Silence After theStorm

Silence can be peaceful. Since retirement I have been able to enjoy the stillness of the early morning. All I hear is the steady ticking of the mantle clock and its hourly chime. The silence welcomes me to a place where I can meet God and talk to him. Silence is peaceful. Silence is a good friend. Silence is conducive to prayer. “Be still and know that I am God,” the Bible says. In the quiet moments of knowing He is God, He speaks giving thoughts and encouragement for the day. My time with Him is filled with inspiration just for me and also plenty to share with others. It is only when my heart is still that true silence visits. The still quiet heart is the threshold to the Lord’s presence. That quiet place is where all the wrongs are made right and the raging storms are tamed. If you listen you might hear, or at least sense, that calming voice speak His stern command, “Peace be still.” Yes, silence can be very peaceful and comforting! Very peaceful!

Away From Home at Christmas

One of the popular Christmas songs that we enjoy at this time of the year is "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Christmas is the only time of the year that some people make it home to be with family. Something very important would be missing if they were not able to spend time with their loved ones during Christmas. Every Christmas there are families who will be spending their first Christmas without a member of the family who has died since the last Christmas. For these families Christmas may be very sad. Yet, they can find peace in knowing that if that departed family member knew Jesus he or she is in heaven.

Jesus was born so that your loved one could go there. That is why we sing of joy and peace. As I consider all that happens during this time of the year I am impressed by the fact that there will be many people who will not be with their families this year. Because of their absence from family they may have a difficult time enjoying Christmas.

There are specifically two groups of people that I want to mention who will be away from home this year, soldiers and missionaries. They are far away in other lands, some defending our country and others sharing the gospel with those who have never heard of Jesus. For many of these dedicated people the living conditions are not very good. Some are putting their lives on the line. Some are in danger of persecution. These are brave people who have dedicated their lives to a great cause. They will not be home for Christmas.

Being away from home is biblical. On the first Christmas the shepherds were out in the field. Mary and Joseph were away from home in a town called Bethlehem. The wise men were traveling from the east on their way to see Jesus. And most importantly, Jesus had left his heavenly home of glory to come to a world of sin so that you and I might be freed from sin and have eternal life.

It is not easy being far from home, especially at Christmas. Let me encourage you to pray for our soldiers and missionaries. I have some friends and acquaintances who are missionaries. Jenny is in China. Tracey, Paul and their three children are in Italy. Michael, Angela and their three children are in Georgia which is a former state of Soviet Russia. Tim, Jennifer and their three children are in Peru. There are many more that I am sure you know. Pray for these missionaries and those in the military who are away from home this Christmas. Ask God to fill them with his presence and encourage them during this Christmas while they are away from their families.

God’s A Group

Going into the eighth grade after a terrible year in the seventh grade was going to be like a breath of fresh air. Changing classes, getting to have class with my best friends, and getting away from a teacher who didn’t seem to like me, and who told me I would never amount to anything was going to make my eighth grade year much more enjoyable. I had not done well scholastically in the seventh grade. I knew I had to do better, and with a new start with new teachers, and being with my friends there was no doubt that I would.

I was excited to get to school on my first day as an eighth grade student. My home room teacher was Miss Moore. I knew I would like her. When I got to her room I quickly noticed that I was the first one of my gang of friends to arrive. I sat down and watched as more students entered the room. The room was filling up and none of my friends had appeared. Not a one of them showed up. It wasn’t long before the principal came in to explain the “new system” for the eighth grade. He said that eighth students were place into three groups. The homeroom for the A group was for those students who had the best grades from their previous years. My homeroom was the B group. We were the students who had average grades over the past few years. Then there was the C group which had not done very well scholastically and would need to move at a slower pace.

I was certainly glad I wasn’t placed in the C group. But I was very disappointed that I wasn’t in the A group with my best friends, especially when I learned that the students in my homeroom would be in every class together. This meant that I would spend another year not having class with my friends. However, there was hope. The principal said that if any of us in the B homeroom could bring our average up to the average of those in the A homeroom we could begin going to class with that group. This was like holding a big juicy steak in front of a hungry dog. I wanted that steak, and I was going to get it!

I worked very hard and after two grading periods I had raised my grade average enough that I was allowed to go to class with the A group. I remained in the B homeroom, but for the rest of that year I attended class with my friends. That made me happy, but the best thing about all of this was that I had achieved my goal, and I had proved my old seventh grade teacher wrong. Maybe I would amount to something someday.

