The Gores have split after 40 year. Yep! Tipper and Al are going their separate ways. One daughter had already divorced and the other decided to call it quits as well. It seems that more and more people are splitting their marriage and giving up on the vows they have made. It is a sad state of affairs.

At our recent couples’ retreat I shared the following rules for a lasting marriage. Read them carefully and make your marriage “until death do us part.”

Lessons for couples:

Eight rules for a lasting marriage by James Hinkle

1. Always acknowledge the presence of the other spouse.
2. Listen before you answer.
3. Elevate your spouse above all others.
4. Watch for opportunities to complement the other spouse.
5. Never entertain thoughts that your marriage is bad.
6. Never think that others’ marriage is better than yours.
7. Pray for your spouse every day.
8. Always be ready do things for your spouse as much as you would do things for others.

This verse has always fascinated me. I have often heard the expression, “He is impossible.” It doesn’t take long to run into some of those impossible people in our daily walk. We pray “Lord! Give me patience and please hurry.”

I suppose that Paul understood the problem as well or better than most. He met people all over who would not listen to any form of reason. “Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up.”

At Lystra (Acts 14) Paul and Barnabas were about to be worshiped as gods when they stopped the sacrifice. It took only a few verses later before the people stoned Paul, dragged him outside the city thinking that he was dead. What a fiasco!

The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius once pinned the following lines:

I am going to be meeting people today who talk too much –
People who are selfish, egotistical, ungrateful.
But I won’t be surprised or disturbed
For I can’t imagine a world without such people.

Maybe Paul was telling the Romans just to be patient with people. Try to see the good in others. Overlook the bad. Suit your actions to what is inside of you not on what is external to you.

Our world could be a much better place. The church could be a happier place. “As it depends on you”.

Have you spent much thought about your personal integrity? We don’t want to become obsessed with showcasing our character but it might be good to give it some consideration.

Here are some questions to ponder:

* Am I the person others believe me to be?
* When others are not observing, am I still a person of integrity?
* Am I perceived to be an honest person?
* Am I someone who can be trusted?
* If my books were opened how would they read?
* Does my character exude love, grace and humility?

Some are heard to say about certain people, “He’s a character.” What they mean is that he is a bit strange in thinking and habits. He might have certain antisocial habits that isolate him from normal activity.

The same word that is translated “Character” in Romans 5:4 is translated “stand the test” in II Corinthians 2:9. (“severe trial” – II Corinthians 8:2, “demanding proof” II Corinthians 13:3) Paul uses the same word with his appraisal of Timothy in Philippians 2:22. “You know that Timothy has proved himself”.

Some people seem unconcerned about their reputation. Shepherds are to have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. (I Timothy 3:7) Maybe we should all be a bit concerned about our character.

Patience and perseverance can produce character and character will not disappoint us because it brings hope.

I love to sing the song “The Kingdoms of earth pass away one by one but the Kingdom of heaven remains.” It points to an everlasting truth that God is the only guarantee of permanency in our ever-changing world.

If I go back to where I grew up the changes are enormous. The high school where I went to school is still there but the changes are many. The place where I lived as a child is still there but there are houses now standing where I spent many a hot day picking cotton. The old barn is long gone where I milked the cows in the early morning and late evening.

People that I once knew have grown old and many are no longer on this side of eternity. The cars that I thought were so cool are now in the junk yard or made into classics. They now are reserved for parades and old car museums.

Jesus laid a great burden on all His people when he talked about the kingdom that is not of this earth. He is talking about the way the kingdom begins and grows. It is a matter of what is going on inside our hearts. The seed of the kingdom is the word of God. The soil of the kingdom is the good and honest hearts that will open for the master to come in.

When the word is planted in our hearts and grows we become part of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Even death is conquered by those who become part of King Jesus’ worldwide and everlasting rule.

The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one but the kingdom of heaven will never end!

There is an apocryphal story about a village warrior in a cannibal village in a remote South Pacific Island. He came down with a stomach ailment and went to the local witch doctor for help. After the good doctor had given him a careful check-up he diagnosed the malady: “You are just fed up with people.”

People that are different from us are sometimes rejected. Peter was an apostle of Jesus, specially chosen to be the chief spokesman on the beginning day of the church. He had spent 3 ½ years with our Lord and could have been a learner at His feet.

Yet, there was one important truth that Peter had failed to learn: God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. (Acts 10:34, 35) It took a series of miracles to convince this beloved apostle to look at people through the eyes of Jesus.

Don’t be surprised that after 2,000 years we still have an “eye problem”. Seeing others as God sees them is no easy task. We see what they wear, drive and do. We see where they live and with whom they chum. We make our judgment on the bases of outward appearances.

It is difficult to look deeper into the hearts of people we see each day. It is no easy task to look at people through the eyes of God. But we must do it. We may not do it as well as God but we can move in His direction. After all, only God can look down on people. James

There is something that makes God laugh. It is not that it’s so funny but that it’s so sad. God laughs in derision at those who think they can accomplish things without him. Those who think they can breathe without His oxygen. Those who want to live without His food and water. Those who forget God and the world HE has made.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21) Why plan without God. Why makes any move without saying If God is willing. (James 4:14) Without divine support and help, no human effort can really be successful.

I should be in Tauranga, New Zealand when you get this bulletin. The time there is 17 hours ahead of Tennessee time. That means that it is already Monday here. Many of you have expressed to me that you will be praying for the work there. I received a call from Miriam Masters Tuesday night and she wanted me to know that she is praying for the work in NZ. Please keep praying!

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

I should return, Lord willing, on March 18 and will be back in the Burns pulpit on March 21. Matthew will bring good lessons and you have the opportunity to hear Jeff Kuhns once again.

I try to live by this verse: Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)

If we have oozed out of some slime millions of years ago and have reached the present state of being a humanoid, who are we and of what value? How do we place a value on us humans? Is it because of the chemical makeup of our physical natures? Do we arrive at great value because we can think about things and plan ahead? Are we valuable because we are ahead of others animals in our evolutionary process?

