Pastoral Resources

William Allen White, a famous newspaper editor in Emporia, Kansas, once gave a 50 acre tract of land to the city for a park. At the dedication, he made the strange statement that there are "Three kicks in every dollar." He explained, "One kick is when you make it-and how I love to make a dollar! One is when you save it-and I have the Yankee lust for saving. The third kick is when you give it away-and the biggest kick of all is the last one."

It seems Mr. White discovered on his own what Jesus taught 20 centuries earlier: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Act 20:35). Do you believe that? Want a big kick? Make a lot of money! Want an even bigger kick? Give your money to a worthy cause.

There is a "kick" in seeing needy people helped. There is a "kick" in seeing your money carry the good news everywhere. There is a "kick" in seeing your church touch the spiritual needs of the unsaved.

You, too, can get three "kicks" out of every dollar.

First: My dad’s so smart he can talk for one hour on any subject.

Second: My dad’s so smart he can talk for two hours on any subject.

Third: My dad’s so smart he can talk for three hours and doesn’t even need a subject.

Teddy’s letter came today and now that I’ve read it, I will place it in my cedar chest with the other things that are important to my life.

“I wanted you to be the first to know.”

I smiled as I read the words he had written and my heart welled with a pride that I had no right to feel.

I have not seen Teddy Stallard since he was a student in my fifth grade class fifteen years ago. It was early in my career, and I had only been teaching for two years.

From the first day he stepped into my classroom, I disliked Teddy. Teachers (although everyone knows differently) are not supposed to have favorites in a class, but most especially are they not to show dislike for a child, any child. Nevertheless, every year there are one or two children that one cannot help but be attached to, for teachers are human, and it is human nature to like bright, pretty, intelligent people, whether they are ten years old or twenty-five. And sometimes, not too often, fortunately, there will be one or two students to whom the teacher just can’t seem to relate.

I had thought myself quite capable of handling my personal feelings along that line until Teddy walked into my life. There wasn’t a child I particularly liked that year, but Teddy was most assuredly the one I disliked. He was dirty. Not just occasionally, but all the time. His hair hung low over his ears, and he actually had to hold it out of his eyes as he wrote papers in class. (And this was before it was fashionable to do so!) Too, he had a peculiar odor about him which I could never identify. His physical faults were many, and his intellect left a lot to be desired, also. By the end of the first week I knew he was hopelessly behind the others. Not only was he behind; he was just plain slow! I began to withdraw from him immediately.

Any teacher will tell you that it’s more of a pleasure to teach a bright child. It is definitely more rewarding for one’s ego. But any teacher worth her credentials can channel work to the bright child, keeping him challenged and learning, while she puts her major effort on the slower ones. Any teacher can do this. Most teachers do it, but I didn’t, not that year. In fact, I concentrated on my best students and let the others follow along as best they could. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I took perverse pleasure in using my red pen; and each time I came to Teddy’s paper, the cross marks (and there were many) were always a little larger and a little redder than necessary.

“Poor work!” I would write with a flourish.

While I did not actually ridicule the boy, my attitude was obviously quite apparent to the class, for he quickly became the class “goat,” the outcast: the unlovable and the unloved. He knew I didn’t like him, but he didn’t. know why. Nor did I know—then or now—why I felt such an intense dislike for him. All I know is that he was a little boy no one cared about, and I made no effort on his behalf.

The days rolled by. We made it through the Fall Festival and the Thanksgiving holidays, and I continued marking happily with my red pen. As the Christmas holidays approached, I knew that Teddy would never catch up in time to be promoted to the sixth grade level. He would be a repeater. To justify myself, I went to his cumulative folder from time to time. He had very low grades for the first four years, but no grade failure. How he had made it, I didn’t know. I closed my mind to the personal remarks.

First grade: Teddy shows promise by work and attitude, but has poor home situation. Second grade: Teddy could do better. Mother terminally ill. He receives little help at home. Third grade: Teddy is a pleasant boy. Helpful, but too serious. Slow learner. Mother passed away end of the year. Fourth grade: Very slow, but well behaved. Father shows no interest. Well, they had passed him four times, but he will certainly repeat fifth grade! Do him good! I said to myself.

And then the last day before the holiday arrived. Our little tree on the reading table sported paper and popcorn chains. Many gifts were heaped underneath, waiting for the big moment. Teachers always get several gifts at Christmas, but mine that year seemed bigger and more elaborate than ever. There was not a student who had not brought me one. Each unwrapping brought squeals of delight, and the proud giver would receive effusive thank-yous.

His gift wasn’t the last one I picked up; in fact it was in the middle of the pile. Its wrapping was a brown paper bag, and he had colored Christmas trees and red bells all over it. It was stuck together with masking tape. “For Miss Thompson, from Teddy” it read. The group was completely silent and for the first time I felt conspicuous, embarrassed because they all stood watching me unwrap the gift. As I removed the last bit of masking tape, two items fell to my desk: a gaudy rhinestone bracelet with several stones missing and a small bottle of dime-store cologne-half empty.

I could hear the snickers and whispers, and I wasn’t sure I could look at Teddy. “Isn’t this lovely?” I asked, placing the bracelet on my wrist. “Teddy, would you help me fasten it?” He smiled shyly as he fixed the clasp, and I held up my wrist for all of them to admire. There were a few hesitant ooh’s and ahh’s, but as I dabbed the cologne behind my ears, all the little girls lined up for a dab behind their ears.

I continued to open gifts until I reached the bottom of the pile. We ate our refreshments, and the bell rang. The children filed out with shouts of “See you next year!” and “Merry Christmas!” but Teddy waited at his desk.. When they had all left, he walked up to me, clutching his gift and books to his chest. “You smell just like my mom,” he said softly. “Her bracelet looks real pretty on you too. I’m glad you liked it.”

He left quickly. I locked the door, sat down at my desk, and wept, resolving to make up to Teddy what I had deliberately deprived him of—a teacher who cared.

I stayed every afternoon with Teddy from the end of Christmas holidays until the last day of school. Sometimes we worked together. Sometimes he worked alone while I drew up lesson plans or graded papers. Slowly but surely he caught up with the rest of the class. In fact, his final averages were among the highest in the class, and although I knew he would be moving out of the state when school was out, I was not worried for him. Teddy had reached a level that would stand him in good stead the following year, no matter where he went. He had enjoyed a measure of success, and as we were taught in our teacher training courses, “Success builds success.”

