Our lives are impacted by many people and events. I’ve been literally impacted several times in fender-benders. I can definitely tell you about the point of impact on those accidents!
There was a man this week, however, who had an impact & didn’t even recollect it. Seems a Polish man living in Germany was having pains in his head. He went to the doctor to have what he thought was a cyst removed. It turned out to be a .22 caliber bullet. He vaguely remembered having a pain in the back of his head at a New Year’s event some 5 years before. Apparently he was shot, but just too drunk to realize it. A man could wake up dead that way! The bullet was removed & he’ll soon be released. Maybe he should have had his head examined before the party!
Most of the time, we realize what & when our lives are impacted & by whom. If you think back I’m sure you have had some great people make a positive impact in your life. Maybe it was great, godly parents or grandparents, neighbors, teachers or friends. It’s my prayer that you also strive to be making a positive impact on the lives of others around you as well.
While we realize the impact others have made, often we don’t recall that exact ‘point of impact’ they made. It’s hard to remember every act of kindness or care others show us. There was, however, that first act of kindness. The one they chose to do for you & others. That’s where the change began & relationships sealed.
I could also ask you the old Quaker question: “When did Jesus become more than a name to you?” How about it? Is He? If so, when was the ‘point of impact’? For me it was as a young boy, after hearing & learning of His love, He transformed my life & heart. My eternity is forever changed.
Matthew wrote in his gospel of that ‘point of impact’ with Jesus:
As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9 NLT
Matthew went on to help turn the world upside down with his fellow disciples. He eventually gave his life for the Master, but not before making a difference in the lives of countless & penning one of the gospels recounting the life & ministry of Jesus.
My prayer is that you have had a ‘point of impact’ with Jesus. You may never meet Jesus or write a book in the bible like Matthew, but I pray that He is using you to make an impact on the lives of those around you. If you have questions I’d love to pray for you & encourage you. If you have stories of those who’ve made an impact on your life pass them along. It’s always good to hear of those making a positive difference.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
-Welcome-
Great to have you here this semester! Hope you’re getting settled into classes & routines. It’s always good to have a warm reception when we go somewhere. No one wants to have cold water thrown on them when they go someplace new. In all the years I’ve served in ministry I’ve moved several times & ‘started over’ in new places. Most places were great, warm & welcoming.
I remember a couple of kids who moved into my neighborhood when I was a kid. I was excited to have someone else to play with & tried to welcome them. That was all well & good, except they brought their dog, Cujo, along! We were playing on a couple of occasions when Cujo thought I looked like a lunch entrée or something & treed me! Had to wait in a tree until someone called off the demon dog. I was walking home one night & looked over just in time to see Cujo bailing off the porch after me. My sisters ran home for help (‘no sense in all of us getting eaten!’). He was dragging me under the edge of the porch, presumably to eat me as a late night snack, when the cavalry arrived & squelched his plans. I still have four scars on my leg were he dragged me!
A visual reminder & lesson learned. Some folks are about as welcoming & inviting as Cujo there. I hope & pray that I encourage those around me & help as many as I can while I’m on this journey here. I don’t want to turn on people even in a misguided attempt to ‘protect what’s mine’, as I’m sure Cujo was trying to do.
Sadly, some people even treat Jesus that way. They want to be left alone to go about their way of life & not bothered with any ‘religious’ distractions. As Jesus went from town to town in His early, earthly ministry He pretty much had folks reject or receive Him…little middle ground. Truth be told, I guess there’s not much middle ground in that anyway.
One of the families that welcomed Him & later played integral parts in ministry was Mary, Martha & Lazarus of Bethany. A passage in Luke’s gospel that tells of the beginning of this friendship is also the key for our lives today.
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. Luke 10:38-39 NLT
My prayer for you and me is that we always ‘welcome’ Jesus into our homes & lives. May we always sit at His feet & listen to what He teaches us.
Feel free to call on me anytime. All the contact information is below.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
I remember a couple of kids who moved into my neighborhood when I was a kid. I was excited to have someone else to play with & tried to welcome them. That was all well & good, except they brought their dog, Cujo, along! We were playing on a couple of occasions when Cujo thought I looked like a lunch entrée or something & treed me! Had to wait in a tree until someone called off the demon dog. I was walking home one night & looked over just in time to see Cujo bailing off the porch after me. My sisters ran home for help (‘no sense in all of us getting eaten!’). He was dragging me under the edge of the porch, presumably to eat me as a late night snack, when the cavalry arrived & squelched his plans. I still have four scars on my leg were he dragged me!
