Taking Communion on the Moon?

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 became the first manned vehicle to land on the moon. Nearly everyone knows Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, but few remember the second man was Buzz Aldrin. Even fewer remember that Buzz Aldrin was the first man to observe the Lord’s Supper on the moon.

He was an elder at Webster Presbyterian Church in Texas at the time, so he asked his pastor to provide the elements to take to the moon. Aldrin and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Buzz read John 15:5 and swallowed the bread and wine inside the lunar module. Aldrin later said, “The very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements. And some of the first words spoken on the moon were the words of Jesus Christ, who made the earth and the moon.” 

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). I have to wonder if Jesus knew that Communion (also known as the Eucharist) would one day be celebrated on the moon. Since He knew all things (John 18:4, 19:28), He certainly did know. When Mary anointed Jesus with perfume, He said, "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matt. 26:13).

His statement sounded impossible, but Jesus knew a Bible would be written in the future and this event would be recorded in it. Today the New Testament has been translated into 2,300 languages. Bibles have been distributed worldwide, and the story about Mary anointing Him with perfume is recorded in each one of them.

He never said, “Truly I say to you, this supper will be celebrated on the moon.” It would be too much for anyone to believe, at least until 1969. We don’t take the Lord’s Supper to remember it was celebrated on the moon. We take it to remember Jesus died for our sins, and we’ll continue to observe it until He returns and we’re in His kingdom (1 Cor. 11:26, Matt. 26:29).  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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It All Went Up in Smoke

After spending months writing his book The French Revolution, Thomas Carlyle took his manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill for his comments. Mill passed the manuscript on to a lady named Mrs. Chapman, who read it by the fireplace on the evening of March 5, 1834. Before she went to bed she laid the manuscript on the mantel.

The next day, the maid came to clean the room and start the fire in the fireplace. Mistaking it as trash, she used the manuscript as fuel to start the fire and burned up the book! Carlyle had to start over and rewrite the entire manuscript.

The same thing happened to the prophet Jeremiah. God told him to write on a scroll everything He had spoken concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations (Jer. 36:2). That covered 22 years, and it would soon be burned in a fireplace.

Jeremiah spent about a year dictating the words to Baruch the scribe, who wrote them down. Because the message called for everyone to turn from their evil ways, it was never going to be a New York Times bestseller. The scroll was taken to evil King Jehoiakim to be read.

The king was in his house with a fire burning in the fireplace. When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king grabbed it, cut it with a knife, and threw it into the fire, destroying the entire scroll (36:2-23). The king tried to seize Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord hid them (36:26).

It had to be devastating for Jeremiah to see all his work go up in smoke. Then God told him to start over and write it again! He took another scroll and rewrote all the words on the scroll that Jehoiakim had burned, plus more information (36:28-32). 

Maybe you need to start over because everything you had before went up in smoke. You’ve lost your job. You’ve lost your reputation. Your house burned down. You got divorced. You’ve lost a loved one. Like a burned-up manuscript, all you have left are a pile of ashes.

However, the Lord still has a good plan for the rest of your life. He will give you “beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and the garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair” (Isa. 61:3). God will help you start over. Don’t say that you can’t. You can and you will!  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com 

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Why Did He Jump Overboard?

Cameron Robbins, a recent 2023 high school graduate, was on a trip to the Bahamas with students from several local high schools. Just four hours after their arrival, Robbins and his friends went on a sunset party cruise. The boat, named Blackbeard’s Revenge, was designed to resemble a pirate ship. Around 9:40 p.m. someone dared Robbins to jump off the boat into the shark-infested waters. Taking up the challenge, he voluntarily “walked the plank” and jumped overboard.

 

A video taken moments after the jump shows Robbins ignoring onlookers’ pleas for him to grab a life ring that had been thrown in the water. A silvery reflection stirred in the dark waters near the boat’s hull, which may have been a shark. Robbins swam away from whatever it was in the water. The last scene of the video shows him splashing a few feet from the boat, before disappearing under water. The teen’s body was never recovered.

How could anyone be foolish enough to jump off a ship at night where tiger sharks were known to be? Someone dared him to do it. Maybe he was afraid to say no in front of his friends. Maybe it was to prove he was brave. Perhaps he thought the video would go viral on social media and he would become famous (which it did). Whatever the reason, I’m sure he regretted his decision not long after he hit the water, but then it was too late.

Cameron Robbins represents many people who are partying on the wrong ship, listening to the wrong voices, and jumping to the wrong conclusions. They make hasty decisions that will ruin their lives without thinking about the consequences. It might not be jumping overboard, but something just as dangerous and fatal in the long run.

Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise person suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil, but the fool is arrogant and careless.” That means we have the courage to say no when people dare us to do very stupid things. We choose to be with friends who follow God and avoid those who want us to do wrong. Solomon said, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov. 13:20).   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  

She Wasn't Expecting This to Happen

My daughter Hannah practiced for several weeks for the high school varsity cheerleader tryouts. She had been a junior varsity cheerleader, and only 3 varsity spots were open in a school of 2,000 students. Her best friend, Melissa, who was already a varsity cheerleader, practiced with Hannah every day to help her win one of the vacant spots. They kept talking about how fun it would be to cheer together. Melissa taught her the proper way to jump and how to always keep a smile on her face. She kept telling her, “You can do it, Hannah! I know you can!”

Over 100 girls showed up to compete for the 3 spots. The results would be posted at 9:45 pm. At 10:00 pm, Hannah came home, sobbing uncontrollably. My wife and I rushed over to comfort her. I told her, “It’s okay that you didn’t make varsity. We’re glad that you tried.”