I did not hear from Teddy until seven years later, when his first letter appeared in my mailbox.

“Dear Miss Thompson,

I just wanted you to be the first to know, I will be graduating second in my class next month.

Very Truly Yours, Teddy Stallard”

I sent him a card of congratulations and a small package, a pen and pencil gift set. I wondered what he would do after graduation. Four years later, Teddy’s second letter came.

“Dear Miss Thompson,

I wanted you to be the first to know. I was just informed that I will be graduating first in my class. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.

Very Truly Yours, Teddy Stallard”

I sent him a good pair of sterling silver monogrammed cuff links and a card, so proud of him I could burst! And now today—Teddy’s third letter.

“Dear Miss Thompson,

I wanted you to be the first to know. As of today I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that!!?? I’m going to be married in July, the 2 7th, to be exact. I wanted to ask if you could come and sit where Mom would sit if she were here. I’ll have no family there as Dad died last year.

Very Truly Yours, Teddy Stallard”

I’m not sure what kind of gift one sends to a doctor on completion of medical school and state boards. Maybe I’ll just wait and take a wedding gift, but a note can’t wait.

“Dear Ted,

Congratulations! You made it, and you did it yourself! In spite of those like me and not because of us, this day has come for you. God bless you. I’ll be at the wedding with bells on!

- Elizabeth Silance Ballard

1. You have to (law)

2. You ought to (obligation)

3. You want to (grace)

- Waldo Weaning

A. W. Tozer says that people who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks:

1. They are facing only one direction.

2. They can never turn back.

3. They no longer have plans of their own.

Marriage One

Marriage Two

Marriage Three

Oneness “We are we”

Twoness “I am I and you are you”

Threeness “I am I and you are you

and we are we”

Fusion of two melding into one (but which one?)

Separation of two struggling for identity—

I will be I, you may be you

Reunion of two with separate selves and shared covenant.

Romantic illusions—We are the Dream. (Your dream? or mine?

Loss of illusions—Where have the flowers gone? (Who am I, who are you?)

Reality of intimacy—I can love you as you. (Why did it take so long to find each other?)

Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree

Discussing the things that are said to be—

Said one to another: “Now listen you two

There’s a certain rumor, but it can’t be true,

That man descended from our noble race—

Why, the very idea; it’s a disgrace!

“No monkey ever deserted his wife,

Starved her babies and ruined her life.

Nor did ever a mother-monkey

Leave her babies with others to bunk,

Or pass them on from one to another

‘Till they scarcely knew who was their mother.

“And another thing you’ll never see

A monkey building a nest around a coconut tree,

And let the coconuts go to waste,

Forbidding all other monkeys to have a taste.

Why, if I build a fence around a coconut tree,

Starvation would cause me to distribute to you.

“Here’s another thing that a monkey won’t do:

Go out at night and get on a stew;

Or use a gun, a club, or a knife

To take another monkey’s life.

Yes, Man descended, the ornery cuss!

But Brother, he didn’t descend from us.”

The three most commonly told lies in this country:

1. “Gee, you haven’t changed a bit”

2. “I never got the message”

3. “I put that check in the mail to you yesterday.”

It was reported that eleven millionaires went down on the Titanic. Major A. H. Peuchen left $300,000.00 in money, jewelry and securities in a box in his cabin. “The money seemed a mockery at that time,” he later said. “I picked up three oranges instead.”

On April 14, 1912, 10:00 p.m. the Titanic crashed into an iceberg in the mid-Atlantic and four hours later sank. One woman in a lifeboat asked if she could go back to her room. She was given only three minutes to do so. She hurried down the corridors, already tilting dangerously, through the gambling room piled ankle-deep in money. In her room were her treasures waiting to be taken, but instead, she snatched up three oranges and hurried back to the boat. One hour before she would have naturally chosen diamonds over oranges, but in the face of death, values are seen more clearly.

God says He will - Ex. 4:21

Pharaoh does - Ex. 7:13,22, 8:15,19; 9:7

God does - Ex. 9:12 (cf Isaiah 6:9-10, Mt. 13:15, Jn. 12:39-40)

John D. Rockefeller’s three simple rules for anyone who wants to become rich:

1. Go to work early.

2. Stay at work late.

3. Find oil.

A story is told in which an accountant answered an advertisement for a top job with a large firm. At the end of the interview, the chairman asked, “One last question—what is three times seven?”

The accountant thought for a moment and replied, “Twenty-two.”

Outside he checked himself on his calculator and concluded he had lost the job. But two weeks later he was offered the post. He asked the chairman why he had been appointed when he had given the wrong answer.

“You were the closest,” the chairman replied.

Some people have the mistaken idea that God is like the man who conducted the interview. They think it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re close to the truth.

If we listen carefully to those around us, we will learn to distinguish three voices, or influences, which direct the thinking, attitudes and actions of us all. We can hear them at our work, in our homes, and in the quietness of our moments alone.

Fear (the first voice) disguises itself as "being safe," as "practical," "conservative," "cautious," or "reasonable." Look for the motive behind the disguise. Fear is a demanding master, never able to be satisfied. It disdains any voice but its own.

Fantasy (the second voice) disguises itself as "visionary," as "progressive," "imaginative," or "creative." Look for the motive behind the disguise. Fantasy is a demanding master, never able to be satisfied. It, too, disdains any voice but its own.

Both of these voices claim to be spiritual and wise. But both of these voices reveal an obsession with personal agendas. Both demand that all others see things from their perspective. Both deny that God may have a desirable goal beyond their view.

Faith is the third voice. Faith reminds us that this is God's world, that He is always with us, that He works with us and in spite of us, and that He will complete the wonderful work He began in spite of what it may look like to us today! Faith lives based on what God has done and said. And Faith lives in trust that God does break into our situations with power and resources and vision and peace beyond what we can presently imagine!

All three voices will call to you today. Only Faith offers life. May we govern our personal decisions and our decisions on behalf of the church through the voice of Faith.

A despondent woman was walking along the beach when she saw a bottle on the sand. She picked it up and pulled out the cork. Whoosh! A big puff of smoke appeared. “You have released me from my prison,” the genie told her. “To show my thanks, I grant you three wishes. But take care, for with each wish, your mate will receive double of whatever you request.”

