Once upon a time there was a High School Drivers Training class that was shown a Walt Disney cartoon. In it a mild-mannered sort of fellow turned into the aggressive, obnoxious, high-speed and dangerous driver, Mr. Wheeler. This was probably an attempt at visual hyperbole endeavoring to imprint an important lesson in the minds of the young student drivers (a right attitude is everything).
Today in America we have accomplished the impossible! We have paved paradise and put in a commuter lane! If you travel to our large metropolitan cities these days you will find highways that are six lanes wide. The large majority of the inhabitants travel these concrete behemoths at speeds in excess of 85 mile per hour even though the posted limit is 55. Some even accomplish this fete while carrying on intense conversations using their cell phones. I suppose they were practicing for their victory interview after breaking the land speed record. One could argue that this is not atypical of the current American attitude. Said another way, “hey, you, get out of my lane.”
When these people finally enter into the safety of their castle, they are probably looking for some peace and tranquility. Toward that end, they drop into their favorite easy-chair and reach for the remote control. The next several hours are spent paying homage to the flat screen, high-definition, one-eyed monster, complete with home-theater surround-sound, that has become their altar of life. With frazzled mind focused in a catatonic-like state, the pictures flash by in front of their eyes while cycling through 200 channels seeking some sort of illusive solace. For thirty hours this week they will seek the fruit of the television-spirit which is love (Desperate Housewives), joy (Dawson's Creek), peace (Everwood), patience (Judging Amy), kindness (Oprah), goodness (Seventh Heaven), faithfulness (Cheaters), and self-control (Dr. Phil). If you want to see a tsunami, just get between them and Monday night football. Is this a picture of walking with the Son—-or rather a comet traveling too near the sun?
At Sunday morning worship services these same folks have the widest smile of greeting, the loudest voice in praise, and the largest hole in their heart (that is bleeding copiously). In short, their life is crying out in pain! But when you ask, “How are you doing?” The answer most heard is “fine.” (FINE: Fully Internalized Nuclear Explosion). They have become one of those “fair shows and glistering appearances”1 masquerading as a follower of Christ. Not only are they not following, but are totally ignoring Him! When the calamities of life come their way it becomes clear that they are all chrome and no steel—all hawse pipe and no keel!2 Sound familiar? (1 The Religious Affections—Jonathan Edwards. 2 Hawse pipe: The hole in the side of a ship through which the anchor chain falls. Keel: The backbone of a ship.)
“Don't be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.” Galatians 6:7-10 NLT
Ignore: pay no attention to; take no notice of; close the eyes to; pay no heed to; disregard; do not take into account; overlook; discount; dispense with; turn your back on; flout; snub; look right through vs. Ignorant: unaware; uninformed; badly informed.
“God’s promise of entering his place of rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to get there. For this Good News—that God has prepared a place of rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t believe what God told them. For only we who believe can enter his place of rest.” Hebrews 4:1-3a NLT
“As the most dangerous winds may enter at little openings, so the devil never enters more dangerously than by little unobserved incidents, which seem to be nothing, yet insensibly open the heart to great temptations. It is good to renew ourselves, from time to time, by closely examining the state of our souls, as if we had never done it before; for nothing tends more to the full assurance of faith, than to keep ourselves by this means in humility, and the exercise of all good works.” A Plain Account of Christian Perfection—John Wesley
“But there is something very strange. If we ourselves are often irritated, angry, bitter, jealous, untruthful, impulsive, we usually do not get at all excited and do not take offense at ourselves. Perhaps just because of the fact that we believe in Jesus Christ, we are convinced that we have the assurance of salvation; we are in the ‘boat’ that will lead to heavenly glory. But we do not sense how Satan is perhaps scornfully laughing at us—and justifiably so. Without our knowing it, he has taken our boat into his hands, because we are persisting in sin.” You Will Never Be the Same—Basilea Schlink
“Yes, there is a power, a blessing, an assurance, a rest in the presence of the Holy Ghost. You can feel His presence and know that He is with you. You need not spend an hour without this inner knowledge of His holy presence. With His power upon you there can be no failure. You are above par all the time.” Ever Increasing Faith—Smith Wigglesworth
“Repose in the blood of Christ; a firm confidence in God, and persuasion of His favor; the highest tranquility, serenity, and peace of mind; with a deliverance from every fleshly desire, and a cessation of all, even inward sins.” Arvid Gradin
Walking with Jesus in this life is more about the journey NOT just the destination assured. It is a journey of discovery! The discovery of fellowship, in the Spirit, with the Father, through the Son. Don't miss a single day of rest in the Savior!
