Sermon Illustrations on Trust — page 2

Poem

Until I learned to trust,

I did not learn to pray,

And I did not learn to fully trust Till sorrows came my way. Until I

felt my weakness, His strength I never knew, Nor dreamed till I was

stricken That He would see me through. Who deepest drinks of sorrow

Drinks deepest too of grace, He sends the storm so He himself, Can be

our hiding place. His heart that seeks our highest good Knows well

when things annoy, We would not long for heaven If earth held only

joy. One by one he took them from me, All the things I valued most,

Until I was empty-handed; Every glittering toy was lost. And I walked

earth's highway grieving, In my rags and poverty, Till I heard His

voice inviting, "Lift your empty hands to me." So I turned my hands

toward heaven, And He filled them with a store Of His own transcendent

riches, Till they could contain no more, Then at last I comprehended,

With my stupored mind and dull, That God could not pour His riches

Into hands already full.

Words of Peace

John 1:42

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” Romans 14:19

It is difficult to estimate the damage done by saying to a child:

• You’ll never amount to anything.

• You can’t do anything right, can you?

• Why can’t you be like him?

• You’re no son of mine!

• I’m not going to invest any more money in you.

• You’re just like all the other kids.

Why not communicate your trust instead and give your child something to live up to? See the potential, not the problems. Looking for the good in your children will bring out the best in them and you.

Imagine how Peter felt when Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which translated means Peter [rock])” (John 1:42). Peter went on about his business of fishing. Sometime later Jesus called him to be a disciple. After Peter’s great confession that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus said to him, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). What confidence Jesus expressed in a smelly, uneducated fisherman who would later deny Him three times!

Would you have chosen Peter and expressed confidence in Him? Would you have stuck with Peter after he betrayed you? Jesus did, and He is sticking with you, too. He has entrusted you with His message, gifted you to serve, and blessed you with children. Are you trustworthy? Not completely. But His trust sure gives you something to live up to, doesn’t it? Your trust in your child can do the same for him.

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[Original illustration at this number was deleted for being obsolete]

Failure in Business

Some few years ago a merchant failed in business. He went home in

great agitation. "What is the matter?" asked his wife. "I am ruined; I

have lost my all!" he exclaimed, pressing his hand upon his forehead.

"All?" asked his wife. "No, I am left." "All, Papa?" asked his eldest

boy. "Here am I." "And I too," said his little girl, running up and

putting her arms around his neck. "I'm not lost, Papa," repeated

Eddie. "And you have your health left," said his wife. "And your hands

to work with," said his eldest, "and I can help you." "And your two

feet, Papa, to carry you about, and your two eyes to see with, Papa,"

said little Eddie. "And you have God's promises," said the

grandmother. "And a good God," said his wife. "And heaven to go to,"

said his little girl. "And Jesus who came to fetch us there," said his

eldest.

"God forgive me!" said the poor merchant, bursting into tears. "I

have not lost my all. What have I lost compared to what I have left?"

He took comfort, and began the world afresh.

Training the Faith

You must train the faith. Is that possible? Yes, I will give you an

instance. Richard Cecil one day went into a room where his little girl

was-bright-eyed and happy as she could be. Somebody had just given her

a box of very beautiful beads. The little child ran to her papa

immediately to show this little gift. "They are very beautiful, my

child," he said; "but now, my dear, throw them behind the fire." The

little girl looked for a moment. It was a great trial. "Now, I shall

not compel you to do it; I leave it to you. But you never knew Papa to

ask you to do a thing that was not kind to you. I cannot tell you why;

but, if you can trust me, do so."

It cost a great effort, but the little child began in her own way

to think, "Father has always been kind to me: I suppose he is right."

And she took the box and, with a great effort, threw it behind the

fire. The father said no more for some time. The next day, however, he

presented her with something far more beautiful, and which she had

long desired. "Now," said he, "my child, I did this to teach you to

trust in that greater Father in heaven. Many a time in your life He

will require you to give up and to avoid what you cannot see the

reasons for avoiding. But, if you trust that Father as you have

trusted me, you will always find it best." That was training the

child's faith.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

Safe in His Care

An old lady in England who had stood the bombings with amazing

fortitude was asked the secret of her calmness in the midst of such

frightful danger. She replied, "Well, every night I says my prayers

and then I remembers how the parson told us God is always watching; so

I go to sleep. After all, there's no need for both of us to stay

awake!"

