Bragging ... or Not?

 

Five years ago, Bennett, my grandson, was telling me about his vacation on the lake in Alabama.  He said, “We were tubing behind this boat and my shorts were coming off and I was holding onto them with one hand and the tube with the other hand, but my hand was slipping off the handle on the tube, but I was hanging on with one finger -”.  And then he paused.  He looked thoughtful and said, “Granddaddy, did I sound like I was bragging?  Because if I did, I didn’t want to be bragging.”  My heart melted and I said, “No Bennett, you were just excited about your time on the lake.  You weren’t bragging.”  Because Bennett checked himself, he was in no danger of bragging.  Parents should teach their children discipline so that their children will learn self-discipline.  Solomon said in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  Hey, if we listen to that “still small voice”, the blessed Holy Spirit will keep us from bragging.  No Bennett, you are fine.  And you and God are going to do great things together.

Real Christian?

 

On the day that a certain $20 bill was printed, it went right into circulation.  It was first used at a drug store to buy cough syrup by a mother for her little boy.  It then went to an employee of the drug store employee for his salary, which he used to pay his electric bill.  The manager at the electric company used the $20 bill to purchase electrical parts to restore electricity for a widow lady during a winter storm.  The manager at the parts store got it as part of his salary and deposited the $20 bill at his bank.  But the next day, the bank manager notified the electrical parts store manager that his deposit was decreased by $20, because he had a counterfeit $20 bill in the deposit.  The electrical store owner was exasperated, but the bank manager was firm.  “The bill may have been given to you in good faith,” he said, “but it is still no good; it is worthless paper.”  Hey, that’s the way it is with some so-called Christians.  They may do many good works, but they aren’t genuine Christians.  They have not trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  Just like the counterfeit $20, they are counterfeit Christians.  Read the sobering words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Interpreter

 

My wife and I were eating a late lunch (or early supper) at Olive Garden.  She had a gift card, and I am cheap.  I’m just sayin’.  Two Hispanic ladies at the next table were having difficulty getting their server’s attention.  But the Hispanic busser noticed and told the server what they wanted.  He had overheard their conversation, knew what they had said, and translated it into words that their server understood.  Hey, that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does with our prayers.  The Lord God is working His will in the world every day.  But often, we pray for a loved one to recover from an illness or to have the job that they want or for a car to be repaired.  But God has other plans for them.  God is sending our loved ones trouble to draw them to Himself.  And without realizing it, we are praying against God’s masterplan.  But the Holy Spirit steps in and changes our prayers around and delivers them perfect to the Father in heaven!  Paul said in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”  Hey, do you think that God knows what is best for us?  And do you want God’s will to be accomplished?  Then pray to the Lord, but when you are finished, say, “Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”  And God will work things out for our good and for His glory!

Ten Count Minis

 

The other day, I took my grandson to Chick fil-A for breakfast.  I ordered my usual: a four-count mini with senior coffee.  Then I told him to order.  He looked questioning, so I said, “Order anything that you want.  But remember, you have to eat everything that you order.”  So Bennett confidently said, “A ten-count mini meal.  Large sprite please.”  I corrected him, “Make that a small sprite.”  And then I said to him, “They have free refills, and a small sprite is cheaper.”  And I smiled at him with a wink.  Pastor Roth was feeding his four teen-age boys years ago and said, “I’m just trying to keep you alive, not fill you up.”  I understand his logic.  Teenage boys have quite the appetite!  It’s too bad that we don’t have the same appetite for the Lord!  Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”  As my grandson continues to grow, he may not be filled with food, but I pray that he is satisfied with the dear Lord’s righteousness.

Bad Pumpkin!

 

I had to run out to the grocery store to get a few items Thursday morning.  Three of the Sinclair “kids” were coming over Thursday afternoon, so I bought a big pumpkin for them to carve.  I was so excited to find a really large one!  I put everything in the back of my Scion X-B, and placed the milk, cokes, and other items strategically around the pumpkin so that it wouldn’t roll around in the back.  But when I got home and opened the hatch, the pumpkin had rolled around.  As a matter of fact, it smashed the bread, bent the containers of cottage cheese and butter, and caved in the milk.  The milk lid held firm, for which I am grateful!  I didn’t hear anything happening, but the pumpkin quietly threw around its weight destroying everything in its path.  That large pumpkin behaved like some members in church (Not my church nor yours, but someone else’s church) … bullying and intimidating other quieter folk.  Without noticing, they roll over others and push their will upon more timid members.  Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”  If we esteem others better than ourselves, we will not roll over them.  Bad pumpkin, bad, bad!

