Destiny

If humans are to fully attain their destinies, so far as earthly development permits this; if they are to become truly whole, unbroken units, they must feel and know themselves to be one, not only with God and humanity, but also with nature

- Friedrich Froebel

Looking Ahead

The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises - it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not their pocketbook - it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security.

- John F. Kennedy

Surviving a Plane Crash, and What It Means

by Gordon MacDonald

Sixty-eight years ago—June 17, 1940—a squadron of B-18 bombers took off from Mitchell Field on Long Island. While gaining altitude, two of the planes collided over a block of homes in the town of Bellerose. They fell from the air spreading metal, glass, and flaming fuel all over the area. Twelve people (11 in the planes and one on the ground) died.
My interest in the event stems from the fact that I could have been the 13th fatality. A 14-month-old infant, I was in a playpen in the backyard of my family's tiny Bellerose home when the planes came down. Aviation debris, a little or a lot depending on who is telling the story, littered our yard except where my playpen was located. How dramatic is that?
Originally, my knowledge of the plane crash was based on my parents' telling of the story, and I heard it often as a boy. There came a time when those re-tellings became so burned into my mind that I became convinced I'd witnessed the collision myself. Even as I write these words I can see in my mind, as if watching a video, two planes high in the air. I see their tails entangling, and I see them plummeting downward.
But that "video" is a marvelous example of our unreliable minds that create "mental movies" of memories where none may actually exist. I "see" the plane crash event because my parents told me about it and left me with vivid impressions.
Recently I decided to revisit the plane crash story, and, without much trouble, found articles about it as well as a picture of the crash site in the archives of the New York Times. While my effort offered a few insignificant details I'd not known before, the story I'd so often heard as a child was substantially accurate.
Occasionally, when a conversation has needed some juicing up, I've volunteered the story of the colliding planes. Some upon hearing it have said, "You were sure lucky." Others have said, "I guess you never know when it could be your time to go." Actually, in the telling, I keep hoping someone will say, "Imagine how deprived the history of the world might have been if you'd not survived that day." But no one has ever said this.
My mother's "take" on the plane crash, however, was another matter. "God spared your life for some special reason; you have a very special destiny," she'd say whenever the day was recalled. Then she'd add with the aid of a pointed finger, "And God will judge you harshly if you don't find out what his will is and do it."
"I will," was all I could usually promise when she said that.
For many years my mother's words imposed a heavy burden. Think about it: your mother—this most important figure in your childhood—will not let you forget that you could have died, that you survived a spectacular accident for a reason, and that only God knows what the reason is. And so far he's not telling.
"Gosh," you say to yourself over and over again, "I better find out what God's reason is. I can't afford to botch something like this up." Out of such faulty thinking, it occurs to me, so much of our actionable theology is formed. In this case, my impression was of a secretive God who plays games like "Guess what my will is?" and promises severe consequences if you don't get the right answer.
So maybe you see why this plane crash might become such a seminal incident in my life. The fact is that I lived with its implications—my mother's anyway—for at least three decades. How interesting that an event in my fourteenth month of life could influence many of the choices I later made about faith, about call, about the way I determined to live. Again and again, on such choice-making occasions, I'd hear the faint voice of mother: "God spared your life for a reason." So, what was that reason?
Recently, after a lengthy intermission, the memory of the plane crash returned to me and prompted further reflection. I suppose that's why, this time, I researched it and verified the facts.
Out of all of this have come these further thoughts.
• The story and my mother's interpretation probably did as much as anything to lay the tracks for me to prepare for a life in Christian ministry. Having grown up in a Christian context, ministry of some kind—rightly or wrongly—was the only thing I could think of that might fulfill God's "reason" (as my mother put it) for me to be alive. I've accepted this with little protest, and the fact is that I have very few regrets about the course of my life as a pastor and a writer. I have been kindly treated, especially on those occasions when I shot myself in the foot.
• There did come a time midway through my pastoral years when I re-examined what it meant to be truly called in order to be sure that I had not made decisions about my life's direction that were more about mother-pleasing than God-pleasing. It was a healthy examination because it enabled me to redefine what I believed to be a call on my life and to feel confident about it. Today that updated call gets me out of bed almost every morning.
• My own experience has impressed me with how important it is for each of us to guard our tongues when we are tempted to launch our interpretations of someone else's experiences. People with the power to influence are often in positions to say something that can negatively alter the direction of another's life. I wonder how many have never recovered from advice irresponsibly given.
• On the other hand, what of those interpretive comments made in passing that suddenly send someone's life in an unexpectedly blissful direction. Examples: 1961: "Gordon, I've met a woman who would make you a great wife." (I married that woman 48 years ago). 1972: "Gordon, I've recommended you to a church in New England that needs a pastor." (I've lived in New England ever since). 1976: "Gordon, I have this conviction that you might have a writer's gift in you." (I'm presently working on my umpteenth book). Conclusion: the next time a plane crashes in my back yard, I'm going to consult a lot more people before I make up my mind as to what it means.

