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People who live at the end of dirt roads (Lee Pipps & Paul Harvey)
What The New Year Brings
(Kent E. Heaton)
It always seems that each year flows by so quickly. Again we stand at the threshold of a new year and again we ponder where the past year went. Some say that age is the reason the years pass so quickly. It could be that as we get older our focus becomes more on time (or the lack of) than what we considered before. An English proverb says, "Time and tide wait for no man." We rediscover this truth at the end of each year.
With the beginning of each new year, we should stop and reflect upon the year that has gone before us. We plan our resolutions for the new year but we should always look to the year before and make stronger resolutions. Learning from the past is the greatest wisdom for the future. What were the goals and aspirations that we sought for in 1993? How did we attain those goals? Did we work diligently to make those goals possible or did we give up in mid February?
As we write down our resolutions for the coming year, we should also have a column for the challenges met and overcome in 1993. We need to see that we can succeed in making 1994 a great year because of what we could accomplish in 1993. If the accomplishments were few last year, our resolution for this next year will be to continue working on those same resolves.
Do not look at the previous year as a year of failures. Look upon the new year as a time to learn from the past and grow from each challenge not met. "You can't turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again." (Bonnie Prudden) The new year brings the opportunity to seek new direction and follow different paths. Each new year should be a building block from the previous years. The resolve for the coming year is strengthened by the knowledge that we can accomplish what we seek if we but try. Sam Levenson said, "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."
Every day and each new year is a new page that we can write on. Never let the soiled pages of yesterday mar the purity of a new day and a new year. We can change our future by the actions taken today. The kind of person that I want to be will only be challenged by the kind of person I have failed to be. Are you satisfied with the kind of husband or wife you have been in the past year? Do you feel that you have grown as much as you can in your knowledge of the Bible? How do you measure yourself as a worker in the church? Can you do more? No matter the kind of person that I have been in the past, I can be a better person today. When I put aside the things of the past and look for the things that are ahead, reaching for each new day as another opportunity to reach a new level, striving to do the best I can.
The apostle Paul shows us how to look at the new year in Philippians 4:12-16:
"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
"Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind."
Paul was not satisfied with his present accomplishments in life. He knew that he could do more and he sought that for his life. His motto was: "PRESS ON!" In order for Paul to achieve his goals, he knew that he must keep going forward. He did not allow the past to hold him back but reached forth to those things that were ahead. His eyes were fixed forward with hope and expectation, not backwards with despair and regrets. Verse 14 verified his lifestyle by stating his every moving forward to the goal of Heaven.
"Even though the outlook is bleak, the uplook is always bright." The thing that made a difference in the life of Paul was his uplook. His goals were not of an earthly nature but on Heavenly matters. He recognized the need of taking care of the everyday affairs of life but these were all governed by the desires of the heavenly goal. Paul fulfilled the admonition of Christ to "seek first the kingdom of God." We lose sight of what is really important when we lose sight of our spiritual goals.
Verse 16 is the way that Paul could grow in the service of Christ. "Never- theless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind..." Paul built each new year by the successes and failures of the previous year. The level that he attained the year before, he used the next year to grow even more. He walked by the same rule and was led by the same mind. As he built upon each year, he reached higher and higher goals. The level that we have attained this past year will help us to build upon the coming year. As we build from year to year, after a while we begin to realize that we have grown quite a bit. The reward comes when we can look back and see how we have grown from year's past.back to top
"I Want To Go To Heaven, Lord"
(Paul Blake)
I want to go to heaven, Lord. When I was a child, my parents took me to church services. I didn't care very much for going all the time because there were many occasions when I wanted to stay at home and play with my friends. But while I was at services, I heard many lessons about heaven. The preacher often spoke about the beauty, majesty, and peacefulness of that place. As I have grown older and seen some of the ugliness and unrest in this world, I have learned to long for such a place. I want to go to heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord. On those days that I would have rather missed Wednesday Bible Study so that I could go to band practice or football practice, my folks made me go to Bible class. I recall being taught that heaven is only part of a vast, panoramic plan of God for the benefit of humankind. I learned that You made Adam and Even and said that they were "very good," but Adam and Eve chose to be bad. I learned that because all of us chose to sin at some point in our lives, we become subject to the wages of sin (eternal punishment in hell) and lose the privilege of going to heaven. I