First Baptist Church, Earlville, N.Y.

Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

January 7, 2018

THE END IS NEAR!

—Psalm 71:18 NIV

The Verse of 2018

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Golf Challenge”

A young man who was also an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in nine holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old gent to join him.

To his surprise the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn’t waste much time. Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball – and directly between his ball and the green. After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said, “You know, when I was your age I’d hit the ball right over the tree.”

With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay.

The old man offered one more comment. “Of course, when I was your age that pine tree was only three feet tall.”

INTRODUCTION

Last year at this time, we were talking about faith in the form of the Master’s question: when Jesus returns, will He find faith on earth? 2017 sure had many opportunities for stepping out on faith, in both our home, your homes, and in our church. Let’s not stop that focus.

I have been a Christian for going on 47 years this year. I have probably read through the Bible almost every one of those years – although I’ll never top Pastor Tom who in his latter years would read through the Bible once a month with a different version each month. Wow. This year I’m doing something new – just what I’ve challenged YOU to do: “3 chapters/day and 5 on Sunday.” I’ve never done that before. This is a first.

But it ties in with this year’s new verse from Psalm 71. I trust that this year’s verse will be both challenging and encouraging to each of us as we seek to walk with the Lord in fresh ways this year.

This is a simple verse. Let’s look at 3 main parts of this verse today.

Prayer

#1. “OLD AND GRAY”

So we need to ask and answer the question, “how OLD is ‘OLD’?”. Perhaps you’ve known someone much younger than you who has pre-mature gray hair. Is he old simply because he LOOKS old? Or perhaps when you were younger, you met someone 15 years older than you and you said, “my, he’s really old!”. And the first time someone said to you, “ma’am” or “sir”, you felt old, didn’t you?

But what does the Bible say?

David and Solomon both died when each was 70 years of age. At that time – yes, 70 years of age – it was said of David, “when David was old and well advanced in years” (1 Kings 1:1). For him, physically, he was an old man.

Methuselah died at age 969 years. He was the oldest Biblically recorded person. And yet what did he have in common with those who were younger than he? It is said of him (Genesis 5:27), “altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.”

Only one other person in Scripture is described as being “old and gray”. And that is Samuel the prophet. (1 Samuel 12:2). And yet even at that age, he was able to testify to the people of Israel their entire history of rebellion against God. He knew the Scriptures.

Sarah, Abraham’s wife at age 89, was advised by the Lord that although she was old, there was nothing impossible to have happen to her because of the Lord! (Gen. 18:13) – even the birth of Isaac! Do you or I feel that God gives us tasks that are too big for us, regardless of our age?

Proverbs 22:6 is a familiar verse. Our NIV says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Some have interpreted that verse to mean that if we raise our children in church and in the Scriptures, they will never fall from the Lord. But the verse is actually talking rather about a manner of life and lifestyle – both in trade and in character. Are we raising our children to be one day children of godly character?

And finally, of all places, there is John 3:4. But first, do you remember Jesus’ amazing statement to Nicodemus in verse 3? It says, “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” And in verse 4 is the reply of Nicodemus. Now remember, he is a scholar of Scriptures, a master of Israel. Yet he asks the One standing before him, ““How can someone be born when they are old ….Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” The whole theology of the new birth in Christ is centered around the impossibility of man to save himself, and yet the possibility of God to take a creature of dust and make him a new creation in Christ.

So how old is old? The Scriptures tell us that there is no age limit to God’s work in a life. When one is young, he or she should be encouraged in the disciplines of the Word. And when one is older, he or she should know that even at that age, God is still able to do amazing things through that life.

Do you feel “young” today? God wants to establish some good and godly disciplines in you! Do you feel “old” today? God is not through with you!

#2. “DO NOT FORSAKE ME”

Note that the author of this psalm is not named. It could have been David. But theologians share that when authorship of a psalm is not given, that means the psalm takes on a wide view of application. So the “me” in this plea could be anyone – either of the author’s day or even of ours!

This is a familiar expression in Scripture. It was the charge that at age 120 years, Moses gave to Israel in general and to Joshua in particular: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6). It surrounds one of the most oft-quoted verses in Scripture, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). And our Savior Himself, upon giving the charge of what we call the Great Commission, closed His ministry with these wonderful words of encouragement: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Even in the psalm of the origin of this year’s verse, note the author’s plea in verse 9: “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.”

