From Gary... Don't leave the job undone

Now, here is something that I haven't seen in awhile: FALL!!!  Such COLOR!!!  I can almost feel that dry cold of late Autumn!!!  But, wait, something is wrong here... look at the steps.  Someone started to clean them off but did not finish.  Makes you wonder why, doesn't it?  For me, the "why" is answered in two passages of scripture, as follows...

2 Kings, Chapter 13

14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness of which he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 

  15  Elisha said to him, “Take bow and arrows”; and he took to him bow and arrows.  16 He said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow”; and he put his hand on it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.  17 He said, “Open the window eastward”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. He said, “Yahweh’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you shall strike the Syrians in Aphek, until you have consumed them.” 

  18  He said, “Take the arrows”; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; and he struck three times, and stopped.  19 The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it, whereas now you shall strike Syria just three times.” 

AND...

Luke, Chapter 18

  18  A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 

  19  Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God.   20  You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 

  21  He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.” 

  22  When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.” 

  23  But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. 

  24  Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!  25  For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” 

  26  Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 

  27  But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” 

Two seemingly unrelated passages of Scripture have something in common- in both of them someone did not possess the heart to follow God fully.  They only half-heartedly obeyed God- they left the tasks before them undone.  Their problem was not with opportunity, it was obedience.  Today, things are not different.  People follow God as long as it doesn't cost them anything.  When a genuine call to commitment and obedience presents itself  they fail to obey God.  You many hear about God, and believe that HE exists, but if you don't do what he has commanded and TURN FROM SIN and OBEY HIS WILL, you will never truly become a Christian, let alone enter the pearly gates.  At this point, open your Bible and read Acts chapter two, then obey as they obeyed.  And keep on doing the other examples of obedience you will find in the New Testament; don't stop until we meet in heaven!!!  Remember, don't leave the job undone!!!!