I'm Back!!!

     Gilberto’s family was called by the local police to identify the body of a man that had been murdered.  They went down to the morgue, and sure enough their fears were confirmed.  The body laying there looked like their Gilberto.

     Gilberto’s family and friends gathered for a wake to honor and remember their loved one.  Then an unexpected guest arrived – it was Gilberto!  Mourners were so shocked to see him alive that some fled for safety, while others fainted from fright.  He tried to reassure them saying, “Guys, I'm alive, pinch me!”

     Was it a ghost?  Was it a miraculous resurrection?  No.  There was nothing other-worldly about what happened here.  It was simply a case of mistaken identity.  The body had been misidentified.  Perhaps it had some disfiguration or the family couldn’t bear to look too closely at the body that bore a resemblance to Gilberto.  However, the emotional impact for the family would be similar to if he had actually come back from the grave.  They were given a new chance to have a man in their lives who they thought they had lost forever. 

     There was another time when mourners were frightened by a real resurrection.  We read about it in Luke 24:36-41 (NKJV) ³⁶ Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." ³⁷ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." ⁴⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. ⁴¹ But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"

     Like Gilberto’s family, they were frightened.  Like Gilberto, Jesus offered his body as evidence that he was alive in the flesh.  Unlike Gilberto, there was no mistake here.  Jesus had actually been dead and resurrected.  He had conquered death and returned to lead his followers to a similar victory.  Death would never again hold the same ominous finality.  Conversely, for the believer, death is just the beginning of greater things to come.  All of which is possible only because of Jesus.  You have the chance to have Jesus in your life now because of his resurrection.  Are you taking advantage of that chance?

Leave Them Alone?

Explorers Told: Leave Remote Peru Tribe Alone:

Peru has called on explorers to stay away from an isolated Amazon basin rainforest tribe after pictures of "uncontacted" tribal members were published online.The pictures show a family of Mascho-Piro people in the Manu National Park, in remote southeastern Peru on the border with Brazil.
They were taken at the end of last year by an archaeologist and tribe supporter and published on the website of pro-native group Survival International.
 But the office for Natural Protected Areas warned even indirect contact with the indigenous people could bring in deadly viruses that do not already exist in the region - and the natives could be hostile.They called on outsiders "to never attempt to enter in contact with these (isolated) communities", whose people "are trying to remain apart from the outside world".She also urged people to not leave food, clothing or other gifts like locals or tourists sometimes do "with the goal of starting a contact with the isolated natives". There are some 15 uncontacted native groups in Peru's Amazon rainforest, according to government officials, with Survival International saying there are 100 uncontacted native groups around the world.
 Sightings of the Mashco-Piro have increased in recent months."Many blame illegal logging in and around the park and low-flying helicopters from nearby oil and gas projects, for forcibly displacing the indigenous people from their forest homes," the activist group said.

                        http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16160760

“Leave them alone” sounds like a great strategy for preserving an ancient way of life.  But it’s a horrible strategy for saving souls.  Yet that is the very strategy that too many Christians are applying, not just to isolated groups of tribesmen, but to their own neighbors and coworkers.  “Let’s not force our views on anyone else.”  “Let everyone live their life anyway they want to live it.” 

What if Jesus had that attitude?  What if he had looked down from heaven and seen the mess we were making of life and said, “Leave them alone.”  “Sure they’ll be lost eternally.  Of course they desperately need to be saved even if they don’t realize it, but it’s better not to disturb their way of life.”

Friends, we cannot leave each other alone.  We cannot leave those in the world alone.  Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20. “ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”

Why do we do it?  Because Jesus has all authority and he tells us to.  What are we to do?  Make disciples of all nations.  What does that involve?  Baptism and teaching to obey.  As we go about this mission, Jesus promises to be with us.

Quit leaving people alone and start leading them to Christ.

Who Get’s Possession?

This week’s Monday Night Football game ended in a touchdown pass… or an interception.   It depends on who you ask.  Two players from opposing teams ended the game playing tug-of-war over the football.  The decision regarding who had possession of the football determined who won the game.  They could not both posses the ball.  It had to be awarded to one or the other.

