April 23, 1976 + 35

April 23 1976 was the happiest day of my life. It was on that day that I, accompanied by my best friends, followed Pastor Irv Dally into the sanctuary of Blendville Christian Church in Joplin. Moments later as I stood there, the most beautiful woman in the world strolled down the aisle of said church (with her dad, Orval) and astounded all (and ignored the advice of all!) and said “I do” when Irv asked Carolyn Eldridge if she would take little ol’ me as her lawfully wedded husband.

That was 35 years ago. Wow. She’s one tough mama to put up with me all these years!

Back in those days there was a song that was popular that hit the charts when we were dating. It was “Love Will Keep Us Together” by The Captain and Tenille. To hear that song transports me in time back to those happy early days. Love has kept us together, as well as a dependence on both each other and on our Awesome God.

It hasn’t always been easy, of course. Carolyn made a commitment early in our relationship that she would never consider divorce. Murder, yes! But divorce? No!

The years rolled on, and along came Josh, Amber and Jordan. Those three little kids are now grown up adults themselves. They’ve all been taller than me for more years than not, it seems! And of course there is the joy of our beautiful granddaughters, Kaila and Eliana and our grandson, Conner, who we really did pump full of sugar and caffeine once and send home. Yes, it is satisfying.

So here we are traveling together on the long and winding road of this wonderful thing we call life. “It’s you and me against the world!” I would say. 35 years later, I find myself wishing the world hadn’t of won so much!

Right now there are problems and hassles and uncertainties abound. Still, though, it can be said that life is sweet. We have our awesome family, we have our awesome church family that means more to us than you will ever know, and we have each other. And we have the Lord.

Amber said to me once that she cannot imagine Carolyn and I not being together. Neither can I.

To Carolyn what can I say but I love you now and forevermore!

I’d call that a successful marriage by any standard!

Rare photographs from the rehearsal dinner. First: Tommy poses for the camera next to Bill Lisle. These folks were the bride's members of the wedding party. Second: My mom and dad, best man Johnny Willis, my sister Dana, and two of the most precious people this world has ever known: Irv and Betty Dally. Third: a scurvy band o'cut throats known as the groom's members of the wedding party. Ted and Barbara Easley, Bob Phillips, the Russells, and the Richardsons.

Johnny Willis (best man), Steve Russell (groomsman), Your Humble Correspondent (groom, yes I was smoking a Winston Menthol 100 when this photo was taken), and Ted Easley (groomsman).

The early years!

Ps: Oh, remember The Captain and Tenille? Did you know they were married? And do you know they are still married, and having enjoyed a long career in the music world they live now in Prescott, Arizona. Love kept them together, and it will keep us together as well. Live well in the Lord!

This is the Voice of One!

Welcome to April!

In the news this hour, the 2011 baseball season has started. I always look forward to the opening day because this is the one day that I earnestly seek a win by the Kansas City Royals. You see, having once lived in Kansas City and having spent the majority of my life in the proximity of Kansas City I cannot help but feel a measure of loyalty to Kansas City teams, such as the Royals and the Chiefs. I really want them to win the first game or two, so that for one glorious day I can brag about the undefeated Royals! Our own Mike Armstrong was at the season opener, so luck was in the air! Play ball!!

What? The Royals lost to the evil Los Angeles Angels, 4-2? I am denied! Oh well, there’s always next year. Which brings up the point, when you begin the year by saying “there’s always next year,” maybe it’s time to find another team?? Sigh. I think I’m going to stick with the Arkansas Naturals. I love going to those games, so take me out to the ball game! Take me out to the park….

We have to talk about something serious now. Folks, there is a segment of our society that has been neglected when it comes to holidays. Christians have Easter and Christmas, Jewish people have Passover and Hanukah, Muslims have, oh, what do they have? Ramadan or whatever it is. Wiccans even have Halloween, fer cryin’ out loud!

Pity the poor atheists. They have nothing. All the people groups of the world have a special holiday of their very own, but atheists? Nothing! Zero! Zip! Nada! I think that’s so sad!

But that all changes now! By special Congressional decree, President Obama has signed a proclamation declaring today, April 1^st, as Atheist Affirmation Day! Woohoo! At last the recognition they deserve!

Congratulations. See Psalm 14:1.

Finally in the news this hour, We continue to pray for the Mustard Seed Global Fellowship as they work in Japan. Here is an excerpt from their latest update:

The team in Ishinomaki has established a supply storehouse in the sanctuary of a local church. Many people who have had no previous connection with the church are hearing about the supplies being provided and going there to get the food, water, hygiene kits, diapers, and other supplies that our MSGF guys are busy keeping stocked and organized.

