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He’s Got Our Backs

He’s Got Our Backs

Then seizing Him ( Jesus ), they led Him away…( to be wrongfully convicted and crucified ). Peter followed at a distance. As he sat amongst Jesus’ accusers, a servant girl looked closely at him and said,” This man was with Him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know Him”, he said. A little later, someone else saw him and said,” You also are one of them.” “Man, i am not !” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted,” Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied,” Man, i don’t know what you’re talking about !” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. ( Luke 22:54-62 ) Nobody likes to be denied, betrayed or disowned. Normally, we refer to it as “stabbed in the back”, “thrown under the bus”, or “turned against “. Either way, it doesn’t feel good to have somebody close to you, all of a sudden, treat you like a criminal, like you were trash or even like they had no feelings for you. It’s disloyalty at its ugliest. Jesus had never done anything to Simon ( Peter ) to deserve this disloyalty…this betrayal. Jesus had taken Simon under His tutelage and shown him how to live a life in honor to God. He’d spent days and weeks with him, eating with him, sharing God’s truth with him, laughing and doing life with him. Simon had seen Jesus do one miracle after another…marveling at the transformation of the receivers of these miracles. And then…when Jesus was being falsely accused, beaten and abused…Simon had denied even knowing Jesus…three separate times. Jesus could’ve “returned the favor” or called down a thousand angels to administer vengeance on Simon…but He didn’t. Instead, He forgave him and was merciful to him. Later, He even reinstated Simon…changing Simon’s name to “Peter”…the rock on which He established His church ( Matthew 16:18 ). Maybe you’ve experienced a similar betrayal…after investing weeks, months, even years of your life with a particular person or group of people. No matter the hardships and struggles you’ve gone through, together, they turned on you or just left you hanging. It’s common practice in big business, when loyal individuals are passed over for promotions, laid off because of budget cuts or replaced with younger employees. Promises are broken…future plans are destroyed… and nobody seems to care about “people” … they are just a number or a commodity to be traded when the mood hits. That’s why you can’t place your faith and trust in another human being. They’ll turn on you, let you down and disappoint you. People are flawed sinners…imperfect and unpredictable. God is perfect …faithful and merciful. Loyalty is just another word that starts with an “L” to some… but God is a friend that sticks closer than a brother ( Proverbs 18:24 ). Betrayal is as common as Mississippi humidity in the month of August. So how do we react when it happens to “us” ? I believe Jesus was hurt deeply by Simon’s denial…but His mercy overshadowed it. Jesus saw Simon Peter’s potential. He recognized his strengths, as well as his weaknesses..,and He knew his value would be an asset to His kingdom. Forgiveness, mercy and love proved to be what Simon needed…and God provided it. If we, as individuals, practiced Jesus’ response and actions towards those that denied, betrayed or “threw us under the bus”, maybe the world would get a better idea of what God deems as pure, holy and honorable behavior … and maybe they’d understand that glorifying GOD is always the best response to take. Ask Him to help you respond in ways that honor Him. Pray for that person…that group of individuals, that persecute you or betray you. God works in the hearts of “people” .., and He’s always “got our backs”.

 