What is he saying? That as long as I have breath, God is not through with me! And while the tasks may seem overwhelming, we are invited to cast ourselves upon the promises and character of the One Who has called us to Himself. Regardless of our age, God has a promise for us. Regardless of our age, God has an assignment where He has wisely planted us.

And God’s presence is truly the only support the servant of the Lord needs to do what God has wisely called that servant to do!

#3 “TO THE NEXT GENERATION”

I personally find this last phrase the most challenging of the 3 we are looking at in this year’s verse. Why? Because you and I are often most concerned with…TODAY! Bills to pay. Things to do. People to see. There is seemingly not enough time to do what I want to get done!

Yet the psalmist is looking at “the next generation” and “all who are to come”. How long is a generation? The best estimate is somewhere between 30 and 40 years. Let’s compromise and say “35 years”. Now take the number of years that you are alive today. Add 35 years. OK, to make it easy for you, I’ll be your guinea pig. 65 PLUS 35 = 100 years. You know, I’ve got better things to do at age 100 than thinking about the next generation, of those who are to come after me. Why, by age 100 I should be able to shoot under my age in golf! (well, at least for 9 holes anyway!)

Yet the psalmist reminds us to think “eternally”. I encourage you to read Genesis 17 where the Lord relays to Abraham what is known as the “Abrahamic Covenant”. God bypasses the impossibility of Abraham being a father at age 100. Instead, He encourages Abraham to think “eternally”. What did God say to Abe in verse 7? “ I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

Why does the psalmist say almost the same thing? Because God wants the generations to come to have the true God as their God! He wants the generations to come to know Jesus as Savior! And the psalmist encourages us that regardless of what we think our purposes in life are today, we need a fresh vision of Who God is and what He has for us to do today! For what we do today will affect at least the next generation! Can we trust God to do that through us?

CONCLUSION

Three phrases:

(1). “Old and gray” – God is not particular as to one’s age nor one’s hair color (or lack thereof). He has a job for us to do.

(2). “do not forsake me” – God invites us to trust Him, and in so trusting, He reminds us of the many promises He has for us – especially the promise of His presence!

(3). “To the next generation” – a fresh vision. God gives each of us a fresh vision of the task, and more importantly, of those hearts around us that He has wisely set before us every day. Those hearts are “the next generation”. They may be family. They may be friends, neighbors, co-workers, or people we meet today for the first time. They are the next generation.

This year’s verse gives us a fresh vision – of God and of His work.

Will you trust Him with me for the fresh vision from Him?

Close in prayer

THINK On These Things

One More Disciple

Philippians 4:8

In the Gospel of Mark, in Chapter 4, we see Jesus once-again teaching the multitude at the side of the sea He taught in parables. Later, when He was alone with The Twelve, He explained to them the parable of the sower. He ended His teaching with this insight:

“Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?. . . It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.” (Mark 4:30-32)

A tiny seed may become a great tree in the Kingdom.

Then, when evening came, Jesus said to the twelve, “Let us pass over to the other side,” (Mark 4:35)

“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.” (Mk 5:1-2)

The Gospels record many of the Lord’s ministries to individuals. Some seem almost accidental. He was passing along and encountered someone in need. Perhaps a blind man called out in hope. It sometimes seems like He just stumbled on them. Of course we know that nothing is an accident with God. In this story about the Gadarene it is very clear that this was an appointment arranged by Jesus. Luke 8 says it took place on “. . . a certain day. . .“ More than an appointment, it was a missions trip.

Jesus did not go to some heavily populated area, a town or a village. Jesus landed where this hapless man was cowering. He landed at the tombs. The man he met was:

• Torn by demons.

• Shackled by men.

• Alone and naked.

• Feared and hated.

• Howling among the graves of the dead.

• As good as dead himself.

• A terrible sight and in a terrible state.

Then Jesus came. The demons left. Those who watched were in fear and awe. The nakedness and the howling were ended. The poor demonized man was in his right mind. All the local folk could talk about was the two thousand pigs, crashing into the sea. But the rescued man was ready to follow Jesus wherever He might go.

Jesus had a different plan.

This man would become more than a follower. He would become a disciple. He would become a witness in places that Jesus would never walk. Decapolis, the Ten Cities, would be his mission field. He would start now.

Yes, from the beginning, Jesus had a plan.

