Resurrection Power

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:1-6 ESV).

Today is Palm Sunday. It begins our journey toward Easter. My friend Kent Marrs sent me the following story some time ago and it made me think about the incredible power of the resurrection. I couldn’t resist sending it along to you with my thoughts:

George went on a vacation to the Middle East with most of his family including his mother-in-law. During their vacation and while they were visiting Jerusalem, George's mother-in-law dies. With the death certificate in hand, George went to the American Consulate Office to make arrangements to send the body back to the States for proper burial. The Consul, after hearing of the death of the mother-in-law, told George that the sending of a body back to the States for burial is very, very expensive. It could cost as much as $5,000.00. The Consul continues, in most cases, the person responsible for the remains normally decides to bury the body here. This would only cost $150.00. George thinks for some time and answers, "I don't care how must it will cost to send the body back; that's what I want to do." The Consul, after hearing this, says, "You must have loved your mother-in-law very much considering the difference in price." "No, it's not that," says George. "You see, I know of a case many years ago of a person that was buried here in Jerusalem. On the third day he arose from the dead! I just can't take that chance!

I know it is a humorous story, but it represents even more than just humor. Think about the underlying truth presented here. I find it incredible that someone wrote this as a joke and never realized that they were validating the truth of Scripture at the same time. Though I don’t know the original author, I doubt that they intended to cause anyone to think of the resurrection of Christ when they used the reference in this joke. But, it does. For me it was another example of the word of God will not return void. So, I present it to you this morning in our reading.

Think of the power that raised Jesus from the dead. Now think of the challenges that you face in your life. Do you have challenges? Are there some emotional difficulties that you are facing today? Loneliness, grief, or sorrow? Is there some relational difficulty that you are going through? Then turn to the power of God as seen in the resurrection. He is working all things to His glory and your good! Trust in Him for He is trustworthy!

Holding on to One Another

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:6-18 ESV).

When Paul wrote today’s reading he was awaiting his death in Rome. You can hear the deep emotion in each of the words he writes. He had been abandoned by some of his "friends” and left alone. There is no greater loneliness than that! However, Paul knew that the Lord had not abandoned him, and he also knew he had others to whom he might call on for companionship and encouragement. Friendship is rooted in that kind of relationship. C. Raymond Beran writes the following definition:

Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, and tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, and pray with them. Through it all, and underneath, they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

On one occasion, Peppermint Patty said to Marcie: “I’d like to read this book, Marcie, but I’m kind of afraid. I had a grandfather who didn’t think much of reading.” She continued by saying, “He always said that if you read too many books, your head would fall off.” Marcie responds, “You start the first chapter, and I’ll hold onto your head!” Friends hold on to friends and let them hold on to them so that they may all face the future with the assurance that comes from true companionship. Know anyone you need to hold on to today?

Ugly Folds

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:17-19 ESV).

Have you ever accidentally closed your Bible and creased a page? I’m not talking about a dog-eared corner, but an ugly fold down the middle of the page. No matter how hard you try to get the creased pressed out, it always seems to jump off the page as a reminder of your carelessness in closing the book. Most folks probably wouldn’t be bothered by it nearly as much as I, but for a type A personality like me; it is something I really don’t like!

As I began to think about those ugly folds, I also thought of others in my life. Sins, either those I have committed or those committed against me, can leave ugly folds in my spirit. Like the woman who is married and has grown children of her own, but every time she looks in the mirror she sees something no one else ever sees. She sees the scar. It’s the scar she keeps covered with make-up. Each time she see the scar she relives the pain of her father’s drunken rage when she was just a little girl. Or it is like the man in his fifties, and who by most accounts would be considered a success. He has a good job. He is respected by many in the community. However, in his mind it is never good enough. He can never work enough hours. His check is never fat enough. He cannot climb the ladder fast enough. Not matter how hard he tries, he cannot erase the words spoken so long ago: “You will never amount to anything!” Or it is like the couple who has been married for thirty years. Others see them as the ideal couple. They do have a good marriage. They have worked hard to forgive and forget. Still there are times when that one event enters the conversation and tempers flair, hurtful words are spoken, and a little of the joy seeps out of their relationship. Or perhaps it is like the doctor, who tries to comfort the family as he explains, “We did everything possible for your son.” Those words do little to ease the suffering of this mom and dad, as they must come to terms with the results of her one foolish attempt to be part of the crowd.

The ugly fold in the page in my Bible will probably never be the same. It will always remind me of my carelessness. Of course, I can live with the wrinkled page. These deeper wrinkles, these scars of our hearts that are there because of sins we have committed or because of sins committed against us or because of the thoughtless acts of those we love are more difficult to live with. For these wrinkles on our heart, we need more. We need the reminder of God’s concern for our pain, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” We need a refresher on being renewed in our walk with God in ways that take care of the stain of our sin and purify us through and through. We need the assurance of knowing that we have a very forgiving God and a Savior who paid for our sins. I really do not have a solution for those pages in your Bible that have accidentally gotten folded and wrinkled. But I do have a solution for the heart that is broken and scarred. Let Jesus heal those scars and forgive your sins. Give Him your broken heart. Allow Him to heal your hurts.

Curly's Wisdom

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30 ESV).

There is a scene from the movie City Slickers, when Curly with his wind-roughened, sun-baked, leathery skin cracked at the corners of his eyes and mouth breaks into a rare grin. Three greenhorns had just joined the cattle drive and had proven inept at every turn. The boss, Curly, wondered why they’d chosen to ride the trail. Having been a cowboy for most of his life, he was hardened not only from the weather, but also from life itself. Curly kept mostly to himself and only interacted with others when necessary. So it was surprising when he chose one of the newcomers to help him search for a stray. They struggled in silence through rough terrain and violent thunderstorms, but finally found her. In labor with a breech calf, the two men valiantly tried to save the cow, but she died as the newborn arrived. Covered in mud and birth fluids, the novice flushed with elation at all that he had experienced. On the return trip the young man dared ask Curly a personal question. “What is it that makes life really matter and how do you know when you've found it?” Curly held up one finger and said simply, “Only one thing.” With that they rode back to camp.

