Pastoral Resources

Hernando Cortes had a plan. He wanted to lead an expedition into Mexico to capture its vast treasures. When he told the Spanish governor his strategy, the governor got so excited that he gave him 11 ships and 700 men. Little did the governor know that Cortes had failed to tell him the entire plan. After months of travel, the eleven ships landed in Veracruz in the spring of 1519. As soon as the men unloaded the ships, Cortes instituted the rest of his plan. He burned the ships.

After a morning service, a father observed his young son in the back of the sanctuary looking at a plaque on the wall. When the father joined him, the youngster asked what the plaque was for.

The father replied, “Son, that was put up in the memory of all those who have died in the service.”

Turning to his father, he asked, “Morning or evening?”

In a great cathedral there is a statue of Christ. As one enters the cathedral and stands before that statue, he is appalled at the ugliness and repulsiveness of the sculptor's representation of Christ. He wonders whether that is what Christ really looked like. He is keenly disappointed. But then, as he comes closer to the statue, he can see an inscription on it which reads: "Kneel down and look up." He kneels down and looks up, and lo everything about it is different. The repulsiveness is replaced by a wonderful attractiveness. The face of Christ is not ugly any more. What makes the difference? It is the position of the observer. If he stands up and looks at the statue, there is no beauty to it, but if he kneels down and looks up, he sees the face of the gentle, loving Savior.

Frantically a woman pulled her pastor down a dark hall towards a room in the rear of the house.

He understood well what Paul had meant about that "fear and trembling" as he stumbled along behind her. Not that he believed there was a demon in her closet, but he surely wondered what might be there! As they entered the dimly lit room, the pastor noticed a dark object protruding from between the garments hanging in her closet. "There it is!" she gasped. Upon closer examination, the pastor discovered a partially inflated dry-cleaning bag! Thereupon, he "exorcised" the possessed closet, removing the bag and showing it to the dear lady. He was, however, unable to convince the poor woman that she had not seen a demon.

As he looked around the room, he noticed on a night table nearby an open copy of that sordid book, The Exorcist. At the same time, he caught the faint odor of spirits-of the liquid variety, and he then knew the source of the problem. When superstition is combined with beverage alcohol, the outcome is predictably unpredictable! But such experiences are not uncommon for gospel preachers.

It is hard to believe now, but the potato was once a highly unpopular food. When first introduced into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, newspapers printed editorials against it, ministers preached sermons against it, and the general public wouldn’t touch it. It was supposed to sterilize the soil in which it had been planted and cause all manner of strange illnesses—even death.

There were, however, a few brave men who did not believe all the propaganda being shouted against it. It was seen as an answer to famine among the poorer classes and as a healthful and beneficial food. Still, these few noblemen in England could not persuade their tenants to cultivate the potato. It was years before all the adverse publicity was overcome and the potato became popular.

A Frenchman named Parmentier took a different tack. He had been a prisoner of war in England when he first heard of the new plant. His fellow prisoners protested the outrage of having to eat potatoes. Parmentier, instead, thoughtfully inquired about the methods of cultivating and cooking the new food. Upon his return to France, he procured an experimental farm from the Emperor, in which he planted potatoes. When it was time to dig them, at his own expense, he hired a few soldiers to patrol all sides of his famous potato patch during the daytime.

Meanwhile he conducted distinguished guests through the fields, digging a few tubers here and there, which they devoured with evident relish. At night, he began to withdraw the guards. A few days later one of the guards hastened to Parmentier with the sad news that peasants had broken into the potato patch at night, and dug up most of the crop.

Parmentier was overjoyed, much to the surprise of his informant, and exclaimed, “When the people will steal in order to procure potatoes, their popularity is assured.”

One of our favorite places to go when we lived there is an old mill on the Soque River which has been made into a shop called Mark of the Potter. We love this store because they make and sell the pottery right there, and they have some beautiful items. In fact, we bought this dish there Saturday.

One of the things that amazes me is how they can make such beautiful items out of plain old gray clay. I can’t do anything with clay. We’re passing out a small bag of clay this morning You can take it out and form it as we talk.

When I was a kid, I liked to play with clay, but I couldn’t make anything out of it. There were a lot of snakes and pancakes, but that’s about it. I couldn’t make anything pretty like this bowl.

One day as a woman was crossing a street at London station, an old man stopped her and said, "Excuse me, Ma'am, but I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" she exclaimed.

"Yes'm. I used to be a ticket collector, and whenever you went by, you always gave me a cheerful smile and a good morning. I knew that smile must have come from inside somewhere. Then one morning I saw a little Bible in your hand. So I bought one too, and I found Jesus."

USA Today polled 238 players who participated in at least one of the NCAA Final Four Championship games from 1977 to 1986. The survey indicated that an amazing number of these athletes have been able to match their achievement on the basketball court with continued excellence in life.

What is their secret? The pollsters concluded that those who make it in school "seem able to channel the athletic lessons of discipline and self-sacrifice into their academic lives."

On a wall in the Museum of Natural Science in Chicago there is a checkerboard with 64 squares. In the lower lefthand corner is a grain of wheat. The display includes this question: "If you doubled the amount of wheat as you move from square to square, how much would you have when you reached the 64th square? A carload? A trainload? You would have enough wheat to cover the country of India six feet deep."

That is the power of multiplication. Suppose you go out and reach one person for Jesus. Stick with that person for six months. Help, encourage and strengthen him. At the end of six months there are only two. At the end of the year there are four of you. At the end of 18 months there are eight; two years, 16. Do you know how many people there would be at the end of 17 years? More than the entire population of the world-more than six billion. Stop and think about what you can do!

As I perused an old copy of The Wonderful Word edited by Leon Tucker, I came upon a tremendous sermon by W.H. Griffith-Thomas entitled “The Power of Peace.” He gave an exposition of 2 Thess. 3:16, “Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means.” His outline should prove helpful to Christian workers.

A. The Nature of Peace

1. Peace of a quiet conscience (Rom. 8:33-35; three questions)

2. Peace of a restful mind (Phil. 4:7)

3. Peace of a surrendered will

4. Peace of a hopeful heart (Isaiah 50:7)

5. Peace of loving fellowship

B. The Source of Peace

1. Peace with God (Rom. 5:1)

2. The God of peace (Rom. 15:33)

3. The peace of God (Phil. 4:7)

4. The Lord of peace (2 Thess. 3:16)

C. The Channel of Peace

“The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means” (2 Thess. 3:16)

D. The Duration of Peace

“…give you peace always.”