Slain Missionary Expected to Suffer for Christ

Missionary Karen Watson counted the cost of following Jesus. That's why she left a letter with her pastor before going to Iraq. She went to provide humanitarian relief in the name of Jesus—but she was gunned down in the country she came to serve.
The letter began, "You're only reading this if I died." It included gracious words to family and friends, and this simple summary of following Christ: "To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, his glory my reward."

"Missionary Slain in Iraq Mourned," Los Angeles Times (17 March 2004)

Easter

My dear Saviour, let me ask Thee
since Thou art nailed to the cross
and since Thou sayest Thyself: It is finished!
Am I now set free from death?
May I, through Thy suffering and death,
inherit heaven?
Has salvation come for all the world?
True, Thou canst not speak for pain,
yet Thy head Thou bowest
And tacitly Thou sayest: Yes!

Chorus (Chorale):
Jesus, Thou Who wert dead,
now livest forever;
in my last agony
nowhere will I turn but to Thee
Who hast redeemed me.
O my beloved Lord!
Give me only that which Thou hast won,
more I do not desire.

Aria and chorus from J.S.Bach, St. John Passion

Accepting Challenges

The highly regarded HBO miniseries Band of Brothers follows a company of U.S. paratroopers through the preparation and experience of invading Europe on D-Day. Based on real life interviews with survivors, the series captures both the intensity of war and the heroism of the troops.
Lieutenant Richard Winters is a powerful example of a leader who understands his calling. While leading his troops into their most celebrated and challenging task of the war, combating the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge, Winters is approached by an exhausted soldier leaving the front line.
"Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded," the soldier says ominously.
Without hesitation Winters replies, "We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded."

Band of Brothers DVD 6 (Warner Brothers Home Video, 2001)

CEO's Toughest Question

60 Minutes reporter Dan Rather interviewed Jack Welch, the outspoken former CEO of General Electric and author of a new book called Winning. At the end of the interview, Rather asked Welch, "What's the toughest question you have ever been asked?"
Welch thought for a moment, then he responded, "Do you think you'll go to heaven?"
"How did you answer the question?" Rather asked.
"It's a long answer," the CEO replied, "but I said that if caring about people, if giving it your all, if being a great friend counts—despite the fact that I've been divorced a couple of times, and no one's proud of that. I haven't done everything right all the time.
"I think I got a shot. I'm in no hurry to get there and to find out any time soon."

