Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Matthew 5: 33-37: Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

My oldest brother Bob, at 6'3" tall and 210 pounds of solid muscle, is a man's man to the core of his heart. He's a successful dentist, avid bird dog trainer, and skilled outdoorsman. He's always been one of my heroes.

Thirty years ago, Bob married the first girl he ever loved. He said "yes" to the preacher on that wedding date and gave his word that he'd give Mary Evelyn his life no matter what. Two summers ago, Mary Evelyn's kidneys quit. Her blood poisoned her (according to the charts) to the point of death. She needed a donor kidney immediately to stay alive. No kidney that matched her biological chemistry was available. Immediately, brother Bob volunteered his. He was tested for compatibility and, amazingly enough, his matched perfectly.

In a love-story-of-love-stories surgical procedure, the doctors opened Bob up from his belly button to his back bone, took three ribs and the kidney, placed the kidney into his bride's abdomen, and hooked-up the tubes and vessels. The next day, she was alive and well. She feels like a million bucks. He feels pain every day, but just smiles and shrugs it off as a small expression of his love for his "wife of a lifetime".

Jesus said, "let your yes be a yes". Presidential politics, television drama, talk shows, MTV and a lot of our daily conversation makes you wonder if there's any truth left in the world.

Brother Bob showed me that a man keeps his word



QUESTIONS:
1. When is it hardest for you to be honest?
2. Why is a person's yes the most important word in his/her life?
3. How can you build better trust today?

LIFELINE:
The home is where honesty is forged like steel.