Hopeless? Not So Fast

By Steve Higginbotham

     Harrison Okene unexpectedly found himself in a hopeless situation earlier this year.  He found himself on the bottom of the ocean, in a small air-pocket in his overturned tugboat, sunk by a rogue wave.  Harrison was in total darkness, disoriented, all alone, and dressed only in boxer shorts in freezing temperatures.  For 60 hours, he fumbled in total darkness, trembled due to the cold, listened while fish were consuming the bodies of his fellow crewmen, and waited for his oxygen supply to run out.
     Then when his oxygen supply was just about gone, an amazing thing happened.  A rescue diver appeared.  Harrison was given oxygen, led to a decompression chamber, and gradually raised to the surface.  Snatched from the jaws of death.  What seemed like a hopeless situation only proved to be the setting for his salvation.  Now Harrison lives to tell others of how he was saved.
     Have you ever felt spiritually hopeless?  Have you ever felt that you were beyond the reach of God's saving grace?  Then let me remind you of this.  If a drunken, incestuous father (Lot); a lying harlot (Rahab); a murderous adulterer (David); and a persecutor of the church (Saul/Paul) can be forgiven and held up as examples of great men and women of faith, then there's hope for you too!
     Try an image the joy and relief Harrison Okene must have experienced when he reached out and touched his rescuers hand!  Hope from hopelessness!  Likewise, imagine the joy and relief that is experienced by the sinner who reaches out and takes hold of the Savior's hand!  Hope from hopelessness!
     To those of you who have been saved by God, and now have life; tell others about it!  Tell how God rescued you from a hopeless situation and gave you hope!  "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" (Psalm 107:2).
   
- Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at
ttp://www.karnschurch.org

How'd He Get Here?

By David A. Sargent

    The Omni William Penn Hotel is one of Pittsburgh’s swankiest hotels.  Imagine the surprise when some hotel guests checked into the Presidential Suite and found a homeless man sleeping on the couch!
    When hotel security officers arrived on the scene, they woke him up, took him to their office, and called the police.  Jeffrey Lennon Watson, 48, told police he was from Los Angeles and was passing through the city to return to California.  He informed them that he had been in Pittsburgh for over a month and “sleeps wherever he can locate somewhere comfortable to rest his head.”
    According to the Associated Press, there aren't too many places more comfortable than Watson's chosen location. The 16th-floor suite features a 1,300-square-foot parlor plus three bedrooms, and includes crystal chandeliers, a dining room, grand piano, a full kitchenette, and sitting room, according to the hotel's website. The site doesn't state how much the room costs.
    So how did he get in there?  Police don't know how long Watson had been in the suite or how he got in.  Hotel general manager Eric DeStefano offered the following explanation:
    The parlor area of the Presidential suite is "a general-use area for receptions and small events. The door had been programmed to remain unlocked for an event earlier that day. As soon as the occupant was discovered, he was escorted off the property," DeStefano said.
    Police took Watson to the Allegheny County Jail, where he remained Wednesday unable to post $15,000 bond. He faces a preliminary hearing Nov. 19 on charges of criminal trespass and theft of services, according to online court records. *
    God has promised that those who follow Him will live forever with Him in heaven (see 1 Peter 1:3-5).  Contemplating the splendor of heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9) and the pristine holiness of God, one may feel as “out of place” as a homeless man in a ritzy hotel!
    Imagine one angel saying to another concerning you or me: “How’d HE get in here?”
    And the answer is: Jesus!
    Although our SIN separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and can keep us out of heaven and destined for the second death (cf. Revelation 21:8), God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we can be saved and live eternally with Him in heaven (Hebrews 10:19-20)!
    Jesus will save and give eternal life to those who accept His offer on His terms: place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continually cleanse the sins of those who continue to walk in the light of His word (1 John 1:7).
    And one day when, by the grace of God, we are in heaven and we’re asked, “How’d YOU get in here?”  We can answer with loving adoration and endless praise: “Jesus!”
    Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6
    Won’t YOU accept Jesus’ offer on His terms?

