Some days afterward the mate was keeping the log. After he had given their logistics, etc., he made this entry: “Captain sober today.” The angry captain protested when he read the record, declaring that it would leave an altogether false impression in the mind of the owner. But the mate answered as the captain had answered him, “This is the fact, and into the log it goes.”

How often do we not give the whole picture or tell the whole truth?! The challenge for Christ-followers is to do just that – tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But, of course that’s not always a popular thing to do, is it?! The famous singer/ songwriter Bob Dylan in his song, “Pressing On” says, Many try to stop me, shake me up in my mind. Say “Prove to me that He is Lord, show me a sign.” All people in their heart of hearts want to know about eternity – just give me a sign. Read the Bible – God has already placed eternity in our hearts. But unfortunately, few people pursue that final truth for their lives!!

I recently heard a poignant story about a professional singer, Ruthanna Metzgar, who was asked to sing for the wedding of a millionaire. She knew the wedding would be picture-perfect and was excited to be able to participate. The reception was held on the top two floors of Seattle’s Columbia Tower, the areas tallest skyscraper and when she arrived, it was even more wonderful than she had imagined.

Following the wedding ceremony, the bride & groom approached a beautiful glass & brass staircase that led to the top floor. A satin ribbon, which was draped across the bottom of the stairs, was cut and the announcement made that the wedding feast was about to begin. The bride & groom ascended the stairs and the guests followed.

A gentleman with a lovely bound book greeted Ruthanna and her husband as they reached the top of the stairs. “May I have your name please?” “I am Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband, Roy,” she replied. The gentleman searched and searched. “I’m not finding it. Would you spell it please?” Ruthanna spelled it slowly. But after searching throughout the book, he looked up and said “I’m sorry, but your name is not here. Without your name in this book you cannot attend this banquet.”

“Oh no, there must be some mistake,” she replied. “I’m the singer. I sang for this wedding!” The gentleman calmly answered, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did. Without your name in the book you cannot attend this banquet.” The gentleman with the book motioned to a waiter and said, “Show these people to the service elevator please.” They followed the waiter past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, even gracefully carved ice sculptures.

Adjacent to the banquet area was an orchestra, the members all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos preparing to fill the room with glorious music.

They were led to the service elevator, stepped in, and the waiter himself pushed “G” for garage. As Ruthanna’s husband drove them home, he gently put his hand on her arm, “Sweetheart, what happened?” Then she remembered. When the invitation arrived for the reception, she was very busy and never bothered to return the RSVP. After all – she was the singer, surely she could go to the reception without returning the RSVP!

The truth is – one day we will all stand before our Creator and if our name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we won’t be spending eternity with Him. You could be the most wonderful, giving, incredible person ever – but without Jesus Christ as your Savior, you cannot gain entrance. As A.W. Tozer rightly noted: “Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.”

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Press “G” For Oops appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

At lunch one day, he was serving the faculty members. He took their orders and returned with a tray full of food when the unthinkable happened. He took a misstep and watched helplessly as the plates slid off the tray and spilled onto an especially well-dressed professor. Ouch! Paul tried to wipe off the food but only made it worse. He volunteered to have the suit dry-cleaned but this fabric couldn’t be cleaned that way. “Whatever it takes I will do sir.”

Later that day, Paul sat before the same professor in an engineering class that he now taught in a food-stained suit. Afterwards he approached Paul. “Mr. Leonard, I believe it’s only fair that you buy me a new suit.” Paul gulped but agreed to meet him downtown at the men’s store – a pricy one that only sold expensive tailor-made suits. Of course, to pay for such a suit would take months of payments.

But Paul met the professor there and after choosing a fabric and getting fitted for the new suit, the professor turned to the tailor: “Mr. Leonard will be responsible for the bill.” As the professor started to exit the store he turned to Paul, “Are you sure you want to do this? “Yes sir…It will take time of course, but I…” The professor interrupted him with words directed at the tailor. “See that Mr. Leonard is fitted for a suit just like mine. And put them both on MY BILL.”

Going the extra mile. Both these men were willing to take that road. But these days going the extra mile is everywhere. Buy a certain gasoline and your car will go the extra mile. Bosses tell employees to go the extra mile for customers. There’s even a vitamin that will help your body go the extra mile.

