Overheard as a
foreman was consulting with a new employee: “...Whatever you do, don’t panic in
a stressful situation – that’s when people get hurt. I’ll tell you when to
panic, and if you ever see me running – do your best to keep up!” I’m not in
the panic mode about this corona virus thing, but I am paying attention to
what’s going on around me. It wouldn’t hurt to prepare as you would for a big
storm. Maybe it will hit, maybe not.
When all the great
manufacturing plants of our cities have turned out their last finished product;
when our merchants have doled their last yard of silk, and dismissed the tired
weary clerk; when our banks have taken their last dollar, and declared their
last dividend; when the judge of the world says, “Closed for the night” and
asks for a balance, What Then? When the actor has played his last drama, and
the mimic has made his last fun; when the film has flashed its last picture,
and the billboard has displayed its last announcement, when the crowds seeking
pleasure have vanished and gone out into the darkness again; when the trumpet
of all ages has sounded, and we all stand before God, What Then? When the
bugle’s last blast sinks into silence and the long marching columns stand
still; when the Captain has given his last orders, and they’ve captured the
last hill; when the flag has been lowered from the masthead, and the wounded
have all checked in; when souls that have rejected their Savior are asked for a
reason, What Then? When the people have sung their last anthem, and the preacher
has said his last prayer; when the people have heard their last sermon, and the
sound has died out in the air; when the Bible lies closed on the pulpit, and
the pews are all empty of souls; when all stand facing their record, and the
Great Book is opened, What Then?
[Ephesians 4:1-6;
17-32; 5:1-21] Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be
no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days. All the things you collected,
whether treasured or forgotten, will be passed on to someone else. Your wealth,
fame and temporal power will shrivel into irrelevance. It will not matter what
you owned or what you were owed. The wins and losses that once seemed so
important will fade away. It won’t matter if you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So, what will matter? How
will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you
bought, but what you built; Not what you got, but what you gave. What will
matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what
you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others
to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your
character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will
feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter are not your memories,
but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long
you will be remembered, by whom, and for what. Living a life that matters
doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters. If you were walking from the well carrying
a bucket of water and someone jostled you, there would be spilled from the
bucket only what it contained. As you walk along the path of life, people are
constantly bumping into you. If your life is full with ill-nature, bad temper,
and ugly disposition, those things will be spilled from it. If it is full of
Christian spirit, you will spill a smile and/or some kind of pleasant remark.
You can spill from your bucket only that which it contains. “...put on the new
self ...be filled with the Spirit.” Shalom!
The following little
story was told by a young WWII Army recruit: “My brother and I arrived at boot
camp together. On the first morning there, our unit was dragged out of bed by
our drill sergeant and made to assemble outside the barracks. ‘My name is Sergeant
Jackson,’ he snarled. ‘Is there anyone here who thinks he can whip me?’ My
six-foot-three, 280-pound brother raised his hand and said, ‘Yes sir, I do.’
Sergeant Jackson called my brother to the front of the assembly and as they
stood next to one another facing the group the sergeant once again snarled,
‘Men, this is my new assistant. Now, is there anyone here who thinks he can
whip both of us?’” It’s nice to have someone that is big and strong who “has
your back”! It’s the feeling you may have experienced as a kid when the class
bully picked on you every day at school, until the day your big brother walked
in with you. He didn’t even have to say a word. Everyone understood that to
mess with you was to mess with him, and nobody wanted to mess with someone
bigger and stronger than they were. There are many times in life when we feel
we can take on the whole world and come out on top; but those times are rare.
More often, we feel overwhelmed by the challenges of the world which seem much
bigger and stronger than we are. If we arrogantly want to know if there’s
anybody who thinks they can whip us, be assured there are folks willing to take
up the challenge. Here’s a little poem to encourage you.
When things go wrong,
as they sometimes will, when the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, when the funds are low and the
debts are high, and you want to smile, but you
have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest, if you must -
but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us
sometimes learns, and many a failure
turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up,
though the pace seems slow - You might
succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man,
often the struggler has given up when he might
have captured the victor’s cup. And he learned too late, when the night
slipped down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned
inside out - the silver tint of the
clouds of doubt and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when
it seems afar; so stick to the fight
when you’re hardest hit - it’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit. (Derived from the original:
“Don’t Quit” by John Greenleaf Whittier)
[Philippians 4:4-7]
As a Christian, we must remember that we don’t face any challenge alone. God’s
Spirit lives within us and God has promised to be with us (Acts 2:38-39). With
the confidence that comes through that knowledge, we are able to face the world
and ask, “Is there anyone who thinks they can whip both of us?” Of course the
answer is a resounding, “NO!” because, “You, dear children, are from God and
have overcome them (the worldly spirits), because the One who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). God promised to be with
Moses (Exodus 3:12); God promised to be with Joshua (Joshua 1:5); God promised
to be with Gideon (Joshua 6:16); God promised to be with Jeremiah (Jeremiah
1:8); God (Jesus) promised to be with the apostles (Matthew 28:20). When we are
faced with an overwhelming responsibility to live out the message of Christ in
an antagonistic world, we need to remember that we have the same promise; God
will be with us. “...If God is for us, who can be against us?” “...Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8:28-39). Take courage my fellow
Christian; there’s nobody strong enough to whip both of us, in the spirit of
Christ.
