Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Getting in Tune”
“You can find me on Righteous Road—that's where I walk—at the intersection of Justice Avenue, Handing out life to those who love me, filling their arms with life—armloads of life!” – Proverbs 8:20-21
Many years ago there was a weekly radio program presented by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra, listened to regularly by many people throughout the country. During one of these broadcasts, at the close of a particularly thrilling number, the announcer came on with this statement, "Here is a letter that I would like to read at this time. It says, 'I am a sheepherder in Wyoming. My only entertainment is a battery radio, which I must use sparingly to make the batteries last, and my fiddle, which I play a great deal. However, I have lost the tuning of my "A" string, and I can't play at all. Please sir, is it possible for you to sound an "A" on your program, so I can tune my violin.'" The vast network stood still for a moment and a clear "A" sounded out across America, and a lonely sheepherder, there by the light of his campfire, tuned his "A" string, and then plucked and tuned until the violin was once again in tune. This is what Jesus Christ does for us in a world that is out of tune. He sounds the note of His grace that enables an individual to put his life back in tune, and to keep it in tune by daily fellowship with Himself. The world is a mess, but Jesus is the message for this messed up age. One of the reasons I like this illustration is that the lonely shepherd knew where to tune into when he needed help—and he knew what he needed. He sent in his request and the “maestro” complied! I am a guitar player and I know how easy it is for my strings to get out of tune. Changes in the weather can make it happen—the tuning knobs get bumped—a number of issues can cause this to happen. When that happens I simply go to the piano and play an “E.” From there I can tune the rest of the strings. If, however, I don’t have access to a piano I can only guess what that note should sound like. If (or when) that is the case I can tune my guitar but it may not be in tune with the piano! When that happens it also takes me out of tune with others as well! This is why God’s “Wealth of Knowledge” is so vital to our everyday life! Much like this shepherd it is easy to get our lives out of tune. The “Maestro’s” heart and mind is always perfect. And we know where to find Him! He tells us where He is. Simply send in your request, listen, and get in tune.

Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

 GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30(New Living Translation).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Jesus said) 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8(New Living Translation).
A QUOTE
The Holy Spirit may call us into some very unlikely places, with effective witness to some very unlikely people. - Bruce Paul -
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Compassion is understanding the troubles of others, coupled with an urgent desire to help. - From Reminisce Magazine - Never put off until tomorrow the hug you can give today! - From Reminisce Magazine - Wouldn't it be fine if we could get old a little later, and wise a little sooner? - From Reminisce Magazine -
NOTES
Today has been sunny with a lot of haze in the sky. High temperature was 89 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 75 degrees. One weather commentator said the haze was from the wildfires in Arizona. I had lunch with Charley. I went to the post office. I took a nap in early afternoon. Around 3:00 p.m. I took Itty Bitty to the vet for her annual examination and vaccinations. She was very unhappy with the trip but when we arrived back home she was her usual friendly self so I guess she held no grudges. I sat out in the back yard with the cats and read for about an hour this evening. Most of you have received pictures the past two days of my new great granddaughter. If you didn't receive a picture and would like one send me an e-mail. The picture I am sending tonight is my daughter, Treva, with her dog, Libby. I would like to request your prayers for my nephew, Fred Renfro and wife Ruby who live in Mesa, Arizona. Fred has cancer of the kidneys and will have to have surgery. The cats are fine. They are outside at present. Rascal was just on the desk near me for a bite of food and checking on me. At 9:15 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 82 degrees. I will see you next time.
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“When Being Right Hurts”
“You can find me on Righteous Road—that's where I walk—at the intersection of Justice Avenue…” – Proverbs 8:20 (MSG)

Timing is everything! For most of the year if I had read this verse I would come up with a number of different type of messages—but given the fact we just recognized the anniversary of D-Day a couple of days ago, it gives this verse a bit of a different tint, and one that needs to be explored. The word “Righteous” simply means; “To do what is morally right or justifiable.” Although the word was intended to refer to spiritual issues is there a context where it could extend out into a variety of other areas? I think so, and this “Righteous Road” can be at times a very bumpy one! I have known some who have lost jobs because they refused to do something that to them was morally wrong. Relationships have been broken for this reason—and many, many men and women alike have given their lives fighting for a righteous and just cause. Wait a minute!! This is where things get a bit touchy for many. Am I implying that war, or conflict is righteous and/or justifiable? If the purpose is to right a moral wrong, then yes, the cause is just and right! And unfortunately painful! Colonel Clayton E. Wheat was head Chaplain at the United States Military Academy between 1918 and 1926. One of the things for which he is remembered was his writing of the West Point Cadet’s Prayer. It is a classic piece of literature. I am particularly impressed with these words from the heart of the prayer: “Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won.” You can see from his prayer that the Righteous Road is not always the easiest route…especially when few are traveling on it and the road is lined with stops filled with half-truths. Society has grown content to accept half truths as whole truths. We see this everywhere—advertising, testimonies given under oath, marriage vows, and promises made. When faced with choices, expediency often wins out over integrity. Our powers of rationalization allow us to makes choices based on their being practical rather than reasonable. When we do this, we choose the easier wrong over the harder right. In conversations with his disciples Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32). There is something empowering about truth. Truth says “No!” to the temptation to marginalize reality. Truth says “Yes!” to openness and honesty. Omar Nelson Bradley served in the United States Army between 1915 and 1953. He achieved the rank of General of the Army and served as both the Army Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He served in three major wars—World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Entering the United States Military Academy in 1911, he was a cadet there prior to the writing of the Cadet’s Prayer. But he embodied it during his outstanding career. Known as “The G.I.’s General,” he was beloved by those who served with him and for him. In an essay he wrote during his years as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, entitled “On Wishful Thinking,” Bradley wrote: “We must accept reality and react promptly to all the facts—not only to those we want to hear. And we must fight constantly for the whole truth. For peace can come only from truth, knowledge and honest understanding. Half the truth will produce only half a peace—and half a peace is no longer enough.” If America is to remain the most powerful nation in the free world, we must embrace again the truths that made our nation free. We must demand that our elected leaders—local, state, and national—speak the “unarmed truth.” We must resist those that would reduce our commitment to our spiritual heritage. This will require more than maintaining the words, “In God We Trust,” on our coinage. We face the reality that some of our Constitutional Rights may be “temporarily defeated.” Evil may appear to be triumphant. But victory is not completely out of sight. It may be distant, but it is still there. How can we be victorious? It begins with our commitment “to live above the common level of life.” It will continue as we “choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.” And victory will be ours as long as we are never “content with a half truth when the whole can be won.”
Staying on the road of righteousness is not easy—but as the word itself says it is the “right” one!

