Remembering and Forgetting

Is it not strange that we are able to remember that we forgot something? Recently I came across an article about memory in The Dallas Morning News that made me think about things I wish I could remember. For example, sometimes I forget I am getting older. But we all know that every one of us is getting older. As we are getting older, our forgetting some things and events increases, but our remembering ability is likely to decrease.

The News article listed three things about memory: (1) Common behavioral symptoms may include loss of appetite, (2) Tasks like handling money and paying bills are troublesome and (3) Processing thoughts and communication become more difficult.

Like it or not, the truth is that death for all of us is certain. That fact should remind us to think about where we will spend eternity. There are only two places where all of us will spend eternity–either heaven or hell. That is sobering, is it not? The only way to be sure of heaven is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Nothing else will equip us for heaven. That's my thought for you today.

Questions

"Some things are hard to understand. One could make a long list in answer to the questions of the Why? and How? of so many things in life. Here are a few common questions we ask and have been asked about God, ourselves, and many other issues. Here are a few of them. There are many more that could be asked. This is a sampling.

1. Why do the righteous suffer but the wicked often prosper?
2. Why does God permit evil?
3. How about the doctrine of the Trinity–God being one in three and three in one?
4. Why does God allow wicked things to happen all around us?

The above list could be much longer and almost unending.

I believe there is still a more important question. Do I know beyond every shadow of doubt that I am prepared to die? Am I sure I will go to heaven? All of us at some time will go either to heaven or to hell. There are only two eternal places to spend eternity for all of mankind. They are either heaven or hell.

God loved the world of mankind so much that He gave His Son to die in our place. It is my strong desire and I trust that you will acknowledge your need of Christ and accept Him as your personal Redeemer. The good news of the gospel is found in John 3:16-17. Please read it and accept God's offer of salvation."

Some Contemporary News

Lately our newspapers and much of contemporary news media are filled with articles about shootings, killing innocent victims. Schools, churches and homes, etc. are no exception where these crimes are committed. Recently the Dallas Morning News published this article "Unthinkable Tragedy." The killer launched an assault on the high school where he was a student, killing ten people. This is an example of horrible killings that are happening these days. You may be asking, "What is going on in these days?" Be sure also to think about how we need to respond by helping those who have been affected by such crimes.

In times like these we all need divine help. My question to you is, "Is Christ your Savior?" We need Him every moment of every day. The following is a phrase from one of my favorite hymns "Softly and Tenderly": "Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me." Physical life is certainly uncertain and death is sure. None of us has any assurance of another breath. Think about that for a moment. The question before us all is, "Where will we spend eternity?" Only trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ can we be sure of heaven as our eternal home. He died on the cross. He bore our sin on the cross.

"Trip to the Holy Land"

                Try to imagine you won a trip to the Holy Land. Your guide takes you to a lot of places to see in the cities and the Judean hills. You see a shepherd out there. He is wearing a turban on his head and the customary long wool-like garment. He is carrying a shepherd's crook, a cane-like object and he is moving it across the brush and short grass to be sure there is nothing there that would injure one of his sheep. The sheep are all following behind him He does not drive them but leads them to keep them safe. There goes one of the small sheep and it is caught in a thicket. Carefully, the shepherd goes to the edge of the rocky cliff. He needs to get as close as possible so he does not fall over the edge. He puts his long crook under the sheep's neck and gently pulls it up to safety.

                Born-again Christians are pictured in the Bible as sheep and God is like a shepherd caring for His sheep. Are you one of the Lord's sheep? If you are, He cares for you through every trial, heartache, burden, and defeat and also through all the victories and blessings as well.

                If you are not yet a child of God, I strongly encourage you to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. See John 3:16-18. Put your name where it says "whosoever."

The Cross

Webster's dictionary tells us a cross is an upright post with a bar across it near the top, on which the ancient Romans and criminals put people to death; it is the figure of the cross that is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus and the Christian religion. We often use the word "cross" to describe the trouble we have to bear or crossing something out of written material, etc.