This scene, from the movie City Slickers, sums up the plot of this old box office hit. Each of the main characters tries to determine what is Curly’s “one thing”: one finds it in family, another in a fresh start, and the one, who had asked the question, found it in life itself. The Apostle Paul understood this quest very well. In his letter to the Philippians he outlines for them the “one thing” for their life. He summarizes it by calling them to three things. They are to stand firm, stand together, and face their enemies with confidence in the power of Christ. Wherever your challenges are today, in your job, your family, in your relationships with others, there is power in the presence of Christ.

An old fellow had been in the north woods for weeks by himself, camping out. Each night at dusk he built a campfire, boiled water for coffee, and took out his skillet to fry up some bacon for dinner. As he was sitting by the fire one night, the water boiling and the bacon sizzling, he heard a tremendous racket in the brush. The sound was like a roaring freight train, and as trees fell over and branches snapped, the biggest bear he’d ever seen lumbered into the clearing. On the bear’s back was a tough-looking hombre holding a seven-foot live rattlesnake in his hands. The man shouted and screamed as he brought the bear to a skidding halt, bit the head off the rattlesnake, and flung it into the brush. Then he slid off the bear’s back, turned, and hit him between the eyes, knocking him unconscious. The camper was speechless as this wild-eyed renegade walked over to the fire, tossed the boiling coffee down his throat, drank the hot grease from the skillet, and ate all of the bacon in one bite. As he wiped his hands with poison ivy and slapped the bear back to consciousness, he turned to the camper and said, “Partner, I’m sorry I can’t stay around and visit with you a while, but I’ve got to keep moving ‘cause a real bad dude is chasing me!” With the power of Christ, you are that “bad dude.” NOTHING is strong enough to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! NOTHING is greater than He is! Trust in Him and stand together in the struggle!

Grace For the Future

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:17-18 ESV).

Thom Lemmons tells a story about two Navy men. Mike Boorda was a scrapper. He joined the Navy in 1956 at age 16, at the bottom of the ranks. Over the next forty years, he advanced to become a decorated admiral and Chief of Naval Operations; about like an auto plant janitor winding up as president of General Motors. But an intrepid reporter heard there might be a question about Mike Boorda’s medals. Newsweek decided to investigate. Within hours, Jeremy Michael Boorda lay dead in his yard, with a .38 caliber hole in his chest. Apparently, he couldn’t face the prospect of his honor—and the Navy’s—being impugned. Three weeks before his death, discussing what he called “one-on-one leadership,” Boorda said, “…every single person in the Navy should have one leader they can look to and say ‘that person is accountable and responsible for me’…Can the sailor commit suicide and not have the leader know he or she was in distress? No.” Who was accountable and responsible for the anguish in Mike Boorda’s soul? Why was it preferable to die rather than bring shame to his career and his beloved Navy?

Then there’s Jeff Gantar. You've probably never heard of him. Jeff never commanded a ship; never served in a war, never received his commission. Jeff was a midshipman at the Naval Academy who got involved in the infamous cheating scandal of 1992. Two years later, because Jeff decided to face his demons and tell the truth, he was expelled from Annapolis, crushing his lifelong dream of a Navy career. But Jeff’s story ends differently than Admiral Boorda’s. Instead of snuffing his life in despair, Jeff Gantar is today a published author, a professional engineer, and a shining example of the redemptive power of grace. Someone, it turns out, was accountable and responsible for Jeff Gantar. Dr. Tom Patten, Abilene Christian University psychology professor, then Director of the Academy’s Midshipmen's Counseling Center, helped Jeff deal with the ghosts of his past. He spoke a word of grace to a young man who had made a serious mistake and helped Jeff overcome his guilt, rather than be annihilated by it.

We all need grace. You have failed yourself and others before and you will do it again—guaranteed. How will you respond? You could ignore your mistakes, assume you’re a pretty good sort, and be stuck forever in mediocrity. You could punish yourself, driving mercilessly toward a perfection you can never achieve—destroying yourself in the process. Or you could live by grace; recognizing your failure for the tragedy it is, but remembering you’ll have another chance to do the right thing. You could learn to accept love you don’t deserve, draw strength from it, and go try again. Which do you choose today?

Influence and Honor

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish! (Psalm 112 ESV).

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the offal was utilized, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.

The power of influence is often underestimated. Why would we even think of hanging around with people who ridicule our dreams, our hopes, our goals? Quite often we do so and the reasons may be many. Not only do we associate with these pessimists, we let them influence us. How many great dreams have died because a person allowed the doubts and criticism of another to become their own? People who are so ready to dash our hopes and dreams do not really have our interest at heart. On the other hand, the truly great people realize that a person's dreams are precious and fragile. They realize that the ability to support and encourage another is a great gift given freely and unconditionally. This gift makes both the giver and receiver better for the giving and receiving.

Seek out and associate with people who will support and encourage you. Seek people who are sincerely concerned about you and your dreams. Seek counsel from those who give it in a positive way. These people will help you realize your dreams. Then, be one of those people yourself. Encourage people in a positive, unconditional way. The circle will then be complete.

What a Day!

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:1-8 ESV).

Haven’t you had those days when you just couldn’t wait until they were over? Those are the days when I sigh and think what a day! We all have them. One of the best ways to pull yourself out of the doldrums is to think on the wonder of the Lord and remember the blessings of the past. I also like to look around and see how bad it could be! The following lists some true incidents. They sure made me think about how good I’ve got it!

 The average cost of rehabilitating one seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were released back into the wild, amid cheers and applause from onlookers. One minute later, in full view of everyone, a killer whale ate them both.
 A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current she whacked him with a handy plank of wood by the back door, breaking his arm in two places. Until that moment he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
 Two animal right protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly the pigs - all 2,000 of them - escaped through a broken fence and stampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death.
 Iraqi terrorist, Khay Rahnajet, didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb; he opened it and was blown to bits.

I know these are humorous in a way, but they made me think again about how blessed I am. Like the psalmist I can declare how the Lord has satisfied me more than the best of foods; protected me as if surrounded by wings; and held me securely in His strong right hand!

