A Life Worthwhile

Do you ever wonder if what you are doing makes any difference? Have you had your hopes and dreams dashed to pieces by people and circumstances beyond your control? Have you had great disappointments because of bad choices you made or sins you committed? Have you ever wondered if you, like Humpty Dumpty could find anyone who could ever put all the pieces back together again?

I had a friend who told me the other day that he had wasted the last fifteen years of his life because the vocation he had chosen seems to have led to nowhere.

Moses may have felt this way. For the first forty years of his life, he was the grandson of the King (Pharaoh) of Egypt. Not bad, right?

But at forty, he saw an Egyptian abusing an Israelite. There he made a choice that he would identify with the people of God (Israel) to which he belonged. He killed the Egyptian, looked both ways, and buried him in the sand. When word got out, Moses had to flee for his life into the desert of Midian. This seems to have wiped out all he had accomplished up until then.

After he arrived there, he married a desert woman who gave birth to two sons. Sounds good, but it wasn’t what Moses expected out of his life. He named his first son Gershom, which means “Foreigner.” Terrible name that is. Moses named him that, I think, because he felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But, he named his second son Eliezer which means “God is my help.” By now, perhaps Moses was beginning to see that God had spared his life for a purpose. I’m not sure he knew what that purpose was but Moses was content to live in the desert with his wife’s father herding their sheep. This must have certainly caused many questions to pop up in Moses’ head about just what it was God might be up to. He must have wondered if there might still be any purpose for his life at this point.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, God did something very special in Moses’ life.

One day, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses saw a bush burning out in the wilderness. He had probably seen fires out there before – perhaps with lightning strikes or other causes. Moses turned to look and saw that the bush wasn’t being consumed. Some say this was the glory of God, for Moses hid his face from God there.

It was there that everything would change for Moses. God called him from the bush to go back to Egypt and demand that the Israelites be liberated. Moses was reluctant but one thing was certain, his life would never be the same.

Now, Moses the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, who had become a shepherd would now shepherd thousands and thousands of Israelites out of Egypt to the brink of the Promised Land. He would receive the commandments of God, deliver Israel from Egypt, perform miracles and write most of the first five books of the bible. He is literally one of the most well known and respected people in all of history and accomplished so much that was truly worthwhile. It didn’t always seem that way for Moses, but that’s how it all turned out.

Again, you may not feel you’ve done a whole lot of any great value in your life, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Here are some things that I believe the bible teaches about how to make whatever time you have left here worthwhile.

Start as Quickly as Possible.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": (Ecclesiastes 12.1)

Whatever You Do, Do Big.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9.10)

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3.23).

Whatever You Do, Do it for God and for His Glory.

…as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: (Ephesians 6.6-7)

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10.31).

Whatever You Do, Do it Well.

God can take a job well done – whether it is Plumbing, Medical, Real Estate, Academics, Cooking, Preaching, Teaching, Sales, I.T., Witnessing, Parenting, or any other vocation, and use it to bring glory to him and blessing to others.

Don’t Give Up.

If you feel like you’ve been a flop, you’re not the first. Many people have felt like their lives were useless and they’ve thrown in the towel prematurely. As long as you still have a breath left to draw, there’s still time to correct your course.

Have you been knocked down? Get up! Have you been knocked down again? Get up again. 

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again (Proverbs 24.16).

Have you failed? You aren’t the first. Many have failed and rebounded for the glory of God. By God’s grace, you can too.

Did you make a wrong turn somewhere? It may be the long way to your destination, but you can get back on the track toward your goal.

Peter denied Jesus three times and cursed but Jesus made his life more fruitful afterward than ever before.

Jonah ran from God but could not outrun him. When God caught up to him, he was ready to go and be significant for God.

A young man named Mark abandoned God’s servants Paul and Barnabas, but later was considered profitable for the work of the Lord.

Joseph had dreams of big things but wound up in a pit, sold as a slave, lied about, and then placed in prison. Could his dreams be fulfilled? Only with God in charge, but yes, they could and they were. God used him to feed the known world of his time.

