Fake

 

A few of months ago, I bought a new truck … well, new to me, but it was eleven years old.  When I went to fill up with gas the first time, I panicked.  When I opened the gas tank door, it had a locking gas cap … and I didn’t have a key for it!  After a moment of thinking, I twisted the gas cap, and it opened right up.  It was locking but not locking: it was a scam.  It reminded me of Brother Florin’s old Citroen in Romania: the door didn’t lock.  But each time that we stopped, Brother Florin got out his ignition key and pretended to lock the door just in case a thief was watching us.  And like my locking gas cap, Brother Florin’s car looked locked, but wasn’t really locked.  Hey, are you a real Christian or just a fake Christian?  Do you love the Lord, or do you just look like you love the Lord?  Jesus said in John 10:27&28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish …”  Hey, if you love the Lord you will obey the Lord.  And if I turn that statement around, it’s true also: if you don’t obey the Lord, you don’t really love the Lord.  Don’t be a fake like my gas cap and Brother Florin’s car lock; be a real Christian.  Really.

Witness

 

Whether you believe in predestination or free-will, one thing is for sure: God commands you to evangelize.  The last (and therefore most important) words of Jesus were recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, “… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”  This is called the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion.  Hey, have you handed out a gospel tract recently?  If you haven’t, may I kindly say to you that you aren’t obeying the clear command of Jesus Christ.  I made the next-to-the-last payment on our house today.  Yeah!  I always put my check in a gospel tract and put the tract behind the payment coupon and all three in the envelope.  It takes no extra postage, so the tract is delivered to the office in St. Louis for me for free!  I have done this for 29 11/12 years … a total of 359 times with only one left!  Each time I pray that the right person will get the tract, read it, and make a decision that will change their life!  Only heaven will reveal the impact of those little gospel witnesses.  Hey, be a witness for the Lord today.  But if you can’t quite bring yourself to speak out for God, at least hand out a tract.  Who knows, you may make a change in someone’s life … a change for eternity!

Christmas Gift

 

Kathy and I were married on October 2, 1971, in Royal Oak, Michigan.  After our honeymoon, we moved in with her widowed mother, so our first Christmas was there in Michigan.  Kathy came home from work in late December to find a small, gift-wrapped box for her from me under the tree.  And each day until Christmas, she would shake it and guess its contents.  On Christmas morning, she opened the box to find it was only a screw rattling around inside with a note saying to look under the tree skirt for her present.  And when she looked under the cloth tree skirt, she found a flat vinyl record by the Carpenters that had been hiding there since the little box had appeared.  Got-cha!  Often in life, the best things are hidden in plain sight.  We are looking for happiness and joy, but they are not found in things; they are found in people … people that we see every day.  We find happiness in our children, our mates, our family, and we find lasting joy in the dear Lord above.  And one day, when we see the Lord face to face, we will experience the joy that we have been aching for our entire life!  Isaiah said in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”  Heaven will be beyond wonderful!  And the dear Lord is preparing a place just for His own special loved ones!  Hey, I can’t wait to see it!  It will be better than any Christmas gift ever given!  And it will be perfectly selected just for me … and for you! 

Uzziah

 

Uzziah was a good king.  As a matter of fact, he was one of the best kings that Judah ever had.  And he had a long and prosperous reign.  We find in II Chronicles 26:4&5, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD ... and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”  Uzziah defeated the Philistines (no small thing) and his other neighbors wisely sent gifts to keep him happy.  Uzziah had herds, flocks, and farms.  He dug wells for irrigation and built fortifications all around.  He had a large standing army with a powerful elite fighting force that everyone feared.  But well into his reign, Uzziah began to mistake God’s blessing for his own cleverness.  Like many of us, his problem was pride.  He attempted to take over the priestly duties and the Lord had to strike him down with leprosy, an uncurable dreaded disease (like cancer).  His son reigned in his stead while Uzziah lived out his final days alone and shunned by everyone.  Hey, when the Lord blesses you, be sure to realize that it is the Lord Who is blessing you!  You may be smart, and you may be wise, but everyone eventually dies.  Everyone.  And when you do, you will meet your Maker.  So, be really smart and prepare for that day.

