I had a challenge in front of me. My wife would be away all day Sunday visiting
a friend, and that left me the privilege of being "Mr. Mom"!
I wanted it to be a special day for my boys, who were 7 and 9 at the time, so I
announced our plans days in advance. After church we would eat bullfrog
sandwiches, then we would go to the regional snail race.
Their response was a little less enthusiastic than I had anticipated: "Bullfrog
sandwiches? Yuck!" "Snail race? Sounds boring!"
Had I made the wrong decisions?
The day arrived and my wife left behind two teary-eyed kids. "I miss mom!" Cried
one. "Me too!" Chimed in the other one.
Hum. The day wasn't going quite as I had planned it! "Remember the bullfrog
sandwiches and the snail race?" I suggested, trying to lift their spirits.
More wailing! Will I ever be able to fill my wife's shoes? Being Mr. Mom seems
to have only worked well on T.V.!
When church was over, we headed out for our first stop: Perkins. Funny how my
boys' expressions changed when we pulled in . . . "You didn't really mean
bullfrog sandwiches, did you Papa?" They challenged.
The stacks of syrup-covered pancakes perked them up significantly. Actually, I
think it was more like pancakes floating in syrup-soup! And not once during our
stay in this bullfrog restaurant did I hear: "I miss mom!" I was in heaven.
There was hope for me after all!
Upon finishing our meal, I was challenged with a question: There isn't really
such a thing as a snail race, is there?" I smiled and ushered them into the van.
When we arrived at our next stop, both of their eyes opened up wide: "The
cinema?" They asked, excitement mounting in their voices. "The 'snail race' is a
movie?"
"They had no choice but to tape the snail race, otherwise you wouldn't have been
able to see anything," I responded as I bought the tickets.
My boys stood on tiptoes to catch the name of the movie on the tickets. "Spykids
3!!! Alright!" They shouted, jumping up and down in excitement. Then they
snatched up the required three-dimensional glasses and raced to take their
seats.
I took a pair of the special glasses as well, but I wasn't quite as enthusiastic
about it! Since I only see through one eye, these kind of glasses are completely
ineffective for me. I tried them on anyway, over the top of my regular glasses.
I looked quite the sight, believe me, but all I saw was fast-moving blurs, and
when I took them back off, it was even worse. I closed my eyes, trying to
concentrate on the dialogue, but without the visual effects, I couldn't follow
the story plot, and I was soon having the battle of my life just to stay awake!
My boys on the other hand, were completely caught up in the movie's plot and
were enjoying themselves completely. They could see. What was nothing but a blur
to me was clear to them, and it made all the difference in the world!
Later, as I pondered over my experience of that day, I realized that often the
gospel message is portrayed in such a way that you need "additions"-"3-D
glasses" if you wish, to embrace it. Many preach that you need to DO something
to be saved. But nowhere in my Bible do I see Jesus or His disciples presenting
anything but a simple gospel message, one that doesn't need any special
"requirement" to comprehend: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins
may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3: 19
NIV); and "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,
which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you
are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have
believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor 15:1-4
NIV).
Friends, there are NO 3-D glasses to put on, or anything else for that matter!
We cannot do anything to save ourselves: "For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not
by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV). Just like the 3-D
glasses completely blur the vision of someone who sees through only one eye, the
importance of works completely clouds the gospel message! And God has some
pretty harsh words to say to these pushes of "3-D glasses": "Woe to you,
teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea
to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a
son of hell as you are." (Matthew 23: 15 NIV)
Remember, the gospel message is simple and clear. It's a message of grace. Jesus
died in our stead and rose on the third day. Forgiveness can only be obtained
through Him. Works aren't what saves us. Jesus did it all for us! We don't
deserve it, but God loved us so much that He made it possible. He's the One who
deserves the praise!
Wow! This is a message worth sharing with everyone!
Would you like to eat a bullfrog sandwich and watch a snail race? Why not share
these with others?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.