Wednesday Morning

 

I finished cardiac rehab Wednesday morning and got a cup of coffee before I left.  Two men were sitting at a table in animated discussion.  Another man was seated by himself and was reading a Gideon Bible that had been left on the table.  I got my coffee, walked past him, turned around to face him, and said, “Do you believe what you are reading?”  He was a little startled and said, “Excuse me?”  I continued, “I said, you don’t really believe that stuff that you are reading, do you?  You know, that Bible stuff?!”  He thought for a second and said confidently, “Yes, I do!”  And with that I said, “Well, I do too!  What are you reading?”  He smiled and said, “The book of James.”  With that, I quoted James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  Then he said, “Chapter four is a hard one for me.  It talks about the tongue.”  I agreed and said, “You’re right!  It’s easy for me to be careful what I say with most people that I meet in the day, but when I get home, I let down my guard and say harsh things to my wife.”  He nodded in agreement.  I went on, “She’s not that hard to get along with, but it’s just that I don’t watch my tongue like James tells me to.”  I went on, “I think that today, I’m going to be more cautious with my tongue around my wife.  Thanks!”  He smiled, I left, and we both parted a little more edified in the Lord.

Whiskey Thief

 

My son-in-law is a deputy sheriff, and he tells me that I shouldn’t talk to strangers.  But I just can’t resist conversations.  Tuesday evening, on the way home, I stopped by Mapco to fill up with gas.  My wife wanted a Capuchino, so I went inside to get it for her.  I got the Capuchino and got in line behind a disgruntled customer.  When it was my turn, I asked the cashier, “How’s it going tonight?”  My mistake.  The cashier huffed and said, “I have one hour left and this shift has been terrible!”  She went on, “I have three pumps acting up and a man came in, grabbed a flask of whiskey, and stuffed it into his pants – right in front of me!  When I confronted him, he just went into the bathroom.  Then a lady came in, and I told her what this guy had just done, and she said, ‘That’s my husband!’  When the man came out of the bathroom, his wife began yelling at him calling him every name in the book.”  The cashier went on, “The wife followed the man out of the store yelling all the way to the car!”  The cashier giggled and said, “That man’s wife is going to give him more grief than the cops would ever have!”  I said, “They deserve each other.” and the cashier agreed.  Solomon agreed with both of us and said in Proverbs 25:24, “It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.”  The thief may have gotten his whiskey for free, but he paid for it dearly … all the way home.

Dangerous Drivers

 Monday started my new phase 3 cardiac rehab, which opens at 6 am. Yikes! I dropped off my wife at dialysis at 5:30 and drove to Memorial hospital where I started my exercise regimen. I finished about 7 am, and I leisurely drove back to pick her up at 9 am. But at 7 am I was the only person driving leisurely. Most people get up late (especially on Monday mornings) and drive like there is no tomorrow, which might be true for them. One black sedan zipped past me on the right, cut in front of me, and whipped into the left lane, just to get one car-length ahead of another driver in the left lane. An impatient fellow came around from behind me and blew past me as I slowed for a yellow light. He made it through the intersection just as the light turned red. I hope he made it to work, but I had my doubts. But my faith in mankind was restored by a trucker on the interstate. As the right lane ended, the semi-truck driver turned on his turn signal attempting to merge into my lane. I flashed my headlights and slowed to let him in. After he completed his lane switch, he flashed his clearance lights saying “thank you” to me. An over-the-road gentleman, I thought. But as I shook my head at dangerous drivers, I was reminded of James 4:14, “… For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Life is fleeting. Don’t make it shorter by the way that you drive. Tomorrow morning, leave a little earlier and take your time driving. Be especially courteous to a driver in a dark purple X-B Scion. That would be me!

