My Quiet Place

There was a special place I would go when I was a young boy. I spent many hours there by myself enjoying the solitude and peacefulness that it gave me. In the very back of our farm there was a small pond surrounded by woods. Just beyond the pond was a little knoll that gave me the perfect vantage point to sit and enjoy the beauty of this wonderful place. Large oak trees stood majestically providing shade on those hot summer days. The ground was covered with the thickest moss I have ever seen. It was like carpet. I loved lying there watching the squirrels play and pretending that I was whoever I wanted to be. I might have been a soldier fighting the enemy. The oak trees had dropped hundreds of huge acorns, or bombs in my mind, that I launched at the enemy battleships advancing across the pond toward the allied forces. The pin point accuracy of my acorn throwing gave the Americans the victory every time.

I really enjoyed being a child because I could escape from my simple but real worries of life and enjoy the life I found in my make believe world. I often talked to whomever I imagined to be the characters in this world I created. Don't laugh, everyone of you did the same thing. I would sing. I would shout. I might just make sounds that didn't mean a thing. I was having fun.

Thinking back on those times I realize that on occasion I talked to God. I believe that God loves the time he spends with children. I believe that it was in those quiet times in my special place that God was molding me, and preparing me for my future. I know I sensed God's presence many times in my quiet place--my get away from the noise and voices of the world place.  

Let me tell you, God still likes to listen to and talk to his children no matter what age they are. Our lives will be full of noise, running, hurrying, disappointments, probably even pain and heartache. We all need a special place where we can be alone with God, and tell him about our troubles. We need a quiet place where we meet God, thank him, praise him and allow him to provide us with strength, wisdom and love as we take on the problems of this world. As we meet daily with God he will give us the ammunition we need to defeat the enemy. Go to your quiet place where you will find hundreds of spiritual acorns that you can use to secure the victory in your life.

What God Does

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

The Heartbeat of Jesus

On the night just before he was arrested, Jesus was having his last meal with the disciples. Jesus already knew that before another evening arrived he would have died on the cross. He knew that one of the disciples would betray him. His heart was heavy as he announced to his group of followers what one of the them was about to do. Confused and bewildered, Peter motioned to John to ask Jesus which disciple would do this awful deed. John was beside Jesus or as some versions of the Bible say, he was leaning on the bosom of his Lord. If the latter was the case, John must have been close enough to hear the heartbeat of Jesus. How amazing it must have been to have heard the heartbeat of God! Is it even possible for a mere human to feel and know the heart of Jesus?

Actually we can feel the heart of Jesus. We can and should know his heart so that others can feel his heart through us. Before a person becomes a child of God the Bible says that they are children of wrath. We were born in sin, and until we are forgiven of that sin we are on the path to receive the wrath of God. God is holy and on the Day of Wrath his terrible and true justice will come down eternally hard on all those who have not received forgiveness and the redemption made possible by Christ who died on the cross to take God’s wrath that we deserve. When we give our lives to Jesus he gives us his life. We become one with him and we become children of God. We are assured eternal life in heaven, but more importantly our hearts are in tune with Jesus’ heart. We are no longer like the world. Our lives are no longer controlled by hate, anger, revenge and selfish desires. We love others and want others to know Jesus the same way we do.

Does your heart beat the same way Jesus’ heart beats?  As others watch you do they see Jesus? I hope there is no doubt about the kind of children we are, children of God or children of wrath. The Day of God’s wrath is coming, and that will be a terrible day for those who never received salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer.

What Color Will I Be in Heaven

A child randomly chooses a crayon from his Crayola box, and begins coloring a picture in his coloring book. It may be a picture of a fireman, a teacher, a soldier, a mommy or a daddy; it doesn't matter. Nor does it matter if he uses a red crayon or a green crayon to color the entire person. The child will be pleased regardless of the color, and his parents will praise him for doing a good job.

God decided before he created us what color we would be. He made some of us white, some of us dark skinned and the rest various shades in between. God knew what color would be best for us, just as he knew the best height, the perfect gender and all of the other physical characteristics he gave us. God knew exactly the person he wanted us to be. But he looked deeper than the color of our skin, our eyes, our hair or any of the physical traits that identifies us. He looked far inside of us, all the way into our souls, and he saw the real person that he created. He said, “This is good!”

God’s love for us is not determined by any of our physical characteristics. He loves us all the same. He loves a fat person just as much as he loves a skinny person, the poor as much as the rich, the black as much as the white. As we age, becoming more forgetful, less strong, more stooped, more wrinkled, and slower, God loves us the same as he did when we were young and more physically appealing. Unfortunately, we sometimes use a different criterion to judge each other. Today appearance is given too much importance in determining the worth of a person. Someone will decide, ‘I don't think I like you because you are too red, too green, have too many toes or have some other characteristic that makes you different from me.’  Where did we get the idea that if a person is not like us we can’t love them? We didn't get that idea from God. We just don’t love each other with the love of of the Father. God said that we must love everyone, even our enemies. God made us to look the way we look, and we should praise him for that.