Pastor J. T. Carnell

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Much More Theology”

“My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.” – Proverbs 8:19
“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 than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” – Matthew 6:25-27 If there are two things that I have learned from being not only a Pastor but also a Christian is that one: God is great and is worth giving your time and best efforts worshiping Him, serving Him and learning all you can about Him while you have the time on this earth! Solomon, over and over and over continues to use this analogy—that there is nothing on this earth, be it jewels, gold, silver, fame, sex, absolutely nothing that can compare with what we can have when we seek this relationship with Lord of lords and the King of kings. There is a chorus we sing that reminds of this: Lord, You are, more precious than silver. Lord, You are, more costly than gold. Lord, You are, more beautiful than diamonds, And nothing I desire compares with You! Notice the word, more that appears in three out of the four verses. Remember as children when learning math the symbol that represented, “greater than?” That 5 is > 4. Sounds pretty simple, right? So by using the same math, God is > gold. He is > silver. He is > diamonds. Nothing or no one is ≠ who He is. The second thing I have learned is according to God, nothing compares to His love for us. He considers us to be the “Apple of His eye,” and will go to any length to secure that love in us. If you question that then read the Gospel of John today. Read it over and over and over and hopefully to you reach that same conclusion. The text I listed in Matthew is another prime example of this fact—especially when He poses the question, “Are you not much more valuable than they?” The two words that stand out to me are pretty clear; much more! That even though they too, are His creation, you are “much more” valuable than birds. And flowers. And the seas, the mountains…we are > all those things in the eyes and heart of God! We tend to too easily degrade ourselves and treat this life with contempt—damaging our bodies in reckless behaviors, living with little or no regard for what God has created. And then when things get tough we obsess about what we don’t have instead of focusing on what we do have. It is then we hear these words: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” No matter what you think is great…it is nothing compared to the wisdom and knowledge of not just knowing God but having Him in your life. And no matter what others say…you are worth more than what Hollywood, or Wall Street says you are. You do not have to have the perfect body, the most expensive car, the designer clothes to be loved by the One who is always >.

Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

 GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
(Stephen spoke these words just before he was stoned to death)48 "However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, 49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting place? 50 Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’" - Acts 7:48-50(New Living Translation).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. - Psalm 48:14(New International Version).
A QUOTE
When things go sour and you really feel lousy, do you have a friend you can tell? - Patrick M. Morley -,br /> THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - From Reminisce Magazine - The age of a person doesn't mean a thing - the best music is played on the oldest violin. - From Reminisce Magazine - There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting. - From Lists To Live By -
NOTES
Today has been mostly sunny. The official high temperature for McAlester as shown on the Internet was 92 degrees but the thermometer in my van showed the temperature to be in the mid to upper nineties. Anyway it was hot today. I had lunch with my brother, Charley, at Taco Bob's Fiesta Grill as I do every day. I went by Country Mart and then to the post office to pick up my mail. I took a cool nap in early afternoon. Later I went to Walmart for some items. The picture tonight is my great-daugters Holly in white dress and Jaimie with straw hat on. Their dad Chris is also in the picture as well as my daughter, Treva. They are placing flowers on my wife, Flonnie's, grave. I have lots more pictures so I might need to go back to daily Good Things until I get all the pictures shown. I have a great-grandaughter due to be born tomorrow whose name is Ella. Her parents are Treva's son and wife, Bryant and Ashley Blank. I would like to welcome Brent and Brenda LoPresto to the Good Things. They, with their children, have been attending the same church I attend. They are moving back to Arizona the last of June. They say they are going back home to Glendale, Arizona. We will miss them but I will send them the Good Things so they will know about things in McAlester. My 8 cats are fine. They are all outside at present. At 10:35 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 79 degrees. I will see you next time.
In Christian Love, Everett.