IS THIS THE CLEANERS?
Sometimes things just strike me funny. One of those times happened last week.
It was early in the afternoon, and I was leaving the church office to make a hospital visit. As I was getting into my car, a lady pulled into our parking lot. I could tell by the way she was looking around that she wasn’t sure where she was. She put her window down, and I said, “May I help you?” She replied by asking, “Is this the cleaners?”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little, and I said, “No ma’am, it’s not. If you will go back down to the corner of our lot, just past our big church sign, and turn left, you will find it just up the hill on the left.” I watched as she drove away, and sure enough, she found the Seymour Dry Cleaners.
Our building doesn’t look very “churchy,” but I thought the big sign on the corner might have given us away. I guess she didn’t see it.
In retrospect, perhaps my reply should have been, “Sure is. Come on in, and let’s talk.”
We live in a sin-sick world. We are surrounded by moral, political, and sometimes even religious pollution. What should we do? Ignore it? Join in? Wring our hands in despair? None of the above!
Following the example of Jesus, we must live correctly and speak courageously. Luke began the book of Acts by saying, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). Jesus did and taught. He walked and talked. Those who things complimented one another.
We must, by deed and word, let people know that Jesus is the One who can make them clean. His blood is the most powerful cleansing agent ever.
Speaking to some who had practiced every sin imaginable (see 1 Cor. 6:9-10), Paul wrote, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). This happened when they heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:38).
I’m reminded of the words to a song written by Anna Waterman ca. 1920.
Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.
Come to think of it, this is the cleaners. At least we know how to put people in contact with the One who can “make the vilest sinner clean.”
Wonder if we should change our sign?
Sometimes things just strike me funny. One of those times happened last week.
It was early in the afternoon, and I was leaving the church office to make a hospital visit. As I was getting into my car, a lady pulled into our parking lot. I could tell by the way she was looking around that she wasn’t sure where she was. She put her window down, and I said, “May I help you?” She replied by asking, “Is this the cleaners?”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little, and I said, “No ma’am, it’s not. If you will go back down to the corner of our lot, just past our big church sign, and turn left, you will find it just up the hill on the left.” I watched as she drove away, and sure enough, she found the Seymour Dry Cleaners.
Our building doesn’t look very “churchy,” but I thought the big sign on the corner might have given us away. I guess she didn’t see it.
In retrospect, perhaps my reply should have been, “Sure is. Come on in, and let’s talk.”
We live in a sin-sick world. We are surrounded by moral, political, and sometimes even religious pollution. What should we do? Ignore it? Join in? Wring our hands in despair? None of the above!
Following the example of Jesus, we must live correctly and speak courageously. Luke began the book of Acts by saying, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). Jesus did and taught. He walked and talked. Those who things complimented one another.
We must, by deed and word, let people know that Jesus is the One who can make them clean. His blood is the most powerful cleansing agent ever.
Speaking to some who had practiced every sin imaginable (see 1 Cor. 6:9-10), Paul wrote, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). This happened when they heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:38).
I’m reminded of the words to a song written by Anna Waterman ca. 1920.
Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.
Come to think of it, this is the cleaners. At least we know how to put people in contact with the One who can “make the vilest sinner clean.”
Wonder if we should change our sign?
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