The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1965

Opportunities are everywhere By Myron l . Wil liam \ 11c,, , c, r l ri11·~, .l,,t1 · a 11 (;' f a • 11, tl t' t tr, a 1 1i11. 1 n c~, 11 f l ttr • Ii,... tl1crl' 1,., l1cL'tl n gf't I 111a11,, ~ . I, iltirt~ t 1, , c, r. \\' t' 'l't t'lll tt, a .. _ .. )1111 'l '"' 11lll ·11. htll llt)\\ tlll' \ l',\[' .?" 11e. ar1 i ,, c ,~c l1t \\ 1111,crabl\ ,, c ..,..,. t1a, t.' f, ilc i l l1,111k l• )ti .. a nc,, , car tr t11;, w1t. ,, t-'l"("t rtt1n1t). l J"t'C1 .. 1l1,, 1" tl11, trttl' 1n lht.: ,p1ritt1- al 'L'.tlJ 1 ) l)lt 111e ..111 tt) hcg111 attcnd– i11~ t n\.i,1, L h'-'<..)l an i cht1rch. Yott .. tlC 1 rc'-i t<J hr111g the cr1t1re fan1il)' '-'' er, \\ ~\. k ) )ll ft1ll) e'-pccted to get tl1ing right \\' ith ,od and begin to I\ c 1 ")r H1n1 th 1, \ e~r. Bt1t ala,! the - ,e~1r ,111 ,0<..1n he g n, and thee - thing are till ju t \\ i he . ne\\i , ear ., bring" a ne\~ opportunit}·. 0111c of , 011 ha\ e een real vie- , tor1e~ \\ on thl ) ear. Other have reached ome ~oal for \.\ hich we are ..... all thank.ful but none can re t con- tent \\ ith the e trophie . We mu t go on and on. famou painter wa a ked, ..\\' hich painting do ) 'OU con ider your he t one?'' He replied, '" fy next one!" Secre t of excellence mu ician after a public perforn1- ance often ha the de ire to go right back out and do the part over again e,·en better. The ecret of excellence 1 to pla 1· the game better today than }e terda}·. A new )'ear i a new opportunity but it doe not bring back pa t op– portunitie . How many wa ted op– portunitie there have been thi pa t year. Some of you have been pre ent– ed Yt'ith the claim of Je u Christ upon )·our life. but you have been too bu 1, to con ider Him. My friend, the time to consider Jesus Chri t and ) our need of a Saviour. is now! You ma) 1 have v.,a ted many opportunities. You ma)' have plans for a new year, but ) ' Our plans have no place for Chri t. You need to change your plan 'h'e don·t know how many new )'ears we will have the opportunity to ~ee. It behoove us not to be too bu , to have time for Him. # ··He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in a vine 1 1 ard: and he came and ough t f·ruit thereon. and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of the vine) 1 ard , Behold, the e three year I come eeking f.ruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why APRIL, 1965 PAGE 12 t1111l er~ll1 it tl1e gr<1t1t1LI' ' 1\11tl l1c nn,,,l'ri11g ni"I t111t J l1i111. I orll Jct it alc,11c tl1is ) ' l'UI' als(. till I sl1nll Llig ~tll()\tl it. a11tl clt111g it: , \11c.J jf it llcar frttit \veil: a11tf if 11l1l. tl1cn after tl1al tllt)lt ,11 .. ,lt ct1t it I ,,vn.H l l1c,e \\ 1 0rtl, of <JLtr I c)rcl arc 1 c ~<Jrtlctl 111 l.Jttkc 11: 6. Ot1r I..<.)r<l ,11<.)kc nccrning a tree. Tl1c tree 111,1 1 ha\c pro\idcd ,on1e shade, bt1t it \\rJ\ not con11ncndcd for providing ,hndc . It 111a 1' have added to the l1cattt) of the land caJJC, but the tree \.\ a not con1n1ended at all for it beauty. The tree wa planted in order that it might bear fruit. The owner tie ired to have frt1it from the tree. If there had been fruit, the beauty of the tree might al o have been noticed. If there had been fruit. it provi ion of hade might have been prai ed, but becau e it did not bear fruit, the tree wa con idered to be worthle . The basic problem Oh how much like many of our lives i thi tree! We have many good quaLities. We do many good thing , but there i a ba ic problem with all of u . God call it the sin problem. And a long a there is a in problem in our live , God can never be sati - fied nor pleased with u . Just as the tree had the problem of failing to bear fruit, we have the problem of failing to bear the fruit of righteous– ne s. Just a the .fruitless tree could not plea e the ma ter by providing hade and being beautiful, neither can we who are fruitle in God's sight plea e Him by some deeds of goodness. No, more than thi i needed, and Jesu Chri t i the one who can meet that need. The master