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

"I Am with Thee"

At one time a man of refinement was sentenced to spend twenty-four

hours in an underground cell in an old English prison. The steps of

the wardens died away in the distance. The man felt that before long

terror would drive him mad.

Then suddenly there came the sound of footsteps above, and in a

quiet tone the chaplain called him by name. "God bless you,'' gasped

the poor fellow. ''Are you there?'' said the chaplain, "and I am not

going away from here until you come out." "Why, I don't mind it a bit

now, with you there like that." The terror was gone while his friend

was so near, unseen, yet just above.

And so beside us all is the unseen yet loving Saviour. -- Selected.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

His Song Saved Him

It is related that during the Civil War a Confederate soldier who

was placed far out in a lonely wood to watch suddenly felt a strange

dread and fear come over him. The moon was shining dimly in the deeply

wooded place. And while it seemed strange and unwise, he felt

constrained to sing softly the old song, "Jesus, Lover of my soul let

me to Thy bosom fly," and the stanza, "Other refuge have I none." This

he did, and immediately felt relieved of his fear.

A few years later, when the war was over, he was at a meeting and

sang the same song. After the song, a stranger came up to him and

said, "I never saw you before, but I have heard that voice before."

Then he asked him if he sang that song one night during the war. Then

he related to him how he and some of his men, who were Union soldiers,

were hidden behind trees and had their guns turned on him and were

ready to fire! "But," said he, "as we heard that song, 'Jesus, Lover

of my soul,' and, 'Other refuge have I none,' I said to my men, Don't

shoot that man,' and we slipped away and left you. I shall never forget the voice I heard that night."

There is only one refuge and that is Jesus, and we need Him at the

end of the way.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

The Spirit's Work In Regeneration

I was in the Soldiers' Home at Eric, Pa. I had spoken to the old

soldiers in the chapel. As I came down from the platform, the

gentleman said to me:

"There is one room I want not to visit. We have had in this

institution the captain of the old Merrimac. He came into this

institution an atheist. He never would come into the services, and

when he was asked to read the Bible, he just scorned the thought of

it. When he was in his room here, before he died, I brought in a Bible

and said, 'Captain, would you like to read this Bible?' and he scorned

the proposition; it looked as though it was useless to say anything

more to him. But I said: 'Suppose you read the Bible and see whether

there is anything in it that you could believe, and if there is not,

you tell me so. But as you read, whenever you find anything that you

think you might receive, suppose you mark it with red ink.' He thought

that was a good way to prove there was nothing in the Bible for him. I

had him begin with the Gospel of John. He read two chapters without

marking anything. He began on the third chapter and read fifteen

verses without being moved. He began on the sixteenth verse, and then

the old captain marked the verse red. He could receive a text like

that."

By this time we had reached the room where the old captain had died

a few weeks before and there was the pasteboard anchor the old man had

cut out for himself, and the words were his own, printed in red ink,

"I have cast anchor in a safe harbor." The very floor seemed to be

like holy ground. They sent his Bible home, but they tell me you would

have a hard time to find a page without red on it. He had come to

receive the whole book. That is the work of the spirit. His work was

just that. The old captain would have nothing to do with a minister,

and he would have nothing to do with a person who spoke of Jesus

Christ; he didn't want to have anything to do with Christ. It was the

work of the Holy Ghost.

By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

Danger In Delay

On board a steamer I met a fruit grower from California. We were

talking together, and he said: "Did you notice that White Star liner

was two minutes late in starting?"

No," I said, "I did not notice it." For these big steamers go away

to the minute, with the precision of a railway train.

He continued: "There was a detention of two minutes.''

"I saw excitement on the wharf," I said, "but I did not know what

it was.''

"Well," he said, "my friend and I raced from California to catch

the steamer. We had just five hours between the advertised time of

arriving in New York and the sailing of the Teutonic. For days our

train ran exactly to the minute, and we reached Albany, only a few

hours from New York, exactly on time -- five days' traveling to the

minute; but at Albany a snow storm came on. The conductor wired the

White Star Company that there were two passengers on board their train

who wanted to catch the Teutonic, and would they just wait a bit? On

the train raced; we came to Jersey City, and the very ferryman had

been advised to wait for us. We got across the river and got a cabman,

and told him to hurry, hurry -- we had just about fifteen minutes, and

we found as we swung into the wharf that we were half a minute behind

time. There were two officers of the Teutonic, all was ready, every

rope had been lifted, every gangway but one away, steam up and the

Teutonic facing seaward, and the mighty racer across the deep was

anxious to be off. Two minutes! There we are. I wanted to give the

cabman something extra, but I could not get my hand into my pocket.

