Trusting Jesus and the GPS

Sherri and I have done quite a bit of traveling the last few years. We have, especially, enjoyed taking day trips to out of the way places in North Carolina. Naturally these trips take us to places we’ve never been. I have to rely on the GPS to get us where we want to go. But sometimes I think that the lady who is giving me the directions is wrong. I tell Sherri, “She can’t be right.” Sherri says, “Yes, she is right. Listen to her!” But I decide she is definitely wrong, and I go another way thinking that I will get her back on track. Unfortunately, almost every time we end up lost.

Our Sunday Bible study class is studying the book of Mark. Recently we were looking at the passage where Jesus sent two disciples to find the place where they would have their final meal together. Jesus told them to go to the city, Jerusalem, find a man carrying a water jar, follow him to a house in which he will enter. Meet with the owner of the house and tell him that The Teacher wants to know where the guest room is. He will take you to a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. In that room you will make the preparations for us.

We discussed that the directions that Jesus gave were pretty specific, but they may have not been as complete as the disciples might have liked. I can see a lot of things that could have gone wrong. What if there had been several men carrying a water jar, although it was most often women carrying the water jars. What if they were afraid that the owner of the house wouldn’t believe them or that he would say he didn’t know the teacher? What if they decided, ‘This is crazy. These people will think we are out of our minds’? All sorts of things could have discouraged these two disciples. However, the one thing they were sure of was that Jesus knew what he was doing. They had faith in Jesus, therefore they trusted him, and they trusted his directions.

I don’t always trust my GPS to get me where I’m going, and when I don’t I get lost. In the same way we don’t always listen to what Jesus is telling us to do, or where he is telling us to go.  Sometimes when Jesus speaks to us, telling us the direction we should go we think, ‘That can’t be right. I can’t do it that way, or I can’t do that at all. This is where I’m supposed to be’. I have known many Christians who have refused to follow Jesus’ directions, myself included. The result is always harmful to our spiritual well being. I have suffered many tough times because I did not follow my Lord’s directions for my life. Jesus knows what is best for us. The GPS is correct most of the time, but Jesus is never wrong. He is always right.

Did Jesus Laugh

Have you ever been around someone who is extremely serious ?  Maybe you've seen these people at a worship service. I've noticed the expressions of people in the congregation as they sing about their wonderful Savior Jesus Christ.  There are a lot of solemn faces, no smiles. If I didn't know better I would think I was at a funeral. I have known preachers whose countenance bears the resemblance of someone sucking on a green persimmon. Even some preachers are afraid to joke, loosen up and have a good time. Maybe they think others would question their holiness if they exhibited a bit of levity.  I guess the question here is, "Can a person laugh, joke and have fun and be a Christian?"  

What about God's son, our Savior, Jesus? Do you think he had fun? Did he ever joke around? Someone asked me once, “Does the Bible indicate that Jesus laughed? “ You know, I haven't been able to find in the Bible that Jesus laughed. I know the Bible says that Jesus wept. But did he laugh?  Although the Bible doesn't say he laughed I'm almost certain that he did. He was a part of some very joyous occasions where people were eating and drinking and dancing, such as at the wedding feast where he turned water into wine. I think Jesus went there to celebrate the wedding of some of his dear friends. I can't imagine him sitting in a corner with a frown on his face just because he was God's Son. There were many times Jesus was invited to dinners at the homes where no telling what kind of frivolity was going on. Many of these places were the homes of those whom the Pharisees called sinners. I doubt if these people changed their actions like a lot of people do when they have the preacher over to eat. I think some today would be surprised at where Jesus would be found today. I can see Jesus in an Irish pub on Saturday night having a good time playing darts and maybe even dancing an Irish jig. Jesus had a sense of humor. Of course Jesus laughed!  

Where Forever Is a Good Thing

We have no idea just how long forever is. Yet, we use the word often when our impatience reaches a level where we are about to explode. Me when I am ready to go somewhere that we have to be at a certain time and my wife is running late, “Hurry up! You are taking forever!” Forever was when I was a kid sitting in a church service, and the preacher went on and on and on. Or forever is sitting in a meeting that is boring, utterly useless and the boss won’t shut up. Forever is the year a fifteen year old is waiting for the day that he reaches sixteen, and he can get his driver's license. Forever is when the excruciating  pain persists day after day for months. At the time all of these experiences seem to creep at a snail's pace, and we don’t think we can endure another minute without screaming. But in our world where we are bound by time constraints there is an end.

Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be if there were never any deadlines, no place where you had to be at 8 o’clock in the morning, or any part of your life where you were not restricted by the clock? Well, there is a place where there are no clocks, and no deadlines that must be met. That place, of course, is heaven. Heaven is a place where we can correctly use the word forever. God is a forever God. 

The Bible says, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” God is a forever loving Father. We will always, forever, be aware of his love. In heaven we will be free from the restraints of age, forever. We will be forever without pain. We will be alive forever. We will not worry, forever. We will be free from the destructive ravages of sin, forever. And my wife will never be late again, forever. I think we are going to get used to that glorious word “Forever”!

