A Tale of Two Brothers

There were two sons in the Taylor family in England. The older one set out to make a name for the family and turned his attention toward Parliament and prestige. But Hudson Taylor, the younger, chose to give his life to Christ; so he turned his face toward China and obscurity.

Hudson Taylor is known and honored on every continent as a faithful missionary and as the founder of the China Inland Mission. But when you look in the encyclopedia to see what the other son has done, you find these words, “The brother of Hudson Taylor.” 

Men may have their names inscribed on marble monuments for feats of fame; someday these monuments will fall in fragments. 

"And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." (1 John 2:17, NLT

A Walking Sermon

In 1953 reporters gathered at a Chicago railway station waiting to meet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

He was a big man, well over six feet tall, with bushy hair and a large mustache.

Reporters were excited to see him and expressed what an honour it was to meet him. Cameras were flashing, compliments were being expressed when, looking beyond the adulation, the visitor saw an elderly black woman struggling to carry her two large suitcases.

"Excuse me," he said as he went to the aid of this woman. Picking up her cases, he escorted her to a bus and then apologized to the reporters for keeping them waiting.

The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary-doctor who had invested his life helping poor and sick people in Africa.

A member of the reception committee remarked to one of the reporters, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking." The measure of any man or woman is not their name, not their fame, not what they say, but what they do.

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6, NLT)

The Problem With the World

According to an article in The Community Visitor, Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street in Springfield holding the hands of his two sons, both of whom were crying lustily.

"What's the matter with the boys, Abe?" asked a neighbor. Lincoln replied, "The matter with them is the matter with the world. One has a nut, and the other one wants it."

 Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15, NIV).

The Danger of Looking Back

British athlete, Roger Bannister, was the first person to run the mile in less than four minutes. This he did in May 1954. The very next month, John Landy of Australia topped this record by 1.4 seconds.

On the 7th of August of that same year, at Vancouver, British Columbia, the two athletes met for a historic race. There was tremendous excitement and interest in the brace. For weeks before the newspapers had been giving it a big build up, describing it as "the race of the century." The big day arrived. Nobody paid any attention to the other runners. The question was simply, who would win, Bannister or Landy?

As they moved into the last lap, the other contestants were lagging far behind. Landy was ahead. It looked as though he would win. As Landy neared the finishing line, he was haunted by the question: "Where is Bannister? Finally, he could stand the strain no longer. He looked over his shoulder. As he did so, his step faltered. Bannister surged past him to break the tape. Interviewed by a Time magazine reporter after the race Landy said. "I would have won that race, if only I hadn't looked back."

What a tragedy when people who are doing well and running the race of life with success suddenly stumble and falter.  Maybe they have taken their eyes off the finishing line.  Maybe they looked back longingly at the things they have given up.  As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?” Galatians 5.7. How sad when a committed follower of Jesus loses their way and is not able to finish the race victorious.
 
“Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62, NLT)

Speaking the Truth

A man bought a parrot at an auction after some heavy bidding. "I hope this bird talks," he told the auctioneer.

"Talk," the auctioneer replied. "Who do you think has been bidding against you for the past ten minutes?"

Once upon a time a man's word was his bond. Not any more. For many people today their word doesn't mean a thing. We're pretty adept at parroting what we think people want to hear.

Fortunately, however, we can be sure of one thing, God always keeps his Word and always keeps his promises.  As followers and imitators of  Christ we need to do the same! People need to know that we are not all just talk and that we mean what we say and say what we mean. 

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19, NLT)