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No, not Enid, Kenya, or Enid, India. Enid, Oklahoma. The story slipped by me, as I was recuperating from the return trip from Cambodia. On November 4, a Wednesday night, Bill and Deena Carpenter were returning to their home from church services. Driving down the highway in their SUV, Bill at only the last second saw the 4,500 pound animal standing in the middle of the road. He attempted to evade the pachyderm, but the eight foot Asian elephant was too big to miss. The good news is that neither the humans nor the elephant were seriously injured. The massive mammal had escaped earlier that day from a circus set up at a nearby fairgrounds. It seems to me that there are a few important reminders to consider from this bizarre incident.
IT IS A REMINDER THAT SOME THINGS ARE OUT OF PLACE. Enid is an unusual place to (literally) run into an elephant. Elephants just do not roam our countryside in America. Some things are incongruous and not just elephants running free in Oklahoma. Worldly Christians, aimless shepherds, inactive deacons, scriptureless preachers, warring brethren, and the like are more out of place than an elephant on the lam in Enid!
IT IS A REMINDER THAT SOME THINGS ARE TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. When is the last time your friend or loved one warned you to be on the lookout for elephants on the loose as you drove home? You just do not anticipate the need for such a warning. Some things cannot be foreseen, can they? How many of our trials and difficulties came with clear, sufficient warning? Certainly some do, but many more do not! Furthermore, what a reminder that the second coming of Christ will not come with signs or prescient warnings (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Matt. 24:35). The problems and adversities of this life often cannot be prepared for, but that coming, great, and unexpected day can and must be anticipated.
IT IS A REMINDER THAT EVEN THE BIGGEST ISSUES CAN BE MANAGEABLE. No doubt, Bill’s life flashed before his eyes. As he yelled “elephant” at the last second, he might have had time to think that this would be his last word. Mercifully, all parties escaped serious problems. What at first appeared catastrophic now makes for the story to end all dinner-party stories! How often do our looming problems seem overwhelming and utterly devastating only to pass like a storm with dark clouds and thunder but no damaging winds, rains, or hail? Too many times, we are so paralyzed by fear and worry over our personal challenges that we miss opportunities for spiritual growth and development (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7; 1 Cor. 10:13). We do not face a difficulty too hard for the Lord to handle.
No, you almost certainly will never hit an elephant driving down the highway this side of an African safari. Yet, you will be called to be salt and light in this world, a challenge that may make you awkwardly stand out at times. You will face the unexpected, both now and ultimately. You will also face supersized but surmountable issues in life. Do what you can to prepare, then leave the rest of it in the omnipotent hands of God!
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This Thursday we enter what is traditionally called the “holiday season.” Likely our busy schedules will become even more busy, and our hurry up pace will likely become a dead run for the duration of the year. But still, all in all, this is a most pleasant season of enjoyment. The reunion with loved ones, the abundance of food and the expression of thanksgiving during the holiday season bring joy and happiness to the truly appreciative. How grateful we should be for the blessings God has given us.
May I suggest two things for your consideration this holiday season? (1) Consider what you have, not what you lack. Most of us enjoy material possessions far and above that of the average world. Be grateful for God’s provisions, and even more thankful for those little “extras” that make life enjoyable. (2) Spend some time this week to meditate upon God’s goodness to you. Get off by yourself and say a little prayer to Him from Whom all blessings flow, and that in rich abundance. (3) Finally, realize that with increased blessings come increased responsibility. Read Luke 16:19-27, Matthew 25 and Luke 12:45-48. Then ask yourself if you are properly sharing what you have with those who have not.
I’ll close with this thought provoking analysis of how blessed many of us truly are:
If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed. 1/3 of the world does not have access to even one.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest or torture of death, you are more blessed that almost three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.
If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God’s willingness to hear and answer prayer.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
A student of Amherst College, soon after entering, put over the door of his dormitory room the letter “V.” Because of this he endured all sorts of ridicule and withstood frequent questioning. But he paid no attention to either, nor would he disclose the secret of the letter.
When he completed four years of education and graduation day came, the student was appointed to deliver the valedictory. Then the mystery of that letter V was revealed: it stood for valedictorian. That letter on the door held before him during his four years the ideal that he had set for himself.
Not every one of us places an actual letter over the door of our college room or over the door of our house. But nevertheless, somewhere, if only in our minds, there is a “letter” that we hold before us as an ideal.
Some put up the letter “M” that stands for MONEY.
Others put up “F” for FAME.
Others put up “S” which simply stands for SELF. *
The letter that we NEED to place before us is the letter “C” which stands for CHRIST. Why is He so important?