One thing we know: the devils hate God and hate His people. The more likely someone is to be useful to the Kingdom of God, the more the devil hates them. Those he hates he hinders. He binds and hobbles and side tracks would-be servants. Did not the prince of the power of the air try to hinder Jesus from reaching this very man by stirring up a storm at sea? (Mark 4:37-39) Many afflicted dwell among the tombs of this world, alive to sin but dead to Christ.

From the narrative we can tell that Jesus crossed the sea to perform only one work. His mission was not to drown pigs. His mission was not to heal a mad man. His mission was not healing. Healing was His tool. His mission was to ordain an evangelist. When He had finished this work, He at once returned to the other side of the sea and ministered there.

The theological training program to prepare the new evangelist for his labors was brief indeed. His desire was to go with Jesus and learn more. But Jesus said he already knew all he needed to know. He knew and could say:

“Once I was bound, but now Jesus has set me free. Once I was the slave of a legion of demons, naked, mad and in agony, but now Jesus has set me free.”

This is in contrast to a number of other occasions where Jesus healed someone and told them to “tell no man.” This time He said, “Tell!”

“Go home to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” Mark 5:19-20

And all men did marvel!

How many could be rescued for service, if we would see their condition as enslavement rather than rebellion? The Gadarene was transformed from madness to ministry. We remember how, in a similar visitation, the Apostle Paul was transformed from hate to love. How many are there who could be disciples for Christ, but are bound, prohibited by unclean spirits? Spirits of anger, greed, envy, deviance, pride and other sins run rampant in our world.

We abhor these manifestations. We should. But what of the person “clothed and in their right mind” that is hidden away inside? What of the “exceeding fierce” one, waiting for Jesus to set him free to live a normal life? What of the promise of ministry through an undeniable testimony?

Do you know a “mad Gadarene”?

If you avoid them, you do well for your own safety. But prayer can operate at a distance. Prayer can set such people free. Prayer can reveal the hidden disciple that lives within. Perhaps you believe there are few hidden disciples amongst the raving multitude. You think that prostitutes and politicians have no kernel of good in them. Some may not. Some may. Jesus knows. Neighbors, co-workers, family members, media persons, teachers: all are candidates.

Perhaps, if you would ask, the Holy Spirit might give you the name of a modern day “Gadarene” for whom He would like you to pray, that the scales be removed from their spiritual eyes and that he or she might also become

One More Disciple,

To go where you can’t go,

A tiny seed to become a great tree in the Kingdom.

11/17

Presented by Bro. Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, St. Augustine, FL 32080-6733

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]

Week Forty-Eight, 2017

WHO IS YOUR GOD?

—John Grant

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. – Isaiah 41:13

Recently I attended a college home game of one of the few still undefeated teams in the country. Favored to win, the fans were in the stands with a ho-hum attitude. Apparently, the team was too, by the way they played. When the opposing team won with twenty-seven seconds to go the stands erupted in many expletives unfit to print.

My thoughts were: Who is your God? Is it your football team, your job, your car, your bank account? Maybe it is your ego, which is the anesthetic that masks your self-deceit.

Have you learned that even a defeat can present opportunities to grow? When your walls come tumbling down, they can form a firm foundation on which you can build, rise again and go on to even greater things in life.

The firmest foundation in life is a firm foundation on Jesus, even when you find Him in the dust of life when everything else comes crashing down. He, and only He should be your God…. your foundation. Learn to win from losing rather than losing from winning when you worship the things of this world.

I’ve never met a Christian who says they don’t love Jesus. All Christians say “I Love Jesus”. Too many know about Jesus, but that is a far cry from knowing Jesus.

So, Who is your god? Your god is whoever, or whatever you listen to and obey… Implicitly.

Sadly, many people say Jesus is my God, but their actions testify otherwise. They listen to their job, their spouse, their girl/boy-friend, or their school friends and would sooner obey them rather than Jesus. Or they may sacrifice obedience to Jesus for fashion, their education, or some other worldly pursuit.

Don’t deny Jesus in the stadium of public life, whether you win or lose.

Don’t be deceived. Jesus says: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15

Who is Your God?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Am I… Are you… are we… All in?

As I think about what that means as a Believer, I go back to what it means for an athlete and realize that commitment to Jesus is similar.

Are we committed to Jesus? Committed to walking with Him on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis? Committed to taking up our cross and following Him?

