A Week from Hell

Sunday evening, March 29, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Yes, indeed, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, but my gosh, I had no idea that “awry” meant to fall headlong into a week from Hell. Yes, I have had a few bouts of illness during my 67 years on this earth, but I have never been as sick as I have been during the past 3½ days of that sojourn. Well, if I have been, I do not remember it, and that is a good thing—a very good thing!
After eliminating every other possible diagnosis, I have decided that my body contracted the Old Fashioned Flu, aka, influenza. I took my usual flu shot, but rest assured that the makers of that dose managed to leave out the particular strain of the virus that I managed to contract, which is another example of the not-so-Biblical-fact that the “best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I feel sure the makers of the “dose” I took intended to include the particular strain of the virus I contracted, and I know that I received the dose expecting it to be included, but, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” and that is just not up for effective debate.
Well, I am finally back in Macon and, actually, feel a bit better, but I am still intrigued by my not-so-Biblical-fact. Let me tell you why.
It is obvious to me that many people have made their own plans for eternal life and most of them are based primarily on what they have done or will do for Jesus, not on what He has done for them. You see, these people are more interested in elevating “self,” than in elevating Jesus; they are more interested in the opinions of others, than in His opinion; and I might add, they place more confidence in their own plans, that in His plans. For some reason, I have the strong feeling that these will learn (sooner or later) that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, as in, well, I think you get the point! A week from Hell is one thing; an eternity in Hell is quite another.
Anyway, you think about this—

Mary "Ma" Stumph

Many years ago, when I was leading Lay Witness Missions (mid to late 1970’s), I met a precious lady—Ma Stumph. She was one of the most incredible women I have ever met. She never had any of the material things that most of us enjoy, she learned to read by the light of the fireplace, as she studied with her young son, who was also learning to read, and she trusted God, like few I have ever known. Many were the times I would call on her to stand in front of a large congregation of people to share her testimony, and without exception, she would bring the crowd to a standing ovation (which she never sought!)! After I entered the pastorate in 1979, I scheduled a Lay Witness Mission for that church (Benevolence), and asked my dear friend, Jim Proffitt, to lead it, which he graciously agreed to do. He included Ma Stumph on his team and on Sunday afternoon, just before she left to return home, she handed me something she had written in her own handwriting , which she had entitled, “Who is Jesus?” It was stapled together with a safety pin. She had made copies of it for her children, but she wanted me to have the original. After 30 years, I still have it, and believe me, I treasure it! I think you will enjoy reading it.(You can click on the images to enlarge them) 

Amazed at His Teaching!

Friday March 20, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is what the Scriptures tell us regarding the listener’s response to Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”: “The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29 NASB: emphasis added). How long has it been since you were amazed at His teaching? Not a bad question, actually.
Notice that at least one of the reasons for their amazement was that He taught, not as the scribes, but as one having authority. I wonder if some of the lack of amazement we see today is not due to the powerless preaching and teaching that most listen to on TV and radio, even from the pulpits of local churches.
I say “powerless preaching” because the gospel has long-since been abandoned for “tricks of the trade,” aka the tools for church growth. The fact is this: the gospel is the power of God for salvation, and when it is preached, the preacher/teacher is seen as one having authority, and those who have ears to hear are always amazed, even astonished.
The Elect of God have never had much of a taste for the pious pabulum that spews from the mouths of those who are more interested in attracting the masses, than they are in preaching the one, true Gospel (if you are unfamiliar with it, read Paul’s’ letter to the Romans).
If you are interested in knowing the difference, I will share it with you: the preach-er/teacher of pious pabulum edifies himself; whereas, the preacher of the gospel edifies Jesus. The next time you listen to someone teach the Scriptures, apply that litmus test, and note the outcome.
The next time you attend a worship service, notice how many of the songs edify man, not Jesus; in all probability, you will be shocked. Notice how many of the lyrics describe what we will do, or are doing, instead of what He has done. Again, you will be shocked! “My Jesus I Love Thee”, “I Stand Amazed in the Presence”, “I Am Resolved No Longer to Linger”, “I Come to The Garden Alone”, to name a few. Now, I am not implying that we should throw these songs away, but I am implying that most of the songs we sing, have more to do with what we are going to do, or are doing, than they have to do with what He has done. A reminder: It is what He has done that matters! What we have done, or are doing, matters not one bit!
If we ever plan to be amazed at His teaching, we need to begin to concentrate on what He has done for us and forget about ourselves; we need to focus on the good news of the gospel and stop trying to edify self.
You think about this—

