Month: <span>March 2008</span>

By: John Grant
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“He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.”
(Acts 16:30-32)

Spring training has begun and the beginning of the baseball season follows in a few days. Every team starts out with a fresh start. What they did last season is history. Each season is a new beginning. Each team has the goal of winning their league’s pennant and then winning four games in the World Series to make them the champion team.

A team wins a game by scoring more runs than the opposition, but there are a plethora of rules that have to be followed. I once heard of a World Series game that was the seventh of the series and whoever won it would win the championship. A batter clobbered the ball and sent it over the fence for a home run.

The batter trotted around the bases and when he tagged home plate, the hometown crown erupted in cheers, but the cheering ceased when the umpire called the runner out. How could this be? He had hit a home run, but the umpire said he was out because he had failed to tag first base.

There is a spiritual parallel here. Some day we will approach the home plate of heaven and the great umpire of the universe will call us “in� or “out.� It will not matter how hard we hit the ball of life. What will matter is whether we have tagged the proper base.

We can tag the second base of church membership and involvement. We can tag the third base of good works, but what really matters is whether we have tagged the first base of salvation .Many people go through life as good people, doing good works, involved in their church, but failing to tag the first base of salvation through giving their all to Jesus.

We all need to make sure that we have tagged that base in our lives. It is not a matter of who we are, but whose we are. Some day we will all cross the home plate of eternity and we should all be prepared to answer by what right do we have to be called “in� rather than “out,� and our answer should be that we are in because we have given our life to Christ. Have you tagged the fist base of salvation? If not, make sure you do so today.
                            (a thought on life from John Grant)

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John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney.
He is an active writer and frequent speaker.  He can be reached by e-mail at: John.Grant@johngrant.net

by John Grant
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“Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.� (Nahum 1:15)

For many ladies, birthdays are not necessarily something to look forward to and being a year older is something not always to be celebrated, especially when the first digit  rolls over to a higher number and most would prefer to not identify their age.

Well, it’s not that way around our house, as we remember twenty years ago when Beverley faced cancer and an uncertain survival prognosis. We would not wish our experience on our worst enemy, but we wouldn’t take a million dollars for the experience we had to grow in our family and in our faith. Thanks to good doctors, excellent care and most importantly a lot of prayer and the grace of God, she is still here.

So, we both love to celebrate her birthdays and last week was no exception, especially since it was her twentieth cancer free birthday. I tried to think of something special and memorable, so I booked a ride for the two of us in a 1931 antique bi-plane. This particular aircraft had an interesting history including being seized by the government for hauling illegal alcohol during prohibition.

We donned scarfs, goggles and heavy clothing as we climbed in the cockpit on a brisk and windy winter day. We did lazy eight’s and a few other mild acrobatic maneuvers and thought how blessed we were to be able to do it together. 

It was a memorable experience and a real celebration, but once on the ground I thought about all we have to be so thankful about. Every day is a gift and truly we are blessed. The Bible refers to celebration fifty-seven times. So, as you go about your schedule this week, remember that you don’t have to have a special occasion to celebrate.

Thank God for each day and each blessing and celebrate life to the fullest.  
(a thought on life from John Grant )

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John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney. He is an active writer and frequent speaker.  He can be reached by e-mail at: John.Grant@johngrant.net