Glory – God has it and we want it. That sounds like a condemning statement, but it is just a simple truth. Think about it. Certainly God has glory; no person or thing in the whole universe is his equal. And we all want glory. That can either be good or bad depending on why we want it and where we look for it. Jesus intends to bring his children to glory. I want that; don’t you? The problem is we want the result without the process.
Starting over is refreshing. A new semester in school, a new job, a new home, a new Bible Talk, a new life in Christ after baptism – a clean start. Here we are in January, 1996. This L.A. Story is both a look back to 1995 and a look ahead at God’s great expectations.
Home for the holidays - just close your eyes for a moment and let memories of past Christmas times with family flood in.
The headlines of the Los Angeles Times, Sunday, November 5, cry out “Rabin is Assassinated at Rally – Jewish Student Seized at Scene; Israel Stunned.”
A new chapter was written in Johannesburg, South Africa. In June of 1986, Gloria and I watched religious history unfold as 22 disciples, both blacks and whites sent out by the Boston Church, flew into Johannesburg. While the two of us were there just for the first service, the 22 disciples came to live and to plant a church that would demonstrate love between the races in the midst of apartheid, the cruel philosophy and law of the land that separated the races. Since then, apartheid has died, but the Johannesburg Church of Christ with a regular Sunday attendance of 2,000 – half blacks and half whites hugging and singing together – has become a beacon of light for the Dark Continent.
Travelling the broad road (Matthew 7:13-14) is easy. It is Comfortable. Many people are going that way. the narrow road is a different story. It is difficult. It is hard to find, It is not heavily travelled.
Water brings life. Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is water. Ninety-eight percent of our bodies is water. No wonder God uses so many metaphors, parables and direct teachings about water.
Our theme for this issue of L.A. Story comes from the movie about the early years of the American space program. It was a tribute to those who risked their lives to “push the outside of the envelope.” The Kingdom needs men and women who are eager to set the pace in whatever they attempt to do. Jesus is our model. The people marveled about him: “He has done everything well,” (Mark 7: 37).
