"Pros & Cons"

Unless you've had your head in the sand for a very long time, you surely have noticed that this is a Presidential election year. It's just about all the media talks about. Ad nauseam. Candidates are making stump speeches telling us what they are "for" or "against." And what they are for or against helps define who they are as individuals and, of course, as candidates.

Casual conversations these days often include the uninvited question, "So, who are you for?" If you say, "I'm for candidate X," people will immediately make assumptions about you, assuming that you agree with that candidate's stand on the issues - or at least most of them. If you say you are against candidate Y, people feel entitled to make assumptions about you as well. They infer that you are "for" or "against" the positions of the candidate you seem to favor.

This "for or against" matter, though, is something much more significant than politics. In a much broader sense, who (or what) you are for and who (or what) you are against help define, in a very real sense, who you are. What's more, although it's easy to be "for" or "against" something, whether you are passive in your stand (keeping it to yourself) or whether you take an active public stand (so anyone nearby knows your stand) also helps define who you are - your character.

Have you ever considered that what God is for and what God is against helps define Who He is? God certainly is for certain things and against others. Throughout His word, God makes it clear that He hates sin. But He loves the sinner. Despite the presence of sin, in the familiar words of John 3:16, He loves sinners so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

This is something the world doesn't understand. As Paul said, the "message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing..." (1 Cor. 1:18.) To the world, God is a great celestial ogre who is against us on all counts. He's just waiting for the first opportunity to cut us down for the least infraction of His stern law, whatever that is. The sinner erroneously believes that if what he does is sinful, and God hates sin, then God hates him personally. It's a faulty jump of logic. The world just doesn't get it.

For example...

• God is against abortion. (Deut. 30:19.) But He loves even the abortionist and would love to forgive him if sincerely asked. And He would surely forgive the wayward mother, if asked. (Romans 3:25, 1 John 1:7.)
• God is against homosexuality. (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13.) But He loves such people and yearns to forgive them, if asked.
• God is clearly against adultery. (1 Cor. 6:9-10.) But He is eager to forgive even this, if asked. (John 8:2-11.)

"In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace..." (Ephesians 1:7).

The world is very aware of what God is "against." But they forget or ignore what God is "for." God is for us - all of humanity. God's love for us - all of humanity - has no bounds. God is the very definition of love (1 John 4:8). But to the world, God is a one-sided coin. There's only the "against" side. They ignore the "for" side. But you must consider both the "fors" and the "againsts" to get an accurate picture of God.

Christians should know this. And it can provide a great comfort during difficult times, including times of increasing persecution, whether subtle or overt. It's good to remember what Paul told his fellow Christians, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31.)

On any issue of faith or morality, God wants us to stand with Him. Joshua boldly proclaimed, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Christ Himself reminded us that "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Matt 6:24). Christ later made it even more personal: "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matt 12:30, Luke 11:23).

How does what you are for and what you are against line up with what God is for and what God is against? Are you for what He is for? Are you against what He is against? The more we strive to be like Christ, the more these "fors" and "againsts" will line up with His.

The problem is that far too many so-called Christians don't know what God is for and what He is against. How can they take a stand that would please God if they don't know what God's stand is? This is why so many Christians today are falling for strange doctrines (Heb. 13:13) that Scripture reminds us will become prevalent in the last days.

We must study God's word and be open to the leading of His Holy Spirit, even more than ever before.

U. S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, at the opening of the Senate's session of April 18, 1947, offered a prayer that's even more appropriate for all of us today: "Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."

This site is for  sharing the message of Jesus Christ and salvation in  Him along presented with Southern Gospel Music. Listen and be Blessed.

"Don't Worry"
(Author Unknown)

A pastor had been on a long flight from one place to another. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten your seat belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.

"Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

"Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time. Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, "Cause my daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home."

There are many kinds of storms that buffet us.

Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don't worry.

 By Bill Young III

 Christmas Memories

Another Christmas has come and gone, but oh the memories to look back on. The kids and their toys and all the gifts too, and heavens who can forget all the food. All the family In each ones "Rare" form, but the love that is shared can never be torn. It makes me think back to the days when I was little when I would wake to find presents and definitely wouldn't piddle. I would tear into them like a bat out of umm Heaven, my brother would try to steal them but I wouldn't let em. Then on to get dressed there was much more to do, for I knew that my grandparents had gifts for me too. And then the food, ahhh the food. There was enough to feed an army and then some too. We would eat and eat till we couldn't breath anymore, but wait a minute we have to eat again at 4. Off to the next set of grandparents we'd go, with our bellies all full and our hearts all aglow. And there to find another big feast, enough to fill the biggest of beast. We would eat AGAIN and try to save space for some pecan pie or a small piece of cake. Then stuffed to the max my stomach needs healing, I see the presents that are stacked to the ceiling. I always looked forward to coming here cause I'd get enough clothes to last me a year. Then on to our house with a truck load of gifts, way way more than I want to lift. Its time to go to bed and dream about today, and hope that those times never go away. But now we're grown and moved away from home, and all of us have a family of our own. Some of our grandparents have gone to be with the Lord and there we know they will never get bored. The memories we have will never go away, and each year comes new memories we make. Of our moms and dads and grandparents too, may our memories be glad and never be blue.

Bill Young III