Derrick Lewis, LaGrange, Georgia

see: John 14:6; Romans 3:23

Destiny

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve

- Albert Schweitzer -

Stowaway in Cargo Box

When Charles McKinley, a 25-year-old shipping clerk in a New York warehouse, found himself in trouble with the law, he couldn't get his mind off heading for home to where his parents lived in suburban Dallas. He thought he could save himself money by shipping himself home in an airline cargo crate, so that is what he did.
On Friday, September 5, 2003, after filling out paperwork describing the cargo as clothes and a computer, McKinley called for a courier service and crawled inside the crate. The 42" by 36" by 15" crate containing McKinley's 5'8", 170-pound body, was taken by truck from New York's Kennedy Airport. According to the FBI, it was then taken to New Jersey before being loaded onto a pressurized, heated cargo plane operated by Kitty Hawk Cargo. The crate then was flown from Newark, New Jersey, to Niagara Falls, New York, before being taken to the carrier's hub in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and eventually on to Dallas.
When the crate was eventually delivered to the McKinley home in De Soto, Texas, on Saturday, he broke out of the box, startling his parents and the delivery man.
Without food or water on the 15-hour journey, the stowaway had taken a huge risk. The crate could have been handled roughly, breaking his bones. He had no place to relieve himself. According to Richard G. Phillips, chief executive of Pilot Air Freight, it was fortunate McKinley's box was carried in the pressurized, heated cabins, because it could just as easily have been placed in the lower, unpressurized holds.
"He could easily have died," Phillips told authorities. "What is more, the freight cost—billed to McKinley's employer—was $550. At that rate, he could have flown first-class."
Obviously this man did not give much forethought to his trip, and it could have cost him everything. In the same way, many people give little forethought to their trip into eternity. UPDATE: For his actions, McKinley was fined $1,500 and placed on probation. It could have been worse: he could have received a $100,000 fine and one year in prison.

source: Associated Press (9-9-03)

The Tablecloth Across The Miles

so named by Dr. G. Jo Floyd
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in urban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest-a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sunk when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in.
One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory coloured, crocheted table cloth with exquisite work, fine colours and a cross embroidered right in the centre. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the centre aisle.
Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor," she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crotched into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.
The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.
One older man, whom the pastor recognised from the neighbourhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a concentration camp. He never saw his wife or his home again for all the 35 years in between.
The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

story submitted by Bob Reid

The Final Confrontation

After living a “decent" life, my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house.
The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defence table. As I looked around I saw the “prosecutor." He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed familiar to me.
The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as he moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. As he took his seat behind the bench, he said, “Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and said, “My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.
As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of defence at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I've done? Satan finished with a fury and said, “This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.
When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned him to come forward. As he got up and started walking, I was able to see him in his full splendour and majesty. I realised why he seemed so familiar. This was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Saviour. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge, “Hi Dad," and then he turned to address the court. “Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished." Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, “However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted me as his Saviour, so he is mine." My Lord continued with, “His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."
As Jesus sat down, he quietly paused, looked at his Father and replied, “There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all."
The judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from his lips... “This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed."
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, “I won't give up, I'll win the next one."
I asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next, “Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said, “Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, Paid in Full."

