Author: Dennis

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Your Voice – God’s Voice

Your Voice – God’s Voice

I received this text yesterday from my oldest son, who’d received this note from his 8 year old daughter. I’m sharing both, not because I’m wanting any praise or pats-on-the-back…pass the praise up to our loving, forgiving and merciful GOD…but because i know that sometimes, we get to feeling like we’re not really making a dent for God’s kingdom … like no matter how often we mention His goodness, we feel like folks dont take us seriously … or that they just dont care to hear anything about Jesus. Yall don’t know all the history of my life struggles or those of my son’s … but you know “yours” very well; right ? Whether you have kids or grandkids, or not, take this note…the paper one that Matleigh wrote and the one Hunter texted me…and own em for yourself, “personally”. You DO make a difference ! You CAN be used by GOD for HIS purposes ! There IS a reason you’re here … and it’s to glorify GOD in ALL you do, ALL you say and ALL you think ( Matthew 22:37-40 ). If we’ll strive for THIS , we’ll love each other in God-honoring ways. I hope this touches you as deeply as it did me. Keep going ! Don’t stop ! You ARE making a difference ! In Jesus’ name, i pray this over you today … Amen. ( If you ever feel down or discouraged just remember… Your voice or platform that you speak on may not be “as big as”, or “reach as many people” as Charlie Kirk and some of the other more well know Christians who have been persecuted for their beliefs, beliefs that honor God, standing up for what’s right…etc… but your voice, your beliefs, your quirky habits and examples have not only touched my life, but a little freckled face 8 year old that God has placed in both of our paths wrote this on a note night before last… She came up to me and showed me what she had written. Her exact words were, “I copied your deddy right here. It means have a blessed day! I got that from your deddy because he always writes that!” It made me get that big ole lump in the back of my throat as I smiled and fought back tears at the same time. I told her she was right and that was sweet and gave her a big hug. She watches you just like I did growing up and I want to thank you for helping me not only talk to her about God and teach her right from wrong, but also do my best (it’s always a work in progress) to lead by example. I love you deddy ) Thank you, Hunter Lewis, for sharing this with me … God knew that a lot of us needed to hear it ! I wasn’t able, nor did i try, to hold back my tears. The fight is real, but God’s fighting our battles with us ! And His ways are ALWAYS the right ways ! I love you son. Have a blessed day

 

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Peace?

Peace?

Do you think I came to bring peace on earth ? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other; three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother in law against daughter in law and daughter in law against mother in law” ( Luke 12:51-53 ). Jesus’ words…not mine. Not peace, but division. I see it happnin more and more frequently, the longer i live. It breaks my heart ! Our only hope ? Jesus Christ .., the very one who mouthed these words and holds our future in His hands ! We can hold to the standards of this world and the pattern drawn out by the Enemy … or … we can fight on our knees and build strong relationships with Jesus that Satan and this world can’t touch ! Nobody is “trapped” or “forced” into a life of crime and chaos … they choose it ! God has already beaten the power of sin and spiritual death … it’s available to any and all that’ll choose HIM over everything else ! The ones that choose division are the ones that choose a life separated from the power of God…choosing to leave their armor in a closet than to wear it ( Ephesians 6:10-18 )… choosing to walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit ( Galatians5:16 ). The ones that choose life more abundant ( John 10:10 ), through a grounded faith in Christ, will work on it to achieve it ( Philippians 2:12 ).

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Creator … God

Creator … God

You ever just walk outside on a night or early morning and look up at the sky and check out those stars ? I can remember as a kid, my daddy pointing out the Big and Little Dipper , the North Star and the Milky Way. I guess he didn’t know the names of any of the others…like that kite-shaped one ( Bootes, the Herdsman ) … that mouse-shaped one ( Leo ) … and that one that looks like a drone with one broke leg ( Hercules ). So many “constellations”…stars that form recognizable patterns … and to the trained eye, has navigated ships across pitch-black seas, brought trappers over mountains and guided weary travelers for centuries. Y’ ever wonder why God made em like they are ? It’s like He was playing that old “dot-t-dot” game; right ? Star-gazers have been intrigued, if not just entertained, since the beginning of time … and whether you’re laying on your back in your driveway or in the bed of your truck, out on the salt or an open lake, waiting on first-light while huntin or just walking the dog before bedtime, take a few seconds and look up…and be reminded of the powers that GOD holds. Remind yourself of scripture that says,” On the fourth day , God said, ‘let there be light in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth’.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ( Genesis 1:14-16 ) The psalmist said it well … “ When i consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him ?” ( Psalm 8:3-4 ) He’s talkin about “you”. None of us are here by a mistake or by accident ! We were created by “GOD” … Creator of all we see and even the things we don’t see ( Romans 1:20 ) ! Realizing this oughta make you feel special ! Father God, we are yours to do with as you see fit. We were created by you and can’t do this life without you. Have your way. Your will be done. In the name of Jesus the Son, the bright and morning Star, we pray … Amen.

