My days are swifter than a runner

Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. They slip by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops on its prey (Job 9:25-26.

 

Once there was a time in my life when it seemed that time moved so slowly. It seemed to take forever to go from one birthday to the next and from on Christmas to the next was an eternity. How often have we heard, even made the statement ourselves, "I just can't wait" as an event still far off was looked forward to. In those days of long ago, time often seemed to stand still but not anymore. I venture to say that most of you can identify with what I have just said.

 

Suddenly one day all this changed and now it seems as if each day goes by faster than the one before it. Now, instead of saying "I just can't wait, we are asking ourselves, "Where did the years go"?  All too quickly we find that the strength of our youth becomes the feebleness of old age.

 

We have watched our children in the early years of their growth and development and suddenly, almost without warning, we realize they are no longer our little babies, no longer those difficult but loving teenagers. All too quickly, they have grown up and we see them leave home, marry and have children of their own. This is good but still we cry out "Where has the time gone, it seems as if only yesterday.......". Our lives are short and fleeting. Days past cannot be recalled. They are gone forever and the days remaining are swiftly passing by. Truly, we are swiftly turning life's daily pages.

 

With the passing of each day we find ourselves one step closer to the day when that last page will be turned. Time for me is now passing so quickly and I am sure many of you feel the same way. With an eye of faith we look forward to the end of our sojourn on this earth (Hen. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:1-3; Heb. 11:16). Heaven is the promise of a better day. There are no words that can adequately describe for us the majesty, beauty and glory of that city not made with hands. Our souls should be thrilled at the thought of going home to that land where joy shall never end.

 

I can think of no better way to close this week's thought than to say: "I just can't wait".

 

Charles Hicks

 

People have learned how to become the "victims."

Turning Forgiveness Around

We hear it frequently in the news these days. It has been a common defense in some high profile criminal cases. The basic argument is that people can be excused for committing even hideous crimes if they can demonstrate that something awful happened in their past. Unfortunately, this approach has proven successful in our perverted justice system. Murders, kidnappers and sexual offenders of every sort have been set free or have had their sentences reduced. As a result, we are seeing more and more criminals rush to assume "victim" status.

It is happening in the church, too. It is not uncommon for sinful brethren to attempt to "turn the tables" on those who are trying to restore them. "You didn't show the proper love toward me;" "You were unkind and didn't help me enough when I needed you;" "You were too harsh in the way you rebuked me;" etc., etc., etc. You see, they have learned how to become the "victims."

We agree that brethren can sometimes approach situations in the wrong way. All of us need to show love, forbearance, patience and kindness. Sometimes we fail in these things. Everyone can do better.

But, we are weary of sinners turning the whole matter of forgiveness around. If they have their way, the faithful ones are forced to beg them for forgiveness, while their own sins are ignored. This simply will not work!

Observe the case of Peter rebuking Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:18-24). Simon was told that "wickedness" and a bad heart had left him in the "gall of bitterness and the bond of inquity." Surely he could have complained about Peter's harsh words, or unloving manner. Undoubtedly he could have countered with accusations about how he had been mistreated by others. Instead, he humbly accepted the rebuke and requested prayer. Sinners in the church today need to learn a lesson from him.

- by Greg Gwin

 

The Church is Living in a New (old) World

    Any student of history, specifically church history, knows that the antagonism Christians in the US are experiencing at this point in time is nothing new. It is new for Americans. America was founded, to a very large degree, on the basis of religious freedom that was very friendly, even dependent on, Christianity. For the past 242 years and more, our country has been unique in the annals of world history in being pro-Christianity. We came to depend on a Bible-friendly government and culture, so much so that it was not unusual for presidents of the United States to quote Bible in various speeches.

    But, these 242 years are largely an anomaly in the annals of human history. Generally speaking, the “powers that be” have been hostile to God’s people and His people have lived as “the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now” (1 Cor. 4:13).

    Our urge is to close ourselves off from the world and become separatists. That’s what many of the Jews did during the Greek / Hellenistic period. The Hasidim believed they had to live radically different from the Jews around them who were accepting Hellenization of their culture with open arms. Then we had the Pharisees doing a similar thing in the NT times. But, as an old saying goes, we cannot be so “heavenly-minded” that we become no “earthly good.” 

    If Satan can convince us that no one wants to hear the Gospel and that we simply need to close ourselves off from the world lest we become contaminated, then Satan has won! He might not have won our souls but if he can get us to close our mouths from fear or cynicism, then he’s won the souls of all those we could potentially convert.

    When David Kinnaman of Barna Research and Gabe Lyons did research into churches that were being proactive in this current culture, they found nine factors that were consistent across the board. These nine will not surprise any serious Bible student.

