The Gospel According To YOU

Not too long ago I read the story of a farmer who was just devastated over the fact that his barn’s roof fell in. Someone asked the farmer, “What happened?” The farmer said that the roof had been leaking so long that the timbers supporting it just rotted through. Of course, one’s initial thought is why did he let the roof get so bad before fixing it? The farmer’s response: “Well ...it just seemed ...when the weather was good there weren’t no need for it, and when it was rainin’ it was too wet to work on it.” I think relationships are much like that old barn. Could it be that some of our relationships are on the brink of collapsing because efforts have not been made along the way to strengthen their infrastructure? What do you thing will happen to that relationship when the next major storm of life develops? How many marriages will fall apart tomorrow because, while at the moment things are good, constant efforts are not being made to strengthen the resolve to love one another “until death do us part” (Ephesians 5:22-33)? How many children will leave home never to communicate with father or mother again because at this very moment fathers are not getting involved in the lives of their children, and mothers are not instilling discipline in their children to grow up to be faithful Christians (Ephesians 6:1-4)? While today may be a good day, and I pray that is for you, don’t forget that tomorrow a storm may come and life could all fall apart if efforts are not made each day to strengthen your relationships. Want to have good healthy relationships? Commit regularly to the little things, so that when the big issues arise, the roof doesn’t collapse!

[2 Corinthians 3:1-3] What would you say is the most read gospel? Is it Matthew, the first book that a reader comes to in the New Testament? Is it the action packed gospel of Mark? Is it Luke, the gospel for all men? Is it John, the gospel penned by the disciple whom Jesus loved? In all likelihood, the most read gospel is not any of these four. It is the fifth gospel – YOU! Leroy Brownlow (Give Us This Day) wrote: “The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Are read by more than a few, But the one that is most read and commented on, Is the gospel according to You. You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, By things you do and words that you say. Men read what you write, whether faithless or true, Say, what is the gospel according to you?” To the saints in Corinth, Paul wrote, “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on your hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” The Corinthians were an epistle known and read of all men. Of course, the same holds true with us. What are men reading in, You? Will your life cause them to glorify God? “...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16); “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12). Or, will they blaspheme God? “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22) or His word “...so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:5). Wednesday is our 33^rd wedding anniversary and I pray often that we continue in the love found in God’s Word.