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Jesus Saves

Jesus Saves

I’m from an old Southern Baptist church and have been a “southern Baptist” ever since i gave my heart and the rest o’ my life to Christ, way back when i was about 13. Just so we’re clear, being a “Baptist” dont save nobody from their sins or separation from God … it’s our “relationship” with Jesus Christ that does. Same as if you’re a Methodist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Catholic or any of the other hundreds of “non-denominational” churches out there. Until and unless we start with THAT FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH, there won’t be any salvation or change ( Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). When Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth and the life, and nobody gets to the Father except through me”, He wasn’t just whistlin dixie ( John 14:6 ). Unless and until we recognize this fact of the matter, nothing else will make any sense. So…back to growing up in a Baptist church … there was certain things you just didn’t do. You didn’t express any emotions, unless it was silent crying … you didn’t holler anything out loud and you surely didn’t raise a hand. That was viewed as “drawing attention to yourself”, and away from the message being brought to you by the pastor. A baby crying or an adolescent speaking out loud enough for half the congregation to hear, was subject to frowns and judgement from those who thought silence was next to godliness … it didn’t matter that the child was needin to go to the bathroom or that baby had colic. I can recall the first time i saw an arm raised in church … it was a more seniorly lady that wore a red beret ( maybe it was raspberry 😁 “Prince”🥴)… and i can remember thinking that her boldness was exemplary … my heart swelled a little… and i got a lump in my throat and wished that I’d be so brave and unashamed to express my faith. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped worrying about what “people” think and worry more about what God thinks. I finally figured out why we were “at church” in the first place … it was a place to corporately worship and praise GOD, our Creator, and lift high the name of Jesus … all the while, studying and learning how better to live out the abundant life He died for us to live ! Talk about “eye-opening” ! By focusing on GOD, the folks around you are out of “the crosshairs”. It’s you and Him…and whatever the preacher’s preachin, is coming straight from GOD. When we’re given the opportunity to praise through singing, we’re singin to Him, and He likes it, no matter how flat or off-key it sounds to our neighbor sittin close to us. When the words on that big-screen or page becomes “personal” to us, we realize the privilege of bein able to praise through our voices … and we have an audience of One … our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ ! I picture Him coming to His feet, staring straight at me, like He did Stephen ( Acts 7:55-56 ), when my lifted praises are directly to Him. I can see that vast army of angels joining me in the chorus as my words are directed straight to Him and what all He’s done for me and mine ! As i was reading about Moses and his battle with the Amalekites…and how as long as his arms were raised, the Israelites would win the battle … but when his arms got tired and he lowered em, they would lose… i thought how important it is to have a “Hur” and an “Aaron”… friends that hold our arms up for us when our strength is weak ( Exodus 17:8-16 ). I hope, before i go home, i can witness all those that gather in the name of Jesus, raising hands towards heaven and praising unashamedly…glorifying GOD wholeheartedly ! “If you’re ashamed of Me and My word when you’re around people, I’ll be ashamed of you before the Father. “ — Jesus ( Luke 9:26 ) I hope and pray you’re not missing out on opportunities to lift high those hands to the Only One worthy of our praise.

