Current Technology

By Jim Jack

Last year we watched an electric dragster run 196 mph in the quarter mile. It did a smoky but quiet burnout, and then a tire screeching run down the track at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, AZ. I am not a fan of electric cars, but I’m sure there are people who like them because of what they do (or don’t do). These cars will not be a hit with most motorsports fans because the noise and exotic racing fuel aromas rule the roost in drag racing.

I was told the electric car’s name “Current Technology” came from a comment from drag racing icon “Big Daddy” Don Garlits about the current technology in the electric car construction as it takes a lot of ingenuity to build a vehicle capable of 200 mph out on the racetrack. The car looks cool, but the lack of sound makes it seem rather odd in the noisy world of motorsports.

Current Technology can have multiple meanings in this world we live in. It may be the Current Technology to design, build, and drive a Top Fuel Hydro at over 272 mph on water. It may be the Current Technology to build and drive a Top Fuel Dragster at over 338 mph on a thousand foot concrete drag strip.

Current Technology in electrical devices like our cell phones, GPS, iPods, iPads, and computers seems to change daily with new and better things trying to win your approval to purchase these items new every year. It’s the same in the golf industry as new clubs come out every year to help improve your golf game to play better, hit the ball longer and straighter.

Current has various meanings: Something that flows like a river, passing of time, new, present, publically reported, circulating, and electric current as in the electric dragster. We all use some form of electric current everyday at home, at work, and at the racetrack. Honestly, I’m not sure how an electric boat and water will get along? What do you think?

Current Technology also assists us with things like Google Search helping us find almost anything we want to learn more about. Many of us look at Google every day. I’ve used it to look up biblical stuff…if a topic seems like a handcuff…man does not live daily with only foodstuff…the enemy will try to bluff…or get you in a fisticuff…but God’s Word can surely the devil rebuff…so then off-the-cuff…learn Christ’s promises are enough.

Current events keep us up to date with what’s happening in the around us. These events can be scary in this volatile world. The news concerning world events is enough to say, please “Come quickly Lord!” This world is quickly deteriorating and for many people, it looks hopeless in its current state.

For racing enthusiasts the racing community is something they can hold on to as a solid basis of hope in a hopeless world. Racing friends, family and crew are what keep most racers interconnected to what is important in their lives. Current Technology is what they strive for to better their racing program.

Speaking of Current Technology, how many of us ever thought we’d bring our phones to church and see the Bible on them instead of bringing our Bibles? Our grandparents surely would not approve of anyone not bringing a Bible to church. Years ago we attended a small church in Lucerne Valley, CA, and there was a chalk board on the wall and it stated how many people brought their Bibles to church the previous week.

God’s spiritual current runs through the human body like electric wires through aluminum conduit: Let’s go back to January 17, 2014; it was a nice warm day in the small southern California desert town of Lucerne Valley, CA. On this day, I was privileged to officiate my mother-in-law’s funeral service. This was a special service, as I had known Vi Clark for fifty years. Interestingly, I’d been a Christian for twenty six years, a chaplain for twenty three years, but none of our family had heard me speak or teach, so I was thrilled with the opportunity to share about and honor a great woman in front of her immediate family and friends.

The most intriguing part of the story was the location of the service. Twenty six years prior, and one week before I accepted Christ as my Savior, my father-in-law who had accepted Christ on his death-bed on January 9, 1988, had his funeral in this same small little Baptist church in the desert where they lived.

What are the odds that this time, in this church, I was not one of the people who the pastor was speaking to, but I was the pastor who would be speaking to our family and friends, God’s plan coming full circle.

The man who led my father-in-law to the Lord (Russ Barton) was there and he shared a quick version of that story and how he was friends with my in-laws. After he shared his story, I shared a quick testimony of how God spoke to me in this little church back on January 28, 1988, and what I’d done over the past twenty six years with RFC. It’s another story in the life of a follower of Christ, following the current of God through the Holy Spirit.

I asked for a show of hands of how many of us were in this church back in January 1988, and quite a few hands were raised. Those that raised their hands all knew the old Jim Jack, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” (2 Corinthians 5:17). They knew my story, they knew drag racing was my god—some didn’t speak our language of faith—now they had the chance to see God working through me in a mighty way through His grace…with a familiar family face…in a familiar place. I believe God spoke to several of those people that afternoon.

The family members there that day knew my love for racing, but knew little about my passion for the Lord. Sure, they knew I was a chaplain, and knew Linda and I went to the races hundreds of times through the years, but didn’t quite know what it was to catch the passion of Christ and put it into real-life action. This new life was like the man that Jesus cast out the legions of demons and he was completely transformed, where Jesus told him, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you…” (Luke 8:38-39).

“You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside,” (Oswald Chambers).God even has a plan for the most passionate racer on the planet. God allows anyone to become a racer, but His real plan is for you to become a witness for Him in the midst of the racing community.

Setting the timing spiritually to “Top Dead Center” (To Disseminate Christ) means being set apart (holy) for God. God’s Current Technology—which He has been using for thousands of years—is really old technology that was born of God’s infinite wisdom.

God’s technology will remove the urge to try to run (live) too quick. Just like in drag racing, take it one day (round) at a time. God’s technology will resolve us to be conservative on the tune-up (of life). God’s technology is to recognize the fact to always run (live) consistently. A smooth and balanced running motor (life) will consistently perform better. God’s technology will help you to resist the temptation to return to something you know didn’t work before (old life-style). If you want your name in a record book, make sure it’s in The Lamb’s Book of Life.

I’ve shared in the past about our late friend Jim Plummer from Oregon who had a Donovan powered Top Fuel Dragster. Linda, our two kids and I were his crew, and he had big plans to tour the USA and we were going to be part of it. In 1978 he was making current plans to get married, he was building a house, but wanted to stay in touch with “Current Technology” with the NHRA nitro drag racing technology so he opted to park his own car, and drive another guy’s Top Fuel Dragster. Unfortunately, on May 12, 1978, the car he was driving had such severe tire shake; it rattled his brain so much he died from the traumatic brain injury.

Current Technology is a good thing for all of us…it’s literally telling us to get on the heavenly bus…even for those who may make a fuss…on this vehicle there’s no need to cuss…maybe time to discuss…remembering God’s ways are always a heavenly plus!

Racing is a great place to show your skill…using your free will…costing many a dollar bill…some pistons you may kill…on the lights you hope to drill…in the water maybe scaring a school of bluegill…allow the thought of eternal life to fill…as love it does spill…always trusting in God’s current grace and goodwill.