Constantine the Great, emperor of Rome, saw it blazing high in the sky and it changed his life and the course of the Roman Empire. According to Eusebius, while Constantine was fighting his rival Maxentius in 312 he saw in the sky a fiery cross and the words “By this sign conquer.” He adopted the cross as his symbol, killed Maxentius, and issued an edict that Christianity would be tolerated throughout the Roman Empire. Constantine promoted humanitarian reforms and in 321 made Sunday a holiday. He was later baptized on his deathbed. When Constantine lifted high the cross he conquered.

Years ago I came across a placard that read, “Life is fragile – handle with care.” Yes, life is fragile. Several years ago that became more than a slogan and more than a trite cliché. It became all the more too real when grief-stricken, I stood at the graves of my two teenage brothers and a cousin. A drinking driver hit them head-on. Like numerous others, as I stood in the rain that dark afternoon I asked, “Why, God?” One thing I have learned – “Life is fragile.” No one has a guarantee of tomorrow. But there is hope. In high school I had a bumper sticker on my old ’55 Ford that became more than a cliché – “Life is short, but eternity is sure.”

Working in the emergency room of a hospital can be extremely hectic and demanding. Recently my cousin’s wife started a second career as an EMT in the ER. She could tell you how stressful it is at times and yet rewarding.

Perhaps, like me, you feel that you have been in life’s ER for most of your life. Life in the ER is a daily encounter with trauma, tragedy, and tears, but there are also times of joyous triumph. Job was one of the most severely tested men in the Bible. He experienced life in the ER – life full of trauma, tragedy, and tears.

Sometimes I think that I’ve spent most of my life in the emergency room. If not for myself and my family, it seems that supporting others in the emergency room of life has been our life’s ministry. We live in a fallen, imperfect, fragile world. Job spent much time in the emergency room. He concluded, “Man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). But thank God for the emergency room. It is in the emergency room where help is sought and found. Unfortunately, only an emergency room will motivate some people to seek help, both physically and spiritually.

Dear friend,

Over the years, we have conversed about the existence of God. We have discussed creation and the unlikely theory that this vast, varied, and complex universe could have just come into existence by accident or have evolved over a trillion years. We have considered the Apostle Paul’s argument that from the creation of the world people have seen the earth and the sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they are without excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. (See Romans 1:19-20.)

My cousin flies helicopters. This past Memorial Day I enjoyed having a conversation with him at the annual family barbeque. He recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and is scheduled to return in December. Perhaps he thought my question a little strange when I asked, “Did you realize that you were flying over the very cradle of civilization?” He replied that he had been more focused on doing his duty and returning home to his family.

Iraq is intriguing because it is the area of ancient Babylon. The Garden of Eden was located there as well as the Tower of Babel.

I found it in the ragbag! In our house some articles of clothing too worn out to wear or give away are thrown into a ragbag. They might be utilized later in other assorted ways. I could hardly believe my eyes at what I found in the ragbag – my favorite shirt – my high school football jersey – the one that I’d wear almost everyday, except to church, of course. Now how in the world did it get in the ragbag? You’re right – my wife.

After rescuing my shirt from the ragbag, I marched upstairs to my wife and demanded to know what my football jersey was doing in the ragbag.

They swarmed around us. I initially thought they were flies of some sort, that is until my four-year-old grandson started screaming and my son dropped to his knees in pain. My son had consented to help me move some cement blocks away from a fence. We had inadvertently disturbed a bee’s nest. My grandson was stung four times and my son nine times before they could get away.

As painful as that experience was, we can learn some valuable lessons from the bees. We’ve all heard about “the birds and the bees,” but let’s consider some other of the numerous lessons we can learn from the bees.