E. The Secret of Peace

“The Lord of peace Himself give you peace…”

Christopher D. Green writes:

"You could say that it was part of the environment surrounding our house. It was an unwritten code held sacred to all in the family. From the time I can remember being able to remember things, I grew up understanding what it meant to say, 'I'm sorry.'From childhood, I recall my parents instilling in me and my sister that if we were truly sorry for something we had done, we could always ask for forgiveness and we would be forgiven. It was a mutual obligation both parties (the inflicter and the inflicted) had to accept. Through the realization we had wronged another member of the family, unity could be restored with those simple words, 'I'm sorry.'

"I remember a time when this worked amazingly well, until I abused the system. I still remember breaking my sister's baton over my knee when I was about eight years old. It was then I learned about the power of repentance. As I forced the midpoint of that lightweight baton over my knee, I remember thinking, 'Saying "I'm sorry" will fix this!'Repeated 'I'm sorry's'were declared in my defense, but Mom saw through the veil of charade. I had abused the right to say 'I'm sorry'! Finally, after a long discussion, I was forgiven. Not for breaking the baton as much as I was forgiven of abusing the ability to repent and say I was sorry.

"There are times now when I think of how I have abused the repentance God has provided through Christ. Have I taken advantage of our relationship?"

Have you ever watched how a bird sleeps on its perch and never falls off? How does it manage to do this?

The secret is the tendons of the bird's legs. They are so constructed that when the leg is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent again. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold on to his perch so tightly.

Is this not also the secret of the holding power of the Christian? Daniel found this to be true. Surrounded by a pagan environment, tempted to compromise with evil, urged to weaken his grip on God, he refused to let go. He held firm when others faltered because he was a man of prayer. He knew the power of the bended knee.

From sleeping birds we can learn the secret of holding things which are most precious to us-honesty, purity, thoughtfulness, honor, character. That secret is the knee bent in prayer, seeking to get a firmer grip on those values which make life worth living. When we hold firmly to God in prayer, we can rest assured He will hold tightly to us.

Recently, I heard a touching story which illustrates the power that words have to change a life -- a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article.

Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech.

With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was “different.” She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her … until she entered Mrs. Leonard’s class.

Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard.

In the 1950’s, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary’s case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another “difference” to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The “whisper test” was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something which the teacher whispered.

Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, “The sky is blue,” or “What color are your shoes?”

But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard’s mouth that changed Mary’s life forever. When the “Whisper test” came, Mary heard the words: “I wish you were my little girl.”

Dads, I wish there was some way that I could communicate to you the incredible blessing which affirming words impart to children. I wish, too, that you could sit in my office, when I counsel, and hear the terrible damage that individuals received from not hearing affirming words -- particularly affirming words from a father. While words from a godly teacher can melt a heart, words from a father can powerfully set the course of a life.

If affirming words were something rarely spoken in your home growing up, let me give you some tips on words and phrases that can brighten your own child’s eyes and life. These words are easy to say to any child who comes into your life. I’m proud of you, Way to go, Bingo … you did it, Magnificent, I knew you could do it, What a good helper, You’re very special to me, I trust you, What a treasure, Hurray for you, Beautiful work, You’re a real trooper, Well done, That’s so creative, You make my day, You’re a joy, Give me a big hug, You’re such a good listener, You figured it out, I love you, You’re so responsible, You remembered, You’re the best, You sure tried hard, I’ve got to hand it to you, I couldn’t be prouder of you, You light up my day, I’m praying for you, You’re wonderful, I’m behind you, You’re so kind to your (brother/sister), You’re God’s special gift, I’m here for you.

“Many years ago, a father and his daughter were walking through the grass on the Canadian prairie. In the distance, they saw a prairie fire, and they realized that it would soon engulf them. The father knew there was only one way of escape: they would quickly begin a fire right where they were and burn a large patch of grass. When the huge fire drew near, they then would stand on the section that had already burned. When the flames did approach them, the girl was terrified but her father assured her, ‘The flames can’t get to us. We are standing where the fire has already been.’”

The pulpit of this day is weak in praying. The pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer. Prayer is with the pulpit too often only official—a performance for the routine of service. Prayer is not to the modern pulpit the mighty force it was in Paul’s life or Paul’s ministry. Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God’s work and is powerless to project God’s cause in this world.

The Presidency to this day rests more on the character of the person who inhabits the office than on anything else. The Founding Fathers designed it that way. It was their idea to find a man in America with a great character and let him invest a tradition and shape a national character. They found George Washington. He did his job splendidly. When he took the Presidency, he wrote: “I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.”

It seems there was a pretzel stand out front of an office building in New York. One day, a man came out of the building, plunked down a quarter, and then went on his way without taking a pretzel. This happened every day for three weeks. Finally, the old lady running the stand spoke up: “Sir, excuse me. May I have a word with you?

The fellow said: “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to ask me why I give you a quarter every day and don’t take a pretzel.”

And the woman said, “Not at all. I just want to tell you that the price is now 35 cents.”

Tom Peters is the co-author of two of the most widely-read books on the subject of work in the twentieth century. His second book, A Passion for Excellence, sets forth the mandates for excellence in the work arena. He’s emphatic about the need for prioritizing the customer, backing up your product with thorough service, and working from the strength of integrity.

He draws his discussion of excellence to a conclusion by talking about its cost. An honest but alarming statement appears in the last page of the last chapter of the book.

We are frequently asked if it is possible to “have it all”—a full and satisfying personal life and a full and satisfying, hard-working professional one. Our answer is: No. The price of excellence is time, energy, attention and focus, at the very same time that energy, attention and focus could have gone toward enjoying your daughter’s soccer game. Excellence is a high-cost item.

The moth looks like such a harmless creature. In its pearly white color it hovers about without sound at twilight, or in our dark rooms and especially in our closets where our woolen clothes are kept. It is not impertinent like the robust flies of the summer. It does not have the sting of a mosquito. It does not sound in our ears the shrill notes of the cricket. It does not nibble and gnaw like the mouse and rat, nor, as roaches do, indecently overrun our food. It is most fair, silent, and apparently harmless. Yet every housewife springs after it with electric haste. It is a dreaded pest, not for what it is but for what it does. Once a garment is moth-eaten, it is almost impossible to repair it. How true this is in the case of the proud rich. Once one begins to suffer the sickness of pride of riches, the cure is very difficult. Let us beware, for, once the moths have done their work upon us, there is hardly any hope. Let us remember, also, that the moth does its work secretly, without our realizing it; so does the pride of riches. We may be proud of the things we wear and possess without ever realizing it. How stealthily the moths work; pride of the soul even more so.

