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THE GAME

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THE GAME
By Ken Blue

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.” Romans :2.

I was viewing life as a game;
Opponents, against me, all.
To win, I had to be skillful;
Be wise or I’d take the fall.

Each person was viewed a challenge;
Each one, a potential threat.
Always, on my vigilant guard;
The advantage I must get.

Everyone was out to defeat me;
Cleverly I planned with speed.
Words spoken had selfish motives;
Each act; a crafty deed.

Then I realized life’s no game;
I’m led by a loving hand.
It’s not our winning or losing;
It’s a providential plan.

All things, together are working.
Together, they work for good.
His love for us never changes.
His plan is now understood.

DR. JACK KEVORKIAN; A FOOL?

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THE ARROGANCE OF DR. KEVORKIAN

KEVORKIANBy Ken Blue

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalms 14:1.
“Dr. Kevorkian first drew national attention in 1990 when he hooked up a 54-year-old Alzheimer’s patient to his homemade suicide machine and watched as she pushed a button to release lethal drugs. By the time he was jailed nine years later, he claimed to have helped more than 130 terminally ill or chronically ill patients take their own lives.”

In a interview of Fox News, (Sep. 2, 2009), Dr. Kevorkian made it clear that he does not believe in God, and then he attempted to show how ridiculous it is to believe that the body is sacred or that there will be a resurrection. His question to the Fox interviewer was, “If the heart of a baboon was transplanted into the heart of a child, is the baboon heart now sacred, or if a kidney is removed and discarded to the garbage, is the kidney sacred?” His question may sway many school children and corrupt the minds of men like himself, but his argument only shows his ignorance and arrogance about the subject.

Paul makes is very clear that the body which is put in the ground is not the body that will be raised as it was buried. That is, a brand new body, of similar fashion, will come from the corrupt, deformed, and decomposing body. It matters not the condition or location of that body at burial. If the body is cremated, buried at sea, or put in a grave, it will have no effect on God’s ability to give you a new body in the resurrection.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Kevorkian made it clear that he does not believe in God.[/pullquote]

About four miles from my home is a large field of corn. The location is well known to locals and is called “Bob’s Corn.” Each spring the soil is plowed and prepared for planting. The seed planter is filled with kernels of corn and attached to a large tractor. As the tractor and planter move along, kernels are dropped into the ground at even intervals. In just a few days you can see the new stalks emerge from the ground. In a few more weeks, two to four ears of corn develop on each stock with approximately six hundred kernels per ear.

Now, you know that none of the kernels on the stalk is the kernel you placed in the ground. It has decayed and will disappear, but from that kernel came evidence of what was planted. Paul uses this same illustration to explain the resurrection and the new body. “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:” 1 Corinthians 15:37. The word, “chance” here means, “for example”. That is, you know from the new harvest the nature of the seed that was planted. So will it be in the resurrection. The only reason Jesus retained His scars was to validate His resurrection. You will not have them.

We must also keep in mind that the new body will be new, young, and alive! Babies and the aged will not be infants or old in the resurrection. Infirmity or deformity will not be part of the new body. Therefore, it matters not if you have a baboon tail or a chicken gizzard. Just make sure you don’t have a Kevorkian heart.

THE BUCK STOPS HERE!

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THE BUCK STOPS HERE!

buckstopsherefrontsmallBy Ken Blue
“The sign “The Buck Stops Here” that was on President Truman’s desk in his White House office was made in the Federal Reformatory at El Reno, Oklahoma. Fred M. Canfil, then United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri and a friend of Mr. Truman, saw a similar sign while visiting the Reformatory and asked the Warden if a sign like it could be made for President Truman. The sign was made and mailed to the President on October 2, 1945.”

The history of the statement is very interesting. Today, it simply means you must stop putting the blame on others, and take responsibility for that which has been passed on to you. That means, if you are the pastor, the buck stops with you.

Many pastors and Christians are living under a “doomsday” cloud. The attitude is that things are worse than they have ever been, sinners are not being saved, and that Christians have no interest in living for God. Well, we know many churches where the opposite is true. Professions of faith take place every Sunday, new believers are baptized and join the church, and many are involved in serving the Lord.

We would be in denial if we failed to see the evil in the world, but there is also something wrong if we can’t see the working of God in many good churches. We cannot blame society and worldly Christians for all our failures. The buck must stop where it belongs. Good and evil have always run on parallel tracks, and they always have, and always will until the end. That means the two are always present.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]We cannot blame society and worldly Christians for all our failures.[/pullquote]

If people will not listen to you where you are, move to a more fertile field. If you can’t get your people to follow you, improve your leadership or move to another church, if necessary. If you have troublemakers in your church, stop fighting with them. Get them out or win enough young families so you have a majority. Then lead the church on to victory. The buck stops with you.

It is not a sign of failure to relocate. I know pastors who were not able to grow a church in their chosen location; they moved to the other end of town or to another city or state and did a great job.

You must shake off this attitude of negative doom and win families to Christ. It can be done; it is being done, and if you don’t think so, contact me and I will hook you up with churches that are. Don’t blame others for your problems. You are the leader, and the buck stops with you.

LET GOD USE YOUR INFIRMITY

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GOD CAN USE YOUR INFIRMITY

InfirmityBy Ken Blue

“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;” Philippians 1:12

Last week I received a phone call from a lady whose fiancé has ALS. Her doctor is a member of Open Door, and she suggested I be contacted because I too am afflicted with this terminal neurological disease. We set a time for a meeting at the church.

When I first met Charles, it was obvious that he was very ill and troubled. I spent some time getting acquainted and sharing my story and history of ALS. I explained how I became a Christian and why I have perfect peace concerning my death and meeting the Lord Jesus Christ. I assured him that I am not looking forward to the process, but I am sure of heaven after I die.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]God wants to use your infirmities to help win others to Christ.[/pullquote]

After presenting the simple gospel story, I ask if he too would like to accept Jesus as his Savior. Again, I made it clear that this would not change the nature of his disease, but would change his destination at death. I also reassured him that it is acceptable to trust Christ, even when one is dying. It does not mean he is praying a “foxhole prayer.” I told him of the thief on the cross and that he was saved that very hour.

Charles agreed that he wanted to accept Jesus as his savior and in faith bowed his head and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. I showed him a couple of assurance verses and we rejoiced together.

Two things I would like to ask you to do. One, please pray for him and his family as Charles nears the time of his departure to be with the Lord. Next, don’t complain about your misfortunes; God wants to use them to help and win others if you will be available. Believe me, I am not glad I have ALS; but if this one soul will be in heaven because of it, then I thank God that He could use it to win others to Him.

WHEN TO STAND AND WHEN TO YIELD

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KNOWING WHEN TO YIELD

yield signBy Ken Blue

“Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.” Acts 16:3.

When one reads all that Paul had to say about circumcision, the above verse should shock him back into reality and give him a backbone that has the ability to bend. If we compare this verse with those in Romans and Galatians, we are hard pressed to reconcile them, but it can be done.

Dogmatism causes one to be unclear about what is important and what is most important. It was important to Paul that circumcision not be added to the gospel for salvation. But if circumcision would open the door so he could give the plan of salvation, he would do it.

The question is: what will your religion allow you to do? What traditions, standards, and assumptions would you disregard in order to open the door of salvation to others? Paul knew when to stand and when to yield. Do you?