Walking the extra mile in the Bible refers to going beyond what is required or expected. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches that if someone forces you to go one mile, you should go with them two. When Jesus said these words, Palestine had been occupied by Rome for about 100 years. The Romans had learned to conquer lands and then use the people for their own good.

If a soldier were on a journey, he could compel a Jewish man to carry his burden for one mile. This was humiliating to the Jew and the Romans loved it. Every Jewish boy would have a marker set one mile from his home. They would refuse to go any further than that. But Jesus was trying to get them to be the example. Do more than is expected of you. It’s not like they needed more exercise – Jesus was trying to tell them to go the extra mile for even for your enemy! Hard to do. As someone once remarked: Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.

Jesus went the extra mile when He (The Word) agreed to become flesh and dwell among us and live that sinless life so that all who believe on Him as their perfect substitute can be saved from eternal separation from their Creator! His mission was clear – He was about the business of dying. He truly went the extra mile for us!

Johnnie Cochran – the well-known lawyer for O.J. Simpson – once answered the question, “Which historical figure would you wish to have had for a client?” answered: “Jesus is the person I would like to have defended. I would have relished the opportunity to defend someone who was completely innocent of all charges and a victim of religious persecution. However, because of His mission here, He would have undoubtedly declined.”

Yes – of course He would have declined. Jesus had already committed to that extra mile. But His extra mile was not for more gas mileage, more energy or vitality, or product based. It was solely and purely a labor of love towards us!! Selah!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Heme, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCItychurch.org

The post The Extra Long Mile appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Perhaps even resurrect Charlton Heston to star as our main man! Just a thought ~ Anyway – they found themselves in quite a predicament with Pharaoh’s army to their

rear, mountains on each side, and the Red Sea in front. What to do? Well – they did a very expected thing – they stopped to pray. Great idea, right? Wrong! Who’d have thought?! Here’s how that God conversation went: “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Quit praying and get the people moving! Forward, march!” As Ecclesiastes tells us – there is a time for everything and apparently this was not the time to stop and pray.

It’s interesting that the Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures — the emu, a flightless bird – and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a common feature that appealed to the Australians – both the emu & kangaroo can only move forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to move backward, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving back by its large tail.

At one point, the newly released Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt, ready to again become slaves to Pharaoh. I’m sure most had this thought foremost in their minds as they gazed at the Red Sea. But God had not gone to all the trouble of bringing them out of Egypt only to watch an ‘about-face!’ God had big plans for these people – just read the Old Testament.

In the same way, God didn’t save us so we can turn back into the darkness of slavery. As the word tells us – we were once slaves to sin until we accepted Christ as Savor and became born again. And now we have purpose with 2025 being the perfect time to kick it into high gear! This is not the time to coast to the finish line!!

The late Myles Munroe once said: “The value of life is not in its duration, but in its donation. You are not important because of how long you live, you are important because of how effective you live.” We only have one life to live here on earth – the Bible actually calls us a “vapor” in comparison to eternity.

Part of the hitch in our giddy-up is that we’ve become part-time Christ-followers! We have McDonald’s Monday, taco Tuesday, workout Wednesday, tee-ball Thursday, fishing Friday, and yard-sale Saturday…no wonder we’re sleeping in come Sunday morning! We seem to be moving at warp speed in every direction except upward toward things that really count!

There’s a story told about the 19th century agnostic Thomas Huxley. He was in Dublin, Ireland, rushing to catch a train. He climbed into one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver, “Hurry I’m running late…drive fast.” The driver did exactly what he was told. Off they went at a furious pace. Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes, assuming that at this quick pace they would surely get to the train station in plenty of time.

But after a few minutes had passed, Huxley sensed something was very wrong. He

opened his eyes, looked out the window and realized they were going in the opposite direction of the train station. Then he began to wonder, “Did I tell the driver where I wanted to go?” So, thinking that maybe he hadn’t given the driver directions, Huxley called out to him, “Do you know where you’re going?” To which the driver replied, “No, your honor. I don’t. But I’m driving very fast!”

How many of us are moving ‘’very fast’ to _______? To where? Are our lives being invested in any godly ventures? As someone once remarked, “If you don’t change direction, you may end up where you’re headed.” And that would be…?

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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