The cross on which Christ died is for Christians a reminder of the basis of our salvation. We do not worship the cross, however; but we worship the One who paid for our salvation on Calvary's cross. Christ made salvation for mankind possible. We do not worship the cross but we worship the Christ of the cross.

Crucifixion is believed to have been invented first by Barbarians and then by Greeks and Romans, and it is without doubt the most cruel method of execution. It delayed death so the victim would endure torture. Sometimes the victim on the cross could suffer for days before death occurred. Those who put Jesus to death on the cross apparently thought they would now be rid of Him. But they were terribly mistaken. He arose from the grave victoriously over death. That is what Easter is all about.

Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? If you have not, you need to do it if you want to go to heaven after your death (cf. John 3:16).

Jelly Beans and Eggs

                Neither one of these, "Jelly Beans" or "Eggs" has anything to do with Easter which is celebrated April 1 in our churches. There is, of course, every reason to celebrate Christ's resurrection from the grave. But what do jelly beans and eggs have to do with it?

                The fact is, neither one of these edibles has anything to do with Christ's resurrection. They certainly do not illustrate the resurrection. I personally see nothing wrong with either of these but what do they have to do with Christ's resurrection? Certainly, we should celebrate the Savior's absence from the grave, but how do beans and eggs do this?

                Here are a few events from Scripture that prove the actual tomb in which the body of Christ was placed was completely empty on the third day (Matthew 28:6). He appeared to a large number of people at one time after His death (John 20:14-17); Luke 24:36-43). Also, on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection, Peter preached to thousands who had access to the empty grave. We can rejoice with confidence that Christ arose from the grave.

                To conclude this "Thought for the Day" I could not help but wonder whether you have accepted the Christ of Calvary and the empty tomb as your own personal Savior. If not, do so before it is too late.

Fact, Faith, Feeling

All of us know what each of these words mean. We all sometimes have different responses to these realities. Actually, we know these are realities of life. Certain things are true in our lives. We know what faith means–trusting, believing. What about feeling? We like some of the things we face but not all of them. Sometimes we have faith and other times we have doubts about situations.

One cannot help but ask how facts, faith, and feeling relate to life after death. Every one of us will experience death at some time. That is a fact of life. The Bible teaches clearly that after we depart from this world, we do not cease to exist. The question is, Where will we spend eternity? There is eternal life in both heaven and hell. No matter what we might think about realities of life and death, both are certain. There are only two places where all humans will exist after death–heaven or hell.

Our feelings about these realities do not matter. The Bible tells all of us clearly that to be sure of heaven, we must accept God's great gift of salvation for all who accept Him as Savior. There is only one way of salvation that God offers and that way is, whosoever accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Sin-bearer has eternal life and will never perish (see John 3:16-17).

What About Eternity?

Recently the Dallas Morning News highlighted two women who had life-threatening health issues. They were both told they had an incurable illness. They did not know each other but both of them knew they did not have much longer to live. One of them was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The other one had cystic fibrosis.

Of course, I was very saddened when I read about these two women. And I was also very disappointed because neither one gave any evidence, at least in the news account, of any concern about life after death. I did not get the impression from the articles that they thought or even cared about life after death.

How about you, the reader of this article? Where do you think you will spend eternity? I, of course, do not know you, but I do have very good news for you. The Bible tells us that we can be absolutely sure we are going to heaven after death. I'm sure you no doubt know about John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." If you are not a child of God, I pray you will become one today. When you do, you will spend eternity in heaven.

Sheep and Shepherds

               Most of us don't think much about sheep, these lowly animals, and their caregivers. However, they are referred to often in the Bible. Perhaps you are wondering why they are our "thought for today." Maybe you even have thought or said, "So what?"