What Flowers Have Taught Me About God

As I was planting some flowers today I thought how what I was doing mirrored, in a very weak way I’m sure, what God does when he creates a human being. God knew exactly what each of us would look like, and what we would become even before we were conceived. He had a definite plan for each of us. Psalm 139:15 says that our frame was not hidden from him when we were made in a secret place. God was the architect and the designer of our lives.

In a similar way when a gardener plans to plant a flower garden he or she considers several factors before he buys a single flower. Factors such as where the garden will be planted, in the sun or a shady area, how big it will be, the type of flowers to go in it, how much space the flowers will need to grow, and how they will be arranged. The gardener will have a mental picture of what the flower garden will look like before planting a single flower. The psalmist said of God concerning his own beginning, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before any of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16

I bought the flowers for this flower bed a few days ago. I knew I wanted pink petunias, and a few flowers that had purple and white as a contrast. So I chose five Angel Mist which will grow tall and spread. Right now what I planted doesn’t look like much, but in a few weeks after they begin to mature I think they will be very pretty. God knows that as we grow and mature we will have the potential to blossom into something that will be lovely, and that will be extremely pleasing to him.

I mentioned that I put two different types of flowers with different colors together thus forming a contrast. The flower bed will be much more appealing by putting the two together. I believe that is what God has done with us. We are all different, yet he placed us in his garden together, not to fight, but to compliment one another. We are to make each other more beautiful, more complete. As we accept our differences we create a community of harmony and are able to accomplish an environment which will make the world a better place. We all have a choice. We can grow and mature in a way that will bless others and please God, or we can refuse to become the positive, maturing persons who will spread and branch out working with others even if they are not like us.

My yard is full of flowers; many roses, red and yellow, azaleas

of different colors, perennials, annuals, flowering trees, climbing vines that flower, all sorts of plants. There is a great variety. My yard would not look nearly as good if everything was the same color. There is an older lady across the street from us who is not able to get out much. She told me that she loves to look out her front door at my yard. She said, “Your yard is so very beautiful. I am not able to put out any flowers, but I can look at yours and enjoy them just as if they were mine.”

Don’t you think God may have had something like that in mind when he put so many different, beautiful people in his garden?

A Childlike Spirit

Some of the most touching scenes on TV are those when children are surprised by their dad after he had returned from a long tour of military duty overseas. They were not expecting him, and had no idea that he had come home. When they saw their dad they may have screamed, cried, or laughed, but more than anything they hugged him, and held onto him like they would never let him go. In every instance we see examples of pure love. Their actions were spontaneous, without hesitation, and no embarrassment for the public display of their emotions. In these instances we have no better example of the childlike spirit.

The spirit of a little child is so refreshing. A small child has not been defiled by the harshness of a sinful world. Their innocent minds have not been twisted by hate. Little children are always loving and accepting.  A child gives honest responses, perhaps more honest than their moms and dads would like. Oh if we could somehow see through the eyes of a child, to love and trust the way they do.

Jesus loved little children. It is clear that his desire for those who would follow him was and is to have that childlike spirit. In fact Jesus said,“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 We cannot demonstrate the proper love for Jesus unless we approach him, and accept him with the trusting spirit of a child.

Joshua’s Declaration, Our Declaration

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, “... I brought you out...I gave them into your hands...I gave you land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant. Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness...But if serving the Lord seems unreasonable to you then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:2ff

Joshua was nearing his death when he delivered this message to Israel. He was close to 110 years old. Joshua was one servant who walked close to God, who obediently trusted God not wavering a bit throughout his life. His experience with God was that which taught him that God is the One who gave him and his people everything they had.

Joshua knew what he was talking about when he said, “The Lord brought you out. The Lord gave the enemy into your hand. The Lord gave you the land where you live, he gave you the cities and you didn’t even have to work to build them. It is the Lord who gave you the food you eat; food from the vineyards and the olive groves you did not plant.”  

Given what I know about the history of this people, and also what I know about every generation of humankind from then until now, what Joshua said next leading to his question seems quite prophetic. Knowing that Almighty God saves his people from the enemy, bringing them out of bondage, giving them everything; victory, land, a place to live, food, whatever it is that a person has, the implied question is this, how then can you not fear Him? How can you not serve him with ALL faithfulness? Whom then will you serve? Now you have a decision to make. If it is unreasonable for you to serve this God, then choose whom you will serve.

After Joshua died these people turned from God and served the Baals, idols, false gods. They did not fear God, and they were disobedient because they did not continue the fight to destroy the pagan peoples in the lands where they settled. They made the decision about whom they would serve.

Who today really has chosen to serve God? Who today really believes that God has provided everything they have? Who today really trusts God to deliver them from the enemy? Who today actually seeks God’s guidance concerning all of the evils in society? It is no wonder that our younger generations are not acknowledging God, and are showing little respect, if any for the sacred. Who today fears the Lord?