Christ addresses our greatest need: salvation from sin. Sin condemns, but Christ saves (Romans 6:23)! He died on the cross so that we might have the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7). We receive His forgiveness when we submit our lives to Him in faith (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Christ gives us our greatest purpose:to live for Him and urge others to do the same. “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Christ provides our greatest aspiration: eternal life with Him in heaven. This is that for which the Apostle Paul looked forward: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Step outside the door of your heart and look at the letter you have placed there. What letter is it?
The right letter is “C” for Christ. And, if we will place Him as the focus of our lives, then the letter “V” will also be OURS to own throughout eternity: “V” for VICTORY!
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Won’t YOU place the letter “C” above the door of your heart through your trusting obedience?
Parrots can be a noisy nuisance sometimes, but there is at least one Muncie, Indiana family that may never complain about that noise again.
Shannon Conwell and his nine-year-old son awoke about 3 a.m. last Friday to find their home on fire after hearing their Amazon parrot, Peanut, imitating a fire alarm. The smoke alarm was functioning properly and had activated, but it was the bird’s matching call that awoke Conwell. Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, Conwell grabbed his son and the bird on his way out of the house.
Paul’s God-breathed words to the church in first century Corinth were as follows:
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you then, be imitators of me.
1 Corinthians 4:15-16, ESV
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV
When you follow the example of a true-hearted Christian, you are following Paul. When you follow the Godly example of a Christian who is following the lead of Paul, you are following Christ. Your words stake claim to being in the light of Christ. When people imitate your faith and manner of life, are they (by connection) following Christ?
The Conwells of Muncie, Indiana learned how crucial an effective imitation can be. Men and women outside the body of Christ need an accurate imitation of Christ — sounding the warning cry, and leading others to safety.
When people imitate your faith and manner of life (and they will), will they be led toward or away from safety?
1. DO keep visual reminders of your marriage contracts. Always wear your wedding ring when in public. Keep pictures of your spouse in your wallet, in your workspace, etc. When you placed that ring on your mate’s finger, you promised your heart, affections, loyalty, and faithfulness until death.
2. DON’T be overconfident. Recognize your weak points (1 Cor. 10:12). One is vulnerable after a major letdown or major success. Those who are depressed or having marital problems can easily fall into illlicit relationships.
3. DO avoid flirty people. If a flirtatious woman or man is in the break room, go elsewhere. A wise person avoids evil (Prov. 22:3).
4. DON’T send mixed messages. Avoid prolonged stares, lingering touches, or joking that may be construed as flirting.
5. DO be on guard when out of your normal routine. Business trips, vacations, new jobs, new memberships at gyms, sports teams, etc. When away overnight, call home and talk to your spouse and children. Block out the TV sex channels, or leave it off altogether.
6. DON’T let friendships cross the line. Never do anything when your mate is absent that you would not do in his/her presence. If things are heading toward adultery, it is important to put emotional and physical distance between you and this person — right now. Avoid them.
7. DO be aware of the power that immodest dress has on you. Don’t pick up the magazine; don’t click the web link; sit with your back toward indecently dressed women in a restaurant or office. Don’t wear a garment that sends a message you don’t want received.
8. DON’T let a person of the opposite sex confide in you about marriage problems.
9. DO take drastic action if a line has been crossed. Quit a hobby, change jobs, break a friendship, change congregations, move to a new city. Completely avoid seeing this person.
10. CELEBRATE your 25th and 50th anniversaries, you’ll be glad you kept your vows. (Banner of Truth)
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.
Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.
“Careful,” he said, “CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh no! You’re
cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need
more butter. Oh no! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They’re going
to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me
when you’re cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have
you LOST your mind? Don’t forget to salt them. You know you always forget
to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!”
The wife stared at him. “What in the world is wrong with you? You
think I don’t know how to fry a couple of eggs?”
The husband calmly replied, “I just wanted to show you what it feels
like when I’m driving.”
Criticism. We’ve all experienced it. Sometimes it is justified,
sometimes it is not. But none of us like it. No one enjoys being told they
are doing something wrong.
Guy Woods has written, “Inasmuch as criticism is inevitable, we must,
in order to be happy, acquire an ability to rise above it. He who is overly
sensitive to the opinions of others is at the mercy of every gossiper of his
acquaintance. Some folks purr like a kitten when stroked by praise; but
when criticized, they become resentful, discouraged, and quit. It is highly
essential that everyone discover a technique for dealing with the adverse
opinions of others, and use it regularly and effectively.”
Let me offer several brief bits of advice when you are criticized:
(1) Expect criticism.
Realize that the more active you are, the more criticism you will
receive. There’s an eminent British cabinet officer’s wife who is said to
have kept this embroidered motto on their living room wall: “To escape
criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” Who catches the criticism?
