PRETENDERS: Are they in for a surprise!

"... when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matthew 22:11-14

The Associated Press reports a common law couple moved into a nice, empty, two-story $175,000 house. They connected the phone, water, cable and electricity; they added a driveway full of cars, an answering machine, a new computer and a refrigerator.

However, a local real-estate agent suspected something was wrong; he reported it to the police, who arrested the couple. It seems their charade lasted about a month.

Turns out this was his wedding gift to her!

Just as it was possible for this couple to fake ownership of a house for a time, many will attempt to gain entry into the wedding feast of the Son of God, but the truth will be found out!

Christianity, Illustrations,
Religion, Wedding feast

TREASURE: Keeping our eyes on the right things!

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Matthew 13:44

Compare for a moment the difference between a mountain hiker and a pearl diver. The hiker is, for the most part, indifferent to the ground under his feet; whereas the pearl diver earnestly examines the ground under him.

That which can be easily obtained is appreciated little by those who obtain it. However, for those up to the task, the joy of obtaining that which requires effort is heightened by the promise of its possible possession.

It is part of the plan of God that His people undergo discipline by requiring they search for His hidden things in order that He may reveal still greater treasures.

Christianity, Illustrations,
Religion, Treasure

ATONEMENT: The greatest gift to another!

"... I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20b

Back in 1999 the evening news aired a 911 emergency call. A handicapped child’s mother {Ed note: she had stayed with her son even though she could have gotten out herself} could be heard comforting her son as fire invaded the room where they were hiding.

Right to the last you heard her comforting him soothingly, “Hang on honey, I’m not leaving you.” She died along with the boy.

Moses spoke for the Lord when he said, “the LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed.” [Deuteronomy 31:8]

We have the promise of the ages; if God were going to abandon us He would have done so in the Garden. The Lord Jesus Christ died in our place, the whole time telling His disciples to: “Hang on, I’m not leaving you!”

Atonement, Christianity,
Illustrations, Religion

EVANGELISM: Forewarned is forearmed!

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

Matthew 24:36

The TV reporter was speaking in an excited, animated tone, obviously caught up in the unfolding catastrophe; smoke was drifting across the neighbors’ yards, as an orange glow shimmered on the advancing firefighters.

On the screen, to the right, a woman struggle fiercely with a policeman and a neighbor. She was trying with all of her might to free herself; to the left, several people were visibly shaken and grief stricken.

Why? Because all of the woman’s children were trapped inside the burning home. The mourners were the woman’s friends and neighbors. The commentator understood the gravity of the scene and was affected by it.

What is wrong with this picture? No one knew the fire would start in that house, on that night, at that time! The fire had progressed too far to expect anyone to save the children. And, besides, the children didn’t know what was happening; they most likely would sleep right to the end. But still, what’s wrong with this picture?

Could it be that we’ve been warned of a fire to come? [Matthew 3:7] We don’t know which house the fire will pass by or which it won’t, but we know it will affect every unprotected house, don’t we? [Exodus 12:27]

Oh, we don’t know of the day or the hour [Mark 13:32], but we know with certainty it’s coming, don’t we? [Revelation 22:20] Haven’t we been warned?

So why aren’t we grieving before our neighbors’ homes? Why aren’t we on their front lawns, mourning the soon coming calamity? Why aren’t we earnestly contending with those who would prevent us from reaching our neighbors? [Jude 1:3]

Isn’t the smoke of Hell’s fire drifting across the green lawns of our communities? Isn’t the glow of Hades seen on the faces of all too many people we know? Once the fire starts, won’t it also be too late to save them?

Or could it be that we’re ignoring the smoke, don’t see the glow, and don’t care about the kids?

Christianity, Evangelism,
Illustrations, Religion

ETERNAL LIFE: Knowing real “Powerball” coupons from cheap copies!

"But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matthew 22:11-14

Two winning Powerball [Powerball is a multi-state lottery with huge million dollar payoffs] tickets, worth $100,000 each, were invalidated because they were purchased through a broker who used incorrect “play slips.” They were marked by an automatic process rather than by hand, as required.

[San Gabriel Valley Daily Bulletin, unknown date, 1996; 2.]

One thing is for sure, God’s rules of entry are even more rigorous. Those improperly dressed and those improperly washed will be shut out, just as those in Noah’s day were. Jesus said, unless you are born-again, you shall not see the Kingdom of God.

One of the greatest concerns in the ministry today is that many of our people may not be saved … having received improper “play slips”.

Christianity, Eternal life,
Illustrations, Religion

DISCERNMENT: Know thyself!

"Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?"

Matthew 16:3b

Our church was blessed with a godly pianist; Avery Dacus was his name. He was one of our seniors, but you’d never know it.

Avery played almost everything from memory. We would name a hymn, he'd start playing as the second or third word left our lips. If he didn’t recognize it by name he'd say, “Gimme the number”; he'd say, “Oh!” and pow his fingers would start playing.

We even heard hymns from our denomination’s out-of-print hymnals. He'd say, “Do you know this one?”

He complained a lot, though. Not about having to play, but humbly, about his finger-work; “They’re not what they used to be, I can’t get them to do what I want them to do!” We are all dumb founded; his piano playing is some of the best southern gospel, ragtime, honky-tonk sounding church music we’ve heard. He just looked at us and said with tears in his eyes, “Well, it’s not!”

Why did Avery insist his finger-work wasn’t up to par, when the rest of us thought it was great? Because he knew his fingers and we didn’t. Years of playing and practicing with those hands let him know what they were capable of; he knew his own hands.

We should all be like Avery when it comes to our own hearts and minds. We should know them so well from years of use that we can tell in a moment if things aren’t right.

God gave us a mind to reason with, to "take every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5). He gave us a heart which, with use, will be soft and supple, a heart which can discern spiritual things. And a spirit with which the heart and the mind can communicate with one another.

Oh, a heart that is used often and discriminately, in combination with a mind that is righteous and just, creates such a powerful conscience in man, once he has the whole armor of God on, and the Spirit gives assent, he is invincible.

Christianity, Discernment,
Illustrations, Religion

LIGHT: How great is that darkness!

U.S. researchers [announced recently] they have made the darkest material on Earth, a substance so black it absorbs more than 99.9 percent of light. [Reuters]

I'm afraid the material they seek already exists; Jesus spoke of it 2 millennia ago:

"If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Matthew 6:23b

The Lord's implication is that there is a state of absolute darkness that is attainable (even the scientists, by virtue of their research, believe a condition absolutely free of all light is potentially achievable). But is not attainable in this age.

The article explains the researchers' discovery in this way ...

