Pastoral Resources

1. Genghis Khan (1162-1227), 4,860,000

2. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) 2,180,000

3. Tamerlane (1336-1405), 2,145,000

4. Cyrus the Great (600-529 B.C.), 2,090,000

5. Attila (406-453), 1,450,000

6. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), 1,370,000, all of which he lost in 3 years

7. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) 720,000

8. Mahmud of Ghazni (971-1030) 680,000

9. Francisco Pizarro (1470-1541), 480,000

10. Hernando Cortes (1485-1547), 315,000

It happens every time the prof calls a group of students to the board to solve a physics problem. Someone holds the chalk wrong and sends chills up and down the spines of everyone in the class with that familiar classroom torture technique: “squeaky chalk.”

Why does a piece of chalk produce that hideous squeal? According to the book, The Flying Circus of Physics (With Answers), squealing chalk results from the phenomenon of “stick and slip.” Incorrectly held chalk actually sticks to the blackboard. But when the writer bends the chalk enough, it suddenly slips and vibrates, sporadically striking the chalkboard and producing that squeal we hear. As the vibrations decrease, the friction between the chalk and the board increases until the chalk sticks again and the torture begins once more.

In 1976 Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme exploded on to every front page in America. She had pushed her way through a crowd and had tried to kill the President of the United States. She was 17 years old. Investigators found her proud that she was a follower of Charles Manson. The world knows Manson as a crazed killer who worked through his small, dedicated band of fanatical “disciples.” News magazines began to dig into the background of this tragic young woman. Their reports found that Squeaky had felt like a misfit in her town, and so she wandered across the country until she reached California. There Manson met her and promised to take care of her. She went with him and was willing to kill and die for him.

Reporters wanted to know, “Why would you give your life to a man like Manson?” I read her explanation in a magazine, and I have never been able to forget it. Squeaky explained that she had made a choice early in her teenage years. Here it is: “Whoever loves me first can have my life.” Someone probably had loved Squeaky, but she was ready to give her life to whomever made her feel loved first.

Have you ever squeezed too much toothpaste onto your toothbrush? And then have you ever tried squeezing toothpaste back into the tube? That calls to mind the old proverb, "Three things once released will not return again: an opportunity neglected, and arrow released from its bows, and a word spoken in haste." May we add a fourth-toothpaste squeezed from a tube. We could spend the next six months drawing lessons from this familiar proverb. An opportunity neglected, an arrow released, a word spoken in haste.

Sometimes in our efforts to say exactly the right thing at the right time, we speak words in haste. Usually we immediately wish we could recall those words. Words spoken in haste are all those words we speak without weighing how each could be understood by the hearer(s), all those words we utter in jest, and everything we say without thinking.

Perhaps the preacher was right when he quipped, "God gave us two ears and one mouth-that ought to tell us something."

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

The noted Bible scholar James M. Gray told a story that underscores the importance of reading the Scriptures for personal growth. He said that when he was a young Bible teacher he became deeply impressed by the peace and spiritual poise of a friend with whom he often talked. Since Gray wanted that same stability, he asked his companion the secret of his confident bearing and positive outlook. “It all started through reading Ephesians,” said the man. Gray was surprised by this simple response. He had read Ephesians many times but had never experienced the same strength he saw in his friend. Noticing Fray’s puzzled look, the man explained. “On one occasion, when I was on a short vacation, I took a pocket edition of Ephesians with me. Lying down one afternoon, I read all six chapters. My interest was so aroused that I read the entire epistle again. In fact, I did not finally lay it down until I had gone through it some 15 times.” He then said, “When I arose to go into the house, I was in possession of Ephesians; or better yet, it was in possession of me. I had the feeling that I had been lifted up to sit together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus—a feeling that was new to me.” This testimony encouraged Gray to master the Scriptures for himself. He began to saturate his mind and heart with God’s Word so that he could freely and effectively communicate it to others.

1. Resistance to change

2. Tolerant of change

3. Embrace the change

The twenties are the molding years when the young person forms those habits that will direct his career. Then he finishes his school work, stands before the altar, establishes a home, and looks the world in the face.

The thirties are the years of discouragement. It is a hard and trying time. It is a time of battle without the dreams and poetry of youth.

The forties are the years of vision, when a man finds himself, finishes his castles in the air, and knows the value of his dreams.

In the fifties life comes to ripening. These should be the years of jubilee, and a man should do his best work then.

At sixty, a man has committed enough mistakes to make him wise beyond his years. He should live better and do better work than in any other decade in his life. No man has a right to retire in the sixties; the world has a need for his wisdom.

And in the seventies, some of the best work in the world has been done. It is the time when talent, experience, and insight combine to make a worthy and memorable life. Psa_90:10 says, "The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is there strength, labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

At the very time Stalin was liquidating millions, the Rev. Hewlett Johnson of Canterbury spoke of him as bringing in the kingdom of Christ.

Some years ago, when the news broke out that Joseph Stalin’s daughter had defected from Communism and Russia, many people were startled. Her statement given to reporters who met her plane in New York, told why she defected:

“I found it impossible to exist without God in one’s heart. I came to that conclusion myself, without anybody’s help or preaching. That was a great change because since that moment the main dogmas of Communism lost their significance for me. I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia.”

That woman’s struggle was a terrible one. To leave Russia, she had to leave two children in Moscow and realize that it would be, as she said, “Impossible to go back.”

