"Prevent not the little children from coming unto me."

Jesus, to His apostles when they tried to keep the little ones from "bothering" Him

 

As I write the article today, I am preparing for my last official ride on the Gospel Chariot. For those of you who don't know, the Gospel Chariot is a wonderous wagon, pulled by an old tractor, that rolls through the streets of Happy, Texas for one week each summer picking up and dropping off the kids who will be attending Vacation Bible School. I have been in charge of the chariot for nearly three decades now, greeting the kids as they board for Bible class, and then helping them down as they get off after a full morning of Bible class.

 

The Gospel Chariot was the brainchild of some enterprising folks back in the 1960's. At first it was a full-sized cotton wagon filled with haybales for the children to sit on. At one time they had to add a "caboose" to hold all of the kids. Now we have modern day seating - metal benches welded to the floor of the trailer that we have to cover with cushions when the sun gets too hot. Half of the kids arrive early in the morning instead of waiting for the chariot to pick them up as they don't want to miss a moment of the adventure that awaits. We start out with as few as fifteen or twenty, but by the time the chariot has made its rounds we are packed with sixty or seventy or more. Our singing on the Gospel Chariot songs typically alert the ones who are awaiting us at home, letting them know that the chariot is about to arrive.

 

As the kids hop aboard they are surrounded with love. They know just about everyone, in our small community, but the friends greet one another as if they have not seen each other for years. I know that you will be impressed that I have always made it a point to greet each of the kids by name, regardless of the number of kids or how long it has been since I have seen them last. The boys I have named "Bud" or "Hoss", and the girls I have named "Sweetheart". I have found that as long as I remember which ones are the Hosses and which ones are the Sweethearts, we get along quite well.

 

Once aboard the wagon we get down to some serious singing. The old staples are there, from "I'm in the Lord's Army" to "Jesus Loves Me", but the new classics, from "Little Rabbit Foo Foo" to the Chevrolet Song are always in high demand. We talk about what the kids are involved with, from Little League to swimming to family vacation plans. I always try to ask how many are recently out of prison and other such small talk. I like seeing the kids laugh and especially as they are traveling to or from something as worthwhile as Bible class.

 

Once at the building the important work begins, with each of the kids getting ready to go to their assigned class. The teachers are always prepared and many have been teaching our VBS for over a dozen years. About 45 minutes into our day we break for snacks. I feel sorry for many of these kids, for it is at snack break that I realize many of them haven't eaten for days, as they will often go back through the line for seconds and thirds on the cookies and punch. After they have had about twenty minutes to run off some of their sugar, they are back to class for another 45 minutes, and then it is back to the chariot for the ride home.

 

Over the years we have added two "spritz" bottles for the hot ride back. As the kids ride in the blazing sun, a quick spritz of water is often the only thing that sustains them on that 20 minute ride home. Many of the kids ride all the way back to the building for extra spritzes, and then run all the way home when we are through. It is a great day, and a great week.

 

But, all good things must end and I am retiring this year. I am turning the reins of the wagon over to one younger and with far more energy. And, though I will miss the ride of the Chariot, I am glad for the years I have had and for all of the memories they have brought. But it's time to stop the reminiscing for now, and get ready to roll that Gospel Chariot along for one more ride. It is a very, very good life, is it not? 

 

 

There is no king saved by the multitude of a host; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, that hope in His mercy: To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and shield.

Psalms 33:16-20, KJV

 

 

 

I was about nineteen when it happened. I was coming home from a camping trip at a little place between Rifle and Craig Colorado. There was a public access via a heavily rutted, dirt road that I had explored along Cow Creek (maybe it was Cattle Creek). I had found a turnoff marked "Waterhole No. 19" and it overlooked one of the most peaceful valleys you have ever seen. I learned several things on that trip. First, never store food in the tent you are sleeping in when in bear country. Second, never ring a campfire with oil shale - even if it does look like a harmless, ordinary rock. And third, bees like the color red and I had a red car.

 

But these are all stories for another day, because it was an incident at a rest stop in Wyoming that I wanted to tell you about. I knew better than to stop when there were no other cars around at rest stops, but I was tired and such rest stops, not to mention towns with stores, were few and far between in Wyoming, so I stopped. When I got inside their were two other young men already there. Where the came from I couldn't say, but there they were. And they looked like trouble to me, so I got out as quickly as possible.

 

They followed me out.

 

They asked me if I could give them a ride but when I told them I didn't have room they weren't very pleased. At this point they very meaningfully (and with no uncertain amount of specificity) me let know that I was, indeed going to give them a ride. I have to admit that I am no Rambo, nor the Enforcer, nor even the Terminator, so I will freely tell you that I was scared to death and was wondering how I was going to get out of this mess.

