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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
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Today’s heroes
Our nation is beginning to realize that it takes more than being able to catch, hit or throw a ball to make someone a hero. Americans still pay out big bucks to see our ball-players, but we have begun to include those who protect our cities and homes from crime, fire and terrorism as the real heroes of our day.
Webster defines a hero as a person “admired for noble qualities; someone of distinguished valor or performance.” Our growing-up-years give us some exposure to heroic acts. We often form role models during those years, and this is the very reason we must be wise in choosing our heroes.
God has had plenty of heroes from the beginning, and their athletic skills were not the reason He respected and loved them. Consider the following:
“She hath done what she could”
Most of us will not be called upon to save 200 people in a hijacked airliner, or rescue thousands in collapsed buildings. We perform our daily chores without fanfare or glory. One day Jesus encountered a woman in Bethany who anointed Him with an expensive ointment. One man with Jesus criticized the “waste,” but Jesus responded saying:
- “Let her alone…She hath done what she could… Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her,” Mark 14:7-9.
She did “what she could,” and that was enough for Jesus. God never expects more of us than we are capable of doing, but He does demand that! It was Jesus who said, “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required,” Luke 12:48. That is a trademark of God’s heroes: they take advantage of every opportunity to live up to their capabilities.
“There hath not arisen a greater…”
Some are given tasks and responsibilities that are almost impossible to accomplish. Such could be said of John, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. He was destined to do great deeds, but he was also to see more pain than acclaim. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, being the forerunner of God’s Son, man’s redeemer, Isaiah 40:3. Different in dress, diet and purpose, he lived in the deserted lands of Palestine, but when the time came for him to fulfill his task, he served as one of God’s heroes. Jesus gave His assessment of John in Matthew 11:10-11:
- “This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:”
“My servants, the prophets…”
This term is found 19 times from 2 Kings to Revelation, and as a term of endearment it may be beyond our meager ability to comprehend. How can one who is called a “servant” be a hero to God?
Remember how hero is defined—one “admired for noble qualities.” Think of Nathan, who was given the task of rebuking King David. Think of Elijah, whose nobility is in sharp contrast to the character of Ahab and Jezebel. What about Micaiah, who refused to be a “yes-man” for Ahab; and Amos, who traveled from Judah, seeking to bring Israel back from the throes of idolatry. Or Jeremiah, who wept over the sins and the impending doom of Judah. Noble qualities indeed!
“The world was not worthy”
An entire chapter (Hebrews 11) is devoted to those who, at some point in their life, exhibited great faith. Included in that chapter are Abraham, Noah, Moses, Joseph, Gideon and others. They were not always a hero to their peers, and were even exposed to insults and death. But God said of such men and women, “The world was not worthy” of them. Worldly men thought God’s servants were not even worthy to live in their world, but they were wrong—dead wrong!
God’s hero today rescues those who are lost in sin. Will you be one of His heroes?
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“The world’s battlefields have been in the heart chiefly; more heroism has been displayed in the household and the closet than the memorable battlefields of history.”
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man; but he is braver five minutes longer.”
“They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins; being desolate, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy,”
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Life's Little Lessons
In the words of Amos, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son" (7:14), but I have lived over forty years on Earth, at this writing, and have been married to the same woman for well over half of my life. We have raised two fine Christian daughters, and I have violated all of the advice that my father and mother gave me at one time or another.
There is a chance that a young person does exist somewhere who is wise enough to heed the warnings of one who has already made the mistakes and recovered from them. Facts are often heeded, advice seldom ever is! Remember, these are lessons from my life. Others may not agree with all the details but the principles ring true throughout the ages.
- You will not understand the importance of sexual purity until after you are married. Stay pure anyway! I promise it is worth it!
- Make, as one of your goals in life, a promise to never taste tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. If you are successful, you will be one of the most rare and envied people in the world!
- Please do not buy into the American myth that true happiness and inner peace is the result of more things! The accumulation of material wealth has absolutely nothing to do with real happiness! You may not understand this now, but you will one day.
- Do not choose your partner for life based solely on physical looks. Stomachs enlarge, hairlines decrease, scalps become visible where they once were hidden, waistlines go steadily upward until trousers are worn slightly below the armpits. If the physical is all there is to your marriage, it cannot work!
- Care about what others think about your reputation, your influence, and your choices in life. This is a great restraining device to keep you from making mistakes early in life for which you cannot make restitution later.
- Never allow yourself to become selfish! The happy life is one which is lived in service to others.
- Never be too serious to laugh at yourself.
- Never laugh loudly and tell inappropriate jokes at somber occasions.
- Remember: intelligent people can communicate without profanity and they can settle their conflicts without violence! (Always!)
- The majority is usually wrong in matters where it really counts.
- Real life is made up of more than ball playing, cheer-leading and baton twirling! Prepare for it while you have the chance!
- Never fail to give an absolute minimum of 10% of all household income to the Lord. As income increases, so should your contribution.
- People who wear an excessive amount of golden jewelry, who drive exceptionally expensive cars, and who try to display wealth at every opportunity, are usually shallow and insecure with who they really are, and they rarely like themselves much.
- The clothes do not make the man or the woman! The heart inside makes the individual!
- Never bore people with tales of your own greatness!
- Never speak unkindly of yourself; others will do that for you.
- Never ridicule or slander your mate in public, or speak unkindly of him/her to others. Talk to each other instead of about each other.
- Never put your parents above the Lord or your mate! Care for them if you can, but never to the detriment of your faith or your marriage.
- Obey the Gospel and always remain faithful! You will grow to appreciate your relationship with God more each day!
- Life is like trying to sink an inner tube. You push one side down and the other pops up. The winners are those who keep on pushing. The losers are those who relax and float down the creek to the river, and down the river to the ocean - never to be seen again!
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