All, of us have a choice to make. I believe with all of my heart that the answer for our world today is found in the decision that Joshua made, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Something to Make One Think

Our Sunday morning Bible study class is amazing. We have a very good teacher, and those in the class are well versed in the scripture. Our discussions are stimulating and thought provoking.

The topic yesterday was from Mark 14:1-11. The discussion centered around Mary’s selfless act of anointing Jesus with the expensive perfume. The story was better defined in John 12:1-8. Mary poured the pure hard, as it was called, on the feet of Jesus. Then she proceeded to wipe his feet with her long hair. What she did was a wonderful sacrifice, driven by her exceedingly great love for her master. Her demonstration of her love for Jesus went even further than simply giving a dinner in his honor. I’m sure there were many reasons that made her sacrifice so special. Here are a couple.

First, she had witnessed about a week before the raising of her brother, Lazarus, from the dead by Jesus. We must remember how she and her sister, Martha, grieved for their brother Lazarus after his death. How do you repay someone who brings a dearly loved one back from the grave after being dead for four days? Wouldn’t you simply adore the one who could do that? This was one of the points brought out during our discussion.

Secondly, a point was made that Mary having never married could have been saving that very expensive perfume for her dowry just incase some gentleman proposed to her. The worth of the perfume was at least a years wages. I had never heard that before, but it does make sense. Single women at this time did indeed save for such a possibility. If this was the reason she had the perfume we understand even more how great her sacrifice was, and the depth of  her love for Jesus.

Then we talked about Mr. Judas. In this passage we see what a scoundrel he really was. We see just how evil Judas was in the description given by his fellow compatriot John. Judas was greatly disturbed because of what Mary had done. Openly, Judas chastised Mary because he said the perfume could have more reasonably been sold, and the money raised could have been given to the poor. John was not fooled because he knew the heart of Judas. He said, “This was not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief; a keeper of the money bag, and he used to help himself to what was put into it.” In other words Judas was filled with greed. Because of what Mary did he had seen a certain windfall for himself wasted on the feet of Jesus.

Immediately, Jesus said, “Leave her alone!” I think this was a strong rebuke. My thought on this was that Judas had not been fooling anyone, although nothing had been written until this passage about what a rotten stinker Judas was. I think the disciples knew, and I am sure Jesus knew. Isn’t that what we do when we sin? We think no one knows. We may even think that we are pulling the wool over God’s eyes. We continue in our sin, and go our way acting like our motives are pure and good. “Oh, how we care for the poor and hurting.” “Did you hear about Jane? Someone said she was caught shoplifting at Walmart. We must pray for her.” Oh, how we fake our intentions, just like Judas.

I love my Sunday school class. There is always “something to make one think”.

Move On

Life is full of good places. Something about where we are makes us want to stay. But the process of living usually demands that we move on. We would like to stay in bed on a cold rainy day. Then responsibility rings, and we have to get up and move on. The beach, the lake, the mountains, or some exotic land may for a time be our good place, and we don’t want to leave. However, at some point reality comes calling for us to leave, to move on. We can look back and recall the good places we have left behind because of maturity and responsibility, work, various opportunities, illness, aging, death, or some tragedy.

Older people refer to “the good places” as the good old days. Some long for the good old days. We will never be able to go back to the good old days, although  some try. A high school basketball star cannot leave that good place of praise and popularity even at the age of forty or fifty. A jilted lover refuses to move on while the perceived love of his life has found another. An adult child won’t move on after the death of her parents even after many, many years. The beauty queen searches for the fountain of youth through all sorts of creams, gimmicks and procedures to hold on to her glamor. The world is full of those who refuse to move on from their good place.

We will never find peace and happiness if we are not willing to move on. The sad truth is those who don’t move on from  the good places of the past will never enjoy the good places of the present. Life is full of good places. Even in the waiting years good places abound. Each phase of life moves us a little closer to the best place. The final good place, the best place, is the place Jesus has already prepared for us. In the meantime remember fondly the good places, but don’t try to dwell there. Move on! Move on to the next good place until you reach the final one where you will remain forever.

Faith of a Child

Emma’s maiden name was Brady. I met her several months ago at church. She and I hit it off immediately. Every time I saw her after our first meeting I would refer to her as my cousin. We had several talks about the Brady clan.  That first Sunday I met her she asked me if I had any grandchildren. Emma kept a list of children in our church and also added the names of the grandchildren of members of the church so that she could pray for all of them. I gave her the names and ages of our three grands.

Emma had served many years working with preschool children. She had a special gift with that group, and children simply loved her. They were drawn to her. Children who were hesitant to leave their parents immediately ran to Emma and were excited to stay with her. Someone told me that Emma was in her early to mid 80’s. I was very surprised because she did not look that old to me. I thought she was closer to the early 70’s, young, like me.

Something really bad happened to Emma last week. She and her husband were at a McDonalds. As Emma was walking over to get something she fell backwards and hit her head on the floor. She was immediately knocked out. The EMT’s came, but they could not revive her. Emma had gone into a coma, and she never regained consciousness. She was put on life support. I think it was the next day the life support was removed and Emma died. The doctors said nothing could be done; she was brain dead. Obviously, Emma’s death shocked everyone. The first thoughts were, how would this tragedy affect the children.

