Category Archives: John Grant

John Grant

Know the Future

Week Thirty-Four, 2019

Know the Future

By Florida Senator John Grant (Retired)

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives every fear is gone. I know He holds my life my future in His hands. —Bill Gaither

From ancient times, man has wanted to know the future. For a thousand years people consulted the Oracle at Delphi in ancient Greece in an attempt to know what the future held. It’s unthinkable to claim to know what people ten years or a thousand years from now will be doing. But I suspect they’ll still think and fear and hope and communicate with other people. And make predictions.

Futurology has always bounced around between common sense, nonsense and a healthy dose of wishful thinking. I have often thought of what it would be like to accurately predict the future. Imagine if I knew today what the stock market would do tomorrow. I could probably have enough to retire in a week.

Corporations have futurologists in their employment so long-term plans can accommodate long term needs. When I was in the Senate, we had to know how much revenue would be coming in so we would know how much to budget, so we quarterly Revenue Estimating Conferences.

There is constant speculation and anxiety in our culture about the future of American Christianity and the role of the church in the coming years. What will the faith look like ten, twenty, or fifty years from now? Why will some churches be forced to close their doors while others in the same zip codes thrive and grow? Nobody holds a crystal ball but all ministers and Christian leaders should think about these questions because the decisions we make now play a big role in shaping and molding the future. These decisions will also determine whether we are able to reach our children and grandchildren with the values of Christianity.

More important than knowing what will happen is doing things that will determine what will happen. Instead of fighting the world and focusing on what is wrong, Christians need to flood the world with examples of what is right.

The lifestyle of many Christians is not reflective of Biblical admonitions and that sends mixed signals to the world. Vast numbers of Christians have moved so far away from obedience to Scripture that they pick and choose doctrine to suit their own whims. This plague is so ubiquitous now in American Christianity that “cafeteria Christian” could describe a significant part of our community. Is your daily Bible engagement pretty much the length of time it takes to read a devotional while on the toilet?

Every other religious faith wants to escape the world, but Jesus wants us to renew the world. That must start with a renewal of ourselves. Public perception begins to change when other people see that you are serious.”

Too often Christians want to escape the world, but Jesus wants us to renew the world. In a culture like ours, we need to demonstrate first how faith in Christ makes a difference in how we live.

This must begin with a renewal of ourselves. Christianity is like a nail. The harder you strike it, the deeper it goes. How hard are you willing to hit the nail to help guide the church and society in the direction it should go in the future?

For Christians, the future is certain….. you can read about with certainty in the Bible.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

We make a life by what we give:

The stewardship of our nation begins with our stewardship of ourselves. What resources has God entrusted to you? What gifts, abilities, financial means, and cultural influence are yours? Would you submit them to God’s Spirit and use them for his glory?

Winston Churchill observed: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Will you give today? —Jim Denison

— o —

Northview Church in Indiana asks itself regularly: What would happen if the church packed up and left the state? Would anybody notice? Would anybody care? It turns out, people who owed $4 million in medical debt would.

The church, which operates seven campuses and averages about ten thousand people on a typical Sunday, conducts what it calls the Dollar Club four times a year. Each person in attendance is asked to contribute a dollar, which the church pools and uses to meet needs. The church typically raises between $6,000 and $10,000; the money goes to support foster families, help with medical bills, and so on. In May, however, the church told members they had a special opportunity and asked them to donate $3 or $4.

A few weeks later, the church partnered with a charity called RIP Medical Debt, one of the organizations that buys such debt from hospitals, doctors, and even investors, usually for a penny per dollar. The church donated $30,000 to this charity. Since some medical debt in Indiana was cheaper than normal, the charity then leveraged Northview’s donation to alleviate $4 million in debt.

— o —

Writer – Katherine Lee Bates, 1859 – 1929; Prolific American writer, college professor and scholar. She spent the summer of 1893 in Colorado teaching English. She recalled: “One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000 ft. Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon and near the top we transferred to mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”

And Katherine completed the first draft of America the Beautiful on Pikes Peak.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Coaches have a “play book” for the game of football. Christians have the Bible for the game of life.

