Years ago our friend Dale Oldham told this wonderful story in his uplifting little book, How to Grow Spiritually. He described 20-year-old Sherman, an Idaho logger. One day the boss left Sherman in charge of the crew and Sherman thought it a perfect time to fire Tony, the sour-faced Italian no one liked. Sherman headed in Tony's direction, but he met the boss on the way. The boss sensed Sherman's mission and instructed Sherman to leave Tony alone. He informed Sherman that Tony was his safest and most reliable crewman in forty years of operation. As a result, Sherman walked over to Tony and repeated everything the boss had said. Tears trickled down Tony's cheeks as he asked, "Why didn't he tell me that eight years ago?"
That evening, the crew verified the Owner's word about Tony's reliability. One said, "That guy threw enough sand to sand a dozen hills, and he smiled all day! Tony later took Sherman home to dinner with Maria and his four kids. When Tony told her what Sherman told him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him and Tony told Sherman, Marie felt like Christmas when I told her.
She put her kids to bed later, then told Sherman how hard her dark-skinned, poorly-dressed, foreign-speaking kids found it at school and she prayed, "Dear God, help my children to grow up to be good Americans. And try to help the American children to understand them." She shared with Sherman the contemptuous ethnic names they were called; Wops, Dagos, et al. The next day Sherman went to the school, had Tony's kids dismissed, and pleaded for better treatment for Tony's kids. it began a new day. Twelve years later, Sherman saw Tony again--the big Italian was Superintendent of RR Construction, one of the biggest logging operations in the West.
Tony beamed: "If it hadn't been for that one minute you talked to me back in Idaho, I'd have killed somebody by this time. That one minute changed my whole life. And that half-hour you spent at school changed the lives of all four of my youngsters, gave them the chance they needed. Then he mused, "I wonder why more people don't try to understand more and hate less."
From this, Oldham concluded, "Wholesome religion will lead you to worship, but it will also send you out to serve and bless those whose needy lives you touch from day to day;" adding, "And remember, it is 'the gospel according to you' that is being read by many most of whom will never open a page of the Bible" (Warner Press/167-168).
That recalls the two guys that went to a funeral and saw the corpse suddenly bolt upright in the casket. Unaccustomed to such antics, the one fellow walked up and belted the corpse on the chin and announced, "If you're going to be dead, act like it!"
That was in my thoughts when I read the miraculous recovery of Baseball Star, Dave Draveky, after retiring in 1989 with a cancerous tumor removed from his pitching arm. Dave played in the 1983 All-star game; he pitched in the 1984 World Series and again on opening-day 1988. Five days later, in the sixth inning, he had a spiral fracture in his throwing arm. On October ninth someone slapped him on the back and accidentally broke that same arm again.
Dravecky and his wife had converted to following Jesus Christ as Christians in August of 1981 while playing for the San Diego Padre AA Farm Team in Amarillo, Texas. On July 4, 1987 he was traded to the Giants and just before the Playoffs he discovered a lump on his arm that was diagnosed as a career-threatening cancer, but not life-threatening. He was told he would never pitch again, but we were all thrilled later when Dravecky came back and beat Cincinnati 4-3.
Shortly after being in the earthquake, he needed surgery again and in January of 1989 he retired; at peace, believing the Lord was leading him in "a new direction." His testimony affirmed, "I'm not worthy of what God has done for me. But because of the gift of salvation he has given me through Jesus Christ, I want to honor and serve him in everything I do" (Comeback, by Tim Stafford).
My Bible tells me, if you're going to be a Christian, act like it! "To all who received him. to those who believed in his name," the Beloved Apostle wrote, "he (Jesus) gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12 NIV).
(1)--Reconciling with God opens your life up to new potential; it places you on temporary duty (TDY) in the world, but not of the world.
(2)--Reconciling with God provides new power. Some are saved, sanctified, and stuck with the rest, observed E.E. Wolfram, but Jesus went to the cross rather than backslide in battle.
(3)--Reconciling with God, gives new purpose. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God."
Decades ago, When still a young pastor, I encountered a young agnostic who described his struggle into Christian ministry: He wrote:"We will pay any price to reach this goal" (Ministry). Unbeknowns to my friend Don, he would shortly find himself in the hospital room, waiting for his lovely young bride who had led him to Christ. She laid on the operating table for open-heart surgery, the splendid young married daughter of a fine Pennsylvania Slovak pastor.
She died on that table and left two small children and a grieving husband. Events changed Don's life, but in his gratitude and praise to God, he found new awareness of God and a new commitment to him. He found God so real that he continued serving God and the church with gifts that were uniquely his.
From all of this, I conclude that God does not call you to be a Christian, like measles, spotted all over. God calls you to become "Christian" like a peanut dipped in chocolate, completely covered, thoroughly immersed, totally saturated until even the nut tastes "chocolaty" He who GIVES UP is a quitter. He who GIVES OVER is a coward. He who GIVES OUT is a weakling. He who GIVES IN is a compromiser.