They said: "Come away, come away, or you will be left behind," and I

shouted to my cabman: "I'll see you when I come back," and he replied:

"Ay, many of them tell me that, but they never see me;" and the fruit

grower said: "When I get back to New York, in 21 days, I am going to

find out that poor cabman and let him know that I mean it when I say

'I'll see you again.'"

But the point is that hardly had they got over the gangway, hardly

had they got their feet on the deck, when the vessel swerved from the

shore and swung out into the deep. No more to get on board, no

possibility of getting on board. Do you see it? The ship of salvation

is alongside the wharf, you may be saved tonight, but it is a matter

of haste, for I believe that the gangway is about to be flung ashore.

I believe that the passageway into grace is soon to be dropped, and

the church of God, the saved in the ark of salvation, are to be taken

away.

For your never-dying soul's sake get on board, for as soon as the

ark is filled it is off. And it is filling up. They are coming from

China, and from India, and from Japan, and from the isles of the sea

-- and the ark is filling up, and soon the angel will get his

instructions to put one foot on the sea and the other on the shore,

and to swear that time shall be no longer. O soul, go aboard. Are you

safe in the arms of Jesus? That will stand. Saved and safe. -- John

Robertson.

By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

A Very, Very, Very Happy Man

Yet he had trials, both many and heavy; but if I were asked, “When have you seen him most triumphant and joyous in his trust in God?” I should reply, “When, with a beaming face, he has expressed his unbound confidence in God that the trial must be one of the ‘all things’ that ‘work together for good.’” Every weakness or trial, being cast upon God, became to him a source of strength. In response to that infinite love which called him from a life of sin as a young man, he loved him, everybody and everything; so that the highest pleasure was found in seeking to please him whom he esteemed it his highest privilege to serve.

Again, the Bible was no mere text-book to him, but the medium of constant communication between him and his heavenly Father. Nor was the expression, “Praying always,” a mere figure of speech; but his daily practice.

Another special characteristic was his great humility; always was nothing -- Christ everything. Not long ago a friend said to him, “When God calls you home, Mr. Mueller, it will be like a ship going into harbor in full sail.” “Oh, no, he said, “it is poor George Mueller, who needs daily to pray, ‘Uphold my goings ... that my footsteps slip not.’” Some may be ready to say, “A spiritual giant has fallen.”

He has not fallen; he has been raised to his reward.

Wednesday was the first time he allowed that he was weak or weary, and that same night a heavenly escort was sent to take him in triumph up, up into the presence of the Lord, who would not let him labor with any sense of weariness after seventy and more years of such faithful service. The precious casket that had held his spirit so long fell back to our loving care, and we reverently place it to rest until the resurrection morn

-- Address at Funeral of George Mueller.

________

J. Wilbur Chapan, “Present Day Parables.”

(untitled)

In May 1995, Randy Reid, a 34-year-old construction worker, was welding on top of a nearly completed water tower outside Chicago. According to writer Melissa Ramsdell, Reid unhooked his safety gear to reach for some pipes when a metal cage slipped and bumped the scaffolding he stood on. The scaffolding tipped, and Reid lost his balance. He fell 110 feet, landing face down on a pile of dirt, just missing rocks and construction debris. A fellow worker called 911. When paramedics arrived, they found Reid conscious, moving, and complaining of a sore back. Apparently the fall didn't cost Reid his sense of humor. As paramedics carried him on a backboard to the ambulance, Reid had one request: "Don't drop me." (Doctors later said Reid came away from the accident with just a bruised lung.)

Sometimes we resemble that construction worker. God protects us from harm in a 110-foot fall, but we're still nervous about three-foot heights. The God who saved us from hell and death can protect us from the smaller dangers we face this week.

-- Greg Asimakoupoulos Naperville, Illinois

Swapping Alligators for Sharks

Psalms 84:12

SWAPPING ALLIGATORS FOR SHARKS OBSERVATION An African proverb says, "Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet." Without realizing it, many of us do exactly that, vainly hoping to gain a better life.