For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. —GEORGE H. W. BUSH, in the prayer he wrote for his inauguration

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

Remember that creating a successful marriage is like farming: you have to start over again every morning. —H. Jackson Brown

Tomorrow is promised to no one.

Revealing Your Feeling Is the Beginning of Healing. —Ken Whitten

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Blogs, John Grant

Salt

Week Thirty-Two, 2019

By retired Florida Senator John Grant

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13).

We stood in awe a thousand feet below the surface in the salt mines of Krakow Poland. Dating back before the thirteenth century, these mines were of valuable importance economically and militarily. At one time, salt the greatest preservative had a value equal to that of gold.

In ancient times Salt was of crucial importance economically. The expression “not worth his salt” stems from the practice of trading slaves for salt in ancient Greece. Special salt rations given to early Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum,” the forerunner of the English word “salary.”

Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange.

The Bible contains more than forty verses about salt. The symbolism of salt is that It purifies. The Bible mentions that Sodom and Gomorrah were purified with salt. Sinners are changed into pillars of salt, and we can ward off evil and deter unwanted strangers by spreading salt. However, salt can also kill. It kills weeds, corrodes, dries up and can make water undrinkable.

Although salt is powerful in historical and metaphorical terms, its spiritual power often goes unnoticed. Jesus said that we are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. Being salt and light is not optional. Jesus did not say you can be…or you have the potential to be…He said you are.

Everyone who has trusted Christ for salvation and is born again is the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Jesus told His followers they were the salt of the earth. This was an obvious metaphor for how they should impact the world around them.

Jesus uses those who love and follow Him to help preserve this fallen world that has turned its back on Him. Jesus also uses you to spread the Word in a way that is easier for others to understand, easier for them to hear and digest, by adding flavor and depth to your words as you share the gospel. Salt brings out distinct flavors in food, just as believers can bring out the words of God to impact listeners in a positive way. Those who know Jesus, radiate His joy, and share His love add flavor to the world.

Are you spreading salt in this fallen world?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

When David found himself confronted by enemies (Psalm 139:19–22), here was his prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (vv. 23–24).

What hard place is your address today?

Would you make David’s prayer yours right now?

— o —

This ‘n That about Bats

• The bat is the only mammal that can fly. Bats are crucial for a healthy environment. Bats disperse seeds, eat loads of harmful insects and help pollinate plants.

• There are more than 1,300 bat species distributed across six continents; about 50 bat species live in national parks across the United States, and Indonesia hosts 219 bat species—more than any other country.

• According to Bat Conservation International, bats make up one-fifth of the mammal population on Earth.

— o —

Chris Seiple is a graduate of Stanford and the Naval Postgraduate School with a PhD from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. He is a former Marine infantry officer and a founding member of the Pentagon’s Strategic Initiatives Group. He is also living with stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor.

Writing in the Washington Post, Dr. Seiple focuses on living today while trusting Jesus for tomorrow. He testifies: “I am grateful for the blessing of living in the present, between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet.’ In the Bible, Jesus asks his followers: ‘If he made and cares for the ‘lilies of the field’ in all of their finite beauty, how much more will he care for us?’”

Dr. Seiple concludes: “I believe death is but the doorway to the rest of life, but until it is time to step through, I want to live like the lilies, expectantly, with enough for today.”

So should we. —Jim Denisen

Bold

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

“Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.” —Benjamin Rush (1783)

Some have more degrees than a thermometer but without Christ are still lost.

“We cannot be forgiven unless we are willing to forgive.” —John Morgan

“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). God’s word adds, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9).

Sin always costs more than it pays. The time to repent and make restitution is now. —Jim Denison

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John Grant

THE EMPTY CHAIRS

Written by Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

Week Twenty-Eight, 2019

THE EMPTY CHAIRS

“As soon as he had received the piece of bread, Judas went out into the night” (John 13:30).

The memorial is in a square on the Jewish quarter of the City of Krakow. It is rather simple and consists of 33 empty chairs.

It is known as the Ghetto Heroes Square. The chairs are of iron and bronze. These chairs symbolize the tragedy of the Polish Jews. These inhabitants of Krakow were imprisoned in the Krakow Ghetto during the Second World War and the German occupation of Poland. And then afterwards losing their lives to the Germans on the premises of the ghetto and in several German death camps.

