Recipe for a Happy New Year

Bible Reading:  Ephesians 5:1-16

Key Verse: Verse 16 - “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Key Words: Redeeming the time 

Happy New Year!  If you really want a happy new year, then I heartily recommend the following recipe.

Take twelve fine, full-grown months and see that they are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy.  Cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.  Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness.  In short, see that these months are freed from all the past – have them as fresh and clean as when they came from the storehouse of TIME.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts.  This batch will keep for just one year.  Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many people spoil the entire lot in this way); but prepare one day at a time as follows.

Into each day put twelve parts of faith, eleven of patience, ten of courage, nine of work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), eight of hope, seven of fidelity, six of liberality, five of kindness, four of rest (leaving out this is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing – don’t do it), three of prayer, two of good will and one well-selected resolution.  Put in a dash of fun, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

Pour into the whole love and grace, and mix with vim.  Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat; garnish with sweet smiles and a few sprigs of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness – and a happy new year is a certainty.

                                                                                    Dr. Mke Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Apply the above principles, and I do hope you will have a Happy New Year.

Walking Honestly

Bible Reading:  I Thessalonians 4:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 12 - “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

Key Words: That ye may walk honestly 

I Thessalonians, chapter four, deals with a sanctified life.  You read in verse three, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification...”  Then Paul lists for us several prerequisites for being sanctified.  One of those is found in verse twelve that we walk honestly toward them outside the church.

I read a humorous story that illustrates the need for honesty.

A wealthy but eccentric man called his pastor, his doctor, and a political friend to his deathbed.  He told them he disagreed with the conventional belief that you can’t take your money with you when you die.  He said, “I’m taking mine!”  He pulled out three envelopes and handed one to each of the gathered trio.  He explained how the envelopes contained $30,000 in cash, and he wanted each man to throw an envelope in when they lowered his casket.  At the funeral all three men did as their dead friend had requested. 

Upon returning from the cemetery, the pastor’s conscience got the best of him, and he confessed to the doctor and politician, saying, “I needed the money for our church so I took out $10,000 and threw $20,000 into the grave.”  The doctor then came clean and admitted to taking $20,000 for costs he had incurred at his clinic.  The politician was appalled at their dishonesty.  He pridefully said, “I’m ashamed of you gentlemen.  I threw in a check for the full amount.”

And that is the way it usually is.  The reason we are so often appalled at the dishonesty of others is because we fail to judge our own actions and motives.

So let me encourage you to live honestly before God in the upcoming year.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Evaluate your own thoughts and deeds.

            ✞ Deal honestly with all men.

      ✞The truth only hurts for awhile, a lie hurts for eternity.

  

Jesus, The Coming King

Bible Reading:  Revelation 19:11-16

Key Verse: Verse 16 - “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Key Words: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS   

In Revelation, we see Jesus as the coming King, and in our text we see the scene that will prevail at the Battle of Armageddon.  The anti-Christ will be gnawing his tongue and blaspheming God because his pride will be wounded and challenged.  The demonic spirits will organize a confederacy of nations that will move against Jerusalem once and for all to solve the “Jewish problem.”  In the great valley of Jezreel, in the midst of these three mountains, this confederacy will get ready to move against Jerusalem with their tanks, guns, napalm, lasers, and jets, and whatever else is in the mind of the insane one, the anti-Christ.  It is going to look dark. 

Then suddenly, Jesus arrives – the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!  He will speak and His Word will be a sword, and the battle is over, the victory is won!  To God be the glory!

On the eve of D-Day, General Dwight Eisenhower, closed his address to the troops by saying, “We will accept nothing less than full Victory!…And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”

In essence, he was saying there is no room for defeat; we must win; we will win!!

Well, I’ve read the last chapter of the book and I am here to tell you, we win!!  To God be the glory for the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!!

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞If you are not saved, accept Christ and get on the winning side.

      ✞Praise God for His goodness.

      ✞Look up, your redemption draweth nigh.

Jesus, Our Security

Bible Reading:  Jude 1-25

Key Verse: Verse 24 - “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”

 Key Words: keep you from falling 

The book of Jude describes for us false teachers who crept in unawares (verse four).  It is because of these false teachers that Jude encourages us to…

• Build up ourselves on our most holy faith (verse twenty), and
• Keep ourselves in the love of God (verse twenty-one).

