Author: Dennis

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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.

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For Nothing ?!

For Nothing ?!

You got a gun ? A baseball bat ? A tazer ? Pepper spray ? Flame thrower ? How do you plan on defending yourself if the need arises ? Some o y’all done started gettin excited … lookin forward to some action … wantin t’ “throw down”, but I’m just tryin t’ get you t’ thinkin. What if you were asleep and a sound awakened you ? Burglar ? The dog ? Your defense mechanism kicks in…your “Spidey senses” are tinglin. Besides a flashlight, whachoo gon’ use for a weapon ? Cause you know most criminals don’t go unprepared … they usually anticipate an unwelcoming response to their invasions of privacy. It ain’t THEIR castle…they’re just willing to help themselves to yours ( ours ) and our stuff. The 10th commandment clearly states, “ You shall not steal” ( Exodus 20:15 )…but undoubtedly , they ain’t worried about God’s laws. So… you’re “shock-woke” to an unfamiliar sound. An intruder has broken into your house and is trying to kidnap one of your kids. The adrenaline is flowing and you’re one priority is to save your child. What’s your next move ? Another scenario : It’s prom night and you’ve taken all the pictures your senior can stand, so you send him / her out with all the normal paternal warnings and threats…followed by, “And have fun.” About halfway through the night, you hear a bulletin on the news… there’s a madman on the loose and he’s in the vicinity of the prom location. What do you do ? I mean…it’s your only kid. Another scenario: You’re at the park with your 5 year old grandkid…gonna grab snowcones afterwards. You’ve played all you can and you release em to have fun with them other kids that’s just as energized as yours. About an hour in, you notice a suspicious character lurking a little too close to the play area. You feel uncomfortable and start walking towards them, ready to take action if necessary . You done heard all about child trafficking and this may be one of em . You’re “packin”, so you mentally prepare to intercept and eliminate if your hunch is right . I wanted to present situations that make us think about the seriousness of our youngun in danger…and how it’d make us feel. Now think about this … God the Father, knew aheada time, what was gonna happen to His Son, Jesus Christ. He watched from heaven as Jesus was beaten within an inch of his life…spit upon…pounded with stones…cursed and mocked. He watched as “we” nailed him to a rugged cross…lifted him up and dropped the post into a hole, causing excruciating pain. He watched him suffer with a mock crown of thorns jammed on his head. He heard all the insults…saw the smirks on the faces of the religious leaders … and yet, He didn’t stop it . He had every available weapon in His arsenal and at His disposal, but He didn’t use em. He saw the agony on His Son’s face…saw His body bleeding, His insides exposed, but He didn’t stop it or come to His aid. He watched Jesus die…and didn’t lift a finger. I can’t imagine … can you ?! On top of all that, it was all “premeditated” ! God knew what would happen … and even orchestrated it all !! Imagine GOD, in the interview room at headquarters, being interrogated … one of the officers asking Him, “ Why ?!” … and with tears running down His cheeks, He chokes out an almost inaudible, “ I had to…for you.” See what i mean ? Unless you and i really make Jesus’ life “personal”, we’ll never really understand why He had to die. Our sin mocked Him and beat Him. Our sin accused Him falsely and nailed Him to that cross. Our sin literally killed Him ! So … was it for nothing ? Does it draw some sorta deep conviction within you…causing you shame and remorse ? It’s God’s way of “drawing” you … knocking at your heart’s door, wanting you to open it and let Him in ( John 6:44; Revelation 3:20 ). I hope and pray, if you haven’t received Jesus as your Savior, and let Him be the Lord of your life, you’ll make the commitment now ! Today is the day of salvation ( Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 6:2 ) ! Oh ! By the way… Jesus didn’t “stay dead” ! He rose victorious 3 days later … defeating the grave and death ( 1 Corinthians 15:4 ) ! O death, where is your sting ? O grave, where is your victory ? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ! ( 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ) Die to “self” … Live in Christ … and let Him show you what abundant life is like ! ( John 10:10 ) Don’t let His death be for nothing !