                There is a battle of possession that has much greater consequences than who wins a big football game.  That battle is raging over who will have possession of your loyalties, affections, and priorities.  Will you belong to God or to Satan/the world?  Jesus describes this in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” 

                Both God and the world are vying for you, and you cannot award yourself to both.  James 4:4 cautions us saying, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  So make the big call.  Do you belong to God or the world?  Everything depends on you making the right call.  

A Million Dollar Parking Space!?!

 “In many parts of the country, a million bucks will buy you a mansion. In New York City, you can get a 12-foot by 23-foot slab of concrete. Yes, Manhattan's first $1 million parking space is scheduled to go on the market this fall”, reports Martha C. White in an msn.com article.  The parking spot is a private garage in located in a building that is being remodeled into luxury condominiums.  Owners of the best condos will have the opportunity to purchase this parking space to go with it.

                White says, “The parking space, dubbed ‘the city’s gaudiest garage’ by the Post, will have a separate deed and sales contract. Based on an average 6 percent commission, this means a real estate agent could earn $60,000 … for selling this parking spot.”

The article goes on to say: “So what does the owner get for a million bucks plus maintenance fees? Direct street access thanks to a curb cut in front of the garage door, along with 15-foot ceilings. The ceilings are high enough that the spot can be "duplexed;" that is, an elevator can be added so the owner can stack two cars in the space.

“This two-for-one capability might make $1 million seem like a little bit more of a bargain, but the owner would still have to get a $115 parking ticket every single day for 24 years straight to equal the cost of the spot, the Post calculated.”

                Isn’t it amazing how highly people value a place to belong – a place that is especially reserved for them?  People pay for tickets to reserve specific seats in a stadium or on an airplane – seats that belong to them and no one else.  It provides comfort to know that we won’t be left without a place like the last child standing in a game of musical chairs.  People even become possessive of their seats at church because being displaced from their regular seat leaves them feeling a little out of place and insecure.

                Jesus taps into this desire for a special place to belong, as he comforts his disciples in John 14:2-3.  There he says (in the NKJV), “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.” 

               A Christian often feels out of place in a world that ridicules our values, and rejects our Lord.  What a wonderful thought to know that Jesus is preparing a place especially for us, if we are his disciples!  We will have a place where we will always belong, and will never be displaced.  

                If a parking place to call your own in New York City is work a million dollars, then how much is a place to call your own in God’s heavenly house worth!?!  The value is inestimable.  In fact, it is far more than the richest of us could ever hope to pay.  That’s why the only way that we can hope to obtain it is as a gift from God.  This is a gift that He readily offers to those who would accept his grace through His plan of salvation.  Read about that plan here.  There is plenty of room for you.  Become his follower today, and claim your special place.

Hot Pockets

     Recently a 43 year old woman and her family took a trip to the beach.  Her children picked up some stones that had aroused their interest.  The lady stuck the stones in the pockets of her shorts, and they continued their outing.  About an hour after they got back home, a very unusual thing happened – the rocks in her shorts caught fire!  There she was, just standing in her kitchen, when her pants suddenly burst into flames.  She tried to “stop, drop, and roll”, but to no avail.  Her husband frantically tried to get the shorts off of her, and he got burned in the process.  Eventually the stones fell from her pockets and began to burn the wood floor.  When firefighters drove up to the home, they found the woman, finally freed from the flaming shorts, in the yard being hosed down by her husband.  Meanwhile, the smoldering rocks were found to contain phosphorous, which is probably to be blamed for the sudden combustion.   

     When I read that story, the first scripture that came to mind was, Proverbs 6:27 (NKJV) “Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?”  Of course, this lady didn’t do anything immoral in this story, but I think there is a valuable lesson that we could learn if we view it as an allegory.  Let’s say that the stones are seemingly harmless, secret sins.  They were picked up and hidden away safely in the lady’s pocket.  She should have cast them from her, but she kept them.  Who would know?  What would it hurt?  But eventually they came back to burn her, causing pain to both her and her husband, and exposing the secret contents of her pockets in the process.  Luke 8:17 cautions, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”

     There is no such thing as “getting away with” sin.  The results may not be immediately seen, and suffering may not immediately result, but that doesn’t mean that the sin was safe.  As Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  If there are any secret sins in your life, then the best thing for you to do is to get rid of them as fast as you can, before you wind up getting burned.  