Made from tiny tubes of carbon standing on end, [the] material is almost 30 times darker than a carbon substance used by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology as the current benchmark of blackness.

And the material is close to the long-sought ideal black, which could absorb all colors of light and reflect none.

From Genesis 1:3 to Revelation 22:5 the word "light" is mentioned in 200 verses (in 31 by the Lord), from Genesis 1:2 to Jude 1:13 the word "darkness" is mentioned in 145 verses (in 13 by the Lord); notice the absence of the latter in John's Apocalypse.

We must acknowledge that up until the "taking away" of the saints of God, darkness has no chance of an absolute existence because ...

"[We] are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

Matthew 5:14, 15

Consider the sense of all of this? Absolute darkness will be the standard for all in Perdition; absolute light the standard for all in Heaven, for ...

"And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever."

Revelation 22:5

'Nough said!

Christianity, Illustrations, Religion

SECRETS: Rolling Stones and Other Hidden Things!

"… nothing is hidden from the king"

2 Samuel 18:13

"… God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil"

Ecclesiastes 12:14

"… do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known …"

Matthew 10:25-33

"there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."

Hebrews 4:13

The trustees of a small country church determined the stone forming the front step was unsafe; it would have to be replaced. Years of hard use had worn it down too much. Unfortunately, there were no funds available for replacement. Then someone suggested turning the block over, thus its replacement could be postponed for many years.

A workday was set and volunteers recruited. On the great day, the men came with their gloves and back supports, the women came with lemonade and sandwiches, and the kids came to see the rolling of the stone. Knuckles were bloodied and sweat poured but at last the great stone was rolled away from its footing … only to discover their great-grandparents had beaten them to it.

[jokeseveryday - November 9th, 1999; © 1999 Jokes EveryDay Mailing List, message ID: 2302571, edited for publication]

Though we toil in the heart of the night, though we strain in secret, though we concoct our carnal strivings with care … nothing is hidden from the eyes of the One who made us.

Though the four winds move the sands of a desert upon a thing, burying it so none can see, God will (should He choose to do so) appoint a day and a man to brush aside the wrappings of a millennia to reveal what must be seen.

Christianity, Illustrations, Religion

BORDER CHRISTIANS: To Whom Do They Belong?

“No one can serve two masters … ”

Matthew 6:24 (also Luke 16:13)

The next time you look at a map notice the lines between the countries? Every map has them; they divide one state or country from another. They’re called “borders.”

In fact, every nation on earth has borders, real ones. Without borders no one would know where one nation began and another ended. A border lets us and others know where we’re standing … in this land or in that land. You can’t stand on a border; you’re either in one land or in the other or straddling the line … period.

Does the border belong to either country? Does the border between the Canada and USA belong to Canada or the United States? Does any one know?

Sadly, many Christians are like borders today, every church has them. I call them “Border Christians”; no one knows to whom they belong! They believe they can keep one foot in heaven and one foot on earth … “just in case.” Is that possible?

Not according to the Bible. The Lord Himself said, “No one can serve two masters … .” I don’t think He would mind me paraphrasing that: “No one can be standing in heaven and in earth at the same time.”

Christianity, Illustrations, Religion

WELFARE: No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!

BIRD FEEDER: [2 Peter 1:5-8]

My dear sister in Christ Susie L. bought a bird feeder; she and her husband live in the mountains of Arizona. She writes ...

I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table...everywhere. Then some of the birds turned mean: They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud: They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food. After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down them any nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...quite, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now lets see...our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be a automatic citizen.

Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor: you child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties. Maybe it's time for the government to take down the ... feeder.

I agree with my friend but we must also remember "the least of these" [Matthew 25:34-46]: they are somewhere in all the mess.

Truth hurts, doesn't it! Forgive me if I just let most of the poop stay where it is.

LOVE: The Greatest Thing God Has Demonstrated!

HE'S NOT OUR SON! [Matthew 28:20]

"and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Herbert Toney, 36, and Latisha Washington, 29, were arrested in October in St. Bernard Parish, just outside New Orleans, and face several charges including abandoning their 8-year-old son.

According to police, the couple instructed the son to go into a Winn-Dixie supermarket and steal groceries and beer. When a security guard stopped him, the boy pointed to his parents nearby. But Toney and Washington matter-of-factly denied knowing the boy, and walked away.

Deputies brought the couple in again a while later, but Washington said only that maybe she had seen the boy around the neighborhood a few times. Finally, she admitted he was her child. [The Times-Picayune, 10-4-02]

The Lord will not leave us nor foresake His children!


BIBLICAL LOVE! [John 15:12-17]

I've been in many services where the preacher, the evangelist, or the teacher told us to turn to a person on the left or right and say, "I love you." But you know, I've never been in a service where anyone told us to turn to the person next to us and say, "I'm willing to die for you!" Yet that's exactly what God said to the whole world.

Love is not a theory; it’s a theorem. You see, we are supposed to demonstrate our love for others, not just say that we love someone. God so loved the world that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God demonstrated His love for us! So now, I tell my congregation to turn to the person next to them, weeping, and say, "I'm willing to die for you!" That's biblical love!


ENJOY YOUR MEAL! [Psalm 23:5a]

Our family has been enjoying a nesting pair of doves. They’ve set up house in a Creeping Charlie, which hangs on our front porch. Mom seems to be there 24/7. Dad? Well, he comes around from time to time ... bringing lunch, perhaps.

Last year they laid a brace of eggs but having a new roof installed scared them away before they hatched. This year ... in fact just a few days ago, two chicks were born and they were born hungry. Now even dad spends time in the nest. I won’t tell you what he does.

Our dog sleeps right under their nest and they aren’t in the least fazed. We also have three cats, who take turns sitting at the screen door several times each day. The cats don’t know about the birds yet ... conversely the birds don’t seem to know about the cats.

I’ve discovered a couple of things from observing these birds. First, mothers, human or otherwise, put up with a great deal. Second, each hatchling has its meals in the presence of its enemies. Yet, unlike you or me, they have no concept of their enemies.

And so shall I be free of fear, for God promises "to prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Now David has made no distinction whether these were temporal or eternal enemies. However, since I know the Lord is immutable [unchanging], I hold it makes no difference ... He would never have me feast fearlessly in one dimension and not in the other, so great is His love for me.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, your enemies often give you indigestion. So what’s up? Not faith, that’s for sure! I wouldn’t need spiritual Zantac ® if I really lived by faith. Jesus often said to the disciples, "Oh ye of little faith."

He also said, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." [Matthew 10:28] And, "be not anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself." [Matthew 6:34a]

It certainly isn’t the Lord’s fault that our temporal lives are so full of hobgoblins who give us spiritual reflux.


