By The Way!

WORTH-LESS

2011-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard an adult tell a child, "you're worthless?" I have overheard an individual tell another, that so-in-so is worthless. Some times that accusation is based on a person's actions, or attitude, or maybe just someones looks; hence the picture of the gentleman in my blog. Who knows, he might have just won the world championship "girn" contest. The point I want to make is this ... the root word "worthless," cannot mean without any worth or value whatsoever. "worthless" raises a question. When someone says, "he is worthless, we could ask, "worth less than what?" The truth of the matter is that we are all of worth. In God's eyes no one is with out value.

The Psalmist says in

Psalm 8:1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Some translations say in verse five that we are made a little lower than God. If someone tells you that another person is worthless, ask them, "worth less than what? Yes we are sinners, Paul says "there is none good, not even one." But Paul was talking about a goodness or rightness that commends us to God. No where does the Bible say we are of no value. We are the crowning act of God's creation. On the sixth day of creation, after God had created man, He said, "It is very good."

Unfortunately in our churches and families we suffer from what I call a "spiritual inferiority complex." God showed his love (his expression of our worth) that even while we were in sin, He died for us. He spread out his arms on the cross, and said, "this is how much I love you." We are to love as God loved. It does not matter what a person has done or said, or what their attitude is or what they look like, they are only worth less than God himself. Jesus told his disciples;

John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. THOT: HOW YOU LOVE OTHERS IS REALLY HOW YOU LOVE GOD

NOT SALLY, A ROAD MAP

2011-03-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I made a trip to south Texas. I wanted Sally to go with me. But I could not find her. I looked high and low, but she was no where to be found. Marie said, "you will just have to go without her." "But I really need her on this trip," I protested. Alas I left by myself and returned the same way. I found Sally after I returned. By the way, if you have not figured it out yet, "Sally," is what I call my GPS unit.

You say, "so what? What is all this leading up to?" Just hang on to your bloomers. There is a lesson to be learned and a point to make.

What I did take with me was the direction of my destination. I had the name of my destination. I had a friend that had prepared a place for me to lodge when I got there. I did not know how long it would take me. I did not know the number of times I would take unnecessary detours. But I did have a very important book. It was an atlas. It was an atlas of the United States, because an atlas of Europe or Asia would never get me to my intended destination.

I noticed on my journey that sometimes the road was smooth and at times it was bumpy. I noticed others parked along side the road side, perhaps having some kind of trouble. I would often stop and consult the atlas, and it never let me down. There were times I felt surely the atlas was wrong, because it seemed to me (my feelings told me) I was going the wrong way. But I kept doing what "the book" showed me to do. Though it was against my masculine nature, I even stopped a few times and inquired as to directions. Some folks were traveling faster than I, and some were traveling slower. And it seemed to me that many more were going in the opposite direction from the way I was traveling. I got tired at times, and had to stop and rest. I had to take nourishment to keep going.

But I finally arrived in a place I had never been before. The room was reserved, and the accommodations were better than I could have hoped. My host took me out for supper that evening, and I went back to my "little mansion" and had a peaceful night.

As believers we are on the road to heaven. We do not have an instrument that speaks literally of every turn we need to make. We are not told how long the journey will take. We are assured we will get there.

Not every one is going in the same direction, and the truth is, there are more going the other way. Sometimes the road is smooth and sometimes it is rough. There are hazards, and detours, some put there by the Lord, and some of our on making. Sometimes it seems were are not making any progress, and at other times it seems we are traveling faster than we really want to. It is helpful to have those we love and trust give us encouragement and counsel as we journey down this road... a dear brother or sister in Christ, a Pastor, our parents or grandparents. Most important of all we have an eternal atlas, The Book, The Word of God.

Paul told Timothy in his first letter to him, that the Scripture was inspirted by God and was benificial for what we are to believe, what not to believe, how to not behave and how to behave as we travel the road to heaven (see 1 Tim 3:16)

In that car I was aware of an invisible presence keeping me safe and on the right track. You and I as believers have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, to encourage us and to instruct us as we travel.

See John 16:13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words, but he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come.14 The Spirit of truth will bring glory to me, because he will take what I have to say and tell it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take what I have to say and tell it to you.

And when we get to our destination, there will be a place reserved for us by our Friend, whose name is Jesus. Unlike the earthly room I enjoyed here, the fee has already been paid. Jesus will take us out to Supper, not a fast food place, which is adequate here, but there it will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

When I go back to Texas I would still like to take "Sally," but on my way to my mansion in heaven, there are no substitutes for The Word of God, The presence of the Holy Spirit, and the encouragement of Gods people.

THOT: WHICH ROAD ARE YOU TRAVELING? WHAT IS YOUR ROAD MAP, AND WHO IS YOUR GUIDE? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one gets to the Father except through me."

A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP

2011-02-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

The dictionary defines the noun form of symbiotic (symbiosis) as: any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups, etc.

Now please indulge me as I explain where I’m coming from. I have been reliving some of my more pleasant experiences as a young boy. One of those that came to mind was associated with Dan, our Quarter horse that we used for multiply purposes.

As I thought about my relationship with Dan and his relationship with me, the word “symbiotic” came to my mind. Now call me diluted (ok that’s enough), but the only time I remember hearing that word was on an episode of “Star Trek,” the old television series. I think there was an episode where a new life form was discovered and the whole civilization lived in a "symbitoc relationship." I was not quite sure, but at my gut level I felt that term applied to me and Dan. I came to find that it did.

We were inseparable. I never had one moment when I feared Dan, not that I did not respect him as being much larger and stronger than me, and could hurt me if he so chose. But Dan, I believe, felt as close to me as I to him. Often, I would ride Dan without saddle or bridle. I would put my bare toes on his shoulder blade, grab his mane and swing on his back. I could go anywhere guiding Dan only by his mane. I never tried to take advantage of Dan, and Dan never took advantage of me. Since I did not speak Quarterhorse-ese and Dan did not speak Arkansas hillbilly-ese we just seemed to communicate intuitively and with motions, touches, rubs, and licks (Dan licked me but I did not return the favor). Dan might have plowed in the garden all day, but he never seemed to mind when I got on him for a ride.

Dan was not perfect. He would occasionally have problems with his feet. I often helped my dad put shoes on Dan. I remember asking dad one day as we were shoeing Dan, “Do those nails hurt Dan when you drive them through the shoe and into his hoof?” “Not if you know where to drive them,” was dad’s reply. I was not perfect either. I did not always do a good job of brushing him down or picking the burrs out of his mane. But Dan did not seem to mind. We had an understanding. We were two, but so close we were as one in many ways.

Christ, of course, has no flaws. He understands me completely. I do not always treat Him the way I should. But my goal is to have a symbiotic relationship with Him. Galatians 2:21 says that “We have been crucified with Christ and as believers we died in Him, yet we live, but it is not really we that live, but Christ that lives in us. And the life that we now live here on earth is by the Faith of and in the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, who gave Himself for us and continues to love us.” (My translation)

Friendship is another wonderful application of the relationship Dan and I had. Jesus told his disciples that He would call them friends. It is better to have an enemy than to not have a friend. But to have a friend, we have to be a friend. Friendship takes time to develop. It took Dan and me a while to become symbiotic. The saddest thing I can think of is a husband and wife, living together for years and still not becoming friends. Are you and your spouse friends?

And do you have at least one outside friend that you can really open up to and your friend open up to you … and do so without fear of ridicule or being reported?

THOT: ONLY BY LEARNING TO BE A FRIEND OF GOD CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FRIEND TO ANOTHER.

THE LITTLE RED FIRE ENGINE

2011-01-14T02:35:00.000-08:00

All I remember getting that year for Christmas was a little red metal fire engine. I was 4 years old, and in the spring of 1950 after my sister was born we moved to a new farm north of Alpena, AR.

I had been warned to not leave the fire engine laying around in the yard where it could be damaged or run over with the family car. I did not heed that piece of advice and so, not long after the move dad was backing his 1937 ford coupe in the back yard and there was the sound of a certain crunch. It was my little red fire engine. I grabbed it as soon as I could after dad pulled forward, but it was beyond recognition, let alone repair.

Was I sad? Yes. Was I upset? Yes. Was there any expectation that dad would get me another one? No! It was my responsibility, and I had blown it. I did not even ask for a new one. I did not expect a new one. I had already learned from my mom and dad that there are consequences to not being responsible. It is a simple thing to teach, and a simple thing to learn.

Now I did not know anything about the word “stewardship.” Nor any Scripture that might have taught it, but I learned the Biblical principle. When we fail to learn proper stewardship (caring for things entrusted to us) how can we expect others to practice it? When Americans live on 105% of their income, and waste precious resources, how can we expect the government to act any differently?

Every time I hear a fire engine go out on a run, I feel a sense of gratitude that they did not do with that big fire engine what I did with that little toy fire engine.

Dad did not yell at me, or scold me, He just said, “sorry son, that’s what happens when you are careless with your things.”

In America, our material blessings have become weights around our necks and we have lost our focus of what is really important. It may take a generation or two of doing without a lot of things we take for granted today, to restore our sense of balance and our willingness to be responsible stewards.

The Scripture teaches that all belongs to God. And if He can’t trust us with something, He will not let us take care of it. The “fat” years have passed, now we are entering the “lean” years. Yet they may prove to be the most blessed of all.

A story is told of a family moving into a neighborhood next door to a Quaker family. After the Quaker husband and father had watched the large trucks with an enormous amount of material being unloaded he decided to go over and welcome his new neighbor. He said to him, "Welcome friend, to the neighborhood, if thou findest that thou needest something call for me and I will come over and show thee how thou canst do without it."

THOT: A FAMILY CAN BE DESTROYED AS EASILY AS A LITTLE RED FIRE ENGINE, AND TRAGICALLY, IT MAY BE BEYOND REPAIR. LET’S ALL PRACTICE BETTER STEWARDSHIP.

SPITTING SEEDS OR SPLITTING HAIRS

2010-09-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Who does not love watermelon? Now don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the new seedless variety, but they are not nearly as much fun. “How so,” you ask?

Well I must have been about 3 years and 9 months old, and we were living in Bob Jones old rent house just south of Alpena, Arkansas. It was one of those old houses that had what old timers called a “Dog Run.” The house had two large rooms. One room was the kitchen, dining room, storage etc. The other room was the living room/bedroom area. Between these two large rooms was a large open hallway. That is, a hall that separated the two rooms but it was not enclosed on either end. In this house the front of the large hall was a banister overlooking the front yard, and at the back were stairs that lead into the back yard.

In those days, eating watermelon came with four rules. 1) Always eat it outside 2) Get it all over your face 3) put a dash of salt on it, and finally 4) spit the seeds as far as you could. I remember once when Grandpa and Grandma Roberts were visiting, along with Jerry and Elmer my uncles who still lived with them. Being in the summer time, after dinner (what some folks call lunch), we assembled in the front of the “Dog Run” and ate watermelon. The seed spitting part became a game, and each of us tried to out spit the other. No records were kept, so I don’t remember who won the contest. Had we kept records, it might have become an Olympic sport by now. While we were spitting seeds the grown-ups we talking. As I recall, they just seemed to talk over and over about the same thing. At least that is how I remember it. It seemed to me, upon later reflection, they were trying to say the same thing in as many different ways as possible. I learned later to call that “splitting hairs.”

Lesson: As far as I can determine there was nothing useful that resulted in all the hair splitting. But the watermelon seed spitting was a different story. Next spring there was a bunch of watermelon vines that sprang up in the front yard. So if you want a harvest of anything you have to spit (sow) the seed. Christ gave a parable of the sower and seed.

In Matthew Chapter 13 Jesus explains it this way 18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

If you and I expect to bear fruit (another believer) we must be busy spitting the seed of the Gospel. It is not a contest, but if we are engaged in the process we are all winners

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

2010-09-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

It was on an unusually warm day for January in the Ozarks…January 25th 1950 to be exact. I had just turned four in September of 1949. My family was living south of Alpena, Arkansas in a flagstone house we were renting from Chester Presley. A few hundred yards north down the gravel road lived Jimmy and Cordie Mills. I thought they were ancient at the time, but I am sure they were probably no more than 50 something.

As I recall, it was in the morning we had a visit from our family doctor, Doc McCurry, who had an office in Green Forest. Oh yes, doctors did make house calls in those days. It was this doctor my dad told me many times a story concerning him. It seemed that he was visited at his office by a man who had a bad case of hiccups. In fact he had been hiccupping for 24 hours. Well, Doc asked the man to stick out his tongue and as he did Doc grabbed it with his hand. He would not let go and according to the man he thought doc was going to pull it out by the roots. Along with the man’s verbal expression of disdain for such an unorthodox treatment, he gave the doc a “blue streak” of curse words and left the office in a huff. About two hours later the man returned and apologized to the Doc because his hiccups were gone. I do not think he learned that particular treatment in medical school. I guess it was that sort of thing that endeared our family to Doc McCurry so much. The other reason was that he really did care for his patients.

Now back to my main story… I was extremely curious as to why I was told by mom and dad that I had to go stay with the Mill’s down the road for the rest of the day. Not that I minded it, it was just something that never happened. There was a mystery here. I cannot remember if dad drove me down to the Mills, or I walked. I think I walked while dad stood in the yard and made sure I arrived safely. Another strange thing was that Jimmy and Cordie were waiting on me. We had no phone in those days, so how did the Mill’s know I was coming?

Now Jimmy and Cordie were some of my favorite people. Jimmy had a rather large stomach and when we would all go to Long Creek to swim he could float on his back for what seemed like hours. Sometimes all you could see was his face and his large round belly. I thought it is was funny. What endeared me to Cordie was that she was always giving me gum, or a piece of candy, or something else a little boy thought was grand. One day after our family had visited the Mill’s and were preparing to leave, I spoke up and asked, “Cordie, you got anything else you want to give me?” Mom grabbed my arm and we all made a hasty exit. When we got into our car, a ’37 Ford coupe, I got the lecture of my life. “You don’t every do that again,” mom said with sternness in her voice. “Do what?” I ask. I had already learned to use the “I’m innocent because I have no idea what you are talking about” routine. It did not work this time. My dad said, “Ask for a handout, it is rude and impolite.” Now in my defense, I remember saying something to the effect, “well she had given me a piece of gum and I just did not want her to forget, in case she had planned to give me something else.” Well, prosecution (1), defense (0)… I was just grateful that I did not get any more than a tongue lashing.

Now back to the main story or I will never get through. I do have more to say about the Mill’s but I must save that for a later time. Just before dark, dad came to pick me up and take me home. When I walked in I saw a sight that blew my young mind clean away. There was mom in bed, in the living room, where it had been before, but this time she was holding something tiny and pink. It was my new baby sister. They would call her Anna Sue.

Now the mystery of it is, where did she come from? Why did I have to stay the day at the Mills? What did Doc McCurry have to do with all this? And why did I not know it was going to happen? I grew up on a farm and it did not take a genius to figure out where newborns came from. I learned that as I got older. I do not seem to remember my mother’s body changing in any particular way. She mostly wore loose fitting cloths, so I would not have noticed a bulging belly.

As I think back on the whole affair, I think that my mom and dad handled it just right. I was not ready for a complete course in human reproduction. I was not ready for a sex education course. The mystery of it was part of the excitement about it all. I soon forgot my questions and just settled in to get acquainted with my new sister. By the way, I think it is a crime to try to take the mystery out of life. We might answer the questions about the physical and human participation in the beginning of life, but no one has answered all the questions about how life really begins. Mysteries are mysteries for a reason. A child needs to deal with mystery… it is part of our existence that makes life what is. This whole sex education thing we deal with today is way out of balance.

Most of the problem could be solved with a parent reading to a child some special portions of Scripture. Here is a case in point:

Psalm 139:13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day. (THE MESSAGE)

LESSON: SEX/REPRODUCTION IS ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN US. WE CANNOT IMPROVE UPON IT. WE CANNOT REDESIGN IT, AND IF WE TRY TO WE DO SO AT OUR ON PERIL. WE MUST REMEMBER THE WORDS TO THE HYMN, "THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD." WHEN WE TRY TO INTERFERE WITH GOD'S PLAN AND GOD'S TIMING WE GET EVERYTHING MESSED UP. ENJOY THE MYSTERY OF IT AND ENJOY IT. FOR YOUNG PARENTS, DO NOT TRY TO RUSH TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE MYSTERY. GOD WILL GUIDE YOU AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY. ABOVE ALL, USE THE BIBLE AND GIVE GLORY TO GOD.

THE OLD SOW AND THE BOTTLE

2010-09-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Memories are only useful if we re-member… That is, re-live the memories. As we get older we increasingly like to re-live some past event or personal experience. The problem is we are apt to embellish the memory until we forget where fact separates from fancy. Be that as it may, I think it is just fine to embellish a little if it helps to get across the essence of the real experience. Now the reason I am talking so philosophically is because I have a desire to blog about such experiences, and I want you to know ahead of time that I cannot swear that all things happened exactly as I recall them. So, here goes the first one.

