by Phil Sanders

“Reach!” The word means to stretch. It implies an inconvenience. It involves movement. You can’t lean back, relax, get comfortable and then reach. To reach means you must give up some of that comfort—at least for the moment.

Reaching involves a little extra effort to get to something you want. How much extra energy you are willing to spend depends on how badly you want what you’re reaching for. The more it means to you, the farther you are willing to stretch. You might even stretch until it hurts.

It’s not convenient to “reach” up to God to find the hand He so lovingly extends to us. It can be inconvenient to reach out to other people who so desperately need to know someone cares. It’s not even easy to reach within ourselves to find our true feelings and values.

There is, however, no more important way for us to spend our energy than to reach for a life that is pure, clean, and faithful to God. It may seem like a lot of trouble, but it’s worth it!

When we cease reaching, we stop growing. Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).

This was the Paul who had become an apostle, was inspired by the Holy Spirit, had borne persecution and scars for Jesus, and who did not know whether he would die for Christ or not (Phil. 1:21-24).

Are you still growing? For what are you reaching and stretching? Do you press on? Have you learned all you wished to know? Have you prayed every prayer you should pray? Have you touched every neighbor? Have you taught every class you’ll ever teach?

There is yet so very much to accomplish for the Lord that none of us can afford to sit back and let the world go by. The lost are crying for you to reach out to them. The missionaries are crying for help. There is still so much truth to teach, so many souls to save, and so much kindness to give. Let us not live such easy lives that we forget to reach up and out.

by Phil Sanders

“Have you found honey? Eat only what you need,     That you not have it in excess and vomit it” (Prov. 25:16).

The children of Israel in the wilderness complained about the manna and wanted some of the foods they had in their slavery in Egypt (Numbers 31). The Lord gave them quail for a whole month, so much that they had it running out their nostrils. It became loathsome to them. Too much

Centuries later the people demanded a king from the Lord. They wanted to be like all the nations surrounding them. Samuel warned them of the heavy price they would pay to have a king (1 Samuel 8). Their sons and daughters would be taken for various services. Their money and crops would go to support the king. It didn’t matter, they wanted a king. Too much.

Writing about a heresy in his day, John said, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). The error of these false teachers was that they taught more than they needed to teach. They did not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Separating fleshly Jesus from a spiritually pure Christ, they thought to go beyond the teaching about Christ to a new level of knowledge. Going beyond God’s teaching cost them a relationship with God. Too much.

In an entertainment-driven society, some are clamoring for more than God offers. Not satisfied with the manna of singing a cappella, they want to be like all the religious groups around them and go beyond the teaching of Scripture. To justify their desires they substitute the word “praise” for “worship” and call their praise a “concert.” Since they have their praise concerts on days other than Sunday, they figure it must be all right. They want too much and will not be denied.

Too much is still too much. Going beyond is still going beyond. “Transgression” (parabasis) is “going beyond the prescribed limits” to do what you want, as you want, and when you want (Heb. 2:2). Transgression is disobedience. It is not listening to God to see what He desires; it is going too far to fulfill our own desires.

Too much.

by Phil Sanders

John McCain tells the story of Bear Bryant, former football coach at the University of Alabama. Bryant was a good man and a great coach. Before the start of every game, the Bear would walk his quarterback along the sidelines in silence for all but a moment of the ritual, the moment when he would turn to the young athlete and give him just two words of advice: “Be Brave.”

You could imagine why courage would be so necessary at such a time. The quarterback is bent behind the center ready to take the snap. He is looking into the faces of several men, larger, stronger, and probably tougher than himself. They are grunting oaths to do him bodily harm. When the quarterback touches the ball, they are going to have one thing on their minds, slamming him to the hard ground. They won’t mind hurting him. “Be brave.”

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Pet. 5:8-9).

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).

Each of us must decide for himself who he is, what he believes, and what he will stand for. In a day where there are multiple voices all pleading to be heard, multiple religions all claiming validity, and multiple doctrines offered up, we must decide whether we will go with the crowd or stand strong with Jesus Christ.

Lucius Seneca (ca. 4 BC—65 AD) said, “’Tis nothing for a man to hold up his head in a calm; but to maintain his post when all others have quitted their ground and there to stand upright when other men are beaten down is divine.”

Let us determine to be brave when it is time to speak for truth. Let us hold up Jesus Christ for all to see. Let us not compromise to “get along” with sin or to please the crowd. Let us hold fast our faith.

by Phil Sanders

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." -- Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office commissioner, 1899.

"I cannot imagine any condition which could cause this ship to flounder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to the vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." -- E. J. Smith, captain of the Titanic, 1912.

"The atomic bomb will not go off. And I speak as an expert in explosives." -- Admiral W. Leahy to President Truman, 1945.

"I think there is a market for about five computers." -- Thomas J. Watson Jr., IBM, 1958.

Strong convictions do not ensure that what one believes is really true. Being an expert on some subject does not ensure that one is right. Just because one cannot imagine a thing happening doesn't mean it cannot happen. Just as one can be fooled about technology, so one can be fooled religiously. Many people will be very surprised at judgment.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Some apparently will be surprised that their miraculous gifts and service will not substitute for repentance. You can't treat the laws of God as if they did not matter and still go to heaven. Sacrifice did not replace obedience for King Saul (1 Samuel 15:22,23), and doing things one's own way is still rebellion.

The humanly-designed worship of instrumental music will not replace the obedience of merely singing, even if some so-called experts disagree. Calling the sprinkling of infants baptism, even with the greatest of conviction, does not change God's law. It is better to listen than to be surprised.

by Phil Sanders

The lady wept, "I don't like pain. I don't like seeing others hurt. I just wish it could all go away." No one could listen to such heartache and not feel deep compassion for this hurting woman. While no suffering is pleasant, suffering does have some value in our lives. God did not permit our suffering to be cruel or hateful toward us. The suffering of this world has some benefit. While it is not pleasant at the time, its lasting effects can bring valuable results.

1. It can help a person to know himself and what his character is. James saw the value of trials in helping to bring about patience and maturity in the Christian (James 1:2-4).

2. It can help one develop perseverance, the ability to stay with faith in spite of the trials. Tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance brings about proven character; proven character brings about hope; and hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:3-5).

3. It can help us be equipped to help others who suffer the same problems (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). No one knows better how to walk a mile than the person who has walked. One who has suffered and found comfort in God is uniquely able to help others who may suffer the same hurt.

4. Suffering teaches us compassion for others and the value of kindness in word and thought. Simple gestures of love and care can mean so much. We can't avoid hurt or take away the hurts of others, but we can express love and show kindness, just as others have done for us.

5. Suffering can help us understand what really matters. The psalmist was becoming bitter at all the injustice in this world until he went into the sanctuary and remembered God (Psalm 73).

6. Knowing what is valuable also helps us to be thankful for what we have (Job 1:20-22). It is easy to take for granted all the good things God has given us and to forget how gracious He has been.

7. Suffering reminds us to remember God. We can easily forget who God is and what He has done. Suffering gets us back on track (Psalm 119:67,71). Yes, Romans 8:28 is still true.