Month: August 2024

That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times! The created world itself can hardly wait! Romans 8:18 from The Message

Randy often tells the amazing story which was first found in Chicken Soup For The Soul of a young woman who was diagnosed with cancer and given three months to live. The doctor told her to make preparations to die, so she contacted her minister and told him how she wanted things arranged for her funeral service. She picked the scripture to be read, the songs to be sung, and the words to be spoken. Before she left, she called out, “Oh, and one more thing, I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The minister was confused, but the woman went on to explain. She said, “In all my years going to church functions, whenever food was involved, my favorite part was when whoever was cleaning up the dishes of the main course would lean over and say, “Keep your fork.” She went on to say, this was my favorite part because I knew something good was coming. It wasn’t Jell-0, rather, it was something with substance like cake or pie, you know, Biblical food.” So, I want people to see me in my casket with a fork in my right hand, and I want them to wonder, “What’s with the fork?” Then, I want you to tell them, “Keep your fork because something better is coming – the best is yet to come.” This woman thinks of her death and funeral in the same way believing that heaven is coming next, and it will be much better than what any of us are experiencing now!

I am one of the ones who will definitely be keeping my fork for many reasons, but especially, if it means that in heaven dessert will be served after every meal!! In the Biblical context, a fork can symbolize choices, the importance of discernment, the need for divine guidance, and a reminder of God faithfulness.

Last week as our family was celebrating some exceptionally good news, Susie called our oldest grandson, Drew, who is at Ole Miss. She was sharing all the good things that are happening when he said, “Aren’t we glad we kept our fork?” This comment started me thinking of all the times we can be tempted to give up our fork and not wait for the blessings!

We all, as a rule, don’t like change in our lives. We enjoy the blessings that change can bring, but we don’t like the process. When we think about it, trees need more than sunshine to produce fruit. Rainy seasons are productive, too, and they always precede the harvest. We don’t have to like the rain that falls in our lives, but we do need to understand that it has purpose and benefits.

The Bible says that every day “The Lord makes us more and more like Him..changing us into His glorious image”, but to become like Him, we have to follow Him through the valley of the shadow of death, the pain of rejection, the fighting for our reputation, and the surrendering of our own will. Following Jesus may put us in a different place today than we were yesterday, but once we stop fearing and resisting the changes, we start seeing God at work in our lives. Paul says, “Even though on the outside it seems as though everything might be falling apart, on the inside God is making new life.” All we need to do is keep our fork and wait in God’s timing.

If someone had told me four years ago that God was at work in our lives, I might not have been very receptive of that thought. However, we kept our fork, and we have realized that things that happen in our lives are here today and gone tomorrow. It’s the things we can’t see or never expect that will last forever.

I never expected that God could use us again in ministry for Him, but boy, was I wrong! The new chapter in our lives has opened doors to new and deeper friendships, a stronger and deeper faith, a fulfilling and exciting walk with God, and a sense of His presence in all we do. The people surrounding us sought God’s help, stayed faithful, and He rewarded us with the fulfillment of seeing His kingdom rekindle and grow! Keep that fork!

At the woman’s funeral, the people saw the dress she had chosen, saw the Bible she loved, heard the songs and scripture she loved, but they all asked the same question, “What’s with the fork?” The pastor explained that this woman, their friend, wanted them to know that in Christ, this is not a day of defeat. It is a day of celebration because the real party is just starting.

So, keep your fork! Something better is coming!

It is crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we have heard so we don’t drift off. Hebrews 2:1

A few years ago our family was enjoying a trip to Orange Beach, Florida for our annual vacation. Our son in law, Lee, who loves boating, trailered his boat down and parked it in a marina nearby so that we could all enjoy a boat ride along the bay and surrounding areas.

On one beautiful evening, we all boarded the boat for a sunset cruise and then a stop at a restaurant on the marina. During the boat ride, some other boaters had spotted the Ole Miss sticker on his boat, and we found out they were also Ole Miss fans. We conversed and laughed with them. After our ride, we docked at the marina, tied off the boat, and left to go upstairs for our evening meal.