You only have one life to live while here. Make it count.

How to Get to Heaven from Texas (or wherever you are).

I tried searching on Google maps for how to get to heaven where Jesus lives from Texas and this is what I found:

It says, "Maps can't find heaven where Jesus lives. Search the web instead."

Google is right, you can't find heaven on a map. Even one of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, admitted that he couldn't figure out how to get to where Jesus was going.

Jesus said;

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Tut Jones, a friend who has now gone on to heaven, used to tell about how he had planned a trip for the family to Dallas. He told his little girls about the big city with the tall buildings and freeways with many people and many sights. When it piqued their interest he would say, "Now, do you want to go there?"

They replied, "Yes, daddy, yes."

He told them, "Allright, then if you want to go, take off."

Their answer was, "We don't know the way. We don't know how to get there."

He said to them, "Then how are you going to get there if you don't know the way."

Their answer was, "You know the way, daddy. We will go with you. You can take us."

This is true of heaven. None of us can get there on our own but we have the right to hitch a ride with the Lord Jesus. Not only does he know the way: He is the way.

Do  you want to go to heaven? Don't google it. Don't search the web for it. Look in the bible. It will tell you of Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Repent of your sins. Acknowledge them to God. Admit you are a sinner who deserves hell, not heaven, and turn from that sin to the righteous Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trust in him. Trust that he is the perfect man who died on a sinner's cross and died in your place. Trust that he died to give you eternal life and receive his free gift of salvation. Trust that he knows the way to heaven and IS the way to heaven.

Today is the day of salvation.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."Acts 16.31

When Ronald Reagan was elected for his second term as president in 1984, the news broadcasters were talking about many republicans senators, representatives, and governors who were also elected that year. They were saying that many of these people were getting in "on the coattail" of President Reagan. I do think that was true.

Those who make it to heaven where there is no suffering, pain, heartache or death will not get there on our own merit, it will be on the coattail of Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

Since we have no righteousness of our own, why not enter into eternal life on the merits of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Time to Wake Up!

Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash

The sound goes off. It seems way louder than it really is. "What is that noise? Is that a fire alarm? Is it the liberty bell? So irritating! My alarm clock. Seems like I just went to bed. What time is it, anyway? Oh no, I'm going to be late! Can't I just sleep a little longer? Ugh, time to wake up."

Yes, it is time to wake up. There are several things you and I need to wake up to today.

It's time to wake up to the needs of those around us. As it has been often said, people will never care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Now, Christianity is not just about doing good. That was our problem in the first place. None of us were really able to be good enough. We can rev our motor up all we want but we will only spin our tires. We can try to jump the Grand Canyon. Some may leap much further than others but none of us will reach the other side doing so. Some may say, “But I have high standards!” I am sure you do – probably better than most of us, but not high enough to achieve God’s approval. We need God’s redemptive atonement to be placed in right standing with him and he has provided that for us through Jesus Christ.

No, we cannot be saved through our own good works. Through our love toward others, however, God can use us to have an impact on those around us for his glory. Through love, he can use us as witnesses to our communities. If we’ve fallen asleep to the fallenness of  those around us, may the Lord awaken us.

Let’s wake up to the holiness of God. God has not changed; we have. We may have drifted to sleep like Rip Van Winkle only to dream that since we live in a new world with new principles (or no principles) that God has also relinquished his own standards, but not so. He remains the same. His word hasn’t changed nor have his commands.

Let’s wake up to know the lateness of the hour. Did you ever wake up so late that you couldn’t make it to school, work, or an appointment in time? It can be devastating.

So also some have failed to see their own tardiness and to see just exactly how late it now is. This is why the scripture here tells us that “now it is high time to awake out of our sleep.” Your lost loved ones are now closer to the grave than before. America has abandoned the ideals which first made it great and the return of the Lord Jesus and the end of the age has gotten nearer than ever in history. We must wake up.

