Month: March 2016

Yesterday I saw many smiles, but there’s a wonderful connection with three of them.

The first one was found on my wife’s face as she entered the door of our home.  She had just returned from Panera Bread.  Over breakfast and coffee, Denise was able to answer questions and give biblical solutions to a mom crying out for help.  How awesome to be able to share truth and practical wisdom from the Word of God!  How blessed to see a dear mom ready and willing to learn and apply what she had been taught!  My wife was beaming because discipleship, although hard at times, is so rewarding!!

The second smile was found on the faces of many pictured on a post card we received from Spain.  There, gathered for their “Pastor & Youth Meeting,” were eighteen precious souls learning how to address difficult ethical issues in their daily lives.  The biggest smile is found on the face of our missionary friend and pastor.  Knowing his passion for discipleship, no wonder he is smiling from ear-to-ear!  What a delight to train hungry young people how to make biblical decisions in this humanistic, unethical world!!  Wow!!

The third smile was on my face as I left the church foyer in the late afternoon.  What a blessing to meet with a young man wanting to be the spiritual leader of his home.  How awesome to watch the Lord direct our conversation, to give hope, and to see fear and worry confronted with Truth!  The Word works, and discipleship is a rich blessing!!

Have you been smiling this week?  Is it due to the power of God’s Word being transferred into the life of someone?  Don’t misunderstand, mentoring is hard work, but it is rewarding work because the Word of God is always profitable (2 Timothy 3:16).

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-19)

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Ouch!!  And it’s still throbbing!  Yesterday morning I proceeded to do something really stupid . . . I shut the car door on my thumb.  So much so that I had to release the door handle to remove my hand.  I erred!

Immediately, a passage of Scripture from my morning reading came to mind.  In response to the Sadducees question (Mark 12:19-23), “Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?” (12:24).  Prior to my mishap, I had been pondering about the times in my life I had erred because I did not know or apply the Word of God nor did I trust in His power.  When that happens, . . . ouch!  I err.

How foolish of me to not spend time in the Word through reading, meditation, memorization, prayer, and instruction.  How foolish of me to not put my faith, based upon what I have read and learn about my God, in my omnipotent Heavenly Father.  It’s as foolish as and more so than slamming my thumb in the car door.  My blunder today only hurts physically, and it continues to do so.  When I err because of a lack of knowledge and trust, it hurts spiritually today and possibly for days to come.  Furthermore, it could even have physical consequences.

Today, do not err because you do not know the Word or trust in the power of God. And while you’re at it, do not err by slamming the car door on your thumb!

Psalm 119:1-3

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.

Ministry needs took me to Cleveland, Ohio, last week to be with a dear husband and wife from our church who was to go through major surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Praise the Lord, she is doing well. On my Thursday journey home to East Tennessee, I exited the interstate for an overdue visit in my hometown of Marietta, Ohio.

The first stop was to see my cousin at her workplace and enjoy a too-short time of catching up.  Since I have no siblings, she has been more like a sister to me over the years, and we always have a great time together.  From there I drove a few blocks toward downtown, over the brick streets that are, and found the school where I attended five year old kindergarten as well as the library next door. Would you believe I walked five blocks to school by myself each day?  That was a different day for sure.  I circled the school twice reliving those early days.

  

From there I drove around the famous Mound Cemetery and then a half block down Sixth Street.  Here is where my reminiscing trip reached its summit.  I parked my car in front of 318 Sixth Street and stood for a while remembering some special days at this house.  Mrs. Fox lived in the downstairs, and we rented the upstairs.  The double front doors of the house opened into a foyer with the stairs directly in front of you as you walked through the doors. I can still hear the racket my red wagon made as I rode down the sidewalk wearing out my shoes as I used them for brakes. The best memory of this house was the day I walked home, I believe from school, through the front doors, up those stairs into one of the front rooms which was our living room, and there I knelt down at the couch and trusted Christ as my Savior at the age of five.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  That big house is not a sacred dwelling, but as I stood outside looking up at that window with tears streaming down my cheeks, I could confidently say that this was the place I met the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and forever I belong to Him!  How wonderful to have a godly mom and dad who loved the Lord, spoke often of Him, shared the Word with me, and always pointed me to Christ.  That day, kneeling at that couch, I took God at His Word, believed on Him (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-13), received Him as my Savior (John 1:12), and was born again (Titus 3:5)!

After standing there a bit longer, I journeyed on downtown where Mom and I would walk to shop at the old Five & Dime Woolworth’s store (hardwood flooring and a soda fountain).  Then I drove over the Muskingum River to the Anchorage where Dad labored as a carpenter since he was not pastoring a church during those days.  This old structure was then being remodeled to be used as a nursing home.  I remember walking across the bridge over to the Anchorage to see Dad, still relishing the taste of that good ice cream cone from the Five & Dime!

There were so many other places that I wanted to visit and people to see, but I’ll have to save that for another trip.  I did stop in Charlestown, West Virginia, to visit another cousin who is very dear to me.  We shared, wept, prayed, and rejoiced together.

The point of this reflective story is to simply say, “Thank You, Lord! I have been blessed!  God’s been so very good to me!”  Listen: I Have Been Blessed

      

 

 

Grateful for the gift of marriage as well as the blessing of being married for almost 35 years to my best friend, I share this video to be a source of encouragement for your marriage.

Ronald Reagan Surprises Nancy Reagan

Also, having immense admiration for President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, this video is in honor of her passing as well as the passing of an era.

Nancy Reagan Tribute

 

Gatherings at church whether on Sundays, Wednesdays, or others times are more than an event to attend, they are a time to be engaged.  When you consider the call of Matthew 28:18-20, the exhortations of Colossians 3:16 and Hebrews 10:19-25, and the example of Acts 2:42-48, you see believers engaged in ministry.  I watched it happened in full view this past Sunday at Boones Creek Bible Church.

