A Better World Waiting?
I’m Pastor Russ Hobbs, join me Sunday morning at Coleman Chapel, 10:15AM for a “Better World Waiting!” A message to help us better understand the complexities and anxieties of our daily Christian lives and some of the struggles that catch us off guard every day! Consider this thought..
In the forward of his book, Inside Out, Larry Crabb writes this: “Modern Christianity, in dramatic reversal of its biblical form, promises to relieve the pain of living in a fallen world. The message, whether it’s from fundamentalists requiring us to live by a favored set of rules or from charismatics urging deeper surrender to the Spirit’s power, is too often the same: The promise of bliss is for NOW! Complete satisfaction can be ours this side of heaven…..
We are told, sometimes explicitly but more often by example, that it’s simply not necessary to feel the impact of family tensions, frightening possibilities, or discouraging news. [We are told that] life may have its rough spots, but the reality of Christ’s presence and blessing can so thrill our soul that pain is virtually unfelt. It simply isn’t necessary to wrestle with internal struggle and disorder. Just trust, surrender, persevere, obey.
“The effect of such teaching,” continues Crabb, “is to blunt the painful reality of what it’s like to live as part of an imperfect, and sometimes evil, community. We learn to pretend that we feel now what we cannot feel until Heaven.
But not all of us are good at playing the game. Those whose integrity makes such pretense difficult sometimes worry over their apparent lack of faith. “Why don’t I feel as happy and together as others? Something must be wrong with my spiritual life.” To make matters worse, these people of integrity often appear less mature and their lives less inviting than folks more skilled at denial. And churches tend to reward their members who more convincingly create the illusion of intactness by parading them as examples of what every Christian should be.
[But] beneath the surface of everyone’s life, especially the more mature, is an ache that will not go away. It can be ignored, disguised, mislabeled, or submerged by a torrent of activity, but it will not disappear. And for good reason. We were designed to enjoy a better world than this. And until that better world comes along, we will groan for what we do not have. An aching soul is evidence not of neurosis or spiritual immaturity, but of realism.
Grace..Grace, How Far Can You Push God?
grace-grace-how-far-can-you-push-god We all take Gods love and grace for granted some times! But, we need to take a look at our lives and take inventory as we confess our sin and renew a vital relationship with the living God. What is your relationship with God today? Do you need a renewed commitment to your faith and the Lord that you once invited to be your Savior, Lord and friend? Pastor Russ Hobbs shares some thoughts as he speaks about Grace..Grace, How Far Can You Push God? Listen and share this message with someone who could use a spiritual lift today!
Ahhhhh, Thank God for His Patience!
How familiar are you with the patience of God? How often do you try His patience and love? Read on..There is no study of “our God” which more impressively presents to our view the Infinity of His nature than the study of His perfections; and among those perfections there is not one which, perhaps, more strikingly illustrates that Infinity than His patience. It is impossible to contemplate the fact of God’s patience with this fallen world, from the moment of man’s transgression until the present, and not be profoundly inspired with the truth– what but an Infinite Being could have borne with this revolted, ungodly race until now? The patience of all the created beings in heaven combined would long since have been exhausted had it been left to deal with sinful man. Such is the subject of these pages. Whether we view it in relation to the divine glory, or in its bearings upon the Church and the world, it is impossible, under the guidance of the Spirit of truth, to study the patience of God without deep instruction. Let us, in the further consideration of this subject, speak of the nature of God’s patience, its objects, and the holy lessons it teaches.
THE NATURE OF GOD’S PATIENCE
The wide difference between the grace of patience in the Christian and the perfection of Patience in God will at once appear to the spiritual and reflective mind. In the Christian, patience is an implanted grace, wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit, trained and exercised in the school of suffering and sorrow. But in God, patience is an essential attribute of His being, a part of His nature, yes, a part of Himself, so perfect that it needs no discipline for its culture. As with the divine perfection of love and of Hope, unfolded in the preceding chapters of this work, God could not be and cease to be the God of patience. If He could disrobe Himself of one perfection of His nature, He could of all; and what were this but to suppose it possible that he could undeify Himself? We are again reminded that, in all our dealings with God we deal with Infinity. The Lord’s people too frequently forget this. Would there be the limiting of God, the circumscribing of His power, patience, and love, did we more continually remember that, in coming to God in prayer, in looking to God for help, our faith has to deal with the Infinite, and therefore with the illimitable and the fathomless?
The sin of limiting the Holy One of Israel is one of the most God-dishonoring chargeable upon the believer. And yet, alas! How constant its commission! Is there a difficulty, a trial, or a need, in dealing with which we detect not the working of this evil within us- the tendency to compress the infinite within the finite, to circumscribe the boundless, to limit the Illimitable One?
But what is the Patience of God? It is the power of God over Himself. God’s patience with man is only surpassed by His patience with Himself. “The Lord is slow to anger,” and then it follows, “and great in power.” What is the inference we draw from these sublime words of the prophet but that, God’s patience towards His creatures is His power over Himself? It is, in the strong language of inspiration, “the hiding of His power.” But for the infinite restraint God puts upon Himself, this fallen world could not exist a moment. Mercy withholds judgment, goodness restrains justice, patience curbs power, and thus the patience of God is the salvation of man. “He that rules his spirit is better than he that takes a city.” God’s slowness of anger, His patience towards man, is the ruling of himself. That prince of Puritan writers, Charnock, thus puts it- “He that can restrain his anger is stronger than the Caesars and Alexanders of the world, that have filled the earth with their slain carcasses and ruined cities. By the same reason God’s slowness to anger is a greater argument of His power than the creating a world or the power of dissolving it by a word; in this He has a dominion over creatures, in the other over Himself. This is the reason he will not return to destroy; because ‘I am God, and not man.’ ‘I am not so weak and impotent as man, who cannot restrain his anger.’
This is a strength possessed only by a God, wherein a creature is no more able to parallel Him than in any other; so that He may be said to be the Lord of Himself, as it is in the verse, that He is ‘the Lord of anger.’ The end why God is patient is to show His power. “What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endures with much patience the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” to show His wrath upon sinners, and His power over Himself, in bearing such indignities and forbearing punishment so long upon men, mere vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, of whom there was no hope of amendment? Had He immediately broken in pieces these vessels, His power had not so eminently appeared as it has done in tolerating them so long, that had provoked Him to take them off so often.
There is, indeed, the power of His anger and the power of His patience; and this power is more seen in His patience than in His wrath. It is no wonder that He who is above all is able to crush all; but it is a wonder that He that is provoked by all does not upon the first provocation rid His hands of all. This is the reason why He did bear such a weight of provocation from vessels of wrath, prepared for Him, that He might show what He was able to do, the lordship and royalty He had over Himself. The power of God is more manifest in His patience to a multitude of sinners than it could be in creating millions of worlds out of nothing; this was a power over Himself.”