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It’s Your Move

It’s Your Move

When i was younger, i used t’ get into horror movies … shows that took it to a whole nother level … shock-scenes of murder, mutilation and mayhem. I can remember being mesmerized by these scenes of violence that always quickened my pulse and caused me to flinch more times than i can recall. Two such movies: “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Ed Gein”. Depicted as “the house next door” or that neighbor you spoke briefly to while checking the mail, they were anything but, “normal”. Leatherface and Ed Gein both, were psychos that murdered or dug up corpses outta graveyards and “skinned” their victims, wearing that skin as a mask of sorts. It’d leave me shaking my head, thinkin, “ Wow ! Talk about twisted !” I’m over those films and understand better the damage they can do to a person’s walk with Christ. They instill a spirit of “fear” … and in Christ, we shouldn’t fear any evil, evoke or invite any dark forces into our lives that would pollute our minds or hearts ( 2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 23:4 ). As He led me to this morning’s passage, i couldn’t help but think back to these gruesome movies. “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You USED TO walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have TAKEN OFF YOUR OLD SELF with its practices and have PUT ON THE NEW SELF, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” ( Colossians 3:1-10 ). Have you ? … “taken off your old self and put on the new self” ? I truly believe, the majority of people in the world today, “Christians” included, like taking their new skin off and putting their former skin back on, as if it’s “normal”… like a favorite sweater or pullover. They want what God offers, but they wanna hang onto old ways .., they blend in so well, you’d be hard-pressed to see any “change” or “difference” in em. They’ve either convinced themselves or been led to believe that it’s ok to live a “double life” … putting their “Jesus suit” on on Sundays and Wednesdays…on Christmas Day and Easter morning … and then shucking it for their “old comfortable” ensemble the majority of the time. God’s Word doesn’t support that theory, though .., and folks, we better wake up and smell the coffee ! “ That person should not expect to receive anything from the LORD. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” ( James 1:7-8 ). “Don’t merely listen to The Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS ! Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man, who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” ( James 1:22-24 ). “Religion” / a “religious person” … apart from a “relationship of change” in and through Jesus Christ … “worthless” ( James 2:14-26 ) ! “Therefore, if anyone is IN CHRIST, they are a NEW person with NEW ways … the old ways are gone “ ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). Time to repent and return… or repent and receive ? It’s your move !

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Stolen Inheritance

Stolen Inheritance

Don’t let someone else steal your inheritance. Some o yall just got mad all over again; didn’t you ? Because you immediately thought of that time when a relative took what was rightfully yours, beat you outta that piece o land or that trinket, or manipulated that will so that you and your other siblings were stuck holdin an empty bag. Happens all the time. It’s just more proof that sinful people are stingy, greedy and deceitful … and God’s eyes dont miss a thing…He’ll remind us, “ Don’t repay evil for evil. Vengeance is mine” ( Romans 12:17-21 ). “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitfully use you and persecute you” ( Matthew 5:43-44 ). Two ways this can go … you can let the word of God check your heart and attitude and submit to Him…or… you can resist it, build a wall, pridefully hold onto bitterness and by your attitude and actions / inactions say ,” I hear you God, but I ain’t forgivin nobody or forgettin what they did.” And God dont miss nothin ! He’ll allow us to hold a grudge, seek revenge, stew in our own juices of hatred and tell us, “ Aight, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but I’m still GOD and I WILL accomplish what I please.” Why do we fight and get so mad over material possessions anyway !? It’s all gonna go up in smoke one day ( 2 Peter 3:10 ). If we spent half the time and effort stockpiling “Kingdom Treasure”, as we do “worldly treasure”, we’d REALLY have something to be proud of ( Matthew 6:19-21 ). If you really wanna hear God’s take on “inheritances”, you need look no further than Exodus chapter 16, Numbers chapter 14 or Psalms 95:8-11 ) … “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ( as your forefathers did ) when they tested Me and tried Me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘ They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways’, so I declared on oath in My anger, ‘ They shall never enter My rest.’ “ And they didn’t ! The “Promised Land” was RIGHT THERE !! They could’ve had the best-of-the-best if they’d’ve just STOPPED grumbling and complaining and trusted GOD to complete what He’d started … but they chose a rebellious attitude and a complaining spirit, over the HOLY SPIRIT … and they lost out on the abundant life ( John 10:10 ) God was offering them … not to mention, eternal separation from God ! Don’t let anyone rob you of your inheritance ! Don’t let someone else take you down with em ! Stand firm in your faith in Christ Jesus and never be ashamed of Him ( Luke 9:26 ). Nothing compares to His riches !