A visitor in his early 20’s, I’ll call Steve, entered the building and was promptly received by our greeters, led to our Welcome Center, and then directed to a Sunday School class.  After class was dismissed, the small group class leader engaged Steve in a gospel conversation.  This lasted through the 30 minute fellowship time into the beginning of the morning service.  At the conclusion of the service. I saw our assistant pastor engage Steve in a gospel conversation.  Later, as he mingled in the foyer, one of our deacons began a conversation with him which ended as they walked to Steve’s car.  What a blessing to see folks engaging this young in conversation because they cared for his lost soul.  How wonderful to hear that he will be meeting with someone from church later on this week.  How glad to see that these men did not just attend church, they were engaged as being the church!

Also, while the congregation was greeting one another in the morning service, I watched one of our dear older saints of God holding the hands of another lady as they bowed their heads engaged in prayer.  In the midst of all the hand-shaking and sharing what God had taught them so far in the service as well as in SS, here were two ladies meeting at the Throne of Grace!  They were engaged and not just attending, going through the motions.

Finally, two ladies entered our foyer near the end of the service. They were out-of-town guests of a family in our church and had chosen to attend Mass at the local Catholic Church.  While waiting on their hosts, one of our deacons greeted them and engaged them in a gospel conversation.  Sensing the need to summons a lady to talk to them, he introduced them to my wife.  She, too, got to know them, and then inquired about their spiritual condition.  Once again, people engaged being the church and not just attending church.

These examples are shared for God’s glory and to encourage the folks in our congregation to continue to always be engaged, soul-conscious and looking for ways to fulfill the aforementioned scriptures.

When I look back over Sunday, I am reminded of Jesus and His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4).  Read it, study it, and when you gather at church the next time, be engaged . . . don’t just attend.

Spring promises new life after the dead of winter.  My neighbor placed a new fire pit in their backyard yesterday.  Flowers are popping up here and there.  I even heard a lawn mower on Sunday afternoon.  With the forecast temps to be in the 70’s this week, I would suspect we will see more new life of spring.

This morning while purchasing my wife’s favorite bagel from Panera, I said to the clerk, “I’m going to take this home to my wife.  She loves cinnamon crunch bagels.”  The dear lady looked at me with a sad look and said, “I wish my husband would do something like that for me.  We’ve been married for 30 years.  I suggest we go out to eat or take a drive, and he declines.  He never wants to do anything with me.”  How sad.  I felt so bad for her.

Men, is your marriage in the dead of winter?  Does it need the spring of new life?  Marriage is a gift from the Lord, and He will give you grace to renew your “winter marriage” no matter what the circumstances may be (2 Peter 1:2-7).  Here’s five suggestions to help you see new life in your marriage.  And men, since you are the leader of your home, you take the initiative in each of these.

1. Leave love notes for your wife.

2. Walk with her. Don’t walk way out in front or way behind.  And, hold hands as you do.

3. Put your cellphone on silent, look her in the eye, and express your love to her while sharing a cup of coffee and your favorite cookie.

4. Have fun together. Laugh.  Go through the car wash and pretend it’s a “tunnel of love” and kiss.  Even if the kids are in the car, you saying a whole bunch to them!

5. Make your next outing an event. For instance, go grocery shopping together and act like you did when you were dating.  On the way home, stop for an ice cream cone to share.

No matter how long you have been married, say goodbye to the dead of winter and hello to the life of spring!

Song of Solomon 2:8-14

The voice of my beloved!

Behold, he comes

Leaping upon the mountains,

Skipping upon the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Behold, he stands behind our wall;

He is looking through the windows,

Gazing through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away.

11 For lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

12 The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,

And the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away!

14 “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret places of the cliff,

Let me see your face,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your face is lovely.”

Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming and Roger Youderian were martyred in Ecuador for the Gospel sake at the hands of the Auca Indians, January 1956.   You can read the story here: Did They Have to Die?  At the conclusion of yesterday morning’s message from Mark 8:27-38, I shared the following quotes from Nate Saint.

“People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives … and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.”

“If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a Comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through his poverty, be made rich.” (Written two weeks before he was martyred.)

Nate Saint was known for adventure living throughout his childhood until his death.  That adventurous nature was turned into being driven by a desire to live for Christ and to reach the lost for Christ at any cost.   His life was a life well-spent.

• How did you spend your life yesterday? Who or what is your life consumed with today?
• Is denial, death and resurrection your life story? (Mark 8:34; Philippians 3:10)
• Are you distracted or daring in your life for Christ?
• When you stand before Christ at the Bema, will you have accomplished anything by the power of God that has eternal significance? (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

No matter what is happening in your life, your state, your nation, or the world, civility, calm, courage, and contentment can only be found within the pages of God’s Word and the application thereof.  Whether or not you viewed last night’s 11th GOP Presidential Debate in Detroit, Michigan, may I challenge you to earnestly, meditatively, and personally pray through Psalm 33 for your city, your county, your state, and your nation?  In all of life’s questions and decisions, you must start with God’s Word, continue in God Word’s, and formulate your conclusions based upon God’s Word.  The answer to all you heard last night and/or the circumstances of your life is found in this Psalm 33.

Are you ready?  Either use the passage given here below or open up your Bible and meet with the Sovereign Lord of creation and history.  By the way, write down what God says to you through His Word.  He is truth and there is no debate.

Psalm 33

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

2 Praise the Lord with the harp;

Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

3 Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right,

And all His work is done in truth.

5 He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;

He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.

14 From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

15 He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.