The Bible tells us that one day after we die God is going to give us another body, a perfect body. That is exciting! I wonder if we will look the same way we do on earth? Will it matter? Are we to assume that we will be the same color in heaven that we are here on earth? I wonder what color I will be in heaven. Maybe everyone will be the same color. I believe we will recognize each other in heaven, but I think we will know each other by more than just our physical appearance because all of us will be perfect in every way as God made the first man and woman.  With these new bodies God gives us he may decide to randomly reach into his Crayola box of colors, pull out a color and color us with that crayon. And he will say, “I really like that!” My favorite color is blue. You know, I always thought blue would be a good color for me.

Psalm 139: 13-16

Her Last Christmas

From the time my mother was 56 years old until she died at age 87 she talked about dying. This started right after my dad died. He was only 54 years old. Mom mentioned dying mostly when our family got together for Christmas. She would say something like, “This may be my last Christmas.” It bothered us for a while, but finally my brother and I started making jokes when she brought it up. I remember Mike, my brother, telling her one Christmas, “Mom, we have decided what we are going to put on you tombstone when you die. We are going to put the inscription “See, I told you this would be my last Christmas!” I don’t think she liked it very much, but Mike and I got a big kick out of it. Well, our mother did die after a long, well lived life, but she missed our dad until her last breath.

To aggravate my daughters I will announce on the rare occasions that we are all together, “This may be my last...whatever the reason for our gathering might be.” The biggest problem I am having with the prospect of dying is what to do with my body. If I choose to be buried I don’t know where the site of my final resting place will be. There is no one left where I grew up that would care enough or be able to go to my grave. At the many other places I’ve lived not many people would remember me. I think I will probably die here in Wake Forest because I don’t plan on moving again. I guess the smartest thing to do is to be cremated. My ashes could be put in a jar and whoever ends up with them could scatter them somewhere at their convenience. I told My wife that if I go first I want my ashes scattered in my recliner because that’s where I’m most comfortable. I doubt if she would do that because of the mess it would make. She would have that vacuum out in a week.

I guess at the age of 70 I need to decide what I want to do. Who knows, this could be my last blog piece. I may not know what will happen with my physical tent, but I do know what will happen with my spirit at my death. I made arrangements for my end day on earth a long time ago. I’m prepared for heaven, but I continue to prepare to meet Jesus my Savior and judge. Yes, we need to be ready to meet him as obedient children; followers who have worked to become more and more like him each day; devoted disciples who spend time in prayer and time praising him and worshiping him as the sacrificial Lamb of God; students of the scriptures which will lead us along the path of righteousness. Jesus knows my heart, and when I meet him I don’t want to be found lacking in any way. None of us knows—tonight may be our last night on this earth.

The Bible Says

Last Friday Sherri and I took our friends to Charlotte to visit the Billy Graham Library. As we walked from exhibit to exhibit we saw several short videos about Dr. Graham’s life. One was a series of video clips of him being interviewed by unbelieving talk show hosts. He was asked his view about premarital sex by one of them. Billy Graham said that the Bible says that sex before marriage is a sin. He went on to explain that God’s design for marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that this is the only place where sex is permitted. This host was confused and made a joke about what Dr. Graham had told him. But Dr. Graham, in each of these interviews, graciously and boldly, shared his faith in God and proclaimed the truth of God’s Holy word.

I have heard Dr. Graham speak several times either in person or on television, and every time his messages were prefaced by the statement, “The Bible says…”. I never heard him preach anything but the sound principles found in the Bible. What an example he was for all Christians!

In a day where anything goes Christians must stand for the truths found in the Bible, all of it. We cannot pick and choose what fits the sinful desires of our heart. The Bible says that we are to abstain from all sexual impurity. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from all sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his body in holiness and honor.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.

The command to abstain from all sexual immorality is a strong phrase. In this passage the word immorality comes from the Greek word “pornonia”. Our word poronographic comes from this word. God is saying that when a person habitually uses his body for any kind of sexual behavior outside of his design for marriage their  lives are a harbinger for pornography, the same as when someone fills their minds with all kinds of filthy smut.

This is God’s command. These are not Paul’s words, his ideas, or something that he concocted. God is clear throughout the Bible that any sexual behavior that takes place apart from the holy union of a man and a woman is grossly immoral. We must obey God’s commands, and like Dr. Graham, speak out against any kind of behavior which defiles God’s plan for marriage, and I might add, the sanctity of life. One way we can do this is on Election Day. Our votes can strongly speak against the evils which are destroying our nation, and every Christian should go to the polls and vote.