Any evolutionary theory of how man came to be winds up being degrading to humans. If all we are is more advanced animals, where is the super value we put on humans. Why not just bury the death and shoot the wounded in Haiti and let other animals take their place?

You must understand that humans are of immense value. Not because they have evolved more than other animals but because there is a God in heaven who has put his mark on his creation and man is the climax of his creation. He who created Adam from the dust and Eve from his rib breathed into them the breath of life and man became living beings in his image.

Man has fallen – oh how he has fallen – but he remains in the image of God. He is valued because he is created by God. We don’t just ignore the suffering in Haiti because they are men and women, boys and girls created in the image of God. Being special creatures of God makes them valuable.

Man has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, But no matter how far man falls he still retains the glory of God. God thought so much of His creation that he sent his son to make us right again. How valuable is that?

The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once wrote:

I am going to meet people today who talk too much –
People who are selfish, egotistical, ungrateful.
But I won’t be surprised or disturbed
For I can’t imagine a world without such people.

As people living in a fallen world we are battered by outward circumstances that seem bent on our destruction. It is easy to fall victim to the old diabolical adage that we have no control over what happens to us. So we spend our lives blaming others or basting in self-pity.

God is never happy when we fail to take personal responsibility for our thinking, attitudes and actions. “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)  Through right thinking we can move to godly faith.  When we move to godly faith we can begin to squeeze out of life hidden good that life has to offer.

What do you expect to se in your life?  Most of us are aware that we get out of life more than we expect when we walk withy God. When we walk against God or treat Him with indifference, what could we expect?

What kind of people are you going to meet today?  Will they all be kind and accepting of you? Will they offend you by their rejection?  Will you be angered by others actions and reactions?

Maybe we could learn to listen more and talk less.  We might be able to control our thoughts better and feel less rejected when people don’t do what we expect. What kind of people do you expect to meet today?  Since we don’t always have a choice of what people we might meet in a given day a better question is “How will we respond?”

Knowing and learning are the tools of the preacher.  He must always be reading and studying to be sure that he speaks from the overflow and not drain the brain before he completes a lesson. The ministry of study is a choice that preachers must make early in their ministry or they will not last long in the pulpit.

The problem that I have is that the more I study the more I realize my ignorance. The wider my knowledge becomes the more I know I don’t know.  It is only the ignorant who know everything and can be positive. It is only the ignorant who become fanatics. The more I learn, the more I know I need to learn.

Many years ago I heard a prominent preacher say that he had not changed his mind on a subject since he was very young.  That seems to be a rash statement to me.  I am ever learning as I study my Bible.  I learn new truths and desire to share them with others.  I did that last Sunday and I will have another go at it this Lord’s Day.

The Bible is an ocean of God’s truth and none can swim the Atlantic.  We study and learn and grow and prepare.  We open the books and wade into the ocean of truth and put into action the things we learn.  It is a wonderful day when we give up on perfect understanding of the Word and just do the parts we understand.

It is a happy day when we realize that it is because of the death of Jesus that we can be right with God. Christians are not perfect people but people who have been perfected by the grace of God found in Christ Jesus.

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1      James

There are few of us who have not had a share in some conflict that has arisen among us.  Churches and communities are alive with external and internal fighting. We have been fortunate to have avoided any bad fights for the last seven years.  Praise God!

The verse above is in the context of wise leaders who are peacemakers and not peace destroyers. 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.18  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Strife is never initiated by wise leaders who are peacemakers.  It is not something that is necessary in a local body.  It is of the devil and fits with his desire to make people miserable.  Strife that is destructive is when men allow the devil to get inside.  It is internal “among you”.

Human nature is in the grip of an internal invasion.  Satan’s army of occupation is on the prowl eagerly ready to devour. Satan’s natural aim is to cause as much confusion and conflict as possible.  His diabolical mind knows that one way to discourage the work of the Lord is to get disciples discouraged.

God’s Spirit is in control in the Christian’s life.  The evil desires of Satan cannot be allowed to invade and make a home base. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (4:7).

If an angel suddenly appeared to you what would be your first reaction? I would look for the trick and at what is going on that could cause this trick. Maybe you would just accept it as real and go with the instructions the angel gives.

An angel appeared to Zechariah as he ministered in the temple. His reaction was expected. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. (Luke 1:12)

Next on Gabriel’s agenda was a visit to a young virgin of Nazareth. Her reaction is also expected. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)

When Joseph had learned of Mary’s pregnancy he considered his options. Then the angel came and helped him make the right decision. Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Imagine how the sleepy shepherds must have felt as they were recipients of a visit from and angel. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:9)

After Jesus had resigned his flesh to suffer his fate on the cross, An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (Luke 22:43)

The Bible ends with the testimony of an angel. (Revelation 22:16) We remember the angel and we rejoice!

Change doesn’t come easy. Some have given in to the devilish idea that a person cannot change. What one is is destined and there is no power to change.

People in Jeremiah’s day felt the same way. We have little or no power to change the direction of our lives and we should just accept the way we are and make the best of it. What a defeatist attitude. Human beings become like a dog with instincts or a lemming that cannot help but rush into the nearest ocean and drown.

“Choose you this day whom you will serve” says Joshua to his people. He understood that men were created with the freedom to choose. What we choose, we are accountable for the choices we make. Accountability makes no sense when there is no choice.

We often complain of living powerless, of living by the expectations of others and being prevented by external circumstances from making real change. “Since I was a child I have felt” (You fill in the rest). I was born with Ethiopian skin and I cannot change. I have the spots of a leopard and I have no hope of change. Look again at the verse from Jeremiah. Can Ethiopians change their skin or leopards their spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. (NRSV)

We are not passive victims of life. We do make choices. We do have the power to change the major directions of our lives. We struggle and we fight and we make better choices then the outcome will be better.

“Pride is the root of all evil,” so some have declared. Pride led Adam and Eve to make bad decisions. Pride led the people of Babel to choose the wrong direction. Pride has been the detrimental cause of many a fall.

