Silence

Abraham Lincoln said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”  Solomon said in Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise …”  One of the hardest things to do is NOT to say something when an opportunity arises.  What makes us think that we must say something every time?  Hey, just try to be silent.  True to the proverb, folk will think that you are the wisest person in the room … and you didn’t even say anything!

Open or Not?

 

About two miles from our house is a little produce stand at the intersection of two country roads.  It’s in a poor location and hasn’t been very profitable, so it has changed hands several times.  But the present owner has hit upon selling firewood.  It would seem that the firewood is a better money-maker than vegetables and fruit.  Two fellows are usually down there splitting and stacking wood.  Kathy and I call them “the woodchucks”.  They have a little “open” LED sign that is the only light on at night.  The only problem is that they are not open at night.  They just leave the “open” sign on day and night.  Their sign reminds me of some Christians.  They go to church on Sunday, but they don’t act like Christians during the week.  And, just like the open sign that isn’t really open, these Christians aren’t really acting like Christians.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”  Unsalty salt is worthless.  You might as well use it for gravel for the roads.  And, hey, woodchucks: when you aren’t open, turn off your open light!

Coming or Going?

 

My cardiac rehab is misnamed.  It should be called cardiac maintenance because that’s what it is.  The doors open at 6 am and I (along with a dozen others) am waiting to begin.  And since I get an early start, I get an early finish.  Yeah!  And when I am finished, as I am going out the door at Memorial hospital (along with several night shift workers), there are day shift workers coming in.  But there is a stark contrast in the demeanor of those coming in to work on Monday morning and those getting off of work Monday morning.  Those coming in are glum and sleepy headed while those going out (with me) are cheerful and free as a bird.  The contrast reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:8, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof ...”  And there are several other corollaries of that verse: It is easier to start a project than to finish a project.  It is easier to get into trouble than to get out of trouble.  It is easier to bid on a project than to pay for the cost overruns of the project.  And I’m sure that you can think of others.  Hey, think carefully before you start something so that it is easier to finish it.  Plan well to finish with few regrets.  (Another corollary)

Mistaken

 

I went to McAlister’s deli Wednesday at lunchtime and got a baked potato.  The girl brought the potato to me, and I began to unwrap the butter and sour cream.  Moments later, she walked by, and she had put on a plaid flannel shirt.  She must have gotten cold, I thought.  But then, a few seconds later she brought a plate to a nearby table and had the shirt off again.  I was puzzled and watched her go back behind the counter … and walk past her identical twin!  One girl wore a McAlister’s tee shirt and the other girl wore the plaid flannel shirt!  I asked one of them and she confirmed that they were twins.  Hey, have you ever been mistaken in life?  You might have been scammed by a smooth-talking used car salesman.  Or the item that you ordered on Amazon was nothing like the picture when it arrived.  Those tires didn’t last nearly as long as they were supposed to have lasted.  Hey, Jesus is the real deal!  He will never trick you.  He will deliver what He promised, and more!  The writer of the book of Hebrews in Hebrews 13:5 quoted Jesus as saying, “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  And never is a long, long time!  Hey, Jesus will never disappoint you.  And you can count on that!

An Unseen World

 

We have a “handshake” chorus at our church.  We sing a verse, and then while the instruments continue to play, we all greet one another with a handshake or a hug (or a fist-bump).  But after it’s over and the pastor continues with the service, I begin to smell a strong fragrance.  It is the smell of hand sanitizer that the ladies have begun to use, and that stuff is strong!  And the reason is clear: germs have been passed around from hand to hand that need killing.  And by the smell of things, there is a powerful lot of killing going on!  But wait, we can’t even see those germs.  How do we know that they really exist?  Well, we have been told by folk smarter than us that the invisible world of germs does exist.  And those ladies believe what they have been told!  Hey, do we believe that the spirit world exists?  God has told us in His Word that the spirit world is real.  And I believe that it is real!  The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12&13. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  We must arm ourselves with the armor of God and defend ourselves against this invisible spirit world.  Germs are real, and demons and angels are just as real.  And we must fight against the demonic world.  So, let’s wake up and start putting on our spiritual hand sanitizer!

