‘On’ My Knees [v182]
APRIL 2014
‘On’ My Knees
Next week I will be having a total replacement surgery for my right knee, which I am really ‘excited’ to be getting. The ‘final’ destruction of it was during a baseball game in the late 70’s, though I didn’t get the arthroscopic surgery to clean up the tear until the early 80’s—after I ripped it up a bit more, and couldn’t put a lot of twisting force on it (Back then, I was known to fall down trying to navigate thru those ‘twisty’ revolving doors. Quite embarrassing).
It was a successful surgery, but the surgeon had to take out a lot of cartilage, and over the years I wore most of the inside portion of it away—such that, it’s been ‘bone-to-bone’ for almost a couple of years now (and maybe a reason why my hurt back has been hurting more in the recent past).
My surgery is going to be performed by an internationally-acclaimed surgeon at the forefront of knee replacement innovation, Dr. Jeffrey DeClaire (at Crittenton Hospital, in the Detroit metro area). He will be using an advanced alignment technique called “Patient-Specific Positioning Guide” (PSPG). It uses MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology to create customized three-dimensional joint reconstruction that provides perfect positioning and fitting of the knee replacement—allowing for a minimally invasive procedure. Dr. DeClaire has performed more PSPG surgeries that any other doctor in the world, and travels worldwide to teach other doctors this cutting-edge technique. (He is also at the forefront of developing Computer-Assisted Orthopedic Surgery).
Another ‘bonus’ of this system is that, for an ‘active’ person like myself, it also allows for keeping both the ACL and PCL ligaments—aiding in twisting resistance—which are normally ‘sacrificed’ with previous replacement systems (I’m hoping that mine will be good enough to be kept intact—which will help me beat Michelle in tennis this summer!). [ Biomet “Vanguard XP” total knee system (Details and 3-D animation):
http://www.biomet.com/orthopedics/productDetail.cfm?category=2&product=276 ].
[ Note: Dr. DeClaire did an international, live broadcast of the groundbreaking Bicruciate Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasty procedure—that he and four other surgeons developed—four days before he used the procedure on me!:
https://www.facebook.com/DeClaireKnee – Entire procedure video: http://vimeo.com/39918372 ].
They tell me that, normally, I should be back walking and driving a car within a few weeks (probably a bit longer to do ‘heel-and-toe’ shifting)—IF I really ‘work at it’ and am ‘serious’ about physical therapy.
The ‘normal’ degree of motion of the joint is typically 120-130 degrees, depending on the age and ‘malleability’ of the patient. My goal is more like 140-145 degrees—so I can still be a catcher for hardball, able to do gardening, and be able to kneel when I pray.
That brings to mind something in the Bible that the Apostle Paul said to the Philippian church: “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above all names, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” So, what does that all mean?
By saying “every knee shall bow,” Paul is declaring the divinity of Jesus, and making a clear indication of what will occur at the ‘Second Coming’ of Jesus. A day is coming that will be unlike any other day in world history—and I want to try to prepare you for it!
On that great and grand day, the entire world will recognize that Jesus Christ is Sovereign, Almighty Judge, King of kings. In addition to every knee ‘bowing’, every tongue will ‘confess’ that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords. This ‘confession’ will be made by two different groups of people.
One group will confess by merely acknowledging that Jesus is ‘Lord’. They will admit that Jesus IS who He said He was. They will make confession with regret and bitterness, thinking to themselves, “Why did I doubt?”; “Why didn’t I believe?”; and “Why didn’t I become a ‘follower’ of Jesus?”
The second group will include all the loyal followers of Jesus. For the Christian, that dramatic day will be a time of worship and adoration. They will speak the name of Jesus with reverence and respect, unlike many in the first group who previously spoke the name of Jesus as a curse word, or a word they used when they were angry.
When Jesus Christ returns, “the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” [Revelation 11:15]. Satan’s world, built on a foundation of lies and deception, will come crashing down, replaced by the Kingdom of truth and light.
