What Scares You?

 

Ours, it is to be feared, is an irreverent age and land. The number of those who neither fear God nor regard man, is greatly multiplied. The whole providentially arranged system of things is being reversed; and if there is any one motto which might be inscribed on the surface of society as it now is, or as modern innovators and radicals would have it, it would be this - “The elder shall serve the younger.” Youth no longer hangs upon the counsels of age or experience, or design to ask of the former times; but the less one knows of the past, the surer and wiser guide for the future is he esteemed by many.

An ancient Apostle predicted that in the last days children would be disobedient to the
counsel and dictation of their parents. And has not that season arrived when there is a widespread unwillingness on the part of the son to observe the mandates of the father, or the daughter to be swayed by the gentle instruction and mild reproof of the interested mother? Truly, we are called on to deplore the evil which has and must follow the reckless regard which is evinced by the young to the right and safe path pointed out by the aged or those of riper years.

Says a worthy eminent preacher, A.P. Peabody, in his Thanksgiving Sermons, (Millennial Harbinger February 1842) “It seems to me that even within my remembrance there has been in this respect a very great change for the worse. The commandment used to be taught, ‘Honor thy father and mother,’ and ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord.’ But now, from what I witness frequently of the mutual relation of children and parents, I should almost imagine that it had been written. ‘Honor thy son and thy daughter,’ and ‘Parents, obey your children.’ If, in these days of irreverence, there is anything that is treated with universal reverence, it is the wayward impulses and whims of children. And often have I seen parents of large and well-informed minds, instead of moulding their children’s characters, submitting themselves to be moulded by them, brow-beaten out of sound opinions, driven from respectable and worthy habits, and drawn where neither good sense nor conscience would go with them. It is children thus trained, or rather thus untrained, who, when they grow up, push their elders aside. It is such that despise laws and speak evil of dignities. Therefore, let it be enforced by all – ‘Children, obey your parents.’”

As the cool autumn breezes bring in a new season, many people will kick off fall by scaring themselves silly. Witches, goblins, vampires, and horror movies seem to be the focal point for October. Why some people enjoy being scared of things that do not exist is beyond me. Daniel Kelly, a philosophy professor at Purdue University, once said that Halloween is the time when people can have their “fear and disgust buttons pushed without actually being in danger.” Isn’t it strange that people seek out and dwell upon evil things to tantalize their emotions with fear of non-existent things like zombies and werewolves, and imitating all sorts of evil things, but seem to have no actual fear of things that really exist, such as the coming day of judgment and eternal punishment in hell?

[2 Thessalonians 1:6-10] Jesus will return “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The Lord Jesus says that separation from God for all eternity in hell will be horrifying! (Mark 9:43-48) “…where ‘Their worm does not die; And the fire is not quenched.’”

Halloween is enjoyed by many today for the “safe scares” it supposedly provides. But have you stopped to consider the horror of eternal life without Jesus? If you reject Him, you will live in eternal horror, with no relief or safety to be found. Now that’s scary.

There Your Treasure Will Be Also

 

As usual, the gorilla exhibit at the San Diego Zoo was teeming with people when we entered the enclosure on a busy Saturday afternoon. The cave-like dwelling offered welcome relief from the hot sun. The benches in front of the glass windows were full of parents and children who were talking and laughing as they watched the huge beasts swinging from the trees, grooming each other, or romping around. The adult gorillas played with the youngsters.

Suddenly, I realized our 5-year-old granddaughter was no longer right in front of us. I heard her voice before I saw her. She was sitting cross-legged on the ground right in front of the glass-enclosed area for the gorillas — out of harm’s way — and reading a picture book. No doubt she needed a break from the crowds, the walking, and the sun. And as I watched, one of the giant gorillas lumbered over and sat down right in front of the glass and faced our little one, carefully watching her. Unafraid, she continued to read, going a bit slower, reading a bit louder and holding the book up to show each picture to the gorilla who seemed to be interested! Soon a crowd gathered around her and the noise level in the enclosure disappeared and all that could be heard was the voice of a little girl, giving attention –– giving a sacred space –– to one of God’s creatures. As the story ended, there was a moment of silence and a stillness in the area.

One had to wonder: What was the gorilla doing? Was he thinking? And then came the realization that it didn’t really matter. The child and the enormous ape had made a connection, thereby connecting us all. —Melanie Silva

[Matthew 6:21] A law of nature that mankind has been bound by since the beginning of time is gravity. Sure, man has gone into space and experienced weightlessness, but the rule remains that what goes up must come down. The principle can be applied to what goes into our minds as well. In other words, what goes in must come out. Jesus said something similar to this; “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we fill our mind with the things of this world, soon our actions will show our heart is not set on things above. The apostle Paul wrote, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). As followers of Christ, we must be cautious of what we allow to enter our minds. If we are constantly around negative people, they will soon rub off on us, and our minds will be transformed into negative thinking. Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Paul understood that we can be conformed to the world by things we watch, listen to, read, participate in, and the people we associate with.

When James wrote about taming the tongue, he described it as “a fire” (James 3:6). He recognized, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). Where does this fire get its fuel? Our speech strongly reflects the things we put into our minds. One is more likely to allow bad language to ooze into one’s vocabulary if one permits it into their mind. It may be a gradual progression we do not recognize has happened. It may get to a point that, “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not be so” (James 3:9-10). What goes up must come down - what goes in must come out. Share your love and others listen.