                Too often all of us get so busy that we forget the important things in life. We are all stressed and pressured with what's going on in this world and forget how important it is to be ready to give more attention to the hereafter. Here's a word to help us think about eternal matters so that we don't get so bogged down with all our temporal concerns. I have recently been reminded about David, the shepherd, and what he said in Psalm 23. This is probably the one account many people think about in the Bible when they think about the after-life.

                Sheep are helpless without a shepherd. They are easily scared by the slightest noise. Their sense of direction is almost nil. Someone has said, "They are utterly dependent on a shepherd." Those who have trusted in Christ alone are the sheep referred to in the Bible. And the Lord God is the believer's Shepherd. Are you one who has accepted Christ alone by faith alone as your Savior?

Christmas

Before long we will be celebrating Christmas. With all the fanfare that goes on at this time of the year many people forget what the true meaning of Christmas is. We buy trees and decorate them with lights and all kinds of things. We buy Christmas cards and send them out to our friends and family members. Special songs come to mind at Christmas time like "Silent Night," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "Hark the Angels Sing." Families get together and celebrate, and when someone is not able to be home, they call each other and wish each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Indeed, it is good and healthy to stay close to our family members. However, we must not forget the true meaning of Christmas. What IS the true meaning after all? The true significance is that Christmas time is a reminder that Christ came into the world as a baby to save sinners. All of us are sinners. Some are saved sinners because we have by God's grace alone through faith alone accepted Him as our personal Savior. Have you done that? If not, why not?

No one is ever going to heaven who has not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. None of us deserves heaven, but Jesus paid our debt of sin and He has given those who trust Him as their personal Savior eternal salvation.

Let's not let Christ be absent in all our celebrating at Christmas time. What a reminder it is not to forget the true meaning of Christmas and our need of Christ!

Think About This!

    What popped into your mind when you read this title? I have some ideas why you thought what you did. But let’s not forget, it is usually true, that the older we get, the more we forget things that we wanted never to forget. We all have the same problem, don’t we?

    What do you think I’m asking you to think about? All of us think about a lot of things, don’t we? Of course, we are all getting older and have forgotten some things. I ask you to think about where you will spend eternity. That’s the most important thing all of us need to think about.

    We all forget some things. This seems to be getting more active the older we get. Do you remember how old you were when you got your first discipline from your parents? Was it your father or your mother who disciplined you? Or did both do it? How about the first time you kissed another person, male or female? Do you remember how old you were when you did that? How is it that we all remember forgetting things we hoped we’d never forget? I remember one thing at least that I’ll never forget. "I can’t wait to know what that is,” you might ask. Here it is. I remember when I was a teenager, my parents took me to church regularly.  But there is one time I know I’ll never forget. That was the time I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I have been reminded many times since I made that decision. I did it because the Bible says in John 3:16  that God so loved mankind that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever accepts Him receives eternal life. Do you remember when you did that? If you have not accepted Him, why not do it now and you will never forget it. No one can go to heaven any other way.

“Did Jesus Become God?

    In the July issue of Time magazine there is a full page advertisement of a book entitled How Jesus Became God. Readers are called upon to “Uncover the Extraordinary Story of Jesus Christ.” It was written by Professor Bart D. Ehrman of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He stresses that “the divinity of Jesus was first conceived by his followers, demonstrating how this conception was refined over time to become the core of Christ’s theology that has significantly sharpened our civilization.” Ehrman’s book records 24 lecture titles all of which seek to defend his views apart from what the Bible clearly says about the eternality of Christ. How sad that he published this book!

    Here are a few of the many passages of Scripture which affirm the absolute Deity of Christ. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 5:23, “… So that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

    Here is a visual from my book, The God of the Bible and Other gods (No. 1 Iron Oaks Drive, Paris, Ark, 72855: The Baptist Standard, Bearer, Inc., 2009, p. 92). Jesus always was and still is the Son of God, and He will always be the Son of God.

The Father: Eph 4:6, The Son: Heb. 1:8, The Holy Spirit: Acts 5:4

Peace

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines peace as "freedom from war or fighting; an agreement or treaty to end war; law and order, calm quiet to find peace of mind.” We all know that we prefer peace instead of turmoil and constant conflict with others and troubling things. And I think all of us should seek to live peaceably in this troubling world.