The lesson for those living in the “here and now” is that they must heed the warning of the writer of Hebrews who said: “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment” [ Hebrews 9:27 ], and what Luke said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” [Acts 4:12].
If those weren’t ‘strong’ enough, maybe a few other ‘warnings’ might help:
– “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” [2 Corinthians 5:10]
– “Everyman’s work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it” [1 Corinthians 3:13]
– “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing” [Ecclesiastes 12:14].
– “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of in the day of judgment” [Matthew 12:36 ]
– “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” [Romans 2:16].
These previous passages are referring to a future event that will be related to the day of judgement. The tragedy is that if you wait till then, it will not be a confession unto salvation, but of condemnation. If you wait till the judgment day—when you will be ‘forced’ to bow your knee and confess that Jesus is Lord—it will not ‘save’ you then.
In a few weeks it will be Easter, and the ‘original’ story behind the celebration was not bunnies, eggs, or candy, but it is because Jesus was willing to humble Himself and be obedient to death on the cross, and God the Father exalted Him, thus putting His stamp of approval on Jesus’ death as the satisfaction of the penalty for our sins—so we can go to Heaven and have eternal life with God forever.
Jesus came and He willingly went to the cross, and there He suffered and died for the sins of the world. Salvation was accomplished, and the promise of God became a reality. In His Second Coming, the reality of God’s promises will be fulfilled.
For those that believe, it will be a REALLY ‘happy’ day! But, for those that refuse to believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Savior now, here on earth before their passing, it will be a day of judgment—horrible beyond any imagination!
For the saved, it begins the reality of Jesus’ wonderful Kingdom and our part in it. For the ‘lost’, it begins an eternity separated from God, that ends in being cast into the “Lake of Fire,” with no longer any hope of the salvation they rejected.
You will stand in a long ‘line’ that ends at a Great White Throne. The One on the throne is not the compassionate loving God, but the God of wrath and judgment. Before Him stands everyone who ever lived, but rejected His only begotten Son. Everyone who tried to get to heaven by ‘good works’ or didn’t have time for “religion” will be in that line.
Here you will have to give your reasons for rejecting His Son, Jesus Christ—the only ‘means’ He provided for the forgiveness of your sins. The thing is, though you will bow your knee and finally acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, it will be too late to be saved. Your name will not be found in the “Book of Life,” and you will be consigned to an eternity apart God. He will honor your desire not to live in fellowship with Him, and send you to a place void of His mercy and grace—a place the Bible describes as “torment,” and a “place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
BUT, the Good News is that for the living who have not yet received Christ….IT’S NOT TOO LATE!!! (and it’s not complicated).
The basic ‘confession’ in becoming a Christian and follower of Jesus is succinctly cited in the Book of Romans: “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10]. THAT’S IT!
The Bible presents that the outcome is certain, and we ALL WILL BOW before Jesus. The question is, which ‘group’ will you be in?
The Bible also warns, “no one knows the day or the hours when these things will happen” (Jesus foretelling the end of time), I’m thinking now would be a great time to ‘settle’ this once and for all!
When I finally see Jesus, I will have my ‘new’ knee, and will be able to bow down before Him—all the way—in awe and thanksgiving. I would REALLY LIKE you to be there right beside me doing the same!!!