I wonder if you have had one of “those days” lately? Think back on the wonder of His grace and the many things He has done for you. See if that won’t bring joy back into your heart!

Fun Facts

The following “fun facts” came to me by way of an email forwarded from my daughter-in-law:

 Pearls melt in vinegar
 35% of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
 A duck's quack doesn't echo... and nobody knows why.
 111,111,111 multiplied by 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
 Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down, hence the expression: "getting fired."
 Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks as if it is kissing the conveyor belt.
 The HIGHEST point in Pennsylvania is LOWER than the lowest point in Colorado.
 Only one person in two BILLION will be live to be 116 or older.
 The mask used by in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
 If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
 The fingerprints of koala bears and humans are virtually indistinguishable, so much that they can be confused at a crime scene.

And, of course all of that information is essential to your daily life! It is good for a little bit of a chuckle, isn’t it?

There are so many points of information available to us today. We have been bombarded with data about everything. Sometimes I think I am on “information overload.” It is not unusual to get emailed, faxed, and an automated call about the same thing in a day from General Motors. I suppose they just want to make sure that I got the information they needed to send me! I must confess that it causes me to not read everything as carefully as I should sometimes. I take the priority of the information for granted. If we’re not careful, in information of God’s grace we have in the Scripture is the same way. Read the following verses this morning with that thought in mind:

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:1-7 ESV).

Do you have some “reading” to catch up on? Take the Scripture carefully in your life and see the difference it will make!

Never Quit

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26 ESV).

Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this man's family was a handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards, which bordered on the worse section of town. Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead. When the police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead and called for the Morgue Wagon.

On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that this young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all is teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull. Although his life was spared, he spent over a year in the hospital. When he finally left, his body may have healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired. When the young man started to look for work again everyone turned him down just on account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he join the freak show at the circus as The Man Who Had No Face. And he did this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years. One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church he encountered a priest who saw him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in God's mercy to free him from his torturous life. The young man went to Mass and communion every day, and after thanking God for saving his life, asked God to only give him peace of mind and the grace to be the best man he could ever be in His eyes.

The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had experienced the worst, was filled with good humor and love. The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also done for him. The young man became everything he promised God he would be. He was also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, many children, and success in an industry, which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career, if not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who cared for him. This he acknowledges publicly. The young man's name is... Mel Gibson.

In the Groove

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1 ESV).

When the psalmist wrote this psalm, he spoke of a path that would bring prosperity. His advice is very clear to us. If we delight in doing everything the Lord wants, then we are assured of life. It is another way of saying we need to get “in the groove.”

Some years ago I had the opportunity to drive a Winston Cup racer for ten laps at the Texas Motor Speedway. It was quite an experience! For those of you who have watched this kind of racing, you know the speeds can reach in excess of 150 mph! I didn’t get going that fast, though I did reach 135-140 mph. It was thrilling to say the least!

There were many things to learn before I ever got in the car. The group I was in spent an hour going over safety features of the car, driving techniques, and most importantly, the line to take when driving the course. The instructor drew the best line on a display of the racetrack. Step by step, he took us through the straight-aways and the turns. He showed us when to be high on the track and when to dive in low. To further instruct us, he took us on the track in a passenger van and drove the course with us. It is amazing to think of traveling at over 90 mph in a 15-passenger van! But, that’s exactly what we did. Finally the time came to get in the car and start my own laps. We were pushed off pit row and by the time we got off the apron we were already going over 100 mph! The first three laps were increased steadily as I learned the groove: slowing down where necessary, speeding up where it was necessary, riding high in the line, or diving down into the turn. After that, it was wide-open speed! Even when it looked like he couldn’t be right, I realized very quickly that the only way to drive the course successfully was to do exactly as he said. As I would come up out of the straightaway, it was necessary to go high, straight at the wall. The first time I did it, it looked like I was going to hit it! But, as I got there and saw how it dove off into the turn, it made all the sense in the world. What a thrill to see a checkered flag at the end of my laps signaling I had completed the course successfully!

Our Christian lives are to be run like that! There is a groove that the Lord has established for everyone. It is clearly marked through the Scripture. The more we read and study the Scripture, the more we are able to recognize the way we are to go. It would have been disastrous to ignore my instructor. Are you listening to your instructor in life? He always knows the “groove.”

Come Hell or High Water

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:1-7 ESV).

A young fellow wanted to be a star journalist but lived in a small town (not much possibility). One day the dam upstream broke and the town was flooded. He got in a rowboat and headed out to look for a story. He found a lady sitting on her rooftop. He tied up the boat and told her what he was after. (They both watched as various items floated by). She says, “Now there’s a story.” “No, that’s not a story.” Finally a hat floats by and then does a 180 degree turn, goes upstream a ways and does another 180 degree turn, etc. The fellow says, “There’s a story.” “Oh no, that’s not a story. That’s my husband Hayford. He said that he was going to mow the lawn come hell or high water!” So many people don’t persist in their life and their dreams die. They quit just before the greatest catch of their lives.

Have you ever worked to get better at something? If so, you soon realized that the cliché “practice makes perfect” is true. Olympic Athletes seem to succeed with effortless grace, but their performances aren’t as easy as they look. The average Olympian trains four hours a day at least 310 days a year for six years before succeeding. Getting better begins with working out every day. By 7:00 a.m. most athletes have done more than many people do all day. How well an athlete performs is often attributed to mental toughness. But performance really depends on physical capacity to do work. That capacity is based on two factors—genetic talent and the quality of the training program. Good training makes up for some limitations, but most of us will never be Olympians no matter how hard we work. We haven’t inherited the right combination of endurance, potential, speed and muscle. But given equal talent, the better-trained athlete can generally outperform the one who did not give a serious effort, and is usually more confident at the starting block. The four years before an Olympics, Greg Louganis probably practiced each of his dives 3000 times. Kim Zmeskal has probably done every flip in her gymnastics routine at least 20,000 times, and Janet Evans has completed more than 240,000 laps. Training works, but it isn’t easy or simple. Swimmers train an average of 10 miles a day, at speeds of 5 mph in the pool. That might not sound fast, but their heart rates average 160 the entire time. Try running up a flight of stairs, then check your heart rate. Then imagine having to do that for four hours! Marathon runners average 160 miles a week at 10 mph. Two important training principles must be followed: Progressively increase the amount and intensity of the work. Train specifically. Weightlifters don’t run sprints, and basketball players don’t swim.

