“Al the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.” I Corinthians 16:20.
Several decades ago, I was traveling from the college in Oklahoma to Northeast Oklahoma to represent it in a meeting. My good friend and fellow worker, the late James Croswell was with me as he was on many occasions. It was late evening as we made our way through Tulsa. It was pouring down rain, and we were both hungry.
Finding a Casa Bonita in a shopping center, we pulled off the Interstate Highway to eat.
But, the rain kept pelting down. We decided to make a run for the shelter of the restaurant, so we quickly exited the car and ran. As we finished our delicious dinner, I picked up the ticket and reached for my wallet which had been locked in the car along with the car keys. James did not have his wallet either, so what to do?
The cashier agreed that my face was at least half-way honest, and agreed to wait for payment until I could retrieve my wallet. In this rain, a locksmith was out of the question, but what to do? It was then that a revival a year earlier came to mind. The pastor, Charles Beam had been studying to be a locksmith, and he made an extra key and taped it to the heater hose of my car. I hoped it was still there. In those days the hood could be released from the outside, but the incessant rain . . . I did not bring a change of clothes. What to do?
Outside, two little aged ladies came down the sidewalk with a large umbrella. I was desperate, so I asked if I could please borrow their umbrella for three minutes to retrieve the key to my car? I don’t know if I scared them, or if they were touched by my plight, but they agreed.
Opening the hood of my car, I breathed an audible “Thank you” as that key was spotted. In a flash, it was retrieved, the car door unlocked, my wallet retrieved, and the umbrella returned to the kind ladies who were amused at it all by this time.
Oh, no! The story does not end here. A few weeks later, a statewide meeting of the churches in Oklahoma found me and that locksmith pastor in close proximity. Without my mentioning to him what had happened, I raced up and kissed him on the cheek. I thought he would faint as he sputtered at an attempt to ask what in the world was going on! As I explained the story to him, we both had a great laugh, and he laughingly swore he would be most careful for whom he made the next key!
The fellowship among the brethren was precious in those days, as it was in most places outside Arkansas. It is not that the fellowship is bad in Arkansas, rather it is so much less.
Preachers would go a long way in other states to visit a fellow minister for a few hours, and many still do. However in Arkansas, most preachers cannot be found very quickly, and a large portion of them are not interested in interrupting their plans for the day to spend some hours with one from out of town. This is not meant to be mean, just so! Soon the day is coming when all things will be sublimated to the joy of the presence of one another in the Lord, and what a day that will be!
FOR THOUGHT: Do you treasure the company of fellow believers? It is an evidence of the presence of salvation according to the epistle of John. Do you know that one day believers will be privileged to sit down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
A MILLION $ FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!
Wow! Inflation is worse than figured! Not long ago it was a penny for your thoughts! So how could thoughts be worth a million dollars? First, thoughts have to be forwarded into action, so, think with me and I will show you how it can happen.
I have asked several groups of people if they knew the exacted price from those who run over a chicken in Germany. None knew. The answer is: the guilty party not only pays for the chicken, but also for all the eggs it may have laid over its lifetime. That is considered the value of the chicken. This principle applies across the board of life.
When anyone places a dollar in the offering plates at church, he not only gives up the dollar, but also the interest it would have earned over his lifetime. That is the value of a dollar.
So suppose one tithes his income, or more, for a lifetime. Also consider that each dollar given might have earned an average of six percent annually over his years. If those tithes are $50, $100, $200 per week, and that was begun in early to midlife, just do the math. It becomes astronomical. Now consider that Jesus said that whatever one gives up (houses, lands, etc.) he will receive a hundredfold, Matt 19:29. Now multiply your astronomical number by 100. The world has never offered such an investment return, and material things even as fine as His, are the very least of the Lord’s offerings.
Two things must combine here: first, one’s heart, then his treasure. Jesus taught us that where one’s treasure is, there will his heart be also, Luke 12:34. Some complain that they cannot afford to give such amounts. That indicates a heart problem. Everyone must remember that the gold and silver; the cattle of a thousand hills; yes, the earth itself, and all therein; the money, too, belongs to the Lord, Psm. 50:10, 24:1, Hag. 2:8, I Cor. 10:26. He who demanded the tithe under the Mosaic Law provides opportunity for us all under grace to exceed that in church support, benevolence, mission work, and reaching out to others in need. Such are opportunities rather than obligations, and the cheerful giver who seizes upon them is indeed wise. He is accumulating great treasure in heaven which is both secure and eternal. Put into proper action a million dollars may be a pittance for your thoughts!
FOR THOUGHT: So does a million dollars for your thoughts make you a millionaire? Please consider that a millionaire may be a pauper compared to the value of eternal things one may have as the result of a life well lived for the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you doing this?
A PENNY, NO, A FORTUNE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
The annals of history provide peepholes into the spectrum of man’s environment from his best to his worst. Most encouraging are those that show spiritual and moral triumph under adverse conditions. Such was the case in the days of the prophet Malachi. His generation would be the last to have the comfort of communication from God, embarking upon the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments.
So soon had the Jewish society forgotten the lesson of Babylonian captivity. Their conduct toward God, and toward one another was atrocious and despicable. In that day, and through the last of Old Testament spokesmen, God sent a strong message of great clarity. He began by reaffirming His great love for the sons of Jacob. Next He points out the great sins of the nation in their disrespect for God, His Word. and His service, including their dog eat dog relationships with one another. It is so applicable to society today, but God is to be praised that it does not permeate His true churches as it has religion in general.
Through Malachi, God gave prophetic promises of great comfort to those who had ears to hear. God’s messenger would visit His people. Elijah (John the Baptist) would return to set the hearts of children to their parents and parents to their children.
It was then that “. . .they that feared the Lord often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” 3:16-17.
Let us all learn that training our thoughts on the Lord and His Word is profitable for life here and now. Additionally, it is nothing short of the pathway to eternal riches. It is written in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,”
A penny for your thoughts? No, no! Cheapskate! God says, properly directed, they are worth a fortune, eternally!
FOR THOUGHT: Do you know that your thoughts have great value? They are leading you to pursue righteousness or they are leading you into destruction. Either way, they are powerful.
Since each person may control his thoughts ( note Philippians 4:8), what are you doing with your thoughts? What do you choose to think about?