SWAPPING ALLIGATORS FOR SHARKS

It was a hot summer day. Jason, a visitor from the city, wanted to take a cool swim in the river. "Are there any alligators in this river?" he asked a local man who was fishing from the river bank. "No, not a single one," assured the fisherman. Jason was still disturbed. There seemed to be some gray forms beneath the water's surface, moving in circles. So he asked the fisherman, "If there are no alligators here, what are those gray forms I see? Are you sure there are no alligators?" "Certainly," replied the fisherman, "There are no alligators down there. Those gray forms you see are sharks that have chased the alligators away."

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO OUR LIVES?

The fisherman was right. Alligators were not a threat to Jason. But the fisherman didn't warn Jason about the sharks. If Jason had gone swimming, he would have faced a danger that was just as bad, if not worse. Because the sharks were waiting for another meal. We also face danger as we seek better and happier lives. For example, television programs and advertisements depict the "good life" in ways that are carefully designed to gain our attention, our time, and our money. But after watching just a few minutes of news, the long term results of blindly following the world's approach to life can sadden and even depress you. Many of us rely on advice about life from those who know only part of our needs as people. Or we seek relief from pressures and problems by turning to material possessions and ways to have fun. Either route is like swapping alligators for sharks. The real, underlying issues in our lives are neglected, and therefore grow worse, while we end up with disappointment, more possessions and less money. It's really a matter of where to place your trust. Turn to the one dependable Source that has your best interests at heart. That one Source is God Himself, the Creator of all that exists Who loved you enough to sacrifice His son just for you. God also loved you enough to provide His word, the Bible, to guide you and help you through the good times, and through the bad times. So test your actions, your opinions and your decisions by God's Word. Reliable advice about the alligators, the sharks and the water awaits anyone who looks to heaven. "O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." \reference{Psalm 84:12}{Psalms 84:12}

Trust Him As I Do

Stonewall Jackson was visiting Niagara Falls. His sister was with him. They were on the boat crossing the torrent just below the falls, when his sister became terrified by the tossing of the current. Jackson seized her by the arms, and turning to the boatman said, “How often have you crossed here?”

“Continually, Sir, for the past twelve years.”

“Did you ever meet with an accident?”

“Never, Sir”

“Never capsized? Never lost a life?”

And the boatman replied, “Nothing of the kind, Sir.”

Turning to his sister, Jackson said: “You hear what the boatman said, and unless you think you can take the oars and row better than he does, sit still and trust him as I do.”

___________

"Choice Illustrations" by W. W. Clay, p. 28

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Only Trust Him

John 14:6

1. Come, ev’ry soul by sin oppressed–

There's mercy with the Lord,

And He will surely give you rest

By trusting in His word.

Chorus

Only trust Him, only trust Him,

Only trust Him now;

He will save you, He will save you,

He will save you now.

2. For Jesus shed His precious blood,

Rich blessings to bestow;

Plunge now into the crimson flood

That washes white as snow.

3. Yes, Jesus is the Truth, the Way,

That leads you into rest;

Believe in Him without delay

And you are fully blest.

*

Kept In the Position of Confidence In God

Richard Fuller, the 19th-century Baptist preacher, told of an old seaman who said, "In fierce storms, we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there." Said Fuller, "This, Christian, is what you must do.... Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light.... Only a single course is left. You must put your soul in one position and keep it there. You must stay upon the Lord; and, come what may -- winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers -- no matter what, you must hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus."

Do you feel overwhelmed by your troubles? Fix your mind on the Lord. Ask for His help. Trust Him. Let Him give you peace in your storm.

Trusting In the King's Fairness

A skillful surgeon recently undertook the responsibility of

performing a serious operation on the eyes of an Eastern monarch which

proved highly successful. After the king's recovery the problem of

presenting his account puzzled the doctor, for he was dubious as to

what figure would correctly estimate the value of the result achieved.