Living Is A Challenge

 

I experienced a rather solemn week past, making decisions no one likes to make. My little Chihuahua of thirteen years just couldn’t take another step. Declining in her physical abilities for the past six months, all the meds and love couldn’t reverse or slow the aging process. Normally, my supervisor roams around the yard as I trim and mow the grass, but Wednesday she just laid without concern leaving me to move her out of the way twice as I approached her with the mower. I knew then that time was close as her mobility had nearly come to a complete failure. Thursday morning I could see it in her eyes – the spark wasn’t there anymore. That afternoon I took her to the vet for a quality-of-life exam and as I suspected water and nutrition was not being retained and the best thing for her was to put her to sleep. I wish to give accolades to the staff at Deason Animal Hospital for their care, concern, and compassion they showed me, and assume they share with all who are faced with the decision of having to part with a “member of their family” so to speak. Thanks; Bella is at rest.

A terminally ill man turned to his doctor as he was leaving the examining room and said, “Doctor, I’m afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.” Very quietly the doctor said, “I don’t know…” “You don’t Know? You’re a Christian man and you don’t know what’s on the other side?” The doctor was holding the handle of the door, and on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining. As he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning again to his patient the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing but that his master was here. And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what’s on the other side of death – but I do know one thing – I know my master is there and that’s enough for me to want to go without fear.”

Most days “living” is a challenge. We have many responsibilities and challenges that compete with our relationship with God. We are raising a generation that has no real religious concern or eternal focus. As a society, our current generation continues to drift from the Creator. The world around us seems to have put us in survival mode every day.

Christians can live a fruitful, meaningful life, provided we are in the right relationship with God. We can live decisively, abundantly, and eternally as long as we live obediently.

We can live decisively if we make the decision to put God first in our life. Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters…” True success is based on and a result of putting God first. This is the only foundation that can weather the storms of life without doubt. We can live abundantly once we understand why Jesus came to earth. John 10:10-11 says, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep.” Christ died for our sins that we may have spiritual life eternal. We can live eternally once we focus on the home that awaits us. John 14:2 says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; …I go to prepare a place for you.” When we want to quit, we should remember why we started. Working and toiling can be difficult at times, but we must not lose focus on why we changed our life and chose to become a Christian. Quitting is not an option for Christians. Christians can live and not just survive by being obedient. Being obedient is hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17); believing God’s Word (Hebrews 11:6); repenting of sins (Acts 17:30); confessing Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16); being baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 16:15-16); and remaining faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10). Don’t let living in this world separate you from God who wants to love you for all eternity.

A Healthy Spiritual Heart Forgives

 

    A teacher asked the children in her Sun­day School class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?” “NO!” the children all answered. “If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into heaven?” Again, the answer was “NO!” “Well,” she continued, “then how can I get to heaven?” In the back of the room, a five-year-old boy shouted out, “You gotta be dead!”

    Our doctors want us to be healthy and so they ask, “Let me listen to your heart.” But who helps you with a spiritual heart condition? Often, the spiritual heart is hurting more than we ever let on. Christians often see Spiritual deficiencies in others, but not in themselves. Our spiritual health depends on what we are willing to accept Spiritually (Luke 9:46-48). The One listening to our spiritual heart knows all about us and we must be ready and willing to accept His diagnosis and His recommended corrective action. I take comfort in knowing that the Great Physician is monitoring my spiritual heart’s health.

    The Old Testament provides a record of many memorable stories that teach us valuable life lessons. However, our use of Old Testament is sometimes limited to those familiar stories that we heard as children. Stories about creation, Abraham, Moses, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lion's den. In limiting ourselves to these old familiar stories, we might be robing ourselves of many rich stories that God intended for us to know – a sort of reading between the lines for better understanding.

    For instance, do you remember the Old Testament story of Eliam? Eliam is a rather obscure character of the Old Testament and often overlooked. In fact, the name is only mentioned twice. This is the story of one of those two men.

    [2 Samuel 11] Eliam was the father of a little girl. Like all fathers, he loved his daughter and watched her grow into a beautiful young lady. The day finally came when Eliam gave his daughter’s hand to a young man to be his wife. Eliam’s daughter and son-in-law were making a life together when tragedy befell them. One day, when Eliam’s son-in-law was away at work, a man who had quite a bit of power in the region, sent men to Eliam’s son-in-law and daughter’s house. These men entered her home, took her away, brought her to the man of power, and he had sexual relations with her. Not only that, but this man of power also had Eliam’s son-in-law murdered.

    For the record, Eliam’s son-in-law was Uriah. His daughter was Bathsheba. And the man of power was King David. Ah! Now you remember the story. It was just told from a unique perspective, through the eyes of Eliam. We know and love King David in spite of his murderous and adulterous actions. We “brush off” his mistakes and count him as one of our heroes. I have some questions: Do you think Eliam viewed David as a hero? Through the eyes of Eliam, how do you suppose the man who murdered his son-in-law, and stole away his daughter was viewed? Do you think it might have been harder for Eliam to forgive David than it was for us? Surely, and that brings me to my point.

    We can talk about forgiveness all day long and know all the correct answers, but we may not appreciate how much work this spiritual discipline requires. Forgiveness is easy until you really need to forgive someone. Loving our enemies is easy until you really have an enemy of your own. One should not get over-confident in one’s ability and willingness to forgive. One must continue to work and mature in this spiritual discipline. And when one thinks they have arrived, go back and look through the eyes of Eliam. Stay healthy.