I must have been somewhat beyond my second year of life, and still enjoying the bottle. I seem to recall we were living on what I later learned was referred to as the "Higgered place." We had moved from McAlester, OK when I was about a year old, after dad was discharged from the army. I think this was our first house after moving back to Arkansas. We had a Hog, a sow to be exact. I do not know if mom and dad were going to raise pigs or were fattening this one out to butcher.

Now back to the important part. My mom was apparently trying to find a way to wean me from the bottle. She had not succeeded. Even back then I had a stubborn streak. Well one day we had a visit from Aunt Ethel, my dad’s oldest sister. Ethel lived by the notion that it is often easier to get forgiveness than permission. And she never met a situation she was unwilling to plow into head first. Were mom had failed to succeed in solving my bottle problem, Ethel waded right in and used her unorthodox approach.

I was apparently running around in the yard, screaming for my bottle. Just then, Ethel’s mental acumen came to the surface as she turned to me and said in a dramatic voice (at least that is the way I remember it), “THE OLD SOW ATE YOUR BOTTLE!” Well admittedly I was not yet well trained in problem solving, but intuitively I knew that I was no match for that sow. I remember climbing up on the wooden planks that were part of the pig sty, and did my best to communicate with that sow. I was not very good yet at English and even worse at speaking “pigese.” I never even entertained the notion that Ethel might be just fibbing to me. So I finally accepted what seemed to be the inevitable. That sow had eaten my bottle and I had no spare.

It was my first experience at having to deal with disappointment. But from that time until now I have learned that dis-appointment can be the necessary step to an appointment that will make me more mature. I learned to drink from a cup.

LESSON: TAKE AWAY THE “DIS” FROM DISAPPOINTMENT AND YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SOMETHING BETTER. GOD IS EVEN IN CONTROLL OF WHAT SEEMS TO US A SMALL THING. THAT SOW AND THE BOTTLE AFFAIR WAS NO SMALL THING TO ME AT THE TIME, BUT SINCE, I HAVE LEARNED THERE ARE MANY THINGS I HAVE TO GIVE UP TO FIND THAT WHICH IS MUCH BETTER AND RICHER, AND BLESSED BY GOD.

Paul said in Phil 4:11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

MOM

2010-05-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you have seen the movie, "Bucket List." There are things that all of us would like to do before we "kick the bucket." No one's bucket list would look the same, but every one of us would have one. It may not be written down, but we have it in our mind or heart.

The problem is, we often say, "I'm going to do 'such-in-such' when I get around to it." I was in revival many years ago in a church in Missouri. On Tuesday night the pastor announced that a package of very special items had arrived, and that there was something for every member of the church. They were to be present on Wednesday night to receive their very important item. We had a large crowd the next night, and just before dismissal the pastor announced that his supply of "round tuits" had arrived and each one would receive theirs at the door on their way out. Then the pastor said in an excited voice, "these 'round tuits' will revolutionize our church, because so many of you have told me they would help the church in a ministry, visit a friend, volunteer to teach a class, or just be regular in attendance when they got a 'round tuit.'" "So," said he, "they are here and therefore no one will have anymore excuses for putting off things they should be doing now."

Needless to say, the message was a powerful one. Even I received a "round tuit." Now you are asking what all this has to do with MOM?

Well By The Way, the things we often put off the longest, are those things involving our families. If your mom is still living, and there is something you plan to do for her or say to her, do not put it off until it is too late.

My mom has been in a special unit of the hospital in Mt. Home, AR. They are recommending that she be placed in a nursing facility. None of us like the idea, but sometimes it is the only logical option.
I remember my mom and my dad as I grew up with my sister. We were cared for, loved and protected. I thank the Lord that I have been able to tell mom how much I love her, and have gotten to do things for her and with her. If I had waited I would have waited too long for her to really understand or appreciate certain things. Because now her mind is failing. And, By The Way again, I also was able to do the same with my dad.

THOT: MOM, I'M THANKFUL I HAD MY "ROUND TUIT" AND USED IT WHEN I DID. I LOVE YOU. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY. THE SAME GOES FOR MY PRECIOUS WIFE AND THE MOTHER OF OUR TWO CHILDREN

THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

2010-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

All of you that know me, know I get emotional very easily. There are times that I weep while watching reruns of "Leave it to Beaver." So I knew it was inevitable that the moment would come during my trip to Israel where I would lose it.

By The Way it came while I was at the Western Wall. Now I'm not talking about "western" as in Gun Smoke or Big Valley. This Western Wall shows part of what experts say may be left of Solomon's Temple. I put on my mandatory ya mica (the little skull cap) and slowly approached the wall. I was standing between two orthodox rabbis as they read from the Torah and prayed. I began to pray. All of a sudden it hit me. They were praying and longing for the Messiah to come. I knew that Yeshiva had already come. And They and all the other Rabbis were spiritually blind to that fact. The admonition from the Scripture came to my mind, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." That peace will never come until they acknowledge the Prince of Peace.

I began to weep as I prayed for their eyes to be opened. I thought of Paul's cry, "I would be willing to be accursed if I knew that in doing so it would lead to the opening of the spiritual eyes of my kinsman, my Jewish brothers."

It seems to me that we need to be more missionary minded toward the Jewish people. Jesus said, the Gospel would first be preached in Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria, and then the rest of the world. Now it seems to have made full circle.

When I got back to my group I was still blubbering. It was one of those special moments of blessing, and burden that God from time to time lays upon us.

THOT: JOIN ME IN PRAYING AND GIVING AND GOING THAT THE GOSPEL WILL BE HEARD AMONG THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE GROUPS OF THAT AREA.

"KNOW" SPIN ZONE

2010-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

I am beginning now to write about the magnificent trip we had to Israel. It was indeed the trip of a life time. But before I share daily with you all my impressions and personal experiences there is something I must address. There are really several things, but I start with the first in a long series.

By The Way, this is the "Know Spin Zone." After arrival at the Newark Airport, we had to hurry to another terminal to catch our flight to Tel Aviv. We were running close, and so we had to hurry. At first the seven of us were all running or walking very fast. I knew instinctively that someone from our group needed to be at the correct gate in order to not miss our connection. I deliberately decided that I or someone must get there the fastest way possible to HELP the others not miss their flight. So with nothing but pure selflessness in my heart and a desire to be a helpful team member I jumped on one of the many electric carts going our direction. Those of us who rode the cart got to the gate before those who walked. We accomplished our goal in CARING for the rest of the group. We felt our actions were not only justified, but under the circumstances the most noble thing we could have done.

Some how our actions were misinterpreted as being somewhat selfish instead of selfless. We were told that our taking the cart and letting the others walk was somehow an act that jeopardized the team spirit, and that we were only thinking of ourselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes the ends do justify the means; not always, but sometimes, and this was one of those times.

Of course being the strong gentlemen we are we took the criticism with good humor and understood that those making the criticism simply did not know the facts of the case. That is why the "Know Spin Zone" was necessary.

You can see, of course, how happy the group looks after they realized that I and a few others had made the speedy trip to the gate and made sure we would not miss our flight. Pictures do not lie.

THAT IS MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT.

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (14)

2010-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Several years ago we served as church planters in northern Illinois. Once I was ask to conduct the funeral of a still born baby. The family was Catholic, but we had become very good friends, and I said, of course, I would be willing to do the service.

The funeral was to be held in a very large Catholic cemetery in Chicago. I think the family had to get special permission from the Chicago Catholic Arch Dies es to allow a non-Catholic to lead a service there.

We met in a small, yet beautiful, building for the service. I was able to encourage the mother and the family that the child was in heaven with our heavenly father. The family appreciated the short, small, but appropriate service.

After we left the meeting place, a strange thing happened. We got lost in the cemetery. No, I’m not kidding. The cemetery was so large it had streets with street names. It was so huge I could not remember how to get out. As I recall, it was a rather eerie feeling to be lost in a cemetery. I am not sure, but some of the street signs must have included; Cadaver Lane, Skeleton Ave., Rigamortis Boulevard, and Grave Road. I think there must have been one road that had a sign, “Dead End.” But then it has been a while, and my mind does play tricks on me. Well we did find our way out after driving around a while. Or should I say driving in “squares” and “rectangles” since the streets were at right angles.

But, believe it or not, there is a By The Way application to all this. As believers, we are traveling through this life sometimes forgetting that death is all about us. Paul addressed the Christians at Ephesus as "once dead" people.

Here is Paul’s statement in Ephesus 2: 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (NIV)

As believers we know that we will get through this cemetery of life and death. When we were lost without Christ we resided in the cemetery. But there is always hope where Christ is concerned. We believe in a resurrection. Now, I am not speaking of that future resurrection every child of God is promised when we get a new body. I speak of a present resurrection. Jesus had an interesting exchange with Martha in John 11.

John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (NIV)

Notice verse 25. Jesus said that He was (present tense) the resurrection. When a spiritually dead person is saved they experience a spiritual resurrection. And that should be our concern while we walk with the Lord to that heavenly city. We need to walk through life’s graveyards. If we only choose to live and walk among those who are already alive, we cannot fulfill our calling as believers. We have the good news that can bring life to those who are dead. Do not feel that we are lost in a graveyard, but we are working in a spiritual graveyard. The road we walk to heaven needs to go through as many cemeteries as possible.

In John 4 we have an interesting story about Jesus leading the disciples from Judea to Galilee. Notice in John 4:3…He (Jesus) left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria.

His having to go through Samaria was not a geographical necessity, but a spiritual necessity. Most Jews, in order to avoid the despised Samaritans, crossed over the Jordan and went north on the east side avoiding Samaria all together. Then they crossed back over the Jordan into Galilee. But Jesus said he had to go through Samaria. Why?: Because there was a cemetery full of dead folks, beginning with a woman at Jacobs well, and concluding with a sizable group from the city of Sychar. He had to bring life to some dead folks on his way to Galilee.

Are we bringing the story of life to the cemeteries of spiritual dead folks as we travel the road to our heavenly city?

THOT: WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU ARE LOST IN A CEMETERY JUST REMEMBER THE ONE WHO HAS POWER OVER DEATH AND LIFE

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL(13)

2010-02-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

Many of us have been guilty of being critical of the so called “Health and Wealth” message that is being preached by some TV evangelists and others. But maybe we should not be so quick to condemn, instead do a little re-interpretation.

By The Way I have been asked, “are you a Methodist?” and I sometimes reply, “Of course, I believe in godly methods in the way we present our faith and organize our churches.

Some have said, "I am Jehovah’s Witness.” And I reply, “Yes, I am too. I try to witness for Jehovah every day. You know Jesus said that He was the 'I Am' before Abraham. He is Jehovah or as the Hebrew would put it, Yahweh.”

“Are you a Latter Day Saint?” was a question put to me. I immediately answered in the affirmative. “I believe we are living in the last days. And when Christ saved me He made me a saint (see 1 Corinthians)”

“Are you Pentecostal?” was the question. “Of course I am, I believe that the church was baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and when I was saved I became a part of that church, and now share in that same Pentecostal power. Acts 1:8 says, ‘and you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.’ I have received that Holy Spirit and the Power of God that comes with that experience.”

AND NOW I AM READY TO DECLARE THAT I BELIEVE AND PREACH A HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL.

Now let me explain my position by using the following acrostic. We are dealing with God’s laws or principles of reaping and sowing. Our experience of reality depends upon practicing God’s principles for health and wealth. This works in the physical world as well as the spiritual world. God intends for His children to be healthy and wealthy.

3 John 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. (HCSB)

H E A L T H

Humility … Humility is a necessary virtue if we are to learn to depend upon our Lord and not ourselves. Humility takes the spotlight off us and puts it on Christ. We need humility in order to be healthy spiritually and physically.

Excitement … It is a thrill to walk with God. One cannot be thrilled with His walk without showing it. Excitement starts from an inner certainty of our security in Christ and is revealed in our actions, reactions, and physical expressions. Excitement cannot live where discouragement and depression reign. Excitement promotes health.

Accountability … One cannot be autonomous, that is, having to answer to no one, and be healthy spiritually or physically. All the so called “self-help programs” list accountability as a necessary ingredient to success. We are ultimately accountable to God, but we also need to have accountability to a Christian brother or sister, and to a local church.

Love … Love is not lust. Love is self-giving, lust is all about getting. A person who feels unloved is truly an ill person. But to receive love we must give it away. God’s kind of love is “Agape.” It is a love that requires nothing in return. A person with this kind of love is truly healthy.

Trust … Lack of trust, which is fear and jealousy, can make us sick both physically and spiritually. Trust is faith put to action. We must trust our God, and learn to trust our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hope … Lack of hope leads to worry and worry leads to all kinds of sickness: sickness of the mind, the body and our spiritual nature. Hope, as used in the Scripture, means to have such confidence in what God says about our future that it is as certain as though it had already happened. That leads to rest. And that kind of rest leads to spiritual and physical health.

W E A L T H

Wonder … Dr. Vance Havner preached a sermon entitled “Losing the Wonder of it All.” He says that there are many Christians that have lost the wonder, the glow, the euphoria of being a Christian. They have settled for a humdrum boring existence. A person like that is poor, regardless of his bank account or his other material possessions. A Believer who still has the wonder of his relationship to the Lord is rich indeed.

Experience … The Christian life is not just an exercise in intelligence or how much we know in our head. It is an experience. We are, as Dr. Blackaby puts it, to experience God. And this should be a daily experience and an adventure. A person who experiences God this way is wealthy beyond measure.

Acceptance … To be wealthy spiritually and physically we cannot simply choose those we want to help and those we want to ignore. In accepting others we are really giving ourselves away. It is the truly rich person who can give themselves away.

Leaving … A person who is truly wealthy knows how to leave a Godly legacy. We know that when we die we leave behind everything that is material. All those material things will rust, and rot away. But there are some things that we leave behind that will last. A legacy of a life well lived means your influence keeps multiplying. It is like a savings account that draws interest, except this is something intangible. Only a wealthy person can leave a legacy like that.

Teaching … I am reminded of a credit card commercial… many things have a dollar value, but other things are priceless. A wealthy man or woman may teach some things that have a dollar value. I have taught a college class for years that has to do with business leadership. It is gratifying to know that some of the things I have taught helped some of my students excel in the business world. It meant more money and that is fine. But more importantly I taught Christian values, and Biblical morals, and it is even more a joy to see positive spiritual changes in the lives of some of my students. That is priceless

Helping … I love to watch the celebrated film "It’s A Wonderful Life." Marie and I always watch it around Christmas time. At one point in the film George Bailey felt that he had been a failure. But when all the people George had helped came to his rescue after most of their money had been lost, he began to realize that he had not been a failure after all. In the last scene in the film a toast was given to George Bailey, "the richest man in town." Old man Potter may have had more cash, but it takes more than cash to make us rich. George had friends because he had been a friend. And as a friend he had helped hundreds of people. Look for the one who is always helping others, and there you will see someone who is truly rich.

THOT: GOD WANTS US TO BE HEALTHY AND WEALTHY BUT IT IS A HEALTH THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY ANNOUNCED IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE, AND IT IS NOT A WEALTH THAT CAN BE MEASURED BY MONEY OR EARTHLY POSSESSIONS.

THE DEVIL AND THE DUCK

2010-02-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL blog, but I received the following story from one of my church members. Her name is Christine Huddleston. By the way her first book is coming out in a few months. I thought this was too good not to share. May it bless you as it did me

How many times have we thought that keeping a secret was the best way to stay out of trouble? Read this story about what happens to Johnny as he hides the truth of what he did from his Grandma.

There was a little boy named Johnny visiting his grandparents on their farm.
He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, ‘Sally, let’s wash the dishes’ But Sally said, ‘Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.’ Then she whispered to him, “remember the duck?’ So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, ‘I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.’ Sally just smiled and said, ‘well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help? She whispered again, ‘Remember the duck?’ So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s; he finally could not stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, ‘Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.’

Thought for the day and every day thereafter:

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done… And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)…whatever it is…You need to know that:

God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life… He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets.

It is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make the difference in someone’s life today. Share this with a friend and always remember:
God is at the window!

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (12)

2010-02-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

In my blogs I have often used physical realities to express the truth of spiritual realities.. But the fact is, with God there is no harsh dividing line between the physical and the spiritual. All that we are and all that we do intersects with the spiritual.

I remember attending a conference with Marie and several couples from Illinois at what was then a church in Florida where Dr. Peter Lord was pastoring. It was a wonderful retreat. I remember Bro. Lord asking us in one morning session how many spiritual things we had done that day. A few hands went up, and upon asking them the number of spiritual things they had done; some rather embarrassingly would say one, or maybe two, and at the most three. They were thinking about their morning devotional, or maybe a kind word they said to a friend or to their spouse.