came three years seek- 1ng fruit. Apparently he should have found it the first time he came. Thi is a picture of God' amazing grace to us. How many opportunities we have had to receive Christ as our Saviour from sin, and begin to live for God and we have failed to re– spond. Yet God in Hi matchle s grace continues to come back. Three years He came seeking fruit, but found none. Finally, he said, the tree i worthless cut it down. But the dre er of the vineyard pleaded for him to give one more year. He prom– promised to cultivate it well. He promised to use the best fertilizer. He promi ed to use every influence to make it bear fruit. 11, 111 ' Ir icntl i I 1 C1l1 \\'Cl'e , war • tl l the i11llue11ccs l , I in < 111· Ii l "' t 11 a I ' Lt ha\.'c turn c I cl O\ n. I f \ ' Ott kn( \V 11 " ' 111t1ct1 , (I l ie ire tl1at .. 'o t I 111 i g 11 t t ur n f r < 111 you r s i n• an ti rec · i vc f l i n t l1e l ... ord J c tis a )'OLI r H\' i()Uf" anll IJegin to Jive a fruilfitll life f ()r Hit11. y,,u V.'<)ltld nol he ii ale a 1110ll1Cllf • We tlo 11ot kr1ow if the tree bore fruit an(i was sparccl or not. We O(l know that it was having it last chance. I clo not know what the new )' ear has in store for yo Lt. I dor1't know if it i'> yot1r last chance or not. BLtt I <lo know, if yot1 neecl J e<iLt~ a\ yol1r aviour. yot1 can know Hin1 now. HBut a many as received Him, to them gave He the power to be– come the one; of God. . ." Gifts to the Ohio Association H. R. Davison, Treasurer 23 Ivester Lane Arcanum, Ohio February Magazine subscript ions ....... ... .... ..... $107.00 Calvary Baptist, Byesville .. ...... 10.00 The Euclid Avenue Baptist, Lorain .... 15.00 Hebron Men ' s Fellowsh ip , Cleve. .... 10.00 S.S. of Sharon Baptist, Sharon , Pa . .... 5.00 Calvary Baptist, Zanesville .... .. .... ... ... 3-0.00 Penfield Jct. Baptist, Lora in ... ..... .. ...... 10.00 First Baptist, Med ina ....... ....... ... .... .. .... 25.00 Grace Baptist , Cedarville ........ .. .... ...... 15.00 Eucl id -Nottingham Baptist, Eucl id ...... 25 .00 LeGrange First Baptist .. .. .... ... ... .. .... 50.00 Calvary Baptist , Norwalk .. .... .. .... .. 5.00 Immanuel Baptist, Columbus . ............. 15.00 First Baptist, Gallipolis . .. .. . .. .. 10.00 Graham Road Baptist, Cuyahoga Falls 15.00 South Canaan Baptist, Athens ... ........ 2.00 Norton Center Baptist, Barberton ... .. 15.00 New Richland Baptist, Belle Center .... 5.00 First Baptist, Wellington ...... ...... .. .... 5.00 Ca lvary Baptist, S.andusky .... .. .... .... .. .. 10.00 Bethlehem Baptist, Cleveland .... .. .... .. 5.00 Northfield Baptist ........ .. .... .. .... ...... .:···· 10.00 Berea Baptist . .... .. .. .. ... .................... .. 35.00 Calvary Baptist, Cleveland .......... .. .... .. 5 .00 Bethel Baptist, Warren .... .. .... .... .. .. .... .. 5.00 First Bapt ist, Lancaster ... .. . ... .......... .. 10.00 First Baptist, Bowling Green ..... .. .... 20.00 Calvary Baptist, Bellefontaine .. . .... 50.00 Cedar Hill Baptist, Cleveland Hts. .... 60.00 Mogadore Baptist ... .... .................... S.00 Emmanuel Baptist, Toledo .. .... .. 22.50 First Christian Bapt ist, Coshocton .... 9.00 Evansville Baptist, Niles .. .. ... 5.00 First Regular Bapt ist, Bellefonta ine ... 13.00 Immanuel Baptist, Arcanum .... ............ 10.00 Faith Bapt ist, Greenville ......... .......... 10.00 T . ' t B t ' t L . 10 00 r1n1 y ap as , ora an ........................ • Bible Mission Bapt ist .. .. .. ... .. ....... 15.00 Brooks ide Baptist, Cleveland .... .. .. 1.00 Blessed Hope Baptist, Spri ngfield ...... 10.00 Huntsburg Bapt ist, Huntsburg .... . ..... . 10.00 Memor ia l Bapt ist, Columbus ......... .. 25.00 First Bapt ist, Strongsville ... .. .... .. ........ 5 .00 Temple Baptist, Portsmouth ............. . 50.00 Bible Bapt ist, G irard .. .... ......... ...... . 20.00 Firs t Baptist, Ga ll ipolis ...................... 10.00 Total Re ce ipts .... .. .... .. .............. .. $814.50 THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST