"600"

 

“600”

 

600 is a prominent number in several areas including….

Sports:

*9 Major Leaguers have amassed 600+ career homers. 

*18 players have accumulated 600+ doubles.

*2 pitchers (Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman) are credited with 600+ saves.

*22 National Hockey League players have scored 600+goals.

*Tom Brady is the only pro football quarterback to throw for 600+ touchdowns.

 

Scripture (600 appears 65 times):

*Noah was 600 years old when the Great Flood began (Genesis 7:6).

*Pharaoh used 600 chariots to pursue the Israelites after they left Egypt (Exodus 14:7).

*Shamgar (an obscure judge of Israel) killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad (Judges 3:31).

 

General occurrences:

*600 is considered a poor credit rating.

*600 is the maximum overall score in the Army Combat Fitness Test.

*600 key is a generic reference for different types of lock and key usage.

 

Events in 1426 (600 years ago):

*Several battles in the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) between England and France.

*England’s “Parliament of Bats” met to resolve a power struggle. No dangerous weapons were allowed so participants armed themselves with bats and clubs.

*London Bridge’s reconstruction included a new drawbridge to better reach ports.

*The University of Louvain was founded in Belgium.

This is Article #600 since I began putting thoughts from Scripture, history, sports, life’s experiences (mine and those of others) and other sources on line and on paper 12 years ago. I had no clue that God would allow me to continue by providing ideas that impacted me and hopefully others. I thank Him and Karen, my accountability partner whose input has proven invaluable, for encouragement in these efforts. My prayer continues to be “May the words of my mouth (and pen) and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14).

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Faking Fearlessness"

 

“Faking Fearlessness”

 

In the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The King and I” the governess Anna sings this familiar song to her son:

“Whenever I feel afraid I hold my head erect

And whistle a happy tune So no one will suspect I’m afraid.

 

While shivering in my shoes I strike a careless pose

And whistle a happy tune And no one ever knows I’m afraid.

 

The result of this deception Is very strange to tell

For when I fool the people I fear I fool myself as well…

 

Make believe you’re brave And the trick will take you far

You may be as brave As you make believe you are.”

 

Many people (including Christians) try to mask their emotions by faking fearlessness and “putting on a happy face” while our insides are churning. So how do we deal with fear? King David admitted it and knew where to turn when he wrote, “When I am afraid, I will trust in (God).” (Psalm 56:3). This was his response when fear threatened him and ought to be ours as well.

Many times in God’s Word we’re told not to fear, (Confession time: In an earlier posting I repeated something I’d seen on line that “Fear not” appears 365 times in Scripture without verifying it from other sources. I rechecked it for this article and found that it occurs only 71 times in the KJV—other versions vary widely—and even if similar thoughts and phrases are included the total is about 110-115. Still a large number but nowhere near one for each day.  So learn from me to check statements’ accuracy before citing them as facts.)

So learn from me to check statements’ accuracy before citing them as facts.) Paul assured his young coworker that “…God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). Our Heavenly Father has provided us with resources to win the battle over fear (“…Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”—Isaiah 41:10) but it’s up to us to put them into practice.

 

So let’s forget about whistling happy tunes and putting on happy faces and face, not fake, our struggles and “…trust and not be afraid.” (Isaiah 12:2)

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"When Ponzi Met His Match"

 

“When Ponzi Met His Match”

 

According to Wikipedia a Ponzi scheme is “a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors”. The largest and best known of these fraudulent systems was masterminded by Bernie Madoff in which he bilked clients out of millions of dollars over many years, much of which has never been found or recovered. He was imprisoned in 2009 and died in 2021 while incarcerated.

I was a member of our church fellowship’s board in the 1990’s when we invested in the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy which we soon learned was a Ponzi scheme. Many Christian ministries were caught up in it and faced bankruptcy. But God was at work. The judge handling the case in the Philadelphia area was a committed Christian and leaders of most of the affected organizations formed a coalition called The United Response to New Era. So rather than a myriad of individual court cases costing millions in legal fees the case was settled in 1996 with about 90% of the funds returned to investors.

