Monthly Archives: July 2014

Honor

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Today is a very special day to our family.  July 31st is my Grandparents anniversary.  They are both in Heaven and we miss them deeply.  Yet, as much as we miss them none of us would wish them back to this vale of tears for nothing.

In order to honor our Grandparents my cousin and his wife were also married on July 31st.  Today is their 20th wedding anniversary.  Happy 20th anniversary Buddy and Marlene!  We wish you many more blessed anniversaries together.

As I thought about all of this a verse of Scripture came to mind.  Let’s look at what Paul tells us in Romans 13:7, “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”  There are many ways that I would like to honor both of these godly couples; but, time and money just will not permit.  So, all I can do is honor them with this little offering.  God bless the memory of our Grandparents and God bless Buddy and Marlene!  We love you all deeply!

So, how are you doing?

Gospel Illustration 4

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We all know that sometimes I march to a little different drummer.  As Cowboy Ken was teaching the children in Vacation Bible School my mind was flying in different directions.  I should have had pen and paper to coral my thoughts (pun intended).

Yesterday I wrote about the dodgers or dogies that try to run away.  When the cowboy goes after them he tries to “head them off at the pass”.  They do this in order to drive them back to the herd.  When we get out away from the herd we can get into all kinds of trouble.  We can fall off the side of a cliff and find ourselves injured at the bottom of a deep canyon.  There we are until someone comes to our rescue.  Look at Matthew 18:13, “And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.”

If the dogie is too stubborn to be driven back then the cowboy has a rope that he can use to lasso the dodger with and tie him up and bring him back.  Sometimes I wish God would do this for us.  In His love for us He has given us a will of our own to exercise.  Sometimes we exercise our will in the wrong ways.  Then the cowboys come after us.  We can go peaceful like or we can go kicking and screaming like a dogie sometimes will go.  God will never force us into a decision; but, He will definitely make it uncomfortable for us until we are back with the herd.

So, how are you doing?

Gospel Illustration 3

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Today I would like to just share some thoughts from “Cowboy Ken” as he taught in Vacation Bible School.  One thing that caught my attention was what a dogie (pronounced do – gee) is.  These are the calves and cows that dart out of line while the heard is being moved.  The more I think about it the more I seem to compare this to the Church.

As the cattle are being moved they for a line and the cowboys ride along in front, behind and on both sides.  This makes me think of the Pastor and the Deacons of the Church.  The Pastor leads “the herd” from the front as he follows God.  Then the Deacons bring up the sides and the rear.  These Deacons go after the “dodgers” or “dogies”; which is where we get the term dogie.  There are people that are in the Church; but, want to get out most of the time.  They just want enough Church to hopefully ensure they make it into Heaven.

While the cattle are walking together in a line occasionally one of these dogies shoots out to the left or right.  Off goes the cowboy on his faithful steed after this deserter.  This should be how the Deacons and other Church members as well as the Pastor work.  When someone darts out of the Church we need to go after them and let them know they are loved and then let them and the Holy Spirit make the decision whether to come back to the herd.  Look at Matthew 18:12, “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?”  Don’t be a Christian dogey.  Stay put in your “herd” unless God leads you out.

So, how are you doing?

Gospel Illustration 2

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Last week we were in Vacation Bible School at our Church.  “Cowboy Ken” did a great job around the “camp fire” of sharing the gospel with the children that were in attendance.  He cause me to think about what he taught.

One thing I learned was how many life lessons are illustrated in the cowboy life.  If we would just take time and look around we can find these kind of lessons in our everyday life also.  We get so caught up with our “devices” and distractions that we miss far too much of life as it flies by unbeknownst to you and I.

God commanded the children of Israel to use these kind of life lessons to pass their faith, heritage and culture along to the upcoming generations.  You see this in the words of Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  I learned something as I looked at this passage of Scripture again.  The word “teach” means to whet, or, sharpen (taken from the Strong’s Concordence).  So, when we teach our children we are sharpening them for life.  We need more parents that will let arrows fly that have been sharpened.

So, how are you doing?

Gospel Illustration

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I remember in Bible College my pulpit speech teacher, Dr. Charles Brown teaching us to use gospel illustrations (magic tricks) to communicate the gospel.  I still use them.  On trick he taught us was to thread some ropes through your shirt and have two participants pull the ropes as hard as they can when directed to.  People would think that the shirt would rip right off of you; but, it does not.

This “trick” represents how men and women are in bondage.  The sad reality of this is that people today do not see themselves as in bondage; but, according to the Word of God they are certainly in bondage.  People go through life serving their flesh, the devil and the world without even know or caring.  This is a dangerous place to be.