Pleasing God

The late Adrian Rogers said, “If you please God it doesn’t matter who you displease. But if you displease God it doesn’t matter who you please.” If I were to ask those who truly believe in God if they think it is important to please God almost 100 percent would agree that it is very important. But how many would go so far as to please others at the risk of being disobedient to God’s commands? How about a professing believer in Christ? How often does a Christian go along with the crowd when he knows in his heart that following the crowd is contrary to following Jesus? Look at our world today. Watch those who say they are followers of Christ, and consider if it is their goal to please God or is it their purpose to please the world.

God, Our Source

Our God is All in All! He is everything we need. He is the source for every good gift and every perfect gift. If we want peace we do not seek peace for the sake of having peace. If we want joy we do not seek joy for the sake of joy. If we want strength we do not seek strength for the sake of being strong. No, first and foremost we seek God, desire God, long for God with all our hearts, our minds and our souls. Then peace will be ours; joy will be ours; we will be made strong. 

Peace, joy, strength, and any other blessing we want cannot be the object of our desires. They cannot become the object of our yearnings. We must not pray, “Give me more joy Lord.” We should pray, “Give me more of you, Lord, so that I will live with a heart filled with joy to glorify you.”

Satisfying Our Thirst

In the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a crew of sailors set sail and for a while experience smooth sailing. Eventually a storm drives the ship south until they reach the Antarctic waters where they become stuck in the ice. Then an albatross appears and leads them out of the icy sea only to be shot and killed by one of the sailors. A south wind blows the ship northward near the equator. The wind suddenly ceases to blow and the ship remains stationary for days. This proves to be worse than being stuck in the ice because of the unbearable heat which causes them extreme thirst. Thus the familiar line, “Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.”

I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have water to drink. Water has always been available to me. When I was a boy well water was kept in a bucket in the kitchen. If  someone wanted a drink of water they would take an or metal dipper that hung on the side of the bucket and dip out some water. Everyone drank from the same dipper. I still have that old dipper, but of course now we get our water from the tap or get a bottle of water to quench our thirst. Unquenched thirst must be a terrible thing. A person can’t live very long without water. If we don’t drink water we become dehydrated and die.

Jesus told a Samaritan woman who had come to a well in the center of town to draw water, this very thing. He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks the water that I give will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman asked Jesus to give her the water he was talking about so she wouldn’t have to come to the well everyday to draw water. She hadn’t quite caught on to what Jesus was telling her. But Jesus told  her about a different kind of thirst, a spiritual thirst. It was the knowledge of her sin that necessitated her need for the “living water” that only Jesus provided. The woman and all mankind must realize their sin before they know the kind of thirst that makes them desire living water. Once we repent and ask Jesus to forgive us we will receive an abundant spring of living water that assures us eternal life. We rejoice when one comes and drinks from the the well of living water.

Don’t Miss the Boat

After having eaten lunch and reclining in my recliner I find that napping comes easy. One afternoon while taking one of my visits to the land of slumber I was suddenly awakened by the sound of what I thought was a trumpet. That long high pitched blast startled me causing these old feet of mine to hit the floor as would a soldiers responding to reveillry. I was alone at the time so I rushed to the window to see if I could locate from where the sound had come. I saw no one anywhere around. My first thought was, ‘has the rapture occurred and have I been left behind?’ Finally, after mentally recovering from my nap I realized that I had heard the last wail of the monthly testing of the tornado warning system. I was so relieved because I was sure I would not be left behind at the rapture.

The brief panic I felt is what many will experience when Jesus does return to rapture his church. At that movement there will be no confusion as to what has happened. The whole earth will know immediately that the King of kings and the Lord of lords has returned. Rejoicing of the saints and angels will reverberate throughout the heavens. But on earth cries of anguish, fear and sadness will sweep over every nation. In heaven happy reunions will occur as families and friends join to worship the One who the world rejected. But on earth those who have truly been left behind will long to see the ones who will never return. The riches of a heavenly home will become the eternal reward for those who belong to Jesus. For those remaining on a cursed, sinful world their treasures and their once valued possessions will do little to restore the happiness once enjoyed. For the children of God they will forever be with He who loves them most. For the children of Satan they will forever be with the one who knows no love.

The sound of the angels final trumpet will sound one day. Jesus will return to establish his kingdom and to bring judgement on the earth's inhabitants. That day will affect every one of us. I pray that everyone will be ready when that day comes.

The first prophetic words that Israel heard from the prophet Malachi are, "I have loved you", says the Lord. God loved them despite the many offenses for which Malachi indicts them. Israel had broken their covenant with God by bringing blind, lame and diseased animals to sacrifice on the altar. The priests had no reverence for God and had caused many of the people to stumble because of their false teachings. Malachi accuses Judah because they have married women who worship foreign Gods. Men have been unfaithful to the wife of their youth. The nation was guilty of not bringing their whole tithe into the storehouse. In summary Malachi says, “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:5.  Despite the unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah God still let them know that he loved them.