Pride puffs up the chest. Pride seeks to be the center of attraction. Pride wants to be the focus of every gathering and the source of all attention. In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. (Psalm 10:4) When pride comes, then comes disgrace. (Proverbs 11:2)

This verse leads to another problem with pride. There is a kindred emotion to pride that can so devastate you that recovery can become impossible. Once you have flexed your muscle of pride you can fall into the emotion of shame. When pride begins its destruction, shame follows closely behind.

Shame will cause you to hide from God. Adam and Eve felt the need to hide in the Garden and could have lived in shame for the rest of their lives. God was not willing to let them live in their shame and he came to them with a new way for living that included moving from the Garden.

When the fall occurs because of pride you have the tendency to avoid. The erring husband avoids going home. The worker avoids going to work. The offender avoids facing the questions from his constituents. The Christian might even avoid the only help that is available to him. He will avoid the church.

I have found that church people are the most forgiving of all the people in our world. We are taught to say “But there for the grace of God, go I.” We understand that we are forgiven to forgive.

When pride seeks to destroy don’t let shame keep you down. When a haughty spirit causes you to fall, let Jesus help you up.

Boaz has checked it out; Ruth is a woman of character.  Her character is known in the town.  He does not realize that he and Ruth are destined to become the ancestors of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He only knows that she is a woman of character.

“Character Counts” is a program that caught on a few years ago in the nation’s schools. Our nation was being buried in the manure of character failures.  We had reached the epitome of degradation and character failures.  It was time for us to regain the old ways that brought the character of individuals to the forefront.

We had moved from the character ethic to the personality ethic.  Stephen Covey is his book The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People notes this change in emphasis in our nation.  He found that the literature in early American focused on qualities of honesty, integrity, virtue, and faithfulness.

Today the literature shows a dramatic shift toward a personality ethic that focuses on learning to manipulate, look good, personal satisfaction and a move people toward goals. There is a growing awareness that somewhere we have taken a wrong turn.  Our jails are full of young and old who attempt short cuts to happiness and find the road is full of potholes and pain and disappointment.

God has always shared with us that Character Counts:  3 we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5)  Without character there is little room for hope.  We need to get our nation back to attending church, studying the Bible and living the way we were designed to live.  Only then can we become a great nation. People who have no knowledge of God and His word have a hard time with character. Let’s get with God’s program because Character Counts.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, James Allen, an English clergyman, wrote a remarkable book he titled As a Man Thinketh. He based his book on the verse above.  Through the intervening years the book has inspired countless numbers of people. The central message of the book is “good thoughts can never produce bad results; bad thoughts can never produce good results.” It is a very simple formula.

The brain is a marvelous and vital part of our wonderful human machine.  No amount of time for any amount of evolution can explain the brain.  It is God made and God infused. No matter what action one takes it is anticipated and followed by thought. The Bible has told us that we are what we think.  Think about such things (Philippians 4:8) is a given in the Bible.

How can I be a kind person? Think kind thoughts. How can I become a contented person? Think contented thoughts. You can live out what you think. Healthy living is a product of healthy minds.  Thinking can determine the direction of your life.

John Chapman wrote, “Our goodness comes solely from thinking on goodness; our wickedness from thinking on wickedness.” You want to live a good life and avoid the pitfalls of the modern transgressor? Avoid the thinking that can lead you to bad choices and diabolical action.  Want to get out of the ruts you have found so debilitating? Change the way you think. Troubled people have troubled minds.

If you find that your life is crazy, work on your thinking patterns.  Bad patterns of thinking can destroy our lives just as cancer can destroy our bodies. Paul is clear about our thinking. Fix your thoughts on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things (Philippians 4:8)

James is a practical man as he writes his book. If you want to get some practical advice for your daily living, read this little book. In the paragraph that contains the above verse, James has talked about making plans for the future. Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.

Most of us will make plans for the future and will expect to accomplish what we plan. Planning is certainly a legitimate activity. But why does James seem to downgrade it. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.

There is more to the statement than meets the eye at first look. How true it is that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We are not even sure what will happen today. Tomorrow may never come for us. You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

It is not that James doesn’t want us to plan for tomorrow. It is not that he forbids advanced planning. What he really wants is for us to realize that tomorrow is the Lord’s and we must never make plans without Him in mind. You ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Making plans for tomorrow or next week or next year is only as secure as our plans for including God in them. Any success that we might have tomorrow will depend on whether the Lord gives us tomorrow. If tomorrow never comes then what? Will we be in relationship with Jesus that will sustain us if tomorrow never comes. Planning with God in mind just makes sense in our world of insecurity and uncertainness. It is good and right to say we will do this and that tomorrow IF THE LORD WILL.

Our understanding of God governs everything else about our lives. What we do on Sunday. What we do on Monday-Saturday. How we work at our job. How we treat our neighbor. Where we spend our money. What activities we choose to participate in.

Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem in 445 B.C for the express purpose of rebuilding the fallen walls of the city. He was a man of one mind. He was able to get the people focused on the task at hand. Along with Ezra the scribe, he was successful in getting the people to acknowledge their sin and bring praise to God.

The rest of the verse above has the focus of all our praise to the God of creation. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. The God who created this world and sustains it is worthy of all praise.

Perhaps in this 21st century of skepticism and doubt, it would be good to go back and reflect on the creation of the world. We are met on every hand with what the scientist had found out about the earth. We are led further into a world of nothing to a world of nothing. Matter created all life and matter is easier to deal with than a God of all power.

Our world is floundering on the brink of total disaster. There is no fear of God in the heart of today’s citizens. While our world collapses men are moving away from the one who can bring stability to society. We must stand in the gap and proclaim the God of the Bible and be sure that we have our ducks in order in our own faith.

It is not enough to out argue the world we must out live the world. Grow in our understanding of God and grow closer to Him. That is where the hope of the world lies.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. Ephesians 6:7

If you want to study one of the great characters of the Bible you only have to go to a man by the name of Caleb. He was that other spy that came back from the first trip to Canaan and with Joshua stood with God and said that the land could be conquered with God’s help. The other ten said it couldn’t be done and preferred to go back into the wilderness for forty years.

