Jesus Christ

It Just Died

By: Denny

I built an HO scale train layout in one room in my basement several years ago. As of this writing I have acquired 27 diesel locomotive train engines and 110 cars. I don’t have room for all of the locomotives on the layout, so a few are packed away in their original boxes. I also don’t need that many engines, and I’m in the process of selling those I’m not using. I bought many of my locomotives pretty cheap as projects, converting them from the old-style Analog/DC and upgrading them to DCC so I could run them on my layout. It’s complicated to explain, but every DCC locomotive has a small computer module called the “decoder” that receives radio type wave signals from the handheld controller. Every engine is given its own unique electronic identity called a “long  address”, which makes it possible to run multiple trains at the same time at different speeds and directions providing you have more than one main line track, which I have two. I also have 7 separate locomotive sidings where I can park them when not being used. I try to run each one on a rotating basis from time-to-time. My favorite ones are equipped with factory sound decoders and small speakers that emit realistic locomotive sounds such as engine turbos, horns, bells, squealing brakes, dispatch radio communications, and other sounds. I have a separate track hooked to a computer with a program that enables me to adjust the various sound levels, as well as speed and lighting effects. Every decoder, even those without sound must first be programmed before they can be run.

The other day I had been running #632 a Great Northern GP7 locomotive pulling a 20-car hopper train. I decided to switch engines and fired up #2524 a U28 locomotive which is sound equipped. I let it idle on a sidetrack while unhooking #632 and parked it on another siding. #2524 has great sound effects. The turbo whistled loudly as the motor revs increased. The horn blared to announce its movement in the yard while the bell rang continuously. The couplers locked as the engine hooked to the lead car. I reversed direction and pushed the button to increase the forward speed and it just died. I mean there was no sound, the lights went out, and it wouldn’t move at all. I tried resetting the decoder and reprogramming the address, but it wouldn’t respond at all. As computers sometimes do, the decoder had crashed and was fried. In other words, the locomotive was useless unless I installed a new decoder. Good sound decoders are expensive ranging from $100 upwards. An original factory replacement decoder for this U28 was no longer available, and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money installing another brand of sound decoder. For $21.00 I could install a basic non-sound decoder and the engine would be back in operation, but it’s not that simple. The old decoder first had to be removed, which was the easy part. Once the outside body was off all I had to do was unplug the 7 wired socket connections and unscrew 4 tiny screws which hold it in place. This might be boring and too technical, but stay with me because I’m leading up to a point. I ordered a new decoder which would take several days to arrive. It comes with a color coded 7-wire plug which can be removed from the decoder while installing it. I had an extra wired plug on hand, so I was able to connect the wires where they needed to go. All the wires are very tiny and needed to be cut to the right length and the ends stripped back about 1/4 inch by removing the plastic outside sheathing from the wires, which is easily done with fingernails. Every connection had to be soldered and covered with heat shrink tubing. I also replaced the old lights with new brighter LED’s requiring soldering in tiny resistors. With everything in place and wired correctly, when the new decoder arrived the only thing I would have to do is plug it in, program the decoder, and power up the locomotive,  giving new life to an engine that just died.

New decoder

Old decoder before removal

New decoder installed

 Ephesians 2:1 “And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Here is my point: We all are like that dead engine on life’s railroad. As a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the soul of mankind and we just died spiritually. We were condemned to a hopeless eternity separated from God. Our decoders and relationship with God had crashed and fried. We needed a new decoder. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus is that new decoder that can make you spiritually alive again. You only need to believe and receive him. Allow God to do a complete heart change by removing the old dead decoder that separates you from him. There are things in your life that need to be stripped away and laid open much like a wire so you can be soldered to him. He will give you new lights that shine brightly. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.” Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in  Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Wouldn’t you rather be doing and being what God created you for, than sitting on some abandoned railroad siding of life rusting away with no life, no hope, no joy, no peace, and no useful eternal purpose. You can if you surrender your life to Jesus and allow him to bring you new life. Jesus is the decoder, and the Holy Spirit interprets and opens your heart to receive the signal God is sending to you, through his word the Bible. Even though you may have a new decoder, namely Jesus, you still need to be reprogrammed with a new identity. Revelation 2:17b “And I will give him a white stone, and on this stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Jesus is coming back again, and it may be sooner than we think. The train of opportunity to accept Christ as your savior is waiting at the station and the Holy Spirit is calling “All Aboard!” Once Jesus returns the train will pull out and never return. Will today be the day you get on board? What are you waiting for? The fare was paid for you by Jesus at the cross of Calvary.

Worse Sinners?