Between the Lines

 

When I go to cardiac rehab, I get there early.  No, I mean really, really early, like when they open the doors at 6 am!  One benefit of going so early is that I can easily find a parking spot: no one is there!  But Memorial hospital has not restriped their parking lot in several years, so in the dark, I have difficulty seeing where the lines are.  And, although I can park anywhere that I like, when the day shift people arrive, they don’t want find my car halfway between the lines blocking two parking spaces.  So I must open my car door and look carefully to see where the faded lines are.  Then I must get out and look behind me so as not to straddle the line behind my car.  After cardiac rehab, when I return to my car in the daylight, I can see the lines clearly.  Hey, it’s easy to see in the daylight, but then it’s too late to do anything about it. Hey, Jesus said in John 12:46, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”  Jesus can keep my life “between the lines” and keep me on the right way.  Hey, let the dear Lord lead you today.  Don’t look back on your life with regrets.  Let Jesus, the light of the world, direct your steps.  Let the Lord Jesus Christ be your guide.

Misplaced Pocketknife

 

Our dear friend Jason came over Saturday with his family, and we had a sweet time of fellowship.  Jason is a missionary to the Dominican Republic, and he is in town visiting his mother here in Ringgold.  But after they all left, Jason’s mom texted me and told me that he couldn’t find his lock-blade pocketknife.  She asked me to look in the cushions in the recliner.  Sure enough, it was there.  So Sunday morning, I put the knife in my pocket to take it to Jason at church.  But when I was downstairs getting a shirt out of the dryer, I got a tiny metal shard in my hand.  Bummer!  So I got out my pocketknife to get the splinter out.  But two weeks prior, my grandson had broken off the tip of my knife.  The knife was still sharp, but I couldn’t get at the shard without the point.  Then I remembered Jason’s knife.  I pulled it out, unfolded it, sharp point and all, and easily removed the splinter.  Perfect timing with Jason losing it in my recliner.  Hey, when the Christ-child was born, it was perfect timing.  God had prepared the world for the birth of His own dear Son!  The details were spot on to fulfill prophecy!  Galatians 4:4&5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”  Thank you, dear Lord for the unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ!  And thank you Jason for the unintended loan of your knife.  Ha, ha!

Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful day it is! May your Christmas day be filled with the joy that the Christ-child brought so many years ago. From a humble beginning in Bethlehem to the sacrificial cross of Calvary, the life of Jesus Christ was purposeful and loving. May we revel in His goodness today and share with one another. Blessings and prayers to you today and throughout the New Year!

Let Down

 

My dear wife loves, loves, loves Christmas.  She carefully chooses the gifts, plans the meals and parties, and has the house decorated just perfectly!  But she has such a let-down the day after Christmas.  All of the festive decorations go back into the attic, and family and friends go home.  Hey, the shepherds had exactly the same let-down.  The shepherds enjoyed the limelight of telling everyone in Bethlehem about the new-born King.  They were centerstage worshiping the Christ-child in the stable behind the inn.  But the next day, they had to go back to their smelly sheep on the lonesome hills.  I’m sure they were disappointed night after boring night as they hoped for another exciting encounter with angels.  But nothing ever happened.  Dr. Luke recorded in Luke 2:20, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”  But as the shepherds returned to their mundane lives, they returned as changed men.  After their encounter with the Son of God, they were never the same again.  Hey, what about you?  Have you had a personal encounter with Jesus?  If you have, you will never be the same again.  But if you haven’t, today would be a good day to come to the Savior and bow down before Him.  And like the shepherds, you’ll be glad that you did.