Graduation

 

My insurance covered 12 cardiac rehab sessions.  Now I have “graduated” to phase 3, which is a three-a-week exercise class.  I put my certificate up on the refrigerator, just like I used to do with the kids’ school papers.  When my rehab therapist gave me the certificate, I asked him if I was “magna cum laude” or “summa cum laude”.  He didn’t bother to answer me.  In phase 2 cardiac, I had a heart monitor with three electrodes on my chest.  A nurse monitored the six of us in the class as we exercised.  I couldn’t see what was going on inside of my chest, but the nurse could … at least the medical part of what was going on.  But no one but the Holy Spirit can see the evil thoughts that crop up in my heart, and I am thankful.  I am glad for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in my life.  He reminds me when my spiritual heart needs to be “supervised”.  Last Sunday evening, Brother Josh spoke from John 14 on the Holy Spirit.  His text was John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled …”  And I am grateful for the convicting and comforting power of the Holy Spirit.  Aren’t you?!  If you don’t know what I an talking about, shoot me a message on Messenger and we can talk.  You need to.  Really.

Inside

 

I am not a red neck; I am a hillbilly.  And growing up, we didn’t collect southern pecans, we collected West Virginia black walnuts.  Walnuts have a hard shell and are difficult to process, but they are abundant and free.  We collected black walnuts in the fall and stored them in a wooden box in the back yard.  When the husks had shriveled and dried, we rolled them around with our shoes to rub the husks off leaving the rough walnut shell.  Then, when mom wanted some walnuts for baking, she commissioned us boys to smash the walnuts with a heavy hammer and picked the goodness out of the smashed shells.  Not an easy task.  Hit the shell too hard, and the walnut meat was smashed together with bits and pieces of the shell.  Hit the shell too easy, and nothing happened.  The blow had to be just right.  But one year, squirrels got to the walnuts before we could.  And it was uncanny how they knew which shells held good meat inside (which they gnawed open and ate) and which shells were hollow with nothing inside.  And when we got around to cracking open the walnuts that the squirrels had left, each one was empty!  Those clever squirrels had cleaned us out!  Hey, as I look around, I don’t know what is inside of each person that I encounter.  Each person looks good on the outside, but only God knows the heart.  Only God knows who is a Christian and who is only pretending to be a Christian.  The Lord said in I Samuel 16:7, “… for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”  Hey, how is your heart?  Is it right with God?  Or is it rotten on the inside?  Now would be a good time to get your heart right with God.  Yes, it would!

Christian Bookstore

 

Yesterday, my wife and I drove by Hamilton Place Mall.  And on our way, we passed by a little strip mall where the Christian Bookstore had been.  But the Christian bookstore was closed, and in its place was a CBD store.  What a shame.  Now, I’m not going to get preachy about cannabis.  I know the pros and cons about using cannabis oil for pain.  I’m just sayin’.  I was just sad that the location was no longer selling Bibles but was now selling pot.  And this little snapshot is a picture of our entire cultural slide.  America is declining!  Yes, we are!  And marijuana use is not the problem; it is only a symptom of the decline in loving God and loving one another.  We are no longer a God-fearing nation.  We are a nation of selfish, hedonistic, pleasure-seeking people!  Look at the evening news; look at the protesting college students; look at the movie offerings; and look at the billboards beside the highway.  It’s time for Christians to wake up and become the salt and light that we are supposed to be!  The problems in our nation are not because of the CBD shop; the problem is with us as lazy Christians!  Israel had the same problem 3,000 years ago.  The dear Lord said in II Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  The Lord is ready to bring revival.  The Lord is ready to bring us back to one nation under God.  The problem isn’t with God the problem is with us, the people of God!  Hey, let’s pray!

Sanitizing or Resting?

 

At Memorial Cardiac Rehab, when I move from the stationary bicycle to the rowing machine, to the treadmill, and then to the dumbbells, the staff at cardiac rehab has taught me to sanitize the equipment that I have just used.  And since these machines are taxing to my strength, I take my time sanitizing them.  I have noticed that I am careful about each crevice and surface because while I am cleaning, I am resting, and my old body is crying out for a break!  And in my spiritual life, I often become weary in doing the right thing.  Sowing the good seed of the Word of God becomes weariness.  Jesus said in Mark 4:19, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”  Rather than giving in to my weariness and slowing down, I need to regain my zeal to do God’s will in my life.  I need to revitalize!  Hey, what about you?!  Are you weary in serving Jesus?  Have you cooled in your fervor for Jesus?  Take a deep breath, throw down that sanitizing wipe, and get back on that exercise bike … for the Lord!

Did You Miss Me?