Then Bro. Lord asked, “How many of you brushed you teeth this morning?” Every hand went up. Then he said, “Is brushing your teeth a non-spiritual activity?” He reminded us that the Scripture says that “whether we eat or drink or what ever we do we are to do it to the glory of God.” He indicated that some how we had gotten confused between a spiritual activity and a “religious” activity. “All we do is spiritual if it fits into God’s overall plan for our lives.” Dr. Lord emphasized.

By The Way I gave you all of this to get to my point. We have been talking about walking with God. But we seem to always make the emphasis a “spiritual walk.” Well, physical walking is spiritual, if that is what the Lord wants you to do. And beyond that, it reminds us of this body that God created. Just to analyze it gives glory to God. I have a paper written by a pastor friend of mine I was in seminary with and have helped in numerous revivals. I include his paper entitled The Human Machine, by Tim Adams because it emphases the power and wisdom of God in creating us. Our body is an example of the spiritual genius of God

THE HUMAN MACHINE

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

The Human Machine is an 8-part miracle machine of creation:

• 200-212 I-Beams, Angle, U-Joint type material called bone, built to withstand several pounds of pressure.

• 14 types of mechanical motorized, electrically generated aids to ambulation in all directions.

• 1000’s of miles of expandable state of the art leak-resistant plumbing, half with dependable one-way valves, connected to a super pump in miniature model, built for 24 hour service, maintaining constant respiration, nourishment, disposal and cosmetic functions through circulation of 4 quarts of lubricant/cleaner a the rate of 70-80 BPM

• An Internal Waste Management System comprised of 1 self-emptying storage tank for liquid disposal and 27 feet of absorptive lining for the transport and expulsion of semisolid waste.

• A four-part equalized chemical balance injection system built for lifetime automatic revisions in the human model without need for recall to the factory.

• A microscopically integrated internal communication network connected to a central receiving and response station far outranking the complexities of any computerized modern metropolitan phone system.

• All neatly wrapped in two layers of he toughest, thermal protective regenerating covering called skin.

THE HUMAN MACHINE RETAIL PRICE: $$$ Priceless.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeding goodly pearls: Who, when he had found ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Matthew 13:45,46

THOT: WHEN GOD BREATHED INTO MAN’S NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE WE BECAME A SPIRITUAL BEING.

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (11)

2010-02-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

Every place I have visited overseas, the fact that I was a tourist must have stuck out like a sore thumb. I know this because the vendors who were selling crafts or souvenirs would always head my way trying to sell me something. Even if I was not visiting one of the many markets they would often stop me on the street. Most of all my trips abroad was for mission purposes, but lets be honest, I was also a tourist. I guess it is hard for an American traveling in third world countries to keep from looking like a tourists.

But By The Way, when it comes to spiritual truth and our journey through this life on our way to that Golden City, we are not tourist, we are pilgrims. Notice the Scriptural Basis of our Blog.

Hebrews 11: 8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Now let me point out some obvious differences between a tourist and a pilgrim.

1) A tourist is on a journey simply for the pleasure of it. His main goal is to have an interesting and enjoyable time. He is there (wherever there is)because it was his decision. On the other hand, a pilgrim is on his journey because He felt a call. His call was not from a tourist agent, but from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Note: 8aBy faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance… Notice, the Scripture says “He was called.” As believers we have a call upon us. We are traveling this Gospel road because God called us to it.

2) Notice also that normally a tourist has an itinerary, where as a pilgrim does not. He travels each day by faith, knowing that each day he will receive fresh orders as to exactly where and how to travel. Note: 8bBy faith Abraham…obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Abraham did not know in his flesh were he was going, but he was not traveling blind; he was traveling with spiritual eyes.

3) Notice that a tourist is always planning to go “home” after his vacation, but a pilgrim has no permanent home, except his spiritual one. Note: 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: Abraham simple sojourned here and there. His tabernacle was a temporary shelter. Today as believers we tabernacle in the temporary shelter of this human flesh. Our real home is in heaven, from which we look and long for our redeemer to come and take us to be with Him

4) Notice that a tourist is looking on the temporal, the earthly, but a pilgrim is always looking through eyes of faith that helps him see a place not constructed by man, but by God himself and is permanent. Notice: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. As believers we know the “hear and now” is not all there is. There is a heavenly city to which we travel and our responsibility is to get as many as we can to go with us. We must never lose sight of that fact.

5) Notice, a tourist makes his journey by money, credit card, or by some earthly benefactor. A pilgrim lives by faith. 13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. A Christian pilgrim lives by faith, sees the future by faith, clings to what he knows by faith, and is not ashamed to openly declare what he knows by faith. A tourist lives in the past once he returns home, showing his pictures, his souvenirs, and telling his travel stories. A Christian pilgrim lives in the present but his mind and heart is focused on the future; the high and spiritual goal of his journey.

6) Notice finally, a tourist my have visited many countries, and may have a favorite one, or he may have enjoyed them all the same, but purely for personal reasons. A Christian pilgrim sees a destination that cannot even be explained with human words. Abraham knew that there was no earthly place that would ultimately fulfill the longing in his heart. Notice: 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. There is a longing in the heart of every Christian pilgrim to get a glimpse of that city that has been prepared just for them. A pilgrim knows that city is his ultimate destination where all that he could ever need is supplied, and more than that He will realize his ultimate purpose, and that is to praise his Creator for endless ages.

THOT: ONE CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH A HOUSE HERE WHEN HE HAS A DWELLING PLACE, SPECIAL MADE, JUST FOR HIM IN HEAVEN

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (10)

2010-02-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

I got out of the house today and ran around doing errands . The main roads were clear of snow and ice, but not all the side roads were, nor were all the parking lots. On those surfaces I could not always see where the center line was, or when parking could not always tell if I was between the lines. But I was doing the driving, and doing my best. There were some whose cars were in ditches or parked in odd positions. Their best was not quite good enough. But what are you to do when you travel territory that is unfamiliar, and you are the one behind the wheel? …Maybe nothing when it comes to traveling the streets and roads around town.

But By The Way if we are talking about traveling the street, the road, that leads to that Golden City, the New Jerusalem, we can do something. In fact we must do something. In John we find this exchange between Jesus and Thomas.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

When Marie and I moved to Kentucky in the mid-80s to pastor in Manchester, I soon discovered that there was very little flat ground and no straight roads. Every road had several forks and I must say I found myself lost many times just trying to find the residence of a church member. So, one day I ask my pastor friend, Roger Williams, who was from that area, to take me on a tour and show me how to get from place to place. I did not get lost that day, I never felt nervous or anxious about where we were even though it was often unfamiliar territory to me. The reason was simple. Some one who had passed that way before was under the steering wheel. Roger Williams was "my way."

Jesus is our Way. In fact He is the only way. And he must be the one doing the driving or leading. If he is our way, we can rest in Him and not be anxious or nervous, because He has been that way before.

THOT: IF JESUS IS YOUR CO-PILOT YOU BETTER SWITCH SEATS

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (9)

2010-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

During this recent snow storm I do not remember how many times the question has been ask by me or someone else, “How much snow did you get?” There is something within our human frame that wants to compare our situation or experience with someone else. Some how we feel a little more privileged if we received an inch or two more than someone else.

By The Way, the same is often true in the spiritual realm. I remember so many times when I was a much younger pastor going to conferences and state Baptist gatherings, and inevitably some one would ask, “How many you running in church?” Or “How many did you baptize last year?” We would always try to give the “ministerially speaking" answer and make it as large as we could without feeling we were actually lying. The truth is, there is nothing spiritual at all about this. The older I get the less these things appeal to me, but before I start feeling proud of my spirituality; I still have to deal with this comparison thing in other ways. Perhaps they are a little more subtle, but they are present none the less. Now I am more apt to look at life accomplishments, places I have been, people I have met, important decisions I was part of, or awards I have or have not received.

Spirituality is not how we do in comparison with others. It has nothing to do with doing more, having more, experiencing more, or being better known that someone else. It has everything to do with our daily intimate walk with God. The greatest and most important call from Jesus Christ was, “follow me…”

I feel I must include a quote from one of Dr. Henry Blackaby’s devotions. It speaks to the subject at hand. Dr. Blackaby is talking about the appearance of Jesus on the sea shore after His resurrection. Here he addresses Peter. He had just given Peter the command to “Follow Him.”

“Rather than responding to what Jesus told him, Peter looked around at his fellow disciples. His glance fell upon John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ Peter asked. Peter had just been given the somber news of his future death. How natural to compare his assignment with that of the others! This is the great temptation of God’s servants: to compare our situation with that of others. Did God give my friend a larger house? Did God heal my friend’s loved one and not mine? Did God allow my friend to receive appreciation and praise for his work while I remain anonymous? Did God allow another Christian to remain close to her family while I am far removed from mine?

Jesus assigned Peter and John to walk two different paths, but both Peter and John have enriched our lives. Jesus knew how dangerous it is when a servant takes his eyes off the master to focus on a fellow servant. Where is your focus? Have you become more concerned with how God is treating someone else than you are with how He is relating to you?”

I have heard criticism of another pastor or Christian worker with the words, “They are so heavenly minded they are of little earthly use. Can we be too heavenly minded? The problem all too often is, we are so earthly minded, we are of little heavenly use.

The Model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples contains the phrase, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” We are to be so in step with our Lord, so intimate with Him that we can be a conduit to bring Heaven’s will to our earthly situation. That would eliminate any human comparison of “spiritual” service.

Note these Scriptural references. John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.(NKJV)

John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.(NKJV)

We should be doing only those things we see the Father do, and speaking only those things we hear the Father speak.

THOT: IF WE DO COMPARE OUR SERVICE WITH ANOTHER LET IT BE THE LORD CHRIST

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (8)

2010-01-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Snow can be an inconvenience, a hazard, and a danger to be on. But it can also be beautiful and a great way of covering up all the ugly.

We Notice some interesting references to snow in the Scripture
Job 38:22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?...

Psalm 51:7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

This recent snowfall was beautiful as it came down and as it turned the landscape into a pure white blanket. No longer could I see the grease spot in front of my car, the crack and chip in the pavement in front of our apartment, dirt and debris that had fallen off cars traveling on the street, nor the dead and broken stems on some of the evergreens planted in our flower bed.

Oh, By The Way, God has a covering for the ugly of our lives. Sin is the one thing that cannot be removed by good deeds, reformation, or resolution. It takes something from God to cover our sin, our guilt, our spiritual ugliness.

In the Old Testament, the only Holy celebration for the Hebrews which was a fast instead of a feast was Yom Kipper. Yom Kipper means "day of atonement." It was when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice and sprinked it on the Mercy Seat, which was above the Ark of the Covenant, between the two Cherubim or Angels. Atonement and Mercy Seat both refer to covering. One very important item in the Ark was the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. We could never be saved by those commandments. They simply show us how ugly and sinful we really are. From God's point of view, He looked through the blood to see the law.

The Scripture says in Hebrews 9; 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.or(NIV)

All the ugly is under the snow, but of course the snow is temporary. But all the ugliness of sin is under His blood, and this blood is permanent.
23 So the copies of the real things in heaven had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices.

24 Christ did not go into the Most Holy Place made by humans, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself and is there now before God to help us.

25 The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times.

26 Then he would have had to suffer many times since the world was made. But Christ came only once and for all time at just the right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself.(New Century Version)

The road to that New Jerusalem, that New Israel is a blood sprinkled way, It is not paved with good intentions, creative engineering innovations, or man's artistic and architectural wonders, but it is paved with the blood of a once for all Savior. Praise His Holy Name!

THOT: WE ARE EITHER UNDER THE BLOOD OR UNDER JUDGEMENT

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (7)

2010-01-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

Several years ago when were "church planters" in Illinois we were ask about certain words and phrases that were common to us in Arkansas, but sounded rather odd to our friends in northern Illinois. One such phrase was, "gettin ready." So often I would say to some of our mission attendees, "well I'm gettin ready to ....." You get the idea. One day Angela Callan, a full blood Italian, ask me, "Pastor Edwards, why is it that you are always getting ready to do something, why don't you just do it?" I really did not have an answer except just to say that it was one of those Arkansas idiosyncrasies.

The problem is there are a lot of folks getting ready to do something, but never get around to actually doing it. James says in

James 1: 22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Have you noticed that there are industries that have grown up around the popularity of walking or jogging. There are sports store chains that specialize in the latest equipment for the avid walker. Now in order to make my point let us say I have this special friend who really wants to get into the walking craze. He goes out and buys the best walking shoes he can find. I ask him, "How do they feel when you walk?" He replies, "Oh, I have not walked in them yet, I am still getting ready, but don't you think they look great, and stylish, and comfortable?" "Yes," I say, "let me know how they work as soon as you start using them." I don't see him or hear from him for a couple of weeks. Then we cross paths at Walmart. "How are those shoes working out?" I ask. "Oh," he said, "let me show you what I have just purchased, "the latest in walking clothes." They are so comfortable, and I am told they will make my walking so much more rewarding. They are the right color, so it make them safer for me because drivers can see me at a greater distance." "Have you used them yet," I ask. "Oh, no, but I'm getting ready and I will let you know how they work out." I met him a few weeks later, and he was quick to show me some safety head gear. He was still getting ready. Later I met him and he showed me a magazine that was devoted exclusive to walkers and he assured me was really getting some good tips on how to make the most of his walks. It has been a year now, and he is still getting ready.

By The Way, folks do the same thing spiritually. They intend to get started walking with the Lord. They buy the most expensive leather backed, referenced, annotated Bible they can find. They look for a church that suits their musical taste, and look for a pastor that gives encouraging messages and humorous stories. They are just spectators, but they really intend to get involved one day really soon. Years later, they are still getting ready. the truth is, IF YOU WANT TO WALK WITH GOD YOU NEED TO START TODAY, AND HE WILL GET YOU READY.

I remember several years ago, witnessing to an elderly gentleman about his need to accept the Lord as Savior. He was 83 years old. Before I left him he told me he really wanted to accept Christ, but he was not quite ready, and as soon as he got things ready he would make his decision. In less than a year I was preaching his funeral. And to my knowledge he never got ready.

THOT: THE BEST TIME TO DO ANYTHING IS NOW

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (6)

2010-01-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

What does a hair cut, a beard trim, lunch, and a nose bleed have in common? Well, normally, nothing. But with me the the abnormal often becomes the normal. All those things happened to me today. I had today what might be called holy interruptions. Yet they never caught God off guard. He was not at all surprised.

What tied all those events together for me is that in each case there was at least one other person to share the moment with. I went to Paul's Barber Shop this morning and there is where I had my hair cut and beard trim. It was also there that I met three other gentlemen besides my barber that I had meaningful conversation with. None of the three were strangers to me, yet it seemed providential that our lives intersected at just the right moment. In the case of each of the three men the conversation turned to spiritual matters. One gentleman even showed interest in attending our church. In fact I was so caught up in conversation that I left without paying the barber. Don't worry, I did return and honor my debt.

Later on I met Bro. Sam, who would take me out for lunch. It was during our time together that some important topics were discussed and settled upon. Again, the lunch was planned but not what we eventually talked about. But before I finished my lunch I developed a nose bleed, and that prevented us from doing what we had planned to do the rest of the afternoon. As it turned out Bro. Sam made perfect use of his time alone by making a needed pastoral visit. I went home with my nose in the air, only to find someone else, my wife. It was good because she had not been feeling well and I was able to check on her while she helped me with my nose bleed.

By The Way, by now you are asking, where is all this headed? Just hang onto your hat if you have one. My day did not go as I had planned it. I managed to walk 15 minutes instead of my usual 30 minutes and did not get to do my weight room work out at all. But was my day, this one day of walking with the Master a flop? Not on you life. My life intersected the lives of others that I could not have planned if I had worked on it for a year. it was a God thing. These were divine interruptions. Paul in Philippians says something that speaks to this issue.

Phil 4:11Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

When Paul talked about being content in whatever state he was in he was not speaking of Arkansas or any other state in the USA. He was talking about circumstances.

So often when things do not go the way we had planned them we get frustrated, and feel our day was wasted. If God is in charge of our walk, if He is doing the leading, if he is our spiritual GPS, then the day is never lost. I believe that often we accomplish more for the Lord by what others may see as accident or coincident, than we do by our rigorous planning.

When we let the Lord lead the way, life becomes an adventure and we simply wait with anticipation for the next divine intersection or divine interruption.

Join me on the road to the Golden City and have the time of your life.

THOT: GOD'S PLAN SHOULD ALWAYS SUPERSEDE MY PLAN

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (5)

2010-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I walked today. By The Way I got to thinking (sometimes dangerous) that walking and praying our way to heaven could also be compared to driving. An old song that was a favorite of my father-in-law was, "Life is Like a Mountain Railroad." I suppose there are endless analogies. But the Lord gave me this poem to express the analogy of driving. Hope you enjoy it.

Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. The gate is wide and the road is wide that leads to hell, and many people enter through that gate. 14 But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.
(New Century Version)

Life is like a super highway
But the lanes one way they go
You may pass a lot of on ramps
On your journey here below.