Prayer

 

Cardiac rehab can be tedious.  The stationary bicycle for fifteen minutes seems like an eternity.  The rowing machine for ten minutes is brutal.  And the treadmill (at 12%) for ten minutes is unending.  So, the dear Lord gave me insight to make the unbearable bearable: pray while I’m exercising.  I pray for my family on the stationary bicycle.  I pray for my married children, their spouses, their spouse’s parents, their spouses siblings, their spouses siblings spouse’s families, their spouse’s families’ children … it comes to a hundred people easily!  On the rowing machine, I pray for my church family.  My mind goes down the right side of the church auditorium, past the musicians and pastor, and back up on the left side to the sound booth.  On the treadmill, I pray for missionaries, past church members, and friends.  I ask the dear Lord to bring peoples’ names to my recollection who need special prayer … and He does!  Hey, feel free to forward any prayer needs that you have to me (on facebook messenger) and I will pray for those too!  Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”  Did you notice that ‘always’ and ‘all’ occur four times in this one verse?!  Do you think that the Lord is wanting us to pray for everyone?  Yes, He is!  And for the 45 minutes that I am at cardiac rehab, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!  Hey, why not join me in prayer this morning?  It will help those that you are praying for, and it will help you too!  Yes, it will!

Fulfilled Prophecy

 

God warned Joseph in a dream to flee Bethlehem to Egypt because the Christ-child’s life was in danger.  Joseph and Mary were able to make the trip because of the gifts given to them by the Wise men.  So, when Herod realized that the Wise men had left without telling him, he flew into a rage and executed all of the male babies two years and down (just to be on the safe side).  And when Joseph heard that Herod was dead, the family came back to Israel.  But since Herod’s son, Archelaus, reigned in his stead, they thought Nazareth (a little further away) would be a safer place to settle down.  I can imagine (just make believe) Jesus going into the first grade in elementary school the first day of school.  He was the only boy in the class.  He must have felt sorry for all of those parents who had lost little boys because of Herod’s wicked rage.  Matthew 2:17&18, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel (Jacob’s wife) weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”  When you lose a child, there just is no consolation.  And God the Father would know all about losing a child some thirty years later on Calvary’s hill.  So … II Corinthians 9:15,” Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”  Can I get an “Amen!”?

The Furnace

 

Tuesday afternoon, I was making some steel key fobs with my forge (for Christmas gifts: I’m cheap).  After I cut them off of the round rod stock, I had to reheat them to stamp a monogram on the base.  But now they were short, and the forge was too hot for me to use my pliers or tongs to put them back in.  When I got close to the furnace opening, I singed the hair on the back of my hand!  So, I threw the three pieces in, as best I could (it took me several tries) and then used the remaining rod to move them around.  As I carefully worked around the hot forge, I was reminded of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego in Daniel 3.  But Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace was much hotter than mine.  And I felt sorry for the men who were tasked with throwing the three Hebrew children into the furnace (actually, they perished!).  But I am always challenged by Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego’s boldness in addressing the king.  They threw caution to the wind trusting the Lord completely!  Whether God delivered them or not, they were committed to Him!  They said in Daniel 3:17&18, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”  What trust!  What total abandon!  Hey, do you have faith in God?  Read His Word and pray this morning and trust God like there’s no tomorrow ... because there might not be!

Comfort

 

Have you ever forgotten something?  But have you ever forgotten something really important?  The older that I get, the more scatterbrained that I become.  I think it’s because I just have too much on my mind … my mind is going in too many different directions at once.  Often I become fearful about the things that I forget.  Sometimes I try to remember what I should remember but I can’t remember.  Sound confusing?  Hey, if your memory is slipping, take heart!  The dear Lord is right there to be a comfort to you.  Paul said in II Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”  Isn’t it comforting to know that the dear Lord is the God of all comfort?!  He knows everything and He cares for you!  And if you forget everything, just remember, God loves you!

