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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and forever.  Hebrews 13:8

Randy and I grew up in different home towns, and each of us had special friends there.  We both went to college at Georgia, and we each had special friends and relationships there.  After we married, we moved for school and for church appointments approximately seven times, and we each had mutual as well as different friends in each place.

We have been most fortunate to make life long friends, and we cherish each and every relationship.  There are friends close by that we love as family, and we know the ties that bind us are strong.  However, there are those unique friendships which withstand the test of time, distance, and separation which seem to have a quality all their own.  When we get together with these folks, it’s as though time has stood still, and we take up right where we left off years ago!  It’s comfortable and easy, it’s fun and relaxing, it’s full of laughter and tears.  We know them so well that there is no need to try and impress each other, we just love and celebrate our time together.

I think God would want that kind of relationship with each of us, so what is the secret to that kind of relationship?

The story is told of a college professor whose beautiful life was a wonder to his students.  Some of them desired to learn the secret to his life, so they sent someone to hide in his study to observe his evening ritual.  When the professor came home, it was late and he was tired, but he spent an hour reading his Bible.  Then, he lowered his head to pray, and he was heard to say, “Well, Lord Jesus, we still have the same old relationship.”  What a great thing to know that God is unchanging!

There are so many times when I neglect my Bible study and my prayer life and substitute trivial things.  It comforts me to realize that when I return to my Bible and my prayers, Jesus is waiting for me and offering the same old relationship.  The relationship is comfortable, loving, sustaining, exciting, fascinating, peaceful, and strong.  It makes me realize how much I miss it when I neglect it.

Just as we cultivate and sustain personal relationships, above all else, we should cultivate and sustain our relationship with Christ.  He becomes more real to each of us when we spend time with him.  Talk with Him just like you would a dear and trusted friend.

Now, let’s have a little talk with Jesus; Let us tell him all about our troubles;             He will hear our faintest cry, and He will answer by and by                                             Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning,                                                               You’ll know a little fire is burning and                                                                                     You’ll find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.                                                                    Just A Little Talk With Jesus   The Statler Brothers

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.  Romans 2:7

Persistence is defined as continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition.

Nature and the many ways God has everything working amazes me! Randy’s grand mama had a big board outside her kitchen window, and she fed the birds every morning with out fail.  If she was late, they would sit and chirp loudly until she fed them.  They wanted their breakfast!  They were persistent. The other day, a wren was trying to build her nest inside my porch eaves.  I love the birds, but I didn’t want the nest there, so every time she would bring nesting material up, I would take it down.  In twenty minutes, it was back. This went on for a day or two with her persisting.

That same day as I was walking the dog around the track at Dickerson, a golfer who practices there regularly was hitting golf balls.  A flock of geese had landed on the grass right where he was hitting the golf balls.  I sent our dog to run the geese away, and then I asked him, “Could you not get the shot close enough to scare them away?”  He said, “Nature is persistent.  They know I’m not that good of a shot.”

I began to think about just how persistent I am about the wrong things sometimes.  I try to solve problems on my own, make decisions without asking for God’s help, and try to control my own circumstances and their outcome.  I can be relentless!

Out of the blue the other day, I began to hum the tune of an old hymn entitled, All The Way My Savior Leads Me, and it occurred to me that God had sent this to help me give up some of my persistent ways.  Every word speaks of another kind of persistence, reliance on God.  The song goes like this:

All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?                                             Can I doubt His tender mercies who through life has been my guide?                         Heavenly peace, divinest comfort; en by faith with Him to dwell                                For I know what e’er betide me, Jesus doth all things well.   Fannie Crosby

Jesus leads us if we will only be as persistent in following Him as we are in trying to do things ourselves!

When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mt. Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.  Exodus 31:18

When our family moved into the first and only home we had ever owned in 1990, the initials of the children who had lived there before us were etched into the concrete next to the basketball goal on the driveway.  They remained there through storms, heat, wind, rain and lots of basketball!

I began to think about how strong things are that are written in stone and how long they can endure.  God gave Moses the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God on two stone tablets.  These rules were written in stone because they are God’s rules, and He wanted them to stand the test of time.

