Got Milk?

You have probably seen it a time or two in movies. Every morning, the man in the white attire will come in his truck, drop off a gallon or small case and head on to the next house. I am referring to, of course, old fashioned milk delivery. With more and more grocery stores popping up all over the place selling more and more brands of milk, home delivery has become a thing of the past, unless you live in Southern California where it does still happen in remote areas, (or so I have read anyway). Though not as popular as plastic bottles, some companies are still using glass bottles to send there product. Working at a grocery store in the dairy department, I have noticed some things about these bottles. Usually, we will get a small shipment to come in once a week, maybe 30 bottles at a time. These bottles tend to run a little higher in price because of their container, and for this reason, people are more likely to grab the bigger container mainly because they are cheaper. 9 times out of 10, these bottles end up being marked down and scanned out because we have gone another week where it seems not a single bottle moved from the shelf. Being in the backroom of the department, I know something not a lot of people realize when it comes to buying milk. You can bring these bottles back and get some money for the container, a deposit that is included in the selling cost. So even though, you may pay $4 for a quart of milk, if you return the bottle, you can get almost half of that back. You may be wondering, "What does glass milk have to do with anything?" Let me explain. I can't help but think about Christ when thinking of these jars of cow product bottled for our enjoyment. Wait, what? How does milk and Jesus come into the same thought process? Well, back in the old days of Bible time, the name of Jesus was shared by the apostles to anyone who would hear and even to those who would not. But, just like glass milk, over time it became so commonplace that people stopped going door to door to delivery the good news because you could go to any church in any part of the country and "get Jesus". Unfortunately, not everyone comes to the store every week to get what they need, so the glass bottles of milk just stay on the shelf. When people come into the store know as church, they come in contact with the greatest tasting milk they have ever had. This is something else I have noticed about milk. The ones that come in glass taste way better those that come in plastic. If people took the time and payed a little more for their milk, they would not go back to plastic, because they have tasted the best and don't care for the rest. They don't consider that the higher cost, coming to church, accepting Christ, and living the Christian life, are worth it in the end because when they go for higher quality, the cost doesn't matter. When we accept Christ into our hearts, he makes a deposit in our hearts, almost like a seal of approval. Once Christ becomes Lord of our life, our name is deposited into the Lamb's book of Life. Then, when our life is over, we will be returned to the Father in heaven to live with him in eternity forever. One thing about the deposit, though, is the fact that if you don't bring back the empty bottle, it serves you no good. Only when you bring it back can you get refilled and continue drinking the Living water of God. Salvation is not a one time purchase that guarantees acceptance into Heaven, but it is a constant outpouring of God's grace and refilling of his mercy and love. It's time to get back to real and never go back to fake. I need more of stuff that may cost more now, because in the end it will all be worth it.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From God  

*photo credit- thepittpulse.org 

Hot, Hot,Getting Hotter. Now your Freezing

What is the internal temperature of a tauntaun? Lukewarm.

I know, this is a really cheesy joke,(A star wars reference in case you missed it.), but what is the point of telling a joke if it is not a little cheesy. Unfortunately, this joke represents the lives of too many Christians. Lukewarm. We like to live in the middle of the road when it comes to our faith. We say we are Christians to our church friends, yet we don't act like it around our other friends. You know what I am talking about. On Sunday morning, we lift our hands and say Amen! at the right moments, but then Monday comes around and we forgo everything God in order to impress/fit in with our unchurched friends. Jesus warns us against this in the gospels. "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’- Matthew 7:20-23

Back in Bible days, during the days of Samuel the prophet, the Philistines attacked Israel and took as a prize the Ark of the Covenant. After much suffering and torment brought down on them by God, they decided to send the ark back to Israel. So they prepared a new cart with cows that had never been yoked, attached the ark to the cart with a guilt offering and sent it on its way. Once they crossed the border from the Philistine territory into Israel, the town they came to was call Beth-Shemesh. Upon arrival, the Levites offered the cows as an offering to God and the Philistines went home. But, God was unhappy with some of the people because of the way the Ark was handled, so the people call on their friends in the city of Kiriath-Jearim to come take the ark off their hands. This city is was about the halfway point to Jerusalem. For 20 years, the ark stayed right here. Not quite in God's temple, but enough out of enemy territory. I feel like a lot of us Christians like to live in this halfway point. We are closer to God in some ways, but in other things, we can still see the surrounding territories. We can have one foot in God's temple, and one foot on the border, and yet we don't see the wrong we are doing. God doesn't want us half in/half out. He wants children who are all in no matter what. Men and women who stay with both feet in the throne room, praising him and giving him all the glory.

"So then since you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth"- Revelation 3:16.

I don't want to be spued from the mouth of the Father because I could not fully commit to being God's child. I want to get to Heaven with absolute certainty that I did all that I could do to draw closer to God with every area of my life. That in times when I may have strayed, I always came back with true repentance and asking for complete forgiveness. I know I am a sinner, but I also know what Jesus gave for me, and I can't live halfway when Jesus didn't stop at halfway, but went all in for m and you.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From God

*photo credit- arcaneproperties.com