By: Denny

It was a long trip from Galilee for those traveling to the temple in Jerusalem. They had come to offer sacrifices unto God. There are several speculations as to why and what happened that day, but the result was that Pontius Pilot sent soldiers into the temple to kill them as they were offering their sacrifices. One commentary said there were about 3,000 men killed. The Galileans were considered to be a lower class of seditious people by those in Jerusalem. They spoke the same language as the Jews in Jerusalem, but they had a definite accent that was easily recognizable. Such was the case of Peter, being himself a Galilean, when he denied He knew Jesus. Mark 14:70 But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” Herod was the governor over Galilee in the North, while Pontius Pilot was the governor over Judea in the South. They were in opposition to each other and not on friendly terms. Perhaps Pilot killed the Galileans to send the message to Herod that Galileans weren’t welcomed in Jerusalem. At any rate, the news spread and was told to Jesus. Luke 13:1-2 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?

They had said goodbye to their families that morning as they headed off to their jobs working for Leibowitz & Cohen Construction. It was just another ordinary day at work, no different than those before. A few may have walked along together as they headed for the job site discussing and coordinating their particular plans, duties, and actions once they got there. It was a beautiful sunny day and if all went well, they might be able to complete the Siloam Tower today and enjoy the weekend before moving on to the next project on Monday. Nobody knows for sure; maybe it was poorly designed, the footings may not have been deep enough, or perhaps they were using substandard materials. It happened at noon when all the men were sitting eating their lunch in the shade of the tower. There was a cracking sound that got louder. Bricks began to crumble and suddenly without warning the whole tower came crashing down killing all 18 men. Hypothetically, it could have happened that way, but the Bible doesn’t say. It only records that Jesus asked the same rhetorical question that he had asked those same people who came to him with the news about the Galileans being killed. Luke 13:4-5 “Or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? There appears to be an almost veiled supposition by those present that the Galileans and the 18 men were worse sinners because of their horrible untimely deaths. In each case Jesus gave the same answer, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Throughout the centuries there have been tragedies that have snuffed out the lives of people just going about their daily activities, and we are no exception. Plane crashes, terrorist attacks, school shootings, bombings and shootings at events, building collapses, accidents, wars, diseases, and every kind of natural disaster you can name where people have died, are headlines we see in the news on a daily basis. Most recently we  witnessed the video of an out-of-control ship crashing into and bringing down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD. Six workers who were making repairs to it at the time lost their lives. This was absolutely horrific and tragic. Not only for the six men and their families, but the untold hardships and far-reaching secondary impact on jobs and the overall economy. I find myself wondering if Jesus’ statement, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” would be the same today as it was then. The answer without even asking is yes. Granted, that doesn’t fit the one-sided view of the gentle, loving, and kind Jesus that many picture Him to be. Just as many, if not more, become angry at God for not preventing such things, which usually ends up with them becoming bitter and rejecting Him.  Death rarely ever gives an advance warning. The mysteries of the who, what, when, where, and why’s of life and death are only known to God. How would you tell someone that God cares about, loves them, and wants to be involved in every aspect of their lives, when they are suffering and grieving over the sudden tragic loss of a loved one? You certainly wouldn’t say, “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish”. Yet, Jesus did, because His primary and ultimate concern is for every eternal soul. Does Jesus lack compassion for those who have died and those left to grieve? Not at all, but there was a far greater eternal truth he was revealing. The statement, “you will all likewise perish” is worthy of pause and consideration. Jesus wasn’t telling them that unless they repent, they would die in the same manner. In Luke 5:32 Jesus says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” The first words Jesus spoke as He began His ministry as recorded in Mark 1:15 were, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, but not because Lazarus died. He knew ahead of time that He was going to raise him back to life. He wept because of the unbelief of those gathered there. John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never (die). (likewise perish) – my emphasis) Do you believe this?”