Just Enough

 

When I was ten years old, I couldn’t wait for Santa to come on Christmas eve.  We had a fireplace, but no mantle, so it was impossible to hang stockings on the mantle (that didn’t exist).  So, my brothers and I would get one of our socks and pin our stockings onto the back of the couch.  Santa was so clever.  He would know which sock belonged to which boy.  But my brother Phillip was cleverer than Santa.  He pinned his sock onto the couch, cut out the toe, and put a big mixing bowl underneath the sock.  I warned Phillip that Santa didn’t take kindly to greed, but he was undeterred.  Christmas morning, Phillip had no more stuff in his bowl than the other three of us boys had in our stockings.  But at least he didn’t get sticks or coal because of his trickery.  It reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness gathering manna.  Each person was to collect as much as they needed: no more and no less.  And the dear Lord knew exactly how much each person needed: more manna for adults, but less manna for children.  Exodus 16:18, “… he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.”  Hey, aren’t you glad that the Lord knows your needs?  And He meets your needs with what you need when you need it!  Nothing more, but nothing less.  The key is to learn to be content with what the dear Lord gives us!  A good reminder for all of us … including my brother!

Time Flies!

 

Each year I promise myself that I am not going to be so busy the next Christmas season.  And here I go, just as busy as the last.  So, Saturday evening, I went into Walmart to pick up a few last-minute items for our Sunday School Christmas breakfast.  I needed a gallon of milk, so I pulled my usual trick: I looked for the furthest date on the milk jugs so that the milk would last longer in my refrigerator.  And suddenly it hit me!  The date was 01-01-24 on the milk jug!  Where has the year gone?!  It seems like just a few weeks ago it was Labor Day, and now it’s almost New Year!  It reminded me of my oldest daughter growing up.  I saw her go into junior high and then high school.  And as I watched, she went through all of the stages until she graduated from high school and went off to college.  Then suddenly, I noticed my second born who was already a junior!  When did that happen?!  And how did that happen?!  My how time flies!  David realized the brevity of time and he said in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  Hey, squeeze each day to get everything out of it that you can, because you will never get it back!  Life is fleeting … use it wisely!

Creature Comfort

 

Yesterday morning, I just realized how far I would go for my own comfort.  Our bedroom floor is above the garage and the outside temperature was 28° yesterday morning at 4:30 am!  Yikes!  So, when I put on my socks, I sat on the bed, pulled one foot out of the slipper, put a sock on it, and slid the slipper back on.  Then I pulled the other foot out of the other slipper, put the other sock on it, and slid the other slipper back on.  Then I put my pants on, slippers off and on, with the same care so as not to touch the cold floor.  After I was fully dressed, I put on my thermal sweatshirt and hat and hurried outside and started the car, making sure that the temperature was turned all the way to hot and the blower was on turbo.  Then I retreated back into the warm house congratulating myself on how fast I had moved.  Hey, I am so careful with my creature comforts, but am I as careful with my service to the Lord?  Sadly, I think not.  But it’s really quite simple: I John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”  We love the Lord because of His outrageous love for us first.  But are we as passionate in our service to Him?  Think about it.

Millennium Falcon

 

What is this world coming to?!  I’ve heard of gingerbread men and gingerbread houses, but yesterday, I saw a gingerbread Millennium Falcon.  That’s just not right!  Ha, ha!  Actually, I have no problem with a gingerbread Millennium Falcon.  Some things change (the Star Wars part) but some things stay the same (the gingerbread part).  Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  The Christ-child was born 2,000 years ago, but He is still relevant.  It’s the old, old story, but it never gets old.  Hey, put your trust in Jesus.  He’s as up to date as tomorrow’s newspaper.  But wait,  the newspaper is now totally online … but so is my Bible.

