Ben Franklin tells of a whistle he bought when he was a small boy. When he found that whistle, he was so enamored that he took all of the coppers from his pocket and, without even asking its price, gave everything he had to a very pleased shopkeeper. At first, he was extremely happy his new whistle and played with it all the way home. But when he got there and told his brothers how much he paid for it, they laughed with derision, for he had overpaid. He said that was so upset that he cried with vexation  because he had paid too much for his whistle.

Still, being the person he was, Franklin learned his lesson and vowed not to repeat that mistake. As an older man he observed that he had met many people whom, he thought, had paid too much for their whistles. Have you ever known such a person? I doubt that there is a single one of us who have not paid too much for their various whistles from time to time and, like young Ben, have discovered too late that they have paid far too much for what turned out to be little more than childish fancy.  

There are many such "whistles" in life, from the price young people pay for that party they should not have attended, to the price we pay when we skip the worship to rest, to the price we pay for getting involved with that person we should have never messed with in the first place. There will be many, many whistles in life that will tempt us with their glittering attractions. It is important for us, like old Ben, to mature enough to recognize those things that tempt us to pay everything we have now for something that will only leave us "crying with vexation" in the end.

If you have paid too much for your whistle, then welcome to the club. Now, what will you do to make sure that you never again pay such a dear price for your dangerous and trivial pursuits?

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. 

Proverbs 22:3, NIV

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth.

King David

A friend of ours was in a roll-over accident a few years back. She walked away with some pretty rough bumps and bruises but, as it turned out, everything was okay. It is easy to sit back and calmly reflect upon such incidents after they are long past, but it is another thing to keep your head when information is scant and the outcome is uncertain. When we got the call our first thought was, "Is she alright?". The second, because she and her husband have two beautiful girls was, "Were the kids with her?", and, "How are they?" Fortunately, the girls were not with her and they were alright.

I believe that such situations provide clarity to the great blessings we have as servants of God. You see, this young lady is a Christian. Her husband is a Christian. We are Christians. So as soon as we got off the phone - okay, while we were still on the phone - we started praying. You know how such prayers go, for you have prayed such prayers. At first they are filled with panic - an urgent call for help. Then, and this is the hardest part to explain to anyone who is not a Christian, there is a peace. But how can there be peace in such a tumultuous situation?

It is because God is in control! When we pray, we are not presenting our requests to someone who may or may not have the ability to handle our requests. We are praying to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He not only knew of the situation before we did, He knew exactly what was needed and how to accomplish it.

The other reason that for our peace, even in turmoil, is because of our knowledge of what we are here for - to go to Heaven. Now it is true that none of of want to leave our loved ones one second too soon, but faithful Christians will be in Heaven someday and they will be reunited with their faithful Christian loved ones.

Success for a Christian is the destination - not the time of departure.

So we panic. And we pray. And then we have peace. For we know Who is in charge. Are you a Christian?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests t o God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7, NIV

If you want to be great, you will first have to stop being content with mediocrity. Greatness demands sacrifice!

Most students of recent history are familiar with those people whom Tom Brokaw named "the Greatest Generation". They survived the great depression, fought WWII, and then helped build America into a Superpower. If there were to be one criticism of this generation, it would be in their seeming inability to pass along this willingness for sacrifice to the next generation. One can readily see why this might be the case: They simply wanted a better life for their kids, and they didn't want them to have to go through the hardships that they went through. While this is a noble sentiment, it robbed their kids of the struggle that is so necessary to make people worthwhile.

Please don't get me wrong. I know that many of the parents from that generation did raise their children with the knowledge that sacrifice for others is required of all noble people, but many did not. So now we have a generation of people who have a sense of entitlement - specifically, an entitlement to other people's money. That this same generation has little concept of sacrifice is even more evident by it's unwillingness to pay it's own way, or even for it's own mistakes.

How else could you describe a generation that aborts between 1/4 and 1/3 of all it's children? How else could you describe a generation that has run up more than $16 trillion dollars in debt for it's own children and grandchildren to pay? I was reading the results of a survey that was taken over a period of years from numerous congregations. It indicated that less than half of churchgoers prayed every day, and only a quarter of them read the Bible each day.

So, how is all of this related, and what does it have to do with the next "Great Generation"? Simply this: Men and women who are in constant contact with their Creator, through prayer and study, understand the need for sacrifice. This means foregoing certain pleasures until they are married. This means foregoing certain expenditures until they can afford them. People who read God's word on a regular basis will come to understand important things like sacrifice, self-control, and love for their neighbors. People who pray for God's loving kindness every day are far less likely to treat others in a hateful or disrespectful manner.

And... people who are sincerely trying to be the best servants of God are going to learn that this means service to others. We live in unsettled times, it is true, but so has every person of every generation that has ever lived. The only difference, from generation to generation, is whether or not that generation will choose to be great. We are in need of the next Great Generation! Right now, our families, the Lord's church, and this nation are in serious peril - you don't have to be a genius to recognize this truth. 

Here is another truth that I believe we must face right now: We are in danger of losing all that we have if we do not become that next great generation. It will require sacrifice that goes far beyond "lip service". It will require strength of character that goes far beyond the watered down morality of modern society. And, more than anything else, it will require a return to God. If you are willing to become part of the next great generation, then you must start soon. Today, in fact, would be a great day to start. You can do so by praying to God for help and forgiveness. Then, you can pick up your Bible with the firm commitment to find out everything that God expects of you. It will require sacrifice, but the next generation is counting on you. Are they worth the sacrifice to you?

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. Jesus, as recorded in Mark 10:43, NIV

The grass is always greener on the other side. Old English Proverb

One of the most important parts of any Vacation Bible School is snack time and our VBS is no exception. Since the preacher's house is situated adjacent to the church building, we have found it very convenient to serve the cookies and punch from underneath our carport. The only thing inconvenient about this arrangement is that we have a lot of lawn mowers and old windows and the like that are stored behind the carport. The obvious problem is how to keep curious 4 to 10 year olds away from these things that they might get hurt on.

Our solution was to stretch a garden hose between the building and the edge of the carport, and then explain to the kids that they could not cross to the other side. This has worked very nicely throughout the years, but the "line" has not always served to remove the "lure" of the other side. One day my wife called me over. She said that I just had to see what was going on out by the carport. What I saw when I got out there was a line of kids, mostly 4 and 5 year olds, all standing at the boundary of the garden hose. None were crossing the line, but they had found some branches from our big tree and were reaching over as far as they could to see what they could touch with those branches. They were obeying the letter of the law, but they were having a bit of a struggle with the spirit of the thing.

I had to laugh, because this is the very type of thing that we all struggle with all of our lives - no matter what our age may be. Whether its a group of little boys teasing a vicious dog, a teenage girl going out with that wild boy, or some of us pushing the speed limit because we are in a hurry, the results are the same: Someone nearly always ends up getting bit. Even if we "get away with it" this time, such outcomes just seem to make us bolder for the next time, and the next time is nearly always more fraught with peril.

Then there is God's way. God sets boundaries for us - not to be unreasonable or to keep us from fun - but to protect us. When our kids were little, we put up gates at the stairways to keep them from falling. Our loving Father does the same for us. If we are wise, we will mature enough to realize that the boundaries God sets are perfect and put in place to keep us from harm. Then we can begin to truly enjoy the blessings that are rightfully ours, rather than continually reaching over the line to get to that thrilling green grass on the other side.

The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life. Psalm 121:7, NIV