THINK ABOUT IT             10-17-23

I occasionally read “Cultural Watch” by Bill Muehlenberg. Since it had been several months since I last looked at his site I clicked on it this morning. The following article is the first thing I saw, and my first thought was “Not interested “. But for some reason I decided to read it and I’m glad I did. So I’m sharing it here with the hope that you will THINK ABOUT IT.

We should pray for all sorts of people, even aging rock stars:

I was thinking last night while lying in bed. OK, that is a rather dumb thing to say, since I am ALWAYS thinking while trying to get to sleep. All my life I have had troubles getting to sleep, so I toss and turn and think and think. I am reminded of the character in the early 60s Sci-Fi flick, “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die”. Yep, that’s me, every single night. I sometimes do wish my brain would just die – at least at bedtime!

Anyway, I pray each night as well, and I have a long list of those I pray for. I was going to say that the list gets longer and longer, but then again, some of the folks I pray for have died, so maybe it is not growing quite so much. And all sorts of people get prayed for, from family members to celebs. I even pray for Bob Dylan and Woody Allen nightly that they become Christians. And I have recently added the conservative Jewish commentators Ben Shapiro and Dennis Prager to my list.

After praying last night, I started thinking of some of these aging rock stars who – it seems – have not yet become Christians. They sure have lived the good life, with all their fame and fortune meaning that they could have anything they ever wanted, and do everything they ever wanted, at least in material terms.

I thought especially of Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. I have followed both all my life, certainly during the first decade of their careers with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Consider this amazing fact: Paul is 81, and Mick is 80! They ain’t no spring chickens anymore. And don’t get me started on Keith Richards!

So I was thinking about their spiritual condition, and shooting up prayers for them. I thought that from very early on in their lives (both groups started to make it big in the early 60s), both men were living unique lives – lives most of us could only dream of. By the time each one was around twenty years old, they were known the world over. And it just got more and more intense.

They were not only household names, but soon enough they were packing stadiums with tens of thousands of screaming and adoring fans. Just the energy, rush and high a rock star can get when performing in front of such massive crowds of adoring and worshipping fans is something that most of us will never experience.

I cannot be precise here of course, but if they were like most young budding rock stars, they each probably ended up bedding dozens – perhaps hundreds – of groupies and female fans. They would have taken mountains of drugs and consumed oceans of alcohol over the past 60 years – certainly in their earlier years.

And they would both be stinking rich. They would each own multiple homes and mansions, fancy cars, maybe private jets, and so on. They could at the drop of a hat fly over from London to Paris or Berlin for an overnight party or whatever. And the booze they consumed would not be the real cheap stuff, but the top of the line really expensive stuff.

They could eat the finest of foods and live a life of luxury that few of us will ever know. So in terms of the world’s values, these guys have had it all. Sixty years of living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. So many folks would be so very envious of these two – and others like them.

But… My concerns are obviously spiritual. In terms of eternity, what will these two have to show for themselves? As I say, they are certainly getting old. And some of their peers did not get very far at all. One of the original guitarists for the Stones, Brian Jones, died of a drug overdose in 1969 – just 27 years of age.

The Beatles of course broke up in 1970, but John Lennon was gunned down in 1980, aged 40. George Harrison died in in 2001, aged 58, leaving Paul and Ringo as the remaining Beatles. What about Paul and Mick? Have they ever considered eternity? Have they ever considered giving their lives to Christ?

I have no knowledge of them having done this so far. It is hoped that they will, however. But relying on a deathbed conversion can always be risky business. With both in their 80s, if all the hard living of sexual encounters, drugs and alcohol does not catch up with them, the simple reality of old age will.

It might be this year, or in five years, or ten, but they are not immortal, and they will one day leave this earth. Of course we can be certain of that. But when it does happen, all the world’s front-page headlines will read, “Mick Jagger dead at 85” (or whatever), and “Paul McCartney dies aged 86” (or whatever). The whole world will know real quick.

While I appreciate good music, and have enjoyed some of their music, and they made some real contributions here, there is much more at stake. In terms of eternity, just what have they gained or benefited from? As Jesus asked, “For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, NASB).

If Mick could sing “I can’t get no satisfaction” back in 1965, and if he ends up away from the presence of God in the next life, he will have an eternity of no satisfaction. That is not a good place to be in. As I say, by worldly standards, he and Paul have had some of the most wonderful, amazing and exciting lives imaginable.

Sure, there would have been ups and downs along the way: busted relationships, loss of loved ones, maybe health issues, and a range of other things. But all up, in this world they certainly lived the good life. Consider just their personal wealth and financial worth. I just did a quick search: Mick is worth $500 million while Paul is worth $1.2 billion!

Wow, that’s a lotta dough. But neither one can take a penny with them. They need to look at what really matters in life if they haven’t already. So I will probably end up adding these two men to my nightly prayer list. They need it. And I am sure other believers are praying for them.

