Have You Thought About Your Soul?

 

A Swiss guy, looking for directions, pulls up to a bus stop where two Americans are waiting. “Entschuldigung, keonnen Sie Deutsch spechen?” he asks. The two Americans just stare at him. “Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?” he tries. The two continue to stare. “Parlare Italiano!?” “Habian ustedes Espanol!?” Still nothing. The Swiss guy drives off extremely disgusted. One American says to the other, “Maybe we should learn a foreign language.” The other rationalized, “Why? He knew four and it didn’t do him any good!”

Humpback whales are about 40 feet long at maturity and weigh about one ton per foot. They carry a thousand pounds of barnacles, and when they jump, or breach, they extend themselves totally in the air, and then free-fall back into the ocean. One can see the splash up to one mile away. Humpback whales travel to Hawaii from Alaska every year to calve in the warm waters. Year after year each family comes back to the same place around the islands. When the calves are born, weighing in at about 5 tons, they are born breach, or tail first. If they were born headfirst, these air-breathing mammals would drown during the lengthy birth process. As a baby whale is born, another humpback whale comes alongside and pushes it up to the surface to help the baby take its first breath of air.

The humpback whale sings a song that can be heard more than 50 miles away under water. Every one of these whales sings the same song. Each year, the song changes slightly, and every humpback whale in the world will sing that year’s song. Amazing! Incredible! What a display of the wonderful power of our great God!

Around 1970, a man named Gordon Moore originated a computer technology maxim which has been termed “Moore’s Law.” Simply stated, the law says computer processing power will double every two years. Since that time, the rule has proven true. Personal computers are tremendously fast and powerful, and capable of amazing things. Researchers continue to expand computer power all the more. However, they still can’t touch God’s creation of the human brain. The living computer God designed is capable of performing 38 thousand-trillion operations per second. In order to even get close to this, a man-made supercomputer would require an ever-expanding number of microchips and more than 17 megawatts of electrical power. The human brain can store about five times as much information as Wikipedia, and only requires the power of a 10-watt lightbulb. All this from one single brain.

[Psalm 139:14] We are indeed “…fearfully and wonderfully made.” Have you ever stopped to wondered what this life is all about? Why you’re here and where you’re going when your lease on time runs out? Maybe you’ve been far too busy, trying hard to reach your goals; Would you let me ask you kindly, “Have you thought about your soul?” You may reach the highest portals and your dreams may all come true; Wealth and fame may be your portion and success may shine on you – All your friends may sing your praises not a care on you may roll; What about the great tomorrow? Have you thought about your soul? Don’t forget your days are numbered, though you may be riding high; But like all of us poor mortals, some day you’ll just up and die. Your success and fame and glory won’t be worth the bell they toll; Let me ask you just one question, “Have you thought about your soul?” If you’ve never thought it over, spend a little time today; There is nothing more important that will ever come your way, than the joy of sins forgiven and to know you’ve been made whole – In the name of Christ the Savior – Have you thought about your soul? Work out your own salvation - Repent; Be baptized; Live Forever!

Doubt and Disbelief

 

Deep down, most of us have, at one time or another, questioned the existence of God. That should not be surprising as even the greatest minds in history have also struggled with that question. Consider Albert Einstein, for example. While Einstein didn’t believe in the God of the Bible, he did believe in some creative force behind the cosmos that he called “God.” In 2008, a letter he wrote about a year before he died, was auctioned off for over $400,000.00 in which the greatest scientist questioned the existence of God. In the letter, Einstein wrote, “…the word of God for me is nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.” This statement simple contradicts what Einstein had earlier believed about God and may reflect the confusion that all of us feel at times about His existence. But is it not amazing how such a genius could be so wrong about so important a book as the Bible? Are the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount “pretty childish?” In light of its fulfilled prophecies, scientific foreknowledge, historical accuracy, and total lack of contradictions, is it fair to dismiss the Bible as “a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends?” In 1 Corinthians 1:20, Paul asked, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” There is a mountain of evidence that God exists, the Bible is His inspired Word, and Jesus Christ is his Son who rose from the dead to offer mankind eternal life. Let us never seriously doubt it!

[James 1:5-6] To the average college football fan, last year was filled with much drama and surprise. It seems almost every Saturday afternoon nationally ranked and favored powerhouses were being defeated by unranked and often unheard-of teams. At the finish of several games during the regular season there was looks of defeat on the faces of some players as they walked off the field that can only be described as – Disbelief! So, how many picked TCU to play in the championship game?

So it will be for many on the day of judgment! Countless souls, who assume they are safe, secure, and invincible, will be utterly surprised to hear they’re eternally lost. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). One can surely perform in the name of Jesus, but if one does it to their own glory, Jesus has never heard of your good works and does not know you. Imagine the looks of disbelief by the masses on that great and final Day when they are separated by His mighty angels and cast into eternal separation from God! What misery and defeat! Fortunately, we can approach the Lord in Judgment having assurance of victory! “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). One day the game will be over for each and every one of us upon this earth, no doubt. So, what about you? As you leave the field of battle, will your head be bowed low in defeat and disbelief, or will you hold it high in victory?