Someone in my family thought I am prone to losing my keys. One of the gifts that I received for Christmas was an electronic key finder. It works somewhat but sometimes it works too good. The instructions say to whistle in it then when you lose your keys all you have to do is whistle and the key finder will emit a loud alarm. The trouble is that I whistle a lot. When I’m driving, working, or want our golden retriever to come I whistle. It gets annoying when you whistle a tune and have to contend with the ear-splitting key-finder. Setting the alarm to go off when I clap my hands doesn’t work either. It just so happens that people clap a lot at our church which for some reason can set off my key-finder. I thought about setting the alarm to go off when my wife snores – but our dog snores too.

Has your heart been pierced by cupids arrow? You’ve vowed to “love and to cherish until death do us part”, but now you find your love diminishing? Many work to woo and win their love but then leave their marriage to chance. Whatever we don’t work at or pray about in our life, we leave up to chance. That’s not good enough when it comes to marriage. The problem with chance in a marriage is chances are there will be some difficulties. Chances are there will be disagreements, misunderstandings, and hurts. That’s because we are all human. If we leave the outcome of marriage to chance, chances are it will fail.

Jake was a junkyard dog. A bull-terrier mix, Jake was massive, muscular, and mean. During the day Jake was chained up to an old dilapidated dog house that had his name painted haphazardly on the front with white paint. Mostly brown in color, Jake sported scars and scrapes of numerous fights. A couple of hubcaps served as food and water dishes and collected rainwater for him to drink.

At night Mr. T, the junkyard owner, would turn Jake loose to guard the inside of the yard. Sometimes my friends and I would ride bicycles past the side of the junkyard where the corrugated tin covering the fence was missing.

“Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!” exclaimed Frank as he waved his arms up and down like a goose ready for flight. Frank was an old retired carpenter who worked with us on the farm when I was a teenager. It tickled me to hear him use his favorite expression. One summer day I was on a tractor mowing weeds. I accidentally got into an overgrown weed patch that happened to be the garden of the man who was the milker at the dairy barn. Bob lived in a trailer nearby. When Frank saw where I was mowing, he ran toward me waving his arms and shouting, “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat! Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!” Unfortunately he was too late and most of the overgrown garden was a goner. Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!

Jonah was a powerful prophet of God. One day God commissioned him to preach to the great and wicked city of Nineveh. God saw their violence and perversion and was determined to send terrible judgment upon them.

God’s prophet despised and abhorred the heathen Ninevites. So much so that he booked passage on a ship that would take him as far away from them as possible. He knew if he told them what God had said they might repent and be spared. He wanted God to punish the ruthless Ninevites – not pardon them. So Jonah ran away.

Jesus urged us to “work while it is day, for night comes when no man can work” (John 9:4). Eternal souls are at stake. Multitudes are slipping into a Christ-less eternity because no one reached out to them with the redeeming gospel. Jesus invited us to follow him and he would make us fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19) But you cannot follow God in neutral. God created you to do something. James, the half-brother of Jesus, concluded that if you know what is right to do and you do not do it – it is sin.

How many opportunities and divine moments for ministry pass us by? A secret to seizing the day is – you must take the initiative. We must be “Johnny of the spot” when God brings opportunities for doing good our way.

Glorious things have happened on Mt Hermon in Israel. In the gospel of Mark chapter 9 we find the brief but far reaching account of Jesus taking three of his disciples to the top of Mt Hermon. There, before the disciples, Jesus’ appearance was radically changed. He was “transfigured” and his clothes became gleaming white – whiter than any earthly process could ever make them. (Mark 9:2-12 NLT) Then something extraordinary happened – Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. What did Moses and Elijah talk about? They talked about how the scriptures foretold of the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. (Mark 9:12-13)

How you greet life many times reveals what is in your heart. I once greeted someone with the expression, “Good day.” He replied, “What’s good about it?” When another gentleman is asked, “How are you?” he always responds, “Marvelous!”

Many people do not feel their life is so wonderful. They feel cheated, disillusioned, and disappointed in life. This Christmas season I’ll probably once again watch the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s the story of a young man who was disappointed in the way his life turned out. George Bailey was a dreamer.