Perhaps Calvin Coolidge said it best: Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. “Come hell or high water”! That ought to be a watch-phrase for all of us as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Looking Up

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:1-4 ESV).

It has been said that Sorry looks back, Worry looks around, but Faith looks up. The reading today is a prophetic encouragement from Isaiah. It has been fulfilled in Christ. The following story came to me from an unknown author. It has a very touching message. Sometimes when we get so busy adding up our troubles we forget to count our blessings. I hope this will encourage you to look up.

The pickle jar, as far back as I can remember, sat beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar. As they were dropped into the jar, they landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then, the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar filled. I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank. Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck. Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. "Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back." Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly and say, "These are for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me." We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate; Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. "When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again." He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. "You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters," he said. "But you'll get there. I'll see to that." The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My Dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined; more than anything else, how much my Dad had loved me. No matter how rough things got a home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar. To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. "When you finish college, Son," he told me, his eyes glistening, "you'll never have to eat beans again, unless you want to." The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born; we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. "She probably needs to be changed," she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes. She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. "Look," she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. Then I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak, but we knew nothing had to be said.

Dear Ruth

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:31-40 ESV).

Ruth went to her mailbox and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter: Dear Ruth: I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I would like to visit. Love Always, Jesus. Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents, "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. "Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it." Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and he headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. " You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!" Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it. “Dear Ruth: It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat. Love Always, Jesus. The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.”

Operator, Please

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV).

Technology grows so quickly that it is easy to take for granted how far we’ve come in such a brief period of time. For example, we enjoy unassisted long-distance telephone calling. It hasn’t always been so. Before the president of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph dialed New York City from Oakland, California, with a call lasting about one minute, telephone operators placed all long-distance calls.

It’s also easy to take for granted the privilege we have been given in our direct access to God through prayer! Imagine praying and hearing this:

“Thank you for calling My Father’s House. Please select one of the following four options:

1. Press 1 for requests.
2. Press 2 for thanksgiving.
3. Press 3 for complaints.
4. For all other inquiries, press 4.”

What if God used the familiar excuse: “All of the angels are helping other customers right now. Please stay on the line. Your call will be answered in the order it was received.” Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God in prayer?

1. “If you’d like to speak with Gabriel, press 1.
2. “For Michael, press 2.
3. “For any other angel, press 3.
4. “If you want King David to sing you a psalm, press 6.
5. “To find out if your relative is here, enter his/her date of death and listen for the list that follows.”
6. “For reservations at My Father’s House, simply press the letters J-O-H-N on the keypad, followed by the number 3-1-6.”
7. “For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah’s ark is, wait until you get here!”
8. “Our computers show that you have called once today already. Please hang up immediately.”
9. “This office is closed for the weekend. Please call again Monday.” End of message.

Thankfully, you never need worry about getting a busy signal with the Lord! He is always available to us. No wonder the Apostle Paul said, Pray all the time. Do you? Perhaps its time to take advantage of your “free calling minutes”!

Unopened Gifts

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:23-27 ESV).

Recently I had someone write to me and ask me why they kept doing things to hurt themselves. They weren’t physical things. Rather they were emotional and psychological things that resulted in decisions that were hurtful to them. It is a very common question. The answers are simple, though not easy to implement. Peace of mind comes from only one source. Jesus knew the disciples were going to go through some very difficult times when He died. At the Last Supper He gave them the promise of today’s reading. It is a promise to us as well. The following story illustrates this truth even more:

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words, PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Jesus’ death was not what the disciples expected at all! However, it was exactly what His peace was “packaged” in! Start to claim your peace of mind today by accepting this gift of grace in your life. He loves you so much… trust in that love today!

A Love Story

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:13-17 ESV).

To say that these verses are familiar is certainly an understatement. It is the summation of the love story told from Genesis through the Revelation. However, like any love story, the repeating of it warms the heart and renews the fervor of it. It is so easy to forget the great sacrifice God has made on our behalf. The following story is reprinted as a reminder for you this morning. It is old and well used, but very clear.

There was once a bridge, which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it. A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come; he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge were not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed.

God loves you so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son for you. Trust Him today. Show your trust by returning that love to Him in your actions.

Salty

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV).

Mary would tell you that I have a very bad habit of salting everything I eat too much. Whether it is vegetables at a restaurant, or popcorn at the movies, I love to salt my food. It is as much habit as taste that causes me to do it! It does seem to make a difference to me though. Salt has a way of making many things better. Salt is one of the most common compounds found. It is everywhere! The fluid surrounding the fetus is essentially saltwater. The water inside our bodies is as salty as the seas, which is extraordinary considering the human body is 70% water. Each of us contains eight ounces of salt, which is an essential building block of life itself. It regulates heartbeat and nerve impulses, digestion, muscle contraction, and the exchange of water between cells, which helps those cells bring in food and push out waste. Without salt, the body goes into convulsions, paralysis, and death.

Yet, surprisingly, salt is partly poison. It’s made up of two elements, sodium and chlorine. If you put them in your mouth separately, sodium will blow up, and chlorine will turn toxic. But merged into a compound, sodium chloride, the two ingredients sustain and promote life. In terms of quantity, there’s enough salt just in the oceans to cover the whole earth fourteen inches deep. Ironically, we can’t drink from those seas. Like salt in the ancient world, our faith should enhance, preserve and disinfect. But it’s important to realize that faith comes from God, and a little goes a long way. Like salt, faith has two elements: belief and action. On its own, belief can be volatile, especially when clouded by extreme emotion. But, even worse, action has poisonous potential if it’s separated from the dependence on God that’s supposed to be its foundation. Keeping belief and action in balance is essential to truly be a preservative in the world.