To be left out is one of the biggest disappointment anyone can have. Being left out breaks our hearts. Everyone wants to be included in the good things of life. We want to be able to live life to the fullest. Most people don’t understand what living life to the full is. No one needs to be left out when it come to achieving a life filled with joy, happiness, peace, hope and security. Everyone of us can have this kind of life, and it is free. We get this life from Jesus Christ. The Bible says that “he loves us, and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6

We don’t need to be left out of God’s A group. If we believe that Jesus died on a cross as the perfect sacrifice to save us from our sins, that he arose from the grave, and lives as King over all the earth we can have eternal life in heaven. Trusting in Jesus Christ as you personal Savior will assure you that you will not be left out when this life is over. There has never been disappointment like the tragic disappointment that will come from being left out of God’s A group. God loves every person, and he sent Jesus to earth on Christmas Day so that anyone who believes might not perish but have eternal life. Accept Jesus today.

The Submissive Lamb

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

This verse is talking about Jesus; the same Jesus who is God. Why did Jesus allow himself to be oppressed and afflicted? Why was he silent? Why did he allow weak humans whom he created do such horrible things to him?

Jesus was willing to relent and submit to the wickedness of sinful man so that he could save man from this sin which was destroying the world and every human. The only way man could be saved was for a humble Savior to become that sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus had to die for this to happen. So he did not offer any defense for the false accusations made against him. Even as he was being beaten and mocked he remained silent. He willingly made his way to the cross where he would take the punishment for our sins. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Sinless, innocent God the Son, paid that terrible price to redeem us from all our sin.

Why? Why did Jesus allow himself to become the sacrificial Lamb. Because he loves us! That sacrifice began when Jesus came to us as a human baby on Christmas Day. He left his throne in heaven to become Immanuel, which means God with us. He became the most humble being of all humanity. He came in weakness as a baby to a poor family and lived in poverty as a servant until he ascended back to heaven where he assumed his place in glory. Man is no match for Satan’s relentless attacks. Only God himself can defeat Satan. Satan was defeated when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. In this, God gave us the power to overcome the evil one if we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

When Time Was Perfect

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning” — the beginning of what?

Answer — Time

The first thing that God created was time. As was all of God’s creation, time was very good; it was perfect. Adam and Eve were pleased with all the time they were given. They no doubt loved the beauty of the sunrises and the sunsets. I’m sure they adored the changing of the seasons. Never were they presented with any problems due to time constraints because there were none.

But then one day they disobeyed God. Their sin changed the whole earth. Man's sin defiled everything that God had created, even time. Before they sinned Eve was never late. Adam never missed an appointment with God or Eve. The two of them had no occasion to argue or fight over time wasted. No one ever concluded that they didn’t have enough time. Nobody was ever stressed out because they were not going to be able to meet a deadline.

The troubles caused by sin affected time has only gotten worse over the ages. Today in our fast paced society lives are ruined because of the misuse of time. Stress, anger, misunderstanding and even tragedy, plague our lives because we have not used our  time wisely. We have become a people who rush, rush, rush! We ourselves, or a boss, a teacher, or a spouse overestimate what we are capable of doing in a too short amount of time. Therefore jobs are lost, promising deals go down the drain, students fail a course, spouses fight, and children are punished. Think of the exceptionally large number of people today who have had nervous breakdowns simply because they could not cope with the pressure they were under due to having so much to do and not enough time to do it.

God did not mean for any of us to live under the stress of time restraints. He created us to enjoy our time dealing with the  important things which fulfill his plan for each of us. Even today God will give us joy in our use of the time he has given us. He has given us all the time we need to do the things he wants us to do. We just need to set our clocks within His beautiful time zone.

“God has made everything BEAUTIFUL in his time….Ecclesiastes 3:11

What Do You Like

I don’t like raw onions or raw beets or raw tomatoes. In fact I don’t like any raw vegetables. I don’t like getting old, or having to take so much medicine. There are many things I don’t like. But I know that people don’t care what I don’t like, and they just as soon not hear my negative bellyaching. A spokesman for a car dealership here in the Raleigh area always ends his ads by saying, “Don’t tell me what you won’t do! Tell me what you will do!” To borrow from this ad wouldn’t it be better if everyone would be of a mind to adopt the mantra, “Don’t tell me what you don’t like! Tell me what you do like!”

There are many spouses who need to hear from their partner what they like about them, certainly not what they don’t like. Every child should hear over and over positive comments about themselves  from their parents. Too many children rarely receive the affirmation from their parents that will help them develop a good self image. Friends need to hear a lot of “that a boys or that a girls” from their friends. We see people everyday who simply need a smile, a kind word or a compliment. What’s wrong with telling someone, “You have a beautiful smile, or I like your dress, suit, coat or whatever.” Our positive body language may go a long way in making someone feel better about themselves. Try to be positive!

