Don’t Miss Out!

I left my big screen TV on and tuned in most of the day Saturday to the Fox News Channel.  I knew that they had been advertising all-day coverage of the 4^th of July, America 250 Celebrations in and around our nation’s capital and New York City… To which I admit… I’ve always enjoyed a good parade and especially those where our military is showcased… and I must say… from my point of view… the promised “best ever” celebrations did NOT disappoint!

My apartment is pretty small, so practically everywhere I went in it, I had a good view of the TV.  So… throughout the day, I found myself standing in awe of audacious F35C stealth fighters flying low over the Hudson River amazing the thousands of excited spectators that lined both sides of the river in New York and New Jersey, the parade of majestic tall ships and the all-day long formational flyovers of military planes, helicopters and demonstrations of the precision parachuting teams like the US Army Golden Knights.

Then after going to my son’s house for a family gathering that showcased delicious smoked pork ribs for dinner, I returned home to watch President Trump’s uplifting, patriotic, highly motivating and tear provoking* 4^th of July speech on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., followed by the largest and longest fireworks display that I have ever seen… and I guess the same could be said for anyone who observed it, as it was said to have broken the Guinness World Record for the largest amount of fireworks discharged**

From my humble point of view… it was a well-planned and orchestrated, large-scale event that emanated excitement and patriotism… that should have pumped up the pride of every American citizen in our great country… I know that it sure did in me and my family!  But alas… it would seem that not everyone felt the same sentiments concerning the event.  Many mainstream media outlets tended to highlight and point out… what they felt were… the many negative aspects of yesterday’s events… that had begun the night before at Mount Rushmore.

What I observed last night, as the various cameras panned throughout the thousands of people who had returned following the need to evacuate the outside venue when a powerful thunderstorm came through…*** was excited and boisterous men, women, boys and girls of every ethnicity, gathering in unity as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves while they sang, laughed, danced and embraced each other while they celebrated the 250^th Anniversary of America… which has aptly been known as the World’s Great Melting Pot!

The televised celebrations that were seen across the globe, highlight my personal picture of living the Christian faith… I was thinking late last week about my Christian conversion experience back in the early ‘70’s.  For me it wasn’t just a reckoning of my failures and sins and the receiving of Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord… but maybe more importantly to me… the realization that I didn’t want to miss out on any part of what I considered to be the very tangible, hands-on and outrageous excitement of a life fully yielded to Christ and the truth of His Word!

I was pretty tired when I got home on Saturday night and turned on the TV just to catch a recap of the evening’s 4^th of July events from Washington.  I didn’t know that the night’s events had been through a rain delay and were just beginning to reconvene.  And you know… after a few minutes, I forgot about how tired I was and could not move away from watching what I was enjoying that was unfolding before my eyes.  I realized that it was so exciting and meaningful to me… that I didn’t want to miss a single moment!

And as I alluded to already… that was the perfect example of how my wife and I lived and taught the Christian faith!  I think the Apostle Paul would have agreed wholeheartedly with me.  You would have to agree that he lived a pretty unusually exciting life.  Sure, he had some hardships... but he always downsized those experiences in comparison to the activities he shared with his “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”  God!****

Paul encouraged the young Pastor Timothy in his letters to him to.

“Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11 / The Message)

And as Timothy ran in the Faith to,

“Overcome every form of evil (hardship, discouragement, hopelessness or even potential bouts of depression) as a victorious soldier of Jesus the Anointed One.” (2Timothy 2:3 / The Passion)

The senior, highly experienced Apostle Paul, who is credited with writing almost half of the New Testament, was telling his student to live his Christian life to the fullest extent of all the blessings, wisdom and support that is incorporated into the Word of God.  Using one of my favorite phrases… Paul was teaching Timothy to “EXPECT GOD’S BEST” every day of his life… from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until he shut them at night!

Is that how you start your day each morning?  Is that the way you walk out of your front door every day?  Are you at the place in your life where you… like Paul… don’t want to miss out on any of God’s powerful, supernaturally charged adventures in Faith?

Let me encourage you… If Not… Why not?  What do you have to lose?  For when you live this highly EXPECTANT kind of Christianity… you’ll suddenly find yourself enjoying a much fuller and satisfying quality of life and then… just possibly… hear yourself saying another favorite expression of mine throughout your daily activities… mainly…  “Gee, this stuff really works!”

Have a great week as you remember the exciting, visually stimulating and patriotic stirring 4^th of July fireworks in Washington DC… as well as those right outside your windows!  And… to start making some fresh memories as you become a source of fireworks-like excitement to others… while living your Christian life before them!

 

*When he honored different American heroes, each over 100 years old and their very courageous acts of bravery on the various battlefields of Europe and the South Pacific during World War II.

**Although not yet verified by Guinness World Records (who had official representatives present at last night’s display).

*** Only to dissipate long enough for the president’s speech and fantastic fireworks display… (was that the hand of God or not?) and believe me… I’m not much for fireworks… but that display had my 100 % attention and pleasure!

****Ephesians 3:20 - KJV