Let’s wake up to righteousness (see 1 Corinthians 15.34). Jesus said we are the “light of the world,” but if we place a cover over our lamp, no one can see it. He said that we are “the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Have we lost our ability to reflect his light? Have we lost our ability to affect people with our lives and words? If so, we must wake up to God’s truth and to righteousness.

Let’s wake up to the presence of God. He says; “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

We get up and put on our clothes in the morning as we prepare for the day but have we put on Jesus Christ? Have we put on his armor (Ephesians 6.11-13? As we wake, we need to know that God is here – present. We can do one of two things: We can embrace his presence for our lives today, stepping into the sunshine, or we can roll over and go back to sleep.

Let’s not float back into sub consciousness for “now it is high time to awake out of sleep.”

_______________________________________________________

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.  Romans 13.8-14

What Does God Want from Me?

A question may people are asking is this one: "God, what do you want from me?" 

The concern about this question is why we ask. Some people, like rebellious teenagers, may be asking because they seek their own independence; however, such independence is not possible. We will always be dependent upon our Creator. 

We might like to think we can get by just fine on our own but we can no more do so than a baby can provide for itself, or a car can take care of its own maintenance. 

Some people say that if there is a God, they don't need him, but they do. Do not try to divorce yourself from God's authority and oversight. We all really do need him. Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing."[i] If you are not relying on the Lord, you must be running from him.

You may be asking “What does God want from me?” because you have a legitimate desire to know. This is good. We should all care about what God wants, desires and requires. He is our Creator, Lord and Master. It is right for him to expect certain things of us. Surely the sincere seeker will want to know what those things are.

He Wants Us to Obey Him.

He wants us to: honor him and treat our fellow humans well and fairly.

He gave us the Ten Commandments to express this desire:

1. You shall have no other gods.
2. You shall not make graven images to worship.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD (Yahweh) your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.[ii]

I am struck not only by how much God cares about how we respect him but also by how much he loves people so that he would set these guides upon our behavior toward each other. These commands encompass:

• Our worship,
• Our finances,
• Our business dealings,
• Our social activities,
• Our speech,
• Our family lives and even
• Our thought processes.

He Wants Us to Love Him.

Jesus summed these things up with the attitude of our heart when he stated:

"'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.[iii]

The heart attitude God wants from us is the attitude of love.

The prophet Micah summed up all that God wants from us in these words:

He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

This sounds very simple – basically doing what is right but showing mercy to those who come short of it, and then to be humble toward God. The big problem is that none of us can live up to any of these standards and/or commands. We all fall short of what God expects from us [iv]. 

Where does this leave us in relation to him? It leaves us alienated from him. God is holy and will not tolerate our rebellion and disobedience. Something must be done to reconcile us back to God! God has done just that!

He Wants Us to Trust Him.

God’s word in the book of Romans, tells us that even when we were “without strength,” … “ungodly,” … his “enemies,” and “still sinners,” that he “died for us,” “justified us,” “saved us,” and “reconciled us.”[v]

“How can I know if I’m saved?” you may ask. You can know you are saved if you believe in Jesus.[vi]

What does God want from me? He wants you and me to believe on him and to believe on his Son, Jesus Christ, whom he has sent – and, for those who do, he has freely provided for forgiveness for our sins and coming short of obeying all he has said.

Jesus Christ has met all the requirements that God has made upon our lives that we cannot live up to. He meets them through his own righteousness that we could not otherwise attain. Through faith in his death and resurrection that righteousness is secured.

You can believe it.

---

[i] John 15.5

[ii] Exodus 20.1-17

[iii] Matthew 22.37-39

[iv] Romans 3.10

[v] Romans 5.6-10

[vi] John 6.47

Whatever God Starts, He Finishes

I’m getting ready to make a list of jobs I have not yet finished. I repaired and plastered a wall but have not yet textured and painted it. I did the same in our hallway but still haven’t painted there. I bought some replacement hardware for a recliner but haven’t replaced it yet so the recliner still leans about ten degrees to the left.