source unknown

Daddy did Jesus really die that way....Then we must get saved

This is a true story. It just happened this Good Friday. It was Good Friday and you could hear a pin drop in the church. The police were lined up on the sidewalk outside this little church.. Men were standing at the entrance of the church, unsure of what was going to happen. There was a man, standing outside with a sign, protesting the meeting. The building was filled beyond capacity. The network TV camera trucks were surrounding the church. Their TV satellite dishes were poised to broadcast any news from within the church. It was the lead story on the 11:00am news and the 5:30pm news on ABC, CBS & NBC. It would be broadcast again on all the networks. Over 2 million people were waiting to see what was going to happen at this little church in Kirkland, WA.
On the non-Christian radio talk shows, the news of this little church had caught the imagination of a whole state, 24 hours a day, for 4 days. Even now, three weeks later, they are still talking about it on the radio. Pastors are calling in to explain why Jesus had to die. People are calling in asking, “Why, if God is love, why would He want to kill?" People are asking, “Why would a loving God want to kill His own son?" People are asking, “Why would God be so unkind as to have a need to kill animals before Jesus? Why would killing anything make God feel better?" Ministers, theologians, philosophers, historians and teachers all called to express their views. Some quoted the Bible, and some quoted history. All expressed their thoughts. Some said, “God would not do it the same today." Some said they could not believe in a God Who had a need for death. Some said, “It would terrorize children." Some said if that was Christianity, they would never believe.
What we had for about three weeks was a miracle. A whole state wrestled with Soteriology. A whole state wrestled with the subject of salvation. The news media talked about a Saviour. The TV news media talked about the price of sin. The radio talked about a need for a Saviour. They talked in restaurants. They talked in stores. They talked in schools. They talked about it everywhere.
Back in the church, the TV camera crews were set-up in the balcony. The newspaper reporters and photographers were everywhere. The congregation had been there early, so they could get seats. Now, it was time to see what the Lord would do. Then it happened. Jerry Gaffney walked in with a small, black lamb, named Alfalfa. He brought Alfalfa up on the platform. Then Jerry knelt down to pet the lamb. Not a sound was made in the building. This little lamb had caught the hearts and the attention of a whole state. Camera flashes went off, TV camera lights came on, reporters sat on the edge of their seats.
People were trying to save the lamb. Over 180 people per hour had called in to save the lamb. Bomb threats were called in to save the lamb. Many death threats on Jerry's life were called in to save the lamb. I know it makes no sense. They wanted to kill a man to save a lamb. Because Jerry is Jewish, many anti-Semitic threats were called in. “We don't need this Jewish Jesus. We don't need this Old Testament, Jewish stuff." They called in and said they were ashamed of this kind of Jesus. By the way, most of the calls were from Christian believers. They would say, “I am a Christian but....." They were so angry that they wanted to crucify. It reminded us of a crowd 2000 years ago that turned on another man. It reminded us of a people who were so upset they cried, “Crucify!" Hundreds and hundreds called to express their views.
It was so wonderful, we almost wanted to cry. Never before in the history of Washington had so many people thought about Jesus, and wrestled over salvation in such a short period of time. Jesus had provoked them to think about their souls.
What could have stirred up so much commotion? Being Jewish, I had spoken many times about Passover. Many times, at many churches, I had explained that we were to take a lamb into our homes for five days. Many times, I spoke about how we were supposed to fall in love with the lamb. Now a whole state had fallen in love with this lamb. Many times, I spoke about how we would have to kill the lamb for Passover, as a sacrifice to God, in obedience to His Word. I also said in many other churches I would not kill the lamb. I also had said two weeks earlier at this church I would not kill the Lamb. I also said I would only demonstrate the price of sin. I also had said two week earlier I would put up a drop cloth to hide the lamb, and then squirt blood on it to re-enact the death of a lamb.
NOW HERE IS THE MIRACLE.
All of this is on tape, but few outside the church have asked. Somehow, the word got out that I really was going to kill the lamb. A Pastor put out a press release at 4:00 pm Friday saying the lamb would live. Channel 4 put it on their web-site that the lamb would live. Here is the miracle again. Even though they knew we were not going to kill the lamb, the TV and newspaper people stayed and reported the story.
We picked little Alfalfa up and put him on the altar. As we did this, people screamed, “Don't kill the lamb!" The lights went dark, and the lamb was gone. Only a single spotlight shone on the empty table where Alfalfa had been. The only thing that was left was a blood-stained tablecloth. There was a gasp in the congregation. They whispered, “Did he really kill the lamb?" I walked over to another curtain and said, “Why is there so much stress about something I am going to barbecue? Why aren't we concerned about this Lamb Who died?" We then opened a curtain that revealed a man on a cross. He really looked as if he had just been crucified.
The sight of him horrified many in the crowd. Their breath was almost taken away to see something so real. His hands and feet looked as if they were bleeding. His brow had scars from the thorns. His face looked as if he had been beaten.
I fell at his feet and prayed, as if he was the real Jesus. I prayed as if He had done this for my sins. I spoke about the eight places Jesus bled and died.
1: I spoke about the blood on His brow - how He died to His will.
2: I spoke about the blood on His head - how satan mocked His authority.
3: I spoke about the blood on His face - how satan mocked His reputation.
4: I spoke about the blood on His cheeks when they plucked out His beard - how satan shamed His traditions.
5: I spoke about the blood on His back - how satan mocked His strength - how Jesus said, when you are weak then you are strong
6: I spoke about the blood on His hands - how satan mocked the hands that made the world
7: I spoke about the blood on His feet - how satan mocked His freedom to go where He wanted to go.
8: I spoke about the blood on His side - how satan mocked the desires of His heart.
I asked some men to help me take Jesus off the cross. They carried him to a tomb in the back. Again, when we took him down, the congregation saw the marks on his back and almost started to cry. The Lord had made everything so real.
I then said, “I have some good news. I know the end of the story. My Jesus is alive!" As I said the words, Jesus came walking out. He came walking out with Alfalfa, the little black lamb. When the congregation saw Jesus and the little lamb, they jumped to their feet and cheered. I said, “We have the good news. Jesus did all this for you."
When I gave the altar call, over 200 ran to the altar to get right with God. A little 7-year old girl looked at her daddy and said, “Daddy, did Jesus really do that for us?" He said, “Yes, Honey." She then said, “We must go down and get saved." One of the men who worked for the press fell on his knees and gave his heart to Jesus. One of the ministers spoke with him for 45 minutes. He said, “I have been to many church services. I have been to Jewish services, Buddhist services and other Christian services, but this is the clearest presentation of the gospel of Jesus I have ever seen. I have a lot of thinking to do." Another man from the press fell to his knees and could only say, “Oh my, oh my, oh my."
The evening news blasted across the air-ways, “Alfalfa lives, but sin is very expensive." It was the lead story for two days. They showed Jesus in a good way, not a bad one. They talked about our Jesus. They talked about the price of sin. They talked about the need for a Saviour. It was in the newspapers, “The lamb lives, but sin is very expensive." The News Media was broadcasting the good news about Jesus. Over 2 million heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. I could think of no better way to give the Glory to Jesus than this. Have I been persecuted and falsely accused. The word says rejoice and I am.
What was the fruit? We baptized in water over 40 people Easter Sunday night. Only 27 were scheduled, but 13 more wanted to be baptized , even though they had no change of clothes. Last Sunday night, we baptized another 20. What was the fruit? Over 220 people have signed a 24-hour prayer, praise and intercession clock. That is 10 people per hour 24 hours a day, either praying, worshiping or interceding for revival in WA. We are going to pray till we see the Pacific Northwest saved. The meetings are going into their 9th week. We are meeting Tuesday - Friday 10:30 am and 7:00pm. People are running to the Lord every night. Thirty people made decisions for Jesus just last night alone.