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Lord Take Over

Lord Take Over

Picture yourself standing over your kid(s) while they sleep … recall the moment you were given the privilege and responsibility of being their parent… how scared you wouldn’t know what to do but excited beyond explanation. Now, picture them alone … without you … without your influence, your assistance … your “I love yous”, your words of encouragement … your hugs and kisses … your support. Whatever you wanted to say to em is now lost forever. The last thing you said will be what they remember the rest of their lives. Sure, they’ll remember the good times yall had together … but they’ll also remember the times that they can’t erase from their minds. You wanted to apologize, but a small voice kept tellin you that you could do it later … that it’d bring up things best left in the past … that as long as you left it unsaid, maybe they’d forget it. And that’s just what the enemy wants you to do … leave it hangin … no closure … no forgiveness … and unfortunately, no last chances to make it right. Satan wants only to steal, kill and destroy ( John 10:10 )…he’s good at it and he’s successful. Our only hope, for ourselves and the welfare of our kids, spouses and family, is a binding and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. Without it, we’re all in trouble ! If you can look on the ones you SAY you love, and imagine never being able to tell em what you wanted to say … never holding their hands again … never laughing at another get-together and enjoying that good meal together … never tellin em that you love em or how much they mean to you… then you’ll know what Jesus felt when he looked out over his people and the city they were so proud of…and with tears streaming down His face…he said, “ If only you had known on this day of salvation the things which would bring you peace. But now they have been hidden from your eyes” ( Luke 19:41-42 ). Can you relate ? Has there been a friend or loved one that’s slipped into eternity sooner than you expected ? And maybe you’ve often wondered if they were truly saved. Why not take the initiative and make that call … take the time to ask a coworker if they know for sure where they’ll spend eternity … say “I’m sorry…please forgive me” … tell another person you love em … pray for your spouse and thank God for em … hold that hand … have that dance … share a little of your excess with another … be that friend a friend would like to have … do something out of your comfort zone for an enemy … be the example of Jesus that you’ve grown to love and admire. Don’t allow another missed opportunity to really express the love of Christ for those who may ( or may not ) be going to hell. And if it’s “you” that you’re worried about, take a minute to hear God’s heartfelt cry … wanting a relationship with you that surpasses all understanding. Just tell ‘im your tired o’ runnin, and that you want Him to take over and be your Lord and Savior. He’ll still have tears runnin down His face, but it’ll be tears of joy insteada tears of sadness ! And listen…LISTEN !! Can you hear all them angels rejoicing in the background ?!!? ( Luke 15:7 )

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The Point of Dispair

The Point of Dispair

Think hard about what I’m about to ask you … has there been a time of “drought” or suffering in your life, where you got to a point of despair…rock-bottom … and your only hope left was God ? Knowin if He didn’t do a miracle, you were good as gone ? And He DID ?! God proved Himself, once more, and His mercy made your tears run unashamedly before Him. You thanked Him profusely and made heartfelt vows to Him…and maybe even to others that you’d wronged along the wayward way you’d been traveling. A move of God cannot be ignored, although they’re often referred to as “lucky”, a “coincidence” or “fate”. The truth is, nothing happens out of shear luck, fate or coincidence … God either allows it to happen or He makes it happen … good or bad. Too often, we humans think we’re controlling things…this world…and God would remind us real fast that we’re here because He created us…and He created us to serve Him. Period. If we don’t accept this fact and responsibility, that’s on us…and God’ll let us go on with our wicked behavior and unfaithfulness until we flush ourselves down the toilet bowls we’ve set ourselves up in. He uses the unrighteous and righteous alike to accomplish His will … at “His” discretion. Hell even knows Him and trembles ( James 2:19 )… but it’s too late for them. All their chances…GONE ! We tend to fall into a pattern, though. We human beings have no problem praising God and worshipping Him when we’re “up”…when our money’s in the bank and we’ve got plenty in the frig… but what happens when God slows down the blessings…withholds His favor…seems to’ve “left the building”? What then ? How do we feel towards Him and about Him, then ? Like He says…He’s GOD…He makes the rules…He’s in charge and He can make it rain on the just as well as the unjust ( Matthew 5:45 ). He dont answer to nobody. So…what will you do if “the well runs dry” or the “oil stops flowing”( 2 Kings 4 ) ? Will you turn around and go back to the familiar…to those “friends” that threw in with you in your rebellious living ( Proverbs 26:11 )…before you began loving God ? King Hezekiah knew what it was to bask in the blessings and favor of God Almighty. He became wealthy beyond imagination, “ for God had given him very great riches” ( 2 Chronicles 32:31 ) … but it’s also recorded that “God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart “ ( verse 31b ). Here’s the question to ponder…to chew on…”How you gonna act / treat God if He chooses to leave you…to withhold His blessings…or to remove His favor”? He’ll test us to see where our true allegiance lies. He’ll test us to see our heart’s condition. He’s God…and He already knows which way we’ll go… He just wants “us” to know it. If He’s tryin to tell us to repent, then we need to repent …and thank Him for giving is another chance ! Loving God and “playin church” ain’t hard when things are good … it’s those tough times that’s gonna prove whether our devotion is “for real” or not. If we’ll love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength ( Matthew 22:37-40 ), there won’t be any part of us that won’t be devoted to honoring and glorifying God… regardless of our circumstances ! Examine your heart and know it … GOD does.