This past Sunday morning one of the little girls, 5 or 6 years old, bounced into the classroom so excited. With a big smile on her face she announced, “Hey, everybody, guess what! Miss Emma has gone to be with Jesus!” What a testimony! Miss Emma had to be smiling from ear to ear. For those little children everything was good because Miss Emma had gone to be with the One she had taught them to love. They believed that Miss Emma was in the best place she could be, and they were happy for her.

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-3

The faith of a little child is precious. Oh that we could all be like them!

Taxes and Jesus

Yesterday was Tax Day. Every year on this dreaded day I think of my friend Joe Bailey. Joe always recited a little ditty on tax day,

“I had a dog, his name was Tax.

I opened the door, and in come Tax.”

Joe always paid his taxes and several years ago he went to be with Jesus. Thus, Joe had fulfilled those two certainties that all of us will experience in our life’s journey, taxes and death.

Jesus referred to taxes a few times during his ministry. Once he compared a Pharisee to a tax collector. The Pharisee, an esteemed religious leader, who Jesus described as one who was confident of his own righteousness looking down on everyone else, went into the temple to pray. He stood by himself and raising his voice so all could hear he prayed. “God, I thank you that I am not like other people- robbers, evildoers, adulterers- or even like this tax collector.” The tax collector had come to pray at the same time as the Pharisee. The tax collector, although one of the most hated men around, humbling himself before God, stood at a distance, not even able to raise his head up to heaven, beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Jesus’ comparison of the two was this, “I tell you that this man, the tax collector, rather than the other man, the pharisee, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Soon after telling this parable Jesus went to Jericho. It was here that Jesus encountered one of those hated tax collectors. His name was Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, and he was a very wealthy man. Apparently Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and he wanted to see exactly who he was. His problem was he was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He could not see over the crowd when Jesus passed by. So he climbed and he climbed up a sycamore tree for the Lord to see. Then the most wonderful thing happened. Jesus stopped right in front of that sycamore tree, looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down, for I’m going to your house today!” The Bible says, “Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

Zacchaeus was changed that day. He had gained his wealth by cheating his own people by taking more tax money than they owed. He had hurt so many making life so much harder for them. Zacchaeus was an evil man, deceitful, and conniving. He truly was the most hated man in Jericho. But because he met Jesus he paid back all that he had taken by deceit from the people. All because he had gladly welcomed Jesus into his life. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Jesus can change anyone no matter how terrible or evil they have been. All a person has to do is accept Jesus into their life.

Isn’t is so much better when Jesus comes into our house than when “In come Tax”? Ooooh! That was bad!

Scripture reference: Luke 18: 9ff and Luke 19: 1-9

Avoiding Quicksand

Remember those old jungle shows on TV--"Jungle Jim", "Ramar of the Jungle" and "Tarzan"? I guess you would have to be pretty old to remember these shows. Those old black and white gems always provided a lot of suspense for a young boy like myself. I think the scenes that were the most suspenseful nail biters were those where the good guy fell into quicksand. These heros were always saved, but not until they had almost disappeared under the thick soupy mire. I used to worry about stepping in quicksand on our farm. There were several sinkholes so I thought maybe there might be some quicksand, and I would step in some, sink, and no one would ever know what happened to me. My cousin assured me that there was no quicksand where we lived so I stopped worrying about the possibility of meeting my demise in quicksand.

Sand is not very supportive. No one would ever build any kind of structure on sand. Builders want a strong foundation for whatever it is they are building. I quickly segue way into another form of construction in which all of us are involved. Each of us are in the continual process of building a life. We are working on a life that is not only physical, but one that is spiritual. Our hope is for a life that lasts well beyond our physical death. Jesus mentioned how to build our lives when he mentioned the man who built his house on sand. When the rains and storms came the sand was washed away, and the house was destroyed. Jesus suggested that the man should have built his house on a solid foundation like another man had done.

Obviously, Jesus taught that he was the one on whom we should build our lives. He said that he was the Rock. In fact, the Old Testament speaks of Jesus as being the Solid Rock, the Rock of our Salvation. There is a song that says, “On a Christ the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”. It said, “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness”. That’s the Gospel message. When we trust and believe in the Solid Rock we don’t have to worry about sinking downward into a life of hopelessness and despair.

What If

What if the Bible is completely accurate, and it is God’s Divine Word which contains a treasure more valuable than silver or gold?

What if God is who he says he is, and he really did all that the Bible says he did and nothing is impossible for him?

What if all that is described as sin really is sin, and God was serious when he said he despises every one of them, even the little ones?

What if sin really does separate man from God, and man will go to a place called hell when he dies if he does not repent and asks God to forgive him?

What if God’s Son, Jesus, is the only one who can save us from our sins and give us an eternal home in a place called heaven?

What if our only hope is in Jesus’ death on a cross and his resurrection from the grave, and what if he is really alive in the hearts of those who believe that this really happened?