Are we committed to strengthening our walk and our faith through prayer, Bible Study, time spent dwelling on Him and His Word? Are we willing to walk as He walked, talk as He talked, touch lives as He has touched lives?

Are we committed to being all that He has called us to be as individuals and as a church as a whole?

Are we committed and willing to go, to share, to teach, to learn, to live for Him?

Are we committed to shine for Him?

Do I really love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength? Do I love Him with all that I am?

RETIREMENT:

Recognize that retirement is not the end, but the beginning. It is a journey, not a destination. Retirement offers the opportunity of a lifetime to try new and different activities. You may not enjoy all the things you try. If an activity doesn’t pan out, give something else a try. This is a time to be adventurous. Renew your childhood curiosity. You get to start all over again without the pressure inherent for success in the workplace. Because people are living longer, years in retirement are also increasing. You have the opportunity to reinvent yourself many times over. I am not the person I was 5 years ago. I look forward to what surprises may unfold for me in the future.

Views on retirement and getting older are changing. Retirement is whatever we choose to make it. There is no one size fits all. There are as many options as there are one-of-a-kind snowflakes blowing on a winter’s day. I hope my lessons help you avoid some of the pitfalls and reap the rewards of a retired life. As always — put your dent in the universe! Kathy Merlino

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

People who try to live without the Spirit of God always end up trying to fill their own emptiness rather than sharing their fullness. —Ken Whitten

There is no such thing as life in between. Be “All In” there are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between. —Pat Riley

The lines of morality in our society have been blurred.

You can’t proclaim what you don’t possess.

What we believe will determine our direction in life.

Behind every value we have is a belief.

***

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©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

First Baptist Church, Earlville, New York

November 19, 2017 10:30 AM

J B Stopford, Pastor, Speaking

“GIVE THANKS !”

Revelation 4

TODAY’S SPECIAL

“A Beverly Funny” (in honor of one of our congregants)

Hey, why do you see hardly any crows as road kill along the highways?

Because the crows warn each other, “Car! Car!”

INTRODUCTION

Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November in the U.S. on and off since 1789 – as requested to Congress by George Washington. It became a federal holiday in 1863, as requested by President Lincoln during the Civil war, a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwells in the Heavens.”

And, of course, as we all know, it also marks the halfway mark of the Christmas holiday season which began sometime before Labor Day (ok, just kidding).

In our Scriptures, there are 100 references to “thanks” and “thanksgiving”. The first is found in of all places 1 Chronicles 16:34,35, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, ‘Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.’”

The last usage understandably is found in Revelation. Today’s passage is a familiar one, and I personally was amazed to find the word “thanks” in the midst of a most familiar passage. As we give thanks today as a spiritual community, may we also be aware that our thanks will not begin and end today.

PRAYER.

#1. We’re in the present – visualize the eternal (Relation 4:1-8)

As I approach this passage, this most familiar passage, I approach it with a simple question, “what does this passage say that helps my worship, my praise of God, and my being thankful?”

Beginning with Revelation 4:1 with the words “come up here”, the church is not seen again until Revelation 21 and 22 with the “new heavens and the new earth.”

But John himself is in the present! He is seeing the future as if it is now.

And when you and I read passages like this, we, too, are in the present – but like John, we, too, can visualize the eternal!

And what would we see with John? We would see worship face to face! We would see pictures that we could not put into words that would make any sense! We would see in the midst of that worship, elders who are bowing down on a regular basis before the Lord Jesus. We would see pictures of the heavenlies like what we would have read in books like Isaiah and Ezekiel coming to fruition.

How do you describe all that? In one word: worship!

Look closely at verse 8: “day and night they never stop saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come.’” Through John we are hearing the verse from Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”!!! And this worship of our Savior is non-stop, day and night. Can we even begin to visualize that?

So before we offer our great God the gifts for Whom only He is worthy, we need to remind ourselves that all of eternity is surrounding the theme of worship.

But John is in the what? TODAY! And so are we! So what things do we do that are wasteful when we could be learning to do what we’ll be doing for all eternity: worshiping our wonderful Savior!

So have I answered my beginning question? Yes! I have learned that I cannot put God in a box and say, “there, I’ve figured You out!” No, only He is worthy of my worship. Only He could bring me to the cross and cause the rest of my entire life AND my eternity to follow to center around…HIM!

