Where's The Toast?

"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart;" Proverbs 3:3

A quaint, elderly couple, had just finished their Saturday evening ritual of watching the Maestro, Lawrence Welk. They chatted, as usual, about how that one hour a week managed to transport them back to a simpler time. Directly, as the conversation continued, the sweet wife said, " I sure would like some ice cream". The husband knew before it began, that the conversation would eventually lead to ice cream. 

"Alright dear, give me a minute", as he adjusted his hearing aid. " Just ice cream?", he stated as he began to rise. "Yes dear, just ice cream". After the first step he heard, "Oh honey, some chocolate syrup please." "Alright, ice cream with chocolate syrup". The next couple of steps were halted with, " Oh coconut sprinkles, a little coconut on it too ". "Alright dear ", he yelled over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen.

As she flipped through the pages of a magazine, she heard him busily about his task. After about ten minutes of beating and banging, she noticed the lights go off in the kitchen. Finally, she thought, as she watched him approach. 

"Here dear", he said as he stood before her with her request. She glanced up at him with the most inquisitive look on her face you could imagine. There he stood with a plate of perfectly scrambled eggs. Puzzled and perplexed, all she could say was, "where's the toast?"

Some things in life just won't work until they are paired with the right partner. Abbott and Costello. Roy and Dale. Peanut butter and jelly. Scrambled eggs and toast.

God says here in his word something to the same effect. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee". He didn't say let not mercy forsake thee, nor did he say let not truth forsake thee. He paired them together for a reason. We are to realize that one will not operate effectively independent of the other.

Abbott could not work without Costello. Roy was just another lonely cowboy without Dale. Peanut butter cannot shine without jelly. Scrambled eggs can't stand on their own without toast.

Thus, the Lord tells us mercy is ineffectual without truth. Truth cannot shine without mercy. Both were on display at Calvary.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. " John 14:6

God's mercy and truth. Will you accept them today.?

Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. That you were buried, and that God raised you from the dead the third day. Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and save me. Amen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NG0vH4WYChQ

Forks In The Road

Yogi Berra once said, " When you come to a fork in the road, take it." There is certainly humor to be had with that saying, but also quite a bit of wisdom to be gleaned as well. First, life is sort of like a road or a journey, if you will. Regardless of race, creed, nationality, or religious preference we are all on that road. Secondly, many times the journey requires directional changes from our original route. This theme is, many times, given as inspiration at commencement addresses for young men and women beginning adulthood.
Many great literary works have been based on the principles of a journey down life's road. Some wonderful examples are Homer's Odyssey and Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. A couple of other references most are familiar with are, "All roads lead to Rome", and the two ways spoken of by Christ in the Gospels.

The nation of Rome, at one point in history, was the cultural center and superpower of her day. There's a pretty good chance that when the phrase "all roads lead to Rome " was coined, that literally and physically it was true. The meaning has become generally accepted today as an idiom denoting using different methods of achieving the same results. The time frame of Rome's strong standing in the world coincided with the earthly ministry of Christ. It was at this juncture that the reference concerning two roads was made.

Matthew 7: 13-14
Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

We can draw some interesting parallels with America today and Rome of old. Gibbon gave us a fairly exhaustive description of the subsequent fall of the mighty empire that was. We can also see the sharp contrast of religion adopting the all roads lead to Rome approach, and the bible speaking of there being just two roads.

It would not take a huge stretch of the imagination to make the argument that America is on the same road to decline that the Romans found themselves on. The Supreme Court has taken God out of the schools and courts. The Democratic party has booed him out of their platform; and those in the sports arena have disgraced God by kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. You may say, "how is kneeling during the National Anthem disgracing God"? Does the Pledge of Allegiance not say, "one Nation under God? To say nothing of the trampling under foot of the blood of every patriot that ever defended her. Gibbon didn't give the whole story of the fall of the Roman empire. It's mighty crash could be summed up in one portion of scripture.

Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.

America is at a fork in the road. We are at a fork as a nation and as a people. One example of how far we've declined as a nation is illustrated by these words of President Dwight Eisenhower's on Flag Day, June 14, 1954.

"From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty....In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war. "

This proclamation by our nation's leader was in response to the words "one nation under God " being added to the Pledge of Allegiance. This was accomplished under a Joint Resolution of Congress. My, how far we've gone downhill in the Federal government. From proclaiming a dedication to the Almighty, to booing him on national tv.

How did we get off of the strait and narrow as a nation and a people? How did we manage to take the fork that leads down the broad path of destruction? Did we just haphazardly follow Yogi's advice and take the first one we came to? Were we taken down the road by our political leaders?

We are on the road to destruction today as a result of religious leaders, who proclaim that whatever methodology you decide to adopt, you will get to heaven. The ones who preach that the same mentality, that says all roads lead to Rome, can be applied to your eternal soul. They stand in stark contradiction to the words of Christ, who emphatically stated that you are either on the right road or the wrong one.

It may be too early to say whether we, as a nation, have gone too far to turn back. The great news is that there is still hope for us as individuals. 2 Peter 3:9 states,

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. "

There is one more correlation we will look at between Rome and the two ways spoken of by Christ. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, gave us scripture that has come to be known as the Romans Road. A series of verses presented, in such a way, as to give us directions for getting off of the broad way and onto the narrow. Picture yourself at a fork, one sign says Broad Street, the other says...you get the picture.

The first sign you encounter will be Romans 3:10 "There is none righteous, no, not one."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. "

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. "

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. "

Paul is giving the account of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of mankind. He later explains how God raised him from the dead. He then goes on to state the only way to get back on the road to life.

Romans 10:8-10 declares,

"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "

Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. "

Only in America could a famous ballplayer make a funny statement that could cause such inner reflection. You very well may be at your fork in the road today. With God's grace, may you decide to make the right turn.

John 1:12

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. That you were buried, and that God raised you from the dead the third day. Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and save me. Amen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CxA0TFe3-Uo