When we come to verse twenty-four, Jude reminds us, though, that in spite of all of our efforts, Jesus is ultimately the One who will keep us from falling.  Jesus is our security.  We need not fear falling, or losing our salvation.

When the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco was being built, workers developed a great fear of falling.  Bridge builders have a superstition that one man will die for every million dollars spent on a project.  The bridge was budgeted for thirty-five million dollars, so the fear was pervasive.  The chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, also believed that three dozen men could fall and lose their lives.  The impact of falling from the bridge to the water below was equivalent to hitting a brick wall at eighty miles per hour.  Strauss made an unprecedented move and ordered a large trapeze net to be placed under the workers.  Bridge builders had never enjoyed such a luxury.  The added security made them feel as though they could, as one worker said, “dance on steel.”

Christians as well can be immobilized by fear of falling and losing their salvation, so God provided believers with a security net through Jesus Christ.  We are eternally secure, not because of our goodness, but because of God’s grace.

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Do your best for God; but if you do fall, and we all will on occasion, we can rest assured- Jesus will catch us and keep us secure.  Rest in that promise!!

Jesus, Our Truth

Bible Reading:  III John

Key Verse: Verse 3 - “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee,   even as thou walkest in the truth.”

Key Words: walkest in the truth 

In III John, we see Jesus as our Truth.  Six times in the fourteen verses John shares with us the truth of Jesus.

v  In verse one, he loves in the truth.

v  In verse three, he walks in the truth

v  In verse three, he testifies of the truth.

v  In verse four, he again walks in truth.

v  We are to be fellow helpers of the truth.

v  We see a good report of the truth.

 

If we are to be truthful, we must live in Christ.  I read the following in regard to truth, or rather the absence of truth.

“The book, The Day America Told the Truth, came out in 1991.  In this work, research showed ninety-one percent of Americans lie routinely, while thirty-six percent confess to dark, important lies.  Eighty-six percent lie regularly to parents, seventy-five percent lie to friends, seventy-three percent to siblings, sixty-nine percent to spouses, eighty-one percent lie about feelings, forty-three percent concerning income, and forty percent about sex. 

“Psychologist Michael Lewis of Rutgers University says there are three types of lies: (1) Lies to protect feelings, such as saying a gift is nice when you actually hate it; (2) Lies to avoid punishment; and (3) Lies of self-deception.  Our behavior repulses others, but we lie to ourselves and blame the rejection on something or someone else.  A woman gives herself a breast exam and notices an unusual lump but tells herself everything is fine.  Lewis feels these lies of self-deception may be the most frequent lies. 

“That could explain why so many people reject the gospel.  They’ve lied to themselves about their need for forgiveness and God’s requirement of commitment to Christ.  In this age of obsessive lying, remember who is the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44), and who promised to give the ‘truth that shall make you free’ (John 8:32).  C. S. Lewis noted, ‘We often err either by ascribing too much or too little power to the father of lies.’”

The only way to keep from lying is by living in truth.

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞Be truthful with God.

      ✞Be truthful with others.

      ✞Be truthful with yourself…but base your    truth on Jesus Christ.

Jesus & Everlasting Love

Bible Reading: II John

Key Verse: Verse 3 - “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Key Words: Son of the Father, in truth and love 

The book of II John is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  Four times in the brief but potent book we read about love.

In verse one, John tells the elect lady that he loves her and her family in the truth (in Jesus).

In verse three, again we see that John loves her in the truth.

In verse five, John tells her that we are to love one another.

And in verse six, John defines love as walking in the commandments of God.

I recently read about a wife who showed great love for her husband.  On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the “San Francisco Examiner.”  The ad read, “I don’t want my husband to die.”  It seems as though her husband was to be executed for a crime she said he didn’t commit.  She goes on to say, “I will offer my services for years as a maid or a housekeeper to any attorney who will defend and vindicate him.”

One of San Francisco’s leading attorneys, Vincent Hallinan, read the ad and contacted Gladys Kidd, who had placed the ad.  It was her husband, Robert Kidd, who was going on trial for slaying an elderly man.  Kidd’s fingerprints had been found on a blood-stained antique sword near the victim’s shop.  During the trial, Hallinan proved that the antique sword was not the murder weapon.  The jury, after eleven days of deliberation, found Kidd not guilty.  Hallinan refused Mrs. Kidd’s offer of ten years of servitude.