A priest who has spent a fruitless day fishing picked out three fat fish in the market. “Before you wrap them,” he said to the store manager,” toss them to me, one by one. That way I’ll be able to tell the monsignor I caught them and I’ll be speaking the truth.”

Marion Mill was born in a fairy tale royal palace in Hungary. Her first spoon was solid gold. They sent her to school in Vienna where she became an actress, and there she met and fell in love with a young medical student named Otto.

Otto and Marion married and went to live in Hollywood, CA. There, as they “set up house,” he began to dabble in movies. He became so interested in movies that he gave up his medical practice, and went on to become the internationally famed movie director Otto Preminger. Marion’s beauty, wit, and irresistible charm brought her everything a woman desires. In Europe, New York and Hollywood she became a famous international hostess.

But Otto’s princess could not handle the fast life of Hollywood. She went into alcohol, drugs and numerous affairs. Her life and lifestyle became so sordid, even for Hollywood, that Otto Preminger divorced Marion. She tried to take her own life three times, unsuccessfully, and finally moved back to Vienna.

There at a party she met another doctor, named Albert Schweitzer, the well-known medical doctor, musician, philosopher, theologian and missionary. Schweitzer was home on leave from his hospital in Lambarene, Africa.

She was so fascinated by Schweitzer, that she asked him if she could talk to him alone, and he permitted that. For almost six months, every week, she met with Dr. Albert Schweitzer. At the end of that time he was going to go back to Africa, and she begged him to let her go with him. Schweitzer surprised everyone by agreeing. Marion, the young princess, who was born in a palace went to a little village in Lambarene, Africa, and spent the rest of her life emptying bed pans and tearing up sheets to make bandages for putrid sores on the poverty-stricken nationals.

She wrote her autobiography. I love the title of it—All I Want is Everything. When she died, Time Magazine quoted from her autobiography these words: “Albert Schweitzer says there are two kinds of people. There are the helpers, and the non-helpers. I thank God He allowed me to become a helper, and in helping, I found everything.”

Keep us, Lord, so awake in the duties of our calling that we may sleep in thy peace and wake in thy glory.

One of Aesop's fables tells of a lottery that Jupiter held for the gods. It happened that the best prize, "wisdom," fell to his daughter Minerva, upon which a general murmur arose that the wheel had been rigged. In order to punish and silence the protesters, Jupiter awarded them the prize of "folly" instead of "wisdom," and they went away perfectly contented. And from that time, it is said, the greatest fools have looked upon themselves as the wisest men.

Danny Dodd tells this story:

"Theophilus Kimble was his name. He was a big-footed, clumsy, loud-mouthed mutt of a dog. Smart as he was large, T.K., as we called him, had a way of bringing many valuable lessons to life.

"I remember once he got through the fence. He thought he had invented the trash can. He ran and jumped and bounded over and into everything. He was free at last! All the things that looked so alluring to him in the far regions of the other side of the fence were now his to explore, and explore he did. There was no sign of him for days. I kept a close watch on the local news for a report of a half-crazed, bent-on-examining-the-contents-of-every-trash-can dog, but there was nothing. Just when I thought I had lost him for good to the charms of three-ply Hefties, here he came. He had his tail between his legs, whimpering, wanting to come back home. I let him, of course. He was my dog, and I did care for him regardless of the number of trash cans I had to replace. He was home.

"Does this story sound familiar? It should. T.K. was playing the canine role of the prodigal son (Luk 15:11-32). All of the elements were there: The enticement of the forbidden in a far-off country (the trash cans on the other side of the fence); the opportunity to leave (the open gate); the wasting himself in riotous living (one too many trash cans); The realization of mistake (probably when he missed his Milk Bone); and the humble return."

Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the second coming of Christ. Someone has reported that there are 1,845 references in the Old Testament alone and a total of 17 books that give it prominence.

Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to Christ's second coming. That averages one out of every 30 verses. Furthermore, 23 of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. That leaves only four books that do not refer directly to the Second Coming. Interestingly, three of these four books are single-chapter letters which were written to specific persons on a particular subject.

A church was in need of a pastor. A candidate came who preached on hell. The next Sunday another candidate came whose sermon was also on hell, and his fundamental teaching was the same as that of the first one.When the members of the church were called upon to vote, they voted for the second candidate. When they were asked why, the answer was, "The first one spoke as if he were glad that people were going to hell, while the second seemed sorry for it."

A very richly dressed man stepped into a streetcar and with a haughty air sat down beside an old man who was poorly clad. When the conductor collected the fares he said to him in a loud voice, "Let me off at my bank." Evidently knowing him, the conductor assured him he would do so. Then he reached for the fare of the poorly clothed man next to him. He evidently was just as well known to the conductor as the banker, and so he said, "Please let me off at my peanut-stand, will you, Mister?" "Yes, George," was the distinct but kindly reply. The proud man didn't smile, but all the other passengers seemed suddenly possessed with unusual cheerfulness. This rich man had a right and a duty to dress in keeping with his station; he was not sinful because he owned a bank; but it was definitely wrong for him to seek to impress others with his importance. Instead he earned their ridicule.

Anatoli Shcharansky, a dissident Soviet Jew, kissed his wife goodbye as she left Russia for freedom in Israel. His parting words to her were, “I’ll see you soon in Jerusalem.” But Anatoli was detained and finally imprisoned. Their reunion in Jerusalem would not only be postponed, it might never occur. During long years in Russian prisons and work camps Anatoli was stripped of his personal belongings. His only possession was a miniature copy of the Psalms. Once during his imprisonment, his refusal to release the book to the authorities cost him 130 days in solitary confinement. Finally, twelve years after parting with his wife, he was offered freedom. In February 1986, as the world watched, Shcharansky was allowed to walk away from Russian guards toward those who would take him to Jerusalem. But in the final moments of captivity, the guards tried again to confiscate the Psalms book. Anatoli threw himself face down in the snow and refused to walk on to freedom without it. Those words had kept him alive during imprisonment. He would not go on to freedom without them.

Background

As the compass needle is affected by magnetic attraction, so the Christian feels a pull by sin. This is illustrated by Israel’s desire to return to the “leeks and garlics” of Egypt (Numbers 11:5), and Demas, the young man the Apostle Paul mentions are “having loved this present world, and is departed...” (2 Timothy 4:10, KJV). Paul describes the Christian as having two natures, the old and the new, which constantly compete for supremacy. The Christian must understand this, and learn to confront this “magnetic pull” of his own sinful nature and Satan’s wiles.