It’s the ones who are out there in the middle of things with their sleeves
rolled up.
(2) Criticism can serve a useful purpose. Learn from it.
Recognize that some criticisms are certainly deserved. Even when
critics are unkind and when they exaggerate our failures, there may still be
some truth in what they say. So, when faced with criticism, we need to look
at the situation honestly and ask these questions: Is it true? If so, how
can I overcome the condition that caused it? If not, is there something I
can do to eliminate future criticism of the same type?
“The ear that hears the reproof of life will abide among the wise. He
who disdains instructions despises his own soul, but he who heeds reproof
gets understanding.” (Proverbs 15:31-32)
(3) Having gotten any benefit we can from criticism, we need to forget it.
There are times when people will criticize you and the best thing you
can do is just to keep on serving God. We’ve got to accept the fact there
is no way that unfair criticism can be dealt with. In a lot of situations,
the more you may attempt to answer criticism, the worse the criticism
becomes.
Paul said, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be
judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but he
who judges me is the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
As we receive criticism in our lives, may God help us to be honest
enough and humble enough to look into our hearts and make changes that are
necessary, and gracious enough to ignore that criticism which is unfair.
–Alan Smith
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One of the worst train disasters in history occurred in the El Toro Tunnel in Leon, Spain, on January 3, 1944. Over five hundred people died.
The train was a long passenger train with an engine on both ends. As the train entered the El Toro Tunnel, the engine on the front end stalled. When the front engine stopped, the engineer on the back engine started up his engine to back the train out of the tunnel. As he proceeded, however, the front engineer managed to get the front engine started again and attempted to continue the journey in the opposing direction. Neither engineer had any way of communicating with the other. Both engineers thought they simply needed more power. They continued to pull in opposite directions for several minutes. Hundreds of passengers on the train in the tunnel died of carbon monoxide poisoning because the train was stuck in the tunnel because it was being pulled in two different directions! *
This tragic incident illustrates what can happen in our lives when we are pulled in different directions, following the lead of different “engineers”…
Many of US struggle as to which way to go with our lives. We often give in to different “engineers” like our friends, our society, our families, and our selves, even though they may be pulling in opposite directions!
Long ago, the inspired prophet Jeremiah said, “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). In other words, we need direction – we need a wise engineer – to help direct our steps.
In short, we need Jesus to be our Savior AND our Lord (Master, Ruler, “Engineer”).
In fact, Jesus cannot be our SAVIOR unless He is our LORD!
Hank Hanegraaff has written: “Christ died to be our Savior and lives to be our Lord.”
Christ died on the cross to pay the price for our sins (Ephesians 1:7). We are saved from our past sins when we believe and trust Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). We continue to be cleansed from our sins as we continue to acknowledge Him as the Lord of our lives through our trusting obedience to His Word (1 John 1:7). Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
There are MANY engineers in the world that desire to control our lives, but there is only ONE Loving Lord.
Won’t YOU submit your life to Him so He can lead you to an eternal home?
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HOW OFTEN DO you let other people’s nonsense change your mood…?
Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? The mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what’s important.
I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.
So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I’m not going to do it anymore.”
One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:43-48).
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev used to tell of a time when there was a wave of petty theft in the Soviet Union . To curtail this problem, the authorities posted guards around the factories. At one timber works in Leningrad the guard knew the workers in the factory very well. The first evening, out came Pyotr Petrovich pushing a wheelbarrow and, on the wheelbarrow, a great bulky sack with a suspicious-looking object inside.
“All right, Petrovich,” said the guard, “what have you got there?” “Oh, just sawdust and shavings,” Petrovich replied.
“Come on,” the guard said, “I wasn’t born yesterday. Tip it out.” And out came nothing but sawdust and shavings. So he was allowed to put it all back again and go home. When the same thing happened every night of the week the guard became frustrated. Finally, his curiosity overcame his frustration.
“Petrovich,” he said, “I know you. Tell me what you’re smuggling out of here, and I’ll let you go.” “Wheelbarrows, my friend,” said Petrovich, “wheelbarrows.”
The wheelbarrow incident reminds us of how easily YOU and I can become easily distracted by things that are trivial and lose things of tremendous value. This is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against us. He tempts us to focus on those things that are temporary and sensual (the things of the world, 1 John 2:15-16), so that we will neglect the eternal and spiritual (the things of God, 1 John 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:18).
While we are examining the worthless sack of wood chips and shavings, the devil is smuggling wheelbarrows!
What Satan seeks most to “rob” from us is a saving relationship with God. This relationship has been made possible through the Gift of God’s Son who died on the cross to save us from our sins (Ephesians 1:7). God has promised to redeem those who believe in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). And, those who continue to follow the Heavenly Father faithfully will be given an eternal home with Him in heaven (Revelation 2:10).