Former Mr. Universe Turns 100

Last month, a small, toothless man named, Manohar Aich, celebrated his 100^th birthday.  Manohar has always taken great care of his body.  So much so, that in 1952 he was named Mr. Universe.   In other words, he was considered the world’s greatest body-builder that year, despite the obstacle of being only 4’11’’ tall.  The muscularity and longevity have not been an accident for him.  He maintained a strict diet, and at times worked out for 12 hours a day.  Lifting weights was a regular part of his life as late as last year, when he was forced to stop after suffering a stroke.  He is critical of lazy, younger body builders because they “don’t worship their body.” 

There are several directions that we could go in learning some lessons from Manohar.  We could admire his work ethic.  We could praise the clean living that has helped him to some impressive physical accomplishments.  Or we could look to the inevitable.  Manohar, may have once had the best body in the world.  Yet, despite his hard work he has still grown old.  Furthermore, unless the Lord returns first, he will still face death before many more years.  Then what will he have to show for worshipping his body?

Let’s remember the words of Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) , “...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”.  There are a great many worthy accomplishments that we can celebrate in this life.  Those things do have some value, and are a part of our journey through life.  But ultimately, when this life is over, there will be only two accomplishments that mean anything to us.  First of all, did we make it to heaven?  Secondly, did we help anyone else get there?  Friends, nothing else will matter.  You won’t care in the slightest about your greatest achievement or your greatest failure, unless they relate to those two questions. 

It is hard to keep the big picture in mind as we muddle through everyday life.  But we should remind ourselves periodically of what things REALLY matter.  Maybe the things that we stress about the most, really aren’t that important.  On the other hand, maybe we aren’t stressed enough about the things that are important.  

Missed Opportunities

A missed opportunity can cost a ton of regret in the future.  Consider these examples of great opportunities that just weren’t taken:

• ABC once passed on a sitcom proposal featuring comedian Bill Cosby.   NBC snapped up the idea and enjoyed collecting billions of advertising dollars over the next decade.
• In 1982, the makers of the mega-hit movie, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”, wanted to use M&M’s in their movie.  Mars (the makers of M&M’s) did not see that as a particularly appealing opportunity.  Rival candy company, Hershey, took advantage and collected great rewards when their new product, Reese's Pieces, soared in popularity.
• In 2006, Yahoo had the opportunity to buy Facebook for $1 billion, but backed away.  Now Facebook is worth many times that.
• Tony Fadell, an engineer at Philips Electronics, pitched an idea to his employer for combining a music player and an online content-delivery system.  They rejected it.  So he took the idea to, then industry giant, RealNetworks.  They also passed.  Finally Apple bought into the idea and the iPod and iTunes were born.  It could have been Philips or RealNetworks that dominated digital music, rather than Apple, but they missed their opportunity.
• In 1962, a little known band, managed by Brian Epstein, auditioned for Decca Records.  Decca rejected them saying that the band had “no future in show business.”  Later EMI would sign the group, called “The Beatles” (you might have heard of them) and the rest is music history.

Can you imagine the bitter regret that some of those involved in passing over these golden opportunities must have felt later?  Imagine how much they might love to go back and do it again better.  There is one final story of regret that I want to call to your attention now.  It is found in Luke 16:19-31:

(NKJV) "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

This man had many missed opportunities -- opportunities to prepare for the judgment, opportunities to share comfort with others like Lazarus, opportunities to teach his family to live rightly.  Now he longs desperately to have chosen better.

Today, you still have those opportunities.  But those windows of opportunity will close, and you will have eternity to think about what you did with them.  

(For more information about preparing for eternity click here.)

Extreme Measures

Hans Url is a 56 year old husband and father in Austria who had been living primarily on disability since 2003.  However, he had an appointment coming up to evaluate his physical fitness for work.  If deemed to be fit, then he would risk losing his disability benefits, and would have to take on the work that was found for him. 