Bad Decision

 

Well, I made a bad decision yesterday.  Let me explain.  For years, Home Depot has had a yardman who helped customers load their stuff into their vehicle.  Then he brought the carts back into the store and lined them up in the lumber and plywood aisles for the next customer.  But management figured out that if customers loaded their own stuff, they would leave the carts in the parking lot, and the next customers would bring the carts back into the store with them (or go back outside and get a cart when none were in the store).  One less employee (but a little less customer service).  But when I got to Home Depot yesterday morning at 7:30 am, there were no carts in the parking lot yet.  But I found a whole row of carts by the big loading door.  I cleverly thought to grab one and take it into the store with me.  What I failed to remember was that it had been 28° the night before.  But I remembered immediately when I laid my bare hands onto the cold metal cart.  I hope that I’m not as careless with my devotion to the Lord.  Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

My Best and Worst Christmas

 

My best Christmas ever was also one of the most challenging Christmases for my parents.  My dad had bought some property in Maryland and had cleared trees and underbrush to build us a house.  While the house was in progress, he moved our 45 ft. trailer onto the lot to save the cost of the lot rent in the trailer park.  Without a washer or dryer, my mother had to boil our clothes outdoors to get them clean.  My three brothers and I collected “pine knots” to burn under the #3 washtub.  Mother hung the clothes on a line outdoors to dry them.  In the fall of ‘65, my dad was laid off work in Baltimore.  He had another job lined up, but it didn’t pay as much as the big aircraft factory that he had been working at.  So, he took on a second job.  My mother and us four boys would meet him with the car and supper when he arrived in the carpool from his day job.  He would eat supper with us in our car and talk to all of us over his sandwich.  Then he would drive to the part-time job and we would walk home.  Dad would come home well after we were all asleep.  I remember my dad taking me aside that November day and saying, “Gerald, we aren’t going to have much of a Christmas this year.  Things are tight, but we will make it just fine.”  And then came the surprise.  He said, “I need you to help me this year with a Santa present.”  I was thrilled and felt so grown-up.  My dad had found a sturdy tricycle for my youngest brother that needed some TLC.  I painted it green, my brother’s favorite color, keeping it a surprise.  I painted his name on the seat in white.  I was so excited to see my little brother’s face as he got his tricycle from Santa that Christmas.  Jesus said it best in Acts 20:35, “… It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Tiny Thing; Big Problem

 

Yesterday, my wife couldn’t get the TV remote to work.  I looked at it, tried it, and I couldn’t get it to work either.  So I replaced the four AA batteries.  But it still wouldn’t work.  And then, after a closer look at the TV, I discovered a new Christmas decoration that someone had put on the TV stand was exactly in front of the tiny electronic sensor for the TV.  And when I moved the little decoration over an inch, the TV remote worked fine.  Hey, have you ever had a tiny little bit of sin blocking your fellowship with the dear Lord?  It could have been a problem in your life that kept cropping up.  It could have been anger or pride or jealousy.  Just something little, like that tiny Christmas decoration.  Hey, remove the sin and restore the fellowship with the dear Lord!  You’ll be glad that you did!  Habakkuk 3:18, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

The Potter's House

 

Our assistant pastor spoke Sunday night about the Lord sending the prophet Jeremiah to the potter’s house to learn some lessons.  As the potter was throwing a vessel, it was marred in his hands.  But the potter didn’t throw away the clay, he just reshaped it and remolded it into what he wanted it to be.  What a lesson!  I am so glad that the dear Lord gives me a second chance … and a third and a fourth and … well, you get it.  And God went on to say in Jeremiah 18:8 that if He planned judgement on a nation and that nation repented, God would withhold the judgement that He was planning.  But the Lord went on to say in verse 10, “If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”  Hey, God’s blessing or judgement is dependent upon us!  It depends on our obedience or disobedience to God!  The story is told of a mischievous little boy who had caught a bird and was tormenting the terrified little thing.  A wise man noticed what was going on and approached the boy.  The boy quickly hid the bird behind his back.  So the man asked, “What do you have behind you?”  The boy replied, “A bird.”  Then with an evil grin, the boy went on, “I’ll bet you can’t tell me if the bird is dead or alive.”  The man thought.  If he said dead, the boy would produce the live bird.  But if the man said alive, the boy would squeeze the life out of the bird and produce a dead bird.  So the man wisely said, “It’s up to you.”  May I say to you, my friend, whether you are blessed of God or judged by God is up to you.  What will your life be today?  A life of obedience to God or a life of disobedience to God?