* Information gleaned from Joe Mandak of the Associated Press

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

Just A Step Away

By Kippy Myers

    My wife's grandparents had obtained tickets for a steamboat ride. It was going to be a little "getaway" for them. But when they got to the dock and were ready to board, the grandmother decided that she did not want to go. The husband tried to persuade her to get on the steamboat since they were all prepared, had their luggage with them, etc., but she said that she had a bad feeling about it and was afraid that the boat would sink. Oddly enough, some friends of theirs approached them. They had tried to purchase tickets for the boat ride but the tickets were all sold out and thus, they could not go. The grandparents explained why they were not going and gave their tickets to the friends who were happy to receive them. Sadly, they boat sank, taking the friends with it.
    Country singer, Waylon Jennings, was playing a concert trip with several other musicians. Rather than take the tour bus to the next town, however, one of the artists was able to rent a private airplane and pilot to take him there. There was room for one more to ride, so Waylon and Buddy Holly flipped a coin to see who would go. Buddy won and happily climbed on board. Waylon lost ... he thought. The plane crashed, killing all on board.
    A young preacher sat on a streetcar in San Fransisco when some thugs boarded and sat beside him. He carried a Bible which drew their attention. One "tough guy" stood and began to ridicule the preacher. The young preacher sat in silence until the boy asked him, "Hey, Preacher. I guess you know everything, huh?" Well, tell us this - how far is it to eternity?" The other boys laughed, but the preacher responded, "Just a step."
    Eternity is only a heartbeat, a breath, a car trip, a street crossing, etc., away. STAY ready and you'll BE ready" ... for in an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:44).

Source:
Kippy Myers, Illustrations that Illustrate, The World Evangelist, Feb. 1996.

Turtle On a Fencepost

By David A. Sargent

     The late Alex Haley, who wrote Roots, had a unique picture on his office wall of a turtle sitting on top of a fence post. Whenever someone asked about it, Haley would say, "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know that he had some help. Any time I start thinking, 'Wow, isn't this marvelous what I've done?' I look at that picture and remember how this turtle, me, got up on that post." *
     Great point!  But, Ken Stegall helps us to realize a great truth: “That’s not really true. [The turtle] didn’t have HELP; someone PUT  it there!
     Receiving HELP to accomplish something implies that you accomplished PART of the task yourself, but lacked the ability to finish the job.  A turtle can’t climb an upright fencepost. Not even a little bit. If it were to try, all its efforts would equal absolute failure.” **
     The point is: We CANNOT save ourselves!  We could never be personally “righteous” enough to merit salvation from sin and “earn” our way to heaven.
     Consider the words of the Apostle Paul: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:8-9).
     We “accept” Christ’s offer of salvation and life and are found “in Him” by submitting our lives to His Will through our trusting obedience: placing our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) INTO CHRIST for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).
     This we do, NOT to EARN our salvation, but to RECEIVE it.  Then, as we continue to place our hope in Christ and focus our lives on following Him, the blood of Jesus will continue to wash away our sins (1 John 1:7).
     A turtle CAN'T get on top of a fence post unless a hand picks it up and places it there.  You and I can’t “climb our way” to heaven either.
     We must ALLOW Christ to save us!
     It is ONLY His blood that was shed on the cross for our sins that can wash away our sins (Ephesians 1:7) and cause us to be declared righteous and be given the GIFT of eternal life.
     Won’t YOU accept His offer on His terms?

* Philip Barry Osborne in The Handbook of Magazine Article Writing as qtd. In http://bible.org/illustration/alex-haley

**  Ken Stegall, Woodland Oaks Church of Christ, The Woodlands, TX, in “How Did He Get Up There?” via Dan Williams’ PREACHER STUFF RESOURCE EXCHANGE (1/31/13)
- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

