You Are A Strong Influence

 

Around the turn of the century in rural Texas, an old man crippled with arthritis was very faithful in his attendance at a local church. Twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday night a little girl watched from her bedroom window as the old man, with cane in hand, painfully and slowly made his way down the street to the church building on the corner. One Sunday morning, following an unusually strong overnight winter storm, the little girl ran to her window, looked out and exclaimed to herself, “Surely the old man won’t go to church this morning!” But there he was, right on schedule, plodding very cautiously through the ice and snow. The little girl could contain herself no longer. She had to visit the little church on the corner to see for herself what could possibly be there that would bring the old man out on such an inclement morning. The little girl was impressed with the services that morning and a short time later she became a Christian, as did her whole household.

The rest is history. After finishing high school, she enrolled in a Christian college and while there met a fine Christian young man whom she later married. To this union a son was born who was to become one of the finest gospel preachers that ever lived. During the time that he served the Lord, this man led literally thousands of people to Christ.

The old man went to his reward without realizing just what an impact he had made for the cause of Christ. Because of his godly influence many people will go to heaven to be with him. There can be no greater joy than to reach heaven and to hear some say, “I’m here because you had shown me the way.” It is a fact that we are capable of showing others the way. This can be achieved because of the powerful influence we all have in the ability to openly exert our love and devotion to the Creator while we live on this earth.

[Titus 2:7-8] “…in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” I would pose a question to all of us who are Christians: “Have you ever stopped to consider the influence we may have on those around us?” It has been said many times that if heaven becomes your home you will take others with you because of the influence you have exerted while living here on earth. I believe the opposite of this will also be true. If you are lost you will take those with you into eternal punishment who have followed your earthly example. We are being observed by others many times when we least expect it or are unaware of the presence of others.

The apostle Paul was addressing the Philippians concerning their influence, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15). The child of God is to be innocent, even though the world around us is crooked and perverse. By living this way our influence will be as a light. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). The Christian is to be an example of what a believer truly is. The power of the Christian influence is something that one should never take for granted. Who is it that we are influencing with our Christ-like example? Are we influencing others toward salvation and eternal life in heaven? Or is our lackadaisical attitude of love and devotion toward Christ leading others astray, influencing them toward eternal hell and damnation. This is a question we “Christians” must consider in complete earnestness and honestness.

Know God or No God

 

The world is being duped into believing that equality holds equal footing in every realm of life with a strong footnote on feelings and whom one desires to be at any given moment. Equality has also pushed God, right and wrong, aside, and opened wide the unrestricted practices of evil among humans which the world hasn’t experienced since the days of Noah (Genesis 6:5-8). In the name of equality, righteous living has been forced to step aside without prejudice, in fear of being unjustly punished, to make room for evil to develop as a personal right of thought and action. I thank God for those who are at the front of this battlefield and making a difference by exposing the evil which has been hidden far too long from the naive persons of this world that have been educated through propaganda.

Many go through life making a deliberate choice to ignore God. Any mention of God or Jesus seems to flip a switch in their minds to “Off”. Most do acknowledge a belief in God, but they have no idea as to the nature of God, or what He has said in His Word. There is much confusion that comes from the many different and erroneous doctrines taught in the “religious” world. Many have become convinced that nothing is needed other than a belief in God – but they don’t know God. Yet, there are millions who make a deliberate choice to ignore God because He doesn’t “fit” into their life. Being a follower of Christ demands time which they are not willing to give. It would interfere with their lifestyle, their personal life, their golf game, their sports event, their family life, their work, or some other “god” which they prefer.

Often there are young couples who want to live their own lives and “plan to get religion” when they are older. What they fail to realize is the older they get the more attached they become to the things of this world. And their children will suffer the consequences of being educated by the standards of the world, not the righteous guidance of God’s Word. The world is determined to destroy the family! Life-long worldly habits are hard to change!

