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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Stan
Mitchell recalls hearing a story that made an
impression upon him when he was six-years-old: “Apparently
during the Depression a wealthy man on Manhattan
Island noticed that the decorative barometer on the
mantelpiece indicated that a storm was imminent.
Annoyed, the man picked it up and shook it, thinking
that the liquid was stuck and needed to go back to its
proper place. But the barometer still predicted a
storm. Angry now, he shook it more violently. The
barometer still pointed to "storm." This
incensed the great man, who was accustomed to having
his own way, so he smashed the barometer against the
wall. It fell to the floor in a hundred tiny
fragments. That
night a hurricane blew in across the Atlantic and
destroyed millions of dollars of property, and the
great entrepreneur was penniless. Rather than heed the
message, he had grown angry with the messenger.
Destroying the barometer, however, did nothing to halt
the storm.” Mitchell
also remembers well the moral of the story: "You
can smash the barometer, but you can't stop the
storm." * The
Bible, God’s Word, warns of approaching
“storms.” Among
these are events that we all will face (until the
coming of the Lord): death
and the
judgment to come.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once,
but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
On Judgment Day, Jesus will judge all people
according to the standard of His Word (John 12:48). We
show great wisdom when we heed the warnings and
prepare for the unexpected
“storms” before they come.
We also do well when we prepare for those
things that will inevitably
come, like death and the judgment. When
unprepared,
death and judgment are things to be feared.
However, when we prepare
ourselves, we do not have to be afraid... Jesus
has settled the matter of sin and judgment.
He paid the price for our sins on the cross
(Ephesians 1:7).
When we accept His salvation on His terms, then
His coming in judgment will not be something to be
feared, but welcomed.
“So Christ was offered once to bear the sins
of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will
appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation”
(Hebrews 9:28). To
prepare for death, the Judgment, and eternal life, we
must: believe
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins
(Acts 2:38). We
continue to prepare ourselves as we continue to walk
in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7), living
expectantly and obediently, anticipating the return of
Christ (2 Peter 3:10-14). You can try to smash the Barometer of God’s Word, but His truth will stand and the “storms” will come. Heed
His warnings and accept His salvation.
Prepare for the inevitable... “Prepare to meet your God!” (Amos 4:12). -- David A. Sargent, Minister Church
of Christ at Creekwood * “You Can Smash the Barometer, But You Can't Stop the Storm” by Stan Mitchell in Forthright Magazine, 3/6/08, see http://www.forthright.net/ To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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