They have each had six entire decades of living like kings with everything they could possibly desire at their disposal. Whether they live for two more decades each, or just two more days, they need to make a choice as to just whom they will serve: themselves or the living God. If they end up converting to Christ, finding forgiveness of sins, and making it into heaven, that would be great.

If not, well, this is the reality for them and every other human being on the planet:
-For the non-Christian, life on this earth is the best they will ever know, with the absolute worst still to come.
-For the Christian, life on this earth is the worst they will ever know, with the absolute best still to come.

We all need to choose wisely.

THINK ABOUT IT

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx 

THINK ABOUT IT            10-14-23
As my family knows, I set aside the last hour before bedtime to focus on the Lord. I do so by reading the Bible, praying, and listening to music. That time of the day might not work best for you but it works for me.

 (Friday Church News Notes, October 13, 2023, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) – Israel’s war with Hamas is front page news throughout the world. Apart from the Bible, it makes no sense that one of the tiniest nations would constantly be an international headliner. A wise man was once challenged to give evidence in one word that the Bible is divinely inspired, and he replied, “Israel.” God created Israel and put her in the midst of the nations to be a light to a dark world. It was an act of God’s love and unmerited favor. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (Ezekiel 5:5). Through Israel, God gave the world the holy Scriptures and Christ the Saviour, gifts of infinite value. Israel is God’s nation even in her rebellion to God, which is her present condition. The past 2,000 years of Israel’s history was prophesied in detail in Deuteronomy 28 more than 3,400 years ago, before the 12 tribes even entered the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 30 and many other Scriptures prophesy Israel’s spiritual conversion, which has not yet occurred. Israel will not have peace until she receives the Prince of Peace as her Messiah. We don’t know how this present war will turn out, but we know from Bible prophecy, which has never been wrong, that Israel’s greatest trouble lies ahead. In her zeal for peace, Israel will receive a false messiah, the anti-christ, the man of sin, the son of perdition, who will come upon the scene in desperate times as an awe-inspiring figure, a magnificent peace-monger, a world-class problem solver. He will make it possible for the third temple to be built as we read in Revelation 11, but he will show his true character when he sets himself up in that very temple as God. “… and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Regardless of Israel’s apostasy, Israel is still Israel, and God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) is still true. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). When God says something, the wise heed His words, knowing that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We bless Israel, because God has instructed us to do so. Woe be unto those who curse her. – David Cloud
THINK ABOUT IT!

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx

THINK ABOUT IT            10-10-23

THINK ABOUT IT              10-9-23

notte::This is the latest post on the Pastor’s Blog. For others go to our website.

Several years ago I just happened to be reading Jay Adams’s blog and found it very interesting. It touched on a matter that has long been a serious problem. Too many folks depend on their feelings rather than the facts. Adams gives us this food for thought:

“I FEEL IT’S SO” 

Can you give me even one good reason?

“No, I don’t need reasons—I just feel it’s so.”

That short exchange might take place many times a day between Christians. But it never should.

You may be wondering what the subject is that the two parties are discussing. It doesn’t really matter. I left it out for a good reason—to show the bare outlines of the issue.

The issue being, of course, how we know anything about God to be true or false.

There is no biblical precedent for basing the truth or the falsehood of any belief upon how one feels; yet many do so.

Our faith is one that can be objectively set forth—and has been—in a Book from which God expects us to learn what is/isn’t true.

What Jesus told us that Abraham said to the rich man suffering in hell was that people won’t believe even if someone rose from the dead (which, of course, He did). Experience and feelings won’t cut it! Instead, if a person wants to discover the truth he should turn to the Bible: “they have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them” Jesus said (Luke 16: 29).

It’s the same today-to learn the truth, and benefit from it—one must turn to the Scriptures. Stop listening to feelings; start listening to truth.

Following up on my comments about “feelings” as a guide, I’d like to make one other point.

When I taught in the doctoral program at Westminster West, there were students—pastors, I should note—who would ask, “Prof., what do you feel about so and so?”

Often, to make the point, I’d say (with a smile), “Lousy.” Or, if the response seemed appropriate, “Great!”

Invariably, they’d go on to say something like, “No, you don’t understand. What I’d really like to know is what you feel about. . .” entirely missing my point, or unable to express themselves in any other way.

So, I’d continue, “You got my feelings. I’d like to give you my opinion, or belief, or conviction. But what you asked for is feelings.”

People today use weak language—pastors ought to be the last to do so. No one ever nailed another to the door for expressing his feelings. It’s when you state your convictions that they do!

When pastors are willing to speak in such a weak, namby-pamby way, no wonder the members of their congregations have few, if any, strong convictions. Let’s learn TO STAND UP AND PLAINLY DECLARE WHAT WE BELIEVE OR—BETTER STILL—WHAT GOD SAYS!

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346