Have you ever stood on the banks of a river with a smooth polished pebble in your hand and toss it to the other side?
Have you ever stood on a road with nothing but blacktop or dirt in front of you for miles with a rock in your hand and tossed it as far as you could?
No matter how far you can throw it – whether it plunks in the water, only travels two feet or if it travels far -- the distance is the same. It’s just a stone’s throw.
How far is it from Heaven to Hell?
The answer could be, “It’s just a stone’s throw.”
For some, they might answer that it’s far.
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:23)
Although Hell is described as being far from Heaven in this Bible verse, it was still close enough for the rich man to see Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom.
Some people may feel that they are all right with God. They treat people right and do good deeds. Still, they do not know Christ as their personal savior.
They’re a stone’s throw from Heaven.
Others may realize that they are lost and feel that there is no hope for them. They lose themselves in booze, drugs and sex with whoever or whatever comes along.
They’re a stone throw from Heaven.
Are you lost today? Do you need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
Ask Him into your heart and live for Him.
He’s only a stone’s throw away.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Stone Of Mercy
“I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” - Revelation 2:17
The person being tried stood shuddering as he awaited the verdict. Was there nothing he could do to be set free?
Gloom and doom shrouded his very being, making the courtroom feel like a cold, ice-covered grace. He knew that the grave would not be cold for long. It would turn from a frozen tundra into a fiery furnace and the fire would burn forever.
As he waited for the judge to make his decision, he knew that he would be given the black stone, which was an indication of his guilt. There would be no vindication for what he had done.
The criminal stood, knowing there would be no exoneration and that his execution was imminent.
“What if I threw myself on the mercy of the court?” he thought. “What if I told the judge how sorry I am for all the crimes I have committed. I have sinned, o Lord, be merciful to me!”
With his head bowed and tears in his eyes, he suddenly felt someone standing in front of him. Afraid to look up, he waited for the judge to drop the black stone of guilt in the cup.
He heard stone hit the inside of the urn. Looking in to his shock and disbelief, he saw a white stone; a stone that indicated that he was not guilty.
The criminal who had been freed looked up and saw the face of Jesus Christ. He reached and grabbed Jesus’ nail-scarred hands.
Jesus had paid the price so he could go free.
The person being tried stood shuddering as he awaited the verdict. Was there nothing he could do to be set free?
Gloom and doom shrouded his very being, making the courtroom feel like a cold, ice-covered grace. He knew that the grave would not be cold for long. It would turn from a frozen tundra into a fiery furnace and the fire would burn forever.
As he waited for the judge to make his decision, he knew that he would be given the black stone, which was an indication of his guilt. There would be no vindication for what he had done.
The criminal stood, knowing there would be no exoneration and that his execution was imminent.
“What if I threw myself on the mercy of the court?” he thought. “What if I told the judge how sorry I am for all the crimes I have committed. I have sinned, o Lord, be merciful to me!”
With his head bowed and tears in his eyes, he suddenly felt someone standing in front of him. Afraid to look up, he waited for the judge to drop the black stone of guilt in the cup.
He heard stone hit the inside of the urn. Looking in to his shock and disbelief, he saw a white stone; a stone that indicated that he was not guilty.
The criminal who had been freed looked up and saw the face of Jesus Christ. He reached and grabbed Jesus’ nail-scarred hands.
Jesus had paid the price so he could go free.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A Fragile Stone
"He was a fragile stone, completely dependent upon his Master and Friend, even as Jesus had insisted on his dependence on the Father." Michael Card, A Fragile Stone
Peter was a man of faith.
He walked on the water.
Peter was a man of passion.
He cut off the ear of a guard who came to arrest Jesus.
Peter was a man of knowledge.
He proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter was a man of doubt. He took his eyes off Jesus and sank into the water.
Peter was a man who was fragile. He denied Christ three times after He was arrested.
How many times have we walked on the water and felt great about our lives, our spiritual experiences, our health?
How many times have we passionately stood by a friend or stood on a principle?
How many times have we proclaimed that we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
How many times have we doubted that God will meet our needs?
How many times have we been fragile?
I have felt as if I have been thrown to the floor and shattered, time after time, but the Potter reaches down, throws away the shards from the vessel and begins making me knew again.
Our God is strong and mighty. He is the Potter and He knows my name.
Peter was a man of faith.
He walked on the water.
Peter was a man of passion.
He cut off the ear of a guard who came to arrest Jesus.
Peter was a man of knowledge.
He proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter was a man of doubt. He took his eyes off Jesus and sank into the water.
Peter was a man who was fragile. He denied Christ three times after He was arrested.
How many times have we walked on the water and felt great about our lives, our spiritual experiences, our health?
How many times have we passionately stood by a friend or stood on a principle?
How many times have we proclaimed that we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
How many times have we doubted that God will meet our needs?
How many times have we been fragile?
I have felt as if I have been thrown to the floor and shattered, time after time, but the Potter reaches down, throws away the shards from the vessel and begins making me knew again.
Our God is strong and mighty. He is the Potter and He knows my name.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Best Social Networking Site
The Best Social Networking Site
24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
I belong to an awesome social networking group. Chances are that many of my readers belong to such a group, even if it is not the one that I belong to. I’m not talking about Facebook, MySpace or any of the other myriad online networking sites. I’m talking about a group that does not even require an Internet connection to participate.