Mistletoe Business

 

My two grandsons (ages 14 and 11) came over Friday after school to open our Christmas mistletoe business.  We loaded up my pole saw into the car (no easy task) and drove around looking for low-hanging mistletoe.  The boys kept finding mistletoe up in the tops of trees.  Bennett assured me that he could climb up and get it, but I held out for the easy pickin’s.  We finally found some on ___ road (I don’t want to divulge our secret spot), knocked on the homeowner’s door, and asked if we could have some mistletoe.  We cut the mistletoe out of the tree, loaded it up, and came home just before dark.  Then our sweatshop operations began.  One worker snapped off small sprigs of mistletoe from stiffer stalks, another bagged it, a third worker cut and folded the label and the fourth stapled the label to the top of the sandwich bag.  We’ll sell the mistletoe for $1 in the Walmart parking lot next week, and the boys will have Christmas money for gifts.  They learn free-enterprise, unselfish gift-giving, and cooperation … all good traits.  And what does my wife and I get out of the operation? you might ask.  We get to spend time with our grandchildren.  A precious commodity.  David got it right when he said in Psalm 127:3, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD …”  And grandchildren are a double blessing!

The Greatest Work of Jesus

 

The greatest thing that Jesus did wasn’t feeding 5,000 men with just five small loaves of bread and two small fish.  The greatest thing that Jesus did wasn’t even raising sick folk from their beds of fever and pain.  The greatest thing that Jesus did wasn’t raising dead people back to life, although that was a wonderful thing.  The greatest thing that Jesus did was to die for our sins and to raise again the third day from the grave!  The thousands that Jesus fed got hungry again.  The sick that he raised up became ill again.  And Lazarus, who was raised from the grave had to die again.  But those who trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary will NEVER face their sins in judgement again!  Paul said it best in Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The greatest work of Jesus Christ was our salvation!

Spring Water or Rain Barrel Water?

 

My great granny Epperly did not have running water.  Well, if you wanted to run down the hill to the spring, you could have “running water”.  She had an outhouse out back just a short walk from the house.  Hot water was always in the tank on the back of the wood cookstove and fresh water to drink in the big crock on the shelf near the back door.  But for washing and cleaning, she had rain barrels under each downspout.  With the mosquito wiggle-tail larvae in the rain barrels, no one dared to drink out of the rain barrel, no matter how thirsty they were nor how hot the day was.  But the cool fresh water from the spring … oh, my!  How refreshing!  The barrels were wooden and lasted forever … well almost forever.  But when they cracked it was always near the bottom.  And the leak was not discovered until it was totally dry.  What a contrast between the fresh cool water of the spring and the dank, musty water of the rain barrel!  Hey, have you forsaken the Lord for hollow pleasures?  Have you discarded the Lord for fleeting follies?  The Lord said it best to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”  In the whole scheme of things, always choose the Lord.  Don’t go after the trinkets of the world.  The world will always disappoint you while the dear Lord will never disappoint you.  Think about it.