It is because of the love of Jesus Christ that you can be found “not guilty,” but you must accept Jesus as your payment for your crimes of sin – then you will be declared “not guilty” because of the Lord Jesus.

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

      ✞If you are not saved, accept the love offer of  salvation today.

      ✞If you are saved, thank the Lord for loving you so very much.

 

Jesus, The Carpenter

Bible Reading:  Mark 6:1-13

Key Verse: Verse 3 - “Is not this the carpenter, the son        of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of    Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

Key Words: Is not this the carpenter 

During Jesus’ earthly ministry he taught about many vocations.  He taught about farming.  He said, “A sower went forth to sow,” but Jesus was not a farmer.  He taught about shepherding.  He said, “I am the good Shepherd,” but Jesus’ earthly ministry was not that of a shepherd.  Jesus was a teacher, a physician, but Jesus chose the life of a carpenter.  Let me give you four reasons why He chose this as His earthly vocation.

First of all, He was born into a carpenter’s home.  The Jewish people were expecting their Messiah to come as a King.  They were expecting a great earthly conqueror.  But Jesus came to conquer sin, not people.  He came as a carpenter.

Secondly, He came to do the work of a carpenter.  A carpenter builds and repairs.  John 1:3 says, “All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.”  Jesus can build or repair your life if you will let Him.

Thirdly, Jesus followed a carpenter’s methods.  A carpenter looks at a piece of wood and sees potential where you and I simply see a piece of wood.  Jesus looks at us and sees potential.  Aren’t you glad Jesus has never given up on the potential He sees?  The Jews looked at Paul and saw a zealous Pharisee.  Jesus looked at Paul and saw a missionary.  They looked at Peter and saw a fisherman; Jesus looked at Peter and saw a pastor.  When no one else believes in you, Jesus does.  So believe in Him!

Fourthly, Jesus died a carpenter’s death.  Jesus was not stoned to death, nor was He burned at the stake; but He was nailed to a tree for each of us.  Jesus died a carpenter’s death in order that our Christmas may be merry.

From Mrs. Rouse and me, Merry Christmas!

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

      ✞Have a blessed Christmas!!

Merry Christmas

Bible Reading:  Luke 2:1-20

Key Verse: Verse 20 - “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

Key Words: glorifying and praising God 

There is a movement afoot today to have God totally removed from our existence.  This is not just the ranting of a Baptist preacher, this is a fact.  

·         God is not allowed in our public schools but evolution is.

·         Nothing religious or symbolic of God is allowed on government property or in government buildings.

·         Many department stores have removed Christ from Christmas referring to Christmas as the “holiday season.”  The Christmas tree has become in many cases the “holiday tree.”  Christmas songs are referred to as “holiday songs.”  Now for some reason this just does not fit.  Can you imagine singing, “Have yourself a merry little holiday” or “I’m dreaming of a white holiday?”

·         The Bible is not considered a “credible authority” on such subjects as abortion and homosexuality.

·         Those of us who believe in God and are doers of the Word are called “extreme right wingers” and are considered a threat to society.

·         In our society Allah, Buddha, Confucius, and others are equal to the true and living God.

This raises the question of why and how have we deteriorated to such a lowly state of existence?

First of all, Satan is at work.  We are told in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  It is interesting to note that there are three encounters between God and Satan.  In the first encounter in Isaiah, Satan wanted to be just like God.  In the second encounter in Matthew, Satan wanted God to worship him; and in the third encounter in Revelation, Satan wants to destroy God.  In each encounter, Satan desires more power and authority.  Well, we are now living in the last days when Satan wants to see God destroyed, which is one of the reasons we find ourselves in this depraved spiritual condition.

Secondly, society is to blame.  The lost world sees God as the enemy standing in the way of their living as they choose.  Remember, it was the people who yelled, “Crucify him, crucify him.”

Thirdly, we are to blame.  Yes, we are born-again believers but we have failed to stand for God. In the past, we were passive about which judges and political leaders were going into office.  We were happy so long as we had our house, car, a little pleasure, and our retirement program in place.  We went to sleep on the job while the ungodly forces of evil were at work.

So now what do we do?

1. Pray (II Chronicles 7:14).
2. Write the heads of department store chains such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Kohl’s, and Target. Tell them to put Christ back in Christmas.
3. Vote for politicians who stand for right.

4.      Witness and spread the gospel.

5. Be faithful to God yourself through prayer, witnessing, church attendance, and yes, even financial giving.

                                                                                     Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Apply the five principles above.