What if God meant it when he said that we must love him with all of our heart, all of our mind and all of our strength?

What if God really does desire and expect our worship, our praise and our obedience to every one of his commands?

What if it is true that Jesus is coming back to this earth someday soon to take the redeemed to heaven?

What if those who never acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and their Savior wait too long to do what they said they were going to do?

What if God’s Love is even greater than we thought it could possibly be, and we failed to tell those around us how they might know him and receive his saving Grace?

What if life was meant to be about a God who loves us, cares for us and longs for a relationship with everyone on us?

What if nothing or no one should occupy a place in our lives more importantly and more crucial than the Heavenly Father?

If we believe these “What Ifs” what should we do and how should we live?

Teeth and Marriage

Earlier this week I had to have two fillings replaced. The old ones  served me well, but they had developed some cracks over the past 60 years. Dr. Hindman, my dentist when I was a kid, did a find job patching those two cavities, thus saving my teeth. I don’t know how much my parents paid for those two fillings back then, but the new ones were a little over $500. That seems like an awful lot to pay for two teeth that I probably won’t need for much more than 15 year. I doubt if I will live to be 85 years old which is what I will be if I’m still around in 15 more years. I wish I had thought of that before I let the dentist replace those fillings.

A young lady polished my teeth after the dentist finished replacing my old fillings. Of course she did all the talking. She said  that she and her siblings were planning a surprise celebration for her parents 40th wedding anniversary. She asked me how long I had been married. I replied, “Orty evon ears”. That was the best I could do with her hand in my mouth, but somehow she understood that I meant forty seven years. She thought it was great that Sherri and I had been married that long. She said, “Most marriages today don’t last 40 or 47 years.” She was right about that.

Maintaining a strong marriage is not easy. Unless the marriage is based on an unconditional love it probably won’t last. Like my cracked fillings Sherri and I experienced a couple of cracks in our marriage many years ago. Our marriage could have easily ended, but because of our love for each other we were able to fill those cracks and stay together. The pain of having a tooth filled is pretty bad. So is the pain experienced in trying to grind out the decaying issues of a troubled marriage. Both are necessary if we are to save what is dear to us.

I’m so happy that Sherri and I are still together after forty seven years because I love her. I guess I’m glad I had those two teeth filled even though it did cost me 500 bucks. I love my teeth also. I will need them until I die. And I will certainly need my dear wife.

Something to Really Cheer About

In 1967 on December 31 the second Super Bowl was played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys met to determine the NFL champion.  50,861 fans were in attendance despite a -15 degree temperature at game time. This game came to be known as the Ice Bowl. I’m thinking that a person who would watch a game in such cold temperatures would have to be considered an extreme fan, or perhaps just plain crazy. Green Bay won that game and the Packer fans, at least those who had not frozen, went absolutely berserk

Those who go to games to cheer on their favorite team behave in ways they would never behave in real life. Fans who bleed whatever color their team wears become maniacs when their team is playing. They can’t stop talking about their team even in the off season. When their team wins there is rejoicing and continual jubilation. When their team loses utter despair sets in, and usually it was the officials fault that there was no victory.

There are many things that happen in life that cause us to cheer, to applaud, to rejoice, and maybe even dance a jig. But what we fail to realize is that there is something far more important than sports that will cause many of us to rejoice someday. As long as we live on this earth we cannot possibly understand what it is that will bring about such rejoicing. Those who are not searching after God, or spending time with him daily cannot even begin to imagine what goes on in heaven that will make them forget about their most loved and cherished experiences down here.

Jesus told two stories about two people who had lost something. The first was a man who had 100 sheep. One of them went missing. The man left the 99 which were safe in the pasture and went off looking for the sheep that was lost. He found the sheep, joyfully put it on his shoulders and brought it back to join the others. He called his friends and neighbors together and said, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus went on to say,”I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Next Jesus told about a woman who had lost one of her ten silver coins. She turned her house upside down until she found the missing coin. Like the man who had found his lost sheep she had a party telling everyone to celebrate with her and to rejoice because she had found that lost coin. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

In these two stories Jesus tells what really goes on in heaven, what is so important that everyone cheers, rejoices and probably dances a jig. When we get to heaven and a report is given that a sinner has repented we are going to be so excited, and so happy that we will rejoice in the presence of the angels. I guess they will be rejoicing too. Jesus said there will more rejoicing in heaven than for anything else.

Why will we rejoice? I think we will rejoice because we will see and know the Father like never before. We will perfectly understand his great love. A sinner repenting is one thing that makes him the happiest. Whatever makes God happy will cause us to be ecstatic. You may not believe this but our favorite  team winning the Super Bowl, the NCAA championship, the World Series or any kind of championship will pale in comparison. In heaven we won’t care who wins those games. Heaven is going to be completely unlike anything you or I might expect it to be. Heaven is about God, not about the easy, fun, self centered life that we may think it will be. And you know what? We are going to love it.