When they aren’t making trips to Sendai for gas and supplies to keep the church stocked, they have had multiple opportunities to help the helpless in Ishinomaki. They went to the home of an 80-year-old woman who is a member of the church where they are staying. Her home had been completely flooded, so they worked hard to remove damaged appliances, waterlogged tatami mats, and clean out the grime and mud that coated everything.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Christians helping Christians can be a powerful testimony to those outside the faith. The widow’s neighbor saw what our team was doing and was very touched. She came over to talk to them and thank them for helping her elderly neighbor. They took the opportunity to pray for her and Andy Rodriguez explained that the woman began weeping as they prayed for her. It was a very powerful moment.

And there is much more. One question: how can we help them? Whatever it is we can do to help them is our responsibility before the Lord! You might go to their web site www.msgf.com where you can find a link to donate.

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

We've been praying for baby Heidi earnestly: last report they have the newborn's chest closed, and she's doing well. Keep those prayers going ever heavenward!

Final personal note: after such a dreary week I so look forward to surrounding myself with my church family, which is true family. Our topic this coming Sunday is a very serious one. We are going to talk about suffering. Why do we live in a world with suffering? Let’s cut out the trite old adages and get down to the question and answer it. We will do that Sunday morning. I’ll see you there!

A Bit of Disappointment In My Life

-in this edition of The Voice of One, a slimy movie producer pushes anti-Christian themes, a news commentator spews stupidity, a new translation of the Bible panders to the politically correct, and we see a group of awesome people doing an incredible great work amongst a noble and proud people. Read on!

So there is a bit of disappointment in my life right now. I have really been looking forward to seeing the new movie “Paul” which opens today nationwide. I figured I would grab Jordan and we’d rush off to the theatre to see what promises to be a very funny movie.

But I will not be seeing this movie after all. In it, two guys traveling across the desert happen upon an alien who has escaped from Area 51. Chased by the evil FBI, they help the alien return home. Lots of funny stuff, according to the ads. But apparently this movie has a very strong anti-Christian theme. A review I read says that one of the characters is a Christian. But when zapped by a vision that refutes her faith and dogma, she recants her faith and the party starts. Kinda sorta.

Oh, give me a break! A fake Christian sees fake, made up data from a fake, made up cartoon character and so she has a fake recantation of her fake faith. No biggie, I guess but you and I both know that those who hate the church will cheer. And I’m supposed to spend my money to help this?

Here’s what I think. The producers of this fine piece of work are cowards. Sissies. Wusses. Chicken! So they attack Christianity. What’s the church going to do about it? Nothing!

My challenge to them is this: how about you produce a movie doing a similar number on Islam! Yes! There’s the ticket!!

What? You say you can’t? Why not? Are you cowards? Sissies? Wusses? Are you chicken? Of course you are! You know what they’d do. As I think about what they’d do to you, I recall the theme of an old, old movie: “Now, that’s entertainment!” (let the hate mail begin!)

It has become very vogue to trash anything smacking of Christianity. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell spewed this week when another commentator referenced the book of Revelation when talking about the Japanese situation. O’Donnell said the book of Revelation is a work of fiction describing how a truly vicious God would bring about the end of the world. No half smart religious person actually believes the book of Revelation, O’Donnell ranted. They, the enlightened, are certain their God would never turn into a malicious torturer and mass murderer beyond Hitler’s wildest dream.

Wow. To showcase such Biblical ignorance and stupidity on national television is distressing, really. How embarrassing! O’Donnell has no idea what Revelation is about. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. But sad to say less than knowledgeable people might fall for it.

There’s a lot more anti-God sludge forging its own tsunami across the theological landscape. It seems the new 2011 version of the NIV bible translation has removed most sexist language (he is them, fishers of men has become fishers of people, and so forth) although God is still referred to in the masculine tense. That’s all fine and well to make the Bible politically correct, I guess. But did you know they took away Mary’s virginity? She is no longer a virgin, but a young woman. The translators will say that technically the original word is young woman. Technically, perhaps. But it also means virgin, and in this application it has for thousands of years.

John the Apostle said in his Epistle that there are many anti-Christs, and you can tell who they are because they are supposed to be Christians, but deny Christ and lead folks astray.