God loves everyone even when we have sinned. He never stops loving us. There is so much about God that I do not understand.  He is so great that his ways are beyond our understanding. He is sovereign, but I cannot grasp the magnitude of what that really means.  God does or allows many rhings that by man’s reasoning are deemed unfair. I will never understand why bad things happen to those whom we consider to be good people. I don’t understand why God’s judgement for the cruel things that people do is slow in coming or apparently never comes at all.  By faith I have to believe that God is in control and that his love is beyond what we deserve no matter what happens in this world. He is God. Because he is God we should hold to the standard that he has set for us by living in a way that honors him.

A Peashooter Defense

Our basketball team traveled to a little town in Cumberland County Kentucky back in 1966. Our opponent’s gym was like many in that day. It was very small, but it had one unusual architectural difference from any I had ever seen. There was a balcony that hung out over the sideline of the floor thus preventing a high arching pass from the person inbounding the ball. But there was another function and perhaps advantage that the balcony provided for the home team. A few student fans from their perch above the floor brandished their peashooters and pelted the visiting players with whatever ammunition they could fire. On the night we played there the fan’s efforts were for naught as we won the game.

I thought about that night, over 50 years ago, as I was reading Psalm 2 this morning. “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed...”

The psalmist’s tells us how God reacts, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath.”

We watch those who rage and test God with their arrogant life styles. They completely ignore God. They make fun of those who God has called to speak the good news of his loving grace. People totally view the warnings of God’s anger and wrath toward sin as nothing but fantasy. They bring their peashooter idealism to shoot down the claims found in God’s holy word. Their defense is like spitting into the roaring winds of hurricanes Michael and Florence. Why is it that nations and people reject so great of a refuge from a loving God when the rage of Satan is leading them to eternal damnation? It is because they love their sin too much to change. Their defense is weak, and their defeat against the Almighty God is futile.

Something We Can Do

Two days ago here in Wake Forest the high humidity made being outside very uncomfortable. Although the temps were in the seventies it felt more like the eighties which is what we had been experiencing most of the month. Tropical storm Michael was on our doorstep. It had been less than a month when we were visited by tropical storm Florence. Neither storm caused any damage at my house, except for one broken flower pot the blew over and broke. But in other areas of Wake County and surrounding communities there was quite a bit of damage from wind and flooding. But that was nothing compared to what was experienced in Panama City this week, and what Florence did to the coastal towns of the Carolinas which are just a short drive from us.

Thousands of people are hurting today because of these two violent storms. Many of them will be displaced for months, possibly years. Much of what they lost will never be recovered. I can’t even begin to imagine what those so tragically affected by these storms are experiencing. Praying for them is certainly something we can do for them. But can we do anything else? Churches of all denominations have banded together from our area and have collected  much needed items for those in a town east of Wake County. Today volunteers are going to Elizabethtown North Carolina to help clean, and rebuild what they can. I feel a kinship with that town because I lived in Elizabethtown Kentucky for many years.

Wherever you live you can help those suffering due to the damage done by Florence and Michael. Do and give what you can. And yes, pray every day for the ones who have lost so much. Also pray for the wonderful people who are on the ground in these areas affected by the hurricanes working to provide comfort and encouragement however they can.

“Chick fil a” Is Closing Today

History does repeat itself. One early morning in 1988 at a Cracker Barrel the first personal historic event occurred, and on October 10, 2018, 30 years later in a time much less forgiving, this unfortunate faux pas happened for the second time, but at a “Chick fil a”. Sherri and I had stopped by a “Chick fil a” near our church before choir practice this past Wednesday evening to grab a bite. I thought it unusual that the restaurant was not crowded. We had no problem getting a table. After we had finished eating Sherri got up and went to the restroom, and I cleaned off our table. For once we were not rushed and had plenty of time to get to choir practice so I decided that I might as well go to the restroom myself. Now here is where the historic event of my life played its ugly tune again.

I think we had eaten at this particular  “Chick fil a” only one other time. Anyway, I had never gone into the restroom there. Sherri and I have eaten in “Chick fil a’s” all over the country; from Wake Forest to California, from Ohio to Florida, up and down the east coast and all over New England, and I can assure you that the men’s restroom in everyone of those restaurants has always been on the left. Wednesday night I made my way toward the area where the men’s and women’s restrooms were located, turned left and walked into what I thought was the men's restroom. I will admit that it looked different, but thought nothing of it. The difference was that the only place to use the restroom was in one of two stalls, the third one was occupied. I did think it was neat that there were three stalls in a men's restroom instead of just one.

While I was in my stall I coughed a couple of times. When I finished I flushed the toilet, opened my door and walked out to see Sherri standing in front of the door going back out into the restaurant. You can imagine how surprised I was to see my wife standing in the men’s restroom. “What are you doing in here!” I questioned in my most shocked voice. “This is the women’s restroom! I knew that you were in here when I heard you cough. I’m standing here to head off any woman who might try to come in.” Thank goodness that Sherri was the one in that other stall! This mistake could have gone terribly bad especially in these times.