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My Valentine

My Valentine

God says , “ Love is patient and kind…it doesn’t envy or boast and it’s not proud. It’s not rude or self-seeking, nor is it easily angered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs or even delight in evil…but it rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails.” ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ) We throw out “I love you”s like they were beads at Mardi Gras parades … but do we really prove true with our actions ? Yeah…Valentine’s Day is officially the “day of love” … and couples will be spending that hard-earned money on flowers, candy and stuffed animals…not to mention the jewelry and the night-out meal. It’s the same ol’ song-and-dance … the restaurants and retailers get richer, while we watch our weight go up and our pocketbooks get lighter … all because we’re trying to do what everybody else is doing. What about the other 364 days of the year ? Are we gonna love that significant other any less than we do on “Valentines Day” ?!? We better not ! If i asked you how you stacked up against God’s list of is’s and is not’s in these five verses, how would you rate yourself ? Better yet, how would your significant other rate you ? Are you lovingly patient with him/her…does your kindness still attract her/him to you ? You don’t see them as a rival or look at them as competition; do you ? Are you still proud of them…proud to be with them and proud for people to know they are “yours” ? Do you still brag on em…like you used to ? Ladies, do you allow them to open doors for you and be the gentleman they were designed to be ? Men, do you still treat them like the gift from God that they are … opening their door, pumping their gas and allowing them the privilege of NOT having to take the leadership role of your home ? When you get angry, do you immediately ask God to keep you from sinning against Him…until that anger subsides ? Please tell me you don’t keep bringing up his/her “past” ! It’s just another tool of Satan that he uses to cause pain and division…to relive shame and regret…and it DOES NOT GLORIFY GOD one iota ! When they start to say or do something that goes outside God’s boundaries … something that promotes or invites trouble or hate…do you lovingly redirect their brief lapse in holy behavior ? Do you use God’s own words to realign their hearts ? Do you stand up for her, husband/boyfriend … not allowing Satan a foothold…or anyone to treat her as less than God sees her ? Wife/girlfriend, do you instinctively go to his side when others try to tear him down or discredit him ? Do you still pray for him/her every day … asking God to mold them into His image even more … to give them everything they’ll need to honor and glorify Him ? Do you still have the dreams and hopes of tomorrow, “for yall”, because your hope is still found in Christ Jesus, your Lord ? Don’t let Satan rob you of the hopes, joys, peace and happiness that’s found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ ! Your wife/husband/ boyfriend/ girlfriend deserves the BEST from you ! Let’s all of us ask Him to “love” others through us … that way, they’ll get to experience “love”, the way God designed it to be ! Happy Valentines Day yall ! Sorry … i didn’t get you no candy or flowers 😁 .

 

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God Is Waiting

God Is Waiting

You ever wonder why bad people seem to prosper and good people get taken earlier than “their time” ? Seriously…speaking from personal experience and witnessing it numerous times, I’ve often wondered why the good “die young” ( as Billy Joel sings ) and the parasites and self-seekers of the world seem to live forever. Some of the most godly people in my life were whisked away in their prime, while those who never darken the door of a worship center, never speak God’s name unless it’s profanity, contribute nothing to the good of mankind, make a mockery of our justice system and carry on all manner of evil, seem to never suffer and, in fact, sometimes prosper ! I’m reminded of Scripture that speaks to this subject … ( Psalms chapters 37 and 73 )…therefore, I’ve settled this matter in my heart and leave their eternal destiny to God. It wasn’t long ago that God revealed the true reason He allows many a wayward soul to remain here on earth, while some of the sweetest and dearest have gone on to glory, sooner than expected. The answer can be found in ( 2 Peter chapter 3 ) … “ The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” ( verses 9 and 15 ). I’ve secretly wished a few people “dead”, to my shame. I’ve made remarks that sounded nothing like our Lord, Jesus Christ. And then i heard Him say…” Aren’t you glad I was patient with you ?” My salvation experience has taken me from one glory to another. He’s grown me spiritually over the years…even if i slowed Him down by my unrepentance and following at a distance. I’ve learned the difference in “salvation” and “Lordship”… which I’m certain alotta you know what i mean. Knowing that God’s patience was what kept me out of hell, only makes me love Him even more ! His patience also has taught me a thing or two about “showing mercy” … “forgiving” when it made no sense … and offering “grace”, even when it wasn’t warranted. I’ve been the recipient of all of these “blessings” from our Lord … so i ought not have an issue with being a distributor of them. “Christ” died for us to live differently. If we’ve not changed, then Christ ain’t in us ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). God’s waiting on those ungodly people to come to repentance and taste salvation … just as He did you and me ! Now we know why they are still around.

 

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Pleasing God

Pleasing God

Without Faith, it’s impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ( Hebrews 11:6 ) Sometimes, i think we’ve forgotten that it’s “God” that we’re supposed to be pleasing … NOT, ourselves ! This is probably the greatest misconception the world has bought into … “Do what makes YOU happy” … “Whatever feels good, go for it” … and one of Mr. Sam’s oft quoted sayins, “ Get all you can, can all you get and sit on the can.” If we’ve been duped into believing that the more we’ve got, the happier we’ll be…we’ve missed the whole point of our being here. We were created by God, for God…period. The relationship available with Him must come from faith in Jesus … and faith “without works” is useless ( James 2:14-26 )…and without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Ok…now that that’s established…what’s your faith look like ? What “works” have you done that establishes the fact that your faith is legit ? It’s easy to say,” Yeah, I believe in God” … “Yeah, I know Jesus, personally” … or, “ Yeah, I’m a Christian” … but if you’re satisfied in those popular responses to get you a home in heaven and an inseparable relationship with God, you may’ve just fallen for one of Satan’s greatest cons. Words matter, but it’s faith that’s gonna get you the grand prize ! And true faith is always proven by action. I can put on anybody’s uniform and pretend to be a policeman, pilot, crane operator, firefighter or surgeon… but “proving it” is gonna expose the farce. The book of Hebrews…chapter eleven for one, points out many examples of God’s people and their faith “actions”. One such example…By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.( verses 24-26 ) See ? More often than not, we’ll have to “give up some things”… “turn away from some people that pulls our attention away from godly living” … “ say ‘NO’ to sin” … and “become unpopular so that Jesus becomes greater”. Faith in God is impossible to hide. It matters not if our peers notice…but if Christ is the Lord of our life, we can be assured that God sees what we’re doing…sees our heart and our “sacrifices”. Material possessions rust, burn and are stolen … but kingdom treasures are stored where God lives !

