by J. Randal Matheny

Would you answer this ad?

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success."

Five thousand brave candidates stepped forward. Out of those Shackleton chose his crew.

Jesus Christ published his call two millenia ago.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27, NIV).

But with honor and glory for the successful.

Would you answer this call?

by J. Randal Matheny

Yeah, I know it's been a while. The new year started fast and furious for me, and I imagine for you, too. God in heaven must love a laugh, because he puts so many wonderful things for us to do in this world, that we can't even count them, much less do them. Pick and choose, and go at it!

I thought today as I wanted to get another UPLift word to you, what is the most encouraging thing I could say to you today?

The answer was not long in coming.

My challenge: how can I say it so it doesn't sound sappy? so it doesn't come across trite? so it doesn't fall on ears that have heard it all before?

I may not succeed at saying it, but I'm going to exert all my energies toward it. Here goes.

Back in 1970, Otis Gatewood, missionary to Iron Curtain countries, published the book, "There is a God in Heaven." To people under a godless communism, Otis set out to demonstrate the existence of God. First, though, he spent 111 pages on the nature of God.

Here's his explanation on the first page:

"... we shall not begin by giving evidence for God's existence, for that is a defensive approach. Such is the usual practice, but how can evidence be given for a God we do not comprehend? Evidence is essential, but it comes at the end, not at the beginning, and bears the nature of confirmation and not discovery. So, evidence in this book will be presented after the nature of God is understood."

In this plain text is the key, the very best word, the most encouraging word, I can share with you today.

There is a God in Heaven. This God can be known, his nature understood, even though his person and work is so far above and beyond our ability to grasp. His nature is wonderful. He is good, he is great, he is loving, he is forgiving, he is holy, he is just. He desires my companionship -- what in the world for, I can't imagine -- but he does, he created me for that, and he has fixed my botched-up life through the most extraordinary swap history ever recorded.

Every day, I need something to get me started, to hype me up, to excite me, to roll me out of bed. I like motivational quotes, self-help books, tear-jerking stories. But all these are ephemeral, their effects, temporal and brief.

Nothing can jerk up my head, lend sparkle to my eyes, and put bounce in my step, like the word I just mentioned, There is a God in Heaven.

As an addendum, I must say, REACT TO THAT! (Yes, I'm shouting.) This is no fiction, no epic movie whose effects slowly wear off after days, no humanly devised story to describe some man's view of our state.

This is the real thing. And it's better than anyone could ever make up. You will never tire of this truth, nor will it ever wear off, run down, or give out.

There is a God in Heaven, and he has sought you out.

Be encouraged today, then, and answer the call.

This good quote from Francis of Assisi:

"When there is fear of God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter."

What is guarding your house?

The world is full of them. Like this one:

"True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess." --Louis Nizer (1902-1994) American Lawyer

Yeah, you've got to "walk the talk" (I hate that phrase!), but you've got to know what the talk is.

"Maybe Ethics is a science that has disappeared from the whole world. It does not matter, we will have to invent it again." --Jorge Luis Borger

Rather, we ought to go back to the source of right behavior and recuperate the vision of loving one's neighbor as oneself. This lost knowledge is to be found in once place, and only one: Holy Scriptures.