History repeating itself? I did the same thing at a Cracker Barrel 30 years ago. Sherri wasn’t with me that day, but I did manage to get out undetected despite the fact that on that morning I was flanked by a woman in the stalls on both sides of me. I don’t have time to tell about that experience. In my defense concerning the mistake I made Wednesday night, the men’s restroom at “Chick fil a” is always on the left.  

I am not the reason that this “Chick fil a” is closing today, although I’m thinking that many men who frequently eat at the thousands of normal “ Chick fil a’s” all over the country have done the same thing I did when eating at this one in Raleigh. They are closing for a month to remodel their facility. I sure do hope they put the men’s john on the left where it belongs.

Being Light

Our church is the result of a larger church deciding to establish or plant a church in Raleigh. We have been a church for almost fifteen years. A few years ago our elders began praying about the possibility of planting a church somewhere that the gospel of Jesus Christ really needs to be proclaimed.. We are relatively new to our church so I am not sure how long it has been since this vision began to take shape. But this past summer we, a local church body, commissioned and sent five couples and their families to a town outside of Denver Colorado. Our youth minister, his wife and children, and four other families, gave up their jobs, sold their houses, said goodbye to  their friends and family and moved to Colorado.

We get reports on what is happening as this small group of Christians have begun to live life for Jesus by making new friends, being good neighbors, becoming involved in the schools their children attend, and just showing the light of Jesus Christ in this very dark place where they have settled. From what I have learned it appears that they have been successful in being accepted in the neighborhoods where they live. Let me share the last email that I received concerning an experience that one couple had.

One of the group gave a reason why God led them to the place they live. He or she said, “I just had coffee for 3 hours with 3 people from my neighborhood. I listened to story after story of bad marriages, miscarriage, divorce, abuse, suicide, job dissatisfaction, joblessness, and alcoholism. I heard gossip about neighbors hating other neighbors, Facebook drama, and bored spouses. All is not well in the hood. Peel back the layers of nice homes and pretty views of the mountains and you see - this place desperately needs Christ."  Andy, the one who is the leader of the group, said that this was a reminder and confirmation of the ministry that God has for them there.

I liked the conclusion given by the person who made this visit about peeling back the layers of nice homes and pretty Mountain Views. All is not well underneath the false facade of materialism. Reading this I concluded that this Denver bedroom community is not the only place that is experiencing the darkness of sin. Despite the fact that churches abound where I live and perhaps where you live, hidden behind the walls in every neighborhood are people without Jesus who are not happy, not satisfied, struggling to keep marriages alive, dealing with addictions and pain, and dread the new day which awaits them. As this visitor said, “This place needs Jesus.”

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We may not be called to move across the country like these people from our church, but if we know Jesus we are called to be the light to those living around us. We are called to let others know that Jesus will give them more than nice houses and cars, exotic trips, and a extravagant lifestyle. Jesus can give them eternal life and joy and peace in this world. We need to be the light of Jesus to the world in which we live. .

Too Much Bad Press

I rarely watch the news. About the only time I catch a news tidbit is when I’m waiting to see the weather. Recently I heard a story about a bank robbery in a town in California. Can someone explain why I need to know about that incident when I live in North Carolina?  I guess the newsworthy information was slow in coming that day,. Apparently, they need to search all over the country for news to fill up their three hour time slot. If you ask me, I know you didn’t, but there is entirely too much news presented today.

I didn’t even mention the twenty four hour news stations. Given a person's political leaning there is a news station for you. If you lean to the left you have your news station. If you lean to the right you also have a station. Both report misleading news stories, according to the opposition. Both are harsh, unforgiving, unrelenting in their attacks, and most of the time embellish the smut they report about something an opponent did or said. One thing in which they are very successful in doing is firing up the hate and animosity of those who vehemently disagree with them. They desire more than anything for the leaders of the opposing side to do anything that even hints of being scandalous.

Well, let me report some news reporting guidelines which were  written long ago. “Be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate, and humble. Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing...Who is going to harm you if you do good? But even if you should suffer for for what is right, you are blessed...But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience…” I Peter 3:8-9, 14-16 I know, the media will not report things about Jesus. But what Peter wrote should be considered by every Christian who chooses to react to what they hear on the news.

These words of advice were given to followers of Jesus Christ. Peter was telling them the way they should live to be Christ-like. Today insult is repaid with insult. Love is not demonstrated, nor is compassion. Often it is Christians doing harm to Christians, Those claiming to follow Christ are not gentle toward those who disagree with them. They have no respect for those who oppose them. Being Christ-like means that we will behave like Jesus. Remember a few years ago when the popular question was, “What would Jesus do”? If Jesus had a social media account, what kinds of things would he post? Would his purpose be to post or repost items that would arouse anger and build hate in another? Would his goal be to fire up the rage within others and do everything he could to make the division in our nation wider? I see professing Christians and even Christian leaders posting things that they know will upset others. There is no excuse for this. As followers of Christ we are to promote peace and love. We must be like Christ if we truly follow him.

