Potholes Of Safety

By Tom Moore

   Since The Portuguese withdrew from Angola , many years ago, the country’s roads, bridges and transportation systems have fallen into disrepair while the country engaged in civil war.  Trucks sit beside the roads, lacking the replacement parts that would enable them to run.  Bridges have collapsed and the roads are full of potholes.  On a trip to Angola , a representative from a benevolent organization was being driven through the impoverished, war-torn country to assess the needs, when he noticed that his driver made no attempt to avoid the deep potholes and ruts characteristic of that nation’s highways.  In fact, the driver seemed to be avoiding those places where some repair work had been carried out—those few holes that had been filled in.  Curious, he asked his driver why he avoided those few relatively smooth patches of road.  “Because,” came his reply, “that’s where the land mines are.”
   Friends, we need to be careful, for the smooth and easy way is not always the best way—there can be hidden troubles.  The easy way, spiritually speaking, leads to destruction.  Our Lord said, “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).  Avoiding the potholes of life may not always be the safest route.

- via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur Church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com

Getting Our Attention

     John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious, and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying only polite words and playing soft music. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. In desperation, John threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he’d seriously injured the parrot, John quickly opened the door, and the parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched finger. He said, “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgiveable behavior.” John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, “May I ask what the turkey did?”
      “But now you yourselves are to put off all these:  anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” Col. 3:8 

- via The Encourager, the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ, Calvert City, KY.  Lance Cordle preaches for the congregation.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com [Adapted from The Greenfield Gleaner, 2008]

No Recollection

By Alan Smith

    I heard this story about the owner of a Rolls Royce.  It certainly sounds as if could be true:
    The great British automaker takes great pride in the reliability of their handcrafted automobiles.  An obviously wealthy owner of a Rolls took it to Europe on an extended trip.  While traveling in France the car had some mechanical problem.  He called the Rolls Royce factory and asked that they send out a mechanic straightaway to fix the problem.
    The company responded in royal fashion.  They put a mechanic on a private jet with all of the necessary tools and flew him over to France to make the repairs.  The owner was so wealthy that he wasn't at all concerned about the cost, and he would not spare any expense to assure that his beloved Rolls Royce was properly repaired.
    However, after several months he realized he had not received a bill.  He directed his secretary to contact the Rolls Royce factory to inquire about the bill.  He received a prompt reply from the Rolls Royce company.  With typical British aplomb, it said simply, "We have no recollection or record of any Rolls Royce having ever had a breakdown or being in need of repair anywhere in France."
    That reminds me of how God treats us when he forgives us of sin.  Sometimes we have a harder time forgiving ourselves than does God.  We sometimes feel weighed down with the burden of guilt long after God has removed the burden of sin.  We need to follow God's instructions to find forgiveness, then trust that God has kept his promise to forgive.  Like Rolls Royce, God says, "I have no recollection or record of any sin being committed."  Take comfort from these words:
    "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psa. 103:12)
    "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 8:12)
    Praise be to the God who "forgets" when He forgives!
    Have a great day!

- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com

Decline and Fall

   Edward Gibbon lists the following reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire :
1. The rapid increase of divorce, the undermining of the dignity and the sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society;
2. Higher and higher taxes, and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure, sports, becoming every year more exciting, brutal and dishonest.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was with the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion—faith fading into more form—losing touch with life and becoming important to guide the people.

- via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur Church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com

