Life Goes On

Especially during the pandemic, the so-called news industry plays with words in order to increase anxiety in their listeners & watchers.  Words and phrases like "dire", "disastrous", "might", "could be", "likely", "possibly", etc. enables them to say something without saying something.  And then there is any news that relates to  President Trump.  Expect to hear "baseless", "false", "without evidence" and "untrue" .  In this way they can present their bias without seeming to be biased.  Words are powerful and the news industry knows it.  Data is often misleading.  For example, while deaths due to Corona Virus 19 are claimed to be rising at alarming rates, deaths rates from things like heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, etc  are decreasing.  It doesn't take an Einstein to see that the death numbers are just being shifted so that Covid remains the scary ghost in the closet.  This ben

Many years ago there was a TV game show entitled "Truth or Consequences" .  The idea behind it was that if a contestant did not tell the truth in response to questions asked them, then there were immediate consequences that made up the balance of the show.  Perhaps we should hold our politicians to that same standard.  Tell us the truth or there will be immediate consequences.  Unfortunately, the way our system is set up consequences can only occur every 2 to 4 years.  In the meantime they are free to continue to mangle the truth.  In order for us to decipher the truth, we must turn to the one source of truth...the Bible. Regardless of what politicians tell us, things are going to get worse instead of better.  In Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy chapter 3:1-5 he wrote "But know this: hard times will come in the last days.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable,

Tune in to almost any network news program and you will be hit broadside with a plethora of headline words designed to scare you.  Words like "horrific" and "terrible" along with phrases like "out of control" , "no possible solution" or "no end in sight" are all designed to frighten you toward the conclusion the network would like you to adopt.  Their conclusion is that you have no hope. The driving force behind the covid 19 pandemic is FEAR.  If enough people decide that they have no hope, then they will buy in to whatever the government or the "health industry" tells them.   For the Christ follower this goes against everything the Gospel teaches.  Jesus came to set us free from fear.  The Apostle John reminds us that "perfect love drives out fear"  (1 John 4:18.)  In FDR's first inaugural address he uttered the classic line, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself."  Often fear or dread is what I

I love the story of Elisha and his servant who were in the city of Dothan.  In 2 Kings 6:15-17 the servant got up early and went out and saw that the city was surrounded by troops who had been sent to capture Elisha.  The servant ran back inside the house and told Elisha what he had seen and then asked, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?"   Elisha replied, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them."   I can only imagine the look on the servant's face.  Then Elisha prayed "Lord, please open his eyes and let him see."    "So the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." We are in a time when it is easy to be like the servant.  We look around and see the enemy of corona virus and the enemy of corrupt politicians and violent hate groups surrounding us.  It is easy to despair.  However, if our eyes were to be opened as when Eli

Last night I had one of those rare instances where I actually had a mental conversation with God.  As with many my age, I frequently wake up in the middle of the night, perhaps several times.  On one of those instances last night I was thinking about the upcoming Prayer Meeting the next day.  As I thought about this, I also thought of how some people always address their prayer to the Father while others pray to Jesus.  Mentally I said to God, "To whom should we pray?"  Amazingly enough I got an instant answer.  In my mind God clearly said, "It depends on what you're asking for."  That thought had never entered my mind, so I asked God to elaborate on it...and He did.  "If you are asking for protection, provision or blessing" God said, "ask Me.  But If you are asking for redemption, healing or guidance, ask Jesus who died for your redemption, who was known as The Great Physician and who said that He was the Good Shepherd.  However, if you are ask

Oh how I wish for political candidates who can run on the strengths of their platform rather on slamming their opponents.  More than ever before we must pray our way into the voting booth and seek the  LORD's direction as we vote.  The sooner we recognize that God can use whomever he chooses to accomplish his plan for our country, the better. Currently I'm reading the book "Cities of Prayer".  Revealed in the book is the FACT that there is a wide-spread prayer movement in numerous cities in America.  The city of Austin, TX has been covered 24/7/365 in prayer by churches in the area for several years.  Among other miraculous results of such prayer was the breaking of a multi-year drought in a matter of months after focused prayer by churches united to pray for the city.  Not only was the drought broken, but the water supply was totally replenished in just a few weeks.  There are numerous other accounts of God's miraculous intervention in the cities that are being c

If you have watched many cop shows on TV you perhaps have heard the line, "Assume the position".  In that context it means to turn away, with your hands visible, spread your feet apart and prepare to be searched.  Today I want to borrow the expression and make a different application.  America is in trouble.  There are only two possible outcomes for our nation.  Either we will experience a third "great awakening" (spiritual) or we will face annihilation.  If you've read the Bible very carefully you'll note that America is not mentioned.  While I can't give you a definite reason for that, I can presume that either America is assimilated into another nation or she is annihilated.   That being said, it is time for Christ followers to "assume the position" of prayer.  By that I'm not indicating a certain posture.  I'm merely saying we need to get serious before God and cry out for him to intervene in our nation.  The first two "great a