source unknown

How Do You Live Your Dash?

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years. (1934 -1998)

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars...the house...the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we live our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile...
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you lived your dash?

- Author Unknown

The Only Pearly Gates Story I Ever Liked

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, “Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, “that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter, “that's certainly worth a point."
"One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, “ he says.
"TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, “At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
"Come on in!"

source unknown

Unlock Your Potential

Michaelangelo worked on forty-four statues and completed fourteen of them. The unfinished ones are in a museum in Italy - the unfulfilled potential of a great genius. What's sadder to see are people who could become masterpieces - if only they were developed. You say, “How do I discover and develop my gifts?" First , look up. Find somebody who's a little bigger and a little better than you are, then spend time with them. That's what Joshua did with Moses and Timothy did with Paul. It's still God's way.
Next, give up. You've got to be willing to give up what you are, in order to be what you can become - Abraham gave up his home to seek a better country. Moses gave up the riches of Egypt to identify with the people of God. Paul gave up the comfort of being a Pharisee to pay the price of being an apostle. Every achiever has a 'give up' story - nothing comes free!
Finally, show up. If you want to win the game, you must face your opponent! Jephthah said, “ . . . I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go back." (Judg 11:35) In spite of his terrible family background and his personal problems, he became Israel's youngest judge and finished up with the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. God can do it for you too - if you'll let Him!