Sirens in the Distance

 

In 1982, we moved to the Brainerd area of Chattanooga where we heard sirens often. My wife and I developed a good habit: every time that we heard a siren we said, “Somebody’s life is changing.”  And it’s so true.  Whether it’s a police siren, a fire truck siren, or an ambulance siren, the terror is the same: someone’s life is changing.  And we need to remind ourselves of several things:  First, it could’ve been us.  Be grateful for every ordinary day; a day in which nothing much happens.  Thank the dear Lord for boring days!  Next, we should say a quick prayer for the person whose life has been affected by the tragedy.  It could have been an accident that they were involved in; it could have been a medical emergency that suddenly happened; it could have been their stupidity that finally caught up with them.  Whatever the event, they need prayer.  And thirdly, we pray for the families involved.  Tragic events may happen to individuals, but there are always parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, or friends who are affected as well.  Which brings me back full circle.  The distant siren needs to remind all of us to be grateful to the dear Lord for peace and safety that He gives us each and every day. That emergency could have been me.  That emergency could have been you!  Don’t forget Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

A Lesson from Socks

 

When I started cardiac rehab two months ago, I had to dust off my athletic sneakers (no jokes, please) and my white socks.  But the socks’ elastic was so old that they slouched down like Pete Maravich’s socks (just Google his picture if that name doesn’t compute).  I bought three pairs of new white socks with grey reinforced heels and toes.  Then a friend gave me three more pairs, but they were all white.  So, last week, as I was pairing my socks fresh out of the dryer, I came up with one grey-heeled sock and one all white sock.  I laid them on the dresser because I knew that with the next cycle of white clothes, their mates would turn up.  But after two baskets of white clothes, my orphan socks were still on the dresser.  Very strange.  But Monday, when I put on a pair of white socks for cardiac rehab, I found one grey-heeled sock inside an all-white sock paired with it.  Mystery solved.  I promptly paired the grey-heeled sock with the one on the dresser and put on both all-white socks.  How often do we see things a particular way but can’t see the solution because we fail to notice important details.  The problem could be solved if we would step back and re-evaluate things with a fresh, new look.  It has been said that insanity is doing things the same way but expecting different results.  Hey, give the Lord a chance at changing your life!  Don’t keep doing things the same old way.  II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  Give the Holy Spirit the chance to make a change in your life!  You’ll be glad that you did.

Warning

 

Let me pose a hypothetical situation: I am sitting in my backyard relaxing when I look through the chain link fence to see an unattended toddler walking towards a swimming pool.  To my horror, the child walks up to the pool edge and tumbles in.  What would I do?  What should I do?  I would scramble over that fence, no matter how high it was.  I would jump into the pool after that little child without thinking of my wallet, cell phone, or shoes.  I would risk everything to save that little life.  So, what about my neighbor who is lost and unrepentant to the Lord?  Is he not in eternal danger?  What should I do?  Should I get involved?  Should I plead with him?  Should I do everything within my power to show this neighbor the error of his ways and the danger ahead?  Ezekiel said it best in Ezekiel 33:8,9 “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”  I am responsible to warn the wicked man, but he is responsible to obey God.  But, what about you?  Are you warning folk about the danger ahead?  Or are you one of those who need to be warned?  Think about it.

Bessy, Cameroon

 

Ten years ago, I was able to travel to Cameroon, Africa to visit Dr. Ben Sinclair.  Brother Ben had prepared my way and scheduled me in several high schools, technical schools, medical colleges, and teachers’ colleges to speak on Creationism.  I was able to speak 19 times in various venues in and around Bamenda, Cameroon.  What a blessing!  One school in particular was humbling to me.  The director of the Government Bilingual High School in Bessy was cordial and accommodating.  They did not have electricity, but Brother Ben had a portable generator.  I set up my laptop with data projector in the school and Brother Ben located the generator as far away as his 100-foot extension cord would allow to keep the noise at a minimum.  I nailed up a sheet into the mud brick wall to use as a screen, and I lectured for an hour with students focused the entire time.  They thought that Hollywood had arrived!  My replica fossils were more welcomed than my lecture was!  At the end, I presented the director with a Creation book that I had brought.  He held it high and the students cheered.  Then the director said, “When we get a library, this will be the first book in it.”  I was glad to give each student a Gospel tract that Brother Ben had printed.  Please pray for the students in Cameroon.  II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Stay in Your Lane

