'Pistol Pete' Maravich sharing his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ in 1987 less than one year before his death at the age of 40:
"I want all of you to know this tonight about Peter Maravich. You may never have heard of me. It makes no difference. I'm just one person on this earth saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. I want you to know this, that the change that came into my life was Jesus Christ.
It was not winning. I won all my life. I won every trophy, award, everything you can think of, but every time I won something, I wanted something more. I had to win again. It wasn't money, because money'll buy you everything but happiness. It'll pay your fare at every place but Heaven. Material things—I've driven everything some of you strive for from Rolls Royces to BMWs to Mercedes to Porsches. It wasn't religion because in the name of religion, Jesus Christ was placed upon that cross.
And the purest thing about Christianity is the fact that it's your choice. You can't work. You can't earn. I knew that, and I understood it now.
I want you to know this. The last thing I'd like to say is this, next week I'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I'll get that big ring. In fact, it's a bigger ring than I would have got for the championship, but I'll tell you something about all the awards. They all pale to the glory of Christ and what He's done in my life. It's amazing what He has done in my life.
I wouldn't trade my position in Christ for a thousand NBA championships or a thousand Hall of Fame rings or for a hundred billion dollars. There's nothing like the joy of Jesus Christ in your life."
As you start new resolutions, remember:
Spiritual disciplines are not about making you more precious to God. They’re about making God more precious to you.
How in God’s name are we to prepare for the end of the world?
C. S. Lewis has some good advice:
“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.” ("On Living in an Atomic Age")
In other words, if the end of the world is coming, just keep right on loving those whom God has placed in your life. Make some breakfast for your family. Go to work and serve your customers. Play a game with your children. Call your mom.
Corrie ten Boom once said, ��There is no panic in Heaven.” She’s right, of course. You’ll never see Jesus wringing his hands over the antics of politicians. You’ll never see him break out in a cold sweat over conspiracies and cataclysms. The old spiritual is right, “He’s got the whole world in his hands….”
More importantly, those hands that cradle the world are scarred. And those scars from ancient Roman nails betoken love. The love of God in Jesus is our confidence when the world seems to teeter on the brink of self-destruction.
If he loves us—which he does—then let us love one another, fully confident that whatever goes down, the love of God in Jesus won’t let us down.
We are safe and secure in the scars of Jesus. So, until the end of the world comes, I’ll keep on thanking God for family and friends, going to church and praying, fulfilling the duties of my vocation.
Won’t you do the same?
God doesn’t hold us responsible for success; He holds us responsible for faithfulness.
In that final day, Jesus isn’t going to say, “Well done, good and successful servant.”
Instead, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Take what God has given you and do the best that you can do.
Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God.
John Calvin to pastors:
It would be better for him to break his neck going up into the pulpit, if he does not take pains to be the first to follow God.
Settle this great truth in your heart, that no trouble befalls Zion but by the permission of Zion’s God; and he permits nothing out of which he will not ultimately bring much good to his people.