 

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Participation Trophy

Participation Trophy

“Participation trophy” … Whoever came up with this probably had everybody’s FEELINGS in mind, but they inadvertently created a spirit of halfheartedism and a willingness to quit if the “whatever” got too hard. Think about it … you run track, play soccer, softball, baseball, basketball, football, or any of another hundred activities, and you don’t place first, second or third…but you still get a “participation trophy”, medallion or ring…what are you telling the ones that put forth more effort, more practice, starved themselves on some strict regimen or invested more blood, sweat and tears ?!? That it’s alright, long as you tried ? More like, it’s alright, at least you showed up for one outta twelve practices. We’re sending the WRONG message people ! We need to train our young ones that to get the prize, you’ve gotta invest, sacrifice and crave that which you desire ! We’ve grown so many wimpy kids that thinks everyone owes em something or everything oughta be handed to em on a silver platter. People are asking for raises before their thirty-day probation periods are up ! If one spouse gets their feelings hurt, they’re ready to sign divorce papers ! Loyalty to an employer is almost a thing of the past…and an employer will discount a good employee over much of nothing nowdays. We make it too easy to quit, instead of staying the course and grittin our teeth and continuing the fight.” Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard , lest at any time we should let them slip” ( Hebrews 2:1 ). “ So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted” ( 1 Corinthians 15:58 ). “See to it that you don’t abuse the spirit of grace, rejecting Jesus’ sacrifice and trampling the Son of God under foot” ( Hebrews 10:29-31 ). And don’t let yourselves be counted in with this next bunch … “ They went out from us, but they didn’t really belong to us. For if they had really belonged to us, they would’ve remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” ( 1 John 2:19 ). A “follower of Jesus Christ” will not seek ways to sin, even though sin still finds a “chink in their armor” occasionally. A repentant heart will determine to live a maturing lifestyle devoted to pleasing God and glorifying Christ. Quitters only prove that they were never really committed to begin with. The Lord won’t be handing out any “participation trophies” when we breathe our last. We’re either “for Him” or we’re “against Him” ( Matthew 12:30 ).

 

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Braggin on God

Braggin on God

I love to hear people braggin on God ! It reaffirms my own faith in His abilities to handle any situation I’m in or may “be” in , in the future. My oldest son, Hunter Lewis, sent me and Pennye Jacobs Lewis this clip last night that proves, yet again, the power of God over infirmities, handicaps and human ailments. God ain’t limited by small-mindedness; He’s capable of doing miracles even when those around us see no hope. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains ( Matthew 17:20 )…It’s “who” we place our faith “in” that either opens doors or leaves em closed. God’s already told us that when we pray for something, we need to pray as if He’s already granted our request…thanking Him for hearing and answering…even before we see the results ( Mark 11:22-24 )! It’s “faith” that trusts in His power…”faith” that He’s aware of our problems and situations…”faith”that believes He’s more than capable of handling the issue and faith that proclaims His majesty and greatness, boldly before others. We don’t have to understand it all…we just have to place complete faith in Him. Jesus said it numerous times …”Your faith has healed you”…” Your faith has made you well”… “Your faith has made you whole”( Matthew 9:22; Mark 10:52; Mark 5:34 ). You know what limits God from performing more miracles than He does ? It’s a “lack of faith” ( Matthew 13:58 ). You know what produces a lack of faith ? Pride. We tell ourselves,” I can handle this myself”… “Whatever comes, I’m good with it”… “ I’ll deal with it when the time comes”…and God would have us hear, “ I can take care of that for you if you want me to. All you gotta do is ask “ ( James 4:2-3 ). Don’t limit an unlimited God ! Don’t forfeit a miracle because of foolish pride ! And don’t block God’s opportunity to reveal His powers to a world that needs to know there’s hope ! His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He’s given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them, you may “participate” in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ( 2 Peter 1:3-4 ) Won’t you be a participant in something He’s already wanting to do ? Come on ! Show the world your faith !

