Let Us Not Do Evil, So That Good May Come

There's an old saying that "the ends justifies the means." Basically, if you get a good result, it does not matter how you arrived at your destination. Therefore, you can freely justify any behavior so long as your intentions were for a good result. This line of thinking has caused thousands of good Christians to sacrifice their integrity and surrender their testimonies, all for the sake of pursuing a goal, whether that goal was a legislative or electoral victory, or whether that goal was effecting change in their local churches or communities.

History is full of churches that died as a result of splits caused by members pursuing a Godly goal through unGodly means. Maybe the preacher did deserve to be fired. Maybe the church needed to launch a youth ministry or transition its worship style. Maybe the red carpet was the best choice... however in many cases, those changes were pursued using the unGodly means of gossiping, backbiting, slander, and vote stuffing. The results of this behavior have been devastating each time this strategy has been employed.

This morning on News/Talk 102.3 KXYL in Brownwood, TX, I once again drew fire from listeners for not defending Donald Trump's candidacy for President. Particularly, I said he was as deplorable as Hillary Clinton, and when asked about his Christianity, I expressed my doubts.

(1) He has never made a public profession of faith. Trump has never publicly stated that he has had a conversion experience.

(2) He has publicly stated that he hasn't had to ask forgiveness for anything, because he hasn't done anything wrong. (I'm referring to the statements he made back during the primary, not during a recent Presidential debate.)

What we do know about Donald Trump is there is a line of women accusing him of sexual harassment. There is audio tape of him describing his tendency to grope women (statements that mirrored a 1997 sexual harassment suit against him). There are questions about his business practices, and just a few years ago, he was pro-abortion, and pro-government healthcare. There are serious questions about his character.

Now, this is the part of the discussion where people ask me, "What about Hillary Clinton?" She's deplorable, and could possibly be the most despicable person to be elected President. However, Clinton does not claim to represent my values. Clinton does not claim to speak for my Lord, and Clinton is not trying to court my vote. Clinton represents the other side of the political aisle. It is not my job as a conservative, evangelical Republican to hold the Democratic Party accountable for its values and nominees. It is my responsibility to make sure my own house is clean. Before I should seek to remove the speck from the Democrats eyes, I must first make sure my own are clear.

While I understand that a Hillary presidency would be disastrous, I have no obligation to endorse anyone who opposes her. At the same time, I have to keep in mind that when I sign my name to a candidate, I am also putting my credibility and testimony on the line. While a Trump victory would give Republicans the White House, I would also have to explain why it's okay for Trump to commit adultery, but not Bill Clinton. I would have to explain why Trump is inherently innocent of all accusations brought against him, but why Hillary is automatically guilty.

Furthermore, I have to look at the girls in my youth group and tell them why we should support Trump, in spite of his "locker room" talk, while at the same time teaching them about living in holiness. For those reasons alone, I cannot bring myself to endorse Donald Trump. That's before we even delve into the issue of his changing positions on conservative issues.

Donald Trump may win the 2016 election. He may lose. Regardless, the Republican Party, and the evangelicals that supported Trump's nomination and campaign, are about to learn a hard lesson. Compromising the means to achieve a desired end leads to devastation each and every time. Perhaps we should have actually consulted our Bibles during the primaries, and remembered Romans 3:8, which says (paraphrased) let us not do evil so that good may come.

When I Struggle With Sin...

... I feel like a hypocrite.

Every week, I speak no fewer than five times about the Lord. There's my Sunday School class, the Sunday morning sermon at Grace Pointe, two small group Bible studies, and a radio show. Then, every other Sunday, I preach at the Market Place apartments.

Each sermon includes warnings against sin, encouragement to have faith in the Lord, exhortation to center one's life around the Lord, and a commission to serve the Lord. I am sincere in my belief of these things. I honestly believe that God blesses those who live their lives for Him. But preaching the Word, and practicing what I preach are two completely different things.

Monday rolls around, and I tend to fall back into the same routines as everyone else. My life becomes about making a living, paying bills, and being frustrated that my wildest dreams have yet to come true. When your focus drifts from the Lord and into the day-to-day routine, you lose that Spiritual connection to the Lord, and He begins to seem distant. When this happens, we become susceptible to temptation. Such is the case with me.

I'm not going into a confessional here, but there are times that I misrepresent Christ. There are times that I fall short of the Biblical mandate to let my light shine. There are times that I betray my faith, and my Lord. And when my eyes are opened to my fall, I begin to wonder if all this is a facade, and if I am really a rotten human being. You may have experienced the same.

How can we reconcile our salvation and our lives in Christ with the sin that "so easily besets us?" (Hebrews 12:1).

