Walking As He Walked

We intend to revisit many of Pastor Whites previous messages over the following years. Pastor White's age and health do not diminish the value of his messages.   This post is from May 2017.  

Have you ever noticed how people walk? It is said that the seasoned and salty sailor who has spent his life at sea, walks at a rollicking and rolling gait, reflecting the conditioning of rolling decks under his feet. In bygone days, those who had spent their life on a farm, following a team of beasts and ploughing furrows in the soft earth, walked with a pace peculiar to their particular vocation. A man who has spent his life under marching orders strides out with a martial air and at a military pace.

Some walk with a spring in their step, others swagger arrogantly along and some merely shuffle through the world. Some tiptoe haughtily down the corridors of life, others display all the poise and confidence of a well-adjusted personality.

Have you ever noticed how children often seem to imitate the walk of adults? Especially those they admire and who might be considered their potential role models? They are great little imitators, both physically and spiritually. Little girls can't wait to put on high heeled shoes and walk just like mom walks. Little boys sometimes adopt the exact same gait as their dad.

One Sunday morning I noticed a little fellow coming down the church aisle before the service with a considerable limp. I approached him and sympathetically inquired about his injury. His mom told me he was perfectly well, but his father had injured his leg during the week and was limping severely. The small lad was simply walking like the dad he so greatly admired!

I am sure you may have heard the old story about the ungodly father who was walking through the snow, as was his custom, on his way to the local pub. Upon hearing the noise of crunching snow behind him, he turned and saw his small son jumping along, matching his strides and placing his small feet in the father's footsteps. From that moment on he allowed Christ into his life and his walk took a different direction.

It might be good to ask ourselves where we are placing our feet each day. Are we treading the high or low road? Do our steps lead others in the way of God or along the way of the world? Are we walking the broad or narrow way? Are we going the way leading to destruction or to life everlasting? Are we walking the way that seems right unto man? Or the way that is well pleasing unto God? Do our footsteps shuffle down the sorry side roads of sin or do our foot prints point people to the place God has prepared for His peculiar people?

Are we treading the path our Saviour trod? Trudging down the byways, highways and hedges of life, compelling others to come to Him? Do our tracks lead to the wells of this world, or are we trekking to springs of living water; showing others the way to the water of life? Are our feet shod with the gospel of peace? Are we wearing out our gospel shoes telling others of His good news?

The Importance of Mothers-Reiterated

 The following post, from 2021, is worth revisiting this Mother Day in 2022.   We hope you agree.

 The vital importance of motherhood needs no confirmation because the very existence of each of us and any progress we may have made toward physical or emotional maturity is a living testimony to the essential nature of motherhood. Most of us could personally attest to and endorse old sayings such as, "God couldn't be everywhere, so he gave us mothers". Or, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." Or again, "Behind every great man stands a great woman." Down through the ages responsible Godly mothers have served mankind and have fulfilled God's eternal purpose for man as well.  Since all good is a gift that comes down to man from the Father in heaven, these qualities could also be described as divine qualities; especially those particular characteristics that obviously emulate the divine attributes of God.

It would seem significant that God's plan involves responsible mothers who have a primary responsibly in bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The importance and influence of a mother's role as a primary care giver and loving guide of the children God entrusts to the home cannot be overstated. Many studies have confirmed that mothers  who take this responsibility seriously are by far the primary influence that can determine the direction of a child's life. The same studies reveal that a large percentage of this influence is exerted before the child is six years old. The mother often creates the environment and teaches the standards and values that ultimately determine a child's personality, character traits and future value judgements.

Of course, this is not recent news. Someone said long ago, "Virtues are learned at mother's knee - vices at some other joint." God inspired the wise man to say, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." History confirms the importance of responsible mothers in the formative years of a child. Sir Walter Scott's mother was well educated and a lover or poetry. George Washington's mother was a pure and good woman. The mother of Patrick Henry was very eloquent of speech. John and Charles Wesley's mother was intelligent, pious and full of organisational ability. Napoleon Bonaparte's mother was energetic and full of ambition. When asked what France needed most, Napoleon replied, "Godly mothers." Lord Bryon, the great infidel and agnostic poet, had a mother who was ill-tempered, proud and violent.

A mother's ministry of help includes a baby's first steps, first words, the mystery of shoe strings, and the magical world of pretend. There is a story told of a mother asking a pastor when she should begin teach her five year old about God. He replied, "Hurry home, you've lost five years already!"  

-Pastor John White