4 Minute Devotions: Gospel Musketeers

Alexandre Dumas' famous Musketeers have been a favorite of mine since I was a boy. Their motto "All for One, and One for All" is a great message for our churches today. Christ died for all, so therefore all should live for Him.

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I always wanted to be a musketeer. Alexandre Dumas’ story of D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers has enthralled me since I was a boy. I think I first saw them fighting together in the 1939 movie, “The Man in the Iron Mask” which starred Warren William in the lead role. I was captivated by their sword fighting skills and camaraderie. It was an exciting swashbuckler from beginning to end and I knew that after it was over, I had to become a musketeer.

Ever since then, I think I’ve seen almost every movie about the Musketeers, even the Chinese version, as well as a French cartoon series. I just love their fight for justice and every time I hear those famous words, “One for All, and All for One,” I want to jump out of my seat and join them. It’s a wonderful moment which epitomizes everything that is noble, faithful, and true about friendship.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

I also feel this each time I read Paul’s message about Christ dying for all. He is the One who died for all of us; therefore all of us should live for Christ alone. It’s the same musketeer message and I sometimes wonder if Dumas came up with his idea through reading the same scripture.

This is what makes me want to be part of a church, too. I’m not a Christian just for myself. I want to belong to a fellowship of faith where friendship can be experienced in the worship, service, and communal devotion to God. It’s a beautiful feeling and when the benediction is spoken and shared, it’s as if the whole congregation is saying, “One for All, and All for One.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died for all and we are so enthralled with Your sacrifice that we want to share Your message with other people. Help us to overcome our fears about being Your messengers; enable us instead to become Your musketeers of the Gospel, fearlessly defending Your words and faithfully serving Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Thanks, Friend

I once saw an elderly man get hit by a double decker bus. It happened in the middle of Glasgow many years ago. I was returning home from an all night party with a bunch of friends. The old man was coming towards us and he got clipped by the outside wing mirror of the bus. It sent him sprawling to the ground and he ended up in the gutter.

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Bible Verse of the Day
Ecclesiastes 4:10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Everybody gathered around him in a circle, but nobody knew who he was and he just laid there, stunned. Something instinctively told me to get down on my knees, make him comfortable and sit with him. I held his hands and wiped his brow a couple of times and quietly spoke to him. He was petrified and shocked. I was worried that he was going to lose consciousness, which may have caused him greater damage.

So I talked to him about football, about the weather, and about who he was. His name was Alex and he lived on his own. it was getting cold, so I took my jacket off to keep him warm and someone else gave me a jacket to prop up his head. There were tears coming down his face and I thought it was because of the pain. When I asked him if he was sore, he said, “No, I’m weeping because you’re the first person who has talked to me in a long time.”

Pretty soon, we could all hear the sirens of the paramedic teams arriving. They quickly took over, bundled him up, and put Alex on a stretcher. Just before they left, Alex held out his hand to me. He looked me in the eye and quietly said, “Thanks, friend.”

Everyone needs a friend. There are lots of lonely people in the world who just need a kind word and a smile, a short conversation, and a moment of encouragement. Wherever we go and whosoever we meet, let’s try to be a friend.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are times in our lives when we feel lonely and isolated, vulnerable and alone. Grant us good friends who will support and help us, encourage and love us. May we also be friends to those who are alone and reach out to those whom we would normally pass by. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

An Old Friend

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Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

I visited an old friend this morning. I shared some happy memories with him and even shed a few tears. I talked quietly with him and fondly remembered some of the things that we did in church. I thanked him for the years of friendship and support that had helped me become a better person and, hopefully, a better pastor.

It was such a lovely morning. The sky was a wee bit grey and overcast, but there was a beautiful breeze wafting over the hill where I stood. A woodpecker was busily hammering away at an old tree, trying to get its breakfast. In the distance I could hear some traffic, but none that was too intrusive to the sacred quietness that my friend and I were experiencing.

After sharing some happy thoughts and few silly jokes, it was time to say farewell. That’s when the memories flooded over me and took me back, six years ago to the very day. Whilst the entire world was going to hell and the Twin Towers came crashing down to the ground, I was tearfully holding the hand of David Thompson with his wife Linda. We both felt paralyzed and powerless as we watched his life ebb gently away. All the machines in the hospital ward were slowing down and flat lining. The time in between each monitor beep told us that everything was shutting down. David was dying and there was nothing that we could do.

So, this morning, I went to talk to David at the cemetery. It’s how I cope with 9-11. Instead of remaining vindictive and angry, vengeful and enraged at what the terrorists did to us all of those years ago, I remember and esteem the life and death of one of my best friends. I don’t dwell on the evil and let it roast my heart; I think of the friendship that I once knew, and hold on to the hope that through our shared faith, David and I will one day meet each other in heaven.

“So long, David,” I prayerfully whispered. “I’ll see you again, someday.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I choose to remember life and not death. I choose friendship over foes, happiness over hostility, and faith over fanaticism. Thank You for these blessings and gifts. In Your Holy Name, I cheerfully pray. Amen.