 

Well, did you miss me on Tuesday and Wednesday?  No?  Well, you should have!  I took my dear wife to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge for two days.  Tuesday morning, we drove through the mountains, and the scenery was lovely!  Rippling waters, yellow, red, and orange leaves, and tall, tall mountains reaching up to the blue sky.  I enjoyed the food and Kathy enjoyed the shipping.  We were both happy.  Solomon said in Proverbs 18:22, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”  I am blessed to have the best wife in the whole world.  You many differ, but that is your opinion.  We had a great time!  And now back to the post-of-the-day …

The Rest of the Story

 

Well, my October 15 post about the “slacker” at cardiac rehab was spoken in haste.  My “slacker” friend that I mentioned in my Sunday post came by my stationary bicycle on Monday, and we talked.  After 47 years of smoking, he had quit just 19 months ago.  But his lungs were permanently damaged, and his lungs are still too weak to do much exercise.  His wife is in the same cardiac class as I am, and he comes with her to the class three days a week.  I told him to just do what he could.  He said that his pulmonologist said that his lungs might improve after three years … an eternity, if you are gasping for each breath!  How often do I jump to conclusions without knowing the complete story.  I was cut to my heart because I was critical of someone and not supportive of them.  John said in I John 3:20, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  I am glad that the dear Lord knows my heart and knows the whole story.  If I trust in the Lord’s infinite wisdom, and if I am less critical of others, I will be more helpful to others.  I know this because on Monday, I told my friend that I was praying for him.  And … in the same prayer (silently), I asked the Lord to forgive me for being critical.  I pray that the dear Lord will deliver me from my critical spirit.  But it’s an ongoing process that will never end.  So, how about you?  Do you have anything to confess to the Lord?

Big Shoes to Fill

 

Last Thursday, my thirteen-year-old grandson came over to let me help him work on his science fair project.  We finished quickly, and he was looking for something to do.  He wanted to use the pressure washer but didn’t have any old shoes to wear.  So, I let him use an old pair of my work boots, and he was happy.  Bennett enjoyed making the concrete driveway go from nasty black to sparkling new.  When he was finished, he said, “I thought those shoes would be heavy, but they are very comfortable!”  So when Bennett came over this Thursday again to finish his science fair project, he asked to wear my work boots again.  So I let him.  Then he asked if he could wear them home.  So I let him.  I’m not sure what his parents thought about him wearing my old work boots home, but Bennett seemed happy.  Later, as I thought about those old boots and my grandson, I thought, “I have some big shoes to fill as an example to my grandson.”  He was wearing my shoes, but I was keenly aware that he was also watching my life.  And I thought, “Does my life point my grandson to Jesus?  Do I model a Christian example to Bennett?”  Solomon said in Proverbs 17:6, “Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.”  I am proud of Bennett and I hope Bennet is proud of me.

Spectator or Participant?

 

Friday was day ten of cardiac rehab, and I am getting to know many of the people, and they me.  There are six people in my section who have had recent surgery who wear monitors.  Then there are thirty or so people who are on the other side who have progressed to self-exercising with supervising staff.  But one rather large-sized fellow just caught my attention.  He is friendly and talkative, but obviously needs exercise (I’m just sayin’).  I saw him joking with two men who were on the stair-stepper machines.  A few minutes later I saw him talking between two ladies on treadmills.  Then he was talking to the girl at the desk.  But in ten days, I have never once seen him exercising!  He carries around a blue folder indicating he is in the morning class, but he never actually does anything except talk and drink coffee!  Why bother to attend rehab class if you aren’t going to do any rehab work?!  This man reminds me of some Christians.  They go to church, sing a little and give a dollar or two, but they never really get involved in the real work of the church.  They never invite anyone to come with them to church, they never hand out any tracts, and they never participate in workdays at church.  Like my friend at rehab, they are a spectator only, not a participant.  So, what about you? Are involved in the work or just pretending to be working?  James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  Hey, don’t lie to yourself.  Get involved.  Get busy serving the Lord.  Don’t be a spectator; be a participant.

