Month: February 2015

Friday’s Findings

by Dale, posted in Prayer

What have I found?  Well, I found yesterday that God answered so many wonderful pleas and requests in prayer!  Big and little requests.  Quick and longtime requested. Am I surprised?  No.  God hears our cries (Psalms 18:6; 116:1-6) and answers our prayers (Matthew 7:7).  God likes to surprise us, too (Jeremiah 33:3)!!  Oh what rejoicing filled our hearts throughout the day as my wife and I saw God at work in His grace and mercy in response to our heart cries early yesterday morning!

Followers of Christ, you and I must see our desperateness every day!  There is not a moment we do not need God!  Run to Him today; trust Him; rest in Him; meditate upon Him; and most of all, pour out your heart to Him sometime today!

When you find His answers, rejoice, be grateful, sing, share, and keep going to the Throne!  There you find grace (Hebrews 4:14-16).  There you find what makes every answer to prayer so glorious—you find Christ, your Redeemer, Advocate, and Friend!  What a find!!

“Nothing is well done without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account.” ― E.M. Bounds, Weapon of Prayer

Give a listen: There Must Be a Greater Yes

This-n-That: Living in These Last Days

by Dale, posted in Faith, God's Word, Heaven, Hope, Prayer, Sin, The Gospel

Tuesday, I spent the better part of the day in the midst of the Tennessee Legislature.  As I met with our state senator and representatives, I left with an encouraged, but burdened heart.  These elected officials work in the midst of outright temptation of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). At times, I could sense the oppression just lurking around the corner.  Yet, that is the world we live in. How should we live in these days of apostasy, debauchery, and decline?  Jude 20-21 gives us a clear remedy:

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

  1. Build

Your most holy faith is the body of absolute truth found only in the plenary, inerrant, inspired Word of God.  All the enemies of Truth will tempt you to turn away from the Truth, to doubt the Truth and to become cynical of the Truth.  Just as tall superstructures are built upon a solid foundation, we as believers must build an edification superstructure of truth that will stand the temptations of Satan, the world, and the flesh.  This is a daily construction need until God calls us Home.

  1. Pray

What a great need this is—praying in the Holy Spirit!!  Just as building is present tense, so is this verb praying.  If we are to accomplish God’s work, God’s way, and in God’s power at home, church, school, government, and work, we must habitually pray according to the Scriptures as the Spirit prompts us (Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 6:18).   There, we will find wisdom and direction in the face of this declension.

  1. Love

What does it mean to stay in the love of God when I know God loves me eternally and unconditionally (1 John 4:7-19)?  You keep yourself in the love of God by walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:9-10).   When you walk in His love, you will not be distracted by evil.  Love combats the cold onslaught of Satan and apostasy and keeps your heart warm, tender, and zealous for God, His people and the Truth (2 Corinthians 5:14)!

  1. Look

Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life reminds us to keep looking ahead, to keep our attention fixed on the soon return of Christ!  Mercy is me not getting what I deserve as a sinner (Romans 3:23), which is hell, because Christ is my substitute on the cross, the payment for my sins (1 John 2:1-2).  Therefore, I am not saved by my good works (Ephesians 2:8-9) but by Christ’s perfect work.  Therefore, I am secure in Christ and can look to eternity with great assurance (Ephesians 1-2).

So, in the midst of these last days of bad news, corrupt government, lawlessness, fear, pain, sorrow, apostasy and world upheaval, live out Jude 20-21.  You will exchange your burdened heart for an encouraged one.  Build, pray, love and look!

 

Additional study:  How is eternity in hell a fair punishment for sin?

Marriage Matters: Building or Maintaining

by Dale, posted in Marriage

 

Since my son-in-law was with me in Nashville Monday and Tuesday, our daughter decided to “camp-out” with her mother.  For entertainment, they took a video tour of the past thirty years of life in the Cunningham family.  I received a picture text of me when I was in my 30’s from my wife, and they were making fun of it!!!  Have mercy!  I understand. Oh, the changes that come with age.  Suffice it to say, when it comes to the covering on my head, it’s “hair today and gone tomorrow” for sure!

