None of Us Live Unto Ourselves

What we do affects others. A life given over to sin will affect posterity.Ada Jucks, born in Germany in 1740 became a drunkard, thief and a tramp. Professor Pellman of the University of Germany traced her descendants for 80 years. Out of 709, 106 were born out of wedlock, 144 were beggars, 181 lived disreputable lives, 62 lived on charity, 76 were convicts, 7 were convicted of murder. They cost Germany in the 80 years, in court expenses, etc. $1,250,000.

Max Jukes, a notorious no-good from New York was another striking illustration of how sin affects following generations. Out of 1200 of his descendants only 20 learned a trade, 10 of that number learned it in prison. Of the balanace 310 were shiftless no-goods, 300 died in infancy, 50 women were prostitutes, 400 died prematurely from lives of deep sin, 7 were murderers, 60 were habitual thieves, 130 were convicted criminals, and 440 had contracted venereal disease.

Compare this with the record of Jonathan Edwards. Of 1,394 descendants studied, 285 were college graduates, 13 were college presidents, 65 were college professors, 100 were lawyers, 30 were judges, 100 were ministers, 80 were elected to public office, 75 were navy officers, and 60 were successful authors. There was not a criminal among the whole lot.

No Small Print

You know the kind...all of the exceptions and exemptions and restrictions few of us read...the kind that would require a magnifying glass or the vision of a five-year-old...the kind that covers little but the glaringly obvious.

The gospel has no fine print, with no rules cunningly shaded, with no surprise requirements, and no hidden clauses.

Jesus did not believe in surprise expectations when He clearly outlined what He required of His followers. No earthly leader in any area of human citizenery was more "up-front" than Jesus Christ.

He plainly stated that each Christian would bear a cross (SEE Matthew 16:24). He forthrighly declared to His listeners that unless they were willing to sacrifice their lives for His sake and the gospel's - so that they could eventually save them- could not be His disciple. He said if anyone would be a part of His kingdom, he would have to humble himself and become as a little child (SEE Matthew 18:4). He made clear that the way up was down.

He said His followers would suffer; would be mistreated and misunderstood; would be hated by the world; would live a life of "straight and narrow" behavior; and that his hours and days would be marked by prayer, fasting, godliness, integrity, purity and wholesomeness.

B-U-T!! He also made it clear that those who follow Him through their lives on earth would have constant peace; would be freed from the domination of sin; would walk in light, not darkness; would have peace of mind; would share in intimate fellowship with (1) the heavenly Father, (2) with Himself; (3) with the Holy Spirit, and (4) with brothers and sisters in Christ. He promised eternal life to each follower; constant, Divine help, power and grace; resurrection from the grave, and heaven with joys beyond human comprehension.

On top of that, amazingly!, He promised that each believer would share in His glory (SEE John 17:22-24), and ultimately would receive and crown of glory. And then! bogglingly!, He said that He would reward every follower for their investments in His kingdom, after supplying them with the grace and power to accomplish it all! It is too much for our poor minds to absorb. All we can do is praise and thank Him!

Mark's Testimony

Note: Mark Boone, an instantly delivered alcoholic, gives this testimony Easter Sunday 2009 at the Columbia View Wesleyan Church, Portland, Oregon.

Sometimes the hardest people to be convinced of the power of God are those who have been long familiar with a Christian environment. I was raised in the church, parents pastors for 50-plus years. I've been a Wesleyan as long as anyone here, since before the Pilgrims merged with the Wesleyan-Methodists in '68 or '72 or whenever. Did a concert in this very church 20-25 years ago, but at some point I decided God had dropped the ball and I was doing this life thing my way. Until recently, I hadn't felt the Spirit of God for a couple of decades.

Two years ago, around Easter, I experienced an aortic dissection, much more serious than a heart attack. It produced several heart attacks. It is nearly always fatal-- something like 95% fatality. I lay unconscious, dying, with my family and loved ones crying out to God to spare me. The surgeon at QHSU said pre-op that the damage to my heart had already cost me my left leg, my kidneys, and most likely significant brain damage. "We're just trying to save his life," he said.

During the 12 minutes I was clinically dead, I saw myself on the operating table, people in scrubs around me, an experience that haunted me for over a year after. The surgeon told my family after the 9-hour operation that there were several instances that he would return to a portion of my heart to repair damage he had seen minutes earlier and find it had healed on its own! The legs I walked up here on are mine, and they work just fine! My kidneys that were gone suddenly began functioning normally, and tests show they are fine! My brain is, well... the same! I'm a medical miracle.