Searching and Finding

By David A. Sargent

     Kim Spink was shopping at Wal-Mart in Joplin, Missouri, when a massive tornado struck the city last Sunday, May 22.  Her husband, Greg, and their three children waited out the storm in their basement at home.
     As soon as the storm was over, Greg and the children began searching for Kim.  They made their way to the Wal-Mart only to find it in shambles; only one wall was left standing.  Amidst the incredible rubble in the Wal-Mart parking lot, they found Kim’s SUV overturned and smashed having apparently been picked up by the tornado and thrown several feet.  Her family looked to see if she was in the vehicle; she wasn’t.
     Greg and the children continued to look for Kim, not knowing if they would find her alive or lifeless among the destruction left by the storm.  After three long, agonizing hours, they found her.  She was walking toward their home, unsure if it or her family had survived the storm.
     “We had a reunion in the middle of the street,” Greg Spink said.  What an incredibly joyous and tear-filled reunion that must have been!
     How did Kim survive when the tornado ripped through the Wal-Mart?  She was behind the one wall that was left standing. *
     As our hearts are filled with compassion for the people of Joplin whose lives have been torn apart by the storm (see the links below for some ways to help), we are reminded of the preciousness of our families, the pain of loss, but in some cases like the Spink family – the joy of reunion.
     The Spinks’ ordeal reminds us of another search and rescue mission…
     Amidst the devastation that SIN has brought into the world and into our lives, many are searching for God.  It is God’s design and desire that “men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).
     When one turns to the Scriptures in his search for God, he soon discovers that God has already been “searching” for him – and has made provision for his eternal salvation!
     Because of His great love for us, God sent His Son into the world to experience firsthand the trials and temptations of life.  “In all things [Jesus] had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
     This same merciful and faithful High Priest offered the ONE sacrifice – Himself – on the cross to pay the price for our redemption and give eternal life to those who accept His offer.  Through His atoning death, one finds life and the promise of living eternally in a place where “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, [nor] pain” and all the other things that are associated with the devastating storms of this life (Rev. 21:4).
     Jesus will save those who: place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess His name before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are UNITED with Him in baptism (immersion) for the forgiveness of sins(Acts 2:38).  Those who remain faithful to Him can look forward to a wonderful RE-UNION when He comes to take His family home to heaven (see John 14:1-6).
     Continue searching for GOD and you will discover that He has been searching for YOU!
     Accept His offer of salvation from sin and from the storms of life.
     Won’t YOU?

Source:
- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

** Several disaster relief agencies associated with the church of Christ are reaching out to the victims of recent storms including the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team (www.churchesofchristdrt.org), Churches of Christ Disaster Assistance (www.disasterassistancecoc.com), and the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort (www.disasterreliefeffort.org).  See the websites for ways to help.

Saving Your Life

By David A. Sargent

     Kathleen Murphy claims that golf saved her life....
     Here’s her story in her own words:  “Six years ago, when I was 58, I was playing in the Tuesday-morning women's league at Exmoor Country Club just south of Lake Forest, Ill. … On the long par-4 16th we all hit our drives to the same area in the fairway. I was first to hit. I smacked my dependable 3-wood pin-high but 15 yards right of the green, and the ball disappeared as it settled into the rough. Anticipating that looking for my ball might delay play, I sidestepped to the rough and began walking forward to get a head start. The group's next shot, struck by Lois Burns (with whom I was playing for the first time), was a shanked 3-wood that flew sideways and hit me directly in the back of the head. I can still remember how the sound exploded in my ears.”
     Immediately Murphy’s teammates loaded her into the golf cart and carried her to the Emergency Room at the nearby Highland Park Hospital.  A CAT scan and an MRI confirmed that her skull was not fractured, but the doctor began asking Murphy some questions: “Have you been experiencing headaches, bouts of dizziness, etc.”  Murphy said no.
     The doctor was asking her these questions because the scans had revealed an apple-sized tumor that occupied nearly the entire right side of her brain.  The doctors estimated that the tumor had been growing there for perhaps 15 years.  More tests revealed related problems and immediate threats to her health, so surgery was performed.
     Murphy reports: “The surgery and my recovery were successful. Six weeks later I walked down the aisle [at her son’s wedding], my hair styled ably to hide the scar, and was followed by a glowing bride.” *
     Kathleen Murphy claims that golf saved her life, because it was only after being hit in the head with a golf ball that tests were performed that led to the discovery of the life-threatening tumor.
     What will it take for YOU to consult the Word of God?  Curiosity?  Encouragement from a friend?  A tragedy in your life?
     Whatever it takes, it needs to happen because God’s Word reveals our true TERMINAL condition: we are all sinners, desperately in need of spiritual “surgery,” because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
     But the Word of God also reveals that the Great Physician – Jesus Christ, God’s Son – has provided the means for our life-saving surgery.  He paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross in our place (Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21).  Then He made new life – and eternal life! – possible for us by being raised from the dead (1 Peter 1:3-4).
     The Great Physician removes the “tumor” of sin from our lives and gives us new life (and eternal life!) when we: place our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31) confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38).
     DON'T WAIT... for an errant golf ball to strike YOU on the head before you go to the Word of God and learn of your true condition as well as the Savior’s remedy.  Allow Him to perform the life-saving surgery that you need TODAY.  He will save your life, eternally.
     Won’t YOU?

