Christian Family Services Ministry

Escort

On June 19, 1999 The Stars win the Stanley Cup. As one may imagine Dallas went wild with emotions. On Monday, June 21 Dallas put on a huge parade to celebrate the event. Estimates place the crowds at nearly 200,000. I was assigned to the parade route and escort duty afterwards. Lisa my daughter came along as an observer. She is crazy about the Stars.

This is the first time that Lisa had ever been in a police vehicle and by the time the day was over it most certainly made a huge impression.

She was able to see close up all of her favorite players.

When the parade ended, I was assigned with three other officers the duty of escorting the multiple vehicle player group to their headquarters in Frisco.

For some reason the lead vehicle that was supposed to set a slow pace immediately increased speed right after we started maintaining at least 50 mph through heavy traffic which was leaving the parade.

This forced the escort elements to keep up and to in fact constantly get ahead to block traffic at the approaching intersections.

Because of this we were constantly speeding, stopping at intersection, and going to the next intersections. The siren was blaring, and the lights lit up the oncoming traffic.

My own speed exceeded 90 mph several times going from intersection to intersection to block traffic. The brakes were so hot they were literally smoking.

After the group arrived at the headquarters, we broke off to go home. Lisa said nothing about the escort trip.

However, she never went with me again as an observer. Nor will she allow me to drive when we are going anywhere together, in our private vehicle. When I received my ‘Forty Year Save Driving Award’ from the Police Department, five years ago she laughed out loud. I thought I heard her say under her breath, ‘you have got to be kidding.’

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3-22-2024 – A Word to the Wise – The Lord does not care for rain. Then why did he make it? Well, it was sort of created under distress. The whole matter began like this.

Sometimes we mess up the Lord’s plans for us that He has to redo His plans. Now I know this does not sit well some who hold that the Lord never changes His mind about anything.

However, when He created man with free will that necessity alternate plans from time to time.

Just in case you have not seen this in other passages let me give a couple of examples.

In I Samuel 23 a unique situation occurs. David being hunted by King Saul raises a small band of men and sets out to protect the defenseless. On this occasion he hears that the city of Dallas, oops, Keliah is under attack by the Philistines and in jeopardy.

David inquires of the Lord and is told to rescue them. David goes and rescues Keliah.

Shortly, David hears that Saul knows that he is at Keliah. David fearfully ask the Lord if Saul will come, the Lord tells David that Saul will come.

David ask the Lord if the people of Keliah will turn him over to Saul. The Lord tells David that they will.

David gathers his men and leaves. Saul hears and never comes.

Obviously, David’s inquiry and David listening, and leaving changed the situation. (I Samuel 23, RSV)

Similarly, we find in Isaiah 38 a medical situation with King Hezekiah. The Lord tells him that he is going to die, and to set his house in order.

Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and begs the Lord for a reprieve. The Lord stops the prophet Isaiah and tells him to go back and tell King Hezekiah because he prayed. He is healing him and adding 15 years to his life. Prayer changes the situation. (Isaiah 38)

So, let’s return to the rain situation. The original creation had no rain. (Genesis 2:5)

The Lord watered with a mist that came up from the ground. So the Lord in the beginning chose mist as opposed to rain. Guess He did not like the idea of rain. (Genesis 2:6). Mist does not cause erosion, or other problems.

So, what changed? Man brought about the change. It was not Adam and Eve’s sin for it is nearly 1000 years later. No that was not the reason.

Rather, we learn with the advent of evil angels and their immoral behavior with women the whole earth becomes filled with evil. Immoral behavior does that. Changes everything.

So, the Lord destroyed the earth with, yes rain, and more rain. Rain was a curse on mankind. But at the same time it cleansed the earth but it brought an end to the Lord’s original design.

Rain was not His first choice. So, what was or is the Lord’s first choice for your life? Did the Lord have to redo it?

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3-21-2024 – A Word to the Wise – Difficult passages

Let’s discuss for a moment a passage in Genesis 9.20ff 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.[c] 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

The problem with the passage is Canaan is the one cursed for the sin of his father. Why. More importantly what was the sin? One of the more important interpretations is that Ham had sex with father.

However, understanding Hebrew idioms helps us see this is not the case. This little phrase ‘saw the nakedness of his father’, must be accurately interpreted. It means for a relative to have sexual intercourse with the wife of the husband notice Lev 18. 8. It gives a vivid description to whom this applies.

So why can it not be interpreted as Ham having sex with his father? That would be a homosexual event and the Hebrew language never refers to homosexual relations as intercourse. To ‘see the nakedness’ refers to sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.

Moreover, while the versions refer to this as Noah tent it uses the feminine term not the masculine This is the mother’s tent or both their tent.

So why did Ham brag to his brothers? Because the act was to be performed to show he was in charge of the family. Though second or third born he was usurping the role of the first born. Therefore, he informed them what he had done and they understood the purpose.

Several parallel scriptures help us. Genesis 49:3-4 tells us that Reuben had intercourse with one of Jacob’s wives. The purpose is to take over leadership of the family from Jacob.

In 2 Samuel 16:20 ff Ahithophel advises Absalom to have sex with David’s wives publicly. Why, to say ‘I am in charge of my father house’,

Again 2 Samuel 12:8 David takes Saul’s wives and concubines to show the kingdom is now his.

Again, Adonijah ask for David’s concubine the purpose is to take the kingdom from Solomon. Solomon understood this and had him put to death.

So, Ham brags to his brothers why, to let them know he is the one who will control the family.

Why did the brothers cover the nakedness of Noah wife? So, it would not even be suggested that they approved.

Now the big question why did Noah curse Caanan? I think you must see that there is a time lapse here. When Cannan was born Noah immediately understood this was Ham’s son and he rejected Ham or any of his descendants and declared Ham’s children would be slaves to his brothers the very opposite of Ham’s intentions.

See John Sietze Bergsma and Scott Walker Hahn, “Noah’s Nakedness and the Curse on Canaan,” Journal of Biblical Literature 124:1 (2005): 25-40 for a more detailed explanation along with other suggested interpretations.

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3-2-2024 – A Word to the Wise – John was raised in a very rough neighborhood. In Junior high he was picked on by Billy the bully. Billy was always taller than the other school kids. By Junior high he weighed 200 pounds and his favorite kid to pick on was John. Numerous times he would catch him walking home from school and steal any money he had. Beat him up, and then spit on him.

But as time went by he did not limit his activities to John. He in fact terrorized the whole neighborhood. Everyone was afraid of him, now 6’5 weighing 270 pounds everyone was terrified of Billy the bully.

After John graduated from school, he went into the military. He specialized in pararescue of down airman.

Some ten years went by. He finally gets to come home on leave. Getting off the bus near his home he notices a figure on the ground half in the street half on the grass. He sees several people walk by the figure some even spit on him.

John gets closer and sees that it is Billy the bully. He is bleeding profusely, his arm twisted at a crooked angle. John rushes to his side. Takes out the torniquet he always carries and wraps it around the thigh to stop the bleeding. Billy is gasping for breath, so he takes his coat lifts him up and places it under him to ease the breathing. Taking out his phone he calls an ambulance.

Later that night John goes to the hospital to find that Billy has been bandaged up but they are going to discharge him because he has no insurance and cannot pay for treatment.

John talks to the doctors, tells them that he will cover the cost writes out a check for ten thousand dollars and tells them if more is needed he will cover the cost.

Luke 10

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

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