“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 3:14   “He died climbing” is inscribed on a monument erected to an Alpine guide, who perished when attempting to reach the top of a mountain. In that tribute we see a reminder of what our attitude should be. We should be looking upward, pressing onward, and climbing higher. We should always press on in the pathway of duty.   “He died climbing” could be said of numerous Christians who refused to quit, who pressed on in the face of great difficulties and danger. Rather than give up many became martyrs for Christ sake. We read their stories and marvel, but we ought to do more than that—we need to follow their example.   Let us not be one of those who became content and stopped pressing on, as though we had gone as far as we needed to go. Neither let us be in the camp of those who became fearful and ceased to go on because of the danger. Our life is in God’s hands whether we be sitting on the plain or inching our way up the steep mountain side, hanging on by our finger tips. If our cause is nobel and our motive pure we have nothing to fear. All is well.   Fear belongs to those who quit climbing. Indeed, the way may be rough and tough, even painful, but we are never at liberty to stop. Press on dear pilgrim! The prize will be worth the pain. One day you will stand on the summit and look back on your journey and realize that had you stopped you would have missed the best. Keep climbing until that day when it can be said of you,”He died climbing.” It will be worth it all!   “I’m pressing on the upward way”

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Corinthians 15:55

A young boy was seen cutting across a cemetery lot just around dark and was later asked by an observer, “Aren’t you scared?” “No,” said the boy. “I only cut through here to get home.”

The boy didn’t see any reason to fear the cemetery; the only thing he focused on was how quickly he was going to get home.

In the same way, we have no reason to fear death; it is merely a shortcut to our heavenly home. The Bible tells us that the instant we are absent from this life and this body, we are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). In other words, we are literally carried from this life to the next in the arms of the One who created us . . . we are never alone, even for a moment. What a comforting thought!

Friends, if we have accepted the Lord as our personal Savior, we have an eternity yet to live with Him! We should rejoice in that fact and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ until we so long for heaven that, like the little boy, we see no reason to fear the shortcut home. (From Turning Point)

Death for you as a child of God is to fall asleep in His arms and awake in the other world, alive forever beyond the power of pain, safe forever from all sickness and suffering.
Winkie Pratney

“—-they are without excuse.”–Romans 1:20 (read vs.18-24)   Do you remember the song that says “Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day.”? We sure do! Several years ago a famous actor filed for bankruptcy. After making millions he was flat broke. He blamed it on “fast women and slow horses.” Another “entertainer” became famous for saying,”The devil made me do it.”   The excuses go on and on. This isn’t anything new. Man has been making excuses since the first man. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. And so the story goes. We just keep blaming others and ,sadly, most people don’t see the need to stop. Making excuses seems to be in our system.   Excuses are foolish–we are each responsible for our actions. Excuses get easier and easier–we end up deceiving ourself. Excuses are dangerous–they keep us from dealing with the real problem. Even God can’t help the person who keeps making excuses. Until we see ourself as God sees us we don’t stand a chance of getting things right. We simply have to get honest about our condition and stop making excuses.   Man’s ultimate folly is that, although he knows there is a God, he refuses to recognize Him as such. The creature denies his Creator. That explains why the world is in its present sinful condition. Instead of embracing the truth he suppresses it and makes excuses. But God says,”they are without excuse.”   Maybe it’s time you got honest about your life and stopped making excuses. Things won’t get any better until you do.   “An excuse is the skin of reason stuffed with a lie”

“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.——It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”–Psalm 119:67, 71   Some have learned that something bad can produce something good. We don’t usually see it at the time, but later it becomes apparent.   A little girl was walking in a garden when she saw a beautiful flower. She picked it because she felt it was too pretty to be in the dirt. She then took it home and washed it off, but it quickly wilted and died. When the gardener saw what she had done, he said,”You have destroyed my finest plant!” The tearful little girl said,” I’m sorry, but I didn’t like it in all that dirt.” The gardener replied, “I chose that spot and mixed the soil because I knew that only there could it grow to be a beautiful flower.”   So it is in the garden of life. God knows exactly what we need, although we do not understand. While we would rather avoid pain and suffering it is sometimes the only thing that draws us to God or helps us become more like God. Yes it hurts, and no we don’t understand, but it is true. Someday, when we mature or when we graduate to glory, we will see the benefit. Until then we must trust the One who cannot lie.   “It would be better if we could learn without suffering”, you say.Yes and it would be better if we lived in a world that had not been tainted by sin, but we don’t. This is where we are and sometimes this is what it takes to get us where we need to be. Someday you will see that it is true. What you are going through might be painful, unfair, overwhelming and confusing, but the day will come when will look back and see that God created some good out of your experience. Ask God to give you the grace to accept your trial and the strength to keep going. He will do it.

“—I hated life—” –Ecclesiastes 2:17 You might expect to hear those words from someone who is down and out, someone who has been neglected, abused, or tortured. But these words came from the lips of a man who seemingly had it all. No one was richer, wiser, or more powerful than Solomon. From a worldly point of view, he was a success in every sense of the word. But he was miserable.   Now, if that could happen to him, it can happen to the person who has suffered some horrible injustice. That someone might even be you. Lots of people wish the world was different. Why not? That would be nice. But it isn’t. Planet earth is a difficult place to live and it is easy to get discouraged. It might surprise you, but God isn’t all that pleased with the conditions on earth.”God is angry with the wicked every day.”(Psalm 7:11). Why not? You can’t even begin to understand how God has suffered because of the sinfulness of the world. Yet He did not give up on it. You better be glad He didn’t!   As bad as the world is God loves it to such an extent that He gave His only begotten Son for it. There’s nothing selfish about God. There shouldn’t be anything selfish about us either. God doesn’t want us to get bitter and give up on life. He has great things in store for those who don’t.   We live in the midst of people who will die and spend eternity in hell unless they hear the gospel. It is our job to tell them. It is pure selfishness to give up on life. Don’t allow your problems to deter you from God’s plan for your life. Give yourself fully to the pursuit of your God given purpose and you will no longer hate life. You will find a peace and satisfaction you never thought was possible. Love life—it is a gift from God!