Let it not, however, be inferred that, by thus representing the other divine perfections as yielding to that of patience, we are in any measure superseding their place or even compromising their dignity. For instance, there is no negation of His truthfulness in the exercise of His patience. In the threatenings of God there may be a delay in execution- patience restraining- and yet sooner or later God will vindicate His truthfulness by executing the threatening. God very rarely appoints the time when His judgments shall be displayed. He is therefore left free to send them when He chooses, without in the slightest degree compromising His veracity. In due time the judgment comes, though long delayed- patience intercepting it with its gentle and merciful restraint, and thus delaying its immediate and dire execution. When God, as in the case of Adam, said, “In the day you eat thereof you shall surely die,” and in the case of Nineveh, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” seems to fix a time for the outpouring of His judgment, it is generally accompanied with a condition upon the performance of which the execution of the sentence depends. Adam did not actually die the very day that he ate the forbidden fruit; nor was Nineveh destroyed at the end of the forty days fixed by God, because in both cases the patience of God waited for the accomplishment of the great ends He had in view in arresting the immediate execution of the threat.
Neither is the equity of God impeached by the exercise of His patience. The justice of God shall never know a cloud. He must cease to be God, if he cease to be just. The exercise, therefore, of His patience in no degree lessens His righteousness. He may “pass sentence against an evil work,” and yet not “execute it speedily” the infliction of punishment thus giving place to the restraint of patience, and yet remain a holy and a righteous Lord God. Would it argue the condoning of a fault on the part of a parent because, in the exercise of parental leniency, he did not immediately administer the punishment? Or, would it involve an impeachment of the justice of the sovereign if, in the exercise of the mercy of the crown, the criminal were not immediately hurried from the bar to the gibbet? And shall God be regarded as less holy or less just, if, in the exercise of His marvelous patience, he spares the guilty sinner, giving space for repentance? Oh, no! To a superficial eye He may seem to overlook wickedness because the sentence against it is not speedily executed; and the wicked man, presuming upon the arrest of judgment, may harden himself in his wickedness; nevertheless, God hates the sin though He bears long with the sinner, and sooner or later the wrath that has been thus long ‘treasuring up against the day of wrath’ will overtake and overwhelm the ungodly.
God’s character should be seen and admired and reverenced by men as a whole. Were God’s judgment instantly to follow a crime, were punishment immediately to light upon a sin, there would be the hiding of His patience, which is an emanation of His goodness, and nothing would be seen but holiness in the awful display of justice. No, more. We believe that the exercise of divine patience is a wonderful balance to the greater luster of all the other divine perfections. When divine patience is, as it were, exhausted, and when holiness is vindicated and justice is displayed in the righteous and fearful doom of the sinner, the spotless purity of the one and the perfect equity of the other will shine forth with augmented luster in the eyes of all intelligent beings. The holiness of God will appear more holy, and the justice of God more just, when the flood-gates of His wrath, long closed, are opened, and His fiery justice, long pent up, is let loose, and the wicked are ‘driven away in their wickedness.’ Then from every lip will ascend the exclamation, “You are righteous, O Lord, in that you have judged thus!”
We have thus shown that the patience of God is not a blind, unintelligent perfection, displayed at the expense of the related attributes of Jehovah; that, although it precede, it does not supersede, still less destroy them, but rather renders their manifestation the more palpable and their glory the more resplendent.
Such is the character of God as reflected by the single perfection of patience. And oh! how gracious and glorious does it appear! What a bright beam of mercy is patience! What a pure, sweet, and engaging emanation of goodness is patience! It is purely a truth of His own revelation. Had He not so revealed it, man, in the blindness which the fall has created, would have never discovered it. Listen to His declaration! “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient, and abundant in goodness and truth” The patience of God seems like a central link in this golden chain of attributes. Mercy could have no room to act if patience did not prepare the way, and His truth and goodness in the promise of the Redeemer would not have been made manifest to the world if He had shot His arrows as soon as men committed these sins and deserved His punishment.
This perfection is expressed by other phrases; as, keeping silence; “These things have you done, and I kept silence.” This signifies to behave one’s self as a deaf and dumb man. “I did not fly in your face, as some do, with a great voice or for a light provocation, as if their life, honor, and estates were at stake. I did not presently call you to the bar, and pronounce judicial sentence upon you according to the law, but demeaned myself as if had been ignorant of your crimes, and had not been invested with the power of judging you for them. In the Chaldee, ‘I waited for your conversion.’ God’s patience is the silence of His justice, and the first whisper of His mercy.” (Charnock)
Here let us consider, admire, and love! What a God is our God! When we remember how holy He is, “of purer eyes than to look upon iniquity;” when we remember how powerful He is, “He looks upon the hills and they tremble;” and when we remember how just He is, “a God without iniquity, just and right is He,” “and will by no means clear the guilty;” and then contemplate His infinite patience with sinners and with sin, bearing long with the one and keeping silence as to the other, oh! what a God is our God! Sinner! this is the God whose great patience you are trying to the utmost by your persistent sinfulness and impenitence, your determined unbelief and rebellion. Truly is this patience His dominion over Himself.
What an unfolding have we here of the goodness and mercy of God! of His character as a God delighting in mercy, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance! Sinner! “Do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Oh that this truth might dissolve your heart, disarm your rebellion, and lay you at His feet subdued, conquered, won; henceforth to throw down your weapons and array beneath the all-constraining, all-victorious banner of His love- His disciple, His follower forever!
But we have yet to contemplate the patience of God in its clearest, its truest light. I refer to the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation on which it rests, and the channel through which it flows. There could be no manifestation of the divine goodness, mercy, or patience, but for the work and death of Christ. All God’s perfections, outside of Christ, are united in their hatred of sin, and are pledged to punish the sinner. This must necessarily be so. If not harmonized in the administration of love, they must be united in the administration of justice. Had a Savior been provided for angels, then the great patience of God had been extended to them who “kept not their first estate;” but seeing that no such merciful provision was made for them, the moment they sinned they were hurled from the heights of glory into the abyss of woe, and are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
But the moment man sinned, Christ saved man. When Adam fell, divine patience was instantly extended to the fallen sinner, and an arrest of judgment put in, Christ throwing Himself in the breach, exclaiming, “To my account let the sin be charged; upon me let the penalty fall; from me let the payment be exacted. I am the sinner’s Substitute; and if I must be arrested, and bound, and slain, let these elect souls on whose behalf I have from eternity covenanted to die, and have pledged myself to save, go their way.” Thus Christ, our Days-man, interposed for our relief, “giving Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- smelling savor.” On no other ground than that of the Son of God engaging, in the eternal purposes of Jehovah, and actually in the fullness of time taking our nature, could God’s infinite patience and pardoning grace be extended to man.