In Eastern countries it is a serious wrong to charge the king more or

less than the actual value. Taking a blank billhead the doctor wrote

across it, "The king can do no wrong," and respectfully submitted it

to the monarch. His answer was a letter enclosing a sum far beyond his

highest hopes. When we know not what to pray for, let us leave it to

our Heavenly King, who doeth all things well.--Christian Herald

Perfectly Contented

Many people mistakenly think they can find contentment in the

things of the world. A wealthy employer once overheard one of his

workers exclaim, "Oh if I only had a hundred dollars, I would be

perfectly content." Knowing that his own money had not given him

inner peace, he told her, "Since I would like to see someone who is

perfectly contented, I'm going to grant your desire." He gave her the

money and left, but before he was out of earshot, he heard her remark

almost bitterly, "Why on earth didn't I say 200?" The boss smiled,

for he had made his point that money doesn't make a person "perfectly

contented."

A Hospital's False Security

John 12:36

A United Press release in a midwestern city told of a hospital where officials discovered that the firefighting equipment had never been connected. For 35 years it had been relied upon for the safety of the patients in case of emergency. But it had never been attached to the city's water main. The pipe that led from the building extended 4 feet underground — and there it stopped! The medical staff and the patients had felt complete confidence in the system. They thought that if a blaze broke out, they could depend on a nearby hose to extinguish it. But theirs was a false security. Although the costly equipment with its polished valves and well-placed outlets was adequate for the building, it lacked the most important thing — water!

A Poem By A. B. Simpson

Once my hands were always trying;

######Trying hard to do my best;

Now my heart is sweetly trusting,

######And my soul is all at rest.

Once my brain was always planning,

######And my heart, with cares oppressed;

Now I trust the Lord to lead me,

######And my life is all at rest.

Once my life was full of effort,

######Now 'tis full of joy and zest;

Since I took His yoke upon me,

######Jesus gives to me His rest.

-- A. B. Simpson

How Can You Be So Calm?

Years ago a military officer and his wife were aboard a ship that

was caught in a raging ocean storm. Seeing the frantic look in her

eyes, the man tried unsuccessfully to allay her fears. Suddenly she

grasped his sleeve and cried, "How can you be so calm?" He stepped

back a few feet and drew his sword. Pointing it at her heart, he

said, "Are you afraid of this?" Without hesitation she answered, "Of

course not!" "Why not?" he inquired. "Because it's in your hand, and

you love me too much to hurt me." To this he replied, "I know the One

who holds the winds and the waters in the hollow of His hand, and He

will surely care for us!" The officer was not disturbed because he

had put his trust in the Lord.

Make God Himself Your Passion

Psalms 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4).

Success in God's kingdom comes not by just making plans, setting goals and working hard to achieve them, but by delighting in God, trusting Him with your life and waiting for Him to accomplish what He wants, 67 new Southern Baptist missionaries were told May 21.

When, as a field missionary, he was challenged by Psalm 37:4 to identify the desires of his heart, International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin said his first thoughts included having more balance in his life, finding respite from his heavy workload and achieving better physical conditioning.

"As I meditated on it, however, I began to feel that those desires were pretty self-centered and that the desires of my heart should be focused on something more significant, such as the peoples of South Asia and Southeast Asia coming to know the Lord," he said.

Rankin said that, as he began to use Psalm 37:4 as a template for his prayers and grew in spending time with the Lord, he experienced an amazing change.

"I discovered that, when we truly delight in the Lord, the only desire of our heart is for Him!" he said.

Two other verses in that same Psalm -- verses 5 and 7 -- filled out the rest of the picture for him, Rankin said.

"'Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him'" (v.5) taught him that he was not himself capable of making the many decisions he faced about family, ministry, lifestyle, time management and giving himself to others, he said.

"Jesus said, 'Apart from me you can do nothing,'" Rankin admonished the new workers. "Trust Him not only to lead day by day, but also trust Him for the power you need. Trust the promises of His word and realize, 'It is not I, but Christ who lives in me.'"

Rankin said "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (v.7) taught him to not be discouraged when he didn't see immediate results from his hard work.

"We can't discern how God may be working in the hearts of people, but we continue faithful and steadfast, knowing that window of response and harvest will come, because God's desire is to be exalted among the nations," he said.

The key to success in all God wants His children to be lies in that simple pattern, Rankin said.

"Let the foremost passion and focus of your life be the Lord," he said. "Make your life a reflection of unceasing worship and desire for His glory among the nations. Trust Him, then rest in Him and wait patiently for whatever He is seeking to do in your life and through your ministry. ... He will bring it to pass."

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(untitled)

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small;

Trust Him when to trust Him simply

Seems the hardest thing of all.