Look at the combination of love and truth as an example. Love without truth is unreliable and sometimes blind. In fact, there have been those who were willing to combine the truth of the Gospel with other doctrines in the name of love. On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can turn people away from the gospel. When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we have what Jesus called “the salt of the earth,” and we’re able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. How salty are you? What kind of balance do you strike in your life between faith and actions? Or in love and truth? Commit yourself to being balanced… salty!

Bake Sale

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.” (Matthew 23:1-5 ESV).

Jesus’ scathing condemnation of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees is a word we need to hear today. So much of the time we find our churches full of instruction in how to do the things of God, but never do we find God in them! Wes Seeliger tells the following story:

"Bake sale" said the sign over the door. Joe's mouth watered. He could imagine all the treats inside. He opened the door and walked in. Joe couldn't believe his eyes. As far as he could see in the building there were rows of tables with signs over each table to describe its specialty. Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, pies, tarts. Except....there were no cakes, cookies, muffins, pies or tarts. You see, this was a "recipe" bake sale. Someone grabbed Joe's arm. "Coconut macaroons. Get the original!" "No so. Our recipe is older than theirs," another table shouted. " Devil 's food cake . Accept no substitutes, " a shifty hustler whispered in his ear. "Angel food cake! Just like grandmother made" "Who's grandmother?" A lady began to shove him toward a table of fruit tarts while another yanked on his arm to try a roll. Yelling arose from every table as red-faced salesmen hawked their recipes. Confusion ruled and brawls broke out between tables. Joe had taken all he could. He tore himself away and ran outside as fast as he could. As he breathed in the fresh air and walked away, he said, "That was no place for a hungry man."

The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades and a World War she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California. During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. But on the dock they crumbled. Nothing was left of the 3/4 inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than thirty coasts of paint that had been applied over the years. The steel had rusted away. When Jesus called the Pharisees “Whitewashed tombs,” He meant they had no substance, only an exterior appearance.

When hungry people come to your church, what do they find? When hungry people come to you, will they be fed, or will they merely find the recipe? It is our calling to BE Christians, not just talk about being Christian. This week, as you go to worship, use the time to reevaluate your actions. It is often easy to jump high. However, the real measure of your faith is how straight you walk when your feet hit the ground!

Blamk Bumper Stickers

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.’” (Revelation 3:14-19 ESV).

I have heard about a company that makes blank bumper stickers. They're for people who don't want to get involved! Is that one you might be tempted to put on your vehicle? If it is, then this morning’s Scripture is for you!

Elie Wiesel survived the Auschwitz and Buchenwald death camps. He speaks and writes extensively concerning the Holocaust. It is his conviction that man’s inhumanity to man during that awful time must not be forgotten, lest it be repeated. Something Wiesel said in a magazine interview has stuck in my mind. He said: "Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. To be in the window and watch people being sent to concentration camps or being attacked in the street and to do nothing, that’s being dead."

Surely the ultimate insult to Jesus himself is cool indifference. G.A. Studdert-Kennedy wrote of the cruelty of men who put Jesus on a cross and murdered him. In the same poem, he wrote of the gentler spirit with which Jesus would be treated if he were to come to our generation. We would likely just pass him by, causing him no pain and leaving him to his own devices. The following poem, titled Indifference, was written many years ago, yet it causes me to wonder. Perhaps it will speak to you as well:

When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do,"
And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.

The Shoop Shoop Song

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:1-5 ESV).

Betty Everett’s song, The Shoop, Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss), rocketed to the top of the charts when she released it in 1964. As I was reading this morning’s verses, I was reminded of it. The lyrics are interesting:

Does he love me? I want to know. How can I tell if he loves me so? Is it in his eyes? Oh no! You'll be deceived. Is it in his sighs? Oh no! He'll make believe. If you want to know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. That's where it is! Is it in his face? Oh no! That's just his charms. In his warm embrace? Oh no! That's just his arms. If you want to know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. That's where it is. It's in his kiss. That's where it is. Kiss him and squeeze him tight. Find out what you want to know. If it's love, if it really is, it's there in his kiss How about the way he acts. Oh no! That's not the way. And you're not list'nin' to all I say, if you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. That's where it is. It's in his kiss. That's where it is. Kiss him and squeeze him tight. Find out what you want to know. If it's love, if it really is, it's there in his kiss. How about the way he acts, oh no! That's not the way. And you're not list'nin' to all I say. If you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. That's where it is, it's in his kiss. That's where it is?

“It’s in his kiss” is the declaration of this little song. It is a message we need to be reminded of when we face our own trials. It is so common to measure God’s love for us by the level of comfort we are experiencing at the time. However, that is not the truth of Scripture. Job’s “friends” asked Job this very question. They accused Job of some great sin, which resulted in his calamity. The whole message of Job dispels that lie. Our circumstances have never been a reliable index either to our spiritual status or our value in God’s eyes.

Look at some of the examples of Scripture. For more than a dozen years, Joseph was either a slave or prisoner in a country where he had no civil rights and no legal protection. By today’s common wisdom, anything beyond a few days or weeks of suffering would be taken as solid proof that God had abandoned Joseph. Job lost his fortune, his health, and his friends. By today’s rule, God had forgotten that upright and God-fearing man. A faith-filled prayer should have healed him. That it didn't would be taken as incontrovertible evidence for God's failure in Job's life, if not for his nonexistence. There are many others also, but the truth remains that today’s wisdom is wrong. There is absolutely no correlation between your circumstances today and God's faithful love. If you want to know how much God loves you, like Betty Everett said, “It’s in His kiss.” You may best experience that kiss as you allow yourself to dwell on the sacrifice Jesus made in the cross. Let Him wrap His arms around you today and kiss you gently. He will, even in the most trying of times.

So Close and So Far Away

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:5-11 ESV).

Several years ago a man and his wife were found frozen to death in their car. A blizzard had dumped tons of snow in the area, burying their vehicle. Before she died, the woman scribbled a note on a piece of paper and stuffed it in the glove compartment. The note read: "I don't want to die this way." Tragically, less than six feet from their icy grave was a stranded bus, whose festive passengers remained warm throughout the night. Salvation is so close and yet so far away to everyone. Jesus Christ has done all that is necessary to reconcile us to God, and yet, like this couple, we find ourselves blinded by the things around us.