#2 The 3 gifts we can give to God now (4:9)

Verse 9 introduces us to the crux of the theme of this day. The living creatures – whom we met first in Ezekiel Chapter 1 – are described as doing just 3 “tasks”, if you will, for all eternity. Now I could think of a whole bunch of things that I would like to do if I had a lifetime to do them in – and yes, golf certainly would be one of them. But their “tasks” are confined to just 3 descriptions. And all 3 they offer to the Lord Jesus:

A. Glory – the word “glory” is taken from the root word which means simply, “to boast”, or better, “to joy, to rejoice.” In essence, this living creatures brag about God – to Himself! They offer no prayer. They offer no complaints. They offer no concerns. They don’t even review before Him what they have observed Him doing for the past millennium or so. NO! They brag on Him – they boast; yes, they GLORY in Him!

B. Honor – the second thing they do is to honor Him. The only thing we have even similar is what we call the judge in a court, “Your Honor.” That is similar to what this means. It is the idea of offering to God His value. But it is much more than just His value. It is what WE value of Him! And the living creatures for all of eternity will be telling God what they think of Him, telling Him what is their value of God for Who He is. Non-stop. Wow.

C. Thanks! It is interesting that to complete the trinity of this picture of worship, John observes not only glory and honor, but also “thanks”. To put it simply, praise is often defined as telling God Who He is. Thanks is telling God what He has done. Once again, it is a purposeful focus – in this case, of eternity! – on reminding God what He has done for all eternity.

Today we are going to do this as well, to thank Him for what He has done this past year!

**LET’S TRY THIS NOW** (the congregation then each one is to offer his or her thanks for what the Lord has done for them this past year)

#3. True worship is eternal (4:10-11)

Simply put, we are to be practicing what these 24 elders do in the last two verses of Chapter 4: for all of eternity, they will be worshipping the Lord Jesus. They will be reminding Him, as it were, that He alone is worthy of their worship.

We are to be practicing NOW what we will be doing for all eternity: centering our lives on the eternal, even the Lord Jesus, alone!

CONCLUSION

ILLUSTRATION: Yesterday I had the privilege to officiate the funeral for a family which I had first met several months ago. I had to travel quite a distance to the funeral home. So before I left our home, I made especially sure that I had my Bible, my copy of the eulogy, and the several “remembrances” that family members had already written out for me.

When I arrived at the funeral home with time to spare, I was quite thankful. I got out of the driver’s side of the van, making sure the van keys were safely in my pocket! I opened the side door behind the van to retrieve from the back seat my Bible with its contents of the eulogy and the remembrances.

And then I reached for my suit coat. But it wasn’t there! In all my preparations, I had left the coat hanging up on the coat rack in the entry way of the parsonage.

An interesting spirit immediately overwhelmed me – one of thanksgiving; one of confidence that the Lord was in charge; one of humbling, that He alone orchestrates the details of my life.

When I went into the funeral home and met with the undertaker, it wasn’t long before he saw my dilemma – and its solution: he and I have the same coat size! He went upstairs and brought down a coat which matches the color of my pants – and the grieving family was not distracted with my lack of clothes. God is overwhelming!

The point is this: in our worship, true worship, God wants us to get out of our own way! True humility before Him becomes the norm, and with that, our text reminds us what God wants us to be practicing now, since we will be doing this for all eternity:

1. Live as if in the heavenlies – visualize an eternal life!

2. Give God eternal gifts today: glory, honor, thanks

3. Each day is a day of worship – get used to it!

Practice it today!

Pray

Week Forty-Seven, 2017

WHO IS BLIND?

“….. it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3).

It is one of the greatest short stories in the Bible, all contained in one small chapter, John 9. Jesus is walking with His disciples when they passed a blind man. Believing that sin causes physical problems, they asked the Master if the man had sinned or if his parents sinned.

Jesus said it was neither as the man was so afflicted that the works of God might be displayed in him. Now, the disciples were more confused than ever, whereupon Jesus spat on the ground and made a lump of clay and applied it to the man’s eyes. He told him to go wash his face and when he did, his sight was restored.

He was brought before the Pharisees to tell his story of washing and seeing. Instead of marveling at this great miracle, the Pharisees accused Jesus of not obeying the Sabbath, since he healed (worked) on that day. Still not believing what had happened, they summoned his parents, hoping they would say that the man was not their blind son. When the parents identified the man as their son and said how he was born blind.