Don’t let Satan rob YOU of your opportunity of eternal salvation through Christ.
Don’t be distracted…. Give attention to those things that are eternal! Submit to the Savior today!
What do you plan to eat this coming Thanksgiving? Will you eat turkey, goose, duck, or some other meat? What will you have for side dishes? Will it be cranberry sauce, gravy and stuffing? Will it be dressing? Will it be sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes? What about rice or “corn on the cob?” Maybe deviled eggs and green beans are your prefernece with pumpkin pie for dessert.
Is it right to turn another’s misfortune into our gain?
The days of 38-cents-per-gallon gas are long gone.
Customers at a San Antonio convenience store found
Tuesday, however, that the good old days had returned.
It was too good to be true, and that may explain why no
one told store manager Jim Duke about the price on his
premium gasoline.
Duke became suspicious when he saw larger-than-usual
crowds at the premium pump. When he went out to
investigate, he realized an error had been committed.
The price should have read $3.89 per gallon. By the
time the pump was turned off, a substantial amount of
money had been lost to opportunistic customers.
On Monday of this week a motorcyclist suffered
misfortune when a bag he was carrying ripped. Money
began spilling out on Interstate 10 near Los Angeles.
In the midst of speeding traffic, many people stopped.
They didn’t stop to help the motorcyclist, though;
they were helping themselves to the cash. Most of them
sped off when the highway patrol arrived.
“Too bad,” many will say about such incidents. “They
should have been more careful with their property.”
But is that the response God wants His people to make?
Deuteronomy 22:1,2 addresses such a situation:
“You shall not see your brother’s
ox or his sheep going astray, and
hide yourself from them; you shall
certainly bring them back to your
brother. And if your brother is not
near you, or if you do not know him,
then you shall bring it to your own
house, and it shall remain with you
until your brother seeks it; then
you shall restore it to him” (NKJV).
We all suffer misfortunes and losses. Sometimes the loss
occurs because of our own negligence. Irresponsibility
doesn’t change God’s expectations, though. If we see that
another has suffered loss, we should not declare open
season on the misplaced loot.
The ultimate measure of our actions in any situation is
found in Luke 6:31: “And just as you want men to do to
you, you also do to them likewise.” Jesus’ Golden Rule
is an easy standard to apply. If we would not want others
to do something to us, then we should not do the same to
them.
Instead of an opportunity to stuff our pockets, maybe this
is an opportunity to help a person recover or minimize
their loss. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to all, especially to those who are of the household
of faith” (Galatians 6:10).
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Do you remember what your greatest fear was when you were a kid? Maybe it still is your greatest fear today. Thirty years ago, researchers at John Hopkins University reported that the five greatest fears of grade school children at that time were:
(1) Animals. (2) Being in a dark room. (3) High places. (4) Strangers. (5) Loud noises.
As we all know, many aspects have changed over the past thirty years. However, what children are afraid of today is very disturbing. Compared to what kids were afraid of thirty years ago, today’s kids are afraid of the following:
(1) Divorce. (2) Nuclear war. (3) Cancer. (4) Pollution. (5) Being mugged.
What a drastic change over this time period. I was shocked that kids in grade school even knew what some of these are; much less know enough about them to be their greatest fears. However, when we take a step back and take a look at our culture, what do we see? We see the media hounding subjects like murder, war, cancer, pollution, crimes, politics, and other similar topics. We see video games where the person playing the game has the freedom to run around streets and mug people, steal cars/possessions, kill police officers/other people, and other similar actions (Example – games like Grand Theft Auto). We see movies, TV shows, and even some video games that are characterized by topics like divorce, cheating, war, cancer, and are exceedingly gory and violent. We have also seen divorce happen so often that it has become ordinary. It is no wonder our children are afraid of these types of situations.
While it is not necessarily wrong for children to have some basic level of knowledge about these subjects, most of these should by no means be prevalent in their lives, especially during grade school. This raises the question about what we are allowing to enter into our homes, our children, and ourselves. Let’s re-familiarize ourselves with the following verses:
“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” - Deuteronomy 6:7
“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15
We simply cannot afford to let our households be filled with some of the sinful aspects of this world. Let’s make sure we are controlling what our families and our children are experiencing from TV, video games, music, media, etc. as well as guard what they are filling their minds and hearts with. Let’s bring more righteous and spiritual aspects into our lives and keep the sinful ones out (Romans 6:12-13).
Are you “afraid” of something? Do you fear spiders, snakes, water, or night? Are you a “fearless” person? Are you afraid of being alone? Are you afraid of cancer? Are you afraid of unemployment? Are you afraid of heights? Are you afraid of fire?