There are three “parts” to the act of being saved. It involves the total of our humanity: our emotions, our intellect, and our will. Those of us who are married can easily relate to this truth. When I first met Mary, I emotionally made a decision to marry her. In fact, within the first few hours of being with her, I had made that decision! For many people, their experience with Christ is like that. However, there is more than a mere emotional attraction necessary to experience salvation. I also used my intellect in making the decision to be married. We spent many hours talking and dreaming of the future together. I was then able to think through the decision and consciously take the last step toward marriage. That last step was the act of my will. I made a commitment to her. So it is with our conversion. We do fall in love with Christ and all that He promises to do and provide in our lives. However, it is not mere emotion that completes commitment. We must also think through the act and complete it with a commitment of all that we are to Him. It is no wonder that Jesus cautioned people so strictly when they asked Him what it would take to be His disciple.

There are many people who have felt the emotion of Christianity and never realized the fullness of the work of grace in their life. The redemptive work of Jesus is much more than our feeling good! It is the transformation of our entire being through the Holy Spirit. Feeling good is close, but so far away! How close are you to salvation today? Everything has been done to accomplish your salvation. Will you accept His gift today?

Doing or Being Your Best?

Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. (Ecclesiastes 5:12-17 ESV).

There have been many books written outlining the meaning of success. Those same books have many good methods to suggest in achieving goals. However, the achievement of a goal, or the amassing of possessions is not necessarily success. Ralph Waldo Emerson said success is:

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.

One of the most common responses heard from those who have reached the pinnacle of success is that of the emptiness that still plagues their lives. That sort of confession is at least one reason the question of meaning of success is so central in life’s pursuit. There are many people who would say that success is measured by the amount of possessions and the standard of living one has gained. However, judging by the remarks of some that have attained those higher standards, there is frequently an admission of disappointment. After his second Wimbledon victory, Boris Becker surprised the world by admitting his great struggle with suicide. Jack Higgins, the renowned author of The Eagle Has Landed, has said that he had known as a small boy is this: “When you get to the top, there’s nothing there.”

Cathy Rigby was a member of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team in the 1972 Olympics at Munich, and she had only one goal in mind, to win a gold medal. She had trained hard over a long period. On the day she was scheduled to perform, she prayed for the strength and the control to get through her routine without making mistakes. She was tense with determination not to let herself or her country down. She performed well, but when it was all over and the winners were announced, her name was not among them. Cathy was crushed. Afterward, she joined her parents in the stands all set for a good cry. As she sat down, she could barely manage to say, “I’m sorry. I did my best.” “You know that, and I know that,” her mother said, “and I’m sure God knows that too.” Then, Cathy recalls, her mother said 10 words that she has never forgotten: “Doing your best is more important than being the best.” That’s the heart of the wisdom of Solomon. What are you chasing after today? Are you more interested in doing or being your best? Let Christ help you be your best!

Our Litgous Society

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! (1 Corinthians 6:1-8 ESV).

How do you handle injustice? In the name of "justice," some Americans have initiated strange and convoluted lawsuits. Consider the following:

 At a recent boxing match a fan drank too much, got into a fight, and ultimately fell down a flight of stairs. His family wanted "justice," so they hired a lawyer and sued. Included in their lawsuit was "Ticket Master," the company that sold the man the ticket to the boxing match.

 Then there was the man who bought a four-seated plane. In order to rig the plane so he could fly it from the back seat, he removed the pilot's seat, along with all its safety equipment. The plane crashed and the man's family sued the company that designed and built it. The family won a million dollars, even though the man altered and deliberately misused the original equipment.

 In another case a young woman was injured when her fiancé deliberately smashed into her go-cart, as they were finishing up their ride around the track. The court ruled that the young man who actually ran into the woman was 85% responsible, the young woman herself was 14% negligent, and the theme park was 1% involved. However, in the interests of "justice," the theme park was required to pay the entire cash judgment.

Shifting responsibility, blaming others, and expecting someone else to pay for our stupidity is common in today's legal system, but someday we will all stand before a truly righteous judge who will accept no excuse and will tolerate no legal jargon. On judgment day you won't be able to sue anyone or blame anyone else for your own sins. While it may be common and fashionable to find justice through our courts system (and sometimes that is warranted), the only real justice comes from a righteous life through Jesus Christ.

Where Is Your Faith?

There is a season in our faith just as there are seasons in the year. During the “spring” of our faith, we feel alive and full of growth. Life seems to bloom all around us. During the “summer” of our faith, it is not unusual to feel the pressures and demands of life in such a way as to dry our spirits. The “fall” of faith is a time when we begin to sense the slowing down of the pace of life. And, of course, there are those “winter” times of our faith when we seem to be lying dormant. Every believer will pass through these seasons of faith at one time or another.

While it is true that we all go through these times, some of them are more difficult to deal with than the others. Especially during the “winter” we need to be encouraged and nurtured with the example of others in the faith. People of faith are always an encouragement to be around. Through the Scripture God has placed many of these faithful in our path. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Joshua and a host others faith will challenge and encourage our faith. Today, we can look at one of them. Abel is such an example to us. Listen to the writer of Hebrews:

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4 ESV).

The thought that really speaks to me is "being dead still speaks." The book of James tells us that faith without works is dead. Abel's life was full of works that gave testimony of his faith even after his death. This is not to say that somehow Abel earned his eternal life through his good works. Eternal life is only possible through the gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. However his life centered in good works that were a result of his faith. These allowed him to live above and beyond the trials he faced.

A century ago, Robert Louis Stevenson devised a number of rules to help people to live happier, more productive lives. These rules may be a century old, but they are still excellent guidelines. They are practical ways to center your life on faithful good works.

1. Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
2. Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow.
3. Don't take yourself too seriously.
4. Don't let criticism worry you. You can't please everybody.
5. Don't let your neighbors set your standards. Be the person God wants you to be.
6. Do things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
7. Don't borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.
8. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
9. Have many interests. If you can't travel read about places.
10. Don't hold postmortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
11. Don't be the one who never gets over things.