When pressed for a more detailed explanation, the man said he didn’t know, but one thing he did know is that he was blind and “now I see.” Still they missed the obvious and put him out. The man said that whoever he (Jesus) was is worthy of worship.

Now, the question of this beautiful story is: Who was blind? The man was physically blind, but now he could see physically and spiritually. The Pharisees could physically see, but were spiritually blind. With all of the evidence displayed before their eyes, they could not see what was before them.

People are often like that … oblivious to the obvious. Are we not sometimes unable to see the hand of God as we examine the world around us. There is a big difference between sight and vision. As Helen Keller said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision.”

How is your spiritual vision? Can you see through the things of God? Do you long to someday pass from this world to a better place where you can see all things clearly……. the things that only spiritual eyes can see?

Until then, train your eyes on things above and resist the often terrible things of this world.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

You too may have allowed yourself to become so engrossed in your career and in amassing material possessions you have forgotten what makes you feel fulfilled and truly alive. Indeed, work and the pursuit of material things may have estranged you from who you really are. Therefore, one of the most important aspects of defining a purpose for your retirement is to find out who you really are. Ernie J. Zelinski

TIME CHANGES THINGS:

▪ If you attempt to rob a bank you won’t have any trouble with rent or food bills for the next 10 years, whether you are successful or not.

▪ Oxygen is slowly killing you; it just takes 75-100 years to fully work.

▪ 100 years ago everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and the rich own horses.

OBEDIENCE:

Partial obedience will soon lead to disobedience.

Three questions to ask yourself:

1. Am I seeking God’s will deliberately and passionately?

2. If God were to have you leave your comfort zone to take the challenges of the unfamiliar, how would you respond?

3. Are you making obedience too complicated?

—Ken Whitten

TEMPERANCE:

Adult drinking in America has become a “public health crisis” in the past decade, with steepest rise among those 65 and older, according to a recent federal study. The rise in those over 65 was more than double for the general population.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

God uses the least likely to accomplish the most glory. —Ken Whitten

Few rich men own their property. Their property owns them. —Robert G. Ingersoll

My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants. —J. Brotherton

God’s pleasure in you is not based on your performance for him. God’s Pleasure in you is based on His performance for you.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” —Martin Luther

If you think that you’re too small, too little, too inconsequential to make a difference or make an impact, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room.

Your worship is useless if your ways are wicked. —Bob Sprinkle

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017.

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

First Baptist Church

9 West Main Street, Earlville, New York 1333, J B Stopford, Pastor

“VETERANS: THANK YOU FOR SERVING!”

Luke 9:57-62

Nov. 12, 2017 10:30 AM

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Pastry Funny”

On a visit to New York, an Englishman and a Scotsman go to a pastry shop.

The Englishman whisks three cookies into his pocket with lightning speed. The baker doesn’t notice.

The Englishman says to the Scotsman: “You see how clever we are? You’ll never beat that!”

The Scotsman says to the Englishman: “Watch this, a Scotsman is always cleverer than an Englishman.”

He says to the baker, “Give me a cookie, I can show you a magic trick!”

The baker gives him the cookie which the Scotsman promptly eats. Then he says to the baker: “Give me another cookie for my magic trick.”

The baker is getting suspicious but he gives it to him. He eats this one too.

Then he says again: “Give me one more cookie…”

The baker is getting angry now but gives him one anyway. The Scotsman eats this one too.

Now the baker is really mad, and he yells: “And where is your famous magic trick?”

The Scotsman says: “Look in the Englishman’s pocket!”

INTRODUCTION #1

Veteran’s Day is an American holiday where we honor all those who served in the military service. Memorial Day honors those who died in service, and Armed Forces Day honors those who are currently serving in the military. OK, historians – when was the first Veteran’s Day? Actually, it was Nov. 11, 1954. It was originally named “Armistice Day”, so designated by Pres. Woodrow Wilson on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the first year after the signing of the peace treaty with Germany to end WW1 on 11/11/18 at 11 am. [of course, it wasn’t called WW1 then – they didn’t know there would be another world war!].

So Veteran’s Day got my thinking going – are there Christian veterans, that is, those who have been active in the Christian service? And more importantly, how does one become an active soldier in the Lord’s army? Our text in Luke 9 should give us a good perspective on God’s thinking on this!

