'In peace true soldiers are captive lions, fretting in their cages. War gives them their liberty and sends them, like boys bounding out of school, to obtain their heart's desire, or perish in the attempt. Battle is the soldier's vital breath! Peace turns him into a stooping asthmatic. War makes him a whole man again, and gives him the heart, strength, and vigour of a hero.'
C.T. Studd (famous British missionary)

Two drunks

 

The story of two drunks

There is a story of two men somewhere up in the Highlands of Scotland. They lived across the lochs and used a small rowing boat to go to and from the nearest towns and markets for their supplies. 

One evening they had an idea to go over to one of the taverns and have a few drinks. So off they set in their wee boat, and before long they were holding up the bar and ‘downing’ their favourite elixir. Eventually the landlord had to push them out of the door and send them home before they became a nuisance to themselves and others.

Climbing down the bank to the water’s edge, they clambered into the vessel and grabbed an oar each. It was a wonder that they could even sit up, let alone actually use the oars. For many hours they rowed and rowed, until by and by the sun began to rise above the distant mountain range. 

They were perplexed, confused, and somewhat shocked to find, that for all of their efforts, they had not gone very far. In fact, they soon realised that they were only a few yards off the shore where they started out in the dark of night. Then it slowly began to dawn on them that they had forgotten to untie the boat from the mooring! No matter how hard they had rowed, nor how long they had been struggling, they had not moved an inch forward.

This is how it is with unrepented sin. Unless we remove the ties that hold us to this world and all of its sinful ways, we will get absolutely nowhere, no matter if we are the worship leader or the pastor of a church; and neither will anyone in the boat with us go anywhere. 

You have to cut the ropes of wickedness, undo the cords of disobedience, before ever the boat will take to the water and sail a route to God’s best for your life.  (Isaiah 58:6)

When I was young I used to stand with my father near to Forest Gate station in East London where local believers would hold an ‘open-air’ outreach. The song that I remember them singing each week was, ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.’

If you look at this world it will entice you. If you look at temptation it will beguile you. If you look at sin it will entrap you. But if you look at Christ he will save you.



JGM 2021

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