Although I bought the part for it, I haven't gotten around to fixing the toilet that keeps getting stuck nor have I completed caulking around some cabinet work after I purchased some caulk for it. Then, there is the gutter I bought to go over the back door which would prevent water from drenching our heads when it’s raining, but, you guessed it, I haven’t gotten that up either.

I saw a sign recently that said; “If a man says he’s going to do something, he will do it. There is no need to remind him of it every six months.” That fits me pretty well. I still haven't even finished writing that list of jobs I need to complete.

But I am thankful for something: God is not like this. He created the world and completed it in six days.

God had a plan for the people of Israel. The Apostle Paul, quoting Isaiah, states, “He will finish the work.”[i]

I like this part: He set out to provide forgiveness for our sins. Jesus had said that he was going to be crucified. [ii] He said that if he would be “lifted up” (crucified) that he would draw all men to him.[iii] He didn't come to be ministered to, "but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”[iv] Jesus came to this world for this very reason.

It’s obvious that Jesus had begun this task of providing redemption for humanity through his death and resurrection. But would he complete it? Yes, he would! And yes, he did!

The last words Jesus said before dying on the cross were these; “It is finished.” What did he mean? He meant this: “I have now done and suffered all things which lay upon me in this life to do and suffer.”[v]

If Jesus were like me, he might have said; “I’m too tired, I don’t want to go through with this.” Or – “This cross is too painful,” at which point he could have called the angels of heaven to come down and deliver him right then and there.[vi] He could have said; “I have better and less costly things to do,” and then abandoned the project. But no, he found great delight, even in the midst of his suffering, to finish the job of bringing atonement to us, the fallen human race.

Albert Barnes said concerning this:

The sufferings and agonies in redeeming man are over. The work long contemplated, long promised, long expected by prophets and saints, is done. The toils in the ministry, the persecutions and mockeries, and the pangs of the garden and the cross, are ended, and man is redeemed. What a wonderful declaration was this! How full of consolation to man! And how should this dying declaration of the Saviour reach every heart and affect every soul!

I am glad to know that I serve a Savior who, when he began the process of performing his Father’s (God's) plan of salvation for us, did not quit in the midst of it but followed through and completed it.

I don’t know why Jesus loved me.

I don’t know why he cared.

I don’t know why he sacrificed his life.

Oh, but I’m glad! So glad he did!

He left his mighty throne in glory

to bring to us redemption’s story.

Then he died and he rose again.

Just for you and me.

Oh, but I’m glad! So glad he did. [vii]

---

[i] Romans 9.28

[ii] Matthew 17.22-23, 20.9; 26.2; Luke 24.7;

[iii] John 12.32

[iv] Mark 10.45

[v] Matthew Poole

[vi] Matthew 26.53

[vii] I Don’t Know Why Jesus Loved Me – Andrae Crouch.

When You're Against the Wall, Will You Stick?

They say you can tell when spaghetti is ready to serve by one simple test. Boil the pasta noodles for maybe eight to twelve minutes. Test the spaghetti by throwing it against a wall. If it sticks, it’s ready.

So, my question for you is this: When you find yourself against the wall, do you stick?

All of us face adversity and trials in life – no matter who we are; rich or poor, dark or light, male or female, young or old, educated or illiterate, brainy or mentally challenged, strong or weak.

We all face challenges, difficulties and heartache. All of us have, or will at some point, find ourselves, like cooked spaghetti, with our backs against the wall.

There is a Mexican phrase which can be translated. “between the sword and the wall” or as they say, “Between the devil and the deep blue sea.” There are times in our lives when it doesn’t feel safe to move forward nor safe to retreat.

Christians especially should expect this. Jesus said; “in the world ye shall have tribulation.” (We’ll come back later for the rest of that bible verse.)

He also stated:

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.[i]

Peter, the Apostle of Jesus, said:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:[ii]

The question is not “if” but “when” will I experience such trouble? At what point any of us may find our backs against the wall, we cannot say.

How will we respond when such hardship comes our way?

