On Sunday morning, January 1, 1956, a young gospel preacher named Orlan Hogue preached a “New Year’s” sermon for the local congregation in Huntingdon, Tennessee, where he was the local preacher. The sermon was entitled “Take Heed,” and it contained five main points.

1. He reminded them that 1955 was history. He discussed the great progress that had been made by the church in Huntingdon during 1955, including a large number of conversions, and then admonished them to be thankful to God and to give God the glory for past successes.
    
2. He described “how” the successes of the past year had been achieved, including such things as peace and harmony among the members, a great spirit of cooperation, and hard work.
    
3. He said, “1956 is now before us,” and he issued a challenge to the members to put the past behind them, not rest on their laurels, and focus on even greater efforts in 1956.
    
4. He reminded them that success would only be achieved if every member contributed to the work. Success would not come through the efforts of the preacher alone, or if only a few were actively involved in the work. It would only be when “every part does its share” (Eph. 4:16, NKJV) that even greater things could be accomplished.
    
5. He closed with an exhortation to get busy and make 1956 the best year ever in the history of the church. He cheered them on with the encouraging words that “our prospects look bright for the work in Huntingdon in 1956!”

I have in my possession the original type-written sermon outline that Brother Hogue used to preach that New Year’s lesson. It came into my possession a number of years ago after Brother Hogue’s brother-in-law, Earl Fly, passed away in Jackson, Tennessee. Brother Fly had written two things on the bottom of the type-written page. He wrote, “By O.H. Hogue” and then underneath that, he wrote the chilling words, “Orlan died May 10, 1956.” Brother Hogue died as a result of injuries suffered in a fall at the Huntingdon Post Office. He left behind a wife and two small children, and his death was mourned by a local church whose members loved him dearly for his work’s sake among them.

Three lessons come to mind as we think about the story of Orlan Hogue’s New Year’s sermon.

First, Brother Hogue was right to encourage the brethren in Huntingdon to remember the past year, and to meditate on the good things that had been happening among them during that time. The apostle Paul frequently used this technique of commending brethren for past victories and present successes as a means of encouraging them to greater efforts in the future. Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica is a good example of this kind of motivation.

Second, I am impressed with Brother Hogue’s optimism and enthusiasm. It is obvious that he was excited about the prospects facing him and the Huntingdon church in 1956. He was planning on twelve full months being busy doing the work of the Lord. Orlan was, by all reports, extremely skilled in the pulpit, as a writer, as a Bible class teacher, and as a personal worker.

Third, his tragic death reminds us of the sobering lesson from the pen of the inspired author James: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” (James 4:13-14, ESV)

Undoubtedly many of you have made some significant future plans. When you made your plans, did it even cross your mind that you might not live to see them carried through? If your life were to end before this year does, would you be prepared to stand before God in judgment? Do you know for certain that you have a guarantee of even five more months of life?

I believe that Orlan Hogue was prepared on that tragic day in May, 1956 when an accident cut short his talented life. The most important lesson to remember from the tragic story of Brother Hogue’s life and tragic death is that we all do everything possible to be prepared every minute of every hour of every day for the unexpected. Remember, “You are just a mist!”

Gary Kerr

We have been reminded in this article by brother Kerr, the uncertainty of time. The fact is, no matter how long we live on this earth, we are to consider ourselves strangers and pilgrims (Heb. 11:13-16). We long for a better place, and our reaching the goal of heaven will take more than a longing. We must seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6;33). After all, those who seek, will find (Matt. 7:7). May we be doers pf the word and not hearers only (Jas. 1:22). We certainly look forward to hearing our brother Gary proclaim the word of God this week.

Chuck

Romans 13:1 states “and do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Paul’s concerned about the brethren’s “sleep” was also made clear to the Corinthians: “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin” (I Cor. 15:34). If we want eternal rest, we first need to wake up and walk faithfully (Heb. 4:1).

Those who sleep have let their guard down. Consider I Thessalonians 5:6: “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” Obviously, these warnings are not talking about physical rest. Every child of God must be alert to the wiles of the devil, which is why we need to be awake until the very end (Rev. 2:10).

How do you wake someone who would rather sleep? We all know how difficult it can be to wake someone who is physically sleeping. If someone does not want to get up, you can really just try to stir them. They might rise, but they might also drift back to sleep. Without the desire (ambition), there is not much you can do to force them awake.

Regarding spiritual sleep, man must somehow see the danger of spiritual slumber. They must be told the hard facts to build their own desire to awaken. If someone is spiritually asleep, they should understand that…

1. They are not working (Phil. 2:12).
2. They are wasting time (Rom. 13:11).
3. They are not alert to danger (I Thess. 5:6).
4. They are not a help to others (Gal. 6:1).
5. They are not accomplishing anything (Mark 14:21).
6. They are not going to be rewarded with that which they would like (II Cor. 5:10).
7. They are lazy (Prov. 6:6).

Is it time for you to spiritually wake up? Heed these warnings and rise! If you are already awake, do not fall asleep now lest you miss your promised eternal rest!

Chuck 

Do not forget that Jesus was a worker

We should never forget that Jesus lived a perfect, righteous life and then endured a terrible death save the souls of mankind (Heb. 4:15; Rom. 5:6-11). This is why we are admonished to follow His example (I Pet. 2:21). But let us not forget that when Jesus walked on this earth, He was constantly working.

Consider this example from Matthew 11:1: “Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.”  The next verse says that when John was in prison, he heard about the works of Christ (verse 2). This indicates how far the impact of Christ’s work spread. What else do we know about how much the Lord accomplished? “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain all the books that would be written,” (John 21:25).

Many claim to be Christians – do they desire to be workers like Christ? If we sing the hymn “I want to be a worker for the Lord” can we also say, “I am a worker for the Lord, just like the Lord”?  This is a good aspiration to have, but it is not easily accomplished.

It is true that Jesus spent time healing people, which we cannot do. And yes, Jesus performed many miracles that we simply cannot do. However, our Savior did many things which we can do like praying long and often, encouraging and sympathizing, and preaching and teaching. We all need to be increasing in these things as time goes by.

Perhaps Jesus knew that He only had about 3 ½ years on the earth to do these things, so He did as much as He could in a short period. Whether this is true or not, it makes no difference. None of us know how much time we have. If we are earnest about our service and we do not know how much time we have, then we should be even more encouraged to work while we can! Live like Jesus lived, and work like Jesus worked!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Chuck