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Family Tree

Family Tree

Tal Lewis…J.C. Lewis…Jimmy Lewis…Phil Lewis…Nikki Gerald, Hunter Lewis, Dylan Lewis … and the beat goes on and on and on and on… . Talkin bout “family trees”…and the “branches” that shoot off and produce even more. I sometimes sit and think about those ancestors that produced us…what their mannerisms and thoughts must’ve looked like. Did their own parents look at them and wonder what God’s plans were…where He would take em ? I never knew my great grandfather…and have heard barely nothing about him. I’ve visited his gravesite off Old Pearl Rd., read the inscription on his marker…but never knew what his dreams looked like … never heard about his work, his hobbies or how he treated my Bigmama. Did he pattern his life after his own daddy’s … was he saved at an early age … was he a gambler and alcoholic like his son … was he a hard worker or lazy ??? I guess I’ll never know. I did know a little about my Bigdaddy…my daddy’s daddy … and of course, i know alot about my own daddy … and i won’t speak ill of the dead or embellish at this time. What I’ll point out is, while we can’t choose our parents or our ancestors, we CAN choose to make wiser choices with our OWN lives … breaking some old lineage chains and doing some rerouting. Just because there’s “Lewis” blood runnin through my veins, doesn’t mean i haveta do the things that some of them did. I can take advantage of the blood that’s made me clean, righteous and holy … the blood of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ ! He washed my sins away with it on the cross … once and for all ! ( Hebrews 10:1-18 ) I can only hope that my “forefathers” found the same relationship with Christ that I’ve found. I hope they’re not dying of thirst and in torment because of their decisions they made while they were alive on earth ( Luke 16:19-31 ). We who are still breathing this earth’s oxygen, have the opportunity to take hold of an opportunity that requires ACTION on our part. If we’ll, by faith, trust God’s written Word and place the Lordship of our lives in Jesus’ hands, we can rest assured that we’ll not only be safe, but that we’ll receive all the benefits from this new life we’ve found in Christ ! We’ll have the Holy Spirit of GOD placed inside us…as our Helper, Counseler and Guide ! We’ll be able to make godly choices, seeing and understanding the things of GOD…the good ( Romans 12:2 ) and pleasing things of GOD. Jesse… David…JESUS… “us” … “ The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of councel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD…( Isaiah 11:1-3 ). A shoot coming outta the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit ! “I am the Vine, you are the branches…abide in me and produce fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing”— Jesus ( John 15:5 ) Connected…consecrated ?

