Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right. THIS ONE DAY I LIVE! You cannot live tomorrow today. We've only got today. This is one of the great secrets to life, to just take life one day at a time. Dear reader, don't lament the mistakes of yesterday, and don't preplan tomorrow. Live for today, now, for Christ.
The most important article I have ever written is this one! THIS ONE THING I DO!
The most important job is the one that doesn't get done. THIS ONE JOB I DO!
I listened to a sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) today titled, “Boast Not Thy Self Of Tomorrow.” I am sharing some truths that I gleaned from the sermon. I humbly think that Pastor Hyles should have renamed his sermon to, “This One Thing I Do,” which I think you will agree if you listen to it. It could also be that Brother Johnny Colsten mistakenly read the wrong Scripture passage, which I've seen happen in other churches. Dr. Hyles preached this sermon one day before his 74th birthday in 2000. His birthday was September 25th, 1926. Interestingly, Dr. Hyles died and went to Heaven on February 6th, 2001 at age 74, which was 4 1/2 months after preaching this sermon. I love and miss Brother Hyles!
By the way, I encourage you to join me in regularly listening to Bible preaching, because we all need preaching to help us think and live right. Hundreds of millions of people literally spend decades of their life accumulatively doing nothing but watching television and listening to music, but they haven't heard more than a few hours of sermons, if that. No wonder people's lives are such a mess in the world! It requires character to listen to Bible preaching, versus seeing your favorite movie or hearing your favorite music group.
That is why so many of the churches are empty today, because the church is boring as compared to Hollywood or a rock concert. Hardly anyone wants to hear a dry pastor speak the boring truth of God's Word. That is, it is boring to someone who is worldly minded. Granted, most churches have become corrupted and very few people have the spiritual discernment to differentiate a cult from a church anymore. Any pastor who teaches that you must “Repent of your sins” to get to Heaven is a false prophet and a liar! Such a place is a religious cult, not a genuine New Testament church. To get to Heaven, you only need to realize that you are a sinner, so you will see your need for Christ (Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 3:24-16).
Sadly, to draw more people into today's dead churches, pastors have resorted to bringing the world into the church. This is why rapper Kanye West was invited in 2019 to Break Dance at Joel Osteen's shameful Lakewood Church. When you bring the world into the church you haven't won them to Christ, they've won you over to the world. I hate worldly churches, which are really nothing more than entertainment and fun centers.
I am 58 years old in 2025. My birthday was March 5th, 1967. I like my birthday. I like my name, David John Stewart. My little brother died two weeks before his 3rd birthday in November of 1974. His name is Paul Solomon Stewart. I look forward to meeting him in Heaven when I arrive someday. All babies who die go to Heaven, safe in God's merciful grace. Paul cannot come to me, but I will go to him someday, by God's grace through my faith in Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul exclaimed in our text passage of Scripture, “This one thing I do,” forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before (i.e., moving forward, now). I don't need to sulk over painful things from the past. Nor do I need to worry about potential problematic things in the future, because I may not even be alive tomorrow. All I need to focus on and be concerned about is today, right now. This is the key to coping with life, especially during the difficult times when all hope seems gone.
To be honest, I plan to watch a good movie each day. I plan each day to eat a nice meal. I plan to hear Alexander Scourby read some of the King James Bible each day. I plan to listen to some Bible preaching each day by a fundamentalist preacher (usually Jack Hyles and Steven Anderson). I love listening to those guys because they tell it like it is without apology nor compromise, in your face truth! I do these things to help me enjoy each day. Preaching helps me to think and live right. Watching a movie helps me to relax.
I plan to play my stringed musical instruments a couple days each week, depending how I feel because of my chronic neck pain (I was severely rear ended by a church bus in 1992 and then fell 15 feet down a package slide at work in 2005). I have been diagnosed with Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease since 2004. The constant chronic pain is debilitating. It's not easy for me to get through each day, but it helps by just taking life one day at a time.
People will let us down. Pastors and churches will hurt us. Family members will disappoint us. Money will disappear and fail us. Thankfully, our “God is faithful” (1st Corinthians 1:9).
THIS ONE THING I DO. Like the Apostle Paul, I choose to forget about yesterday and just focus on today. I have by faith placed the losses, pain of soul and heartaches of the past all into God's omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and omnibenevolent hands for judgment. Whatever horrible things people have done to hurt us is God's department. ...
Romans 12:19-21, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
You can be rest assured dear reader that no one ever gets away with anything. God sees it all. Even when someone intentionally hurts your feelings, it is a sin that God sees. In fact, deliberately hurting someone's feelings is evil, because it was intentional. I want no part of that type of malicious conduct. God knows that I am very careful not to hurt the feelings of others, even though people often hurt my feelings. I am a sensitive man, I admit. God has given me a big heart as a fundamentalist Bible preacher. I care! As redeemed saints we have the mind of Christ (1st Corinthians 2:16). Jesus cares (1st Peter 5:7).
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