EVERYONE HAS A BOB! [Matthew 25:31-46]

The following is by Charles Lowery: "What about Bob?"; SBC LIFE, April 2002; Copyright © 2001 Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

There are always a few in every church. When we see them we think of that little Family of God chorus and sing "I'm surprised you're a part of the family of God." God made them fearfully and wonderfully weird. They have the amazing ability to drain the joy right out of the ministry. ... . The porch light is on but no one is home. ... .

When I see them I want to ask, "Where are Moe, Larry, and Curly?" ... . They act so inappropriately at times. They are usually standing when they are supposed to be sitting or talking when they are supposed to be quiet. They aren't cool, quick, or articulate like us. ... .

When everyone else has gone home, they want to talk to you. They usually want to hug you. And there is always one who zeros in on you; you are his hero, his idol, and the person he wants to spend as much time with as he can. They are there after every service, waiting to tell you things you already know. ... . You devise ways of avoiding them. ...

Let's be honest, sometimes you're just rude. You blow them off because your time is too valuable. ... . You say something that cuts them off or you embarrass them with your quick wit and it hurts and it works. Now you're free to do what important people like you do.

A friend of mine told me about someone that drove him crazy. His name was Bob. My friend was grumbling about Bob under his breath, and God was listening.

That night everything changed because God spoke to him as clearly as He had ever spoken before. God said, "You know that fellow, Bob, who is a little slow and never quite gets things right? The one you avoid at all costs? Well, I want you to remember something - compared to Me, you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, either, and you don't get things quite right most of the time. So, the next time Bob starts to bug you, remember you're My Bob."

My own Bob was a lady who rode the van to our church. ... . When I had important things to do, I would try to sneak by without her seeing me. She always saw me and would yell, "Pastor, good morning!"

After church we greeted guests in the Hospitality Room and she always came in to give me a hug ... . I hugged her ... and I enjoyed it. Because I knew she was my Bob, I knew that in her simplistic mind, I represented God. God in His still, small voice said, "Well done, Charles. You loved someone who needed My love desperately. When you are desperate for love, I'll be there for you like you were for her." And when I was desperate, He was there.

I have now resigned from that church and when I look back on my time there, she is one of the people I miss. Why? Because I know she really needed me. I pray that God will send her another Charles and ... me another Bob, and give me enough sense to recognize him when he shows up.

THAT DREADFUL THING! [Matthew 25:40-46]

Bias is as simple to understand as the difference between a ladybug and a cockroach. Take a ladybug to your wife, girlfriend or mother and let it crawl on her arm. You’ll discover they have no objection ... that is, if don’t sneak up on them. They’ll say. "Oh, how cute. Aren’t they the prettiest things?" Some of them will add, "Don’t hurt it. They’re good bugs."

Now try doing the same thing with a water beetle (a very important bug except it looks like a cockroach). See what I mean? They’ll shout and scream, "Oh, don’t bring that dreadful thing near me. They’re so disgusting." Some of them will add, "Kill it! Kill it!" But they’re both bugs. What’s the difference?

Bias is rooted in our experiences; prejudice is rooted in our fears, which are also rooted in our experiences. Many of these experiences are actually lessons taught to us by others while we were young ... usually without our conscious knowledge.

Little girls are taught that bugs are "icky," while little boys are taught that bugs are good things to use to scare little girls. Yet, all kids are taught that ladybugs are "good bugs"; so too are "Daddy-long-legs" and "swamp flies."

Prejudice and bias interfere with the proper working of human life in general but in the heart of a believer they interfere with the proclamation of the Good News. At this moment there is a man sitting on the bench under the huge oak tree in our church parking lot. His name is Frank, he limps over here from a rest home down the street. He comes every day to sit in the shade and a drink his daily quart of bottled beer.

Frank is scruffy bearded and always appears in need of a bath. His fingernails are long and unclean. But Frank is the nicest guy. He’s as friendly as a Golden Retriever and just as uneducated. In a few minutes my associate, Dan, is going out to talk to him, and remind him of how much God loves him ... and why.

On the other hand, some people in our church have seen Frank under the tree, and asked with a tone of condemnation, "What’s he doing there?" The "he" is elevated, and clearly communicates that people like him are not welcome around God’s house. Others have asked, "Who’s that?" With the accent on "that" and the "who" drawn out like a barn owl’s cry.

My heart breaks for Frank ... in need of friends and love and space ... but it double breaks for those in my church who are biased against the different. Whose experiences have taught them to ignore the clear teachings of their Lord and Savior, "To the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me. ... to the extent you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." Whose prejudices have caused them to reject the Teacher Himself because they’ve rejected His teachings. "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."


THE BEAUTY WITHIN: [Proverbs 5:18]

The sculptor and the diamond cutter have one thing in common, they’re both trying to craft a work of art out of a rough, natural stone. These artists study the jagged object before them to such a degree they can actually visualize the finished product in their minds.

Another mental phenomena which fascinates me is how lovers are able to grow old together. The process is similar to that of the artisans above, only the image visualized is an image past, while the image seen is the image present.

When we fall in love, we are enamored with our sweetheart; she is beautiful to us and, though we all have imperfections, she seems perfect.

The aging process is heartless to the images of young love; but where true love exists, it allows us to see in our aging mate the original beauty which attracted us to them. How wonderful it is to look into our wife’s eyes and see the beauty hidden behind her now maturing flesh, the continuing elegance of her now failing frame, and persistent loveliness and appeal of her now mellowing voice.

Oh, how marvelous is this thing called true love; what a gift God has given to the man who is man enough to see with the eyes of his heart ... letting his fountain be blessed, rejoicing in the wife of his youth.

BIBLE: Useful for all things human!

BIBLE BLOOPERS #2: [Matthew 5:13]

From Swedish fruit to Liberty's assualt, we see the patent and pathetic biblical ignorance of the secular media in this country.

I recently posted on Senator Brownback's humorous run-in with Rolling Stone magazine concerning his quote of Matthew 7:16 and their presupposing a gay slur.

Now we have Newsweek's mia culpa ...

Correction: In the original version of this report, NEWSWEEK misquoted Falwell as referring to "assault ministry." In fact, Falwell was referring to "a salt ministry"—a reference to Matthew 5:13, where Jesus says "Ye are the salt of the earth." We regret the error.

That's hilarious, where can I enlist for that ministry?

Soon we'll see the LA Times report Japanese auto manufacturers get model names from the Bible. For example ...

The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one Accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia.

Acts 19:29

And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king.

