Pastor Buddy’s Blog

How about them sea legs…

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Journal,

Been traveling back through memory lane to my Navy days. (Long years ago.) As soon as I graduated from high school, Navy it was. (1959) Had a couple of uncles that inspired me. Both had served in the Pacific fleet during WWII; Uncle Holiday and Uncle Grover Carver.  Uncle Holiday is now with the Lord.

Uncle Grover was one of the only 317 survivors of the original 1200 man crew of the USS Indianapolis (CA35). There have been a number books, movies, and documentaries made concerning this tragedy. Here is an excerpt from one of the books:

“ONLY 317 SURVIVED” authored by The Survivors of USS Indianapolis.  Read of the tragedy of USS Indianapolis as written by the survivors themselves. 102 survivors and 40 deceased survivor families share the experience of delivering the atomic bomb components on 26 July, 1945 and subsequently being sunk by Japanese torpedoes on 30 July, 1945. They were found accidentally 5 days later, 883 men dead and 317 barely alive. Nothing left out… nothing added. Finally a book that recognizes and honors all 317 survivors.”

For more information go to: http://members.tripod.com/IndyMaru/IndyMaru.html

When Uncle Holiday found that I was going to the Philippines, he gave me a white tropical suit that belonged to him. I wore that suit til it got past wearing.

Really can’t say enough about my two uncles. They have always been inspirations in my life. And they both were the accelerators for me joining the Navy at age 18.

Back to my sea leg saga…

Joined up June, 1959 and served four years active service. The first nine months consisted of three months boot camp and then six months in Class ‘A’ Radioman School in San Diego.

Radioman school was plenty special for me. I took to international Morse code code like it was going out of style. Did so well that the last couple of weeks I worked with other students to help them make it through. Most of them cared little for morse code. But I spent the rest of my Navy days working with Morse code. Became one of their speed key operators. May be a bit rusty but I can read Morse code to this day.

Then it was off to the Philippines where I was stationed for a year and a half. Have lots of memories there.

But back to the sea legs.

From the Philippines I joined up with the USS Calvert (APA 32). Served a year and a half aboard ship. The Calvert was part of the 7th Fleet. As an amphibious ship we moved  marines and soldiers to various parts of the Orient. The Calvert was an Attack Troop Transport that carried amphibious landing craft.

Woe for the wobbling legs…

Ok - Back to the story. The USS Calvert was in dry dock at Bremerton Naval Base in Washington, when I boarded her. (1962) This was also where I had to have a hernia operation that resulted from my workouts when on the boxing team in the Philippines.  

(Can you believe it? Didn’t get to make my first match. Was my opponent ever lucky. I would have bled all over him.)

In a short time we put out to sea. This is when it happened. Making our way down the coast of Washington and Oregon, headed for San Diego, we encountered a fierce gale. Now for a newbie at sea, this was an experience par excellence.

And wouldn’t you know it — As the newer radioman I had to deliver messages to the captain and other officers. Here I am with the message board in the officers mess hall (Mess halls are eating places.) The storm is going full measure and I’m falling all over myself. Fell over on an officer. Course being the gentlemen they were, everyone just laughed. (Ha ha ha. Don’t believe it.)

That was my introduction to seaboard life. It was very interesting. From the radio shack you could watch the bow of the ship go completely under water. It would rise up above the waves, then drop with a crash. The entire ship shuddered.

By the way my bunk was near the chain locker at the bow of the ship. You can imagine the noise when we dropped anchor.

Now for the land legs…

Well, I did get my sea legs. Sea legs means that you’ve learn to rock and roll with the motion of the ship. Sort of second nature. However, the problem always came when we entered port. Once you left the ship for dry land, you were still rocking and rolling. You had to be remeasured for ‘land legs.’  

There is one thing I am rightly proud of. In my four years in the Navy, not one time did I ever get sea sick. But to this day don’t get me on a merry-go-round. It absolutely makes me woozy. Where that came from I don’t know.