Increasing Faith

One of the most perplexing problems every Christian faces at one time or another is that of maintaining a steady faith. It reminds me of a little story. It seems a man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. He believed in God and it was natural to cry out for help. “Is anyone up there?” “I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?” “Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer.” “That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch.” There was a long moment of pause, then the man said: “Is anyone else up there?”

The writer of Hebrews poses the question rhetorically in chapter eleven:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV).

For the very reason that faith provides proof of those unseen things, it is also is the most intangible of all things in our life. For most of us, believing is seeing and seeing is believing. Our culture has so conditioned us to that kind of behavior. Perhaps you have heard of the story of the young college student who was asked to prepare a lesson to teach his speech class. He was to be graded on their creativity and ability to drive home a point in a memorable way. The title of the talk was “The Law of the Pendulum.” He spent 20 minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum is: “A pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released.” Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal. He attached a 3-foot string to a child’s toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. He pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where he let it go. Each time it swung back I made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When he finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard proved his thesis.

He then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All of his classmates raised their hands, so did the teacher. He started to walk to the front of the room thinking the class was over. In reality it had just begun. Hanging from the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room was a large, crude but functional pendulum (250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord). He invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. Then he brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face, he once again explained the law of the pendulum he had applauded only moments before. The student said, “If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger.” After that final restatement of this law, he looked him in the eye and asked, “Sir, do you believe this law is true?” There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

He released the pendulum. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. You never saw a man move so fast in your life. He literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, the student asked the class, “Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?” The students unanimously answered, “NO!”

Faith has to do with actions. We’ll explore this subject a little more in the next few days. When our faith seems to fail, it is usually due to the fact that it is not as strong as the apparent evidence we are experiencing through our physical senses. Increasing our faith means increasing our ability to see our experiences from a spiritual perspective. Today, rest in the knowledge that God does not expect or require a perfect faith. Ask Him to help you strengthen the faith you have. He promises that He will.

The Floodlight of Christ

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV).

These words were spoken to comfort and encourage the disciples in the face of Jesus’ imminent death. It was a promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. There are many things that the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the world today. He convicts unbelievers of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). He regenerates or causes us to become believers (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5, I Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18).
He indwells and baptizes the believer (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9; John 14:16; I Corinthians 12:13). He seals us (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). He imparts gifts (I Corinthians 12:7-11). He fills the believer (Ephesians 5:15-21; Galatians 5:16). And, He causes us to bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), which is the characteristics of Jesus Christ. However, the Holy Spirit’s distinctive role is to fulfill what we may call a floodlight ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. So far as this role was concerned, the Spirit “was not yet” while Jesus was on earth. It would be only when the Father had glorified him (John 17:1, 5) that the Spirit’s work of making men aware of Jesus’ glory could begin.

In the courtyard of the last church I pastored, there was a seventy-foot tall white cross that served both as a steeple and landmark. I was once asked why the cross was so tall. The answer seemed so evident that I hardly knew what to say. It needed to be seen by everyone, since it was the central focus of our ministry. And, yet without light, at night it would nearly be invisible. Of course we had floodlights placed so that it would continuously be lit in the dark hours of the night. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. It also struck me that this perfectly illustrates the Holy Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.

Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder on to Jesus whom stands facing us. The Spirit’s message to us is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always, “Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him and hear his word; go to him and have life; get to know him and taste his gift of joy and peace.” The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring Christ and us together and ensure that we stay together.

It is so tragic that so few believers accept the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: “Glasgow, Ky.—Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor.” Are you trying to start your “car” without your “engine”? Let Him light up your life today!

Jesus, the Son

I recently saw a list of headlines that actually appeared in newspapers, which were funny, because they were so obvious. Here are a few:

 Study Finds Sex, Pregnancy Link, Cornell Daily Sun;
 Survey Finds Dirtier Subways After Cleaning Jobs Were Cut, The New York Times;
 Larger Kangaroos Leap Farther, Researchers Find, The Los Angeles Times;
 Alcohol ads promote drinking, The Hartford Courant;
 Official: Only rain will cure drought, The Herald-News, Westpost, Massachusetts;
 Teen-age girls often have babies fathered by men, The Sunday Oregonian;
 Fish lurk in streams, Rochester, New York, Democrat & Chronicle;
 Tomatoes come in big, little, medium sizes, The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Virginia;
 Scientists see quakes in L.A. future, The Oregonian;
 Bible church's focus is the Bible, Saint Augustine Record;
 Lack of brains hinders research, The Columbus Dispatch. What a grasp of the obvious!

I almost feel as if I am stating the obvious when I say that Jesus is the Son of God. Yet, there is so much we may learn from this simple statement. As we continue to examine the Trinity, the second Person is “the Son.” When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was, a very revealing principle of truth was given:

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17 ESV).

The truth that Jesus is “the Son of the living God,” fully God and fully man, has some wonderful implications for us practically:

1. First, Jesus knows. This text tells us emphatically that Jesus knows our human condition. It is not something that he has heard but something he knows. We may approach him confidently as our High Priest because he knows. He has done and experienced the same kinds of trials and challenges that we have in our lives.

2. Second, Jesus identifies with us. Only the one who resists temptation knows the full strength of it. Some say we need to experience sin in order to know what sin is. How foolish! Only he who does not yield knows the full force of temptation. Every one of the temptations we had ever had or will have, He has already faced and conquered. He is not a mere observer, but a fellow participant in life. This makes Him all the more trustworthy.

3. Third, Jesus is the means for our receiving mercy. We can appear before the throne of his grace and receive mercy. Because of who He is and what He has done, we now may have perfect assurance that mercy is available to us. He has won the victory on our behalf. Because He was human, He became the perfect sacrifice for our sin. This is how we may receive grace. It was essential that we have a “Son” revealed to us!

The Choo-Choo Blanket

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV).

Each of our boys has had a “security blanket” of some sort when they were little. Our oldest son, who now is thirty-seven and a Ph.D. pharmacological research scientist, had a small blanket that accompanied him nearly everywhere until he was about two. We called it the "choo-choo blanket” because it had a little train on it. Over the years it frayed and unraveled along the edges and Mary repaired it as best as possible. Each time, however, it became a smaller blanket! Finally, it was not much more than the size of a large bandanna. As he grew he didn’t need his baby blanket any longer and it was soon forgotten and put away.