Nehemiah 2:1

Source link >>>

BIBLE BLOOPERS #1: [Matthew 7:16; other topics - Word, Scripture]

A Rolling Stone gathers no fruits; at least that's the story over at KLASTV. Their story says Rolling Stone magazine was "puzzled" by US Senator Brownback's use of Scripture in an interview with the dead tree publication.

It isn't every day you see the Bible quoted in Rolling Stone magazine, but Senator Sam Brownback's reference to Jesus' words appears to have been misunderstood.

In an article titled "God's Senator," Rolling Stone quotes the Kansas Republican as lamenting the fate of countries like Sweden that have legalized gay marriage. Brownback says -- quote -- "You'll know them by their fruits."

KLASTV says an awkard silence followed the senator's statement. Evidently they thought the senator was referring to homosexual Swedes as "fruits." How do we know he wasn't?

[NOTE: the words, spoken by Jesus, actually warn of false prophets who are easily recognized "by their deeds (fruits)" Matt. 7:16]

The Wonkette says, "Sometimes a banana is just a banana."

EVIDENCE - The testimony of our eyes!

NOT WHAT HE SEEMS TO BE! [Matthew 16:15; other topics - Deity, Identity]

I have a unsaved friend, a really good guy, who drives a white pick-up, with a utility conversion instead of a bed … it has several key-entry bins on each side-bank and an overhead rack with ladders and electrical conduit secured to it. Strewn about the open area between the bins are buckets of electrical boxes, used conduit connectors, electrical tools and reels of various gauge non-insulated and insulated wire, both stranded and solid core.

He tries to convince me he’s an electrician, but I’m not fooled … he has to be either a teacher at a local junior college or a chiropractor. He can’t really be a successful contractor … after all, I know his family, I went to high school with him, and I even dated his sister. No way he’s an electrician … no way!

Now you know I’m nuts, right? Why would I do this in the face of all the evidence which says he is what he says he is? Because that’s what my friend does with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In spite of all the evidence confirming Jesus did the things the Bible claims He did, in spite of the testimony of eye witnesses, in spite of the testimony of millions that He is the Son of God, in spite of the archealogical and historical evidence, in spite of the lives He's changed, my friend still says Jesus was just a religious teacher or a mystic healer. He even insults my Sovereign King by saying, “Regardless of what he was, he certainly was a good man.”

My friend doesn’t understand this makes Jesus, the church fathers, and all God’s witnesses liars and charlatans. So I tell him he’s no electrical contractor, regardless of what he carries in his truck. Nope, he’s no electrician … can’t be!

Adapted from a message by R.G. Lee

DISCIPLINE - What the student is supposed to learn!

GENTLE PERSUASION! [Hebrews 12:7, 8 (9-13); other topics - body (Church), chastisement, surrender]

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

In order to blend eggs by hand, the eggs are broken into a bowl designed for that purpose. The cook then takes a wire whip and aggressively whips the eggs. More often than not one egg yolk will refuse to cooperate; the cook must stop the whipping and deliberately break the obstinate yolk.

God desires the body of Christ be a blended whole; He desires each of His children have “a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart.” [Psalm 51:17]

Chastisement (discipline) is never a pleasant thing. But God desires each child work, properly and supplying the essence of who he or she is according to his or her gifts. This causes “the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” [Ephesians 4:16]

Predictably, one member won’t break under the gentle persuasion of the Lord; in such a case, breaking is called for.

How wonderful it would be if we could all fear God, yet not fear the strengthening process of His discipline.

SPECIFIC TAGS:Brokenness, Hebrews

IN FULL UNIFORM! [Ephesians 6:13; Armor (of God), Discipleship, Preparation, Sanctification]

Somehow, the young man found himself standing directly in the path of an oncoming car, the driver hit her brakes; but before either of them could do anything it seemed the ten-year-old was shoulder deep in the windshield of the automobile. “Are you alright,” asked the driver. From inside the football helmet a squeaky voice responded, “I think so!”

The boy, a participant in Pop Warner Football, was on his way home from practice, in full uniform. The driver saw the boy too late to stop; the boy saw the car too late to get out of the way.

It is unnecessary to explain why we are admonished to ...

“take up the full armor of God, that [we] may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

Much like the ubiquitous seat belt, the armor of God is, for the most part, unused by believers today. And yet the devil, that self-centered maniac who drives blind, loves to plow through unprotected children on the King’s highway.

God has provided the armor; but He has left it to us to put it on, one piece at a time. Why we don’t is a mystery. Perhaps it’s “won’t” rather than “don’t.” Perhaps the devil is not the only creature that’s self-centered.

JESSE WHO? [Matthew 10:26; Body life, Commitment, Consecration, Holiness, Righteousness]

Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Thomas Firbank, in I Bought A Star, tells of a conversation he had with a formula race driver; he asked the professional why he took time to paint and polish the undercarriage as well as all of the other unseen parts of his race car. The driver responded, “If the metal is spotlessly clean, I can see at once if there is a flaw.”

The church needs to adopt this attitude; sanding, grinding, buffing, prepping, painting, and polishing every unseen part. Not so God can “see at once if there is a flaw,” nothing is hidden from His sight [Hebrews 4:13] ... so that we can see our own flaws.

Holiness is from God but the holiness of the saints is not; that responsibility rests wholly on our shoulders!

Soldiers are taught field discipline during peacetime, in the barracks. Polished boots and buckles, along with carefully folded underwear, are not needed during peacetime, nor are they essential for barracks’ life. This discipline is for the field during wartime. In the field, attention to detail IS essential … it cannot be learned under stress, nor is there time to do so! Every boot camp Drill Instructor knows this!

Every army knows (or quickly learns) it is a malicious policy which says during training, “We need not bother the men with the details; they’ll pick them up as they need them in the field.”

Too frequently today we are witnessing an undisciplined demeanor among “the saints”; worse, we are seeing it promoted by many of their instructors.

SPECIFIC TAGS:Commitment, Matthew

GENERAL TAGS: Chastisement, Christianity, Church, Discipline,

Homiletics, Illustrations, Religion, Sermons, Submission, Surrender

GOOD NEWS - The Gospel according to God!

HALF NOT TOLD! [Matthew 26:42; Hope, Peace]

Paul Harvey relates half the story to get his listeners’ attention, to stimulate their curiosity … then he tells “The rest of the story.”

The Queen of Sheba didn’t know she had only heard half the story. She told Solomon, “the half was not told to me” … but the half which was told greatly stimulated her curiosity.

The similarities between Sheba as a seeker of truth and spiritual seekers of every age is amazing. There have been times when the half of the gospel has been told and searchers have come from all over to get “the rest of the story”: Moody, Finney, Edwards, Luther, Wesley, Whitefield, Calvin, Spurgeon, Graham … etc. And countless multitudes have followed their lead.