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Good Job

Good Job

“I’m proud of you” … “Don’t worry, I won’t shame you” … “ You sure make us proud “ … I bet you’ve either heard, or said one of these statements, at one time or another; right ? I can remember as a kid, cuttin and haulin firewood with my daddy and brother. After he’d saw the tree down and “limb” it, me and my brother’s job was to load the trailer or back of the van ( daddy’s work van doubled as our everyday transportation vehicle, slash, vacation “camper” 🤣 ). I wasn’t one to be outdone, so I’d stack as many limbs as i could across my upturned arms, then I’d tell my dad or brother to keep it coming till i said “that’s good.” I’m one o them people that tries to make as few trips as possible … so the more i carried, the less back-and-forth was required … plus, i wanted to make my daddy proud and maybe hear him say it… or at the least, to see his expression of admiration . We participate in all manner of extracurricular activities, whether voluntarily or forced, and are expected to excel, so as to meet someone else’s approval. We may or may never hear,” Good job, I’m proud of you”…therefore, we will lose heart and tend to feel as if we don’t measure up … like our efforts weren’t good enough. This ain’t nothin new … it’s been a common characteristic of way too many people over time. It evolves out of an innate desire for “more”… more output…more money. They can never find contentment because they’re searching for it with the wrong mindset. When we’re “prideful”, we’ll never be satisfied. That’s why so many people bounce from one job to the next … it ain’t about the money ( even though it’s used as an excuse quite often )…it’s a “pride” issue…and it ain’t of God, by God or from God. It’s sinful and it’s holding folks back every single day ! It’s not, nor will it ever be, a “fruit of the Spirit”… and until we repent of this sin and invite Christ to be our Savior and Lord, we’re never gonna find the peace we’re after…in our work, in our relationships, in our performance or even in our own hearts. You’ll never hear God say, “ Son / Daughter, I’m so proud of all that you’ve accomplished… I’m proud of all the money that you’ve made”. What you WILL hear him say is, “ I oppose the proud, but I give grace to the humble” … “ Money is the root of all evil; pride, the root of all sin.” Unless we adopt the mindset of GOD, holding it to the highest standard of living, we can never find contentment and we’ll always be searching for that elusive pot o’ gold at the end of that rainbow. By HIS power, HE provides the Savior, the Spirit and an endless supply of wisdom and knowledge. All we’ve gotta do is accept it and use it to bring HIM glory ! GOD didn’t create you or me to fail. HE wants us to be righteous and live lives that bring glory to His name. When we choose His ways, we’ll hear Him say things like, “ Hey Satan, wha choo think about my servant, Job ? There’s no one on earth like him; he’s blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” ( Job 1:8 ) … “ I delight in MY people and I crown the humble with salvation”( Psalm 149:4 ) … “ I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope” ( Jeremiah 29:11 ) … and “ This is my son / daughter, who I love; with him / her I am well pleased” ( Matthew 3:17 ). Down here, some will never be pleased or satisfied with our efforts… but if our desire is to please our Creator, GOD Almighty, we can rest assured that He is well pleased with us. And that oughta be enough.
2:26 PM

 

 

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Relationship

Relationship

I can remember as a kid, going to the grocery store with my mama…seeing all those products on those shelves, all lined up so neatly…all that colorful fruit and candy. I can still recall wishin we had plenty o’ money, where i could take my own buggy up and down them aisles and fillin it with the things i wanted. It never happened. But i DID get to pluck a grape or two off a bunch and eat em while i trailed my mama. “Hungry” … or just “shoplifting”? Whatever it was, Jesus has me covered NOW ! I couldn’t help but remember this when i was reading Matthew chapter 12:1-14 this morning. Jesus and his disciples were cuttin through some dude’s field in their travels…in was the Sabbath, so all the Laws established were well-known to Jesus…i mean, HE established em; right ?!? So as they’re walking, a few of the disciples just reached down and stripped a little grain from the heads of the wheat and ate it, because they were hungry. Immediately, the “church police” … the Pharisees call em out on it saying, “ Look ! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” Jesus’ answer rocked em to their heals ! He reminded em that even king David and his companions ate the sacred bread in the house of God…and how the priests desecrate the Sabbath in the temple, but yet they are innocent. ( Here’s the clincher that choked em out…) “ I tell you that one greater than the temple ( AND the Law ) is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘ I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” We tend to forget that God calls the shots … not man. These disciples didn’t ignore the Law because they were with Jesus, the Law Writer … they picked a little grain because they were hungry ! And Jesus knew their hearts…just as He knew those Pharisee’s hearts. Jesus wasn’t “condoning” sin…He was simply teaching a valuable life-lesson : GOD ain’t so concerned about whether or not we keep every “letter of the Law” or never slip up and sin … He desires a “RELATIONSHIP” over “religion” and “religious do’s and don’ts”. He quoted ( Hosea 6:6 ) … “ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of GOD rather than burnt offerings.” GOD desires “love” over everything else … “Love GOD, first … love others, second “ ( Mark 12:30-31 ). His word is clear…if we really wanna hear it… when we don’t try to tell Him what to say.