 

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Count the Cost

Count the Cost

“Count the cost” … It’s been a dilemma for decades … the desire for something, or to achieve something, but knowing it won’t just be handed to you on a silver platter. Folks have gone into certain lines of work that required more than your standard level of commitment due to longer than average hours, time away from family and the need to be wherever the job took you. It puts you in a different class of people … either making you “harder” and “tougher”, or “breaking” you down where you can’t take it no more. It’s also a matter of deciding what means more to you … whether it be money, the degree, the prestige or … something else. I’ve heard people use this saying many times…”Gotta go where the money is”. “Money” can be found anywhere … it’s just that some people think the more money they make, the happier they and their family will be. That’s just another lie Satan tells people that they believe. If a person loves the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength…and loves others as they do themselves…putting no other gods before GOD…the “idols” of this world will fall flat as the useless articles that they are and the true blessings of GOD will become evident. Families have dissolved thousands of times due to that “money” lie over the centuries. They’ve traded the things of this world over the truth of God’s word, and the proof speaks for itself ! Money’s ok, but we can’t make it our god ( 1 Timothy6:10 ). Count the cost. To be a disciple of Jesus, costs. We must not go into it on a whim or without alotta forethought. It’s not for the half-hearted or the weak … it’s gonna require dedication and discipline. There ain’t no such thing as a “part-time Christian”…either you’re in, or you’re out ( Matthew 12:30; Revelation 3:15-16 ). Jesus says, “ You’re gonna haveta put everything and everybody, including yourself, AFTER ME, or else you can’t be My disciple” ( Luke 14:26-27 ). Count the cost before you commit. Don’t start if you can’t finish strong. Once you “pick up that cross” and start carryin it, it’s a part of you…aint no castin it in a ditch or proppin it up in the garage like some exercise bike or treadmill that gets used for a little while, and then aint ( Luke 9:23 ). A committed Christian is a dedicated follower…a staunch supporter…a do-or-die disciple…believing that Jesus Christ IS the WAY, IS the TRUTH, and IS the LIFE ( John 14:6 ), worthy of everything HE provides or allows em to have or be ! Count the cost. I didn’t start a relationship with my wife, Pennye Jacobs Lewis, with the idea that it was gonna be for a short period. I never considered “divorce” an option … it was “for life…till death do us part” … that’s what i promised ! I made a covenant with her and she made one with me…and we made one with God. Forty-one years, nine months and seven days later, that covenant has been honored and our love for each other is still strong … the credit going to our relationship with Jesus Christ … otherwise, she’da probably already kilt me and buried me behind the house 🤣. As with any commitment, the cost needs to be counted BEFORE we “sign on that dotted line” … and following Jesus ain’t one to be entered into lightly. God expects more outta his kids than we do our own…fortunately. His code of conduct calls for higher standards of living than the world expects. Being pure and holy ain’t easy … it takes discipline and commitment … hard work and determination ( 1 Peter 1:16 ). Christianity ain’t for everybody … but the benefits FAR outweigh the costs ! Father, as we say goodbye to another year and usher in a new one, let our commitment unto you, count. Help us be fully committed to glorifying you with everything we have, everything we say and everything we think. Let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. As we consider every “next move”, let us first, consult you, for your approval or disapproval. Help us commit even more to studying your word … to understand better your will and your ways. Help us to love others more…the way you would have us to. As temptation presents itself, help us remember our covenant with you and hold to your standards of living. Jesus paid too high a price for us to live any other way ! Thank you for making us a way to live an abundant lifestyle. Thank you for being our awesome God ! In Jesus name…Amen.