Still a pollywog…

Forgot to mention that the Navy has a tradition that you are either a ’shellback’ or a ‘pollywog.’ (Just tradition - Not official. Think I mentioned this before.) A shellback is the Navy guy who has crossed the equator. In the Navy this is a ‘high water’ mark that sets you apart from all the other sailors.

When crossing the equator the ship stops and the ceremony begins with King Neptune. There is a special initiation for all the pollywogs to become shellbacks. Well, we were on our way towards Australia, nearing the equator when the Calvert was ordered back. (During Vietnam war.) So I came ‘that close’ to becoming a shellback. (If you could see my fingers, I’m measuring a inch.)

Think I’ll change gears and share a short Bible study - (This is for you folk who tire of reading about my personal adventures in life.)

The Covenant of Christ…

A most beautiful picture of our covenant life in Christ is set forth in the analogy of the Vine and the branches. The Vine had long been a symbol of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord. Isaiah drew attention to the vine, in saying, “Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard.” Isa5:1

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The Greek word ‘meno’ means to stay in place, or to remain within a sphere. We have a picture of this when God said to Abraham, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you.” Gen17:1,2 

The word covenant in Hebrew is ‘BERITH.’ In Greek it is ‘DIATHEKE.’ Both words speak of a declaration of the will of God concerning His own commitment, promises, and conditions by which. He enters into relationship with man. God is the initiator and completer of the covenant.

This is why the vine is a vivid picture of our new covenant relationship in Christ. The believer is to look to the Lord Jesus for everything in life.

Paul discovered this truth the same way that many of us do. His eagerness for the Lord was to be admired, but this eagerness also became a danger point in Paul’s life. Paul found that prayer alone could not take care of the problem. He had to learn the vine secret.

When Jesus said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,” the apostle realized that he was trying to do too much on his own. What did Jesus tell the disciples about their vine life? He said, “Without Me you can do nothing.”

 Our perfect example for the vine life is Jesus Himself. Not one time in His earth walk do we ever see Jesus defensive or frustrated. His secret is in something Jesus said; “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:30 (Cf. John 8:28; 8:42; 12:49; 14:10.)

It really isn’t hard for a child of God to learn the flow of God’s will. There are two things we need to know. First, we need to understand that God has a perfect will for all of His children. Secondly, we need to know that God is the only One who can work His will in our life.

It is in our trusting that we come to know more about this wonderful thing called God’s providence. We learn the providence of God by seeing His care for our lives. There is no part of a believer’s life that the Lord is not vitally concerned with. The prophet of old said, “The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lam3:22,23

The Lord never ceases to love and care for His people.

Back to the Vine and its branches. The centerpiece of the analogy of the Vine and branches is found in John 15:7,8, where Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

 As we learn to walk in loving submission to the Word of Christ, we are given a promise of fruitfulness. The privileges and experiences of a new covenant child of God are awesome indeed. Where the Old Testament saint relied greatly on a prophet and priest mediator, the new covenant child of God has direct, open, and immediate access to the Lord, at any moment, and under any circumstance.

There are three essential keys to the covenant walk. The 1st key is simply learning to abide in Christ. Abiding needs to be reemphasized. We must learn to let our faith settle in Him absolutely. If we stop trusting Him to work in us, our lives begin to shrivel. Jesus said that no branch could bear fruit on its own.

The 2nd key is in the second half of verse 7, where Jesus says, “…and My words abide in you.” The Greek language has two words for word. Logos means thoughts and conceptions, or arrangements. It is in our meditations and study that God’s Logos flows, that is, where God arranges our heart.

This is not the word Jesus uses here. Rhema speaks of that which is uttered by a living voice. It often speaks of a command. This is Christ speaking or ministering His Word to the heart of a believer. There are many voices in world, but there is only one voice we are to seek for and listen to.

The 3rd key is the love key. Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” To abide in His love is to keep always before us His love for us. We are to settle down in His love for us.

Finally, it needs to be stressed that a covenant walk is a walk under the direction of God Himself. Hebrews 13:20,21, explains the aspect of the covenant in Christ:

 “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Just something to think about.

May the blessings of the Lord visit your home today.

Buddy