Haven’t you found the Good News to be much more than you were told? It was told to you that you would peace that passes understanding, but the peace was better than you imagined!

Weren’t we told Jesus would never forsake us or depart from us? We believed that but didn’t understand the half of it! Isn’t hope a by-product of the Good News? But the hope we have is beyond description.

Half the story was the best thing we’d ever heard … until we heard the rest of the story! We can’t exhaust the wonders of God … the finite cannot but hear less than all the truth!

CONSECRATION - AKA: spiritual surrender!

SOWING ROTTEN SEED! [Matthew 13:1-23; Consecration, Giving, Nature (old vs. new), Surrender]

If at one of our church potlucks the cooks decided to serve us leftovers, how would we feel?

Say they prepared a scrumptious feast but instead of serving it to us they set the best aside for themselves and served us what was left?

Say the pastor’s wife took the new sack of potatoes home for her family, then mashed the old spuds under the sink, the ones with the mold, for the guests?

In far too many ways the church is treating God in much the same way? How often do we set aside the best for ourselves and give God what’s left over?

Oh some will say, “I always write my tithe check first.” But let’s ask them, “What about your service to the Lord? Do you serve Him first before you serve others or yourself?” Let’s ask them, “What about your talents? Does He get the best of your ability and your intellect?

The Church must remember the main point of the “widow’s mite”? Recall that the Lord’s focus wasn’t the amount which was given, it was the heart attitude before, during, and after the act.

GRIEF/MOURNING: Reserved for Those Left Behind!

Heavy-laden Pebble Droppers [Matthew 11:28-29; Love, Weariness]

Barney Visser lost a son to an inherited illness. It devastated him. To compensate for the grief he wrote and published a memorial booklet in his son’s honor. The book is titled Chad and is authored by “Dad.” In the book Visser shares a poignant illustration concerning the handling of grief; the following paraphrases that ...

Grief is like carrying a backpack filled with pebbles. Each pebble is like an particle of grief. “We must carry that pack the rest of our lives,” Visser says. “There are pebbles in some … pockets we’ll never … get rid of.”

The objective for the grieving is to get through each day, one day at a time, dropping pebbles as we go, and one pebble at a time. If we don’t, we will become stooped and heavy-laden, unable to accept other burdens life has to offer. As time goes on, we will feel the load grow lighter.

[Barry Visser, Chad, © Barry Visser, 1998, p.11]

How Deep Is Your Grief [Revelation]

Watching the second episode of NBC's new mini-serial, Revelations, was not as "edge of the seat" as episode one, but the personal reward was worth the whole television season.

Co-star Dr. Richard Massey, an astro-physicist, (co-star Bill Pullman) is patiently hearing-out a nun he'd just met, when the subject of death comes up. Massey offhandedly refers to his daughter's murder at the hands of Satanists, expressing the grief he feels.

The nun, a close friend of Sister Jo (co-star Natascha McElhone), responds, "Grief is God's way of letting us know the true depth of the love we have for the one over whom we grieve. To the extent we love, that is the extent to which we grieve." [my paraphrase; I refuse to buy a transcript and I don't have Tivo].

This is deep, introspective, and reflective. Think about those who do not grieve when loved ones die; may we say they do not grieve because the did not love? Think about those who grieve deeply and long; may we say they loved deeply and genuinely?

Think now about the Son of God on the Cross of Calvary dying for the sins of the whole world; may we say that the Father grieved perfectly over the death of His son because He loved perfectly? How deep is that love?

TIMES GONE BY! [2 Samuel 12:19-23; other topics - Death, Guilt, Regret]

I was told of a woman who had been hung up on by her best friend; she was so shocked that she sat for a long time just listening to the dial tone. It wasn’t until the phone company determined the line was dead and disconnected her that she broke down and cried.

Some people are like that when they lose a loved one. They just can’t accept what has happened, so they go through each day listening to a line that has gone dead.

Death definitely separates the dead from the living, but some of the living are hanging on for dear life. They evidently regret things said, things not done, or times gone by. It’s not until something breaks their grip on the dead that real crying and grieving begin, and then it’s deep and passionate.

We must understand that it’s before our loved ones die that we must apologize to them, love them, forgive them, and enjoy them … not after. It’s too late after the connection is severed.

SANCTIFICATION - Our hand in His hand!

AIMING FOR THE CENTER OF HIS WILL! [Matthew 7:13,14; other topics - Walk, Way (The), Will (of God)]

In order to keep my car in the middle of the lane, I was taught (by a farmer) to “aim” the vehicle down the road.

The Christian walk is like that: God doesn’t want us veering to the right or the left; He wants us on the straight and narrow. Paul says we should focus on things above and in so doing we’ll keep right in the middle of His Way. For me the narrow gate figuratively represents “things above.”

Praise His holy name. (added 2/15/2006)


AIR SPEED! [James 4:4-10]

All winged aircraft have one thing in common, they must maintain air speed or they will go into a stall and nose-over. From time to time, our walk seems to nose-over, our forward progress being insufficient to sustain the "lift" needed. We must

1. be prepared for His presence
2. respond to his presence, and
3. experience His presence!

HEAVEN ON EARTH! [Various; Life (True), Heaven]

Heaven may be compared to the dining hall of a great king. Where, for now, we’re all outside his castle waiting to be let into the Great Hall. Everyone has received an invitation to come to the royal table and join in consuming his royal feast, only not all will accept his invitation. [Mark D. Roberts, After I Believe (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), 19]

The interesting aspect is the Christian life this side of eternity future; its like the “Heavenly Cook [letting] us stick our fingers into the batter of heaven while it’s being prepared. The Christian Life happens not just in the future but right now.” (added 2/15/2006)


HUMAN BOOKCASES! [James 1:22-25; other topics - Knowledge; Word; Works]

When I was in elementary school I recall the big deal my mom and dad made over money, how tight it was. But then they bought a set of Collier’s Encyclopedias on an installment plan because they thought my sisters and I could use the knowledge.

The buyer received a complete set of books at the time of purchase, with updates coming every year. You also received a small doubled-shelved, wooden bookcase. It was designed specifically for the books.

I was about 22-years old when those books went for $10.00 at a yard sale. I don’t ever remember opening any of them; I don’t ever remember my sisters opening any of those books.

In fact, I don’t ever remember my mom or dad opening any of those books ... except the first couple of nights, to show us how they were full of facts and knowledge and other useless stuff.

Sadly, many Christians are like that little bookcase. They’re crammed full of information, facts and knowledge ... but it never gets applied.