All mankind is on that highway
The last exit means their doom
If you fail to take an off ramp
Then God’s judgment you assume

You got on this super highway
By a ramp when born on earth
You may pass a billion on ramps
Each one for One babe of worth

We are growing as we travel
Understanding signs much more
Soon we understand an off ramp
We must take before life’s or’r

If we fail to take an off ramp
To our journey comes an end
We will wail and cry with sorrow
Hell awaits around the bend

But to take a precious off ramp
Puts us on another drive
It is not so broad and pretty
But this road leads us to life

On this road are many rest stops
Where we stop and sit a while
Where we talk to fellow travelers
And share stories of each mile

There are many places for us
To reach out to those who still
Drive upon that deadly broad way
And ignore God’s precious will

We can see those on that old road
And it often breaks our heart
Just to know if they keep going
We will ever be apart

There are points of intersection
Where we try to those persuade
Take the off ramp that is nearest
Lest all hope begins to fade

Join us pilgrims on our journey
That will end at heavens shore
We’ll enjoy the trip before us
Be with Christ for ever more

rfe 1/25/2010

THE REALITY IS THAT I AM NO LONGER ON THAT BROAD ROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION BUT AS A 16 YEAR OLD BOY I TOOK THE OFF RAMP ON TO THE NARROW ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE. AND I AM TRYING MY BEST TO GET OTHERS TO GET ON THIS SAME ROAD. HOW ABOUT YOU?

THOT: THE ANALOGY IS NEVER AS IMPORTANT AS THE REALITY.

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (4)

2010-01-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

On Paul’s second missionary journey he almost gave in to discouragement. Notice the passage in Acts.

Acts 18: 1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.[a] 6But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
7Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (NIV)

If we are not careful we will miss something. Paul is on his second missionary journey. He and his party had been thrown out of many of the towns they had preached in. He left Silas and Timothy in Macedonia. He went to Athens alone (except for the presence of the Holy Spirit) Then he traveled to Corinth and waited for the rest of his group. While waiting he discovered a couple who had been run out of Rome at the order of Caesar Claudius. They were Priscilla and Aquila, who were also tent makers like Paul. After his team arrived he began preaching Gospel. But again the Jews began to make it hard for Paul. They actually became abusive. So in verse 6, Paul essentially says, “I have had it! You Jews can just go to hell. It’s the last time you will hear from me!” Now, Paul was speaking from discouragement. How do we know? Look at verses 9-11. In a vision God said to Paul, “do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent.” The word “afraid” in the Greek is Pho bi’a, hence the English word phobia. It is in the passive voice, which means it has no object. He is not afraid of anyone or thing, he is just afraid.

Now, you ask, “how do we get the idea of discouragment from this? Look at the word, "dis-couraged." What does it mean? It means a loss of courage. Discouragement is 99% phobia or fear. In this case it was a fear of failure.

By The Way, all of us who are walking and praying toward that golden city, the New Jerusalem (all who have been born again) sometimes become discouraged. And what happens is that it retards our progress, it hurts our influence on others, and it takes away our joy. Oh yes, we will make it to heaven, but the journey is not what God intended.

If we have become discouraged, how do we get our courage back? How are we encouraged?

1. For one thing we have the partnership of friends. Paul had just met Priscilla and Aquila. That had to be some encouragement. Then finally Silas and Timothy made it. They must have helped. The partnership of friends is very important but Paul needed more. We need friends in our walk with God. They can encourage us by their words, their presence, and their prayers.

2. But Paul had something else, and sadly he had overlooked it. He had positive results. He did what we sometimes do; instead of focusing on the positive fruit our efforts have born, we gaze at what we consider failures. That, my friend, will lead to discouragement. Yes, Paul was perhaps in the wickedest city of the Roman Empire. The temple of Aphrodite was located there. Temple prostitutes served “worshipers” twenty four hours a day. But even in that sinful place there were those who believed.

I remember a missions meeting in Illinois several years ago while we were serving as church planters. Several in the group were bemoaning the fact that 50% of all new church starts died before they could really get established. After much discussion, an older gentleman in the back stood and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a solution for the problem.” He paused for several seconds as the rest of the group tuned in to hear what plan the old man had. Said he, “Just don’t start any more churches.” You could have heard a pin drop. But everyone got the message. We were focused on the 50% that failed when we should have been acknowledging the 50% that succeeded.

3. But the most important thing that encouraged Paul is found in verses 9-11. It is The Promises of God. Note: (1) God said, “I am with thee.” We have the promise of God’s presence. (2) God said, “no man shall hurt thee.” We have the promise of God’s protection. (3) Finally God said, “for I have much people in this city.” God was saying to Paul, "if you stay the course and preach, there will be a harvest of souls. Many will come to know Christ." Paul stayed on for a year and a half. And what God said was true. You see, we have the promise of God’s power.

What a promise! We have God’s presence, God’s protection, and God’s power. Think about it! If this does not encourage us, and take away the phobia, the fear, the discouragement than nothing will.

THOT: GOD DOES NOT GIVE THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF LOVE, PEACE, AND A DISCIPLINED MIND. IF YOU ARE UNDER DISCOURAGEMENT YOU DID NOT GET IT FROM GOD.

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL (3)

2010-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

It was the week-end and I thought about skipping my walk today, but it just did not seem right. So I took my walk this afternoon. I am grateful for our mall because it was raining outside.

I enjoyed the time because I made it a prayer walk. I noticed as I had before several others walking, but By The Way, I realized something else. None of the walkers were walking in the same way. Some walked with a faster pace, some with a slower pace. I noticed also that people of different ages were walking. Both men and women were walking. Some who walked were heaver, some were thinner. We were all walking in the same direction, but all in different ways. One elderly lady was simply shuffling along, her stride very short. One gentleman in particular was walking with a walker.

I suddenly realized the spiritual application. All God's children are walking toward that eternal Jerusalem, but we are all different. It does not matter exactly how we walk, but that we walk.
Growing up I was always a slow runner. I was sometimes embarrassed that I often came in last during a running game. When several of us boys at school were on the play ground and someone sayed, "I'll race you to the fence," most often I was the last to make it. I later realized that I was just not built for fast running. Although I am not club-footed my feet tend to turn outward more than perhaps the average person. It make running for me a little awkward. But I can walk just fine, thank you.

God does not look at the outside He looks at the heart. We walk with our feet, but even in a greater sense when walking with the Lord, we walk with our heart. Can you imagine back to the time you were dating, and you and your sweetheart were out for a walk? Did you critique the way she walked or did you simple enjoy the time with her?

I especially enjoyed seeing this one man who had to use a walker. He could not move very fast, had a harder time navigating the slopes, but his walk was just as real, and genuine, and I am sure just as rewarding as everyone else.

Yes we are all different, and yet the Lord loves us all the same. Paul says in Roman 14:10 So why do you judge your brothers or sisters in Christ? And why do you think you are better than they are? We will all stand before God to be judged, 11 because it is written in the Scriptures:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'Everyone will bow before me;
everyone will say that I am God.' " — Isaiah 45:23

12 So each of us will have to answer to God.

13 For that reason we should stop judging each other. We must make up our minds not to do anything that will make another Christian sin.(New Century Version)

Judging a brother or sister because of how they walk or how they look while they walk is simple wrong.

Years ago an ad came out advertising Boys Town in Nebraska. It showed a larger boy caring a smaller boy, with the caption, "He's not heavy, he's my brother." There may be times when we have to help someone up who has fallen on the trail. We may even have to carry some folks, but the wonderful thing is that we are walking with God and toward the city of Gold. We all have the same father if we have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, and that makes us brothers and sisters.

We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion
We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God

It is important that we are walking with God, but it is also vitally important that we pray for and help others along the way who are also making that journey. Who are you praying for and helping along?

THOT: IN HEAVEN I KNOW WE WILL SING, BUT MAYBE WE WILL BE PART OF A GREAT MARCHING BAND, WHO BEGAN PRACTICING HERE.

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL

2010-01-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well, today was day two of my walk in preparation for the trip to Israel. I invite you to walk with me. Your immediate destination may not be Israel or Jerusalem, but your ultimate destination should be that heavenly city that John saw in Revelation 21: "1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

By the Way I pondered upon the whole idea of walking, particularly a passage of Scripture in Genesis 5:"24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

Not much is known about Enoch, but what we do know is vitally important. There are many in the Bible that it is said of them, “they walked with God,” but this is the first person the Bible mentions in that respect.

Walking, unlike other things we do is strictly voluntary. Our heart is an involuntary muscle. Our breathing is done by involuntary muscles. Our heart beats and we breathe while we are asleep or awake. But walking requires a decision. I make the decision to walk physically and I make the decision to walk with the Lord. I make a decision each day to be disciplined enough to do what I have already decided to do.

Walking with God implies several things.

1) First it implies progress. I am not stuck in one place but I am moving. And I am moving toward a goal. I am moving in the right direction. Enoch was not just walking, he was walking with God. He was not running ahead of God, nor was he lagging behind. He was walking with God.

2) Second of all it implies effort. The Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon. It takes effort and energy all the way to the end. I noticed I was somewhat sore from yesterday’s workout, so it took a bit more effort today.

When we make the spiritual application, we are promised the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit to make that walk. We could not make it without Him

3) Thirdly it implies relationship. God asked Amos in Amos 3:"3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" There is no question but that Enoch had an intimate relationship with the Father. We must have that relationship (a personal relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ) if we are to walk with him. We must be in unity and agreement with our Lord. I wonder if the reason our devotional life suffers, and we find ourselves not walking with the Lord, is because there is something in our life and heart that is not in agreement with God.

I noticed as I walked today in the mall, there were some couples walking and they would deliberately speed up or slow down so they could stay together. They were walking together. God loves it when we walk in lock step with Him

4) Finally, it implies communion. Can you imagine Enoch and God walking together and not talking to each other? Of course not. There were probably times of silence, just to enjoy each others presence. We need to do that in our devotional time with God. We need to listen to God and not do all the talking ourselves. But then there are those times of deep expressions of our desires, of our needs and of our feelings. There are times when we just need to tell the Lord how we feel about Him. And we need to hear ourselves say it. Oh, yes, the communion was sweet

There is one other thing. It is important to enjoy the trip. Maybe these days of preparation are as important as being in Israel itself. How may of us remember our children’s incessant question when we were on long road trips, “are we there yet?” God wants us to enjoy the trip as well as the destination

THOT: A PERSON WALKS A LONELY ROAD WHEN THEY WALK BY THEMSELVES

WALKING AND PRAYING MY WAY TO ISRAEL

2010-01-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

It has been said, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." I have known for some time that I needed more self-discipline in the area of my temple and my devotional time with the Lord. I will be going to Israel the first two weeks in March. It is the trip of a life-time. I want to be both physically and spiritually ready. Bro. Royce, our Director of Missions, along with five other pastors will be traveling together. My Broco, Dr. James Bryant, will be going with us. It will be the first trip to Israel for most of us.

Well, today I walked 30 minutes in our hometown mall. And I worked out with the weight machine for about 30 minutes. Our apartment complex has a weight room. Not many use it, so I had it to myself today. I cut back on the size of my food portions

By the Way, I have rediscovered something I already knew. The key to discipline in any thing is 95% mental. The Scripture says in 2 Cor. 10:4 We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy's strong places. We destroy people's arguments5 and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.6 We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey, but first we want you to obey fully.

You talk about a battle! My body sends certain signals to my brain, and my brain thinks of all kinds of reasons I do not need to do this. The food thing seems to be more difficult for me than the physical exercise or the spiritual time with the Lord. I cannot watch TV without seeing a myriad of advertisements about "foooooood." I must refocus. I drive through town, and there are the billboards advertising "eeeeating" places. I must refocus. Big signs at restaurants are just begging me to stop. I must refocus. I am determined to not be defeated by a thought.

Paul says in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. When the thought comes my way to give in to the temptations I must Refuse the thought, Redirect my attention to something wholesome, or holy. And I must Replace the thought with a promise of God. Finally I must pray through the experience and not let that thought land on the runway of the airfield of my mind.

I must stay busy, not just minding my own business, but minding God's business. I must not pray FOR victory, but pray FROM victory. I am already an over comer.

What kinds of thoughts lead to your defeats? Do not make a resolution, or promise to start tomorrow. Just START.

THOT: TOMORROWS VICTORIES NEVER COME, THEY ARE ALWAYS IN THE PRESENT.

DO YOU REALLY LOVE THE LORD?

2010-01-21T03:51:00.000-08:00

I remember going to youth and children’s camps throughout my ministry. Invariably some leader would get before the group, and ask, “How many of you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, shout Amen!” I have asked the question myself in front of youth and children’s groups. The truth is, we don’t show our love for Christ by how loudly we shout.

By the way, I know someone who proclaims their love for their mate, but it seems to always be a demonstration for others to see. A kiss, a hug, a word is given, but it is more for public consumption than a genuine expression toward the one they say they love. Love is expressed to God in your intimate time with Him, your service for Him, your attitude toward others, and a genuine sense of total dependence on The Lord and a willing to follow where he is leading.

I have included a quote from Oswald Chambers taken from his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest. This seemed so apropos to our subject.

“God is saying to His people, "You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were. He says, ‘I remember . . . the love of your betrothal . . .’ (Jeremiah 2:2) Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He ever find me pondering the time when I cared only for Him? Is that where I am now, or have I chosen man’s wisdom over true love for Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no thought for where He might lead me? Or am I watching to see how much respect I get as I measure how much service I should give Him?”

My prayer for you and myself is reflected in some of the lyrics of a song by Bill Gaither, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. The more that Love Him more love He bestows. Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows. The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.”

THOT: IF YOU LOVE CHRIST LESS TODAY THAN YOU DID YESTERDAY, YOU ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

THERMOSTATS OR THERMOMETERS

2009-09-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

Have you every started your day with a groan and a sigh? Your energy level low and you had rather be somewhere else and not face your immediate responsibilities? So many of us operate on feelings, we forget that we still have the power of choice. Do you operate your life as a thermostat or simply a thermometer?

By The Way there is a big difference between the two. A thermometer simply tells us what is but a thermostat tells us what we want it to be. It was mighty hot that morning in church. I have determined through much personal experience to not mess with the church heating and cooling system. I ask the custodian to check the thermostat and he said, “No wonder it is hot, someone has reset the thermostat on 80 degrees. I remember this morning checking it and it was set on 70.” The next Sunday the same thing happened. This time I went against my better judgment and checked it myself. What I discovered was that the custodian, who was new in that position, had checked the thermometer. It was 70 before the service began and 80 by the time we concluded. In fact the thermostat had not been set at all. All that was running was the fan. I punched a few buttons and the problem was solved. The custodian never did figure out the mystery.

I had the power to set the temperature not just tell what the temperature was. Choice is one of the wonderful gifts God has given to us. We do not have to be a slave to our feelings. We do not have to be satisfied with the temperature of our lives. It will take a conscience effort but we can set our thermostat. We can choose to see the good, to go after our goals, to rejoice instead of complain.

You may have physical or emotional problems you are dealing with and this will, admittedly, make setting your thermostat a little more difficult. But we have the help of the Lord who created and engineered our H/A system. (Heating and Air or it could represent our spiritual Health and Accountability system.) To use another analogy, “It is sometimes more convenient to curse the darkness than turn on the light.

The Psalmist declares in Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

We have a choice to rejoice. We have a choice to live this day, which is God’s gift, in a way that will glorify God, edify ourselves and bless those around us.

BLOGTHOT: IF YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY, DON’T FUSS AT THE THERMOMETER, RESET YOUR SPIRITUAL THERMOSTAT.

WHAT DO HIT MEEN TA'BEE SPURTULE?

2009-09-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Broco Jim reminded me that my last blog was growing moss. Well, the way he stated it, “It was ’smellin’ because of it’s age.” And I needed to come up with some fresh spiritual food.

Now that got me to thinking… sometimes a dangerous thing for me to do. But By The Way I did recall a sermon I heard one time preached by a “shore nuff” country preacher. He entitled his message, “What do Hit Meen Ta’bee Spurtule? And as I remember, he hit the proverbial nail on the head.

What Hit don’t meen:
1. Jest always beein in church … kaus most of the Christin livin that meens anythang is did out side the church walls

2. Allways coating Bible versis … kaus they is ment to bee lived and not jest spoutid off.

3. Condemin ever body else fer not talkin and actin like you … kaus when you got a fone poll in yore eyes you cant see to pull a toothpic outa the other fellers eyes

4. Hollerin and throin a ruckis and puttin yore brane in newtrule in church whiles you let yore motions go krazy… hit meens lovin God with yore hart and mind and havin some reel no-in and beelevin in the Bible.

5. Findly, hit don’t meen that you nos moren any body else bout how to figger out what the Bible meens … kaus if yore a shore nuff Christin then you gots the Holy Ghost in you fer a teecher like ever other Christin and they can figger out what hit meens with His hep.

What Hit do meen:
1. Lovin God with all yore hart, sole, mind, and strangth.