Pascal said there is within every person a “God-shaped vacuum.” He’s right. Historians Will and Ariel Durant observed in their summery volume, The Lessons of History, that There never has been a significant example of morality apart from belief in God.”

It is said that the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin so feared for his safety that his residence in Moscow contained eight bedrooms. Each night Stalin chose a bedroom at random to ensure that no one knew exactly where he was sleeping.

There is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation. Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, “There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again.” At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, “Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right.” That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years.

Submit to pressure from peers and you move down to their level.Speak up for your own beliefs and you invite them up to your level. If you move with the crowd, you’ll get no further than the crowd. When 40 million people believe in a dumb idea, it’s still a dumb idea. Simply swimming with the tide leaves you nowhere.So if you believe in something that’s good, honest and bright—stand up for it. Maybe your peers will get smart and drift your way.

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Cheryl Reimold, an authority about body language, once said, “If you stand up to address a seated person, you gain height and a certain amount of temporary power. But if you face a person directly, on his level (whether sitting or standing), you are more likely to establish communication.”

Queen Victoria knew that.

The queen and her husband, Prince Albert, quarreled about something early in their marriage. Albert walked out of the room and went to his private quarters. Victoria followed, found the door locked, and began pounding on it.

“Who’s there?” Prince Albert asked.

“The Queen of England,” was the reply. But the door remained locked.

More pounding followed, but then there was a pause. The next sound was that of a gently tap.

“Who’s there?” Albert inquired.

The queen’s reply: “Your wife, Albert.”

Prince Albert opened the door immediately.

Serious critics sometimes argue that the standards in art are always relative, but all artistic masterpieces give them the lie.

A poor, uneducated old woman was once met by a skeptic. "Well, Betty, you are one of the saints, are you? Pray what sort of folks are they? What do you know about religion?" "Well, well," replied the old woman, "you know, sir, I'm no scholar, so can't say much for the meaning of it; I only know I am 'saved by grace' and that's enough to make me happy here, and I expect to go to heaven by and by." "Oh, that's all, is it? But surely you can tell us something more than that. What does being saved feel like?" "Why, it feels to me," said that Spirit-taught one, "just as if the Lord stood in my shoes, and I stood in His."

A poor, uneducated old woman was once met by a skeptic. "Well, Betty, you are one of the saints, are you? Pray what sort of folks are they? What do you know about religion?" "Well, well," replied the old woman, "you know, sir, I'm no scholar, so can't say much for the meaning of it; I only know I am 'saved by grace' and that's enough to make me happy here, and I expect to go to heaven by and by." "Oh, that's all, is it? But surely you can tell us something more than that. What does being saved feel like?" "Why, it feels to me," said that Spirit-taught one, "just as if the Lord stood in my shoes, and I stood in His."

In 1884 a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided to establish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do. After they expressed their desire to fund a memorial, Eliot impatiently said, "Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship."

"We were thinking of something more substantial than that... perhaps a building," the woman replied. In a patronizing tone, Eliot brushed aside the idea as being too expensive and the couple departed. The next year, Eliot learned that this plain pair had gone elsewhere and established a $26 million memorial named Leland Stanford Junior University, better known today as Stanford!

Unless you subscribe to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, you probably missed the story that was in the May 17, 1987 edition.

A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owns a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunts for rocks, then sells them to collectors or jewelry makers. He knows enough about rocks to decide which to pick up and sell, but he’s no expert. He leaves the appraising of his rocks to other people. As much as he enjoys the work, it doesn’t always pay the bills. He occasionally moonlights, cutting wood to help put bread on the table.

While on a dig twenty years ago, Rob found a rock he described as “purdy and big.” He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and according to the Constitution, kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. He guessed the blue chunk could bring as much as $500 dollars, but he would have taken less if something urgent came up like paying his power bill.

That’s how close Rob came to hawking for a few hundred dollars what turned out to be the largest, most valuable sapphire ever found. The blue rock that Rob had abandoned to the darkness of a closet two decades ago—now known as “The Star of David” sapphire—weighs nearly a pound, and could easily sell for $2.75 million.

Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes studied under a respected tutor. After several years the teacher’s efforts seemed to have paid off when Timanthes painted an exquisite work of art. Unfortunately, he became so enraptured with the painting that he spent days gazing at it. One morning when he arrived to admire his work, he was shocked to find it blotted out with paint. Angry, Timanthes ran to his teacher, who admitted he had destroyed the painting. “I did it for your own good. That painting was retarding your progress. Start again and see if you can do better. “Timanthes took his teacher’s advice and produced Sacrifice of Iphigenia, which is regarded as one of the finest paintings of antiquity.

George Fooshee, Homemade, Vol. 11, No. 4, (April 87)

It is important to start right, but it is imperative to end well.

On December 21, 2003, the New Orleans Saints professional football team found themselves losing 20-13 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, with time for only one more play. On their own 25-yard line, the Saints scored a touchdown on a 75-yard, three lateral play which has been called one of the most amazing, wackiest plays in NFL history. With no time left on the clock, the teams lined up for the game-tying extra point, and John Carney�who in seven seasons had only missed one other extra point�kicked it wide right. Carney could have really used a �do-over.�

The mark of a real pro is what he does after he fails. The following week John Carney kicked two field goals and an extra point as the Saints defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13-7. In other words, John Carney scored as many points as the entire Dallas Cowboys football team. After failing so spectacularly, Carney started over. If he can start over, then you and I need to know that we can start over with God.

British statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes, whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships, was a stickler for correct dress—but apparently not at the expense of someone else’s feelings. A young man invited to dine with Rhodes arrived by train and had to go directly to Rhodes’s home in his travel-stained clothes.

Once there he was appalled to find the other guests already assembled, wearing full evening dress. After what seemed a long time Rhodes appeared, in a shabby old blue suit. Later the young man learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes, but put on the old suit when he heard of his young guest’s dilemma.

Actual or implied sexual intercourse takes place 2.7 times every hour, with 88% of all sex represented as taking place outside of marriage.

Once when President Franklin D. Roosevelt was preparing a speech, he needed some economic statistics to back up a point he was trying to make. His advisers said it would take six months to get accurate figures.

“In that case, I’ll just use these rough estimates,” FDR said, and he wrote down some numbers in his text. “They’re reasonable figures and they support my point. “Besides,” he added as an afterthought, “it will keep my critics busy for at least six months just to prove me wrong.”

Did you know that it was not until 1850 that our world reached the one billion mark? By 1930 we reached two billion. It took only thirty more years for the world’s population to reach three billion. We have now arrived at five billion. Statisticians tell us that by the end of the twentieth century we’ll have seven billion.

Until 1800 the top speed was twenty miles an hour as people traveled on horseback. With the arrival of the railroad train, almost overnight we jumped to 100 miles per hour. By 1952 the first passenger jet could travel 500 miles an hour. By 1979 the Concorde cruised at more than 1,200 miles an hour. But even back in 1961 the astronauts were orbiting the earth at 16,000 miles per hour.

Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called “Christ of the Andes,” the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina.

Shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted -- the statue had its back turned to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest in Chile, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but made them laugh, he simply said, “The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.

Integrity is more than not being deceitful or slipshod. It means doing everything “heartily as unto the Lord” (Col. 3:23). In his book Lyrics, Oscar Hammerstein II points out one reason why, a reason Christians have always known:

A year or so ago, on the cover of the New York Herald Tribune Sunday magazine, I saw a picture of the Statue of Liberty . . . taken from a helicopter and it showed the top of the statue’s head. I was amazed at the detail there. The sculptor had done a painstaking job with the lady’s coiffure, and yet he must have been pretty sure that the only eyes that would ever see this detail would be the uncritical eyes of sea gulls. He could not have dreamt that any man would ever fly over this head. He was artist enough, however, to finish off this part of the statue with as much care as he had devoted to her face and her arms, and the torch and everything that people can see as they sail up the bay.

When you are creating a work of art, or any other kind of work, finish the job off perfectly. You never know when a helicopter, or some other instrument not at the moment invented, may come along and find you out.

On the TV show “Hee Haw,” Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, “Well then, stay out of them places!”

He may have something there. We cannot regularly put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. When faced with the problem of temptation, we need to take the good doctor’s advice and “stay out of them places.”

A few years ago a lovely Christian mother gave her pastor criticism he deserved. He had preached a strong sermon on personal evangelism pointing out every Christian's obligation to reach out and win others to the Lord. In the conclusion of the sermon he tried to obliterate every excuse that anyone might have for failure to lead others to Christ. The sermon needed to be preached, of course, as it still does. Only apparently he had been guilty of some unfair emphasis.

After the sermon he was invited home with a lovely Christian family. The husband was completing his resident work as a medical doctor, and had little spare time, but still he spent time in the church's personal work program. The wife beautifully cared for their three lovely children. All of them were very young-one still an infant in arms-and required a lot of time.

During the meal the wife asked the pastor if he remembered the Scripture, "For as his share is who goes down into battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage" (1Sa 30:24). He confessed his ignorance, and she gave the context of King David insisting that the home guard be rewarded equally with those who had the more obviously essential role of fighting in the front line.

And then she shared a wonderful truth which is so easily forgotten. She mentioned that she felt that taking care of children, patiently teaching them the ways of God and His great values, looking for moments of readiness to deflect them gently when they get on the wrong track was "staying with the baggage." She went on to point out that she often felt guilty for not doing more of the "church" work than she did. But she felt her greatest ministry was being a dedicated Christian mother.

My friend, all you need to say after listening to a needed reprimand like that is one word-Amen.

Jesus "steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luk 9:51, Luk 9:53). He had a definite destination, and He knew what it held for Him. It meant Jerusalem with its sorrow, Gethsemane with its travail, the judgment hall with its injustice and shame, the cross with its anguish, and even the hiding of the Father's face. For Jesus there was no royal road to the throne of Israel. For Him the only path lay by Jerusalem and Calvary. It was a long and weary road, but Jesus took every step. He was tempted to turn aside from His goal, to be sure, and He was tempted in His sufferings. His friends wished to draw Him aside from His sufferings. Peter rebuked Him when He spoke of them. Satan tried to perplex Him, and His own soul trembled when the time for His crucifixion came. Yet, He knew that He had reached "the point of no return," and He proceeded in the midst of the storms of sin and doubt about Him to go toward the cross where He would be victor once and for all.

Those who have crossed the ocean have been impressed with the way the huge oceanliner keeps its bow to the sea, and, in spite of wind and wave, holds to its course. No sound is more reassuring than the steady throb of the huge engine. In looking at Christ's life, one thing that impresses us is His steadiness. He was never shifting, or even driven about. The throb of His life was constant and perfect.

Do you and your spouse feed each other a steady diet of put-downs? If you do, your marriage could be headed for divorce court.