[Hosea 4:6] “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest (2 Peter 2:4-10) before Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

We can ignore God all our life. God gives us that choice which brings with it devastating results at the end of life. The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way. Moses and Joshua tried to impress upon them that God meant what He said as they led them to the promised land, but the people refused to believe and obey God. Today, we have God’s Word that tells us how to reach a far more beautiful “promised land” awaiting us in a place called heaven. But it’s impossible to ignore God and His Word still expecting to get there.

The rich young ruler faced a decision when the Lord told him to go and sell all he had (Luke 18:18-23) – he made a bad decision. Lot faced a decision when Abram gave him the choice as they divided the land for their herdsman (Genesis 13:8-13) - he made a bad decision. Gideon faced a decision when God reduced his men from 32,000 to 10,000, then to 300 (Judges 7:1-22), he made a good decision. Thousands heard the gospel on the day of Pentecost. They faced a decision when the apostles told them of their sins (Acts 2:22-37) – about 3,000 of them made a good decision (Acts 2:38-41). First century Christians faced a decision with the need to grow in service to the Lord, learn more of God’s will for their life, and how to serve one another. Many made excellent decisions as they added to their faith, grew in knowledge, wisely used their time and energy, developed talents to serve the Lord. You have a decision to make about God in your life. “Know God” or “No God”!

Temporal or Eternal - Your Decision

 

There is a charming story concerning the noble statesman, William Ewart Gladstone. Crossing the frontier between France and Belgium, he was interrogated by an officious customs officer: “Have you anything to declare?” “Only a bunch of grapes,” replied the Englishman. The officer countered, “You cannot pass with those grapes, sir. They are dutiable.” “I will pay no duty!” retorted Gladstone. “Then you must leave the grapes behind,” said the customs examiner. “No, I shall pass, grapes and all,” insisted Gladstone. Whereupon, to the astonishment of the officer, he started slowly eating the grapes, until they disappeared. “Now,” he said with a smile, “I shall pass, grapes and all."

If one were to ask a three-year-old if he would rather have a piece of candy now or a new car when he is sixteen, what do you suppose the response would be? We would not be surprised if the child wanted the candy, especially if we had it in hand tantalizing him with the very sight of it. The candy is something the child can see that can give him immediate satisfaction.

However, the car is a distant intangible prospect. Since the car will be “new” when the child turns sixteen, it has not yet been made, and it’s hard for him to imagine exactly what will be available to him in the realm of automotive transportation in thirteen years.  From our experience as adults the decision is a “no-brainer”. We recognize the vast difference in the value of each option. We recognize that in a matter of seconds the candy will be gone, and it’s delight dissipating. Our perspective is different than a child’s.

[Revelation 21:4; 22:2] Our heavenly Father offers the rewards of heaven with no pain nor sorrow, but unending healing and prosperity in the presence of God and the saved.

[Hebrews 11:25] By way of contrast, the pleasures of sin are for a season. The problem for us is that the devil dangles the pleasures of sin before our eyes and invites us to experience the delight right here and now. Though sin is delightful for a season, it soon ends, and the bitter realization of its consequences remain. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are all of this world which is passing away (1 John 2:16). Heaven, however, is described as a city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). Heaven will never pass away; its delights will never languish. It is eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12), eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10). We cannot see heaven at this moment, neither can we experience being in the very presence of God Almighty, but we can choose to patiently wait for it. Through the Bible we can see God’s perspective of the matter and make the wise choice of heaven.

[2 Corinthians 4:18] “…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Do we make our decisions based on the here and now? Let us be reminded that the visible things are temporal – they have an expiration date. The eternal things ought to be the basis of our decisions, though they are unseen. The apostle Paul goes on to describe in 2 Corinthians 5, how though we are now in this earthly tabernacle, that is our physical body, we earnestly await the time when we will inhabit our spiritual house that is eternal in the heavens (5:1) and be present with the Lord (5:8). 2 Corinthians 5:7 explains, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Let us walk by faith, by God’s word, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), which opens up the unseen world of superior blessings, rather than by sight in a temporal world. If we do so, we will patiently wait for the great reward, rather than the devils sugar stick.