A paragraph by Billy Graham helps put this into perspective: “God never promises to remove temptation from us, for even Christ was subject to it...There is a sense of achievement and assurance that results from victory over temptation that cannot come to us otherwise. Temptation shows what people really are. It does not make us Christian or unchristian. Overcoming does make the Christian stronger and causes him to discover resources of power...In times of temptation Christ can become more real to you than ever.”

Some Things to Remember About Temptation:

1. Temptation is common to all Christians. “But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you” (1 Corinthians 10:13, TLB).

2. Temptation is of the devil (see temptation of Jesus, Matthew 4:1-11).

3. Temptation itself is not sin, but succumbing to it is.

Billy Graham says, “The sin is when we use the temptation for giving in.” None of us should deliberately place ourselves in a position to be tempted. Satan will always attack where we are the most vulnerable. “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14, 15, NIV). A thought enters; we pamper it; it germinates and grows into an evil act.

4. God does not lead us into temptation in the sense that He purposely and personally tempts. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13, KJV) But, God does permit us to be tempted (see Job 1:6-12), so that we can face temptation, overcome it, and become stronger. “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14, KJV). We can also be blessed in victory (see James 1:12).

5. No temptation is irresistible. “You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, TLB).

6. Whatever we experience, Jesus has been there before us. He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, KJV).

Counseling Strategy

1. Ask if the inquirer is a Christian, one who has received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If he is not, explain “Steps to Peace with God,” page 5. No one is strong enough in himself to overcome temptation, regardless of how high is ideals or motives.

2. Share ways to confront and overcome temptation.

A. We must resist the tempter: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, KJV).

B. We must submit to God: “Submit yourselves...to God” (James 4:7, KJV). This we do by:

(1) Committing ourselves daily to God according to Romans 12:1, and by daily confession of sin so that there is no buildup (Psalm 51:10).

(2) Subjecting our minds to His control. “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, KJV).”Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2, KJV).

(3) The discipline of prayer” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16, NIV).”Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes” (Ephesians 6:18, TLB).

(4) Reading, studying and memorizing the Word of God. D. L. Moody used to say, “Sin will keep you from this Book (the Bible), or this Book will keep you from sin.” “The word of God is living and active...It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV).

(5) Associating with the right kinds of friends: God’s people. “Do not be misled; bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV). “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25, NIV).

(6) Putting on the whole armor of God (see Ephesians 6:13-18).

(7) Dependence upon the Holy Spirit. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him” (Luke 11:13, KJV).”And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (one to stand alongside), that he may abide with you forever” (John 14:16, KJV).”When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...” (John 16:13, KJV).

Many years ago A.J. Gordon went to the World’s Fair. From a distance he saw a man pumping water with one of those old hand pumps. The water was pouring out and he said as he looked, “That man is really pumping water.” But when he got closer, he discovered that it was a wooden man connected to a pump powered by electricity. The man was not pumping the water, the water was pumping him.

Evangelist Fred Brown used three images to describe the purpose of the law. First he likened it to a dentist’s little mirror, which he sticks into the patient’s mouth. With the mirror he can detect any cavities. But he doesn’t drill with it or use it to pull teeth. It can show him the decayed area or other abnormality, but it can’t provide the solution

Brown then drew another analogy. He said that the law is also like a flashlight. If suddenly at night the lights go out, you use it to guide you down the darkened basement stairs to the electrical box. When you point it toward the fuses, it helps you see the one that is burned out. But after you’ve removed the bad fuse, you don’t try to insert the flashlight in its place. You put in a new fuse to restore the electricity.

In his third image, Brown likened the law to a plumbline. When a builder wants to check his work, he uses a weighted string to see if it’s true to the vertical. But if he finds that he has made a mistake, he doesn’t use the plumbline to correct it. He gets out his hammer and saw. The law points out the problem of sin; it doesn’t provide a solution.

We are afraid that heaven is a bribe, and that if we make it our goal we shall no longer be disinterested. It is not so. Heaven offers nothing that a mercenary soul can desire. It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.

Early one morning the doorbell rang at a pastor's home. There stood a young man, half drunk, in despair, at the end of his own rope. If ever there was a life on the way to shipwreck in a storm of his own creating, it was this young man's. His wife, too, had come through a similar experience. Only 20 years old, she had been married twice, and with children by both husbands had suffered indescribable beatings-a storm of her own making. But in the midst of it all she had seen the face of Christ through the ministry of this faithful pastor. She had been saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, and her life had been radically changed. Now her husband had come before dawn to wake up the preacher and ask for spiritual help. He could no longer live in the storm he had created. What had made him come to himself?-the recent death of a young soldier killed in the line of duty. The whole town was speaking of this fine Christian lad, now dead. The prodigal husband questioned why God would take such a good man who was a blessing to the world, and leave him, a miserable sinner, behind. The answer, of course, is that the young soldier was ready to meet his God, while the prodigal was not. This may be the reason He is keeping you alive. The storms God permits are temporary, but the purpose for which He permits them is eternal.

The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried.

The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. “What’s the trouble, Mr. Brooks?” he asked. “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!” Haven’t we felt the same way many times?

Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God’s Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began.

Thomas a Kempis described that kind of patience in these words: “He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer as much as he thinks proper, and for whom he pleases. The truly patient man asks (nothing) from whom he suffers, (whether) his superior, his equal, or his inferior…But from whomever, or how much, or how often wrong is done to him, he accepts it all as from the hand of God, and counts it gain!”

Edwin Bliss once said, “The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time.”

A perfectionist is someone whose pursuit of excellence has become obsessive since it is a means, not of pleasing God, but of providing a sense of self-worth.

Back in 1934, when the Cunard line was getting ready to name its greatest ocean liner, the consensus was that it should be named after Queen Elizabeth I. A high official is reported to have had an audience with King George V. “We would like to name the ship after England’s greatest queen,” he told the king. “Well,” said King George, “I shall have to ask her.” The ship was promptly named Queen Mary.

Back in 1934, when the Cunard line was getting ready to name its greatest ocean liner, the consensus was that it should be named after Queen Elizabeth I. A high official is reported to have had an audience with King George V. “We would like to name the ship after England’s greatest queen,” he told the king. “Well,” said King George, “I shall have to ask her.” The ship was promptly named Queen Mary.