In March 1941 the Germans locked up all the Krakow Jews inside the recently-built ghetto. Over 20,000 people were living within the ghetto walls, where previously only 3,000 people had lived. That was a terrible existence, but worse came when they were herded onto overloaded box cars bound for the death chambers in Auschwitz and other concentration camps.

The Kraków Ghetto was one of five major, metropolitan Jewish Ghettos created by Nazi Germany in the new General Government territory during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. It was established for the purpose of “exploitation, terror, and persecution” of local Polish Jews, as well as the staging area for separating the “able workers” from those who would later be deemed unworthy of life.

As I was standing in the square alongside one of the chairs, I could only imagine the atrocity of what occurred. I wondered if it could ever happen again. Then my bride standing with me reminded us of the atrocity of today’s abortions.

The taking of a life is the taking of a life, whether in the gas “baths” of a concentration camp or in the “treatment” room of an abortion clinic in the name of “health”. What’s the difference? The taking of a human life is murder. In the USA, 686,000 abortions were reported. That’s 188 abortions per live birth. Every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day. If that’s not genocide, then what is?

While we are quick to castigate the Nazi genocide of the Holocaust, do we not today tolerate or even support abortion on demand right in our own back yard?

Christians must stand up and speak out about the modern-day abortion holocaust. Will you and you and you?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The persecution and genocide of Christians across the world is worse today “than at any time in history,” and Western governments are failing to stop it, a report from a Catholic organization said.

— o —

The study by Aid to the Church in Need said the treatment of Christians has worsened substantially in the past two years compared with the two years prior, and has grown more violent than any other period in modern times.

“Not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution,” the report said.

— o —

TITUS SPEAKS TO US TODAY:

“Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good” (Titus 1:16 – 2:3).

— o —

Yesterday’s junk

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

“There’s no life so empty as a self-centered life and no life so centered as a self- emptied life.” —Ken Whitten

Bread is like the sun. It rises in the “yeast” and settles in the “waist”.

Indeed, a hallmark of virtuous adulthood is learning to find freedom in your work, rather than freedom from your work, even when work hurts.

Life is like a tea bag. You do not know what’s in it until you put it into hot water.

Trials never call for an appointment.

If you don’t have problems, check your phone line.

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

Physician, Heal Thyself

Week Fifty, 2018

PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum” (Luke 4:23).

He was a hometown boy in our city who became a world famous cardiac surgeon. He pioneered heart transplants and perfected many surgical procedures. He was known for both his skill and his speed. His skills in heart surgery are credited with saving many lives. Recently he died…. of all things from heart failure. He could heal others, but could not heal himself.

The Bible speaks of people who can heal others, but not themselves. What’s the meaning of the phrase ‘Physician, heal thyself’? It refers to tend to one’s own faults, in preference to pointing out the faults of others.

The phrase alludes to the readiness and ability of physicians to heal sickness in others while sometimes not being able or willing to heal themselves. This suggests something of ‘the cobbler always wears the worst shoes’. That is cobblers are too poor and busy to attend to their own footwear. It also suggests that physicians, while often being able to help the sick, cannot always do so and, when sick themselves, are in no better place than anyone else.

We should not attempt to reach out and cure the ills of others until we heal the ills and faults of our self. Things need to be okay at home in our own lives before we try to “concur the world.”

Early in His ministry, Jesus was in Nazareth speaking in the synagogue. Nazareth was His hometown, and the people there were familiar with His family and had watched Him grow up (Luke 4:16). When Jesus read a messianic prophecy from Isaiah and claimed to be the fulfillment of it, the crowd in the synagogue immediately balked (verses 17–22). It was then that Jesus made reference to a proverb of the day: “Physician, heal thyself” (verse 23, KJV).

People should take care of their own defects and not just correct the faults of others. Jesus was aware that this would not set well with the hometown folks, who refused to examine and correct themselves before reaching out to expose the ills and sins of those in other towns.

This is a reminder for us to look at ourselves in the mirror and see our faults before lashing out at others.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

This will boggle your mind!