Source:
- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

* Kathleen Murphy, “Golf Saved My Life” in Golf Digest – www.golfdigest.com.  10/8/12.  Many thanks to Gary Davis of Lavonia, GA, for sharing this article with us!

The One Who Died for Me

By Charles Curtis

    Alexander the Great, with his arm, captured a small village. The citizens of the village were brought before Alexander at which time their future was determined.
    There appeared before him a young man, his bride and his bride's mother. As they stood before Alexander, the young man was asked, "What would you give for your life?" upon which he replied, "I would give all my gold and silver, Sir."
    Then Alexander asked, "What would you give for the life of your wife?" upon which he replied, "I would give my life, Sir." Alexander said, "Let them go free."
    As they left, the mother asked the daughter, "Did you see the golden coat Alexander had on?" "No," replied the daughter, "I could only see the one who said, 'I would die for her.'"
    As we run the Christian race, we must keep our eyes on the one who died for us.

Source:
Pulpit Helps, date unknown

Only One Savior

It is said that when one of the most noted English physicians was succumbing to a fatal disease, he went from one authority to another until he had reached the highest on the continent. Telling this man his trouble, he received the reply, "The only man who can save you  is an English physician, Dr. Darwin of Derby," Sad was the reply, "I am Dr. Darwin of Derby." He was the best, but he could not save himself. Even the best of us cannot save ourselves.

Source:
Pulpit Helps. Date unknown.

An Unforgettable Fragrance

By Randy Fenter

"But Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphant procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. "For to one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life." II Corinthians 2:14-16

When a Roman conqueror returned to the city, the Senate would arrange for him a triumphal procession. Swelling throngs would engulf the procession, cheering the conqueror as he rode by. Marching before the conqueror's chariot were captives bearing smoking pots of incense and wearing garlands of flowers. These prisoners would be allowed to return to their native country and serve as Rome's emissaries.

Behind the chariot marched other captives; these men and women were joined together with heavy chains that clattered over the rough cobblestones. For them, the procession was a cruel gauntlet ending in death.

To the first group the sweet smell of garlands and incense was "the fragrance of life." To the second group it was "the smell of death." That is precisely the effect we have on others as God, through us, "spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowledge of Him." We do not leave the world the same. As God spreads the fragrance of Jesus over the world through us, we affect people in one of two ways; they either become bitter or better. Either way, they go away differently. To those who refuse the King of Kings we are "the smell of death." They know the demands of the conqueror and they refuse him. To those who freely give up their citizenship to accept citizenship in His Kingdom, we are the "fragrance of life."

To both groups we are an unforgettable fragrance. We leave no one the same.

Source:
"Come Unto Me," the weekly bulletin of the Richfield Church of Christ, Richfield, MN, June 18, 1996, p. 2. 

Lost

By Roy Goodmiller

"The loss of wealth is much;
The loss of health is more;
But the loss of Christ is such a loss
That no man can restore."

Someone else has written, "Sheep get lost, not because of the thicket, but because they wander away too far from the shepherd."

When the late Adlai Stevenson ran for President of the United States and lost to General Dwight Eisenhower, he said after the election, "I fell like the little boy who stubbed his toe; I'm too old to cry, but it hurts too much to laugh." It always hurts when we stop to realize that most of the world will be lost eternally, and we can do so little about it. It hurts when we realize that some are "not far from the kingdom;" and we can't persuade them to be "altogether as I am" (Acts 26:29). It hurts when we realize that there are so many in the church who were "once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift" (Heb. 6:4), and yet have turned their backs on the Lord and serve Him no more.

A very wise writer said concerning those who fall away, "Someone asks why so many church members fall. Here's one answer in a parable. When a boy was asked why he fell out of bed, he replied, "I guess it's because I stayed too close to the getting-in place."

Source:
Weekly bulletin of the Jackson Church of Christ, Jackson, MO, date unknown.