 

That's when they heard the barking dog in the car. It was parked about fifty feet away from where we stood, so fortunately for me, all they could really see was a dog's head through the dirty windshield, and he didn't sound all that friendly. So I took advantage of the situation and said, "Do you see that dog? He's not going to let you in that car." 

 

And they let me go!

 

They didn't even go any closer, which was a good thing because if they had they would have seen the "beast" that had seemed so threatening. He was a cocker spaniel/poodle mix. We used to joke that he was more poo that spaniel. He wasn't much of a dog, but he was our dog and I have always been extremely grateful that I took him on that trip. 

 

Shortly after I got back home, I heard of an elderly couple that was killed by two young men at a rest stop in Wyoming. It appears that they needed a car and decided to take theirs. Now, I don't know if it was the same day or the same rest stop or the same young men, but it was too much of a coincidence for comfort. I was truly sorry for that couple, and if it was the same guys, then I wished I could have helped prevent what they did. When I left the rest stop, I didn't even think to stop somewhere up the road and report these guys. There was no such thing as cell phones back then so I couldn't make a call. Regardless, I still to this day think about that and wished that I could have done something for that couple, but of course that moment is long passed.

 

What hasn't passed is the thought that God did rescue me that day - whether it was from homicidal psychopaths or just from a small beating - I am convinced that He saved me and that I owe a debt. It is nothing compared to the debt we all owe for His giving His Son to die for our sins, but it does suggest the same responsibility: We owe God and Christ our very lives, and we need to be using this life in their service. For they have surely rescued us!

 

And they continue to do so, from time to time, and we may not even know it when they do. But one thing I am convinced about is that He rescued me that day. And He did so, not by my strength and might, but by a cockapoo! So I figure He will always rescue me, if I will just be careful to have a heart that is devoted to Him. And, He will do the same for you if you will just put your hope in Him.

 

Isn't God good!

 

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Woe to those who ae wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

Isaiah 5:20-21, ESV

 

One of the ways that you can tell if something is no longer a benefit to God is when it starts getting its virtues and vices mixed up. Whether it be something as small as an individual or as large as an entire nation, virtue will always win and vice will always lose in the end. We know that this is true because we read of example after example of individuals and of nations that went bad. God always gave them a chance to repent, but in the absence of that required change He would bring punishment. And the reason for this punishment was clear: When people, be they individuals or a society, exchange their virtues for vices, what they are doing in realty is changing God for Satan as their lord and master.

 

And God will not permit this for very long.

 

We see this exchanging of whom we serve all the time. People sometimes will just give themselves over to evil but they don't want to be considered evil, so they will say something along the lines of "don't judge me". Many of our major universities have also switched their allegiance from God to to the evil one and will no longer tolerate anybody who tells them that they are wrong. These once great places of higher learning have turned into brain washing facilities for cultlike thinking, and as a result do far more harm than good. And don't even get us started on our society, for our once virtuous nation has exchanged many of its virtuous laws for ones that support evil. Our leaders say idiotic things like "you cannot legislate morality" and then turn around and pass laws that legislate vice.

 

And whenever you see such exchanges of right for wrong, whenever people begin to call good evil and evil good, you know that the end of such a people is close at hand. So, what can we do?

 

The solution is not complex, but it is hard. It can only be accomplished by individuals turning away from their mad behavior and turning to God in repentance. It must be a return to virtues such as honesty, integrity and decency. It requires a separation from anyone who admires and praises vice. This is hard because we often find this means a separation from our friends, our churches, our universities, and (dare I say it) our political parties. It is insane for us to be in close alignment with people who love and admire sin, or to remain with a religious group that opposes the very teachings of Christ. It is crazy to spend hard earned money or weigh ourselves down with debt in order to send our children off to universities that love evil and hate good. And it is madness to vote for people who say they will continue to support evil, and then expect that good can somehow come from this behavior.

 

God calls such behavior "depravity" and He tells us that He will give those over to it that continue to reject good and embrace evil. And we read of these passages in the Bible and we nod our heads in agreement, but then we are utterly shocked when we find out that they are true. There must come a point that we cease going in that deadly direction before it becomes fatal and permanent. So, again, what can we do?

 

We can repent! We can be sorrowful for our part in the destruction of these institutions that we once held dear, and we can become determined to do something about their destructive paths before it is too late. It will require us giving our lives over to God and then returning to the things that He declares are virtuous. It will require us to no longer put up with bad behavior and insist that those whom we associate with cease from their evil behavior or have their relationships with us severed. And this is true not only for our closest friends, but also for our schools, our churches, and our favorite political affiliations,

 

Why is this so important?