The outcome of this scandal shows the value of cooperation. Had the impacted organizations adopted an “every man for himself” approach the results would likely have been much different. But God’s people applied a principle He set forth some 3500 years ago when He said to the Israelites, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.” (Leviticus 26:8). He’s teaching us that much more can be accomplished by working together than separately. Ministries and charities would do well to put this truth into practice—it would save much time, effort and money.

Jesus’ friend and apostle commands His followers to “…live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as (brothers and sisters), be compassionate and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8). Ponzi met his match as God’s people saw themselves as colleagues rather than competitors, worked together and God received the glory. His ways still work and always will—but only as we put them into practice. Are we ready to do so?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"A Few More Epigrams"

 

“A Few More Epigrams”

 

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of anyone else.” Charles Dickens. (“Carry one another’s burdens and so live out the law of Christ.”—Galatians 6:2, PH).

“One can follow Jesus personally but not privately.” Mike Harrell. (“…Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”—1 Peter 2:21).

“Money isn’t everything but it’s way ahead of whatever’s in second place.” Sign in a high school guidance counselor’s office. (“Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness.”—Ecclesiastes 5:10, NLT).

“What you sow is what you grow.” Faith Media. (“Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow.”—Galatians 6:7, NLT).

“We know that a fool and his/her money are soon parted, but how did they ever get together in the first place?” E.C. Mckenzie. (“…Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge {people} into ruin and destruction.”—1 Timothy 6:9, NASB).

“Our wives tell us things we don’t want to hear and the maddening thing is they’re usually right.” Harland MacFetrich. (“…You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.”—1 Peter 3:7, NLT).

“Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” William Penn. (“What does the Scripture say?”—Romans 4:3).

“The credit card has created an American first—instant debt.” J. Veneziale. (“Keep out of debt altogether, except that perpetual debt of love which we owe one another.”—Romans 13:8, PH).

Solomon wrote, “The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.” (Proverbs 10:19, TM). These and other pithy statements say a lot in a few words. We’d do well to follow his advice to “…let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Hand-Me-Downs"

 

“Hand-Me-Downs”

 

In the mid-20^th century popular Youth Evangelist Don Lonie traveled widely speaking in high school assemblies, teen rallies, churches and on military bases bringing God’s message of hope to young people. He used humor, irony and Scripture to communicate with high schoolers and others in ways they could understand. One story he told was that as the youngest of six siblings he got a lot of “hand-me-downs” which he didn’t appreciate because, in his words, “The other five were girls!” That must have been quite a sight!

“Hand-me-downs” refers to items, primarily clothing, received from older siblings, cousins and friends which they’d grown out of. As the older brother things I could no longer wear were passed down to my brother and from there (if they weren’t threadbare) to others. Some churches and community groups collect clothing as well as toys and other articles to exchange with each other. In many places thrift stores recycle donations to support social causes and home yard sales help dispose of unwanted and unneeded doodads. As the old saying reminds us, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

I’d never thought about my faith as a “hand-me-down” but recently I realized that Scripture encourages me to “hand it down” to others. For example….

*”Always be ready with a reply for anyone who calls you to account for the hope you cherish….” (1 Peter 3:15, Moffatt).

*”Everything that you have heard me (i.e. Paul) teach in public you should in turn entrust to reliable (people), who will be able to pass it on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:2, PH).

*All of you set free by God, tell the world!” (Psalm 107:2, TM).

*”Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4).

(Emphasis added throughout.)