 

Jesus, Our Righteousness

Bible Reading:  I John 3:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 7 - “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,         even as he is righteous.”

Key Words: even as he is righteous 

We, of ourselves, have no power or ability to be righteous.  Our righteousness comes solely through Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

We read in Romans 4:3, “For what saith the scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

Then in I John 2:29 we read, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.”

Now, this raises a question: do you hunger and thirst after righteousness?

In the Antarctic summer of 1908-09, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters.  They set off with four ponies to help carry the load.  Weeks later, with three ponies dead and rations exhausted, they turned back toward their base camp with their goal of reaching the South Pole unaccomplished.

Altogether they traveled for one hundred twenty-seven days.  On the return journey, Shackleton recorded in his journal entitled The Heart of the Antarctic, “We spent time talking about elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, and sumptuous menus.”  As they staggered along suffering from dysentery and not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of warmth and eating.  Shackleton again recorded, “Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, once said, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.’”

Shackleton’s obsession for food offers us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, and His desire for us to hunger and thirst for the righteousness only He can give.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness with a passion?

            ✞ Surrender your life and your will to Jesus today,   and let Him guide you into                         righteousness.

Jesus, Our Saviour

Bible Reading:  II Peter 3

Key Verse: Verse 18 - “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

            

Key Words: our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ 

In the book of II Peter, we see Jesus Christ as our Savior.  On five different occasions in this small but powerful book, Peter mentions Jesus as our Savior: II Peter 1:1, 11, 2:20, 3:2, and in our key verse, verse 18.

But if you will notice again in our key verse, verse 18, we are told to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.”  How can we grow in the knowledge of Jesus as our Savior?  Let me suggest that you do it through gardening.

First of all, plant some squash: squash gossip, criticism and indifference.

On the second row plant some peas: orayer, promptness, perserverance, politeness, preparedness, purity, and patience.

On the third row plant some lettuce: let us be unselfish and loyal; let us be faithful at our task; let us search the Scriptures daily; let us not be weary in well doing; let us be obedient in all things; let us be thoughtful; let us love one another.

And finally, no garden is complete without turnips: turn up for church, turn up with a smile, turn up with determination to do your best for God.

After planting, may you grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and may you reap rich results.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Plant your garden.

            ✞ Live off your garden. 

Jesus, The Enduring Word

Bible Reading:  I Peter 1

Key Verse: Verse 25 “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Key Words: the word of the Lord endureth for ever 

There are certain abiding elements in the Christian life which are always constant, unchanging – circumstances change, moods change, the economy changes – but the truth of God’s Word will endure forever.  As we build upon the solid unchanging Word of God, we are able to face the challenges and changes in this life; for the present is bearable because the future is secure!

An ancient king once charged his wise men to create a sentence which could forever be viewed and be appropriate at all times and in all situations.  They finally presented to him engraved on a stone these words, “And this too shall pass away.”  How true for those who place all their happiness, joy and peace in this world.

Some years ago a trolley car in Atlanta, Georgia, bumped into a lamp post called the Eternal Flame of the Confederacy.  The bump caused the flame to go out.  In New York they lit the eternal flame of the United Nations.  It stayed lit about ten minutes before going out.  Hitler said his Third Reich would last one thousand years; it lasted less than one thousand days.

Yes, the world will pass away with all of its lusts and pleasures; but the Word of God and those who are born again will abide forever.  Life comes to pass, but the Word will endure forever!

                                                                             Dr. Mike Rouse                                           

What to do:

      ✞   Stay close to the Book that endures forever.

      ✞   As you read the Word, remember that Jesus is the Word of God.  As you learn the Word, you learn more about Jesus.

Jesus, Us, and Others

Bible Reading:  James 2:14-26

Key Verse: Verse 16 - “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;   notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

Key Words: ye give them not 

The key verse is verse 16, “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”  Genuine sympathy, out of a heart of love and compassion, is certainly hard to come by these days.  We seem to be living in a day of “religion,” not Christianity.  In the story told by Christ of the good Samaritan, the priest and Levite were religious, but the Samaritan was “Christian” in his act of sympathy.  The following illustration proves my point:

“Madam,” he apologized in a broken voice, “I wish to draw your attention to the terrible plight of a poor family in your neighborhood.  The father is dead, the mother is too ill to work, and the nine children are hungry.  Moreover, they are about to be turned out into the cold streets unless the neighbors pay their rent.”  At this point the neighbor asked, “And who are you, Sir?”  Bowing his head in embarrassment, he sheepishly said, “I am the landlord.”

