Priorities
I picked up four of our grandchildren to take them to school. That day I was leaving for my mom's 89th Birthday celebration some 300 miles away. Laila was not sure she could go. I did not want to go alone. "Hey, kids, which one of you would like to miss school and go with Papa?" I asked---thinking all four would jump at the chance.
Lee, the eldest replied: "I can't....going for Learner's Permit for my driver's license."
Tyler responded: "I have football practice."
Eldest granddaughter Erin said: "I promised a friend to spend the night with her and cannot break my promise."
Jenna, 10 years old, stated positively: "My teacher said we have a test, and I cannot miss it!"
"Well, well, well," I replied, "I was just thinking that whoever would go with me I would leave them everything in my Will."
Lee came back quickly with: "Papa, you have no idea how I have been longing for a good road trip!"
We all had a good laugh. Laila went with me.
I confess that there was a time when thoughts of Jesus' coming were wonderful, yet futuristic. As our world stage increasingly becomes less peaceful and more secular, my thoughts of the Coming of Jesus become more heart-warming and anticipatory. I long for the Coming of Jesus for the hope of the end of the ugly. While Jesus makes my heart sing and seeing miracles in the Church gives me cause to rejoice, yet there is the pain of sin, ugly sin, dastardly sin, hellish sin. Sin bruises my sensibilities, tears at my heart ripping sleep away for fear of millions falling into hell, and cheats children and innocent women of honor, health, and freedom. Sin sends millions of people to sleep each night with an empty stomach. I hate sin.
As a young preacher I thought the Parable of the Wedding with people turning down invitations to dinner was rather trivial. Bought land and must go look at it. Bought an animal and must see if it was worth the money. Married a wife. How dumb! Who would buy an animal and not be sure it was good? Who would buy land and not look at it? If you married a wife wouldn't it be nice to take her to a rich man's feast?
Time has increased my value for this parable. Excuses I hear for not serving Jesus or being diligent in the faith make the stories of the parable sound really good.
Joel 3:14 talks about multitudes being in the valley of decision and the day of the Lord being at hand. Folks are so bent on flip-moment decisions they have a hard time making real decisions. Chat rooms on the internet are called -friends,‖ but folks have never seen each other in person, talked a real conversation, or known each other beyond the surreal of a technological intervention.
In a fast-paced world filled with chips, Ipods, emails, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, folks are tempted to lifestyles of sharing emotions without sharing intellect. Folks talk about pets, likes and dislikes, sex, and fantasies but neglect talk about the eternal, the after-life, the fact of death, and the judgment of God.
Many times I have traveled roads at 60 MPH. The same road, again and again, at 60 MPH. Then one day for some reason I was forced by an accident or other cause to drive the road at 30 MPH. Laila and I have exclaimed time and again, "I never saw that house before....Look at that tree-how beautiful..." and many other comments about things seen not new, but we had to slow down to see the beauty.
My hope is that this letter to you will encourage you to slow down. Jesus would really like for you to take a road trip with Him. You will see beauty never seen before. You will behold sights and sounds that will warm your heart and sanctify your soul. You will find it easy to re-order your priorities and make decisions that will bring peace to your life here and hope for life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Make a good decision. Set your priorities in order. Choose Jesus.
Pastor Bare
If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).