When psychologists Cliff Nortarius and Howard Markman studied newlyweds over the first decade of marriage, they discovered that couples who stayed together uttered 5 or fewer put-downs in every 100 comments to each other. But couples who inflicted twice as many verbal wounds—10 or more putdowns out of every 100 comments—later split up.

Watch what you say! Little, nit-picking comments are like a cancer in marriage, slowly draining the life out of a committed relationship.

In a museum at Greenfield Village, Detroit, Michigan, there is a huge steam locomotive. Beside this complicated piece of machinery is a sign showing boiler pressure, size and number of wheels, horsepower, lengths, weight and more. The bottom line indicates that 96% of the power generated was used to move the locomotive and only 4% was left to pull the load.

Some churches are like that.

The female steamer duck can fly, but only about 1/4 of the males are able, and only before they eat! The rest are too heavy to get airborne. They use their wings as paddles and beat furiously across the surface of the water, never quite able to break into flight.

Casey Stengel was a longtime major league baseball manager whose unique way with the English language became known as “Stengelese.” He once said, “I’ve always heard that it couldn’t be done, but sometimes it don’t always work.” That’s typical Stengelese. Casey held a position on the board of directors for a California bank.

According to a story that originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Casey described his duties this way: “There ain’t nuthin’ to it. You go into the fancy meeting room and you just sit there and never open your yap. As long as you don’t say nuthin’ they don’t know whether you’re smart or dumb.”

1. What he was—irreproachable

2. What he did—irrefutable

3. What he said—irresistible

He was full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace, power.

A woman hired two men to do some yard work. The day they came, she was giving a bridge party. During the afternoon, a guest looked out the window to see one man raking and the other performing majestic leaps and spirals in the air. “Hey, look at that,” she said to her friends.

“What a wonderful gymnast,” remarked one. “I’d pay him a hundred dollars to perform for our aerobics class.” The hostess opened the window and asked the fellow raking if he thought his friend would like the job.

“Hey, Fred,” the co-worker yelled to his partner, “do you think for a hundred dollars you could step on that rake one more time?”

Abraham Lincoln was considered by many Americans as a most successful president. It was strange that he was a man marked for failure, a man suffering from melancholia, who endured long periods of depression throughout his life. He could barely see out of one eye. He had frequent nervous attacks, severe headaches, indigestion and nausea. He had a couch placed near his desk in the White House so he could quickly lie down when one of his spells came over him. When Lincoln was 10 years old he was kicked in the head by a horse and experts now believe that the skull was severely fractured, leaving him with lifelong problems. When he came to deliver the now famous address at Gettysburg, he was coming down with smallpox.

Lincoln failed in business in 1831, was defeated for the legislature in 1832. The next year he suffered another business defeat and in 1836 had a nervous breakdown. He failed to be elected speaker in 1838, was defeated for elector in 1840, and for Congress in 1843, as well as in 1848. Lincoln failed to be elected to the Senate in 1855, and was defeated for the Vice Presidency in 1856 and for the Senate in 1858. However, being elected President in 1860, he could afford all those failures. Abraham Lincoln was truly a successful failure.

Some people are slow starters and may discover God's purpose late in life. Moses was 80 years old when he began his life's work. All that time God was preparing him to do one thing-lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. It could be that you are living to accomplish only one great task for God, and that all the rest of your life is merely preparation for that great heroic responsibility.

1. Pray the prayer of the psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24).

2. Be totally honest as you answer each question.

3. Agree with God about each need He reveals in your life. Confess each sin, with the willingness to make it right and forsake it.

4. Praise God for His cleansing and forgiveness.

5. Renew your mind and rebuild your life through meditation and practical application of the Word of God.

6. Review these questions periodically to remain sensitive to your need for ongoing revival.

Genuine Salvation (II Corinthians 5:17)

1. Was there ever a time in my life that I genuinely repented of my sin? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Was there ever a time in my life that I placed all my trust in Jesus Christ alone to save me?

Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Was there ever a time in my life that I completely surrendered to Jesus Christ as the Master and Lord of my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Is Christ lived out in my home and have I physically confessed Him Lord at home. Yes ˜ No ˜

God’s Word (Psalm 119:97; 119:140)

1. Do I love to read and meditate on the Word of God? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Are my personal devotions consistent and meaningful? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Do I practically apply God’s Word to my everyday life? Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Do we as a family discuss God’s Word often? Yes ˜ No ˜

Humility (Isaiah 57:15)

1. Am I quick to recognize and agree with God in confession when I have sinned? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Am I quick to admit to others when I am wrong? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Do I rejoice when others are praised and recognized and my accomplishments go unnoticed by men?

Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Do I esteem all others as better than myself? Yes ˜ No ˜

5. Do I rejoice when others in my family succeed? Yes ˜ No ˜

Obedience (Hebrews 13:17; I Samuel 15:22)

1. Do I consistently obey what I know God wants me to do? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Do I consistently obey the human authorities God has placed over my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Do I consistently obey and honor my parents? Yes ˜ No ˜

Pure Heart (I John 1:9)

1. Do I confess my sin by name? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Do I keep “short sin accounts” with God (confess and forsake as He convicts)? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Am I willing to give up all sin for God? Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Do I repent and confess my sins to others in my family? Yes ˜ No ˜

Clear Conscience (Acts 24:16)

1. Do I consistently seek forgiveness from those I wrong or offend? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Is my conscience clear with every man? (Can I honestly say, “There is no one I have ever wronged or offended in any way and not gone back to them and sought their forgiveness and made it right”?)

Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Is my relationship right with each family member? Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Do I go to bed at night with unresolved conflict with others in the family? Yes ˜ No ˜

Priorities (Matthew 6:33)

1. Does my schedule reveal that God is first in my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Does my checkbook reveal that God is first in my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Next to my relationship with God, is my relationship with my family my highest priority? Yes ˜ No ˜

Values (Colossians 3:12)

1. Do I love what God loves and hate what God hates? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Do I value highly the things that please God (e.g., giving, witnessing to lost souls, studying His Word, prayer)? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Are my affections and goals fixed on eternal values? Yes ˜ No ˜

4. Are Biblical values reflected in my selection of music and T.V./movies? Yes ˜ No ˜

Sacrifice (Philippians 3:7,8)

1. Am I willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to see God move in my life and church (time, convenience, comfort, reputation, pleasure, etc.)? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Is my life characterized by genuine sacrifice for the cause of Christ? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Do I have a servant’s heart at home? Yes ˜ No ˜

Spirit-Control (Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:18-21)

1. Am I allowing Jesus to be Lord of every area of my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to “fill” (control) my life each day? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Is there consistent evidence of the “fruit of the Spirit” being produced in my life? Yes ˜ No ˜

“First Love” (Philippians 1:21,23)

1. Am I as much in love with Jesus as I have ever been? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Am I thrilled with Jesus; filled with His joy and peace, and making Him the continual object of my love? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. How would others in my family view my love toward God on a scale of 1-10

Motives (Acts 5:29; Matthew 10:28)

1. Am I more concerned about what God thinks about my life than about what others think? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Would I pray, read my Bible, give and serve as much if nobody but God ever noticed? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Am I more concerned about pleasing God than I am about being accepted and appreciated by men? Yes ˜ No ˜

Moral Purity (Ephesians 5:3,4)

1. Do I keep my mind free from books, magazines, or entertainment that could stimulate fantasizing thoughts that are not morally pure? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Are my conversation and behavior pure and above reproach? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Do mom and dad approve of my friendships? Yes ˜ No ˜

Forgiveness (Colossians 3:12,13)

1. Do I seek to resolve conflicts in relationships as soon as possible? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Am I quick to forgive those who hurt or wrong me? Yes ˜ No ˜

Sensitivity (Matthew 5:23,24)

1. Am I sensitive to the conviction and promptings of God’s Spirit? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Am I quick to respond in humility and obedience to the conviction and promptings of God’s Spirit? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. Am I sensitive to my parent’s desires? Yes ˜ No ˜

Evangelism (Romans 9:3; Luke 24:46,48)

1. Do I have a burden for lost souls? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Do I consistently witness for Christ? Yes ˜ No ˜

Prayer (I Timothy 2:1)

1. Am I faithful in praying for the needs of others? Yes ˜ No ˜

2. Do I pray specifically, fervently and faithfully for revival in my life, my church and our nation? Yes ˜ No ˜

3. How much time do we spend as a family in prayer? Yes ˜ No ˜

Teenagers are much more inclined to take warnings about steroids seriously if the drugs’ muscle-building benefits are acknowledged in the same speech, say doctors at Oregon Health Sciences University. That was the case when the doctors lectured nine high school football teams on the effects of steroids. They found that football players who heard a balanced presentation on steroids were 50 percent more likely to believe that the drugs could harm their health than those who were told just of the dangers.

This isn’t the only instance where scare tactics have been known to fail. In spite of a massive, ongoing campaign on the hazards of cigarette smoking, millions continue to light up. Health experts might be more successful if they acknowledged smoking’s pleasurable aspects. Then once they had a smoker’s attention, they could let loose on why it’s time to quit.

A steward of God, a high honor Titus 1:7

A good steward, a great trust 1 Peter 4:10

A faithful steward, a noble aim 1 Cor. 4:2

A wise steward, a discerning mind Luke 12:42

An unjust steward, a selfish motive Luke 16:2

When I was living in Khartoum, Sudan, a kind man named Stelios Costantinidies used to test me in a very interesting way. I will never forget it for it made a man of me. He would give me sufficient money and a little over to buy a small treat, and then wait to see whether I would return the change. He never asked how much the soda or ice cream cone cost-just how much I had spent. I had to be truthful, so I took the money out and gave him the right change. If you don't think this is a good test of character, try it on your own children.

On February 11, 1962, Parade Magazine published the following brief account—itself a commentary on artificial motivation:

At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, pugnacious lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch on it.

The priest took a liking to the boy, persuaded him to attend church school. This was preferable to doing household chores from which his devout parents excused him. By offering other inducements, the priest managed to teach the boy the four Gospels. In fact, he won a special prize for learning all four by heart and reciting them nonstop in church. Now, 60 years later, he still likes to recite Scriptures, but in a context that would horrify the old priest. For the prize pupil, who memorized so much of the Bible, is Nikita Khrushchev, the former Communist czar.

As this anecdote illustrates, the “why” behind memorization is fully as important as the “what”. The same Nikita Khrushchev who nimbly mouthed God’s Word when a child, later declared God to be nonexistent—because his cosmonauts had not seen Him.

Khrushchev memorized the Scriptures for the candy, the rewards, the bribes, rather than for the meaning it had for his life.

Artificial motivation will produce artificial results.