“Why?” the woman asked. “That bum left me for another woman.”

“That is how it is written,” replied the genie.

The woman shrugged and then asked for a million dollars. There was a flash of light, and a million dollars appeared at her feet. At the same instant, in a far-off place, her wayward husband looked down to see twice that amount at his feet.

“And your second wish?”

“Genie, I want the world’s most expensive diamond necklace.” Another flash of light, and the woman was holding the precious treasure. And, in that distant place, her husband was looking for a gem broker to buy his latest bonanza.

“Genie, is it really true that my husband has two million dollars and more jewels than I do, and that he gets double of whatever I wish for?”

The genie said it was indeed true. “Okay, genie, I’m ready for my last wish,” the woman said.

“Scare me half to death.”

John Newton said that when we get to heaven, there will be three wonders:

1. Who is there

2. Who is not there, and

3. The fact that I’m there!

Former president Calvin Coolidge was known as a man of few words. Once, at a White House dinner, a woman approached Coolidge and said, “Mr. President, I have a bet with a friend that I can get you to say at least three words.” Coolidge looked at her and said, “You lose.”

We conducted a three-phase experiment at Rockford College, and used over 100 college graduates who were preparing for youth ministry.

In the first phase, we took a young volunteer from the room and blindfolded him. We simply told him that when he returned, he could do anything he wished. He remained outside the room while we instructed each audience member to think of a simple task for the volunteer to do. When the volunteer returned, they were to shout their individual instructions at him from where they sat. Prior to this, we privately instructed another person to shout a very specific task at the blindfolded volunteer as though it were a matter of life and death. This person was to attempt to persuade the blindfolded volunteer to climb the steps at the back of the auditorium and embrace an instructor who was standing at the door; he had to shout this vital message from where he sat in the audience. The volunteer was oblivious to all instructions and previous arrangements. The volunteer represented our young people, the audience represented the world of voices screaming for their attention, and the person with the vital message represented those of us who bring the message of the Gospel to youth. The blindfolded student was led back into the room. The lecture room exploded in a din of shouting. Each person tried to get the volunteer to follow his or her unique instructions. In the midst of the crowd, the voice of the person with the vital message was lost; no single message stood out. The blindfolded student stood paralyzed by confusion and indecision. He moved randomly and without purpose as he sought to discern a clear and unmistakable voice in the crowd.

The second phase: we told the audience about the person attempting to get the volunteer to accomplish the vital task. At this point we chose another person from the audience to add a new dimension. This person’s goal was to, at all costs, keep the volunteer from doing the vital task. While the rest of the audience was to remain in their seats, these two people were allowed to stand next to the volunteer and shout their opposing messages. They could get as close as they wished; however, they were not allowed to touch the volunteer. As the blindfolded volunteer was led back into the room, the shouting began again. This time, because the two messengers were standing so close, the volunteer could hear both messages; but because the messages were opposed to each other, he vacillated. He followed one for a bit, then was convinced by the other to go the opposite direction. In order for young people to hear our message we must get close to them. Even then, there are others with opposing messages who also are close enough to make their messages clear. Sometimes they are peers, relatives .The main lesson: only the close voices could be heard. Even though the volunteer took no decisive action, at least he heard the message.

The response to the third phase was startling. In this phase everything remained the same except the one with the vital message was allowed to touch the volunteer. He could not pull, push or in any way force the volunteer to do his bidding; but he could touch him, and in that way encourage him to follow. The blindfolded volunteer was led into the room. When he appeared, the silence erupted into an earsplitting roar. The two messengers stood close, shouting their opposing words. Then, the one with the vital message put his arm gently around the volunteer’s shoulder and leaned very close to speak directly into his ear. Almost without hesitation, the volunteer began to yield to his instruction. Occasionally he paused to listen as the opposition frantically tried to convince him to turn around. But then, by the gentle guidance of touch, the one with the vital message led him on. A moment of frightening realism occurred spontaneously as the one with the vital message drew close to the goal. All those in the audience, who up to this point had been shouting their own individual instruction, suddenly joined in unison to keep the volunteer from taking those final steps.

Goose bumps appeared all over my body as students began to chant together, “Don’t go!” “Don’t go!” “Don’t go!” So many times I’ve seen the forces that pull our youth in different directions join together to dissuade them from a serious commitment to Christ. The chant grew to a pulsing crescendo, “Don’t go!” “Don’t go!” But the guiding arm of the one with the vital message never left the volunteer’s shoulder. At the top of the stairs in the back of the lecture hall, the one with the vital message leaned one last time to whisper in the ear of the volunteer. There was a moment of hesitation, then the volunteer threw his arms around the instructor and the auditorium erupted in cheers and applause.

When the volunteer revealed how he felt as he went through each phase, it became apparent that if our message is to be heard, we cannot shout it from the cavernous confines of our church buildings. We must venture out and draw close to those with whom we wish to communicate. If we really seek a life-changing commitment from our young people, we also must reach out where they are and in love, gently touch them and lead them to that commitment. We asked the volunteer why he followed the one with the vital message, the one who touched him. After a few moments he said, “Because it felt like he was the only one who really cared.”

According to Deut. 18:20-22:

1. He must speak in the name of the Lord, not some other god.

2. His message must be in accord with God’s revealed truth in Scripture.

3. His predictions of future events must come true exactly as predicted.

Eamon De Valera was an Irish statesman who served three times as prime minister of Ireland and subsequently as her president. After the Easter rebellion of 1916, De Valera was sentenced to penal servitude. While traveling to prison, he took out his pipe and was about to light it when he stopped suddenly and said, “I will not let them deprive me of this pleasure in jail!” He immediately threw away the pipe and from that day on he never smoked again.

The name Donald Ruhl belongs to an elite group of only 28 men. Donald Ruhl and 27 other in WWII threw their bodies on grenades to protect their fellow soldiers. Donald Ruhl gave his life on Iwo Jima.

Knotted, arthritic hands—

Beautiful, symmetrical hands

Long tapered fingers

Tanned skin from outdoor living

Useful beyond belief

My wife’s hands.

Knotted, arthritic hands

Misshapen from age and disease

Not very nimble now

But still useful bane belief.

I know what others see

Hands as they are today

But I see beautiful, symmetrical hands.

My wife’s hands.

