The view From The Pew: Cell Phones

My cell phone is a T-Mobile G1. It is an amazing phone! It has 3G internet speed (although not here in the Valley), it takes pictures, it has all kinds of apps. I have a Bible program, a program that I use for grocery shopping, a couple of Twitter clients, a gas mileage program and quite a few others. I watched the movie “Iron Man” in a doctor’s office waiting room once on this phone.
I like the phone so much that I have modified it to run a newer operating system, and it has a bigger battery. This phone is amazing and can do some really cool stuff. I can tether it to my laptop and use the phone as a modem for my laptop. Amazing!
So obviously I use this phone for more than just making calls. I have my calendar, email and all kinds of info on it. I can even work on sermons on it and review PowerPoints.
What if all I did was use it as a cell phone? I didn’t have any apps, I didn’t use the calendar or email functions, I just used it to make calls. Would that be okay? Sure, it’s a cell phone, it’s primary purpose is to make calls. On the other hand, it is so much more than a cell phone. It really is a mini computer, able to do some incredible things.
The other night in Bible study, my friend Steve used this awesome analogy for the Christian life. He compared living the Christian life to having this awesome cell phone that you just use for calls. Sure, it works for that, but it is designed to do so much more.
Some people live their lives like I use my cell phone. They have accepted Christ and they are living it to its fullest. They are doing their best to apply Christ’s teachings to their lives and they are working it! They are like the wise builder Jesus spoke about in Matthew 7:24, 25: "These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
That lifestyle does more than just help you each day. It helps you when the storms hit. Oh sure, you still get wet, and you may get knocked around, but in the end, your house stands because it is built on God’s foundation.
Other people live their lives totally ignoring God’s words and precepts. They know God is there, they just ignore him and what he requires. They are like the foolish builder in Matthew 7:26, 27: "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."
Pretty stark difference huh? One house survives, one house collapses. Which house do you want to live in? We are all going to go through hard times, the question is how will we react, how will we live? Want more info? Drop me an email at jerry@remnantchurchonline.com. I’ll help you modify your cell phone AND your life!
Excuse me while I answer this call… Jerry