Denise and I have been married for 33 ½ years.  Much has changed for both of us through those years.  Bless her heart, she really didn’t know what she was getting into when she said, “Yes,” and “I do.”  Change is inevitable. Life happens.  So, how do you keep your marriage fresh through all the changes?  How can you still love to be with each other even after all the children are gone?  How can you laugh with and at each other in a good natured way?  The answer is, build your marriage every day and don’t live in a maintenance mode.  In other words, what have you added to your marriage to keep it fresh, new, rewarding and adventurous rather than just existing like you were living in the same old house with the same old carpet and the same old curtains with the same old moth balls?

  1. Pray together often and keep short accounts of sin!
  2. Kiss and hold hands every day!
  3. Live today as if it were your last day together here on earth!
  4. Do something fun together; get out of that rut! Act like you are dating again . . . because you are!
  5. Eat your supper together by putting a small table in front of the fireplace and be romantic!
  6. Read good books about marriage, such as Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerich
  7. Learn to laugh again, at yourself!!!
  8. Go to bed at the same time (unless your work schedule interferes)!

These are just some simple thoughts, but as you age, there’s enough “going south” in our bodies to create issues.  At least stay away from your marriage falling into the boring maintenance mode.  Continue, by the grace of God, to build, create, develop a marriage that will last beyond the receding hairline!!

(The pic on the left is from my senior year in high school and the one on the right is something we have done for years and continue to do for a good laugh in the car!)

The Making of a Man: Who You Listen To

by Dale, posted in God's Word, Men, The Bible

Who is the person you listen to more than anyone else?  Bob Kesling (UT Radio Voice)?  Brad Nessler (ESPN)? Shepard Smith (FoxNews)? Your children?  Your wife?  Your boss?  Your co-workers?  Men, the voice you listen to more than anyone else is . . . your own; your own heart.  Throughout a day, no matter what anyone says to you, you always respond to it from your heart.  See, right now, you are already responding to what I have written!  This begs us as men to consider two truths.

You must not listen to your heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  Just taking this passage at face value, what does it say about your heart?  Do you want to listen to that which is deceitful, full of lies, and desperately wicked?  Do you want to listen to a heart that you cannot fathom, understand, or explain?  Then, why do you listen to yourself?  I listen to myself because I like myself.  I am selfish.  I think I have it all figured out.  See there, I am deceived.  So that leads me to the next principle that is so needed.

You must speak the truth to your heart.

Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.   Instead of listening to myself, I must speak the truth to myself.  There are so many wonderful, life-changing, “keeping me on the right track,” truths from God’s Word that need to be uppermost in my mind and heart.  Here a few right out of Ephesians 1 and based upon my position in Christ:

  • Since Christ is the eternal expression of God’s greatest blessing, I am blessed forever in Christ with all spiritual blessings (3).
  • Since Christ is the Father’s eternally Chosen One, I am chosen in Christ; His forever (4).
  • Since Christ is the accepted and beloved Son of God, I am accepted in the beloved (6).
  • Since Christ is the full payment for my sin, I am redeemed through His blood (7).
  • Since Christ is the access into God’s grace, I am graced forever (7).
  • Since Christ took the wrath of God for my sin, I am reconciled to God (10).

Men, to overcome the deceitfulness of our hearts, we must constantly speak the truth to our hearts.  Stop listening to yourself and start preaching the Truth to yourself today—that’s what we need to hear!

To the People in the Pew: The Snowy Word

by Dale, posted in The Bible

Quiet. Peaceful. Snow falling. The country view out my front window. Another fresh blanket covering the ground.  As I watched the beauty of God’s creation, the Lord brought Isaiah 55:10-11 to my mind:

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

There are several analogies of the snow and the Word of God:

  1. Snow quiets the earth, and the Word quiets our soul, our heart, our mind, our life.
  2. Snow falls quietly, and God speaks the Word quietly to our heart.
  3. Snow blankets the earth, and the Word blankets our heart when we are troubled, discouraged, or in need of wisdom.
  4. Snow makes the ugly beautiful, and the Word regenerates making beautiful what sin makes ugly.
  5. Snow slows us down, and the Word does the same or stops us in our tracks.
  6. Snow alters our life, and the Word will alter our life always for the better.
  7. Snow comes from the heavens, and the Word is settled and comes from above.
  8. Snow is avoided; sadly, the Word is avoided by so many.
  9. Snow has a future effect upon the earth preparing the ground for spring; the Word has a present and future effect preparing us for service, trials, witnessing, the Bema, and making us more Christ-like..
  10. Snow is unique as is demonstrated by each flake, and the Word is forever unique as there is no other word like God’s Word.