2. Lovin yore na-bore like you loves yoresef.

3. Talkin to God on a reglar bases… that meens prayin.

4. Doin what God tells you ta do … that meens readin yore Bible on a reglar bases.

5. And makin shore you got yore sins repented of sos nothins in betwix you and God that wood keep you from good fellership.

MAKES GOOD SENSE TO ME!!!

BLOGTHOT: IF YOU REALLY ARE SPIRITUAL, IT WILL BE OTHERS THAT KNOW IT, NOT YOU.

REFRIGERATOR WORSHIP

2009-08-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Most all of us have had our children or grandchildren come to us with a picture they had drawn in school or a Sunday School class. Maybe scrawled on the paper with crayon and in yet undeveloped printing ability were the words, “I love you mom.” Or “I love you daddy.”When we were younger and drew pictures for our parents they probably looked a lot like those we now receive.

Do you remember what your parents would often do when you gave them the picture? They would say something like, "Honey what a beautiful picture, I love it", and then they would put in on the refrigerator. Even though it wasn't the prettiest picture in the world it meant a lot to them because you gave it to them, and you did it out of love for them.

By The Way when we worship God we don't have to be the best singers in the world it
just has to be from our hearts. That doesn't mean we should not try to sing nice for God, only that worship should be from our hearts. Like the pictures we drew for our parents, worship should be us giving our best to someone we love. To God it is a beautiful picture that He would put on his refrigerator!

Read Psalm 98 slowly and deliberately and see what God thinks of our worship

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

BLOGTHOT: WE WORSHIP NOT SO WE WILL BE BLESSED, BUT SO GOD WILL BE BLESSED...AND YET WE RECEIVE A BLESSING IN THE PROCESS

TABERNACLE PRIEST

2009-07-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

What a joy it was to fill in for Dr. Jim at Gaither BC while he and Virginia were away at a Bangladesh missionary reunion. I really enjoy speaking about the Old Testament tabernacle. I enjoy getting into costume, and taking folks back in time about 3300 years or so. There is so much information about the tabernacle from the Scripture and Jewish writings in the Mishna and the Talmud.

By The Way it is not just information we deal with when discussing the tabernacle, it is a beautiful application of Old Testament typology of New Testament truth concerning the necessity of sacrifice in order to approach God. Christ is both the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, and also the High priest who in type performed the sacrifice on Yom Kipper (the Day of Atonement).

The tabernacle was a place where God demonstrated his living presence in the glory cloud, and showed the way for sinful man to approach a holy God.

Bro. Jim did such a great job putting together the model of the tabernacle. I will be sharing this message Sunday morning, August 9 at Burlington Baptist Church. I will be sharing it again at Western Grove Baptist Church on September 20, and in a revival in Paducah, KY on September 27, with Bro. Jim and I teaming up on a meeting.

Contact me if you are interested in this teaching, or other first person Biblical characters, or revival meetings and evangelistic crusades.

BLOGTHOT: IN THE OLD TESTAMENT GOD HAD A TABERNACLE FOR HIS PEOPLE, NOW GOD HAS A PEOPLE FOR HIS TABERNACLE

MONSTERS IN THE DARK

2009-07-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

When I was a young boy growing up on the farm I was not unlike most boys, I was afraid of the dark. I have discovered since those days that it is not only children that are afraid of the dark, grow-ups are too.

Sometimes dad would ask me to go to the barn lot after dark to make sure the gates into the barn were closed. After I had gotten a little older, I could carefully, yet nervously, make my way to the barn lot if I had a strong flashlight. While I was younger, I was too afraid to go, and so dad would go with me. Sometimes he would not even have a flashlight, but would depend on the light of the moon. I discovered that as long as dad had hold of my hand I was not afraid. If he turned loose, fear would begin to flood into me.

By The Way, later in life as I reflected on those times I realized that I was not really afraid of the dark, nor was I afraid of those unseen monsters that might be lurking around every corner. What I was really afraid of was being alone. As long as I had the right person with me I could face anything, monsters and all.

It is the same for all of us during every season of life. All of us have a darkness we may be called upon to penetrate, and monsters we may have to face. But what we really fear is facing the darkness and the monsters all alone.

Your darkness may be failing health, or lose of a friend or loved one. Your monster may be financial problems, family problems, or wayward children. You may be afraid as you think about dying. What you really fear is facing those things alone.

What I learned as a boy was that I had an earthly father that I knew was sufficient to take me anywhere I had to go and face anything I had to face. What I know now is that I have a heavenly father that is committed to being with us 24/7. Now, He must be “your” father, and He will be if you have received His son, the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

As a child of God we have His promise in Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said,
"I will never leave you;
I will never abandon you." — Deuteronomy 31:6
6 So we can be sure when we say,
"I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper.
People can't do anything to me." — Psalm 118:6(New Century version)

BLOGTHOT: YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE DARKNESS WHEN THE LIGHT OF WORLD IS BY YOUR SIDE

"'LOOKIN' SOME BEANS"

2009-07-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

As I was growing up our menus quite often included pinto beans. I remember when mom was preparing to cook a pot of beans; she would often say to me, “I need you to ‘look’ some beans.” What she meant was for me to open the sack of beans and as I poured them in the pot I was to look for tiny rocks, bad beans, or some other piece of debris that might have gotten packaged with the beans. I got pretty good at ‘looking’ beans. We also did the same thing with leaf lettuce out of the garden. We ‘looked’ the lettuce before we included it in our salads. I usually found something I would have to discard, throw away. In other words I got really good at looking for the bad among the good.

By The Way the practice of looking for the bad is all too common even among those who claim to be Christians. We ‘look’ our neighbors, our friends, our pastors, our government leaders, and even our family members. We get so accustomed to finding the bad we miss the good. I am not saying we should be gullible, and undiscerning. But as believers we are to emphasis the good, and encourage the positive.

Paul said in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I once heard a story about a gentleman moving into a new town. As he entered the town, he stopped along side the street and called out to a man on the sidewalk. He said, “I am new in town and just wanted to know what kind of people live here.” The local gentleman asks, “What kind of people lived in the town you are leaving?” “Oh,” said the newcomer, “some of the meanest, most unfriendly people I have ever been around.” “Well,” came the reply, “that’s the kind of people you will find here.”

Later that day, another gentleman came into town planning to leave his former home and move to a new residence. He saw a gentleman walking down the sidewalk, and he pulled over. Though he was unaware of it, it was the same man who had talked to the first newcomer. He ask the gentleman, “I was wondering, I’m moving to your town, and just wanted to ask, what kind of people live here?” The reply came back, “what kind of folks did you have in the town you are leaving?” Said the newcomer, “some of the greatest, nicest people you would ever want to meet.” “Well,” said the local, that’s the kind of people you will find here.”

BLOGTHOT: IF WE WONDER WHY WE ARE ALWAYS SEEING THE BAD INSTEAD OF THE GOOD, IT’S BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE

2009-07-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

Recently we had a rain storm that dropped several inches of water in a short period of time. Some streets looked like creeks. It is amazing how much water is carried aloft in clouds.

One of the basic things we learned in general science class in grade school was how the water vapor cycle worked. Water evaporated from earth’s great seas and oceans, and the rising water vapor formed clouds. When the conditions were right, the water condensed and the droplets became too heavy to stay aloft and fell as rain.

By The Way, I have heard from critics in the past who think this notion of a world wide flood, as in the day of Noah, is ludicrous. They say there is not enough water in the world to cover the entire earth including the mountains. But recently I heard an interesting discovery on the History Channel. It has been scientifically demonstrated that there is more water below the surface of the earth than above the surface. In fact, they stated because of the shifting plates in the earths crust water has been trapped in pocket deep within the earths crust. This water becomes superheated and at times spews forth as heated geysers, like “Old Faithful” in Yellowstone National Park. Now scientists are saying that if all the water from below came to the surface it would cover the earth to as much as one and one half miles higher than the highest mountain.

As I read the account of the flood in Genesis, it states that the great fountains of the deep were broken up. The indication is that water came both from the heavens and from beneath the earth. It seems the more we discover about our planet we more we face the truth that the Scripture is true, even in areas were science often lags behind.

The bottom line is simply this. I can trust the Word of God to tell me the truth, whether, scientifically, geographically, mathematically, historically, and especially spiritually. As one of my seminary professors said, “Though the Bible is true in all that it purports to be true, the greatest truth is not how the heavens go but how to go to heaven.”

Scripture says, 2 Tim 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...

BLOGTHOT: THE BIBLE SHEDS A LOT OF LIGHT ON WHAT MAN THINKS ARE NEW DISCOVERERS. OUR WISDOM NEEDS TO CATCH UP WITH OUR KNOWLEDGE

A GOOD PRESENTATION

2009-06-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from a visit with our son-in-law, daughter, and grandkids in Florida. We enjoyed a lot of site seeing. One other thing we enjoyed was eating out. It is always interesting to compare menus, service, prices, and the quality of the food. I became aware of something on this trip that I had not previously given a lot of thought. Almost as important as the quality of the food is the “presentation.” The presentation is everything from how well the waiter or waitress serves the food, to how it looks on the plate. Often average food seems much better if it is presented well, and timely.

By The Way, a good spiritual comparison could be made as to how we present the Gospel to an unbeliever. Presentation is not everything. The truth of the content of what we present is most important. Paul said in Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

But our presentation is important. Here are some “no-no’s” when it comes to presenting food or presenting the Gospel. (1) Not being sold on what you are trying to recommend. Who would want to order a dish that a waiter or waitress seemed less than enthusiastic about? A strong recommendation from a pleasant server goes a long way in prompting me to order a particular dish. An unenthusiastic witness for Christ is a definite turn off to a lost person.

(2) An unpleasant voice and a disrespectful demeanor are extremely disconcerting. We were in a deli in Saint Augustine, FL, where the delis cook/waiter was loud, and very offensive in his approach. We almost left before our food was delivered. It was not an enjoyable experience. In witnessing for Christ, we must have a humble spirit, and a non-threatening approach. We are not charging Hell; we are sharing the greatest news in the world with someone who is important. They need to see our sincerity and genuine respect.

(3) Not being familiar with the menu creates suspicion in the customer. A waiter or waitress needs to be acquainted with their products. That does not mean, of course, they need to know what the cook or chef knows, nor do they need to be an expert on particular cuisine. But they do need to be able to explain the basics of the menu. A witness for Christ does not need to know the whole Bible, nor do they need to be an expert on doctrine. They do, however, need to have a certainty and a personal knowledge of the message they are sharing.

(4) Finally, the presentation does not end when the food is set on the table. A good waiter or waitress will come back several times to check on the needs of the customer. Presenting the Gospel is not just a one shot approach. When we share the gospel with someone, rarely do they respond with a commitment to Christ the first time. We need to go again and again and build a relationship of love and trust. Our presentation may extend over a long period of time. I do not mean we are to share the same verbal message but we are to share ourselves. What we have to offer becomes more beautiful and meaningful when we give a presentation that is loving, consistent, and over an extended period of time. Oh, sometimes the best waiters and waitresses are new on the job. It is often true that new believers have not learned the bad habits of those who have been Christians for years. Hence they do not have to unlearn some bad presentation habits.

We do have the promise of the Scripture in making our presentation. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (NIV)

BLOGTHOT: WHEN PRESENTING THE GOSPEL GOD DOES NOT ASK FOR PERFECTION, BUT HE DOES EXPECT PASSION.

A GOD THING!

2009-05-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

“I’m Baack!!”

What does hitting a deer with a pickup, cleaning up debris from an ice storm, a sermon from a funeral, and a dying man with cancer have in common? Well, this was truly one of those By The Way moments.

A few days ago I was in Community First Bank to do some business. While waiting for another party, I saw Joe Bill Dearing, one of my former church members. He began to tell me a story (something he loves to do) that seemed to especially excite him.

It seems that he had quite a lot of debris in his yard from limbs that was the result of the winter ice storm we experienced in this area. He had a friend and neighbor that told him of another neighbor who was interested in sending a group of men with chain saws and trucks to clean up his yard. He was reluctant at first to accept any help, saying he would probably pay someone to clean it up. But his neighbor insisted that this other neighbor very much wanted to help. So his friend introduced him to Bro. Bob, who is on the staff of First Baptist Church, Harrison, which was one of the locations that housed and fed many who had come to this area to help in the clean-up. Even though Bro Bob lived close to Joe Bill, this was the first time they had met. Bro. Bob insisted that getting a team out to help him would be a blessing to him and the team, so Joe Bill agreed. Well, the team that was supposed to come to Joe Bills house could not make it. Instead there were two men from two different churches in Marshfield, MO, that showed up. Joe Bill invited them in during a rest time from the brush and limb cleaning up process.

They began to talk about their respective churches. Joe Bill was anxious to share with them a little of the history of his church, Union Baptist. Joe bill got in such a big way with his history lesson that he invited the two men to accompany him and he would take them on a tour of Union Baptist and surrounding area. In process he passed by a house of a man who was dying of cancer. This man had been given a short time to live. His yard was littered with limbs. Joe Bill said to the men, “now there is a place you guys need to help clean up, and maybe in process you could share a witness with this dying man. Joe Bill and many others over the years had prayed for this man and had talked to him about the gospel, but to no avail. By the time the tour was over it was time for these two men to return home to Missouri. But they promised that they would be back the next day and go to work cleaning up the yard of the man with the cancer. Before they left, Joe Bill gave them a CD of the funeral I had preached for Joe Bill’s wife, Dennie, who had died about three years ago. Apparently they listen to the CD on their way back to Missouri and were moved by the message.

The next day those two men showed up ready to go to work. Joe Bill went with them. After they had finished cleaning the yard they went inside the house and began to talk to the gentleman with the terminal cancer. God used their witness and right there they lead the man in a sinner’s prayer. Joe Bill said he recognized the wording of the prayer because it was the same one, word for word, I had used at Dennie’s funeral to encourage the lost to accept Christ as savior. As the men left that day they were rejoicing in this dying man’s salvation. Before they left to go back to Missouri they gave the CD back to Joe Bill and ask him to take it to this new believer so he could listen to the message. He was not able to do that because the man died before the sun arose on another day. Joe Bill had the comfort in knowing that this man, whom he had known for years, went to sleep on this side and woke in the arms of the savior on the other side.

Oh, what about my old blue Toyota pick-up hitting a deer? I did hit a deer while on my way home from Prayer meeting at Union Baptist Church one Wednesday night while driving through the Gather community. It did quite a bit of damage to the truck, and took the life of the deer. Well, in Joe Bills words, “The fellow at the body shop that I got to fix your pick-up, while you were on a mission trip to New Mexico, had a brother. This brother was a neighbor, whom I met because I had made acquaintance with his brother who had the body shop. This brother was the one who introduced me to Bro. Bob from First Baptist Church.” Joe Bill continued, “If you had not hit that deer I might have never met the man at the body shop, and therefore might not have gotten to know his brother. If I had not gotten to know the brother, I might have never meet Bro. Bob. And if I had not met Bro. Bob I might not have known about the group that was cleaning up the limbs and brush, and would not have met the two men from the two Baptist churches in Missouri. And if I had not met them they would not have been here to witness to my dying friend. But it did happen just the way God put it together and today my friend is in heaven. Now, it sounds like a God thing to me!” All I could say was, “Amen!!!”

Psalm 37: 23 When people's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with their ways. (New Century Version)

BLOGTHOT: IF GOD IS IN IT, IT CAN’T GO WRONG!

THE REAL ENEMY

2009-04-27T03:49:00.000-07:00

I saw an unusual western the other evening. It was really a sci-fi western. The location was a small western town in a desert area. A stranger came to town to deliver a simple message; “destruction is coming, a whole horde of poisonous copperheads are headed for the town.” His message was simple, destruction is coming, prepare, or get out of town while you still have time. The problem was, no one believed him. Everyone in town had their own plans and dreams and ideas about what was important. The sheriff was a coward and most important to him was just playing it safe. The girls in the bar thought what was most important were keeping the customers happy. One young man had his eye on one of the bar maids and felt the most important thing was to win her to himself. He was also interested in finding some easy money. There was one really mean hombre who wanted the stranger to stay so he could win his money in a card game. When that did not happen, his obsession became to kill the stranger. Each character was different yet alike in one thing; they held their own priorities, and were unconcerned and unbelieving about the destruction that was shortly coming their way.

The climax to the story came when they realized that they had to work together to save the town and its inhabitants. They discovered that the real enemy was not each other, not the personal circumstances that life had handed them. The real enemy was the snakes headed their way.

A twist in the story came at the end when after killing most of the snakes, they discovered that they were only baby snakes, and momma was in their midst and she was as large as a dinosaur. Again they worked together and were victorious. The last scene was everyone leaving town heading their own direction in life, but having learned a lesson they would not soon forget. In the process they actually learned to respect each other.