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Believe It Or Not

Believe It Or Not

Ripley’s Believe It or Not ! … is an American franchise created by Robert Ripley…beginning in December 1918 from a cartoon he drew. His bizarre creations blossomed into the entertainment industry because of its ability to capture people’s attention and cause them to question the authenticity of each article, photo, display or creature. The crazier it looked or sounded, the more people were drawn to it. Theme parks, as well as “tourist towns” have his franchised attractions in their states as well as in other countries. People pay for oddity, and Mr. Ripley took advantage of it. Personally, i like spinning that heavy granite ball that levitates on that water out in front of the business, more than i like the attractions inside … but hey, that’s just me. I was reading Jesus’ statements in ( Luke 10 ) this morning and it occurred to me that God’s Word is a lot like Mr. Ripley’s attractions … we can “believe it or not “! When Jesus sent these 72 disciples to towns and cities He would eventually visit, to preach the gospel, heal the sick and share the love of Christ, He sent them with one particular message … tell em, “ The kingdom of God is near you.” If the people welcomed em, they’d be blessed by God’s message and favor … if they weren’t, they’d shake the dust from their feet and leave em with the same statement…” The kingdom of God is near you.” They had the same message and the same opportunity to accept it, or not. Same is true of us that present the gospel to the ones we’re sent to … we’re just messengers from God…sent into those “fields that are white unto harvest”. It’s not our duty to “save” anybody. It IS our duty to tell em about the good thing we have found, though. It’s our duty to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, serve others as He leads, present the hope that comes from a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, give a ( bottle ) of water in His name, buy a meal for those who are hungry, take care of the widows and orphans, treat others better than we do ourselves, lend a hand, prepare a meal, teach a lesson, rock and change a baby, honor our seniors and elders, bless them that curse us and do good to them that persecute us. As I’ve stated before…living for Jesus and being His messengers aint for the weak. It takes guts and determination… fueled by a LOVE like no other ! So WHAT if they call us strange, weird or crazy !?! “If you suffer as a Christian, don’t be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it’s time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God ?” ( 1 Peter 4:16-17 ) GOD’S WORD.., Believe It or Not !

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People Change

People Change

People change. 👂🦻I didn’t hear the “affirmation” i was expecting … thought I’d get a more resounding “Amen” than i heard. So…lemme explain why i said it. We will hate certain foods when we’re young, but as we age, so does our taste buds, causing us to like some of those foods that useta make us gag. Our preferences in clothing styles change…our desires and dreams change as we get older…our “gotta haves” ain’t as important as we thought they were, and reality sets in and our contentment levels settle in for the long haul. I woke up this morning hearing the following statement in my head : “ Does got tired of the same ol’ station so he changed it. He’s no longer called, “Doesn’t”. 🧐 Weird; huh ? It reminded me of a period in my life when i was in my early teens and painting houses with my uncles, a cousin and a couple more local guys while outta school for the summer … and yeah…we used t’ have the whole summer to do whatever…like 3 months … so there’s another “change” for ya. I was too cool for that hayseed country music or them “gospel greats”, but that’s all my uncle Phil would listen to on the little radio he’d bring to the jobsites. I vaguely remember an older young man ( Mike Little ) urging me to go change the channel so we could listen to “our” kinda music … that good ol rock n roll. I’s game, so i rolled the knob till it landed on some music you could work to … until uncle Phil came from another part of the house and changed it back. I gave him time to make it back outta sight and settle in to whatever he was doin, then eased back over and changed the station again. Eventually, he came back around and returned it to the station “he” liked and mumbled something that went in my left ear and came right out my right one. I was as stubborn as he was and still young, so i gave it one more try after he’d disappeared towards the back of the house. Wasn’t long, he came back even more frustrated and just cut the radio off … sayin, “ If I can’t listen to what I wanna listen to, we just won’t listen to anything.” I guess it was “his” radio. I still like a little little rock n roll every now and then, and I’ll always like some country…but as my heart changed, so did my “taste” for the “messages” of the music. I hear different genres glorifying alcoholism, sexual immorality and foul talk, and i haveta turn it off or change the channel. I figure if Jesus would go to such great lengths for me, the least i could do is not listen to stuff that dishonors Him. People change as their hearts change. People change as their hearts change. ( He told me to say it twice ). There was another young man that became king at 16 years old. He kept the title for 52 years by “doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD” , just as his daddy had done. He sought God in all his ways and listened to other God-fearing men who instructed him in the fear of the LORD. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. But… as he became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and “changed the channel” (2Chronicles: 26:3-16 ). We may experience some success while living outside the will of God … we might even hold some pretty high positions of authority … but sooner than later, there’s gonna come a day of reckoning. Because i didn’t “fear” the owner of the radio, out of a prideful heart, i had to work in “nothingness” for the remainder of the day. My attitude changed and i learned a valuable lesson…no thanks to Mike Little 😁. One of the greatest truths contained in God’s written Word is( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ) …” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Lord, I hope this strikes a chord with more than me. In Jesus’ name … Amen.