The year is 1918 “One hundred years ago.”

What a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the Year 1918:

  • The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
  • Fuel for cars was sold in drug stores only.
  • Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
  • Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
  • The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
  • The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
  • The average US wage in 1918 was 22 cents per hour.
  • The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
  • A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year.
  • A dentist earned $2,500 per year.
  • A veterinarian between $1,500 and 4,000 per year.
  • And, a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
  • More than 95 percent of all births took place at home
  • Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
  • Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as “substandard.”
  • Sugar cost four cents a pound.
  • Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
  • Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
  • Most women only washed their hair once a month, And, used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
  • Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
  • The Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4 Heart disease

5. Stroke

  • The American flag had 45 stars …
  • The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30.
  • Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet.
  • There was neither a Mother’s Day nor a Father’s Day.
  • Two out of every 10 adults couldn’t read or write
  • And, only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
  • Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health!” (Shocking?)
  • Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help…
  • There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Generosity gives out of abundance; sacrifice costs us something.

See the Good, not the Bad

Gratitude Is the Attitude that Sets the Altitude for Living. Focus on the Positive not the Negative

When we have an education of God’s performance in the past and evidence of God’s presence in the now, we can have an encouragement of God’s provision in the future.

If God is all you have, you have all you need.

I might wake up early and go running or I might wake up early and win the lottery. The odds are about the same.

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

“John Anderson”

Week Forty-Nine, 2018

“JOHN ANDERSON”

By John Grant

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

Grace was an elderly lady driving alone at night on a rural road, She felt uneasy. Suddenly she pulled over with a flat tire and felt helpless. A truck pulled in behind her and a big man stepped out and knocked on her window. Even though he asked her to lower her window, she was very scared.

He told her his name was John Anderson and he wanted to change her tire. Feeling somewhat relieved, she told him to go ahead. When he was finished he came back to her window and she asked how much she owed him. He said nothing as it was an act of kindness. Then he said to her that when she next saw someone in need to help them.

Grace drove away and stopped at an all-night diner, where she was approached by a somewhat over pregnant server named Judy, who politely served her. When Judy brought her the check, Grace handed Judy a one hundred dollar bill and told her to keep the change. When Grace left, Judy proceeded to clean the table, she found four more one hundred dollar bills under a napkin. Judy felt so blessed as she and her husband lacked the money to pay for the delivery and now they had the money.

Judy got off work at midnight and went home to find her husband already asleep in bed. As Judy climbed into their bed, she woke her husband and shared the good news with him. They both felt blessed.

There’s something Biblical about passing on blessings. In Luke it says that we are to give and it will come back to you. We are told to help and bless others, even at our own cost. John blessed Grace, who blessed Judy.

We have heard the quote that says “what goes around comes around comes around”. Too often that used to describe what happened when we do bad things. The Bible says it is what happens when we live a life of generosity and blessing others.

We should focus on how we can bless others. It will always come back, perhaps not to us, but to someone, as we focus on giving rather than receiving. That’s what John and Grace did.

But now the rest of the story. The husband who Judy shared her good news was none other than John Anderson.

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

A new Harvard study investigated the health and mental health of children and teenagers who were raised with religious or spiritual practices. What they found was fascinating.

Those who attended religious services at least once a week as children or teens were about 18 percent more likely to report being happier in their twenties than those who never attended services. They were almost 30 percent more likely to do volunteer work and 33 percent less likely to use drugs in their twenties.

In addition, people who prayed and meditated individually on a daily basis had more life satisfaction, were better able to process emotions, and were more forgiving. They were less likely to have sex at an earlier age and to have a sexually transmitted disease.

The Forbes article reporting on the study concludes: “Some of the fundamental habits that humans have been doing for eons (praying, meditating) might actually have a lot more value than we tend to think.”

— o —

Ken Whitten on giving:

1. The Greatest Givers do not Necessarily Give the Greatest Gifts.

2. Don’t Have to be Rich to be Generous

3. Don’t Have to Have a Lot to Give

4. Don’t Have to Have a Lot to Give a Lot.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Virginia Satyr says that most people prefer the certainty of misery than the misery of uncertainty. We’d rather head back to Egypt than learn to live as healthy people.