By The Way, I realized that the TV show I was watching was a moral play about life itself. Often we are so focused on our agendas, our desires, and our needs we forget who our common enemy really is. We thing that neighbor is our enemy who complains about the location of the property line between us. We presume that the world is our enemy, when as a Christian, the world is our assignment. We think that our enemy is anyone who keeps us from getting what we want. The Scripture says “Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” 1 Pet 5:8 (Contemporary English Version)

The Devil sends out his “babies” or demon angels to destroy us and if they do not succeed He may come himself. We need to realize the “God Factor.” 1 Peter 4:4Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world. 5These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. (Contemporary English Version)

We must realize that God’s people working together, with the Spirit of God living in us can defeat anything the enemy throws at us. It will mean changing our priorities and our often narrow opinion of our fellow Christian pilgrims.

BLOGTHOT: THE BEST WAY TO DO AWAY WITH THOSE WE THINK ARE OUR ENEMIES IS TO MAKE THEM OUR FRIENDS

HERE BUT NOT HEAR!

2009-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I pulled this article up from a piece I had written for a church newsletter some time ago. It still seems to make a good deal of sense. I do wear hearing aids now but read on…

My wife sometimes says, “Ray, you have selective hearing. In other words, I hear only what I want to hear. In the days of young Samuel, while he was living with the old priest, Eli, God spoke to Samuel. Eli, had not heard from God in so long it took him some time figure out that is was indeed God speaking. Eli advised young Samuel, “say ‘speak Lord, thy servant listens.’”
This was the beginning of a great spiritual relationship between God and Samuel. Someone has aptly said, “God has given us two ears, and one mouth, which may mean God wants us to listen twice as much as he wants us to speak. And maybe by our actions we are saying, “Listen Lord, thy servant speaks!”

Why is listening so important? When it comes to our relationship to God, if we don’t listen we miss His instructions, and we miss his will. And that could be spiritually tragic. When it comes to listening to others, if we don’t we destroy any opportunity for true fellowship. If it involves those closest to us it means we miss the opportunity for intimacy, understanding, and real togetherness. We may also miss God’s will because God often speaks through those closest to us.

The Scripture says, “…be still and know God...” Psalm 46:10. It also says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31. The Scriptures express the importance of hearing from God. Jesus Christ the son of God said that he only said those things he heard the father saying (see John 14:24 and 15:15). Maybe it would be good, if we shut up until we heard God speak.

We need to actively listen instead of trying to formulate our next response. Maybe our life with our wives and husbands, and our friends would be more productive and less stressful if we learned to listen before we speak.

BLOGTHOT: WE ARE NOT “ALL HERE,” UNTIL WE LEARN TO HEAR.

CHEWING THE CUD

2009-04-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

I’m glad to be back in the blogosphere. Lots of other stuff has been going on. But hey, have you ever sat and watched a cow chew her cud? I grew up on a farm with plenty of cows. In the summer time I would sit and watch the cows as they lay in an afternoon shade chewing their cud. They would lay there almost as if they we half asleep. They looked so contented as they just chewed and chewed. They would swallow after chewing a while and then another cud would be released from one of their four stomachs and they would begin chewing again. Now it is important to remember that they had spent the morning grazing the grass in order to have something in their stomach to chew. If they had not worked grazing that morning there would have been nothing to chew in the afternoon.

By The Way, the word “meditate” in the scripture is related to the word that means to chew the cud. It means to masticate, to chew on. Here is what the psalmist says about it in

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

A contented Christian, like a contented cow needs to meditate, to chew their cud. But in the Christians case what they chew; what they meditate on is the Word of God. But in order to have something to chew believers need to work at ingesting the Word of God.

Notice John 16: 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

BLOGTHOT: YOU CAN NOT REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE NOT CHEWED AND YOU CAN NOT CHEW WHAT YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN IN.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION

2009-02-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

I have dealt with depression most of my life. In the last few years it has gotten more severe. I know that God could heal me and remove the depression, but instead, at least for now, God has chosen to give me His grace to deal with it. So, although I am not pastoring as I have before, I am still very much in the ministry and am preaching every week.

By The Way as I was spending time in devotions one morning this past week I came across some comments by Henry Blackaby that really spoke to me concerning how God often ministers to those of us who deal with depression.

In 1st Kings 18, 19 we have the story of how Elijah faced the prophets of Baal and God answered his prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice he had laid before the Lord. Shortly after, the drought of three years was ended. But after defeating the prophets of Baal, he received a death threat from Jezebel. His hope was shattered, and despondency and depression set in. He wanted to die! God helped Elijah …

Based on how God dealt with Elijah in his depression we can learn something about HOW TO DEAL WITH OUR DEPRESSION

1. The Lord did not rebuke him for his feelings. (WE SHOULD FEEL NO GUILT OR CONDEMNATION)

2. God sent an angel to provide for his physical needs. (KNOW THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR OUR NEEDS)

3. Then, the Lord revealed Himself (GOD WILL REVEAL HIMSELF)

4. God reminded Elijah that He was quietly working among His people. (GOD CONTINUES TO WORK)

5. Next, He renewed Elijah’s mission by giving him new orders. (GOD WILL GIVE US NEW ORDERS)

6. Finally, God reminded Elijah that he wasn’t alone. (GOD SHOWS US WE ARE NOT ALONE)

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain. —von Schlegel

Yours for living victoriously,

BLOGTHOT: CIRCUMSTANCES AND EMOTIONS CHANGE BUT GOD AND HIS PROMISES NEVER DO.

APPETITE OR DIGESTION?

2009-02-14T05:22:00.000-08:00

Some years ago I was encouraging one of my church members to start coming for the Sunday evening service. His excuse for not attending was as he said, “preacher, you serve me so much spiritual food on Sunday morning I just could not handle any more. What you give me on Sunday morning fills me up for the rest of the week.” I started thinking about what this gentleman said. I finally concluded that his problem was not one of digestion but one of appetite. Many Christians think they have a spiritual digestive problem when instead they have a problem with spiritual appetite.

I like the way the “Message” translates Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6 "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. We need to hunger and thirst for God. We need to seek his face not just his hand. That is, we need to desire His fellowship, not just desire something from Him.

By The Way I was looking through some poems I had written several years ago and found one that reminded me of a desire I need to constantly rekindle in my on spirit.

THE MORNING SEARCH

I will seek you in the morning
When the twilight wakes the sky
I will breakfast at your table
Morsels money could not buy

I will sip on Heaven’s water
As I contemplate the day
I will seek to walk beside you
And to hear the Words you say

I will seek to fill my calling
To a work ordained by one
In whose image I am made
And sets the path that I should run

There’ve been times the sky has darkened
By the clouds of stress and strain
But you fed my soul, dear Jesus
When I called upon your name
RFE (1994)

Oh how important it is to hunger for fellowship with God. The more we eat at His table the more our spiritual appetite is stimulated. God is glorified and we are nourished.

Bon appetit!

BLOGTHOT: WHEN WE FEAST AT GOD’S TABLE WE NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SPIRITUAL HUNGER OR INDIGESTION

PLUGGED INTO THE POWER

2009-02-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

During this recent ice storm we have been reminded of how important it is to be connected to a power source. We have underground electrical cables, and so the storm did not affect the power lines that come to our apartment complex. But we were still without power because the break was farther down the line. The source of the power was cut off from our apartments so we could not get any of its benefits.

We were very fortunate that our power was off only about one and a half days. During that time I would go into a dark room and instinctively I would flip on the light switch. But no light would come on because we were cut off from the source of power.

By The Way power to live the Christian life comes from a source that does not originate in us. Jesus promised the disciples, “…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1:8a, NIV) Left to our own energies we would not be able to live the Christian life. Someone has aptly stated, “the Christian life is not difficult for us to live…it is impossible.” It is impossible, that is, without the power of the Spirit of God working in our lives. Paul in Ephesians 5:18 says “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” (Amplified Bible) Paul is telling us who belong to Christ to be under the control, the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to be connected to our heavenly power source. It is when the personal storms of life come that we realize how important it is to be connected to the Divine power source.

Arkansas along with Kentucky was declared by the federal government a disaster area. That declaration made it possible to get immediate help to repair lines and work on the infrastructure that was damaged. It will also help with money for relief and reconstruction. A Christian who is not solidly connected to our spiritual power source ought to be declared a spiritual disaster. It is truly an emergency situation when a believer is not under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately many of us do no see this as an emergency situation.

Christ taught us that the Holy Spirit was our constant teacher and guide, and any time we had a need He would always be ready to empower us to say and do the right thing. Jesus says in John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” (NIV)

Some folks have never been wired in the first place and it is impossible to be plugged into the heavenly power. When a person is born of the Spirit of God, he is “wired” to receive and benefit from the power of God’s indwelling presence. Some who are wired are temporarily disconnected from the source. What ever our need, God, the Eternal Master Electrician, is ready to go to work on our behalf. We need to give Him permission to start doing in our lives what is needed.

Let the Power Flow!

BLOGTHOT: THOSE PLUGGED INTO THE SPIRIT NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A POWER FAILURE

BEAUTIFUL BUT DESTRUCTIVE

2009-01-31T11:03:00.000-08:00

The recent ice storm here in Harrison and surrounding area is the worst in years. Power is still out to most of those in outlying areas. It has tested our resolve and called on our creativity, just to make it through until power is restored. It has reminded us again of the power in nature; a nature which was created and is overseen by an omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere present) God.

We were more fortunate than many, in that our power was restored after about one and one-half days. Many will probably be without for as much as two to three weeks. After the power is restored there will continue the clean-up, which will probably last well into the spring or summer.

I have observed that an ice storm can be beautiful and yet very destructive. I can go outside our apartment and simple focus on the way the trees and shrubs, loaded with ice, sparkle in the sunshine. If I temporarily forget the wider effects of the storm, I can admire the beauty of a tree decorated with nature’s icy ornaments. But when I think about the damage it has caused, its beauty is overshadowed by it's destructiveness.

By The Way there are things in life that can appear beautiful, but in the end they are very destructive. The Scripture declares in Hebrews 11:24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of the king of Egypt's daughter.25 He chose to suffer with God's people instead of enjoying sin for a short time.26 He thought it was better to suffer for the Christ than to have all the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking for God's reward. (New Century Version)

What beautiful surroundings Moses could have continued to enjoy, what an opulent lifestyle he could have continued to indulge in, but he knew that the beauty and opulence were for a short time. He chose the right way over the bright way. Who among us would want to continue to have the beauty of the "ice show" at the expense of our safety, our warmth, and our ability to get around?

Beauty indeed may be in the eye of the beholder, but as Christians we must never be gullible enough to believe that external beauty always tells the whole truth about a person or an event. We must always be on our spiritual guard in order to see both the external and the reality behind it. If we are not fully attentive we can suffer a spiritual setback and be hurt or even derailed from our God given mission. There is beauty in creation and in all of nature, but we must learn to respect it, as we respect the God who created it. God is still in charge. He is God before the storm, during the storm and after the storm.

I remember the ice storm of 1999. Again the trees and grass were beautifully adorned with a thick layer of sparkling ice. But I was foolish enough to think I could drive my pickup down the hill from the house where we lived at the time. I almost went over a large bank when the truck started sliding, I fell several times, my son and I got so cold we were almost frost bitten, and I could not get chains on the pickup no matter how hard I tried. I experienced the power behind the beauty. But because I did not respect that power I crawled back to the house, cold, bruised, and frustrated. May that not happen again.

My prayer is for God’s protection on those who are helping to restore essential services, and that all of us may learn the lessons God is teaching us through the storm.

Happy huddling

BLOGTHOT: IT IS OK TO ADMIRE BEAUTY, BUT BETTER TO RESPECT THE POWER BEHIND IT.

GETTING READY FOR GUESTS

2009-01-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

I have been working in my guest room/office/storage room/etc room today, making it ready for guests. Joey, Angie, and the girls, Shelby and Maddie are driving home from Ft. Campbell, where Joey, my son-in-law, is stationed.

The bed was covered with papers, files, and other assorted things we had not yet gone through from our recent move to this apartment. I found all sorts of neat things. In fact I probably would have finished the job earlier if I had not stopped so many times to check out things I hadn’t seen in a while.

Anyway, I got to thinking about how we can get in gear when we know we have company coming. We want to be ready for them. We want the apartment to be ready and of course a clean organized room where they will be sleeping.

In my mind I got to thinking about another visitor that will soon be coming. He is not just your ordinary visitor. He is really more than a visitor. He is the Landlord. No, not the earthly landlord, but the heavenly one. You know by now that I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said He was coming back. He told us to be ready for His coming.

Notice what the Scripture says in 1 Thess 4:16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.18 So encourage each other with these words. (New Century Translation)

To be ready is more than being saved, but being ready by having our lives cleaned out, and organized according to a Biblical priority. We do not want to be embarrassed when he comes.

By The Way there is something else that I have realized from all this preparation for visitors. To get things ready, and get things in their right place is good for the guests when they arrive. But, you know, having things clean and straightened makes life more enjoyable while we wait for the guests to arrive. It lowers ones anxiety level to go into a room that is clean, straight, and ready for occupants. I think the same is true of our preparation for our Lords return. We will have a better time and greater joy if we have things ready even though His return may be a while.

Happy preparing!

BLOGTHOT: IT IS GREAT TO GET READY, BUT BETTER TO STAY READY

TRAVELING IN MY BUICK

2009-01-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

I really love my ’98 Buick Le sabre. I have had it in the garage for repairs for about a week and have missed being able to drive it. During that time I have had to drive Marie’s 2001 Ford Explorer. She loves her car also. But not having my car for a while got me to thinking. Is it more important to have a place to go, or is it more important just to be able to go… anywhere?

When the price of gas went up we did cut back on our travel. When it started coming down I got the driving fever again. I have come to the conclusion that I just like going. I can decide where to go after I take off. You know, that is not the smartest thing to do. Now understand, there is nothing wrong with just driving around for the sheer pleasure of it, but it can become a waste of time and high priced gas.

By the way, it occured to me that there are a lot of people who live their lives that way. They are always going, but are not sure of their ultimate destination. We live in a "going" world. We can go faster than any generation before us, but I am afraid that we have less understanding of where we are going, why we are going, and how to get anywhere in particular.

Every nation and culture has had a sense of history. But all major cultures except the Hebrew people viewed history as cyclical. It went in circles and was always repeating itself. The Bible was written from the viewpoint of linear history. There was a beginning and we are traveling toward a grand climax. Someone has said, “If you do not know where you are going, any place will do.” History in general is His-story. Our personal history, our travel through this life, should also be His-story.

We should really enjoy this journey through life, but one thing that makes the trip so enjoyable is knowing our ultimate destination. And we can know our ultimate destination if we are personally acquainted with the travel planner, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of those around us do not know that they can know for sure what their ultimate destination is. We need to tell them about heaven, how to get there, and how to enjoy the trip.

Over and over Jesus said to those who would listen, “follow me.”

In John 14 Jesus said “4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

HAPPY TRAVELING

BLOGTHOT: IT'S GREAT TO TRAVEL BUT EVEN BETTER TO KNOW YOUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION

WALKING THE WALK

2009-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

We live in a day of sound bites, symbols, sayings, and shallow commitments. You rarely see someone wearing a cap or tee shirt that does not proclaim a product, a pronouncement or a political statement. Now, I do not have a big problem with such things, but I do have a problem when the person wearing such does not reflect what their symbols or words imply. If you are going to talk the talk, then you need to walk the walk.

I remember stopping at a red light and noticed the car in front of me had a bumper sticker that read, “Honk if you love Jesus!” I honked a couple of times, but the response I received was a fist shook in my direction. I thought about calling the police and reporting a stolen car. I figured that the guy driving the car could not have been the owner, since he did not acknowledge what the bumper sticker implied. Yep, I thought, that guy has stolen the car from the real owner. But I did not call the police because I regretfully came to the conclusion that in our day you certainly cannot tell a book by it’s cover, and you cannot assume that everyone who uses bumper stickers intend to live up to their message. If we expect folks to believe what we advertise, we must live up to what we advertise.

Notice what James says in James 1:22 Do what God's teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.23 Those who hear God's teaching and do nothing are like people who look at themselves in a mirror.24 They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like.25 But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God's perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy.

By the way, did you see the championship game Thursday night between Oklahoma and Florida? I could not help but notice that Tim Tebow had “3:16” in the blacking under his eyes. Now here is a guy that not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. The guys in the broadcast booth were talking about the character and sincerity of this guy. Tim is the real thing. For a 21 year old young man, he is already a symbol of what it means to be a man’s man and an humble Christian wrapped up together.

My prayer for Tim is that he will continue to put Christ first in his life regardless of all the human accolades he receives and the sports awards he garners. I know that many of you were saddened that Oklahoma did not win the game, but as a Christian how could you not have respect for a guy like Tim Tebow.

I do wonder, however, if someone from the ACLU saw the Scriptural reference under his eyes, and are preparing to protest. When the ACLU gets upset, it is usually because someone is doing the right thing. Go Tim!!

BLOG THOT: "It is ok to advertise as long as you are sold on the product."

CHRONOS OR KAIROS

2009-01-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

During this first part of 2009 I have been thinking of “Time.” It is interesting that in the Greek new testament there are two words often translated “time.” But they have different meanings and refer to two different things.

