August 10, 2009
Christ for Clunkers!
By Pastor George Van Alstine
When you bought that big slick suv, it seemed to be a smart investment. Just the thing for an active, adventure-loving, urbane, post-modern young adult. Your friends and neighbors envied you.
Now they’re calling it a “clunker” and offering large cash incentives to get it out of circulation. Its eight-miles-to-the-gallon is an ecological insult and an economic drag on your malnourished bank account. It is not considered fit to be on the road.
Your life is kind of like that. It once seemed that you had infinite gas in your tank. You lived fast and hard and spent freely, yet you always seemed to have more energy, more potential to earn money, and unlimited ability to experience the pleasures of life.
But now that a few years have passed, and you have a better sense of what is lasting and valuable, your life appears to look like a bit of a clunker. Your mileage seems more and more inefficient, and it feels as if your resources may be running out. Nobody seems to be buying what once was a popular model.
Well, I’ve got news for you! God’s spiritual stimulus program is in effect, and he’s offering to redeem old clunkers. No joke—he’s offering to trade you in for a smart new state-of-the-art efficient model! There’s no catch to it; it’s real.
The Apostle Paul told about his own redemption:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to redeem clunkers, of whom I am the clunkiest. By his mercy, the old me has been replaced by a new display model, as an encouragement to other clunkers, so that they may take advantage of his offer.” (ad lib translation of 1 Timothy 1:15-16)
This is a limited-time offer. Act now to take advantage of God’s spiritual stimulus!
Correction: Last week I quoted from the song “Whistle a Happy Tune” and attributed it to the Broadway show “My Fair Lady.” Actually, it is from “The King and I.” Congratulations to Carol Wagner for finding the error. (Actually, this was a test to see who reads my Messenger articles. Apparently, only Carol does.) —Pastor George Van Alstine