The group I belong to is a church. In my case, I am a member of Midway Church of God. While my network may be small, it is a member of a much larger network called the body of Christ. Many other churches, of all kinds of denominations belong to that network. The only requirement is that they be a true Bible-believing church who believes in one triune God (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We are told in Hebrews 10:24-25 to stir up love and good works and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. A Christian can be a Christian without going to church, but a car can also be a car without gas, water and oil but try to run a car without those things. Try to live a Christian life without going to church and engaging in fellowship with other believers who encourage and exhort you. It’s not easy, is it? After a while, your Christian life runs down and you become useless for Christ, even though you may still be saved. Cars need to have gas, oil and water to run. A Christian needs prayer, Bible study and church to run.
I have been through a number of crises this past year. If it had not been for my network of friends at my church and other churches who have prayed for me and helped me in so many other ways, I could not have made it.
If you do not go to church, you are invited to join us each Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening at Midway Church of God. I’m sure that you will be welcome at other churches also. If you do go to church, make sure you’re there (if at all possible) when the doors are open. It’s a social networking site that every one can enjoy.
24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
I belong to an awesome social networking group. Chances are that many of my readers belong to such a group, even if it is not the one that I belong to. I’m not talking about Facebook, MySpace or any of the other myriad online networking sites. I’m talking about a group that does not even require an Internet connection to participate.
The group I belong to is a church. In my case, I am a member of Midway Church of God. While my network may be small, it is a member of a much larger network called the body of Christ. Many other churches, of all kinds of denominations belong to that network. The only requirement is that they be a true Bible-believing church who believes in one triune God (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We are told in Hebrews 10:24-25 to stir up love and good works and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. A Christian can be a Christian without going to church, but a car can also be a car without gas, water and oil but try to run a car without those things. Try to live a Christian life without going to church and engaging in fellowship with other believers who encourage and exhort you. It’s not easy, is it? After a while, your Christian life runs down and you become useless for Christ, even though you may still be saved. Cars need to have gas, oil and water to run. A Christian needs prayer, Bible study and church to run.
I have been through a number of crises this past year. If it had not been for my network of friends at my church and other churches who have prayed for me and helped me in so many other ways, I could not have made it.
If you do not go to church, you are invited to join us each Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening at Midway Church of God. I’m sure that you will be welcome at other churches also. If you do go to church, make sure you’re there (if at all possible) when the doors are open. It’s a social networking site that every one can enjoy.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Same Message, Different Singer
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. James 3:6
My brother underwent triple bypass surgery on Monday. The surgery lasted two hours longer than they thought it would because it was not as easy as the doctor had thought it would be. My brother had a lot of inflammation in his heart and they found out he had coronary artery disease, which he probably inherited from my grandfather Gene Bembry. They also thought he would have to go back into surgery later that day, which, thank the Lord, he didn’t.
While speaking with Danny on Tuesday, he told me and my father a lot of things that had hurt him over the years. He told us about some of his classmates hurting him, he talked about things others had said to him over the years that hurt him and he told us about how we had hurt him with words that had gone straight to his heart. He had not been hurt physically. Words had hurt him.
So many times we say things that we don’t really mean to people that we really love. We shouldn’t say things like that to him. We work all day and then go home and grouch at our families. We shouldn’t be grumps at home or at work. We need to learn to control our tongues.
Ernie Dawson, lead singer for the gospel group Heirline, wrote the following words:
Words all their power is real,
They can hurt or they can heal,
Can’t be touched but you can feel,
Words,
there is strength in every one
And when all is said and done
Wars are lost and battles won
With words.
Ernie had been hurt with words as a child. The message in his song and in what Danny told me on Tuesday is the same. We should not use our words as a hammer to hurt others. We should use them to heal and to lift others up.
Job 34:3 tells us: “For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” If the meat is no good, it makes us sick just as words, which are no good, will also make us sick.
I know that I will have a hard time not using my words as a weapon but I am going to try and bridle my tongue and use it only to uplift others, especially my family and my friends, the people who are most important to me and I am going to try and not hurt anyone else with my tongue. I encourage others to do the same.
w
My brother underwent triple bypass surgery on Monday. The surgery lasted two hours longer than they thought it would because it was not as easy as the doctor had thought it would be. My brother had a lot of inflammation in his heart and they found out he had coronary artery disease, which he probably inherited from my grandfather Gene Bembry. They also thought he would have to go back into surgery later that day, which, thank the Lord, he didn’t.
While speaking with Danny on Tuesday, he told me and my father a lot of things that had hurt him over the years. He told us about some of his classmates hurting him, he talked about things others had said to him over the years that hurt him and he told us about how we had hurt him with words that had gone straight to his heart. He had not been hurt physically. Words had hurt him.
So many times we say things that we don’t really mean to people that we really love. We shouldn’t say things like that to him. We work all day and then go home and grouch at our families. We shouldn’t be grumps at home or at work. We need to learn to control our tongues.
Ernie Dawson, lead singer for the gospel group Heirline, wrote the following words:
Words all their power is real,
They can hurt or they can heal,
Can’t be touched but you can feel,
Words,
there is strength in every one
And when all is said and done
Wars are lost and battles won
With words.
Ernie had been hurt with words as a child. The message in his song and in what Danny told me on Tuesday is the same. We should not use our words as a hammer to hurt others. We should use them to heal and to lift others up.
Job 34:3 tells us: “For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” If the meat is no good, it makes us sick just as words, which are no good, will also make us sick.
I know that I will have a hard time not using my words as a weapon but I am going to try and bridle my tongue and use it only to uplift others, especially my family and my friends, the people who are most important to me and I am going to try and not hurt anyone else with my tongue. I encourage others to do the same.
w
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