I’m sure there are many other analogies, but simply put, the next time the snow falls, if you are a believer, begin to think on the tremendous, awesome Word of God and let it drive you to its pages!!  Let it accomplish and prosper in your life what God so ordains!

Friday’s Findings

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Church, Heaven, Love, Marriage, Men, Praise & Worship, The Bible

What a week this has been!  Winter raised its frigid head and blew in a storm of gnarly winds, bone-chilling temps, yet layered the ground with a pristine blanket of snow.  Quite, frankly, its just been another typical week in the life of a child of God.  And as always, it must be said, “God is good all the time; all the time God is good.”  So, here’s a few blog posts to end the week that you might find edifying, challenging, and humorous.  Looking for the Lord Jesus Christ to return today!  Will He find you and me watching and faithful? I heard Dr. Charles Wagner say many years ago in a sermon, “The imminent return of Christ should have immediate effects upon my life!”

Why Don’t Choir Members Smile

Three Reasons Why Bible Reading Can Feel Like a Chore

Fifteen Ways to Honor Your Wife

Our Home Heating Unit Is Broken and We Think It’s Funny

Only Just For Fun

School Cancelled Again?!?!?!?!

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Parenting, Serving

Odessa Waters Video

Odessa has become a star via her daily video rants and raves.  She is a hoot!  After viewing this video and reading many posts on Facebook, I have to ask parents, “Why did you have children in the first place?”  Let me get right to the point, and with a saddened and concerned heart.  Is it really that bad for your children to be home from school for several days?

Here’s several reasons why it is a blessing to have your children home from school due to the weather:

  • These are valuable opportunities for you to instruct your children in the Word of God, to pray with them, to sing with them, and to go over their Sunday School lesson with them.
  • These are precious opportunities to do crafts, teach them how to bake cookies (and eat them!), help do some spring cleaning, and/or rearrange the furniture in their room.
  • These are fun opportunities to play outdoors. Go sledding. Make snow cream.  Roll in the snow and make a snow angel.  Build a snowman.  Take a bunch of photos. Make a ton of memories.
  • These are priceless opportunities for you to give your children your undivided attention. Many of their behavioral problems are due to you be so preoccupied with your phone or ipad.  Turn them off. Listen and talk to your children.  Ask questions.
  • These are treasurable opportunities for you to influence your children, watch them learn, and see them grow rather than the daycare worker or school teacher seeing all the “firsts” and telling you about it later on.
  • These are beloved opportunities to pretend. Build a blanket fort and camp out. Eat your lunch under the tent; maybe even sleep there with your pretend fire glowing through the night.   Or, for supper, pretend you own a restaurant and teach your children how to set a table, serve others, and act at a restaurant.  Or, pretend you are having church and let your children preach, lead singing, receive the offering, etc.

There’s one important aspect to the success of these precious opportunities—-PLANNING.  Yes, it’s a whole lot easier to watch Frozen for the 1,237th time or to spend hours mindlessly surfing Facebook or the internet while your children “get on your very last nerve!”  Let me say, I understand children can be rambunctious and parade their old sin nature for all to see, but most of their misbehavior is a lack of loving, caring, patient training and discipline that needs to come from you.

So, don’t squander these awesome opportunities because you are not getting to do what you want to do.  Serve your children.  Love them.  Teach them. Hold them.  They will be gone before you know it.  God gave you children to enjoy and edify, not to endure.

Say, what do you have planned for tomorrow if you hear that school has been cancelled?   (Btw, you and your kids should be so disappointed that school is back in session because of the cool plans you have made!!)

Marriage Matters: At the Altar

by Dale, posted in Marriage, Men, Prayer

While scrolling through my Facebook page yesterday, this beautiful picture brought back an extremely special memory.  Two years ago, my wife and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary at Whitestone Inn, Kingston, TN (Whitestoneinn). While strolling along through the property, we walked into this beautiful, pristine chapel. After surveying the building, I took Denise by the hand and we knelt at the altar.  I will never forget the tears, the joy, the offering of thanks, the reminiscing, the closeness to each other and our God, and the uninterrupted time at the Throne of Grace.