I punched in the word “wholeheartedly” into my computer and five times the word applies to Caleb. He is said to have followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’ (Num. 32:12; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8, 9, 14). One translation gives the phrase as “He stuck to his guns, heart and soul.”

What does it mean to wholeheartedly serve the Lord? It may be defined with what it is not. It certainly is not half-hearted commitment to the Lord. It is not a take-it-or-leave form of service. It is more than one hour each week dedicated to serve Him. Most of us could tell others what it is not.

“Whole” and “heartedly” seem to go together. When one’s heart is wholly committed to something the whole mind and strength and soul are in harmony with the direction of one’s life. There is no question where your heart lies and your allegiance is focused.

The passage above is in the context of slaves serving their masters. Paul enlightens us and confirms what it means to serve wholeheartedly. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

Not just when you think others are looking. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. (I Thess. 2:4) Be wholly doing the will of God from your heart.

Champions learn to play hurt. We know that our favorite football player must play sometimes hurting.  He can’t just stop when he is hurt.  I once read a story about a man who played a half of the game with a broken arm.  That may be a bit beyond the call of duty.

“Amateurs can produce when they feel like it. Pros can produce when they don’t feel like it.” There is a local advertiser whose slogan seems to be “Life dose not have to hurt.”  I’m not sure about that. Life has its hurts.  Pain is a way of life for many this side of eternity.

Perhaps the character of a man is more evident when he has his back to the wall.  What we are really comes out when the pressure rises.  It is at this point that our faith really comes out.  If there is no testing of faith there is no certainty that we are really true believers.  James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Paul was a man familiar with pain.  He faced it with strength and fortitude.  It was a daily battle with difficulty.  When Paul pleaded with the Father to remove the thorn in his flesh, He answered: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

We don’t always equate power and weakness, but Paul did.  When we think of our walk with Jesus, we often can quit because of some pain in our physical of emotional make-up.  It is at this time that our faith is being tested and we need to endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ (II Timothy 2:3)

Some concepts in the Bible and the words used today to describe them need to be rescued from man-made distortions.  These distortions have accumulated through the years and have reversed the original meaning that we find in the Holy Scriptures.  We believe that we should go back to the Bible, not just to the current use of Bible concepts.

The word deacon is one of those words that we have a lot of baggage attached to and it is difficult for us to go back to the Bible for our understanding.  What pops into our minds when a word is used is conditioned by our own experiences and background.  Pastor is one of those words. When the word is used a certain idea, based on past experiences, pops into our minds.  Depending on our background the word deacon is likewise fraught with imbedded ideas.

Jesus has forever changed the use of the word deacon.  He has placed the responsibility on all his disciples that they be deacons.  Deacons in the text above is somewhat akin to a household servant.  A deacon is one who cares for the needs of others.  He is one who leads in a particular ministry, ministering out love to meet the needs of the local body.

If translators had translated the word rather than make an English word out of the Greek word, it would have simply been servant or minister.  Then we could get on with what Jesus said in Matthew 20: find a need and meet it by serving others.  That way we could all be ministers in the Kingdom and obey the orders of our beloved King.

Long-standing traditional boundaries very often restrict our freedom to think under the direction of the Holy Spirit in the Word. What could this church be like if all of us would show the attitude of Jesus in serving others?

What would it take to get people to wake up and be zealous/earnest about what is right and repent?  Would it take a natural disaster the size of Noah’s flood? Would a tsunami make us aware that this world is not our home? Would an invasion of our country so shock us that we would get involved in our spiritual nature and repent and turn our live over to a higher power?

The verse above calls for immediate repentance and a constant and continuous zeal for the Lord. The purpose of the Lord is to save. Jesus died to bring it about. God is concerned that we turn away from sin and turn to him. Paul describes it this way in I Thessalonians 1:9 how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

As a church we could add a lot of zeal to our lives and begin making more of a difference in our community.  It is a little like the church that caught fire on Sunday night and the little community came out to observe.  One old fellow who had never darkened the door of the church was there watching.  One friend said to him, “Well, Bill, I never thought that you would come to church” His reply was cutting: “I never saw the church on fire before.”

We believe that we should light a candle and not just curse the darkness.  Many are living in this community and have no knowledge of God.  They can’t tell you the different between Abraham and George Washington. Our world is like Nineveh of old who cannot tell their right hand from their left (Jonah 4:11)

We need zeal for Jesus to tell our family, our friends and our neighbors that in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

When you look at the life of Jesus from a human standpoint, you might conclude that his life was a failure. From a purely human standpoint he didn’t do much.

He never traveled more than a few miles from his hometown. He never wrote any books. He never painted any pictures in giant cathedrals. He might have built a good yoke for oxen that fit well, but they are long gone and almost forgotten.

He never ran for public office. He never owned large portions of land. He never had thousands working for him in a business. He never invented something that made medical or aviation history.

He was a simple Galilean peasant who changed the world. More books have been written about him than any other in history. More cathedrals have been erected in his honor. More political systems have been affected by his followers and his teaching. More travelers have carried the word of this man to more places on the earth than any other. More pictures and sculptures have honored him than any man in history.

At the end of his life he uttered the simple phrase “It is finished.” That phrase speaks volumes. He accomplished what he came to do. He died that man might have a chance to live. His life was the greatest success of all time. His life and death is still making a difference in this world and is making a huge difference in my life and yours

It looked as if his ministry was a failure but he lives and that is all we need to know. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. (John 17:4)

“I’m afraid to die”, says Bobby. “I wish I didn’t have that fear but it is real and I have it deep in my soul.”  Bobby has read the scriptures time and time again about the assurance that we have in Christ.  His religion is not totally performance based but there is a little bit left in him.

Bobby goes on to say, “I can’t imagine what God will do with a skunk like me.” It is easy to argue from scripture that salvation is by grace. The death of Jesus secured our forgiveness and his resurrection assures us of victory over death.  Our own baptism placed us in his family and the same power that raised Jesus from the death worked in us as we were buried with him and raised with him from the grave of water. 12 Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

But all arguments fail because this is not a logical decision but an emotional one.  All arguments fail to convince one when the decision was reached emotionally rather than logically. Logical argument cannot change the emotional mind.