The thought was abhorrent to him so he hatched a plan to avoid this fate.  He waited until his family was away from home so there would be no interference.  Then he went down to the boiler room and cut off his foot with an electric saw.  Furthermore, he wanted to ensure that skillful doctors would not be able to reattach the foot.  So, he threw his severed foot into a wood stove to burn.  Finally, in danger of bleeding to death, Hans called an ambulance and was rushed to the hospital.

I am not going to use this as an opportunity to talk about political issues like entitlement attitudes and welfare.   What Hans did was horrible and brings his mental faculties into question.  It might be described as the height of laziness, but my purpose today is not to bash him.  Actually, I think that there is a positive lesson to be learned from this man.  I want to focus on Hans' determination to avoid a future that seemed most objectionable to him.  He would rather proceed through life maimed than continue on able-bodied to a destination he detested. 

It reminds me somewhat of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:8-9 (NKJV), “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”

There are few practical instances where literally cutting off our foot would keep us from sin, but we do need to be very serious about getting rid of things in our lives that make it more difficult to be holy.  That might mean amputating certain freedoms and privileges from our lives.  .  If the internet is causing you to stumble then you need to amputate your private access to it by installing accountability software.  If you have been using money to finance your vice, then you may need to amputate you credit or debit card access.  If a job is tempting you to be unethical, then you may have to amputate that job.  If a person or group is pulling you toward sinful activities, then you might have to amputate those people from your life.   Getting serious about avoiding sin, means taking drastic steps to get rid of those things that have been temptations to you.   The righteousness you will achieve will be very much worth any inconvenience you incur.

You might suggest that it would be better to just develop the strength to resist those temptations.  After all, that seems much less drastic and more reasonable.  I would respond by pointing out that it is better to be holy than to be strong.  It is better to enter life lame or maimed than to rely on your own strength, and risk falling to the everlasting fire.  Consider the repeated admonitions to flee sin:

1 Corinthians 6:18 - “Flee immorality…”

1 Corinthians 10:14 - “…Flee idolatry”

1 Timothy 6:11  - But you, O man of God, flee these things [the love of money] and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

               

                We learn the value of avoiding temptation from Jesus’ instructions on prayer.  When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he included the line, “do not lead us into temptation” (Matthew 6:13).  When they were in Gethsemane shortly before Jesus would be crucified, he again admonished his disciples, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).  Jesus was not instructing his disciple to pray for the strength to resist temptation, but rather for the avoidance of temptation altogether. 

                The point is that it is better to flee from sin and avoid temptation than to try to stay and fight.  Even the oft quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 (No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.) speaks of escaping temptation rather than defeating it.  If you are on a diet, and you have cookies within easy reach all day relying on your willpower to resist the temptation, then you are likely to fail to maintain that diet.  For a better chance at success, it would be best to have no cookies in the house at all.  If you are seeking righteousness, then it would be better to remove temptations as far away from you as possible.

                So, how serious are you?  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to pursue righteousness?   Or just whatever seems reasonably convenient?  

What is that to you? You follow Jesus!

Jesus and Peter have a conversation right at the end of the Gospel of John (chapter 21).  In this conversation, Jesus charges Peter with the responsibility of caring for his sheep.  He then foretells a little about the way that Peter will die.  Peter, wondering about his fellow apostle John, said, “Lord, and what about this man?”  Jesus replies, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

I wonder how often Jesus might offer that same answer to us when we ask about the fortunes and opportunities of others.  Lord, what about this man?  “What is that to you?  You follow Me!”  Why does that guy seem to have gotten all the breaks in life, while I struggle so much?  “What is that to you?  You follow Me!”  Why did he get that job and I didn’t when I would have done it better?  “What is that to you?  You follow Me!”  Why don’t all these other people have to deal with the particular misfortune that I do?  “What is that to you?  You follow Me!” 

