Sir Robert Watson-Watt
Several years after he invented radar, Sir Robert Watson-Watt was arrested in Canada for speeding. Ironically, he was caught by a police officer using a radar gun. Afterwards, he wrote this poem:
Pity Sir Robert Watson-Watt,
Strange target of his radar plot,
And this, with others I could mention,
A victim of his own invention.
Sometimes the things you do come back to haunt you.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”—Galatians 6:7.
We all know people who fear going to the doctor, but a 63-year-old London man took that to an extreme in 1994. He knew that he needed bladder surgery, but he could not overcome his fear of doctors and hospitals. So he tried to perform the surgery on himself! Tragically, he got an infection from the self-surgery and later died. A simple operation would have solved his problem, but his radical lack of trust cost the man his life.
Just as this man didn’t trust doctors or hospitals, many people don’t trust God. In their self-reliance, they destroy themselves. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, how much better off we would be if we would trust God to take care of us.
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”—Matthew 19:26.
People noted that Jesus ate with sinners. This was certainly true. It wasn’t just the “sinners” that Jesus ate with at dinner parties. On a regular basis Jesus sat down to eat with his sinful followers.
There was Judas, the greedy treasurer of the group. Arrogant and boastful Peter was there also. So were James and John, the hotheads that Jesus nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder”. Does anyone really think that Matthew was an honest tax collector? What about Simon the zealot? Surely there was blood on his militant hands.
They were all sinners, and yet Jesus ate with them.
Whenever we participate in communion, we celebrate the fact that Jesus still eats with sinners.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”—1 John 1:8.
Once upon a time there was a man who was gravely ill. His wife brought him the strong medicine ordered by the doctor, but he complained that it tasted bitter and caused him some pain. So, to spare him, his wife watered it down. He was so happy. It almost tasted good and his tummy didn’t hurt any more.
She was so kind to him, but there was a catch. All was not well. The diluted medicine was no longer strong enough to do its job. So the man’s illness got worse. He grew weaker and weaker, and one day he died.
We must never water down the word of God. It may leave a bad taste in our mouth. It may cause some temporary pain and discomfort. But if we water it down, it won’t keep us spiritually healthy.
Take the word of God just has he prescribed it—at full strength!
“For the word of God is alive and active…”—Hebrews 4:12.
In 1776, when our nation was in its infancy, the population was about 3 million. Out of those 3 million people came such great statesmen as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and many others.
Today, our country has a population of over 300 million, and the best we can do is Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?! Are these two candidates for president really the best that America has to offer? It saddens many Americans to think that on November 9, we will wake up to find that one of these two greatly flawed individuals has been elected the next president of the United States.
However let us be reminded of something else that will be true on November 9—God will still be on his throne!
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”—Psalm 20:7.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about three servants who are entrusted by their master with huge amounts of money that they are to invest in order to gain a return. The first two servants doubled their master’s money and were praised and greatly rewarded for their efforts. The third, however, hid his money away and eventually gave it back to the master without any return for his investment. This servant received neither praise nor reward. He was harshly chastised and severely punished.
What led to the third servant’s failure?
First, he thought that easier was better. Putting money or talent or time to good use takes quite a bit of work, and he chose not to put forth the effort.
Second, he didn’t want to take a risk. He played it safe. However, life requires a certain amount of calculated risk if we ever want to succeed. To choose inaction is to choose failure.
Finally, the man was overcome by fear, and his fear rendered him useless. He was so scared of making a mistake that he became virtually paralyzed—incapable of doing anything positive for his master.
As we serve our Master, let us not take the easy way out, but decide that we will put in the effort it takes to succeed. Let us be willing to take the kind of risks that are necessary for us to live profitable lives. Finally, let us not be paralyzed by fear, but motivated by love.
I just attended a ministers’ appreciation luncheon hosted by Kentucky Christian University. Some ministers’ spouses were also in attendance.
The speaker, Bob Russell, talked about some of the mistakes he made in ministry, and how he had learned from them. One of the mistakes that he mentioned was not making his family enough of a priority. He urged those in attendance not to make that same mistake, reminding them that their spouse would be there for them when others let them down.
As Bob talked about the importance of giving special attention to your mate, a wife sitting directly in front of me leaned slightly into her husband. There was no look, no words—just a lean.
But it was enough to make me think that the point was well-taken.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”—Ephesians 5:21.
The great majority of Americans have access to a Bible. Most have more than one copy of the Scripture in their home. However, it seems that more and more people in this country have little idea of how to apply the Word of God to their lives.
James 1:21-22 tells us how to approach the Bible—“”Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
First, you need to repent. You can’t continue to live an immoral lifestyle and somehow be blessed by the Word of God. It doesn’t happen that way. Determine to turn away from sin as you turn to the Bible.
Second, accept the Word. Believe it. Don’t try to rationalize it away. Don’t argue with God. God is always right, and those who disagree with him are always wrong.
Finally, don’t be content to just read the Bible. Do what it says. Many people read the Scripture or listen to lessons and sermons on a regular basis, and yet it has little or no impact on their lives. They close up their Bible and continue living the same way they did before God spoke to them. In order for the Bible to have an impact on your life, you have to do what it says.
What will you do today based on what you have read in the Bible?
A newly ordained Catholic priest was nervous about hearing confessions, so he asked an older, more experienced priest to observe one of his sessions and give him some advice. After a few minutes of watching and listening, the older priest pulled the younger one aside to give him a few suggestions.
“Try folding your arms over your chest and rubbing your chin with one hand. This gives the impression that you are listening thoughtfully. Then try saying things like: “I see.”, “I understand.” and “Yes, go on.”
The younger priest practiced these things for a minute. Then the older one asked, “Don’t you think that’s better than slapping your knee and saying, “No way! What happened next?”
We must never give the impression that we are taking sin lightly. God never takes sin lightly. He takes it so seriously that he sent his Son Jesus to the cross to die in order to pay for our sins.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8.
A group of botanists were searching for rare plants that grew in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands. They asked a local boy if he would allow them to lower him in a basket over a high cliff so that he could gather some flowers for them. They offered to pay him a large amount of money for doing it.
The boy thought seriously about it. His family could use the money. But he swallowed hard when he looked over the cliff and saw how far it was to the bottom.
Then he had an idea. He gave them this answer—“I will do it on one condition. My father has to be the one who holds the rope.”
We Christians have some scary things to face. We don’t know what the future holds, or what danger might be just around the corner.
However, we do know that we are safe because we know that our heavenly Father is holding the rope for us! He will never let us fall!
“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”—John 6:39-40.
Jesustrek 