learned that Jesus Christ, sent down by His Father in heaven, went to the cross, suffered, and died in my place for my sins. I learned that the apostles and prophets gave their lives to ensure that I would have a copy of the Bible, God's will for my life. I learned that if I obey the gospel and live faithfully and morally, I get back the privilege of going to heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord. But I have learned some other things since growing up and leaving my parents home. I have leaned that it is hard to make a living. Earning a paycheck to support my family is one of the hardest things in my life. I am often very weary at the end of the day, and I don't want to have anything else put on me in the evening. I have learned that it is better for me to simply stay home from Wednesday Bible Study and recover my peace of mind at home. But I want to go to heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord. Yet I am trying to further my education. Secular studies require so much more of my time than I expected, but it is necessary to sacrifice some things to get a better paying job later. I have learned I have so little time left over after classes and homework, that I haven't any left for myself. So I have decided to omit getting my class book filled out for Bible class, and I will take Sunday evening to catch up on other things at home. Yet, I still want to go to heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord, although I remember hearing about all the sacrifices that You, Your Son, the apostles, prophets, and faithful saints over the years have made. I have obligations elsewhere and cannot give sacrificially. I have a house payment, car payment, boat payment, club dues, Christmas fund, and umpteen other things I need to buy for the family and the house. I will only contribute a couple of dollars each week (when I come) since my money is already promised to others. However, I want to see the treasure that is laid up for me in heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord. But the world isn't the same place it was when my parents took me to church. People are far more sophisticated and knowledgeable. Most of my friends think of religion as a throwback to bygone, superstitious era. They consider people who are devout as simpleminded fanatics and treat them as objects of scorn. I have learned that I cannot appear too religious around them and I certainly cannot try to tell them about the salvation of their souls. Therefore, I will keep silent and hide my shame of being a Christian when with them. But, I still want to go to heaven, Lord.
I want to go to heaven, Lord. I know I am not the kind of Christian that the preacher reads about from the Bible. Yet, I still want to go to heaven, Lord.
"Time is like a river made up of events which happen, and its current is strong; no sooner does anything appear than it is swept away, and another comes in its place, and will be swept away too." (Marcus Aurelius)
"You will never FIND time for anything: If you want time you must make it" (Charles R. Buxton)
"As one scholar aptly put it, in many non-western cultures they don't tell you what time it is: they tell you what kind of time it is." (Thomas Cottle)back to top
"TIME IS:
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice.
But for those who love - time is not."
(Henry Van Dyke)
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."
(Rabindranath Tagore)
People Who Live At The End Of Dirt Roads
(Lee Pipps & Paul Harvey)
Lee Pipps believes that what's mainly wrong with American society these days is that too many of our roads have been paved. He is con-vinced there is not a problem in America today - not one problem -crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency - that could not be remedied if we just had more dirt roads - because dirt roads build character.
People who live at the end of a dirt road learn early that life has a bumpy ride that can jar you right down to your teeth some-times. But, it's worth it if waiting at the end are a home, a loving spouse, happy kids, and a frisky dog. We wouldn't have near the trouble we have with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a dirt road with other kids from whom they could learn to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals did not walk two dusty miles to rob or rape when they knew they would be welcomed by five barking dogs and a double barreled shotgun. There were no drive by shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse. People didn't worship their car more than their kids. Motorist were more courteous- you didn't tailgate or the car in front would choke you with dust and break your windshield with gravel.
Dirt roads taught patience; dirt roads were environmentally friendly. You didn't hop in the car and deplete the ozone for a quart of milk. You walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mailbox. What if it rained and the dirt road washed out? Oh, that was the best part. Then, you stayed at home and had some family time.
You roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and you learned how to make prettier quilts than anyone else. At the end of a dirt road, you learned that bad words tasted like soap. Now, most paved roads lead to trouble. Dirt roads more often than not lead to fishing creeks or swimming holes. At the end of a dirt road, the only time we locked our car was in August. That was because if we didn't, some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini. At the end of a dirt road, there was always extra spring-time income from when city dudes would get stuck and you would have to pull them out. Usually you got a dollar. Always you got a new friend. back to top
(Dick Dickson)
Because God loves me, He is slow to lose patience with me. Because God loves me, He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.
