Two Bosses

When I was a rising junior in high school, I worked for a sod company in the summer.  My younger brother, Phillip, my older cousin, Gene, and four friends from church, Richard, Rex, Dave, and Johnnie worked with me as well.  The foreman was Ed L. and he was not like what you would expect a boss to be.  He was laid-back and almost a slob.  His shirt was unbuttoned to his mid-section, which was easily visible since he was overweight.  His brown fedora hat was greasy around the hatband from sweat and had several holes in it.  His lace-up work boots were never laced up and looked like they had never ever been laced up.  But Ed was likeable and could motivate us to work.  Picking up sod was dirty, hot, and tedious work, but Ed almost made it fun.  Almost.  Ed’s boss, Tom Barberry was the owner of the company and exactly the opposite.  He was detailed and ran his business by the book.  The only reason that Mr. Barberry had Ed on the job was that if Tom was on the job, he would have half of the crew fired by lunchtime and the other half would be at each other’s throats.  Ed was able to keep the crew working and enjoying it.  So, when Mr. Barberry showed up, we knew to do things his way … just while he was present.  When he barked a few orders and made his presence felt, he was satisfied and left.  Then we could get back to normal with Ed running things.  Hey, it isn’t possible to keep two bosses happy.  Jesus knew that when He said in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  Hey, you must make a decision in your life.  You can serve God, or you can serve money and the world-system.  You can’t do both.  It’s that simple.  Oh, Christians need a job to pay the bills, but the job is never our “god”.  So, my question for you today is, “Who is your boss?  The Lord or the Dollar?”  Remember, you can’t serve both.

 

Thankfulness

I spoke in elementary chapel at Calvary Christian school a couple of weeks ago (see May 18) and received a packet of thank you notes from the kids this past week.  I really enjoy cards from children; they are so honest and sweet.  But they had to have a prompt to write thank you notes.  Their teacher, Darleen B. gave them the idea and the children eagerly made the cards.  When children receive a gift, they must be prompted to say, “thank you”.  It’s not in our human nature to be thankful; thankfulness must be taught.  Many children today are given things and are not made to say, “thank you”.  These children grow up feeling entitled, thinking that the world owes them.  But children who are prompted to say “thank you” grow up grateful.  The same is true of our country.  Today is Memorial Day.  Have you thanked a Veteran for their service to our country?  You are living in a free country where you can do what you want to do on Memorial Day and be what you want to be for the rest of your life.  But that freedom was paid for by a Veteran.  So, how are you behaving?  Are you entitled or are you thankful?  Does your country owe you something, or do you owe gratefulness to others?  David said in Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”  Thank the dear Lord today for your freedom.  And go by the National Cemetery on Holtzclaw Avenue and see the 55,000 graves decorated with 55,000 American flags.  Better yet, take a child with you and both of you can be thankful.  You’re never too old to learn.

Unremember

Have you ever seen something that you wish that you could unsee?  Have you ever heard something that you wish you had never heard?  I have; and I hate it!  Filthy pictures and dirty jokes are burned into my memory, and I can’t get them out!  Satan is clever and he uses my memory to his advantage.  And in my weakest moments, the devil plays back the recording of wicked sights and vulgar jokes that are stored in my memory.  So how do I fight this attack?  Years ago, I learned the “not” symbol.  You know, the circle with a slash in it.  So, when I want to unremember a picture that Satan throws up at me, I use a red circle with a big red slash over the picture.  The devil may keep a wicked memory alive, but I spread the Blood of Jesus Christ over it all!  Paul said in I Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”  Satan is powerful, but God is all powerful!  My memory is still there, but God is in control of my memory!  Hey, is God is in control of you?  He will be, if you let Him into your heart.  Send me a message and we can chat.