We can respond with panic, anger, hostility, or bitterness. We can be like a dog that has been cornered – not a pretty sight.

We can cow down and curl up into a fetal position – that is – just give up.

Or – we can respond in faith. The rest of the verse I started above reads:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.[iii]

This is the only way you will be able to “stick.” Many of us have seen those who started the race but never finished it.

We have seen soldiers of the faith who have gone AWOL whenever the battle ensued with great heat. Will we be a conqueror or a casualty when the going gets rough? Maybe you have lost some battles, but will you continue to fight the fight?

May we, like the Apostle Paul, be able to say in the end:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.[iv]

Trust in Jesus. Stay in his word. Be filled with God’s Spirit. Walk in truth. Walk in love. Be faithful. Be steadfast. Love God. Love one another. Exercise your faith. Pray daily.

By doing so, you will be one who sticks when you’re up against the wall.

---

[i]   John 15.19.20

[ii]  1 Peter 4.12

[iii] John 16.33

[iv] 2 Timothy 4.7-8

Want to live in Outer Space?

How would you like to travel through space to live on another planet somewhere? We are told that Earth is “overpopulated and fragile,” and that human population should not remain confined to one single planet.

A planet was discovered several years ago in the constellation Libra called Gliese 581 C. It is considered by scientists to be “habitable”.

 They say the earth is about 8,000 miles in diameter pole to pole. This planet is about 12,000 miles across.

Our Sun is calculated to be approximately 93 million miles away. Gliese 581 C, they say, is only six million miles from the star it orbits. However that star is a “red dwarf,” which is much smaller and colder than the sun. Therefore we are told the temperatures there probably range from 32 to 104 degrees F. That sounds a lot like Texas to me!

It is thought this “super earth” is perhaps made mostly of rock, but may even be covered in water. Scientists say this would allow a climate where water would not be so cold that it freezes or so hot that it boils. Water there would be liquid, which is a necessity for life as we know it. Right now though, we don’t even know whether there is one drop of water there.

This is certainly the kind of stuff to cause a scientific mind go wild with imagination!

A radio beam was aimed at this planet in 2008 to send 501 text messages that were thought important to any being out there which might be able to receive the signal. That signal should arrive there in the year 2029.

But before you get ready to take the next flight to Gliese 581 C, consider some realities first.

Astrobiologists have calculated that the planet has about double Earth’s gravity. Any creatures living on this Utopia would therefore be twice as heavy as they would be on Earth. So much for that Weight Watcher’s plan you’ve been thinking about!

It has been said that the planet we are considering completes a full orbit in 13 days. The upside is that you will be receiving a birthday card from Grandma about every two weeks. The downer is that some of you reading this would already be over 1,000 years old!

We are told that “super-earth” is located only 20.5 light-years away. It sounds like a trip to the mall, but since light travels at 186,000 miles per second, that means the newly found planet is in fact 120,000,000,000 (120 trillion) miles from where you live. I bet you don’t even have that many miles on your old Chevrolet!

The fastest that man has ever travelled in space, I think, is 25,000 MPH. at that rate it would take about 547,945 years to reach our destination. That’s about 10 times the history of the human race. Keep in mind that this is one of the “closer” heavenly bodies outside our solar system. Let’s say a society wanted to try to reproduce itself on the way to this planet. It would take 14,000 generations to reach their new home. What if you arrived and found the place uninhabitable? What if you returned to earth and it was gone? What if you got back and someone by then had learned to travel at the speed of light?

But wait? There is a better plan! Jesus said,

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.[i]

Wow! Talk about space travel! We are told in the bible that believers in Jesus Christ will be “caught up, to meet the Lord in the air.”[ii] It also says it will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”[iii]

How about this scripture?

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

I’m planning on travelling through space to a habitable place, to be suddenly in the presence of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to dwell in a place he has prepared for me. How about you?

---

[i]  John 14.1-6

[ii] 1 Thessalonians 4.17

[iii] 1 Corinthians 15.52