Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Express Image

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Being a photographer, the words of this verse stand out to me.  The phrase, “and the express image”.  The two English words “express image” in the Greek is where we get our English word “character”.  In other words we are to express the image and character of God.

As a photographer, I can take the most breath-taking photograph a person has ever seen.  This is nice.  With the meaning of the Greek for our phrase here indicates that there is an impression made.  In other words it is like tooling leather.  There is a mark made that cannot be simply wiped away.  There is an impression made.

What about you my dear reader?  What kind of impression are you making in the lives of people?  I hope that you are making an impression that points people to Jesus and not one that pushes them away from Jesus.  The choice is ours to make.

Look at that verse again, Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

So, how are you doing?

What Direction

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I hope you enjoy the quote that I am using today from my friend Pastor Jim Kilgore.  Here it is:

“A small adjustment in what you do can make a big difference in results.  For example: Multiply 3x3x3x3x3x3= 243, Multiply 4x4x4x4xx4= 1,024

Look at the huge difference in multiplying only 1 more number.  We normally think we must make huge changes to make a difference in our lives, yet many could be “ a small adjustment” away from a huge accomplishment.”

As I was reading this post I was reminded of an illustration of a compass.  You do not have to be off greatly in using a compass to have tragic results.  For instance.  If a husband and wife are only one click off from one another this does not seem like much.  Multiply that over the course of a twenty five (25) year marriage and what you have is a couple that have gone in two different directions.

Look at America.  The people of our nation did not just one day decide to forsake God and become such a heathen nation at the drop of a hat.  It was a slow moral decline that brought us to the place where we are today.  We have lost our moral compass bearing.  So are the lives of many people also.  We might see them as not deeply wicked; but, they are morally bankrupt.

We have lost our compass heading and now we are rejecting Jesus Christ who is the Light that can guide us.  Look at the words of Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

So, how are you doing?

 

A Magnet Made of Honey

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Honeycomb : honeycomb background

In my May 27, 2013 post I mentioned that Christians are to be like magnets made of honey.  This struck a chord with some of you my readers as you wrote and said so.  I know that a magnet made of honey creates a funny mental picture; but, think about it for a minute.

Honey is one of the sweetest foods that God made I believe.  I really enjoy honey on ice cream and especially on hot biscuits or toast.  Why?  Because it is sweet.  You see our testimony should be sweet.  When people look at our lives they should be drawn by certain traits and sweetness is a huge one in my book.

Honey is refreshing also.  It gives one energy because it is sugar.  When people are around you and I do they get “their batteries recharged” so to speak?  I hope so.  There are some people that I really enjoy spending time with because they encourage me and I seem to get my battery recharged.

I wholly believe if our lives will be like a magnet made out of honey we will draw people to Christ and we will not repel them as some “brands” of Christianity do.

So, how are you doing?

The Living Bible

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Today’s post was taken from an e-mail that I received from Wes Gates of Grace Revival Fellowship.  He received the e-mail from Pastor David Broome.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

“Now this is the Living Bible:

His name is Tim. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.  They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tim starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Tim gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tim.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane.  All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tim and worships with him so he won’t be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion.

When the minister gains control, he says, ‘What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.’

‘Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!'”

So, how are you doing?

Duty, Honor and Country Until Reveille – 2

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Again today I want to reference my dear friend Dr. Larry Lilly who wrote an article dated May 31, 2101 titled, “Duty, Honor and Country Until Reveille”.  I would like to share with you a quote from this article.  It is as follows:

‘On May 12, 1962 General Douglas MacArthur delivered one of the grandest speeches ever. He noted the soldiers dream:

“This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: ‘Only the dead have seen the end of war.'”‘

The whole article rang a bell with me.  As I thought of “Duty, Honor and Country Until Reveille” I thought about how this would be in the life of a Christian.

When I thought of duty I thought of our duty to seek to win the lost, attend worship services and read the Scriptures. I mean, we all should do these things; yet, I find more and more “Christians” not doing them.  This is a sad testimony against us.  God help us!

When I thought about honor, I thought about doing all things that honor Christ my Saviour.  When we live our lives we are either attracting people to Jesus or we are driving them away from Him.  We need to be magnets made of honey.

When I thought about country I thought about Heaven.  One day we who know Jesus Christ as our Saviour will spend all eternity in a real place called Heaven.  We will be reunited with our loved ones who are born-again and it will be a grand reunion.  The best part is that we will see Jesus face to face.  I cannot wait.  I owe Him so much more than “Thank You”; but, I cannot wait to thank Him for what He did for me.

So, how are you doing?