And a face, beautiful sparkling brown eyes

Full red luscious lips

Skin like warm ivory

A blush of dawn in her cheek

Lovely beyond belief.

My wife’s face.

Aged wrinkled skin

A brown age spot here and there

Eyes grown dim with time

Lips pale and thinner now

I know what others see

A face as it is today

But I see a face

Lovely beyond belief.

My wife’s face.

Hands—beautiful, symmetrical hands

Long tapered fingers

Tanned skin from outdoor living

Useful beyond belief

My wife’s hands.

Knotted—arthritic hands

Misshapen from age and disease

Not very nimble now

But still useful beyond belief.

I know what others see

Hands as they are today

But I see beautiful, symmetrical hands.

My wife’s hands.

And a face, beautiful sparkling brown eyes

Full red luscious lips

Skin like warm ivory

A blush of dawn in her cheek

Lovely beyond belief.

Aged wrinkled skin

A brown age spot here and there

Eyes grown dim with time

Lips pale and thinner now

I know what others see

A face as it is today

But I see a face

Lovely beyond belief.

My wife’s face.

The great industrialist Charles Schwab was quite disappointed when the workers in his steel mill were not meeting their production quota. He asked the foreman what was wrong. “I don’t know,” he replied, “I’ve pushed them and threatened to fire them, but nothing works. They seem to have no incentive to produce.” Later, just before the night shift came on, Schwab went back to the plant and asked the supervisor how many heats his crew had processed that day. He was informed it was only six. Schwab took a piece of chalk and wrote a large figure “6” on the floor and walked away. When the other workers came in, they asked what it meant.

“The big boss was here today,” the manager said. “He asked how many heats were made and then chalked the number on the floor.” The next morning the night shift rubbed out the “6” and replaced it with a big “7.” When the day workers returned and saw the higher figure, one man exclaimed, “We can do better than that!” His fellow employees caught his enthusiasm, and when they quit that night, they chalked on the floor an enormous “10.” It was a 66 percent increase in just 24 hours and all because of Schwab’s challenge.

Dale Carnegie comments, “If you want to win ...spirited men to your way of thinking...throw down a challenge.”

Ye call Me Master and obey Me not,

Ye call Me Light and see Me not,

Ye call Me Way and walk Me not,

Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,

Ye call Me wise and follow Me not,

Ye call Me fair and love Me not,

Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,

Ye call Me eternal and seek Me not,

Ye call Me gracious and trust Me not,

Ye call Me noble and serve Me not,

Ye call Me just and fear Me not,

If I condemn you, blame Me not.

In his book Light for Anxious Souls, George Cutting told about a farmer who lacked the assurance of salvation. He foolishly prayed that as an evidence of his acceptance, the Lord would cause 10 sheep of his flock—and only 10—to gather in a certain shed out in the pasture. Later that day, when the farmer anxiously approached the shed, he was relieved to find exactly 10 sheep. That gave him a temporary sense of peace. Doubt returned with the shocking thought that it may have been just a coincidence. So he asked the Lord that 10 different sheep might gather in an opposite corner of the pasture. And they did! When the farmer was asked, “Did this give you assurance?” he said, “No, nothing gave me certainty until I got the sure Word of God for it.” Cutting concluded, “He was all in a fog of uncertainty until he planted his foot firmly on the ‘Thus saith the Lord.’”

In 1925, Betty Stam said: "Lord, I give up my own purposes and plans, all my own desires, hopes, and ambitions, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life, at any cost, now and forever. To me to live is Christ. Amen." Nine years later on December 8, 1934, Betty and her husband, John Stam, calmly and bravely laid down their lives for Christ when they were martyred by Chinese Communists.

Game show veteran Wink Martindale is back, hosting “Debt” on the Lifetime cable network beginning next week. Contestants arrive with between $6,000 and $10,000 in debt—from credit cards, student loans and car loans—and try to head into the black by answering pop-culture questions. Instead of taking home TV’s or bedroom sets, players get a chance to win up to twice what they owe. “The reason contestants are in debt in the first place is that people have already gone out and bought these prizes,” says Martindale. What about the folks who pay their bills on time? “Buy the time-share you’ve always wanted and then come see us,” suggests senior producer Andrew Golder. “Or just enjoy the drama of watching others trying to escape the pit you were smart enough to avoid.”

Game show veteran Wink Martindale is back, hosting “Debt” on the Lifetime cable network beginning next week. Contestants arrive with between $6,000 and $10,000 in debt—from credit cards, student loans and car loans—and try to head into the black by answering pop-culture questions. Instead of taking home TV’s or bedroom sets, players get a chance to win up to twice what they owe. “The reason contestants are in debt in the first place is that people have already gone out and bought these prizes,” says Martindale. What about the folks who pay their bills on time? “Buy the time-share you’ve always wanted and then come see us,” suggests senior producer Andrew Golder. “Or just enjoy the drama of watching others trying to escape the pit you were smart enough to avoid.”

groups of students—math and engineering majors—boarded a train that was headed for a technical convention. Each of the math majors had a ticket, but their engineering counterparts had only one ticket between them.

The math majors were snickering at this when an engineering student shouted, “Here comes the conductor!” With that, all the engineering majors squeezed into a bathroom. The puzzled math students watched as the conductor collected their tickets, then knocked on the bathroom door and said, “Ticket please.” The conductor took the single ticket that was passed under the door and left.

Not to be outdone, the math students boarded the returning train with only one ticket, while the math majors piled into another. Then before the conductor entered the car, one of the engineers came out of his bathroom and knocked on the math majors’ door.

“Ticket please,” he said.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.

At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson’s home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.

A drunken man entered his row boat one night to cross the river. He picked up the oars and pulled away-so he thought. He rowed all night but did not reach the destination. When daylight came, he was surprised to find that he was just where he started the night before. He had forgotten to untie his boat.

So it is with many of the Lord's followers. They are tied to their habits, desires, wills, or some cherished idol or idols of the heart. Consequently, their lives are fruitless. Shorebound Christians never flourish and are of little or no help to others.

Two men returning from India got into conversation. One was a sportsman and the other a missionary. "I've been in India for twenty-five years, and I never saw one of the natives converted as you Christians claim," said the sportsman. "That's queer," said the missionary. "Did you ever see a tiger?" "Hundreds of them," was the reply, "and I've shot dozens of them." "Well, I've been in India for many years," said the missionary, "but I've never seen a tiger. But under the power of the gospel of Christ I've seen hundreds of the natives of India turn to the Savior." You see, one was looking for tigers, the other was looking for souls.