 

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Remembering You

Remembering You

I always ask God to show me something to write about and i open my copy of His Word and search the scriptures until He locks me in. This morning’s just happened to be Philippians chapter 1, verses 3-6. It reads like this … “ I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This may seem insignificant or trivial to some, but i can relate to Paul’s words and expressions of joy towards his friends and his brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m thankful when i remember yall in my prayers…not only because God saw fit to use you in my own life’s journey, but also because of your “partnership” in the gospel. We’re in this thing together … this “adventure” that’s taking us places we never knew existed before we met Jesus. His Spirit reveals new things to us every day…sharpens us for the battles we’re gonna face and revives us after em. Yeah, we take a beatin sometimes…who dont ? But our faith in Christ and what He’s already done stands strong ! ( 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ) Because of you, i don’t haveta go it alone. I know if i need you, you’ll be there for me … and i hope you know you can count on me to be there for you. God never meant for us to be disunified … He created us to be of one accord…one Spirit … HIS ! “A cord of three is stronger than one” ( Ecclesiastes 4:12 ) … therefore, we know that “isolation” is just another trick / another lie of the enemy that weakens our defenses. He’s crafty and deceitful…always trying to steal, kill and destroy our marriages, our health and our witness. His sole job is to create havoc to take our eyes off the prize ( Philippians 3:14 )…but he ain’t got what Jesus has ! Satan’s power is limited ( plus, he’s already been whooped ! ) … but he ain’t a quitter. He dont know when to cry “uncle”…but his day is comin ! We have Christ on our side, and nobody can pluck us out of His hands ( John 10:28-30 ) ! Because of your good confession, we’re a team … and nothing nor nobody can separate us ! The good work He started, He will complete ! If we remain in Christ ( John 15:5-8 ) and walk in the Spirit ( Galatians 5:16 ), we “will produce good fruit”… we won’t be able t’ help it ! Whether you get there before me or after me, I’ll continue to smile because of you ! Your friendship and love for Christ brings joy to my soul. Stay the course … hold on for the ride … and enjoy this abundant life that’s been made available for us … Jesus has already paid for our admission !! ( John 10:10; Psalm 119:1-8 )

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Why me?

Why me?

Why me ? At first, i thought our sermon message was going to wrap around the concept of our trials, troubles and tribulations … but it turned out, God revealed himself through His provision, providence and protection ! It was beautifully “preached”… extremely emotional … and i know my heart wasn’t the only one blessed by it. Thank you, Sam Taylor, for being His mouthpiece and relaying His message passionately ! Getting another opportunity to look back into the life of Ruth, we were reminded of how God took care of her, when she needed Him most ( Ruth2:1-10 ). I immediately thought back to times He did the same for me. I recall the early morning coming home from a church-sanctioned lock-in…driving my parent’s car…so tired i couldn’t keep my eyes open. I should’ve been hit head-on or centered a large oak tree where i left the road … but i didn’t. He guided the car for me, resulting in no damage. I remember climbing a mimosa tree at my aunt and uncle’s when i was just a boy. I’d gone as high as possible and scooted out on a limb…sitting on it like a swingset seat … holding a limb above with both hands. The limb i was gripping popped, leaving me nothing but air to grab … but God wrapped both my legs around the limb i was sitting on, similar to a trapeze artist, which kept me from falling several feet to the ground, possibly breaking my neck. I’ve had instances where he protected my son when he wasn’t making good choices…because we cried out to Him and begged Him to. We’ve navigated troubling times in our marriages…to see better days…because we asked Him. We’ve seen relationships restored and financial obligations met…because we asked Him. We’ve seen Him do miracles during our poor health conditions … because we prayed and believed He could do it ! Nobody can set up a divine appointment like GOD can ! Nobody can orchestrate outcomes like GOD can ! If you don’t believe it, you probably won’t ever see it or understand it…but I have ! When times ain’t perfect … when troubles abound … it’s common to look up to heaven and say, “ Why me ?” … and if you’ll listen closely, you may hear God reply, “ Why not you ?”. But…if you’ll hold on to your faith in Him, and ask…you’ll get to experience the wonders of your Creator… and with tears flowing down your cheeks, you can then look up and humbly understand what Ruth must’ve felt … and silently say, “ Why me ?” … and hear God’s soft reply, “ Because I love you, and you’re my son / daughter.”

