But one of the elders said, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals." - Revelations 5:5

ETERNITY - IS HEAVEN YOUR HOME ?

Please read below and think about your own personal life and relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus as your savior? Do you serve Him as your Lord?

Your eternal life has already started, do you know where you are going to spend it? Live life to the fullest with that in mind.

Pastor Ronald David Kosor

Thanks Crusader for another good one.

SALVATION--HOW ARE YOU LIVING THE ETERNAL LIFE NOW?

On several occasions, driving one place or another, vehicles sail past us with little concern about speed limits. It's interesting to note how many have Christian fish symbols on the trunk lids these days. One car the other day had a bumper sticker that said, "God is my co-pilot." The driver must have had a pilot's license because he was flying pretty low. Have you ever noticed how often the vehicle that went tearing around you so fast on the highway is waiting at the first stop light in the next town when you pull up? Most cars nowadays have cruise controls but they're not used. Christians using spiritual cruise control are often by themselves on the highway of life so you have to wonder if the people racing past have their spiritual cruise control on or even care where they're going.

It makes you wonder if those flashing Christian symbols and bumper stickers are in fact Christians or just like the ornamentation on their cars. Or perhaps they're like some who, when confronted about their beliefs, say, "Oh, I'm spiritual." It's popular to be "spiritual". Oprah has set that standard. Seems like there are a lot of "spiritual" people nowadays. It's an "in" thing. They like to be socially accepted. Social Christians, Sunday Christians, Easter Christians, Christmas Christians and the like abound. Some are saints for social reasons or saints on Sundays but less saintly the rest of the week or show up only for Easter services. Regular church attendees often call them "Easter Bunnies". Many are very devout only during the Christmas season.

Christianity is a hard path. It takes a real man (or woman as the case may be) to be a Christian. Most people want to be liked and socially accepted. But it's hard to maintain a Christian bearing and be liked and socially accepted. Faced with that reality, many Christians rationalize. They convince themselves that they're not as bad as some other Christian. They too must be looking around to see if someone is as good as they are. If they're better than the other guy, they're okay. Of course, they're always a little better than the person they're looking at.

A headstone in a cemetery had the following inscription:

"Pause a moment o' passerby
As you are now
So was I

As I am now
So you will be
Prepare yourself to follow me."

Someone had taken a piece of chalk and written at the bottom of the headstone:

"With following you I'm not content,
Until I see which way you went."

Must have been a Berean, don't you think?

You've got to be discerning when it comes to whom you follow. At the same time, if you've been associated with Christ, you're setting an example for someone else to follow. From those in your immediate family to the neighbor next door to any number of people in the world at large, you're setting an example.

Many people are watching to see where you're going or at least where you're at. For sure, if they see no difference between where you're going or where you're at and where they're going or where they're at, they'll assume that you're going to the same place they are or at the same place they're at. If they're unbelievers, they won't have any incentive to go where you're going or be where you're at.

For those who bear or present some symbol that says, "I'm a Christian", the world at large is looking especially close to see the example being set. I've gotten away from sporting Christian emblems for fear of doing something in a moment of weakness that might reflect negatively on the faith.

Worldly people expect us to be like straight-laced Quakers. That's not the image we ought to present. On the other hand, with the purest motives in an attempt to get close to someone to witness to them, some come dangerously close to being a Quacker instead of a Quaker. Remember the old saying: “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it probably is a duck.”

What are the boundaries we need to avoid crossing? It's impressive to note how many times Paul refers to the Christian walk and how we should be. All through his epistles, the reference is unmistakable. He talks about it in over twenty verses. If we're going to adhere to his teachings, we ought to walk the walk. He gave Timothy good advice in 2Ti 1:13-14. He's given us sound Christian doctrine that we're required to pass on to others in walk and talk. We need to listen to our pilot and do what needs to be done.

In Christ,
Philip "Phil" Douglas
G.R.A.C.E. Ministries Division Moderator