Bakersfield, Calif. (AP)—The telephone keeps ringing; other workers keep asking questions; the boss schedules another meeting. It’s hard to work or think efficiently surrounded by such normal but distracting interruptions, so a “quiet hour” has been set aside for accounting workers at Contel Service Corp., Western region headquarters for Continental Telephone Co.

They reserve 8 to 9 a.m. to work on long-term projects, research, reports or other creative work that requires concentration.

The quiet hour,” officially called “Achieving Maximum Potential,” was started this fall because the accounting department staff works in a large open area, making it hard t sneak into a quiet corner to concentrate.

“It’s like an invisible force field we can create to allow us one hour of quiet time, said Ted Carrier, Contel’s staff manager for general accounting.

“The managers can close their doors to get a quiet moment,” added Carrier, chief architect of the project. “The rest of us don’t have offices and don’t have doors we can close.”

The Bakersfield office is Contel’s headquarters for 10 Western states, and employees throughout the region are accepting the idea that they can’t telephone the accounting department between 8 and 9 a.m., Carrier said.

“During AMP hour, employees aren’t involved in meetings, errands, running printers or other distracting activity,” Carrier said.

“Quit!” “Give up, you’re beaten,” they shout and plead

there’s just too much against you now, this time you can’t succeed.

And as I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,

my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.

And hope refills my weakened will as I recall that scene,

for just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.

A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,

excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race

or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.

Their fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son,

and each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes of fire,

to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.

One boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd,

was running near the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”

But as he speeded down the field across a shallow dip,

the little boy who thought to win, lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself, his hands, flew out to brace,

and mid the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.

So, down he fell and with him hope, he couldn’t win it now.

Embarrassed, sad, he only wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,

which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,

and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,

his mind went faster than his legs, he slipped and fell again.

He wished that he had quit before with one disgrace.

“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face,

that steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last,

if I’m going to gain those yards, he thought, I’ve got to run real fast.

Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten,

but trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.

Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye,

there’s no sense running anymore—three strikes I’m out—why try?

The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away,

so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.

“I’ve lost, so what’s the use,” he thought, “I’ll live with my disgrace.”

But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low. “Get up and take your place.

You were not meant for failure here, get up and win that race.”

With borrowed will, “Get up,” it said, “you haven’t lost at all,

for winning is not more than this; to rise each time you fall.”

So, up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit,

he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,

still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.

Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner as he crossed, first place;

head high and proud and happy—no falling, no disgrace.

but, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place,

the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,

you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”

To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face,

the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.

And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

“Quit!” “Give up, you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face,

but another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race.”

I walked through a county courthouse square

On a park bench, an old man was sitting there.

I said, “Your courthouse looks kind of run down.”

He said, “No, it’s all right for our little town.”

I said, “But your flag pole leans quite a bit,

And there’s a ragged old flag flying from it.”

He said, “Have a seat,” so I sat down.

He said, “Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town?”

I think that it is.” He said, “We don’t like to brag,

But we’re sort of proud of that ragged old flag.”

“You see it got that hole in it there,

When Washington was crossing the Delaware.”

It got powder burned the night that Francis Scott Key

Was watching and writing, “Oh say can you see.”

It got kind of pulled apart at New Orleans

With Packingham and Jackson tuggin’ at her seams.

She almost fell at the Alamo

With the Texas flag, but she waved on through.

She got cut with a sword at Chancendorville

And another cut at Shiloh Hill.

There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard and Brag

Oh, the south wind blew hard on the ragged old flag.

In Flanders field in World War one

She got that big hole with a Bertha gun.

She turned blood red in World War Two

And hung limp and low before it was through.

She went to Korea and Vietnam

You see, She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.

She waved from ships on the briny foam

But they weren’t waving her much back home.

In her own good land, she was abused.

She was defiled, dishonored, burned, refused,

And the government for which she stands

Is scandalized in many lands.

She’s wearin’ threadbare, she’s mighty thin,

But she’s a good flag for the shape she’s in.

She’s been through the fire before

And I know she can take a while lot more.

So we put her up in the morning

And take her down every night.

We never let her touch the ground

And we fold her up right.

On second thought, I do like to brag

Cause I’m mighty proud of That ragged old flag.

Keith Robinson, in The Encourager, writes:

"When God wanted to authenticate Himself to the ancient world, He called His nation Israel as witness. 'You are my witnesses,'He said, testimony that 'I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord' (Isa 48:10). The people of God served as the undeniable proof of God.

"God's people still offer the most basic and best proof of God. A changed life is still the best testimony of God's power. Divine love reflected in a Christian heart which accepts, forgives and loves the unlovable is still the best witness of the nature of God. Hope that will not die is still the best proof of eternal life. Faith which cannot be shaken even in the face of death is still the best demonstration of the immutability of God's promises.

"We who have been granted the imponderable privilege of partaking in the divine nature (2Pe 1:4), are the witnesses, the demonstration, the proof of the divine presence in the world. Books and lessons and sermons and reason may have their place, but the real test is in the lives of God's chosen people. If that proof is not clear and constant, everything else is just hearsay."

A dying girl said to her father, "Father, why didn't you tell me there was such a place?" "What place?" "A hell!" "Jenny," he said, "there is no such place. God is merciful. There will be no future suffering." She said, "I know better! I'm slipping into eternity this moment. I am lost! Why did you not tell me there was such a place?" We do not want to be accused one day of not having told others, for that will be a witness against us.

In one of his books, Archdeacon Wilson tells a significant story. Some of the best and ablest of the students at a women's Christian college started a class to teach the poorest men in a neglected suburb. They were fired by the noblest impulse-to give themselves to work for their unfortunate brothers. After some months of teaching elementary subjects, they asked the men whether there was anything in particular they wanted to hear more about. There was silence, and then a low whisper was heard from among them. One of the women went up to find out who had spoken. "What was it you wished especially to hear about?" she asked. "Could you tell us something about the Lord Jesus Christ?" asked one of the men. These men, as they looked upon these college students, did not covet their money, their education or their social position, but longed for that which made them what they were, Jesus Christ. This is what the world should be impelled to crave as they look upon us-not the things about us, or the lack of them, as the cause of our happiness-but rather the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Too long, too far, and too low.” Those words have stuck with me ever since I read them in a story about Manfred von Richthofen (“The Red Baron”).