 

In the early 60’s (before I moved to the Chattanooga area), Interstate 24 was built cutting through the Brainerd community.  Five bridges were built spanning the highway connecting the five main roads in the area.  N. Terrace and S. Terrace were added on either side of the highway to facilitate local traffic.  In the early 70’s. Calvary Independent Baptist Church grew on N. Terrace (I have been a member since 1980).  TDOT recently began widening the highway and lengthening the five bridges.  Three were completed in 2021, and the middle two are under construction right now.  And what a mess!  New lane changes, traffic signals, and closures abound.  Drivers not familiar to the changes are frustrated often having to drive out of their way to get to their destination … and arriving late!  Newbies stop when they shouldn’t and find themselves in the wrong lane having to merge at the last minute.  I try to be patient with hesitant drivers ... most of the time (if you know what I mean).  It reminds me of how patient the dear Lord is with me on my spiritual journey.  I often make the wrong turn in life and ignore the Lord’s warning signs.  But if I stay in the lane that God has assigned me to be in, I will avoid problems.  David said in Psalm 19:9-11, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”  God doesn’t make rules just to restrict His people, He warns His servants in the Bible to keep them safe.  And if we heed the dear Lord’s warnings, we will be safe and we will be blessed!  Yes, we will!

Onion Breath

 

Thursday evening, I made three mistakes.  My wife wanted a coney hotdog at Sonic because they were on sale for $1.  I don’t like coney hotdogs, so I got a hamburger (without fries because I’m trying to be a good boy).  The hamburger was delicious!  It had ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.  But it was late in the evening … too late for me to be eating a hamburger.  Mistake one.  I really like onions, but they don’t agree with my stomach.  Mistake two.  And I had to get up at 4:15 am (so I needed to go to bed early), and I shouldn’t have eaten onions so late in the evening.  Mistake three.  So, I tossed and turned for an hour before I was able to drift off to sleep.  And when I woke up in the morning, I still had dragon breath from the onions.  I brushed my teeth immediately, but my teeth weren’t the source of the foulness; it was my stomach.  When I got to cardiac rehab, I got a cup of coffee and drank it.  The other people thought that I had nasty coffee breath, but what they didn’t know was that the coffee breath masked my greater problem: my onion breath.  They should have been grateful for coffee breath … the lesser of the two evils.  How often do we try to cover up a spiritual problem in our lives with another problem?  We put on nice Sunday clothes and try to look the part of a good Christian, but we are being a hypocrite about it.  Our hypocrisy is one problem, but our spiritual indifference is the greater problem.  Wouldn’t it be much better to confess and forsake both sins?  I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Hey, come clean before God.  You’ll be glad that you did.  And … no more onions late at night for me.  Hopefully …

Just Right

 

Because of my cardiac rehab, I have converted several million of my fat cells into muscle cells.  And since muscle cells burn more calories, without trying, I have lost weight.  Not much, but just enough to notice it in my waist.  My dress belt has become a little loose, so I tightened it up one hole.  But I haven’t lost that much weight, and the next hole is too tight.  So, I got out my leather holepunch and made a hole halfway between too loose and too tight.  Just perfect!  But in Revelation chapter 3, the old apostle John tells a slightly different story about the church of the Laodiceans.  They weren’t that bad, but neither were they that good.  They were half-way between; they were mediocre.  The church had cooled toward loving God and weren’t obeying the Lord like they should, which made the Lord disgusted.  Jesus said to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:15&16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  Hey, God wants you all in or all out.  God does not want half-way committed Christians.  So, … where are you?  Are you like my belt?  Too tight or too loose?  Hey, get with it!  Jump in or jump out.  But actually, God would have you to jump in, because He wants committed Christians.  Think about it.