He who GIVES ALL ON THE LORD'S ALTAR will discover what John really means in John 1:12: To as many as believed on Him. to them gave he power to become sons of God."
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
That evening, the crew verified the Owner's word about Tony's reliability. One said, "That guy threw enough sand to sand a dozen hills, and he smiled all day! Tony later took Sherman home to dinner with Maria and his four kids. When Tony told her what Sherman told him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him and Tony told Sherman, Marie felt like Christmas when I told her.
She put her kids to bed later, then told Sherman how hard her dark-skinned, poorly-dressed, foreign-speaking kids found it at school and she prayed, "Dear God, help my children to grow up to be good Americans. And try to help the American children to understand them." She shared with Sherman the contemptuous ethnic names they were called; Wops, Dagos, et al. The next day Sherman went to the school, had Tony's kids dismissed, and pleaded for better treatment for Tony's kids. it began a new day. Twelve years later, Sherman saw Tony again--the big Italian was Superintendent of RR Construction, one of the biggest logging operations in the West.
Tony beamed: "If it hadn't been for that one minute you talked to me back in Idaho, I'd have killed somebody by this time. That one minute changed my whole life. And that half-hour you spent at school changed the lives of all four of my youngsters, gave them the chance they needed. Then he mused, "I wonder why more people don't try to understand more and hate less."
From this, Oldham concluded, "Wholesome religion will lead you to worship, but it will also send you out to serve and bless those whose needy lives you touch from day to day;" adding, "And remember, it is 'the gospel according to you' that is being read by many most of whom will never open a page of the Bible" (Warner Press/167-168).
That recalls the two guys that went to a funeral and saw the corpse suddenly bolt upright in the casket. Unaccustomed to such antics, the one fellow walked up and belted the corpse on the chin and announced, "If you're going to be dead, act like it!"
That was in my thoughts when I read the miraculous recovery of Baseball Star, Dave Draveky, after retiring in 1989 with a cancerous tumor removed from his pitching arm. Dave played in the 1983 All-star game; he pitched in the 1984 World Series and again on opening-day 1988. Five days later, in the sixth inning, he had a spiral fracture in his throwing arm. On October ninth someone slapped him on the back and accidentally broke that same arm again.
Dravecky and his wife had converted to following Jesus Christ as Christians in August of 1981 while playing for the San Diego Padre AA Farm Team in Amarillo, Texas. On July 4, 1987 he was traded to the Giants and just before the Playoffs he discovered a lump on his arm that was diagnosed as a career-threatening cancer, but not life-threatening. He was told he would never pitch again, but we were all thrilled later when Dravecky came back and beat Cincinnati 4-3.
Shortly after being in the earthquake, he needed surgery again and in January of 1989 he retired; at peace, believing the Lord was leading him in "a new direction." His testimony affirmed, "I'm not worthy of what God has done for me. But because of the gift of salvation he has given me through Jesus Christ, I want to honor and serve him in everything I do" (Comeback, by Tim Stafford).
My Bible tells me, if you're going to be a Christian, act like it! "To all who received him. to those who believed in his name," the Beloved Apostle wrote, "he (Jesus) gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12 NIV).
(1)--Reconciling with God opens your life up to new potential; it places you on temporary duty (TDY) in the world, but not of the world.
(2)--Reconciling with God provides new power. Some are saved, sanctified, and stuck with the rest, observed E.E. Wolfram, but Jesus went to the cross rather than backslide in battle.
(3)--Reconciling with God, gives new purpose. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God."
Decades ago, When still a young pastor, I encountered a young agnostic who described his struggle into Christian ministry: He wrote:"We will pay any price to reach this goal" (Ministry). Unbeknowns to my friend Don, he would shortly find himself in the hospital room, waiting for his lovely young bride who had led him to Christ. She laid on the operating table for open-heart surgery, the splendid young married daughter of a fine Pennsylvania Slovak pastor.
She died on that table and left two small children and a grieving husband. Events changed Don's life, but in his gratitude and praise to God, he found new awareness of God and a new commitment to him. He found God so real that he continued serving God and the church with gifts that were uniquely his.
From all of this, I conclude that God does not call you to be a Christian, like measles, spotted all over. God calls you to become "Christian" like a peanut dipped in chocolate, completely covered, thoroughly immersed, totally saturated until even the nut tastes "chocolaty" He who GIVES UP is a quitter. He who GIVES OVER is a coward. He who GIVES OUT is a weakling. He who GIVES IN is a compromiser.
He who GIVES ALL ON THE LORD'S ALTAR will discover what John really means in John 1:12: To as many as believed on Him. to them gave he power to become sons of God."
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com
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