Intro # 2 The issues:

This passage is very confusing! Is Jesus being harsh to people – like they can’t bury their dead? Isn’t He the God of compassion?

These are real people – who are following Him along His way to…Jerusalem (v. 53). His focus is on the cross – “going about His Father’s business”. He was asking each of them, “what is your focus?”

Small issue: v. 55. Note the footnotes in our NIV – I’m glad they are there to let us know that in the ORIGINAL language, Jesus gave His real mission: PEOPLE! Without that line, the lines that follow don’t make much sense.

Jesus is looking for true soldiers of the cross! PRAYER.

#1. WHAT IS FIRST? (vs. 57-58)

a. In each of these 3 instances, there is a repeated pattern which will be of tremendous help to us to know Jesus’ heart on what it takes to be a “veteran soldier of the cross”. The first repeated word is, well, “FIRST”! (see v. 59 and v. v. 61). So we can presume that in each of these interactions, our Savior is trying to vividly point out what or Who is to be first. The other repeated word is “follow” (v. 57, v. 59, and v. 61), so we can understand that true veterans of the cross follow something or someone. And the third repeated word is “but” (v. 59, 60, 61). “But” is a word of contrast; so our understanding of this passage is helped knowing that our Savior is pointing out a contrast between the pattern of lifestyles of those who are approaching Him, and that of Himself.

b. So the first cost of following Jesus – the first guide for a soldier of the cross, is to ask ourselves, “WHAT is first?”. Note that Jesus did not mention Himself, but rather His home! The first man said he would follow, and Jesus said, “hey – check out where foxes and birds live, and check out where I live.”

c. Our Savior did this once before! Check out John 1:35-49. Jesus invited two of His disciples to see where He was staying! So the issue is not the size of the house, or the boat, or the cabin, or the bank account, or the IRA, or the _____ (fill in your blank!) The issue is: WHAT is first? In the first instance, for the first potential follower of Jesus, WHAT he possessed was more important than Jesus.

SO: Is what you possess important? THAT is not the question! He is not telling us NOT to have homes, cars, boats, IRA’s. But He is pointedly saying, “do they have US?”.

WHAT IS FIRST?

#2 WHO IS FIRST? (vs. 59-60)

a. The second guide to following Jesus was given by Him, NOT by someone making a statement, but rather by Jesus’ connection with someone. He asks a passerby, “follow Me”. Note He wasn’t concerned with the man’s STUFF. He was concerned with the man’s focus of direction.

b. The man gave a good excuse as to the why he couldn’t follow Jesus at this time: Dad needed to be buried. Isn’t this a reasonable excuse? If you are like us, we have had much – perhaps too much – insight recently into preparing for our loved one’s burials. Life insurance. “Pre service planning”. That’s what we’ve had to do for our loved ones – and perhaps you have too. So this seems like a reasonable argument for not serving.

c. Jesus’ response seems most harsh, doesn’t it? He says, “let your old man bury himself! You go proclaim the gospel!”

d. Fortunately, we have other Scriptures to help us understand this passage. Check out Luke 14:25-27 – Jesus in essence is saying that our love for Jesus in comparison would make our love for our loved ones look like hate. He is NOT saying to hate our loved ones – but He is saying to “love Me FIRST”. And remember the incident in Luke 8:19-21? Jesus very own mother came to see Him but couldn’t get in because of the crowd. He responds by identifying who His true loved ones are. He does NOT discount loving His loved ones – too many verses teach us about honoring our father and mother! But He IS asking us, “WHO is first?”

This question needs to be answered Biblically! It would be easy to say, “oh, I really don’t like my family anyway, so I will go serve the Lord.” But God says that family has a priority and a proper place in your love, but His priority is to be FIRST.

Is He first for you?

#3. WHEN IS FIRST? (vs. 61-62)

a. The 3rd potential veteran of the cross perhaps heard the first two potential followers and their interaction with the Savior. So this one thinks he has the right response, one that will get the Savior’s approval. He says I WILL follow you, but not right now. He is saying, “the heart is right, but the WHEN just doesn’t fit my schedule. In fact, I want to honor my parents – I KNOW you honor parents, right? So I need to FIRST go back and say good-bye to them BEFORE I become a veteran of the cross.”

b. Remember the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 appointing Elisha as the next prophet of Israel? Elisha said, “I’ll go – but let me say good-bye to my family”. This seems like the same response that the man makes in our present text. But it is not. Elisha then closes the door behind him by destroying his farm implements, slaying the oxen, sharing the food with his family and friends, and then…following Elisha. God honored that “WHEN”.

c. But the third potential follower seems to give a good excuse until Jesus says that the problem is the “when” is not right. WHEN is the time to follow Jesus, always? NOW!