Let the Dead Bury Their Own Dead?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
A certain scribe came to Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go” (see Matthew 8:19). This was Jesus’ response: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (vs. 20). In other words, Jesus was telling him that it might be a good idea for him to find out more about what it means to follow Him before he commits to the journey.
I find it interesting, especially in light of Jesus’ caution to this scribe, that most people in evangelism NEVER caution people to carefully consider what they are making a commitment to; instead, they make it sound like following Jesus is the easiest and most productive thing on earth. As you know, the message is this: If you will just follow Jesus, if you will do the simplest thing you could ever do, everything will be fine, your problems will go away, your bank account will increase, your health will be perfect, and your marriage will be blissfully wonderful, et al.
Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father” (vs. 21). In other words, he was saying, “I have thought this thing through, and I really want to follow You, even if the scribe changes his mind, but my father just died and his funeral is tomorrow, so give me enough time to bury him, and I will be ready to follow You wherever You go.” In my opinion, this was a reasonable request by anyone’s standards, but this was His response to him: “Follow Me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead” (vs. 22). Tough, if you ask me! In my opinion, His methods of evangelism did not attract too many followers.
Again, I find it interesting, especially, in light of Jesus’ response to this grieving son, that most people who are trying to encourage others to follow Jesus, NEVER tell them that Jesus does not play “second fiddle” to anyone.
Years ago (actually 1961), as a sophomore at Asbury College, I was dating a girl, whose mother did not like me. She knew that my family was in the funeral business and in-formed her daughter that the Bible said, “Let the dead bury their own dead” and, therefore, she should have nothing to do with me (she believed that the only vocation worthy of her daughter’s boy friend was the ministry). Somehow, I think she missed the point. Although she never convinced me that Jesus was opposed to a man taking the time to bury his own father, nor did she convince me that He was against the funeral service profession, I never have forgotten her bizarre interpretation of Jesus’ words. Another example of the misuse of the Scriptures.
Rest assured that Jesus is A-OK with you taking the time to bury a loved one, UNLESS you think it is more important to bury the dead than it is to follow Him.
You think about this—

Why Are You Anxious?

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Based upon the responses I received from yesterday’s perspective, it is apparent that I am not the only one who has problems living-up to Jesus’ commands regarding anxiety. Actually, I didn’t think I was, which is why I offered my perspective. Anyway, I am convinced that it is impossible for anyone to live on planet earth (other than those who are comatose) without experiencing anxiety from time to time. Yes, I know that the religious prefer to call it “concern” but do not be deceived, it is for the most part genuine anxiety.
In spite of what Jesus said and implied about anxiety, and regardless of your spiritual maturity, when the Doctor tells you that he wants you to come back in a week for another test, because he is concerned about something he saw in an x-ray, you WILL experience anxiety for the next seven days!
When your promiscuous teenage daughter tells you that she has missed her “period,” you will experience anxiety, regardless of how many consecutive days you have a “quiet time.” When the police call to tell you that your teenage son has been involved in an auto accident, and is in the ER at the local hospital with a severe head injury, you will NOT lounge around with a cup of coffee, saying, “Thank you Jesus.” You WILL experience anxiety.
Now, sadly, some people spend their entire lifetimes, with only brief intervals, feeling anxious about everything, even the things at which most of us would never blink an eye. The truth is, most of the time they cannot explain why they are anxious, they are just anxious. Obviously, these people desperately need the benefit of medical treatment, but few ever get it—their anxiety prevents them from going to the Doctor and facing the truth. Those who do go, take the medication until they feel less anxious, and then stop taking it, becoming their own physician—foolishness, indeed.
Anyway, for most of us, anxiety is just a normal part of everyday life; in many ways, it keeps us on our toes—alert. So, why did Jesus tell us not to be anxious? Why was He so adamant about it? The answer: like most of what He said, He knew His saying it, along with our inability to obey, would drive us to Him. After all, where else can we be free from anxiety?