While we were finishing up, a guy came running up and yelled, “Hey Old Miss people, your boat is drifting out of the harbor and headed to the ocean!” I don’t know exactly what happened next, other than the ten of us and other folks there bolted to the dock! It is a pretty unbelieveable sight to see your boat drifting away in the current and being helpless to stop it! Luckily some of the folks at the restaurant were able to get to their boat to take Lee to his boat before it drifted any further, and he brought it back to the dock safely!

Later, we discovered that the boat hadn’t been tied off tightly enough, and the rope had come loose allowing the boat to drift away. We were so occupied with other things, that we didn’t notice it was drifting!

Drifting is defined as being slowly carried away by a current of water or air. The apostle Paul gives us another definition when he says, “Drifting is the result of neglecting the priorities set by God.” These teachings have to be tied securely or we will find ourselves drifting away from them. Drifting is not only slow and subtle. but also, it can also be disasterous.

Someone once said, All that’s necessary for a life of drifting is to relax, do nothing, cease struggling, and submit to worldly infuences around us.

Drifting away can happen in many areas in this world. For example, Harvard University began as a school to equip pastors and ministers in sharing the Gospel of Jesus. St. Luke’s Medical Center was also founded by Christian missionaries in the Philippines to help poor people and to share the love of Jesus. Our country was founded on Judeo Christian values and belief in a sovereign God. What happened? They have all drifted away from their founding purposes.

How many of us Christians today are like these institutions? We are slowly drifting away from our original purpose and calling along this highway of life. We no longer prioritize our Christian heritage and beliefs and this is robbing us of our passion, enthusiasm, motivation, and focus.

Many outside forces cause us to drift away. Things such as committments to other less important things, inconvenience, laziness, and even apathy cause us to drift. We have a lack of goals for our faith. What has destroyed our vision of and interest in our faith? If we would take a moment to write down the reasons we’ve lost our interest in God and his church, maybe we could indulge our minds to change some things and get excited about our faith again. We could tie our lives securely to God, and bring in the drifting part of it.

Sometimes we are setting the wrong goals for our life. Maybe we are letting our lives drift in the currents which are going against God’s will for our lives?! It might be time to check in with Him through prayer and see what He says about the situation.

I can still see that boat drifting away from us, and I felt powerless to do anything to stop it! Life has a way of catching us up in the current and carrying us away from the things that are most important. Drifting seems to always be more away from something than toward something!

This week we should spend some time examining the things in our lives that cause us to drift in the wrong direction and remember that it is crucial that we firmly tie ourselves to the teachings that we have learned.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely to us and run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

The Paris Olympics has been going on for two weeks, and we have had the pleasure to witness many examples of incredible athletic competition, dramatic finishes, strength, and endurance by these special representatives of our country. Everything from swimming to gymnastics, from volleyball to basketball, from track and field to soccer, shooting, wrestling, golf, and so many other sports have been exciting and shown the true qualities of endurance.

Endurance is defined as the power to endure a difficult process or situation without giving way. This is especially true in long distance sports that require not only speed, but endurance to win. The athletes pace themselves so as they approach the finish line, they can pull out all the stops, and use their reserved strength to cross the finish line. It is exciting to watch as athletes come from behind to win! We happened to be watching when Cole Hocker came from behind to win the Gold Medal in the men’s 1500 meter race! We could tell that he was pacing himself in order to get the burst of speed he needed to finish first!

For these athletes, quitting isn’t an option. Despite all the injuries, delays, and disappointments along the years of training, they are not content to sit on the sidelines while others pay the price to run the race. The realization that they can achieve something great enables them to endure.

Sometimes we feel that life is much like the athletes in the Olympics. We all have something which weighs us down and prevents us from giving life everything we’ve got. We begin to feel as though we are the only ones who suffer, but there have been so many people who have come before us that have suffered much more. Think about all the Biblical characters who were stoned, afflicted, tormented, tempted, and mocked and scrourged. One thing they all had in common was their faith in Christ. It takes faith and trust to run the race for Jesus and His kingdom here on earth.

Just like these athletes, it is hard to be effective when we are overloaded with weights. Athletes train an diet to strengthen their bodies and shed excess pounds in order to maximize their chances to win. It’s hard to win if they are overloaded with weights. Likewise, in order to endure, we have to put away all those things that weigh us down. Weights can be anything from health issues, to financial problems and everything in between. Our scripture tells us to “Get rid or every weight and sin that clings to us.”

As Christians we run the race daily to fulfill our God ordained purpose and give it all we’ve got! It’s one thing to achieve success, but it’s quite another thing to handle the pressures that go along with it! Having a finish line to look forward to enables us to endure. Jesus finished His race because He never lost sight of where He was headed, and because of that He could put up with anything!

The athlete is exposed to, physical pain, opposition and criticism along the way, and it serves to strengthen them for the competition they face. Just like these athletes, God will allow His followers to experience oppostion and criticism to strengthen our character so that when greater blessings and responsibilities come, we will be able to handle them. We can only win the battle when we have the passion to cross the finish line and finish the race.

Endurance is the power to keep on going in spite of difficulties. In our colloquial language, we would say things like “Keep on keeping on, Don’t give up, or Hang in there.” Endurance is the key that keeps us from giving up and letting go.

So here’s what I want you to do; God helping you. Take your every day ordinary life and put it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings out the best in you, develops well formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 from The Message

“It’s the real thing” was the slogan used by Coca Cola in their 1969 advertising campaign. The slogan was introduced after the moon landing, and it was based upon research that showed that young people wanted something authentic, original, and natural. It was intended to appeal to the cultural and political viewpoints of this generation. The slogan was meant to position Coke as something authentic during a time when Americans were searching for that. We are of that generation, and although, we might not have known the real purpose behind all this, that slogan and song was known by everyone! Some fifty five years later, people are still seeking authenticity in this world

The other day I was talking with the sister of one of our church members about a particular book we both had in common. It was so much fun to talk with her and get to know a bit about her. In the course of our conversation I said, “I am crazy about your brother. He is just so genuine, supportive, and just a down to earth guy!” She replied, “Yes, he is. My parents would say that he is authentic.”

Being authentic is defined as: of undisputed origin; genuine. After our conversation, I couldn’t get that word out of my mind. Authentic! It is the perfect word to describe him and so many other people that enrich all the lives of those who know them. These are the people who will sign their name on the bottom of a blank sheet of paper and be willing to let God fill in the rest as He wills.

Simply put, being authentic means being true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure you might be under to act otherwise. An authentic person is honest with themselves and others, and they take full responsibility for their mistakes. Their values, ideals, and actions all align.

I wish I had a nickel for every child I have seen being whisked out of church on Sundays because they had not yet learned about the art of “inside voices”. The best line was in one of our earlier churches where kids and parents usually worshiped together and everyone knew everyone. On this occasion, a young probably four year old boy was being unusually disruptive. When it got unbearable, his Daddy picked him up, crawled over several people, and headed to the door. By this time, they had the entire congregation’s attention and Randy had stopped preaching to watch the outcome. As they walked up the aisle, the little guy leaned over his Daddy’s shoulder and yelled, “Pray for me!” What can you say? He was being authentic!

So, how do we become an authentic person? First, I believe that it takes honesty. This means always speaking the truth!! Haddon Robinson gave these words of wisdom, “In any situation, what you are determines what you see, what you see determines what you do.” Be authentic.

Next, if we are authentic, we will be non judgmental of others. We should speak only the things that we know in our own experiences and not speak condescendingly of others. The worst offender to being authenic is gossip. We shouldn’t assume we know the whole story when we are just forming judgments from the gossip of others.

Finally, if we are authentic, we will be just who we are. I will never forget the time years ago when I was a young minister’s wife with no road map for this role, little confidence in myself, and a fear of speaking in public. I can talk all day long to a small group of people, but don’t ask me to be the speaker! We were in our first small circuit, and the ladies held a meeting in one of the their homes. She introduced me, and then said, “Diane, would you have the blessing?” I froze right there not knowing what to say or do. A sweet lady put her arm around me and said, “I would like to do the blessing today as we welcome Diane and Randy to our community.” I’d like to give myself credit for being authentic, but that honor goes to my sweet friend Marge, who saved me by being just what she was, a child of God.

Most of us are bothered by people who say one thing and do another, or those who put on a false front. On the other hand, we are attracted to people who are honest, genuine, non judgmental, down to earth, and let us see them just as they are. God will bring out the best in us if we allow Him to work. The best folks I know are always being authentic!