The woman came from a man’s rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from his side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected and next to the heart to be loved.”

Focus on the Right not the Wrong.

Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare,” wrote J. Oswald Sanders in his book Spiritual Leadership.

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.)

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

The Acorn

Week Forty-Eight, 2018

THE ACORN

By John Grant

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Matthew 7:18

Right after we built our home nearly fifty years ago, my wife decided we should have a big tree in our front yard. In a small pot she planted a single acorn. As the sprout grew, it was transferred to a bigger pot and finally into the ground. It grew and grew and grew until it reached adulthood and topped over our two-story house. It was always her favorite tree.

Trees, like people have an expiration date. Our tree began to age, with rot and falling limps. Like an old dog, it was time to go, so we secured an arborist who agreed and proceeded to level the tree.

As I watched the tree go down limb by limp, I could not stop thinking of the day we planted that acorn. It was a journey from a small seed to a giant oak. We are like that, beginning with a small seed, but the rest is up to us. How will we grow, like a giant oak or an acorn that stays on the ground and rots?

“From little acorns mighty oaks do grow” is an enduring proverb that gives believers hope for their future in God’s Kingdom. We should all strive to become the uncommon acorn—the one that develops into a majestic oak with limbs reaching out to a hurting world.

Max Lucado writes: There’s an oak within every acorn. One little acorn, with time, can also be the start of a whole forest of mighty oak trees. The acorn is the seed of the mighty oak tree; therefore, it symbolizes potential and strength. … The acorn is the youth of a mighty oak tree. As Christians, we should continue to grow until our expiration date.

What characteristics are evidence of Christian growth? The evidence of Christian growth can be broken down into three main areas: hunger for God’s Word, confidence, and obedience. These three characteristics are based on love. The work of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace within us, help us to grow and start to display evidence of Christian growth.

God is not done with his work when we first believe and are saved. He intends day by day to make us into what we already are in Christ. Spiritual growth is not optional or marginal in the Christian life. Every person that truly believes in Christ is increasingly transformed into his likeness.

What will you be an acorn or a tree?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

What do you believe about God? Salvation? Sin? Ethics? And the Bible?

According to a recent survey conducted by LifeWay Research based on interviews with 3,000 people, American evangelicals are “deeply confused” about many basic Bible doctrines.

Their conclusion, that is “overall, US adults appear to have a superficial attachment to well-known Christian beliefs.” While the majority believed that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, 6 in 10 Americans think “religious belief is a matter of personal opinion [and] not about objective truth.”

▪ A majority of US adults (59%) believe the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being.

▪ 58% don’t see regular church attendance as important.

▪ 69% are not bothered by “small sins” as being condemned by God.

▪ 51% agreed that God accepts the worship of all religions.

▪ Incredibly 78% believed that Jesus was a created being.

The problem, cites the survey, is the impact of “relativism” on religion. Today’s culture, however, looks at truth as being “relative.” It says, “What is truth for me, may not be truth for you. And what truth is for you, may not be truth for me” This philosophy can be summed up in two words: “No Absolutes!”

This philosophy spouts off phrases like “It doesn’t matter what you believe (or do) as long as you’re honest and sincere.” “It says there are no absolute truths in life.” Of course, this is ridiculous. That statement in itself is an absolute. Preacher Man

— o —

Italian Tomato Garden

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard.

His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried.

Love,

Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you,

Vinnie

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

God doesn’t need a majority; he needs a remnant. PS 105:17

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. Robert Brault

When Facing Something New, Follow Someone Old

The Most Fearful Times Can Be The Most Fruitful Times

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Your feedback is welcome. 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 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

Are You Ready?

Week Forty-Seven, 2018

ARE YOU READY?

By Senator John Grant, FL (Ret.)

You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:44

As a Boy Scout, I learned and lived by the motto: Be Prepared. It was a good lesson for a young boy. Don’t get caught short and don’t fail to be prepared to meet deadlines.

Recently my bride and I were preparing for a short trip. As always, she printed out the packing list. Mine was simple… toothbrush, comb and razor. Hers was a bit more inclusive. It included, but was not limited to toner (whatever that is), moisturizer, eye cream, cleaner, exfoliator, lip balm, make up, mascara, eyebrow brush, eyeliner, concealer, lip liner and the list goes on.