Hey! Did you know that I like good old homemade cornbread crumbled up in a cold glass of milk? I love peanut butter. I love my beautiful wife, and I really like being with my friends. Now, isn’t that better. Maybe you don’t care about that either, but it sure makes me feel better. Don’t tell others what you don’t like! Tell them what you do like.

God’s Great Love

My wife, Sherri, and I will be singing in our church’s Christmas worship concert tonight. The concert is entitled Love for Love. I want to invite everyone to watch via live stream at 6:PM EST OR 5:00 PM CST. If you live in the Raleigh area I invite you to attend at Christ Baptist Church 400  Newton Rd. Raleigh NC. but get there early. We are expecting over 1,000 guests. If you are unable to attend the address to watch our program is

www.christbaptist.org/live.

Our choir began working on the music back in August. We will sing several beautiful songs tonight, but my favorite is “God’s Great Love”. This song has touched my heart each time we have sung it. Last night during our dress rehearsal as we were singing this wonderful song chills ran all over me, and the thought of God’s great love for me brought tears to my eyes. I had a difficult time singing. The last verse shook me as I sang about God’s worthiness of my praise because he loved me so much that he gave me the wonderful gift of Jesus who saved me from my sin. I look forward to singing praises to Him in heaven.

God’s Great Love

Let us sing of God’s great love,

In a manger lay.

The precious gift from God’s own hand

Born on Christmas Day.

Angels sang of God’s great love,

Shepherds bowed their knee

As they worshipped heavens child,

Christ the newborn King.

Prophets had foretold it,

The Father’s wonderous plan.

Jesus our Messiah,

God’s great love to man.

Let us sing of God’s great love,

All our earthly days.

And give him praise He’s worthy of

Now and for always.

Dick and Melanie Tunny

There are over 100 voices in our choir, and we have a full orchestra. If you are able to watch I know you will enjoy.  This song will be near the end of our program so hang in there so you don’t miss it.

The Second Ark

Jesus said, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.” The days of Noah represented a time when man had become so wicked that God decided to wipe out the human race. The world was corrupt and filled with violence. The intentions of the people’s hearts were set on doing evil. Their minds and actions were perverted, and their thoughts never considered the ways of God. Only Noah was found to be righteous in the eyes of God. Noah had three sons. God decided to save Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives from destruction. God told Noah to build an ark. This probably took him at least a hundred years. But during that time the human race continued their wicked ways. The rain began to fall and Noah, his family and the animals got on the ark, God sealed the ark and flooded the whole earth. No one survived except those on the ark.

Now according to scripture the ark represents Jesus and his second coming. Jesus said when he returns the world is going to be like it was in Noah’s day. The world will be full of violence. There will be so much killing and murder that society will become numb to those reports. We will hear of mass murders, men killing each other, children killing their parents, and parents killing their children, even their little babies. Man will ignore God. Wickedness and evil will characterize the societies of the world. Man’s thoughts will dwell on the most unholy intentions. Man will pervert God’s plan for the family. Sexual perversion will be considered wholesome and normal. Women with women and men with men will perform acts which God has deemed unnatural. Man will try to redo what God created. Finally, God, as in the days of Noah, will decide that it is time to destroy the earth, and those whose hearts are evil. And Jesus will return to take his saints to heaven.

As Noah and his family were secure in the ark those who are in Jesus Christ will be safe and secure in him. I heard a preacher say that Noah and his family were in the ark, not on the outside trying to hang on. Often the waters were rough and they fell down, but they got up and rode out the storms safe and secure inside the ark. In the same way we will have times when we will fall down because of the storms we experience in life. But if we are in Christ we will get up and ride out those storms safe and secure in him. God saves those who are righteous. The only ones whom God deems righteous are those who are covered by the righteousness of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the Ark of our salvation. From my point of view I think it could be that he will return very soon.

The Good News Angel

An angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds near Bethlehem. The shepherds were nearly scared out of their wits. The Scripture doesn’t say, but these men probably fell to the ground, not just because of the angel but because “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The shepherds found themselves in the presence of the Almighty God. This was the same experience that happened after the Solomon’s temple was finished. The priests came out of the Holy of Holies and a great cloud filled the place. The priests could not stand to minister because  “the Glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord”.

