The Son

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. – 1 John 5:12

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they travelled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.

Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Easter holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Easter morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, “I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.”

As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man’s son had told every one of his father’s love of fine art. “I’m an artist,” said the soldier, “and I want to give you this.” As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.

True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Easter gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy’s life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.

As the stories of his son’s gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamoured.

He told his neighbours it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation.

With the collector’s passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Easter Day, the day he had received his greatest gift.

The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved, as many would claim, “I have the greatest collection.”

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, “Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s forget it and go on to the good stuff.”

More voices echoed in agreement.

“No, we have to sell this one first,” replied the auctioneer.

“Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a friend of the old man spoke.

“Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.”

“I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?” called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice. Gone!”

The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!” The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over.

Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, “What do you mean it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what’s going on here!”

The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son… gets it all!”

Just as those art collectors discovered on that Easter Day, the message is still the same – the love of a Father – a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son who went away and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father’s love…whoever takes the Son gets it all.

– Author Unknown

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Whipping

There was a class of young people that no teacher was able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from school this year by these young people.

Finally, a young man out of college heard about the class and applied to the school. The principal asked the young man “Do you not know what you are asking for, no one has been able to handle these young people, you are just asking for a terrible beating.”

After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the principal and said: “Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge, just give me a trial basis.”

The next morning the young man reported for class. He said to the class “Young people, I came here today to conduct school, but I realize I can’t do it by myself, I must have your help.”

One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, “I’ll not need any help, I can lick that little bird all by myself.”

The young teacher told the class if they are to have school, there will have to be some rules to go by. He also added that he will allow the students to make up the rules and he will list them on the blackboard. One young man suggested, “NO STEALING”.

Another one shouted, “BE ON TIME FOR CLASS.”

Soon they had 10 rules listed on the board. The teacher had then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. Rules are no good unless they are enforced. Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that was pretty harsh, and asked the class would they stand by this punishment. The class agreed.

Everything went well for two or three days. Finally, Big Tom came in one day very upset. He reported that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they concluded that Little Jim had stolen Big Tom’s lunch.

The teacher called Little Jim up to the front of the room and asked him to remove his coat. That little fellow came up the aisle with a great big coat on. Little Jim approached the teacher and said, “I am guilty and am willing to take my punishment but please don’t make me take off my coat.”

The teacher reminded Little Jim of the rules and their punishments and asked him again to remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. That little fellow started to unbutton that old coat, and the teacher saw that he did not have a shirt on under the coat. The teacher asked Little Jim why he came to school without a shirt on. Little Jim said “My daddy’s dead and my mother is very poor, I don’t have but one shirt and my mother is washing it today. I wore big brother’s coat to keep my body warm.”

That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back and wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back without even a shirt on. He knew if he didn’t enforce the punishment, the children would not obey the rules, so as he drew back to strike Little Jim, Big Tom came down the aisle. Big Tom asked, “Can I take Little Jim’s whipping for him?”

The teacher agreed and Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped over and the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some strange reason after only five licks, that old rod just broke in half.

The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob. He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Jim had run and grabbed Big Tom around the neck, apologizing to him for stealing his lunch, and explained that he was so very hungry. Little Jim begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him until the day he died for taking his whipping for him.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us, that He shed his precious blood on Calvary so that we can have eternal life in Glory with Him? We are unworthy of the price He paid for us, but aren’t you glad He loves us that much?

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. – John 15:13

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Why Do We Crucify Him Again?

I say something rude

to someone who’s lost,

And I’ve ruined my witness,

But they will pay the cost.

–So I nail in the nails.

Can anyone see the Lord through me,

Or do they simply see my sins?

Am I living the life Christ wants me to,

Am I living the life of man?

–So I plunge in the spear.

And when I fail to pray,

and my conversations with Him fade,

Does He patiently wait for my call,

Though it causes Him pain?

–And I place the thorns upon His brow.

I lead a life of double standards,

One day good, the next one bad.

