Life Goes On

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 "gre...

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 ...

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 grate...

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 ...

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...