Hannah continued to cry. She finally settled down and said, “I did make the varsity, but the judges demoted Melissa from varsity to junior varsity and gave me her place on varsity. I hurt so badly for her. She’s devastated!”

We were stunned. In a weird twist of fate, Hannah took Melissa’s position on varsity, and Melissa took Hannah’s position on J.V. “I don’t want to be a varsity cheerleader now,” Hannah said. “I’m going to ask for my junior varsity position back so Melissa can stay on varsity.” I told her, “I don’t think the judges would allow that.”

Hannah got up and drove over to Melissa’s house, where they cried together. She didn’t want to leave her alone, so that night she slept on the floor next to her friend.

I always enjoyed watching Hannah lead cheers at football games, but my fondest memory was when she demonstrated the love of Jesus and slept on the floor next to a hurting friend. Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39), and we’ll never be able to do this until we first feel the pain that they feel.   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net 

The Preacher Who Lost His Voice

 The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

Some people believe God healed people in biblical times, but they’re not sure if He still heals today because they know some people who weren’t healed. However, just because someone isn’t healed doesn’t mean that no one can be healed today. While some people claim God healed them, it’s not often when a miracle is caught on a recording. The following healing was actually captured on audio:

Duane Miller was pastor of First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas. In 1990, he lost his voice due to a virus that infiltrated the nerves in his vocal cords. Over the next 3 years he went to 63 specialists, who told him he would never speak normally again. Even so, he continued to teach the Bible in a loud whisper to the best of his ability.

In 1993, he was teaching a church class on Psalm 103, which was being recorded on audio. As he was teaching through his whisper, he said, “The Psalmist says, ‘Bless the Lord oh my soul.’ One of the benefits is ‘He heals all my diseases.’ In verse 4 He says, ‘and redeems my life from the pit.’ Now, I like that verse a whole lot…”

At that moment, he felt something happen in his throat. He stopped whispering and started talking! As he continued to speak, his voice got stronger and clearer. He paused, realizing he had just been miraculously healed, and said, “I don’t understand this right now. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the moment…” The class was stunned, realizing they had just witnessed a miraculous healing, and started cheering.

As he choked back tears, he continued, “I’m, uh… sounds funny to say, I’m at a loss for words! Thank you Lord!” Miller has continued to speak normally since that day. We serve a living God who still does miracles because Jesus said, “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

We can learn a few things from this. Duane Miller didn’t become bitter at God because he wasn’t healed for 3 years. He continued to serve the Lord, even when he had to teach God’s Word in a whisper. He still believed God could heal today, even though he was told he would never speak normally again. We should all follow those three examples.    www.makinglifecount.net 

You can listen to the recording of the moment he was healed by CLICKING HERE.  You can visit Duane Miller’s website at www.nuvoice.org

June is Humility Month

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

June is Humility Month because “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5). God doesn’t take kindly to those who flaunt themselves and what they do. But don’t take my word for it. On three different occasions Jesus said everyone who thinks of himself as great will be brought down (Matt. 23:12, Luke 14:11, 18:14). When King Nebuchadnezzar lifted himself up, he went insane. When King Belshazzar mocked God by drinking wine from the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple, he died that night. (Dan. 4:30-33, 5:1-30).

And then there’s King Herod Agrippa who died in an unusual way. Acts 12:21-23 tell us: “And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. And the people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”  

The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived 37-100 AD, confirmed this event. “[Herod] put on his garment made wholly of silver … his garment being illuminated by the reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner,” giving him a brilliant appearance. “A severe pain also arose in his bowels in a most violent manner … and [he] said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life.’” (Antiquities of the Jews 19.8.2)

Imagine watching this. Herod enters the theatre in a robe of silver. The sun reflects off the silver coat, making him look as if he’s glowing. The crowd cries out that he’s a god, and he receives their worship. Then, at that moment, he falls over dead “because he did not give God the glory.” 

How do we humble ourselves? Simply by yielding completely to God and asking Him take control of our lives. We live according to what He wants and not how we want. Pride always dies when we shine the spotlight on God instead of ourselves. www.makinglifecount.net   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

The Passenger Had to Fly The Plane

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals

David Gibbs and his friend were in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska flying in a small plane to Anchorage when the pilot passed out. Neither one of the passengers knew how to fly the plane. David sat in the pilot’s seat, but he couldn’t see anything because they were flying in a storm. His friend called on the radio and was connected to Anchorage Emergency. 

The man in the tower said, “I’ve found you on the radar. If you want me to get you home safe, you’ve got to promise me you’ll obey my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you. If you don’t do what I say, you won’t make it.  

“You’re four minutes away from a mountain. You’re going to crash into that mountain unless you follow my instructions.” David followed his orders and got the plane turned away from the mountain.

The voice continued, “You’re an hour and a half away from Anchorage and there’s a lot of bad weather ahead of you. You’re in for a rough ride. I want you to listen to me and not look outside. I don’t want you to pay attention to the storm, just my voice. If you start watching the storm, you will die. But if you listen to me, I’ll take you through it.”

Later the voice said, “I’m going bring you in down the runway. At the foot of the runway are some lights shaped like a cross. The cross is the way home.” As the plane was coming down to land, David could see the cross. He bounced the plane on the runway and landed safely. When the plane stopped, the pilot woke up! The voice in the tower said, “Thanks for listening. I watch them crash and burn all the time because they won’t follow my voice.” 

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Trust His voice to guide you through life. You can’t see Him, but He can see you.    www.makinglifecount.net   www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

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