My wife and I just recently returned home from Savannah, GA, where we had gone to welcome our son Jason home from Iraq. On the way home we began to notice the many white crosses that marked the places where people had died as a result of car wrecks. I would guess that we saw at least two dozen on the west-bound side alone. suddenly I relized that every cross has a story.

Every casualty was caused by something. In some cases people were killed through no fault of their own– someone hit them. In other instances people died as a result of their own wreckless driving. But, in other cases the driver simply went to sleep while driving and it cost them their lives. When you go to sleep at the wheel you are headed for trouble! As I struggled to stay awake near the end of our 17 hour trip I kept that in mind.

This experience caused me to start thinking about causalties of another sort–spiritual causalties. During my 43 years of preaching I’ve seen untold numbers of people who made a wreck of their lives. Most of these people simply went to sleep and it resulted in their ruin. These tragedies could have been avoided if they had remained alert. Numerous scriptures remind us of the need to be vigilent. If we are wise we will heed them. When we doze off we put ourselves in grave danger. We need to give heed to the words of Paul,”—it is high time to awake out of sleep—“(Romans 13:11). Sleeping saints end up getting hurt and hurting others. Don’t let it happen to you. Wake up! Arouse yourself to action. Get busy serving the Lord. Stay alert. Keep your focus on Christ. Don’t become another casualty along the roadside of life. THINK ABOUT IT!

As we celebrate “Independence Day” it will do us good to recall the sacrifices made by our founding fathers. The following essay will help us to do that: Fifty-six Patriots
“Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

“What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

“Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in
rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was
kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett,
Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

“At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste, he found his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.

These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: ‘For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.'”    Today we need to honor the sacrifices of those who secured our freedom and commit ourselves to preserving such liberties for our posterity.

” A Great Civil War”?

“Nothing short of a great civil war of values rages today throughout North America. Two sides with vastly differing and incompatible worldviews are locked in a bitter conflict that permeates every level of society. It is a struggle for the hearts and minds of the people. It is a war over ideas.” So wrote Dr. James Dobson and Gary Bauer. Many folks, however, aren’t convinced that the battle is real, or at least not all that serious.

The fact of the matter is that there is plenty of evidence to prove that assertion. In a recent article in the Christian Post, Dr. Tony Beam said,” There are at least six key indicators from the culture itself that suggest the battle is certainly real. Those indicators are:

1. Open hostility toward biblical Christianity in the marketplace.

2. The majority of people no longer believe absolute truth exists.

3. The rise and acceptance of immorality.

4. The loss of civility and the rise of harsh rhetoric in public debates.

5. The trashing of traditional agents of stability in the culture such as marriage, the family, and sexual abstinence until marriage.

6. The elevation of science to god-like status and the emphasis on genetics as the cause of sinful behavior.”

In the light of these obvious facts I don’t see how any sensible person could deny that there is in deed a war raging. It is real and it is dangerous! So, what should we Christians do in the face of such problems? Merely ranting and raving about the rottenness of our society doesn’t help, nor does debating with those who have no spiritual discernment. Trying to reform an unregenerate population is futile. What then should we do? The answer is simple and scriptural. We are to do as our Lord commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. We are to win the lost by proclaiming the gospel. It’s not our job to change the world, except as it is changed one person at a time as a result of us carrying out the great commission. Doing things God’s way is the only way that works! Think about it!

—–David Stone

Having just received a prayer request I added it to my “prayer list”. Then I began reading through the list and was overwhelmed! I was struck by the ever-growing number first of all. Even with three columns front and back I have run out of room, and scribbled as many names as possible in the margins. I need to start a new list, but who do I leave off? Or do I start printing a “prayer booklet”, rather than a “prayer list”? Will that lead to a “prayer book”? See what I mean? Eventually we would have a “prayer library”! And all this from just one small congregation. Think about this on a world-wide scale. Obviously we live in a needy world.   Secondly, I was deeply moved by the varity and seriousness of the needs on my prayer list—needs of salvation, restoration, healing, comfort, jobs, finances, encouragement, and that mysterious category called “unspoken request”. I think of all these things and realize that there is no human help in sight. Regardless of how much I might want to help, these needs are beyond my ability.   Every name on my prayer list has a story behind it. In some cases I know a lot of details. In other cases I only know the name and the need. In no case do I fully understand what the person is actually going through. I simply cannot sense the fear and feel the pain as they do. I can only pray! I can pray. I must pray. I will pray! But, I cannot solve the problems.   Now, here’s the thing that impressed me most. As I read my prayer list, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought of God’s greatness! God knows every person on my list, and on your list also. He not only knows each person, He knows every minute detail of their life—every hidden fear, every tear that falls, every pain they feel, every enemy they face, every need they have. Not only does God know, He cares! No person is unimportant to God. He knows. He cares. And He can help! He has all power in heaven and earth. With Him all things are possible. There is not a question He cannot answer. There is not an enemy He cannot defeat. There is not a need He cannot meet. There is not a problem He cannot solve. He is God and there is no other!   If you keep a prayer list, and I hope you do, get it out and read it. Think about all the many people in need of prayer. Think about the severity of the problems they face. But, most of all think about God--He knows, He cares, and He can help. Think about it!

I preached this morning on the subject–“Hating Hyprocrisy”. It’s late in the day and I still can’t get it off my mind. Untold damage has been done to the cause of Christ by professing Christians who live contrary to what the Bible teaches. John Piper said,”When I read about prosperity-preaching churches, my response is:’If I were not on the inside of Christianity, I wouldn’t want in.’ In other words, if this is the message of Jesus, no thank you.”

I agree, but the picture could be enlarged to cover a number of other things. Not only am I sickened by the religious huskesters, who deceive people to line their own pockets, but by hyprocrisy in general. I’ve often said, I’m glad I got saved when I did, because seeing what I see today I’m not sure I would ever want to be a Christian. That might be a poor way to make the point, but I’m guilty. I understand that salvation is of the Lord and He can save people regardless of how sinful those around us are, but the fact remains that many have made Christianity repulsive by their rotten behavior.

Remember the old saying,”You are the only Bible some people will ever read.” Well, it’s true. Many judge Christ by what they see in His followers. May God help us to not give them the wrong impression. As Paul said,”–Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”(2 Timothy 2:19). Think about it!