Consequences of Sin

By Alan Smith

    In 1992, there was a high-school teacher outside of Chicago who found an unusual way to punish students when they did something wrong.  They had to stay after school for detention, but not just your normal detention.  That didn't seem to have much effect.  No, the guilty students were being forced to stay after in the Frank Sinatra Detention Club.  There, for 30 minutes, they had to sit utterly still – no talking, no homework, no snoozing – and listen to Frank Sinatra sing old songs.
    I think it's brilliant – here was a teacher who found a way to make detention more fun for him, but less so for the kids.  One senior said, "It got to where I couldn't stand it.  It was so boring."  Now, please understand, this teacher wasn't totally heartless.  He let the students sing along if they wanted to, but nobody ever did.
    And the students learned that if they do something wrong, there is a consequence -- a very negative consequence.
    It is especially important for young people to learn at an early age that choices have consequences.  In terms of their later success, it is one of the most important lessons they will ever learn.  All too often we make decisions without seriously thinking about the long-range consequences.
    Someone once said, "Most of our big mistakes are due to lack of forethought rather than intentional misdoings."  In other words, most of the time that we do something wrong, it's because we haven't given enough thought about what will happen as a direct result of our actions.
    Which of us isn't able to look back at something we've done in our lives, something really stupid?  And we can see what's happened in our lives over the years because of that stupid action.  If we had only realized how it would affect our lives and our family and our friends and the church, and how destructive it would be, then we never would have done it.  And we would do anything to erase the damage, but we can't, because we committed the act and like it or not, we have had to suffer the consequences that resulted.
    "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-8)
    May we seek to make decisions that will bless our lives for years to come.
    Have a great day!

- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com

Satan's Seeds

    An old legend tells how a man once stumbled upon a great red barn after wondering for days in a dark, overgrown forest. Seeking refuge from the howling winds of a storm that seemed to rage perpetually in the forest, he let his eyes grow accustomed to the dark and then, to his astonishment, he discovered that this was the barn where Satan kept his storehouse of seeds to be sown into human hearts. More curious than fearful, he lit a match and began to explore the piles and bins of seeds around him. He couldn't help but notice that the containers labeled "seeds of discouragement" far outnumbered any other type of seed.
    Just as the man had drawn this conclusion, one of Satan's foremost demons arrived to pick up a fresh supply of seed. The man asked him why the great abundance of discouragement sees. The demons laughed, "Because they are so effective and they take root so quickly!" The man then asked, "Do they grow everywhere?" At this the demon became sullen. He glared at the man and admitted in disgust, "No. They never seem to thrive in the heart of a grateful person."
    Be thankful for what you have, today. And trust the Lord to take car of what you don't have.

Source:
The weekly bulletin of the Macon Ave. Church of Christ, Memphis, TN; date unknown.

Right or Wrong?

When faced with this question, the following inquiries will be helpful:
Am I commanded not to do it? (James 4:17)
Am I commanded to do it? (Eccl. 12:13)
Can I do it for God's glory? (1 Cor. 10:31)
Can I do it in the name of the Lord? (Col. 3:17)
Would Jesus do it? (1 Pet. 2:21)
Can I do it and be an example of a believer? (1 Tim. 4:12)
Will it cause someone to stumble? (1 Cor. 8:9)
Would I encourage those I love to do it? (Prov. 22:16)
Would I want to be doing it when Jesus comes? (Matt. 16:27)
Is there any doubt in my mind about doing it? (Rom. 14:23)

Source:
Pulpit Helps, date unknown

Not the First

By David A. Sargent

      A young employee secretly misappropriated several hundred dollars of his business firm’s money. When this action was discovered, the young man was told to report to the office of the senior partner of the firm. As he walked up the stairs toward the administrative office, the young employee was heavy-hearted. He knew without a doubt he would lose his position with the firm. He also feared the possibility of legal action taken against him. Seemingly his whole world had collapsed.
      Upon his arrival in the office of the senior executive the young man was questioned about the whole affair. He was asked if the allegations were true, and he answered in the affirmative. Then the executive surprisingly asked this question: “If I keep you in your present capacity, can I trust you in the future?”
      The young worker brightened up and said, “Yes, sir, you surely can. I’ve learned my lesson.”
      The executive responded, “I’m not going to press charges, and you can continue in your present responsibility.”
      The employer concluded the conversation with his younger employee by saying, “I think you ought to know, however, that you are the second man in this firm who succumbed to temptation and was shown leniency. I was the first!  What you have done, I did. The mercy you are receiving, I received.  It is only the grace of God that can keep us both.” *
      None of us is “the first” to make some terrible mistake, “for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  That fact does not excuse us from our misdeeds, but it does reveal the NEED that each of us has for mercy.  Due to our sin, each of us deserves the penalty for sin: DEATH (Romans 6:23).
     “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4), provided the Solution to our dilemma.  He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross as payment for our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
     God will save those who: place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), who turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), who confess Christ before men (Romans 10:9-10), and who are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
     Won’t YOU accept His mercy and grace by trusting and obeying Him today?
     Then, won’t you extend the same mercy to others?
     “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

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

* From SermonCentral.com

For Sale

By David A. Sargent

     There is a house for sale at 546 Munich Street in San Francisco, California.  It is near public transportation and two parks.  It is also just minutes from the coast.  The house is described as a single-family home with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  You may see a picture of the house with its listing (http://vanguardsf.com/RESI-403636.php) or drive by the property, but that’s all that you’ll get to see.  According to the listing, the “Seller will not provide any interior showings or inspections.”  It will be sold “AS IS with no repairs,” and no one but the current tenants knows the condition of the inside of the house.
     The house is occupied by “tenant and former owner,” but the listing also advises:” Please do not disturb the occupants who will not be vacating prior to the sale.”  To make matters worse, the listing states: “The Buyer assumes all risks associated with the existing tenancies after close of escrow. Seller will not transfer any legal action related to any existing tenancies.”  According to AOL Real Estate, this statement “means that once you buy the home of mysterious interiors, you also have the responsibility of kicking out the tenants!” *
     Now who would want to buy a house without looking at its interior and knowing that the buyer would have to deal with some mysterious tenants?
     But WE succumb to the same kind of “listings” frequently…
     Satan, the tempter (Matthew 4:3), makes SIN look very appealing, but he purposefully doesn’t disclose all the details about it.  He emphasizes the personal pleasure of engaging in sin, but he doesn’t inform the victim that the pleasure is only temporary (Hebrews 11:25) and that the consequences are deadly (Romans 6:23).
     Observe the tactics of the tempter with his first “listing”: see Genesis 3...
     The “property” that Satan wanted Eve to “buy” was the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, concerning which God had commanded Adam and Eve NOT to eat, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).  Satan sought to raise doubts in Eve’s mind as to God’s command and His character by telling her: “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).
     “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6).
     What Satan did NOT “list” were the consequences of sin such as shame (3:7-8), fear (3:10), guilt (3:7-13), hardship (3:16-19), and death (3:22-24).
     Satan uses the SAME kind of “listings” to tempt us to sin (1 John 2:15-16; James 1:14-15), without including the destructive consequences.  Sadly, each one of us has “bought in” (Romans 3:23).
     But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our redemption from sin (Ephesians 1:7) and to defeat Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15).
     Jesus will save those who will place their 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 be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
     Buying in on Satan’s property is a terrible deal.  But God will “buy you back” (redeem you) if you will only accept the Savior’s offer on His terms.
     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

* Information gleaned from http://realestate.aol.com, http://vanguardsf.com, and “Buying a House Without Looking Inside” by Brett Petrillo in Daily Bread (1/7/13), an e-mail ministry of the Bear Valley Church of Christ in Denver, CO.  See http://www.bearvalleycofc.com.

Weighed Down

By Alan Smith
David Posman 33, was arrested in Providence, R.I, after allegedly knocking out an armored car driver and stealing the closest four bags of money. It turned out they contained $800 in PENNIES, weighed 30 pounds each, and slowed him to a stagger during his getaway so that police officers easily jumped him from behind.
David Posman is not the first person to make the mistake of trying to run while being weighed down. In fact, it happens spiritually all the time. The Hebrew writer talks about sin being a weight that keeps us from effectively running the Christian race. We can get bogged down with things that pull us away from God. And, by the way, as with Posman, those things that are weighing us down are not worth nearly as much as we thought they were when we grabbed hold of them.
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
Anything weighing you down? May you lay it aside as you run the Christian race today.
Have a great day!
Source:
Alan Smith's "Thought For The Day," online.

Too Close to Home

By Johnny Mack Young

A newspaper editor ran short of copy and, just to fill space, ran the Ten Commandments without comment. A few days later he received a letter saying, "Please cancel my subscription. You are getting too personal.

Source:
Christian Chronicle, May 1993, p. 13.