In the 1988 Olympics the U.S. Men’s Volleyball team made it to the semi-finals. One of the players, Bob Samuelson, cursed at a referee. The U.S. team was assessed one penalty point, which ultimately cost them the game and a chance at the Gold medal. The next day they returned to play for the Bronze medal. As the team took the court, many of the men had shaved their heads. You see, Bob Samuelson is bald, and they were saying, “He may have been wrong, but he is still our friend. He blew it, but he’s still one of us and still on the team.”

Recently I laid a small circle of poison around a hill of stinging ants. Thinking the tiny granules of poison were food, the ants began to pick them up and carry them throughout the colony. I returned later to see how well the poison was working. Hundreds of the stinging ants were carrying the poison down into their hill. Then I noticed a hole in the circle of poison. Some of the poison was moving the opposite way—away from the hill. Some smaller, nonstinging ants had found this “food” and were stealing it from their ant neighbors. Thinking they were getting the other ants’ treasure, they unwittingly poisoned themselves.

When we see someone with more than we have, we must beware. The hunger to beg, borrow, or steal our way into what is theirs may poison us spiritually. - Bob James

It may be that praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value to its scarcity, as Samuel Johnson said, but most of us would prefer to err on the side of giving too much praise than too little. One who would agree was the wife of an old Vermonter named Eb.

Old Eb was, like many of his breed, rather stingy with words. He said very little, and then rather grudgingly. One evening he was sitting on the front steps with his wife. The long day’s work, the good supper, and the peaceful sights and sounds of dusk must have softened him up. He took his pipe out of his mouth and said, “When I think of what you’ve meant to me all these years, Judith, sometimes it’s almost more than I can stand not to tell you.”

The great 19th century British statesman and prime minister, William Gladstone, once said, “One thing I have against the clergy both of the country and in the towns. I think they are not severe enough on congregations. They do not sufficiently lay upon the souls and consciences of their hearers their moral obligations, and probe their hearts and bring up their whole lives and actions to the bar of conscience.

“The class of sermons which I think are most needed, are of the class which once offended Lord Melbourne. He was seen coming from church in the country in a great fume. Finding a friend, he exclaimed, ‘It is too bad I have always been a supporter of the church, and I have always upheld the clergy, but it is really too bad to have to listen to a sermon like that we have heard this morning. Why, the preacher actually insisted upon applying religion to a man’s personal life!”

Gladstone concluded,

“That is the kind of preaching I like best, the kind of preaching which men need most, but it is, also, the kind of which they get the least.”

In 1066 one of the most decisive battles in the history of the world was fought. William, Duke or Normandy, ventured an invasion of England in the face of a formidable opponent. But one of the reasons that gave him the confidence to try such a risky undertaking was that he had a recently invented technological edge that the English did not. That edge was the stirrup.

While the English rode to the battlefield, they fought on foot; conventional wisdom being that the horse was too unstable a platform from which to fight. But the Norman cavalry, standing secure in their stirrups, were able to ride down the English, letting the weight of their charging horses punch their lances home. This technological edge led to the conquest of Britain. Without it, William might never have attempted such a perilous war.

John was driving home late one night when he picked up a hitchhiker. As they rode along, he began to be suspicious of his passenger. John checked to see if his wallet was safe in the pocket of his coat that was on the seat between them, but it wasn’t there! So he slammed on the brakes, ordered the hitchhiker out, and said, “Hand over the wallet immediately!”

The frightened hitchhiker handed over a billfold, and John drove off. When he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about the experience, but she interrupted him, saying, “Before I forget, John, do you know that you left your wallet at home this morning?”

In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car. So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue.

“When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long” (Psa. 32:3).

There is nothing that so takes the joy out of life like unconfessed sin on the conscience.

I once heard the late Dr. F. E. Marsh tell that on one occasion he was preaching on this question and urging upon his hearers the importance of confession of sin and wherever possible of restitution for wrong done to others.

At the close a young man, a member of the church, came up to him with a troubled countenance. “Pastor,” he explained, “you have put me in a sad fix. I have wronged another and I am ashamed to confess it or to try to put it right. You see, I am a boat builder and the man I work for is an infidel. I have talked to him often about his need of Christ and urged him to come and hear you preach, but he scoffs and ridicules it all. Now, I have been guilty of something that, if I should acknowledge it to him, will ruin my testimony forever.”

He then went on to say that sometime ago he started to build a boat for himself in his own yard. In this work copper nails are used because they do not rust in the water. These nails are quite expensive and the young man had been carrying home quantities of them to use on the job. He knew it was stealing, but he tried to salve his conscience be telling himself that the master had so many he would never miss them and besides he was not being paid all that he thought he deserved. But this sermon had brought him to face the fact that he was just a common thief, for whose dishonest actions there was no excuse.

“But,” said he, “I cannot go to my boss and tell him what I have done or offer to pay for those I have used and return the rest. If I do he will think I am just a hypocrite. And yet those copper mails are digging into my conscience and I know I shall never have peace until I put this matter right.”

For weeks the struggle went on. Then one night he came to Dr. Marsh and exclaimed, “Pastor, I’ve settled for the copper nails and my conscience is relieved at last.”

“What happened when you confessed to your employer what you had done?” asked the pastor.

“Oh,” he answered, “he looked queerly at me, then exclaimed, ‘George, I always did think you were just a hypocrite, but now I begin to feel there’s something in this Christianity after all. Any religion that would make a dishonest workman come back and confess that he had been stealing copper nails and offer to settle for them, must be worth having.’”