Men, why do we need to pray with our wives? 

1.  Leadership

We need to take the lead in prayer. Most wives are waiting for you to do so.  Even if she has been born again longer than you, she wants you to take the lead.  She loves to hear you pray.  She loves to hear you call out her name in prayer.  The issue is not you “getting all the prayer words right.”  The issue is Jesus Christ, Who makes our feeble prayers powerful and perfect before the Throne because He is our Righteous Advocate (1 John 2:1-2).

Men always ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1)

2.  Intimacy

The greatest intimacy you will know is when you are bowing before the Throne of Grace acknowledging your need personally and for your marriage. Men, we must not be afraid to get honest with God in the presence of our wives.  They will respect you more for your transparency and dependence upon Almighty God as you seek His face for guidance, answers, and wisdom.

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. (Psalm 86:1)

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

3.  Understanding 

Praying with your wife enables you to dwell with them in an understanding way, and it honors your wife, your sister in Christ. When you start praying with your wife and listening to her pray, then will cease the sad statement heard by men the world over, “I will never understand my wife!”

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

Men, you don’t have to find a chapel altar, although it would certainly be special.  If your wife is seated, you kneel at the chair, take her by the hands, and pray for and with her.  When you go to bed, take her by the hand and lead in prayer before you drift off to sleep.  When the call for prayer is heard from the pulpit, take her by the hand and go to the altar and pray with her.  If you are on a date, stop by a creek on that hike and have prayer together or in the coffee shop or in the car.  That prayer altar can be anywhere . . . because God is there.  Marriage matters at the altar.

The Making of a Man: Adventurous Dave & Mike

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Discipleship, Faith, Men, Missions

Most men love adventure!  Whether it’s the quest to run and complete a 50K, to climb and repel a sheer rock wall, to soar through a canyon like a bird (Wingsuit – Base Jumping Video), or thread the Bonsai Pipeline and all with a GoPro camera, I’m sure each of your have your definition of adventure!

We had the privilege of hosting two men of adventure this past weekend at our local church.  One man, Dave, left a comfortable position in West Virginia to move his family without the promise of full financial support to a larger city, Raleigh, North Carolina, to start a church in the inner city near North Carolina State University.  The other man, Mike, left the comfortable confines of Florida, doing what he loved, and moved to southern Spain for several years.  While there, he learned the Spanish language and helped to plant churches while raising a family of four.  Seven years ago, he moved to the Basque country of northern Spain to an area steeped in tradition and a completely different language.  Once again, to help a church and serve in an already established ministry among the Basque people as well as other internationals.  Both of these men are just ordinary men who have given their lives to Christ, a life of adventure of faith and courage.  Trusting daily for the supply of God’s grace and watching the Lord always provide spiritually, mentally, socially, financially, and emotionally.

You want adventure?  Give your life as a disciple to completely follow Christ!  Jesus said as recorded in Luke 14:26-27, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”  A disciple of Christ . . .

  • Risks his life for Christ.
  • Walks by faith in Christ.
  • Lives by the Word of Christ.
  • Give his life to proclaim and pursue Christ.
  • Goes wherever Christ leads him to go.
  • Trusts his life to Christ for now and eternity.
  • Suffers and stands for the cause of Christ.
  • Learns of Christ “while sitting at his feet.”
  • Bears the cross and the reproach of Christ.
  • Serves all for the sake of Christ.
  • Willingly surrenders his family to Christ.
  • Give his all to Christ.
  • Lives for the day he will see Christ.
  • Prepares for the day when he will stand before Christ.

Now, men, that’s a life of adventure!  That’s a life filled with purpose! And your Servant Leader, Conqueror, Shepherd, King, Armor, and Captain of your salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, always leads you in His triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14)!!  And He records it all on His eternal “GoPro” in order to reward you one day at the greatest moment of your life outside of your personal salvation!

So today, if you are men who have been truly born again (John 1:14; 3:16; 14:6), then let’s join Dave and Mike and live a life of adventure with Christ!  The rush of base jumping, kayaking, running, or other extreme sports can be satisfying and fun, but it only last for a short while.  Adventure for Christ lasts a lifetime, is every day, and has eternal rewards! Are you ready for some real adventure?