A LESSON FROM MY BROTHER

BEN MYERS

1951-2010

Sometimes we only see a person clearly, when he no longer can be seen. I no longer can see my brother, but I see more clearly than when he lived. And, while I have long treasured the lessons I learned from Ben, now the treasury is rich, indeed.

Ben was a unique man because he, in some ways, never lost a childlike spirit. Ben cherished the experiences of our youth. One of the last memories we shared was about playing Little League baseball. It was through baseball that I learned lessons which serve me well.

Ben was small in stature. We recalled that Dad often called him "Peewee." Despite his size, he could really play the game. One hot, humid, south Texas evening, Ben stepped up to bat. This one time at the plate taught me the lesson I cherish most. It is a lesson about persevering through adversity.

On the first pitch, Ben hit a towering shot, pulling it foul over the left-field fence. The second pitch resulted in the same high-flying foul ball. Quickly he was behind in the count, 0 and 2. The third swing - another foul ball over the left-field fence. The fourth swing and the fifth swing were the same, except now the crowd was really getting into it. Sixth swing - yes, it was the same. The pitcher kept pitching and Ben kept swinging, but not yet in synch. The seventh, eighth, and ninth swings all yielded long, high foul balls over the left-field fence. On pitch ten - finally a hotter-than-pepper grounder skipped past the third baseman and Ben scrambled to first base.

Okay, like the movies, it would've been thrilling if he had powered a homerun over the center-field fence. But, this is not the Field of Dreams; this is reality. The lesson is about perseverence. Ben stepped up to the plate, kept his eye on the ball, and just kept swinging until he got it right. It was his perserverence which powered him towards standing proudly on first base.

But it takes more than only perseverence as one runs around the bases of life. Added to perseverence, Ben had passion. It was passion which drove Ben to second base and throughout his life.

Indeed, Ben was driven, but what was the driving force behind the perseverence and the passion? It was the desire to prove himself. The proving of his metal drove him around the bases of life. From the sting of a second grade school teacher who said Ben would always be just a "C" student, to the onset of diabetes at 13, and a motorcycle wreck at 16, Ben set out to prove he was more than a sickly, barely-get-by kind of guy.

He became an Eagle Scout. He taught himself to play nearly every instrument in the band. In college he proved that teacher wrong, earning commendation and awards for excellence as a student. The proving of his metal continued in running marathons and in 100-mile bike races. Whatever Ben pursued, it was his proving which drove him.

But, there is more which drove him. Ben knew that perseverence, passion, and the desire to prove himself were not enough. For what good are perseverence and passion without understanding the purpose? And, what good is proving one's self if it is not for a heavenly cause?

Ben talked about going to Heaven. It was the prize towards which he passionately ran. Yet, while running for the prize, he understood the purpose for running. Ben understood that we are not only prize driven, but purpose driven. We are called to run according to God's plan, setting our purpose in Christ's purpose.

The only way to dream of Heaven is to be purpose driven. The Apostle Paul in his desire to share obtain eternal life, wrote, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Paul, in his desire for Heaven knew there was a purposeful process towards attaining it. Paul sought the "fellowship of sharing in Christ's sufferings, becoming like Him in His death." Paul purposefully strove to become more like Christ until the day of "taking hold of that for which Christ took hold of (him)." (Phil. 3)

Paul also teaches us, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. There is the purpose which leads to the prize of Heaven. When Christ is our life, God is pleased to give the prize to those who have persevered in the purpose of His calling. (Col. 3)

May we, like Ben, persevere with passion, proving the promises and the purposes of God. May we hold to all which God has purposed for us in this life while trusting Him for the glorious prize in the next life. Like Ben, we can look towards the Great Day Coming as a means not only to make it to first base, but to make it to second and to third base. And, finally, may we make it safely home.

I can see more clearly now. Thank you, Ben.

THE LIMITS OF GOD'S GRACE

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A once-popular TV show celebrated stretching the limits of the law. Its theme song made folk heroes of two good ol' boys," making their way the only way they know how. That's just a little bit more than the law will allow."

The premise was two guys trying to slip past the long arm of the law. The twist was that the long arm of the law was crooked. The local judge was more corrupt than the good ol' boys. The plot depended on the sheriff, who pandered to the judge and was too stupid to know the law.

The idea is not very far removed from the lives of God's people. Sometimes we're like good ol' boys, just trying to get by with a little bit more than God will allow. The difference is our Judge is NOT corrupt! He cannot be fooled. We cannot slip one sin past God. So many tried and failed.

Adam and Eve tried to get by with one more fruit than God would allow.

Nadab and Abihu tried to get by with one more fire than God would allow.

Israel often tried to get by with one more idol than God would allow.

And, David tried to get by with one more sin than God would allow.

Psalms 36:3-4, warns against the mindset of trying to slip sin past God. Such a one "has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil."

When Christians do not despise evil, we stretch the limits of God's grace. Sometimes we believe we can slip a sin or two past God. We may stretch the law for ourselves, believing a prideful or unforgiving spirit is not wrong. Christians may stretch the law concerning worship, thinking it is not wrong. We may stretch the law concerning idolatry, believing our dependence on worldly pleasures is not wrong. We may stretch the law for others, not telling them their fornication or unscriptural marriage is wrong.

While God's grace is sufficient to cover any sin, there are limits to His grace. The sins which we willingly commit and stubbornly refuse to confess, exceed the limits of God's grace.