 

It is because we have gone too far. We have become comfortable with wickedness but we don't want to be considered wicked. So instead of changing our behavior, we have simply changed our definition of good and evil. The thing we need to understand is that God has not changed His definition, nor has He changed His standards. Godliness is still the primary ingredient in virtue, and ungodliness is still the main factor in vice (sin) and this will never change regardless of how much we claim to the contrary. And if something does not change, we are going to lose those things that we cherish most. 

 

The good news is that we can turn things around with God's help. For as Word of God points out, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" 

 

And one more thing we should know. It is what Jesus said to a church in the first century that had exchanged good for evil, and it is just as pertinent today as it was 2,000 years ago:

"I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of My God. Remember then, what you have received and heard. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come against you. Yet you still have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy."

 Revelation 3:1-4, ESV

 

 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.

James 1:2, NASB

 

Perhaps you have heard the example of the little boy who was outside with his mom when they came across a caterpillar. The boy got a jar and took the caterpillar home and would watch it eat the leaves his mama said were good for food. One day the boy was shocked to find that the caterpillar was gone but that there was a funny looking pouch hanging from a twig that the leaves had been attached to. The boy's mama told him that God designed the caterpillar so that at a certain time in its life it would weave a cocoon just like the one they had found. After a while, the caterpillar would transform into a beautiful butterfly inside of the cocoon. The little boy was delighted and wondered if he could open the cocoon and see the butterfly, but his mama told him no, that he must be patient and allow the transformation to take place. When the caterpillar was changed into a butterfly, he would come out of that cocoon, so they must wait.

 

And while the boy was a good boy, he was still a boy, and when he saw the cocoon moving one day he decided he just had to do something. Soo he carefully started to "help" the butterfly by peeling away its cocoon, but he was shocked to find that the creature inside didn't appear to be like the butterfly he had been expecting. True, it did have wings, but they were so pitiful and weak that they weren't any use for flying. So the bug just wobbled around the jar for the rest of the day and when the boy woke up the next morning, it was dead.

 

In tears he confessed to his mama what he had done and she dried his tears and told him it was alright for she knew he had just been trying to help. But then she told him that there were just some things in life that are hard but that we still have to go through if we are to ever get strong enough to become what God wants us to be - just like that caterpillar needed the struggle to get strong enough to develop its wings.

 

And, of course, this is a large part of the lesson that God teaches us through the writings of James. It's not that He is cruel and wants us to suffer in life. But He does want us to have enough character and determination to see our struggles through. It is the necessary trials of life that allow us to develop into worthwhile people. A weightlifter knows that he must add weights that are uncomfortable to lift if he is ever going to be able to get stronger, so he endures the struggle. The runner knows that she has to push herself to the point where she is willing to power through the pain and fatigue if she is to ever become a champion.

 

In a like manner, we must be willing to endure the struggles of life if we are ever going to amount to anything. Life contains many tests that in the end will reveal to us and to God whether we are willing to serve Him in good times as well as in times of trial. But why? Why do we have to endure hard things to get something good? Wouldn't it be so much nicer if God would just make life "trial free" and then rewarded everyone with participant trophies along the way to heaven? I suppose in some people's minds this type of spiritual "welfare" is appealing, but you have to admit it doesn't make us very useful.

 

In the news not too many years ago was an incident involving a madman who was shooting children at a school. The police surrounded the classroom he had trapped the children in, but stood outside in the hall while he took more and more victims. Why did they do so? It was because those who had the authority of supervising did not want to place anybody at unnecessary risk. So those who had been entrusted with the safety of the innocent were prevented from doing their job, in essence, because it was too hard.

 

So, what's the point? The point is that God has designed us for an eternity of service. He has given us this "cocoon" stage of life to allow us to go through the struggles that will make us ready for that service. But if we falter in the day of trial - whether through our own weakness or through somebody coming along to "help" us - then we simply will never become prepared for the eternal service God has in store for us.

 

And just like a caterpillar whose struggle is taken away, we just might find ourselves with "wings" that just never developed to the point that we can actually fly someday. We were not created for a life of weak service. We were created for great things. And if we are ever going to achieve our potential for the Master in this life, then we are simply going to have to endure the struggles and the trials that come hand in hand with excellence. 

 

One more thing: Just as the weightlifting champions and gold medal runners will look back upon the struggle as having been more than worth it, those who consider the trials of life to be pure joy now, will look back upon them later as the very things that helped them become what they desired more than anything else: A worthwhile and useful servant for the Master! Do not despise the struggle, for this is what will make us what God intends for us to be!