Telling Jesus what to Do

 

Have you ever said something, and as soon as your words were spoken out loud, they didn’t sound like the words that you were just thinking in your head?  And then you wish that you could just reel those words back into your mouth, but you just couldn’t?  I think that’s how Martha felt when she blew up at Mary and Jesus.  Jesus had come to visit the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and Martha was stuck in the kitchen.  And she was mad!  Martha thought, “Mary knows that we have a whole house full of hungry men and there she is just sitting listening to Jesus.”  Of course, Martha would have loved to have stopped and listened to Jesus too, but the meal wouldn’t fix itself.  So Martha lost her temper and spoke her mind.  But when her words came out of her mouth, somehow, they didn’t quite sound like she had thought that they would.  In Luke 10:40, Martha told Jesus, of all people, what to say.  Martha told Jesus to “…bid her (Mary) therefore that she help me.”  Can you imagine someone telling Jesus what to do?!  Martha told Jesus to tell Mary to get into the kitchen and to get busy… right now!  Hey, I’m like that sometimes.  Sometimes I tell God what to do, but in a kind way.  I pray, “Dear God, please help Miss So-and-so to get well,” when God is trying to teach Miss So-and-so to depend upon Him for her health.  Or I pray, “Dear Lord, help Brother Who-do-you-call-him to get the job that he interviewed for,” when the dear Lord is trying to teach Brother Who-do-you-call-him to depend upon God and not on his paycheck.  But of course, you aren’t like that, are you?  You never tell God what to do.  Or do you?  We all need to say to Jesus, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”  Let’s not box God in.  Let’s not tell the Creator of the Universe what to do.  After all, He’s doing a pretty good job running things without our help.

Disappointed

 

I like to chew sugar-free Mentos wintergreen gum to keep my breath fresh during the day (between cups of coffee).  And I have found that the empty plastic containers work great for small numbers of odd screws.  A few years ago, my two grandsons got into my truck and grabbed the Mentos container.  But they were very disappointed.  I had screws in the Mentos container.  I dared them to “go ahead and chew them” but I got no takers.  Hey, have you ever been disappointed?  I can say that Jesus Christ has never disappointed me, … and He never will.  The writer of the book of Hebrews put it best in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  You can trust Jesus “yesterday, today, and forever”!  Yes, you can.

Uncertainty

 

TDOT is widening the interstate in front of our church, and a month ago, a huge forty-foot utility pole was placed right in front of our building!  The work was done without any consultation, and no one was around to appeal to.  I thought it was a temporary pole until another company brought three underground conduits up to the base of the pole.  After considerable detective work, I set up a meeting with a man from the EPB.  Mr. Adam was a jewel.  If I agreed to cut down a decorative pear tree to make room for the pole, Mr. Adam agreed to move the pole twenty feet.  But the work had to be done immediately because the sub-contractor was scheduled to be finished in three days.  Yikes!  So, I went home and got my saw, pruning loppers, and ax.  First, I took off four limbs on the street-side to shift the tree’s center of gravity away from the street.  I didn’t want the tree to fall on passing cars.  I began to notch the tree toward the way that I wanted it to fall but became anxious as the wind picked up.  The upper limbs were moving with the breeze, but on the ground, the wind was swirling around, and I couldn’t determine which way the wind was blowing.  But I noticed the flag in front of our church.  It was standing straight out … exactly in the right direction!  I cut on the back side of my notch and the tree fell exactly where I wanted it to.  Thank you, Lord, for flags!  Hey, sometimes in life, we get conflicting advice.  One friend says do this and your child will turn out right.  Another friend says, do this and your boss will be more agreeable.  But if we go to the Word of God and follow the dear Lord’s advice found in the pages of the Bible, things will turn out right.  Human advice may swirl around, but God’s advice, like the flag pointing straight out, is unchangeable.  God’s advice is dependable.  Yes, it is!