The Bible in both the Old Testament and New Testament tells us a lot about peace. The psalmist said mankind is to seek peace and pursue it (Ps. 34:14). Isaiah the prophet called the mighty God of the Bible “the prince of peace” (Isa.  9:6). Jesus promised His disciples “peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Paul the apostle said, “We have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). He also said Jesus “is our peace” when we trust Him as the One who paid for our sins on His cross. There is coming a time, and it may be soon, when peace will be taken from the earth (Rev. 6:4) and war and turmoil will be global.

My question to each of you is, Are you at peace with God? You can only have peace when you accept Christ as your Sin-bearer. Until you do this,you have no peace with God, no matter how peaceful you are.

Shelters

    All of us have some kind of shelter to keep us safe and dry when it rains and storms, although some have only a bridge overhead as their shelter. We all need protection from dangers. We do not always think about how important our shelters are. There are many in other parts of the world who have little physical shelter from those who seek to harm them. How sad that is.

    Physical shelters are not the only protections we need. Spiritual shelters are also indispensable because there is life beyond physical life. Death does not result in nonexistence. The palmist put it this way: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1). What a wonderful truth that is. But how can God be our Fortress and our Refuge? In other words, How can we be sure of going to heaven when we die?

    Scripture tells us about God’s great love for us. In fact, we are told that God is love (1 John 4:16). His love for us never changes. As God’s children, we need to never forget that no matter how hard the troubles and trials of life may be, God’s love is steadfast and sure.

    The marvelous and wonderful love of God for those who have not yet accepted Christ as their personal Savior is true and certain. He wants to be your Shelter from Satan’s eternal damnation. Christ paid the price for your sins on the cross. He is our spiritual Shelter when we accept Him as our Sin-bearer.

The Contemporary Gender Issue

Recently Time magazine had a six-page article devoted to the current gender issue. Some males and females have given themselves titles that describe them and their lifestyle. Here are some of those titles:  heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, genderless genderqueer, no gender, a-gender.

How are we to respond to these people? Well, as Christians we need to remind ourselves what the Bible teaches about God’s creative work in Genesis 1. There we are told that the earth He created would “sprout vegetation: plants, yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit “after their kind” (Gen. 1:11). The same statement is made about vegetation, trees and fruit bearing trees after their kind beasts of the earth and everything that creeps on the earth “after their kind” (Gen. 1:25. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule . .  .” (Gen. 1:27). God then told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).

When humans reproduce, their offspring is either male or female. In fact, all the creatures He made were either male or female. There are no in-betweens or any of the other terms to describe beings. Their gender is either male or female and the babies they birth will be either male or female.

God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for mankind and provide redemption for all of them no matter how they want to be described. Whether they use one or more of the titles given above, they will always be either male or female. There is no in-between, ever. The fact of the matter is, none of us has chosen to be male or female or anything in-between. Our gender is and will always be either male or female. How wonderful that God loved the world of mankind and give His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid the debt all of us owed. By the way, have you accepted Christ as your Savior? If not, please accept His free gift of salvation today.

Credits and Debts

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines credit as “belief, trust, praise or approval, official recognition in a record. You will receive credit for two days work.” He defines debt as “something that one owes to another, a debt of five dollars, a debt of gratitude or the condition of owing, I am greatly in debt to him."   

Most of us have debts and most of us need credit for some things. We all need to be sure our debts are not larger than our credit will allow. Let’s face it, we all need credit so we can pay our debts. There is nothing wrong with needing credit. We all know if we can’t pay our debts, we will not be able to get credit.

