Fire Hazard
It was a morning filled with the chaos of snow. For those who love snow, I’m sure they were enjoying the white fluffy madness. I’ll admit it looked beautiful on the trees; however, I am more thankful for the arrival of spring. I’ve never been a big fan of snow. Driving in the snow is always nerve-wracking. It just so happened that on my drive to work, in front of me was a truck with the fire hazard warning posted on the back. My nerve issues increased as I was concerned I would slide into the truck and that big explosion that we always see in the movies would be my new reality. I kept a very safe distance as I pressed onward.
With the truck before me, I had a nice conversation with God. I considered how I stayed back so far to avoid the fire hazard. I considered how I was intentionally trying to avoid the posted warning before me. The conversation turned to the topic of hell. Heaven and hell are choices. We make a choice. I asked how can someone knowingly travel forward without caution, knowing that without Christ Jesus, the path leads to death and destruction. The Bible is very clear. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone (Romans 10:9). He has paid for the sin debt—and that debt was paid in full at Calvary. But there are many who continue to drive closely toward the truck with the fire hazard warning. It grieves me.
Today, remember the cost that was paid by Jesus Christ. Thank Him that He took on the wrath of God for you and me. The wrath of God is satisfied (Romans 5:9). The debt is paid. Everlasting life is ours through Jesus (Romans 6:23). We are right with God because of our loving Savior (Romans 4:25). Pray for those still driving toward the truck marked with hazard. Pray that eyes would be opened. Pray that hearts would be softened. Ask God how you can be a light today in this dark world, pointing to the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
Food that Sticks
In life we spend a lot of time in the here and now. We see things from a temporal scope rather than an eternal scope. God has a different time scheme than us. We consider our lives here on earth as our lives. Even when we say we have accepted Jesus and will have eternal life, we again and again take ourselves back to considering time as the time we spend on earth.
As we make plans for our lives, as we look at our lives, we see what time we have here on earth. It’s great to plan. It’s great to consider our steps. But we always must have an eternal focus as well. Our life here on earth is such a short blimp of our eternal life. It’s nothing compared to eternity.
Now Jesus said we aren’t to “waste… energy striving for perishable food… [but] work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides.” So how do you do that? You read His Word. You pray for direction from the Spirit. He will provide you with nourishment, spiritual nourishment that will help you to grow in Him and the nourishment will last forever. You might think its okay to snack here and there, but the truth is the food that matters is the food that sticks with you. May you seek His food and may you see things from His eternal perspective. Life is so different when you see things through Him.
“Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”
-John 6:27 [MSG]
The Car Park
As I walked by the church car park, I noticed that a lady pulled her car into the lot, and then she turned around and drove out of the car park, only to park down the street. She used the lot simply to turn around so that she could get on the side of the street she wished to park. I thought then about the options that we have with the church parking area. We all drive into the church car park with the intentions of turning around. Some of us wish to turn our lives around, and we enter the car park with the desire to get to know God and have a relationship with Christ. Then there are other people who go into the parking area simply because they are using it as a way to turn their vehicles around so that they can go in another direction.
But then, there are the other people– the people who are considering what the church has to offer– but then change their mind and leave quickly, trying not to be noticed. I wonder how many people do that at our churches. Do we have a welcoming church? Have we placed out a welcome mat, or are we keeping the doors closed up? This is not really a question about the grounds maintenance and the presence of a welcome mat, but rather, a deep question that we need to all consider as we enter the walls of our church. If we are to share the gospel and bring people to know Christ, we must certainly be inviting. How is your church inviting? How are you inviting? This isn’t a question meant to judge and rate your church’s outreach program. This is a question to get you to consider more ways to share Christ. There’s so many people out there who haven’t heard about Jesus yet. Lets not lose hope.
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.”
– John 4:35-36 [ESV]
