Just got back from a mini-vacation and it was a great time of rest, relaxation and reflection. We scrambled to get things packed and I had carefully planned to catch up on some reading. I selected several books to bring along; Bible, The Reason for God, The Cross of Christ, The Deliberate Church among others. Those that know me know that as a relatively new Christian, I have this drive to learn as much as possible about this new faith, this new relationship through Christ that I have been graced with. As such, I was really looking forward to this time away.
We begin our journey to a very remote island on the west coast of Florida only accessible by ferry. A little more than half way there I realize that I had failed to pack my book bag (and my laptop). My very considerate wife offered to turn back and the thought really crossed my mind as I was beginning to panic a little. What was I going to do for four days with nothing to read? We are traveling on back roads, but decided to continue on. I was hoping to find a shopping Mecca to buy something to read.
As we get closer to our destination, no shopping was in sight when on the horizon I spot a bright shiny CVS. I just knew that they would have something to read. We storm the store and head directly for the book and magazine rack. No surprise, but there was plenty of typical beach reading, but nothing that struck my theological needs. I start digging through the volumes of fishing magazines and find tucked away a book on clearance. It was called; Living in God’s Love and was Billy Graham’s last three sermons during his New York crusade of 2005. It is a wonderful little book and I left with at least some relief.
I read the book in about 2 hours. It contains some really good thoughts – if you look deep. I kept getting the message that as human as we are, we all strive for things and these things become our obsession; yet when we obtain these things we are still left feeling empty. Tim Keller says that we must continually battle not to let worldly things become our ultimate things. These worldly things can quickly become our ultimate desire, the thing we worship most and that is so dangerous. This is much like my life; at least until very recently and I still struggle with this. I was always after the next big thing; job, raise, car, house…the list goes on.
Reading the book so quickly left me plenty of time for reflection, prayer, thought…just getting in touch with the one thing that should be our ultimate; my very relationship with God through Christ. Sometimes I get so focused on learning and reading that I forget about the relational aspect that is so vital.
Reverend Graham’s last sermon of the crusade was on Sunday June 26, 2005 and was focused on Matthew 24:36-39
36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In his sermon, he asks; "are you ready?" We will not know the day or the hour, but what does it matter. What matters is; are we ready? What is your ultimate? Here is hoping and praying that by God's grace; we get ready!
Grace and Peace
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