No Surprise

 

Israel was suddenly attacked last Saturday with thousands of rockets from the Gaza strip.  Simultaneously, Hamas broke through barriers slaughtering hundreds of Israelis and taking many others hostage.  “Where was God?” some would ask.  The late Adrian Rogers said, “Has It ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurred to God?”  God was right where He has always been.  An angel didn’t rush into God’s throne room with the breaking news of the attack on Israel (like an aid did with President Biden).  None of this caught God off guard!  God is using the events unfolding before us to bring Israel back to Himself, to set the world stage for His glorious return, and to wake up His lethargic followers.  The dear Lord must remind us periodically that He is still in control!  God said in Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Treasures

 

I have a small drawer in a dresser in the bedroom where I keep some treasures.  I have mementos from my dad, who passed away in 1994. I have two pairs of suspenders, two boxes of cuff links, a box of tie clips, and a box of nail clippers.  I don’t do anything with my treasures, and they really aren’t that valuable.  But they are important to me because they remind me of my dad.  But my dad is gone from this earth.  And often I need to remind myself that my dad is alive and well living in heaven.  The mementos in my drawer remind me of the reality that my dad is in heaven.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven … for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  My dad is in heaven, and very soon, I will see him again and be with him in that wonderful land.  Hey, are you ready to meet your loved ones in that beautiful place?  Are you ready to meet Jesus Christ?

Deteriorate

 

A few years ago, Kathy and I bought a 2012 Hyundai Accent.  It was a used car, but nice.  As a matter of fact, my niece said, “I don’t mean to be ugly, Uncle Gerald, but I never thought that you would have such a nice car!”  And she was right!  The salesman at the dealership in Cartersville told me that I needed an insurance rider.  He said that when I drove the car off the lot, it depreciated $2,000 immediately, and if I got into an accident on the way home, my insurance would need a supplement to replace my car.  It was a used car salesman tactic, but true nonetheless.  Hey, most things in life wear out and deteriorate over time.  I eventually sold my “nice” car for junk (after it was wrecked).  Hey, don’t put your heart into “things” that will not last.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “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, you would be wise to seek God first.  Because your soul and your heavenly Father will last forever and forever.

Tacky

 

My dear wife and I had an eventful evening last night.  Some was of our own doing, and some was done to us.  It started when I wanted to go to Panera Bread to get some potato soup.  But on the way, my wife scammed me and asked to stop by Hobby Lobby for some Christmas treat boxes.  But she had to go by each aisle just to look at the Christmas items.  When we got to the cashier, my wife had two gift cards, but couldn’t seem to get the first one to work.  The cashier called the manager, and the manager took one look at the card and said, “I think I know the problem.  This gift card is for Cracker Barrel.”  The other gift card did seem to work better (duh, it was for Hobby Lobby).  And when we got to Panera Bread, the girl behind the counter said, “We don’t have potato soup any more.  Sorry.”  So we decided to go to McAlister’s Deli across the street so that I could get my potato soup.  But McAlister’s doesn’t serve bread with their soup, so I bought a baguette while we were at Panera’s to take with us to McAlister’s (I know, that’s tacky).  At McAlister’s, I ordered my soup and sweet tea (of course) while Kathy stayed outside at a table on the patio so no one would see her pull out a piece of bread from each pocket of her sweatshirt.  I asked her if my side of the sweatshirt was the side with the used Kleenex in it.  She sneered and said, “Of course not!”  I could just imagine the next customer saying to the cashier, “I’ll have bread with my soup, just like that man outside.”  And Kathy had to have just a sip or two of my sweet tea (we were sharing a drink - tacky again).  When we got up to leave, I got a free refill on my drink (another cheap move).  Granny Whitely used to say, “Poor people have poor ways.”  Guilty as charged.  But we did get home with a left-over half cup of potato soup, half of a baguette, and a full plastic cup of sweet tea.  Hmmm … lunch for tomorrow.  Cheap again.  David said in Psalm 41:1, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”  I helped many people to be “blessed” last night.  Yes, I did.

The Goodness of God

 

Monday morning, I finished my 7^th session of cardiac rehab at Memorial hospital.  It was exhausting but fulfilling.  Before I begin, the staff gives me a heart monitor and they watch me carefully checking my blood pressure and heart rate often.  At the end of my rehab session, I walked the indoor track three times to cool down.  After a final blood pressure check, I walked out the door and down the hallway on the way to my car.  But as I turned the corner on the 2^nd floor, I walked past the cardiac waiting area … where folk were waiting for their loved ones in heart surgery.  This is where my family waited for me to have a heart catheterization just over two weeks ago!  I was reminded of careful doctors, nurses, and staff who took my problems seriously.  I was reminded of many folk who prayed for me and for my anxious family.  Thank you.  Really.  And a special thank you to the dear Lord Who sent His guardian angels to watch over everyone mentioned above!  David said it best in Psalm 107:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”  I can say a hearty “Amen!” to that.  Hey, do you realize that God is watching over you too?!  He is protecting you and guiding your steps today.  Why not thank Him for His goodness and mercy in your life?