The day was April 21, 1918. Richthofen led his flight of triplanes to search for British observation aircraft. An engagement ensued between a flight of Sopwith Camels led by Canadian Royal Air Force pilot Capt. Arthur Roy Brown. Brown’s friend Lt. Wilfred May was a rookie on his first offensive patrol. May had been ordered to keep out of combat, but couldn’t resist. He jammed his guns and, defenseless, headed away from the battle. Richthofen spotted the lone plane and chose it for kill number 81. Brown observed the scene below him and dove to help his fellow airman, knowing that May was no match for Richthofen. Read what happens next, “It was then, with Brown closing from behind, that Richthofen, usually a meticulous and disciplined fighter pilot, made a mistake and broke one of his own rules by following May too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory. Two miles behind the Allied lines, as Brown caught up with Richthofen and fired, the chase passed over the machine-gun nests of the Australian Field Artillery.” The debate continues over who fired the fatal shot that passed through Richthofen’s torso. Ultimately it doesn’t matter--whether hit from the air or the ground, The Red Baron was mortally wounded.

Richthofen was good. Probably over-confident. But he “broke one of his own rules.” Maybe in his mind was just stretching the rule a bit. Or he was distracted by something that appeared too good to be true. Whatever the case, he compromised his own standards, which led to his demise. For the Red Baron, the temptation of number 81 was too much.

The temptation always exists in ministry to focus on wrong things, forget where you are, and stretch, or compromise, our own rules. It is easy to be distracted by “the numbers” or something else. There are always new gimmicks that will try to lure us away from our first love. You are a target of the enemy. Don’t lose your primary focus. Keep the main thing the main thing. “Fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Heb. 3:1, NIV).

Jean Giono tells the story of Elzeard Bouffier, a shepherd he met in 1913 in the French Alps.

At that time, because of careless deforestation, the mountains around Provence, France, were barren. Former villages were deserted because their springs and brooks had run dry. The wind blew furiously, unimpeded by foliage.

While mountain climbing, Giono came to a shepherd’s hut, where he was invited to spend the night.

After dinner Giono watched the shepherd meticulously sort through a pile of acorns, discarding those that were cracked or undersized. When the shepherd had counted out 100 perfect acorns, he stopped for the night and went to bed.

Giono learned that the 55-year-old shepherd had been planting trees on the wild hillsides for over three years. He had planted 1,100,000 trees, 20,000 of which had sprouted. Of those, he expected half to be eaten by rodents or die to the elements, and the other half to live.

After World War I, Giono returned to the mountainside and discovered incredible rehabilitation: there was a veritable forest, accompanied by a chain reaction in nature. Water flowed in the once-empty brooks. The ecology, sheltered by a leafy roof and bonded to the earth by a mat of spreading roots, become hospitable. Willows, rushes, meadows, gardens, and flowers were birthed.

Giono returned again after World War II. Twenty miles from the lines, the shepherd had continued his work, ignoring the war of 1939 just as he had ignored that of 1914. The reformation of the land continued. Whole regions glowed with health and prosperity.

Giono writes, “On the site of the ruins I had seen in 1913 now stand neat farms….The old streams, fed by the rains and snows that the forest conserves, are flowing again….Little by little, the villages have been rebuilt. People from the plains, where land is costly, have settled here, bringing youth, motion, the spirit of adventure.”

Those who pray are like spiritual reforesters, digging holes in barren land and planting the seeds of life. Through these seeds, dry spiritual wastelands are transformed into harvestable fields, and life-giving water is brought to parched and barren souls.

An old Scotch minister was really disturbed when a fellow minister came to preach in his church, because to his surprise he gave a sermon to sinners. The Scotch minister could not keep the disappointment within him, so he turned to the visiting preacher and said, "Well, Rev. McDonald, that was a very good sermon which you preached, but it is very much out of place. I do not know one single unregenerate person in my congregation."

A little boy sat frustrated and near tears. He was trying to build a toy wagon, but he just could not get the wheels to go on. His dad came along, took the wagon and the four wheels and, in no time at all, had it rolling smoothly along. The boy was grateful for the loving and helpful touch his father added to his life. Though he is no longer a child, he still remembers his father's help that day.

It has been said that any man can be a father but that it takes a special kind of man to be a Dad! The ideal father does more than simply have a part in the procreation of the child, he helps to mold the child throughout his growing years through generous amounts of love, guidance, correction, forgiveness and praise. Fortunate are those who have had a father with whom they had such a personal relationship.

Whether or not this has been the case for you, this much is for certain: we can all experience the ultimate father-child relationship when we experience God as our heavenly Father.

Several years ago an eastern paper reported this story: One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drive, the faster the truck did. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help.

The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the back seat. The woman was running from the wrong person.

From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman’s car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.

Likewise, many people run from God, fearing what he might do to them. But His plans are for good not evil—to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. - Michael J. Petri

If you were born after 1950, you might not know the story of Ben Hur. This classic book written by a Civil War general, Lew Wallace, in 1899, was turned into a movie starring Charleton Heston, which won the Academy Award for best movie in 1959. It is a towering story of love, of suffering, of the struggle of good against evil, and finally of triumph. Judah Ben Hur, the story’s hero, grows up with his boyhood friend, Marsalla. They are ancient, Mideastern Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Judah is, of course, a Jew, and Marsalla, a Gentile. Judah is the heir of a very great and wealthy house in Jerusalem. Marsalla is a promising military man who trained in Rome as a soldier, then returned to Jerusalem as the leader of the Roman occupation forces.

During a parade, a tile falls from the roof of Judah Ben Hur’s house and strikes the new Roman rule. Judah is falsely arrested and sent to row as a slave in a Roman military ship. Marsalla knew it was an accident and could have prevented Judah’s arrest, but because of his lust for power, didn’t. In addition, Judah’s mother and sister are imprisoned in Jerusalem.

Judah hates Marsalla, and while in the belly of the military ship, providing the power for naval warfare, he vows that he will live, return to Jerusalem and free his mother and sister. Slaves in such ships rarely lived for more than a year. Judah had been rowing for three years when, in the heat of a naval battle, his ship was sunk. He saved the commander of the ship, and as a reward, was given his freedom and adopted by the commander, who was the top naval officer in the Roman navy, a very powerful and wealthy man.

He returns to Jerusalem with all the wealth and power of his new identity, and confronts the astonished Marsalla, who assumed he had been dead for years. Ben Hur demanded that Marsalla find and release from prison his mother and sister. Marsalla finds them in prison, but they have leprosy, so he whisks them away to the leper colony outside Jerusalem to live out a pitiful existence. Ben Hur is told that they are dead. His hate for Marsalla grows, and in a chariot race in which Marsalla and Judah Ben Hur are the primary figures, Marsalla is killed. With his dying breath, Marsalla, out of spite, tells Judah the truth about his mother and sister.