GPS

 

Four summers ago, I conducted a VBS at Faith Baptist Church in Cartersville, GA.  I drove back and forth each night traveling about 90 minutes each way.  One night, my wife was able to ride with me and she had sweet fellowship with the pastor’s wife.  On the way down, we received an alert from Google maps of a blockage on the highway just ahead.  We were moving right along, and I hesitated to listen to the lady on Google, but I am glad that I did.  We got off the interstate and began following local roads which snaked back and forth taking us over the interstate, which was at a standstill.  I made several turns on tiny country roads and finally eased back onto the interstate.  It was uncanny looking back as I merged onto the interstate because there were no oncoming cars, not a single one!  The road was totally blocked, no doubt because of a fatal accident.  Had I not followed the GPS and the detour that it suggested, I would have missed my appointment with our friends in Cartersville.  Hey, has your life ever taken a detour?  Joseph’s life did in the book of Genesis.  King David’s life took a detour after he sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.  Daniel and his three Hebrew friends had a detour as teenagers in Babylon.  Hey, God knows what He is doing when we face a detour.  So, do we listen to God’s GPS that tells us the best way ahead?  Do we follow God’s leading?  Paul said it best in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Why not let God direct your life?  He knows the best way ahead.  Trust Him.

Downy Woodpecker

 

I enjoy watching the birds in my back yard.  I have two hanging feeders and a wire suet holder.  The sunflower seed and suet cost me about $10 a month, but the little birds provide me hours of peaceful relaxation.  The Downy woodpeckers are especially interesting.  They hang all over the suet feeder and seem just as comfortable upside down as right side up.  They have a unique toe arrangement given to them by their Creator that lets them run up the tree trunk just as easy as down.  That’s because the great Creator made them with two toes on the front of their feet and two toes on the back of their feet.  All other birds have three toes on the front and one toe on the back.  But the good Lord made the Downy woodpecker with two toes on the back so they could be just as comfortable upside down as not.  Any evolutionary scenario explaining how that one of their three toes moved from the front of their foot to the back of their foot defies logic.  There is no way that evolution can explain it.  It’s just a God thing.  So, thank you, little Downy woodpecker, for your testimony to your awesome Creator.  John 1:3, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  Thank you, dear Lord for reminding me of your care for the Downy woodpecker AND for your care for me.  Hey, have you thanked your awesome Creator today?  Right now might be a good time to do so.

Comforted to Comfort Others

 

I like to spend money, but I also like to save money.  So, on items that I use often, I like to buy the large, economy size.  But with the laundry, the large sized containers get me into trouble.  I keep the fabric softener and liquid laundry detergent on a shelf above the washer.  But the large, economy-sized containers are too heavy to lift up and down.  (You younger folk may not know anything about that, but someday, you will.)  So, I bought the small sized containers of each and just refill them from the large sized containers once in a while and keep the large sized containers on the floor around the corner.  Hey that reminds me of II Corinthians 1:3&4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”  When God has been good to you and helped you through a time of trouble, He expects you to be kind to others who are going through similar trouble.  You should encourage them and not just pile onto them with guilt and admonition.  Hey, the dear Lord was kind to you … you should be kind to others too.  It’s easy to criticize someone who is having trouble.  But you should remember when YOU were in trouble.  Forgive others just like God forgave you.  I believe that’s called “The Golden Rule” … well, sort of.  Forgive others as you would have others forgive you.  (The Golden Rule 2.0)

Gold and Silver

 

When I was a ten-year-old boy, Papaw and Granny Epperly had 1500 laying hens on their little farm in West Virginia.  We collected and processed the eggs all week and peddled them on Friday in town for 50¢ a dozen.  When we got home that evening, we sorted through the coins.  I collected dimes and my brother collected pennies.  And I have been collecting silver ever since those days.  When my Granny Whitely passed away in 1989, she left me two items: her stack of Bible memory verse cards and a $10 roll of silver quarters.  That collection of silver coins is about the size of my retirement.  But I was reminded by a radio preacher a few days ago that a Christian’s security is not in silver or gold; a Christian’s security is the Lord.  Beginning in the 1864, each US coin has “in God we trust” minted on it.  Our hope is not in a silver or a gold coin; our hope is in the God who gives us true wealth.  Psalm 91:1&2, ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

Law Enforcement

 

On Wednesday evening at church, we have a prayer time.  And to facilitate the prayer time, we have a prayer sheet printed out.  You can call, text, or e-mail requests ahead of time, or you can mention your requests from the floor just before we go to the Lord in prayer.  There are some requests that are ongoing, one of which is our law enforcement list of names.  And I am always interested because my son-in-law is a deputy sheriff in Hamilton County.  Hey, law enforcement is a difficult job.  Anyone who puts on a bullet-proof vest to go to work, has my respect and prayers.  Eric works in traffic enforcement and pulls over many kinds of drivers, most of which are frustrated when he pulls them over.  Some are belligerent, and a few may even have criminal intent.  Eric must make life-changing decisions in a moment.  And he wants to come home to his family at the end of each day.  Paul said in Romans 13:1-4, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God … For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.  For he is the minister of God to thee for good.  But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain …”  Hey, be appreciative for the police today.  Be nice to them if you are pulled over … and pray for them often.