Anxiety? Surely Not!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Some of the passages I read in the Scriptures are very difficult, actually most of them. This morning, in reading over a portion of Matthew 6, I came across some good example; listen to these: “Do not be anxious for your life”; “Why are you anxious about clothing”; “Do not be anxious then, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ . . .”; and finally, “Do not be anxious for tomorrow.” You might find these easy to obey; however, this not-so-humble servant get anxious, even thinking about not being anxious, especially regarding such things as life, clothing, food, drink and, especially, tomorrow!
Now, don’t get me wrong; for some reason, I have already enjoyed 67 rather healthy years, never had to go naked, never missed a meal, and never been without water, and I have made it through all of my tomorrows, except of course the ones that are yet to come. Someone did tell me that tomorrow never comes, which is true, I suppose; even so, I am looking forward to many more “tomorrows.” I just wish I could say that I am looking forward to them with eager anticipation and no anxiety, but, well, but.
This really makes me anxious: “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NASB). It is the “each day has enough trouble of its own” that gives me the hebbie jeebies! There is no wonder I can get a bit anxious about tomorrow!
No, I am not so anxious that I am taking Xanax—never have been that anxious—but for the life of me, I cannot understand why Jesus could expect us to live in a state of such tranquility, especially in light of the fact that each day has enough trouble of its own. Yes, I know that He told us to consider the birds and the lilies and Solomon and the grass. He even told us that He knows what we need, but I still cannot meet the standard.
He did tell us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and then ALL these things will be added to us. Maybe this is my problem: I can’t even get my priorities straight. I do wonder, however, if I would not be a bit anxious, even if He added “all these things” to my life. The truth is, they have already been added to my life—and then some—and I can still be a bit anxious.
There is no getting around it: I need a Savior 24-7!

Running on Ahead!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
As you know, when we think about our being disciples of Jesus, we think more about our following Him, than we think about His following us. This probably stems from His words to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, when He said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19 NASB). Ever since, most of us have been “following hard” after Him, or so we say.
This morning, however, I noticed something a bit different, something that really caught my eye (I already told you that I sit up close to the front, when He is teaching!) and it is this: “ . . . behold there came a synagogue official, and bowed down before Him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus rose and began to follow him, and so did His disciples” (Matthew 9:18-19 NASB; emphasis added). Truthfully, this is difficult for me to picture; yes, I know that Jairus was in a hurry to get Jesus to his house, and was in all probably keeping up quite a gait, but this notion of Jesus bringing up the rear is, well it is strange. Yes, I know all about the first being last and the last being first, but that doesn’t make this any easier.
Now that I have had a few minutes to think about it, I am wondering just how often we do the very same thing that Jairus did. I am wondering just how often we find ourselves running on ahead in our intense desire to get Jesus to follow us to some destination, so He can do something that He has already done. I can see most of us now, as we run out in front, looking back at Jesus, urging Him to hurry. There it is again, the “Looking Back Syndrome!” Don’t you remember that song: “I was looking back to see, if you were looking back to see, if I was looking back to see, if you were looking back at me, and your were cute as you could be, standing, looking back to see, if I was looking back to see, if you were looking back at me.”
There must have been “method” in this “madness,” as I am certain that Jesus chose to follow Jairus, rather than to lead the way, or merely walk beside him, for good reason. In my opinion, Jesus does this far more frequently than we realize. He simply allows us to run on ahead, to get way out in front of Him.
You think about this, and as you do—REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE, LOUISE!

Pillars of Salt

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is one of the many cautions Jesus made to His disciples: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32 NASB). Then He went on to say, “Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it” (vs. 33). I can only imagine that Lot’s wife, Virginia, had many faults, but she, obviously, had one that caused her significant problems; I call it the “The Looking Back” syndrome (I was kidding about Lot’s wife being Virginia, actually, it was Louise!). As you remember, Louise and Lot had been given clear instructions, not to look back, as they were leaving Sodom (see Genesis 19:17); Lot managed to keep his focus out front, but Louise’s Looking Back Syndrome kicked in, and she turned around to take a look at the past. Whammo, and she became a pillar of salt, the kind that rusts one’s shovel, not the kind that makes one thirsty for Jesus! Well, now that I think about it, I could be wrong about that, as this “pillar of salt” has probably made many thirsty for Him!
Anyway, from what Jesus said to His disciples (“Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it”), I can only assume that Louise was having a hard time leaving her past, even though everything in it was being burned to the ground, as in eliminated, because God was just a tad angry with the entire mess. Can you imagine anyone wanting to hold on to something that God detests? Anyway, as God said, in trying to hold on to her life (as she knew it), she lost it!
Well, dear friends, I am afraid that there is a pandemic of the “Looking Back Syndrome” among my Christian brothers and sisters, not to mention, the entire populace. Over the years of my being a pastor/counselor, I have encountered many people, who insist on spending more time focused on the past, than I have those, who are willing to put the past behind them and move on to higher ground. For reasons that I won’t take the time to explain here, they have, sadly, grown comfortable in their misery, and are fearful of moving forward, outside their comfort zone.
I have known some incredible people, incredibly talented people, who have lived for years in the misery that is the product of foolish choices and fear, and, sadly, they refuse even to entertain the possibility that there is a better future for them. They have for years lived out of the paradigm of their past, where rejection, insecurity, and fear rule their lives, and consequently, they live far beneath their God-given potential. In other words, as I look over the landscape of life, I see hundreds, yea thousands, of “pillars of salt” that litter its beauty.
I think Paul’s words are very fitting and appropriate: “. . . one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal . . .” (Philippians 3:13-13 NASB).
In other words, stop making excuses for your misery, stop living in your past, and reach forward to what lies ahead—press on toward the goal! Stop blaming others (those in your past) for your own misery and take responsibility for your own life!! We have enough salt pillars!
You have the God of the Universe on your side!