Several years ago a young Frenchman captured the attention of the world by walking a tightrope between the towers of New York’s World Trade Center (1350 feet high). A few months later, however, while practicing on a relatively low wire in St. Petersburg, Florida, he fell 30 feet and was injured. As he lay waiting for help, he reportedly beat his fist on the ground saying, “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! I never fall!”

Quality

Presidential Timber - Leaps tall buildings with a single bound.

Vice-President Timber - Must take running start to leap over tall buildings.

Timber - Can leap only over short buildings or medium buildings with no spires.

Deadwood - Crashes into building when attempting to jump over them.

Toothpick - Cannot recognize buildings at all, much less jump.

Initiative:

Presidential Timber - Is stronger than a locomotive.

Vice-President Timber - Is stronger than a bull elephant.

Timber - Is stronger than a bull.

Deadwood - Shoots the bull.

Toothpick - Smells like a bull.

Use of Time:

Presidential Timber - Is faster than a speeding bullet.

Vice-President Timber - Is as fast as a speeding bullet.

Timber - Not quite so fast as a speeding bullet.

Deadwood - Would you believe a slow bullet.

Toothpick - Wounds self with bullets attempting to shoot gun.

Communication:

Presidential Timber - Talks with God.

Vice-President Timber - Talks with angels.

Timber - Talks to himself.

Deadwood - Argues with himself.

Toothpick - Loses those arguments.

Quality:

Presidential Timber - Leaps tall buildings with a single bound.

Vice-President Timber - Must take running start to leap over tall buildings.

Timber - Can leap only over short buildings or medium buildings with no spires.

Deadwood - Crashes into building when attempting to jump over them.

Toothpick - Cannot recognize buildings at all, much less jump.

Initiative:

Presidential Timber - Is stronger than a locomotive.

Vice-President Timber - Is stronger than a bull elephant.

Timber - Is stronger than a bull.

Deadwood - Shoots the bull.

Toothpick - Smells like a bull.

Use of Time:

Presidential Timber - Is faster than a speeding bullet.

Vice-President Timber - Is as fast as a speeding bullet.

Timber - Not quite so fast as a speeding bullet.

Deadwood - Would you believe a slow bullet.

Toothpick - Wounds self with bullets attempting to shoot gun.

Communication:

Presidential Timber - Talks with God.

Vice-President Timber - Talks with angels.

Timber - Talks to himself.

Deadwood - Argues with himself.

Toothpick - Loses those arguments.

According to the authors of a controversial new book entitled Time for Life, the average American has more free time today than at any time since 1965. Two time management experts studied the daily routines of Americans over the past thirty years to reach their surprising conclusion, which says that our leisure time has increased almost five hours per week in the last three decades. Knowing that most people feel more rushed today than ever before, the authors say more leisure time has actually accelerated rather than slowed the pace of life....

On an average, Americans spend nine-tenths of one hour per week, about fifty-four minutes, on religious activities. Compare this to fifteen hours a week that are spent watching television.

This is the age

Of the half-read page.

And the quick hash

And the mad dash.

The bright night

With the nerves tight.

The plane hop

With the brief stop.

The lamp tan

In a short span.

The Big Shot

In a good spot.

And the brain strain

The heart pain.

And the cat naps

Till the spring snaps —

And the fun’s done!

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.”

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

People are also like that. That’s why we all need to take time to rest. In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry. And in the Old Testament, God set a pattern for us when He “rested from all His work” (Gen.2:3).

Shouldn’t we take His example seriously? Start by setting aside a special time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow.

Can it be that the average person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking? That’s what the statistics say. If all of our words were put into print, the result would be this: a single day’s words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year’s time the average person’s words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each! Among all those words there are bound to be some spoken in anger, carelessness, or haste.

Time theft—deliberate waste and abuse of company time costs the U.S. economy over $120 billion a year. This loss is three times more than it is for recognized business crime. At some companies 20-40% of employee time is stolen. Office employees are 30% worse than blue-collar workers, perhaps because supervision isn’t as close. Workers under 30 are the biggest offenders. Watch out for executives who set bad examples. If the boss is a time thief, employees will be too.

"Will the hassle never end?" One senses that this is more and more a feeling which is becoming a way of life to the majority of us in this country. What has happened? We have let ourselves be swept along in the current of modern society and culture until we are almost swallowed up. We have been molded into place by machines, schedules, neurotic activity, peer pressures, and "little league" activities of all sorts. Family units seem to be more individual units living under the same roof. Could it be we only have a form of that which God intended and that modern society has gutted our spiritual house? It is possible! What is to be done?

First of all, it is time to take time to think. We do so little of that these days. No one needs to think as long as he is swept along in the stream of routine, never-ending activity. Get out of the stream, on the bank, and think. Stop right now and think.

O.K. Here I am. What am I supposed to think about? The following suggestions are offered by Gary D. Taliaferro:

Think about God's love and power and how they have affected your life.

Think of your family and all the natural gifts and resources He has given you.

Think about and enumerate what the components of His kind of life are in your world and in the life you are living.

Think about a growing tree, the birds flying south at winter, the process of a bee making honey.

Think about a boy learning from his father about the wonders of life and of creative work.

Think about a day without any yelling and screaming and hassle.

Think about how your life in your world and family can incorporate the quiet serenity of Jesus Christ.

Think and control your life in harmony with God and not be gobbled up by this present world.

Remember, Jesus said through the Apostle Paul, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2).

Time-lapse photography compresses a series of events into one picture. Such a photo appeared in an issue of National Geographic. Taken from a Rocky Mountain peak during a heavy thunderstorm, the picture captured the brilliant lightning display that had taken place throughout the storm’s duration. The time-lapse technique created a fascinating, spaghetti-like web out of the individual bolts. In such a way, our sin presents itself before the eyes of God. Where we see only isolated or individual acts, God sees the overall web of our sinning. What may seem insignificant—even sporadic—to us and passes with hardly a notice creates a much more dramatic display from God’s panoramic viewpoint. The psalmist was right when he wrote, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins” (Ps. 19:12-13).