 

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God Came

God Came

We’re all about the birth of baby Jesus this time o’ year … which is appropriate. If God hadn’t come to earth as a baby, placed upon himself the responsibility of securing our ability to be once-and-for-all, sin free, we wouldn’t be able to celebrate Christmas for what it really stands for. And even though I’ve heard it quoted a thousand times, God made sure i heard it loud and clear during the sermon yesterday … “But God demonstrated his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” ( Romans 5:8 ). He didn’t “have” to, but he did it ‘cause he loved “you”/ “me”. He didn’t just say it…he proved it. So the question I’ll answer myself … and the question you can ask yourself…. “ How do i demonstrate my love for him ?” The relationship may be “personal”, but every word we speak, every deed we do and every unspoken thought we think, oughta demonstrate our love for Him. Thank you God, for your sacrifice. Help me never forget it … and help me to be less of a grouch when i get to demonstrate this same kinda love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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Ask

ASK

“You do not have because you do not ask” ( James 4:2b ). I wish I’d’ve learned this concept earlier in life. Even though i came to Christ by faith at a fairly early age, i didn’t take hold of all the “fringe benefits” that this relationship offers, until much later in life. Shoot ! I was just glad i wasn’t goin t’ hell if i died early…which was a pretty good chance because of some of the crazy stunts i’d pull 😄. It took me longer than some, faster than a few, to understand that if i asked God for something that wasn’t just a “selfish” thing ( like, a million dollars, a thousand acres in the heart of Kansas or Ohio, etc;etc; ), He was, and still is, more than capable of supplying “it”. If you ain’t lazy and God sees that you can be a good steward with money…sharing it in your abundance…He’ll provide it. He knows who will and who won’t spread the love of Christ…whether it’s “money” or any other type of resource. If we don’t ask, we won’t have. I had enough common sense to ask Him for a godly woman when i was gettin closer to “marryin” age … and He honored my request by inserting Pennye Jacobs Lewis in my life. The cool thing about it is, he created her “for me” even before i ever even knew her ! He’s THAT good, yall ! He saw me and knew I’d need some extra-special help, so when i was less than 2 1/2 years old, He created and designed her to be my wife one day ! Want a happy marriage ? Ask God. Want Christ-honoring kids ? Ask God. Wanna be a husband that can keep a good woman ? Ask God. Wanna run a profitable business ? Ask God. Want a roof over your head that won’t leak ? Ask God. And when things get squirrely, the dryer quits workin, the car won’t start and the youngun needs braces…ask God. I’ve learned that God wants us to rely on Him and trust Him to help with the smallest things… like finding a pair of lost readers, repairing a commode, getting a truck unstuck, putting a barbque grill together, finding a pool liner leak, performing a basic wiring project … and so forth and so on. He’s got the answers to a gillion questions and the resources for a gillion more ! His supply is unlimited . He can provide the solution to any problem, but he may make you wait for it. As long as He gets the credit and the glory, He’s willing to dispense the resources necessary to “get the job done”, “make it happen” or “grease the skids”. Don’t ask with selfish motives … but ask ! All he can say is “No”. But we’ll never know unless we “ASK” ! Do you trust him ? Well then, what are you waiting for ? Ask Him ! You don’t have because you don’t ask God.

 

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Imperfect Judging Imperfect

Imperfect Judging Imperfect

We live in a world where someone’s always trying to find fault. It’s as if they strive to find something to penalize or condemn a person for. Yeah, yeah…I realize there’s rules to go by, laws to abide by, but to make it “your” life’s ambition to bring shame or misery on another human being … just because you CAN ?!!? Come on !! Seriously ?!?! Just suppose I’m a truck driver … driven all my life with no tickets or accidents. I’m nearing the end of my career and the company I work for installs cameras in the trucks, including the one I’ve been driving. Not only are these cameras focused on the road ahead and behind, they’re focused on me, at the wheel. I look down at little intervals to see where my next turn is or if I’m still traveling the correct route….”Distracted “! Pull the truck up a few yards to open a gate or to give the guard the ticket… “Seatbelt”! Country road, weather’s perfect, no traffic and road conditions are ideal … traveling 45 in a 50…nothing…but travel 41 in a 35…”Speeding”! It’s enough to drive a person crazy ! It’s putting more and more stress and pressure on a driver who’s been doing his/her job for 30 years plus without fail…without a citation…without an accident or damage to the vehicle they’re in charge of. And now, this driver is penalized…stripped of his/her perfect record…reprimanded for “doing their job”. They’re made to feel as if they are a mouse in an aquarium … a bug under a microscope … and morale is at a record low. This is just one example of how imperfect people are judging other imperfect people. Company executives have forgotten that people make up their workforce, and “good, loyal , honest, hard-working” people are assets that oughta be appreciated and not victimized. Stress drives more good people from their jobs every day , causes anxiety issues that ultimately leads to poor health and creates even more stress on their supervisors that have to re-fill their positions when that employee quits or doesn’t come to work. I was reminded of how sometimes, we get so distracted by technology and reports that will tell us if we’re dotting every “i” and crossing every “t”, that we forget we’re human…living in harmony / disharmony with other humans. We wanna point fingers and write people up for most anything…finding fault in another’s actions or shortcomings, and we forget that we ain’t perfect, either. “Before you worry about that speck in your brother’s eye, tend to the plank in your own eye” ( Matthew 7:3-5 ). “ If any of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone” ( John 8:7 ). — Jesus A little mercy … a little forgiveness … a little grace … and a lot more love and less fault -finding … that’s what this world needs.