Oh, so that's what happened, Mark! Anyone would turn to God after that kind of ordeal! No, not even close. After waking from a coma several days later, I was adamant that I would not be buffaloed into a commitment to God. Your dear pastor and some of you came to visit me in recovery, and I politely but firmly resisted any perceived pressure from anyone towards the Lord.

God had healed my physical heart -- I couldn't have stopped Him from that if I wanted to -- but he could not heal my deepest need, my hurting soul, without my invitation. After a year of painful recovery, last Easter I was, some might say, as far away from God as one could be.

Now you're thinking, what in the world happened, after all of that, that changed this guy?

I won't take the time now to explain the situation except to say that, drama-wise, it pales in comparison to what I just described. That's a story for another time, and I never get tired of telling it, but, basically, I was asked a simple question by a complete stranger, and in the split second I had to consider my response, I realized beyond any doubt that the real question posed to me was, "Mark-child, are you done?" and the One asking through this total stranger was God Almighty Himself... my Creator... my Heavenly Father, who gave His only Son for me.

I was so overwhelmed and outclassed in every way by the Presence of God that I could not mentally fall to the ground fast enough. That Presence has not left me for an instant since, because my answer to Him and to the stranger was, "Yes. I am done."

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I did not just ooze imperceptibly into some warm, fuzzy experience that made me smile from time to time! Brother, I was changed! That song we sang about power, I didn't write that from a story I read about someone else. That happened to me! I could look inside myself and see it!

The Bible says that after Jesus died He went to hell. I don't recommend this at all! Don't go to hell! Maybe that's irreverant -- I'm thinking of writing a son named that! Anyway, a couple thousand Easter Eves ago, Jesus went to hell. He went straight to hell, and He did not go quietly! He didn't knock and ask politely. He didn't ask at all. He walked in there past all the mighty demons in the depths of hell, walked straight into Satan's stronghold, the devil's Fort Knox, and with the power and authority of God He took the keys of death and hell. That's what Easter is about, baby!

Listen, you want to champion the sting of death, the victory of the grave? Come to the cross!

You want to avoid the spiritual eternal agony of hell? Come to the cross!

You want to experience the unspeakable joy and peace, even in turmoil, disappointment and heartache? I'm tellin' you, come to the cross!

He's the way.

Praying Ground

It seems like we have great preoccupation with ground or real estate, and place high value on it. It could be classified in terms of "yardage", "mileage", and "acreage".

Billions of dollars are spent by millions of individuals to gain a few yards of ground. Records are painfully sought and high prices awarded for those desired yards of ground.

When it comes to mileage covered, we are a world in motion. No society has ever been as mobile as ours. Our shrinking globe is a grid of networking transportation. Going has easily replaced doing as modern man's pleasure activity. The many miles driven or the great amount of ground covered and viewed has become important in our lives today.

And acreage may be the greatest motivator of all time - past and present. We crave some ground to call our own. Ownership is a powerful force. A tiny, fifty by 100 feet plot of ground can consume a person and become his or her master.

There is another type of ground that has even higher potential and superior value that is generally depreciated and forgotten. It is praying ground. The relationship towards God is somewhat like that of spoiled children towards their parents. The only time the parents are important or sought out is when they need money or other assistance. How sad!

There are so many valuable aspects of praying ground that it should attract multitudes to acquire it. The truth is that there are miles of elbow room on praying ground. The area is unlimited - you can use all you want, and it is free.

Praying ground is where our eyes are opened. The blindfold of the flesh is removed and we can see as God sees. Limitations are reclassified as possibilities. Hope is reborn and courage renewed. Anything becomes possible on praying ground.

Praying ground is where chains are broken and captives are freed. The mightiest, most binding, addictive, habitual shackles of demons and men are shed as a tattered garment on praying ground. The "inevitable" is arrested and the irresistible is neutralized.

On praying ground we see through kinder eyes. Personal hurts and pain, and loss, and criticism become mere inconveniences when viewed beside the cross. Hard passions are softened. Vengeance is submerged in a sea of forgiveness, and hatchets are buried all over the place!

Mountains of disappointment are left there, along with disagreements and disillusionments. Piles of doubts and fear and quickly discarded.

Praying ground is where transformations occur. Sighs are turned to singing, and confusion is changed to peace. The fearful become fighters, and the losers face the rising sun, for here is failure's graveyard.

Rebirth and regeneration are characteristics of praying ground.

The message and music of praying ground is: God is our adequacy. He is enough. Don't give up, and don't cave is. But if you have, you can start again - on praying ground!