Judah’s hate now no longer has an object to focus on. He generalizes his hatred and becomes a bitter shell of his former self. Finally, in desperation he goes to the leper colony to get his mother and sister to take them to Jesus, this great preacher who has been performing miracles. When they get to Jerusalem where they think they will find Him, they discover that He has just been crucified. Now, all hope is gone, and despair settles over them. However, in the hours and earthquakes rocked the city, Judah’s mother and sister are healed of the leprosy, and Judah’s heart, along with his mother’s and sister’s, is turned to Jesus. Their faith, their health and their lives are restored.

It is a towering story, deeply moving, and an exquisite portrayal of the power, grace and love of Jesus. Why did I tell you about Ben Hur? Because of this interesting twist. As Paul Harvey would say, this is “the rest of the story.” When Lew Wallace set out to study the life of Christ, he was not a Christian. In fact, writing a story such as Ben Hur was the farthest thing from his mind. Wallace was antagonistic toward Christianity, and determined he would study the life of Christ so thoroughly, and then write so convincingly, that he would be able to kill the story of Christ. He wanted to prove that Jesus, if He had lived, was not God, but merely a man, that He never rose from the dead, and that Christianity was a hoax.

So he studied. This great and enormous subject drew him further and further into his research until the evidence overwhelmed him. He dropped to his knees and cried out to Jesus to be his Savior and Lord. Then, instead of writing a book to prove to the world that Jesus was not God, he wrote Ben Hur, to try to prove to the world that Jesus was God.

1. He is the Son of God (Rom. 1:4)

2. Salvation is completed and His sacrifice accepted (Rom. 4:24-5)

3. Believers can live holy lives (Rom. 6:4)

4. We have an intercessor in glory (Rom. 8:34)

5. He is Lord (Rom. 14:9)

6. He will one day come to judge (Acts 17:31)

7. The dead will one day be raised (John 5:24-9)

“Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand.” - Augustine

Peter Eldersveld tells of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, "All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o'clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once." The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn't make sense.

But finally, at 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. "Why are you here?" the rich man asked him. "Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed," the other replied. "And do you believe the promise?" "Yes, I do." "Why do you believe it?" persisted the employer. "Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone." The rich man took the bill and marked it "Paid in full," at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, "I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn't be true, and now I'm going out to show them." "Wait," said his benefactor, "it's not quite twelve o'clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity." When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked.

Several years ago, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought forty-five used weather balloons. That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.

Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky—smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country.

Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:

“Where you scared?”

“Yes.”

“Would you do it again?”

“No.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Because,” he said, “you can’t just sit there.”

A young foreign nobleman came across the English Channel to consult the great English physician, Dr. Forbes Winslow. "Doctor," he said, "I do not know what is the matter with me. I cannot sleep-I am troubled night and day on account of my sins." "Oh," said the doctor, "you are seeking the help of the wrong physician," and instead of his Materia Medica, he took down his Bible and read from the 53rd chapter of Isaiah: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." He knelt in prayer with the nobleman, who went back to his home rejoicing in salvation.

When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, “He’s so big we can never kill him.”

David looked at the same giant and though, “He’s so big I can’t miss.”

Someone cursed Benjamin Franklin, charging that the Constitution of the United States was a farce. "Where is all the success that it guarantees us?" he sneered. Franklin, smiling, answered, "My friend, the Constitution guarantees only the right to the pursuit of happiness." Psa 34:14 tells us to not only seek peace but pursue it.

A young couple rented a vacation cottage for a week. One afternoon the husband looked out a window at the swimming pool and exclaimed, “Let’s change our clothes and go get some exercise!? His wife, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen and looking out the window watching some people play tennis, quickly agreed. While she dressed for a tennis match, he put on his swimming trunks.

The window a person chooses to look out at the world often determines that individual’s perception of reality.

“The road is too rough,” I said,

“Dear Lord, there are stones that hurt me so.”

And He said, “Dear child, I understand,

I walked it long ago.”

“But there’s a cool green path,” I said;

“Let me walk there for a time.”

“No child,” He gently answered me,

“The green path does not climb.”

“My burden,” I said, “Is far too great,

How can I bear it so?”

“My child,” He said, “I remember the weight;

I carried My cross, you know.”

But I said, “I wish there were friends with me

Who would make my way their own.”

“Oh, yes,” He said, “Gethsemane

Was hard to bear alone.”

And so I climb the stony path,

Content at last to know

That where my Master had not gone,

I would not need to go.

And strangely then I found new friends,

The burden grew less sore;

And I remember—long ago

He went that way before.

- Olga J. Weiss

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn’t know Him.

But later on when I met Christ it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don’t know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable...It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, he said, “Pedal!” I worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are You taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord’s and mine.

And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light. I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore, He just smiles and says...”Pedal.”

My friend Dr. Roy Gustafson has the finest illustration of justification I have ever heard. It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday. While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, "I'm having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?" Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.

As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, "How much is this going to cost me?" So when he got back to England, he wrote the people a letter and asked how much he owed them. He received a letter from the office that read: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce." That is justification!

1 Contubernum = 8 soldiers

1 Century = 10 Contubernums (80 to 100 men)

1 Cohort = 6 Centuries (500 to 600 men)

1 Legion = 10 Cohorts (6,000 men)

At the time of Jesus, Rome had an estimated 500,000 troops in its army.

Legions were placed in two major Roman cities of Palestine, Sebaste in Samaria and Caesarea on the Mediterranean. A military force was also kept in Jerusalem at the Antonia fortress, guarding Herod’s temple palace. During Jewish feasts, Rome moved additional troops into the city to ensure order.

It was to a Gentile Roman centurion and his troops that fell the gruesome task of crucifying Jesus and the two men with Him. The officer had likely observed Jesus’ trial, final march to the execution, crucifixion, and response to the crowd that mocked Him. He had seen the sky turn black at midday, felt the earth quake, and heard Jesus’ last, exhausted death cry. A Gentile who probably had little regard for Hebrew religion, he was left with no doubt that the man he had seen die was not only “a righteous man” (Luke 23:47), but was in fact the very Son of God (Mark 15:39; Matt. 27:54).

The Romans Road is probably the best known and most widely used method of presenting the plan of salvation. It is good to have an outline to keep on track and thus be open to the Holy Spirit directing you to particular verses that fit the occasion. (Rom. 3:23, 6:23; 5:8; 10:9, 10, 13).