There is a tsunami of blasphemy and heresy sweeping the churches in a big way. Since the fall of Rome, according to one view of Revelations that I think is pretty good, Satan’s power has been abridged and cut back. This was graphically illustrated in Revelation by the vision of the thousand years. But I fear that thousand year stretch is over. We have entered the time when “Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” (Rev 20:7b-9)

We are living and breathing Armageddon here and now. It is everywhere around you. You can’t even go to the movies and escape! All we can do is follow the advice of Paul and put on the full armor of faith (see Ephesians 6).

So, back about the movie. Yes, they have every right in the world to make it. But I have every right in the world not to watch it. I will spend my money elsewhere and if you were thinking about seeing this movie, I urge you to do the same. And that's too bad. It does look funny.

In other news,

Who could not be anything but impressed with the awesome Japanese people, who have shown what they are really made of? In the wake of the terrible earthquake and tsunami we notice there has been no looting, no riots, no fighting as folks scramble for survival. No mobs at places were commodities are handed out, but instead orderly lines. We cannot help but remember the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that awful mess and all that nastiness. Every time back in the day when I covered a tornado I noticed that either National Guards or law enforcement was posted to keep out looters. Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed, America?

Japan is not a Christian nation as such, yet they embody Christian principles in a way we Americans will never achieve.

I want you to go online to the website of the Mustard Seed Global Fellowship (http:://www.msgf.com). You will find some Ozark Christian College folks doing a great job in planting churches in Japan, and right now they are working at bringing relief to this great land and this great people. Click on the link to the churches, and click on that link to hear sermons. It’s very interesting! Carolyn and I threw a few shekels their way. You might ponder the same!

This is The Voice of One.

Isaiah 40:3

A Frightening Friday Morning

Good Friday! Yes, this is the weekend I've spent all year dreading! Daylight Savings Time (a tool of the devil) kicks in this weekend. So that means when you go to bed Saturday night set your clocks ahead one hour (remember: spring ahead/fall back). Yes, we shall be robbed of an hour of precious sleep. Actually, a lot of folks like Daylight Savings Time so what can we say but welcome to an extra hour of blessed sunshine!

The Mighty Mighty Prayer Warriors of Oak Manor CC have been summoned to arise and lift up industrial strength prayer for so many bad things going on right now. I'm referring, of course, to the horrific news coming out of Japan. Officials are calling it the worst earthquake in Japan since records were kept, and the body count continues to rise. The tsunami is hitting Hawaii and even the west coast of the United States is under the gun as the tsumani arrives on our shores.

Can you imagine the power of something that can send waves of water surging all the way across the Pacific Ocean? Truly, the puny, pathetic power of the hand of man pales in comparison to the hand of God!

I am very happy and relieved to report that folks we know in Japan are checking in and are Ok. Our daughter-in-law Ryoko got through on the phone to her mom this morning. Everyone is Ok, and her brother Muneo has been stuck sleeping in his office because the trains are down.

There is a church planting group from Ozark Christian College operating in Japan. The Mustard Seed group has checked in and they are all right. Team member Brigette Relyea, daughter of missionary Marsha Relyea, reports on her Facebook page: “After the big earthquake, we are all Ok here in Nagoya! But please pray for the people who have been/are being hit by the tsunami on the northeast coast.”

A serviceman on our Military Prayer List, David Kelly in South Korea reports that Korea has been shielded from the quake and tsunami. “Everything is Ok,” he writes. News reports indicate military resources all through the Pacific are on high alert.

Industrial strength prayer is called for! And not just here in the Pacific, but you may be recall missionary Christina Skelton has had to be evacuated from the Ivory Coast in Africa due to civil strife that is ravaging through that country. News reports today indicate the government of disputed President Laurent Gbagbo has banned United Nations and French peacekeeping aircraft from flying in Ivory Coast, as the African Union considers how to resolve the crisis. Christina has been safe so far: more industrial strength prayer is needed!

As all of this is going on, it seems like we are having a political meltdown in this country, which has dominated the news of late as all kinds of rather disconcerting rhetoric is being launched by less than responsible individuals who feed on all the chaos. Yes, more industrial strength prayer is needed!

This is the call. Pray hard!!

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

There are two prime opportunities for all of us to gather together for some pure industrial strength prayer. The first of these is the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group, which kicks off Saturday evening at Dave and Janice’s house at 6pm, Central Standard Time (CST). The second opportunity will come Sunday morning when we gather together for Sunday School action which kicks off at 9am Central Daylight Time (CDT), and our worship services that begin at 10am CDT.