Dr. Marsh asked if he might use the story, and was granted permission.

Sometime afterwards, he told it in another city. The next day a lady came up and said, “Doctor, I have had ‘copper nails’ on my conscience too.” “Why, surely, you are not a boat builder!” “No, but I am a book-lover and I have stolen a number of books from a friend of mine who gets far more that I could ever afford. I decided last night I must get rid of the ‘copper nails,’ so I took them all back to her today and confessed my sin. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. She forgave me, and God has forgiven me. I am so thankful the ‘copper mails’ are not digging into my conscience any more.”

I have told this story many times and almost invariably people have come to me afterwards telling of “copper nails” in one form or another that they had to get rid of. On one occasion, I told it at a High School chapel service. The next day the principal saw me and said, “As a result of that ‘copper nails’ story, ever so many stolen fountain pens and other things have been returned to their rightful owners.”

Reformation and restitution do not save. But where one is truly repentant and has come to God in sincere confession, he will want to the best of his ability to put things right with others.

A man called the police and reported that all of his wife’s credit cards had been stolen. Then he added, “But don’t look too hard for the thief. He’s charging less than my wife ever did.”

If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all it will be to induce the school children to read, meditate upon and to perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments; this is not a permissible objective.

Stone v. Gramm, 1980, challenging the right of students to “see” the 10 Commandments on the wall of a school. The Court even then defined the posting of the document as a “passive” display, meaning someone would have to stop and look on their own volition.

The courage of Civil War leader Stonewall Jackson in the midst of conflict can be a lesson for the believer. Historian Mark Brinsley wrote, “A battlefield is a deadly place, even for generals; and it would be naive to suppose Jackson never felt the animal fear of all beings exposed to wounds and death. But invariably he displayed extraordinary calm under fire, a calm too deep and masterful to be mere pretense. His apparent obliviousness to danger attracted notice, and after the first Manassas battle someone asked him how he managed it. ‘My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.’ Jackson explained, ‘God (knows the) time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter where it may overtake me.’ He added pointedly, ‘That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.’”

General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was such a brilliant leader that many experts believe he could have led the Confederacy to victory had he not died early in the Civil War. The irony of Jackson’s death is that he was shot accidentally by his own men. It seems he had given them orders to fire if they heard anyone coming through the woods. Jackson himself was returning to his own lines one night when he came crashing through the underbrush; on horseback—and his troops obeyed his command! Despite his wound, General Jackson still might have lived had he not caught pneumonia and died about a week later.

A group of appreciative tourists watched a demonstration put on by the Royal Artillery of the Queen. The six man team worked with flawless precision. Actually, only five of them worked with precision. One of the soldiers positioned himself about 25 yards away from the cannon and stood at attention during the entire exhibition, doing nothing. After the exhibition, one of the tourists asked the staff officer to explain the duty of the man standing off to the side. “He’s number six,” came the reply. “Yes, but what does he do?” “He stands at attention.” “Yes, I know, but why does he stand at attention?” No one knew why number six stood at attention. None of the other five knew, the man himself didn’t know, and even the commanding officer didn’t know. After many hours of research through old training manuals, it became clear what number six was to do. He was to hold the horses. Why was number six standing at attention? Because he was appointed to do so. Did he have any idea what he was supposed to do? No.

F.B. Meyer once said: "I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other, and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower; that we have to go down, always down, to get His best gifts."

Robert Hall, the great Baptist preacher, used to be subject to occasions of great physical pain, in the course of which he would roll on the ground in sheer agony. When the pain was over, the first words he used to say were, "I hope I didn't complain." How much more effective our witness for Christ would be if we didn't complain so much about our trials of faith.

A mother had fallen into the disagreeable habit of yelling at her children. She thought this necessary in order to maintain her authority; then she was confined to bed for a week with severe laryngitis. She could not speak above a whisper and had to run the affairs of her household from her bed. "Do you know," she confessed afterward, "I found that the children were far more well-behaved and good-natured when I could only speak to them in a whisper than when I used to shout at them."

One day a young man moved into a cave to study with a wise man. He hoped to learn everything there was to know. After giving his student a stack of books, the wise man sprinkled itching powder on his student’s hand and left. Every morning the wise man returned to the cave to monitor his student’s progress. “Have you learned everything there is to know yet?” the wise man asked.

And every morning his student said, “No, I haven’t.” Then the wise man would sprinkle itching powder on the student’s hand and leave. This was repeated for months. But one day, as the wise man entered the cave the student took the bag of itching powder and tossed it into the fire.

Congratulations!” said the wise man. “You’ve graduated. You’ve learned you don’t have to know everything to do something positive. And you’ve learned how to take control over your life and stop the itching.”

I was in the north of England in 1881, when a fearful storm swept over that part of the country. A friend of mine, who was a minister at Evemouth, had a great many of the fishermen of the place in his congregation. It had been very stormy weather, and the fishermen had been detained in the harbor for a week. One day, however, the sun shone out in a clear blue sky; it seemed as if the storm had passed away, and the boats started out for the fishing ground. Forty-one boats left the harbor that day.

Before they started, the harbor-master hoisted the storm signal, and warned them of the coming tempest. He begged of them not to go; but they disregarded his warning, and away they went. They saw no sign of the coming storm. In a few hours, however, it swept down on that coast, and very few of those fishermen returned. There were five or six men in each boat, and nearly all were lost in that dreadful gale. In the church of which my friend was pastor, I believe there were three male members left. Those men were ushered into eternity because they did not give heed to the warning. I lift up the storm signal now, and warn you to escape from the coming judgment!

