There were no firecrackers, no fanfare, parade, or national holiday to celebrate the event! But on September 21st the summer of 2008 ended. For some it was a summer of indescribable misery and loss of possessions to hurricane Ike. For others, it brought fame or fortune. Yes, the summer of '08 will be remembered in different ways.
The apostle Paul wrote, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15). This is great news, considering the fact that all of us "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Since "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), we desperately need a Savior. That's where God stepped in by sending His Son as our Savior and Lord. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for the guilt of our sins, making the way for us to be able to be forgiven and come to salvation through Him (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28). He personally issued an invitation to all mankind to come to Him for that salvation (Matthew 11:28-29).
Jesus stated that He came into this world "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). The apostle Paul reiterated that very truth: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15). In regard to this purpose for His coming, our Lord extended the great invitation: "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavey laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30). Now the question is, "How can I come to the Lord?"
If there was ever a time when this world needed to focus its attention on the Lord, now would be one of those times. The world has tried to handle the wars, violence, crime, hunger, disease, rampant immorality, and the breakdown of the family, with all of the consequences that go therewith, without the Lord. The overall results have been, predictably, unimpressive. God is the creator of the universe, this world being a small part thereof (Genesis 1; Psalm 24:1). Every good gift is a blessing from Him (James 1:17). It does not require great intellect to figure out that we need to go to the creator for solutions to problems that develop within the creation.
The Olympic games have had at least a couple good effects for society as a whole that may not get much notice. First, they've provided television programming that's pretty family-oriented and also rather compelling to watch. What a change that is! Second, they've provided repeated and emphatic visual lessons that demonstrate that being ever so close to victory is still defeat.
Often, we feel either inadequate or without sufficient resources to be able to do something that needs to be done. These lines of reasoning are constantly used by individuals and congregations in relation to serving God. In some cases we say we don't have time to serve God as we would like. Sometimes we state that we just don't have the ability to do some good work that needs to be done. In other cases we claim to not have sufficient resources to get the job done. While these statements can hold some validity, we must be on guard to not carelessly use them as excuses to simply let ourselves off the hook. If we open our eyes, both our physical eyes and our eyes of faith, we will often find that we have more time and ability and resources than we first imagined.
Is it OK to be almost right, almost successful in an endeavor undertaken, almost safe and secure in the face of potential danger? In most cases we'd quickly acknowledge that almost is not OK.
Consider a baseball pitcher who has two strikes on a batter. He throws an incredible curve ball; the batter swings and barely gets a piece of the ball for a foul tip. Should the batter be called out since he almost missed what would have been strike three? What about the hitter who smacks a 400 foot drive out of the park but just an inch foul. Should he be awarded a home run since his drive was almost fair? Or how about the receiver who catches a pass from his quarterback, leaping in the air in the back of the end zone but coming down with one heel out of bounds. Should it be a touchdown since he was almost completely in bounds? Of course, the answer in all of these scenarios is "No!" Everybody wants to be happy. In fact, there may be more emphasis in our society right now than ever before on finding happiness. There's a lot of focus on having a job you can be happy with. Some people move to different locations in the pursuit of happiness. Wives leave husbands and husbands leave wives because they're just not happy. Teenagers are committing suicide at a staggering rate because they're unhappy. Happiness seems to be elusive to many people. But a profound question should be, "Where do you look for happiness?"
A Christian should stand out in the crowd. Not in the sense that he should purposely call undue attention to himself. But, from the perspective of character a Christian should be distinct from the world.
Simple observation makes it clear that immorality, unrighteousness, and ungodliness are generally the norm within our society. A Christian's lifestyle should naturally exhibit godliness and faithfulness. He should be determined to avoid sin and its consequences in his life. A life with that kind of focus is exemplary. It's different, of a higher caliber than is common to society. As a Christian lives his life by that standard of character he will stand out in the crowd. In Paul's letter to the Philippians he instructed them as to where to find the power to face and deal with life successfully (Philippians 4:11-13). The lesson within that text is equally important for us today.
Most everyone experiences periods of time when things seem to go pretty well. But in almost every case, sooner or later, things change! Life is always in motion. All sorts of forces affect our lives. Illness, injury, emotional stress, psychological disorders, financial problems, loss of a job, the death of a loved one, and a host of other developments can, all of a sudden, turn our lives upside down. In addition to all the rest, simply getting older can also take its toll. |
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