GO FOR THE SWEET SPOT

Upmmh -- Whack! You can hear the ball meeting the "sweet spot".   Nothing quite like that sound!  It rises off the bat like an arrow in flight arching high - up, up over the field, over the stands - it's out of the park.  The fans rise from their seats, victory shouts fill the air and the batter, poised for a sprint to first, loosens up and settles into a comfortable lope around the bases into the arms of his teammates.  What a way to make it home! 

Upmmmh, spreechkk!  A fast grounder into right field. Come on! come on! faster, faster,  whap  AHhh, safe at first.  Steals second - another grounder and he's on third.  A line drive along the right field foul line - run, run, the ball is at first and streaks toward home.  He's sliding in at full speed hands outstreched toward home base.  The umpire yells and waves his arms - he made it.  SAFE  but almost out.

Next batter up - same scenario- but the umpire yells- waves his arms. OUT  but almost in.

Reminds me of a couple of verses in God's Word, the Bible.  
In Acts 26:28 we read that King Agrippa, after listening to the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul, replied, "ALMOST thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 
ALMOST in but OUT!   ALMOST saved but lost!  Almost, almost.  Close but not close enough.

The next verses have to do with the believer who barely makes it in.  At the Judgement Seat of Christ his life gets reviewed by the all knowing God.  All is laid bare, even the hidden motives of the heart.  He wasted his life and the record of all he did was destroyed.  A child of God, yes, but little to show for it.

In 1 Cor. 3:15 we read, "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

And in Hebrews 6:8, "but if it (the field) yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and CLOSE to being cursed, and it ends up being burned (off)."

ALMOST SAVED IS COMPLETELY CURSED
ALMOST CURSED IS COMPLETELY SAVED

How much better to go for the "sweet spot".  Receive Jesus as Saviour and Serve Him as Lord.

The Decrees That Give Life

In my Bible reading today I read where God refers to His law as "my life-giving laws". Ezk. 33:15  Other translations read, "the statutes which insure life" (NASB), "the decrees that give life" (NIV) and "the statutes of life" (KJV).  Now, so as not to be misunderstood, I am aware that spiritual life does not come as a result of keeping "the law" but through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me." 

With that out of the way, consider why the Ten Commandments were called, "the decrees that give life."

1.   Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
2    Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image...
3.   Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4.   Remember the sabboth day, to keep it holy.
5.   Honor thy father and thy mother.
6.   Thou shalt not kill.
7.   Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8.   Thou shalt not steal.
9.   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shat not covet ....anything that is thy neighbor's.

Jesus added some depth to these commands in Matthew's gospel, Chapter 5.  It might be good to take a little peek at what He said.  And while we are at it, consider for a moment James 2:10 which reads, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."

God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  There is a "life-giving" element in His eternal Law for those who keep them and for those who are kept from the transgressors.

The first 3 Commandment have to do with God Himself.  The last 6 deal with man's relationship with his fellow man.  Consider how a breach of those last six takes away "life" from another and how obedience preserves, enhances, protects, and "gives" life - hence, "The Decrees That Give Life".  

What in the world am I doing?

Only one life, will soon be past,
only what's done for Christ will last.

Take a couple of minutes to visit
www.buntain.org/about.html

Then ask yourself, "What in the world am I doing?"

True Holiness

"--true holiness does not come from following rules; it comes from following Christ."

Francis Frangipane

--O--

O for a passionate passion for souls,
O for a pity that yearns!
O for the love that loves unto death,
O for the fire that burns!
O for the pure prayer-power that prevails,
That pours itself out for the lost!
Victorious prayer in the Conqueror's Name,
O for a PENTECOST!

Amy Wilson Carmichael

George Santayana quote

Nonsense is good only because common sense is so limited.

Horses could not understand

I was reading about the Welsh Revival at the turn of the last century. In 5-6 month period over 100,000 people were converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. The countryside was changed. Pubs were closed. Police stations became quiet. Horses were no longer able to understand their masters’ commands

There was even a slowdown in the coal mines for a while, since so many Welsh miners were converted and stopped using bad language that the horses that dragged the coal trucks in the mines could not understand any more what was being said to them.

We are in desperate need of revival. One that will make a lasting change on the way we think, act and talk.

It happened before, it can happen again.