I AM ANNOUNCING THE DEBUT OF OUTSIDE THE GATES OF HEAVEN, MY NEW BOOK OF MEDITATIONS  WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN LATE DECEMBER.

Below is an example of what you can expect from it.  READ AND ENJOY!!

Burdened by Life’s Journey, Feel Free to Stop

“All that the father giveth  me shall come to me; and him that come to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

               Our house sat by the side of a railroad track, no more than a hundred yards away. The trains of 25 to 30 cars rumbled and thundered by several times a day in the late fifties and sixties. You would think that the noise was distracting, but it was not. I guess the noise, like bad smells, deadened our sense overtime so that those of us living near the track were not bothered by it. There was one thing though that was quite a nuisance. It was the never ending string of hobos or vagabonds that drifted from the train to our house in search of food, clothes, odd jobs, or a night’s lodging. To my dismay, my father never turned any of them away. When I asked him why, he said, “You should never turn a stranger away from your door.”

When I grew older, I realized that Dad was following Jesus’ example.   According to John 6:37, Jesus never rejects anyone who comes to Him either. He accepts all because He wants all to be saved. In fact, He constantly extends an invitation to any wayward traveler. It doesn’t matter if you are a drug addict, a murderer, a liar, a child abuser, an African American, a Mexican, a Muslim, a sex offender, an AIDS patient, or a homeless person. His cry to you is, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Overtime, many trains stopped their regular schedules, and hobos faded away into history. Dad died in the eighties, but the house still stands by the side of the railroad. Just as Jesus’ invitation still stands offering a rescue mission to all who are willing to come. So, if you are burdened by life’s journey, feel free to stop. He will not cast you out.

Dear God, we thank you for your gracious invitation to come to you. May all respond willingly knowing that you will provide an everlasting home free from all cares? In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.