Category: Uncategorized

We waited for three hours last night for word on my grandson’s visit to the ER. It all turned out well but most of us are not very good at waiting. It seems like we are always waiting for something. The issue is what to do while waiting. Here are some thoughts. Don’t just wait. There’s often much we can do while waiting. Watching the clock is not a useful activity. We often say we are waiting on something, when it’s just an excuse for not doing all the things we really should be doing. Most of us have “smart phones.” We can check our email or read some scripture or maybe just turn it off and pray. Why.  Delays often have a purpose. A couple of weeks ago while I sat for 6 hours at the Lafayette airport. It occurred to me that sitting there might just be better than flying in bad weather. Encourage someone else.  Waiting seems so awful because it’s a time of self-concentration. Trying focusing on someone else. Look at what others are doing. Trying talking to them or even better listening. Trust God. Things happen in God’s perfect time. Just because we think something […]

This year we made a vegetable garden. We got tomato, eggplant, pepper and herb plants. I made a raised  bed and we planted and fertilized and watered. The plants are doing great. In fact they are very fruitful indeed. We also bought a fig plant. We couldn’t figure out where to plant it. So we didn’t. We just placed it next to the raised bed. It gets the same sun as the vegetables and the same watering. It isn’t doing anything. It looks fine, but it isn’t growing and there seems no chance we will get any figs this year. The Christians I know are like that. I don’t know all of my Christian friends’ theology on eternal security. I do notice this. Some of them are well planted, watered and sunned. They are very secure in who they are and who they are in Christ. They are very fruitful. Others I know are not planted. They tend to roam about without any roots. They get water and sun but they aren’t very secure. They are not fruitful at all. Is it possible that first comes justification, then assurance, then sanctification with the fruit that goes along with that? […]

It was Thursday night at VBS. Anyone familiar with VBS programs knows that’s a big night. It’s the night of the special time, the quiet moment, the invitation time. This year it was handled in great fashion by Della (the lady with the neon hair). It’s tough to pull off an altar call and get kids to all of a sudden take you seriously when your hair can be seen all the way in Abbeville. Nonetheless, it was a great success. At the proper time many little hands went up. Many precious prayers were spoken while almost all eyes were closed. Alright, I know it was supposed to be every eye closed. I was in the back row. It was hard to miss. So sue me. I consider myself the press and inquiring minds want to know. Lots of thoughts come to mind at a time like this. Special. Precious. Moving. Worth all the hassle. Thank God tomorrow’s Friday. Other thoughts creep in. Young. Don’t really understand. Following the crowd. I already had some thoughts over the last few weeks. Repentance. Conversion. Justification. Sanctification. Assurance. Cheap grace. Words from scripture come to mind. Love. The whole world. Whosoever. Will be […]

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 We worry that we haven’t done enough and stress in trying to do more.  All because we aren’t doing what we are called to do. We are called to follow Jesus. In order to do that we have to stop following whomever and whatever we are following, or we need to stop wandering aimlessly. Sometimes we call that repentance. […]

I am really looking forward to next week. We get to spend every evening with our great grand. We are volunteering for VBS at Amana and each evening we will pick Kaydence up and watch her have fun and bring her home. We will get to see Jess and Tyler each night, but that’s just a bonus. We will get to have the pleasure of serving with our family at Amana, but that’s just a bonus. We will get to see Pastor Jason do something funny, but that’s just a bonus. We will get to sow some seeds in the lives of some kids, that’s a really great bonus. It’s not too late to sow some seeds and to have some fun. Join us for VBS at Amana every weeknight starting Monday.

Today marks the 238th anniversary of the Continental Congress approving the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. That fateful day not only sealed the future for those brave men who approved that document but that paper also established the principles by which America became the most successful nation of the past three centuries. Sorry to be politically incorrect but the 56 who signed were all white men. There were no Jews or Muslims or Hindus. There were not even any Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses. They were Christians. They may not have all been religiously so but there were at least culturally so. Sorry, but that’s the truth. They were brave because by their signing they were declaring themselves to be rebels, some would say traitors. It was a tough thing to do. They had been English for generations and were generally loyal subjects of the crown, until now. They were starting a new thing. It was a bold and brave experiment and it worked. Those who started it knew why. Of the fifty-six men who signed this document, the last to pass away was Charles Carroll, who died at the age of 95. Before his passing, New York City asked him […]

  8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. The purpose of a spouse, apparently, is to keep  you straight. I recently discussed the Church at Philadelphia and commented, in error, that it was the only church about which the Lord had nothing negative to say. My wife has pointed out that Smyrna also invoked no negative comment. It’s characteristics were poverty and persecution. Smyrna was one of the most beautiful cities in the empire. It’s loyalty […]

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 We are facing an epidemic of insecurity. 9/11 taught us our skies are not secure. The economy has taught us our money is not secure. Crime has come to middle America and taught us we are not safe in our homes and cars. Televisions reminds us we are not thin enough or pretty enough or strong enough or young enough. We go to church only to learn that we are not good enough or holy enough. Is there any wonder that we are insecure? Insecurity is uncertainty or anxiety about who we are. Who are you? I used to be a poor kid. I remember growing up feeling very insecure. Our family was poor. My father was sometimes unemployed and almost always underemployed. I was the oldest of nine kids. That’s who I was and it wasn’t very secure. When you have a childhood like that, you […]