New Wine into Old Wineskins?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is one of the things Jesus had to say about wine: “Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17 NASB). I am so very thankful that Jesus loved wine, not because I want to get drunk, but because His love for it brings such clarity to things that would, otherwise, never be understood.
In this passage, the point is very clear, at least from where I am sitting (Admittedly, I usually sit down close to the blackboard when He is teaching!): If anyone should be so foolish, as to put new wine into old wineskins, well, the result would be even more foolish—he would lose all of his wine. Why? The old wineskin has already been stretched from previous fermentation, and, consequently, as the new wine continues to ferment, creating alcohol and CO2, the old wineskin will burst and, thus, the wine will spill out and be wasted. A tragedy, indeed, for some like Jesus and me, who happens to love the stuff.
I love the story of Jesus changing the water into the best-ever wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee! As you remember, it was His Mother, who involved Him in this, when she said to Him, “Son, the wine has run out; they have no wine.” His response to her is quite interesting and noteworthy: Mama, what am I going to do with you? Please don’t do this to me just now, as I am not ready to let people know everything about me (my paraphrase of “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”). Well, as you know, Jesus, like the rest of us boys, had a hard time saying “No” to His Mother, so, well you know the rest of the story. The party was not lost after all—120 gallons of the finest vintage wine ever produced (I think His mother was thinking more along the lines of a few bottles of wine, not 120-180 gallons, but, then, I must assume that the Jews loved to drink wine at wedding parties, and I know for sure that Jesus always does things in a superabundant way!).
Anyway, the headwaiter tasted the wine and said to the groom, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now (I think the reason is obvious, but if you don’t get it, let me know and I will explain it in tomorrow’s perspective! Well, on second thought, I will go ahead and tell you now: To give drunks the best wine last, amounts to the same thing as putting new wine into an old wineskin—the wine is wasted. Drunks think Mogen David is “good” wine!).” Let the festivities begin! I really like it when Jesus throws a party, mainly because He runs off all the religious bigots before the real party begins.
Then of course there is the wine of the Eucharist; HOW HE MUST HAVE LOVED IT! I find it so sad that so many pastors attempt to water-down the wine of the Eucharist, taking it in a completely reverse direction. Jesus turned water into wine, but they have turned wine into water (grape juice).
Didn’t I tell you that it is foolish, not to mention, wasteful, to put new wine into old wineskins? If I didn’t, I meant to!