Use the comments box to describe your fears or what you think of as a “silly fear.” Why not take the “fear survey poll?”
USA Today ran a front page story about a brain study related to Alzheimer’s Disease. The caption reads, “Over thinking can be good for us.” The subheading continues, “Dementia appears less likely to creep into thought-filled brains.” The brain is extremely complex, so much so that conditions like Alzheimer’s remain largely a mystery as to cause and predisposition. The focus of this study, more than 9,000 middle-aged men, were asked to rate the degree to which they “ruminate” over family and work difficulties. Those who tended to “over think” or “ruminate” were 40% less likely to suffer dementia than their more carefree counterparts.
It seems that “over think” or “ruminate” is a sophisticated way of saying “worrying.” While worrying might be thought to be good for the brain, it’s not good for the soul. It may be awfully tempting to worry about health, finance, relationships, family, occupation, enemies, friends, time, and the future, but it can also be sinful (cf. Matt. 6:24-33). A repeated principle of scripture is to “trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding” (cf. Prov. 3:5-6). When our hearts fully trust and believe that God is in control of our lives and will ultimately save our souls, where is there room left there for worry? If you want a healthy brain, read more, do crossword puzzles, drink green tea, and, best of all, fill your mind with God’s Word! Don’t worry. — Neal Pollard
Are you thinking about a reverse osmosis system for your house? I have used one and LOVED it. They are not cheap, but they do make for TASTY water. If you have been if “a reverse osmosis system is worth it,” the answer may be found in just how important “good water” is to you.
Here is your chance to participate in a “reverse osmosis survey.”
John receives a vision about heaven in Revelation 21:1-8. He heard a loud voice and it came from the throne (cf. 16:17; 19:5). So, he receives this information from an unsurpassed authority and unrivaled royalty. We read the throttling, earth-shattering effect of the infinite God as it were clearing His throat and calling John to rapt attention. But what does God say to John? He utters no fewer than six promises about heaven.John heard a promise of relationship (3). Heaven is a place where we’ll be able to enter the inner courts of God’s presence. The image of the tabernacle takes us back to the Old Testament, when only the High Priest on one day could come into God’s presence. John pictures the saved being able to freely and intimately enjoy fellowship with God Himself. We will see Him, talk with Him, live with Him, and know Him in a way only heaven will permit.
John heard a promise of relief (4). John stresses that the things that bother us most now will be “no longer.” They will have passed away. Emotional and physical pain, wounds of body and spirit, and a hundred hundred different hurts will be no more. The all-powerful God will play an active role in making these hurts permanently past tense.
John heard a promise of renewal (5). God’s power has already been sufficiently seen. With unconditional promise and unqualified ability, He says, “I make ALL things new!” Our built in limitations keep us from being able to comprehend the change from earth to heaven. Yet, our new home, our new body, our new circumstances–all of it will be new!
John heard a promise of refreshing (6). It is a HOPEFUL promise, as is proven by Who is giving it. It is a SATISFYING promise, proven by the imagery describing it–”the water of life.” It is a HUMBLING promise, as is proven by the way it is given–”freely (or without cost).” For all that’s unsatisfying about this life, heaven will fill our every longing.
John heard a promise of residence (7). John speaks of a spiritual inheritance borne of a new and intimate relationship. I won’t be a stranger, guest, or temporary resident. Heaven will be my eternal home.
John heard a promise of refuge (8). Heaven will be wonderful because of who will not and cannot be there. The child molesters, the perverse, the unfaithful, the rapists, the mass murderers or the atheists won’t be there. Only the redeemed will be there.
Thank God that because of great texts like Revelation 21:1-8, we can be confident that there is more beyond and that it is beyond our fondest hopes.
There must be awards for the television program that shows the most repulsive images. I’ve seen (short) clips of people swallowing indescribable objects and organisms just so their face can appear on the TV screen.
I’m confident there are better ways to find one’s fifteen minutes of fame. I refuse to watch such programming.
On Wednesday, November 11, the Associated Press told of a man in Peru who swallowed hardware. Doctors in Cajamarca, Peru reported finding a pound and a half of metal objects in the stomach of Requelme Abanto. The objects included nails, coins, rusted wire and scrap metal.
In the story, Abanto bragged of swallowing seventeen five-inch nails in one day. He speculated that he might begin giving public performances of his unusual appetite. Not surprisingly, some suggest that Abanto may have mental health issues.
Most would never think of swallowing live worms or rusted nails. But do we regularly swallow other things that have even more serious effects?
Jesus warned us about gazing upon things that are sinful:
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye isbad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that
darkness!” (Matthew 6:22,23, NKJV).
Ours is a visually-oriented society. Thanks to television and the Internet, we see activities that our ancestors never knew about.
Satan knows how much we like to look. Eve’s decision to disregard God’s law came when she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise…” (Genesis 3:6).
Once the image was allowed to remain in her mind, it was a short distance to committing the first sin.
Christians today often place too much confidence in their ability to resist temptation. “I can handle this,” they answer while watching a show filled with sinful content. “It won’t affect me.”
We need to be reminded of Paul’s words: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Are those words less true because the “company” is present by means of a cable?
I consider it a healthy thing to be grossed out by the thought of swallowing repulsive objects. Why are we not upset at the idea of swallowing things that might fatally infect our souls?
Here is a story you may have heard about out of Russia.
A Russian region of Ulyanovsk has found a novel way to fight the nation’s birth-rate crisis: It declared September 12th the “Day of Conception,” and for the third year running gave couples time off from work to procreate.
The hope is for a brood of babies exactly nine months later on Russia’s national day. Couples who “give birth to a patriot” during the June 12th festivities win money, cars, refrigerators, and other prizes.
Ulyanovsk, about 550 miles east of Moscow, has held similar contests since 2005. Since then, the number of competitors, and the number of babies born to them, has been on the rise.
Russia, with one-seventh of Earth’s land surface, has just 141.4 million citizens, making it one of the most sparsely settled countries in the world. With a low birth rate and a high death rate, the population has been shrinking since the early 1990s.
In his state-of-the-nation address last year, President Vladimir Putin called the demographic crisis the most acute problem facing Russia and announced a broad effort to boost Russia’s birth rate, including cash incentives to families that have more than one child.
Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has added an element of fun to the national campaign.
The 2007 grand prize went to Irina and Andrei Kartuzov, who received a UAZ-Patriot, a sport utility vehicle. Other contestants won video cameras, TVs, refrigerators and washing machines.
So, it amounts to procreating for prizes. Is there anything morally wrong here? Not so far as I can tell. One would simply hope these Russian parents will be even more interested in a proper upbringing of these children than they are in the prizes that may result. If God has blessed you with children, take this moment to remember His counsel regarding the priceless treasure that is yours:
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5, ESV
Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient Kingdom, there was a beautiful garden.
And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden would walk. Of all the plants of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would dance and play, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden, which most delighted the Master’s heart.
Now, once upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting. The Master spoke: “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you.” Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny.His voice came low: “Master, I’m ready. Use me as you wish.” “Bamboo,” The Master’s voice was grave “I would have to take you and cut you down!” A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo…”Cut …me… down? Me.. whom you, Master, has made the most beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but do not cut me down!”
“Beloved Bamboo,” The Master’s voice grew graver still “If I do not cut you down, I cannot use you.” The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was a whisper: “Master, if you cannot use me other than to cut me down.. then do your will and cut”.
“Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also”. “Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would you also have to take from me my leaves and branches too?” “Bamboo, if I do not cut them away, I cannot use you.” The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low: “Master, cut away”
“Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you.” Then Bamboo bowed to the ground: “Master, Master… then cut and split.”
So did the Master of the garden took Bamboo…
and cut him down…
and hacked off his branches…
and stripped off his leaves…
and split him in two…
and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently, the Master carried Bamboo to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in the field, the Master gently laid down his beloved Bamboo… And the spring sang welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
If we are “in Christ,” we are a child of God (Ephesians 1:5-7). Do you realize what a grand privilege that is? To be a child of One who has all power, as well as the Author of eternal life is a privilege that should be sought after above all things.
Question: Do you enjoy taking care of your children? Do you enjoy providing for them? Do you enjoy helping them solve problems in their life? Do you enjoy “showing yourself strong” in their behalf (cf. 2Chronicles 16:9)? Do you still love your children when they “slip-up?” Aren’t you anxious to help your children be all that they can be? And, when you know you can trust your children, doesn’t it please you to be able to give them wider boundaries and more responsibilities? Of course you do! To explain “why” you do is something beyond words, and can only be summerized in the word “love.”
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11).
All God asks in return is for us to be loyal to Him. Do you think that’s asking too much? In 1John 3:18-19, it tells us that if we love in “deed” and “truth” (according to His word – John 17:17), then our hearts are ASSURED before Him. The same verses tell us that love is not just something we “talk” about, love is something we “do.” We demonstrate our love toward God by our obedience to His Will. In 1John 5:14-15, God promises to answer any prayer that is according to His Will, if we keep His commandments.
Remember what God told David after David had sinned with Bathsheba? He said: “It was I who annointed you king … It was I who delivered you from your enemies … It was I who gave you your master’s house … It was I who gave you the house of Israel and Judah … and if that had been too little, I would have given you much more!” (2Sam. 12:7-8). That’s the kind of God we have opportunity to serve, and all He asks in return is that we repent of our sins (Acts 17:30); that we are “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27), where His love is (Rom. 8:39), and be faithful (Rev. 2:10).