Baker Shoes

 

I worked at Baker Shoes in Eastgate Mall when I was a freshman at Tennessee Temple College in 1967.  That was 1967, not 1867 for all of you smarties.  There were always several salesmen working and we had a rotating order.  The best salesmen from the previous pay period had priority when a customer came in the door.  We were forbidden to pounce on customers the instant they came in the door, but some salespeople were more forward than others.  And Gary T. was very much more forward.  He was the first to wait on any pretty girl that came through the door.  But on a particular day, a rather homely girl came in shopping for shoes and Gary said, “Whitely, you’re up.”  I showed her several different styles and she settled on one.  Then she pulled out a sheet of paper from her purse and said, “I am the secretary for The Singing Mocs at UTC, and I would like 28 pairs of shoes in this style.  Here are their sizes.”  As Gary’s jaw dropped, I began to fill her order.  Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”  The dear Lord will meet your needs … even if you are a starving salesman!

Unseen Danger

 

About fifteen years ago, my two daughters took my wife shopping for the day, and I was left babysitting my two oldest grandchildren.  That was not a chore; it was my pleasure (as they say at Chick fil-A).  So, I loaded them up in my old pick-up truck and took them hiking in the Chattahoochee National Forest, a few miles from Ringgold.  The drive was beautiful, and we enjoyed the afternoon.  But the kids weren’t as excited as I was.  A walk in the woods soon became boring for them.  I had to constantly find, and generate, interesting things to look at and to do.  I whittled a whistle out of a poplar sapling.  We looked for Indians behind trees.  But suddenly, I really arrested their attention.  Mary Kate and Will had just walked by a Copperhead snake without knowing it!  I called them back, pointed out the well-camouflaged poisonous snake, and carefully watched it slither away into the brush.  They were fascinated, but I was shaken.  The kids had narrowly missed being bitten, and we were far from the truck.  The good Lord had protected us from a dangerous situation.  Solomon said in Proverbs 4:26, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.”  Solomon wasn’t speaking of the danger of a snake on the path; he was speaking of the danger of not planning for the future.  Hey, it’s good advice to think about education.  It’s good advice to think about finances.  But it’s good advice to think about fulfilling God’s will.  Take a moment and ponder your path today.  Where are you going?  Where are you headed?  Think about it.

Sponge or Dishcloth?

 

Last night was exciting.  I got to get out a new kitchen sponge.  Now before you blow me off, kitchen sponges are very important.  My wife and I disagree on sponge versus dishcloth.  Of course, she is of the dishcloth persuasion.  But not me.  I realize the superiority of the kitchen sponge.  My dear wife doesn’t like sponges because she says, and I quote her, “They stink”.  Well of course they stink.  That’s because she doesn’t take care of the kitchen sponge properly.  You didn’t know that there was a proper way of caring for a sponge, did you?  Well, there is.  When one finishes using the sponge, one must rinse it with hot water and then wring it out ensuring that minimal water remains.  It must then be set on the divider of the double-bowl kitchen sink to air dry.  Done properly, the kitchen sponge will give you days, if not weeks of good service.  My wife, however, puts our kitchen sponge in the dishwasher to clean it.  But of course, the soapy water and rinse water remain in the sponge (because it was not properly wrung out) and it comes out, to quote my dear wife, “Stinky”.  Hey, whether you agree with me or whether you agree with my wife, we both agree that human wisdom may or may not be right.  But wisdom from the dear Lord is always right!  Solomon said in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”  Sponge or dishcloth doesn’t really matter.  But the fear of man or the fear of the Lord … I’ll take the fear of the Lord any time.  And on that, my wife and I agree!  So, how about you?