A visual reminder & lesson learned. Some folks are about as welcoming & inviting as Cujo there. I hope & pray that I encourage those around me & help as many as I can while I’m on this journey here. I don’t want to turn on people even in a misguided attempt to ‘protect what’s mine’, as I’m sure Cujo was trying to do.
Sadly, some people even treat Jesus that way. They want to be left alone to go about their way of life & not bothered with any ‘religious’ distractions. As Jesus went from town to town in His early, earthly ministry He pretty much had folks reject or receive Him…little middle ground. Truth be told, I guess there’s not much middle ground in that anyway.
One of the families that welcomed Him & later played integral parts in ministry was Mary, Martha & Lazarus of Bethany. A passage in Luke’s gospel that tells of the beginning of this friendship is also the key for our lives today.
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. Luke 10:38-39 NLT
My prayer for you and me is that we always ‘welcome’ Jesus into our homes & lives. May we always sit at His feet & listen to what He teaches us.
Feel free to call on me anytime. All the contact information is below.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
-Superman to Save the Day-
I saw part of an installment of a new TV series the other day entitled, ‘Superhumans,’ co-hosted by Stan Lee of Spiderman & X-Men fame. It scours the globe in search of ordinary people with extraordinary powers. One was an ordinary sized man (5’7” & 180lbs) who had superhuman strength. Another guy (who was not a Savant) could calculate extensive math equations faster than a calculator! (He’d be great to have in a study group!) Seems his brain remapped itself & the (‘Area 43’) area in the brain that calculates math had moved to an area that performs physical/reflexive movement) so when he heard a problem he reflexively answered in a split second! Another guy could withstand massive jolts of electricity unharmed. All of these individuals stood out from the herd because they could perform some pretty amazing things.
The best “Superman” story took place last week, however. A struggling family facing foreclosure stumbled upon what is considered to be the Holy Grail of comic books in their basement – a copy of Action Comics No. 1, the first in which Superman ever appeared. The family was packing up their family home from the impending foreclosure when they found the rare 1938 comic book in a cardboard box. What’s the possible worth of the comic? Possibly $1 Million! The bank was convinced to back off the foreclosure…ya think?
It would be cool if we had a superman to come save the day sometimes. Or maybe better if we WERE a superman to save the day! It would even be something to have these super-human powers that are revealed on this new series. Sad truth is we are all pretty much just ordinary people. Nothing spectacular about most of us. What’s worse is that not only are we less than super-human, we are also the problem of our own lives, truth be told! Our sins & mishaps cause us & others problems. Before you go stick your head in an oven or something- hold on.
The great ‘Good News’ is that God DOES have a Super Man that can save us from ourselves. It’s old hat & a needed reminder to some of us but truly good NEWS to others that only know of religion & no relationship with the ‘saving’ God.
“Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” I Peter 1:17-19 NLT
I truly pray you know this Savior. If it’s all just religious jargon or maybe you have some hard questions & need some real answers I’ll be glad to pray, encourage you & help you find the answers you seek. After all, we all need a Superman to save the day for us. Glad to introduce you to Him!
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
The best “Superman” story took place last week, however. A struggling family facing foreclosure stumbled upon what is considered to be the Holy Grail of comic books in their basement – a copy of Action Comics No. 1, the first in which Superman ever appeared. The family was packing up their family home from the impending foreclosure when they found the rare 1938 comic book in a cardboard box. What’s the possible worth of the comic? Possibly $1 Million! The bank was convinced to back off the foreclosure…ya think?
It would be cool if we had a superman to come save the day sometimes. Or maybe better if we WERE a superman to save the day! It would even be something to have these super-human powers that are revealed on this new series. Sad truth is we are all pretty much just ordinary people. Nothing spectacular about most of us. What’s worse is that not only are we less than super-human, we are also the problem of our own lives, truth be told! Our sins & mishaps cause us & others problems. Before you go stick your head in an oven or something- hold on.
The great ‘Good News’ is that God DOES have a Super Man that can save us from ourselves. It’s old hat & a needed reminder to some of us but truly good NEWS to others that only know of religion & no relationship with the ‘saving’ God.
“Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” I Peter 1:17-19 NLT
I truly pray you know this Savior. If it’s all just religious jargon or maybe you have some hard questions & need some real answers I’ll be glad to pray, encourage you & help you find the answers you seek. After all, we all need a Superman to save the day for us. Glad to introduce you to Him!
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
-Life's Breath-
A couple of years ago David Blaine set a record for holding one’s breath at 17 minutes. A few months ago a Swiss freediver, Peter Colat, shattered and extended that to an amazing 19 minutes 21 seconds.
I’ve shared that my family recently went on a special vacation cruise to Mexico. My wife & I are celebrating our upcoming 25th anniversary (if she can put up with me a few more weeks!), so it was an early present. We are blown away by the beauty of God’s creation. We got to see the Mayan ruins (another story another day) but the apex was swimming with the dolphins in Cozomel. We looked at all the beauty & it just screams out God’s hand.
“He is the God Who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. Acts 17:24-25
The trainer told us some interesting facts about these beautiful animals. They are very social & curious, even playful. But they are mammals & therefore they must also breathe air, so they come up for it regularly. They also can’t drink salt water anymore than we can. God’s solution: eat squid or octopus (mostly made up of water)- kinda like a glass of fresh H20. In the wild they live 20-25 years, but almost twice that in captivity because all their needs are met & they are protected. They also shed their skin every 2 hours, thus they love to have someone rub their backs & bellies! Amazing. While we petted those beautiful animals it was right there before us: amid the beauty of creation is the reminder we are all dying.
Not to be morbid, but we live on this big blue marble for maybe 80-90 years. Eternity is a heck-of-a lot longer. Dolphin’s biggest enemy is man, far greater than orca or sharks. Come to think of it, OUR greatest problem is man! But on the other hand our greatest blessing & salvation came from one Man:
… the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:17-19 NLT
I am incredibly thankful for the beauty & wonder of creation, but I am even more blessed & thankful for ‘new creation.’ I’m thankful that God can take our messed up lives & world, touch us & change us by His grace. While we may be outwardly dying, when we inwardly die to ourselves, He can raise up this awesome ‘new creation.’ Hope it’s so in your life. Just as He breathed life to Adam, I pray He breathes new life into me & you.
If you’re ever headed to Cozomel to swim with the dolphins give me a yell. Maybe we’ll just go back & swim with you!
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
I’ve shared that my family recently went on a special vacation cruise to Mexico. My wife & I are celebrating our upcoming 25th anniversary (if she can put up with me a few more weeks!), so it was an early present. We are blown away by the beauty of God’s creation. We got to see the Mayan ruins (another story another day) but the apex was swimming with the dolphins in Cozomel. We looked at all the beauty & it just screams out God’s hand.
“He is the God Who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. Acts 17:24-25
The trainer told us some interesting facts about these beautiful animals. They are very social & curious, even playful. But they are mammals & therefore they must also breathe air, so they come up for it regularly. They also can’t drink salt water anymore than we can. God’s solution: eat squid or octopus (mostly made up of water)- kinda like a glass of fresh H20. In the wild they live 20-25 years, but almost twice that in captivity because all their needs are met & they are protected. They also shed their skin every 2 hours, thus they love to have someone rub their backs & bellies! Amazing. While we petted those beautiful animals it was right there before us: amid the beauty of creation is the reminder we are all dying.
Not to be morbid, but we live on this big blue marble for maybe 80-90 years. Eternity is a heck-of-a lot longer. Dolphin’s biggest enemy is man, far greater than orca or sharks. Come to think of it, OUR greatest problem is man! But on the other hand our greatest blessing & salvation came from one Man:
… the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:17-19 NLT
I am incredibly thankful for the beauty & wonder of creation, but I am even more blessed & thankful for ‘new creation.’ I’m thankful that God can take our messed up lives & world, touch us & change us by His grace. While we may be outwardly dying, when we inwardly die to ourselves, He can raise up this awesome ‘new creation.’ Hope it’s so in your life. Just as He breathed life to Adam, I pray He breathes new life into me & you.
If you’re ever headed to Cozomel to swim with the dolphins give me a yell. Maybe we’ll just go back & swim with you!
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
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