Scripture Reference: Like 15:3-10

Perfect Rest

None of us are superhuman. We all have many limitations. When I was just a kid I could play ball and run up and down the hills and hollers all day long without slowing down. As a teen ager I could work in the hay fields and tobacco patch all day and still have energy to play baseball or basketball at night. When I became an adult I would work each day and still be able to come home and do things around the house that needed to be done. However, there was one common thread that ran true in all the things I have mentioned; at day's end I was always tired. I needed rest. Now, in my senior citizen years I find that I really don't have to do much to get tired. I look forward to a nice nap in the afternoon and I am always ready to "hit the hay" around 10 o'clock at night.

We all need our rest. Not only do we get tired physically, we get tired mentally and emotionally. A good night's sleep renews us from our physical fatigue, but most often relief for mental and emotional fatigue is harder to come by. Sometimes heartaches and troubles bear so heavily upon the soul that finding rest seems a distant reality. Not even a good vacation can help. It seems that a cloud of despair is always there. Where can a person go to find rest?

The Bible does offer an answer. We find the solution in Matthew 11:28 where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". I have come to realize that even though our faith is strong, and we ask Jesus to make our troubles go away, we probably will continue to have those problems, and they may even get worse. We live in a fallen world and because of that we will always have difficulties. I do know that God will give us strength to endure the rough times. All of us have watched as our parents or grandparents aged and in some cases struggled with pain until they died. As Christians we believe that death ushered in that eternal rest that they had prayed for and longed for.

Today you may be extremely weary and exhausted in the depths of your soul. I hope you can find peace in the message of Jesus. "Come to me. I know you are tired and weary. Hang in there because I am going to give you rest. You can endure this short time on earth. Eternal rest is waiting for you. Just come, come to me."

Social Media

I’m wondering, what was the intended goal of social media at its conception? I know that it is a way to share information. Was its purpose to be a vehicle for anyone to post anything, no matter what, a person wants to share even if the material shared is offensive and obscene? Are we to use it for the purpose of cutting someone down, putting them in their place, or making them angry? I see that happen a lot. I see some posts, and I think, ‘This person is filled with anger’! And I wonder, what good is it doing for him to lash out like this? What he posted can only cause others to get upset, or cause others to have a lesser opinion of him.

I really don’t think social media is the place to fight our battles. I know I have to be careful when I post my devotions. I realized that I have posted things that sounded too “preachy”. I know I have probably offended some at times. When I was preaching from the pulpit I didn’t worry about that because those listening could see my body language, the expression on my face, hear the tone of my voice, and could understand the truth and intent of my message. That doesn’t come across very well on a Facebook post. It would be very easy for me to turn someone off to what I consider to be the truth of God’s word if I am perceived to be too “preachy”.  

As I understand the Word of God, I am held to a higher standard. I have to be careful what I say, and what I write on social media. I think all of those who claim Jesus as savior are called to a higher standard. The Apostle John wrote something that I believe is a wonderful guide to live by, and I think would include the kind of things we post on social media. He wrote, “And this is love; that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 1:6

I hope this didn’t sound too “preachy”. If it helps, I have a big smile on my face!

Who Are You

My wife was an elementary guidance counselor. One of her responsibilities was to go into the classrooms and have  guidance sessions with her students. She presented lessons for the purpose of helping students develop positive academic and personal life skills. These lessons were meant to build the students’ confidence, develop their self worth, and to encourage them to do the best they could do.

Sometimes my wife would use two hand puppets when working with younger children. The puppets were friends, and their names were Can Do and Will Do. Can Do encouraged the students to believe that they were capable of accomplishing the tasks that they were asked to do. Will Do encouraged them to  "take the bull by the horns" and work as hard as they could. Will Do tried to motivate the students. It is very interesting how these two little puppets held the answer to the question, "Why do I fail?"

All too often people fail because they decide at the outset that they are not capable of doing something that they would like to do. People are good at thinking of reasons why they can't: can't do math, can't make the team, can't get that degree, can't start that business. People fail because they convince themselves that they can't. Yet, sometimes the problem is not that they can't. In fact, we know we can. We just choose not to.

The Bible teaches us that we can do anything God wants us to do, anything He has gifted us to do and anything He has empowered us to do. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13  Can Do and Will Do have two evil cousins. Their names are Can't Do and Won't Do. Too many people have listened to these guys. They cause us to fail, becoming less than what God created us to be. Can’t Do and Won’t Do send those who listen to them into the sad land of Many Regrets. Can Do and Will Do are our friends. They are the good guys. When we listen to them we will accomplish great things for the glory of God. May we always listen to them.

Avoid Being the Tail

There are costumes which require two people to make them work. I’m talking about those animal costumes where one person is the head and one is the tail. I’ve never been either position in a horse, a cow or any other four legged animal costume. You know, if you were the tail you would really have to have a lot of trust for the guy who is the head. I know I would never be the tail if my brother happened to be the head. I can think of many horrible things that could happen to the one being confined in a non ventilated space behind my brother. The key is to always be the head if you are being part of a horse costume.