So how about some happy news? Our WISH ladies are hosting a special meeting tomorrow, Saturday March 11^th from 11am to 1pm CST. Special Guest Cheryl Hill is going to be on hand to discuss “New Beginnings.” Ladies! Be there or be square

Pastor Mackster

Ps: How do you know if you’re going to heaven? Can you know if you’re going to heaven? I have the answer for you Sunday morning! I’ll see you then.

I'm In Love With God

I'm in love with God. It's as simple as that.

Ok, so here we are in this world that is cursed and fallen and we are cursed and fallen and wretched in so many ways. We want to be reunited with our Heavenly Dad, but we are just too nasty and naughty to pull it off.

Here's the problem. God, who is perfection, cannot tolerate anything that is imperfect. That's the very nature of God. So when he demands that we, his creatures, also be perfect as he is perfect, well, then, we're in big trouble. We can't do that. We can't pull it off.

Why would God make such a demand of us? Did he intentionally raise the celestial bar too high, so that we cannot help but be left out? Are we striving for our own version of perfection in vain, while God sits back laughing at us knowing we're going to fail?

Well, no.

Ponder, if you will, two aspects of the nature of God. First is the Righteousness of God, the part of God that demands justice. God, being perfection, cannot tolerate even one little itsy bitsy tiny minor sin by one of us, his creatures. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. To accept even one little itsy bitsy tiny minor sin by one of us, his creatures, violates his perfection. Can't be done. So when we do something bad the righteousness of God demands punishment, and will not be denied.

Secondly, however, is the love of God. The love of God demands that even though the creature has really blown it, God and his creature shall be reunited. Period. This love of God will not be denied.

So you see the crisis of the cosmos. How do you punish the creature (the only punishment is the death of the imperfect, flawed creature, by the way) and still be reunited with it? Can't be done. Or can it?

Enter the solution: God knows full well that for us to abide with him forever we must be perfect as he is perfect. God knows full well we can't deliver on that demand. That's where Jesus comes in. Jesus provides the way. So here I am, an imperfect and flawed creature. I must be punished for my sins. Punishment was thereby meted out: on Calvary. Jesus took my punishment for me. Since the punishment for my sins has been delivered, when I meet him then I achieve the perfection that am so horribly lacking in now.

God made a demand I couldn't meet. So he met it for me. Yes, even me.

So I'm in love with God. Now how can I make you in love with him, too?


Pastor Mackster
The Voice of One

I've Got A Date With A Knife!

And it's all Adam's fault!

Well, this is a first. For me, anyway.

You'll recall my misadventures about a month ago when I fell and broke my arm at work. Laid there for half an hour, I did, until a couple of burly dudes came to my rescue and were able to lift me to my feet again. Well, since that time there have sessions of x-rays and an MRI and so now it has all come home to roost. Somewhere around the first of the month your humble servant will report to a surgical center here in town and I will get to experience the joy of rotator cuff surgery. I had the big meeting with the surgeon yesterday.

"So what's with all the horror stories?" I asked Dr. Heinzelmann. "Every time I mention that I'm looking at having this surgery, all of a sudden everybody's eyes light up with glee and they have stories of pain and torture. One guy told me it hurt a friend of his so bad he cried!"

Dr. Heinzelmann had obviously had this talk before. "Look," he explained matter-of-factly. "It's going to hurt. But some people have different levels of pain. Some not so much, some more so." He went on to explain how it is their philosophy to make all this stuff as easy as possible, and he went on to explain some of their methods of dealing with their patients' discomfort. I came away confident that this guy knows what he's doing.

Of course there is a theological point to all this, and it really is being driven home to me. The point is this. It's all Adam's fault!

Remember Adam? He was running around naked with his wife, Eve, when Eve brought him some fruit from a tree that she wasn't supposed to touch. Why in the world would they touch this stuff? Well, it looked yummy. Since then mankind has ingested all kinds of deadly stuff because it looks yummy. Also, the tempter cooed to Eve, they could be like God! Woohoo!

So they munched.

And they died.

And so do we.

Adam's sin (Eve started it all, but it was on Adam's watch so he gets the blame) gave us this horrorfest world we live in. Why do I have to work for a living? Adam! Why am I turning into this old grumpy guy? Adam! Why do I have any number of physical ailments? Adam! And most of all, why was a simple fall on a snowy loading dock enough to make my right arm crippled up without surgery? Adam! The painful rehab I am about to undergo is all because of Adam.

Thanks, Adam. You dork!

I think I'll just cling to Jesus, my Jesus, who will make all this right some day.