 

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The Road

The Road

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” … that sayin’s been around a lot longer than me and you … but have you ever just thought about what it means ? It implies that, thinking about doing something positive, but not following up on it with “action”, is the same, or sometimes worse than, NOT wanting to do anything positive. Pennye Jacobs Lewis can ask me to clean out the pool before the weekend … i can give her that stare as if she just lost her mind and say ,” OK. I’ll get ‘tuit’ tomorrow”… with no more intentions of tackling that task than if someone asked me to eat a raw oyster🤮. That would be a flat-out lie. But if i told her, “ OK baby. I’ll get on it this afternoon or tomorrow”, and i wind up lettin it slide until the next time she reminds me…that’s good intentions without positive actions…what hell’s paved with… because that’s what I’m gon’ be catchin’ by ignoring her wishes🥴. I believe we’ve all “been there, done that”, at least a time or two; amen ? I know I’m pitiful to follow up with some of the things I’ve promised…even if the action didn’t require an actual “promise”. Just say you relayed the need for prayer for a friend or family member, and i immediately said,” You got it. I’ll be praying for them every day”… but i stop within the first couple o’ days. I more’n likely didn’t stop out of a lack of concern…probably i just forgot because of the other le’m thousand things I’ve got on my mind. Still…i let that person down because i neglected to lift their need up to God. I can’t help but think of the words of James, Jesus’ brother , so long ago …” But someone will say,’ You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I’ll show you my faith by what I do.”( James 2:18 ) We can know the good we oughta do, but fail to respond positively…and nothing ever gets done…or… we can know the good we oughta do, and do it, and rejoice that we got er done ! On to the next project … the next good deed ! There’s people all around you / me that needs to know Jesus. Many of em are attending church services right t’ere by you. We can all agree with that fact…but if we’re not inviting em to worship with us…encouraging em to nail down their decision for Christ before it’s too late … praying for their salvation… then what good have we done ?!? How did our prompting by the Spirit result in a positive response or action ? It didn’t ! Therefore…that person says,” Nobody cares. I ain’t goin t church with a buncha hypocrites that dont practice what they preach.” And ol boy / ol girl dies one day, still separated from a relationship with Christ, and to hell they go … to burn eternally without being able to burn up ! Is that what you / we want for our kids and their spouses ? For our grandkids or their friends ? For our own mamas and daddies …our spouse ? Just as faith without works is useless and dead ( James 2:13 )… so is good intentions without positive action. We need to honor the commitments we make and glorify God every chance we get. I don’t wanna be the one that gets to the gates of heaven, standing in front of Jesus only to hear him say,” See ya…wouldn’t wanna be ya” ( Matthew 7:21-23 ) !

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Women

Women

What about the woman / women in your life … what kinda influence are they making on you ? I’ve been blessed with two God-fearin women in my direct path in this world… my mama, Jeraldine Lewis, and my wife, Pennye Jacobs Lewis. My mama has gone on home ( by way of a massive heart attack ), and God provided me Pennye to help me along my journey. I didn’t have a spiritual leader in my daddy, so my mama took the responsibility of that role…for which, I’m eternally grateful. Naw, it ain’t “Mama’s Day”, but i don’t think we give enough recognition to our God-fearin mamas / wives that help us draw closer to Jesus by correcting us when we take on like heathens or when we just need a little remindin about who we belong to. I know i wouldn’t be worth killin if it wasn’t for these two godly ladies. You don’t know what you’re missin if you don’t have at least one godly role model or mentor woman in your life. They may not know it here on earth, but i guarantee you they’ll know it when they hit them pearly gates, how much influence they really had for the kingdom of God. I think it’s a disservice to God when we don’t recognize them for their impact. They don’t HAVETA do all they do…but they do it anyway…because God uses them to exemplify His compassion, His concern, His provision and His love. ( He’s also notorious for usin em to keep us straight 😉 ) We definitely don’t give em the props they deserve. Mother’s Day and their birthday ain’t nearly enough to tell em how much they’re respected, admired and loved. I believe we as men, will be held accountable for being, not only the spiritual leader of our household…the one that lovingly guides our women to be Christ-like and respectable ( Ephesians 5:25 ) …but also, being good stewards of these “gifts from heaven”. If God’s given us a gift, what does it say about us if we treat that gift as if it’s nothing ? I believe God’s watchin us to see if we really appreciate it ( them ) … and expects us to take care of it ( them ) as we ought to. We’re in the book of Ruth in our Sunday School class at the moment, and i was reminded by Naomi’s ( Ruth’s mama-in-law ) words to Ruth, as to the blessedness of a God-honoring woman. I know there was more than one God-fearing woman listed in the Bible, but I’m also reminded that “my mama” was Pennye’s mama-in-law … and how their mutual love for the Lord reflected in their relationship, in the conversations they had, how they made each other better, how they so enjoyed each other’s company, and how they expressed their love and respect for each other. We miss mama all the time…but I’ve got two daughters-in-“love” and a daughter that gets to benefit from Pennye’s example…her love for the Lord overflows on them…and i just sit back and smile, and yeah, sometimes i have a tear roll out my eyes…and i thank my awesome God for blessing me, my kids, their wives and husband, my grandyounguns and many others that ain’t even kin to us, with a Godly, God-fearin woman ! Pennye Lewis … i bless the day i met you … i thank our Lord for you, and i love you more than I’ve ever been able to tell you ! Men…cherish that woman-of-God that He has placed in your life. He didn’t have to give her to you. Thank You, Father God, for the ones that you’ve given me. Continue to mold them into the beautiful vessels that they are. In Jesus ’ name…Amen.