There is a Romans Road that leads to Heaven! But, it is not one of the roads that was built by Caesar’s workmen. It is not posted on any of the 53,000 miles of roads that the Romans built.

You will find the “Romans Road to Heaven” clearly marked in the Book of Romans, and that book is the sixth book in the New Testament.

This small book of sixteen chapters was written by the Apostle Paul while he was at Corinth. He sent it to the Christians at Rome by the hands of Phoebe, servant of the church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1.2).

Luke tells the story of two thieves who were crucified the day that Jesus died. One of them was lost forever. The other thief was saved forever. He heard Jesus say, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). He confessed that he was lost, guilty and deserving of death! (Luke 23:40-42).

The unconverted thief died in his sins (Luke 23:39).

The repentant thief died to his sins (Luke 23:42).

Jesus Christ died for our sins (I Tim. 1:15).

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“Wherefore as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

All have sinned. I have sinned. You have sinned. But here is good news, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Now, open your Bible or New Testament to the Book of Romans. Together, now, let us draw a map of the Romans Road to Heaven.

HOW TO DRAW THE MAP: First, start at Romans 3:10. Underline this verse and in the margin, write, “The Road to Heaven Starts Here.” Then in the margin write, Romans 3:23.

Now turn to Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Again, in the margin write, Romans 5:12.

Now turn to Romans 5:12, and beside that verse write, Romans 5:8. Underline verse 8, and beside it write, Romans 10:9-13.

Now read those verses:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hat raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-13).

That is the map. You can follow this biblical road map to heaven. You can use this road map to lead others to heaven.

The Bible says that all have sinned. For this read Romans 3:10 and 3:23.

The price of sin is death. For this read Romans 5:12 and 6:23.

Jesus paid the price for our sins. For this, read Romans 5:8.

Now are you willing to ask God to forgive you of your sins? Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Savior, the One who paid the price for your sins?

Then pray this prayer, or one like it...

Dear God, I believe that Jesus Christ came to be my Savior. I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and come into my heart now. Take me as I am and make me what you want me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

According to the Bible, if you die in your sins you will go to hell. But if you confess your sins, and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, He gives to you the free gift of eternal life and you are on the Romans Road to Heaven.

Business is made up of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.

Keep track of what you do; someone is sure to ask.

Be comfortable around senior managers, or learn to fake it.

Never bring your boss a problem without some solution. You are getting paid to think, not to whine.

Long hours don’t mean anything; results count, not effort.

Write down ideas; they get lost, like good pens.

Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your boss.

Be sure to sit at the conference table—never by the wall.

Help other people network for jobs. What goes around comes around.

Don’t take sick days—unless you are.

Assume no one can/will keep a secret.

Know when you do your best—morning, night, under pressure, relaxed; schedule and prioritize your work accordingly.

Treat everyone in the organization with respect and dignity, whether it be the janitor or the president. Don’t ever be patronizing.

When you get the entrepreneurial urge, visit someone who has his own business. It may cure you.

Never appear stressed in front of a client, a customer or your boss. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: in the course of human events, how important is this?

Recognizing someone else’s contribution will repay you doubly.

Career planning is an oxymoron. The most exciting opportunities ten to be unplanned.

Always choose to do what you’ll remember ten years from now.

The size of your office is not as important as the size of your paycheck.

Understand what finished work looks like and deliver your work only when it is finished.

The person who spends all of his or her time at work is not hard-working; he or she is boring.

Know how to write business letters—including thank-you notes as well as proposals.

Never confuse a memo with reality. Most memos from the top are political fantasy.

Eliminate guilt. Don’t cheat on expense reports, taxes, benefits or your colleagues.

Reorganizations mean that someone will lose his or her job. Get on the task force that will make the recommendations.

Job security does not exist.

Children are a source of truth and ideas. The best icebreaker to use in intense meetings is one I heard from a six-year-old: “Raise your hand who’s mad.”

Always have an answer to the question “What would I do if I lost my job tomorrow?”

Go to the company holiday party.

Don’t get drunk at the company holiday party.

Avoid working on the weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.

The most successful people in business are interesting.

Sometimes you’ll be on a roll and everything will click; take maximum advantage. When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.

Never in your life say, “It’s not my job.”

Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself.

Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Whenever you have an opportunity, use them.

People remember the end of the project. As they say in boxing, “Always finish stronger than you start.

May have derived from Zadok, high priest under King David.

Tended to represent the aristocrats, priests, merchants, and urban elite in Jerusalem and other cities in Judea.

Hostile to Jesus and His followers.

Many served on the council. Most of the high priests in the days of Jesus and the apostles were Sadducees.

Denied the resurrection or life after death, along with the doctrines of everlasting punishment and a literal kingdom.

Denied that God controls history, insisting on free will and the responsibility of humans to make wise choices according to the Law.

Held only to the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament) as supremely authoritative.

Denied the existence of angels.

A man who had hitchhiked from coast to coast and had walked many miles in the process was asked what he had found the most difficult to endure. To the surprise of his questioner it was not the steep mountains or the dazzling sun or the scorching desert heat that had troubled him, but, in the words of the traveler, "it was the sand in my shoe."

Frequently the little things in life make the practice of the Christian faith most difficult. Somehow the great trials of life-moments of crisis, of serious illness, of death and bereavement-have a way of raising us and bringing us closer to the only source of spiritual strength, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

But those smaller trials, how they plague us! How they succeed again and again in causing us to fail and stumble. Those little irritations in the home, those endless vexations at the shop or office, those little rubs with the neighbors, those petty quarrels at church-those are the "sand in our shoe," which wear our Christianity thin.

10 year old Lawrence Shields was picking through a bucket of dirt at a commercial gem mine in North Carolina last week when he found an interesting rock. “I just like the shape of it,” he says. It turned out to be a 1061-carat sapphire. Lawrence and his parents say they’ve been told it could be worth more than $35,000.

Evangelist Gypsy Smith said that once, when a group of gypsies were forced to cross a swollen stream, a great number of men were drowned. One young man made a desperate attempt to save his mother who kept clinging to him. Several times he pushed her away, saying, "Let go, Mother, and I can save you." But she would not heed him and was lost. At the funeral, the son stood by his mother's grave and said over and over, "How hard I tried to save you, Mother, but you wouldn't let me!" These are the tragic words that we shall hear Jesus Christ say to many in eternity one day, "How hard I tried to save you, but you wouldn't let me. Your will was the great hindrance."