Misusing the Bible
Ashley Despain now holds a dubious, ignominious distinction. Visiting an inmate in a Nevada, Missouri, jail, Ashley tried to sneak him marijuana and methamphetamines by sticking them into the binding of a Bible. Officials say they have seen many ways used to smuggle drugs to prisoners, but it’s the first time the Bible was the means chosen.
As incredible (and audacious) as that sounds, Ashley was not the first to misuse the Bible. How many have used the Bible as a means of enriching themselves? Peter spoke of false teachers who exploited listeners with false words out of greed ( 2 Peter 2:3).
How many have used the Bible as a means of defending personal sin or a sinful lifestyle?
How many have used the Bible as a billy club to pound others?
How many have used the Bible to peddle some false doctrine? Peter experienced that, too (2 Peter 3:16).
How many have used the Bible to manipulate and control others? Jesus warned against that very thing (Matthew 23:4).
How many have used the Bible to tempt others into disobeying God? That’s literally a satanic ploy (cf. Matthew 4:6).
None of us will probably try to smuggle drugs with a Bible. But, let’s be sure to “accurately" handle it (2 Timothy 2:15).
Man Digs Hole In The Jungle For God
The Mirror reports:
A man claims God told him to start digging a hole 18 years ago, and he literally hasn't stopped since.
Santiago Sanchez, 69, says he regards it as the Lord's work and he devotes every waking hour to the project.
The pensioner heads to the tunnel in the city of Berlin, in the western El Salvador department of Usulutan, at around 3 AM.
And every time he emerges he is carrying around 90 pounds of rock, stones and debris, following what God told him.
… It is no easy task, and the journalist who went into the tunnel to have a look confessed that by the time he got halfway, was struggling to breathe and had to leave quickly.
… Despite his conviction that he is following God's orders, he has many critics and many more who laugh at what he is doing.
His wife, named Isabel Ventura, said that "there are people who say that he is crazy" but he answers that "no one knows what God is going to demand from you."
Is Santiago Sanchez doing God's will by digging a hole in the middle of the jungle? He certainly thinks he is, and that may be all that matters. Here’s the really interesting thing about God’s will; it can be attached to anything you do, even the most mundane of activities.
The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). That means any task can become a divine calling, if it's done with the right motivation!
The real question isn't whether Mr. Sanchez is doing God's will but are you? If you flip hamburgers, you can choose to flip hamburgers for the Lord, or you can flip hamburgers for the pay. Every person in every walk of life and vocation can choose to serve God there.
It doesn’t take a special revelation from God to discover His will for your life. It just takes a heart that wants to please God in all circumstances.
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
Read The Owner’s Manual
Melkorka Licea, with the New York Post, writes:
A Long Islander’s revered red Volvo — known for having racked up more than 3 million miles — is still hitting the pavement in mint condition.
Irvin Gordon says he has cranked out another 273,895 miles in his 1966 P1800 convertible since he hit the triple-million mark in September 2013 — with no signs of stopping.
Understandably, many find it hard to believe that Gordon has driven his Volvo as many miles as it would take to go around the Earth 126 times.
Says Gordon:
Everybody says, ‘It’s not possible,’
The biggest secret is as simple as reading the owner’s manual. Most people just tuck it under the kitchen sink or in the glove compartment and never look at it. You gotta make the effort.
When it’s time for the oil change you do it — not just talk about it.
What’s the big secret behind living a truly blessed life? Read the owner’s manual! Don’t just tuck it in the glove compartment and forget about. Do what it the manufacturer instructs and you will go far!
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).