"Life Is Unfair"

Barthe DeClements has written an interesting book, “Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade.”  The fifth graders who read the book identify with and understand the message.

      It can seem like things are unfair in the fifth grade.  The teachers, the homework assignments, the coaches, and the way your friends treat you – it can be very unfair.

      What’s worse is that it can happen again in the 6^th grade …… I think you see where I’m going.

      So, things are not always fair.  That’s an old problem, but don’t think you have any “rights” on that one.

      How can we respond to the unfair?  Do something about it, if you can!  But, if you can’t do something about it, two options are left.  Either respond with hostility and bitterness, or respond with peace and joy.

      You may not be in control of the circumstances, but you are in control of your response.

Shall We Know Each Other In Heaven?

            A question of absorbing interest to every thoughtful person is, “Shall we know each other in heaven?”  Whatever God has revealed on the subject of heaven, he has done so with the intent of intensifying man’s desire to go there.  This article is not written to just satisfy an idle curiosity or to submit speculative ideas on this subject, but to discover what God has revealed on the matter.  There are several reasons for believing that we shall know each other in heaven.

1. THE WORD OF GOD IMPLIES IT.  In 2 Samuel 12:23, grief-stricken David stated that while his dead child could not return to him, he would some day go to the child.  This implies that David would be conscious of being in his child’s presence.

2. THE STORY OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS CONFIRMS IT (Luke 16:19-31).  All three personalities mentioned in this story – the rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham – recognized each other.  Some assert that this story is only a parable and, therefore, the whole picture is figurative.  Even if that were so, the Lord’s parables were told in order to instruct, not to mislead.  They enforced heavenly truths upon the minds and hearts of the hearers.

3. THE TRANSFIGURATION SCENE ILLUSTRATES IT (Luke 9:27-36).  When Moses and Elijah suddenly appeared on the mountain where the Lord was transfigured, the three disciples who were with him (Peter, James, and John) immediately recognized these two spiritual giants from the Old Testament even though they had been dead 1500 years and 900 years, respectively.

4. THE NATURE OF HEAVEN REQUIRES IT.  Heaven is revealed in the New Testament as a social place and we are social creatures.  Heaven is the Christian’s eternal home (2 Corinthians 5:8) and the Father’s house (John 14:2).  Can you conceive of a home where the inhabitants do not know each other or converse with each other?

5. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST SETTLES IT.  The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and was recognized after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) guarantees that we shall be recognized and that we shall recognize others when we have our glorified bodies (Philippians 3:21).

            Some have argued that if we know each other in heaven, then heaven would become a sad place if it was discovered that a loved one was not there.  That line of reasoning does not eliminate the difficulty, for then we would not know if anybody we love is there.  Somehow, we manage to experience joy on earth in spite of the fact that we know loved ones who are in a lost condition spiritually.  Even though some of our loved ones on earth will not be in heaven, surely we will experience untold joy on the other shore when God “shall wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4).

            The doctrine of future recognition is grounded in hope, sustained by faith, and shall be realized when this life is completed.

Two Hundred Pounds

A missionary family in China was forced to leave the country sometime after the communists took over.  Early one morning a band of soldiers knocked on the door and told the missionary and his family that they had two hours to pack up before the troops would return and escort them to the train station.  They were informed that they would be permitted to take with them only two hundred pounds of stuff.

Thus began two hours of family wrangling and bickering – what should they take?  What about this vase?  It’s a family heirloom, so we’ve got to take the vase.  Well, maybe so, but this typewriter is brand new and we’re not about to leave it behind.  What about some books?  Got to take a few of them along.  On and on it went, putting stuff on the bathroom scale and taking it off until finally they had a pile of possessions that totaled two hundred pounds on the dot.

At the appointed hour, the soldiers returned.  “Are you ready?” they asked.  “Yes.”  “Did you weigh your stuff?”  “Yes, we did.”  “Two hundred pounds?”  “Yes, two hundred pounds on the dot.”  “Did you weigh the kids?”  “Um…no.”  “Well, you’d better weigh the kids!”  And in an instant the vase, the typewriter, and the books all became trash.  Trash!  None of it meant anything compared to the surpassing value of the children.

If only it were that easy for us.  If we had to make a physical choice, the choice would be easy.  What’s worth more – your child or a computer?  If you could only take one with you, which would it be?  That’s easy; it’s a no-brainer.  But seldom does the choice come wrapped in such an easy-to-open package.