If we read the discouraging circumstances of life—the people who do us in, the job that doesn’t work out, and the other struggles that seem to engulf us—we will surely crash.

But if we would keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and stay grounded in His word, then we will make it safely through the storm.

Maybe you’re in a storm. God has a purpose in leading you into the storm. He has power to preserve you through the storm. And, He has a plan to eventually lead you out of the storm. Put your eyes on Christ. Trust His Word.

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.

“Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest. I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.

“Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.

But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals.

The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail on an ocean, or even a river; instead, she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.

“What happened?” the once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God...”

Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.

“I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered.

The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said.

And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake.

Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.

The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.

And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her.

She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.

But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.

It had made the third tree strong.

And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.

That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

The next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

When I was in grade school, my family visited some friends who owned a farm in Kentucky. After we were there several days, I jumped at the chance to ride their horse, Prince. However, having never ridden a horse before, and realizing the horse was much larger than he looked from a distance, I proceeded cautiously.

Being an intelligent fourth grader, I decided to play it safe by climbing a wooden fence next to where the horse was standing and mount him from there. With one foot on the left side of the top fence rail, I threw the other leg over the horse who was on the right side. Immediately the horse began to sidle slowly away from the fence. Now I hadn't planned on that, and I needed to make a hasty decision. You see, I wanted both to ride the horse and to hold on to the security of the fence. Needless to say, after my legs had stretched as far as they would go, I fell face down on the ground.

You would think such an experience would teach one a lesson. Yet in the years that followed, I would still find myself trying to "straddle the fence." And the results would always be the same as that first experience. Only the fence wasn't on the farm in Kentucky-it was the fence between commitment to Christ and the world. And believe me, the falls from this fence hurt a lot more. Save yourself a lot of pain-don't try to straddle the fence.

The name Stradivarius is synonymous with fine violins. This is true because Antonius Stradivarius insisted that no instrument constructed in his shop be sold until it was as near perfection as human care and skill could make it.

Stradivarius observed, “God needs violins to send His music into the world, and if any violins are defective God’s music will be spoiled.” His work philosophy was summed up in one sentence: “Other men will make other violins, but no man shall make a better one.”

1. Blinding the minds of the unregenerate (2 Cor. 4:4).

2. Snatching away the good seed of the word (Matthew 13:19).

3. Lulling the unbeliever into a false sense of security (Luke 11:21).

4. Laying snares for the unwary (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

5. Masquerading as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-14).

6. Deceiving those whose minds are not subject to the Word of truth (Rev. 12:9).

7. Mixing truth with error (Matthew 13:25-8).

An Austrian anthropologist maned Weizl who lived for a time among the natives of northern Siberia was frequently accosted by giggling young maidens who showed up at his door and pelted him with freshly killed lice.

Eventually Weizl learned that among northern Siberians, lice-throwing was a customary manner for woman to declare her interest in a man and indicate that she was available for marriage.

Woman's Day magazine told of a strange happening on the campus of Green Acres Elementary School near Santa Cruz, California. One year a tree on that campus began to bear strange fruit, mostly sandwiches, but sometimes a cookie, a cupcake, an apple or an orange.

It came into being through the efforts of two teachers, Sophie Farrar and Sandra Enz, who were upset at the quantities of uneaten sandwiches discarded by the children. They suggested that the unwrapped sandwiches be placed under what the children began to call the free-food tree, for students who had come without a lunch or who had lost or forgotten their lunches. The idea was very popular among the children. Some youngsters asked their mothers to pack an extra sandwich so they would have one to put under the free-food tree.

An old Kentucky law states that a wife can’t move the furniture in the house without her husband’s permission.

But then a man in Kentucky has restrictions too: he can’t legally marry his wife’s grandmother.

A kiss can last no longer than one second, according to an ordinance in Halethorpe, Maryland.

New Hampshire has the youngest legal marriage age: 13 for females, and 14 for males.

An average of 13,500 Americans get married every day. Instead of exchanging rings with the groom, in old Anglo-Saxon wedding ceremonies the bride passed her shoes to her groom, who then tapped her on the head with one of them.

People who talk about prayer but never pray.

People who say tithing is right but never tithe.

People who want to belong to the church but never attend.

People who say the Bible is God's Word to man but never read it.

Robert Laidlaw, in his little gem of a tract, The Reason Why, asks: "Would it be kindness to transfer a poor ragged beggar into the glare of a beautiful ballroom? Would he not be more conscious of his rags and dirt? Would he not do his best to escape again to the darkness of the street? He would be infinitely happier there. Would it be kindness and mercy on God's part to bring a man with his sins into the holy light of Heaven if that man had rejected God's offer of the only cleansing power there is? If you and I would not wish our friends to see inside our minds now and read all the thoughts that have ever been there (and our friends' standards are perhaps not any higher than our own), what would it be like to stand before God, whose absolute holiness would reveal our sin in all its awfulness?" The Bible says you cannot sow thistles and reap figs. You cannot live for the lusts of the flesh here and expect to enjoy the things of the Spirit hereafter. "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal 6:8).

1. Annihilate the church or neutralize its witness from within (Acts 5:1-6).

2. Virulent persecution from without.

3. Smother its witness by according it great popularity.

4. Disturb the unity of the church by creating discord and division

5. Subversion of the church through apostasy and heresy (2 Peter 2:1-2).