| The newly finished roof, leaks, the dog is sick, and I | | | | price for his life, because the payment for a human life |
| have a chronic back pain that makes it hard toju sit in | | | | is too great. What he could pay would never be |
| one place for very long. My business is completely | | | | enough to keep him from the grave, to let him live |
| dead and the bills are mounting on a pile on top of my | | | | forever." |
| desk. In total distress I turn on the television in hopes of | | | | My feelings over my lack of things got the best of me |
| getting my mind off all my problems, at least for a little | | | | when I indulged myself in television programs containing |
| while. Turning the station, I am drawn to a program | | | | the lives of the rich. Seeing the anguish of people in |
| where a couple is buying a vacation home. They're | | | | pain after the devastation of a flood made me focus |
| bored with their ocean front home in Florida! So, they're | | | | on what was really important in life. Suddenly a steady |
| looking for a home between $600,000 to $900,000 in | | | | stream of revelations once again made me focus on |
| Nevada where they can gamble and go to the | | | | the purpose of our world in the first place. We are not |
| extravagant shows on the Las Vegas strip. | | | | here to live a perfect life with beautiful extravagant |
| I was totally captivated wondering st how fantastic it | | | | mansions. We are not here to indulge in excessive |
| would be just to have the ability to own a home priced | | | | riches and what they can buy. |
| at their vacation house sum. Amazed at their | | | | 1 Peter 1: 3-5, "Let us give thanks to the God and |
| extravagant lifestyle I questioned God as to why they | | | | Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great |
| are allowed to have such riches when I can't even | | | | mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ |
| afford health care. God don't you care about me? I | | | | from death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we |
| don't understand why some people can have | | | | look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God |
| everything they want and the rest of us struggle day | | | | keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in |
| to day! | | | | heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade |
| Psalm 49: 16-20, "Don't be upset when a man | | | | away. They are for you, who through faith are kept |
| becomes rich, when his wealth grows even greater; | | | | safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready |
| he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will | | | | to be revealed at the end of time." |
| not go with him to the grave. Even if a man is satisfied | | | | My heart goes out to all the flood victims. Most of all |
| with this life and is praised because he is successful, | | | | my love and compassion for those who have lost |
| he will join all his ancestors in death, where the | | | | everything reveals the change that has happened in |
| darkness lasts forever. A man's greatness cannot | | | | my own life as I strive to imitate Christ. I don't care |
| keep him from death; he will still die like the animals." | | | | about the riches of this world for I am building a |
| As I continued to watch the television program, the | | | | mansion in the perfection of heaven. |
| couple chose a brand new $700,000 vacation home | | | | 1 Peter 1: 6& 7, "Be glad about this, even though it |
| over looking a golf course with a beautiful mountain | | | | may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while |
| view in the back ground. The wife complained that | | | | because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their |
| they were also over looking some new construction. | | | | purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even |
| The realtor quickly explained that it would all be | | | | gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so |
| completed in a few short months. The rich woman | | | | your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must |
| nodded in reply, but you could tell that she wasn't | | | | also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will |
| happy about the amount of time. My mind was | | | | receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when |
| astonished at her complaint all the time thinking how | | | | Jesus Christ is revealed." |
| excellent it would be if I was in a nice new clean | | | | The victims of the flood are blessed because their |
| development with perfect landscaping, beautiful brick | | | | faith in God is being tested by the refining fire of the |
| pavement, and nice new roads. | | | | flood. Questions like these become answered: "If I lost |
| Psalm 49: 10-12, "Anyone can see that even wise men | | | | everything would I still trust Jesus? Yes! If I had to start |
| die, as well as foolish and stupid men. They all leave | | | | all over again would I be a story to others about what I |
| their riches to their descendants. Their graves are their | | | | have overcome?" A shout out loud, "Yes! Most of all |
| homes forever; there they stay for all time, though | | | | would I praise God in the assembly of people, even |
| they once had lands of their own. A man's greatness | | | | when it seemed that He had abandoned me in the |
| cannot keep him from death; he will still die like the | | | | flood?" A resounding, "Yes, Yes!" |
| animals." | | | | This world is more than what it seems. It is not about |
| I live in a sixty year old house on a street where | | | | personal wealth or if you are famous. It is about |
| people aren't interested in having nice yards. It would | | | | growing, learning and most of all achieving the greatest |
| be awesome if they just hauled away their junk and | | | | goal of them all, 'Your Life Purpose!' Many people are |
| occasionally mowed their yards. Every window in my | | | | so changed by what they suffer that they completely |
| house has a view that overlooks run down homes, old | | | | change their lives. They become fireman, policeman, |
| cars and crumbling roads and sidewalks. Just thinking | | | | medical personnel, social workers, and missionaries, |
| about my location made me even more upset over | | | | whose main goal in life is to help those who are in |
| this couples ability to live such an extravagant lifestyle. | | | | need. They volunteer in hospitals, rest homes, and |
| If God loves all people the same, then why are they | | | | school systems where children need a role model in |
| so rich, while most people are so poor? | | | | their lives. They are people who show the world that |
| Psalm 49: 13-15, "See what happens to those who | | | | every bad thing that happens in their lives, just makes |
| trust in themselves, the fate of those who are satisfied | | | | them stronger. |
| with their wealth-they are doomed to die like sheep, | | | | 1 Peter 1: 8&9, " You love him, although you have |
| and Death will be their shepherd. The righteous will | | | | not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do |
| triumph over them, as their bodies quickly decay in the | | | | not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and |
| world of the dead far from their homes. But God will | | | | glorious joy which words cannot express, because |
| rescue me; he will save me from the power of death." | | | | you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is |
| I turned the television station in disgust and the Evening | | | | the purpose of your faith in him." |
| News was showing pictures of a devastating flood. | | | | The News, told many stories of people who were |
| Thousands of families were displaced from their | | | | thankful because God had saved their family from the |
| homes. They were pleading with the authorities to let | | | | flood. Stories of victory among the chaos. Stories of |
| them just go back to their homes long enough to get | | | | strength as many declared that they would rebuild |
| the few personal possessions that escaped damage | | | | again. Stories of people who didn't become victims of |
| from the flood. The faces and stories told by the | | | | the flood, but examples to the world of what you can |
| people quickly snapped me out of my mood of utter | | | | overcome when God is the center of your life. |
| contempt for the rich couple and their newly acquired | | | | The tests I have endured during my life have changed |
| vacation home. My mind now was focused on their | | | | me. Making me care about people and not about the |
| pain wondering what I could do to help them. | | | | riches of this world that will soon pass away. Believing |
| Psalm 49: 5-9, "I am not afraid in times of danger when | | | | in God and trusting Him with my problems, fixed my |
| I am surrounded by enemies, by evil men who trust in | | | | leaky roof, took care of my dog and miraculously |
| their riches. And boast of their great wealth. A person | | | | healed my back. |
| can never redeem himself; he cannot pay God the | | | | |