Christianity is intended to be applied. Like those books filled with all that powerful knowledge, Christians whose heads are full of knowledge are useless, unless some of that learning seeps down into the heart, where knowledge gets applied.

MASTER BUILDER! [Romans 6:19]

A master shipbuilder steps out into his yard and looks around him. There are vast skeletons of ships in the process of completion; there are others nearing completion. But there is nothing in the scene to satisfy, nothing is as he envisions. The big hulls are at present good for nothing. A thousand hammers pounding a thousand rivets into place like a thousand woodpeckers from hell. The yard is strewn with scrap and jigs.

And a short distance is the public harbor, with its fancy and not so fancy boats, of every size and shape; and near it is the grave yard ... decaying, rotting, half-sunk craft ... abandoned and doomed to one day be taken away to a fiery pit.

Yet the owner stands content amid the imperfection. He never thinks of doubting the process he commands. In his mind he knows the ideal, the perfect ship, and he justifies these imperfect vessels by imputing to them that ideal.

God is like that master shipbuilder. The ideal servant exists in His mind. He has the Blueprint; man is jut the image of what is to be. When God looks at him He does not despair, because He knows what the Perfect Man is like and smiles at the thought of His Son.

Attribution: e-Sword Ministries' (2000+ Illustrations)

PARADOX OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH! [John 3:30; Discipleship, growth, humility]

Someone once said they knew when a believer was growing because:

1. he more and more elevated his Lord
2. he less and less spoke of himself and more and more spoke of his God, and
3. he became smaller and smaller in his own eyes … “until, like the morning star, he fades away before the rising sun.” [Bonar]

John the Baptizer understood this timeless truth when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

SPIRITUAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS! [Romans 1:18-20; other topics - Attributes (of God), creation, discipleship, nature, revelation, witnessing]

“Get ready! You’re going to have fewer excuses for getting lost on the road.” This sure sounds like it might be from a tract on the Roman Road, doesn’t it?

No, it isn’t! Actually it’s ad copy from an Internet advertisement for “on-board navigation systems” from the automobile industry. These “NAVS,” as they are called, use GPS (Global Positioning Satellite technology) to locate a position precisely; the same technology used recently by scientists to determine the exact height of the Washington Monument.

As model years pass, more new cars are being offered with onboard navigation systems, which help you map your route to important meetings, or to that favorite vacation spot near grandma’s, or to a restaurant whose address you’ve forgotten. NAVS can even help direct you to a local automated teller machine (ATM) or nearest hospital or your next job interview.

Now there’s no real excuse for getting lost, even if you’re one of those guys who refuses to ask for directions.

God has been far ahead of modern technology. In Romans 1:19 Paul says,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

God’s plan has always been to provide man with a spiritual navigation system. In fact, Paul clearly says just that. God has given mankind all they need to know to know where they are in relationship to Him: general and special revelation - not to mention the conscience, which the Holy Spirit uses to convict us and guide us.


THE LORD’S LEASH! [Luke 15:17a; Discipleship, discipline, obedience, submission (surrender)]

Recently, I took my dog for a walk just as I do every morning. When I leave the entrance of our housing development, I always look both ways to see who else is out walking their dog. A few are pests: both owners and dogs.

Up the block, I saw the man with the golf cart and his little grey poodle; both are regulars. I noticed his dog was off the leash again, so I crossed the street and walked the other way. When I reached Foothill Boulevard, two blocks away, I crossed to the other side and headed home.

That’s when I heard an anxious voice calling a dog. I looked up and saw this vicious, bloodthirsty, 9½ lb. grey speck burning rubber in my direction, a block away, his owner in hot pursuit. I tried to scare the little speck away but he made an end-run, stood up, danced over, put his paws on my dog’s face, and bit him on the forehead. Well, my dog, Buck, doesn’t like to be bit, but he likes boy dogs even less.

I was able to pull the little dog from Buck’s mouth before he swallowed but not before the little fur ball twisted and tore the back of my hand up. As bad as my hand was, what the poodle got for his efforts was much worse.

The moral: don’t covet being off the Lord’s leash or even at the end of his leash (Parents, pay special attention: don’t let your kids off their leash until you’re certain they have the spirit God wants for them.).

Moving farther away from your Master than your Master gives you leash is not wise at all: not only might you get hurt, or killed, but you’ll certainly bring pain and suffering to others. This latter point is worthy of emphasis.

Too often, we are lulled into seeing the Leash of the Lord as “for our benefit alone,” we rarely give thought to the benefits others reap from our being tethered. Consider that my dog was on a leash and we were both minding our own business, yet we were both bitten and I’m out over $100.

Also, consider the consequences to the owner of that little beast; he’s out over $600. And my dog? He’s real upset that I interrupted his meal. And Shadow (that’s the perpetrator’s name)? Well, he is just now able to face the great outdoors.

Look back, beloved, at all the time off the Lord’s Leash and witness the devastation of that time.


THE JOY OF THE JOURNEY! [Romans 6:19-22]

George, let’s call him George, was a very busy and very successful younger man. In fact, he had done so well that he decided to surprise his wife with a trip to Tahiti over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend. On his lunch hour, he hurried to his agent’s office and picked up the tickets.

In early December George stopped at the dry cleaners on his way home to pick up his suits and was surprised when the manager handed him an envelop with two unused tickets to Tahiti. After he had purchased the tickets he had put them in his jacket pocket and immediately went back to his normal routine … he forgot the entire event.

Many people are just like George. They pray to God for forgiveness and promise to do better but immediately, they forget what they’ve done and return to their normal routine. Even some genuine believers accept a ticket to eternity, put it away, and never seem to experience the marvelous journey laid out before them.

The salvation event ought to be like the ideal marriage event, where two distinct and independent individuals agree to unite and journey through life together. Instead, far too many salvation experiences are like far too many marriages: the uniting occurs but the couple never experiences the journey’s joy, and often end in separation.

It is true that all we must do is “call upon the name of the Lord” [Romans 10:13], but God never intended the journey to end there, just as a marriage is not supposed to stop on the trip home from the honeymoon.


VOLCANO STEW!

On the isle of São Miguel, in the Azores, a powerful and popular dish, cozido, is prepared in an interesting way: mix beef, chicken, pork, sausages, and vegetables together in an aluminum-cooking utensil, place this in a cloth bag, bury it all in the ground near Lake Furnas, and let it steam naturally for approximately six hours.

The volcano Furnas created Lake Furnas when it erupted thousands of years ago; soil surrounding the lake can reach a temperature of 208 degrees Fahrenheit, providing villagers with an unique natural oven. [Adapted from National Geographic; cited in Reader’s Digest, “Notes From All Over, p.204, nd.]

