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And these all, having obtained a good report through faith… – Hebrews 11:39

After the South lost the US Civil War, John Wilkes Booth wanted to be remembered as its avenger against North. Some scholars speculate that because he was an actor, Booth’s planned assassination of President Lincoln was, in his mind, his greatest “performance”.

Ironically, John Wilkes Booth’s place in history is that of a villain. He is remembered for taking the life of an unarmed Lincoln with a gunshot to the back of the head. In contast, Abraham Lincoln is remembered as the president who preserved the Union, freed slaves, and exhibited “malice toward none and charity for all”.

The redeemed sinners listed in Hebrews 11 are all remembered for one common virtue: “All these… obtained a good testimony of faith”. Long after their deaths, the record of their lives of faith and obedience still inspire us today.

Few of us will be recorded in history books after we leave this world. But all of us will leave behind memories with our families and friends. Those closest to us are watching our response to God through time of testing and blessing.

Are we living in faith and obedience to Him? What will be the legacy of our life?

Even after we have left
This earthly scene below,
The witness of our life can speak
Of Christ, whom all can know.

The memory of a godly life speaks more eloquently than words.

In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. – Psalms 94:19

Have you been passing through a time when you are tired of body and sick of heart? Do you find it difficult to focus your mind on biblical promises? Has it become hard for you to pray? Don’t write yourself off as a spiritual castaway. You are joining a host of God’s people who have experienced the dark night of the soul.

When we endure such times, all we can do — indeed, all we need do — is lie still like a child in the arms of our heavenly Father. Words aren’t necessary. A comforting father doesn’t expect his child to make speeches. Neither does God. He knows we need His soothing care. In times of trouble, His mercy holds us up (Ps. 94:18). We may trust Him to carry us through that dark night of the soul and on into the dawning light.

Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild;
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

When we have nothing left but God, we’ll find that God is enough.

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. - Revelation 3:1

It happened more than 30 years ago but it still hurts. During a period of spiritual rebellion, I ran into a young man I had introduced to Christ. He was stunned to discover that I had walked away from the Lord and was no longer the person he had known. It is one of my most regretted experiences, and I still pray for an opportunity to make it right with him.

During those wandering years, I would have fit in comfortably as a member of the First Church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6). My dilemma, like theirs, was that people thought I was the person I used to be.

The risen Lord confronted the church in Sardis: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:1-2).

Their reputation for being alive didn’t match reality. They were spiritually dead. But there was still hope. The Lord told them to wake up and fan the spark of spiritual life still in them. “Hold fast and repent,” He warned (verse 3).

Pretending to be what we aren’t is a heavy burden to bear. Our Lord calls us to lay it down, repent, come back to Him, and live – David McCasland

O Lord, return to me Your power
That once by grace I knew;
Forgive the sin that grieved Your heart
And help me to be true.

No matter how far you’ve run from God, He’s only a prayer away.

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. – Matthew 16:16

When writing on the life of Simon Peter, songwriter and author Michael Card described the apostle as “a fragile stone.” It is a term filled with contrast, yet one that aptly describes Peter.

Throughout Peter’s life, we see this contrast lived out as he displayed moments of courage followed by spiritual failure. After his declaration of Christ as the Son of God, Jesus said to him, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). A rock. A stone. Peter, whose name means “a small stone,” proved to be fragile when he tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross, and when he denied Him three times after His arrest.

Peter, the “fragile stone,” reminds us that no amount of personal strength or talent can make us adequate for this life and its challenges. Only as we rest in the strength of Christ will we find His provision. When we acknowledge our frailty and dependence on Him, Christ’s strength can empower us for the troubles life throws our way.

Like Peter, we are all “fragile stones.” How grateful we can be for His strength that is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

God uses weakness to reveal
His great sufficiency;
So if we let Him work through us,
His power we will see.

Only when we acknowledge our weakness can we be strong in the Lord.

Microchips are now fixed to car windshields as toll-paying devices, on “contactless” payment cards (Chase’s “Blink,” or MasterCard’s “PayPass”). They’re embedded in Michelin tires, library books, passports and, unbeknownst to many consumers, on a host of individual items at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

Some critics saw the implants as the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy that describes an age of evil in which humans are forced to take the “Mark of the Beast” on their bodies, to buy or sell anything. Others saw it as a big step toward the creation of a Big-Brother society.

Full article on cnn.com

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Verichip

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Related article: Real ID + Microchip implants