This is reminiscent of a parable Jesus told in Matthew 20:1-15:

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. "When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went. "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day long?' "They *said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He *said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.' "When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. "When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. "When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' "But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 'Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'

Some people will end up having done more work in life.  Some will have suffered more hardships.  Some will endure more trials, while others will have an easier path.  But in the end, God will deal with us fairly.  He will not defraud us of our just due.  If he is generous to others, “What is that to you?  You follow Him!”  As long as we make it to heaven, then we will have been well compensated for anything we endured along the way.  On the other hand, if we miss heaven, then we’ve missed everything.

Did Leap Year Surprise You?

On the evening of February 28, 2009, I went to sleep.  When I woke up, it was March 1.  This same phenomenon repeated itself on February 28, 2010 as well as on February 28, 2011.  I began to believe that this was a reliable trend.  Then the strangest thing happened.  Last night (February 28, 2012) I went to sleep just as I had on all of those other occasions, but when I awoke, I found that it was not March 1, but rather it was February 29 – a day that hasn’t even been on my calendar for the last three years!

Well, as you know, this anomaly wasn’t really unexpected.  Even though it hasn’t happened in a while, we knew that this was Leap Year.  A year is not actually 365 days long.  It really is 365 ¼ days.  Thus, if we didn’t periodically adjust the calendar by adding a day each 4 years, then our seasons would slowly shift out of sync.  Actually, if we want to get technical about the matter, the year really is 11 minutes less than 365 ¼ days.  This causes the calendar to become a day off every 128 years.  So about once a century we have to skip a leap year.

  Knowing all of this enables us to be ready for the extra day.  Calendar companies are well familiar with the event and print their products accordingly.  It doesn’t really take us by surprise even though it is out of the ordinary.

However, there is another out of the ordinary day that we know is coming, but we just don’t know when.  Nevertheless, it is essential to be prepared for it.  That day is judgment day.  One morning we will awaken to our last day on Earth.  For the vast majority of us, we’ll have no indication that it is going to be our last day.  It will begin like most other days, with no warning that it is really THE day.  The Bible assures us of the sudden and surprising nature of that day in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 (NKJV), “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape“

On the other hand, knowing that this day is coming does enable us to prepare for it.  We don’t have to be caught off-guard as if it were an unexpected event.  In the next verses, Paul would go on to say, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6). 

With this warning, why would any of us be caught off-guard?  The answer to that question lies in Luke 21:34 (NKJV), "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”   If we allow ourselves to get distracted by the immediate to the neglect of the eternal, then we are sure to be unprepared on THAT day.  We all live life at a hectic pace, but will we take proper time to be watchful?  Will you make time for mid-week Bible class?  Will you make time for daily prayer and Bible reading?  Will you make your children aware that their spiritual lives are of surpassing importance when compared to any other aspect of life?  Will they see that priority reflected in your own life? 

In short, are you ready or are you distracted?

The Wrong Home

A 46 year old man broke into the home of Ashley Murray in South Bend, Indiana.  However, the man did not steal anything, nor threaten any violence.  On the contrary, he made himself helpful.  He cooked dinner and even tidied up the place, sweeping the floor and folding the laundry.  Was this mysterious intruder a friend or family member who was trying to offer Ashley a pleasant surprise? No.  Unfortunately, this was a man who seemed genuinely confused about where he was.  He adamantly asserted that he was in his own home.  The police were called, and safely took him away to await psychological evaluation. 

We question the man’s mental soundness because he operated under the delusion that he was at home in a place that was not his home.  However, we may often be guilty of falling to the same delusion.  Although we sometimes sing the hymn, “This World is Not My Home”, we live and think as if this world were our home.  Even we, who should know better, find ourselves sometimes judging success, achievement, and value by the temporary standards of the physical world rather than the eternal standards of the spiritual world.

I wonder how dramatically it might change our thought processes, if we could connect, on both an emotional and spiritual level, with the idea that we are simply sojourners in this world rather than permanent residents.  Many of our material possessions would become much less important; perhaps some might even be viewed as hindrances on our journey.  Some of our current anxieties would be alleviated, while other things might suddenly become much more troubling (such as an erring brother, or an unrepented sin).