They could be forever free from this bondage; but, they have to first acknowledge that the bondage exists.  Then they can run to the LORD and He will set them free, forever.  He has been the One who breaks the bondage from the beginning of the world.  Take a look at Isaiah 31:11, “For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.”  It takes someone or something stronger than we are to hold us captive.  This is what this verse was talking about.

So, how are you doing?

Waymarks

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As we live in today’s post Christian world it seems very dark.  At this writing Israel is being attacked by muslims that seek to destroy them off the face of the earth.  The good thing about this is that God has promised Israel that He will fight for them.  A post on social networking last week showed a newspaper headline that said the terrorists are seeing God change the direction of their missiles.  God has promised to protect Israel and He is keeping that promise.

You could say that Israel is a testimony of God Himself.  He has made them promises upon promises that have been fulfilled.  Israel is a light in a dark world.  Christians and the Church should be a light in this dark world; but, unfortunately we are letting our light be darkened by many ways.

Jeremiah talks about “waymarks”, which is sense of conspicuousness; a monumental or guiding pillar (taken from the Strong’s Concordence).  Look at Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 31:21, “Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.”

It is high time to let your light shine.  Because it is such a dark world it will shine brightly.

So, how are you doing?

 

Such Love

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We hear so much these days about human trafficking.  This is a sad reality of our day.  I have photographed fundraisers for organizations that seek to take these girls out of this and teach them skills to allow them to be self supporting.

Why would these girls need to be self supporting?  They often come from families that are poor, desperately poor.  These families sell their daughters to richer men to have their way with them.  One testimonial I saw a young girl was abuses for three days by an older wealthy man who “paid” for her services.  Then this child was returned home until the next time.

Because of events like these there are people who have a warped sense of who God is and what His love is.  They know nothing of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  This is just on instance in the Bible where God shows His great love toward His creation, man.  Another favorite of mine that is directed at the nation Israel is Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”  If that is not love then I don’t know what love is, I guess.

So, how are you doing?

Success

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I don’t know if you find it strange; but, there is only one mention of the word “success” in all the the Bible.  Today we are focused on success.  We have seminars about it.  We have meetings about it.  We dream of it.  We strive for it; but, in a lot of cases this escapes us.  Dr. Adrian Rogers said, “You are not a failure because you fail at _____.”  You become a failure when you quit trying.

I am afraid that the Church has lost it bearings on this issue.  The Church for the most part sees success as numbers.  I am all for numbers especially when those numbers are souls trusting Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  I don’t think the Church should live and die by numbers.  Now, if the numbers sink too low then the Church is dead.  I understand that; but, let’s take a look at this only use of “success” and see what God is sharing with us.  Look at Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  The word “success” means “to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligent” according to the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordence.  It seems again that the world is all wrong on their definition of “success”.  How do you define success?  I hope it lines up with the Bible.

So, how are you doing?

Care For The Law

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The other night I watched a show on PBS about the space shuttle Columbia and the tragedy.  One of the astronauts was Jewish.  He received this Torah while in a concentration camp.  The other Jews smuggled his mother from camp to camp for his special ceremony and his first reading of the Torah.  I cried as I watched this.  He received special permission and he carried a Torah with him to space as a testimony of his faith.

This astronaut was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and grew up to be an astronaut.  They showed video of him with the Torah in the space shuttle and to me it was deeply moving.  Here was a man that shared his faith publicly even from outer space.

The written Word of God was deeply important to him.  I am reminded of a verse in the book of Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” So, if you want to be successful then follow God’s Word.  It will not be success like the world sees as success; but, it will be godly success.

So, how are you doing?

Keep It To Yourself

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I remember a number of years ago we attended a local Church.  I don’t remember all the details; but, one service we were treated to the preaching of Brother Raymond Fitzsimmons.  We love he and his wife Barbara.  His messages are always memorable.  This particular message still stands out in my mind because it is needed and was truly pratical.

I don’t remember the circumstances; but, evidently some Christian had fallen and others were beginning to talk about it no matter whether they knew the facts or not.  This is tragic and happens all too often.

Why do we gossip and speak where we have no facts of the truth?  It is pretty simple.  We want to appear better than the brother or sister that has fallen.  We try to make ourselves look holier than thou by putting them down and making them look small in the eyes of others.  I wish I could say that I am not guilty of this; but, if I did I would be a liar.  God forgive me please.

Brother Fitzsimmons’ verse?  Look at II Samuel 1:20, “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.”  Keep it to yourself!

So, how are you doing?