God’s Providence

Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.

- John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence

The Un-Triumphal Entry

Things are not always what they seem! Such is certainly the case in [Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem]. The so-called "triumphal entry" of our Lord into Jerusalem is anything but a triumph, as we can see from the tears shed by our Lord in Luke's account (Luke 19:41-44). Those who enthusiastically welcome Jesus to Jerusalem as the "King of Israel" are some of the same people who, in a week's time, will be crying out, "We have no king, but Caesar!" (John 19:15). Those who cry out, "Hosanna!" (Save now!), will be shouting, "He saved others. Let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, His chosen one!" (Luke 23:35). It is not a triumphal entry at all, but nonetheless it is a very significant event in the life of our Lord and in the history of the nation Israel. This is one of the very few events which is recorded by all four Gospels in the New Testament. Let us seek to learn what is so important about this "un-triumphal entry," and endeavor to understand and apply what God intends for us to learn from it.
The fact that every Gospel has an account of the "triumphal entry" of our Lord into Jerusalem indicates to us that it is indeed a most significant event. On our Lord's part, it is a most dramatic and emphatic claim to be the Messiah, the "King of Israel." At the same time, it is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus does not come as a conquering king, ready to lead Israel against the Romans, overthrowing their rule. He has come as the "Prince of Peace" and as the "Lamb of God," whose death will provide the cure for sin. I am reminded of the spiritual that goes something like this, "Poor little Jesus boy, they didn't know who You was ." This song refers to the birth of our Lord, but it applies equally well to His "triumphal entry." They still don't know who He is.

- Robert L. Deffinbaugh

Last Words Ought To Be Listened To

People often save their most important instructions, their most profound thoughts, their deepest concerns, and their most heartfelt expressions for last . . .
The Holy Spirit did not miss the opportunity to record the last words of Jesus before He left this earth. And as we might expect, those words are deeply significant. In both the Gospel of Matthew and the books of Acts, we read our Lord's parting instructions to His disciples - and to all who follow Him - before He was taken up from sight.
Think of it! We have a written record of the very words the Son of God uttered before ascending to the right hand of His Father in heaven. And these are the words - perhaps more than any others - that Jesus wanted to echo in His disciples' ears as He left them.
He didn't say: "Organise a political action committee."
He didn't say: "Remember to work for justice and visualise world peace."
He didn't say: "Be tolerant of one another," "Save the whales," Celebrate diversity," or "Commit random acts of kindness."
He didn't say: "Arm yourselves and take dominion over Rome."
What He did say was as clear as bright sunlight on a cloudless morning. There was nothing obscure or hazy about His final instructions.
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:6-8)

- David Jeremiah in "Jesus' Final Warning"

Love Will Remain

Hope and faith will both come to an end when we die. But love will remain. Love is eternal. Love comes from God and returns to God. When we die, we will lose everything that life gave us except love. The love with which we lived our lives is the life of God within us. It is the divine, indestructible core of our being. This love not only will remain but will also bear fruit from generation to generation.
When we approach our deaths let us say to those we leave behind, "Don't let your heart be troubled. The love of God that dwells in my heart will come to you and offer you consolation and comfort."

- Henri Nouwen

Making Our Deaths Gifts

How do we make our deaths gifts for others? Very often people's lives are destroyed, harmed, or permanently wounded by the deaths of their relatives or friends. We have to do whatever we can to avoid this. When we are near death what we say to those who are close to us, whether in spoken or in written words, is very important. When we express gratitude to them, ask forgiveness for our shortcomings and offer forgiveness for theirs, and express our sincere desire that they continue their lives without remorse but remembering the graces of our lives, then our deaths can become true gifts.

- Henri Nouwen