The Father of Fathers

 

When the good Lord created fathers, He started with a tall frame. An angel nearby said, “What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make a child so close to the ground, why have you put the father up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child into bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.” And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child size, who would the children have to look up to?” When God made a father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. The angel sadly shook his head and said, “Do you know what you’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t handle diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on ponytails, or even remove splinters from baseball bats.” God smiled and said, “I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day – yet small enough to cup a child’s face.” Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. The angel said, “Boy, this is the end of the week, all right! Do you realize you just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?” God smiled and said, “A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sheepy-head on the way home from the circus.” God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain himself no longer. “That’s not fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby is crying? Or walk through a small birthday party without stepping on at least three of the guests?” God smiled and said, “They’ll work. You’ll see. They’ll support a small child who wants to ride a pony or scare off some mice at the summer cabin, and display shoes that will be a challenge to fill.” God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm, authoritative voice and eyes that could see everything, but remain calm and tolerant.

[Psalm 96:4-9] A little boy asked his father what the highest number was he had ever counted. Replying he didn’t know, the father asked his son for his highest number. It was 973. “Why did you stop there?” wondered the father. “Because church was over.”

I suspect that you have probably sat through worship services where your mind was focused on something just as trivial rather than on God. It’s easy to allow the mind to wander. “I can’t wait to see the ball game this afternoon.” “I wonder what we’re having for lunch?” “I’ve never noticed before that the carpet down there is beginning to unravel a bit.”

Is it any wonder we so often leave the worship assembly with the feeling that it wasn’t very meaningful? Worship should be a time when we are confronted with the majesty and glory of God. As we reflect on God’s power, we realize how much we need Him in our times of weakness. As we reflect on God’s wisdom, we realize how much we need Him in our times of indecision. As we reflect on God’s holiness, we are made aware of our own sinfulness and the need for forgiveness. As we reflect on God’s love, we realize the effort that God has gone to make that forgiveness available. It’s not a ritual we go through every week. It is an opportunity to express our praise to the One who means more to us than all the earth. As we truly worship and praise God from the heart, we become more aware of how much we really want to live close to Him. We leave with the challenge to “be holy as He is holy.” “…Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below – always.

Are You an Ant or A Grasshopper?

 

Æsop Fables – “The Ants and The Grasshopper” One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat. "What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?" "I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone." The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust. "Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work. There's a time for work and a time for play. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15)

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he continued to walk alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Turning to look, he saw a seven-foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could along the path he was on. Looking over his shoulder he saw the bear was closing in on him. Then, he tripped and fell on the ground! He rolled over to pick himself up and saw the bear raising his giant paw to take a swipe at him. At that instant the atheist cried out, “Oh my God…” Time stopped! The bear froze! The forest became silent! It was then a bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky saying, “You deny my existence all these years, teach others I don’t exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you now expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?” (Matthew 7:21-23) The atheist looked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the bear a Christian?” “Very well,” said the voice. The light went out, and the sounds of the forest resumed, and the bear slowly lowered his big paw, bowed his head and spoke, “Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful, Amen”

[Proverbs 6:6-11] I was reminded of these two stories in light of the probability of World War III - not to mention, the overtake of Europe, Great Britian, the great state of Texas and several states in these United States of America, along with Canada and several African countries, being systematically conquered by the cultic regime of Islam. And it seems nobody cares as Americans just go about their business fiddling with what’s important to them – personal ideologies, sports, games, electronic possessions, and money, money, money. Nobody is preparing for the inevitable loss of the freedoms we so richly enjoy at the present time. I’m here to warn y’all, winter is coming! Get some essentials stored up for when the lights go out! Quit fiddling around. Wake up! Look at the world around you!

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer, or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep – So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man” The ant is truly one of God’s remarkable creations. They are a model of industry, organization, and hard work. Hard-working people are getting more difficult to find. People want to be paid well, but few want to work hard for their money. Far too many of our citizens think the world owes them a living. Be careful – you may just be the one the ant turns away when you’re hungry.