Annie

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Last evening Timothy and I went to the Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville, Indiana, to see the musical, Annie.  We are celebrating our 44th (!) anniversary this week and this was a delightful way to do so.  The story derives from the comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, which debuted in 1924; then a radio show began in 1930, and in 1932 film adaptations were made.  I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the entire TV movie, so I don’t know how closely the play follows that story line.  But what surprised me from this rendition was how markedly the Annie story speaks to the political/economic climate of the period—the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

The billionaire tycoon, Oliver Warbucks (republican), is losing money and he blames the existing democratic government (President Roosevelt) for his troubles.  In this rags to riches story, Warbucks invites 11-year-old Annie from a local NYC orphanage to spend Christmas in his home—an effort to bless an underprivileged child.  Instead, Annie blesses Warbucks and his household with her marvelous spirit of optimism, bringing smiles and happiness to everyone around her.  Warbucks “falls in love” with the child and, after some difficulty, adopts her.

So the repeating theme of the musical is expressed in Annie’s words this way:

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!
I love ya, Tomorrow.
You’re always a day away!

In other words, regardless of the pain of today, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.  This is illustrated in the “fairytale” adoption of Annie by Warbucks.  In the play the not-too-with-it, not-too-creative thinker, FDR (democrat) is able to help Warbucks (republican) realize his dream of adopting Annie.  Along the way FDR, with cheerful suggestions from Annie, manages to stumble on to a New Deal, promising economic recovery for the U.S., as well.  So everyone wins: the tomorrows realize all the joys of “happily ever after.”

Will my sorrows resolve into “happily ever after” in the tomorrows?  I wait and pray.  “Tomorrow” has many meanings, and I am thankful that one of them can be that of heaven.  Last night I felt that I could grasp a little more truly the reality of heaven and the joy it promises: the hope that all tears will be wiped way and only happiness and good will remain.  It’s easy to view heaven rather as a sweet fairytale, but faith declares it is not.

Tomorrow, tomorrow!
There’s hope for tomorrow.
For Jesus awaits me there.

jlt

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The Church Alphabet — Salvation

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Click here to read article:  SALVATION

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My Father

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Thomas W. Thomas

Today would have been my father’s 95 birthday.  He has been in heaven for 15 years.  He was born toward the end of World War I and grew up in the 1920’s and 1930’s.  His early years were spent as an apprentice to a car dealership in Johannesburg where he repaired broken car seats and windows and other aspects of car trim.  Later, he did the same kind of work for the South African Railways.  An encounter with God led him and Mother into the world of Child Evangelism and then into pastoring within the Church of the Nazarene–first in South Africa, then in Canada and the United States.

I often wonder about definitive motivations in a life such as his.  What pushed him on?  What pulled him on?

I am sure that one of his great “motivators” was the verse:  ” . . . I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14 NIV) .

Father believed that things could be better.  So in spite of times of discouragement, he kept pressing on.  He advanced the Kingdom of God wherever he went.  Some examples: He knew how to make something out of little or nothing; he cared for broken people; he preached the Word regularly and in the early days both in English and Afrikaans; he visited lonely people; he transported the poor and the young to church; and  he fixed everything around the home and church that need to be repaired.

He was an example.  Not a perfect one; but a good one.

I was privileged to know that he loved me.

TLT

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Wrestling with Truth — July 15 2012

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

EZEKIEL and GOD’S GLORY

We considered Ezekiel’s visions and observations:

  • Chapter 1:  Describes a special “machine” or “entity” which is characterized by power, movement, lights, wheels, a raised platform, and a throne.  It seems to be a picture of God’s glory, his omnipresence, and his rapid movement.
  • Chapter 8:  Ezekiel’s return to Jerusalem where he sees many evils in the temple: idolatry in the temple, the image of jealousy (v. 5); the worship of idols and pictures (v. 7); the worship of the Babylonian fertility god, Tammuz (v. 14).
  • Chapter 10—The glory of the Lord departs from the temple.
  • Chapter 11:16-20—The return of God’s glory is promised.
  • Chapter 43:1-5—God’s glory returns.