God could have chosen another way to deal with rebirth, perhaps taking us up to glory immediately. For reasons He and He alone knows He decided to leave us where we were to prepare us according to His receipe and His time. Perfect in the end!

TAGS: Bible, Christianity, Illustrations, Sanctification, Sermons, Religion

Ecclesiology (Church)

BACK DOOR ALARM [Various texts; Church Membership]

Chicago-based Aon Consulting’s Loyalty Institute conducted a study to determine why some workers remain loyal to their employers and others do not. The study, “America @ Work”, revealed the following five most consistent “drivers” in workforce commitment:

1. Management’s awareness of personal and family needs
2. Opportunities for personal growth
3. Meeting the needs of the firm’s customers
4. Benefit Communication (how clearly done)
5. Opportunity to keep skills up to par with the job ’s requirements

For more details see ...

The vast majority of church members are also someone’s employee; the church would do well to evaluate these factors in employee motivation and commitment as they relate to the exodus of church members. If the insight had an effect on the church’s back door it would be worth the time. With a few word changes one can see the application.

[“What makes workers stay?” The Costco Connection, July 1999, p. 9]

COST OF CONSTRUCTION! [Ephesians 5:25, 27, 32; Atonement; Propitiation]

Sydney, Australia, built a modern opera house with a design way ahead of its time. It’s a gorgeous building; a real wonder of construction and architecture. It took 17 years to build; the original estimate was $7.2 million – the actual cost = $110.0 million. The Premiere of New South Wales told cost critics, “The cost has become secondary to consideration of the perfection of the achievement.”

You see in his mind the result justified the pain and the strain encountered by the visionaries who accomplished it construction.

The Church is an edifice more beautiful than anything man has ever conceived or imagined and it cost much more than anyone ever conceived … you see, man estimated its construction cost at lives filled with obedient living but the real cost was the life of the Son of God.

After all, in the hearts of both the Son and the Father, the result justified the pain and strain encountered by the One who accomplished its construction.

ROLE OF THE CHURCH [Matthew 28:19-20; other topics, Equipping, Great Commission]

According to the Bible, God has given the job of “equipping the saints” to the evangelist and the pastor-teacher. Scripture says the church is the vehicle of God’s choice for accomplishing that job.

The role of the church in its simplest form is to fulfill the Great Commission. The role of the church in greater detail and in contemporary terms follows: the church is to be -

• a launch pad for the fulfillment of the Great Commission
• an arena for the worship of God
• a house of prayer
• command headquarters for the Lord’s army
• the 7077 M.A.S.H. unit for the care of saints injured in weekly spiritual warfare
• the saints’ seminary for the teaching of the truths and the ways of God to future church leaders
• the school of learning for the saints in general and
• the receiving and reeducation depot for those freed from the bondage of sin, death and Satan.

Obviously other parallels exist to which the church may be related.

EVANGELISM - As the Father sent Him, so He sends you!

ALMOST PERSUADED! [Various; other topics - Outreach, Persistence, Soul-winning]

Every trip we make to one of our national parks someone in our family tries to feed a squirrel or chipmunk. In every instance the animal doesn’t trust us or any one else. Even though we leave a peanut for the animal again and again, it won’t trust us … again and again! The ingrate is never quite persuaded.

Inside, people are like these animals: wild, small, nervous, paranoid, filled with fears. But the writer of the song, “Almost Persuaded,” didn’t write it because he believed people were hopelessly lost. Rather, he wrote it because he knew it might be the next spiritual peanut which would persuade another sinner to receive what Jesus has offered … freedom from all their fears and life everlasting.

BEING SOMEBODY! [Proverbs 11:30; other topics - Soul-winning]

Lily Tomlin is supposed to have said, “I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.”

We all need goals, and the more specific the goal the easier it is to accomplish; and the easier it is to know when you’ve achieved it. To many people set vague goals and end up being what they do not want to be.

Christians are supposed to be Christ-like … to demonstrate the characteristics of our Lord. More specifically, we are to desire his communicable attributes (loving, goodness, kindness; gentleness, patience, truthfulness, justice, wisdom, etc.) … those characteristics which make Him who He is.

Unfortunately, soul-winning is like Bible reading: Barna reports 75% of Americans believe it’s important to read the Bible daily, yet only 13% actually read it daily.

FROM SAVING EYES TO SAVING SOULS! [Matthew 28:19, 20; other topics - Fruit Bearing, Sowing and Reaping, Witness]

Bob Reccord, president & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, relates a story of an ophthalmologist Howard Hendricks thought was the greatest witness for Jesus Christ in Dallas, Texas.

It seems the good Dr. came under conviction when some students asked if he had ever led anyone to the Lord. Even though he had been active in his evangelical church for twelve years, he had not led anyone to the throne of grace personally. At the students encouragement he joined a training program and learned to share his faith; he became a fervent witness for the Good News.

Years later, when Hendricks visited a remote part of India, he used the story of this ophthalmologist turned evangelist to illustrate a point. He did not however use the Dr.’s name.

Later, an Indian doctor approached Hendricks and said, “You were talking about _______ ” (giving the doctor’s name). “How did you know?” Hendricks asked. “I went to medical school in Dallas, I went to see him about my eyes. He led me to Christ and discipled me.” The native doctor replied.

Today this Indian doctor is the only licensed neurosurgeon in his part of India. He has tremendous influence for Jesus as a result of an American eye doctor who overcame his indifference concerning witnessing.

When you truly comprehend the love of the One who gave His life while you were yet a sinner, you are compelled to tell someone about Him. Lovers introduce their loved ones to others.

[Adapted from: “Beware of rabbit-hole Christianity,” On Mission; Vol. 2, No. 3, July-August 1999, 7]


HARVESTING CHURCHES! [Mat. 28:19-20; other topics - Soul-winning]

Jesus said, “Follow after Me, and I’ll cause you to be fishers of men.” [Mark 1:17; my translation] Jesus intends for us to be fishers of men; He intends for us to be actively fishing; He intends us to bring in the catch!

In an article in NEXT magazine, Geo. Hunter III catalogues what he found as common denominators in harvesting churches: [Current Thoughts & Trends; January 97, p.17; #11753]

1.) Harvesting churches are rooted in God’s Word - through sound preaching, teaching, and small group studies!
2.) They target the lost and unchurched; and care about them!
3.) They are pro-active and expectant in prayer!
4.) They are committed to the Great Commission!
5.) They share a rich vision of what individuals can become in Christ (i.e., fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ)!
6.) They learn the language and culture of the unchurched!
7.) They minister to the “life concerns” of the lost and the unchurched (e.g., health, parenting, relationships, etc.)!
8.) Their message is relevant across generational lines!
9.) They emphasize lay ministry according to giftedness!
10.) They recognize “shepherds do not make new sheep; sheep make new sheep”!
11.) They’re not content with their ranks swelling with nominal Christians!