Sweet Sounds

A mother is able to hear her baby in the night not only when it cries, but she is also keen to any other sound it might make. She knows those playful sounds, and the sounds of distress. She can tell if a diaper needs to be changed, or if it is feeding time. As the baby grows into a toddler a mother hears the sound of silence and rushes to see what kind of mischief her child is into. She hears that teen when he comes in at night way past curfew no matter how quiet he may be, but she is just relieved that he is home, that he is safe. The loving ears of a mother learns the sounds of heartache as her child matures. She hears with her heart when a son or daughter is hurting due to the betrayal of a friend, or when her child was not chosen for a part in the play, or a spot on the team. She hears the sound of disappointment because of rejection, and she hurts as much as her child.

Isn’t it amazing how great a mother’s love is for her child; amazing how sensitive the hearing of her heart. That keen sensitivity is given to her by God. He blessed all mothers with that gift, even an animal mother. Only God’s heart is more loving, more sensitive  and more forgiving than a mother’s heart. “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound…” is the song that touches the most hardened heart. The sound of God’s forgiving heart is the sweetest sound in our wicked world. God says to each of us, no matter what we have done, as he said to the sinful people of Israel and Judah, “I have always loved you, so I continue to show you my constant Love.”

There are people everywhere who think that their sin is greater than God’s love. That is a lie. Nothing we do can cause God to stop loving us. Listen, be still and hear the loving Father, our God, as he speaks to you, as he spoke to Israel and Judah who had sinned and had forsaken him, “I will be your God and you will be my people...because you will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive your sins, and I will no longer remember your wrongs.”

Do you hear that sound of the Heavenly Father’s amazing love? This is his amazing grace, that sweetest sound, that saves us from our sins if we will just ask him to forgive us as we believe in his Son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture reference: Jeremiah 31

The Ultimate Vacation

I enjoy looking at vacation pictures. Spring break, fall break and summer vacations are the best times to display those wonderful experiences with family and friends. Anticipating the trips we take is exciting because we plan what we want to do, and what we want to see when we get to where we are going. Maybe we go to the same place every year or perhaps we travel to places we have never been. I like to go to new places where I can have new experiences, and see things I’ve read about, things I’ve never seen. Usually our vacations provide experiences we don’t  plan on having and don’t want to have. I guess no vacation is perfect.

If you are planning on going to heaven you won’t have to worry about anything going wrong. Heaven will be the last trip you will ever take. This will be one trip where you won’t have to make reservations, and you won’t have to pack your luggage or take any money. You won’t have to check your calendar to figure out what will best work with your schedules. There will be no need for an itinerary because everything will have already been planned out for you. All you will have to do is enjoy what is awaiting you.

I’m sure everyone has an idea about what you think you are going to do in heaven, and what you think will be the best part about this wonderful place. Looking at heaven from our human perspective, which is natural,  we probably are anticipating experiences that are mostly about our specific desires. I am excited about not having to wear an insulin pump every moment of my life. I am looking forward to not having pain, being able to see clearly, running again, seeing friends and family that have preceded me, and taking in all of the beautiful scenery of a perfect world. You most likely have similar expectations about going to heaven.

These selfish desires we have will not be even close to the greatest part about heaven. Seeing our mom and dad will not be the thing that will satisfy us or excite us the most. Seeing and being in the presence of Jesus is the experience that will capture our undivided attention and please us the most. Immediately we will fall on our knees and worship him. For the first time we will be able to see him in all of his holiness, and all of his majesty, the one who is our Almighty God.

Even now we can prepare ourselves for the day we first see Jesus. If Jesus is our Lord and Savior we should be spending time with him right now. Our daily goal should be to be like him. We should strive to be holy. Peter says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” 1  Peter 3:15 As we grow in Christ day by day our anticipation of heaven will swell within our hearts. We will not fear death, but actually look forward to the day of our departure because we will finally see, face to face, Jesus, the one who gave his life for us.

When the Church Gathers

Today is Sunday. Some call it the Lord's Day. Many will go to a building they call church, but the Church is actually Christians who have been scattered about all week and are meeting together in one place to worship God. That’s supposed to be why they come together. Have you thought about why this has been the practice of Christians for ages? God commanded the people to love him with all there heart, mind and soul. He said that his followers are to bow down to and worship no other God. His inspired word tells Christians that they are not to forsake the gathering of the saints. That’s right, if you are a Christian you are a saint! I know, a lot of us don’t act like it.