Glass Door

 

My wife needs to be at dialysis about 5:20 am so that she can get in quickly so that she can get out quickly.  And when we arrive, we wait in the waiting room (clever name) for her tech to come and get her when he’s ready.  And my wife is one of four or five other clients waiting.  So, we try to look through the two-way-mirrored sliding glass doors into the clinic area to see if our tech is the next one coming to the door to call her name.  I can see shadowy figures moving about, but I can never make out exactly who is the one who is moving behind the mirrored door.  I look for Jeff (my wife’s tech), but I am never sure.  Because of HIPA laws, the door is mirrored to prevent me from seeing into the clinic.  It reminds me of I Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  I have never seen Jesus Christ, but I have seen the wonderful work that He does in my life.  But someday not very distant from now, I will gaze into His face and see Him.  Now, I see Jesus vaguely, but someday, I will see my Him crystal clear.  And I can’t wait to see Him!  Hey, how about you?  Are you longing to see Jesus Christ?  No?  Well, message me and let’s talk, because you need to reevaluate your life.  Yes, you do.

To Worry or Not

 

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.  It’s useless to worry about those things that we can’t do anything about, because they are simply out of our control.  But it’s also 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, in either case, why not put all of your worry upon Jesus Christ.  After all, He knows the future, and He can take care of you 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

 

Pretend you are on an airplane getting ready to take off.  The pilot speaks over the intercom, “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 (with all of the other passengers)?  But why is it that we are satisfied with living a clean life … most of the time?  We only sin just a little - not too much.  Peter said it best in I Peter 1:16, “… Be ye holy; for I am holy.”  We should be as holy as the Lord is holy.  But the problem is, we can’t.  It is only through the power of Jesus Christ that we can even begin to live a victorious Christian life.  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, we are hopeless sinners.  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone!

Tender Spot

 

I had knee surgery four years ago this past February.  After a month of rest, I began physical therapy.  My knee movement improved but seemed to plateau by mid-summer.  After consulting with my primary care doctor, I went back to physical therapy for a second round.  On the first day back, my physical therapist was working on a muscle in the back of my knee when I protested.  He asked, “Does that hurt?”  I made the mistake of saying that it did, so he bore down right on that spot.  Again, I said, “Hey, that really hurts!”  Chris said, “There seems to be a knot here, and I need to work it out.”  Over the next ten minutes, I came close to crying a couple of times.  Then he instructed his assistant to take me through some exercises to work on that particular muscle.  At home that afternoon, my leg hurt and hurt, but with Tylenol, I was able to get to sleep that night.  The next day, I did some physical work in the morning.  Around noon, I realized that I had been working all morning without any pain!  That physical therapy session the day before had really worked!  It had accomplished what needed to be done - although with considerable pain on my part.  Hey, that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does in my spiritual life!  He presses down upon sinful areas that need to be cleaned out.  The Holy Spirit does not give up until I come clean with Him.  He patiently loves me back into fellowship, even when it seems painful for me.  The Apostle Paul said it best, in II Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  Hey, what about you?  Do you have some tender spots in your secret life that God needs to work on?  Let the dear Lord do His work on your soul.  You’ll be glad that you did.

Clean

 

When Kathy and I were first married (1971), I worked at a seat belt company in Michigan.  We moved back to Chattanooga for me to finish college.  I worked for a warehousing company, an insurance company (printing), and then an iron foundry.  Each job was a move up (or so I thought), but I had to work afternoons and nights so that I could go to school during the daytime.  When I worked nights, I would shower at work and go straight to college in the mornings.  When I worked in the afternoons, I would come home at midnight and shower at home.  But the foundry grime was hard to wash off.  I used plenty of soap and used a dark colored washcloth because that was the color it would turn out to be anyway.  I shampooed my hair three times just to get it clean.  My dear wife had to wash my work clothes separately, often putting them through two cycles in the washing machine.  The difficulty getting my clothes and hair clean is a picture of how difficult our sins are to clean.  The only way to remove sin-stains is to wash them with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!  And Jesus told his disciples that His Words do the work.  Jesus said in John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”  Hey, 2,000 years later, we can read the precious Word of Godin the Bible, trust in the substitutional death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and be cleansed of our sins!  Praise the Lord!

