A Blog About A Dog....Only It Wasn't

                 You found a paper bookmark on a bench somewhere....and on it were a list of all of the books of the Bible. You knew that you really should learn the names of all the books and the order that they are in....so you put the bookmark in your purse or your coat pocket. Later that day....or maybe a week later....you remembered the bookmark. Maybe you started with the first five books of Moses....and Joshua Judges and Ruth....or maybe with the four gospels and Acts and Romans....or maybe you started with all the prophets beginning with Isaiah....but you began to memorize. 
                 Only then did you notice that on the back of the bookmark was what appeared to be the URL of a website....a blog....about a dog or something....SPECIALDOGG.BLOGSPOT.COM....with a verse from the Psalms....Psalm 20:7...."SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS." You're not really that much of a dog person....so it wasn't for a month or two later....that you finally went to that blog about a dog....only it wasn't! (This was seventeen years ago....when I had to put two 'Ds" in dog because the one "D" name was already taken)
                  Maybe you are in your mid-30s....or 40s....or 60s....and have been a church-goer for your whole life? You probably never go a week without picking up and reading for some reason the Bible. You have served on at least a dozen committees in your church over the years....and were even part of a committee to call a new pastor....and you have taken your turn at teaching Sunday School....but for the life of you....you cannot figure out....nor could you ever figure out....what these born again people are talking about?
                    You relegate these folks to being new Christians that are just overly excited about understanding the gospel for the first time....and older folks like me you just pass off as weird fanatics with nothing better to do.
                    Still....it bothers you. Surely there is nothing to this? You know that Jesus is the Son of God....and that he was born of a virgin....and lived a sinless life....and died for our sins on that cross. You acknowledge all of that and would never deny any of it.
                    This is where the rubber meets the road. You can go either one of two ways....one....just live life as you always have....and politely ignore what these people are saying.....but then you really don't know what they are saying because you have never looked into it. Or two....even the thought scares you for some reason....you decide to look into this whole thing.
                     Friend....if this describes you....then I should tell you this....if you are seriously considering looking into all of this born again stuff....not to debate with anyone.....but because you for some reason feel compelled to....that feeling of being compelled may be coming from the Holy Spirit!
                     When I was working at my job....for thirty-seven years before retiring....I worked around some huge fans....as big as a small house....and there was a big sliding door that you could enter to check on the fan....or you go through an airlock door. Sometimes we were in a hurry....grabbed onto our hardhat....and carefully inched into the fan room through that open sliding door....but if were we not careful....the draft would suck us in....not up on the pedestal and near the fan blades....but enough that we might wind up on the ground. There is more than one funny story that I could relate concerning this.
                      That is where you may be....and maybe you should know it beforehand. If you are in any way concerned that you may have missed something about your salvation....that also may very well be from the Holy Spirit....and when that draft hits you....friend....you are going on the ground....in effect prostrated before the Holy God that you are about to meet.
                       It is the most wonderful thing in the world....when the noise and the wind stops....and you stand on your feet....knowing that you are in the presence of Jesus of Nazareth! All of the distractions are  gone....everything that you previously thought of yourself as being good....is gone. You see yourself and your sin maybe for the first time....and you know that God sees you....but it was He that raised you up....and you feel His love for you....and you turn around to see if there is anyone that you can tell....for you just have to tell someone! There is a Bible in your hand....and you open it up....and these glorious words fly out to you....and you breath them in but have to keep turning pages to have more glorious words fly out....
                      Oh....excuse me....I get carried away talking about this....it's only been 43 years. I don't know where you will be after that....or what you will do....but I do know this....some day....Lord willing....(you will say 'Lord willing' a lot)....some day you may leave something on a bench or a table somewhere....and you will pray....'Lord....I am the least and weakest of all the vessels that you have made....thank-you for that....for I know that you like to utilize the least and the weakest vessels....for it shows your glory even more! Have someone pick this up Lord....if it be Thy will....and to Thy glory alone....and send them to Charles Spurgeon or Martyn Lloyd-Jones or R. C. Sproul or John MacArthur or Paul Washer....or anyone Lord....where they might also hear this glorious good news....of a wonderful salvation....and....! Oh....there I go again. I better stop here or I could go on all night!