Proud Papaw

 

My mother’s father, Papaw Epperly, was very proud of me.  I knew he was proud of me because he told me all the time and told everyone else all the time.  My younger brother Phillip and I would spend several weeks each summer in West Virginia with Papaw and Granny.  I learned shape notes, processing chicken eggs, and milking cows.  I often would go to work with Papaw and stay all day.  He was a plumber and worked on new houses.  Anyone that we came in contact with, Papaw would start his bragging about me.  One day, we stopped in Beckley, West Virginia to talk with a stone mason, and Papaw began his bragging.  I thought he would tell this man about me taking algebra in the eighth grade, or me playing in the band at school.  But Papaw told this man about my perfect attendance in Sunday school.  Papaw told of my Sunday school pin that had thirteen yearly bars under it.  I had never been very proud of my Sunday school pin, but I was that day.  My granddaddy was proud that I was faithful in church.  But it wasn’t my hard work; it was the faithfulness of my parents who took me to church each Sunday.  My parents took me to church, and I took my kids to church, and now they take my grandchildren to church.  Hey, that’s what it’s all about.  Teaching the next generation, and the next, and the next.  Do you take your children to church?  Do you take your grandchildren to church?  What about taking a neighbor kid with you to church?  Hey, you may start a whole new legacy!  Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Time to Cut Your Losses

 

Two weeks ago, I changed out three big high intensity lights at church for three LED’s.  The new lights were the same brightness but were smaller, lighter, and cooler to operate.  I changed out the old 900-watt dimmer switches for new 125-watt switches, but made a mess with sheetrock dust all over the floor.  I went to the utility closet for a vacuum cleaner only to find an old machine that barely worked.  The bag was full, the hose was cracked, and the beater bar wrapped with hair and carpet strings.  The beater bar belt was intact, but its driver gear was stripped.  After I cleaned everything, the suction was still minimal.  After an hour of work, the old machine was no nearer to working than when I had started.  We just needed a new vacuum cleaner.  So, I threw away the parts in my trash can at home and threw the chasis into the church dumpster.  Hey, sometimes in life you come to the point where you realize that you are getting nowhere.  What you are doing just isn’t working.  And when you do, it’s time to give up and give in to Jesus Christ.  Jesus knows your past, your current problems, and your future, and it’s time for Jesus to take over.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:25&26, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Hey, cut your losses and trust in Jesus Christ.  You’ll never be sorry that you did.

Communion

 

When I fly on an airplane (actually, that’s the only way that I fly), the flight attendant always goes through the emergency drill instructions.  I usually try to tune her out because I could probably give her speech from memory.  But one part sticks out in my memory: “please put on your oxygen mask first, and then help others around you.”  Now that may seem selfish to you, but it isn’t.  If you don’t put on YOUR mask first, you will obviously pass out and not be able to help anyone else with their mask.  Duh!  Hey, that’s the way it is with the Christian life as well.  We must first examine ourselves and get our own hearts right BEFORE we can assist anyone else.  That’s one of the main points of communion: we must examine ourselves first.  Paul said it well in I Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”  God can only use a clean life.  Look at your life first, and then help others. Don’t TELL someone how to live the Christian life; SHOW them how to live the Christian life.

Control

 

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to get someone to do something that you want them to do?  Oh, it’s pretty easy to get little kids to “obey”.  But the older they get, the harder it is to get them to do what you tell them to do.  Hey, just wait till your kids are forty years old!  And does your wife do what you want her to?  (Or your husband)  I have noticed that the only person that I have any real control over is myself.  And then, I actually have trouble controlling myself!  But there is a way to control others.  You can pray for them.  You can unleash the power of the Blessed Holy Spirit to convict and to work on them when you aren’t there.  But be careful when you pray.  For the same Holy Spirit may change YOUR heart and will.  But after all, isn’t God’s will what we all really want in life?  It’s not about us, or our kids, or our spouse, it’s about God.  Pray the Lord’s Prayer, and really mean it: “… Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

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 jump 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 his Lord?  Is he not in similar 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 man the error of his ways and the danger that awaits him?  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.  They are responsible to God for what they do with the warning.