In the everlasting covenant, He bound Himself to honor the law by His obedience, and to satisfy justice by His death, and so make it righteous and honorable in God to hold out His hand of patience all the day long to a sinful and gainsaying race. Finding in the person of Christ a divine dignity equal to the claims of His moral government, in His obedience a full honoring of the law, and in His sufferings and death a full satisfaction to justice, God could stand upon the Mount, and, while the thunder of His power rolled, and the lightning of His justice flashed, exclaim, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”- and thus it became righteous and honorable in God, to hold out His hand all the day long to a sinful and gainsaying race. It was on the ground of this covenant engagement that God could appear upon Mount Sinai, and amid those awful emblems of His majesty, declare Himself “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgressions, and sins.”
Let those who reject the idea of God’s everlasting love, and who ignore the covenant of grace, reflect upon these words. Let them pause and inquire, Had not Christ from eternity interposed as the Mediator anti Redeemer of men, upon what other grounds could God, amid these solemn displays of His holiness and power, have proclaimed Himself to sinners as a God “patient and abundant in goodness and truth?” If, under the law, God could so reveal Himself, how much is His patience heightened under the Gospel? Glorious as thus was Mount Sinai, it had no glory by reason of the glory that excelled on Mount Calvary, where the patience of God to sinful man culminated to its highest pitch of grandeur and glory.
Thus reasons the Apostle when arguing the superiority of the Gospel to the Legal dispensation- “That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant. So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory.”
If, then, the patience of our God was so manifest and glorious amid the dim shadows of the Legal dispensation, how much more real and glorious does it appear in the full blaze of the Gospel dispensation, and as exercised amid the sublime and impressive scenes of Calvary! In a word, if for the sake of the sacrifice of a lamb, or a goat, or a heifer, God would bear, in much patience, with men’s sin and rebellion, how much more honorable and fitting on His part to extend to sinners His patience on the ground of Christ’s only and complete sacrifice!
This explains the world-wide indirect influence of Christ’s Atonement. That Atonement has a particular reference to the elect Church of God; but, since it was necessary that the world should be kept in existence- a wicked, ungodly, mutinous world though it is- in order that God might take out of it His chosen people, the indirect effect of the sacrifice of Christ is, as to enable God to “bear with much patience the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction!”
Oh, the marvelous blessings that flow from the death of Christ! Oh, the variety of precious fruit that grows upon the cross of Calvary! So marvelous, so strange and unheard of a thing was it that, the incarnate God, the Maker of all worlds, the Creator of all beings, should die, it would seem impossible that there should be a spot in the universe, or a being on the globe, to whom the far-reaching influence of Christ’s death should not extend in some of its countless effects, direct or indirect, either of saving mercy, or of restraining and sparing power. In this sense the Divine Merchantman “purchased the field”- the world- for the sake of the “pearl”- the Church- ” hidden in that field.” And so, the patience of God in sparing the world, for the sake of the Church He intended to take out of it, is an indirect result of the Savior’s suffering and death upon the cross. Thus, in the strong language of the Apostle, He is described as “the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.”
For this reason God spared the old world while the ark was preparing. Long and patiently He bore with it, its wickedness crying mightily to heaven for judgment. But the framework of the ark cast a benign and restraining shadow upon the ungodly race. And so long as the vessel was building, the wicked ante-diluvians dwelt peacefully and securely beneath its shade. It was the indirect merciful influence of the ark that spared them so long from instant and utter destruction. But when the ark was complete, and the family for whom it was built were safe beneath its roof, and God had shut them in, the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the flood came and swept them all away.
So God bears with much patience a wicked world now. The shallow of the cross preserves it! but, when the purposes of mercy according to the election of grace, are accomplished, and the mystery of God shall be finished, divine patience will give place to divine wrath, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into His garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The ark afloat- the church saved- the purposes of God accomplished- the divine patience, that for so many centuries bore with our ungodly world, will cease; and divine justice, long restrained, will blot it from the universe, superseding it by “a new heaven and a new earth, in which will dwell righteousness.”
But if such are the indirect blessings from the death of Christ- the chief of which is God’s unwearied patience with the wicked; what must be the greatness and preciousness of the blessings directly and immediately resulting to the Church of God! As a believer in the Lord Jesus, you have a personal and inalienable interest in a present salvation and in a future glory, all flowing from His atoning death. The death of Christ places you, if a believer, in the position of a sinner saved now. Yours is a present salvation, a present pardon, a present justification, a present adoption. But how few realize this to be their standing! How few walk in the happy enjoyment of it as those whose sins are forgiven, whose souls are accepted, whose persons are adopted!
How few, in the language of the prophet, “possess these possessions.” But the word of God fully justifies this view of a present salvation. Listen to its language. “I write unto you, little children, because ,our sins are forgiven for His name’s sake ” Observe, it is a present forgiveness! ” To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” Observe, it is a present acceptance! “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” Mark, it is a present adoption! “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ” Notice, it is a present acquittal! Such is the authority upon which we earnestly urge you to realize your present standing in Christ.
Let it not be with you a future question. If you are a slave emancipated, a criminal acquitted, a sinner pardoned, an alien adopted, a wanderer reclaimed, then realize it, and let your whole life, amid all its trials and sorrows and battles, be as a sweet and pleasant psalm of praise and thanksgiving to the God of patience who bore with you so long, to the Savior of sinners whose grace called you at last, and to the Spirit of holiness who, by His work of progressive sanctification, is gradually fitting you for the inheritance of the saints in light.
But who are the OBJECTS of God’s patience? They include both the sinner and the saint. First, there is God’s patience with the UNGODLY. This He shows in various ways. By the warnings which precede His judgments. God never acts impulsively, His justice is never hasty in its execution. The threat is issued, the warning is given, the rod is shaken, but the smiting tarries. Patience waits, mercy pleads, power restrains, and the sentence against the evil work is not executed speedily. As there is space between the lightning’s flash and the thunder’s roll, so space is afforded the sinner between the warning and the judgment, the threatening and the execution. God speaks twice in His mercy; and once in judgment. He gives the sinner space for repentance. Sinner! all this is verified in you! The warning is gone forth, but the executions lingers. God is speaking once in warning, twice in mercy. Judgment slumbers, but forbearance is awake. The indictment is laid, but the trial is postponed; the verdict is given, but the sentence is delayed. And why? That God’s infinite patience might induce you to turn from your wickedness and live; to renounce your sins and flee from the wrath to come. Delay no longer! Think of all the past illustrations of God’s patience; recall the many instances in which His goodness has interposed between your sin and its consequences, your aggravated provocation and His tremendous wrath.