We begin by recognizing that we are not alone in this struggle. Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We are all sinners, we all fall short. We all fail. Romans 3:9 says we are all under sin.

Scripture also lists examples of the great heroes of the faith who fell short of God's glory. From the depiction of David's adultery with Bathsheba, to the acknowledgement in James 5:17 that "Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are." Yet, David and Elijah did great things for the Lord. Romans 7:15-17 describes the same struggle that the Apostle Paul had.

The lesson we take here is that our struggle neither defines us, nor limits us.

We continue by recognizing what this struggle reveals in us. There are times that you overcome, and there are times that you fail. Through each time of temptation, you learn more about your Spiritual maturity, and where you stand with the Lord. However, failure is not as devastating as you think.

Romans 7:15-17 says:

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul confessed that he knew what he should be doing, and what he shouldn't be doing. He then confessed that he found himself doing the things he shouldn't (For that which I do I allow not.) He found himself doing the very things he preached against. He also confessed that he found himself not doing the things he should. (For what I would, that do I not).

Despite the disconnect between what he believed and what he preached, and what he actually did, Paul steered the conversation back to God's word. He didn't justify what he did. Rather, he promoted God's law, and declared its truth despite his failure. (I consent unto the law that it is good.)

So, if Paul knew God's law, agreed with God's law, and promoted God's law, why was he sinning? Simple. Paul understood that he was still infected with the sin nature. (Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.) This is not an excuse. He's not saying that he can continue in sin, as it's just in his nature. He is merely explaining his failure.

When we struggle with sin, we are reminded that we still have the sin nature. It's the flesh within us that desires sin, that desires the things that are forbidden. It's the same nature that wants to abdicate personal responsibility and live for the pleasure of the moment.

When we recognize the role that the sin nature plays in our struggle, we are able to move away from the notion that somehow we are just flawed, and not as good as everyone else, and we see our struggle as part of the human experience. When we understand this is a struggle everyone faces, this helps us see the struggle that others endure, and it helps us to be graceful to others when they sin.

The other thing that recognizing the role of the sin nature accomplishes is that it reminds us that conquering sin is not something we can do on our own. We need the Lord. Which brings us to our next point.

We return to our roots of faith in Christ.  In Romans 7:24-25, Paul exclaimed, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

In verse 24, Paul declares his inability to overcome sin, and turns to the Lord for deliverance. In verse 25, Paul trusts the Lord for that deliverance.

If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, there was a time that you surrendered, and called out to Him for salvation. At that point, you were exactly where Christ wanted you. In the days and weeks that followed, the Lord was able to lead you through a time of exponential Spiritual growth because you had total faith in Him. But, as time moves along, we drift away, and we wind up in the boat we're in today.

When you struggle with sin, and you recognize that it's part of life, and that you cannot overcome it yourself, the proper course of action is to surrender, ask God for deliverance, and trust the Lord to deliver you from that struggle. When you reach that point of surrender and faith, you are right where Christ wants you. When you reach that point of surrender and faith, God is then able to do great things in your life.

When I struggle with sin, I feel like a hypocrite, but I am not. I am a child of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, who has not finished his race here on earth. I remember that I stand on the shoulders of giants, that others have faced these same struggles, and that the struggle with sin comes as a result of my sin nature.

The only answer is to ask God for forgiveness, and trust Him to deliver me from these temptations. When I reach that point, God brings a revival in my life. He will yours as well. Keep the faith, God is on your side.

We Can All Get Along

Few things can disrupt fellowship between believers faster than disputes over religious practices. One believer doesn't feel comfortable drinking a bottled water in the sanctuary, the other one does. One believer wears a suit and tie to church, the other one doesn't. One believer will only consume Christian media, the other listens to secular music and watches regular TV. One believer votes Republican, the other votes Democratic. These are just a few small, trivial examples of practices that can divide brothers and sisters in Christ.

The one who drinks the bottled water in the sanctuary feels that the one who isn't comfortable doing so is being Pharisaical. The one who wears the suit and tie in church disdains the casual appearance of the other. The one who only consumes Christian media thinks the one who listens to secular music is rotting their brain. The Republican denounces the Democrat for voting for abortion, the Democrat denounces the Republican for voting for greed.

Is it possible that both parties could be right? Perhaps the one drinking the bottled water in the sanctuary knows that the sanctuary is not the Holy of Holies from the Temple, and sees the church building as just a place where the church meets. Conversely, the non-water drinker is abstaining from drinking bottled water in the sanctuary out of respect for God. The suit and tie wearer feels he is being respectful by dressing up for church, yet the casual dresser feels that God accepts him and sees beyond the Polo shirt.