William Lamm was scuba diving when he was sucked into an offshore water intake pipe for a nuclear power plant. He travelled 1650 feet at seven feet per second before he was spat into a canal at the power station.

The hands on his watch (Timex) glowed in the dark!

In general we must hold that whenever any religious controversy arises, which either a council or ecclesiastical tribunal behooves to decide; whenever a minister is to be chosen; whenever, in short any matter of difficulty and great importance is under consideration: on the other hand, when manifestations of the divine anger appear, as pestilence, war, and famine, the sacred and salutary custom of all ages has been for pastors to exhort the people to public fasting and extraordinary prayer.

While touring America, the English author, G.K. Chesterton, was taken by several enthusiastic New Yorkers to see Times Square at night.

Chesterton, after a moment’s silent gazing at the millions of electric lights, turned to his friends and remarked, “How beautiful it would be for someone who could not read.”

Timing counts, too, so our obedience must be prompt. A businessman went to a missionary society with toward sending a new recruit overseas. He was told that he was too late. They had just canceled her passage for lack of the money. In tears he then confessed, "God told me to give it some days ago, but I delayed."

1. Allow Your child to fail.

2. Give your child regular chores

3. Limit what you give to your child

4. Teach and model respect for people and property

5. Build into your child the habit of completion. [How do we help kids finish more things? Start fewer things—do more my doing less.]

6. Limit and monitor exposure to media [TV leads to irritability and non-motivation]

7. Model virtues over conformity

8. Hold your child personally accountable

9. Work together (service projects) [Helps them not become “gimme” pigs.]

10. Play together

Take advantage of the spiritual foundations of the holidays to witness to unbelieving family members.

Principle

Example

Scripture

Remember that it is God who changes the hearts and wills of people.

Regrettably, we want to see them come to Christ so much that we sometimes push and manipulate.

I Cor. 3:-6-7

Pray urgently, desperately.

Have friends pray for your unsaved loved ones, too.

Phil. 4:6

Preserve the relationship.

If there are relationship problems, be quick to reconcile.

Heb. 13:1

Develop a loving boldness.

You may want to say, “I wouldn’t be fair to you or our relationship if I didn’t share the most important thing in my life.”

II Tim. l:7

Ask thought-provoking questions about life:“Who is God to you?” “Do you ever think about death, and where would you go after you die?” “What brings you happiness in life?”

“What does Christmas mean to you?”

John 4:1-30

Recount what God is doing in your life.

You may not want to share what you learned in your quiet time, but perhaps of God’s hand in your decision-making.

Psalm 118:17

Check your methods and motives when debating spiritual things.

Are you trying to be right or righteous?

Prov. 11:2

Give nonbelievers a reason to be curious about Christ.

How do you view Christ yourself? Do you portray Christianity as a relationship or a lot of rules to follow?

Phil. 2

Love and live well.

Love them as God loves them.

Rom. 5:8

1. Go through the job description line by line.

2. Familiarize them with each piece of equipment.

3. Show them how to find addresses, phone numbers, and directions.

4. Provide a list of regular meetings and responsibilities.

5. List key people: board members, outside contacts, reliable volunteers.

6. Provide a church reference guide with mission and vision statements, goals, budgets, and organizational chart.

7. Double check personnel matters. All legal forms should be completed.

The captain of the Titanic refused to believe the ship was in trouble till water was ankle deep in the mail room. Only then was it apparent the multi-layered hull had been pierced and the unsinkable ship was going to sink. Ships that could have arrived before the great ocean liner went down weren’t summoned until it was too late.

How often have you talked with someone on the telephone who seemed to be in a hurry and wanted to get on with more important business? Or visited with someone on the street and received that same hurried feeling?

You’ve undoubtedly experienced it...and didn’t enjoy it. And, perhaps, you have also been guilty of this.

If you have, why not decide to tithe time, save up chunks, bits and pieces of it, and give them away to people who interrupt your pre-established plans?

It is a great principle of love that people don’t interrupt, not really. Perhaps there shouldn’t even be such a word as interrupt; for when people come into your existence, even for a brief time, that is a wonderful moment of experience for both of you. Relish it. Probe it. Invest some of the time you have tithed. We can’t afford to indulge in the luxury of “being too busy and important” for another person.

We have time for such inanimate things as pieces of mail, vast sprawling shopping centers, the television program which starts at 7:30. But what about relationships with people? Isn’t that a great deal of what life is all about—loving other people?

Remember Jesus? How he raced about, hurrying from one city to another, collecting great crowds on the way to give them a few minutes of hurried heaven-data, then dashing on to the next place?

No, that is not the picture of Jesus the New Testament gives. He had time for people. In a crowd, a woman touched his robe. Lots of people were probably pushing against him, touching his robe, but he discerned the urgency in this particular touch. He stopped, taking valuable time for this “interruption.”

His disciples were full of fire and computer-like-efficiency. They wanted to get on with the task of getting something done, even if they didn’t always know what that “something” was. Once a bunch of small, grimy-fingered kids came along and wanted to climb on the Master’s lap.

“Get those kids out of here,” thought the goal-oriented disciples.

“No, let them stay. Let’s enjoy them and let them enjoy us,” thought the true-goal-oriented Man from heaven who knew and expressed the great worth of the individual.

The next time a person “interrupts” you, think not of your work and your deadlines; rather, think of that person’s needs, of his covert compliment in desiring to spend a few moments with you.

Your meeting may be a significant point in each of your lives, because it is an encounter with another person God has created. you may impart something crucial to his fulfillment—or he to yours.

Paul prayed: “May God, who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement, help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other” (Rom. 15:5, TLB). Are you caught up on your time-tithe?

W. A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now.

The pastor replied, “I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00.”

Original title of Noah Webster’s first spelling book was “A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, Comprising an Easy, Concise, and Systematic Method of Education, Designed for the Use of English Schools in America, Part I, Containing a New and Accurate Standard of Pronunciation.”

A man who hates to be slapped on the back packs his coat with TNT and waits for this man who always slaps his back. His idea is when he hits me I will get him, I’ll blow him up. Hate kills both the person who you hate, but also yourself as well.