How is your sense of
direction? Liviu Babitz can actually feel north. Implanted in his chest is a
small device, called North Sense, which vibrates when the wearer faces north,
and Babitz is one of the first recipients of the technology (Smithsonian Magazine,
January 18, 2017). God gave humans five general senses: sight, smell, touch,
hearing and taste. The device mentioned above supposedly provides the wearer
with the “extra sense” of direction. While having an implant which guides
someone in a physical direction might appeal to some, it isn’t vital in saving
a human’s life. It’s optional – for the lost.
Spiritually speaking,
having an implant which saves a human soul is an imperative. We read in
James 1:21 that we should “...receive with meekness the implanted word, (of
God) which is able to save your souls.” Once the word of God is implanted,
there will be a sense of direction. In Philippians 3:14, Paul lets his readers
know, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus.” The Hebrew writer, in 1:1-2, instructs readers to run with
endurance the race set before us, looking unto (fixing our eyes upon) Jesus.
Having the goal of getting to heaven requires a guidance system. When the word
of God is implanted in us, we have an internal guidance system which will
continually guide us as we travel the path toward heaven. Psalm 119:105
reinforces that God’s word will light our paths. Acknowledging God in all our
ways is a vital step in being led in the right direction spiritually (Proverbs
3:6). “Show me Your ways, O Lord, Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth
and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day”
(Psalm 25:4-5).
[Job 37:14] As a
pre-teen, I remember a young Russian Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin becoming the first
man to enter space. This happened on April 12, 1961. I am sure he said many
things while in space. But, the one thing I remember that he said on his first
trip around the earth is, “I can see no God.” A simple definition of an atheist
would be one who believes there is no God. I have never talked at length with
an atheist. How difficult it must be for a person of such persuasion to
constantly conjure up answers for the way creation is. I’ve often wondered if
Yuri Gagarin was only being “a good comrade of the state” and yet was in total
awe of what he witnessed peering down on the earth. Imagine the insanity of
atheism: “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God...” (Psalm 14:1).
And from Psalm 19:1-2, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament
shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals
knowledge.” Could a wicked life be the cause of atheism? “The wicked in his
proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways
are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight...”
(Psalm 10:4-5). Atheism accepts effects without adequate causes. “They have
lied about the Lord, and said, ‘It is not He’. Neither will evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine” (Jeremiah 5:12). Atheism destroys what
satisfies man’s greatest longings (Isaiah 32:6). The soul hungers for life
here-after, but atheism is doing its best to crush out these instincts, with
that which satisfies them. Atheism leads to idolatry. Destroy the true God and
man will make one of his own (Romans 1:21-23). “But there is a God in
heaven...” (Daniel 2:28). God loves the soul of the atheist, but does not
approve of his teachings. I like the words spoken to Job: “...stand still and
consider the wondrous works of God.” Mr. Gagarin died in a plane crash as a
young man. We too will die. Be sure you live, and die, believing in God and
being right with Him. Let’s go to heaven together. I love you in the Lord,
y’all.
A man and his wife
were having some problems at home and were giving each other the “silent
treatment”. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day he would need his wife
to wake him at 5 a.m. for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be
the first to break the silence (and lose), he wrote on a piece of paper,
“Please wake me at 5 a.m.” He then left it where he knew she would find it. The
next morning the man awoke to discover it was 9 a.m. and he had missed his
flight! Furious, he was about to go find his wife to find out why she hadn’t
awaken him as he had asked, when he noticed a piece of paper on his nightstand
with the message, “It’s 5 a.m. Wake up!”
Children 7-10 years
old were asked about relationships and here are a few of their answers: 1) How do you decide who to marry? Alan,
age 10 said, “You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you
like sports, she should like that you like sports, and she should keep the
chips and dips coming.” 2) How can a stranger tell if two people are
married? Derrick, age 8 says, “You might have to guess, based on whether
they are yelling at the same kids.” 3) What
do most people do on a date? Lynnette, age 8 says, “Dates are for having
fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have
something to say if you listen long enough.” 4) What do you think your mom and dad have in common? Lori, age 8
said, “Both don’t want any more kids.” 5) Is
it better to be single or married? Anita, age 9 said, “It’s better for
girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.”
6) When is it okay to kiss someone?
