“And now, the rest of the story.” Those are the words made famous by Paul Harvey. Today I want to borrow that phrase to continue my thoughts from yesterday. As Jason related the circumstances regarding his salvation, he explained that it happened while he and his buddy were driving home from the army base in Savannah, GA. His buddy was an atheist, and from a family that hated the very mention of God. After describing his experience, Jason then added these words, “Also, that person driving the car—was saved today.” In other words, this young man was saved about six months after Jason received Christ—six months of observing the change that took place in Jason’s life.

Here’s my point–a changed life and a clear testimony of salvation preaches a powerful sermon to others. When we practice what we profess it gets people’s attention. It gives us an opportunity to tell them about God’s saving grace.

Whether you are an unsaved church member or an avowed atheist, you must trust Christ as your Savior if you hope to go to heaven. One is no better than the other–both will spend eternity in hell unless they are saved. Thankfully, for Jason and his buddy all ended well. But, what about you? Have you truly trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior? Think about it!

You never know what a day may hold. We hear a lot of bad news and it gets depressing at time. But every once in a while we hear something that is absolutely wonderful.Yesterday was one of those days for me.

Our youngest son, Jason, is in Iraq, on his second deployment. Thankfully I am able to talk to him almost everyday by way of the internet. Yesterday he shared with me the wonderful news that he had received Christ as his Savior about one month before he was deployed. I was shocked–but thrilled! Jason had been raised in church and had made a profession of faith many years ago. I had no reason to believe that he wasn’t saved. I could go on and on talking about what a great kid Jason was, but the bottom line is that there was nothing about his attitude or actions that ever caused me to doubt his salvation.

I won’t go into the details, I’m waiting for him to return home and tell the story himself. I’ll just tell you that he was saved shortly before he left for Iraq and that, in his words,”Pride–kept me from spreading the word—.” My first thought was,”What if he had been killed during his first deployment?” We would have thought he was in heaven, but he would have been in hell. It makes me tremble just to write those words. It also makes me wonder how many others are in exactly the same condition. They were raised in church and have a head knowledge of Christ, but they are lost. I suspect the number is far larger than we think. It’s a scary thought!

There just might be someone reading this article, at this very moment, who is in that position—a long standing church member, with a head full of knowledge about Christ, decent and kind, but lost. I hope Jason’s story will cause you to stop and think about your situation. It’s my prayer that you will truly repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible says,”Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves–.”( 2 Cor.13:5). If everyone would do that many would be forced to admit that they are not saved. If that describes you, please don’t wait until it is too late. Trust Christ today. If you do let me know—I’m ready for some more good news. Think about it!

The following article comes from “Streams in the Desert”. It was a blessing to me and I hope it will be the same to you:

“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).

Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss below.

When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to her.

Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine’s kiss. When Joy sang his voice soared upward as the lark’s, and his step was the step of a conqueror who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him.

“But we can never be united,” said Sorrow wistfully.

“No, never.” And Joy’s eyes shadowed as he spoke. “My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering, and the blackbirds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth their most joyous lays.”

“My path,” said Sorrow, turning slowly away, “leads through the darkening woods, with moon-flowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth-songs–the love song of the night–shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell.”

Even as she spoke they became conscious of a form standing beside them; dimly seen, but of a Kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him.

“I see Him as the King of Joy,” whispered Sorrow, “for on His Head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever.”

“Nay, Sorrow,” said Joy softly, “but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I, too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known.”

“Then we are one in Him,” they cried in gladness, “for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow.”

Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing.”

“Should Sorrow lay her hand upon thy shoulder,
And walk with thee in silence on life’s way,
While Joy, thy bright companion once, grown colder,
Becomes to thee more distant day by day?
Shrink not from the companionship of Sorrow,
She is the messenger of God to thee;
And thou wilt thank Him in His great tomorrow
For what thou knowest not now, thou then shalt see;
She is God’s angel, clad in weeds of night,
With ‘whom we walk by faith and not by sight.'”

There are special moments in life that you never forget. We experienced one of those yesterday. It was our annual “FRIEND DAY” at the church and it was great. I’m certain we had a record attendance—although I haven’t received the offical count, I’m confident it was over 300.But that wasn’t the best thing. The food, fellowship, and singing was great, but there was something even better. The greatest thing was a powerful sense of God’s presence!

As I said at the close of the service, I don’t have the words to describe it. Everyone was moved deeply. Tears flowed freely and people spoke with broken voices as they talked about it. I can’t remember when I’ve seen young people so stirred and involved in worship. I will never forget the look on their faces, especially as our young men’s quartet sang. It was a sight to behold!

Remember the song “Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul”? Well, that pretty well describes what we experienced. I went home tired in body, but so stirred that I couldn’t even take a Sunday afternoon nap. That’s a minor miracle—lol! What happened yesterday was something that could not be duplicated even if you tried. All I can say is, God did it! I am praying—Lord, do it again! Think about it!

Since I was just a little boy I’ve wondered why dandelions are so despised. I know it sounds crazy to some folks, but I’ve always thought they were beautiful, yet everyone wants to get rid of them.   Well, I finally found someone else who takes delight in dandelions. When I came across this article by the late Dr. Walter L. Wilson I couldn’t keep from sharing it—who knows, someone might want to start a ” Dandelion Growers Club”.  

