I have said on many occasions, If we live long enough we will have more friends in heaven than we do on earth. Yesterday God added to the ever growing list of my friends who now wait for me in heaven. Amid all the earthly activities that I’m involved in I was forced to pause long enough to preach the funeral service of my friend. As I rejoiced over all the good things God is doing in my life, I had to pause to weep. As I struggled to deal with the unpleasant problems of life, my burden became greater as I watched the casket close for the last time.

As I left the cemetary and headed home I was reminded of several things. My friend and I did not agree on many issues, but we were friends. My friend, like me, wasn’t perfect, but we were friends. Both of us understood that friendship doesn’t depend on seeing eye-to-eye on every issue. Our common bond was a personal relationship with Christ. That compelled us to love one another. We made a choice to be friends, in spite of our differences, and we were the happier for it.

O how I wish that everyone understood the importance of friendship. Life is tough and we all need all the help we can get. Friends have a way of making life easier. We need to stop fussing about the imperfections of others and learn to love those that God brings into our life. God loves us unconditionally and that’s the way we should love others. Because of Christ, God accepted you, faults and all, how then can you refuse to welcome others into your circle of friends? Learn to love others and someday, if you live long enough, you will have more friends in heaven than you do on earth. Think about it!

Well over 40 years ago I heard J. Vernon McGee preach on the radio and my first impression was,”Man, this guy must be some country hick!”(of course that describes me also). But as I kept listening I began to realize that he was a great Bible teacher and I made it a habit to listen to him as often as I could. Although Dr. McGee has been dead for many years, you can still hear his radio broardcast today. I thought about all this the other day when I ran across an article by Dr. McGee. It was a blessing to me and its message is greatly needed today. I have posted it here because I’m confident that it will be a blessing:

Who’s Following in Your Footsteps?
by Dr. J. Vernon McGee

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)

There is a tremendous influence exerted by the life of one individual. And the influence is more potent when it is in the wrong direction. History bears this out. Adam sinned and his sin has affected the entire race of mankind. Achan sinned, and because of him an entire nation went down in defeat. Rehoboam’s sin split the kingdom of Israel. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira brought the first defect into the early church, and from that day on the church has not been as potent as it was in the beginning.

You and I have an influence, either for good or for bad. No matter who you are, you occupy a place of influence. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7). My friend, all of us are preachers. You are preaching to those around you by the life that you live. I personally believe that the do-gooder, the man who boasts of his moral life apart from God is the greatest detriment. He actually stands in the way; he blocks the way to God because his message is, “Live like I do. I live without God. I just do good.” There is nothing quite as deadening as that.

You are a preacher, whoever you are. It may be in a very small circle, but you are affecting someone. You are a preacher in your own home. This reminds me of a father who kept a jug of whiskey hidden in the corn crib. It was his habit to go out there every morning and get himself a drink. On a snowy morning he went out to the barn as was his habit, but this time he heard someone behind him. He turned around and found that it was his little son following him, stepping in the footsteps in the snow where his father had walked. The father asked, “What are you doing, son?” The boy answered, “I’m following in your footsteps.” He sent the boy back into the house, and then he went out to the corn crib and smashed that jug of whiskey. He realized that he didn’t want his boy to be following in his footsteps. Someone in your home is following in your footsteps. Where are you leading him?

You may be influencing a wide circle of human society. You may have influence in your neighborhood and in your community. You have influence in your Sunday school. Somebody is looking at you and watching to see whether or not you mean business with God. Does your going to church mean anything more to you than going to a drive-in to pick up a hamburger? Does your life suggest that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun? You have influence.

You remember that Peter preached a mighty sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Andrew just sat on the sidelines and could say, “That is my brother. I brought him to Christ.” That was Andrew’s influence. You, today, are pointing men to heaven or to hell. Now, if you want to go to hell, that’s your business, but you have no right to lead a little boy there. You have no right to lead your family and those who surround you there. Even if you want to go, it’s awful to lead others. Influence – “One sinner destroyeth much good.” Think about it.

Although I was born and raised in the Ozarks of Missouri and live in the great state of Texas, I love Kentucky! Whether it is “Wildcat” basketball, Golden Pond, fishing on the many lakes and rivers,man I love Kentucky–it is beautiful. But the main thing about my memories of Kentucky has to do with the fact that I have preached all over the western half of the state. That’ why the news headline caught my eye. I was even more interested when I saw the specific location–“Manchester, Ky.” I have preached there on numerous occasions and we even started a church there. Now the story gets sad.

The article told about a US Census worker who was found hanged from a tree near a cementary. The man had the word “fed” scrawled on his chest. He was evidently a victim of anti-government sentiment. In Clay County, Ky. that’s not unusal. It is a tough place to live.

