminars in American history and Christian citizenship. For more information, Norm can be reached at 410-242-1329 or at rust5532@hotmail.com
Listen to the Story…
In 2004, our nation rectified a nearly sixty year-old wrong. Last year, we apologized and reflected anew, thankful that, at last, things had been made right. May 8, 2005 commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe; August 14 and September 2 did the same for the campaign in the Pacific. As the calendar again turns and our opportunities to express our gratitude slip with the sands of time, may we truly listen to their tale of inspiration and triumph.
Sixteen million Americans served in the varied branches of the armed forces between 1941 – 1945. Millions more on the homefront contributed to the war effort, uniting together to turn this land, in the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, into “a great arsenal of democracy.” During the war years, the United States of America produced 5,777 merchant ships, 1,556 naval vessels, 299,293 aircraft, 634,569 jeeps, 88,410 tanks, 2,383,311 support vehicles, 6,500,000 rifles, 40,000,000,000 bullets and two atomic bombs.
As those two testaments to the destructive power of mankind fell upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this awesome production machine was producing six times the armaments of Great Britian, more than sixty percent of the total munitions of the allied powers, and forty percent of all the world’s arms. At war’s end, the scope of America’s power and possessions was overwhelming; yet, in spite of this truth, she used her extraordinary might not for conquest, but for liberation. As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, in 1945, “…the United States stands, at this moment, at the summit of the world.”
Having noted the vastness of her riches and magnanimity, America’s most precious contribution to the effort to save the world from tyranny was none of these. It was the costly sacrifice of 405,399 of her sons upon the altar of freedom. Additionally, over 500,000 young men returned home physically maimed with wounds that would be lifelong reminders of the horrors of war. Untold numbers also carried with them emotional scars that seared deeply – not into the flesh, but into the tender soul of the soldier. As we, with reverent gaze, examine such offerings of life and pain, it is altogether proper that we also listen to the story of what these men did. It must be told, heeded, and written on our hearts, every word.
What had met the children of this nation’s most challenged generation was, quite simply, the greatest catastrophe in the history of the world. Over fifty million men, women, and children perished between 1939 – 1945 – over twenty million Russians alone. All were victims of the hate and death-filled ideologies of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. What our humble heroes, who overcame and conquered such evil, have now been honored with is the first national memorial dedicated to all those who served this nation at its moment of extreme peril.
This monument stands as a silent witness to our devotion to freedom and a poignant reminder of the everlasting love, honor, and respect in which its defenders are held. Sadly, its realization was almost six decades too late. The living members of the generation which honored us with their service are now dying, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission, at a rate of over 1,100 per day – there are less than four million still living. Sorrowfully, many will never walk its hallowed environs, established fittingly within the presence of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Indeed now, between that which honors the father who saved the nation at its birth and the father who saved her unto its new birth of freedom, rises a tribute to the children who saved her in the mid-life of her greatness.
Many of them will never see or know of this cherished place; but alas, they already saw and they already knew. They knowingly saw the shadow of danger in the brightness of their youth and they went, responding to the calling of their time, fulfilling their duty and their destiny with distinction. They most assuredly knew something of what Civil War brother-in-arms Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. reflected upon when he wrote, “If there is any part of your life where you should have been and did what you should have done it is in the great Olympiad of ’61 to ’65. What have you felt or looked upon since that is not pitifully small in comparison? In our youth, our hearts were touched with fire. It is for us to bear the report to those who come after us.”
Deep within their being, they would also concur with Shakespeare’s Henry V, who roused his countrymen to battle thusly, “Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbor his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together.”
Indeed they saw and they knew. Certainly, however, it is even more important for children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to come and ponder, awe-inspired by their courage and accomplishments. They must learn that these, our heroes, in the words of historian Steven Ambrose, “…did more to help spread democracy around the world than any other generation in history. They knew the difference between right and wrong and didn’t want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So, they fought and won and we, all of us, for all succeeding generations must be forever profoundly grateful.”
Ironically, the memorial serves as a deathless reminder of all those who gave themselves in death that this nation’s posterity and the posterity of so many other lands might know the blessings of liberty. Let it be our hope, as it was Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s for Gettysburg, that it be a place where “…reverent men and women from afar, and generations which know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them shall come to ponder and dream; and lo! The shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”
Gratefully, the vision is passing into the souls of America’s current sons, clearly exhibited in the words, life, and death of twenty-seven year-old former National Football League star Sgt. Pat Tillman, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Army Ranger Regiment, killed in a firefight in Afghanistan by friendly fire. He once stated, shortly after September 11, 2001, “I play football and it just seems so unimportant compared to everything that’s taken place. I feel guilty even having this interview. My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a thing. I’ve always thought about Pearl Harbor and the people…and what they were going through…their screaming and the passion they exuded and how they lost their lives. I think of stuff like that. I imagine I’ll probably have a few other things to think about now. Maybe a fireman running up those stairs.”
Upon learning of his story, most of his fellow countrymen would wonder how Sgt. Tillman could walk away from a 1.2 million dollar annual contract to place himself, compensated at a small fraction of that amount, in a foreign, hostile land replete with mortal peril. For Sgt. Tillman, however, the question had always been, in light of his forefathers and fellow warriors, “How could he not?” One wonders, as his life waned on that fire-filled hill, did his mind wax with thoughts of fulfilled purpose – of one’s conscience reconciled to one’s duty? Truly, monuments to courage and honor are erected of marble and granite, but let us never forget that they first rise to soaring heights from the seeds of sacrifice watered by the blood of the fallen.
In a Sports Illustrated piece published after Sgt. Tillman’s death, it was recorded that Elizabeth McKenrick, wife of 4th Ranger Training Battalion Commander Terry McKenrick, wisely directed her nine year-old’s heart and every American hearthstone to this quintessential patriot’s grave. Generally, she does not allow her children to watch news regarding the war for fear that they will worry for their father; but when she saw the reports about Sgt. Tillman, she called the young one to her side: “Listen,” she said. “Listen to the story of what this man did.”
Listen indeed. And remember, all of them. Those of the greatest generation and those of every great generation. One of the Almighty’s many blessings upon our heritage is the unbroken line of heroes that wind through the halls of our history. As we turn to look at them with those eyes of reverence, shrouded in tears, we can almost see them, resplendent in abiding youth. They seem to be calling, beckoning us to meet them outside – within the gates of the hallowed grounds ‘neath which they reside. One such place, the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, is home to 10,943 boys whose sodded beds and immaculate marble, star and cross headboards all look west toward the land they loved and left, never to return. In a chapel there, midst them all, a message is inscribed. May God impel us all to engrave it upon our hearts and minds, never to forget:
“Think not only upon their passing,” it reads. “Remember the glory of their spirit.”
Norm Rust graduated with a degree in history from the Univ. of Md., Baltimore County. He lives in Halethorpe and is currently available to conduct workshops and seminars in American history and Christian citizenship. For more information, Norm can be reached at 410-242-1329 or at rust5532@hotmail.com
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