DEFINITIONS of GLORY:

  • Westminster shorter catechism:   Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever.
  • Col 1:27:   . . . Christ in you, the hope of glory.
  • God’s glory:  The reality of the true nature of God.
  • Humanity’s glory:  Humanness when it truly reflects the image of God.

SONGS:

You might enjoy this song about the “wheels in Ezekiel” which we listened to:  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f69SLJPNRU)

We also listened to “He’s the Lord of Glory” by Phyllis C Spiers.  Here are the words to the chorus:

He’s the Lord of Glory, He is the great I Am
He’s the Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the end
His name is Wonderful, The Prince of Peace is He
The everlasting Father, Throughout eternity.

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The Church Alphabet — Repentance

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Click here to read article: Repentance

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Wrestling with Truth — July 8, 2012

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

TEARS

Jeremiah delineates the events leading up to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem described in Lamentations 1.

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.  (Jeremiah 52:12-16 ESV)

We considered the question:  “Why do people cry?” and then reviewed examples of weeping in the Old Testament (Jeremiah) and the New Testament (Paul, Jesus).

We looked at verses from Revelation (7:17 and 21:3-5) which speak of the end of weeping.  ” . . . God will wipe away every tear from their eyes . . . ”

OBSERVATION

(Lam 4:1-2 NIV)  How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. {2} How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!

The sons and daughters of Jerusalem have been scattered and trampled underfoot.  Their golden beauty is destroyed by sin and depravity.  They are now useless!  They are not what God created them to be!

(Zec 14:20-21 NIV)  On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. {21} Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them.

Zechariah, however, tells of a day coming when these broken vessels can be restored to their original, created intention as children of God. They can be made gold again and stamped with the label HOLY TO THE LORD. The sanctified jars of clay become again golden vessels for use on God altar and in his holy work of redemption.  This is indeed our hope!

TLT

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Wrestling with Truth — July 1, 2012

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

HEART
(the message of Jeremiah and Ezekiel)

We addressed the topic of how people can be changed and how people’s hearts need to be transformed.

THE PROBLEM

(Jer 17:1 NIV)  Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts . . .

(Jer 17:9 NIV)  The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

THE SOLUTION

(Jer 31:33 NIV)  “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

(Ezek 36:26 NIV)  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

(Psa 51:7 NIV)  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

(Psa 51:10 NIV)  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

A great song to remember:

Give me a love that knows no ill
Give me the grace to do thy will
Pardon and cleanse this soul of mine
Give me a heart like Thine

Come to my soul blessed Jesus
Hear me Oh Saviour Divine
Open the fountain and cleanse me
Give me a heart like Thine
–Judson W. van Deventer

TLT

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The Church Alphabet — Quiet

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Click here to read article:  QUIET

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The Church Alphabet — Priesthood of Believers

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Click here to read article: PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS


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Wrestling with Truth — June 24, 2012 — Come

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Hillside Laughter

Taughannock Falls, New York

Today, in the Wrestling with Truth Adult Bible Fellowship, we addressed the great passage of evangelistic invitation from Isaiah 55.

(Isa 55:1-2 NIV)  “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. {2} Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

  • What is being sold?
  • Who is selling it?
  • How can it be available to all?
  • How can it be free?
  • What does the water represent?

We also mentioned other great “water” passages such as:

  • Ezekiel 47:1-12–The river from the temple
  • Revelation 22:1-2; 22:17–The river of life
  • John 4:1-26–Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman
  • John 7:37-38–Jesus teaches at the feast

My mother used to preach a sermon entitled SO HO NO GO LO which included the invitation from Isaiah 55.  Its main points were:

  • John 3:16, “For God SO loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal life.”
  • Isaiah 55:1, “HO, every one who thirsts, come to the waters and drink.”
  • Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”
  • Mark 16:15: “GO into all the world and preach the gospel.”
  • Matthew 28:20, “And LO, I am with you always to the end of the age.

TLT

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