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the widow of an American veteran as she reminisced about her husband, his character, and the country he loved.  She referred to her Bill as courageous, fearless, loving, faithful, and loyal.  He flew countless missions in wars, saw unspeakable atrocities, felt the adoration of his country, the pride of saluting his flag, and the honor of serving his country.

She teared up when she told of how hard it was for him when “the bands stop playing, the parades stop marching, and the crowds fade away”.  It seems that he began to miss the excitement, the challenge, the brotherhood, the dedication, and the service.  He died eighteen years ago, but she said the service to his country, his family, and his faith were his greatest achievements.

As we celebrate Memorial Day with cookouts, water sports, and days off, let’s write it in stone that we will never forget the men and women who served our country so faithfully and so well.  Let’s never forget to give them a salute, a well done, a thank you for your service, and a heartfelt thank you.

Is it enough to think today of all our brave, then put away the thought until a year has sped?  Is this full honor for our dead?                                                                      Is it enough to sing a song and deck a grave; and all year long forget the brave who died that we; might keep our great land proud and free?                                        Full service needs a greater toll, that we who live give heart and soul to keep the land they died to save, and be ourselves, in turn, the brave!  Annette Wynne

All gave some;  some gave all.  copied

Charm can mislead and beauty can fade.  The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the fear of God.  Proverbs 31:30  

They have been a wonderful encouragement to me as they have to you.  You must show your appreciation to those who serve so well.  1 Corinthians 16:18

A few months ago, Randy and I had the opportunity to visit my hometown church for a Ladies Night Out program.  As I was greeting old friends of mine and friends of Mama’s, a lady approached me with these words, “I loved your Mama, and I see so much of her in you that I just have to give you a big hug.  When I hug you, I feel like I am hugging her.”

That was so special to me because it conveys the specialties that Mama shared with so many others.  I began to wonder what had made our Mama so special to this sweet lady.  Did Mama make Mac and cheese for her?  Did she send her a card?  Did she sing at an important event in her life?   Did she visit with her in her store?  Was it just the way Mama had of showing love?

Every Mother has a specialty in the way she loves and teaches her children that is uniquely hers just like most women have a dish that they make that’s their specialty.  Mama’s dish specialty was Mac and cheese. She made it every Sunday when we were growing up for Sunday dinner, she made it every time we came home for a visit,  she made it for every church supper or luncheon,  she made and took it to those who were sick, she made and took it every time someone in the community lost a loved one.  It was so good that it just made everyone feel good.  It was a labor of love she shared. We took for granted how special she could make it, but now that she is no longer here, we would give anything for one more serving of her specialty.

She also had specialties as a mother, and she shared them with her girls, her grandchildren, and her great grand boys.   She was kind, loving, forgiving, smart, fun, joyful, a good listener, talented, humble, set a great example, planted seeds of good character, and loved Her Lord with all her heart.

Everyone has a mother whether it be a biological one, an adopted one, a foster one, one whom we love like a mother, or an important woman in our life.   Mothers have many specialties, but there are some I feel are the most important. The Moms I love are dependable, trustworthy, devoted, courageous, diligent, wise, loving, prayerful, never give up on their children, fair, faithful, and they go through life with grace.  In short, remarkable.

The Hebrew word, Chayil, when translated means strength, valor and in all ways excellent.  It goes on to include those who are dependable and above all love the Lord.  Those are the specialties of a Mother.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life.  Theodore Roosevelt

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Matthew 7:12

A neighbor is defined as one who lives close to you.  Recently, we had the opportunity to watch the movie, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  the story of the life of Fred Rogers.  When our kids were growing up, Mister Rogers was on TV every afternoon, and it was usually quite popular with them.  The adults in the room thought it was a bit corny at the time,  but after seeing this movie, we were so wrong.  Mr. Rogers had it right.  The movie sheds a whole different light on him;  his background as an ordained minister, his strong Christian beliefs, and his desire to help children with positive reinforcement, self esteem and qualities of a good neighbor.

This movie begs the question, Who is your neighbor?  In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus is asked the same question, and he responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.  What qualities would Jesus consider worthy of being called a good neighbor?