Sometimes there is some emotional event in the past that still controls one’s thinking in the present.  Until this is overcome one will continue to act on that buried emotion.

When one is saved by the grace of God all sins are gone and forgiveness is ever occurring. Whether we think clearly about the subject does not change the fact.  We are saved and God will today welcome us into His heavenly home.

Jesus brings salvation down to us and when we are covered by his blood, there is no fear in death.  “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” It’s good to believe it and to feel it.  Whether we feel it completely or not it is still real.  I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The road back to the Father’s house is long and hard.  It is filled with doubt and despair.  It depresses and decomposes.  It works on every part of the human creation.

Physical, spiritual and emotional reconditioning requires one to address each area.  When one leaves the Father’s house and goes into a far country. He is “aching for a breaking”.  He may not end up feeding hogs but the pigpen will await.  Living away from the Father’s house is not that easy.  Some can drift for years and not reach the bottom. The time will come when all must face the ordeal of the Father’s house.  What will is be then?

Rejuvenating one’s spiritual life involves at least these two things: 1) returning to God’s primary desire for my life, 2) listening for God.  The prodigal remembered the father and listened for him.  He followed that still small voice all the way from the pigpen to the Father’s house.

Sin can black out the Fathers’ will in our lives. Many can live with little or no attention to their true spiritual nature.  The soul can be starving to death and the rest of the human creation seems to work okay.  However, nothing will totally satisfy until we find our connection with the Father.

The man who knows his sins is greater than one who raises a dead man by his prayer. He who sighs and grieves within himself for an hour is greater than the one who teaches the entire universe.  He who follows Christ, alone and contrite, is greater than one who enjoys the favor of crowds in churches. - St. Isaac the Syrian

It is impossible to believe something you have never heard.  Faith comes by hearing. When something is presented we can decide then whether to believe or reject what we have heard.

The Christian religion is a taught religion.  “Go and teach!” is the way of Christ.  It is the way to get the message of hope to a hopeless world.  It is the way of salvation to a lost world.  It is the way to heaven for a world that is headed in the other direction.

Christians are not to be soil inspectors; they are to be seed sowers. The seed is the word of God.  Jesus wants everyone to hear the message of his love.

How can they hear without someone preaching to them?

We are presently engaged in a massive outreach activity.  This involves many of our members who will work alongside of our visiting campaigners.  This will also involve many in cooking and serving in the Name of Jesus.  The effort is intended to let the Burns community know that we care.

When the week is finished we will have done what Jesus commanded.  The seed will have been sowed.  The soil will either bring forth good crops or bad.  The response is dependent on the hearts of the people that we contact.

We thank all who are having a part in this outreach.  We continue to pray for our community.  We believe that the Burns community is one of the best places to live in Tennessee.  We believe that the Burns church is one of the positive influences in this community.  May God be glorified!

      It has been my privilege to spend about a month in New Zealand teaching students the Bible and training them to be church leaders.  This has been a special ministry for me for about twenty years.

      The training school where I teach is in Tauranga, New Zealand.  There are students from all over the South Pacific, Australia and Asia. This year we had students from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan and Fiji.  These students will go back to their homeland and culture and be lights for Christ in their own neighborhoods and communities.  We believe that this is the best way to do world evangelism.

      While in New Zealand I get to work with several former students and I was able to preach every Sunday I was there. The Lord’s Church has struggled in the South Pacific but is beginning to make progress.  There as several church plants and more will become a reality as our students get going in their communities. Most of the churches in Fiji and New Zealand are now led by our students.

      On another topic we are about ready to knock every door in Burns.  Our campaign begins June 10^th. Campaigners will begin arriving on Wednesday night and the door knocking will begin on Thursday. Glen Buffington is in charge of all organizational matters.  He has worked to get ready and many of you are on his team.  This effort will require that all of us “give of our best to the Master”.  From food to washing baptismal garments to cleaning the building to greeting new members, much is to be done.  See Glen if you have not already volunteered.

      Thanks to Matthew who preached in my absence. There was not a beat missed when I was gone.  We are much blessed by having Matthew and Leslie on our team.

      This weekend is our “couples’ retreat” at Joe Wheeler State Park in North Alabama. Jeff and Pam have planned a great retreat and all who attend will be blessed.  We will be down in our attendance with so many gone.  Sit close and sing as loud as you can. 

He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 1:3

      Several years ago Ed Fudge wrote a commentary on the Book of Hebrews and called it Our Man In Heaven.   Sounds like an appropriate title for the work of the risen Lord as he completed his work on earth and went back to heaven and finished offering his blood before the real mercy seat in heaven. Hebrews 9:12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

      As Jesus left the disciples on the earth and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11), He goes back to the Father and completes the offering of his blood for the remission of our sins.  His journey to earth and his journey back to the Father are now complete and he always lives to intercede for us.  He is truly our man in heaven.  He sent forth the Holy Spirit and he now is our advocate in heaven and will one day return to take us home with him.  What a day that will be?!!!

      By sitting down on the right hand of the Father he has. now finished his work of bringing salvation to men.  He will bring about full redemption of our bodies when he returns for us. By the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, (he) will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:21)

      The resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is our assurance that we can also be raised.  As we arise from the waters of baptism through faith in the power of God who raised him from the death we can know that as children of God we have eternal hope.

      When Jesus took his seat at the right hand of the Father, Things were ready for the world to be redeemed.  Now is the time for all of us to be on board the good ship to heaven. 

             The words above were spoken to a group of women who had come to the tomb of Jesus to give the body of dead Jesus a special anointing.  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. (Mark 16:1) They wanted to show their love and devotion to Jesus.

             The body was not there!  Where was it?  What had happened to the dead Jesus? Why was the tomb where Jesus had been buried now empty?  It had been only three days and the grave was guarded by trained solders who would watch carefully that nothing happened to that body.

The chief priests and Pharisees were afraid that his disciples may come and steal the body. After the body went missing, they paid the soldiers large sums of money to say His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.

