The Savior's Birth

Here we are at the time of year when the birth of Jesus Christ is commonly celebrated.  One of the most pertinent scriptures regarding that event is found is Matthew 1:21:

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Amid all the hoopla and misdirected celebration, don't forget that the mere fact of his birth (miraculous as it was) did not accomplish that saving.  A better place to contemplate that aspect is found in the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.  

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.   He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.   Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Now, if you just skipped over the scripture above, which is increasingly likely in this age when it seems that people are fleeing the oppressively long Blog in favor of the quicker (and necessarily  shallower) Twitter, then I urge you to reconsider.  Take a few minutes to read and contemplate what Christ endured as the sacrifice for sins.  If you can't take the time, I understand ...just pray that the one who poured out his soul unto death will understand why a little last minute shopping was more important.

Kaya on Job

Recently my granddaughter Kaya was presented with the task of completing a written essay test for her freshman Theology class at Southwest Christian High School.  The following is what she wrote.  Keep in mind that this was a classroom test, not a homework assignment.  I am very proud of her!

A little over four years ago I published the first  ever "guest post" on my blog.  It was a short piece by one of my daughters called "Our Medicated Society".  As it happens, this "second ever" guest post was written by her daughter.  It would appear that she is following in her mother's footsteps in writing prowess.


Job is a book of The Bible about a man who is righteous in the eyes of God. God wants to prove Job's faith to Satan, so He allows Satan to test Job. Job loses everything he has and all of his children die. His first instinct is to praise God. It takes great faith to be able to worship right after something terrible happens to you, but that's the kind faith Job had. We should have this kind of faith too. We need to be able to stand firm in our faith when everyone and everything is going wrong around us, and that is the theme of my essay.

Standing firm in our faith is one of the most important things about our lives as Christians. If someone around us is doing something wrong we need to be able to hold ourselves accountable, and not fall into the sin ourselves. Satan will try to tempt us, and he knows exactly how to get every one of us to sin. He knows what our weaknesses are. But the difference between God testing Job, or us, and Satan tempting us is that God longs for us to pass His test. Satan desires for us to fail. Standing firm in your faith in every situation means that you don't let Satan tempt you enough that you fall. You don't give in to the sin. The definition of 'standing firm' according to dictionary.com is, "1. stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something, 2. refuse to abandon one's opinion or belief." This is what we need to do. We need to resist Satan and the human urge to sin, and we must refuse to abandon our beliefs no matter who is trying to get us to give up on them.

For Job, his friends and his wife all urged him to give up on God. Job 2:9 says, "9 Then his wife said, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." Job's wife was the first one who tried to get him to abandon his beliefs in God. For us it may not be a wife, since we aren't married yet, but it could be a best friend, a boyfriend, or maybe even another family member. These are some of the people that have the most influence on us, and they are the ones who may cause us to stumble in our hope of 'standing firm'. When it's someone we are close with who is tempting us, it's a lot harder to say no to them. But Job did, and I think this was a moment when his faith really shone through him. He tells his wife that what she said was not okay and she should be ashamed because of how foolish it was. Where this response is found is in Job 2:10. It says,"10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job said these things because he was NOT going to falter in his faith, not even because that's what his wife wanted. By telling her that, and saying those things, he didn't stumble at all. He stood firm, didn't give in, and did not sin.

This theme reveals much about God's character, His eternal sovereignty, and human suffering. What it shows about God's character is that, he will test us, but since he wants us to pass the test he won't push us past what we can handle. He knows what we can handle because he is omniscient. He knows all. He knows exactly what would cause us to sin, and what our limits are, and he would never cause us to fall into sin because he loves us way too much to see us fall. What it shows of His eternal sovereignty is that, He is bigger than everything Job went through, and he ultimately has the say in what goes and what doesn't. Satan couldn't have done all this to Job without God's permission. What it shows about human suffering is that above it all, God has full control over the situation. If you stay faithful and 'stand firm' throughout the suffering He WILL reward you greatly. Job didn't ever sin by cursing God, he didn't waver in faith when his wife wanted him to or when he was with his friends. He stayed true to who he was in The Lord, and he was rewarded in the end. God restored him and rewarded him with twice as much riches, animals, and wealth as he had had before. He and his wife bore the same amount of children as they had had before. Job was fully renewed. All thanks to God's love, power, and grace in suffering.

In closing, I just want to remind everyone that this is how we should react during time of great need or suffering. We need to stand firm in our faith like Job did, no matter what is going on around us, and no matter who we are with at the moment. If we can't stay strong and true to our faith when we're with a certain friend or we're going through a tough time or situation, then our faith simply is not strong enough. We need it to be as strong as possible because we will be tempted and tested at some point if we haven't been already. God needs to be our strong foundation which will make our faith so much stronger. If you don't have a strong enough foundation on God you need to get to know Him, because standing firm and not giving in for God's glory is even greater than you can imagine.