Salt & Light

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This morning, two passages are “front and center” in my mind: “You are the salt of the earth”; You are the light of the world.” As you know, both of these are from that familiar sermon Jesus preached, the one we call “The Sermon on the Mount” (see Matthew 5).
As you know, salt can accomplish many things. It can melt the ice on one’s driveway, morph a “fresh” ham into a “country” ham, make food “tasty,” rust your shovel, and make water much less than potable. There is one thing that it can do, with which we are all most familiar: it can make us thirsty!
When I was much younger, my Mother would soak kit fish (mackerel infused with brine) overnight and fry them early the next morning, for a group of men who were going on a quail hunt or a dove shoot. My were they good, especially with grits, hoe cakes, and hot coffee!! Wish I had a mess of them RIGHT now!! There was one catch, however, and it was this: Unless you wanted to be miserably thirsty all day long, you had better take along a big container of water. Why? Salt makes us thirsty!!
I must believe that a part of what Jesus had in mind, when He said, “You are the salt of the earth” was this: Our lives will make others thirsty for truth (note that I said “will make,” and I did so because He said we ARE, not should be, the salt of the earth). Am I missing something? Is this book we call the Bible really true? Had Jesus had too much wine? Do you get my drift?
Again, as you know, light can also accomplish many things, many more things than salt! It can cut through solid steel, travel faster than a speeding bullet (much faster!), excise a tumor, cook food, burn your bohinney, and separate into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. There is one thing it does, however, with which all of us (well almost all of us) are very familiar: It dispels darkness!
Since Jesus said that “we” are the light of the world, I must assume that at least a part of what He meant was this: Our lives will dispel the darkness that is the enemy of love. Again, am I missing something? Am I living on another planet? Had the sun “gotten to” Jesus and caused Him to hallucinate? Is this sermon like the sermons I preach—foolishness? Do you get my drift?
Now, instead of becoming religious and attempting to “rust someone’s shovel” or trying to “shine for Jesus,” remember this: Salt does nothing to be salty, it simply “rusts shovels” and make people thirsty; light does nothing to dispel darkness, it simply cannot coexist with it.
You ARE the salt of the earth and the light of the world—period!

An Important Matter

Friday, March 6, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Sometimes life throws curve balls at us—one after another—and hitting them can be virtually impossible, especially when the most precious people in our lives are being snatched away, without any warning whatsoever. One of my “flock” knows what I am talking about—FIRST HAND.
Several years ago, her husband was killed in a tragic automobile accident, but that was, merely, the first curve ball that came flying across her “plate.” Not too many years lat-er, one of her teen-aged sons was killed in tragic automobile accident, the second of the curve balls that came flying across her plate.
Unbelievably, there was to be a third curve ball thrown across her plate; I can only pray that the “three strikes and you are out” rule applies to her life! This morning she told me that she received a phone call about 4:30 AM, telling her that her brother’s 28 year old son, her nephew, was killed in a tragic automobile accident. He left a wife, a 6 year old son, and, of course, his extended family. I can only imagine the pain this precipitated, and I really cannot do that.
Debbie is one of the most precious people I know, but that does not mean that she is any less human. Her feelings are real—very real! Her confusion is legitimate—very legiti-mate! Her desire to run and hide under a rock are normal—very normal! I hope she has all the freedom in the world to kick and scream and spit!
The people in our part of the Body of Christ love her without condition, and it is so very easy to do so because she first loves us, without condition. I have no problem under-standing why Jesus chose her to be His bride, none whatsoever, but my gosh, He has al-lowed her to go through some pretty tough stuff!
Of course, she called me this morning because she knew that I, being so old and wise and experienced, would have all the answers for her! If you believe that, you need to have your oil changed! She called me because she KNEW that I would not have a clue, not the first one. What in the heck could I possible say to someone, who has been through the fire and come out on the other side like pure gold?
When she first learned of her late husband’s death, she found herself sitting in a parking lot (literally) somewhere in Alabama or Arkansas (I cannot remember which), completely distraught, with her Daddy leaning over her. This is what she asked him in that agonizing moment: “Daddy, what are we going to do now?” His reply was, well, this was his reply: “We will keep on trusting Jesus!” In that moment her Daddy empowered her, as never before!
Now listen up, after three terrifying curve balls, Debbie is still trusting Jesus, not be-cause she is so spiritually astute, but because He has given her His faith, the kind of faith that brings peace in the storms of life, AND, I might add, because her Daddy spoke the power of Jesus into her life.
Needless to say, I hold Debbie in a place of high esteem, very high esteem, and I love her—no conditions attached.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love . . . Love NEVER fails! Not ever!
Please pray for Debbie and for this 6 year old child and his mother, as well as the entire extended family. You will be glad you did!
By the way, the Lord has given her a new husband, Dudley, and they really love each other and bless the rest of us beyond measure! I am sure that she is leaning on his broad shoulders, even as I write this.