One word is “chronos,” and is from that word we get our English word, chronology. It refers to time in general. It denotes the quantity of time, and the passing of time. It refers to duration, whether long or short. The other word is “kairos.” It refers to a measure of time, the opportune or seasonable time, the right time, a limited time, to what time brings.

In short “chronos” refers to the movement of time. “Kairos” refers to the opportunity a certain moment or season brings us.

By the Way “Chronos” time can be broken down in many ways. There is nothing we can do about the chronology of time. It can’t be slowed, saved, or sped up.

• 1 picosecond (1 trillionth of a second) - about the shortest period of time we can currently measure accurately

• 1 nanosecond (1 billionth of a second) - 2 to 4 nanoseconds is the length of time that a typical home computer spends executing one software instruction

• 1 microsecond (1 millionth of a second)

• 1 millisecond (1 thousandth of a second) - The typical fastest time for the exposure of film in a normal camera. A picture taken in 1/1000th of a second will usually stop all human motion

• 1 centisecond (1 hundreth of a second) - the length of time it takes for a stroke of lightning to strike

• 1 decisecond (1 tenth of a second) - a blink of an eye

• 1 second - an average person’s heart beats once each second
Then, we examine the higher, more tangible, elements if time:• 60 seconds - one minute

• 60 minutes - an hour

• 8 hours - The typical workday in the U.S., as well as the typical amount of sleep a person needs every night

• 24 hours - a day. The amount of time for the earth to rotate one time on its axis

• 7 days - a week

• 40 days - about the longest a person can survive without food

• 365.24 days - a year. The amount of time it takes for the planet earth to complete one orbit around the sun

• 10 years - a decade

• 75 years - The typical life span for a human being

• 5,000 years - The span of recorded history
How is it we can measure time from its most finite position to its known extent, yet we cannot know, realize or accept what hour we are in right now?! That is where “Kairos” comes in. “Kairos” is our opportunity within the “Chronos” to make a difference.

What we do with our God given opportunity is all that counts. At the end of 2009, we can say, 365 days are gone and can never return, we will never see them again. But if we used our opportunities to honor God, and bless others, the results of that are not gone, but will go on bearing fruit.

I am not a seer, nor do I have special powers to look into the future. But if I am reading my Bible correctly and am seeing current events properly, we are living in most significant time since the first century. Perhaps we have a better opportunity than any generation before us to take the Gospel to every people. Christ says when that has been done, then the end will come.
“Carpe diem,” is a quotation from Horace's Odes (I, xi) is Latin and means ‘seize the day’, in other words ‘make the best of the present moment.’ Though the term in Horace's Odes was used with the idea of just living for today, and getting all the pleasure you can, I think the phrase can be sanctified and become a watchword for believers. We must as believers seize the moment. We must make the most of the opportunity God has given us.

Paul says in Ephesians
5:14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

MAY YOU BE IN TIME, ON TIME, DOING THE RIGHT THINK AT THE RIGHT TIME

KNOWING THE AUTHOR

2008-12-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever bought a toy for a child, or a piece of furniture etc. that you had to assemble after you got it home? I know that on numerous occasions we have. I, like many men, do not want to read the instructions but just start right in with the assembly process. Usually I give in and begin to try to understand the assembly instruction sheet that came with the merchandise. The problem often becomes how to interpret the instructions. Then it becomes a trial and error process. I often think, if I could just ask the dude who wrote the instructions what he meant by such in such I could follow the procedure he so intricately outlined. But there is no way to get hold of the author of the instructions.

By the way, I have often been told by unbelievers that they cannot understand the Bible. Several years ago during spring break time I picked up a college student as he was walking down the highway. He was returning from one of the many spring break havens after some hardy partying. He was tired, hungry, broke, and did not look very happy. During our conversation I ask him if he had ever read anything in the Bible. “Well,” he said, “I have but I had a hard time understanding it.” “You might have an easier time understanding it,” I said, “if you were acquainted with the author.” This seemed to peak his interest. I spent the rest of the trip sharing with him the gospel.

The Scripture has much to say on this subject. 1 Cor 2:10…The Spirit searches out all things, even the deep secrets of God.11 Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person's spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12 Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but we received the Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that God has given us.13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom but with words taught us by the Spirit. And so we explain spiritual truths to spiritual people.14 A person who does not have the Spirit does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be judged to be true by the Spirit.15 The spiritual person is able to judge all things, but no one can judge him. The Scripture says: 16 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been able to teach him?" — Isaiah 40:13 But we have the mind of Christ.(NIV)

There is no way to really understand the truths of the Scripture unless you know the author of this precious book. There is no way to really enjoy Christmas unless you are acquainted with the author of this special celebration. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… (NIV)

Let us meditate not just on the trappings of Christmas, but the Christ who the foundation of it all. Let us read the Scripture not just trying to dissect the words, but fixing our eyes and heart on the author of those words.

May you prosper in knowing not just the Bible but the author of the Bible. May you be blessed in your celebration not simply of the season of Christmas, but the reason for the season, the Christ of Christmas.

THE GIFT AND THE GIVER

2008-12-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas is such a special time of the year. It is a time to give and receive gifts. There is nothing wrong with that, but I am afraid much of our generation has forgotten why we celebrate Christmas and many do not recognize the greatest gift that was ever given.

Jesus Christ was God the Father’s love gift to a world in darkness and sin. The uniqueness of this gift was that the giver and the gift were one. We cannot appreciate the gift if we do not recognize the giver. The gift God the father gave was God the son. When we honor the son we honor the father. God’s gift was not something to satisfy our personal wants, nor was it a gift to enjoy for a while and then discard. The greatest way we can respond to this special gift is to spend time with the giver. And we can know the giver only through the gift.

By The Way I remember a story about a father who had to travel a lot with his job, and thus was gone from home many weeks each year. When the father returned home he would always bring gifts to his two sons. One of the sons would always run out to meet his dad, and began immediately to ask, “what did you bring me, what did you bring me?” The father would give him his gift and off he would go to spend time with his new prize.

The other son would wait on the porch swing until his dad came up and sat down beside him. He would say, “Dad it is so good to have you home, I missed you.” And there they would sit for half an hour just talking and visiting. Finally the father would give the second son his gift. But it was obvious that this second son was more interested in spending time with his dad than just receiving a gift. The greatest gift was the giver, his dad.

Rom 5:17 If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? (THE MESSAGE)

MAY WE ALL AT THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON SPEND MORE TIME ADORING AND APPRECIATING THE GREATEST GIFT AND THE GIVER, AND LESS TIME SIMPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PERSONAL GIFTS.

FROM MARIE AND I, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR.

Moving! Moving! Moving!

2008-12-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

I am sure you have noticed that I have not done a blog for a while. The reason is because we have been in the midst of a move. I did not have access to the internet for a while. My, my, how did I ever survive? We did move from an up-stairs apartment to a single floor dwelling. It is brand new, much nicer than the old one, is better arranged, and we are already liking it much more.

By The Way, the last two moves we have made has required a lot of downsizing. We had to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. It is not always an easy decision. Some things may not have practical value, but have sentimental worth. It occurred to me that we can leave certain things behind, and when we move to our final heavenly home we will leave everything behind. But who we are we take with us. Our personality, our attitudes, our values, and any internal baggage we might have developed all comes with us. If we have a spiritual or personal problem we do not leave it behind like some old suit, a pair of shoes, or some of our books.

A lot of folks seem to think that they can move away from their problems. If they just move to a new location they will find peace or happiness. Not true! Several years ago while we were doing church planting work in northern Illinois we got acquainted with a family who had grown up in intercity Chicago. They had climbed out of financial poverty and had built a home in a suburban area where we were attempting to start a church. I spent a lot of time building a relationship with the gentleman. I shared Christ with him as best I could.

One day he confided in me that the suburban life was not all he thought it would be. He told me that he had thought if he could just leave the city and move to the suburbs it would bring him peace and satisfaction. But he said that he still had not found peace. It seemed to him that folks in the suburbs were always in competition to make their houses or their lawns look a little better than their neighbors. It was a never ending cycle of one-up-man-ship.

He excitedly shared with me one day that he had found the way to peace and happiness. I was anxious to hear what he had discovered. Well, he had found a place in Arkansas that really appealed to him. He said it was in a beautiful location, plenty of trees, lots of room for pets, a quite stream that flowed a short ways from the back yard. There would be plenty of space between him and the nearest neighbor. “Yes, he said, “I know if I can move down there I will find the peace and satisfaction I have been looking for.” I said, “John, I hate to burst your bubble, but I have just come from that place you are talking about, and it is all the things you say, but it will not bring you peace and satisfaction.” “Why not,” he inquired. “Because, I said, “the things that are robbing you of peace and happiness are things you cannot leave behind. You are going to take your problems with you. Changing locations is not the answer. The answer is allowing Christ to move into your life and bring His peace and joy.” I could not convince him otherwise. Our ministry took us elsewhere before I knew If John had allowed Jesus to Change his life. I only know that for John and for millions more like him, moving is not the answer to the longing they feel in their hearts. Peace, joy, and satisfaction come from knowing Christ in a personal way.

Paul has a word for us from the Word of God concerning this matter. Philippians 4: 10-14 “I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am…”(The Message)

May you know the peace, joy, and satisfaction of Christ wherever you are.

It's How You See The World

2008-11-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

Ecc 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Giving thanks becomes so easy and natural when you look at the world rightly. Often beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In fact, our attitude about life in general is shaped by what we believe about truth, and the nature of God. Many Christian philosophers say as a culture we have lost our Biblical world view. We see things as relative and not absolute. The point is we need to see things from God’s perspective. I believe we are happier people when we see the glass half full and not half empty.

By The Way I remember hearing the story of a fellow moving to a new town. On his way into town he stopped and introduced himself to a stranger on the sidewalk. He asks the stranger, “You live in this town?” “Yes I do” he replied. Then the fellow asked, “What kind of people lives here?” To which the stranger ask, “What kind of people lived in the place you left?” “Oh!” said the fellow, “where I came from there were some of the meanest, orneriest, worst people you would ever want to meet.” “Well,” said stranger, “those are the kind of folks that live here.”

Later that day another fellow from out of town was planning to move and entering the town he stopped and got out of his car. He introduced himself to the same stranger the first fellow had talked to. He asked the same question. “What kind of people lives in your town?” The stranger asked, “What kind of people lived in town from which you are moving?” The fellow replied, "Oh, some of the best and friendliest people in the world. To which the stranger said, “Those are the same kind of people that live here.”

I guess you really see what you are looking for. What you look for is changed when you have a right relationship with the God of this world. Several years ago while I was pastoring in Oregon I had a unique experience with a little girl who had just accepted the Lord as her Savior. Her mother was late picking her up after church. She had knelt beside the flower bed that ran along side the sanctuary. I joint her there while we waited for her mother. She said to me, “Pastor, you know, before I was saved I would look at the honey bees flying from flower to flower and all I wanted to do was to squash them. Now I just want to look at them and see how beautiful they are.”

Jesus responded to the praise of Children. And you and I need to be like the children in the following passage. It is easy to give thanks when we see things like these children saw things.

Matt 21:15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" (NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving

Bragging Rights?

2008-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been talking a lot about that buck I shot. You would have thought that I got that deer all by myself. I sounded like I was the world's greatest hunter, and that I did everything that needed to be done to bag my deer.

And Oh By The Way if it had not been for several others in our hunting group I would not have gotten that dear. I know it doesn't sound like the kind of bragging I usually hear about the big buck someone shot. But the truth is, at least for me, it was a team effort. I hunted on a lease that did not belong to me. I was invited to be there or else I would have been trespassing. The food I ate during the week was mostly prepared by someone else. The old trailer I slept in belonged to the holder of the lease. The deer stand I hunted from was build by another member of our hunting party. The buck I shot was eating corn from a corn feeder that had been placed and filled by someone else in the party. After I shot the deer someone had to help me pull it out of the woods and take it to the slaughter house. And someone else will bring it to me from Warren where it was processed (some of the group are going back to hunt around Thanksgiving.)

The fact is everything we accomplish in life we really need to give credit to others. Someone truly said, "No man is an island unto himself." The Christian life is a team effort. That is why Christ established the church. It would be impossible to live for Christ if we reject the church and try to live it by ourselves. Paul in 1 Corinthians is talking about the importance of team-work in the church. He compares it to a human body.

Cor 12:25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.27-31 You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything...(The Message)

God has called to make disciples, to hunt for souls. No, we are not to hunt them like we do deer, and yet winning people to Christ and making disciples is a team effort. In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul is dealing groups and individuals who thought they were more spiritual and more important to the cause of Christ than others in the church.

Paul says in 1 Cor 3 5 Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do.6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made it grow.7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God, who makes things grow, is important.8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose, and each will be rewarded for his own work.9 We are God's workers, working together; you are like God's farm, God's house. (New Century Version)

Let's be a loving, giving, accepting part of the body of Christ. Bragging rights? No! In the work of the Lord, in the mission of making disciples there is no room for personal glory. We have no bragging rights. We must simply brag on Jesus. He must receive all the credit and glory.

Happy Team Hunting!

ANTICIPATION

2008-11-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

Anticipation is what often gives motivation to life. If we keep our mind on the goal ahead we have an easier time with the hard places between where we are and where we must go to reach our goal.

Paul said in Phil 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. (NEW CENTURY VERSION)

By the way I learned something about anticipation while hunting deer this past week. It rained, it was cold and damp, I slept on less than a comfortable bed, only one night did my c-pap machine work properly, so my rest was not the best, and I went the whole five days without a shower or shave. In short there were some hard places I had to go through. Why did I do it? It was for the prize, a buck deer. I even noticed that the loud sound of the rifle when I shot my buck did not bother my ears, and I did not even notice the recoil from the rifle. I was so focused on the goal, other things just did not matter. It was the anticipation of reaching the goal that kept me going.

My ultimate goal in life is to become like Jesus, and then one day stand before Him and hear Him say to me, "Well done!" My anticipation of becoming more like Jesus each day, of being more effective in His kingdom work, and one day entering my heavenly home, keeps me going.

Living for Christ is not like staying in a first class hotel, always eating at five-star restaurants, riding in limousines, and flying first class. Paul said to one of the churches he started on his first missionary journey in Acts 14:22 "...that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (KJV)

Paul also says in Romans 8:18-21 That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. (The MESSAGE)

Someone criticized a pastor for focusing on the future. They said, "Why do you preach on 'Pie in the sky by and by,' when what we need is to know how to live in 'the nasty now and now?'" The preacher replied "it is the anticipation of the future hope I have in Christ that helps me make it through the nasty now and now." That pastor was not denying the reality of the present nor the importance of practical Biblical help as to how to live in the now, but He was saying that much of the motivation for living for Christ in the now is the anticipation of the glorious future God has prepared for his children.

AGAIN, HAPPY HUNTING!

JUST DO IT!

2008-11-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

JUST DO IT!!

Devotions From a Deer Stand is the name of a book, but the title is all I borrowed.

I just got back after almost a week at deer camp. I did get a deer, a small 5-point buck. It was my first buck, and only my second deer kill. Three years ago I killed a doe. Two years ago, I tried to put five shells in a four-shell clip. Though I saw a lot of deer I did not get off a shot. As you can imagine, my gun jammed. Last year I forgot to take my clip. I guess a good hunter only needs one bullet. The guys called me “One Bullet Barney.” I did not even see a deer at which to shoot. This year I was prepared, and bagged my prey. Lesson? Be properly prepared.

But by the way something else occurred to me while sitting in that deer stand. I could have made the best preparations possible, but if I had not gone to the deer woods and actually gone hunting I would not have shot a deer.

Imagine this scenario. My hunting buddy comes over the week after deer season ends. He asks me, “Did you get a deer?” And I say, “Let me show you my rifle. It is a 30-06 semi-automatic. I have sited it in, oiled and cleaned it. It’s a great hunting rifle.” But my friend asks again, “Did you get a deer?” And I say, “Let me show you my hunting outfit. Man! is it comfortable and warm. It has great camo and the deer have a hard time distinguishing me from the trees around me.” I show him my doe scent that is sure to bring in a buck. But my friend insists, “Did you get a deer?” I proceed to show him my hunting boots and brag about their being water proof and warm and comfortable. I show him my orange vest and hat. I even show him my hunting license. Finally, he says, “Yes, you must be the best prepared hunter I have ever seen, but did you get a deer?” Finally I admit, “No, I didn’t go hunting.”

We have churches and Christians just like this. They meet in buildings that are beautiful, comfortable, and perfectly equipped to do the job. We know how to share our faith. We know how to plan a great service with soul stirring music. We have studied the latest sociological trends. We have up to date demographics on our community. We put a large amount of money in the budget for evangelism. We have the best evangelistic tracts and the latest translation of the Bible. But the question is, are we leading anyone to Christ? Have we been hunting?