A Day of Thanksgiving

A Psalm of praise.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
(Psalm 100)

We I have much to be thankful for (I will not presume to speak for everyone).  Good health, a beautiful loving wife, a wonderful family who nearly all claim Christ as Lord and Savior (and live like they mean it), and a business that never seems to lack for work.  Add to that a good doctrinally solid church with a equally good doctrinally solid pastor.  Add to that a great place to live in the country.  Add to that food and clothing enough that I never go hungry or cold.  Add to that a dog who is the best dog ever (and possibly the smartest).  And that is only the tip of the iceberg!

Indeed Jehovah, he is God, and I am very thankful to be one of the sheep of his pasture for he is good. And I am so thankful that his mercy is everlasting, because I, more than most, am a debtor to that mercy!

Big Stroker from the Past

I recently acquired a copy of a 1960 Hot Rod Magazine. I purchased it on-line because the description mentioned that it contained an article on a Harley drag bike.  1960? - Check.  Harley? - Check.   Drag bike? - Check!  Yep, sounded like it was right up my alley, and worth the price of admission just to see whose vintage drag bike it was.  A few bucks and a few days later I was pleasantly surprised.  Stan Dishong!  Truly one of the pioneers and innovators of the sport.  Here are a few highlights:

 

 Heliarc welded and low mounted fuel and oil tanks were certainly unusual for 1960, as was the fiberglass rear fender/seat combo

 

 

 

Knuckle engine was brought out to 100 cubic inches via custom built cylinders and flywheels.  Bore was 3-9/16" with a stroke of 5"

 

One of the coolest aspects was the starting system - a set of rollers powered by an Indian twin

 

 

 

Stan Dishong will be a familiar name to even freshman students of early drag racing history.  Stan was definitely not shy about trying out new ideas, and from what I have seen he always executed them with beautiful workmanship. His partner and fellow fabricator on this particular bike was Terry Hines .  As you may guess, pump driven fuel injection is used, which explains the low mounted tank.  The article suggests that the engine could be converted from 16:1 compression ratio for use with alcohol, over to 9:1 when using nitro.  In other words, a crazy compression ratio for use with a sane fuel, and sane compression ratio for use with a crazy fuel!  Makes perfect sense to me. (no - really, it does)

The Sign of Jonah

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Matthew 12:38-41

  The story of Jonah and the whale is one that many of us will remember from our youth.  The book of Jonah is only four short chapters, so it is fairly easy to summarize.  Jonah was called upon by God to go to the city of Nineveh to call them to repentance for their wickedness.  Jonah did not want to obey God in this matter so he got onto a ship to sail away in another direction.  But God sent a storm that threatened to sink the ship, which ultimately led to Jonah being cast overboard so that the crew might survive.

Then God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, which, after he had cried out to God, delivered Jonah onto dry land so that he could fulfill his missionary journey to Nineveh. 

Today I would like to consider Jonah from the prospective of what Jesus had to say about him in the book of Matthew. 

First of all, let’s consider the context in which Jesus brings up Jonah’s trial at the hand (mouth?) of the whale.  Just before these scribes and Pharisees (leaders of the Jewish people) asked Jesus to show them a sign, he had healed a man with a withered hand.  That caused the Pharisees to hold a council on how they might do away with him.  Next Jesus went away and great multitudes followed him.  The Bible says that he healed them all.  Then Jesus cast out a devil from a person causing him to regain his speech and his eyesight. When the Pharisees heard of that, they concluded that Jesus had done this miracle by the power of Satan.  Now if all these other signs were not enough, Jesus "read their minds" and lectured them about what was wrong with what they had been thinking.  So is it any wonder that when they followed this up by asking for a sign, that he was a bit short with what could only be considered to be a insolent request?

I like what Matthew Henry says this about the passage: “Signs were granted to those who desired them for the confirmation of their faith, as to Abraham and Gideon; but were denied to those who demanded them for the excuse of their unbelief.”

The sign of the prophet Jonah;  as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  Now, not only is this statement a prophecy of what would soon happen to him,  Jesus makes it abundantly clear that Jonah being swallowed by a whale was a “type” or picture of the gospel.  The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, was foreshadowed right there in the Old Testament. 

Jonah was cast into the sea to suffer the wrath of God so that others would not perish.  In Jonah’s case the others were the sailors who had been idolaters, but before the storm ceased were calling out to Jehovah.  In like manner, Jesus suffered the wrath of God on the cross to save sinners of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.

Jonah was “buried” in the belly of a whale for 3 days.  Jesus spent a corrsponding amount of time in the grave.  Jonah was spit out of the Whale’s mouth alive, resulting in the repentance and salvation of the city of Nineveh.  That picture was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead, resulting in countless numbers coming to salvation through repentance and faith.

Jesus said that what happened to Jonah was a sign.  Do you suppose Jonah may have told his story of deliverance from three days in the belly of a whale as part of his preaching to the people of Nineveh?   If they accepted his message, then certainly they must have understood that Jonah's deliverance from the whale was a sign of God’s mercy. 

The same is true of the preaching of the cross.  It is Christ's resurrection from the dead which is the ultimate sign that is given that we might believe!  It is the sign by which we may know that God the Father has accepted the sacrifice which Jesus made on the cross for our sins.  If you believe it, then surely you must understand that the resurrection is a sign of God’s mercy to you.

Almost 30 Years Ago...

Due to a series of unforeseen and insignificant events (too insignificant to mention here), I came upon a published class breakdown for the HDRA (Harley Drag Racing Association) circa 1985.  This was from back in the good old days when Red Roberts owned and operated the HDRA.  Though titled 1986 Classes, I think these are the same classifications that were used in 1985 (at least they are in regards to the class I was involved in back then).  As far as I know the 1986 HDRA national tour did not take place due to circumstances beyond Red's control. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the publication this came from, so I cannot give proper credit.  I offer it only in the interest of presenting a little drag racing history to those of the younger generation who care about such things, and to jog a few good memories for those of my generation.

1986 Classes

Professional Categories

Open Fuel Eliminator: Will consist of (double engine supercharged) (single engine supercharged nitro) (fuel injected single engine nitro) (carbureted single engine 2 speed nitro) (light nitrous oxide dragbikes, under 425 lbs for sportsters, under 500 lbs for big twins)

Hot Dragster Eliminator: Will consist of (carbureted single engine high gear nitro) (double engine gas or alcohol) (supercharged single engine gas or alcohol) (fuel injected gas or alcohol)

Dragster Eliminator: Will consist of (carbureted gas or alcohol 94” & up)

 

Sportsman Categories

Street Eliminator

Class A: 45”Harley; 2 and 3 wheeled 45” powered motorcycles modifications unlimited

Class B: Handshift FL; Any hand shift foot clutch 74, tank shift, jockey shift, or slap shift, Any engine or chassis modification allowed as long as 74” is retained, must be street legal.

Class C: Handshift Stroker; Any hand shift foot clutch big twin over 74”, modifications unlimited as long as it remains street legal.

Class D: Stock XL; Harley Sportsters close enough to stock as to not have a distinct advantage over a normal street stocker.  Any pipes allowed.  Harley carburetor only.  6” maximum swing arm extension.  Must have all equipment needed to pass state inspection & electrical charging system.

Class E: Hot Street XL; Harley Sportsters with performance modifications including light chassis or late model double carburetor XR-1000 models. 72 cubic inch maximum.  Must have all equipment needed to pass state inspection & electrical charging system.

Class F: Street Racer XL; Harley Sportsters over 72”.  Must have operable headlight and taillight, normally aspirated only.

Class G: Super Street XL; Harley Sportsters with fuel injection, nitrous kits, turbo or superchargers, must have operable headlight and taillight.

Class J: Stock FL; Harley 74’s close enough to stock as to not have a distinct advantage over a stock 74.  Any pipes allowed.  Harley carburetor only, 6” maximum swing arm extension.  Must have all equipment needed to pass state inspection & electrical charging system.

Class K: Hot Street FL; Big Twins that are 1340cc and highly modified 74” bikes.  Must have all equipment needed to pass state inspection & electrical charging system.

Class L: Street Racer FL; Big Twins over 80”.  Must have operable headlight and taillight, normally aspirated only.

Class M: Super Street FL; Big Twins with fuel injection, nitrous kits, turbo or superchargers, must have operable headlight and taillight.

Modified Eliminator

Class H: Drag Modified XL; Sportster dragbikes under 74”

Class I: X Drag Modified XL; Sportster dragbikes 75” to 93”

Class P: Super Modified XL; Sportster dragbikes with nitrous oxide kits, superchargers, or turbochargers, minimum weight 426 lbs.

Class N: Drag Modified FL; Big twin dragbikes under 82”

Class O: X Drag Modified FL; Big Twin dragbikes 83” to 93”

Class R: Super Modified FL; Big Twin dragbikes with nitrous oxide kits, superchargers, or turbochargers, minimum weight 500 lbs.

How to be a Great Nation

How often do you hear a politician use the phrase, this great nation...?  But what exactly is the cause of a nation being great?  Wealth?  Power?  Freedom?  Security?

Well, I think I can provide a biblical answer.

Deuteronomy 4: 5-8  Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.  For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?  And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

That's right, a nation's greatness is not found in its natural resources, not in its armies, or even in its political system.  It is found in the nation's adherence to Jehovah's law as found in the Bible. 

May I suggest that the inverse is also true. 

Deuteronomy 4: 9 goes on to say: Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

What if a once great nation were to ban God's word from its schools and its government?  How long would that nation remain great?

Just something for us to consider next time we are feeling a little too patriotic.