 

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Gettin Dirty

Gettin Dirty

As a kid, i was always outside doin somethin. If it’d rained a couple days, I’d take an empty coffee can up and down the dirt road we lived on and “seine” the ditches for small critters, like minnows, crawdads or tadpoles. I’d go down to the ballfield and crawl around under the bleachers lookin for dropped coins, check around the concession stand for coke bottles to sell back to Mr. Walters ( the local store owner ), go explore the creek behind our house for mussels or the occasional snake, see how far i could sail a stiff cow patty or bombard the unlucky wasps who were trespassing under the roof of the barn. If i didn’t come home at the end of the day covered in dirt, i didn’t do my job. We had no shower, so the bathwater looked like i was bathing in a mud puddle before i was done…( i think that may be why i take only showers today…bathing in my own filth doesn’t make good sense 🤔 ). If i was anything, i was a full-blooded boy. Dirt didn’t bother me and all my pants had patches on the knees. As an adult, there ain’t too many meals that i eat that SOMETHIN dont land on my shirt…( funny how it’s usually above my bellybutton and just below my chest ). I’ve stained many a shirt in my day. I wonder if God gets as tired of washing our “sin”stains, as our mamas and our wives do our clothes stains ? Sure…we do good for awhile, but something will trip us up, cause us to slip, and once again, we’ll be asking God to forgive us for sinning against Him. It may’ve not even been noticed by anyone else, but WE knew…and GOD knew. We ought never get comfortable about sinnin. Gettin dirty as a kid…gettin dirty while workin or playin hard, is expected…but to deliberately wallow in the filth of sin, or to dabble in disobedience until we wind up staining our character … that’s unacceptable for the one that calls Jesus, “Lord”. It’s our duty, as a son or daughter of The King of kings, to remain loyal and obedient unto Him. Our ways and our speech oughta reflect His purity and glory as the noonday sun on a hot July day in Mississippi. People ought not hear us praisin God on Sundays and cussin the other six days of the week. We oughta treat our spouses with the love, honor and respect that God expects … not just Sunday while at church, but all the other days of the week when outside those walls. Our kids and grandkids oughta never haveta be ashamed to say, “Yeah…that’s my aunt, uncle, dad, mom, pep or Mimi “… because we lived what we believed and THAT was who we were … all praise to Jesus, our Lord and Savior ! The Psalmist puts it like this : “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart, don’t let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that i might not sin against you” ( Psalm 119:9-11 ). If His word ain’t important enough to us to study and follow daily, we can count on staying dirty and being a disappointment to them that need us to be otherwise.

 

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Everyone Will Know

Everyone Will Know

Jesus said,” By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” ( John 13:35 ). Notice he didn’t say “If yall will love only those who look like you, live like you, are shaped like you and smell like you” … he said “if you love one another.” He left no one out … not your annoying boss, your nagging wife, your no-good husband, your defiant kids, your ____neighbor, the foreigner, the obnoxious, the _______ . When we leave someone off the “gotta love em” list, we’ve adjusted Jesus’ “new command” to suit us or fit our prejudices. We don’t get to re-write God’s commands yall ! He’s God…we ain’t ! Either we love everybody or we don’t … and yeah, it’s hard at times. I’ve used this one a time or two: “I might haveta love em, but i don’t haveta like em.” And i can hear God…” Boy, you gon’ make me slap you upside your head.” Lovin’ the “unlovable” ain’t “natural” … it’s “supernatural”. If it was easy, everybody’d be doin it. By the power of God, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and abiding in Jesus Christ, we are capable of “loving” even our enemies ! You believe that !?! It’s a miracle in itself ! Placing our faith in Christ for salvation from hell ain’t the only thing He saves us from. He saves us “unto good works” ( Ephesians 2:10 )…meaning we are able to love others “unconditionally”, like Jesus does. Jesus had plenty o’ reason to say,” Y’all know what ? I’m goin back home. Yall can all go t’ hell !” … but he didn’t. When we realize we can’t pick-n-choose who we love, life’ll get a whole lot simpler … and God’ll receive the glory He so richly deserves. We love because He first loved us ( 1 John 4:19 ).