There was one occasion that we unintentionally left it at a motel. You would have thought the world had come to an end! We did retrieve it and life returned to normal. He had to have his choo-choo. As I reflected on that experience, it occurred to me that many of us, maybe all of us, have a blanket of our own. Not literally, of course. But we're all pretty attached to something or someone that we really, really need. It is that something or someone that defines, to a significant extent, who we are. Unfortunately, there comes a time in all our lives when we can't hang onto that blanket anymore. Sometimes, it's literally stripped from our hands.

For some of us, our job, our career, our title is an important security blanket. We don't realize how much of who we are what we do until one day it's taken from us. Your strength or your health may be your security blanket, and you may work pretty hard at keeping it. But it can be lost suddenly. Maybe it's your looks, your wealth, your ability, your family, or a person who is a big part of who you are. A security blanket can be something very good but losable. And when things beyond your control tear your blanket from your hands, you're left wondering, as you may be right now, who am I without it? I guess the great myth is that anything or anyone we can lose can ever give us ultimate security. There is always this gnawing fear that it won't be there someday. We're created for a security that always will be there even when every other security blanket is gone. Well, that rock-solid security is defined for us in our reading for today. There it is unloseable love, security beyond the reach of every disease, downsizing, divorce, depression, or disaster. When Jesus Christ died on the cross so the sin-wall between you and God could come down forever, He made it possible for you to know you belong to God, to never live a moment here or in eternity without being loved by Him. If you've lost a security you were depending on, it may be so you could finally realize how much you need Jesus. And this could be your day, your moment to finally put your total trust in Him. Get your “choo-choo” back!

Don't Just Sit There

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.(John 10:1-10 ESV).

The following is a true story that was reported some years ago. It concerns a 33-year-old truck driver Larry Walters. Larry had a habit of spending his weekends in his Los Angeles backyard, just south of L.A. International Airport, drinking beer and eating peanut butter sandwiches. He would sit in his favorite lawn chair staring at the houses around him in the subdivision where he lived. Not a real exciting life. One day, abject boredom prompted Larry Walters to buy some balloons and a tank of helium. He figured on tying the balloons to his lawn chair, filling them with helium, and floating up for an aerial view of the neighborhood. He judged he'd get no higher than 100 feet, but just in case, he got out his BB gun and loaded it. He planned to regulate his altitude by shooting out a couple of balloons. So he went out and bought 45 big weather balloons, a huge tank of helium, and some rope. First he secured his lawn chair to the ground, and then he filled the balloons with helium. One by one he tied them to his lawn chair. Before liftoff he went in the house and got another six-pack of beer, a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and his BB gun. Then he went out and sat in his lawn chair. He had instructed his neighbors to cut the ropes securing the chair when he was ready. "Let's go!" he yelled, and the ropes were cut. But he didn't go 100 feet. He went up 11,000 feet! Shot straight up in the air! And the BB gun? It was useless since he was using both hands to hang on to the chair for dear life. He zoomed straight up into the landing pattern at L.A. Airport. The pilot of an approaching Continental DC 10 reported that he had just passed a man in a lawn chair! Can you imagine being a passenger in that plane? "Look, mom, out the window! There's a man in a lawn chair!"

Eventually they sent up helicopters to rescue Larry Walters. They closed the airport and diverted all landings and takeoffs at LAX while they played tag with this fellow in his lawn chair at 11,000 feet. When they finally got him down, he was surrounded by TV crews, the police, fire and rescue squads, and plenty of curious people. It was a major event. "Were you scared?" asked one of the TV reporters, thrusting a mic in his face. "No, not really" said Larry. "Are you going to do it again?" asked another reporter. "No," said Larry. "What in the world made you do it the first time?" Larry Walters thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, you can't just sit there."

Larry Walters is right. You can't just sit there. God has something exciting for you to do. Don't be content to just sit there wasting time, doing nothing. Don't go through life watching from the sidelines while everyone else plays the game. God wants you to be a participant! He came to give you “life in all its fullness!” Aren’t you ready to come into the sheepfold with Him? Take a chance today and live by your faith!

Give It to Him

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22 ESV).

It was many centuries ago in a remote village in India. Word began to spread that something was about to happen that no one had seen in their lifetime, the prince was coming to visit their forgotten little village. Everyone was excited but no one was more excited than the village beggar was. Every day he eked out another day by sitting by the road with his little cup, hoping to get enough money to buy the rice to live one more day. He actually had two cups one for collecting money and one for his few grains of rice. But now the prince was coming, the wealthy prince! When the prince finally arrived, the beggar mustered his most impassioned appeal, “Alms! Alms for the poor!” And the prince stopped. The beggar's heart was pounding furiously. “Give me your cup of rice.” was all that the prince said. The beggar slumped down in disbelief. Here was the wealthiest man in the land, asking for his lousy little cup of rice. The beggar was about to refuse, but instead he reached in and he put three grains of rice in the prince's hand. The prince turned to his servant and said, “Bring me the bag of gold.” The beggar could hardly contain himself as he eagerly stretched out his empty collection cup. The prince reached into his bag and placed three grains of gold in the beggar's cup. And then he disappeared, never to return but leaving the beggar to wonder for the rest of his life . . . what would have happened if he had given him his whole cup of rice?

Jesus, the Prince of Heaven, may be passing your way today with so much to give you. The forgiveness of every sin you've ever committed . . . a new beginning . . . the peace that has eluded you your whole lifetime . . . eternity with Him in heaven. He wants to make you spiritually rich. In fact, it was very expensive for Him to be able to offer you the heaven you don't deserve instead of the death penalty your sin does deserve. In our reading for today, the young rich man was willing to do something, but not everything for Christ. The central issue is our willingness to give everything to Christ in exchange for Him. Just like the beggar and his rice, he wanted to hold on to some things. I wonder if you are trying to hold on to some of the things of your life? Don't make the eternal mistake of hanging onto your little cup of rice - and missing Jesus' bag of gold. You will not be disappointed by His level of giving! Give it all to Him!