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

H. E. Fosdick

Dan Crawford (1870-1926) spent most of his adult life serving as a missionary in Africa. When it was time to return home to Britain, Crawford described to an old Bantu the kind of world he was about to return to. He told him about ships that ran under the water, on the water, and even those that flew above the water. He described English houses with all of their conveniences, such as running water and electric lights. Then Crawford waited for the old African to register his amazement. “Is that all, Mr. Crawford?” the aged man asked. “Yes, I think it is,” Crawford replied. Very slowly and very gravely, the old Bantu said, “Well, Mr. Crawford, you know, that to be better off is not to be better.”

Dan Crawford (1870-1926) spent most of his adult life serving as a missionary in Africa. When it was time to return home to Britain, Crawford described to an old Bantu the kind of world he was about to return to. He told him about ships that ran under the water, on the water, and even those that flew above the water. He described English houses with all of their conveniences, such as running water and electric lights. Then Crawford waited for the old African to register his amazement.

“Is that all, Mr. Crawford?” the aged man asked.

“Yes, I think it is,” Crawford replied. Very slowly and very gravely, the old Bantu said,

“Well, Mr. Crawford, you know, that to be better off is not to be better.”

When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, “I do not want to be like a Paul or any mere man. I want to be like Christ. I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints. Oh, to be more like Christ!”

To sanctify means to be set apart for a holy use. God has set us apart for the purpose of sanctification not impurity (1 Thess. 4:7) and being such we are called to do good works (Eph. 2:10).

Christians are to sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts (1 Pet. 3:15). God sanctified Israel as His own special nation (Ezek. 37:28). People can be sanctified (Ex. 19:10,14) and so can a mountain (Ex. 19:23), the Sabbath day (Gen. 2:3), the tabernacle (Ex. 20:39), and every created thing is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer (1 Tim. 4:4).

Sanctification follows (See Justification). In justification our sins are completely forgiven in Christ. Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire. True sanctification is impossible apart from the atoning work of Christ on the cross because only after our sins are forgiven can we begin to lead a holy life.

Tolerance can be exercised only by those who have well-grounded convictions...Those who have no such convictions, but who expouse polite doubt, agnosticism, skepticism, or downright nihilism, can only be indifferent, not tolerant. The two are by no means the same, and history has demonstrated the intolerance of those who clam that truth either does not exist or is humanly unattainable.

I am not sent a pilgrim here,

My heart with earth to fill;

But I am here God’s grace to learn,

And serve God’s sovereign will.

He leads me on through smiles and tears,

Grief follows gladness still;

But let me welcome both alike,

Since both work out his will.

No service in itself is small,

None great, though earth it fill;

But that is small that seeks its own,

And great that seeks God’s will.

Then hold my hand, most gracious Lord,

Guide all my doings still;

And let this be my life’s one aim,

To do, or bear thy will.

Public opinion has its own valid functions, but it is inappropriate and insufficient in guiding a Christian worker. A broom, for instance, is not adapted to clean an oil painting. It has its own function, that of cleaning a floor, and it discharges this much more efficiently than if it were a paintbrush. How disastrous it would be if a body of well-meaning and earnest persons, armed with brooms, were to burst into an art gallery with a view to improving the paintings. The best intentions won't enable a rough instrument to accomplish work for which it is unfit. Similarly, public opinion, by reason of its conglomerate nature and massive force, is unfit to deal with the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

To every man there openeth

A way, and ways, and a way.

And some men climb the high way,

And some men grope below,

And in between on the misty flats

The rest drift to and fro.

And to every man there openeth

A high way and a low;

And every man decideth

Which way his soul shall go.

John Oxenham

The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it, and the devil’s business to hinder him—if he can. So, sure as God gives a man a work to do, Satan will try to hinder him. He may present other things more promising; he may allure you by worldly prospect; he may assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, editors to assail you, and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Ananias and Caiaphas all combined against you, and Judas standing by to sell you for 30 pieces of silver. And you may wonder why all these things have come to pass. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil, to draw you off from your work and hinder your obedience to Christ? Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs. Do not fool around your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work; let liars lie; let sectarians quarrel; let editors publish; let the devil do his worst. But see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work God has given you. He had not sent you to make money; He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character nor has He bidden you to contradict falsehoods about yourself which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep about your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wrangled, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected. You may be chased by foes, abused by them, forsaken by friend, despised and rejected of men, but see to it that with steadfast determination and with unfaltering zeal you pursue that great purpose of your life and the object of your being until at last you can say; “I have finished the work which you, dear God, have given me to do?”

Commitment. It is a word that we seem to be hearing a lot about lately. One automobile manufacturer says that they are "committed to excellence." Professional athletes, business persons, executives, etc., are all committed to their occupations.

Recently, I read a story of commitment that touched my heart and made me think of commitment in marriage. Most married people have affirmed a commitment to their spouse that goes something like this:

"...To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part...."

Robertson McQuilkan's commitment in marriage was severely challenged when his wife, Muriel, contracted Alzheimers disease. Mr. McQuilkan was president of a Bible college and seminary when he was faced with a mountainous decision. He could not continue as president and take appropriate care of his wife who at this point could only speak in phrases and words and was prone to irrational behavior. She was afraid when she was not with her husband. Even his most trusted and godly friends advised him to put his wife in an institution for the sake of his ministry. After all, how could he retire when things were going so well and he was only 57 years old?

When the time came, McQuilkan's decision was firm. It took no great calculation. It was a matter of integrity. He commented, "Had I not promised, 42 years before 'in sickness and in health... till death do us part'?" Later he would go on to write of the joys and blessings he had received as a result of the special time spent with Muriel.

Commitment is a foundation for successful Christian living. The Lord is going to stand behind His promises-He is committed to what He has said and done. For the Christian there can be nothing less. Commitment is an absolute necessity.

A photographer tells of a young man who wanted duplicate copies of his girlfriend's picture. The photographer noticed the following inscription on the back of the portrait, "My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I am yours for all eternity." Signed, Dianne. "P.S. If we ever break up, I want this picture back."

We who have been saved have professed our love for Christ and for others. We belong to Christ. There can be no P.S. in our life given to God. We can never break up with Him. We are His. We belong to Him-forever.

From his early boyhood, John Paton wanted to be a missionary. Before studying theology and medicine, Paton served for ten years as a Glasgow City Missionary. After graduation, he was ordained and set sail for the New Hebrides as a Presbyterian missionary. Three months after arriving on the island of Tanna, Paton’s young wife died, followed by their five-week-old son. For three more years, Paton labored alone among the hostile islanders, ignoring their threats, seeking to make Christ known to them, before escaping with his life. Later, he returned and spent fifteen years on another island.

Paton was working one day in his home on the translation of John’s Gospel—puzzling over John’s favorite expression pisteuo eis, to “believe in” or to “trust in” Jesus Christ, a phrase which occurs first in John 1:12. “How can I translate it?” Paton wondered. The islanders were cannibals; nobody trusted anybody else. There was no word for “trust” in their language. His native servant came in. “What am I doing?” Paton asked him. “Sitting at your desk,” the man replied. Paton then raised both feet off the floor and sat back on his chair. “What am I doing now?” In reply, Paton’s servant used a verb which means “to lean your whole weight upon.” That’s the phrase Paton used throughout John’s Gospel to translate to “believe in.”

To live by faith is to live joyfully, to live with assurance, untroubled by doubts and with complete confidence in all we have to do and suffer at each moment by the will of God. We must realize that it is in order to stimulate and sustain this faith that God allows the soul to be buffeted and swept away by the raging torrent of so much distress, so many troubles, so much embarrassment and weakness, and so many setbacks. For it is essential to have faith to find God behind all this.

1. They are children.

2. They tend to act like children.

3. Much of childish behavior is unpleasant.

4. I do my part as a parent and love them despite their childish behavior, they will be able to mature and give up childish ways.

5. If I only love them when they please me (conditional love), and convey my love to hem only during those times, they will not feel genuinely loved. This in turn will make them insecure, damage their self-image, and actually prevent them from moving on to better self-control and more mature behavior. Therefore, their behavior is my responsibility as much as theirs.

6. If I love them unconditionally, they will feel good about themselves and be comfortable with themselves. They will then be able to control their anxiety and, in turn, their behavior, as they grow into adulthood.

"I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me" Phm 1:10-11).

Keith Robinson asks (for all of us):

"What use am I in the world? Has my life really made a difference in anything? Would anything be appreciably different if I were not here? What is the old saying about putting your hand in a pail of water and withdrawing it: the hole that remains is how much you will be missed when you are gone! I am not pessimistic, depressed, or tired of living, but in reality, I have to recognize that my life has not made much of an impact on the world, certainly nothing like I had intended when I was 18 years old. But I am encouraged by the fact that human worth is not measured only in terms of fame, fortune, and sociopolitical influence. Perhaps the greatest measure of our value is how much we are needed by some other human being. John Mark was important because Paul needed him in a time of extreme anxiety and distress. The once useless Onesimus became 'useful'to Paul and to Philemon.

"When the final books are balanced and closed, the greatest tribute anyone could receive would be: They were useful! Someone needed them! And what greater ambition could a person entertain than to be needed, to be useful. My input is not desired or needed for the Mid-East peace talks. It is doubtful that those involved are indispensable. But I fill a need in the lives of a few people that cannot be filled by anyone else. If there is someone who needs my love, if there is someone who looks forward to my presence, even if I can be nothing much more than just the object to someone's love, then I am not worthless. My life is not in vain. My existence is not futile. I may not be much, but I can love someone and make them feel needed. I can be the object of someone else's love and thus fill their needs and mine. No one is useless unless they give up on life and love.

"'Onesimus'means 'useful.'"

To please his father a freshman went out for track. He had no athletic ability, though the father had been a good miler in his day. His first race was a two-man race in which he ran against the school miler. He was badly beaten.

Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home as follows: “You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best miler in school. He came in next to last, while I came in second.”

Francis Fuller very wisely said, "To repent is to accuse and condemn ourselves; to charge upon ourselves the desert of hell; to take part with God against ourselves, and to justify Him in all that He does against us; to be ashamed and confounded for our sins; to have them ever in our eyes and at all times upon our hearts that we may be in daily sorrow for them; to part with our right hands and eyes, that is, with those pleasurable sins which have been as dear to us as our lives, so as never to have more to do with them, and to hate them, so as to destroy them as things which by nature we are wholly disinclined to. For we naturally love and think well of ourselves, hide our deformities, lessen and excuse our faults, indulge ourselves in the things that please us, are mad upon our lusts, and follow them, though to our own destruction."

We were approaching the fourth hole on the golf course one afternoon. Suddenly the sky turned ominous, and it began to rain amid claps of thunder. We rushed to shelter in a gazebo near a metal fence. As the storm grew in intensity, a bolt of lightning hit the long, link fence and lit it up like a neon sign. It was a while before any of us could speak. Then one player turned to his opponent and said, “You know that five I had on the first hole—it really was a seven.”

Circus showman P.T. Barnum once ran an animal museum in lower Manhattan. People enjoyed the exhibit so much they would stay for hours, preventing others from entering. Finally, Barnum devised a way to rid the place of customers who overstayed their welcome. Over the cage of a tigress and her cubs he hung a large sign which read, “Tigress.” Over a doorway next to the cage he hung another sign: “To the Egress.” Thinking they would see another curiosity, people walked through the door and out onto the street!

A naturalist, walking with his friend through the busy streets of a great city, stopped suddenly and asked, "Do you hear a cricket?"

"Of course not," laughed his friend. "You could never hear a cricket with all this roar of traffic." "But I hear a cricket," persisted the naturalist, and turning over a stone, he uncovered the insect. "Did you actually hear the cricket chirping above the noise of the street?" asked his friend in astonishment.

"Certainly," said the naturalist. "I spend my time listening to nature, whether I am in the forest, the field, or the town. Everyone hears what he listens for." Taking a coin from his pocket, he dropped it on the pavement, and each passer-by put his hand in his pocket to see if he was the one who had dropped it. They were listening for coins.

What a lesson! If we are listening for the truth-for that which is stimulating, elevating, inspiring, we will hear it, even above the noise and bustle of this busy world, above the din of lies, tattling or gossip so commonly heard by many. And if our ears are attuned to scandal, backbiting and false reports, we will hear that, regardless of how loudly the principles of love, justice and truth may be proclaimed in our direction.

“You cannot at the same time give the impression that you are a great preacher”—or theologian or debater or whatever—”and that Jesus Christ is a great Savior” (James Denney). If you call attention to yourself and your own competence, you cannot effectively call attention to Jesus and his glorious sufficiency.