The moral of this story is this:  Are we truly interested in others, or are we interested in others because it affects us?If we knew what hearts are aching for, the comforts we might bring, if we knew what souls were yearning for, the sunshine we could fling. If we knew what feet are weary, walking pathways roughly laid, we would quickly hasten forward, stretching forth our hands to aid.If we knew what friends around us feel, a want they never tell, that some word which we have spoken, pained or wounded where it fell, we would speak in accents tender, to each friend we chanced to meet, we would give to each one freely, smiles of sympathy so sweet.                                                                      

 -                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

   ✞Very easy: 

§   Do unto others,

§   Say unto others,

§   Act toward others,

§   Treat others, as you would have them do to you.

 

Jesus and Faith

Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 1 - “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Key Words: faith                 

Through the book of Hebrews, we see faith in Jesus through our actions.

I read the following in the booklet, Bits and Pieces.  It is an interesting story about Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.  On the fourth of July in 1952, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.  The challenge was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific.  To complicate matters, a dense fog lay over the entire area, making it impossible for her to see land.  After about fifteen hours in the water, and within half a mile of her goal, Chadwick gave up.  Later she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have SEEN land, I might have made it.”

Not long afterward she attempted the feat again.  Once more a misty veil obscured the coastline and she couldn’t see the shore.  But this time she made it because she kept reminding herself that land was there.  With that confidence, she bravely swam on and achieved her goal.  In fact, she broke the men’s record by two hours!

If you are a Christian, you should live with this kind of vision – with the eye of faith.  The circumstances of life may dim your outlook.  The way may grow dark before you.  But as you go forward believing the promises of God’s Word, He Himself will strengthen you, guide you, and carry you through.

Beyond the misty darkness of trials lies a better land and God’s own rewards for those who persevere.  Never forget that glorious fact.  Seeing through the fog by faith, keep pressing on!

                                                                         Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞Remember faith is taking God at His Word, in spite of my feelings, circumstances, or consequences.

       ✞Live by faith.

      ✞Always remember, your faith can be no greater than the object your faith is in – keep your                  faith in Jesus.

Jesus, Our Friend

Bible Reading:  Philemon 1-25

Key Verse: Verse 16 & 17 “Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.”

Key Words: If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. 

In the book of Philemon, we see Jesus as a Friend Who intercedes and releases us from bondage (verse 10). 

It is because of what Jesus has done for us in releasing us from the bondage of sin that we can certainly say, “To God be the glory.”

It’s through Jesus that Godly friendships are bound together.

John Fawcett was converted as a teenager listening to George Whitefield.  He joined the Baptists and was ordained on July 31, 1765.  He began pastoring a poor church in Wainsgate, finding time here and there for writing.  His writings spread abroad, and the little church feared they would lose their pastor to a larger place.  Fawcett wondered the same thing, lamenting in his diary that his family was growing faster than his income.

The call came from London’s famous Carter’s Lane Church.  “Think of it!” Fawcett told his wife.  “They want us in London to take the place of the late Dr. Gill at that great church!  It’s almost unbelievable!”  The following Sunday he broke the news to his church, then began packing.  Books, dishes, pictures, and furniture were crated for the overland journey to the world’s largest city.  When the day of departure came, church members assembled and bravely tried to hold their tears.  Finally everything was loaded but one box, and Fawcett entered the house to retrieve it.  There he found his wife deep in thought. 

“John,” she said, voice breaking, “do you think we’re doing the right thing?  Will we ever find a congregation to love us and help us with the Lord’s work like this group here?”

“Do you think we’re too hasty in this?” John asked.

“Yes.  I think we should stay right here and serve these people.”

John was silent a moment, for his heart, too, had been breaking.  He nodded, “I was so overjoyed when the call came that I never really prayed about it like a minister should.”

They walked onto the porch, called the people together, revealed their change of heart, and amid joyous tears unloaded their wagons.  Fawcett stayed at Wainsgate the rest of his life, but not in obscurity.  Out of this experience, he wrote the world-famous hymn:

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Evaluate your friendship with Jesus.  Is it real?

            ✞ Evaluate your friendship with others.  Are they Godly friends?