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Complaining

Complaining

Whachoo complainin about NOW ?!? Is there a day goes by that we’re not complaining about something ? I’m sure the people around us don’t wanna hear it and I know God’s tired of hearing our complaints. Y’ ever wonder why some people complain more than others ? You ever wonder why some people seem discontented most every day … when some others hardly ever speak a negative word ? There’s several “excuses”, but only one “reason”. Complaining comes from an ungrateful heart. Nothing’s ever good enough…it’s always someone else’s fault…the world’s against us and if we don’t get our way we’re gonna make everybody else’s life miserable. It all originates in our “HEART”. Jesus said,” What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean” ( Mark 7:20-23 ). We may wanna argue with Jesus and tell him , “ Well, you just don’t know how much I put up with” … “ If you had to live with him/her you’d complain too” … “ I’m mistreated and you want me to just take it !??” … and Jesus would remind all of us, “ You can’t let your happiness, or lack of, or your circumstances, cause you to react in ways that dishonor Me. You are to live holy lives, because I am holy. Constant complaining, arguing and causing disunity aren’t My ways…and they’re not fruits of My Spirit” ( 1 Peter 1:16; Galatians 5:16-23 ). People and circumstances are deceitful …but it’s our heart that’s gonna PROVE what’s gonna come out of us. If our “HEART CONDITION” is caustic , it’s not God’s fault… He supplies us a NEW heart when we’ve surrendered to Christ by faith ( Ezekiel 36:26; Proverbs 3:5-6 ). If there’s never been a true “SURRENDERING”, then there’s NEVER gonna be a new heart ! Period !! If we’ve been “born again”, what sense would it make if we remain the same as before our confession ?!? If and when we get to the point that we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired…tired of complaining and making life miserable for those around us…all we’ve gotta do is SURRENDER to Jesus our everything. That’s the main problem with Christians today … we all wanna go to heaven when we die and we all want God’s blessings and favor, but we don’t wanna surrender our “ALL” to Him. We wanna call the shots and we wanna use God as our personal 911 service . Allowing Him to be the “LORD” of our lives takes GUTS. Trusting Him with our health , our finances , our families , our job situations, our future and our provisions starts right there in our HEART ! If our hearts are impure , then ONLY GOD can fix it. Unless we let Him, we’re gonna go on like we’ve always been. Jesus ain’t wantin to be just our Savior and Friend… He’s GOTTA be our LORD if He’s ever goin t’ CHANGE us. And our faith walk can’t be just at our “acceptance speech”… It’s a lifetime of being SANCTIFIED…being “made holy”. If we’re neglecting our Bible study , our corporate worship , our prayer times and opportunities to share our faith with others , and putting into practice what The Spirit desires to use us for… then we’ve taken a stance against GOD. He tells us clearly , “ If you’re not with Me, then you’re against Me” ( Luke 11:23 ). See ? There’s no mention of a “middle ground”. Stubbornness , foolish pride, a controlling spirit , an argumentative attitude and a complaining heart … yall, these aren’t things that display the life of our Lord and Savior ! It takes more effort to draw and loose that hurtful arrow , than it does to lay it at Jesus ‘ feet and submit to HIS will and let HIM handle it.

