What Would You Do For $10,000,000?

What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?  This was a question asked in a poll back in 1991.  The people were given several options and then instructed to indicate all that they would be willing to do.  Here were the results:

• 25%  – Would abandon their entire family.
• 25% – Would abandon their church.
• 23% – Would become prostitutes for a week or more.
• 16% – Would give up their American citizenships.
• 16% – Would leave their spouses.
• 10% – Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free.
• 7% – Would kill a stranger.
• 3% – Would put their children up for adoption.

This poll revealed that two-thirds (66%) agreed to at least one of these, and some to several (James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991).  With the exception of “giving up American citizenship,” every single one of these is wrong.  This poll gives us a very cold look at people’s hearts.

This is exactly what Paul was trying to warn people about in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

I tried to tell myself that this mostly applies to non-Christians, but I think we all know better.  Christian people are influenced by money just as much as everyone else.  So we must ask again, what are you willing to do for $10,000,000?  Are any sins on that list?  If so, I hope we will take a closer look at our lives and our hearts.  Are they really in the right place?

Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

There is no amount of money, no reward, and no sin that is worth giving up heaven for.

The White Rainbow

There are few things more fascinating than a rainbow.  Several months ago at my daughter’s 2^nd birthday party a bright, vibrant, and colorful rainbow appeared.  The rainbow drew every friend and family member outside to see it.  Several of our neighbors also came out to witness this beautiful sight.  Rainbows are awesome all by themselves, but this morning I read about a photograph taken of a very rare white rainbow in the arctic.  This white rainbow is actually known as a “fog bow” because it appears in foggy conditions instead of rainy ones.  The picture’s caption explained, “It appears white because the water droplets in fog are much smaller than raindrops and as the droplets get smaller, the colors disappear” (Yahoo Snapshots – Best Images of Week of December 16^th).

After researching fog bows, I found there are also fog bows that can be seen from the clouds, called “cloud bows” (typically when flying above them), and there are fog bows that can be seen at night, called lunar fog bows (using the moon’s light).  No matter what form it comes in, these are all just different types of rainbows.  They all use light and water droplets to make a beautiful arch in the sky.

So, whether you are at the arctic or in America, in an airplane or on the ground, during the day or night, God’s beautiful rainbows can be seen.  There is almost no time or place on earth where a rainbow can’t be seen.  Clearly these have a great importance.  We are reminded of this importance in Genesis 9:12-15:

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.’”

It’s wonderful that no matter where we are on the earth, rainbows are there to remind us that there is a God and He keeps His promises.

Why Young Christians Aren’t Waiting Until Marriage

In an article by Focus on the Family, Carlene Mattson told the following story about her son: “Several years ago, Jeff played in a special Little League for kids with disabilities.  After many seasons of watching from the bleachers and rooting while his big brother played ball, Jeff’s opportunity finally arrived.  When he received his uniform, he couldn’t wait to get home to put it on.  When he raced out from his bedroom, fully suited up, he announced to me, ‘Mom, now I’m a real boy!’  Though his words pushed my heart to my throat, I assured him he had always been a ‘real boy’” (April 1993, p. 13).

Even though Jeff had some misunderstandings about what made him a “real boy,” Jeff understood some unpleasant truths about our culture better than most people.  There is constant pressure placed on us to be what our society has labeled “normal,” “manly/ladylike,” and “cool.”  Especially for teenagers, being weird or different can yield some very negative aspects (bullying, depression, etc).

We could go on for days talking about all of the categories our culture considers “normal,” but I just want to focus on one.  Not long ago a study was done to find out how many single “Christians” had sex before marriage.  The study revealed, “80 percent of unmarried evangelical young adults (18 to 29) said that they have had sex – slightly less than 88 percent of unmarried adults” (National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy).  This is shocking and sad.  Why aren’t young Christian’s waiting until marriage anymore?  I think it has to come back to what we have been talking about thus far, our culture.  Listen to some of the comments from people on this topic:

• Maria said, “It seemed everyone in my life, older and younger, had ‘done it.’  In fact, I waited longer than most people I knew and longer than both of my sisters, even though we were all Christians and came from a good home.”
• Lucy said, “Young Christians NEVER DID WAIT.  So this is much to do about nothing. Must be a slow news day.”
• Johnny said, “This denial of the human condition and realities is hilarious. Might as well fight gravity…”

The comment section was full of comments like these.  Several people were shocked that even 20% had waited until marriage.  Our culture has gotten a strangle hold on people and convinced so many that they aren’t “real men” or “real women” until their virginity is tossed aside.  What a lie!