We’re to hand our faith down locally through our witness and world-wide as we participate in and support missions work. But our “hand-me-down” faith is to begin at home with our children and grandchildren. In Deuteronomy 6:7 we’re told to “Impress (God’s commandments) on (your) children.” by ”(Pointing) our kids in the right direction –when they are old they won’t be lost.” (Proverbs 22:6, TM). Many of us are praying for our next generations to walk in or return to God’s ways—let’s never stop! God’s promises are sure and He’ll deliver.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Leftovers"

 

“Leftovers”

 

During the summer a Christian conference center in Upstate New York held a Friday night smorgasbord followed by a musical program. A staff member told me that the buffet was largely made up of leftovers from the week’s meals but presented in an attractive way. This was a win-win situation in which food waste was minimal and fellowship was provided for the attendees.

Since we became empty nesters Karen often prepares casseroles and other culinary delights as she did when Dave and Kristie were at home but saves half to enjoy a few days later or freezes them for future meals. In my mind they’re not leftovers in the usual sense but a second time to savor them.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading Malachi, the final message from God for more than four centuries. The prophet’s message was the sinfulness of God’s people by ignoring or distorting His commands. One shortcoming was their giving God their “leftovers”. In Malachi 1 God says that the priests had despised His name by bringing blind and diseased animals for sacrifices which the governor wouldn’t accept (Verse 8). In other words, they took what they wanted for their own use and expected God to receive their “leftovers”. How often have we (I) acted similarly with our (my) resources?

About 600 years previously God said this through Solomon: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then he will fill your barns with grain and the vats will overflow with the finest wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10, NLT, emphasis added). The king was using agricultural terms because it was the basis of the nation’s economy in which the first and best part of the harvest was to be brought to God (“Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.”—Exodus 23:19) Today this principle reminds us that God’s portion of our income  is to come off the top, not from the bottom after we’ve taken care of our needs and desires. As we learn this we’ll see the “Then” part of Proverbs 3:9-10 at work in our lives. A hymn that was a favorite of our Youth Group years ago (but hasn’t been included in hymnals I’ve seen since the late 1950’s) contains the words “Our talents may be few, These may be small, But unto Him is due Our best, our all.” So let’s accept the challenge to give God our best, not our leftovers.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

 

 

"Hidden Miracles"

 

“Hidden Miracles”

 

An elder in our New Hampshire church once asked if he could bring a Sunday message to the congregation. His topic was “Hidden Miracles” from Deuteronomy 29:5: “During the forty years that I (i.e. Moses as God’s chosen instrument) led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.” My friend then went on to describe how God met the needs of 2-3 million people who’d left Egypt and journeyed to the brink of entering Canaan, the “Promised Land”. We’re familiar with the “big miracles” like crossing the Red Sea, provision of manna and water from rocks but he called our attention to the overlooked ones like the one cited above, most of which aren’t mentioned: wood for fires for cooking and warmth, food for the many animals and disposal of trash to name a few. Think of Jesus’ miracles: the Gospels specifically tell of about 37 but John closes his account of Christ’s life and deeds with “Jesus did many other things as well.” (John 21:25). We don’t know the number of His “hidden miracles” but each one was a blessing to those who experienced them.

Just as we have no way of knowing the magnitude of Jesus’ works (“If every one of them were written down…the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”—John 21:25) we can’t comprehend the extent of the “hidden miracles” in our lives. We can point to His unexpected provision in times of need, deliverance through circumstances which appeared to be hopeless, physical healings and other incidents which we can only describe as divine interventions. But have we thought about how many “misfortunes” we’ve likely been delivered from without our realizing it? For example, I visited in countless hospitals and care facilities for more than 50 years as a pastor and chaplain but I can’t think of a single time I became ill from being exposed to anything that posed potential danger, including during the height of the COVID crisis. To God goes praise!  

As I drive around town I’ve seen people run red lights and stop signs seconds before I got to an intersection. (Our 55++++ community is notorious for ignoring stop signs—I’ve almost been clobbered more than once.) So before putting the car in gear it’s a good idea to pray for alertness and protection. And thank God for His “hidden miracles”.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan