Happy 91st Birthday, Dad!

Today would have been my father, Arne T. Thomassen’s, 91^st birthday.  He was a man who was proud of many things:  his family (wife, Alice, and their three sons, Roger, George and Curtis; then his 3 daughters-in-law Karen, Muriel and Andrea; his grandchildren:  Krista, Ronald, Matthew, Alicia, Joshua, David; as well as his brother Berner and wife Harriet and cousins, nephews, nieces); his ministry in the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota; the years in the U.S. Army as part of the 99^th Battalion; and so many more things.

Above all, Dad was passionate about ministering to people.  People were his priority.  He unselfishly shared his life and desired for people to come to know Jesus in a personal way.  

When he pastored in Granada, Minnesota, he had a daily devotional on radio station KSUM in Fairmont, Minnesota. (See: http://www.ksum.com/ )

For today’s blog I have chosen one of his broadcasts from his birthday in 1978.

This devotional will tell you a lot about his personal priorities.  This is what he believed and what he lived.  Although he never had very much money, he passed on the true riches to his sons and his family.

Radio Broadcast (KSUM)                                                     Program #45

June 9, 1978 (Friday)

On Wednesday I spoke about some of the things which mean a lot to us such as the various freedoms.  I said that we had to pay a price for them.  The price is not always in dollars and cents.  Today I would like to share some thoughts about things that money can’t buy.  I have a few pages of cartoons called “Ching Chow.”  [Here is an example:  http://www.art4comics.com/cc16.jpg ]

They are brief sayings of common sense wisdom.  I’ll share a few with you and then I’ll concentrate on one for this morning’s meditation.  There is one that says, “Strive always to be like a good watch.  Open face, busy hands, pure gold, well-regulated, full of good works.”  Another says, “there are no directions pointing to the road of success.  You must find your own way.”  Then, “It’s not your position that makes you happy or unhappy, it’s your disposition.”  And “This commonplace person believes that unless you can digest your own advice, don’t feed it to others.”  But the one I would like to speak on is – “Who can deny, it is good to have money, but better to have the things it (that is money) can’t buy.”

Things that money can’t buy!  Can’t money buy anything and everything?  The answer is “no.” There are many important intangibles such as inward peace, true happiness, contentment, salvation, heaven, happiness in the home.  Inward peace means the end of conflict.  Hostilities have ceased.  The most beautiful peace is the peace which Jesus gives.  He said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you:  not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubles, nor let it be fearful.”  (John 14:27).  This kind of peace comes when the heart has been cleansed from sin, when there is peace with God.  Then there is happiness.  Our theme songs says, “Happiness is to know the Savior, living a life within His favor, having a change in my behavior happiness is the Lord.”  Everyone seeks happiness, but not everyone finds it.  They will only find true happiness in Jesus Christ.  

Contentment speaks of being satisfied.  No need to chase around looking for something or someone else.  I quote a few lines from a song:  “All that I want is in Jesus, He satisfies, Joy He supplies.  Life would be worthless without Him, all things in Jesus I find.”

I will share with you two verses of scripture form the Old Testament.  From the book of Isaiah 55:1 and 2 (from the Living Bible):  

 “Say there!  Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.”

God invites mankind to come to Him for the things he needs for the inner man.  We might ask, “What does man need that he cannot purchase with dollars and cents?”  For one thing, salvation.  We read in I Peter 1:18 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.  If it too money to obtain salvation, many would be left out.  We read in another place in the New Testament:  “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” 

I recall hearing a man speak to a men’s meeting back in Massachusetts.  He was a millionaire.  He told of the time when his wife lay close to death as a result of an accident.  He felt so hopeless.  He said for the first time in his life he faced a situation where he could not write a check to get what he wanted.  During this time, he turned to asking God for His help.  There are things money can’t buy.  God is ready to supply your need for salvation, happiness, contentment, and all the other things which will bring true happiness.”  

  

 Written by Arne Thomassen, June 9, 1978 for KSUM