Because God loves me, He does not treat me as an object to be possessed and manipulated.
Because God loves me, He has no need to impress me with how great His because HE IS GOD nor does He belittle me as His child in order to show how important He is.
Because God loves me, He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love.
Because God loves me, He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make of which there are many.
Because God loves me, He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance.
Because God loves me, He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should.
Because God loves me, He rejoices when I experience His power and strength and stand up under the pressures of life for His name's sake.
Because God loves me, He keeps on working patiently with me even when I feel like giving up and can't see why He doesn't give up with me, too.
Because God loves me, He keeps on trusting me when at times I don't even trust myself.
Because God loves me, He never says there is no hope for me, rather, He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of his concern for me.
Because God loves me, He never forsakes me even though many of my friends might.
Because God loves me, He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty and low. It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.
(Ron McRay)
And then there is the story the preacher used to illustrate what a grudge will do. It seems as if a visitor was watching a farmer plowing, and in due time tried to offer the farmer some advice. "I'm not trying to tell you how to run your business, but you could save yourself a lot of work by saying GEE and HAW to that mule instead of tugging on those lines."
To which the farmer stopped the mule, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the perspiration from his brow, and replied, "Reckon' you're right, son. But this here animal kicked me five years ago and I ain't spoke to him since!"
Yes, that is what a grudge will do. It might help (if you are holding a grudge) to remember that a grudge is hardest on the one who holds it. Then too, there is almost a mule involved. Sometimes two! Don't you think it time that we heed the advice of the Lord in the matter? "Grudge not against your brother" (James 5:9)
(Gary Ogden)
I had to chuckle at a story I read in the paper. I'm sure it wasn't funny to the people involved at the time, because it was a "bad car day." Ian Quinn reported his blue Nova as stolen when it wasn't where he parked it. A police officer noticed an identical car parked on the same street about 50 yards away. Sure enough, the other driver took the wrong car. Her key fit the door and the ignition of Quinn's car and she headed toward home.
When she learned of the mistake, she returned the car downtown, accompanied by her boyfriend. After the exchange Quinn got into his car and drove away. A car making a U-turn ran into him. Who was in the other car? The girl and her boyfriend who had returned his car. The boyfriend was cited for making an improper turn and Quinn's car was destroyed. Not to mention his day.
That's a funny story but I'm sure Ian Quinn wasn't laughing. I'm sure he went home and wondered what kind of black cloud was hanging over him. Of course, the woman who mistakenly took his car didn't have all that great a day either. The whole proceeding interrupted her schedule considerably. Wonder if she still has her boyfriend?
Some days are just filled with one calamity after another. About the time you think nothing else could possibly happen, the radiator on the car springs a leak, leaving you stranded miles from the nearest service station.
Fortunately, we don't seem to have those kinds of days every day. Life would get rather miserable if that were the case. They do happen with enough frequency that it keeps us from becoming too smug in our existence. We need a few rough places in the pavement to remind us how pleasant the good road is.
I wonder if our Lord had some bad days when he lived here on the earth. Did everything always run smoothly in Joseph's carpenter shop? I've often wondered if Jesus ever hit his thumb with a hammer. I know he didn't let any corrupt speech proceed out of his mouth if such did happen.
The record shows that Jesus became tired, hungry, thirsty, and sorrowful. Not every day he spent on earth was filled with joys of Paradise. Paradise is somewhere else; it's not down here!
Jesus had to endure the ridicule and rejection of those who did not believe in him. John remembers the day when "many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him" (John 6:66). This was near the end of his life and had to be a great disappointment to the Lord.
Two of his closest disciples, Peter and Judas, failed him in the hour of trial. It's a bad day when your best friend either betrays you or denies even knowing you.
I'd say any day is a bad day if the authorities arrest you, especially if you are innocent. The way they treated Jesus on the day they arrested him would make us shudder with despair. They slapped him, jabbed him, hit him with their fists, flogged him, spit on him, and ridiculed him. They pronounced him guilty and he was not guilty! A bad day, indeed!