When I picture this parable in my mind, I always remember the pictures in the Bible stories for children. It helps to set the scene.  The road from Jericho to Jerusalem is roughly 17 miles through rocky country and desert.  The road is winding, and it provides many places to encounter robbers and thieves along the way.  It was here that the traveler was robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road.

Hypocritical clergymen ( a Priest and a Levite), see the injured man, and they not only pass him by, but also cross over to the other side of the road to avoid making contact with him.  They ignored the quality of faithfulness that was required of them, and they failed to exhibit the empathy required to be good neighbors.

The Samaritan on the other hand, showed mercy to the injured man.  The Samaritans were looked upon as outcasts and heretics by the Jews of this day.  In making the Samaritan the hero, Jesus illustrates how important showing mercy is no matter the bias we might feel as we strive to be good spiritual neighbors.

Finally, Jesus shows us that justice has been served here.  The priest and Levite were exposed for their unfaithfulness, the Samaritan was seen in the light of mercy, and the wounded man was restored through the kindness of the most unlikely man.

Everyone is our neighbor.  Jesus uses this story to illustrate to us that He wants us to be givers of love as well as recipients of love.  Always strive to keep the Golden Rule.  If others should fail, it is them, not us!

It is true.  The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.  Luke 24:34

It always amazes me how we seem to run into people we know in the most unexpected places.  One year we were vacationing with friends in Costa Rica at a very sparsely populated resort.  We were sitting out by the pool, got up to go swimming, and from across the pool, we heard, “Hey Randy”!  The next year, we were on a cruise ship on deck for the sailing when someone tapped us on the shoulder and said, “Hey Preacher, should I be worried about this cruise?”  As we say, “You just can’t take him anywhere.”  People can appear in the most unexpected places, and I always love the encounter.

After the resurrection, two disciples were walking to Emmaus which is about 7 miles from Jerusalem.  They were downcast and disheartened about the crucifixion of their Lord.  On their way, Jesus joined them, but they did not recognize him.  He encouraged them to tell of all they had witnessed, and still they did not know him.  They asked him to dinner, and it was only when he broke the bread and gave it to them that they realized it was their Lord.  When they recognized him, he disappeared.  Jesus turns up in the most unexpected places.

There have been and are still so many times when Jesus shows up in my unexpected places.   He shows up when I need strength to face trials, He shows up when I need comfort, He shows up when I need reassurance, He shows up when I need a friend, He shows up when I’m afraid, He shows up when I pray, and He shows up daily in the face of others.

The unexpected places was brought home to me in the early 70’s when my friend Sheryl and I were returning home from UGA.  We were late, and I was driving a little faster than I should have been.  Outside of Columbus on a two lane road as we topped a hill and headed down, there, on the side of the road, sat a Georgia State Patrolman.  We blew by him, and suddenly reality struck.  I looked at Sheryl, and she looked at me.  We said together, “We’ve got to turn around and go back.”  When we approached the scene of the crime, there he stood, outside the car now.  He had his hat on, his arms folded, ankles crossed, a giant of a man, and he was leaning on the car waiting for us.  You see, the patrolman was Sheryl’s Daddy, Mr. Ed, and he was waiting for us to come back because he knew we would.  He recognized us, and we recognized him.

We got out and approached him, heads down, eyes averted, waiting for the inevitable tongue lashing and consequences.  He didn’t do that, he treated us with grace and mercy!  He said, “Now girls, where are you going in such a hurry?  I am not gonna tell your Mamas, I am not going to chastise you, and I’m not gonna give you a ticket.  I think you may have learned your lesson. I’m just glad it was me here instead of someone else because you would be in deep trouble.”  Yep, to this day, I slow down when I come to that area of South Georgia because you never know what’s waiting on that road and over the hill.

Jesus waits for us while we find our way to recognizing Him.  He waits for us to repent and turn back to Him so he can forgive and restore us.  He wants us to rejoice in the Resurrection and recognize him as our Lord and Savior. We can find Him in the most unexpected places.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Tao Lzu

When I was growing up in my small town, we did an awful lot of walking. We walked because it was safe, parents liked you to be outside,  it wasn’t very far anywhere, and it was basically a kid’s only way to get where you would like to go. In my mind’s eye, I can still see every road (some of them were dirt), friends and relatives’ houses along the way, churches, and highways. It was a simple life and time, but every day was a journey somewhere.

Jesus also walked everywhere he went.  He walked the road to Jerusalem many times to attend festivals, weddings, and religious ceremonies.  He spent a lot of his ministry healing people there.  He cleansed the temple there, entered the city on the back of a donkey amid cheers on Palm Sunday, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane outside the city, had the Last Supper in the Upper Room, had his trial there, He was crucified on Golgotha, and His ascension was also there. Every day was a journey toward His final destination.

Jesus lived a simple life.  He didn’t have a huge income, a home of His own, or the conveniences, luxuries or comforts of this world.  Rather, He experienced suffering and pain. The scriptures say that despite all this, “He had a great joy”.

His joy came from the deep relationship He had with His heavenly father. He had a dependence on His Father that left him feeling nourished, uplifted and content.  He had no need for the material things.

The lesson of Holy Week to me is that Jesus’ journey is our journey.  He walked every step of the way to the cross knowing every day what lay in store for him.  Sometimes we tend to believe that since Jesus suffered and died for us, we can eliminate all the challenges life brings and go straight to the head of the class.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Jesus laid out the footsteps, now we just need to walk in them.

Tomb, thou shalt not hold him longer;  Death is strong, but life is stronger;  Stronger than the dark, the light;  Stronger than the wrong, the right.               Faith and hope triumphant say, Christ will rise on Easter Day.  Phillips Brooks

These things I have spoken to you that my joy might be your joy, and that your joy might be made full.  John 15:11

Happy Easter!

God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.  That night, while the hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared, and the grain began to grow, the thistles showed up, too.  Matthew 13:24-26

Not much in life hurts more and fills one with more anguish than an occasion when we feel as if we have been betrayed by a good friend or loved one.  It can come when you least expect it through gossip, disagreements, broken confidences, broken promises, jealousy, or other events in life.  Almost everyone has experienced betrayal.  At our house we like to call these folks, people who speak with a forked tongue.  We pray for them and for ourselves, ask forgiveness, and then, we dust the sand from our feet and move on.

Judas was a close disciple of Jesus, and for three years, they traveled together, lived together, and worked together.  Judas was treated as a confidential servant and friend.  Yet, in the end, Judas gave in to his temptation and committed the ultimate act of treachery – he sold out for money – what will you give me if I deliver Him to you?  Matt: 26:15  Rather than live and work for Christ, he betrayed our Lord for thirty pieces of silver, and he sealed it with a kiss.  The Judas kiss is described as an act appearing to show friendship which is actually harmful to the recipient.

Betrayal hurts in many ways, but the ones that seem to stand out are the ways that it can effect us emotionally.  It hurts our feelings as my Mama would say.  We can’t believe someone close to us would let us down. It is frustrating because in many cases there have been no outward signs or reasons for the betrayal.  It also makes us angry to realize that we have put our confidence in someone, and they don’t respect us enough to be deserving of our respect.

Many times we witness spiritual betrayal.  We see people desert the church, deceive other Christians, even deny Christ.  What should be our reaction to these who we see as betraying their faith?

Jesus used the parable of the wheat and the tares to deal with betrayal.  The farmhands asked,  ‘should we weed out the thistles?’  No, if you weed the thistles you’ll pull out the wheat too.  Let them grow together until harvest time.  Then, I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and bind them to be put in the fire.  The wheat will be harvested and put in the barn.  Matthew 13:29-30.  This says to me that God will deal with the betrayer in His own way and at His appointed time.  He won’t sacrifice the good to deal with the bad.

Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, yet He showed grace to him. When I remember Judas, I think of him as a man who was haunted by his decision of betrayal so much that he went and hanged himself.  He couldn’t live with his betrayal. There are betrayers among us, and God allows them to exist here until He chooses to deal with them.  We live among thistles and wheat, and it’s our job to show grace to both.  Just as there are betrayers among us, there are angels here also.  Let’s choose to concentrate on the angels.