Duty, Honor and Country Until Reveille

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My dear friend Dr. Larry Lilly wrote an article dated May 31, 2101 titled, “Duty, Honor and Country Until Reveille”.  I would like to share with you a quote from this article.  It is as follows:

‘On May 12, 1962 General Douglas MacArthur delivered one of the grandest speeches ever. He noted the soldiers dream:

“This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: ‘Only the dead have seen the end of war.'”‘

As Christians we echo the  desire of the soldier.  As Vestal Goodman would sing, “… ain’t gonna study war no more…”.  That day is not today or even tomorrow.  We are in a war.  The world sees America as a “Christian nation” and they hate that.  It is sad; but, we are no longer a Christian nation.  We do not espouse the truth of Jesus Christ set forth in the Scriptures we call the Word of God or the Holy Bible.  We could name all the sins of America and build a solid case against her; but, I don’t want to do that.  I want to see America experience real revival.  The kind of revival I am hoping and praying for is the kind that shuts the bars and the whorehouses down on Sunday (Yes, I said that.)  The kind of revival that saves even wicked politicians.  Will you do the best in your power to make our nation a Christian nation once again?  I pray that we all will.

So, how are you doing?

We Must Rise Up

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I am fascinated with eagles.  One thing that fascinates me about them is that they have green lenses that they can move over their eyes.  This comes in handy when they are pursued by a predator.  They fly straight into the sun until the predator cannot take the heat or the light.

As Christians we need to learn a less from the eagle.  When the devil is pursuing us we need to run to the “SON”.  Far too many of us just endure daily what comes our way.   We have two choices.  We can go through it or we can grow through it.

We need to rise up on many areas of our lives.  We need to set the bar higher.  There are so many things that can bring us down.  People are a big one that bring us down.  We need to rise above people.  Our present circumstances can bring us down.  We need to rise above our present circumstances.  The big one is that our past can bring us down.  We definitely need to rise above our past.

The Prophet said it this way in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

So, how are you doing?

Death

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Headlines:  “400 Officers Attend Kindergarten Graduation in Place of a Fallen Colleague” link here.  “Crawfordsville Twins Involved in Deadly Crash on the Way to School”  link here.  “Bridge Collapses in Washington State”  link here.

This is only the beginning of the news that I have received the past week.  Too many of us live like we will live forever.  This is true.  We will all live forever.  The decision you make today will effect that eternal destination.

Some of us have a lifestyle that says as Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way”.  This will not cut it in eternity.  You see there are two resurrections.  The resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust.   Look at Acts 24:15, “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”

Those who are justified by the blood of Jesus will be resurrected to eternal life in Heaven with Jesus and all those saved through the ages.  The unjust, or those who have never trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour will be resurrected to eternal punishment or damnation.  They will live for eternity in hell and be in torment.

The solution here is simple.  You need to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour and then your eternal destiny will be sealed and you can rest in Christ.

So, how are you doing?

The End of the Beginning

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As I write this our son is watching “The Story Keepers” on You Tube.  As I listen a Roman soldier says to Ben the baker, “Jesus died and that is the end of the story.”  Ben replies, “No, it’s just the beginning.”  The truth there will make even a pickled Baptist shout.

On one of the Gaither Gospel series videos David Phelps sings a song title, “The End of the Beginning”.  It is a little too rock and roll for me; but, I have to say that the message is powerful.

People today are hoping that when Jesus entered the tomb that it was the end.  Dear reader, if that is your attitude I must tell you that He is alive.  You see, three days later Jesus got up and folded the napkin signifying he was finished and He arose.  By this He proved that He was deity as He had been telling the people.  Yet, there are still the nay-sayers.  It does not matter what we think or “feel”.  What matters is that He proved by His Resurrection that He is in fact God in the flesh.

Then there is the truth that if Christ be risen that we will be raised from the dead also.  Look at I Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”  No, there is no die like a dog and that is it.  There is a resurrection of just and the unjust.  Which will you go in?  Trust Jesus Christ today before it is eternally too late, please.

So, how are you doing?

God’s Handywork

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to my cousin’s house and taking a spin around “the block” on his tractor.  Yes, I said, “tractor”.  You could say that I am a sophisticated redneck.  Sometimes I just love to get out and drive the tractor and let the wind blow through my color depleted hair.  It does me good.

As I drove down the road I went very slowly.  I was looking in the side ditch for treasures others have cast aside.  Thankfully, I did not find any.  There is not much room on a tractor.  I also realized something.

When I was younger I would dive as fast as I could get away with.  Yesterday I went down the road in third gear (pretty slow actually).  The wind was blowing across my face, the sun was shining and I had become “that guy”, the one who you cannot get your car around on the roadway.  Ha, Ha!

The best part of the trip was seeing the beautiful day with it’s sunshine and deep blue skies.  I marveled at the handiwork of God in His Creation.  A verse came to my mind, Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”  Take time to enjoy God’s handywork.

So, how are you doing?