Too often, it sounds more like this:  What’s more important – spending time with your family or staying at work a couple of extra hours to get caught up? Many say, “Don’t ask me to make that choice!  My family is important to me.  It’s just that I really need to get this done!  After all, I’m only doing it to provide for them.”  Still, there are times when the question just won’t go away:  Which is more important?

Man has a tendency to misplace his priorities.  We tend to major in minors and minor in majors.  We place the emphasis of our life on the wrong things and neglect that which is truly important.  Many are like Martha in the New Testament whom Jesus said was troubled and anxious about many things, but had neglected the most important thing.  Our attention and interests are focused on so many things that are really not all that important from the viewpoint of eternity.  On one occasion Jesus said to his disciples, “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt. 16:26).  Indeed, all the riches of the world do not equal the value of one soul.

There are times when we are forced to admit that we’ve been gathering hundreds of pounds of “trash” while neglecting that which is of greatest importance.  The apostle Paul once said, “But what gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8).

May God bless each one of us with the wisdom to choose that which is of greatest value.

Our Changing Moral Climate

If you’re not alarmed by the current state of immorality in this country, you have reason to be alarmed about your own spiritual state.  In many larger cities there is a murder almost every day.  Some parents are using their own children to film pornography.  There are couples living together and having children without being married.  What on earth is going on?  A Denver-area teacher was recently arrested for having sexual contact with a student.  A Fox News anchor said, “When will these teachers ever learn their own lesson?”

Fact is, we’ve always had sexual sin, corruption in government, child abuse and out-of-wedlock births.  The difference seems to be that no one is embarrassed by it anymore.  Is there no shame?  Very little, it seems.  We’ve been desensitized.  It is much like the experience of Samson in Judges 16:20 where the Bible says, “…but he did not know the Lord had left him.”  It is sad when the Lord can no longer keep company with a person; sadder still when we aren’t even aware that he left!  Like Samson, there was a time when the United States was incredibly strong – militarily, morally, and in most every way.  The entire world respected our strength.  Today, however, we find that our moral fiber has weakened significantly and the respect that other countries have of us has deteriorated.  How long will it be before our military and economic strength will likewise weaken?  It would be tragic to wake up one of these days and say as did Samson, “I will go out as before and shake myself free…” only to find that we have no strength left.

You see, we have created a moral climate where nothing is wrong any more.  And anyone who has the nerve to say that something is morally wrong is dubbed a “bigoted, narrow-minded, red-neck,wild-eyed Christian fundamentalist.”  Call it what you will, there is no denying that when this nation shoved God and the Bible into the background – when we decided that everyone could do that which is right in his own eyes – we got way more than we bargained for.  We lit a virtual firestorm that is now being driven by the winds of evil across these amber waves of grain. The fire is raging completely out of control.  And if somebody, somewhere, sometime, somehow doesn’t do something to save us from ourselves, our children and grandchildren will see this country fall completely apart at the seams.  I can hear some threads already beginning to rip.

Do you recall the story in the first chapter of Exodus that details the hardships of God’s people in Egypt?  At first, the God-fearing Joseph had been so trusted and respected that he was appointed by Pharaoh to the position of Prime Minister.  Several generations passed and Exodus 1:6 says, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt…”  From that point on, the people of God suffered mercilessly.

In a similar fashion, unless there is a change in direction, future historians may likely record American history something like this: “Then a new President, Congress, and Supreme Court justices, who did not know God, came to power in America…”  We have just now raised the first generation of Americans who no longer hold the Bible to be God’s Sacred Word.  Young corporate leaders, politicians, congressmen and even some presidents thumb their nose at anyone who dares call anything a sin.  These words of concern do not come from one who is disloyal to his country, but from a patriot who dearly loves his country.  May God bless America and may America never forget God!

Jealousy

Jealousy is a work of the flesh which is ruinous to the character of man.  It is a sin of disposition which is both mean and wicked.  It is a malicious spirit that seeks to deny or destroy the good it sees in others.  Solomon declared that “…jealousy enrages a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance” (Proverbs 6:34).