Women are just plain complicated, but what is not complicated is God’s plan of salvation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.

We know not the time or the hour, but we must be prepared and ready at all times. We spend a significant amount of time every day getting ready for what lies ahead, but how much time do we spend getting ready to meet the Lord?

Jesus is coming! How do you react to that statement of truth? Some people wring their hands in fear. Or roll their eyes in skepticism. Or yawn with disinterest. Or jump up and down with excitement. How should we react to that statement? While no one knows the day or the hour of His return, Jesus Himself instructed His disciples repeatedly to be ready (Luke 12:35, 38, 40, 47). And the Bible tells us exactly how.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved (Romans 10:9-10).

Are you prepared spiritually? He may come tonight and you could be left behind if you are not prepared.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Every minute on the internet, 2.78 million YouTube videos are downloaded; 2.4 million Google searches are initiated; 347,222 new tweets are sent; 527,760 photos are shared on Snapchat, 150 million emails are sent; and Amazon registers $203,596 in sales.

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Drug overdoses killed 72,000 Americans last year, more than died in Vietnam (58,220) or from guns (38,658 in 2016) or car crashes (40,100 in 2017). And the crisis is far worse in Florida than the nation, as fatal overdoses spiked 47 percent from 2015 to 2016, more than double the national rate.

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Among all of God’s creatures, only humans can anticipate the future.

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REMEMBER THAT JOY is not dependent on your circumstances. Some of the world’s most miserable people are those whose circumstances seem the most enviable. People who reach the top of the ladder career-wise are often surprised to find emptiness awaiting them. True Joy is a by-product of living in Jesus’ presence. Therefore, you can experience it in palaces, or in prisons or anywhere else.

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Do you enjoy brand new things? When you are given something new, how do you feel? What goes through your mind? How does it help or encourage you? Take a moment and reflect on the four things God will do for you in a new way as you seek Him.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Are you going to church or you being the church?

What your life says speaks is louder than what your mouth speaks

Idolatry is glorifying anyone or anything more than we glorify God. It is valuing anyone or anything more than we value our Lord. And it’s finding our primary source of hope in anything other than our heavenly Father. Jim Denison

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome. 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 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

“BE PREPARED”

Week Forty-Six, 2018

BE PREPARED

By John Grant, Florida State Senator (Ret.)

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11).

Perhaps the greatest help I received as a child was my involvement in scouting. It helped me to grow up and face the realities and challenges I would face as an adult. The Scout motto was: Be Prepared.

I was brought up in a church that had a lot of activities, however, Bible study was not one of them. One Sunday was designated as youth Sunday when the young people would lead the church service. I was asked to preach the sermon. This was the first time I ever stood in a pulpit. As I thought about what to do, I was lost, but the priest helped me by suggesting that I speak on Ephesians 6. He helped me to prepare an outline.

As I studied that scripture it was probably the first time I had looked at a Bible, but that passage resonated with me and has continued to do so throughout my life. It gave a whole new of looking at how to be prepared.

Ephesians provided a spiritual checklist by listing all the steps to be prepared for war with Satan, since all of us will fight against him until our dying day. He tempts us all.

In this book, Paul tells the church at Ephesus that to be prepared, we need to put on the full armor of God, not just partially, but all. He then precedes to list the specific parts of getting spiritually dressed…. the belt of truth buckled around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

God has chosen us to go on this spiritual journey of developing Christ’s character. We don’t need to be overwhelmed at the thought of how much we need to grow as a person to develop holy virtues to wear, because God knows exactly what kind of help you need. He will empower us every step of the way. Fitting into spiritual clothes doesn’t happen just by trying to manage our behavior; it becomes possible when we invite God to transform us from the inside out, making us holy. Are you prepared and spiritually dressed?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

FOCUS:

William Hinson explains why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool.

