04/25/2026
A Message Without Words
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of their major. Although Dr Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the Gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.
One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor. Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it" Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?” Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a donut. And so, it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No." Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten.... Jenny got a donut. By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut!" Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up, he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes." "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had more than accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words." Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?" —Author Unknown
The Ultimate Truth
TRUTH: exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be.
ULTIMATE: Final; being that to which all the rest is directed, as to the main object. The ultimate end of our actions should be the glory of God, or the display of His exalted excellence. The ultimate end and aim of men is to be happy, and to attain to this end, we must yield that obedience which will honor the law and character of God (Definitions quoted from Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).
TRUTH ALWAYS EXPOSES ERROR!
We live in a society that has asked God, the LORD Jesus Christ, to stay out of its business. Society has even tried to take Christ out of Christmas by saying, Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. By doing this, they think God will simply go away or perhaps, He will not execute His judgment upon them. NOT SO! Hell is a real place designed for the devil and his angels. TRUTH: …Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). The Bible teaches us that in the last days there will be many false teachers. TRUTH: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction (2 Peter 2:1). These false teachers are represented today by the many different ways people believe will get them to Heaven. Sad to say, they have been deceived! Does believing a lie give you an excuse with God? NOT SO! TRUTH: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12).
TRUTH: Jesus Christ teaches us that the only way to be assured of spending eternity in Heaven is through …repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). Repentance is the willingness to leave sin behind, which is simply anything that goes against God’s Holy Bible, and turn to THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD, JESUS CHRIST. Faith toward Jesus is believing that God the Son, Jesus, became flesh through the virgin birth, dwelt among us, was tempted like we are, endured all temptation without sin, paid our sin debt on the cross of Calvary, was buried, rose up from the grave on the third day and is at the right hand of the Father waiting to come back and receive His children into Heaven with Him.
It is the Holy Ghost of God that reveals this to you as you put your faith in Christ. TRUTH: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:16). The Bible teaches us in John 4:24; God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. As you put your faith in what Christ did for you and call upon Him for salvation, God’s Spirit will confirm in your heart that you have become a child of the King.
Many believe that God is a God of love and He would never damn anyone to Hell. This is wishful thinking! TRUTH: The Bible teaches us in John 1:12; But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. When you put your faith in Christ and the perfect work of Calvary, with the willingness to turn from your sinful ways, you will become a son of God. If we are not all children of God, then just who is your father? Once again let’s look at what the Bible says: TRUTH: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44).
My friend, the devil knows his eternal destination. He will not be the ruler of Hell, but an occupant. TRUTH: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). He knows his days are numbered and is doing his utmost to deceive you into believing a lie: TRUTH: ...Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Revelation 12:12). His plan is to take as many as he can with him to Hell!
TRUTH: Jesus said, …I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Please put your faith in Christ before it is eternally too late. Faith is simply believing that God will do exactly what He has said He would. The Bible teaches this TRUTH: 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9, 10). TRUTH: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Your name will then be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. TRUTH: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
TRUTH: You can be saved and your name recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life today by simply praying and asking the LORD Jesus Christ into your heart to save you from Hell and to help you fight the war against sin in your life.
PLEASE COME TO CHRIST TODAY! You will have eternity to live with your decision! TRUTH: …behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Please do not put this decision off! The devil will tell you that you have plenty of time. This is his favorite lie! TRUTH: DO IT NOW—Eternity is a long time to be wrong!
Pray: Dear LORD God, I know that I am a sinner condemned to Hell. I am sorry I have sinned against you. Please forgive me of my sin, come into my heart, and help me to live a life pleasing unto You. I accept You as my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank You for writing my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life; in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
If you sincerely asked Christ into your heart, He has promised you eternal life. TRUTH: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (I John 5:12, 13).
If you prayed and asked Christ to save you, please contact us at the Rock of Ages Ministries so we can rejoice with you! We would like to enroll you in our Discipleship Bible Institute so you can learn more about your new life in Christ. May God bless you and keep you!