Now when I am asleep it is difficult to identify people who come and go during the night.  These soldiers can identify the disciples, and testify that they stole the body of Jesus while they are asleep.  Quiet a testimony for the day.  Certainly answers all the questions about why the tomb is empty.

If he is not in the tomb, where is he?  If the disciples have not stolen the body maybe his enemies did?  When Jesus was proclaimed as risen from the dead would not his enemies bring the body and say “you believe a lie”.

If he is not in the tomb, where is he?  Maybe the angel was right when he declared, “He is risen from the dead.” But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.

If Jesus is no longer in the tomb, he is alive and working to get us to the place where he is now.  He is not here, he is alive and working all things out for His people to come and be with him forever in our new resurrection body.

Before Jesus was killed on the cross he had several times predicted that he would rise from the dead. Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. (John 2:19)  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)  He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)

Those who were responsible for the death of Jesus knew about his claims that he would rise the third day. They go to Pilate and say, “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ (Matthew 27:63)

They wanted to be sure that the tomb of Jesus was secure enough that the body could not disappear.  Trying to out fox God is always a disaster.

We know the rest of the story.  The “secured” tomb was found empty on the first day of the week.  Imagine that.  To detractors it is still the nemesis of the unbelieving world. To us who believe it is the power of the Living God.  When you believe in an almighty God, Resurrection is a piece of cake for Him.

Little minds think in little ways and do little things that accomplish little good.  It is tough for little minds to get a grip of big ideas like the resurrection. Little people try hard to negate the power of God but all attempts still fail miserably. Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (II Timothy 3:13)

They made it as secure as they could but Jesus came forth as he had said, Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:26)

      Decisions are sometimes hard to come by.  There are some decisions that are easily made because there are clear distinctions that make up our minds quickly.  Other decisions are agonizing because there is a close run for both sides.

      Decisions about our religious welfare are often put on the back burner and will be made at a later date.  The decision about where my family and I will attend church is sometimes tough.  There are lots of competing facts that need to be considered.  Is it a Bible church? Will my family fit in with the people? Will I be fed good solid food instead of rehashed traditions from the past?  Is there a balance in the teaching and worshiping in this church?  Others could be added to this list.

      Why are there not more people attending church?  I think that most people who don’t attend worship have not really made an outward decision not to attend. I think they have just not made a decision toattend. It is likely that they have just remained in the “valley of indecision” and may end up dying there. 

      They may not realize that not to make a decision to follow Jesus aggressively and faithfully is to make a decision not to give Him our live and devotion.  In this “Valley of indecision” one lingers to his own detriment.  Children grow up and are lost.  Families allow things to get out of balance and some break up. Precious time for growing a caring faith is lost.  Growing old without an active faith is a downer that could last for an eternity. Make the positive decision to faithfulness to God today. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (John 9:4)

      Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

A person with a small faith may act on that smallness and lack any real commitment to God.  It may be that one with little faith will not exercise any of that faith and be living in a state of denial of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It could be that one is exercising that little faith and developing and growing.

Whatever is happening in our life, there are times when we feel a bit like the father in Mark 9: I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief. I need more trust in the Savior. I need more faith to move me to greater service.  I need help with dealing with unbelief that creeps back into the recesses of my soul on too numerous occasions.

I wonder what could happen if we could increase our faith a degree or two?  Would that make a big difference in our churches and our world? If 100 people increased their faith just a degree would it mean that those 100 people have increased their faith by 100 degrees?

The intention of preaching and teaching is to increase faith.  There are times when we see our faith grow and our actions show it. There are other times when we struggle and our faith seems to wane.

Enter opportunity for March-May at the Burns Church of Christ.  Each Sunday night at 6:00 for three months we are providing a grand opportunity for us as a church, and for the community we serve, to increase our faith.  What can happen is we can raise the level of faith in our community.  Maybe there will not be a need for a bigger jail.  We know that only good can come when we are get help for our unbelief.

As I drive by the Discovery School, where four of my grandchildren go, I always pray for each of them as they spend their day in learning and interaction.  My prayer is simple.  “Father, will you bless each child in the school?  Will you make this day a good day for my four grandchildren? Will you help them to be safe, have a love for learning and make their school a better place because they are there?”

It is easy to buy into the diabolical lie that the world is coming to no good and Christians must hide their lights in little cubby holes and talk about how bad the people in the  world are.  “Look what the world is coming to?  Our country and all other countries are going to the Devil and we can’t do anything so let’s hide our salt and light so we won’t become contaminated. “‘The Sky is falling’ and we can’t do anything about it.”

The first century church met a world as bad as any that’s has ever existed. (Read again the Book of Revelation.)  They went everywhere saying “Look what has come to the world.”  They believed that God was in charge of our world and that we need to infect the world with the virus of Christian teaching. (Per Matthew’s class Sunday night,)

Who rubs shoulders with men and women of the world every day?  Who works and plays with men and women of the world every day?  Whose kids interact with boys and girls of the world every day?

Why is our light not shining?  Why is our salt not working?  Why are we backing away from telling the story of a Crucified and risen LORD?  Why sit back and curse the darkness when we have the light?

We have the opportunity to bring light into the lives of men and women, boys and girls of Dickson County. Sunday nights – March- May – The Case for Faith. Be here and bring a car load.

Today we are faced with diabolical problems of life and death proportions.  Some in our world have no respect for life.  They bring destruction wherever they walk. It is a sad fact of life that a woman in Afghanistan can walk into a group of men, women and children and pull the fuse and blow up herself and 31 others.  It is a sad fact that a man can open his door to people he knows and end up being beaten with a baseball bat and left for dead.

The dignity of man is being assaulted on every front in this 21st century.  Until we get back to the Bible and its definition of man, we will end up with utter destruction of the fabric of human society.  Humanitarians on this globe assail the inhuman treatment of human beings in remote places in our world.  They get their respect for man from the Bible.  Man is unique because he is created by a unique God.

We celebrate the birth of Darwin’s Origin of the Species not understanding that it was the beginning of the end for the dignity of man.  If our ancestors crawled out of the sea as some slim ball in the eons of the past, where is the dignity of man?  Physical Anthropology defines man in grossly different terms than the verse above.  Defining man from a physical standpoint leaves much to be said. 

The Burns Church of Christ is about to launch a defense of the dignity of man.  March, April and May we will have Sunday nights devoted to evidence of Christ and the world he created.  Plan to be present at 6:00 each Sunday night and bring your children, family and friends.  The videos and lectures will stimulate you mind and challenge the current climate. 

      Surviving in ministry is a tough assignment.  Some say “I had rather wear out than rust out.”  Others suffer burnout and others quit before the race is finished. 

      Completing the race is of great importance to all of us.  To stop before we reach our goal is to miss the very essence of what it is to be created in the image of God.  We are made for better things than to miss the mark and not take advantage of the life and death of Jesus.  To quit before that is reached is to fail miserably.

      Yet, many sit down beside the road and while their time away and miss the opportunity to live forever with God.  What a sad end for those who give up too early or rust out or burn out.

      Paul told young Timothy I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God. Fanning the flame means that we get the fire going.  Fire that is about to go out can sometimes be fanned into flame and add warmth to a person’s life.  We could use a good fanning occasionally.

      Our goal should be the same as that of Paul.  He was forever thinking about the final result of his ministry.  He said I want to do two things: 1) I want to finish my race. 2) I want to complete the task.

      As we number the causalities who have fallen to the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of Satan, may we not be in that number.

If we are acquainted with the teaching of Jesus we know that he had problems with the Pharisees of his day. Matthew 23 is a good example.

Keep in mind that Phariseeism is a defense mechanism people use to avoid becoming aware of their own faults, failings and depravity. They are afraid to look inside for the things they need to change. It is far easier to look at the faults of others rather than confront the person we see in the mirror.

The sin of the Pharisees was maintaining that they were the only true believers. “We can’t have heaven filled.” They maintain the status quo and that nothing needs changing. “Sinners” are outside the fellowship of God and He doesn’t even hear their prayers. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. (John 9:31)

We still have the problem in the 21st century. There are many people who know that they are the only ones who are going to make it to heaven. They have their list of requirements and exclude or look down on those who fail to match these requirements. There are political Pharisees, economical Pharisees, educational Pharisees and religious Pharisees.

Maybe we could all learn a lesson from Jesus and look to ourselves. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

I Corinthians 15:58

      Earthly treasure is a passing thing.  Jesus said that it is like fabric attacked by moths or metal that is oxidized by the elements and rusted to the core.   Both fall apart when one attempts to make use of them.

      Our world is full of people who attach too much to the passing things of life.  Things that really matter are placed on the back burner and things of lesser importance are given our main energy.  When the day is over we live in dissatisfaction and life turns sour.  Nights are long and days are full of distress.  As we grow older we look to regain something of worth but many times it is too late.

      Recently I came across a statement by a Vernon Brewer that pointed out a salient truth.  “Every day, I try to do at least one thing that will outlive me and last for eternity.”

      We spend too much energy attending to the things that will not last.  Day by day we are engrossed in things that seem to make us happy and we are less happy day by day.  We work and slave for things that won’t matter in 100 years much less in eternity.

      Has not God made us for greater things?  Has not our creator a greater design for human lives?  When life is completed and our bodies return to the dust from which they came, what is left?  Our spiritual nature is important and can live with God in glory, but are we giving it proper attention?

      But what I want to focus on in this article is simply “What will I leave behind?”  Have I done anything that will outlive me and last for eternity?  Well?

II Timothy 2:15 KJV

In 1971 Southern Baptist had 1,434, 892 children in Southern Baptists Sunday Schools.  By 2007 this number dropped by 455,000. At the same time the US population increased by 46%.  The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest protestant conference in the USA.

While they have been loosing people in their Sunday Schools most other religious groups have done the same. We once were know for our dynamic Bible school but now we are among those who are wondering if we can sustain our Bible classes with enough students to merit the time we spend. 

Sunday Bible classes are still one of the best ways I know to teach the Bible to our youth and adults.  We try to have good teachers and prepared teachers to lead our Bible classes and we are constantly looking to make them better.  There are many of our people who vote for the close of our Bible classes by not showing any interest in them by not attending.  Although a number of our people are making a more conscious effort to be in class, we need more who will see that Bible classes are part of a good religious education program that will help our youth and adults be faithful to Jesus and his goals for our world.

What is more important to you this Sunday at 9:00 than to be in a Bible class and bring a friend with you?  We can make a difference in our community by faithful study of the word in Bible class.

The Church in Antioch – Acts 11

•      Scattered b/c persecution
•      Telling the message
•      They only told the Jews
•      They began to speak to the Greeks
•      They preached good news: Jesus
•      The Lord’s hand was with them.
•      Many people believed the good news.
•      They believed & turned.
•      News about the new church reached Jerusalem.
•      They sent Barnabas to Antioch.
•      He saw evidence of God’s grace: people were saved, growing, changing, sharing…
•      Barnabas went to Tarsus and got Paul.
•      Disciples were first called Christians here.

Why Grow?

1.               It’s God’s redemptive plan.

2.               It is God’s will to seek to draw all men unto Himself.

3.               God works through men.

4.               God works through His Son.

5.               God works through His Church.

What is the church?

False Ideas:

•      God will take care of it all.
•      Drift into religious relativism.
•      Exclusivism.
•      Institutionalism

Biblical Ideas

1.               The church is an outpost for God.
Eph 3:10

2.               The church is a fellowship with eternal implications. 1 Cor. 15:24

3.               The church is a place where God is active, and he testifies to his redemptive works.

4.               The church is a place where hope abides.

5.               The church is a place of spiritual people in fleshly garb.

6.               The church is an organism for action and reproduction.

II Timothy 2:19

During the time of Moses leading the people from Egypt to Canaan there were many times problems would have become insurmountable without the intervention of YAHWEH. In Numbers 16 Korah and a group of about 250 men challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Moses was very upset with this development and showed some restraint but the Lord would be the one who decided. In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him. (16:5) The Lord made that decision and the earth opened up and swallowed those who rebelled.