Missing the Point

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Yesterday, I ended my perspective with this: I am wondering if they did not miss His point; after all, it was their fear and amazement that evidenced the location of their faith—IN HIM. As you remember, Jesus had just asked the disciples this very probing question: “Where is your faith?”
The truth is, I am wondering, if all of us haven’t missed the point, especially when it comes to faith. Notice that Jesus’ question was not, “Why don’t you (of all people) have faith?”; instead, it was “Where IS your faith?” In my mind, there is a difference. It would have been one thing for Jesus to have asked them, “Why don’t you have faith?” but it was quite another for Him to ask, “Where is your faith?” The former implying that they had no faith; however, the latter implying that they did have faith, but it wasn’t working properly.
He could have been asking, “Is your faith in your ability to survive this storm, or is it in My ability to calm the sea?” The truth is, however, I don’t think He was really asking them anything (yes, I know that it appears that He was); instead, I think He was teaching them a profound truth, making an incredible point, but I have reason to believe that they missed it, and I have even stronger reason to believe, that most who read the story today, miss it. HINT: I do not think He asked the question from an angry, frustrated heart, but with tongue in cheek.
I think He was simply demonstrating for them (and us!) this profound truth: there cannot, I repeat, CANNOT, be a crisis when He is in the “boat” with us, and He is—always! Even when the “storm” is so great that surviving seems impossible, He can calm it, with less than a whisper. Yes, it might seem that we are in a crisis, a major crisis, but a crisis cannot exist in His presence! Our perception of reality is not always equated with reality, and this is a prime example.
The truth is, the location of my faith is really not important, and I will give you three guesses, as to why. It is, however, HIS faith, working in and through my life, that matters! Why? He has perfect faith!
Yes, I think we have missed the point! Faith (not mine, but His) comes by hearing the Word of Christ, not by doing religious gymnastics, such as calming storms, healing the sick and raising the dead. Rest assured that I, for example, could never even believe the gospel; it is just too bizarre for me to believe; however, He believes it for me, i.e. He gives me what I do not have, the kind of faith that brings peace, even in the midst of the storms of life.

Where is Your Faith?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
“Now it came about on one of those days, that He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ And they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him’” (Luke 8:23-25 NASB; emphasis added)?
On one of those days! If you are like me, then you can empathize with that phrase, because such days come all-too-often, or so it seems. How many times have you said (or thought), “That was one of those days!”, after having spent it dealing with everything—including the proverbial “kitchen sink.” For the disciples, this was going to be just a routine trip across the lake, but it turned out to be anything but routine, and for several reasons, not the least of which was a terrible storm, one with fierce winds and surging waves, so much so, that these seasoned sailors were fearful of dying—then and there.
As you know, it did not take them long to wake Jesus and inform Him of heir dilemma, hoping against hope that He could save them (I say that because they had never seen Him calm a raging storm). His response is, even to this day, quite amazing: He rebuked the fierce winds and the surging waves and, immediately, the sea became perfectly calm. I can only imagine that it took a few minutes for their emotions to catch up with what their minds had just witnessed. Before that “few minutes” could transpire, however, Jesus hit them with this soul-searching question: “Where is your faith?”
If you look at the text, you will see that their response was much like ours would have been (still is, for that matter!): “They were fearful and amazed . . .”
Fearful and amazed in the Presence of the I Am, trying to answer the most important of questions—Where is your faith?
I am wondering if they did not miss His point; after all, it was their fear and amaze-ment that evidenced the location of their faith—IN HIM. You think about that--

What an Incredible Shepherd!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His hears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
And righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist.
And the wolf will dwell with the Lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
And the nursing child will pay by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious” (Isaiah 11:1-10 NASB).

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SHEPHERD!

Enough said!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
It snowed in Macon, GA today—more snow than I have seen in Macon in a long time. No, I didn’t make a snowman, but my grandchildren did! Today is my son’s (Michael) 36th birthday, which means that I am old, especially when you factor in that my daughter will be 41 on June 3! Now, on to what I am about, at least for the moment—
Today in our service at Grace Christian Fellowship, I asked the Lord to give me a passage for His people today and, immediately, He took me to Isaiah 9. Listen to these words: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NASB; emphasis added). Wow! Talk about timely and fitting!
My message had to do with the fact that the politicians in our government are rapidly and deliberately taking away our freedom, and in doing so, they are taking control of our lives. If I did not know that He is everything He has ever promised to be, I would be scared out of my wits! Even with that, I must admit that I am a tad (well, probably more than a tad) nervous (I am still very much human!).
Although I have read Isaiah 9 many times over the years, and have read it to others, especially at Christmas, today I saw something that I had never seen before, certainly not within the context of what is happening today in our good ole USA—THE GOVERNMENT WILL REST ON HIS SHOULDERS!
Enough said!

Have a blessed night!
Mac