 

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No Matter What

No Matter What

And the PEACE of GOD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ( Philippians 4:7 ) Some o’ y’all know what this peace feels like … yall can wake up each morning and be secure in the knowledge that NO MATTER WHAT, God’s got it…and He’s got you. Yall know mama and the kids will be yackin’ up a storm shortly … yall know the traffic is gonna be horrendous … yall know the employees, coworkers and possibly the boss will be in a mood … that it’ll probably be raining soon … that you’ve got less hours in a day but more work, and yet…you’re at peace during it all ! Why is that ?!? What person can be in the middle of a major crisis…told they may have cancer…possibly losing their job…served with divorce papers…awaiting a prison sentence…just informed of a loved one’s untimely death, etc; etc; and still have a sense of peace surrounding them that common sense can’t explain !??! It’s the one that has believed and confessed Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord ! They are no longer held captive by their sins … forgiven completely by GOD Himself ! Sure…they still have trials and troubles … they just don’t haveta bear those burdens under their own strength and power anymore ! They know The Spirit of God lives in them…supplying ample security and resources to see them through ! Make no mistake about it…He’s aware of their situation, actively and intimately involved and completely capable of handling all circumstances ! THAT’S why the follower of Christ has peace in their soul, peace of mind and the peace that surpasses all understanding ! They KNOW their security is found in Jesus … NO MATTER WHAT !!

 

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What is love ?

What Is Love ?

I recently found a book in an old house that’ll be gone before long, and as i flipped through its pages, i landed on a poem by Helen Steiner Rice titled,” What Is Love?”. Some dude named Henry Drummond pencilled in a forethought…” Instead of allowing yourself to be unhappy, just let your love grow as God wants it to grow.” This caused my eyebrows to rise a little and i could imagine that mouse in my brain pick up the pace a little on that wheel … “instead of allowing yourself to be unhappy…”…now there’s something many of us are probably experts at … allowing ourselves to be unhappy ! Huh ! We go into a different mode when the weekend is over and the need to resume our 8-5 begins once again … we complain, we find aches that weren’t there Saturday and Sunday, we automatically think about worse case scenarios and gripe about every little thing. In fact, we allow ourselves to be unhappy. So how do we get away from this mindset, this heart condition and stop allowing ourselves to be unhappy ? We can “love” more. Some of us need to be reminded of what “love” really is. What is love ? No words can define it, It’s something so great, Only God could design it … Wonder of Wonders, beyond man’s conception, And only in God can love find true perfection. … But love is enduring and patient and kind, It judges all things with the heart, not the mind. ( a couple of lines from the poem ) To know how to love our jobs, our coworkers, rush-hour traffic, our spouses, our friends, as well as our enemies, we must first, love God…with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all of our strength ( Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ) … and then, love others as we love ourselves ( Matthew 22:39 ). This calls for putting others and their needs and desires BEFORE our own ( Philippians 2:3 ). Love is patient and kind…it’s not rude or self-seeking ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ). When we get tired of doing the same thing the same way, “receiving” the same results, we will make the necessary adjustments to bring about “change”. Loving God more, oughta catch us loving others more…like God designed it. And if we’re loving God and others more…the way God designed us to, we’ll notice our attitudes change concerning other actions and other matters. Work won’t be a begrudged chore, it’ll be a blessing from God that He wants to use as a vehicle to get His message delivered. We will see people at work that we won’t see on the weekends … and they’ll need to see and hear Jesus’ messages and be loved on, too. We can be happy when we’re producing the fruit of the Spirit…no matter where we are ( Galatians 5:22-23 ). Insteada complaining, let’s replace it with “love” ! Yes, love is beyond what man can define, For love is Immortal and God’s Gift is Divine ! Let’s try it, shall we ? And stop allowing ourselves to be unhappy !