Sometimes there is such closeness to the truth that it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the almost real.  It is during this time that we are to exercise restraint and let the Lord make the decision.

Jesus told two parables that allow us some insight into his thinking about making decisions about others before the judgment.  Both of these are found in Matthew 13.  The first is the parable of the Tares.  In this parable the tares (Darnel) are so much like the real wheat that more harm will be done if one attempts to separate them.  Jesus says wait until judgment. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

The second is the Parable of the Dragnet (47, 48). Fishermen were casting their nets and caught all manner of fish.  Some were not good, others were good for selling and eating.  The fishermen sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. Judgmen! 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.

We are not to worry about whether or not we are known by the Lord.  He knows those who are his. Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.  

Jeremiah 5:1

Jeremiah expresses the sentiment that many of us have in our day.  Can we find a man who is trustworthy?  Can we live above the frailties of our peers?  Are we able to be faithful in the midst of a people whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways? (Proverbs 2:15)

It might do us better to worry about what we can change.  It is not within our realm of possibility to effect change in others.  We can encourage it but we can’t change for another human being. 

Where can we effect change? In ourselves!  We can change who we are and how we act and think.  It is amazing to see the changes that some are able to bring about in their own lives.  Men have stopped lying, cheating, fornicating even terrorism.  God is in the people changing business and when we give ourselves to Him good things can happen.

If God is looking for a man, or woman, who does right, He can find one right there in our mirror.    He is not looking for a perfect man but one who really wants to live the godly life and works at it on a regular bases.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2)

The year has just begun. Where will I be at the end of the year?  Will Jesus find faith on the earth when he returns?  For me and my house we will serve the Lord.

What would a man give?  What would you give? What would anyone give?  But, alas, we can’t have it back.  The past is gone and the future is now.

The real valuable things are things that last a lifetime and beyond.  It always seemed ironic to me that a man who plays sports would give so much time to it that his family is neglected.  He can play sports for a few years and then he becomes a spectator.   Fantasy football is his passion.

When we really consider it, our work life is only about 30 years and by reason of strength we may get in forty.  (This is my forty-eighth year in preaching.)  Our work takes a large chunk of our time and energy.  But who gets married without the hope of celebrating that Golden Anniversary? 

We can spend a lifetime doing our thing and neglect the weightier matters of life.  I want to encourage all of us to change the word lifetime to wifetime and make our homes more of what God intends for us.  Spending more time with the wife of our youth can pay great dividends for a long and successful existence on the earth.

      Work that last for 40 years is nothing compared to 50+ years with a wife and family.  The end of a year brings together families and most are happy occasions.  For some there is regret at the failure of families to enjoy get-togethers and share in the wholesomeness of families.

For those of us who still have time to make the best of family life, we will need to get back to fundamentals. The advice that Jesus gave to the Church in Ephesus is appropriate for us to regain our family and our faith: Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:5)   Go back to spending wifetime and you might see some really major changes in your life for the New Year.

James 5:7

As we approach the New Year it is important for us to “make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”. (Ephesians 5:16)  This time of the year we are more likely to evaluate where we are in our relational, financial, physical and spiritual lives.  If things have gone well we can approach the New Year with confidence.  If things have gone sour for us this year we will look at the New Year with some fear and trepidation.

It is a wise man who knows how to be patient.  Many are there who want everything today and don’t give a hoot about tomorrow.  Some want everything yesterday but can’t pay for it tomorrow.

he times are going to put a strain on us and we may find that it is wise to be patient and fugal as we look to 2009.  It probably is wise to live this way in any and every year.  Those who have lived frugally and have been diligent in their approach to life will fine the new year will turn out right.  Those who have overextended themselves will be found scrambling for ways to meet the demands of the New Year.

There is an old saying that goes something like this:  “All things come to those who wait”. But those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

The New Year will have many challenges.  We may be faced with tough decisions about life, family, finances, health, jobs, children and homes.  Those who go into the next year with Jesus as their companion and determined to follow His ways have a better chance of making it through with flying colors. Until the coming of the Lord.

Did you ever know anybody who was running a race and just sat down on the side of the track and never got back in the race?  Did you ever see a football player just sit down in the middle of the field and forget about the game?  Did you ever see a Christian who was running the race for Jesus, just decide one day that he was ready to drop out of the Christian race and forget the whole plan to get to the end of the race and see Jesus face to face?

I have seen it happen in races before. A racer is putting it all on the line to win and someone cuts in on him and he either trips and falls or he gets diverted or discouraged and slows down.  The race is lost and he goes down as a loser.

I have seen it in the Christian life.  A runner gets a good start at his baptism.  He reads the Bible and prays every day.  He brings family and friends to worship and several are baptized. Something occurs and he gets cut in on and he falls back and drifts back into the old way of life. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. (Ephesians 4:22)

The race goes on and this discouraged racer drops farther and farther back and in the end he sits at home on Sunday night and before long he sits at home on Sunday morning.  Everyone wonders at the change in his life at the beginning and now they are wondering at the change of his life now.

Paul has a word for the Galatians and for us today: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

      There is an old song that I remember hearing in my youth. (You might say it would have to be really old.)  The song had a stanza that went: Every one who talks about heaven ain’t going there.

      In the 12^th century a poet/song writer called Bernard of Morlaix wrote a poem of three thousand lines.  Now that is a formidable task.  I will have written that many lines in the articles I write for this bulletin over a few years.  I can’t imagine writing a poem of this length and I can’t imagine any of you reading it all the way through.  You might not even make it to the end of this article.

      In this long poem Bernard pinned these lines:

            The world is very evil

                  The times are waxing late

            Be sober and keep vigil

                  The judge is at the gate.

      We live in a challenging time.  Crises seem to be the invader of our day.  We have moral crises, financial crises, family crises, prison crises, judicial crises, health crises and more crises than we can shake a stick at. 

            The world is very evil

                  The times are waxing late.

      God is still in charge and those who believe this can survive the crises of any time.  He will accomplish His will and those who are on His side will win the victory. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (I John 5:4)

      Be sober and keep vigil

                  The judge is at the gate.