Y2K

Do you remember that thing called Y2K? WAY BACK in the 1990’s we continually heard how, when the year 2000 came, all our computers were going to go crazy. Millions of dollars were spent to prevent a catastrophe. We wondered if we would have electricity. What would happen to banking and large businesses? People bought generators and stocked up on food. Some were truly consumed with fear.

Now, here we are, with only 45 days left in 2009, a full ten years after Y2K. Ten years? Yes, ten years. Where did the time go? I am finding that time is flying by more rapidly than ever. To me, the 1990’s are not that far back. It’s hard to me to fathom how quickly the years are going. Within a few years high school graduates won’t know about Y2K from personal knowledge, but only because they were told about it.

Along with the faster pace of life, changes are coming at us so fast that it is impossible to keep up. As much as I would like to, there is no way I can keep up with the changes in technology. Cell phones and I Pods and computer games come and change so quickly. I do well to keep up with what I have, much less the new stuff.

I remember when someone was talking about something amazing. Instead of having records or tapes, we would listen to music on tiny machines that have no moving parts. Music would be simply a file on the machine. That seemed incredible because listening to music has always had moving parts – turning a record or moving a tape across a tape head. That dream is true today as a tiny player has enough memory capacity to hold thousands of songs. And, that technology now includes video.

Time is flying, life is moving at a dizzying pace. What are we getting done? What will last? What of value will be here in the future. 8-track tapes are now found only in a museum or your great grandparents house. Some time soon the latest I Pod or digital camera will be considered a dinosaur. What will last? What has value?

Let me leave you with words I used to hear quite often:

Only one life will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Veterans’ Day

Since today is the day we honor veterans, I thought I would like to share some thoughts and pictures in remembrance of my father. For most of his life he was known as Pastor Thomassen, or Pastor T. For a few years he was known as a soldier who served in WW II in the European Theater of War.

He was a medic in the 99th Inf. Btn. (Sep). It was a group of American soldiers of Norwegian heritage. The original goal was the liberation of Norway. They trained at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado as a ski troop.

When they got to England, their mission was changed and they landed in Europe shortly after D Day. They spent the war moving around Europe plugging holes. One of the stories my father told us about was the Malmedy Massacre.

It happened during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944 near Malmedy, Belgium. The 1st SS Panzer Division under the command of Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper captured a truck convoy of Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, in the Ardennes. They took about one hundred unarmed American POW’s in a field and shot them. A few faked death and escaped. Most died.

This group of Nazis earned the nickname "Blowtorch Battalion" as they burned their way across Russia. They were also responsible for slaughtering civilians in two separate villages.
The 99th was nearby and they raced there. They rescued a few survivors. The rest they found dead in the snow. It was a very sad day in the war.

If you go to Malmedy today, you will find at least two memorials. On the edge of town, at the location of the shootings is a memorial with the names of all the soldiers murdered that day. On the other end of town is a memorial to the 99th, put up by the town in memory of their brave actions in the war.

I heard about this memorial many years ago. I never thought I would see it in person. A few years ago I was privileged to be there and see it. The pictures posted here are of the memorial, as well as my brother, George and I.

Memorials are very important in life. In the Bible God directed many memorials so that people didn’t forget the things He did for them. Today, Veterans’ Day, is a memorial of all the sacrifice given in the service to our nation. We are free today because millions have served and paid the price so we can be free.

Memorials, we need to actually SEE THEM. As we looked for these memorials in Malmedy and talked to people to ask directions, they didn’t seem to know where they were, even though they had passed them many times.

Memorials . . . . Lest We Forget . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . See Them . . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . Lest We Forget . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . Veterans’ Day . . . . . . . . .
　

How Hungry Are You?

Let me share some random of the thoughts from Sunday morning’s service.

Hunger is universal. Every person who has ever lived understands hunger.

Hunger is continual. Many teenagers are ALWAYS hungry. Food is the fuel that keeps our bodies going.

Hunger drives actions. Many people hate their jobs, but they have a bad habit, they like to eat. So, they keep on working.

It is true, it is universal: We need food. Another universal truth is this: We need connection with God. Both hunger for food and hunger for God are universal because that is the way God made us. He made us with a need for physical fuel to keep us going. He made us with a hunger and desire to know HIM and be close to Him.

Jacob and Esau – the birthright for a meal.
Genesis 25:29-34 NIV
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom. 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Hunger can cause you to make poor choices. Hunger can make you not see beyond this moment. Being hungry can cause one to make bad choices. It is said that you should never grocery shop when you are hungry. You will buy many things you wouldn’t normally buy.

From Esau’s illustration here we can learn that we shouldn’t make major decisions when we are weak and hungry. Hunger can blind a person to not see the long term impact of the decision made out of hunger.

Spiritual hunger will drive us to seek God in a greater way than we are doing at the time. What are you hungry for? More of God? If you don’t sense a hunger for more of God, do you ask yourself the question of why? Do you have enough of God and His power in your life?

Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:6 NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The Sermon on the Mount is an amazing passage in the Bible. Blessing comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Don’t let the fear and anxiety of the things of the world that surround us destroy your hunger for more of God. The world system is full of lies.

The word “righteousness” comes from a root word that means “straightness.” Seek HIS Righteousness. Let God define the righteousness in your life. You will be amazed at the results.

Jesus is the Bread of Life
John 6:35 NIV
Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Let’s talk about real food. There is the stuff that attracts kids, that they would live on if they could. Except, if they tried to live on it, it would kill them. Twinkies, cheese curls, potato chips, Oreos, Krispy Kreme Donuts, and the list could go on. How long would a person live eating only things like that? Soon they would have all kinds of health problems.

Then, there is food that will give you good fuel for your body and keep you healthy.

Let’s look at spiritual food. We have a natural hunger for spiritual nourishment. There is an ample supply of spiritual fluff out there that many are consuming. A focus on whatever makes me feel good. Running from one fun event to the next. Simply feeding the emotions. All these (and more) will eventually lead to spiritual anemia – spiritual weakness.

Then there is the spiritual food that will make you spiritually strong and healthy. Jesus is the bread of life. We will find real spiritual satisfaction as we focus on Him and devour His Word. We must put out the effort to learn more of Him and learn to apply what we learn.
How Do We Do It?
Matthew 6: 25, 33 NIV
Do Not Worry
25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

We are not to worry about the provision of what we need. We are to trust God. We are to seek after Him and all that has to do with His Kingdom, and He will take care of us.

Are you hungry? How are you going to fill that hunger?