The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
May 26, 2002
In
This Issue:
Life
Can be A Maze
By
Jeff May
Life Can Be A Maze
Life can be a maze. Long
corridors can often lead nowhere. There are hopeful pathways that end
the same as all the others - a dead end. Our 
Creator
knew that it would be that way with us. Man without God is clueless
on how to live and how to direct his paths. It is everywhere in the
Bible."0 Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself it is not
in manwho walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah. 10:23).
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the
way of death" (Prov. 14:12).
At the end of the path God has placed a big piece of cheese - a golden reward. To reach it will require diligence and concentration. Jesus said, "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14). Man will not reach the reward without help. He just can't do it!! So God sent help. He sent Jesus.
Imagine for a moment that you have arrived in a large city and you are trying to find your friend's house. Look at all the turns and twists and curves. It is all a big maze. What should you do? You probably would decide to call your friend. When he answers the phone and hears that you are trying to reach his house, he has three options: he can mail you a map, he can give you directions over the phone, or better yet, he can say, "Stay right where you are. I will come where you are and you can follow me." Now that will work!!
That is what Jesus did. We so desperately want to reach His Father's house. He left His house, came to our world and throughout life he says to us "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:27-28; Matthew 16:24; John. 21:18-19). There once was a time when some of Jesus' disciples had quit following him, causing him to ask the Twelve, "Do you also want to go away? "But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:67-68).
Jesus is the way!! Listen to Him: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"(John 14:6). Jesus knows the way home. His road home involved hardships in this life. It involved a cross. It even led through the grave. The hardships could not stop Him. Nailing him to a cross did not stop Him. Placing a huge stone over his tomb did not stop Him. Jesus blazed a trail through this world that leads through the heavens to the throne of God. The way is opened up. Just follow Him. Like His path, there will be hardships, a cross to carry and even a grave to rest in, but the pathway is open.
About the Artist
Justin Nash was a talented young cartoonist whose life was cut short by a tragic auto wreck. He was an innocent victim in a preventable tragedy. He and three other members of the Gardendale, AL church of Christ were killed instantly as they sat stopped for road construction on 1-75 south of Knoxville. The driver of the semi-truck that crushed them into another truck had plenty of time to stop, but for some reason he did not. Two of the things that made Justin special were his cartoons and his strong spiritual beliefs. A book of his cartoons and articles by both adults and teens is entitled, Enjoy Life, but Think Eternal. In this book you will see both sides of Justin. The cartoons are a comical, sometimes philosophical look at the world through the eyes of a teenager. The articles are written by Christian men whose goal is to encourage young and old alike to think about the need in their daily lives for a spiritual commitment to God. Justin's father has combined the cartoons and articles into an inspirational tribute that will profit everyone who takes the time to enjoy this thought-provoking book. The book is available from Janco Publishing, 5195 Tyler Oaks Drive, Mt. Olive, AL 35117.
--By Jeff May
Focus Magazine, March/April 2002
Submitted by Willa Jean Cagle