Another example of God’s forbearance with the sinner is seen in the many ways He employs to persuade him to repentance, before He administers the chastisement. He is intent upon affording both the time and the means for repentance. One of the fathers, in illustrating this idea, remarks that, God took six days to create the world, but was seven days in destroying Jericho. He was quick to build up, but slow to pull down. To the sinner going on in his rebellion, He says, “How shall I give you up? how shall I deliver you, Israel?” As of old, so it is now; “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yes, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.” The original is more expressive; “Many a time He recalled, or ordered His anger to return again,” as if He hesitated to punish, was irresolute what to do.
What God did aforetime for Jezebel, He does now; “I gave her space to repent.” Impenitent sinner! God is giving you space, or time, to repent; and except you do repent, like the wicked prophetess, you must perish. Do you ask, “How can I repent?” Fall at the mercy-seat, and seek the grace from Heaven. “Christ is exalted a Prince and Savior, to give repentance.” Precious gift! a princely gift, not a purchase; a divine principle wrought in the heart by the power of the Spirit. One stroke of the rod of His grace, and, like the rock which Moses smote, your heart will be broken, and the waters of godly penitence for sin will gush forth, and flow in a hallowed stream beneath the cross. Remember, the two distinctive elements of conversion are, “repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” Oh! seek truly, earnestly, perseveringly, these two royal gifts of God. Apart from their possession, there can be no real conversion now, and, consequently, after death, no heaven.
We will only further remark that, God shows His patience with sinners in lessening and softening the judgment when it comes. He does not deal with the sinner after his sins, nor reward him according to his iniquities. The stroke is lighter than the crime. God does not, in His punishment, exhaust the vials of His displeasure. The judgment is less heavy than the threat, and the punishment less severe than the provocation. The sword is bathed in heaven- so gentle, so slight the wound. Oh! what a God is our God, even to His enemies! Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God; His goodness tempering, softening severity; His severity upholding and vindicating the holiness of goodness.
Will not this view of God’s dealings dissolve you into penitence, gratitude, and love? Will you continue sinning against such a Being? Will you persist in your rebellion against such a God? “Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? But no, you won’t listen. So you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done.”
Equally great is the patience of God WITH HIS OWN PEOPLE. In one point of light it is even greater than in the case of the ungodly. God has to put up with greater provocation in the saint than in the sinner, and, consequently, His patience and patience towards His people is greater. The sin of the unconverted is the natural growth of their fallen and unrenewed nature; the sin of the converted is against grace, and pardon, and love. The rebellion against God of the converted is that of a child. The sin of the one is that of all unforgiven soul; the sin of the other is that of one all whose sin is blotted out. When, therefore, we consider what God has done for us, what Jesus has endured for us, what the Holy Spirit has wrought in us, and then contrast this with our deep ingratitude, our base murmurings, our countless backslidings, our cruel unbelief and secret rebellion, with the little we do for God and suffer for Christ, and with the sin and infirmities with which that little is mixed and defiled, truly we must feel that the patience of our God towards the saint is greater than His patience towards the sinner.
Oh! the tenderness, the graciousness of the Lord’s patience with His people! How patiently he hears with their ungrateful repinings, with their secret rebellion, with their cold love, with their cruel unbelief, with their continuous and aggravated backslidings! Truly, the patience of God, after grace, is greater than His patience before grace. How should this thought humble us in the dust! How should it subdue our rebellious spirit, break our hard heart, and lead us, in every fresh remembrance, to the blood of Christ, to wash in the fountain open for sin and uncleanness!
It is only as we keep fast by this cleansing Fountain, wash in it daily, that we shall leave spiritual discernment to see when we sin against God’s patience, and how we provoke the just chastisement of His fatherly displeasure. Oh for more simple coming to the blood of sprinkling! Oh for more constant bathing in the open fountain! This alone will keep the heart clean, the conscience tender, the mind quickly susceptible of the slightest oscillation of its thoughts, imaginations, and desires towards sin. Never should a single day pass in the experience of a child of God without washing in the blood. The blood should be upon all his religious duties and engagements and services. Everything should be purged, and purified, and perfumed with the blood of Jesus. This will cleanse, sanctify, and beautify all we are and all we do, and render the smallest offering of faith, and the lowliest service of love, a sacrifice and an offering to God of a sweet-smelling savor. Such is our God, the God of patience! Many are the LESSONS we may learn, and the BLESSINGS we may glean, from this instructive and fruitful subject.
Does God exercise patience towards us? Then let us learn to bear, with Christian patience, all His disciplinary dealings with us. If God is patient with our sins and misdoings against Him, we may well receive with uncomplaining meekness and submission all the trials and corrections, the rebukes and sufferings, His wisdom and love righteously lays upon us. And yet how uneasy are we beneath the yoke! how we kick against the goads! and allow our poor, puny will, to rise in opposition to His will, supremely wise and infinitely holy!
Are you a child of sorrow or of suffering? Is our God leading you, so blind and helpless, in a way you know not, and in paths you had not known? Is He pressing to your lips a cup of woe before untasted; and tasting which, you turn away, and exclaim, “Let this cup pass from me?” Think of the God of patience, and be still. Know that He who is wise is counseling you, He who is strong is leading you, He who is love is directing, and shaping, and tinting the whole scene through which, with a skillful hand and in the integrity of His heart, He is conducting you home to glory. His is a school where the grace of patience receives its highest culture, its purest, and host beauteous development.
“Tribulation works patience,” and patience, in its turn, works our experience. Afflicted saint, “you have need of patience;” and He who sends the affliction knows your need, and knowing, will supply it, by giving you abundantly of this soul-sanctifying, God-glorifying grace of holy patience. Thus, by meeting your calamities with calamities, by waiting humbly the issue of events, the mystery of which you cannot penetrate, and the direction of which you cannot control, and by waiting in the patience of hope for that eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised to all who believe in Christ, and for the enjoyment of which present suffering is perfecting you, “patience will have its perfect work, lacking nothing,” and “in patience you shall possess your soul.”
Is your path dark and lonely? are your prayers still unanswered? is the promise still unfulfilled and the blessing still withheld? Now is the time to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him,” and by so doing glorify your Father who is in heaven. Thus will your experience and your testimony be that of David, “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.”
Let us learn from the God of patience a patient spirit TOWARDS OTHERS. In this grace we may truly be “Imitators of God.” The Apostle’s exhortation is one you have need to bear in mind, “Be patient toward all men.” There is much sin in the ungodly; and what is yet harder to bear, of infirmity in the saints, which calls for the constant exercise of this grace of the Spirit. But, what a divine and illustrious example of this grace have we in Jesus! “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is dumb, so opened He not His mouth.” “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, He threatened not.” Learn, then, to bear with uncomplaining patience the weaknesses and infirmities, the slights and woundings of your fellows- the hatred of the world and the smitings of the Church– looking to the God of patience for strength and grace silently and patiently to bear it. And, whether you are buffeted for your faults, or are misinterpreted and censured for your well-doing, you take it patiently, this is acceptable to God.
“Lord, and am I yet alive,
Not in torment, not in hell?
Still does Your good Spirit strive
With the chief of sinners dwell?
Tell it unto sinners, tell,
I am, I am out of hell!
Yes, I still lift up my eyes,
Will not of Your love despair,
Still in spite of sin I rise,
Still I bow to You in prayer.
Tell it unto sinners, tell,
I am, I am out of hell!
Oh, the length and breadth of love!
Jesus, Savior, can it be?
All Your mercy’s height I prove,
All the depth is seen in me.
Tell it unto sinners, tell,
I am, I am out of hell!
See a bush that burns with fire,
Unconsumed amid the flame!
Turn aside the sight admire,
I the living wonder am.
Tell it unto sinners, tell, I am,
I am out of hell!
See a stone that hangs in air,
See a spark in ocean live!
Kept alive with death so near,
I to God the glory give.
Ever tell- to sinners tell,
I am, I am out of hell!”
Red Solo Cup Philosophy, Proceed to Party?
Coleman Memorial Chapel
January 15, 2012
“Proceed to Party..Proceed to Party
Do You Have a Red Solo Cup Philosophy?
Rev. Russ Hobbs
Pastor
• Now a red solo cup is the best receptacle For barbecues tailgates fairs and festivals And you sir do not have a pair of testicles If you prefer drinking from glass.
• A red solo cup is cheap and disposable And in 14 years they are decomposable And unlike my home they are not foreclosable Freddie-Mac can kiss my ass woo
Red solo cup I fill you up Lets have a party lets have a party I love you red solo cup I lift you up Proceed to party proceed to party
• Now I really love how you’re easy to stack But I really hate how you’re easy to crack Cuz when beer runs down the front of my back Well that my friends is quite yucky
But I have to admit the ladies get smitten Admiring how sharply my first name is written On you with a sharpie when I get to hittin’ on them to help me get lucky
• Red solo cup I fill you up Lets have a party lets have a party I love you red solo cup I lift you up Proceed to party proceed to party
Now I’ve seen you in blue and I’ve seen you in yellow But only you in red will do for this fellow Cuz you are the Abbot to my Costello And you are the fruit to my loom.
• Red solo cup your more than just plastic You’re more than amazing you’re more than fantastic And believe me when I’m not the least bit sarcastic when i look at you and say:
“Red solo cup, your not just a cup. You’re my, you’re my friend. (life long) Thank you, for being my friend.
Red solo cup I fill you up Lets have a party lets have a party I love you red solo cup I lift you up Proceed to party proceed to party (Repeat chorus 3 times)
Toby Keith’s Red Solo Cup is a very catchy and somewhat amusing. Particularly if you party AND are fond of Red Solo Cups! Once you listen to the country song, you either keep humming the tune or singing the lyrics. Let me share the lyrics with you this morning. (Share and discuss lyrics)
I have to admit that I like Country music and some of the ballads and stories AND we all know that Country Music deals with “sad stories and tales of tragedy” that include lots of drinking, hot and wild sex, domestic violence, fighting the bad guys, government and mean spirited human critters along the countryside. Now, sometimes you will hear some “God and Country” songs that tug at your heart and resurrect some feelings of patriotism. Perhaps, you will remember the song, I’m Gong to Hire A Wino by David Frizzell.
I came crawling home last night, like many nights before:
I finally made it to my feet as she opened up the door.
And she said, “You’re not gonna do this anymore.”
She said: “I’m gonna’ hire a wino to decorate our home,
“So you’ll feel more at ease here, and you won’t have to roam.
“We’ll take out the dining room table, and put a bar along that wall.
“And a neon sign, to point the way, to our bathroom down the hall.”
She said: “Just bring your Friday paycheck, and I’ll cash them all right here.
“And I’ll keep on tap - for all your friends, their favorite kinds of beer.
“And for you, I’ll always keep in stock, those soft aluminum cans.
“And when you’re feeling macho, you can crush them like a man.”
She said: “We’ll rip out all the carpet, and put sawdust on the floor.
“Serve hard boiled eggs and pretzels, and I won’t cook no more.
“There’ll be Monday night football, on T.V. above the bar.
“And a pay phone in the hallway, when your friends can’t find their car.”
She said: “I’m gonna’ hire a wino to decorate our home,
“So you’ll feel more at ease here, and you won’t have to roam.
“We’ll take out the dining room table, and put a bar along that wall.
“And a neon sign, to point the way, to our bathroom down the hall.”
She said: “You’ll get friendly service, and for added atmosphere.
“I’ll slip on something sexy, and I’ll cut it clear to here.
“Then you can slap my bottom, every time you tell a joke.
“Just as long as you keep tipping, well, I’ll laugh until you’re broke.”
She said: “Instead of family quarrels, we’ll have a bar-room brawl,
“When the Ham’s bear say’s its closing time, you won’t have far to crawl.
“And when you run out of money, you’ll have me to thank.
“You can sleep it off next morning, when I’m putting it in the bank.”
She said: “I’m gonna’ hire a wino, to decorate our home,
“So you can feel more at ease here, and you won’t have to roam.
“When you and your friends get off from work, and have a powerful thirst.
“There won’t be any reason, why you can’t stop off here first.”
She said: “I’m gonna’ hire a wino to decorate our home,
“So you’ll feel more at ease here, and you won’t have to roam.
“We’ll take out the dining room table, and put a bar along that wall.
“And a neon sign, to point the way, to our bathroom down the hall.”
Country music has always told us those steamy life stories filled home spun adventures! But, what are some of the messages of Red Solo Cup? It’s a party song so what’s it reminding us of? Let’s take a look.
1. Red solo cups are versatile containers which are great for barbecues fairs and festivals.
2. Clueless men (without testicles) would prefer to drink from glass. So..real men prefer “Red Solo Cups.”
3. Red Solo Cups are cheap and disposable and in 14 years they are decomposable AND unlike Toby Keith’s home they are not foreclosable AND Freddie-Mac can kiss Toby’s ass! Atleast that’s what he sung..
4. Red Solo Cups are easy to stack but they do have a weakness, there easy to crack and beer running down your back is quite yucky my friend.
5. Ladies are quite smitten by Red Solo Cups and Toby can write his name on the cup with a Sharpie in hopes of getting “Lucky”
6. Now, Red Solo Cups come in yellow and blue but only the ones in red will do because they are the Abbot to his Costello and the fruit of his loom!
7. Red Solo Cups are not just plastic, they have the ability to take on human like characteristics and become a “friend” a life-long friend, thank you for being my friend!
8. IF YOUR FRIEND, YOUR CONFIDENT IS A RED SOLO CUP, A RED SOLO CUP FULL OF BEER, A SHOT OF RUM OR WHISKY, YOU HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE AND WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO FOR YOU!
What do drug and alcohol professionals have to say about Red Solo Cup partying?
1.Hazardous drinking puts people at risk for adverse health, psychological, emotional and spiritual harm!
2.4 drinks in a sitting is considered problematic for men, 1 drink is too much when alcoholism is present.
3.3 drinks for women, 1 is too much when alcoholism is present.
4.Frequent intoxication represents a serious alcohol problem for anyone.
Harmful drinking is indicated when;
1.There is clear evidence that alcohol is responsible for physical or emotional dysfunction.
2. The nature of the harm can be identified.
3. Alcohol consumption has been persistent for at least a month and consistent for the past year.
Alcohol Abuse is indicated when;
1. Failure to fulfill work obligations.
2. Recurrent use in potentially dangerous situations.
3. Problems with the law.
4. Continued use despite harm being done in social or personal relationships.
Alcohol dependence, Alcoholism is indicated when;
1. Increased amounts of alcohol are needed to produce the effect.
2. Withdrawal symptoms, increased anxiety, shakiness, hot and cold flashes, nausea.
3. Drinking more than intended.
4. Unsuccessful attempts to quit or cut down.
5. Giving up significant work or leisure activities.
6. Continued drinking in spite of knowledge of its harmful affects on self and others.
Problem Alcohol Consumption;
1. Cancer
2. Liver Cirrhosis
3. Stroke
4. Birth defects
5. Domestic Violence
6. Rape
7. Assault
8. Homicide
9. Suicide
10. Lost productivity at work or school
Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems. Whatever strategies you choose, give them a fair trial. If one approach doesn’t work, try something else. But if you haven’t made progress in cutting down after 2 to 3 months, consider quitting drinking altogether, seeking professional help, or both.
Here are some strategies to try, and you can add your own at the end. Check off perhaps two or three to try in the next week or two.
Keep track. Keep track of how much you drink. Find a way that works for you, carry drinking tracker cards in your wallet, make check marks on a kitchen calendar, or enter notes in a mobile phone notepad or personal digital assistant. Making note of each drink before you drink it may help you slow down when needed.
Count and measure. Know the standard drink sizes so you can count your drinks accurately. Measure drinks at home. Away from home, it can be hard to keep track, especially with mixed drinks, and at times, you may be getting more alcohol than you think. With wine, you may need to ask the host or server not to “top off” a partially filled glass.
Set goals. Decide how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you’ll have on those days. It’s a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink.
Pace and space. When you do drink, pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one standard drink with alcohol per hour. Have “drink spacers”—make every other drink a non-alcoholic one, such as water, soda, or juice.
Include food. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Eat some food so the alcohol will be absorbed into your system more slowly.
Find alternatives. If drinking has occupied a lot of your time, then fill free time by developing new, healthy activities, hobbies, and relationships, or renewing ones you’ve missed. If you have counted on alcohol to be more comfortable in social situations, manage moods, or cope with problems, then seek other, healthy ways to deal with those areas of your life.
Avoid “triggers.” What triggers your urge to drink? If certain people or places make you drink even when you don’t want to, try to avoid them. If certain activities, times of day, or feelings trigger the urge, plan something else to do instead of drinking. If drinking at home is a problem, keep little or no alcohol there.
Plan to handle urges. When you cannot avoid a trigger and an urge hits, consider these options: Remind yourself of your reasons for changing (it can help to carry them in writing or store them in an electronic message you can access easily). Or talk things through with someone you trust. Or get involved with a healthy, distracting activity, such as physical exercise or a hobby that doesn’t involve drinking. Or, instead of fighting the feeling, accept it and ride it out without giving in, knowing that it will soon crest like a wave and pass. Also, see the short module to help you handle urges to drink.
Know your “no” You’re likely to be offered a drink at times when you don’t want one. Have a polite, convincing “no, thanks” ready. The faster you can say no to these offers, the less likely you are to give in. If you hesitate, it allows you time to think of excuses to go along. Also, see the short module to help you build drink refusal skills.
What does Gods word and our Lord have to say about drinking and partying?
Should Christians really totally abstain from alcohol drinks? Or does God tell us we can drink moderately?
In the 1800’s and early 1900’s the church in America took a bold stand for total abstinence. People read research about the word “wine;” Bible studies showed the truth about alcohol. The result was Prohibition with its great benefits. But the prohibition amendment was repealed, and the church began to weaken its conviction against alcohol. Today some pastors say, “What’s wrong with a six pack? Why get hung up on a little wine at a wedding?”
Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, author of Wine in the Bible, 1989, says, Drinking Alcohol is…a moral issue. It is…a transgression of God’s law.”
FACTS TO KNOW
1) The Bible does teach total abstinence from alcohol. Both the main Hebrew word for wine and the Greek word for wine can mean either fermented grape juice or intoxicating wine. The English word wine originally had two meanings also - unfermented juice or alcoholic drink.
2) In the Bible, verses to show God approves of wine are speaking about unfermented juice. Verses that expose the evils of wine are speaking about intoxicating wine.
3) The Bible says alcohol drink is evil. It is not just the amount one drinks that makes drinking a sin. God condemns the drink itself. (Prov 20:1 KJV) Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
4) God does not lead us into evil; He delivers us from it. He does not teach us to practice evil in moderation. Jesus did not make, use, approve, commend, or tell us to use intoxicating wine.
5) God made man to have fellowship with Him. Alcohol goes directly to the brain, the communication center of the body. It interferes with God’s purpose for mankind.
75 WARNINGS
There is more Scripture condemning the use of alcoholic beverages than will be found on the subjects of lying, adultery, swearing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, or even blasphemy.
1) Genesis 9:20-26 - Noah became drunk; the result was immorality and family trouble.
2) Genesis 19:30-38 - Lot was so drunk he did not know what he was doing; this led to immorality
3) Leviticus 10:9-11 - God commanded priests not to drink so that they could tell the difference between the holy and the unholy.
4) Numbers 6:3 - The Nazarites were told to eat or drink nothing from the grape vine.
5) Deuteronomy 21:20 - A drunken son was stubborn and rebellious.
6) Deuteronomy 29:5-6 - God gave no grape juice to Israel nor did they have intoxicating drink in the wilderness.
7) Deuteronomy 32:33 - Intoxicating wine is like the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.
Judges 13:4, 7, 14 - Samson was to be a Nazarite for life. His mother was told not to drink wine or strong drink.
9) 1 Samuel 1:14-15 - Accused, Hannah said she drank no wine.
10) 1 Samuel 25:32-38 - Nabal died after a drunken spree.
11) 2 Samuel 11:13 - By getting Uriah drunk, David hoped to cover his sin.