It's not what we read, but what we remember, that makes us learned. It’s not what we profess, but what we practice, that makes us Christians. Do it for Christ and live forever.

Know My Habits; Know My Heart

 

One afternoon a man arrived at home from work to find total mayhem in his house. His three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house. Proceeding through the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and a throw rug was wadded up against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon and the family room was cluttered with toys and assorted items of clothing. In the kitchen dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothing, looking for his wife. He was worried she may be ill, or that something serious had happened. He found her lounging in the bedroom, curled up in the bed, still in her pajamas, reading a book. She casually looked up at him and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, “What happened here today?” She again smiled and answered, “You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world did I do today?” “Yes,” was his incredulous reply. She continued, “Well, today I didn’t do it.”

Billy had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. “Fine,” said the pleased mother. “If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you.” Boldly the boy stated, “Oh, I didn’t ask Him to help me not misbehave – I asked him to help you put up with me.”

[Luke 4:16-21] Know my habits; Know my heart! I recently heard a nationally renowned speaker say that he could discern the values that any person holds dear if he had access to only two documents. And what are these two documents that hold the secrets of anyone’s heart? According to the speaker, they are the checkbook and the daily planner. From these two sources he could determine how one spends money and how a person spends one’s time. In that sense, I concluded that the speaker was correct. Everything that is truly important to me, is reflected in my checkbook and daily planner.

Jesus had habits just like everyone else. By carefully noting the text cited above, we gain some insight into the values that Jesus held dear. Note that He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day “as was His custom.” The obvious importance of this passage is that Jesus had, over a lengthy process of time, developed the habit of going into the synagogue for the express purpose of worship on the Sabbath. His custom was one developed of His own volition and not by force of another. In the synagogue He could associate with others who respected God’s laws and shared His view of their importance. He could read from the inspired Scriptures, God’s Divine source of wisdom. He could discuss how the Scriptures applied to His own life and to the lives of those about Him. The fact that Jesus habitually visited the synagogue on a weekly basis reveals much about the character of Jesus. I have heard people argue, “I can be a Christian without going to church every Sunday!” Usually, I have heard this line in defense of one’s habit of not attending church services. With Jesus’ custom of attending the synagogue in view, I wonder if an informed person would make this argument to Jesus? I hardly think so! Why not? Because everyone knows – Know my habits; Know my heart! Add to your New Year “to-do-list” - Develop a new habit of worship and giving thanks to God every Sunday.

Of Sheep and People

 

A story is told of a lamb and its mother. It seems the lamb passed by the pig pen each morning on the way to pasture with its mother. Watching the pigs wallow in the mud seemed like fun and on an especially hot day the lamb asked its mother if he could jump the fence and wallow in the cool mud. “No,” she replied. Then the lamb asked the usual question, “Why?” The mother just said, “Sheep don’t wallow.” This did not satisfy the lamb. He felt she had “put him down” – exercised force she shouldn’t have, etc. So, as soon as his mother was out of sight the lamb ran to the pig pen and jumped the fence. He was soon feeling the cool mud on his feet, then his legs and then his stomach. After a short while he decided he had better get back to his mother, but he couldn’t move! He was stuck! Mud and wool don’t mix. His pleasure had become his prison. He was hopelessly bound by his own folly. He cried out and was rescued by the kindly farmer. When cleaned and returned to the fold, his mother said, “Remember what I said? Sheep don’t wallow.”

[Psalm 23] Ever notice how many times Scripture compares us to sheep, or actually calls us sheep? The 23^rd Psalm is all about a shepherd and sheep. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who is willing to give his life for his sheep. He said he was sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Lessons can be learned simply by thinking about this comparison. For instance, a sheep loses its way really easy. And unlike a dog or cat, it has no built-in sense of direction to navigate its way back home. A sheep has to be shown the way, led, not driven. A sheep cannot do much fighting and is not a good runner. If lost, a sheep must either be found and rescued or become the victim of predators. Sound familiar?

Sheep need other sheep. I don’t ever remember seeing lone sheep in a pasture. They seem to thrive in bunches – flocks if you please. When threatened by danger, sheep will just naturally gravitate together for security. God knows us and He knows we need each other, especially when we are threatened by illness, disease, suffering, sin, death, or by the pressures thrown at us by an unbelieving culture.

Sheep are hard to train. When was the last time you saw a sheep preforming in a circus or a fair, or on stage? What a sheep does best is simply follow. It needs a leader – a shepherd – who can show the way. A sheep will follow someone. That is why God has ordained elders to show the way for the sheep. We need guidance, leadership. You can turn a dog or a cat loose and they can catch a squirrel or a mouse. But sheep need daily personal care. We are that much like sheep. * Sheep cannot hide. Some animals and birds seem to blend into their environment; not sheep. A sheep is easy to spot.

So, you see, sheep can’t run very fast, fight very well, or hide. And Christians are a lot like that. We are not here to run, fight, or hide. A sheep is not violent by nature. Neither is a Christian. A sheep constantly gives of itself (wool). So does a Christian.

In Matthew 25:32, Jesus tells how it will be on the Day of Judgement. “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”

Is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life? Why should it be? (Revelation 21:27)

Remember - sheep don’t wallow. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15-17).