The angel, most likely Gabriel, said to those shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for I bring to you good news. I bring good news of great joy to you which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” The angel spoke good news to them, for all people, even us. Gabriel had appeared to Mary with the good news that she would be the mother of Jesus. He appeared to Zacharias concerning the birth of John the Baptist. It was probably Gabriel who appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him that Mary’s child had been conceived of the Holy Spirit, that she would give birth to a  son whose name would be Jesus, and that he would save his people from their sins. Every time Gabriel appeared to someone he delivered “good news”. Gabriel was one of several angels who could be called God’s good news angels”. In the case of Jesus’ birth what Gabriel brought was the best news ever.

That night the good news angel appeared to the shepherds the world was gripped in an extremely dark time. There had been no good news for hundreds of years. Today the world is still in a mess. But we have known about this good news for over two thousand years. The Savior which is Christ the Lord has been born. He still wants to save his people from their sins. This is good news for all the people in the world, in every country. Wherever you live if you are reading this please know that Jesus loves you so much that he died to save you from your sins. The good news is that if you believe in him as your Lord and as your Savior your sins can be forgiven, and you can have eternal life. Accept the message of Good News today.

What People Want

I once knew a man who would ask in the meetings he led, “What pushes your warm button?” He was trying to find out what his people wanted, what they liked or excited them, what they thought they needed. What pushes societies warm button? Having observed people for 70 years in various stages and sectors of life I have concluded what pushes their warm buttons.

People want to be loved. They want respect. People want security. They want hope. Everyone wants others to know them by their name, to be needed, and appreciated. Unfortunately, many never feel like they have received these things. One reason that people fail to have their desires fulfilled is because they do not know how to get what pushes their warm buttons.

We receive what we want by first giving it away. If love is what you want then give love away. Be genuinely loving toward others. Let others know you care for their well being. Love the unlovely. Help those who others ignore or shun. If you don’t feel loved maybe you are not showing the appropriate love for others. True love is not found in sex. True love is found in sharing the love of Jesus.

One reason people are not respected is because they demand respect. They think they are more important than others. They want to be noticed and applauded for their accomplishments. If they are not noticed they will tell others what they have accomplished, and why they should be given the accolades they think they deserve. They are usually bitter and come across in a way that causes others to be uncomfortable when they are around them. Never display anger because you don’t get what you think you deserve. That is unbecoming of a servant of Christ. To earn respect be faithful in all you do and don’t announce to the world what you have done. Do this and others will notice your humble ways. God will honor such devotion, and you will gain respect.

This is true for those who want others to know them by their name. You will realize you are needed, and you will see that you are appreciated. But don’t expect everyone to appreciate you, and don’t glory in the recognition that you may receive. Give all the glory to God. Honor him in all you do. Remember God will not share his glory with anyone.

You want to be secure, and you want to have hope. Hope in the material is foolish. To hope in that which can not last is no hope at all. When our hope is in things we are wasting our warm buttons. Put your hope in God. Put your hope in that which is eternal. Put your hope in the eternal word of Our Heavenly Father. When you do that you will be secure. We find our security in Jesus Christ who said, “I will be with you always. I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That is the warmest button we can push.

Have You Been Crucified - Part 2

There are situations where each of us will remove ourselves from things that pose a danger to us or our loved ones. Most would not walk close to the edge of a high cliff or walk into a den of poisonous snakes or run into a house engulfed with flames. We are careful to avoid anything that might injure us or kill us. Most of us obey the laws because we don’t want to be imprisoned. It just makes sense to guard against dangerous situations.

Yet millions of people are living in the midst of the most dangerous situation known to man. They are living their lives without Jesus. Therefore they are living in sin and imprisoned by sin. If they die without Jesus they will be condemned to eternal hell. They love their sin more than Jesus. Another way to describe sin is living in the flesh, living for self. The Bible says that those living according to the flesh will die spiritually. But if a person lives according to the Spirit, in Jesus, they will live; live forever in heaven. A person can stop living in the flesh if he “puts to death the sinful deeds of the flesh”, the body.