Give it up! It's time to come clean before the Judge. Remember, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). For those who come clean before God, "in the future there is laid up for (us) the Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award (us) on that day" (II Tim. 4:8).

PURPOSED FOR HEAVEN

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The final discourse of Christ in the hours prior to His crucifixion, is the intimate instilling of all which the Apostles must know to sustain Christ’s mission. Remember, the Twelve had not long known Jesus, yet they became His intimate family. Could they know how much their lives would change by following Jesus? The Twelve had to understand, “The time of My departure has come” (II Timothy 4:6). How could He make them understand?

Quite intriguing are Jesus’ oft-repeated words, “I tell you the truth." Jesus, the embodiment of Truth, validated His words with, “I tell you the truth.” To weight the keys of the gospel, Christ emphasized, “I tell you the truth.”

Jesus prefaced every teaching with those words, except for once. Speaking of the way He will prepare for His own to reach Heaven, Jesus says, “If it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2). Jesus wants the Apostles to be convinced, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” Because Jesus knew full well how the Apostles’ lives would change after His resurrection, He wanted them to be assured of their eternal reward. If Heaven merited Jesus’ double emphasis within the final discourse with the Apostles, why doesn’t the Bible tell us more? Wouldn’t a greater revelation of Heaven instill a greater desire to obtain Heaven? I believe we are told no more because God knows our nature to seek the highest and best for ones’ self. Simply put, we hold well to the notion of keeping our eyes on the prize. We are prize driven, rather than purpose driven!

Publishers’ Clearing House proves our prize-driven nature. How many people subscribe to magazines because of a slimmer-than-slim chance of winning ten million dollars? We are told, “No purchase is necessary to win!”, but we think the odds have to be better by subscribing. We buy for the remotest chance of winning. However, how many people find it hard to subscribe to an assured home in Heaven, guaranteed by the immutable promises of God?

Yes, within our earthly nature we are prize driven. In Matthew 13, we read Jesus’ parable of the hidden treasure. “The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who found it sold all he had to buy the field.” Would the man have purchased the land just to toil in it, without the treasure? Likely not; the prize alone made the land worth all he had.

While longing for the prize, we are to be purpose driven; that is to be “called according to His purpose.” Thus, the only way to dream of Heaven is to set our purpose upon Jesus’ purpose. For “many are the purposes of man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). It is easier to know the purpose of a man’s heart, but it is only fine “to be zealous, provided the purpose is good” (Galatians 4:18); that is, a purpose which is of God.

What is driving our lives? What is getting in the way of Christ's purpose?While longing for Heaven are we seeking only the prize, or are we seeking to fulfill Christ’s purpose? Too often, we are zealous to buy earthly treasures we don’t need with money we don’t have. In the striving for earth’s prizes there is too little left of ourselves to purpose our lives towards Heaven.

One of the most rewarding transitions of my life has been losing the desire to acquire all the shiny big-boy toys, parked in the mega-garage of my pseudo-mansion, while I’m away on a two-week cruise. Are we willing to forfeit our earthly treasures? Consider how much time is spent by taking care of our toys. Many of them require more trouble than the pleasure we gain from them. Consider the amount of anxiety we have in acquiring more, and the worry over losing it. Perhaps, it is time to shed the burden of the boat, the extra cars and second home. In doing so, there is room for Christ’s purpose. Remember, it is only fine “to be zealous, provided the purpose is good;” that is a purpose which is of God.
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FAILURE IS NOT FINAL - II

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We can never know when the simplest of well-chosen words of encouragement can change another person’s life. Such words were spoken a few years ago in a sermon by Neale T Pryor.

Neale, though sadly now burdened by Alzheimer’s, was then an intriguing blend of a wise, gentle grandpa mixed with the eye-twinkling mischief of a kid. He held the confident aura derived from a lifelong devotion to God, fused with the warmth of a treasured friend. Listening to him was akin to an afternoon of sitting on the porch with my soft-spoken grandpa, sharing old family stories. When God, through Neale, spoke a message of confident hope in the promised glories of Heaven, the simple phrase, “failure is not final”, became a rich assurance of God’s grace.

The phrase, “failure is not final” was a balm to my broken spirit. The words were the first impression, the first hope I would find solid ground beneath my feet, launching my next steps towards higher ground. While today the view is bright, it is worthwhile to return to Neale’s message. There will be failures, and if in those failures the cold vacuum of depression draws the light from me again, I must remember that in Christ, failure truly is not final.

Remembering the scriptural call to remain faithful unto the end, if in the time of failure it is also the time God calls me home, shall I fear the judgment? If I have been faithful to the end, there will be no fear, for “the message of the empty tomb is, failure is not final.”

While King David was often troubled by his failures, he purposed to build the temple for God. But, it was not within God’s plan for David to build the temple. Similarly, as I have purposed to do good for God, if I fail, I will hear the same words God spoke to David. “You did well that you had it in your heart” (I Kings. 8:18).

That scripture is a precious assurance of my redemption by the grace of God. It should be an assurance to every Christian. As we press on in Christ, we should not be anxious even in failure, for it is well that we purposed in our hearts to do good. The judgment of our lives will not be in the number of our steps, or of how many steps were successful. Rather, His Righteous Judgment will assess the direction of our journeys and the intention of our hearts.

Certainly, as we press on to higher ground will be setbacks. Yet, in the setbacks, hope through the all-sufficiency of Christ must not be abandoned. Daily, we must trust the assurance, “failure is not final!”
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