Scripture is quite clear that sex is reserved for marriage only (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 6:19; etc).  It takes a real man to save himself until marriage, and it takes a real woman to save herself until marriage.  Even though Jeff had some disabilities, he had a desire to be accepted.  People everywhere have these same desires, but at what cost?  Far too many have given up eternity because of these desires.

Despite what our culture says, a “real” man is the man who follows after God, and a “real” woman is a woman who follows after God.  Let’s never be fooled into thinking otherwise.  Will you take the stand to be a “real Christian” today?

Kicked Off the Plane

Actor Alec Baldwin was sitting on an American Airlines plane, waiting for it to leave the gate.  To pass the time he was playing a popular Scrabble-like game on his phone called “Words With Friends.”  Soon the flight attendant came and asked Baldwin to shut of his phone, just like every attendant does on every flight.  Apparently Baldwin felt he was above that rule and refused to do so.  The situation escaladed to the point to where Baldwin was kicked off the plane because he wouldn’t stop playing the game.

I didn’t know much about Baldwin before this, but I was appalled by his arrogance and selfishness.  Not only was he being unbelievably conceited, but every single person on the plane now had to wait for an extended period of time while they removed Baldwin from the plane.  And all of this was because of what?  A silly, unimportant game.  Obviously the words of Proverbs 13:10 are true in this situation, “Pride only breeds quarrels.”

While most of us don’t struggle with pride on this level, almost everyone does on some level.  We have arguments and refuse to be wrong (even when we are).  We are in a competition and let our pride get in the way.  We refuse to accept help from others.  There are many ways pride can show itself in us.  No matter the form, let’s keep Scripture in mind on this.

• Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
• 1 Peter 5:5 – “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

I don’t see many of us getting kicked off of flights because of our arrogance, but there are definitely times when pride shows it’s ugly face in us.  Remember Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction.”  May we always choose to humble ourselves before God steps in and does it for us.

Planning For Growth

The fathers of New York City were trying to plan for growth.  They figured the city was going to grow, but they just weren’t sure how much.  So, they decided to go on the liberal side and give themselves more room than they thought they would need.  The city already had six or seven numbered streets, and so they expanded it all the way out to 19^th Street.  The named 19^th Street “Boundary Street,” because they were sure New York City would never get larger than that.  Today, New York City has the highest numbered street in America, numbering all the way to 271^st Street.  Clearly New York grew much larger then they ever could have imagined.

It is interesting how we place hard boundaries and expectations on things.  We feel we have limitations we can’t exceed.  We do it in our own lives, we do it to others, and we do it in the church.  Too often I see people give up on growth and improvements because they have made up in their minds that they have reached their limits.  People seem to limit themselves long before their actual boundaries even come into sight.  As one man said, “Know your limits, but never accept them” (Anonymous).

Keep in mind that God works through faithful Christians and God is not bound by limitations.  There is no telling how much God will expand our congregations and our own abilities.  The last thing we should do is sabotage our own growth by limiting ourselves.

These powerful words of Ephesians 3:20-21 have never been more true: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Man Returns The Cash He Stole 60 Years Ago

In the late 1940s a man made a bad decision and became a thief.  He stole $20 to $30 from a Sears cash register.  Just the other day, now 60 years later, an elderly man came in with an envelope addressed to the Sears manager.  Inside was a note and a $100 bill.  In the note, the man explained what he had done and how he wanted to pay back what he stole with interest.  Even though the amount the man stole wasn’t much, clearly this was something that plagued his conscience for a good long time.  Maybe even for 60 years.

There is both good and bad to this story.  Obviously what he did was wrong.  Even though he wanted to pay back the money, it seems he didn’t want to face the possible consequences of his actions.  He didn’t leave a name or any information about himself.  Despite this, the great thing this man did was he listened to his conscience.  Even though it took 60 years, eventually the guilt was enough to drive him to action.

Our culture seems to be similar to the culture in Jeremiah’s day.  Notice what the Lord says about them, “‘Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done?  They certainly were not ashamed, and they did not know how to blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time of their punishment they shall be brought down,’ Says the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:12).  This people “didn’t know how to blush,” or in other words, they stopped listening to their consciences a long time ago.  They were no longer embarrassed and bothered by sin.

Christians are becoming more like our culture, and Jeremiah’s, every day.  Christians are less bothered by sin, less likely to come forward during the invitation for sin, and more likely to justify their sinful actions.  God placed a conscience in us for a reason.  He wants it to bother us.  He wants us to feel guilty.  Why?  Because usually these feelings cause us to make changes.  The real problem is when we don’t feel bad anymore.  We can’t let ourselves get to that point.

Let’s learn to listen to our consciences more often.  But most of all, when we feel the guilt of sin, let’s do something about it!