Jesus prayed to the Father regarding his disciples, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world (John 17:14-16).  Jesus viewed those who would come to believe in him through the ministry and teachings of the apostles (John 17:20) to be just as foreign to this world as he was.  Do we view ourselves that way?  Or are we like the man who broke into Ashley’s house, delusionally acting at home in a place that in not our home?

National Signing Day

Today was national signing day.  It is the day that the best football players across the country are allowed to sign official, binding letters of intent to play at a particular school.  Over the past year, many of them have made public announcements giving verbal commitments as to where they intend to play, but there is nothing binding about those verbal commitments.  The can and do change them often.  But when the letter of intent (LOI) is signed, then they are locked in to their commitment.

I wonder, if there was a spiritual national signing day, what kind of commitments would we make?   For many people, their commitment to Christ is not much stronger than a high schooler’s verbal commitment.  They have stated their intentions, but they might switch to the other team at any time. 

God is looking for commitment on our part.  Psalm 37:5 says “Commit your way to the Lord”.  Proverbs 16:3 urges, “Commit your works to the Lord”.  He doesn’t just want partial commitment, however.  He is looking for us to be totally committed.  Consider what Jesus says in Mark 12:30 (NKJV), “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.”  That certainly sounds like He wants us to be all-in.

Sometimes football recruits exhibit loyalty to the schools that began recruiting them first.  Those schools made them feel wanted and valuable before anyone else took notice.  In our spiritual recruitment, God was the first to consider us valuable and make us a metaphorical scholarship offer to be on His team.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Jesus was committed to us when were at our most unlovable, covered up in sin.  We weren’t blue-chip recruits; we were diamonds in the rough.  We needed to be cleaned and shaped up to be worth anything.  But he was willing to recruit (redeem) us and make more of us than we ever could of ourselves.

We have offers from two teams.  Satan offers to let us play right away (no need for self-improvement); God offers to make us better (we’ll have to work hard and be disciplined).  Satan’s team stays thirsty (Luke 16:24); God’s team drinks the Living Water (John 4:10).  Satan offers to make us stars (we can live life focused on ourselves); God offers to make us champions (we can be part of the team that overcomes death and wins the final victory). 

The words of Joshua challenging the Israelites naturally come to mind: "“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  So if this were spiritual signing day, which team would you sign with?

Prepare For Emergency Landing

British Airways Flight 206 was flying overnight from Miami to London.  As they flew, passengers dozed, read, watched movies, and peacefully passed time somewhere high above the Atlantic Ocean.  Then at 3 a.m. their peace was broken by terror – an alarm sounded and a recorded message informed them that the plane was about to crash into the ocean!  Passengers screamed and cried as they felt that they were surely about to die.

But it turns out that the recorded message had been played by mistake.  The flight crew quickly announced the mistake and instructed the passengers to ignore the previous warnings.  There was no immediate danger, and everything was operating normally.

As I read that story, I wondered how the passengers viewed their “second chance” at life.  How would we feel if we thought we were about to die, only to find out we were perfectly safe?  Being confronted with death has a way of sharply refocusing our thoughts and priorities.  Worldly things that seemed so important moments before would now find themselves void of any real value.  The “really important” things would now be all that mattered – Is my life right with God?  Do my loved ones know how I feel about them?  Have I prepared them for life without me?  What’s going to happen to me now?  Are there any wrongs that I should’ve made right?  I would think that these are the type questions that might race through our minds.  Those who felt prepared for death probably faced the situation with more peace than those desperate for more of this life.

Furthermore, for the unprepared, would there be any change in life after the initial, euphoric relief of not dying had passed?  Or would they quickly find themselves reverting back to old mindsets?  Would they merely think, “Whew!  That was close!” Then quickly move on.  Or would they be deeply grateful for the second chance, and be determined to prepare better for death?

A king in the Bible, named Hezekiah, had such an opportunity.  In 2 Kings 20, we are told of how he became mortally ill.  God told Hezekiah through the prophet, Isaiah, that he was not going to recover and he would die.  Hezekiah responded by praying as hard as he knew how.  God heard those prayers, and granted him 15 more years.  So how did he respond to his second chance?  We are told in 2 Chronicles 32:25, “But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem”  He wasted his second chance because of his pride.  Would we do better?