Hinson says it’s the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. He maintains that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented

When I heard that story I thought it describes our society today that has lost focus on what is really important in life. Things like virtue. Honor. Integrity. Spiritual values. And because we are all influenced by our culture, it impacts the Christian community. Instead of seeking to transform culture through Christ, it is often easy to become conformed. The Preacher Man

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TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS

” Do Not Regret Growing Older. It is a Privilege Denied to Many. ”

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

He who controls the media controls the culture. Dr. Ted Baehr

We are able to be generous because our God has been so abundantly generous with us. John Campbell

Don’t treasure your treasure. You can exchange earthly treasure for heavenly treasure.

Are you drowning in your own prosperity?

If it’s not fun, you shouldn’t be doing it. When it ceases to be fun, it’s time to go home. Shelley Treadway

When you give yourself 100% to God ask what He wants you to do. You can be assured that the resources of the universe will be available to you to carry out His mission.

If God is God, then what God says must be absolute—man must have moral boundaries. He cannot devise his own morals to fit his own situation. The Bible tells us that with what judgment we judge we shall be judged. So we must avoid hypocritical and self-righteous glee at the evil that has been done.

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome. 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 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

A Message from the Heart, John Grant

THE ELECTION

Week Forty-Five, 2018

THE ELECTION

By John Grant

If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, they want to do a good work for God and people. A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money. He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him. And he must do this in a way that gains him respect. 1 Timothy 3: 1-4

The mid-term elections are hours away. The outcome will determine who will be our leaders. It will determine which party will lead the Congress, select governors and state legislators, who will govern our schools and a host of other issues. It is a very important day in our country even though this Scripture applies to church leadership.

Sadly, less than half of those eligible are not registered to vote and of those who are, maybe half will take the time to vote. Sadly, the statistics are about the same for evangelical and other Christians as they are for the rest of the country.

How will people decide for whom they should vote… snappy TV ads, robo calls, clever direct mail pieces, party affiliation. Sadly those should be considered, but who we vote for should be determined by character, integrity, ability to govern, and experience.

Paul laid out the qualifications in writing to Timothy. He talked about faithfulness, self-control, worthy of respect, sobriety, humility, gentleness, not lovers of money and able to manage family. Too bad more Christians don’t use those criteria as they decide how to vote.

Paul lifts up character as opposed to those who seek office for power, possession and personal gain. When choosing, we should look deep to see if candidates private and family life are parallel. If someone cannot control themselves in private, then they probably won’t in public either.

Character cannot be separated from the person. To be of good character means that one’s habits, actions, and emotional responses all are united and directed toward the moral and the good. In this, public actions cannot be separated from private actions. Both sets of actions affect one’s character.

Christians have a God given privilege and responsibility to vote. Remember to go to the poles, study the candidates before you vote, pray before you vote and ask God to give you insight as you exercise the honor of being a voter in a free country.

Above all, remember that this election is not about the elephant or the donkey…. It is about the lamb.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Power:

February 10, 2013, a fire broke out in an engine room of the Carnival cruise ship Triumph and knocked out the ship’s power. The more than 4,200 passengers and crew were left in limbo, drifting in Gulf of Mexico currents. No power meant it was impossible to flush the toilets, keep cool under the blazing tropical sun, or preserve and cook all the perishable food on board.

Passengers reported long lines for food, shortages of fresh water, illnesses, and widespread boredom. Many passengers slept in hallways or outside to escape the odors and heat below decks. The ship finally ported safely in Mobile, Alabama, four agonizing days later.

The awful ordeal of the Triumph is a riveting reminder of what can happen when anything or anyone is disconnected from its source of power. For those of us who are Christians, our power source is the Holy Spirit. You and I know there are millions who suffer darkness of spirit, who endure spiritual misery and pain, who have no hope and no relief. For them, the surge of power the Holy Spirit brings is instantly amazing. For others, it may feel like a more gradual process. But unless you embrace the power only the Holy Spirit can provide, you’ll be running on empty.

If you’ve tried to sustain these nine character traits consistently in your life, you know how difficult it is. Maybe you’ve decided it’s simply too difficult for you. You’re right! It’s not merely difficult to live the Christian life in your own power—it’s impossible. In the entire history of humanity, only one person has lived that kind of perfect life.