The Bible addresses these divisions in Romans 14:5-9: 

5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

In the early church, some regarded certain holidays, others didn't. Some observed food restrictions, others didn't. However, Paul wrote that all were doing what they were doing for the Lord, and thus they should be left alone to do as they felt the Lord wanted them to do. 

The problem arises, however, when Christians feel the need to get their brothers and sisters in Christ to act just like they do. Paul addressed that attitude in Romans 14:4: 

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

God is our master, and He is the one who will judge us. Our decisions on the finer points of practice (dress code, water bottles, music choice, etc,) will be addressed by God. If a believer's standards are not up to par, God has a way of getting them up to par (He shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand.)

So, conduct yourself the way you believe God wants you to, whether it be by dress, entertainment, food choices, or voting habits. Let everyone else follow God as they feel He is directing them. If Christians will do this, we'll have peace and harmony in the church.

God Arranges Perfect Easter Weekend

Jessica on top of Enchanted Rock, looking as pretty as ever.

Sometimes, God puts the right touch on things.

Easter Weekend was a mixture of beautiful weather, great times with friends, and much needed rain. Saturday for the Acker family was marked by a trip to Enchanted Rock with friends of ours. The weather was clear and beautiful, and though the weather was warm for an April afternoon, the shade over the picnic table provided the perfect setting for lunch with our friends.

We hiked up the side of the mountain, frantically trying to keep up with kids who do not have the same trouble with gravity we do, enjoyed the view, explored the cave and took pictures. Down we hiked to a picnic snack before doing some shopping in Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg Bakery and Fountain still hand-dips Blue Bell Ice Cream, a much welcome treat on such a warm day. Following our adventure in Fredericksburg, we returned to Brownwood, only to find that it had rained two inches. Hallelujah! Much needed rain to get our grass growing again.

Eagles sculpted from a tree on the
courthouse square in Fredericksburg.

Sunday saw beautiful services at Grace Pointe while precious rain fell outside. The really cool part about the rain is it seemed to fall at just the right times... no Easter Egg hunts were cancelled, no sunrise services rained out, Saturday afternoon activities went unhindered. Yet the rain came, falling at just the right times to give us the much needed moisture while not interrupting our much needed family time.

If God's way of mixing beautiful weather with much needed and well-timed rain doesn't illustrate Romans 8:28, then I don't know what does. How was your Easter weekend?

The Shortest 10 Weeks of the Year

It's football season once again! The temperature cools down, the arm chair quarterback begins to share his wisdom, and fans pack stadiums to watch their favorite high school, college and professional football teams chase championship glory. To celebrate this American tradition, we even have a new anthem to remind us how close we are to this game. Kenny Chesney's "The Boys of Fall" is currently being played at every country radio station, can be heard from the windows of pickup trucks and is hummed at the checkout line at Walmart.

This year in Brownwood, fans have the added excitement of their team being ranked #1 in the Class 3A Associated Press football poll. Football is good and fun, and it highlights some core values that we should all hold dear.

1. Everything in Life is Temporary - Last season's success of failure is over. Can you tell me, off the top of your head, who won the Class 2A state championship in Texas last year? Who lost last year's Superbowl? What was the record of the 1983 Dallas Cowboys? If you correctly answer these questions, you either looked it up on the internet, or are too obsessed with football. Mike Leach said it best, "That catch you made last year, well, that was last year!" Most of our accomplishments on this earth will be short lived. My grandfather desegregated the Dawson (TX) public school system, and secured the funding to build a new high school for Latexo, TX. Neither town remembers who he is. Dawson, TX, does remember their most successful football coach ever, and named the stadium after him, but they forget that my grandfather hired him. Most of what we do will be forgotten.
2. Invest in That which is not Temporary - When the Dallas Cowboys signed Terrell Owens, most fans knew that TO would only be around a few short years. Still, Jerry Jones signed the receiver to a huge contract. Even after TO was cut from the team, the Cowboys still owed him millions of dollars. That is not a wise financial investment, neither is investing in something that won't last wise. While most footballers see the value in bringing in rookie talent and developing it into superstar talent, many don't understand the value in investing in the eternal things of this life.
3. Football is for a short time, but eternity is forever - Brownwood is full of men walking the streets who played on the 1960 state championship team, or any one of the other 6 state championship teams from Brownwood. These men, for the four years they were in high school, invested every ounce of their being into their football careers. Most of these football careers ended at graduation. A few went on to play in college. While they recognize how fleeting those football days were, and how important it was to get an education and gainful employment to take them through the rest of their lives, most fail to realize the importance of preparing for eternity. My four years of high school ended 14 years ago. It seems like it was in the distant past, and it seems very short. That's how your life will appear to you when you go into eternity. The life we lived on this earth will have seemed short and fleeting, yet, just like the decisions I made in high school still affect me now, so will the decisions we make on this earth affect you throughout all eternity.

