Monthly Archives: July 2013

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The Timer Fuse (Or, Why did I Even DO that?)

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The Timer Fuse (Or, Why did I Even DO that?)

James R. Aist

This true story took place when I was about 12 years old and living in Evening Shade, a small town in rural, north-central Arkansas. At that time, Evening shade had a population of 315, so everybody knew almost everyone else in town, and most everyone knew that Daddy was the minister at the local Methodist Church. That meant that I was trying very hard to stay out of trouble, so as not to embarrass Daddy and bring scandal down on the preacher’s family. Not to mention the fact, of course, that I didn’t want to embarrass myself; I was quite self-conscious.

Back then, at least in Arkansas, we had three full months of summer vacation from school. That was plenty of time to get bored and feel driven to do something interesting, or even exciting. Fireworks were legal, and they helped liven things up, especially in July. I had picked up a few firecracker tricks from some of my buddies, so one afternoon I reckoned it wouldn’t cause any harm to try to wake up sleepy little Evening Shade and get a giggle or two out of it for myself. Now, the key to this little prank was to make a homemade fuse that would produce a delayed explosion of the firecracker, a “timer fuse” as it were, and then insert one end of the timer fuse into the free end of the fuse of a firecracker. As it turns out, the perfect, convenient raw material for a timer fuse is thin, white, cotton string. When you light the end of the string with a match and then blow out the flame, the string will continue to smolder and burn shorter and shorter, much like a lighted cigarette left sitting in an ashtray. So, I did some test runs to determine how long the string needed to be to give about a two-minute delay, just long enough for me to make my getaway and appear completely innocent if there was an unexpected “incident.”

The action plan was to hide my materials and supplies (firecrackers, string cut to length, and safety matches) in my pockets, mosey innocently down to the center of town (about one block), stop at the big maple tree next to the telephone operator’s house on the left, you know, the tree with a huge hole, about waste high, that was facing the sidewalk. Then, I would turn and face the big hole in the tree, reach in and assemble the “bomb” inside the hole so that no one could see what I was doing, light the timer fuse, turn back toward home and mosey innocently up the hill, waiting to see if anyone would be startled by the “bang” so I could and watch (i.e., be entertained by) their reaction. I was more than a little nervous and apprehensive about this practical joke, because this kind of behavior wasn’t really like me, and because I didn’t want to cause Daddy (and me) any embarrassment should I got caught in the act.

That afternoon the town was especially quiet and almost devoid of traffic and pedestrians, a perfect setting for my plot, or so I thought. Everything went just as planned, and as I walked up the hill, I began feeling rather proud of myself for pulling off such a clever prank. Every so often I would take a quick look back to see if there was someone near or approaching the tree, because if they were too close, they might get hurt. The more I thought about that the more I became filled with the fear of causing an accident. I soon slipped into a panic mode, shaking and sweating and filled with angst (that’s not what we called it back then, but you know what I mean). Then, I began to wish that I had not set this plan in motion at all, and wondering if there was time for me to mosey on back to the tree and abort the mission, leaving no one the wiser. But, alas, I was almost two minutes away from a tree with a lit, two-minute time fuse in it. You do the math.

Suddenly I heard a loud “bang” and looked back to see a small cloud of smoke wafting out of the hole in the tree. Did anyone hear it; did anyone panic; did anyone lose control of their car and strike an innocent bystander? Why did I DO this?! Well, wouldn’t you know it, as it turned out the joke was on me: No one was there, not one pedestrian, not one car and not even one alarmed citizen rushing outside to see what had caused the explosion. Evening Shade really was asleep!

I was at once relieved and disappointed that no one was startled by my escapade. And, I was apparently the only one who even knew that anything unusual had happened on that lazy, summer afternoon in Evening Shade. But, I had managed to entertain myself for a while without embarrassing Daddy, so…mission accomplished.

(For more articles on TRUE TALES, click HERE)

 

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The Sexual Revolution: a Dangerous Delusion

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The Sexual Revolution: a Dangerous Delusion

 James R. Aist

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)

 Introduction

The primary reason I am writing this article is that I want to add my voice to those who want to minister the truth of God’s Word to a Christian sub-culture that somehow believes it has become acceptable to conform to the sexual morals of an increasingly secular world, as if the God of the Bible has either ceased to exist or has changed His mind about sexual morality. Let’s begin by taking a quick look at the sexual sins that are recorded in the Bible.