When the local body of saints gather the number one reason for their coming together should be to focus on God and worship him. A few actually do this. Some show up to get their hour of obedience in. Some come to see their friends, you know just for the fellowship. There are those who come angry looking for a fight. There are those who always show up because they have an important position of authority. They have to keep everyone in religious order. Some are gathering with the saints because they want to show off their lovely attire, their stunning figure, and their fabulous talent. There are many wrong reasons why people go to church.

Some of the saints have stopped coming because they have been hurt, are disgusted, don’t like the pastor or someone else that goes there, and may simply want to sleep in, or they have other activities they want to do.

But what about God our Father? Have we forgotten him? Has he become an afterthought for when the church gathers? What does God want us to do when the church gathers? Does he give us an absentee slip saying we are excused? Far be it from me to judge anyone, because I stopped going to church once myself. I wonder, how would we be affected is we the church gathered each Sunday with our minds totally fixed on Almighty God and we worshipped him in spirit and in truth forgetting all of the things that might interfere with our true worship?

Creating Sensless Mountains

Jesus said that if a person has the faith the size of a mustard seed and not doubt he can tell a mountain to move into the sea and it will happen. I’m not sure I know anyone that has done this, but I do have an idea how getting rid of a mountain can be accomplished. Actually, I think mountain moving is done by many of us every day. Let me point out that  I don’t know if my theory is exactly a theological fact, but I do think it makes sense if we understand what a mountain is.

Very often I find myself getting upset when my life seems to unravel, or when I overreact to something that suddenly goes wrong. In those occasions I construct my own mountains. In other words I make a mountain out of a molehill. Many mountains are created from small molehills. I have dealt with individuals in churches who are very good at building the tallest, ugliest mountain I’ve ever seen. This happens in every work place, and if you pay attention it happens on the political trails, especially during the campaign. The political mountains seem to never stop growing because they branch out into our lives. They spur us on to take a particular molehill and fashion our own mountain. People all over our nation over react to harsh statements made, lies told, and political jargon spun to discredit an opponent. Mountain chains as big and as long as the Rockies have been created.

Yesterday I had a series of insignificant things to go wrong, one after the other. I couldn’t get my outside electrical outlets to work. I spilled a cup of coffee, which I do often.  I lost something. It was one of those mornings when I thought, “Why do these things happen to me?” It wasn’t long that the spilled coffee was cleaned up. I got the outlets working. I found the thing I had misplaced, and there were a couple of other little aggravations that were remedied. Suddenly all was right with the world. Taking a moment to sit down and take a deep breath I realized how foolish I had been to make four or five mountains out of those molehills. I asked God to forgive me. Then I thought of that verse, “Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.” Matthew 21:21

We need to stop constructing our own mountains, and put our trust in Jesus. We need to be ready when life creates those really big mountains, those mountains that frighten us and we don’t think we can climb over them. Even the ones we didn’t build out of molehills can be moved if our faith is in Jesus. Don’t cry over spilled milk (or coffee). Count to ten. Take a deep breath and stomp those molehills before they become mountains. Life is too short create mountains out of insignificant events.

The Migration of Old People

Our next door neighbor is Liz. Liz is a concert pianist from New York City. Her friend Cheryl and her mother live directly behind us and Cheryl is also from New York. Two houses up from Cheryl is Robert and his wife who are from New Jersey, and a couple two houses up from us, who will be moving in any day, are from upper New York.  Our other next door neighbors are Fran and Mike from Houston, Texas, and across the street are Mike and Jerry. Mike is a woman. They moved here from Georgia. Next door to them are Mercy and Bob who just moved in on Monday from Florida. Tom and his wife, who live four houses up the street, came from Phoenix, Arizona, and across the street from them are Gigi and Bill from Michigan. A couple behind us are from Oklahoma.

All of these people are seniors like us. Most of them have moved here in the last six months. Most are retired. None of them are from North Carolina. We moved in a little over two months ago. I’ve met a few others, and all of those people are from somewhere else.  I don’t know much about any of my neighbors. Gigi and Bill have been here at least a year. Gigi seems to know more about what is going on around here than any one. She’s a pretty lively little woman who has lots of advice to give. Her husband, Bill, is friendly, but he will be the first to let you know when something in the subdivision goes wrong.

I hope I get to know these people better. It will take time. Three of four of them are very old like me so I’m not sure how much time there will be. I would guess that all of my neighbors are at least in their sixties to early seventies, and some are pushing eighty or more. We are in the winter season of our lives. I wonder how many of these people know Jesus. I’m guessing, and I may be wrong, that there are several who are not ready to meet him. I think that

Sherri and I have moved to a mission field. This past Tuesday we began hosting a small group from our church. We have started with  twelve members who all live close to us. The scripture is discussed and we do a lot of praying. Hopefully, in the next few months Sherri and I can start something like this with our neighbors. I’m sure some of them need to know about Jesus. Maybe our newest neighbor, Mercy, would be a good one to start with.