If that were not enough, they crucified him. We all have our preferences on how we would like to leave this old world, but crucifixion never makes the list. It is one of the worst ways to go. Did not the Son of God deserve a "peaceful hour in which to depart this life?" One would think so, but when he started out that fateful day, it would turn out to be the day of his death, his painful anguish-filled death. A really bad day.
Losing your car in a mix-up and even losing it altogether in a wreck pales in comparison, doesn't it? Some of the things we get all bent out of shape over are in actuality petty and mundane. The "worst day" we've ever had won't hold a candle to what the Lord endured on the day he was crucified. If you're still breathing and moving, "you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4).
If we had a little better perspective of our "difficulties" perhaps we would handle them with a little more grace. If you would fall apart at the seams because life sometimes unravels, how would you fare if your life was on the line for being a follower of Christ?
This is not to say that all our troubles and trials are petty. Sometimes we have some very heavy loads to carry. There are some folks in this spiritual family who have difficult circumstances that you may never fully comprehend. But Christ knows. It is of great comfort for us to know that Jesus went through some bad and trying days and is aware of the hurt and pain that we have to endure from time to time. He is able to give help to those who are suffering (Heb.2:18), and has the compassion to be "touched with the feelings of our infirmities" (Heb.4:15).
Since God is not going to encapsulate us so that we will never be subjected to bad days, it is reassuring to know that we have "grace to help us in time of need" (Heb.4:16). What we must do is take our burdens to the "throne of grace, that we may receive mercy" (4:16). Help is only a prayer away. God may not take the bad day away, but he will give us the strength to get through it.
Isn't it great being a Christian? back to top
Awareness Of Danger (Colossians 2:8)
(Warren E. Berkley)
"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ," [Colossians 2:8].
To beware is to be aware and informed of danger. It means, to take heed and be on your guard, watching for spiritual dangers. Those who walk through life blind, naive and ignorant run into things and get hurt. This verse tells us to be aware. [See also: Eph. 5:15; 1 Pet. 5:8,9; 1 Jno. 4:1.]
Our text says, "Beware, lest anyone cheat you." The King James says, "Beware lest any man spoil you." The American Standard, "Take heed lest there shall be anyone that maketh spoil of you." Notice this word "spoil." In those days, in a war, captives or prisoners would be taken away.
Sometimes they would be paraded before crowds in victory processionals. To be part of the "spoils" of war meant you had been captured, then humiliated, punished and perhaps sold into slavery. This is the picture Paul uses to warn us of what false teachers can do, if we are not careful! [See also: 2 Pet. 2:1-3 & Rom. 16:17,18.] "Beware, lest anyone make spoil of you!"
Notice now the weapons false teachers use to take us captive:
1. Philosophy - a love for some human system of wisdom [1 Tim. 6:20,21; Jer. 10:23.]
2. Empty Deceit. Two ideas emerge from this phrase: {a} that which is deceptive, and {b} that which is empty. When we allow men to deceive is, we wind up with nothing; we are rendered empty by the deceitful teachings and influences of men. [See also: 1 Tim. 2:14; Gal. 6:7-9.]
3. THE TRADITION OF MEN is that which is "of man" and has been handed down from generation to generation. Jesus charged the scribes and Pharisees with this penetrating question: "Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" (Matt. 15:3).
4. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD. This probably refers to the old Mosaic law. It was basic, and a necessary step in God's overall plan. It is called "the elements of the world" in Gal. 4:3, but this law had been annulled and was not to be enforced as necessary to salvation [See, Acts 15:1-35; Gal. 5:1-6].
5. THINGS NOT "ACCORDING TO CHRIST." If some teaching is "according to Christ," that means He authorized it; it has His approval. Hence, that which is NOT according to Christ is that which He didn't authorize; that which does not have His approval. These false teachers, who were attempting to influence the saints at Colossae, were using human philosophy, empty deceit, human tradition, the basic principles of the world and other things which were NOT ACCORDING TO CHRIST.
My friend, don't be afraid to hold to this conviction. If something is not according to Christ, we ought not to have any participation in it!! Paul tells us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Eph. 5:11).
We ought not to let anybody convince us that there is something we need for our spiritual welfare, unless it is according to Christ. In Colossians 2:8, the apostle Paul sounds the alarm. Will we give heed??