    1. They prioritize outreach by serving the poor and sharing the faith.

    2. They partner with other churches and causes.

    3. They are innovative for the sake of the gospel.

    4. They focus on reaching receptive teens and young adults.

    5. They teach the Bible thoroughly.

    6. They foster a close community within the church.

    7. They work at developing new leaders.

    8. The church is led by a team that has diverse skills and gifts.

    9. The church leans heavily on prayer.

    Kinnaman and Lyons are not the “saviors” of the church. But it is enlightening to see what these conservative Protestants have found relative to a positive reaction to the culture around us. These points are worth considering, in light of biblical teaching, and suggest to me that if we simply follow the pattern for Christianity as we see it in the New Testament, we’ll be successful with our efforts to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). After all, the church grew and thrived in its early years in an ethical and moral culture very similar to ours.

Paul Holland

 

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Washington Monument which stands tall on the National Mall in Washington, D.C

The Monument

 

One of the most well-known landmarks in the United States is the Washington Monument which stands tall on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  It was built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States.  The monument, an obelisk made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is the world’s tallest predominately stone structure at 555 feet 5-1/8 inches according to the National Park Service.

 

Construction of the Washington Monument began in 1848 and finally, after delays due to funding, the Civil War, and other setbacks, the capstone was set on December 6, 1884.

 

About 100 years later, the monument underwent some renovating.  It was then that there was an interesting discovery.  As workers removed marble wainscoting, some nineteenth-century graffiti was discovered.  Yes, graffiti!

 

Among the graffiti was found this slightly misspelled inscription: “Whoever is the human instrument under God in the conversion of one soul, erects a monument to his own memory more lofty and enduing (sic) than this.”  It is signed “B.F.B.”  The signer has not been identified, but according to Gary Scott, a National Park Service regional historian, B.F.B. probably carved the message between 1854 and 1880 when construction was halted on the monument because of a lack of funds. *

 

This writer does not want to encourage the practice of drawing graffiti on public property, but he does want to note the truthfulness of B.F.B.’s statement.  “Whoever is the human instrument under God in the conversion of one soul, erects a monument to his own memory more lofty and enduring than” the Washington Monument.

 

As majestic and meaningful as the Washington Monument is, there is a greater and more lasting “monument” in the “conversion of one soul.”  That “conversion” of which B.F.B. wrote refers to the salvation of a sinner whose sins have been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

 

Sin separates a person from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and leads to eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  But “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

 

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse by the blood of Jesus those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

 

This is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-3).  And the one who shares this Good News with a sinner who trusts and obeys Christ has, in a sense, erected a monument “more lofty and enduring than” the Washington Monument.  Why?  Because one day the Washington Monument and everything else associated with this world will crumble and melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10), but “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

 

Won’t YOU accept God’s offer of salvation and eternal life?  Then, won’t YOU share the Good News with others?  There is no greater monument.

 

-- David A. Sargent

 

* Information gleaned from Wikipedia and “Theological Graffiti Found in Monument” by the Associated Press as it appeared in the New York Times on July 17, 1994 as viewed at www.nytimes.com.

 

David A. Sargent, Minister

 

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Juan Romero

An Image of Compassion

Juan Romero passed away last Monday, October 1, 2018, at the age of 68.  You may or may not remember him.  He was best known for something he did that was captured in photographs just after midnight on June 5, 1968, when he was 17-years-old.

Romero was working as a busboy at the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard near Koreatown in Los Angeles, California.  Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, was staying at the Ambassador.  Romero had met RFK the night before when he ordered room service.  Romero once told newspaper columnist Steve Lopez that “he felt honored by the way Kennedy shook his hand firmly and looked him in the eye with respect.”

On June 4, 1968, Kennedy won California’s Democratic primary and made a victory speech just after midnight at the Ambassador.  After his speech, RFK retreated through the kitchen pantry area.  Romero pushed through the crowd to congratulate him.  As he shook RFK’s hand, shots were fired.  Romero at first thought the pops were from firecrackers, but as Kennedy fell to the ground and Romero saw his blood, he realized that he had been shot.  The gunman, Sirhan Sirhan, was quickly apprehended.  As Kennedy lay mortally wounded, Juan Romero knelt by his side and cradled his head.  Those moments were photographed.  Photos reveal the confusion and despair in Romero’s face.  Romero was troubled by those moments for the rest of his life.

Former California First Lady Maria Shriver, a niece of RFK, told Steve Lopez that she had never met Romero but she hoped he came to realize he did the humane thing in a tragic moment.  “God bless him,” Shriver said. “It’s kind of hard to know why someone gets put into a situation that they’re locked in forever. But as I see it, he was locked into an image of helping someone.”*

When we were “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-3), Jesus came to us.  He did for us what Romero could not do for RFK.  Jesus gave His life for our sins so that we might have salvation and receive the gift of eternal life.

The Apostle Paul described what God had done for those who have received His grace:  “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

That same saving and life-giving grace is available to you and to me.  God will extend His saving grace to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  His grace, through the blood of Jesus, will continue to cleanse those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

The photographs of Juan Romero cradling the head of the mortally wounded Robert F. Kennedy are images of compassion.  May these images point us to the ultimate image of compassion: the cross of Jesus Christ, for Jesus died on the cross so that we may live with Him forever.

Won’t YOU accept His loving offer of grace and eternal life on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “The busboy who tried to help a wounded Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 dies. His life was haunted by the violence” by Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com, October 3, 2018.