Following World War II some German students volunteered to help rebuild a cathedral in England, one that had been badly damaged by the Luftwaffe bombings. As the work progressed, they weren’t sure how to best restore a large statue of Jesus with arms outstretched and bearing the familiar inscription, “Come unto me.”

They were able to repair all the damage to the statue except for Christ’s hands which had been completely destroyed. Should they even attempt to rebuild these?

Finally, the workers reached a decision that still stands today. They decided to leave the hands off and changed the inscription to read: “Christ has no hands but ours.”

While Christ paid the price of and purchased our salvation on the cross with his life, he left the “hands on” work of building his kingdom in your hands and mine. We are his representatives and, for many, the only Christ they will ever see is “the Christ” in you and in me. A poster on the office wall at Wheaton College says it all:

“The living truth is what I long to see,

I cannot live on what used to be,

So close your Bible and show me how

The Christ you talk about is living now.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please use ‘my hands’ and help me to be as Christ, first to my loved ones, and then to whomever you bring in to my life today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)(NLT).

Roger Perkins wrote how he “once encountered a ruffled grouse in the woods of Montana. She was close and feigned having a broken wing and unable to fly. She would run ahead of me and look back to make sure I followed. Her purpose was to lead me away from her chicks who were somewhere nearby, although I couldn’t see them. This is a common ploy among mother wild game birds. I am capable of the same thing in my life and have done it on occasion. I have to keep on constant guard.”

What Roger is saying is that it is very easy to be led astray by rationalizing tempting thoughts and allowing them to lead us astray, and then justifying our actions when we chose to do something that we know in our heart is wrong.

As the Apostle Paul advised, we need to be constantly on guard against our own deceptive thoughts, rationalizations, and actions because Satan will never give up on seeking to lead us away from God. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in the words of the hymn writer, I, too, am ‘Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love / Here’s my heart, O take and seal it / Seal it for Thy courts above.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT).

2. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV).

Recently when Joy and I were returning from vacation, we were coming home via Denver, Colorado, when our plane was about to land, the pilot made an announcement that there was a problem with the plane that needed to be attended to prior to landing. The plane returned to a higher altitude and circled for what seemed like an eternity before we heard any further announcements. Finally, the pilot informed us that the problem was with the airplane’s brakes and that they had it under control, but we would be landing on the runway that was designed and used for space craft landings—a runway that was 16,000 feet long which is getting close to three miles long. Were we nervous?

Certainly we were anxious and more so when coming in to land, we noticed quite a few emergency vehicles lining the runway just in case. When we landed safely, all passengers were certainly relieved (and thankful) as we applauded the pilot’s safe landing of the big jetliner.

In an emergency like this, one can’t help but wonder what was going on in the mind of every passenger. How many, like Joy and myself, were praying for God’s protection and a safe landing? And how many were praying perhaps for the first time in their life? And what were the thoughts going through the minds of every passenger knowing that there was a possibility that we may be facing death? Even for Joy and myself, who have complete confidence in knowing that when death occurs, we will be in God’s hands and go directly to Heaven, it was still a very sobering thought that our lives might be suddenly ended. It did make me realize that I need to get all my effects in order because one day my end will come.

I was vividly reminded of the lady I was asked to visit in the hospital some time back. She needed a minister because she was facing the end and was terrified to die. She had fought sleep for days because she was afraid that if she went to sleep, she would never awake. Tragically, when I visited her, she had already fallen asleep and never did awaken, so I never did get to see her to share God’s love for her and the hope in Jesus Christ.

How tragically sad because nobody has to leave earth without the assurance of God’s forgiveness and a home in Heaven. Thus, if you are not absolutely sure that you are ready for life beyond life, be sure to read the article, “Passport for Heaven” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/passport.php.

Passport for Heaven …

Whatever you do, don’t leave earth without it!

See it at: https://learning.actsweb.org/passport.php

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the gift or your Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins, so that I can be fully forgiven and receive your gift of eternal life to be with you in Heaven forever after my life on earth is over. Please help me to be absolutely certain that I have received your forgiveness and that my name is written in your book of life—for life beyond death. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For additional help, read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” online at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).

John Ruskin wrote, “God has lent us the earth for our life. It belongs as much to those who are to come after us and those whose names are already written in the book of creation, as to us; and we have no right, by anything that we do, or neglect, to involve them in unnecessary penalties, or deprive them of benefits that are in our power to bequeath.”

We know that it isn’t God’s goal to save the world as it now is, but to save people from it. And we know that in the end times God is going to create a new earth and a new heaven.² In the meantime, however, that doesn’t give any person or nation the right to damage the earth, because God has entrusted the keeping of it and everything in it to mankind. We are therefore responsible for doing just that. The world is not ours. We are to be caretakers of it, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”³

I’m not suggesting that we be obsessive and/or fanatical in this area as some (or many) are today, but that we all be responsible.

Suggested prayer: “Thank you, God, for the beauty of the earth and all that is therein, and, as a citizen of heaven, please help me to be a responsible citizen of earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Genesis 1:26 (NIV).

2. Revelation 21:1.

3. Psalm 24:1 (NIV).