And so now we get to the meat of the matter. Isn't it sad to see a man whose best days were while he was in high school? Don't make that mistake with your life in eternity. No matter how good or bad things are in this life, they will be but a blip on your eternal existence. The key decision you need to make in this life is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If you do so, you will spend eternity in Heaven. If you choose not to do so, you will spend eternity in Hell. The choice is yours.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Market Place recap

We had 17 in attendance last night, with one of our regulars missing due to surgery and one missing due to illness. I preached Romans 8:31-39. "We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus."

The group at Market Place needs your prayers. They are facing various financial, emotional and health problems.

Keep me and Jessica in yoru prayers as well. We are facing many challenges on the field here and Brownwood. While we are meeting those challenges head on, and God is propsering our efforts, we still need your prayers. I feel like we are closing in on a breakthrough.

The Roman Road goes on forever at Market Place (and the Fiesta never ends)

We had 16 in attendance tonight at Market Place as I preached Romans 8:28-31, preaching that if the promise of Romans 8:28 is to come true, we must align ourselves with God's purpose, not try to get God to align himself with ours.

You see, Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of them that love God and are the called according to His purpose. The called are God's appointed, those that repented of sin and trusted Christ as their Savior. When God saves, He saves for service. Every Christian is called to service. So, We must be obedient to that call, and obedience is how we love God. (John 14:15, John 15:14). So, if we are obeying God's call for our life, He will work all things together for our good according to His purpose... which means we'll be successful in what He's called us to do, not in what we want to obtain.

Then, in Romans 8:29, we discussed being conformed to the image of Christ. Then, we discussed foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification and glorification. Admittedly, this sermon might have gotten too deep, theologically speaking. However, you can't expect anyone to grow if you never challenge them.

I'm not sure what we are going to do next week. We'll either move on into Chapter nine in Romans, or we'll skip ahead to chapter 12, a la Bro. Brock. (You TBI guys will get that!)

We end each Wednesday night with a fellowship meal... hence the Fiesta!

Market Place ministry builds steam

We had 20 in attendance for our Wednesday services at the Market Place Apartments last night. I preached a message titled "Hope Against Hope" from Romans 4... focusing on how Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness... and how Abraham against hope believed in hope, that he would become the father of many nations. The application is that we should believe God... we should trust Him for salvation by our faith in Christ, and that we should trust Him to take us through life's circumstances.

The group's response was great, and several said I preached on thinigs they were dealing with at the moment. The people at Market Place need our prayers. This ministry is one of the reasons God brought me to Brownwood.

Market Place Wednesday Night!

We had nine residents and my family of five for a total of 14 people at our Wednesday services at the Market Place Apartments in Brownwood last night. Market Place is a retirement community.

I preached on Romans 2:14-16, explaining that even when people don't know God's law, or His word, they set their own standard and become a law unto themselves. Notwithstanding, man can not even live up to his own law, let alone God's law, which is why we need the Gospel. (I have preached to this group twice, both times making a point to define the Gospel as I Corinthians 15:3-4). As long as they'll let me, I'll continue to preach and teach them from Romans, explaining the true doctrine of the Gospel and building them up doctrinally. After we finish Romans, we'll study how to put our faith into action.

The group at Market Place is not a church. I am unaware of their Baptismal status, and they haven't covenanted together to carry out God's work. That being said, they act like a church. They meet, vote and make decisions. (They are congregational rule... haha!)

They have decided to invite me out to hold services with them every Wednesday at 6 p.m., and have decided to discontinue the preaching services on Sunday afternoons, electing to revert back to the "Sunday Singing" format they had earlier.

Next week, we'll study from Romans 3.

I do have some speaking appointments coming up... and I'll honor those. Don't worry, I'll handle the details.

I have to praise God for all of this. Over the past few weeks, I have been struggling through an intense Spiritual battle, yet God, in his mercy and grace, has continued to build the work in Brownwood. God is awesome! Thank you!

What did Eve do?

Is it Eve's fault man got kicked out of the Garden of Eden, or was it Adams?

What saith the scriptures?

Romans 5:12 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Romans 5:14 - Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similtude of Adam's transgression, who was the figure of him that was to come.

1 Timothy 2:14 - For Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

(And just for reference)

Genesis 3:6b - She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat.