Can He quietly stand by

When He sees all I could have had?

–And I ridicule my Lord once again.

For you see,

Each time we turn our backs,

and return to the world of sin,

It is then that you and I,

We crucify Him again.

— Brandy Cambell (12th grade)

Meditation: For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. – Hebrews 10:26-27

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Perfect Mistake

My Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. “But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top!”

The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that.”

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, “Thank you God for not allowing my car to start this morning.” He may have been saving your life from a car accident. “Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I’m sure they’ll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Taking Aim

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.

Sally’s girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased a the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus…

A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said these words, “In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” No other words were necessary; the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ – Matthew 25:40

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Ten Inches of Water

A boy was sitting in a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!” He yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.

Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local University. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his Joy.

“Hey,” asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, “Don’t you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle.”

The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the realities of the miracles of the Bible. “That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across.”

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible lying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight turned to leave.

Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.

“Wow!” Exclaimed the boy happily, “God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? – 1 Corinthians 1:20

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Light It Up!

I once heard a businessman say one of the saddest statements I have ever heard in my life. He said, “Ever since I started this business I have not had the time to go to church.”

That’s just so sad. Tells you know where and what his priorities are. Maybe this is the very reason why Jesus Christ said, “It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven…..”

Make sure you go to church. So much have changed; consider this.

During the long vacation, a family left the city and stayed with their relatives in a distant place. Sunday morning, the father decided that the family should attend church. Driving past a church in a small town and pointing to it, the father told the children that it was St. Joseph’s Church.

“It must be a franchise,” her eight-year-old son said. “We’ve got one of those in our town too.”

Isn’t it sad when children begin to think this way?

From an unknown author comes this very provoking article entitled “How Will The Church Be Lighted?”

Several centuries ago in a mountain village in Europe, a wealthy nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. He made a good decision. He decided to build them a church. No one was permitted to see the plans or the inside of the church until it was finished.

At its grand opening, the people gathered and marvelled at the beauty of the new church. Everything had been thought of and included. It was a masterpiece. But then someone said, “Wait a minute! Where are the lamps? It is really quite dark in here. How will the church be lighted?” The nobleman pointed to some brackets in the walls, and then he gave each family a lamp, which they were to bring with them each time they came to worship.

“Each time you are here,” the nobleman said, “The place where you are seated will be lighted. Each time you are not here, that place will be dark. This is to remind you that whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God’s house will be dark.

That’s a poignant story, isn’t it?

What if every member of the church supported the church? What kind of church would you have? What if every single member served the church, attended the church, loved the church, shared the church, and gave to the church exactly as you do? What kind of church would you be?

Many churches today especially the ones in the western hemisphere of our globe have lost their light. Some are sold and are now converted to museums, while others have been converted into bars and pubs. Only the old and the dying go there. The light is diminishing.

Many churches have lost their calling. Rather than bringing the lost to the Savior they are too preoccupied with their own programs, exalting themselves rather than the Risen Savior.

Many churches today no longer have light. No compassion for souls and no burden to bring the Lost to the Savior. And when churches lose their sense of mission, the whole society is plunged into darkness. Spirituality becomes a game people play. The Bible is mocked by the lifestyles of its religious leaders. Salt loses its taste and light turns into darkness.

A lot of people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity. Somebody says: “Sunday is the day many of us bow our heads. Some of us are praying and some of us are putting.”

Go to church. Bring your children with you. What blesses my heart is when I go to church and I see familiar faces of very successful business people and professionals who are deeply committed to their faith.

One businessman told me, “Francis, this is the time I go to church. I do this twice. Christmas and Easter Sunday.” The day Christ is born and the day Christ rose from the dead?

Be careful. This one may be funny but it carries a ring of truth to it. Somebody says: “I wish you folks would come to church, If only for a visit. For someday they will carry you in, and the Lord will say, “Who is it?”

— By Francis J. Kong

Meditation: Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!