That is good advice for life as well. Put yourselves in a position so that you don’t have to be the tail. Prior to Moses death, he told the Israelites how they could avoid being the tail end position in life. He said, “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” Deuteronomy 28:13

I’m sure Moses was not thinking about a horse costume when he gave this advice to his people. He was simply saying that the best position in life is the one obtained by pleasing God. The way to please God is to be obedient, by keeping all that he commands. In our walk we may have to do things that we might not like to do, and don’t want to do, but in doing those things we please God. Our ways are different from God’s ways. What we may consider the tail end of life may actually be the very thing that will grow us toward a position of godly honor. In that we are the head. Being the head is not about money, or fame, or prestige. Being the head is about the eternal, that which glorifies the Father.

Everyone can assume a position at the head. We don’t have to be the tail. Being the tail stinks.

Pastor Avoids Arrest

Once in the late 1980s I made a huge mistake, one that could have gotten me time in the hoosegow. My arrest would have been big news because I was the pastor at a church in Glendale Kentucky. There was a meeting in Louisville that I was scheduled to attend, and I was running late. A stomach bug had kept me awake the night before, a storm had knocked out the power, and I had overslept because the alarm hadn't gone off. I hurriedly got ready and rushed out of the house for my forty-five minute drive to Louisville. Being an insulin dependent diabetic I knew I had better stop somewhere and eat, so I stopped at a Cracker Barrel. After I had eaten my breakfast I rushed to pay for my meal.

Unfortunately, that stomach bug began doing his thing, and I had to go to the bathroom. I paid my bill, and headed to the bathroom.  While stuffing the change in my wallet I literally ran to the bathroom. As I was sitting in the stall I happened to notice how nice this bathroom was. I had never seen such a fine restroom in any Cracker Barrel. About that time someone entered restroom, and the sound I heard terrified me. Click, click, click, high heels! I panicked realizing that I had unknowingly gone into the ladies restroom. The clicking sound stopped in the stall next to the one I occupied. Making matters worse another lady came in and went into the stall on the other side of me.

What a predicament, sitting in the john between two women!  I didn't move or make a sound. There I was in enemy territory, behind the lines. ‘What if I am discovered? What if one or both of these women start screaming?’, I thought. I could see my mugshot on the evening news. I could see the headlines in newspapers all over the state. “Pastor Apprehended in Ladies Restroom!”

I had to do something; devise a plan of escape. Finally, I calmed down enough to do the only thing I could do, wait, wait until both of those ladies left and pray that no one else came in. I bet not many men have prayed that prayer. So I waited, prepared to bolt out of that stall as soon as the the last lady left. I listened. The first lady finished and clicked her way out of the restroom. Then the second lady left. I had my chance and quickly retreated to the safety of neutral territory. My  prayer had been answered, and I had escaped without being detected. I was relieved in more ways than one.

The Way to Wealth

Jesus told a parable about a man who had great wealth. He was proud of all his possessions. The man had an abundance that far exceeded his current storage space. He thought to himself, "I will tear down these inadequate buildings, and I will build new ones large enough to accommodate all that I have accumulated for myself. Then I will lay around and take it easy. I will do what I want to do, go where I want to go. I will have it made in the shade."

That is not exactly how Jesus voiced the state of his main character, but  I believe my version expresses the idea he was trying to convey to his audience. In other words this greedy man's wealth had been gained for himself alone. He didn't consider others, and he didn't consider God. He had no intention of using what God had given him for anyone else.

Notice how Jesus' parable progresses. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Luke 12:20   God called the man a fool. "Tonight you are going to die and all of your money and possessions will be left for others." The idiom, "A fool and his money are soon parted" is an alarming theme in this parable. Jesus said, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21

 In the parable we see a wealthy man who died, losing everything, even his soul because he was not rich toward God.  It is interesting that Jesus was talking to a multitude of people who were mostly very poor. They were not rich by any sense of the word. Why do you suppose Jesus was telling them a story about a wealthy man's failure to give of his abundance to God? The point Jesus was making was that the amount of money or possessions you have has nothing to do with your ability to be rich toward God. It doesn't matter if we have ten dollars or a million dollars in the bank we are expected to be willing to offer every bit of it to God. Remember the little lady who only dropped a penny in the offering box. Jesus said she gave more than anyone because she had given all she had. She was definitely rich toward God. Being rich toward God is an attitude of the heart.

The rich man may say, "I am wealthy. I don't need for anything or anyone." The poor man may lament, "I have nothing. I am destined to live a hopeless, dreadful life." Neither of these individuals are depending on God's grace. When our emphasis is on what we have or don't have we will not manifest a richness toward God. There is something very pleasant about being able to say, "I am rich toward God!" Those who are rich toward God are the wealthiest people ever!

Prayers For a Child

When a child is terribly ill, or has a serious accident and is fighting for his life, even if we don’t know them or their family, we are moved with compassion. There is something about a child hurting that gets our attention. Our hearts go out to the mom and dad who undoubtedly fear the worst. Parents have a tough time watching their children suffer knowing that there is nothing they can do. They can’t put a bandaid on the problem and make the malady go away. That feeling of helplessness is just about the worst emotion that parents can have.

