Apollo 8Written by Terry Dashner
Terry Dashner…At 9:30 P.M. (CST), December 24, 1968, millions of persons, glued to TV and radio, were electrified by a Bible reading from outer space. It was coming from Apollo 8, first spacecraft to orbit moon. “Apollo 8 has a message for you,” announced Commander Frank Borman. Major Bill Anders began reading, “In beginning God created heaven and earth…” Back on earth, NBC’s David Brinkley said in a reverent comment, “If my memory serves me correctly, he’s reading from first chapter of Genesis.” Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., continued, “And God called light day…” Col. Borman concluded, “And God said, Let waters under heavens be gathered…” Then he signed off, “And from crew of Apollo 8, we pause with good night, good luck, a merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on good earth.” Those who heard live telecast from this first moon-orbiting space probe will never forget how it captured imagination of whole world. Christianity Today compared event to Samuel F. B. Morse’s first wireless message from Numbers 23:23, “What hath God wrought!”
| | Is it possible to feel God?Written by Terry Dashner
F F C…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…Pastor Terry Dashner“Feeling God” “…true religion, in great part, consists in affections.” Jonathan Edwards Here’s a controversial statement made by pastor and author John Piper: “Throughout Scripture we are commanded to feel, not just to think or decide. We are commanded to experience dozens of emotions, not just to perform acts of willpower.” Piper goes on to say, “God commands us to bear no grudge (Leviticus 19:18). The positive side of not bearing a grudge is forgiving ‘from heart.’ This is what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 18:35: ‘Forgive [your] brother from your heart.’ The Bible does not say, make a mere decision to drop grievance. It says, Experience a change in heart. The Bible goes even further and commands certain intensity. For example, I Peter 1:22 commands ‘Love one another earnestly from heart’ (RSV). And Romans 12:10 commands ‘Love one another with brotherly affection’ (RSV).” At Faith Fellowship Church we strive to worship Lord with all our might. What that means is this: We not only worship God with all of our mind, but with all our heart and soul as well. To worship God with “heart and soul” elicits an emotional response. The Bible says that we are to “shout unto Lord with voice of triumph.” At FFC we are so grateful to God for victory He has won for us that sometimes, during songs of praise, we stop and began to shout! Yes, it can be disconcerting to some, but very pleasing to God. That’s all that matters. The Bible also says that we are to “clap your hands all ye people.” This act, of course, is done as “unto Lord.” When an entire congregation claps their hands, to me it sounds like roar of ocean. I believe that clapping hands by many becomes sound of one voice of praise to God. And, I believe it is a “joyful noise” unto God. The Bible says to “let everything that hath breath, praise Lord.” I breathe God’s air, and I also praise Him with my “whole heart.” The musical instruments in our church produce sounds by vibrations which are carried across room by air. When vibrating sounds strike my ear drums, they start vibrating also to give meaning to sounds. I not only hear sounds, but I can feel sounds throughout my body. I share this by way of example, not because you need a scientific explanation of sound, but because you may want to know how it is possible for everything that draws air to praise God.
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