I love how the MESSAGE puts it in
James 1:22-27 Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

A song is not a song until you sing it
A bell is not a bell until you ring it

A talk is not a talk until something, you say
A hunter is not a hunter ‘till he goes after the prey

You’re not really a Christian until you live it
You’re not really a witness until you give it.

JUST DO IT! HAPPY HUNTING!

What About Praying?

2008-11-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

I must admit, the candidate I voted for did not win the presidency. I must also admit that I find a great deal of consolation in the fact that our country has come far enough from it's dark days of slavery and years of prejudice that it can elect a black man to our highest office. In all of this God does not change, nor does our responsibility as a citizen. I know there will be those who will be making critical remarks, and hanging their heads in disappointment. and saying, "what are we going to do?"

By The Way, I remember sharing my disappoint in the behavior of president Clinton during those embarrassing days of his sexual misbehavior and his effort to deny it. Marie said to me, " Ray, even though we deplore his behavior, we still must respect his office and pray for him." She was right.

The Scripture says in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." (The Message)

Several years ago while I was attending College at Southwest Baptist University (College back then), I pastored a little church about 70 miles to the east of Bolivar, MO by the name of Pine Creek Baptist Church. One Sunday, a short time after we had accepted to pastor the church, we ate lunch with one of the very faithful widows. She told us about a former pastor who had become quite unpopular in the congregation. Another lady had come to her house and was complaining about the pastor. Said she, "I just don't know what I am going to do about him." Our very thoughtful widow said to her, "have you every tried praying for him?" She answered, "no, I guess I haven't." She tried it and liked it, and her dilemma was solved.

As citizens of this great country we have an obligation to vote and participate in the political process as much as we can, but our greatest and continuing obligation is to pray. We need to respect the office of president, and respect our newly elected president, and pray for him. We need a spiritual and moral revival in our nation, but God never said it would start with the leaders of our government. It will start with Gods people. 1 Peter 4:17 says "For the time has come for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?"(CHSB)

And we can be confident that God is and always will be the real Commander in Chief. Proverbs 21:1 says, "Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses." (The Message)

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us pray!

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE COXSWAIN

2008-10-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in the Edwards' household in the last year or so, not the least of which is my retiring from the pastorate and going into a new phase of ministry. I know all that has happened has affected both Marie and I, and for that matter other family members as well. Deep in my heart I wanted to continue in the pastorate, but I knew it was time to give it up.

I was leading an adult Bible study at a Wednesday night meeting at First Baptist in Harrison just a few weeks after my retirement. I shared with the folks how it had become much more difficult to deal with emotionally charged issues in the pastorate now than when I was younger. A good friend and a great Christian came up to me after the study, put his arms around and said, "Ray, I believe that the greatest days of your ministry are still ahead of you." That word was a great encouragement to me.

One thing I have learned in my walk with the Lord is that it is important to finish well regardless of how we start. Paul the Apostle compared the Christian life to a race. He admonished us to finish the race and finish it to win. That means, we are to finish well, and even if we stumble and fall in the midst of the race we are to get up and go on.

Life is usually not a sprint, but a marathon and speed is not as importance as endurance. Runners tell us, however, that when they have the finish line in site all the extra strength they have is poured into their sprint to the finish. As they focus on the finish line they ignore the pain and the agony in their body as they try their best to break through the ribbon first.

But if the finish line is when God calls us home, how do we know where the finish line is? For me, it might be 5, 10, 20 years. It could be less, and might be more. I submit to you that the race of life we are in is really like the sleek, narrow boats full of rowers we saw recently in the Olympics. The rowers have their backs to the finish line, so they cannot focus on the finish line. They really cannot see where it is.

By The Way I have started reading a book entitled Finishing Strong, by Steve Farrar. In the first chapter Steve says of the rowers in these racing boats, "If they can't see the finish line and focus upon it, then how in the world can they row an effective race? The answer is that they focus on the Coxswain." He's the guy with the megaphone sitting at the end of the boat facing the crew. He's the only one who knows were the finish line is." The men listen to him, and stay focused on him as he calls out the cadence, gives encouragement, and challenge and leads them across the finish line.

In this boat of life, Jesus is the Coxswain, and each of us are rowers. Hebrews 12:2 says "keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne(HCSB.) We must fix our gaze on Him as he instructs and encourages us and one day leads us across the finish line and suddenly we find ourselves absent from earth but present in our heavenly home.

Happy rowing!

CATS, CATS, AND MORE CATS

2008-10-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

To be perfectly honest, I have never cared much for cats. Especially those that are indoors. Maybe part of that feeling stems from my childhood. My mom never liked cats. Oh, we had cats at home. But they always stayed outside, and lived off their own ability to catch mice. I remember several times when mom started to open the back screen door and a cat was laying against it, she would force it open and then kick the cat with the toe of her shoe, and the cat would land about 50 feet away in the back yard. Such was a cat's life at the Edwards household.

But By The Way I have come to think differently about the cat. One of our neighbors in a downstairs appartment has a heart for "God's little creatures." That is what she calls the cats. They are not really her cats, but just cats that have come by. She started leaving a little food out for them. At first there were two, and now at last count there are five. She said to me the other day, "I just don't understand why they want to come around. All I did was put out a little food." I thought "Well, Duh!" Although I did not say it out loud.

And then it hit me. Cats are smarter than I ever thought they were. And they have a lot to admire. 1) They know to come to the nourishment. 2) They must somehow be able to tell other cats where to come to get nouishment. 3) These cats seem to get along with each other very well. 4) They never fight over the scraps. 5) They seem to be very content, eventhough they have to stay outside. 6) It takes very little to keep them content. 7) And finally, they know how to multiply.

There is a lesson here for the average Christian and for the average church. 1) Unlike the cat, we often get fussy if the spiritual nourishment we are receiving dosn't taste just right or is not served in the right container. 2) We are often lacking when it comes to telling others where to get some spiritual nourishment. 3) We too often have problems getting along with one another. 4) We sometimes fuss and fight over the smallest details. 5) We often express more complaints than contentment. 6) We like our "stuff," and often feel insecure if not surrounded by the trappings of our religion rather than the real heart of our faith. What I mean by trappings are the physical things we associate with our faith. Things like buildings, padded pews, air conditioning, bulletins, certain styles of music, traditions we have grown up with etc. 7) And finally we are content to add occasionally, when the Bible tells us to multiply.

I will never look at cats in the same way.

Happy fur balls to ya!

ALL SHOOK UP

2008-10-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

I know I am dating myself when I say I remember Elvis coming out with his hit “All Shook Up.” But the truth is, there are times when we do get shook up. Even as believers we experience it from time to time. In John 14:1 Jesus told his disciples “Don’t let your hearts be troubled…” A good translation of the word troubled is “agitated” or “shook up.” The disciples were learning that one would forsake Jesus, one would deny Jesus, and that Jesus himself was within hours of death on a Roman cross. Jesus would be leaving his disciples, at least in a physical sense. So they were shook up.

We may not always avoid being shook up from time to time but when we are we are to demonstrate what is really inside of our heart. Matt 15:11 states, “What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" In other words, when we are shook up or squeezed what spills out is simple what is already within us. If bitterness or anger comes out when we are shaken then that is what is in us. When I squeeze a tube of toothpaste I can expect tooth paste to come out. When you are shaken by another person or an unforeseen event what spills out of your life?

And Oh By The Way I had an experience the other day that graphically illustrates my point. We were having quesadillas for supper one night last week. I like to pour lots of salsa on my quesadillas. The bottle of salsa was setting on the kitchen. The lid was on the bottle, but what I did not know was that it was not tightened down. I always shake the bottle before pouring. This time as I shook the bottle, salsa went everywhere…on the floor, the bar, the dining table, the walls, the appliances and both Marie and I. Our food was cold before we were able to clean up the mess. What I observed from this little crisis was very simple. When I shook the salsa bottle, salsa came out… nothing else, just salsa. The reason was simple. Salsa was all that was in the bottle.

The spiritual truth is very simple. When we are shaken or squeezed what comes out of our lives is what was already in our lives. Through our time with God in Bible study, prayer, and obedience let us allow the Lord to fill us with His character, His life, so during the worst of times folks can still see Jesus in us.

BICYCLE CHRISTIANITY

2008-10-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Some years ago I saw in a discipleship magazine an illustration about the Christian life based on a bicycle. I do not remember all the particulars but I do remember that the spokes represented various disciplines for healthy growth as a Christian; prayer, Bible study, etc. The front wheel represented guidance and the rear wheel represented power and endurance.

By The Way, I have recently become the proud owner of a mountain bike (My son-in-law found it left behind by a soldier family moving from Ft. Campbell, KY.) He also found a bike for he and for my daughter. Well anyway I have made a few interesting discoveries that might shed a little more light on this bicycle/Christian life thing.

Now I learned to ride the bike when I was just a youngster, and I was young also when I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I did not become an instant expert at riding the bike or at being a Christian. It was and is a process. I still can ride a bike, but since I have not practiced for a long time, I am a little shaky and uncertain. I am not as agile or as smooth as I used to be. When one does not practice his faith he becomes the same way… shaky and unsure of himself. He is certainly not a very good role model to those new believers that might be watching him. I really don’t want too many folks watching me ride the bike right now either.

Now one of the main things about riding a bike is to stay upright. I found that it is much easier if you are moving forward. Sitting still is a sure recipe for falling over, unless your feet are on the ground. Going backward is totally out of the question. If you are to grow as a disciple you need to stay upright, and to stay upright you have to move forward.

Obviously someone had left the bike out in the weather and it had set idle for a while. This caused rust to accumulate on the gear cables and the sprockets. Now I am not saying we should burn out as a Christian, but neither is there a reason to rust out. Two things contribute to a rusty Christian life:

(1) Inactivity in the area of prayer (1 Thess 5:17 Pray constantly. HCSB),

and obedience (James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only… HCSB)
(2) Not receiving the lubrication of the Word (Psalm 119:11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You…HCSB)

and the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18 …be filled with the Spirit: HCSB)

I guess I will need to take the bike in for a needed service job, but the best thing I can do for myself and the bike is to ride it…to put it to the use for which it was intended.

How about your Christian life? Is it time you thought about a SERVICE job? Actively move ahead through prayer and obedience. Let God’s Word and the Holy Spirit free you up to move smoothly for the Father. And again, By The Way, “Happy Bicycling!”

DUSTY DISCIPLES

2008-10-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Last week-end I attended a training session in Eureka Springs for those of us who are going to be leading a men’s retreat next week-end. I heard a young man give a message that he will be sharing with the men at the retreat. Those sharing for the first time at the week-end we like to hear their talk at the training session. The young man was a history teacher and I must say did an excellent job. His topic was “Discipleship.” In his comments he mentioned the fact that in New Testament times there were many Rabbis (teachers) who had disciples. But that being a disciple meant more than just merely following the teacher. It meant following him literally so close that as they traveled the dusty roads of the Holy Land the disciple would be covered with the dust being stirred up by his Rabbi. Often one Rabbi would ask another, about the progress of one of his disciples. But he would ask by saying, “How much dust does he have one him?” A dusty disciple was one who was intent on staying extremely close to his teacher. In truth a disciple is more than one who follows his teacher; he is one who wants to be like his teacher. But the disciple cannot become like his teacher (Rabbi) unless he follows him.

And Oh By The Way, I know something about getting dusty, following behind. A few years back there were four of us couples at the church who scheduled a four-wheeler ride on a Saturday. We had a great time and rode more than 50 miles that day. Though the weather was nice for such an outing, the roads were rather dusty. One of the couples was to lead the way and the rest were to follow. Marie and I had never traveled in that part of the county and did not know the directions to our planned destination were we were to have a picnic. Our choices were simply. We could fall behind the leader far enough to avoid the dust but run the risk of losing our way because we could easily miss a turn-off. We could get ahead of the leader in which case we would have been continually confused and uncertain about the roads we should travel. The best choice, the one we stayed with, was to follow close behind the leader, even though it meant getting very dusty. At the end of our trip that day the only clean places on our bodies were little white rings around our eyes were we were wearing our glasses.
The Scripture says in Luke 14:33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple; And again in Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The spiritual application is clear. We are called as disciples to follow Jesus. We could fall behind so far that we lose site of which way Jesus is leading. We could get ahead of our Lord, and thereby become spiritually confused and get completely lost and maybe lead someone else down the wrong road. What we must do is follow our Rabbi, our Lord Jesus, so closely that we bear the evidence of our following Him. Our prayer life, Bible study, and life of obedience is the dust of the master that can even be recognized by others.

So the question becomes, “As a disciple how dusty are you?” How close to our Teacher do you walk? Have you allowed too much distance between you and Him? Have you tried to get ahead of Him at times? For me, I choose to be a very dusty disciple.

By The Way’s Quip For The Day

2008-10-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

I watched the presidential debate last night. I got to wondering (tongue in cheek of course) how political groups got to be called parties. Well maybe it is like going to a fancy dinner party where 1) You want everyone to know you are there yet you wish to blend in, 2) You glad-hand everyone pretending to know them whither you do or not, 3) You accept what is offered and show gratitude even though you might detest some of it, 4) You give compliments knowing that often you are less then honest about what you say, 5) You don’t want to appear to be a know-it-all yet you try to talk intelligently to anyone on any subject, 6) You leave, hardly remembering who you talked to or why, and what difference it made anyway, 7) And yet you are sure that the party you attended was much better than the one they were having down the street. (I’m not really quite that pessimistic, but close.)

rfe

sss I n

2008-09-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

SIN …sss I n. One preacher said, sin has the hiss of the serpent and the middle letter is “I.” It sounds good in a sermon but I am afraid it does not convey what the Bible really means by sin. The Hebrew word for sin is “hatat.” It literally has to do with the use of a sling shot. If the one slinging the stone aims at a target but misses, it is “hatat.” …missing the mark or the target. The application is that God has a standard, and we always miss it.

And Oh, by the way, there are other images or real life experiences that also explain missing the mark. I remember not long after I began to drive, a new stop light was installed in our town (Harrison, AR). That made a total of three stoplights on the main street through town. I had driven that street many times, but not after the stoplight was installed. I went through that intersection running the red light. I was pulled over by a city policeman. He asked me if I ran the light on purpose. To which I replied, “No sir, I just did not see the light.” I thought that might make him go easy on me. But to the contrary, he said, “That is even more dangerous. If you knew it was there you probably would have been aware of oncoming traffic. But not knowing it was there; put you and others at an even greater risk.” I had no further reply. I simply took my ticket and went a few days later and paid my fine. The “mark” that day was to stop at the red light. I missed it. Ignorance was no excuse, and what I did put myself and others at great risk. When we continue to sin against God (miss the mark He has set) we also put ourselves and others in peril.

Much earlier in my boyhood I remember wanting to be one day six feet tall. There were pencil marks on the door frame between the living room and the kitchen were I would go quite often to measure my height. Dad would help me with the measurement. Four feet, five feet, six feet were marked, and marks in between as I slowly grew taller. But I never made it to six feet. I reached five feet and eleven inches. I grew but I still missed that mark of six feet. I even tried stretching my neck by pushing up on my head, but that did not work either. Maybe it resulted in a shorter head, but not a longer neck.

In spiritual matters, we are to grow in our relationship with Christ, but we will never, in our on strength, reach the mark God has set. The Scripture says in Romans 3:23 “all have sinned and have come short of God’s glory (or mark). Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin (missing the mark) is death, but God’s gift is eternal life." There is only one who has never missed God’s mark, and that is Jesus Christ. The Scripture says in John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.” 1 John 5:12 says, “He that has the son has life and he who does not have the son does not have life.” Eternal life is not just a length of time, but a quality of life. And the only way to miss eternal death is to have Christ living inside of us, having taken our sins upon Himself. So then, God does not judge us based upon our missing his mark, rather we are judged based on what a perfect Christ did for us in his death and resurrection. His hitting the mark is put to our account and we are forgiven for all the times we still fall short of God’s glory (his mark.)

And Oh! By The Way

2008-09-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here goes my first attempt at blogging. I thought I might begin by explaining the name of my blog site, and to explain my purpose in these daily or weekly meditations.

First I have noticed that in the ministry and in life I have often learned more "by the way," or informally than when I was in a formal setting. Most of life is informal, and that is when the most significant and meaningful things take place. Also, since I teach Bible as an adjunct instructor at the local community college, a lot of my lectures are "Oh! by the way" statements. I often share important information and points of application not found in the formal outline. And then the phrase "By The Way," is a double entendre. In New Testament times, Christians were often called "People of the way." Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me." So. you see, it has a double meaning.

And that brings me to the purpose for my crafting these words, sentences, and paragraphs. I wish to give insight into truth by looking at words or phrases and seeing things that may bring a fresh approach or different application than to what we may be accustomed. Now mind you, I know there is nothing new under the sun. I know that my writings will not bring something that is a revelation only given to me, and is new to the 20th century. But as Vance Havner put it, "Some truths are so true that they have become bedridden in the dormitory of our mind." I would simply like to get some of those truths out of bed and out of the dormitory.