12) 2 Samuel 13:28-29 - Amnon was drunk when he was killed.
13) 1 Kings 16:8-10 - The king was drinking himself into drunkenness when he was assassinated
14) 1 Kings 20:12-21 - Ben-Hadad and 32 other kings were drinking when they were attacked and defeated by the Israelites.
15) Esther 1:5-12 - The king gave each one all the drink he wanted. The king was intoxicated when he commanded the queen to come.
16) Psalm 75:8 - The Lord’s anger is pictured as mixed wine poured out and drunk by the wicked.
17) Proverbs 4:17 - Alcoholic drink is called the wine of violence.
18) Proverbs 20:1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging.
19) Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
20) Proverbs 23:21 - Drunkenness causes poverty.
21) Proverbs 23:29-30 - Drinking causes woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause and red eyes.
22) Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.
23) Proverbs 23:32 - Alcoholic drinks bite like a serpent, sting like an adder.
24) Proverbs 23:33 - Alcohol causes the drinker to have strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation.
25) Proverbs 23:34 - Alcohol makes the drinker unstable
26) Proverbs 23:35 - Alcohol makes the drinker insensitive to pain so he does not perceive it as a warning. Alcohol is habit forming.
27) Proverb 31:4-5 - Kings, Princes, and others who rule and judge must not drink alcohol. Alcohol perverts good judgment.
28) Proverbs 31:6-7 - Strong drink could be given to those about to perish or those in pain. Better anesthetics are available today.
29) Ecclesiastes 2:3 - The king tried everything, including intoxicating drink, to see if it satisfied. It did not. (Ecclesiastes 12:8)
30) Ecclesiastes 10:17 - A land is blessed when its leaders do not drink.
31) Isaiah 5:11-12 - Woe to those who get up early to drink and stay up late at night to get drunk.
32) Isaiah 5:22 - Woe to “champion” drinkers and “experts” at mixing drinks.
33) Isaiah 19:14 - Drunken men stagger in their vomit.
34) Isaiah 22:12-13 - The Israelites choose to drink; their future looks hopeless to them.
35) Isaiah 24:9 - Drinkers cannot escape the consequences when God judges.
36) Isaiah 28:1 - God pronounces woe on the drunkards of Ephraim.
37) Isaiah 28:3 - Proud drunkards shall be trodden down.
38) Isaiah 28:7 - Priests and prophets stagger and reel from beer and wine, err in vision, and stumble in judgment.
39) Isaiah 28:8 - Drinkers’ tables are covered with vomit and filth.
40) Isaiah 56:9-12 - Drinkers seek their own gain and expect tomorrow to be just like today.
41) Jeremiah 35:2-14 - The Rechabites drank no grape juice or intoxicating wine and were blessed.
42) Ezekiel 44:21 - Again God instructed the priests not to drink wine.
43) Daniel 1:5-17 - Daniel refused the king’s intoxicating wine and was blessed for it along with his abstaining friends.
44) Daniel 5:1 - Belshazzar, ruler of Babylon; led his people in drinking.
45) Daniel 5:2-3 - The king, along with his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from the goblets which had been taken from God’s temple.
46) Daniel 5:4 - Drinking wine was combined with praising false gods.
47) Daniel 5:23 - God sent word to Belshazzar that punishment would be swift for the evil he had committed.
48) Hosea 4:11 - Intoxicating wine takes away intelligence.
49) Hosea 7:5 - God reproves princes for drinking.
50) Joel 1:5 - Drunkards awake to see God’s judgment.
51) Joel 3:3 - The enemy is judged for selling girls for wine.
52) Amos 2:8 - Unrighteous acts of Israel included the drinking of wine which had been taken for the payment of fines.
53) Amos 2:12 - Israel is condemned for forcing Nazarites to drink wine.
54) Micah 2:11 - Israelites are eager to follow false teachers who prophesy plenty of intoxicating drinks.
55) Nahum 1:10 - The drunkards of Nineveh will be destroyed by God.
56) Habakkuk 2:5 - A man is betrayed by wine.
57) Habakkuk 2:15 - Woe to him that gives his neighbor drink.
58) Habakkuk 2:16 - Drinking leads to shame.
59) Matthew 24:48-51 - A drinking servant is unprepared for his Lord’s return.
60) Luke 1:15 - John the Baptist drank neither grape juice nor wine.
61) Luke 12:45 - Christ warned against drunkenness.
62) Luke 21:34 - Drunkenness will cause a person not to be ready for the Lord’s return.
63) Romans 13:13 - Do not walk in drunkenness or immorality.
64) Romans 14:21 - Do not do anything that will hurt your testimony as a believer.
65) 1 Corinthians 5:11 - If a Christian brother is a drinker, do not associate with him.
66) 1 Corinthians 6:10 - Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God
67) Galatians 5:21 - Acts of the sinful nature, such as drunkenness, will prohibit a person from inheriting the kingdom of God.
68) Ephesians 5:18 - In contrast to being drunk with wine, the believer is to be filled with the Spirit.
69) 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7 - Christians are to be alert and self-controlled, belonging to the day. Drunkards belong to the night and darkness.
70) 1 Timothy 3:2-3 - Bishops (elders) are to be temperate, sober, and not near any wine.
71) 1 Timothy 3:8 - Deacons are to be worthy of respect and not drinkers.
72) 1 Timothy 3:11 - Deacons’ wives are to be temperate and sober.
73) Titus 1:7-8 - An overseer is to be disciplined.
74) Titus 2:2-3 - The older men and older women of the church are to be temperate and not addicted to wine.
75) 1 Peter 4:3-4 - The past life of drunkenness and carousing has no place in the Christian’s life.
What is your “Red Solo Cup” Philosophy of life? What is Gods will for you concerning your use of alcohol? What will you choose to do?
Future Reality?
Thanksgiving 2022
“Winston, come into the dining room, it’s time to eat,” Julia yelled to
her husband. “In a minute, honey, it’s a tie score,” he answered. Actually
Winston wasn’t very interested in the traditional holiday football game
between Detroit and Washington.
Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017,
outlawing tackle football for its “unseemly violence” and the “bad example
it sets for the rest of the world,” Winston was far less of a football fan
than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn’t nearly as exciting.
Yet it wasn’t the game that Winston was uninterested in. It was more the
thought of eating another Tofu Turkey. Even though it was the best type of
Veggie Meat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity
Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which
already included potatoes, cranberry sauce and mince-meat pie), it wasn’t
anything like real turkey. And ever since the government officially changed
the name of “Thanksgiving Day” to “A National Day of Atonement” in 2020 to
officially acknowledge the Pilgrims’ historically brutal treatment of Native
Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.
Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of
government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even
weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold. Ever since
Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all
thermostats-which were monitored and controlled by the electric company-be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable
throughout the entire winter.
Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the
family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had
used up her legal allotment of live-saving medical treatment. He had many
heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the
private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into
the government health care program. And though he demanded she be kept on
her treatment, it was a futile effort. ”The RHC’s resources are limited,”
explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. “Your
mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled. I’m sorry for your
loss.”
Ed couldn’t make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car
last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021
outlawed the use of the combustion engines-for everyone but government
officials. The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn’t
want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.
Thankfully, Winston’s brother, John, and his wife were flying in.
Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the
occasion. No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so
soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which
severely aggravated his hemorrhoids. Ever since a terrorist successfully
smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added
“inconvenience” was an “absolute necessity” in order to stay “one step ahead of the
terrorists.” Winston’s own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever
since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd
gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022. That law made it a crime to single
out any group or individual for “unequal scrutiny,” even when probable
cause was involved. Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots,
etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a
Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law
intact. “A living Constitution is extremely flexible,” said the Court’s
eldest member, Elena Kagan. “Europe has had laws like this one for years. We
should learn from their example,” she added.
Winston’s thoughts turned to his own children. He got along fairly well
with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him.
Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any
time, even during Atonement Dinner. Their only real confrontation had
occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he
could afford. She whined for a week, but got over it.
His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was
the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the
bird flu, terrorism or any of a number of other calamities were “just around
the corner,” but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that
ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility. It didn’t help that
Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the
house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which
outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being. Winston
paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the
American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13. The latest
round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once
again, to “spur economic growth.” This time they promised to push unemployment
below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before
remembering it was a Day of Atonement. At least he had his memories. He
felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what
life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make
life “fair for everyone” realized their full potential. Winston, like so
many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change
when they didn’t happen all at once, but little by little, so people could
get used to them.
He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while
there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense
began.. “Maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today if we’d just said ‘enough is
enough’ when we had the chance,” he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.
The “High” of Feeling Important and Needed!
Steven Covey comments; Some of us get so used to the adrenaline rush of handling crises that we become dependent on it for a sense of excitement and energy. How does urgency feel? Stressful? Pressured? Tense? Exhausting? Sure. But let’s be honest. It’s also sometimes exhilarating. We feel useful. We feel successful. We feel validated. And we get good at it. Whenever there’s trouble, we ride into town, pull out the six shooter, do the varmit in, blow the smoke off the gun barrel, and ride into the sunset like a hero. It brings instant results and instant gratification.
We get a temporary high from solving urgent and important crises. Then when the importance isn’t there, the urgency fix is so powerful we are drawn to do anything urgent, just to stay in motion. People expect us to be busy, overworked. It’s become a status symbol in our society - if we’re busy, we’re important; if we’re not busy, we’re almost embarrassed to admit it. Busyness is where we get our security. It’s validating, popular and pleasing. It’s also a good excuse for not dealing with the first things in our lives.
“I’d love to spend quality time with you, but I have to work. There’s this deadline. It’s urgent. Of course you understand.”
“I just don’t have time to exercise. I know it’s important, but there are so many pressing things right now. Maybe when things slow down a little.”"
There comes a time in and throughout our lives when we need to evaluate our priorities. We need to perform a meticulous inventory of what makes us tick and why. We need to be bold, honest and willing to attack and defeat those enemies of our time and strength that would shrivel our minds, spirits and souls. Where do you need to begin today to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ? Where do you need to take control or reclaim the precious moments and experiences of your life that have been stolen or are slipping away?
Memories..
Leslie Weatherhead tells of a little boy who was admitted to an orphanage after his parents were killed. One of the first items on the agenda was to find him a new set of clothes. He was given a new pair of pants, a new shirt, and a pair of shoes that shinned as he saw his face in its glow.
Lastly, he was offered a new hat. But he refused to take it. He hung on to his worse- for the-wear—hat. Finally the Sister was able to coax him into trying on the new cap. He tried it on, liked it, but then did something very funny. He reached inside his old cap and tore the lining out and placed it in his pocket.
Noticing the Sister had a puzzled look on her face, he said said, “The lining is a part of my mother’s dress; it’s all I’ve got left of her and somehow it seems to bring her back.”
Memories like nuggets of gold are treasures to be valued! Let the people that you hold close to your heart “know” how important they are to you. Maybe you haven’t shared your deepest feelings with those that you love the most. Today would be a good day to say what’s on your heart. You never know about tomorrow..
Sacrifice!
Chuck Swindoll, in his book, “Living Above the Level of Mediocrity,” tells about a church in the Soviet Union a few years ago that was forced to meet secretly because the holding of house church services was illegal.
They tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as they gathered on Sunday to worship the Lord, so they came at different times & casually walked into the house until they had all arrived. Then they would close the doors, pull the curtains, & quietly worship the Lord.
But one Lord’s Day, right in the midst of their worship service, two soldiers broke into the room, & at gunpoint lined the Christians up against the wall. One shouted, “If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, leave now!”
Two or three quickly left, then another, & then two more. Again the soldier spoke, “This is your last chance. Either leave now & renounce your faith in Christ, or stay & suffer the consequences.” Another left, & then another, almost hiding their faces in shame as they went out.
But the rest stood their ground, children standing beside their parents, trembling, some even crying as their parents stood with their hands in the air, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned.
After all had left who chose to flee, the other soldier closed the doors, looked back at those who stood against the wall & said, “Keep your hands up - but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians.”
The two soldiers explained that some time earlier they had been sent to another house church to arrest the Christians there. But in the process, they had heard the gospel & had accepted Jesus as their Lord & Savior, too. But they explained, “We have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.”
For more from Chuck, visit http://www.insight.org
Relax!
Relaxation Take a few minutes to refresh your soul and mind. Click on the relaxation link as you read and meditate on the 91st Psalm. May God bless you today with a calm reassurance of His love, guidance and care for you. Blessings!
He is Risen!
Well over three hundred verses are concerned with the subject of Jesus’ resurrection in the New Testament. We are told that this event is a sign for unbelievers (Matthew 12:38-40); cf. John 20:24-29) as well as the answer for the believer’s doubt (Luke 24:38-43). It serves as the guarantee that Jesus’ teachings are true (Acts 2:22-24; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20) and is the center of the gospel itself (Romans 4:24-25, 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Further, the resurrection is the impetus for evangelism (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 10:39-43), the key indication of the believer’s daily power to live the Christian life (Rom. 6:4-14, 8:9-11; Phil. 3:10) and the reason for the total commitment of our lives (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 15:57-58). The resurrection even addresses the fear of death (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15) and is related to the second coming of Jesus (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7). Lastly, this event is a model of the Christian’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 4:2; 1 Cor. 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and provides a foretaste of heaven for the believer (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-5). For a popular treatment that addresses these and other aspects, see Gary R. Habermas, The Centrality of the Resurrection.