Not long ago I wrote an article called,”Just Waiting for a Spark”, describing the ever mounting tension that is building in our nation. I fear we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Our leaders are pushing us toward socialism, while totally ignoring the real problems in our country, and bitter resentment is building every day. Our nation is in serious trouble and the greatest threat is from within, not from without.

The solution to our problem, of course, is a spiritual awakening, but we see no signs of that. What we must remember is that revival happens one person at a time. A nation is no better than the people within it. Our best and only hope for turning our nation around is for Christians to get right with God and get busy preaching the gospel and establishing churches. We are not going to solve our problems by finding a political champion to defeat the opposing party. Our problem is of a spiritual nature and only a genuine revival in our churches can bring about the transformation that is needed. And, remember–that happens one person at a time. Has it happened in your life? Think about it!

I just ran across a website that sells sermon subscriptions. A years subscription is $60. I’ve got to tell you–I just don’t understand that. If the preacher was selling a book (which he also does) I could understand why he might charge to cover his expenses. But I don’t know how a preacher can charge for sermons posted on a wesite and still sleep at night. Maybe you’re thinking,”Well he has to pay someone to do the typing” and you might be right, but are we suppose to be reimbursed for everything we do? Are we to never make any sacrifices to get the gospel out?

I can remember as a young preacher–I would have paid people to let me preach. It never occurred to me that I ought to get in the sermon selling business. I would hate to stand before the Lord and give an account of myself knowing that I had sold my sermons. That sure wouldn’t show much heart-felt concern for making the truth known. The motivation seens to be purely for monetary gain. It should be the passion of our heart to proclaim God’s Word, how can we say our motive is pure if we charge for the message.

Preachers, however, aren’t the only ones guilty of having the wrong attitude.  Far too many folks are  motivated to do what they do because of the “What’s in it for me?” attitude.  I’m sick and tired of people saying, “I left the church because I wasn’t getting anything out of it.”  I feel like saying, “You poor thing – how much did you put into it.?” Declaring God’s Word and every form of Christian service should be viewed as a glorious privilege, not as means for personal gain and self-gratification. THINK ABOUT IT!

We live in troublesome times–I bet you’ve heard that before! In times like these, balance is very important. While we must not succumb to despair, neither should we shut our eyes and pretend that all is well. We need to face the cold hard facts. Unfortunately, with most people all the focus is on fun rather than the future–and they don’t like it one little bit when you call their attention to the impending danger ahead.   Charles Swindoll speaks to this issue in the excellent article below:

Have you noticed? Some people have the uncanny ability to see so far into tomorrow, you feel like you’re operating in the shadows of yesterday. While you and I are evaluating where we’ve been, those forward-thinking people are forever exploring where we’re going. Instead of reacting, they’re on the offense . . . probing, innovating, analyzing, and warning—always warning. While we search for ways to settle in and find comfort on our sofa-like surroundings, they are confronting the consequences of reality, facing the music before we even realize the prelude has begun.

Prophets, I suppose we could call them . . . seers who frown while others yawn . . . restless, troubled, contemplative souls. They’re not unlike the characters in a thought-jabbing cartoon published years ago. The whole message is contained in a single frame as the figures of a man and a woman are falling upside down through space.

“Gertrude,” says the man, “we can’t go on living like this!”

Those who slumber in the sleepy, warm twilight of sundown, finding a great deal of security in the mediocrity and predictability of sameness, cannot bring themselves to see either potential danger or possible tragedy. But those who see their world adrift, moving all too rapidly toward a bleak and disastrous dawn, shout across the chasm of complacency, “We can’t go on living like this!”

Perhaps they are not upside down after all. They just seem that way. Thinking ahead keeps them topsy-turvy in their heads. While chatty, laughing tourists are taking snapshots of the lowlands with rose-colored filters, those lean, tough-minded climbers have scaled the rugged peaks. It gives them a stark view of what’s ahead. Tomorrow’s storm keeps them from enjoying today’s lull. They’re hard to live with, sometimes impossible to understand.

Robert Greenleaf, in his classic book Servant Leadership, recalls a story which grew out of Beethoven’s composition, the C# Minor Quartet, Opus 131. When first played in the composer’s lifetime, it appeared to be unlike anything the master had ever written before. “Ludwig,” a friend asked, “what has happened? We don’t understand you anymore.” It is reported that Beethoven, with a sigh, replied, “I have said all that I have to say to my contemporaries; now I am speaking to the future.”

If you are one of those seers, a tomorrow-thinker in a world of yesterday-dwellers, take heart. Realize that you must be true to yourself. While you may not be applauded for your warnings, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Just be patient with those who lack your zest and zeal. Say your piece, make your contribution, shout, if you must . . . but keep in mind that prophets were seldom heeded, rarely thanked, and never popular. THINK ABOUT IT!