When I was in college I was a Voice Major in the Church Music department.  One of the worst things that can happen to a Voice Major is to lose their voice.  We learned to gargle warm salt water, drink certain teas and other methods of keeping our voices clear.  As a pastor, my voice is my primary tool.  Regardless of how much I have studied and prepared, if my voice doesn't work the message does not get out. Today I exercised my right to vote in the primary election for my county and state.  That was my "voice".  I may never get to address the President, Governor, or state or national congresses in person, but I can express my desires through my vote.  Even though my candidates may not win, my voice has been heard.  You've heard the old expression "Use it or lose it" I'm sure.  That certainly applies in this case.  Whatever you do, don't lose your voice by neglecting to vote. Another way your "voice" is expressed is through your prayers for

I'm writing this morning from my daughter and son in law's house in Richmond, VA.  They will be moving this week to Charleston, S.C.  Yesterday was a long day.  I preached in the morning, and then Rae and I took off for the Orlando airport.  We had to drop the car off at a parking garage and take a shuttle to the airport.  Even with all the covid19 considerations we got through security and to our gate with plenty of time to spare.  The flight was on time and we then had a brief layover in Atlanta before the final leg of the trip to Richmond.  We arrived at Richmond on time at 9:50 p.m.  By the time we got to our daughter's house and visited awhile before bed, it was almost midnight. I'm usually up and having my devotions no later than 6:30a.m.  I awoke at 4:30 and decided that was too early.  I awoke again at 6 a.m., but was still very groggy.  As I prepared to get up I sensed God saying to me, "I'll see you at 8:30."  I gratefully went back to sleep and

As we continue to live  with the pandemic hanging over our heads it becomes more and more difficult to live in the NOW.  We find ourselves thinking of how things were yesterday or last month or imagining how things might be tomorrow.  As we do that we forget to live in the NOW.  This morning as I had my devotional time with God, I made a conscious effort to stay in the NOW.  I focused on every word of scripture.  I listened to every word a speaker spoke or a singer sang.  As I did so, I was able to shut out yesterday and tomorrow and focus on right NOW.  I must say, it was not easy.  We are so programmed to multi-tasking and to allowing circumstances to determine what we do that we've forgotten how to be in the NOW. As a college student, I began in a co-op program.  I would go to school for a quarter and then work for a quarter.  I worked for a chemical company.  We had one man in our section who would be so focused on what he was doing that if you came into his lab, he would not e

To say that the election this coming November is critical to the direction of our country is an understatement.  For those who are Christ followers it is crucial that we pray for God's guidance and we cast our votes.  With this in mind, we should learn from the Israelites, God's Chosen People.  In 1 Samuel 8, as the old prophet neared the end of his earthly life, it became apparent that his sons would not be good leaders for the country.  In v 6, "So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, 'Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.  Therefore appoint a king to judge us the same as all they other nations have.'"  Samuel was a bit offended by their request and he told God so.  The Lord replied to him in v 7 "But the LORD told him, 'Listen to the people and everything they say to you.  They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.'" As we pray to God for guida

There is an old song that I think Bing Crosby recorded with the lines "You gotta accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and don't mess with Mr. In Between."  I love that thought. If you have ever said, I'd love to read more, sew more, spend more time on my hobby, etc. well the pandemic has given you the time.  The "positive" is that you can now focus on the things you didn't have time for before.  Some folks have even found a new vocation.  You could write a book, compose a poem or song, write or call friends you haven't seen in years, do some body-weight workouts or any number of things. For those who are Christians, this is a great time to meditate on passages of scripture that you've read or to memorize a verse or two every week.

The Corona virus pandemic has caused a lot of fear.  This should not be the case for the Christ follower.  Ps. 139:16 assures us that "Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.  All the days ordained for me wer e recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence."   That underlined sentence should set your mind at ease if you are a believer.  You are not going to die one day, one hour or one minute earlier than God has planned for you.  Often when I'm praying for someone who has lived a long life and has seemingly reached a point where they can no longer function, God reminds me that either there is something He yet wants to do IN them or THROUGH them before he takes them home. The only instance of God adding time to a person's life that I can recall from scripture is in Hezekiah's life.  In 2 Kings 20 we find that Hezekiah became terminally ill.  God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him that he should set his house in order because he was about to

Given the recent events in the Middle East many people, including Christians, are freaking out.  The one thing that is being overlooked is that only what God allows or directs can happen in this world, and he can use either for his purposes.  Armageddon cannot be started by the actions of men unless God wants to use them.  The day and time have already been set, and no one except God Himself knows when that will be.  No charts, blood moons or visions will change what God has already established. Our mandate as believers is to trust God and obey his Word.  Specifically we are to be about the business of "making disciples of all nations" or what we call The Great Commission.  Ideally we should be doing that on the very day that Jesus returns. In the meantime we must pray consistently for the governmental leaders that God has put or allowed in place (Romans 13) as we continue to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Also, we need to remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 46:10