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Good ?

Good ?

Are you a “good” man/woman ? Uh-Huh…caught you off guard; didn’t i ? We’ve all heard the comebacks when that question was posed … “ Depends on who you ask “ … “ Depends on what day it is “ … “Good enough “ … and we all chuckle and think nothin else about it. I don’t believe we reflect enough on whether are not we’re measuring up to the standards of God. Being a “good” man/woman in the eyes of our peers ain’t hard … all we’ve gotta do is conform to whatever image they think is cool. It matters not if we’re conforming to the image of GOD, so long as we’re not making “them” feel uncomfortable. See where I’m goin ? There’s “man’s goodness”, and there’s “God’s goodness” … and you can bet your last dollar there’s a difference. We can cut up and tell crude jokes, drink and smoke with the best of em, cheat on our spouses, steal time from our employers, cuss and belittle our kids…and blend in with the crowd in every other common way, and still be considered a good man/woman in the eyes of those whose lifestyle matches ours. But what about GOD ? How do we look to Him ? This post may sting a little … but if it’ll get our attention and cause our hearts to change… cause us to understand more clearly what God expects of His sons/daughters…then it was worth the reading of it. Ain’t that what “truth” does alotta times ? It hurts ? God’s truth DOES hurt sometimes…because it convicts … but it also heals…as long as we’re sorry / remorseful for how we’ve been living…in opposition to God’s will…in disobedience to His word and commands. See ? A good man / woman receives favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices He condemns ( Proverbs 12:2 ). I can’t speak for you, but I’d a whole lot rather receive favor from God than condemnation ! It all starts with Jesus. If we’re ever gonna crawl out of that pit we’ve dug for ourselves, shuck those chains of despair and live a life free from the bondage of sin and shame, then we’ve gotta start with getting a relationship with God’s Son…Jesus Himself. He’s not only the Way, He’s Truth and Life ( John 14:6 ), and NO ONE gets to the Father except by Him. It ain’t hard to hear God’s calling…He knows our number … and the invitation is always open … until it ain’t ! If our “yes” is sincere and our hearts are broken because of our sin, He’ll pull us out of that mud and mire, clean us up ( Psalm 40:2 ) and place us on solid ground. Here’s the “good” part … our former goodness will be discarded ( Isaiah 64:6 ) and replaced with Jesus’ goodness ! After our deliverance from the desert, our eyes are opened to new ways, our hearts are made new and we’re able to live lives of freedom ( Luke 15:17; Acts 9:18; Ezekiel 36:26; John 8:36 ) ! We die to sin and are able to live in Christ ( Romans 6 ) ! Being a “good” man / woman is impossible without Him. It ain’t gon’ happen ! That’s why it all starts with Jesus ! God’s grace ( unmerited favor ) is sufficient … that means it “sticks” ( 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 2:8 )… only through that faith-based relationship with Christ. Good men and women are a dime a dozen when it comes to worldly standards. That doesn’t mean they’re good in the eyes of God, though … and their end is always gonna be the same … ( Matthew 7:21-23 ) … Jesus’ words; not Phil’s. Why wouldn’t we want the favor of God over the favor of an ordinary man or woman ?!? God’s blessings and favor trump anything this world and its people have to offer… and for the man / woman that walks uprightly in His eyes, He blesses with protection and honor ( Psalm 84:11 ). He holds them securely in His big ol hands ( John 10:28-30 ) and Satan has no control of them ! The life we now live, we live in Christ, who’s defeated the grave and provided ABUNDANT LIFE ( Galatians 2:20; John 10:10 ) ! No longer a slave to sin … and a “good” man / woman in the eyes of God, t’boot ! Life dont get no better than that ! Father God, help us examine our own goodness through the lens’ of your eyes and stop worryin about whether we look good to ordinary folks. Let our righteous living be proof of our relationship with You, bringing You honor and glory. Thank You for being a Good Good Father, Friend and Savior . In Jesus’ name we pray … amen.