For a few months I have been following two situations exactly like what I have described. A baby girl, less than a year old, had a cancerous tumor. She has been very sick. This past week the tumor was removed, all of it. The last report I saw was that she recovered well and is doing much better. The other child is a ten year old boy who was hurt in a sledding accident. He had a serious brain injury, and they were not sure he would even make it. This young man has made great progress. He now is working to lean how to walk again and how to talk. Right now he is in a great facility where, hopefully, he will continue to recover. I’m sure the parents of these two children will agree that it has been the prayers of God’s people that has made the difference.

I don’t know these children or their families, but I have been praying for them. I’m sure many people like me have been praying also. If you are one of those people I would ask you to join me in praying for a young man at the church where I am a member. His name is Thomas. Thomas is 17. He has a kidney disease which has been under control for years. Last week at a regular office visit he was tested, and it was discovered that his kidney function is dangerously low. He will need to go on dialysis, and will need a kidney transplant. In a few weeks the search for a kidney will begin. Thomas’ dad is our pastor. Many people are already praying for Thomas, his mom and dad and his two younger brothers. Please pray for Thomas as he begins undergoing dialysis, which he will need every night while he sleeps, and pray that when the time comes a kidney match will be found. Thank you for praying for Thomas.

The Humanity of Jesus

Why had Jesus waited so long to go to Lazarus when he was sick? Why did he let him die? Lazarus, Mary and Martha were probably his closest friends. He could have healed Lazarus without even going back to Bethany where the two sisters and Lazarus lived. But he didn’t. By the time Jesus got there Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Don’t you know that Mary and Martha were very hurt because Jesus didn’t rush to them when he heard that Lazarus was gravely ill? Martha didn’t even bother to go to Jesus when he arrived. Both she and Mary questioned Jesus saying, “If you had gotten here earlier this would not have happened? “ I think these ladies were devastated because this man they loved so much had let them down.

All of this set up what was probably the most tender and moving encounter that Jesus experienced during his ministry. Martha had finally come out to where Jesus was. Those who had been at Martha’s house mourning with her came with her. The Bible says that Martha was crying. Those of us who have lost someone very close know how Martha must have felt as she saw this person who meant so much to her. When that dear person arrives we hug them and have a very emotional moment with them. The tears flow freely. Martha cried, not just a few tears, but more of an uncontrollable sobbing cry. Those with her were also crying. The Bible says as he saw all of this, “Jesus was deeply moved and troubled.” Jesus was hurting the way we hurt, the way we grieve, that visceral emotion that wells up inside of us when we ache for someone we love. And then Jesus couldn’t hold it in any longer, he wept. Jesus the man, Jesus who was God broke down and cried because he was deeply moved and was hurting badly for Mary and Martha.

Here we get to see the real humanity of Jesus up close and personal. In this scene we are led to an understanding of  how deeply hurt Jesus is when we hurt. We see how much he cares for us when we experience a great loss or when life is unkind to us. But we also see how Jesus feels when someone is lost and under the curse of sin. We see a beautiful snapshot of Jesus’ extreme love for this little family, these three siblings. We must realize that he loves each of us the same way. Jesus openly expressed his grief as a man that day because as God his love, and his grief for us is far greater than anyone can physically express. Jesus wants us to know how much he loves us, and he proved it on the cross. He died for every man and woman. He cares for and loves each of us  the same no matter who we are, or what we have done good or bad. Jesus wept for those two sisters, and he weeps for us too.

Where Is Jesus When You Need Him

Every day there are announcements that someone has gone to be with the Lord. People die somewhere in the world every few seconds, I guess. When a person dies there are those who are left to grieve. A link in the circle of love and fellowship has been broken, and we are sad. This was the case with two sisters, Mary and Martha, when their brother Lazarus died. Jesus had been summoned to come quickly while their brother lay gravely ill, but Jesus didn’t come. Finally, four days after Lazarus had died Jesus showed up. One of the sisters said to Jesus, “If you had only come my brother would be alive!” I guess she was a bit upset that he had not come when they asked him to come. As we know, Jesus brought his friend Lazarus back to life. But although Lazarus lived he was going to die again.

Have you ever felt like Jesus has let you down? Your prayer wasn’t answered. You were sick and in pain, and you felt Jesus didn’t come through for you in time. You asked for a job. You asked for help during a very tough time, but Jesus was not there for you. Maybe someone you loved very much died, and you had asked Jesus to heal them. But they died anyway. You cried out, “Jesus if you had only been here!”

You know what? Jesus is here! He has been here all along. He died, but he lives! He was buried, but he arose! Our friends and family members die, but if they knew Jesus, they will live. They will not die again like Lazarus. They are going to live forever, and we will too. Jesus arose from the grave because of the resurrection power. He has given us that same power if we trust in him. We have that eternal hope. Someday we will see our loved one again. But more importantly we will see Jesus.

I wish everyone a blessed Easter.