Keep Your Head Right

Keep Your Head Right

Stephen Brown taught swimming and diving for a number of years. He tells
about a young boy named Billy. Billy had watched so many professional
divers and wanted so much to dive like them that he refused to take time to
learn the basics. Time after time Brown tried to help Billy see that the
most important thing about diving was to keep his head in the proper
position. If his head entered the water properly, Brown explained, the rest
of his body would enter the water properly - at least, more properly than it
had been.

Billy would dive into the pool, do a belly flop, and come up grinning, "Mr.
Brown," he would shout, "were my feet together?"

"Billy, I don't care whether your feet were together or not," Brown shouted
back. "Make sure your head is straight, then everything else will work
out."

The next time Billy would stand on the edge of the pool and really
concentrate. Then he would dive and, once again, make a mess of it. "Mr.
Brown, were my hands together?"

"Billy," Brown would groan in frustration, "I'm going to get you a neck
brace and weld it onto your head. For the hundredth time, if your head is
right the rest of you will be right. If your head is wrong, the rest of you
will be wrong."*

The way that we live our lives has everything to do with our "heads" - the
way that we think, the values that we set, and where we place our focus.

We need to "get our heads right."

Here is a Scripture to help us: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such
a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the
sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2
NIV).

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

He is our Great Example. "For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1
Peter 2:21).

He is the Savior. He "endured the cross" and died for our sins so that we
can be saved from our sins and live eternally with Him in heaven (1 Peter
2:24). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one can go to the Father
except through Him (John 14:6).

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). If we will
continue to "fix our eyes on Jesus" and dedicate our lives to following Him,
He will continue to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7-9).

As we embark upon a new year or whatever time we have left, let's "get our
heads right." Let's fix our eyes on Jesus and follow Him.

Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* From Stephen Brown, When Being Good Isn't Good Enough, Nashville: Thomas
Nelson Publishers, as quoted by www.thedisciplers.com.

Do You Believe?

Do You Believe?

Several years ago, my uncle, Allen Dixon, relayed some thoughts shared by
Dave Simpson, a pilot and a trainer of pilots for Fed-Ex. Simpson had
shared the thoughts in a devotional on a Wednesday evening with the
Germantown church of Christ in Memphis, TN. Here is my uncle's summary of
Simpson's anecdote along with some additional insights:

In a past year, Dave was flying over Greenland on an especially spectacular
night for Aurora Borealis. The brightness was such as to create an illusion
that one could reach out and almost touch some of the glowing, flickering
lights.

He and his co-pilot on that flight were discussing some spiritual matters.
Dave learned that the co-pilot had grown up "in church," but, as an adult,
had drifted away toward unbelief. At one point Dave exulted over the
Northern Lights display: "How can there not be a God?"

After a moment of silence, the other pilot responded: "You know, I think you
must be right!"

A somewhat similar scene is in a 2008 move: "The Bucket List." The lead
actors are on a flight together. One, a man of faith, sits next to a cabin
window, viewing what appear to be Northern Lights.

The other man's world view does not include God nor life after death. His
friend asks him, in effect, what might result if he should find out he is
wrong about his atheistic viewpoint. The unbeliever thinks for a moment,
then replies: "If I'm wrong, then I win." If eternal life happens to exist,
he seems to assume that it will be a universal gift. His friend follows
with a thought-provoking answer: "I'm not sure that it works that way."

In the movie storyline, such statements by the believer, along with his
integrity/manner of life; in time have a profound, life-changing effect on
the unbelieving friend.

At the close of the article, which Allen had printed on a 4x8.5 inch slip of
paper that could be easily shared with others (his intention), he encouraged
the reader to "read in your Bible: Psalm 19:1-2; Hebrews 11:6; John
12:44-50." Allen also included an invitation to meet with the Germantown
church and information regarding some television productions in which a
viewer can "study and search the Scriptures."

My uncle Allen was keenly interested in pointing others to God. He would
write articles based on current events or historical anecdotes and make
application to the Good News of Jesus. He printed the articles and shared
them with others in different settings: at restaurant tables for his waiter
or waitress, in the hands of grocery store cashiers, and other unique
places.

Allen wanted nothing more than for others to know that Jesus, God's Son,
died on the cross for our sins so that we can be saved and live eternally
with Him in heaven. Allen wanted others to know how to respond to God's
offer of salvation and eternal life by: placing their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed)
into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). My uncle encouraged
Christ followers to continue to live faithfully to the Lord (Revelation
2:10).

With his words and with his profound manner of life, my Uncle Allen pointed
others to Jesus. Because of him, many - including me - have seen Jesus more
clearly.

My prayer is that others - including you - may be influenced by his example
and others to examine the evidence, search the Scriptures, discover the
Savior, and follow Him.

-- David A. Sargent

* In loving memory of my uncle, Allen Dixon (January 29, 1932 - December 8,
2021). Until we meet again.

Library book returned after 110 years in Idaho

Overdue

When I first read the title of the article, I thought to myself, "I'd sure
hate to pay that fine." The title of the article is: "Library book returned
after 110 years in Idaho."

110 years overdue. How much was the fine? When the book - the "New
Chronicles of Rebecca" by Kate Douglas Wiggin - was last checked out of the
public library in 1911, in Boise, Idaho, the fine for overdue books was 2
cents per day. "With a fine of two cents per day for 110 years, whoever
checked out this book would owe $803," reported Boise's Carnegie Public
Library in a social media announcement. The report continued: "Thank
goodness the Boise Public Libraries are now fine free!"

The book by Wiggin was a sequel to her first fictional novel "Rebecca of
Sunnybrook Farm." Both books were published in the early 20th century (1903
and 1907) and followed the life of Rebecca Rowena Randall, who grows up in
rural Maine.

The person who returned the book has not yet identified himself or herself.
But the library is overjoyed to have received the old book. *

Our sins put us in debt to God (cf. Matthew 6:12). The "fine" (penalty) for
our sins is overdue: "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Our "fine" cannot just be dismissed. The penalty must be paid; justice
demands it.

God loves us and desires to save us. But the "fine" must be paid. None of
us has the resources to pay the fine for our sins. So, God paid the fine
for us. That is grace - glorious grace.

"For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
[you and me] might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians
5:21

"He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song, "Amazing Grace"
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."

God will pay the debt of sin 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). The blood
that Jesus shed for our sins will continue to cleanse from sin those who
continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

My sin has incurred an incredible debt before God. I can't afford to pay
it. Thank God, I don't have to. Jesus paid the debt for my sin with His
own blood. He will pay yours, too, if you will only submit your life to
Him.

Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Library book returned after 110 years in Idaho"
by Cortney Moore of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.