Mr. Wheeler: Saved Soul - Lost Life
Once upon a time there was a High School Drivers Training class that was shown a Walt Disney cartoon. In it a mild-mannered sort of fellow turned into the aggressive, obnoxious, high-speed and dangerous driver, Mr. Wheeler. This was probably an attempt at visual hyperbole endeavoring to imprint an important lesson in the minds of the young student drivers (a right attitude is everything).
Today in America we have accomplished the impossible! We have paved paradise and put in a commuter lane! If you travel to our large metropolitan cities these days you will find highways that are six lanes wide. The large majority of the inhabitants travel these concrete behemoths at speeds in excess of 85 mile per hour even though the posted limit is 55. Some even accomplish this fete while carrying on intense conversations using their cell phones. I suppose they were practicing for their victory interview after breaking the land speed record. One could argue that this is not atypical of the current American attitude. Said another way, “hey, you, get out of my lane.”
When these people finally enter into the safety of their castle, they are probably looking for some peace and tranquility. Toward that end, they drop into their favorite easy-chair and reach for the remote control. The next several hours are spent paying homage to the flat screen, high-definition, one-eyed monster, complete with home-theater surround-sound, that has become their altar of life. With frazzled mind focused in a catatonic-like state, the pictures flash by in front of their eyes while cycling through 200 channels seeking some sort of illusive solace. For thirty hours this week they will seek the fruit of the television-spirit which is love (Desperate Housewives), joy (Dawson's Creek), peace (Everwood), patience (Judging Amy), kindness (Oprah), goodness (Seventh Heaven), faithfulness (Cheaters), and self-control (Dr. Phil). If you want to see a tsunami, just get between them and Monday night football. Is this a picture of walking with the Son—-or rather a comet traveling too near the sun?
At Sunday morning worship services these same folks have the widest smile of greeting, the loudest voice in praise, and the largest hole in their heart (that is bleeding copiously). In short, their life is crying out in pain! But when you ask, “How are you doing?” The answer most heard is “fine.” (FINE: Fully Internalized Nuclear Explosion). They have become one of those “fair shows and glistering appearances”1 masquerading as a follower of Christ. Not only are they not following, but are totally ignoring Him! When the calamities of life come their way it becomes clear that they are all chrome and no steel—all hawse pipe and no keel!2 Sound familiar? (1 The Religious Affections—Jonathan Edwards. 2 Hawse pipe: The hole in the side of a ship through which the anchor chain falls. Keel: The backbone of a ship.)
“Don't be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.” Galatians 6:7-10 NLT
Ignore: pay no attention to; take no notice of; close the eyes to; pay no heed to; disregard; do not take into account; overlook; discount; dispense with; turn your back on; flout; snub; look right through vs. Ignorant: unaware; uninformed; badly informed.
“God’s promise of entering his place of rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to get there. For this Good News—that God has prepared a place of rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t believe what God told them. For only we who believe can enter his place of rest.” Hebrews 4:1-3a NLT
“As the most dangerous winds may enter at little openings, so the devil never enters more dangerously than by little unobserved incidents, which seem to be nothing, yet insensibly open the heart to great temptations. It is good to renew ourselves, from time to time, by closely examining the state of our souls, as if we had never done it before; for nothing tends more to the full assurance of faith, than to keep ourselves by this means in humility, and the exercise of all good works.” A Plain Account of Christian Perfection—John Wesley
“But there is something very strange. If we ourselves are often irritated, angry, bitter, jealous, untruthful, impulsive, we usually do not get at all excited and do not take offense at ourselves. Perhaps just because of the fact that we believe in Jesus Christ, we are convinced that we have the assurance of salvation; we are in the ‘boat’ that will lead to heavenly glory. But we do not sense how Satan is perhaps scornfully laughing at us—and justifiably so. Without our knowing it, he has taken our boat into his hands, because we are persisting in sin.” You Will Never Be the Same—Basilea Schlink
“Yes, there is a power, a blessing, an assurance, a rest in the presence of the Holy Ghost. You can feel His presence and know that He is with you. You need not spend an hour without this inner knowledge of His holy presence. With His power upon you there can be no failure. You are above par all the time.” Ever Increasing Faith—Smith Wigglesworth
“Repose in the blood of Christ; a firm confidence in God, and persuasion of His favor; the highest tranquility, serenity, and peace of mind; with a deliverance from every fleshly desire, and a cessation of all, even inward sins.” Arvid Gradin
Walking with Jesus in this life is more about the journey NOT just the destination assured. It is a journey of discovery! The discovery of fellowship, in the Spirit, with the Father, through the Son. Don't miss a single day of rest in the Savior!