- Author Unknown

(untitled)

Isaiah 12:2

Clarence Macartney wrote that Dwight L. Moody's favorite verse was

\reference{Isaiah 12:2}{Isaiah 12:2}: "Behold, God is my salvation; I

will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and

my song; he also has become my salvation."

Moody said, "You can travel first-class or second-class to heaven.

A second-class traveler says, 'What time I am afraid, I will trust.'

But the first-class way of traveling says, 'I will trust and not be

afraid.'"

- Clarence Macartney, {Macartney's Illustrations }(New York and

Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1945), 401

(untitled)

Randy Reid, a 34-year-old welder, was working near the top of a new

water tower outside Chicago when he slipped and fell 110 feet to the

ground below. Barely missing rocks and debris, Reid landed on a 6-ft.

soft pile of dirt near the base of the tower.

Within minutes, rescue workers responded to the 911 call made by

co-workers who watched Reid plummet to the ground. Miraculously, the

shakened construction worker suffered only a bruised lung. But as he

was being carried to the ambulance on a stretcher 3-ft. above the

ground, he looked into the faces of the paramedics. "Please don't

drop me!" he pleaded.

Greg Asimakoupoulos, "More Than Survivors," {The Outlook,

}December 31, 1995, p. 3.

Lincoln's Unknown Resolution

On August 23, 1864, Abraham Lincoln wrote a resolution on a piece of paper, which he folded and asked his cabinet to endorse without reading. They did as he asked.

We do not know what was written on that piece of paper, but we know it was important. These men didn't just suddenly trust Abe Lincoln. They had seen him display wisdom and character throughout his days as president of the United States. Each of them trusted him at that moment because of his faithfulness in his daily life.

________

Randy Brantley, “Speaking to Youth,” {Proclaim, }(Nashville: Sunday School Board, Oct-Dec, 1996) 19

The Most Dangerous Place In the World

Jeremiah 7

Years ago I heard a friend tell about a scene from his childhood that he never forgot. My friend was around on that black day in 1929 that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. One of the great traumas of America's financial collapse was that many banks went under almost overnight. My friend remembered seeing a neighbor at the locked gates of his bank - and he was literally pounding his fists bloody on those gates, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Give me my money! Give me my money!” There was no money to give.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Most Dangerous Place in The World.”

That desperate man, and millions like him, placed their security in an institution. An institution that seemed safe but that ultimately failed them. A lot of church folks are making that mistake today - placing their eternal security in their church; in believing its beliefs, attending its meetings, even taking church leadership. Sadly, none of that is enough to get your sins forgiven or get you into God's heaven.

Sometimes religious folks argue over which church is the right church. Well, in Jeremiah's time there was no argument. God's people were the Jews and their temple was God's self-declared house on earth. But even that wasn't enough. In Jeremiah 7, beginning with verse 9, God says, “You come and stand before Me in this house, which bears my Name, and you say 'We are safe' ... 'But I have been watching,' declares the Lord.” And God goes on to point out the sin in their lives - sin that no amount of “church” can make right. He goes on to describe His pending destruction of what God calls “the temple you trust in.”

Boy, that's the danger of being religious. You tend to trust in your religiousness instead of in Christ. Christianity will never get anyone to heaven. Only Christ can get you there. Only Christ died to pay for the sin that disqualifies every one of us from heaven. Jesus established the Church to represent Him on earth, to do His work on earth. But church can be the most dangerous place in the world if that's where your trust is. Christianity is all about Jesus, but it can cause you to miss Jesus. It's called false security; feeling like you're okay with God because you speak the language, agree with the teachings, and you've been around it all these years. Why, no one would even question that you have a relationship with Jesus - except Jesus. And He's the only One who matters.

Could it be that somehow you've missed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, even while you've been a good church person for a long time? Jesus described some active church folks to whom He will say on Judgment Day, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21-23) Somehow, they have never actually given themselves in total faith to the One who died to pay for their sins. There has to be that time when you say, “Jesus, some of those sins You died for were mine, and I have no hope of heaven except You and what You did on the cross for me. So beginning right now, I am Yours.”

If you have missed that critical step, don't go another day without moving Christ from your head to your heart ... from being a belief to being your own personal Savior.

The church you've trusted in, the religion you've trusted in, the goodness you've trusted in are inadequate substitutes for the real thing - putting your total trust in Jesus. Because it's all about Jesus!