Paul put it so well in his missive to the church in Rome:

Rom 5:18-19 ¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Yup, thanks to Adam this grumpy old guy has a date with a knife. But thanks to my Jesus, this young at heart believer has a date with a destiny of glory for all eternity in The Presence of Presences. Thank you, Jesus! My Lord!

Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:

There is a lot going on as we recover from all the cancellations due to the snow and ice storms. Tonight the usual round of Wednesday Night stuff resumes. Then on Thursday Night we see the Ed Marshall Prayer Group. They congregate at the church at 6pm with food, fellowship and industrial strength prayer. On Saturday at 6pm the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group will commence with an agenda featuring more of the same. Our regular monthly board meeting will be held after church on Sunday. Other things are going on, we will advise you of them as the weekend draws near.

Many things are being prayed over by the mighty prayer warriors of Oak Manor, and of course now we need to add your pastor's upcoming surgery. We will update them all on Sunday morning.

The Great Blizzard of 2011

Snow days! Whoa! What week it has been! Record snowfall of historic proportions combined with record cold temps have made this a winter to remember. Or maybe a winter to forget?? There’s nothing like two feet of snow and sub zero temps to really put the kabosh on a southern boy’s spirit! No trash pickup in the city for two weeks now, frozen trash piles up.

But let's not get carried away. I don’t know how it all worked out for you, especially if you have kids cooped up in the house but for Carolyn and I just worked out great! It was just she and I, along with our faithful dog Princess Oreo. The power stayed on, so it was warm and cozy. The TV stayed on, so we had stuff to watch and the internet stayed on so we kept in touch with the world. The pantry was well stocked so we had lots of yummy stuff to eat and so all of this means one thing: it was a time to hit the pause button on life. Time to stop. Sit down. Be quiet. Rest. Snooze a bit. Snow days or not, I think escaping from the hassles of everyday living is something that we all need to do every now and then. Seasons of snoozing and refreshment are good, that way we can hit the hassles of life refreshed and renewed.

Outside was a winter wonderland, and if you’re on my Face Book page you saw poor Oreo literally swimming through two feet of snow in the back yard in a desperate search for adequate bathroom facilities (see above).

So here we are, two days cooped up away from the world and I was ready for more when all of a sudden work reared it’s ugly head for us both. We dug our way out (or Carolyn and the neighbors did, I can’t due to the broken arm) and we escaped back to the land of the living.

I made it in to work.

I guess I was a little grumpy.

Yup. It is winter.

There is a great book that I’ve been reading by Mark Buchannan entitled “Spiritual Rhythm.” It talks about the different seasons in life, likening the times of our lives to the seasons. Interestingly, it started with winter. I read the winter section. I read it again. I read the spring section. I went back to the winter. I haven’t gotten to summer or autumn yet. I don’t feel summer or autumn right now. I feel winter, I long for spring.

In spring or summer stuff is happenings and things are going well and you feel the presence of God: you feel him working in your life and sometimes it is easy to base your faith on this perceived movement of God and the Holy Spirit. But then comes winter and you feel the presence of the Lord no more. Maybe you just can’t see him (probably). Maybe he really has backed off from you. Either way, where once was power and movement is now … nothing.

Buchannan says in winter it is easy for us to not see God. The dangers here are obvious, as it is in winter that faith can be lost. How do we guard against that? Buchannan has the ready answer. You base your faith not on experiential things nor on perceived leanings and actions, but you squarely root your faith in that one solid anchor that we have: Scripture.

Experiences come and experiences go, but the Word of the Lord is eternal. Good times come and good times go, but the Word of the Lord is eternal. Root your faith on The Word. And that, says Buchannan, is Faith.

Closed Circuit for Oak Manorites:

Winter is hitting us all a hard one. At this point it appears that we will have services on Sunday, but the Board Meeting scheduled for this time and the potluck dinner is on hold for at least a week.

Also on hold this week is the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group. All of the above will probably happen next week.

I would pass on just a couple of our many prayer concerns. Dean Davis had his cataract surgery this past week, so far so good. Janice Whitmire’s dad, Archie fell. He has a black eye and some bruises. Doctors say his diabetes is affecting his balance, and lately he falls easily. Jackie Linzy's surgery is on hold. My appointment with the surgeon has been rescheduled to Monday. I’m afraid of what all he’s going to have in store for me, but on the other hand I’m ready to git r done!

So much more that we are praying about, we’ll update them Sunday morning. I’ll see you then!

Pastor Mackster