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Which Road?

7/16/2021

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ONE-WAY STREET  
   
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)  
   
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Many of us have heard horror stories about the driving habits of some New Yorkers. One oft-repeated tale is about a man that was pulled over after driving the WRONG WAY on Madison Avenue, one of the busiest one-way streets in the city. When the pursuing officer approached the stopped driver, he asked, “Where do you think you are going?”  The intoxicated driver replied, “Wherever it is, I must be late! Everyone else is coming back."  
   
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Apart from the aforementioned example, going against the tide (or in the opposite direction of the crowd) is not always wrong. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).  
   
It has been said that the widest lane to hell is labeled, “Everybody’s doing it!”  John describes it this way, “…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).  
   
I heard about a t-shirt that pictured a solitary fish swimming in the opposite direction of a school of fish that were hurrying toward a baited hook. The caption read, "Smart Fish Go Against the Flow." Spiritually speaking, that is accurate. Luke 13:23-24 records, “Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And (Jesus) said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  
   
Although narrow, difficult roads are rarely popular, may we remain on the less-traveled path that will lead us to heaven.  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis
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Doing Nothing?

7/6/2021

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For Millions, Doing Nothing is the Worst Option     
Charles Swindoll relates the story of an isolated tribe in South America whose people were dying prematurely from an unknown cause. Medical specialists were eventually sent to the area in an effort to ascertain the cause and offer possible solutions. 
  
Following a painstaking investigation, the cause of premature death was determined. A disease was being transmitted by the bite of an insect that lived within the walls of their adobe homes. Equipped with this knowledge, the medical authorities presented the tribe with three viable options. 
  1. They could move to another area where the offending insects did not thrive. 
  2. They could burn down their homes and rebuild them with materials that would not be 

    favorable for the insects. 
  3.  They could utilize modern insecticides to rid their homes of the deadly insects. 

    Surprisingly, the tribe decided to do nothing, and continue to die prematurely as they had done for generations. 
  
  
Unfortunately, this tragic example is not unique. For instance, many of us are aware of people that persist in self-destructive habits like drinking or abusing drugs, despite the fact that they perpetually struggle with health, emotional, family, job or legal issues.
  
Even more tragic are the multitudes that continue to be LOST. I’m not just referring to those that have never heard about Jesus, but to those that have been repeatedly exposed to the gospel, and do nothing. Or to those that previously obeyed the gospel, but are no longer faithful to Christ. And what of those Christians that maintain the "appearance of Christianity”, but lead a “double life”?
   
In the aforementioned examples, DOING NOTHING is the worst option possible. “…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin"  (Jam. 4:17).  
   
Our time on earth is short - James 4:14. If you are not right with God, DO SOMETHING today.  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis
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Are You Essential?

7/6/2021

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ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANS  
   
Are certain Christians indispensable to the Lord’s church? Not unless you find a perfect one. According to 1 John 1:8, such Christians do not exist. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  
  
On the other hand, virtually every congregation possesses a number of  “essential Christians”. These committed saints make up the backbone of the local church, insuring that she continues to serve the Lord. Who are these “essential Christians”? The following fruits typically identify them. 
  
Essential Christians are usually present at all church assemblies. Unless they are sick, they make it a point to attend every service. Despite the fact that they sometimes suffer inconvenience or miss other activities, they do so because they are committed to being present whenever the “doors are open” (See Heb. 10:24-25). 
  
Essential Christians look for opportunities to serve. If volunteers are needed to lead in worship, teach or help in a Bible class, call missing members or visit sick folks, they step up and help out. They rarely wait to be asked; they search for a need and then meet it (See 1 Cor. 15:58). 
  
Essential Christians strive to be pure. They don’t make “excuses” to justify questionable behavior. Rather, they strive to make certain that no “appearance of evil” is present in their lives (1 Thess. 5:22). Whether it involves their relationships, clothing, language, the places they go or the movies they watch, they are determined to set a Godly example for others to follow (See 1 Cor. 11:1). 
  
  
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It has been said that 80% of the work of the church is done by 20% of the members. If so,  “essential Christians” make up that 20%. Without them a congregation will invariably decline. Are you and I “essential Christians”? 
  
Jesus, always Jesus! 
  
Dennis
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