ILLUSTRATION:

A missionary couple knows God is calling them to a foreign field, and their elderly parents – who have prayed for this couple for years – also know that that is where they belong. So the missionary children head to the field NOT KNOWING whether or not their loved ones will die before they return home. All parties here had determined the answer to the question, “WHEN is first?”. The WHEN was now. Have you?

CONCLUSION

Veterans’ Day 2017. We honor those who have served. May I close by honoring a veteran of the cross who served well, Pastor Herman Underwood, now with the Lord. He took me under his wing after I was first saved. He showed me how to walk with the Lord; and then he showed me how to serve the Lord. He has had an eternal impact on my life.

Who are the “veterans of the cross” in your life?

AND for whom are YOU a “veteran of the cross”?

Close in prayer

 

Website: http://www.fbcearlville.org

 

 

Week Forty-Six, 2017

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10

Albert Einstein is noted as one of the most intelligent man who has ever lived. His discoveries such as the theory of relativity are landmarks in scientific research.

However, a recently disclosed finding rightfully credits him with an even greater discovery. In 1922, in lieu of a tip, he gave a bellboy a note. It contained Einstein’s “theory of happiness. Recently it sold at auction for $1.6 million.

letter

His theory?: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness” Wow, I think he nailed it.

We live in a world or certainly a country, that thrives on abundance and the pursuit of more. As Einstein so rightly wrote that happiness comes from a modest life and one who pursues success lives a life of restlessness.

Solomon, considered to also be one of the wisest men to live said: I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless–like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14. Solomon begins with the prime observation: “all is vanity.” The word “vanity” does not mean self-admiration in this context. It means “useless.”

But for the Christ follower, there is more than happiness….. it is joy. An ungrounded, dangerous separation of joy from happiness has infiltrated the Christian community. The following is typical of the artificial distinctions made by modern Christians:

Joy is something entirely different from happiness. Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. . . . There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion and temporary; joy is an attitude of the heart. You’d think the distinction between joy and happiness is biblical. It’s not.

John Piper writes, “If you have nice little categories for ‘joy is what Christians have’ and ‘happiness is what the world has,’ you can scrap those when you go to the Bible, because the Bible is indiscriminate in its uses of the language of happiness and joy and contentment and satisfaction.”

There are more than one hundred Bible verses in various translations that use joy and happiness together.

Be happy and have a joyful day.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

In First Things First, Stephen Covey tells a story that one of his associates heard at a seminar. The presenter pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar and placed it next to a pile of fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

The group replied, “Yes.”

He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar. The speaker jiggled the jar until the gravel filled the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?” This time, the group replied, “Probably not.” The speaker then added some sand and asked, “Is the jar full?” “No!” shouted the group.

Finally, the speaker filled the jar to the brim with water and asked the group the point of this illustration. Someone replied that you could always fit more things into your life if “you really work at it.”

“No,” countered the speaker. “The point is, if you don’t put the big rocks in first, there won’t be any room for them.”

This illustration speaks to the issue of priorities. What are the big rocks in your life?

IMPORTANT:

Over the triple doorways of the cathedral of Milan there are three inscriptions spanning the splendid arches. Over one is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath it reads, “All that which pleases is but for a moment.”

Over the other is sculptured a cross, and there are the words, “All that which troubles us is but for a moment.”

But underneath the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription, “That only is important which is eternal.”

A bum came up to me and said, “Lend me $20 until payday.” I said, “Sure, but when is payday?” The bum replied, “How should I know? You’re the guy with the job.” Henny Youngman

I don’t want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap. Spanish proverb

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Worship isn’t about a purpose. It is about a person. Ken Whitten

You can’t control the assumptions others make about you. But you can manage your behavior, and you can manage the assumptions you make about the behavior of others. David C. Borchard

Becoming a Christian is not a matter of accepting a set of beliefs, but becoming a new person in relation to God and others through Christ. Maxie Dunnam

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. John Adams (1770)

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618