Pam, age 7 says, “When they’re rich!” Curt, age 7 said, “The law says you have
to be eighteen, so I don’t want to mess with that.” Howard, age 8 said, “The
rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have
kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.” 7) How would you make a marriage work? Ricky, age 10 says, “Tell your
wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.”
[Romans 13:8-10] This
month we will celebrate the holiday referred to as Valentine’s Day.
It is a time when we show others that we care for them. Small gifts of cards,
candy, and flowers are part of the tradition. But it might surprise you to find
out that this holiday started out as a day to remember a Christian hero.
According to the history books, Valentine was a 3rd century Christian preacher
who lived near Rome.
At this time the Roman Emperor Claudius II was ordering all young men not to
marry. He thought they made better soldiers if they were single. No man could
marry until he was too old to serve in the military. He also commanded that all
people worship the false gods of Rome.
Valentine was arrested for performing Christian marriages and preaching that
there was only one true God – the God of the Bible. Valentine knew that no man
– even the king – had the right to stop Christians from marrying (1 Corinthians
7:8-9). You see, while Romans 13:1-7 tells us that we are to respect and obey
our leaders, Acts 5:29 tells us that when man’s law contradicts God’s law, we
should obey God. And that’s what Valentine did ignoring the king’s orders.
Claudius commanded Valentine’s arrest. While in prison, many Christians threw
little notes of encouragement through Valentine’s prison window. These were the
first valentines. In the end, Claudius had Valentine beheaded for his faith. It
was because he loved the Lord and his fellow humans so much that he was willing
to risk his life to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. This gives us pause
when we think of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day represents much more than
romantic love. It is a day that honors God and those who love Him … and obey
Him. Have a great day!
There is no telling
how many times I have made a visit to someone’s house and been asked the
question, “Are you thirsty, can I get you something to drink?” Or my favorite,
“Are you hungry?” No matter who I visit their politeness of inviting me into
their house involves wanting to quench my thirst and/or satisfying my appetite
whether I have the need or not. I have although; found that eating has a unique
way of bridging the gap of silence between people. You know ...those moments of
silence when a conversation of importance is difficult to get started and one
person looks to the other and says, “Let’s get something to eat.” It seems we
take time to think and express ourselves better, we tend to closely guard our
emotions and we also listen more intently when we share a meal.
[Matthew 5:6] I want
to ask you something today. “Are you hungry?” If you are, I know some things
you’re going to do to satisfy the cravings you might have. First, you will plan
a meal; next, you will make preparations; then will come the plight; and
finally you will be pleasured. Keeping in mind the desire and hunger we are to
have for the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2) and I think we can find some spiritual
applications drawn from or physical scenario of hunger. 1) Plan The Meal – Have
you ever heard, “Are you trying to cool the entire neighborhood?” Whenever I
would walk into the kitchen and find one of my perpetually hungry teenagers
standing in front of the open refrigerator, they would hear those exact words.
They were planning a meal around what was available to eat. There was no sense
in trying to make a sandwich if there was no lunchmeat or cheese. The same is
true with fulfilling our hunger for God’s Word. We need first to make plans to
study; however our plans will be for naught if we cannot find our Bibles or
worse yet, if we don’t own one! 2) Prepare To Eat – We should next prepare
to eat; that’s right, prepare to eat! If you have been “snacking” before a meal
you’ve probably gone to the table with less an appetite than you would had you
stayed away from the little bites! I must prepare myself to study by being
focused on my mission. My study will be futile if I approach it with thoughts
of sin and worldliness on my mind (Isaiah 59:1-2; James 4:7-10). 3) The
Plight – When the dinner bell rings, which way do you run – toward the food
or away from the food? If you answered, “It depends on who’s cooking,” you’ve
answered correctly! There was once a lady who loved to cook but was no good at
it. She thoughtfully made a pie for a man one time; and after she had delivered
it, the man took one bite and threw it in the trash. The next Lord’s day, the
lady asked him how the pie was and the man replied, “Pie like that doesn’t last
long around my house!” You see, if Satan cooked up a dish of false doctrine, we
need to recognize it for what it is and run the opposite way ...throw it in the
trash! If God is serving a dish through good doctrinal sermons, open Bible
class study, or private Bible study, we need to come a-runnin’ when we hear the
invite ringing. 4) Be Pleasured –
There’s nothing like the last bite of chicken-n-dumplings or of a fresh peach
cobbler! How much joy do we receive from our study of God’s Word? Jesus
declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and
he who believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). Truly, one who
dedicates one’s self to the study of God’s Word will be satisfied with their
findings. Let us strive to be filled with knowledge and grow in wisdom
(Proverbs 2:1-22) by studying God’s Word (James 1:5-8). Plan your next
spiritual meal, make preparations to attend it – find the time, make the plight
– fulfill your engagement, and enjoy the pleasures that will be afforded you!
Life is more fulfilling on a Godly diet. Bon appétit!