Inspiration
Spirituality And Faith
We cannot live only on hope. But neither can we live without it. Nobody knew this better than John Chapman.
John Chapman was a man of great hope. He was born in 1774 in Massachusetts. In the early 1800's he got in on the opening of land in the Northwest Territory, as it was then called, of the new United States. He found small plots of land suitable for farming and cleared them by hand. He bought fruit seed in Pennsylvania every year and carried it to his many apple orchards, usually on his back.
When the trees were large enough to transplant, he sold them to settlers homesteading the West. Eventually, he had little apple orchards spread around what would become the states of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Most people forgot, or never knew, his real name, and took to calling him Johnny the Apple Man or Johnny Appleseed.
Johnny was a gentle man with a big vision. He was liked by most people who knew him, the native Indians and white settlers alike. His vision was to spread the goodness of apple trees everywhere people settled. Apples, he believed, gave the promise of harvest and hope that the wilderness would become home. Every tree he grew was a symbol of hope.
Johnny had another curious habit. He loved books, but did not have the means to carry more than two, usually a Bible and a book of inspiration or theology. Because Johnny wanted to share his books, he carefully cut chapters out of whatever inspirational book he had available and loaned one or two chapters to families that wanted to read. He'd later swap those chapters for others when he came back through. In this way he left hope and encouragement wherever he traveled.
His grave can be found today in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It says, "Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman). He lived for others."
Johnny understood his greatest task in life: to keep hope alive. When we keep hope alive, then hope keeps us alive.
~ Steve Goodier ~
Did you know the day is comingWhen you’ll stand before God’s Throne?If you haven’t found the SaviourYou’ll be naked there – alone –With no Advocate to plead for youNo mercy will be shownGod will demand you pay the priceFor the sin you can’t disownThe book of your life will be openedRevealed for all to seeThe things that you have done in secretWill be judged – without a plea!They’ll be shouted from the housetopsWhat shame and pain there’ll be!For the sins of this life you’ll pay the priceFor all eternityEach day of your life will be looked atAt all you’ve thought, said and doneGod’s faithfully recorded each momentAnd your “good works” are counted as dung;He knows the very day you were enlightenedThe day you rejected His SonChrist is the Light that lightens each manThat enters this world – every one!You may stand well in the eyes of menBefore God you don’t stand a chanceHe says that all men have sinned and come shortAt your good works He’ll give not a glanceHe says your righteousness is filthy ragsYou can even give your body to be burnedYou can give your goods to feed the poorBut salvation cannot be earnedI hear you protest of how kind you’ve been,Of how you’ve helped many a soul,You’ve maybe tried to keep the lawGood citizenship’s been your goalYour self-righteousness is pride in God’s eyesHe sees the motives withinYou’ve done quite well for yourself in lifeBut in God’s eyes – this is sin!You forget the lies you have told o’er the yearsHe doesn’t! – He knows every one!He sees the selfishness, nastiness,The devious deeds you have done:The pride, the bitterness, critical thoughtsThe secret lust of your heartDon’t tell me you’ve never known any of this!God remembers it all from the startWhen you stand before God on that Judgment Day‘Twill be far too late to repent,God sent His own Son to save this worldOn the Cross His Life Blood was spentHe gladly paid the price for your sinBut God’s justice must finally prevailAnd all who refuse to repent in this lifeWill find after life there’s no bailAt God’s Judgment Bar there’s no mercy:“Too late!” will be the cryWe don’t like to think of a place called hellBut this we cannot deny“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!”God declared it so from the start,We live for ourself – we worship false godsAnd sin is entrenched in our heartBut God found a way to show mercyIn sending His Son to this earthTo pay the price for all man’s sin –That he find through Christ a new birth“Repent!” is the way to salvationTurn from your sin to ChristFor the only way to escape God’s wrathIs to turn to Christ in this lifeYou put it off today at your perilTomorrow the light may be goneConviction today is God’s mercy to youGod reaches to you through His SonTo you! – Yes! - To you God is callingTomorrow may be too lateSo many have put off this hour of repentanceAnd sealed for ever their fate!They do not feel the same way the next dayThe devil has blinded their eyesOnce they’ve left the conviction - “Twas just a bad dream!”-Excuses will then multiply: “It was all just hyped up emotion!”“God’s loving and kind – not like that!”“Maybe one day? - but not just now!”Hey! You cannot play games with God!Conviction is so soon forgottenAnd passes like clouds on the breezeThe God of Creation’s arrested you nowAnd offers from sin your release;Tomorrow your heart may be hardenedYes! You may live your life just the same,Achieving success, living on life’s crest -But to find one day it’s all vainIt’s so dangerous to sit on the fence with GodAnd put your decision on holdYou put it off – your eternity’s lostGod would you were hot or cold;You turn your back on the Son of GodOpportunity might ne’er come againThis day is recorded in the annals of timeWhen you refused to call on His NameThis hour one day you’ll rememberYour eternity’s sealed from hereAlmighty God will remind youOn the Day before Him you appearAs sure as you’re reading or hearing these wordsThat Day will dawn on your soulFor ever lost? Or for ever saved?Will you perish and let hell take its toll?