The Dandelion is Unusual Did you plant the dandelions in your front yard? Dandelions are no respecter of persons. They adorn the yards of the rich and show their yellow glory around the hovels of the poor. They delight to grow in the cemetery or in the garden of the Prince. They flourish in the woods where no one can observe them, or they show their smiling faces right near your front steps though they certainly will be dug up at the first opportunity. How persistent they are. How quickly they develop. They are up in the morning before you are. They blossom and go to seed and seed your neighbor’s lawn while you are trying to make up your mind whether to dig them out yourself or hire someone else to do it. They are the first to bloom in the Spring and the last to be discouraged in the Fall. Let us consider the message which the dandelion gives to us. We too should be out early with the seed of the Word of God and continue until the shadows fall, scattering the message. If the grass in your front yard is two inches high the dandelion will grow three inches. If you should neglect to cut the lawn and the grass grows five inches long the dandelion will grow six inches high and smile at the sun. If you should be on a vacation and the grass should grow ten inches long, then that persistent, “not to be whipped” dandelion will grow eleven inches tall and stick up its nose at the passing throng. It simply will not be downed. It rises above “its circumstances.” It will not be outdone by its neighbors. It has an ambition to get somewhere and it gets. One dandelion plant may multiply itself by several hundreds. Quite a few blooms will appear from the one plant and on each bloom there will be many seeds. Each seed is equipped with a sail to carry it on the wind. The Lord knew that no one would plant dandelions and that men would despise them, so He gave them the means of quickly recovering from the devastating knife of man by causing them to multiply quickly and profusely. The seeds ripen very quickly and a puff of wind blows them over the entire neighborhood. So the Lord would have us to be fruit bearing children of His. It is those who “TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS,” who shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. The Father is glorified if ye bear MUCH fruit. The dandelion is not easily discouraged. It does not wilt with sorrow because it has to bloom behind the barn. It does not hide its face with shame because it cannot be on the front lawn of the courthouse. It does the bidding of its Maker happily and beautifully, whether it is in an obscure place or in a very prominent garden. Our Lord would have us serve just as well among the poor or among the rich; we should serve as gladly and as efficiently with the few as before the many. We should not care at all for those who observe us but only for the pleasure of Him Who sent us. Just as the dandelion knows no season, so the servant of God should be, “in season out of season,” when the world thinks that the Gospel is out of season, the Christian must know that it is in season. When the world thinks the Scriptures are out of place, the believer must know that the Word of God is always in place. There is no time that is out of season for the precious Word of the living God. The diligence of the dandelion should be a challenge to our hearts. It is often growing and doing the will of its Maker while God’s children are growing and living in disobedience. The dandelion is busy producing the flower for beauty and the seed for service while some of God’s saints are busy cultivating ugly habits and destroying the seed that others have sown. The dandelion does what its Master equipped it to do, while sometimes the Christian is busy doing the things he should not do. Dandelions always tell the same golden story. Who ever heard of a blue dandelion. They bring that golden yellow up out of a black soil. They smile at you in the cold, gray morning and bid you a golden greeting at night, when you come home weary with the work of the day. How like this we should be. Why should not the child of God show the golden glory of the Son of Righteousness in his face constantly? We too should have a happy greeting for those whom we meet along life’s road. They should see us and take courage. They should see our example of diligence and persistence and take new heart. Our presence and our actions should instill new hope in the hearts of those who observe us. As the dandelion seeks out every nook and corner in which to grow and smile and prepare its seed, so should we constantly seek opportunities to bring the sunshine of God’s Love and the Seed of His Word into every nook and corner in the community where we live. What a fertile spot every place presents. Sometimes we sow the seed in the jail and sometimes in the orphan’s home. It may be in the home of a neighbor where we shall show the flowers and fruits of God’s grace, or it may be in the office and the shop. Everywhere the soil is ready, waiting for the seed. We are to be sowing early and late permitting the Holy Spirit to blow our message into every heart where He would have it go. The beautiful golden yellow of the dandelion comes from the dark damp soil. How can black dirt produce a beautiful blossom? Ah, that is one of God’s mysteries. Only God can do it. Only God would do it. It is a miracle which we often see in nature and also in society. Out of the dark ground comes the white hyacinth, the yellow rose, the blue cornflower, the purple violet, the tinted lily and the golden dandelion. Out of the mire and the filth of sin God has brought many a man and many a woman who adorn His doctrines and who exemplify the glories of His great Grace. Men who are a curse in the home have been changed into a benediction. Men whose mouths were foul and filthy with liquor, tobacco, and oaths, have been made into vessels of glory whose mouths were filled with His praises. Men who were a curse to society have been transformed into the greatest of blessings. Yes, our God can bring beautiful things out of horrible things if only we will trust our souls and our lives to Him. Dandelions care for neither the smiles nor the frowns of men. Their business is to bloom and they do it. Their work is to seed the soil and they accomplish it remarkably well. Their business is to work early and late, and they never take a vacation. The Lord help us to be like the dandelion