That person is Jesus Christ. But even He did not live that life by His own power. Though He was one with God in heaven, to be a complete and perfect human, He had to live His life the way humans were created to live. He had to lay aside the independent use of His divine attributes; submit Himself to God the Father; and allow the Father’s Spirit to live in Him, work through Him, and direct His life. As Jesus told His disciples, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14: 10). “Jesus lived, thought, worked, taught, conquered sin and won victories for God in the power of that same Spirit whom we all may have.” The Spirit whom we all may have . . . if we accept Him. David Jeremiah

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Opportunities Always Come At a Price of Difficulty

I pray that God will greatly bless you with mercy, peace, and love. Jude 1:2

Fear leads to desperation. Max Lucado

Is your success sourced in the gifts God has given you? Or, is it from your own hands that you have accomplished things? Dwight Short

Don’t make life about stuff.

The average person will meet ten thousand people during their lifetime.

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome. Address all items and comments to [email protected].

Thoughts on Life, ©2018, John Grant

Blogs, John Grant

“THE SPARK”

Week Forty-Two, 2018

THE SPARK

By John Grant

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark (James 3:5).

This year has been a tough one for people in California and elsewhere in the west. The Mendocino Complex fire was the largest in the state’s history, burning more than 300,000 acres, burning more than a hundred homes and costing several lives. It was nearly double the size of Chicano.

The Carr fire destroyed nearly two thousand structures and claimed seven lives. The fire started when a tire failed on a trailer, causing its rim to scrape the asphalt. With the heat and extreme drought in the area, that’s all it took to start a tragic inferno.

It is like that with sin where a small spark can get out of control. God’s Word notes: How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. (James 3:5) Does that sound familiar? Just look at the current news. Look at the myth of “small sins”… the ones we think don’t really matter… the kind we believe we can commit while remaining “good Christians.”

This is one of Satan’s most effective strategies against committed believers. “Small” sins never stay small. Cancer starts with a single cell among the 37.2 trillion in our body. The reward it promises is far eclipsed by the suffering it produces. That’s why Jesus warned us so severely about anger and lust (Matthew 5:21-30) He knows that murder starts with anger and adultery begins with lust.

Jesus knows that “small sins” injure our relationship with God. When we face our next temptation to commit a “small sin”, we should ask ourselves if we would choose to ingest a “small” cancer into our bodies. The first step in refusing “small” sins.” Is to realize they are not small. The second is realizing that we cannot refuse them in our strength.

Here is the bottom line: every sin we are tempted to commit is large enough to please Satan and alluring enough to require God’s strength. I simply cannot do it with my own ability. We will face temptations to sin as long as we are on this earth, but God’s greatest power is found where we need it most.

The strain and temptation of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength.

Where do you need God’s strength today?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

ELDER PLANNING:

Scams and elder abuse cost Americans more than $36 billion a year. Children and their parents should talk with each other about how to spot and avoid scams that can wipe out their life savings. Scammers might come in the form of phone calls, direct mail or that new neighbor, who seems just a little too friendly. By having a conversation, families can develop steps to take to avoid being defrauded and what to do.

According to USA Today, nearly one-third of parents older than 60 say they’ve never discussed later-life needs with their family. These issues include end-of-life directives and funeral plans, inheritance and beneficiaries, power of attorney, and even where important documents are kept.

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HACKERS:

In the first half of 2018, hackers attacked more than three hundred American universities; 340 million personal records were exposed on a publicly accessible server; an Under Armour app was breached, compromising records for roughly 150 million users; and a Russian hacking campaign impacted more than 500,000 routers worldwide.

David, the warrior king famous for slaying Goliath and defeating the Philistines, testified: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

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RUNNING:

Statistics show that 87% of Americans who own running shoes don’t run.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

God doesn’t love your future self more than your present self. He loves you just as you are. David Crowder

Love is not about how we feel for others; love is about what we do for others. David Jeremiah

It has been said that in spiritual things, when you are being attacked on both sides, you are probably positioned right. Billy Graham

Hating people is like burning your house down to get rid of a rat. Harry Emerson Fosdick

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. Bernice Johnson Reagon

A person, who never made a mistake, never tried anything new. Albert Einstein

Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. Denis Waitley

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

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 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618