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The Apple Falls

The Apple Falls

They say the apple dont fall far from the tree…meaning, children will more often than not, pick up on a parent’s tendencies, quirks, habits and hang-ups, and display them, themselves. That ol’ “monkey-see, monkey-do” thang. It’s why you, mom, and you, dad, don’t wanna rely on that tired ol’ proverb, “Do what I say, not what I do”, as a training tool for your kids … it dont work. As a parent myself, i tried recalling if my own younguns picked up on something i may’ve emulated … good or bad … and i came up with one pretty quickly. Now, don’t be so fast to judge, because I’m not sure if they “heard”, “saw” or just acquired it through that DNA thingy… but i can remember always having a tendency to wanna “show out” or “impress” those folks who were watching me. It mattered not what i was doing … climbing, hittin signs with rocks or bottles, doin flips off a divin board, rampin on my bike, jumpin hills on my dirtbike, etc; etc; i liked seeing the admiration in their expressions and hear their praises. I enjoyed bein “bragged on”…and i can honestly say, at least two of my kids wound up doin the same thing 😩. Let’s not get pious or holier-than-thou … if you’re honest, you probably “willed” one or more less-than-admirable traits to one of your kids…to a niece or nephew…a grandkid or that little next-door-neighbor kid. It’s where that truth originated… “The sins of the father will be visited on the son” ( Exodus 20:5 ) … and it’s as true today as it was so many years ago. Jesus took a prime opportunity to school a buncha prominent Pharisees and their cohorts as a guest in their home. He couldn’t get em to speak their minds, even though He already knew what they were thinkin, so He healed a man of a physical ailment although it was the Sabbath. He asked em another question to give em the opportunity to answer…” If you have a child fall in a well or an ox get in a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get it out ?” Still…no answer. So Jesus begins a parable that provides a life-lesson about “pride” and a “self-serving” attitude. And here’s us all one to tape to the frigerator … “ For everyone who exalts himself / herself will be humbled, and he / she who humbles himself / herself will be exalted.” ( Luke 14:1-11 ) Once we pass it down, there’s no stopping it…apart from the power of God ! That’s why it’s so critical that we watch what we do and sensor what we say … they are like sponges … and a stout relationship with Jesus is gonna be their ( our ) only hope. If pridefulness is hereditary, let’s all try to channel it towards the One that truly deserves to be bragged on … “Jesus, the Son of GOD” ! Lord, break down our foolish pride and let us live lives of humility, so others will follow suit. A prideful spirit doesn’t come from You and definitely is not becoming…it gives a false impression of You to others. We don’t deserve to be exalted, but You, on the other hand, deserve all our exaltation. Help us to repent of wrongful behavior and unrighteousness so as to bring You honor and glory. In the life-changing name above all names, the name Jesus we pray…Amen.

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Works in progress

Works in progress

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” ( 1 Peter 4:8 ), was a statement the apostle Peter made to believers suffering for their faith in Christ. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, Peter knew what it was to be persecuted for being a follower of Christ. He knew what it felt like to be the minority in a world filled with people who lived for themselves. But, he also knew what it looked like to be loved and forgiven … he remembered the day he’d denied even knowing Jesus or being His disciple…heard that rooster crow and saw the pain in Jesus’ eyes … as Jesus had earlier predicted ( Matthew 26:34 ). This from a man chosen by Jesus…a man that had lived with Jesus and learned from Jesus…a close companion and friend of Jesus ! Peter was lookin out for Peter when everything was goin down and his life was in jeopardy. He was watching as Jesus was about to be killed, and he didn’t wanna get caught up in that “net”. Although he couldn’t “take it back”… and he felt bad about what he’d done ( more like’NOT done’ ), he also knew what it was to be loved and forgiven. Jesus may or may not call us off the water and cook us some fish,( John chapter 21 ), but He’s still in the “forgiveness” and “loving” business ! The way we choose to look over the shortcomings of others…their insults and hostility, says alot about who our “Lord”/ “lord” is. We can choose to be argumentative, pessimistic and fault-finding … or … we can be merciful…offer grace and forgiveness…and “love deeply”. None of us are perfect yet…we make mistakes and miss the mark of God’s holiness more than we wanna admit. That don’t mean we have to live in self-pity and refuse to change ! Our occasional poor choice and our failure, doesn’t define us … our faith in Christ defines who He is ! People will be people … with all their flaws and weaknesses … but Jesus never sinned … and He’s the Author and Perfector of our faith ( Hebrews 12:2 ). By choosing to withhold grace, mercy and/or forgiveness…we’ve put ourselves in the place that’s rightfully GOD’S. Let’s be more patient ( long-suffering) with each other … we’re all works-in-progress. Father God, please forgive our short-sightedness and imperfections. We don’t want others to look at us and get a wrong impression about You. Let them see the love and forgiveness of Christ when we’re around or in their hearing. Thank You for reminding us of this through the study of Your Word. In Jesus’ name … Amen.