The truth is that we are all on notice.   James 4:14 cautions us, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”.  People sometimes say, “Live each day like it’s your last!”  We can’t literally do that because there are mundane chores of life that must be done, which we would surely forsake if we knew for certain that tomorrow would not come.  We can’t skip work EVERY day.  We can’t skip the dishes EVERY day.  We can’t ignore the bills EVERY day.

However, we can live each day prepared for our last, by keeping our priorities in line, and by doing all the good we can with the opportunities presented to us by the day.  Just three verses later James would say in James 4:17  “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”   So let us do the good we can while we have the opportunity.  That very challenge is issued to us in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  

  If today were in fact your last, would you be okay with that?  Or would you be filled with regret?

Fill Your Buckets

     The story is told of a city dweller who moved to the country and bought a milk cow.  Shortly after he did, the cow went dry.  When he told his neighbor what had happened, the neighbor expressed his surprise.  The city man said that he was surprised too.  “I can’t understand it either,” he lamented, “for if ever a person was considerate of an animal, I was of that cow.  If I didn't need milk, I didn’t milk her.  If I only needed a quart, I only took a quart.”  The neighbor then understood the problem. He explained that the only way to keep the milk flowing is not to take as little as possible from the cow, but rather to take as much as possible.

     How true that is in our spiritual lives as well.  If we only turn to God when we feel that we need something, then we miss out on the real joy of a daily walk with God.  In fact, we will likely find that the amount we draw out then will not be enough to satisfy our need.  Let us drink from the well of abundant life that God offers to us everyday, by diligent prayer and personal Bible study.
 

Psalms 1:2-3 (NKJV) ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 

Real World vs. Virtual World

Recently a man in China spent $16,000 for a sword – not a real sword, mind you, a virtual sword.  It is part of a game, called “Age of Wulin”, which had not even been released yet.  The game is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) that is set in ancient China.

That type of financial decision seems absurd to most of us, but he’s not alone in spending “real world” money on virtual property and items in these type of games.  As a matter of fact, a recent study valued the virtual economy for online role-playing games at $3 billion dollars.

A lot of us might look at that somewhat disparagingly.  Why would you invest so heavily in things that aren’t “real”, but just exist in an imaginary world!?  It just doesn’t make sense. 

But on the other hand, most all of us do it all the time…  Not necessarily online, but how “real” are the material things which we obsess over?  How permanent are they?   1 Timothy 6:7 says, “(NKJV) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

If we shift our focus a little so that we can see the spiritual world as the “real” world, and this physical world as temporary – almost an illusion, then our priorities and desires also radically shift.

Jesus seems to have this perspective when he says in Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) ¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

            That is not to say that we will never enjoy a luxury or that we’re evil if we do.  However, it does mean that we ought to put first things first.  Let’s not be so distracted by this life that we lose sight  of what’s truly “real” and what really matters.

            Let us be mindful of the words of 1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV) ¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Mugged the Wrong Guy

Recently in Chicago, a 24-year old man, named Anthony Miranda, approached a parked car with a man sitting in it.  He asked the man in the car for a lighter.  When the man didn’t have one, Anthony pulled out a gun, demanded that the man get out of the car and hand over his money. 

What Anthony didn’t realize is that the man he had just chosen to mug was an MMA fighter and an Ultimate Fighting Champion.  At a moment when Anthony was distracted the “victim” leapt into action.  He grabbed the gun and wrestled Anthony to the ground.  By the time the police arrived, Anthony had two black eyes, a face full of cuts, and had shot himself in the ankle.  He made the mistake of attacking someone who was well prepared for it, and he paid the price.

As I read about this incident, I was impressed with the value of preparation.  Temptations will attack us, often when we don’t see it coming.  But if we are properly prepared, then like this MMA fighter, we’ll be able to make short work of defeating that temptation.  If we haven’t prepared ourselves, then we may find ourselves unable to resist the attack on our souls.

Paul urges us in  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV) ^“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”

Are you properly prepared and equipped so that you can take your stand against the schemes of Satan?