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #12985]

Holding On To Certain Things

John 16:16

Recently, a brief letter from a family member painted a telling picture of our nation's Capital, and perhaps reflected the sentiments of a nation in the grip of the unknown. She wrote, “Helicopters are circling very low, sirens are screaming, the police are parked outside. On the other hand, children are playing and laughing outside my window during recess. It is an uneven and uneasy situation...”

It is not hard to sense that we are living in times marked by uncertainty; and often, it is this sense of the unknown, the weight of things uncertain, that can all too easily stifle hope and foster despair. And whether your fears originate from military battle or a battle with cancer, whether your worry is of natural disaster or marital disaster, political unrest or emotional unrest, the question is the same: How do we get through uneven and uneasy times? Or as Ravi Zacharias has asked, “How do you steady the soul when the heart is breaking?” [1]

A powerful illustration emerged from the bombing raids of World War II where thousands of children were orphaned and left to starve. Many of these children were rescued and sent to refugee camps where they received food and shelter. Yet even in the presence of good care, they had experienced so much loss that many of them could not sleep at night. They were terrified they would awake to find themselves once again homeless and hungry. Nothing the adults did reassured them — until someone sent a child to bed with a loaf of bread. Holding onto their bread, the children could sleep. If they woke up frightened in the night, the bread seemed to remind them, “I ate today and I will eat again tomorrow.” [2]

Dear friend, may I suggest, in times of uncertainty, we hold on to what gives us life.

A similar illustration emerges from the Gospels. Before going to his death Jesus Christ spoke to his disciples of the times lying ahead of them, times that they would face without his physical presence. He said, “In a little while, you will see me no more; then, a little while later, you will see me.” At his words the disciples responded, “What is this that he telling us? We don't understand what he's talking about!” (John 16:16,18) But now listen to how Jesus responds to their uncertainty. At the end of his talk with the disciples about things uncertain he says to them, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Christ reminds us that peace can transcend understanding when we cling to the One who gives us Life. It is interesting to note that his use of the word “peace” portrays that quiet state of mind, which is infinitely dissimilar to disquietness or despair. It is as if Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you might be thoroughly quieted by what gives you life.”

And truly, it is the victory of Christ that gives us life, the surety of that victory that gives us peace in uncertain times.

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1. Light in the Shadow of Jihad

2. Dennis Linn, Sleeping With Bread, (New York: Paulist, 1995), p. 1

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #7416]

Modern Day Martyr

A Columbine killer pointed his gun at Cassie Bernall and asked her the life-or-death question: "Do you believe in God?"

She paused. The gun was still there. "Yes, I believe in God," she said.

That was the last thing this 17-year-old Christian would ever say.

The gunman asked her "Why?" She had no time to answer before she was shot to death.

Bernall entered the Columbine High School library to study during lunch. She left a martyr.

Though lots of fellow Columbine students already were strong, vocal Christians, Bernall's confession in the face of death has inspired them to keep the faith no matter how bad it gets.

By Carla Crowder Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

April 1999

How to Choose A Dentist

Psalms 101:2

Never trust a dentist...

* who wears dentures.

* who has hairy knuckles.

* whose drill is driven by a system of pulleys connected to three mice on a treadmill.

* who sends you a Christmas card and charges you for it.

* who chews tobacco and spits the juice into the sink.

* who uses the suction hose to empty your pockets.

* who is also a barber.

* who sprays his equipment with Lysol to sterilize it.

* who uses lead for fillings.

On the other hand, you can always trust a dentist...

* who has never chewed gum.

* who looks like Jack Nicholson.

* who doesn't ask you questions when your mouth's full.

* who puts you to sleep two weeks before your appointment.

* who uses a laser instead of a drill.

* who cancels your appointment to play tennis.

* who has mellow rock piped into his office instead of elevator music.

* who doesn't strap you in the chair.

-- From an article in Campus Life by Stephen Erickson.

See: Psalms 101:2-8; 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Unfolding of A Rosebud

A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher.

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. But because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...

UNFOLDING THE ROSEBUD

It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of GOD's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so sweetly,

When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of GOD's design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading

Each moment of every day.

I will look to him for His guidance

Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,

Only my Heavenly Father knows.

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose.

Whose Hands?

John 10:24

WHOSE HANDS?

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19

A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million