After spending months writing his book, The French Revolution, Thomas Carlyle took his manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill for his comments.  Mill passed the manuscript on to a lady named Mrs. Chapman, who read it by the fireplace on the evening of March 5, 1834.  Before she went to bed that night, she laid the manuscript on the mantel.

Early the next morning, the servant girl came to clean the room and to start the fire in the fireplace.  Not knowing what the papers were, the servant used the manuscript as fuel to kindle the fire.  The work of months was burned up in a matter of seconds.

Some Christians spend their entire lives on earth building with wood, hay, and straw.  At the judgment seat of Christ, many people’s work will go up in flames.  These people will be admitted into heaven, but will be saved “as through fire”.    –Making Today Count for Eternity, Kent Crockett

“According to God’s grace that was given to me, as a skilled master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, because no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid–that is, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.” 1Corinthians 3:10-14

May our current work be a lasting work with eternal reward, Pastor Larry