Evolutionary dating methods are inherently flawed.
Even those who espouse the ancient earth
philosophy are forced to admit that their dating
methods are often wildly inaccurate and that they
produce anomalous results. Consider:
“Several years ago some scientists discovered
human bones buried under thick deposits of mud
in California. The bones were submitted to
‘competent’ authorities who declared them to be
about 75,000 years old. Unfortunately, however,
as they dug deeper, they found an old United
States Army button. Now, maybe the United States
had an army 75,000 years ago–or just maybe the
scientific dating methods are not all that
reliable” (Wayne Jackson, “Scientific Red
Faces,” Reasoning from Revelation, Jan., ’91,
p. 3).
“Recently an archaeological excavation team, led
by professor Mitsuo Kawaga of Beppu University,
discovered drawings on the wall of a cave on the
Japanese island of Kyushu. The excited scientists
announced that the drawings were from 10,000 to
13,000 years old. Alas, a lifelong resident of
the area came forward to confess that he had
often scribbled on the walls of the cave when he
was a boy. The ‘scientists’ had only missed it by
about 99.99%” (Ibid).
“USA Today. February 2000. Red-faced scientists
today were forced to admit that archaeoraptor,
which editors of National Geographic magazine
had announced in the July 1999 issue as the
“missing link” between dinosaurs and birds,
turned out to be a clever forgery by a Chinese
smuggler. The supposedly bird-like creature,
with the tail of a meat-eating dinosaur,
sprouted its remarkable tail recently, rather
than 120 million years ago” (Duane Schmidt,
“Red-Faced Scientists,” And God Created Darwin,
p. 118).
“In the June 1982 issue of Industrial Research
and Development, Dr. Frederic B. Jueneman said,
‘The age of the globe is thought to be some 4.5
billion years, based on radiodecay rates …
Such ‘confirmation’ may be short-lived, as nature
is not to be discovered quite so easily. There
has been in recent years the horrible realization
that radiodecay rates are not as constant as
previously thought, nor are they immune to
environmental influences … And this could mean
that the atomic clocks are reset during some
global disaster, and events which brought the
Mesozoic (Age–of the geologic time scale) to a
close may not be 65 million years ago but, rather,
within the age and memory of man.”
Commenting on Dr. Jueneman’s disclosure, Wayne
Jackson observed, “This is an utterly devastating
admission. It concedes that if some global
disaster has occurred in the ancient past (what
about the biblical Flood?), then the radiometic
clocks are virtually worthless” (Wayne Jackson,
“Earth-dating Techniques–Assumptions Required,”
Creation, Evolution, and the Age of the Earth,
p. 9).
These kinds of examples could be multiplied a
thousand-fold, and yet theistic evolutionists
continue to produce and endorse “evidence” (i.e.,
propaganda) of an old earth while simultaneously
wiping egg off their faces.
How can they consistently do so? The answer is,
they can’t. But rather than admit the accuracy
and authority of Scripture, so-called scientists
hold up fanciful conjecture as indisputable fact.
The earth did not evolve over eons of time; it
was created in less than a week. Moses, through
inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; cf 2 Peter 1:21)
wrote, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens
and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested”
(Exodus 31:17; cf 20:11).
–by Mike Benson
TWENTY-SEVEN PEOPLE are banking on the idea that modern science will someday find or engineer a fountain of youth…
Those twenty-seven people, all deceased, are “patients” of the Alcor Life Extension Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, where their bodies have been frozen in liquid nitrogen at minus 320 degree Fahrenheit awaiting the day when medical science discovers a way to make death and aging a thing of the past. Ten of the patients paid $120,000 to have their entire body frozen. Seventeen of the patients paid $50,000 to have only their head frozen, hoping that molecular technology will one day be able to grow a whole new body from their head or its cells. It sounds like science fiction, by it is called cryonics.
As you can imagine, cryonics has its share of critics and skeptics. Of course, Stephen Bridge, president of Alcor, cautions, “We have to tell people that we don’t even really know if it will work yet.” Nevertheless, Thomas Donaldson, a fifty-year-old member of Alcor who hasn’t yet taken advantage of its services, brushed aside the naysayers and explained to a reporter why he’s willing to give cryonics a try: “For some strange reason, I like being alive…I don’t want to die.”
There is a more certain way to bring about the hope of eternal life.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live’” (John 11:25).
There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese as to why wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger. Each finger represents a relationship:
Thumb: your parents
Second (index) finger: your siblings
Middle finger: yourself
Fourth (ring) finger: your life partner
Last (little) finger: your children.
First, open your hands (palm to palm), bend the middle fingers, and hold them together-back to back. Second, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb-tip to tip.
Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents). They will open- because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.
Join your thumbs as before and separate your index fingers (representing siblings). They will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will lead their own separate lives.
Now join the index fingers and separate your little fingers (representing your children). They will open too, because the children will get married and settle down on their own some day.
Finally, join your little fingers, and try to separate your ring fingers (representing your spouse). You will be surprised to see that you cannot, because husband and wife have to remain together all their lives-through thick and thin!
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth.” -Romans 7:2
SHE WAS, SO Adolph Hitler once said, “the most dangerous woman in England…”
Who was she? A spy? A nuclear scientist, on the verge of discovering the ultimate weapon? Yet she outlived Hitler, Goering, Himmler, and Mengele, the gruesome foursome. Churchill, Roosevelt, Montgomery, and MacArthur, the men who stood for something right, too, have long been dead. Perhaps Americans and a new generation of Britons have forgotten what this lady meant to the nation in those dark days.
When Hitler’s bombers lit the night with tracers, when London burned, when Londoners huddled in shelters, the night finally came when Buckingham palace, too, was hit. Inside the palace were the two royal princesses, Elizabeth (later to be Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret. Anxious newspaper reporters who toured the charred walls of the palace the next day asked the question that was on everybody’s mind: Shouldn’t the royal family spirit the princesses away from the center of London for their own safety? The queen mother’s answer was a classic: “The children will not leave unless I do,” she began. “I shall not leave unless their father does,” she added, “and the King will not leave the country in any circumstances whatever.”
Elizabeth, the feisty Queen Mother, was exactly what the nation needed at that moment. There must have been an irresistible temptation for royalty not to share in the troubles of her subjects. After all, even a Queen Mum loves her children! With the whiff of smoke and flames in the air and the scream of falling bombs overhead, the British royal family remained in London.
THOUGHTS: When the world burned with hatred and sin, God could have sheltered his son in the comforts of heaven, but he did not. Jesus became human and endured the indignities of humanity. He walked the dusty streets of Palestine, had “no place to lay his head,” and suffered death, surely the factor all humans have in common. He came to a burning planet and was singed by the same passions we all know. This gives him the empathy that all great figures in history have possessed. He understands our plight. From Satan’s point of view, that makes Jesus the most dangerous man in history! (Stan Mitchell)
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).
(Be sure to take the “skunk survey” at the end of this article)
A sister in one congregation related an amazing story to my wife. It seems that a skunk (or two?) got into the crawl space under the church building. An exterminator was called, and he promptly killed the skunk. The problem was, he left it there. When everyone showed up for mid-week services, the smell was so overpowering that everyone got nauseous. The smell remained on their clothing even after they returned home. It sounds humorous, but it must have been a real ordeal!
I wonder how many skunks get under churches. They perch under them and really make themselves known. They leave such an effect that it is often carried away from the church building upon the hearts, thoughts, and feelings of church members.
PRIDE is a skunk that gets under churches. Is anything more offensive than self-centered egotism? It keeps people from admitting their mistakes. It causes prejudice and haughtiness. God hates pride (Prov. 8:13), so it must do serious harm to His people. Pride produces dishonor (Prov. 11:2), strife (Prov. 13:10), and destruction (Prov. 16:18). Pride is a skunk!
GOSSIP is a skunk that gets under churches. It is halitosis of the heart. Every words that comes off the tongue of a gossip is foul! God hates it, and it ruins good churches (Prov. 11:13). I imagine it runs people off, too!
PETTINESS is a skunk that gets under churches. Bickering and arguing over the smallest matters is an embarrassment to faithful Christians, a black-eye for the church’s reputation, and a rank reminder that a spiritual skunk is perched beneath the surface. Biting and devouring is a dangerous business (Gal. 5:15).
LUKEWARMNESS is a skunk that gets under churches. The wishy washy, uncommitted spirit of the Laodiceans made God nauseous (Rev. 3:16). When a church just comes to keep house and is not involved, what a stench the church becomes to the community. A “Ho-Hum” attitude is a skunk that gets under churches.
We need to exterminate the skunks by removing them from the church, ridding ourselves of any and all attitudes and actions inconsistent with the will of Christ. We are to draw all men to Christ (cf. John 12:32; Dan. 12:2) rather than repel lost sinners and other brethren (cf. Acts 13:8). What kind of impression are you leaving on others? Babylon of old was in trouble; consequently, God said, “Its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up…” (Joel 2:20). May we learn from them, deciding instead to send up to heaven (and out toward others), “the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14).
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