There are many who would and do categorize sins. You have the little white lie sins, the middle of the road sins, and the really bad worse sins. In the eyes of God there are no worse sins or sinners. You either are one or you aren’t, and in case you don’t know, you are one. The playing field is level for everyone. Jesus is the only one who never sinned, which qualified Him alone to be the Savior of all mankind. What comes to mind when you hear the word repent? Perhaps it’s a scene from a movie depicting a preacher as a wild-eyed half-crazed man dressed in black pointing a long finger and shouting, “Repent sinner, or face the fires of Hell!” Leave it to the Hollywood elite to stereotype, misrepresent, demean, and portray Christians and the Gospel in a bad way. Repentance isn’t something you can force people to do out of fear to escape Hell. Think of repentance as if you are walking in one direction, then do a complete 180 turn and go the opposite direction. True repentance is birthed out of a heart realization that you are a lost soul in need of a savior. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts, opens your understanding, and draws you to Jesus the Savior who is calling you to come to Him. Believing is more than a general acknowledging that Jesus died for the sins of the world. It must become personal and that happens when you confess that you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness, and invite Jesus Christ to save you and be the Lord of your life. Jesus Himself said, “You must be born again”, and that’s what happens. The Holy spirit takes up residence in your heart and helps you to repent. Your old sinful nature was crucified with Christ, and you have a new nature according to His righteousness and now have everlasting life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” We don’t often hear or use the word perish. It means to die a violent sudden death. The “should not perish” that the above scripture references is immediately followed by, “but have everlasting life”. It’s like a two-sided coin: repent or perish. We all will die someday, but there is coming a time when everyone will stand before God and be asked what we did about Jesus. Those who have repented in this life and accepted His sacrifice as payment for their sins, already possess everlasting life here and now. For us, death is just a door we pass through to enter Heaven. However, those who have not repented and turned to Jesus in this life will not be given that opportunity after death. Heaven’s door will be closed to them. Sin demands payment, and they will pay for their own sins by being sentenced to an everlasting death away from the presence of God, perishing in Hell. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. Those aren’t my words or opinion, and you can read it for yourself. (John 3:17-20)

Where do you stand with God right now? Have you truly repented, or are you still listed among the condemned and the “likewise perishing”? If your life was taken from you today, can you say with confidence that you have everlasting life and no fear of death? You may think you are a  worse sinner, but there is no sin that the blood of Jesus that He shed on the cross for you cannot cover. Don’t wait, make your choice today, so that whatever happens you can face each day with confidence and peace and say along with King David.

Psalm 31:14-15a But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.

A Second Touch

By: Denny

Mark 8:22-25 (NKJV) Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand an led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

The account of Jesus healing this particular blind man is only recorded by Mark in his gospel. I’ve often wondered why the man wasn’t healed completely when Jesus touched him the first time, as was the case with others, and He needed to touch him twice. Was Jesus tired from long days of walking and ministering healings and deliverance to the masses that His power had drained a little. Absolutely not! God’s power is never weakened or diminished by any means or circumstances, and neither was Jesus’ ability to instantly heal. In fact, He only needs to speak one word and people are healed, demons flee, and the dead are raised. The very creation itself must obey as when He calmed the sea or made all those fish appear on the right side of Peter’s boat. When they came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane that night, He didn’t resist them saying, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) One legion was somewhere around 7,000. When they said they were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the very words He replied, “I am He”, had such power that they all fell to the ground backwards. (John 18:4-6) It wasn’t the nails that held Him to the cross either. It was the greater purpose that He knew He was accomplishing and fulfilling all that the scriptures foretold, and that He would be the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sin of mankind. When and if Jesus limits His power, it’s because there is always a greater purpose. Think about this: God could’ve delivered His people from Egypt with only one plague had he chosen to do so. With each of the ten plagues His glory and power were being displayed in greater measure, for the benefit of Israel that they would believe, and for the defeat of Pharoah. Also, why wasn’t Naaman healed of his leprosy after the first dip in the Jordan River instead of having to dip seven times as instructed by Elijah? (2 Kings 5:10-14) Likewise, why did God command Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times before the walls came down when He could have just as easily destroyed it like He did Sodom and Gomorrah? (Joshua 6) And why did Elijah have to send his servant to look seven times until the rain cloud appeared and ended the drought which Elijah himself previously spoke into being? (1 Kings 19:43) I think in the above examples God was testing to see if they first would obey and secondly if they would persist until the healing, victory, or answer came. In the case of the blind man, I found it interesting that Jesus touched him then asked him what he saw. His reply was, “ I see men like trees walking.” I suppose for someone who had been blind that would be a good description of what he saw for the first time, as opposed to saying everything was blurry, having previously not known or experienced what clear vision even was. After Jesus touched him the second time, the man saw everything clearly.

In the previous verses of Mark 8:14-16, Jesus and His disciples had yet to reach Bethsaida. While still in the boat Jesus warned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. They totally missed it thinking He was talking about bread when He was referring to the false doctrines of the self-proclaimed religious elite as well as those of the political arena that would bring mixture and taint the truth. Vs. 17-18 “You do not perceive or understand because your hearts are still hardened. Having eyes, you do not see, and having ears, you do not hear.” In essence they had been with Jesus for some time now and He had no doubt touched their lives. However, they still lacked understanding and needed a second touch so they could see clearly. That second touch came after His resurrection on the day of Pentecost when they were filled with the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised He would send. Their spiritual eyes were opened, and they understood and saw everything clearly that was written in the scriptures. Perhaps Jesus healing the blind man as He did was to reinforce or demonstrate to His disciples their need also for a second touch.

