“Memento Mori”“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”–James 4:13-14
Since the island nation of Japan is vulnerable to tsunamis, it has developed one of the most sophisticated warning systems in the world. When a tsunami was approaching the city of Sendai, warning signals were triggered but the citizens who heard it had only fifteen minutes to respond. I watched surreal footage taken from a helicopter as that towering wave swept toward many unsuspecting villagers who hadn’t heard the warning. The coverage showed people in cars and on motorcycles riding casually down the road, having no clue that in a matter of moments they would be swept away by a massive wall of water and debris. Most life-threatening accidents or natural disasters come without warning. And all it takes is one financial hit, one tornado, one illness, and life can change forever. Go to a cemetery and read the dates on tombstones. While you’re there, consider the fact that the people buried there never planned to die on the date written on their marker. Go to the nearest hospital and walk through the emergency room. Do you think any of those people woke up expecting their day to include a trip to the ER . . . perhaps as they or a loved one battled for their very life? James wants us to remember that since every second is a gift from God and we don’t know how many more He’ll give us, we must make the most of every moment. He compares our lives to steam surging upward from a kettle on a stove—it appears for a little while and then vanishes away. He doesn’t beat around the bush. His words are full of realism and urgency, challenging us to see the aerial view of our lives—see how short they really are. An article in USA Today told of an undefeated high school basketball team that was playing its last regular-season game. The team’s star player was 6’ 2” and 215 pounds. The game was tied in overtime and the clock was running down. The star was given the ball with only seconds left to play. Hundreds of excited fans watched as he dribbled down the court and popped a jump shot right before the buzzer sounded. It was right on target . . . nothing but net. His teammates immediately lifted him onto their shoulders and carried him around the gym as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Seconds later, he toppled from their shoulders as he went limp, then died of cardiac arrest. It doesn’t matter how young or old, healthy or sick you are right now. No one escapes death . . . and no one knows exactly when the tidal wave will sweep over our heads. Businessmen during James’ day often wrote the Latin motto Memento mori on the front page of their accounting books. The words meant “Remember your mortality.” They wrote those words to remind themselves that life was not just about commerce and the business of the day. In the spectrum of eternity, we have but a few moments to live. We only have one lifetime to offer our Lord Jesus Christ. While growing up, my father often said, “If you had ten lives, you might choose to waste one of them. But since you only have one, you can’t afford to throw it away. And James would add one simple, inspired word . . . Amen! (Stephen Davey)
DISCUSSING DEATH
DISCUSSING DEATH“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.– Psalm 90:10″So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”–Psalm 90:12
Most people don’t want to think about death– as though that might hold it back for a while. But I believe it’s better to think about it than to pretend it will never happen. I’m not suggesting that you call your friends and invite them over for chips and dip to chat about death. I doubt that you would have many takers. But neither should we live as though we will never die. Death is a fact that the Bible keeps before us–‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb. 9:27).
As Christians we can actually think of death in a favorable light, rather than something dreadful. For us “to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). We can think of death as a friend rather than an enemy, the beginning rather than the end, gain rather than loss. The best day of a Christian’s life is his last day on earth. Death is the funeral of all our suffering and sorrow. Death can’t hurt us, separate us from Christ, destroy our hope, or affect our eternal destiny. Christ has conquered death, hell, and the grave, and in Him we are more than conquerors!
On the other hand, unbelievers need to think about death, because death doesn’t end it all. Every person will spend eternity in heaven or hell. And whether you want to think about it or not, you are dying and “after this the judgment:”. Pretending it won’t happen doesn’t prevent it. Thankfully Christ provides eternal life for all who will believe. By a simple act of faith you can receive the forgiveness of sin, acceptance with God, and the assurance of heaven. Think about it!—HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
SELF- DENIAL
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” — Matt 16:24
There are few things at which people play more wretched farces than in their efforts at self-denial. Very few seem to have the remotest conception of what it is. One does without meat on Fridays, eating fish instead, and thinks he has denied himself in a most commendable way. Another gives up social dissipation for forty days in Lent, and is complacent over the merit of great self denial. Others make themselves miserable in various ways: inflicting pain, making useless and uncalled-for sacrifices, as if God were pleased when they suffer. But these things do not constitute self-denial. There is no merit or virtue in giving up anything, suffering any loss or pain, or making any sacrifice, merely for its own sake.
