Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but live for it. Colton

It's one thing to have a belief, but another thing entirely to live it. How many of us have seen parents drop off their children for Sunday school, but never enter the doors of the church building themselves? Or have their kids recite their bedtime prayers, while rarely taking the time to humbly entreat their Maker in prayer themselves?

Anyone who has ever flown has likely heard a stewardess give this speech prior to takeoff. "If there should be a change in the cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down. If you have small children, be sure to put your mask on first, then your child's."

At first this seems strange to parents who used to looking after the safety of their children before their own - but the logic can be quickly seen: The reason parents are to put their masks on first is for the safety of the child. If the small child should panic while you are attempting to take care of him, you might pass out due to a lack of oxygen. Then, who will take care of your child?

It is the same in our service to God. If we have no real relationship with Him, how can we ever hope to look to the spiritual well being of our loved ones? There will be "changes in pressure" in our daily lives and we will need to be prepared for those emergencies - as will our loved ones. God loves us and has made all of the arrangements for us to spend an eternity with Him, but this eternity is available only for those who are prepared to live a pure and undefiled religion in the way that He has specified. This world really will end someday and we and our loved ones really will appear before Him in Judgment. Will those we care for so much be prepared? We can only help them be prepared if we put our spiritual masks on first!

How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye", when all the time there is a plank in your own? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:4-5, NIV

First things first. Anon.

One of my favorite illustrations involves a time efficiency expert that was invited to speak at a corporate gathering. He produced a large glass jar, filled it to the brim with big rocks, and asked the audience if anything else would fit. One bright young man immediately offered that the jar was full - nothing more would fit.

Not so, for the speaker took a small sack of pea-gravel, poured the entire bag in and asked if the jar was now full. Most agreed that it was but some, beginning to see a trend, weren't so certain. The man then took a sack of sand and poured it in. "Is it full now?", he asked. Again, most agreed that it was but a few held back waiting to see what else he had up his sleeve. The speaker then took out a pitcher of water and poured the contents in until the jar overflowed. Now the jar was full.

The speaker then asked the question, "What lesson can we draw from this illustration?" The bright young man who had been shot down earlier saw his chance for redemption. "The lesson to be learned is obvious: No matter how full we think our schedules are, we can always fit a lot more in." Vastly pleased, the bright young man sat down and awaited confirmation of  his clever insight. "Wrong", the speaker said, "You are wrong! The lesson to be learned is this: If we want the big rocks to fit, we have to put them in first."

Now, that is brilliant! How often do we go through our days, putting out the hottest fires, without even starting the things that we know are the most important? The fact is that we have been placed on this earth to serve God, and we will someday kneel before Him in Judgment to give an account for nothing but that service. Wouldn't it be wise, then, to put first things first?

What are the "big rocks" in your life? Are you putting them first, or are you dealing with so many pressing (but admittedly unimportant to the big picture) matters that the true priorities no longer fit in your busy schedule? How you and I respond to that question will likely determine the quality of our remaining years... as well as our eternal fate at the Judgment.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Matthew 6:33, NIV

A good name is better than fine perfume. King Solomon

The father of a very dear friend of ours passed away on Sunday. He was a Gospel preacher. While this may not sound all that impressive to many, for John Morgan it was enough.

I never heard John preach, but I have been witness to many of his sermons. How can that be, you might wonder. It is because I know his daughter and four of his grandchildren. His daughter is the secretary at the High School that all three of my children attended and she has always been a source of encouragement to them (and everyone else that has passed through her office).

His four grandchildren (the four I know well) are about as fine of young Christians as you could ever hope to know. All have high integrity. All do more than just wear the name "Christian" - they live the life. All are grown now and remain faithful even though far from home. 

It is from these dear friends that I have been witness to some of John Morgan's finest sermons. You see, a man who can deliver an impressive sermon from the pulpit on Sunday mornings is a man to be admired on Sunday afternoons. But, a man with faithful children and grandchildren is a man who preaches sermons worth hearing every day, year after year, for generations to come. And, if John Morgan's Sunday sermons were anywhere near as impressive as those that his family lives every day, then John was one of the best preachers that I have ever heard.

It's a shame that men like John have to end their work here on earth but, when you think about it, their labor continues to yield fruit long after they draw their final breath. And... that is the kind of sermon worth hearing.

As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children. Psalm 103:15-17, NIV

Precious memories, how they linger.

Old Gospel Song

Mom reading Bible stories to us kids... Dad pitching the ball to me... sledding down the hill in our back yard... sitting in Santa's lap... Tonka trucks... tinker toys... my dog Snuffy... bright yellow raincoats and shiny black galoshes... my Lost in Space lunchbox... boxing gloves for Christmas and my older brother using them on me... my little sister with her orange tiger cup dipping a drink out of the commode... Saturday night baths... Sunday suits... Granny's slider swing... coke with pure cane sugar...

Playing catch with my son... reading books to my girls... holding hands with my sweetheart... kissing my sweetheart in her new wedding dress in front of a church house filled with family and complete strangers... teaching my kids killer post moves and mad crossover dribbles... being at worship every time the church house doors were open... singing "Precious Memories" with my friends - many of whom have passed on...

We all have precious memories that take us back to simpler times. We get so busy, so distracted with the everyday occurrences that we sometimes forget what we are here for. So, what are we here for? Is it just to have a few scattered moments of peace and joy that we can look back on so that our lives don't feel so empty? Is it to accumulate money for retirement? Is it to win the rat race? No.

It's to serve God and Christ.

This sounds too simple, I know, but that's the big picture and we would do well to keep it in view. There is a type of tyranny of the inconsequential that dominates our lives. It says we must be here, we must do this or that, we must acquire these things, we must be at this function or that event - and we fritter our lives away!

It is when we give our lives over to God's purpose that we really begin to live. It's not that all of life's little demands will go away the moment that we truly decide to serve God - it's just that they will shrink back to their normal size: Little. When we regain a proper perspective on life, we free ourselves from the unimportant. Then, we can take a break from our hectic lives, from time to time, and revel in our precious memories... like slurping on a homemade popsicle... strolling into a candy store with money in our pockets... walking by the lake with granddad... holding my grandson...

 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus, as recorded in John 10:10, NKJV