Harvesting churches recognize it’s “always” harvest time for those who follow Jesus; they are willing to get in the field and pick the fruit. Key for these churches is the realization, by their people, that understanding of one’s faith grows as one regularly explains it to others!


HELP ME, I'VE FALLEN! [Matthew 25:40; other topics - Witnessing]

You’re walking down the street at night following a late business meeting; in fact it’s after midnight. You’re on your way to a public parking lot and pass several rather dingy bars. Near a dimly lit intersection, just a few feet out in the street, between two parked cars, you see the figure of a man crumpled up on the pavement. It’s a bum, a drunk; a man too blighted to know he’s fallen, too sloshed to get up even if he did.

There’s no traffic on the street but you hear the sound of vehicles on those nearby. It’ll only be a matter of time before a delivery truck or a cab speeds down the road. They won’t see the guy until they hit him. The man isn’t asking you to get involved; there’s no, “Help! I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” In fact, at the moment the boozer could care less. But, if the poor soul knew what was about to happen to him, don’t you think he would plead for help? What should you do?

Most, if not all, true-believers would go to his aid; they would take the time to lend assistance.

Mankind is lost and dead in his trespasses; he’s too sin-filled to know what has happened to him, too carnal to care. There he is, lying in the path of destruction, in need of assistance.

Lost people aren’t going to ask you to get involved; in truth, based on experience, I’d say most of them want you to leave them alone. But, if those poor souls were to know what was about to happen to them, don’t you think they would cry out to be pulled out of the way of God’s coming judgment? At least to be shown how they could be saved from it?

Witnessing is not like breathing, it’s like eating. The former is done absent-mindedly, out of necessity; the later is a deliberate act, requiring a certain amount of preparation and a conscious desire to act.


MULTIPLICATION GARDENS! [Luke 8:8; other topics - Church Growth, Fruit Bearing]

In a friend’s garden is what my friend calls “multiplying” onions. I love onions more than my wife wishes, but these I especially love.

Where most onions have just the bulb in the ground, these have them on the stem ends as well; each onion has three or four onion bulbs on each mature stem. It is a very peculiar plant.

Then again, so are the children of God; each is to be planted in the good soil; each is to bear fruit … a hundred times. We are to be multiplying Christians.

NO "PLAN B"! [Psalm 68:20; other topics – Lost, Salvation, Sovereignty or Will (of God)]

Mall managers all over the world are concerned about teens using their centers as hangouts. In some malls, hundreds of teens are present at the same time for no other reason than that "There’s nothing to do." How do you keep them from congregating in annoying packs?

The Warrawong Westfield mall in Wollongong (yes, there is really a place by this name south of Sydney, Australia ) arrived at this original solution: they play Bing Crosby music, loudly, over the mall’s public address system. And it works (or at least we’re told it works).

Being good business people they have a Plan B in the event Plan A doesn’t work: lighting that amplifies facial blemishes will be installed.

Fortunately, God doesn’t need or want a Plan B. His Plan A has always been certain of success; it has always been to seek and to save that which was lost [Luke 19:10]. When all has been said and done, there will be no one in Hell who can wag his finger at Heaven and proclaim, "There’s been a mistake; I don’t belong here!"


NOTHING CAN RESTRAIN! [Matthew 28:18-20; Soul-winning; Witnessing]

A Haitian mute preaches the gospel in his small village. "There is something quite amazing about this young man," a church planter in the village told Christian Aid Mission. "Even though he cannot hear or speak, he is sharing the gospel with the people around him."

The young man uses pantomime in acting out the story of Jesus Christ. By refusing to let his handicap stand in the way, he is provoking others to be more evangelistic.

What can we say? We know what God will say to this young man, right after his tongue is restored, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

TELL THE WATCHMEN – IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER! [Ezekiel 3:16-21; other topics - Overcoming, Perseverance, Watchmen]

It’s a strange feeling, being a Christian: when is our work finished? A painter knows a house is finished when all the areas needing painting are painted. An author knows his book is done when it goes to publication. A coach knows the game is finished when the final whistle blows. A driver knows the race is over when the checkered flag is waved. A general knows the battle is over when the enemy surrenders. An audience knows the concerto has reached its end when the orchestra stops playing and the conductor turns to take a bow. A heart surgeon knows his treatment is over when his patient sends him a photo of himself surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii.

Until then they keep painting, writing, exhorting, driving, fighting, enjoying, and treating.

Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Well, when is it over? Not until the Lord says it’s over. Until then, we just keep on watching and warning.

Those of us who serve as watchmen often feel no one hears our warning cry. We see the sheep in the pew but know most of them are not hearing the warnings. They come to hear a “good talk” or be entertained or be inspired or be seen … but there is nothing in what we say that is “talk,” and we certainly don’t entertain … and only the Lord inspires and we are seen, just as we are! [Hebrews 4:12, 13]

Until it’s over we must keep on keeping on … there are enemies in the camp, there are enemies outside the camp, still we must keep on warning.


TO SEEK AND SAVE! [2 Corinthians 3:3; Other topics - Good News, Salvation, Witness]

An Internet company named Napster has been in the news a lot this year. They offer a program which allows its clients to obtain free music on the Internet. Like many webbed-based businesses their success has been phenomenal. Most record companies and rock bands don’t share their enthusiasm, however. Many organizations are taking to the courts for legal and financial protection.

Why is that? It’s because Napster enables you to locate your favorite songs on other computers, download, catalog, and share them with friends. The format (MP3) allows users to store near-CD-quality re-cordings, copyrighted or not.

The issue of copyright is confusing is not clear on the Internet. Artists should have control over their work; after all, it's the way they make their living. The related issues are far from resolved.

In the same sense, salvation is also available for download, at any time – the connection is always open – without copyright restrictions. God offers eternal life through Jesus Christ free to anyone who believes. You can't buy sal-vation anyway; God’s only Son paid the price.

Jesus is seeking lost human "hard drives" for saving. God has opted to use Christians to share the Good News, sort of like browsers (the interface software between a computer and the Internet).

If you have a personal relationship with God through Christ, chances are someone downloaded the Good News to you for free. Why not do the same for someone else today? You won't get into any legal trouble, His message was designed to be shared!

Source/Attribution: Love for Jesus Org., Hesperia, CA, 24 February 2001