I said all that as a prelude to make this statement and point: According to a poll by George Barna, president of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, 69% of US adults self-identify as being Christian in their faith. Unbelievably, 58% contend the Holy spirit is not a real living being, and many don’t acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Savior. 57% embrace the concept of Karma while sadly only 6% possess a biblically based world view and look to the Bible for moral guidance, understanding, and absolute truth. Say what! The leaven of false doctrines that Jesus warned about has so infiltrated the “Church” that many professing Christians have rejected the foundational truths of scripture. They base their beliefs more on feelings and experiences and have become like the blind man stumbling about, or having been once touched by Jesus they’re still not seeing clearly. They claim and espouse love and compassion, yet they see people as trees or objects to promote their self-serving Woke ideologies and agendas. As if that weren’t bad enough, they’ve also allowed the leaven of Herod to skew any sense of discernment they may have ever had, by bowing down to the socialistic political idols of the day. Tune in to any news broadcast and you can’t help but conclude that America is on a downward spiral of chaos, corruption, confusion, and moral decline much like that of ancient Rome. It seems like those in this current administration  love to have it so, and they have become the blind leading the blind and the half seeing. America needs restoration. Her only hope is a second touch from Jesus, and it begins with those who ask and seek it. May that be your heart’s desire and earnest prayer.

Lessons From The Garage

By: Denny Hook

Several years ago we did a complete remodel of our basement. I was in need of a new hammer because I broke the wood handle of my old one. Instead of buying another wood handle, I opted for one with a steel shank and rubber cushioned grip. We dubbed it the “singing hammer” because every time you struck a nail it would make kind of a singing noise. Sometime after finishing our remodeling I had to replace the hammer that I carry in my semi for work purposes. Instead of buying a new one, I just grabbed the singing hammer and threw it in my truck tool box. For years about all it was used for was to thump tires, hooking up product hoses, or an occasional beating on a locked up brake drum.

This winter I decided to insulate and sheet the inside of my garage. I had been using the wooden handled hammer that had broken years earlier. I had long since replaced the handle. I like this hammer for sentimental reasons as it was one of the few items I received from my Grandpa Hook. Unfortunately the wooden handle broke again in the middle of the job. I was about to go buy another handle or new hammer when I thought, ”Why not just go get the singing hammer and save the money.” There it was in my truck tool box. It had suffered years of abuse, but other than nicks and scratches, a greasy handle and a coat of rust, it was okay. At least it would help me finish the job. I took a wire brush in my drill and polished it up and cleaned the handle. It actually looked pretty decent considering all it’d been through, but I wondered, “Would it still “sing” after having been through so much neglect and harsh use?”

My son Kevin said I should get an air nail gun to make things go faster, but I’m old fashioned and like to hit the nail, besides, I need to exercise my eye/hand coordination. I didn’t chalk line the stud positions so I had a few hit and misses. Whack! Whack! Thud! Ring shank nails don’t pull out very well, so on the misses I just drove another nail about 1” one way or the other from it to catch the stud, and left it there. Whack! Ring! Sing! Sing! There it was, ever so faintly, but the old familiar singing was still there. Occasionally I had to double a stud with another 2×4 in order to come out on 4ft centers.(a little carpenter lingo) Hammering those spikes took more effort, but the increased resistance just made that hammer sing all the louder. It seemed to almost be singing – “This is what I was made for”. Have you ever had one of those “God moments” when you hear Him with your heart and you just stop and listen? I paused, and in that moment I knew what the Lord was saying. We were created with the ability to sing and worship God as an act of our own free will. Sin separated us from Him and we lost that pure song in the process. We became like that hammer in the tool box wasting away in the darkness of our sin.

I guess we all have times when we feel like that hammer shut up in the toolbox, wondering where God is and looking for a way out or someone to come and rescue us. On the other hand, I think a lot of people go through life hammering nails (so to speak), but never hitting anything solid. They try to find their fulfillment in possessions, relationships, money, fame, drugs, sex, jobs, education, church, hobbies and the list goes on. Their life song is just one “thud” after another and full of wasted nails.