Sexual Sins in the Bible

A list of sexual sins mentioned in the Bible would include the following:

adultery – e.g., Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, Mark 7:22, 2 Peter 2:13-15

bestiality – e.g., Exodus 22:10, Leviticus 18:23, Leviticus 20:15-16

fornication – e.g., Matthew 15:19, Galatians 5:19, Colossians 3:5

homosexual practice – e.g., Genesis 19:5 with Jude 1:7, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9-10 and I Timothy 1:10

incest – e.g., Leviticus 18:6-18, Matthew 14:1-4, 1 Corinthians 5:1

rape — e.g., Deuteronomy 22:25, 2 Samuel 13:13-14

This leaves only one biblically approved context for the expression of human sexuality: a marriage between one man and one woman. This may seem unduly restrictive to some, but we have God’s Word on it and He’s not asking for our advice!

Has God Changed His Mind?

Since we know that God is not dead, let’s look and see whether or not He has changed His mind and no longer condemns these sexual sins: “I the Lord do not change.” (Malachi 3:6); “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17); and “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind” (Numbers 23:19). So no, God did not change His mind about sexual sins; He got it right the first time. That’s why, especially where the faithful Christian church is concerned, the so-called “sexual revolution” is really a “sexual delusion.” And it can’t wait to get its hooks into your marriage and your children; it’s a very dangerous and deceptive worldly movement.

Setting It Straight

The modern Christian church, as a whole, has not preached, practiced and taught consistently or strongly enough against sins, including sexual sins. I have no doubt that this tragic reality has had a great deal to do with the increasing acceptance of the worldly version of sexual morality, over against biblical sexual morality, within the church. While it may seem at first blush that the responsibility for this failure should fall squarely on the shoulders of our pastors – there is some truth to that perception – there are two other people groups in the church who must share responsibility: namely, governing boards that will not support teaching and preaching against sin, and parents who are afraid to raise their children “in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord.” Regardless of the reasons given, there is no excuse for the church “winking” at sexual sins. Oh, there’s always a reason for our actions (or inactions), but there’s not always an excuse!

If your congregation is ignorant about sin — all kinds of sin –- and the need for repentance, then they are prime targets for the lies, philosophies and myths of unbelievers. You can rest assured that they are going to be listening to someone’s version of sexual morality, and if they are not hearing the biblical version at church and at home, then they will hear false teachings from unbelieving liberals who can’t wait to win them over to their way of thinking. And don’t be afraid of the outcome if you and your church provide this kind of preaching and teaching. Just be faithful to the word of God, leaving nothing out, and let God take care of the outcome. Jesus said “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), not “you will build my church.” Be faithful in this way, and God will be faithful to you! I’m sure of it.

(For more articles on BIBLICAL TEACHINGS, click HERE)

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The Friendly “Ghost”

Spooky lightThe Friendly “Ghost”

By Angie Brown, Guest Author

 “Hey, Chum, come here a minute.” It was my husband, Henry, calling to me from the next room and looking out the window.  As I approached, he said, “What’s that white thing out there in the yard?” In the dark, it looked like a blurry white area, the size of a basketball, suspended in the air.  We stood at the window trying to figure it out, having never noticed it before. It was night time, and the moon was partially concealed by a cloud. The apparition moved slightly every now and then, giving an eerie appearance to the atmosphere.

“What can it be?” Henry continued.  I replied, “I haven’t the slightest idea.” “At least it’s not bothering us.” “Nevertheless, I’m putting my jacket on and taking a flashlight to find out what it is,” Henry replied. “Maybe you’d better take some protection just in case,” I suggested.  I was too “comfortable” inside the house to accompany Henry.  “Better if he has to just take care of himself,” I thought. Watching from the window as he approached the apparition, I was prepared to use the phone, if necessary. Who knows what that thing is? What if it’s a ghost?!

The beam of the flashlight traveled along the grass, then to a pole, and was then slowly raised to focus on…a newly-built and installed white bird house which the “man of the house”, himself, had completely forgotten about!  Henry walked sheepishly back to the house, red faced and grinning. “I’ve just had a senior moment,” he said, laughing.

(For more articles by Angie Brown, click HERE)