John Piper - Desiring God

For a long time Larry Stallard asked me if I had ever read John Piper.  Well, I have never been much of a reader, but he periodically kept asking, so I decided to check out if this guy to see if he had a podcast so I could listen to what he had to say.  By the way, Piper is the Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

For quite some time now I have been downloading Pastor John's sermons off the internet (they are available from iTunes for free) and have found them to be wonderful.  Piper is a theologian and a most practical speaker.  He not only preaches and explains the Bible, but his love of the Lord comes through so clearly.  I think this is partly because he is about our age and has life experience to back up what he preaches in such a humble, yet authoritative way.  I'd highly recommend that you take a listen to what he has to say some time soon.  Or pick up one of his many books.  You can get more info and some great resources at his website called Desiring God (www.desiringgod.org).

Thanks Larry for introducing John Piper to me!

Welcome to Mohawkers' High Flight

As most of you know from reading the 225^th Observer blog or from knowing me for many years, I am a Christian, one who is a believer in Jesus Christ as the only Son of God and as my personal Savior.

Well, as Karin and I were in church a few of Sundays ago, something our pastor said prompted the thought that I know there are several believers on my mailing list of guys I was in the service with in Vietnam, or who I have come to know these years later through the internet, who might like to get together through email to share praises and prayer requests or concerns, or to just have a deeper level of fellowship as brothers in Christ.

I know I have been concerned about men I have a service-related relationship with, but I don’t know if they know Jesus or not, and sometimes don’t know how to approach them.  It’s a little easier now that I am a little older, I am at the point of not worrying much about the approach and just ask them in some way if they know Jesus.

Just the other day I broached the subject with a man I consider my brother.  I said to him that he probably knew that Jesus was a big deal in my life, and did he and his wife attend a church?  He instantly answered that Jesus was a big deal in his life and that he and his wife had been members of a local church for many years.  My heart soared!  I had been worrying about bringing Jesus up in a conversation…all that worry was for nothing.  All I had to do was ask!

We’re not getting any younger, and I am becoming more and more concerned that the Good News of eternal life in Jesus Christ has not gotten out to some of our veteran buddies.

Thus the reason for blog that I’ve called Mohawkers’ High Flight.  The poem below I’m sure most of us have heard at one time or another; I heard it read at the first memorial service I attended at Phu Hiep in October 1968.  And it has stayed with me in some form all these years since.  As time goes on I hope that you would send me things to put on the Mohawkers’ High Flight blog in order that we all can share a little bit more of Jesus with our friends and brothers and sisters.

Please let me know your thoughts on how we can establish a deeper level of comradeship, of brotherhood and friendship in Christ.  It’s wonderful that so many of my friends are Christians, but I think it would be even better if all the guys I served with were!  I look forward to hearing from you (mohawkbeliever@gmail.com)!

High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew -

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee

No 412 Squadron, RCAF

Killed 11 December 1941