FULL FIDELITY TO CHRIST

FULL FIDELITY TO CHRIST

Augustine, the well-known African bishop of Hippo, penned these memorable and meaningful words: “Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.”  Therefore, my friend, true faithfulness to Christ simply means being all in.  For example, a man that is 85% faithful to his wife is not faithful at all.  The application is apparent:  There is no such thing as part-time Christianity or half-hearted loyalty to Christ.

No matter what others say or do, no matter how inconvenient or out of step with the world it might seem, be all in for your Savior and Lord.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

NEVER ALLOW OTHERS TO LABEL YOU

NEVER ALLOW OTHERS TO LABEL YOU

As children, on certain challenging occasions we would boisterously chant, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words [names] will never harm me.”  In other words, we would not allow the opinions or disparaging words flowing from the minds and mouths of others to affect our self-esteem.  It’s an important principle to keep top-of-mind, because some tend to garner their self-worth by diminishing or degrading other people.

For example, Charles the Simple was the son of Louis the Stammerer.  They were named thusly for their policy of making concessions to the Norse invaders, rather than fighting their enemies. 

Louis the Sluggard was noted for his self-indulgence while ruling over the Franks.

Ethelred the Unready (a.k.a. Ethelred the Ill-Advised) was named for his inability to repel the Danish invasion..

Louis the Fat was reputed to be sufficiently obese to preclude mounting and riding his horse.

But they were all rulers.  You, my friend, are much more than your weakest bodily or emotional link.  So look beyond the views of others and see yourself through the eyes and affirmations of your Creator.  Rise!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

LOOK AHEAD

LOOK AHEAD

Former President Harry S. Truman penned these insightful words about those who are fixated on the past: “People who live in the past remind me of a toy…a small wooden bird called the Floogie Bird.  Around that bird’s neck is a label reading, “I fly backwards.  I don’t care where I’m going.  I just want to see where I’ve been.” 

My friend, you’re not a hummingbird; you’re a child of God.  So don’t go flying into, getting trapped in, (or paralyzed by) your past.  The Holy Writ records an important admonition to all who are victimized by the backward look.  “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press...” (Philippians 3:13-14)

You know why it’s called the past?  Because it has passed…period!  Look forward and move on.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

ABILITY VS. AVAILABILITY

ABILITY VS. AVAILABILITY

One lesson I’ve learned (sometimes painfully so) is that in the general scheme of life, one’s ability counts far less than one’s availability.  Availability always…always…trumps ability.  The life of Booker T. Washington is one such noteworthy example.  At your leisure, check it out.

Josh Billings frames this important truth about staying power so artfully.  He writes, “Consider the postage stamp.  Its usefulness consists in its tendency to stick to one thing until it gets there.”  My friend, when your mind occasionally contemplates other options, just consider the importance of your present situation and decide to stick to it.  Always be available and stick to it.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE: A SIGN OF THE TIMES

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE: A SIGN OF THE TIMES

Educational analysts have noted that knowledge is now exploding at a phenomenally rapid rate--more than 2000 pages of new information every minute.  Even the most brilliant among us could not possibly keep up with that incredible pace.  Actually, if we were to read 24 hours every day (from age 21 to age 70) we would still be 1.5 million years behind when we finished.  Wow!

If we were to graph this awesome increase of human knowledge from the beginning of time to recent times, it would roughly appear as follows:

--Up to 1845 is one inch.
--From 1845 to 1945 is three inches.
--From 1945 to 1976 is the height of the Washington Monument.

Actually, in 1945 the sum of human knowledge doubled every 25 years.  Currently, the sum of human knowledge doubles every 12 hours!  The prophet, Daniel, predicted such amazing circumstances for the end-time, emphatically stating that “knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4)  Unquestionably, his words constitute a real understatement of our present situation.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

SOMETIMES IT'S PAINFUL TO HELP

SOMETIMES IT’S PAINFUL TO HELP

Alexander de Seversky, U.S. aviator and engineer, visited a fellow flyer in the hospital who had recently lost his leg. Seversky, who had an artificial leg for quite some time, was trying to cheer him up. “The loss of a leg is not so great a calamity,” he reasoned. “If you get hit on a wooden leg, it doesn’t hurt a bit! Try it!” The patient then raised his walking stick and brought it down hard on Seversky’s leg. “You see,” Seversky responded cheerfully. “If you hit an ordinary man like that, he’d be in bed for five days!” Having said that, he left his friend’s side and limped into the corridor, where he collapsed in excruciating pain. It seems the young man had struck Seversky on his good leg!

Occasionally, we might have to experience moments of pain during our heartfelt and sacrificial attempts to aid or comfort others. However, my own life experiences convince me that helping is always the right choice, no matter how much it might personally cost. Your painful experiences just might be the start of healing, hope and help for others.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

WHY SO MUCH PRIDE?

WHY SO MUCH PRIDE?

I discovered some rather intriguing truths in the writings of St. Francis de Sales.  He wisely advises, “Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse, wear a feather in their hat, or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes. Who does not see the folly of this? If there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.”  Wow!

During the pastoral ministry of my natural and spiritual father, the late Bishop Joseph Edison Bass, Sr., he often referenced the following relevant questions posed by the Apostle Paul: “What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (I Corinthians 4:7)  Think.

Whoever you are, whatever you have somehow achieved or accrued in life, your Creator and some other person or people were certainly instrumental in your accomplishments.  So, make sure that you express sincere gratitude to God and to others who laid tangible foundations for your success.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!