Wait a minute, did I say church? I most certainly did! You see, as good as it is that we attend and participate in a local church on a regular basis, that in and of itself is not the solid ground that Jesus spoke about in Luke 6:46-49. Jesus was talking about himself as the only true solid foundation to build your life on, not anything else. I believe in being an active participant in a good Bible believing church, but if that alone is your life’s foundation, you’re missing it just like a nail that is so close yet still misses the stud. Let me put it this way; I was baptized as an infant, grew up in church, attended Sunday school, VBS, and was in every Christmas play. I was confirmed, took communion regularly, became a deacon and even helped serve communion. I knew when to stand, sit, sing, what to say, and when to be silent. I taught a Sunday school class, a beginner’s confirmation class, and volunteered for just about anything, but I was still missing the mark. Somehow I got the idea that because I was involved in all these great things; that they automatically translated into the solid foundation Jesus talked about, but they don’t!

How do I know that? I’m glad you asked. Let me take you back to Fresno, CA on September 29, 1983. I was doing long haul trucking then and was at the Texaco truck stop taking a break for the night, before heading up to Turlock to load in the morning. I was lonely, road weary, missing my family, and wondering if this was all there was to God; when a stranger asked me the most important question of my life. “What do you want out of life?” I admit that’s not the kind of question you get asked very often or even think about. I paused for a moment then answered, “I guess I want to go to Heaven when I die.” His response was quick; “If you died in a wreck tomorrow do you know for sure you would go to Heaven?” I replied, “I don’t think anyone really knows for sure, you just hope you are.” To that he asked, “Why should God let you into his Heaven?” Upon that I quite proudly recited all the things listed in the previous paragraph. He listened and then in all seriousness said; “None of that will get you into Heaven. You have to be born again like Jesus said in John 3:5.” Well, I was a bit taken back because nobody ever told me that before. To make a long story short I listened to him explain what being born again meant for the next several hours, as well as telling me what God had done for him. The guy was like a walking Bible and it almost seemed like Jesus himself was speaking to me. He gave me a little booklet to read published by an organization called Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International, which he was the president of the local chapter, and we parted company. Just in case you get the idea he was some kind of cult guy, he wasn’t. He had been an ex Catholic who actually had studied to be a priest. He quit that and became a California Highway Patrolman. God saved him just as he was about to commit suicide with his service revolver. He started attending an Assembly of God church afterwards.

The next day as I sat backed up to the dock at Armour Foods while they loaded my trailer with turkeys for Indiana and Michigan, I picked up the booklet and began to read it. All it contained were four short real life testimonials about how people had life changing encounters with the living God. I think it was about halfway through the third one that I realized these people had something I didn’t; a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I remember the moment so clearly. I closed my eyes and it was as if I saw Jesus standing on a hill and motioning with his arms to come to Him. He was saying, “Denny, you’re missing me. You have religion, but you’re missing me. Come to me now.” All I know is I was crying so hard I could barely say the short prayer they had in the book to ask Jesus into your heart and be the Lord of your life, but I did and He has been ever since.

Now back to the garage. I’m sure after hearing my story you understand the analogy. I was so close, yet still missed the stud with my life’s nails. All it took was to move my nail and hit something solid. So, this is my question to you: What are your nails hitting, and does your life sing or sound like a thud? Are you willing to move your nails in His direction? Perhaps you feel like the hammer in the tool box wasting away in the darkness, abused, neglected and forgotten; waiting to be rescued. Maybe you’ve been hurt so bad you’ve given up hope that things will ever change. I tell you, your savior Jesus, is coming for you. He knows where you are and has a purpose for your life. You will SING in His hand, because that is what you were made for!

King David suffered many things; some were because of his own wrong doings, others were a result of God’s call on his life, and the rest was just life that happens to everyone. Yet in the midst of all his problems he sang to the Lord. He is credited for having written most of the book of Psalms. One of my favorite stories is in 2 Chronicles 20. They were far outnumbered in battle, but God instructed them not to fear because the battle was His. King Jehoshaphat put the singers out in front of his army and when they began to sing and praise the Lord, the enemy was defeated and fled before them. In Acts 16:25-30 Paul and Silas were in prison. At midnight they began to sing to God, and He sent an earthquake to free them. That’ll preach!

Friend, there is power in singing to the Lord in worship, because it releases Him to move on your behalf. In this day and age it is so easy to put on a CD, turn on the radio, or go to a concert and listen while someone else does our singing for us. However, the singing I’m talking about comes from deep within your heart and exalts Him above all else. This is the singing that brings His presence into your situation. I can’t begin to tell you (in this post, maybe later) about the many times as a long haul truck driver I would just make up songs and sing them to the Lord as I was driving down the highway. They were just spontaneous and unrehearsed, but God did some awesome things for me. Maybe that’s what you need to do to see God move on your behalf. However, it may be you’ve never even taken the first step to invite him to have control of your life and ask for his forgiveness. The Bible says, “Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What are you waiting for? What do you want out of life?

Happy Hammering!