Life's a Puzzle

 

When I was a kid, I had three brothers.  My sweet sister was not born until I was sixteen years old.  And my childhood was before cell phones and the internet and x-boxes and … well you get the picture.  We had four Norman Rockwell puzzles that we worked over and over again.  The odd thing was that all four puzzles were cut from the same die: all of the pieces were interchangeable.  The first couple of times, we looked at the picture on the box lid to figure out which pieces went where.  But soon, we didn’t even need the lid.  We even knew which of the four puzzles each piece went to, and we stored all four puzzles in the same box.  Hey, is your life like one of those puzzles?  So often we think our lives should turn out perfect, just like the beautiful picture on the front of the puzzle box.  But when we begin to go through life, it doesn’t turn out the way that we thought it should.  We make mistakes, and then worse mistakes, and then irreversible mistakes.  What we fail to realize early in life is that the dear Lord has a plan for our lives, just like the picture on the box lid.  We fail to realize that our picture, our life, and God’s picture of our life aren’t the same.  Hey, the dear Lord knows what is best for us; He knows how our picture should turn out.  And we would do well to let the Lord pick out the picture for us.  Then all of the pieces will come together much better.  “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6

Clever

 

A man built a small grocery store in a small town and they both began to grow.  He put in a line of hardware to meet the needs of the growing community.  Years went by and the town prospered along with the little store.  A big grocery chain looked at locating in the growing town and offered to buy the man’s property.  But he wouldn’t sell.  So, they built a huge grocery store right beside the little store.  A large hardware chain approached the man to buy his property, but again, he wouldn’t sell.  So, they built a huge hardware store right on the other side of the little store.  Soon the man’s business began to dry up.  With a huge grocery store on one side and a huge hardware store on the other side, he became desperate.  But he had an idea.  He pulled the last of his money together and put a huge neon sign above his door which said, “Main Entrance Here”.  This cute story reminds me of the dishonest steward in Luke 16:1-13.  When the steward was caught embezzling, he quickly made a few last crooked deals before he was fired.  Jesus said in Luke 16:8, “… the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely …”  Sometimes clever trumps hard work.  Hey, work smarter, not harder.

Love

 

Hollywood says that you should find your soulmate and then you fall in love.  There are websites that ask twenty compatibility questions, and based on your answers, connect you with ten potential matches.  But the Bible teaches a totally different plan.  When you marry, you make a commitment.  You are commanded in Ephesians 5 to love your wife … for life.  Love isn’t an ushy-gushy feeling; love is a commitment.  We are to love our wife as Christ loved us.  And Jesus Christ loved us while we were sinners - while we were unlovely.  We don’t fall in love; we grow in love.  Hollywood says that when your love dies, it is the other one’s fault.  They didn’t meet your needs.  You are justified to ditch the old one and find a new soulmate.  But God commands us to love, honor, and cherish till death do us part.  For better or for worse.  Love is not a noun; it is not a thing that we have.  Love is a verb; it is a thing that we do.  We must work on our love and nurture it.  True love grows because of the time that we put into it to make it thrive.  Love is meeting the other person’s needs.  Love is growing old together. Which brings me to my second point: today is my anniversary.  And don’t congratulate me on 52 years of marriage, congratulate my dear wife for putting up with me for 52 years!  Hey, love your wife, today and every day!

Virtual Reality

 

Have you seen the virtual reality headsets?  They can effectively train welders, doctors, and pilots with real-life simulation.  And while they are not the real thing, they are the next best thing to reality.  Hey, that’s exactly what this life is.  We need to be reminded every day that there is an alternate universe, the spiritual world, that is around us all the time. And while we can’t actually see this alternate universe, the Bible gives us the VR headset to see that spiritual world.  But actually, it’s reversed!  This life that we are living is the virtual reality world, and the spiritual world is the real world!  Mind boggling, isn’t it?  And I know that the spiritual world is the real world because the spiritual world is eternal, and this life is only temporary.  Yes, it is!  And Paul knew it, because he said in II Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  Hey, today, get out your Bible and read it.  And when you do, you are taking off your VR headset that you live with, and with God’s Word, you can see the real world!