Saving the Worms
   
A converted Indian was asked by members of his tribe what Jesus Christ had done for him. The Indian gathered dry leaves and arranged them into a circle. He then dug into the soil until he located a small worm. He placed it in the center of the circle, and then set fire to the leaves. Within moments the flames came within inches of the terrified worm. At that point, the Indian reached down, picked up the worm, and held it safely in his hand. “That”, said the Indian to his friends, “Is what Jesus Christ did for me.”  
   
It is hard to imagine a better depiction of man’s deliverance from the fire of hell through Jesus our Lord. After all, compared to God we are no better than “worms”. “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight,  How much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a WORM?" (Job 25:4-6)  
   
A modification to the above illustration, however, would make it even more fitting. What if the Indian had replaced the filthy worm with a rare, beautiful butterfly, and then allowed the lovely creature to perish in the flames. Although insect lovers might object, there’s no debating that the modified illustration would more accurately portray what Jesus did for us.
   
That said, King David depicted the future Messiah as becoming a lowly "worm" in our place. “But I am a WORM, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.  All those who see Me ridicule me...” (Psa. 22:6-7)  
   
Praise God that Jesus was willing to become a “worm" in our place and die for our sins. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:6-8)  
   
May we gratefully serve and praise our Savior forever.  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis
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PURE MILK
   
In 2008 a health crisis erupted in China when it was discovered that several milk producers had been adulterating cow's milk by adding a chemical called Melamine. Melamine artificially boosts protein readings in milk, thus making such milk more appealing to consumers. Unfortunately, the chemical can produce detrimental effects on humans. Consequently, by November 2008 China reported an estimated 300,000 victims, including numerous infant deaths and an estimated 54,000 babies being hospitalized.  
   
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A far more injurious form of adulteration occurs when translators, publishers, preachers and teachers adulterate the "pure milk of the Word" (1 Pet. 2:2) by adding to it. Attempts to do so actually occurred in first century. Peter warned, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1). John also cautioned, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).  
   
Countless additional attempts to add to God’s word have occurred through the centuries. When Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, he ADDED the word "only" to Romans 3:28, making it say, “…a man is justified by faith (only) apart from the works of the law.”  Tragically, millions have been duped into believing just that. Others continue their efforts to adulterate God’s word by teaching and promoting such unscriptural practices as woman preachers, same-sex marriage, many roads to heaven, etc.  
   
It would behoove us to carefully examine any teaching that endorses practices or doctrines different than what the Bible authorizes. To do otherwise could prove fatal to our souls.  
   
The Lord has given man His Word, His will He has made known;  
Let [no] man try to change [God’s] Word with words that are his own. - D. DeHaan  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis  

Stand Up for Jesus  
   
“For whoever is ASHAMED OF ME and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will ALSO BE ASHAMED OF HIM when He comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels.”  (Mark 8:38)  
   
You might reread the above passage again. After doing so, ask yourself, "Am I EVER ashamed of Jesus Christ?” Before dismissing the possibility outright, consider the following:  
   

• Are there situations in which you feel uneasy about letting on that you are a faithful  Christian?  

• Do you ever avoid the subject of your faith in Christ around certain people?  
• Do you sometimes keep quiet concerning your commitment to Jesus rather than risk a  possible confrontation?  

• Do some of the people that you regularly encounter have little (or no) idea that Jesus Christ  is your Lord and King?  

   
It is not always easy to bring Jesus into a conversation, let alone stand up for Him if others demean Him or take His name in vain. Yet Jesus stated that if we are ashamed of Him or His teachings, he will be ashamed of us. We might even forfeit our salvation if we conceal our faith that Jesus is the Son of God. Someone has observed, “If the devil cannot defeat our faith, he will convince us to hide it. Either way, he wins.”  
   
Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...” (Rom. 1:16). Neither should we be ashamed. The gospel is God’s power to save us and those around us. If we are ashamed of it, woe to the world….and woe to us.  
   
A preacher reportedly made the following announcement. “Whenever we sing, ‘Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus’, we ask everyone to rise. But there’s no challenge in standing up for Jesus among believers. It is what we do out in the world that demonstrates courage. Beginning today we will only sing that hymn as we are DISMISSED TO LEAVE.”  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis

Do What You Can  
   
Quick - Where in the Bible do we read of four useless stones?  
   
Answer - In the story of David and Goliath. As young David prepared to square off against the giant, “…he…chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch…and…approached the Philistine… Then David...took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead…and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone… (1 Sam. 17:40; 48-50).
   
Because David required only one stone to defeat Goliath, some might conclude that the four remaining stones were “useless”. Some have even asked, “If David had faith that God would deliver Goliath to him, why he pick up five stones? The simplest answer - David knew that Goliath might have relatives (He did, in fact, have a least one giant brother, Lahmi – 1 Chron. 20:5).
   
Furthermore, David’s likely selected five stones because it was customary for ancient warriors to bring extra “ammo”. (Can you imagine an archer going into battle with one arrow?) Although David believed that God would empower him to defeat Goliath, he knew that he needed to utilize every tool at his disposal – his skill, arm, sling and several stones. David did not expect God to do all the fighting for him; he had a personal responsibility. Bringing extra stones was a part of it.  
   
This is a valid lesson for many people today. Some ask and expect God to do almost everything for them, as if He were a genie awaiting their next command.  

• “Save me from my sins while I recline on my couch.”  
• “Give me a job while I run around with my friends.”  
• “Help my kids go to heaven while we attend another game or go camping.  
• “Heal my marriage while I watch TV or go golfing.  
• “Help the church to grow while I check the latest news on Facebook.”  

   
In Phil. 4:13 Paul wrote, “I can DO all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Although Paul believed in the remarkable power of Christ, he also knew that he had an obligation to DO. So it is with us - “…it is God who works in you both to will and to DO for His good pleasure” (PHIL 2:13).  
   
Do everything you can; then trust God to do the rest.  
   
Jesus, always Jesus!  
   
Dennis