The Bible says that what a person must do is die to self. We are a danger to ourselves if we consider ourselves number one. We will miss heaven if our heart’s desire is to put ourselves above everyone and everything else; most certainly if we put ourselves above Jesus. Jesus put others first. He died on the cross so that we could be forgiven, and so that we might have eternal life. He died and arose from the grave. The Bible says that we must be crucified with Christ. We must be spiritual crucified so that we do not live according to the flesh, therefore putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Once we do this we can say as the Apostle Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” We will live by our faith that Jesus is in us and with us. That is how we can avoid living according to our sinful desires. How can we sin if we know that Jesus is right there with us everywhere we go and in everything we do? Galatians 2:20

You may be wondering about all this talk concerning the cross, and being crucified with Christ jargon when you are living and well. Obviously people are not crucified today. Being crucified is referring to a spiritual crucifixion  where we commit ourselves to live for and follow Jesus. This was not Paul’s idea. Jesus said, “And he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38 And Jesus said later, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16: 24-25

The most dangerous situation man faces is dying without knowing Jesus as Savior. He is the only way to heaven. Ask him to forgive you and save you. Commit you life to him. Eliminate the most dangerous foe from your life, Satan. Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the one whose goal is to destroy us. 1 John 3:8 Jesus is your only hope.

Have You Been Crucified

Accidents happen every day. Some are terribly tragic. A few years ago a man and his wife were suddenly awakened. They could hear someone in their house. The man took his pistol and quietly went to find the person who he thought had come to rob them. As he entered the living room someone jumped out from behind a door and screamed at him. Immediately the man turned and shot the intruder. When he turned the light on he cried out in horror. There on the floor lay his teenage daughter. She was supposed to be spending the night at a friends house, but for some reason had decided to come home. Apparently she thought it would be fun to scare her dad when he came into the room.

Days later this heartbroken dad got rid of every weapon he owned and vowed to never touch another gun. He did this not because he was suddenly against anyone owning a gun, but because any gun would remind him of what happened the night he accidentally killed his sweet daughter. I’m sure not everyone would do what this man did, but I can certainly understand why he decided to get rid of his guns.

There are situations where each of us will remove ourselves from things that pose a danger to us or our loved ones. Most would not walk close to the edge of a high cliff or walk into a den of poisonous snakes or run into a house engulfed by flames. We are careful to avoid anything that might injure us or kill us. Most of us obey the laws because we don’t want to be imprisoned. It just makes sense to guard against dangerous situations.

Yet millions are living in the midst of the most dangerous situation known to man. They are living their lives without Jesus. Therefore they are living in sin and are imprisoned by sin. If they die without Jesus they will be condemned to eternal hell. They love their sin more than Jesus. Another way to describe sin is living in the flesh, living for self. The Bible says that those living according to the flesh will die spiritually. But if a person lives according to the Spirit, in Jesus, they will live; live forever in heaven. A person can stop living in the flesh if he “puts to death the sinful deeds of the flesh”, the body.

We do not have to experience the most tragic thing known to mankind. We do not have to live in danger of eternal death. All a person has to do is believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God’s Son, that he died and rose from the tomb and lives to save them from their sins. Ask God to forgive you and then turn from your sin. Just as the man got rid of his guns after the death of his daughter, we must put to death those dangerous deeds of our flesh which will destroy us. I will explain how to do this tomorrow in my blog.

Blind Yet Don’t Know It

There was a time in my life that I hated several people. They had hurt my family and me very much. I could not forgive them, and the hate in my heart grew until it almost destroyed me. That’s what hate does; it destroys. This is sad, especially when people who claim to be followers of Christ are consumed with hate. How can this be if Jesus is in us? Jesus never hated. He never taught that it is alright to hate. He even said, “Love your enemies.” There are many who not only despise and hate their enemies, but they hate members of their own family. They hate people they work with. A Christian cannot hate anyone.

Jesus is our light and we are to follow the Light. John said, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or a sister is still in the darkness...But anyone who hates a brother or a sister is in the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded them. 1 John 2:9,11

John was as close to Jesus as anyone. He saw Jesus in ways no one else saw him. According to John if we allow hate to guide us in our relationships with others we are traveling in darkness, and we cannot know where our journey is taking us. There are many today that say they are followers of Jesus, and they think they are on the path to heaven. They do a lot of good things for those they love, but their hearts are filled with hate for others. They think the good they do will save them, perhaps negate their hate. But the truth is they do not have the light of Jesus in them. They are in darkness are have no idea where they are going. These will be in the group that will say to Jesus when he returns, ”Lord, Lord...didn’t we do might works in your name?” But Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you  workers of lawlessness.” To hate others is a lawless act according to Jesus. To hate is to break the rules of our Sovereign God who demanded that we love him and love other..

I know people who haven’t spoke to a sibling for years. They have so much hate for one another that they will have nothing to do with each other. What do you think Jesus would say about that? It was love that took Jesus down the road to the cross. The reason he died on that cross was because of his love for you and for me. All he asks from us is to love him and to love one another. Is that too much to ask from us in order to receive eternal life. Think about this!