Four-Way Stop

 

You can tell a lot about a person at a four-way stop.  Theoretically, the first one to the intersection has the right of way and gets to go first.  That is theoretically.  But usually, the kinder person lets the other person go first.  Or the bigger SUV’s think they should go before the little Hyundai’s.  Big Tahoe’s are usually snooty and always go first.  Cautious folk with a nice car will let me go first because I have nothing to lose in my old ’12 GMC pick-up.  Hey, how do you treat your fellow man in life?  Are you kind?  Do you let others go first?  Paul said in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”  I know, I know, someone has to go first at the four-way stop.  But does it have to be you?  Could you let someone else go first?  Think about it.

The Hounds of Heaven

My Granny Whitely had two dogs when I was growing up: Minnie and Joe. Minnie was a little mixed breed and Joe was a bloodhound.  Joe had a great nose, but Minnie had the brains of the pair.  Joe would pick up a scent and tenaciously follow it, head down, nose working, oblivious of anything around him.  The rabbit could be bounding off in clear sight, but Joe just kept his nose to the ground.  Minnie would see the fleeing rabbit and give chase, vocal and loud.  Then, and only then, would Joe drop the scent trail and follow Minnie and the rabbit howling in his mournful blood hound voice.  Between Joe’s keen nose and Minnie’s vigilant eyesight, no rabbit ever got away from the pair.  It kind of reminds me of the Holy Spirit after a lost soul.  If I pray for an un-saved neighbor, the Hounds of Heaven will track that one until he is safely in the fold.  We have a choice, but God’s will is clear.  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.”  Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?  Have you made your peace with your Maker?  Do it now while you can, because God’s day of salvation will not last forever.  When you pass into eternity, it will be too late.

Worry

 

There are only two kinds of things in the world that we can worry about:  Those things that we can’t do anything about and those things that we can do something about.  But it is useless to worry about those things that we can’t do anything about, because they are out of our control.  And it is useless to worry about those things that we can do something about, because we just need to get busy doing something about them and stop worrying about them.  So, actually, there isn’t anything that we should worry about at all.  Hey, why not take all of your worry to Jesus Christ in prayer?  After all, He knows the future, and He can take care of anything that you are worried about because you are His dear child.  I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you.”

Most of the Time

 

Just pretend you are on an airplane getting ready to take off.  The pilot comes over the intercom and says, “We are getting ready to take off, and I just wanted to inform you that my goal is to fly this airplane so that we will never crash … most of the time.”  Would you stay on that airplane, or get off?  I’m sure that you would get off with ALL of the other passengers!  But why is it that we are satisfied with living a clean Christian life … most of the time?  We only sin just a little … not too much.  Peter quoted the Lord as saying in I Peter 1:16, “… Be ye holy; for I am holy.”  We should be as holy as the Lord is holy.  That’s a pretty tall order!  The problem is, we can’t.  It is only through the power of Jesus Christ that we can even begin to live a holy Christian life.  James said in James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”  So, in our own strength, we are hopeless.  But in the strength of Jesus Christ, we can live a victorious Christian life.  Hey, trust the Lord to help you to be a strong Christian today.  Ask Him and He will do it!  Yes, He will!

A Bad Decision

 

Have you ever done something and the instant that you did it, you knew that it was a mistake?  I did just such a thing Saturday afternoon.  I was taking a long ladder to church in my truck to work on a light in the auditorium, so I gathered up some yard sale items for the high school yard sale that’s coming up.  I had an old cast iron anvil that I needed to get rid of, so I picked it up and began carrying it to the truck before I thought it out.  It was only a few steps, but the anvil was 55 pounds and I had not dropped the tailgate on the truck to get the anvil into the bed of the truck.  I could have set the anvil on the truck bumper, but then I couldn’t drop the tailgate with the anvil on the bumper.  I could have set the anvil on the ground and dropped the tailgate, but then I would have to pick up the anvil from the ground.  So, I made the mistake that I talked about earlier and lifted the 55-pound anvil over the tailgate to set it into the bed of the truck.  But as I did, I felt like a rubber band snapped in my upper back.  And as I eased the anvil down into the truck bed, I felt the pain again.  And as I unloaded the anvil at the church basement (tailgate down this time), I felt the pain again.  And as I carried the ladder into the church … you guessed it.  Everything that I did after that was painful.  I had to use Advil, Bio-freeze, an electric massager, and a heating pad, before I felt any relief after three days.  And all because of one bad decision!  Hey, the book of Proverbs was written to help us make good decisions.  Proverbs was written with the sole purpose of giving us wisdom from God!  Solomon said in Proverbs 1:4&5, “To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning …”  Solomon goes on to say in verse 7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge …”  If I fear the Lord, I am wise, but if I pick up a 55-pound anvil and lift it chest-high, I am …  oh, well.