Conclusion:

These scriptures teach that Adam willfully sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thus bringing about the penalty of death, which passed upon him and all men. Eve's role in this is that she was deceived in the presence of her husband. She was in the transgression, but Adam committed the original sin because God directly told him not to eat, he stood by while Eve was being deceived, then he ate the fruit himself. Eve didn't return home to feed the fruit to an unsuspecting Adam. The Bible does not say Adam was deceived, it says the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression. Adam could have put a stop to the situation at anytime, but he didn't. Now, we live in a world of sin, death and hurt as a result.

Now let that be a lesson to you!

GAP on the brain

Did you know that between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 that God created a perfect world which was totally wrecked by Satan when he fell from Heaven? It's there. I mean, you won't read about it in Genesis 1, but it happened. How do I know? Because so many ABA preachers have made it a point to advocate the theory known as the Gap Theory.

The theory works like this.

God is not the author of confusion, and we have to find a way to explain the dinosaur fossils that are buried deep within the earth's surface.

So, we have the recorded account of Lucifer (aka Satan, aka the devil) falling from Heaven in Isaiah 14. We have the earth being without form and void in Genesis 1:2. So what must have happened, is that God created a perfect world in Genesis 1:1. Then Satan fell from Heaven between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, meaning God had to reconstruct the world throughout the rest of Genesis 1.

Here are my thoughts on the gap theory.

#1. Why is the gap theory being preached as Gospel truth? Seriously, I have heard it preached as if it were as much a part of the Gospel as the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures.

#2. How can the gap theory be true when Romans 5:12 says "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men for all have sinned?" It seems Romans 5:12 blames the death and destruction of this world on sin, not the fall of Lucifer from Heaven. Granted, it was Satan who led man to sin, but he was not the one who brought death. (Which refutes other teachings on Adam and Eve that I will share at a time that I am so inclined.).

#3. The destruction described in Isaiah 14:17 does not describe what Lucifer did to the world between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Man had not been created, therefore there were no cities to destroy. Man could not have died, because sin had not entered the world (By Adam, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, remember?) No, Isaiah 14:17 are the words of the people who will see Satan face his final judgment in the end. They are describing what Satan did throughout human history and more notably the Great Tribulation, not what he did in the beginning.

#4. Don't hang the gap theory on the nail of Hebrew translation. Many great false doctrines and cults have been started as a result of "alternate" translations of the original language.

I could go on, but I will stop.

I do not make the gap a point of fellowship, but I grow tired of those who subscribe to the gap theory accepting it and pushing it as a Bible doctrine as solid and clear as salvation by grace through faith, wages of sin being death, the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross, and love for each other being our supreme witness for the fact that we are children of God... and quit referring to Genesis 1 as "the reconstruction."

Faith gives us testimony

Hebrews 11:2 - For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good report.

What made the Old Testament heroes so pleasing to God? Was it their awesome deeds? Their ability to gain wealth (Abraham), their ability to climb the corporate ladder and find success for themselves and their countries (Joseph)? Perhaps it was their leadership abilities (Moses), or their piety (Enoch)?

No. What made the Old Testament heroes (and the New Testament heroes for that matter) pleasing to God was their faith. It was by faith they obtained a good report.

Now faith, remember, is a deep-rooted trust or conviction of the truth of anything. In regard to God, it is a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God exists, that He saves and condemns. In regard to Christ, which is necessary to having a proper faith in God, it is the deep-rooted trust or conviction that He lived a sinless life, is God in the flesh, and that He paid the penalty for the sin of the world when He died on the cross. A proper faith in God involves also having a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-13).

Of 'course, we could sum all of this up by quoting Hebrews 11:6, "but without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him."

It is interesting that the first two individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11 are Abel and Enoch. The scriptures record that it was Abel's faith, his deep-rooted trust in God that led him to offer a more proper sacrifice. It was Enoch's trust in God that led him to walk with God 300 years before being raptured (i.e. translated). Very little is written about either one in Genesis, but they are the first pointed out in the hall of faith. (Of course, they are also some of the first people living).

The rest of the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11 are honored for their faith, not their deeds. It was their faith that led them to perform their deeds. Each one had something that happened in their life that gave them the testimony that God was pleased with them.

If we are to have a testimony that will help us to reach the lost world, we have to please God. In order to please God, we have to have faith. The absence of faith leads to the absence of a testimony, which renders our evangelical work fruitless.

So trust God. If you do, you will have no trouble answering God when He calls you to do something extra-ordinary. Who knows, maybe you'll even get inducted into a future hall of faith by hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant."