Turn Around

man-on-a-bicycleA man in China wanted to make it back home in time for the Chinese New Year. He didn’t have any money, so he started off on his bicycle to make the long journey home. He couldn’t read a map, so he relied on directions someone gave him.

The man was stopped by police for being on a highway that was off-limits to bicycles. When they asked him where he was from and where he was going, they told him that he had travelled 310 miles in the wrong direction!

Kind police officers pooled their money and paid the man’s way home.

Sometimes we find ourselves far from our desired destination in life and headed in the wrong direction. God does whatever it takes to get our attention and send us in the right direction. And the best thing is this—He paid our way home through the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus!

“…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”—Luke 13:5.

 

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Trying to Identify

preacherMany preachers intentionally dress a certain way when they preach in order to enhance the message they are trying to get across. Some preachers make different decisions than others.

Some preachers change their mind over time about how they should dress on Sunday. For example, one of my favorite preachers used to wear a suit and tie every time he preached. A few years later, I saw him preach wearing black jeans and a black shirt that was not tucked in. That was quite a change! A few years after that, he was somewhere in between those two extremes—dressed in a nice pair of slacks with his shirt tucked in.

No matter how you dress, you always have to be thinking about how people will receive your message. You need to try to relate to the greatest number of people you are trying to impact.

“…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”—1 Cor.9:22.

 

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Fruit Someday

Raspberries

Raspberries

As I look out my back window, the snow flurries that have been coming down for most of the day are swirling around in the cold wind. On this dreary January afternoon, it seems like such a long time ago that I picked raspberries along the edge of the woods just 200 yards from my back door.

The raspberries come on in late May. I hustled last spring to pick as many as I could before they got too ripe or were eaten by birds. What we didn’t eat right away we put in the freezer for later use.

The Bible says that we are to produce spiritual fruit. Some days, or some seasons, don’t seem to be very productive. We pray, read the Bible, worship and serve, and it doesn’t seem like we have much to show for our efforts.

However, we know that God is faithful and that he will produce a harvest in his own timing.

So if you feel like it’s a cold snowy day spiritually, just remember that God promises to make everything new. Springtime may be closer than you expect!

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”—Psalm 1:3.

 

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March for Life

march-for-life-2017The March for Life is taking place today in Washington, D.C. Throngs of pro-life people have gathered near the Washington Monument to celebrate life and speak up for tiny human beings who cannot yet speak for themselves.

Vice President Mike Pence was one of the speakers. Pence, the highest ranking elected official to ever speak at this event, pledged his support of the pro-life cause.

As always, it is interesting to watch the media cover such events and pretend to do so without bias. The terms that they typically use betray their allegiance to the wrong side of this important moral issue.

Rather than use the term “pro-life”, the media insist on saying that these people are “anti-abortion” or “abortion foes”. While technically true, these terms portray pro-lifers in a negative light.

Compare this with how the media describe those on the other side of the issue. Instead of saying that they are “pro-abortion”, they insist on calling them “pro-choice”. That sounds like a good thing, right? Unless, of course, you understand that the choice they are talking about involves ending the life of a baby in the womb.

Be sure that you see through the liberal media’s attempts to sway public opinion on this, and other, important moral issues. Think for yourself and decide which side you want to be on. And for goodness sake, don’t join them in using terms that muddy the waters of moral discussions!

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”—Isaiah 5:20.

 

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Your Own Definition

Robert Fulghum

Robert Fulghum

“If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success!”—Robert Fulghum.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about a man who attempted to redefine success.

The story begins with a master giving three of his servants a substantial amount of money to invest. Each was given a different sum, but they each had the responsibility to be good stewards of the master’s resources. Each was expected to show a profit for his efforts.

After a while, the master came back to see how well each servant had done. The first two had doubled their master’s money and were praised and rewarded for their efforts. However, the third one simply hid the money so that he wouldn’t lose it. He gave it back to the master, thinking that he had not failed. However, his attempt to redefine success did not please the master. This servant was chastised and severely punished for his failure.

We have to be careful that we don’t redefine success in God’s kingdom. Unless we faithfully invest the resources that God has given us—time, talent, money and opportunities, for example—we will not succeed; we will fail miserably.

To do nothing for God is to fail. Let us not set our own standards, but accept God’s definition for success.

 

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Key to Getting In

car-keysNot long ago I stood beside my car wondering why my keyless entry wasn’t working. Or I should say, I stood beside what I thought was my car wondering why my keyless entry wasn’t working. When I looked inside and saw a different interior than what I expected, I figured it out—It wasn’t my car!

Just as you have to have the right keys to get into a car, you have to use the proper keys to get into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom (Matt.16:19), and here is what Peter said to do in order to be saved—“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38).

Repent and be baptized. Those words preached pretty well back then, and they will preach quite successfully today also!

Do you have the right keys?

 

 

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Occasional Bad Miss

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 22: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks smiles against the Philadelphia 76ers during the game on January 22, 2014 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.   NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony took an uncontested shot from five feet away from the basket in the first quarter of last night’s game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards. Anthony, usually a reliable offensive player, shot an air ball. He was obviously embarrassed by the miss from point blank range, and he smiled sheepishly as he retreated to the other end of the court.

However, Anthony didn’t let that temporary setback get him down. He kept firing away, and started making shots at a spectacular rate. He scored 25 points in the second quarter alone, setting a franchise record for points scored in a single quarter.

The lesson here is that we shouldn’t let a bad miss get us down. Sometimes our mistakes are embarrassing, and they are obvious to many people. Just keep firing away, and good things will start to happen.

“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”—Ecclesiastes 11:6.

 

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Dressed Appropriately

school-jacketLast week I attended a middle school basketball game. I didn’t realize until I got to the game that the shirt I was wearing was maroon, the color of the opposing team. I took some good-natured ribbing from our fans for not being dressed appropriately.

Of course, that wasn’t a big deal, but in the Bible you could get into trouble for not wearing the right clothes.

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 22 about a man who showed up at a wedding without wearing wedding clothes. The man was thrown out “Into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (v.13).

This sounds like a harsh punishment for being dressed inappropriately, but apparently the proper clothing had been made available; the offender simply chose not to put the clothing on.

The Bible says that when we become Christians we take off the filthy rags of sin and become clothed in Christ. He gives us the proper spiritual apparel to wear; we simply have to put it on.

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”—Galatians 3:26-27.

 

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Can You Hear Me Now?

Old man sitting in rocking chair

An older gentleman who could not hear very well finally went to a doctor to see if anything could be done to help his hearing improve.

After examining him, the doctor informed the man that there was a hearing aid available that should work well for him, but it was very expensive. The man replied that he was quite wealthy and that the expense would not be an issue.

So the doctor fitted him with a top-of-the-line hearing aid that was so small people couldn’t even tell that he was wearing it.

A month later, the man returned for a follow-up examination. The doctor asked him if the hearing aid worked. He answered, “It is fantastic! I can hear as well as I ever could.”

“I suppose your family is thrilled that you can hear again,” the doctor said.

“Oh, I haven’t told them,” the man answered. “I just sit around listening to their conversations. I’ve changed my will three times in the last month.”

The way some people talk, they must think that God is like a wealthy, but deaf, grandfather who is going to shower them with blessings no matter how they talk.

They might end up with a surprise someday.

“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”—Psalm 139:4.

 

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The Worth of a Picture

baptism_imageOver the years I have seen numerous photos and videos of baptisms posted on line. Some are humorous, while others are quite serious. Some depict the sheer joy of the person who has just been baptized.

It just occurred to me that while I have seen many postings of baptisms, I have yet to see a video of someone praying the “Sinner’s Prayer”, or asking Jesus into their heart or raising their hand to accept Jesus “while every eye is closed and every head is bowed”.

Many people think that salvation occurs during one of those man-made traditions. But the fact that it is the act of baptism that is photographed and distributed for all to see makes me think that, deep down, most people realize the importance of baptism in our response to the salvation that God offers freely through Jesus.

Jesus links the act of baptism to a saving faith (Mark 16:16). Peter, who was given the keys to the kingdom, preached baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Paul’s account of his conversion reveals that he called on the name of the Lord by being baptized, and it was at this point in time that his sins were washed away (Acts 22:16). Luke, the historian of the church, consistently records in the book of Acts that those who wanted to be saved were baptized immediately. Romans 6:3-4 plainly says that we are “baptized into Christ Jesus”.

The next time you see a picture of someone being baptized, remember the old saying—“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Then think about all the wonderful words the Bible has to say about baptism.

 

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