Sudden Changes

 

I remember with fascination in August 1961 when the Berlin Wall went up.  I was in the seventh grade.  Then in October 1962, I watched as soldiers near me in Edgewood, MD went on full alert patrolling in full battle gear as the Cuban missile crisis unfolded.  When President Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1985, there was world-wide hope for a new era of peace.  As discussions with the Russians continued, Soviet Bloc nations began to defect.  In November 1989 discussions began on German reunification.  I remember how lightning-fast changes took place.  While governments held discussions, the common people simply took things into their own hands and tore down the Berlin wall.  The entire world order changed in just a few short months.  Hey, someday soon, Jesus Christ will return as King of kings and catch all of His children up to be with Him in the clouds.  Things will be totally changed.  This second coming of Jesus will be a surprise to most people.  If you are one of His saved ones, you - WE - will be snatched up by Jesus.  If you are not one of His saved ones, you will go through one of the most horrible of times ever to come to pass in the history of mankind.  Hey, this will happen!  The question is, “Are you ready?”  Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and then Romans 10:9-13.  Think about it … but don’t take too long.  Think and then make a decision … before it’s too late.

Copies

 

At Panera bread, after you order your food, you must walk a few steps over to the pick-up counter.  Last Friday, on a shelf near the pick-up counter, I noticed Panera’s selection of specialty teas.  But I was fascinated by the names on the containers.  I almost recognized them, but not quite.  That’s because Panera uses their own brand of teas and some of them mimic the Bigelow brand that has been around for 300 years.  Instead of Bigelow’s English Breakfast tea, Panera offers British Breakfast.  Instead of Bigelow’s Earl Grey tea, Panera had Earl Greyer tea.  Now, I’m not saying that Panera tea is inferior, but they are copies of Bigelow teas that have been around for 300 years.  And we need to be aware of copies in the spiritual world as well.  For instance, I enjoy sitting on the back deck watching the birds flitting around the feeder with the squirrels running around on the ground.  But it is a greater joy to think of the Almighty Creator of the birds and of the squirrels … and of me!  This week I saw pictures on facebook of my great, great niece who was just born.  What a joy!  But to think of Godly parents and Godly grandparents, and Godly great-grandparents and a heavenly Father Who loves them all; well, that is real joy!  Hey, don’t let Satan deceive you with shallow pleasures.  The dear Lord is the source of real joy.  Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”  Put God first in your life, and you’ll never be sorry that you did.

Stocking Up

 

As I get older, I realize that I think differently.  I don’t want to run out of important items, so I stock up on stuff.  Things like laundry soap, toothpaste, deodorant, aluminum foil, toilet paper, and coffee, to name a few.  But there are problems that come with my stocking up.  First, I must find a place to keep all of the items.  And then, I must remember that I have all of those items.  And as my memory fades, I find duplicate (or triplicate) items stashed in places all around the house.  It borders on hoarding, but not quite.  I feel like the squirrels in the back yard hiding nuts and seeds for the winter.  The squirrels are obsessed with burying seeds for the winter.  But their zeal is pointless because summer or winter, I keep plenty of seed in the bird feeders for them to eat.  They will never run out.  Hey, I just need to be reminded of Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  If I need it, the dear Lord will provide it.  And conversely, if the Lord doesn’t provide it, I don’t really need it.  Both are a comfort and an admonition that the Lord will take care of me.  And … He will take care of you.  Yes, He will.

God's Grace

 

God doesn’t love us for who we are; God loves us in spite of who we are.  God didn’t send His Son down to solve our problems or to make us better; He sent Jesus to redeem us.  We are not worthy of any consideration.  We are sinners, and we bring nothing to the negotiation table.  We have nothing that God needs.  God loves us just because He is good.  And God wants to shower His amazing grace upon us so that we might praise Him.  Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”