Man’s history is clouded with fits of jealousy that have wreaked havoc.  Cain was jealous of his brother Abel and murdered him (Genesis 4:1-8).  Sarah’s jealousy of her handmaid, Hagar, motivated her to treat Hagar harshly (Genesis 16:1-6).  King Saul’s jealousy of David blinded him to the admirable qualities David possessed which could have been utilized for the benefit of the nation of Israel (1 Samuel 18:8-30).  The brother of the prodigal son in the famous parable of Luke chapter 15 was unable to rejoice in the recovery of his fallen brother because of jealousy.  The Lord’s church in the ancient city of Corinth was successful in many ways: they possessed affluence, education, and sophistication – things for which they had worked hard.  They were also richly blessed.  One of the miraculous gifts that God gave to some was the ability to speak in languages they had never studied.  However, not everyone in the congregation had the highly visible and impressive gift of speaking in other languages.  Those who did possess the gift seemed to have a self-righteous spirit and advocated that their possession of it made them spiritually superior to others.  Those who had the gift and those who did not were jealous of each other and this jealousy produced divisions and rivalries where there should have been love and mutual support.  The church was on the verge of splintering into competing factions.

Jealousy still threatens today.  One sibling makes it big and the other wants to break off family ties.  A friend gains popularity and the other wants to find a new friend.  One person gets more public recognition than others and some want to try and discredit him.  Oscar Wilde said, “Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.”

Jealousy has no cultural, racial, social or economic barriers.  It has afflicted all people and been the ruin of many.  It has divided families, destroyed friendships, ruined health, and split churches.  Jealousy acts as a wedge to destroy harmony and unity between best friends.  Indeed, it has a destructive power about it that is difficult to overcome.  Solomon declared, “Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?” (Proverbs 27:4).  The apostle James stated that “…where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing” (James 3:16).

It is harmful as well as wrong to be jealous of someone else’s success, whether they have earned it or it has been given to them.  It is wrong because God says so, but it is also wrong because it is so destructive.

Jealousy is a manifestation of spiritual immaturity (1 Corinthians 3:3).  It will dwarf, wither, and shrivel the soul and fill one’s life with hatred and bitterness and make life miserable and wretched.  The antidote for jealousy, then as now, is respect and love.  To love is to rejoice in another’s good and to seek his welfare; this is Godlike.  To be filled with jealousy is to have the murderous hatred of Cain who slew his brother; this is satanic.  Be Godlike!

Some Important First Things

      There is a certain excitement about “first things.”  Most of us find it easy to remember our first day at school.  Our parents probably remember the first time we walked as well as the first time we talked!  Can you remember the first time you led a soul to Christ, or taught a Bible class?  There are several things in life that should occupy first place by virtue of our deliberate choice.  One of the most important lessons we need to learn is that of exercising discrimination.  So many things clamor for priority, and we need to know how to assess their value so that we do not give the first place to secondary things.  Much of our trouble arises when we reverse the order and “major in minors and minor in majors.”  Where are we to find guidance to help us make proper evaluations?  As usual, the word of God is our all-sufficient guide.  In the gospel of Matthew we discover the record of our Lord’s five-fold law of priorities.  Consider them carefully.

      First your brother, then your gift (Matthew 5:23-24).  The devil loves to sow seeds of discord in the ranks of the redeemed.  God’s work is often paralyzed and his servants are frequently powerless because of an unwillingness to seek and secure proper reconciliation with an estranged brother.  No person can be right with God if he is consciously wrong with his fellow man.  If the tides of God’s blessings are damned up in your life, is it because you need to “first be reconciled…”?

      First the spiritual, then the temporal (Matthew 6:33).  No guarantees are made by God that we will be materially blessed in proportion to our devotion to him.  Even his Son, Jesus Christ, owned no real estate (Matthew 8:20), nor did he have an attractive portfolio of stocks and bonds; yet, there is no denying his spiritual wealth.  God knows all about our temporal needs and is willing to supply them according to his riches in Christ Jesus (cf. Philippians 4:19).

      First judge yourself, then your brother (Matthew 7:3).  How blind we often are to our own faults, and how quickly we observe the faults and failings of others!  In solemn words the Searcher of hearts urges us to be careful about criticizing others.  How much more profitable it is to mend and restore than to criticize (cf. Galatians 6:1).

      First what Christ wants, then what you want (Matthew 8:21-22).  “Me first…!”  How terrible, and yet how frequently we act in this way…a self-centered person going his own way instead of the Lord’s way.

      First the inside, then the outside (Matthew 23:25-28).  The Christian life is not just an outwardly reformed life; it is primarily an inwardly cleansed life.  When the inward cleansing is thorough, the outward transformation is soon evident.  God does not merely want outward profession, but first he wants inward possession.

Insights To Life: Sportsmanship

Insights To Life: Sportsmanship: Todd Clippard, a friend of mine who preaches near Hamilton, AL, wrote an article that I would like to share with you. H..."