You know, we all need to face the fact that from God’s viewpoint we are in debt because we have all sinned in Adam according to the Bible (Romans 5:12). But thanks to God that we all can have Him credit our account with Him when we accept Christ as our personal Savior by accepting His payment for our sins. The apostle Paul put it this way: We “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” and we can be “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

Questions and Answers

I have three searching questions for you. Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Have you ever been bitter because of that? How about this: Have you ever been broke and maybe you are still barely making ends meet? I can’t be certain about your experience or answers to these questions. But I’m excited to tell you and everyone in the world that we have been and are a blessed people. Let’s think about each of these realities for a few minutes. I suspect there is no one dead or alive who has not been blamed for something they didn’t do. Of course, as parents we all have heard our children as they were growing up in our homes say to a sister or brother, “I didn’t do it; you did it.” I guess we parents have never blamed them for something they didn’t do. Really?? Is it really possible that we have never been bitter about anything? I doubt that could possibly be true of any of us. Whether we are believers or not, all of us are sometimes angry or at least offended when things don’t go the way we think they should.

What about the third “B” word–broke? I mean we all run out of money at times. Well, maybe the wealthy never are really broke but sometimes they act as though they are. I can tell you with certainty we are all blessed by God. You might ask, How is that possibly true? The Bible tells us so. That is why it is true. God has richly blessed us all because He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who died to pay for our sins and make it possible for all mankind to be forgiven and to make us children of God. Christ’s payment for our sin must be accepted before we can be sure of heaven. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Hm shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Appointments

    All of us have appointments or have made appointments and agreements. We all do this many times throughout our lives. We have appointments with doctors, dentists, lawyers, business associates to have lunch with them, etc. Oh, I almost forgot that it was time to write this article and send it to be printed. And, how about the date of April 15, income tax deadline? We all fail sometimes, don’t we? I suspect it all depends on how important we think the appointment (responsibility) really is.

    Death is certain for all of us. It is reported that even Freud said, “The goal of all life is death.” Whether we want to admit it or not, all of us do have an appointment with God. The Bible clearly puts it in these words, “And inasmuch as it is for man to die once and after this comes the judgment” (Hebrews. 9:27).

    I really hope you do remember you do have this appointment with God. All of us do. There is no exception. Whether we are young, middle aged or older and whether we like it or not, we have this appointment with God Almighty. This same loving and righteous God has told us in His Word how we all need to prepare to meet Him at His appointed time. He has sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for the sin of all mankind. The apostle John put it this way, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:16-17),

Recent Elections Questioned

We have recently gone through the process of choosing our next President and Vice President. Whether we like the results or not, the majority of American voters have chosen Trump and Pence to be our next President and Vice President for the next four years. Some people have called for a recount but the results are the same. If your newspaper is like my Dallas Morning News, you are aware of how so many have tried very hard to keep Trump and Pence from being sworn in as our next President and Vice President. Who knows? Trump’s and Pence’s election may be questioned forever.

Believe it or not, the Bible tells us that believers have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:5). This means that God made the first move to receive us and there is no need to question that and ask Him for a “recount.” The message is clearly profound and certain. Whosoever accepts the finished work of Christ on the cross as payment for his/her sin “shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This should never be questioned because God cannot lie.

Indecision

Life is full of times when all of us need to make a decision–many times and for many reasons. The decision must be made one way or another even though we wish we would not need to decide.

Here is a sampling of some issues and things for which we must make a decision in one way or another. Voting? Should I or should I not? If I do vote, which candidate should I vote for? Those with marriage problems certainly need to think long and hard about the issue. Should I buy a new car or a used one even if I can afford a new one? How about family issues? Should we have children, how many and how far apart should they be?

The list of these kinds of decision-making could be multiplied manifold. There is help available from God, especially for all who have been born again. God’s Word gives us some help for making a decision. The Bible is specific and clear about many things in life which all of us face. Therefore we need to prayerfully search the Scripture to see if it speaks to our individual needs. God wants us to follow His guidance in what we do and say, and He will light our paths as we seek to follow His guidance.

If you have not yet decided to trust Christ as your personal Savior, do it today! It may be too late if you wait too long.