Be Still

We live in a noisy world. There is honking, loud trucks, sirens in the distance, hammering, blaring music, construction workers yelling, whistling and singing throughout the day as houses are being built all around us. For some the television goes on first thing in the morning and stays on all day. Or music constantly reverberates until the walls shake. Even in our cars the radio competes with the sounds of the outside as we speed by. Our work places each have their own unique unpleasant noises. Finally at night when our heads hit the pillow there may still be the constant noise of a fan humming. Are we addicted to noise?

I get tired of the hateful noises in our world. So much arguing, yelling, blaming, accusing, backstabbing, and violence that bombards us and serves only to make us angry, fearful and perhaps even desensitizes us. I think if I were God I would periodically yell out for all to hear, “Just shut up!” But I know, obviously, that is not God's way. Rather he simply says in his word, “Be still and know that I am God.”

I enjoy getting up early while it is still dark so that I can go outside and sit on my porch before all the noise begins. The only noises I hear are the birds waking up, a crow singing in the distance and my water fountain bubbling gently on the patio. It is my time to be still, to prepare for a new day, to be thankful, to count my blessings, to speak to my father, to listen to him speak to me, and to know that he is God. Be still my friends, and know that he is God.

The Log in the Hall

One night Henry Ford and two or three men he had hired cut down a tree. Mr. Ford had the men to trim all of the limbs off of it,  and carry the large log to the building where his offices were located. The men were instructed to place the log in a hallway on the bottom floor of the building. The next morning when Henry’s employees arrived to work they began asking each other why the log was in the hallway. No one knew, so they carefully walked around the log all day figuring there was some good reason that a log had been placed in the hall.

The next morning the log was still in the hallway, and the next, and the next. In fact, the log remained in that hall all the next week and the next and still no one knew why the log was there, who put it there, or how long it would be there. Finally a young man, a new hire, decided he was going to find out the purpose for a log in the hall. Knowing that no one on his floor had any answers, he went up to the next floor and found the head supervisor, “Why is there a log in the hallway on our floor?” The supervisor said, “ I don’t know. It’s not my problem.” The young man went to the next floor, and the next, and the next and to all the floors until there was only one floor left. He had gotten pretty much the same reply from everyone he had asked, “Don’t know, don’t care. Not my department, not my problem!”

The top floor was the floor where Mr. Henry Ford’s office was located. He and just a few of his most important people were on that floor. The young man was determined to get an answer about the mysterious log in the hallway. He reluctantly and a bit fearfully made his way up to the top and asked to speak to Mr. Ford about the log. He didn’t know if Mr. Ford would see him, but to his surprise he was told to go right in. “Mr. Ford, I know that I am probably out of line. I am only an assistant to an assistant and have only been working here a few weeks, but sir, do you know why we have a log taking up room in our hallway on the bottom floor?”

Mr. Ford gladly answered, “Yes, I had the log put there to see how long it would take for someone to come to me about the log that has been in the way. The log has been there for over three weeks, and you are the only one that has tried to get to the bottom of this obstical in your hallway. I have been concerned about all of the bureaucratic mess and red tape in our organization, and I’m looking for someone to fix the problem.  I have been waiting for the person who was insightful enough to go all the way to the top to take care of the tree in the hall problem. That is the person I want to fix our organizational troubles. You, young man, will be promoted to vice-president, and I want you to fix the log jam that is slowing down our organization.”

I don’t know if this is a true story. I do know from trying to get answers about tax issues, cable TV, internet and cell phone problems, billing mistakes made by the different places where I’ve banked, gotten medical care, made returns on items we have purchased, and many other business problems, employees want to avoid helping me. I’ve been placed on hold, gotten someone I can’t understand, rerouted to the wrong department, rerouted back to another person I can’t understand, placed on hold again and become so frustrated that I lose my cool after having wasted an hour still not getting my problem solved. AT&T has been the worst lately. I like to talk to someone who will willingly and gladly help me with my problem. But unfortunately that is very rare.

Divide

Separate, split, sever, disconnect, disjoint, these are a few synonyms for Divide. Tear apart would be another. Have you ever torn something apart? Perhaps out of frustration or anger you have ripped something to pieces. Very often when two things are divided, or torn apart the reason is frustration, anger, hate, a lack of trust. When this happens a number of different reactions emerge.

The events of the last few days have served to divide our nation even more. Just like other things that have driven the wedge further and further between our two political factions this current situation has brought forth more hate, more anger and revealed more unhealthy reactions that are serving to make the hope of reconciliation and healing in our nation seem almost impossible. I don’t know how most of you are reacting, but I do see on social media how many are reacting. I have come to the place in the social media road where I don’t even want to turn it on. This is all I am going to write about this terrible point in the history of our country.

My reaction...Sadness.