[ Excerpts from: Ray Ellis; Jim Mastin; Chuck Smith ]
RESOURCES:
“Dress To Deceive”
Hiking in the mountains of Utah, Coty Creighton spotted a goat that didn’t look like the rest of the herd. A closer look revealed that the unusual animal was actually a man dressed as a goat. When authorities contacted the man, he described his costume as a painter’s suit covered in fleece, and he said he was testing his disguise for a hunting trip…
http://odb.org/2014/03/09/dressed-to-deceive/
[ Our Daily Bread ]
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“Every Knee Shall Bow”
The Book of Revelation is Christocentric, that is, Christ-centered. Don’t let the four horsemen carry you away, or don’t be distracted by the blowing of the trumpets or by the seven performers. And don’t let your interest center on these bowls of wrath. Let’s keep our eyes centered on Christ. He is in charge; He is the Lord. In this book we have the unveiling of Jesus Christ in His holiness, in His power, and in His glory. The Man Christ Jesus is wonderful! He is the One who can put His hand in the hand of God and who can put His other hand in the hand of man and bring them together. He can do this because He is God. “King of the ages” has two other renderings: King of saints and King of the nations. Any rendering indicates that Christ will be the object of universal worship and acknowledgment. There will be no place where He will not be worshiped…
[J. Vernon McGee ]
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[P.S.: If you would like to investigate what the Bible says about what it really means to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://www.4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d1_1of10.html
LIFE’S DEEP THOUGHTS (v182) for APRIL 2014
If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net
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EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
He left His throne in paradise,
to meet man’s greatest need;
yet the Savior was rejected,
and led to Calvary.
With their eyes they saw, with their hearts they heard,
but their hearts could not believe;
That a simple man, a carpenter,
could be the King of Kings.
By a sinful race full of unbelief,
He was nailed upon a tree;
Yet the day will come, when the clouds will part,
and every doubt will flee.
And every eye shall see Him, in His awesome majesty;
Every nation shall worship at His feet,
and every tongue at last confess Him, when He comes to claim His own,
and every knee shall bow…before His throne.
Still today the world reject Him,
and mocks His precious name;
but the day is quickly coming,
when evil will not reign.
All our tears will be forgotten,
all the wrong at last made right;
When He comes to call His chosen ones,
to everlasting life.
The trump will sound, the dead be raised,
The truth will be made known;
Every eye will see, every ear will hear,
when we kneel before His throne.
And every eye shall see Him, in His awesome majesty;
Every nation shall worship at His feet,
and every tongue at last confess Him, when He comes to claim His own,
and every knee shall bow…
every tongue confess…
and every knee shall bow…
before His throne.
Every knee shall bow…
before His throne.
[ The Wilds ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUq5rwodVo
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EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
On that day when Jah shall come
Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
On that day when Jah shall come
No more crying, no more heartaches
No more sorrows, no more pain
So, what will you do? What will you do?
When He shall come, Mr wicked man
Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
On that day when Jah shall come
The good you do, it will follow you
And the bad you do, it will stand with you
Yes, the good you do, it will follow you
And the bad you do, it will stand with you
Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
On that day when Jah shall come
No more crying, no more heartaches
No more sorrows, no more pain
So, what will you do, Mr wicked man?
The good you do, it will follow you
And the bad you do, it will stand with you
Yes, the good you do, it will follow you
And the bad you do, it will stand with you
Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
On that day when Jah shall come
No more heartaches, no more sorrows
No more pain
So what will you do, Mr wicked man?
Every knee shall bow
Said every knee shall bow
[ Johhny Clarke & U Roy ]
[ NOTE: “Jah” is the shortened form of the divine name for the God of the Bible, Jehovah, or Yahweh (YHWH) ].
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koZzqklSSKI
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DEEP THOUGHT(s):
“That best academy, a mother’s knee.”
[ James Russell Lowell ]
“God had brought me to my knees and made me acknowledge my own nothingness, and out of that knowledge I had been reborn. I was no longer the centre of my life and therefore I could see God in everything.”
[ Bede Griffiths ]
“The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it. Whether he’s got an abscess on his knee or in his soul.”
[ Rona Barrett ]
“At the cross I bow my knee, where your blood was shed for me. There’s no greater love than this. You have overcome the grave. Your glory fills this place; You tore the veil, you made a way, when you said that it is done.”
[ Author unknown ]
“There are moments when, whatever the posture of the body, the soul is on its knees.”
[ Victor Hugo ]
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Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ‘pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!
“I have sworn by my own name;
I have spoken the truth,
and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.”
[ Isaiah 45:23 ].
Mark
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Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.
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LIFE'S DEEP THOUGHTS 
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