How you greet life many times reveals what is in your heart. I once greeted someone with the expression, “Good day.” He replied, “What’s good about it?” When another gentleman is asked, “How are you?” he always responds, “Marvelous!”

Many people do not feel their life is so wonderful. They feel cheated, disillusioned, and disappointed in life. This Christmas season I’ll probably once again watch the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s the story of a young man who was disappointed in the way his life turned out. George Bailey was a dreamer.

A few days ago I was having a conversation with my grandson, Elijah. I made a comment that must have gotten his attention. I don’t remember what I said but Elijah asked, “Did you read that in the Bible, PaPa?

Elijah is just learning to read but he knows that what’s in the Bible is important. Sadly, many adults in America know how to read and have free access to the Holy Bible but have never read it and have no clue as to what’s in the Bible.

Please ask yourself this question – Is God pro-life? Absolutely! There is no doubt about it. God’s Word is unmistakable. “Thou shall not kill” is one of the Ten Commandments. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). God is the Creator and sustainer of life.

Once, while discussing the abortion issue with a politician, the remark was made that abortion is a moral issue. I concurred. But is not the law of our land and Judeo-Christian ethics based on the concept of a moral God and moral code?

It’s been said that blood is thicker than water. It’s natural and normal for families to stick together and care for one another. Even though there may be disagreements, imperfections, and family issues that all families contend with, there is an inherent quality that says, “Blood is thicker than water.” Jesus stated that, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25 NASB). Strong, loving families living in peace and unity are vital for the health and happiness of society and the individual. The Psalmist declared “God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:9).

Business savvy people keep their eyes and ears open for inside information. Investors may value certain information that could give them leverage or a leg up in making a good profit with a timely investment or business deal.

A few years ago I had a friend who had a friend who had a cousin who had a nephew who worked for a large grocery chain. His friend’s cousin had some inside information that the price of coffee was going to increase dramatically because of the weather and weevils in the coffee bean crop of Brazil.

All true believers want their faith to increase. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). We cannot receive anything from God without faith. The benefits of the cross come to us only by faith in Christ. The power of the resurrection can only be appropriated by faith. (Philippians 3:10)

One of the apostles of faith was Smith Wigglesworth. In his classic book Ever Increasing Faith it is quite evident that a key to Wigglesworth’s radical faith and miraculous works was his radical obedience to God. Faith increases as we are obedient.

My grandmother made a journey in a covered wagon from Kansas City back to Illinois when she was a baby. During the westward expansion of America, her parents, like so many other pioneers, endured many hardships and dangers along the trail. Their dream and hope of free land and a new start in the west spurred them on. Some proclaimed their determination to cross the formidable Rocky Mountains with placards on their wagons. One such sign read, “Pike’s Peak or Bust!”

Like the pilgrims and pioneers of early America, multitudes throughout the centuries have traveled with hope and determination toward a new and eternal promised land called “Heaven”. There are many obstacles, dangers, and enemies to discourage and deter weary pilgrims from reaching heaven’s shore. But the hope and assurance of heaven spurs them on.

Have you ever had a dream that seemed lost and dashed to pieces on the rocks of disaster or disappointment? Take heart. Many great men and women have had such experiences. But they believed that good things come to those who wait. They learned valuable lessons in God’s waiting room that could not be learned anywhere else.

Abraham was 100 years old before the promised child Isaac was born. Joseph, the dreamer, was sold into slavery by his brothers, unjustly accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison for 13 years before seeing his God given dream become a reality.

I didn’t receive a lot of spankings as a child. But I believe I remember every one I got from my dad. One particular one is very vivid in my memory. I enjoyed throwing a baseball, bouncing it off the front porch steps, and catching it. My dad told me not to do it. Why not? What would it hurt? Besides how would I ever break into the major leagues if I didn’t practice?

Shortly after my dad’s warning, I was once again bouncing the ball off the front steps. The ball took a wicked hop and went crashing through the bedroom window where my dad just happened to be resting.