True self-denial is the renouncing of self and the yielding of the whole life to the will of Christ. It is self, coming down from the life’s throne, laying crown and sceptre at the Master’s feet, and thenceforth submitting the whole life to His sway. It is living all the while, not to please ourselves, not to advance our own personal interests, but to please our Lord and do His work. It is denying to ourselves anything that is sinful in His sight. It is the glad making of any sacrifice that loyalty to Him requires. It is the giving up of any pleasure or comfort for the good of others which the living out of His spirit may demand. The essential thing is that self gives way altogether to Christ as the motive of life.
Nothing, therefore, is true self-denial which is done merely as self-denial. True self-denial, like all other traits of Christlikeness, is unconscious of itself, wists not that its face shines. We deny ourselves when we follow Christ with joy and gladness, through cost and danger and suffering, just where He leads.–J. R. Miller
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”–2 Cor.12:10
A. W. Tozer wrote, “Before God can use a person greatly, He must allow that person to be hurt deeply”. While that might be debatable, you can’t deny the fact that some of the best people have been hurt the worst. Some of the most successful servants have been hurt deeply. And it’s not because God is mean, mad, or mistaken. It is out of His wisdom, with His love, and according to His perfect plan that He directs the affairs of our life. There is no need to worry that things are out of control or beyond our ability to endure. God’s Word gives us assurance that all is well–for our good and God’s glory!
Armed with assurance like that it is no wonder that Paul could rejoice in trials, speak of peace that passeth all understanding, and remain faithful to the finish. He knew God would keep that which he had committed unto Him against that day. Having suffered greatly Paul was steadfast and unmovable because he knew “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).
Dear friend what is said of Paul can be said of you. He was a mere man as you are, but he was fully devoted to a mighty God who can use our worst possible problems for the best possible purpose. Your pain is part of His plan and He who brought you to it will get you through it. He is able and willing to enable you.–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD
“Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”–Rom. 7:13
Read the newspaper on any given day and you will see something that breaks your heart. Bad and sad news attracts lots of attention. As unpleasant as it is we can’t seem to ignore it–we are drawn to it as a moth to the light. We all read things that make us shudder, to think about being in another person’s shoes. But there is something worse.
What is the most heinous, terrible, horrible, vile, vulgar, filthy, sickening, harmful thing you can think of? Let your imagination run wild. Think about the Nazi concentration camps– smell the flesh burning in the furnace, the POW horror stories, murder, torture, rape, your most vile thoughts–whatever comes to your mind, real or imagined. Whatever you put on your list, if the answer isn’t sin it is wrong. Absolutely nothing is worse than sin. A. W. Pink said: “If we took a survey of everything on the earth — we could not find anything so vile as sin. The basest and most contemptible thing in this world, has some degree of worth in it, as being the workmanship of God. But sin and its foul streams have not the least part of worth in them. Sin is wholly evil without the least mixture of good — it is vileness in the abstract….All comparisons fail to set forth the horrible malignity in that abominable thing which God hates. We can say nothing more evil of sin, than to term it what it is!“
Sin’s heinousness is seen in its author– the Devil. Sin’s enormity is is revealed in the ruin it has brought to man–the source of all our suffering and maker of all our misery. Sin’s malignity is seen in that it is an offense to God’s holiness and hated by Him. And yet we coddle it as a baby, embrace it as a friend, love it as a spouse, entertain it as a welcomed guest, pursue it as a treasure, and excuse it as child’s play. What is wrong with us? We are deceived by it, dominated by it, driven by it, depraved because of it, defiled by it, depressed over it, divided due to it, destitute because of it, dead in it, and destroyed by it– yet we delight in it! What could be more foolish?
We love what is loathsome to God
We delight in what is detestable to God
We admire what is an abomination to God
We honor what is hated by God
We pursue what is prohibited by God
We revel in what is repulsive to God
We desire what is denounced by God
We do what is dishonoring to God
And then we have the audacity to wonder why things are as they are, complain about our hardships, excuse ourselves from guilt, blame others, even God, brag about ourselves, reject God’s demands, and ignore God’s warnings.—HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
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