Author: E. DeWayne Swann

Its Over Now, … Or Is It?

Luke15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

 

The week of this writing is June 10, 2019, as I sat at the computer and began working on a thought that I had, it occurred to me that thirty years ago this week I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It’s raining now here in Georgia and thirty years ago it was raining here then too.

 

As I recall about a year or maybe two years earlier, I saw my friend and then Sunday School teacher Snyder Turner. I hadn’t been in Sunday School in a while, and he asked if I would come back that I was surly missed. That made me feel good that I was missed. And I told him I would try if he would be kind enough to make me a tape of him singing. I love to hear people sing that know and believe what they are singing, and it also helps that they can sing. I believe that he knew and believed about who he was singing about, and it also helped that he could sing too. He was kind enough to make me the tape, and he sent word to me that I had to come and get it. The place I had to pick it up was at the Church, and the place was in Sunday School.

 

I sent word back to him that I will see him Sunday and if there was no tape there would be no DeWayne because, I would leave. I was somewhat a smart-aleck back then, but I’m doing much better now. So sure, enough I was there at 10:00am Sunday morning and sitting in his class waiting on him. As he walked in, he threw me the tape. I sat and listened to him teach and then went on in the sanctuary and listened to his D ad, Reverend Ben Turner preach, and then I didn’t return until I felt as if I had to.

The next day as I was on my way to work, I put the tape in the tape player in my truck and began to listen. Song after song played, some were convicting, some were picked me up songs, and some were just old fashion Church Hymns.

 

As the tape played on, this song came on, and I had heard it before but not quite like this, it was “It’s Over Now” and this is what Snyder sang:

 

“It’s over now. It’s over I’m going home.

It’s over now it won’t be long

The prisons of my past, couldn’t hold me I’m free at last.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me. It’s over now.

When I look back to yesterday, and upon the many years I wasted.

And I think about the many nights of hunger that I spent out in the cold.

I remember warming by the fire, at Father’s house, the food and how it tasted.

And knowing that the life I’m leading, is needing love and love’s at home.

It’s over now. It’s over I’m going home.

It’s over now it won’t be long,

The prisons of my past, couldn’t hold me I’m free at last.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me.

It’s over now”.

 

And then with the music still playing he said this in the middle of the song:

“That reminds me of a young boy that I knew one time that, as a teenager he stayed up all nights lots of nights, building God’s house because he loved the building, he loved the people, I never before seen a boy that age that dedicated to God. Then I looked around one day and all of a sudden, he was gone, nobody knew where he was, but all of his friends that knew him, and stayed around with him up all night, were praying that one of these days, one of these days, he’ll look around, and he’ll say, you know, I believe it was worth it, it’s all over for me now, I’m going back home”.

 

Then back to the song he went without missing a beat.

 

“I can hear my father saying, go kill the fated calf and spread the table.

Then go and tell the singers to prepare to sing the welcome Song.

Then bring the finest ring of gold, and with it, bring the finest robe of sable.

To place upon the cold and weary shoulders of my child, that’s coming home.

It’s over now. It’s over I’m going home. It’s over now it can’t be long

The prisons of my past, couldn’t hold me I’m free at last.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me. It’s over now.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me. It’s over now”.

 

That young boy was me, and if you paid close attention, he never said that I Loved God but that “he loved the building, he loved the people”, because I did, and still do love the building and the people of that time in our Church, but at that particular time I did not love God or even know Him or His dear Son Jesus.

 

The song brought tears to my eyes, and brought back some great memories of when we were building the Church and the lifelong friendship that I received from the men that were there that took me under their wings and showed Godly love for a young man that could have ended up running with the wrong people. If it were not for spending most of my free time working on that Church I don’t know where I would have ended up. I never drank, I never did any drugs, I didn’t run around trying to get in any trouble, I was way too busy building a house of worship.

 

I was working my way to heaven, at least I thought I was. It’s really difficult to win good people to the Lord, what did I need saving from, I was a pretty good guy, at least in my eyes I was. Could I be wrong, was I sure because I repeated words that the pastor’s wife told me to say when I was 6 years old, that I was covered, I hope so? And if you are not sure, that is not the right answer.

 

So, a few more months went past, and I was out of church again. I thought I was good to go, and again, I was wrong.

 

As I have stated I was raised in church and I sat under the word of God my whole life, I didn’t know the author, but I knew the words that were written, and I could use them to my advantage when I needed to. I used the Word of God as a weapon to attack people, just when I thought that they needed it, for my own good. Not a weapon as a sword against Satan, but as a club to beat people over the head, and in most cases I could hold my own in a battle of the Word and I would whip out the Bible verse to put people to shame when I needed it.

And time went on.

Edger C. Whisenant released a book that was predicting that Jesus would return for the Rapture is September 11,12, or 13 of 1988 titled “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988” over 4.5 million copies were sold, and the Churches were filled on Sunday, September 11, 1988. It didn’t hurt that the day he predicted was on a Sunday.

 

And there, about ten rows back in the end seat against the wall I sat, as I have said I heard the word preached enough for anyone for a lifetime I thought. And I thought wrong, but there I was to prove the guy wrong. Because does the Bible not say:

Matt 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. NKJV

 

So, I just sat there and heard Reverend Ben Turner preach one of the best soul winning sermons that ever was preached, and then it was time for the invitation. As the song leader took the pulpit and the Church began to sing, I took a good hold of the pew in front of me and refused to let go. Ben told me latter that he could see my knuckles turning white from the grip I had on that pew. I think, no I know that was the day that I knew that I needed Jesus in my heart, and in my life and so did Brother Ben the pastor. But I was a good man.

 

At the age of six I had said what the preacher’s wife said to say, I was put in the baptistery and dunked under the Holy water. I had to be ready to go to heaven, I had done everything you are supposed to do right? And then again, I was wrong.

 

I never, not ever asked Jesus into my heart. I love what Andy Stanley says quite often,

“Following Jesus will make your life better and will make you better at life.”

 

I saw Snyder again in May 1989. He was being ordained and afterward he saw me, and said that he missed me and that he was praying for me. And then he said that one of these days God was going break me or do something to get my attention, and that when he did, he wanted to be there. He was somewhat a smart-aleck back then, but he too is doing much better now. And again, a little time went on.

That brings me back to the rainy week of June 12, 1989, my wife had gone to visit her mother in Spruce Pine Alabama. She left on the 7th and was going to return on the 14th. The night before she left, we had a big falling out, we didn’t have many but when we did, they were big. She started the falling out trying to justify her actions. She was setting me up to be the bad guy, and it worked, by saying what she was going to do.

 

Remember that I told you that I could beat up a person with the Bible, well that is what I did that night. I told her that she needed to submit to me and to do what I say and to do my will because that is what Paul taught. She said she didn’t know any woman that did that, and she was not going to do it either. She then told me that she didn’t love me anymore and if that wasn’t bad enough, she then added that she didn’t think she ever really loved me. Not only that, but she then said that she may not come back.

 

With that said, I picked up my Colt 357 magnum and was headed out the door. She asked where I was going, and I said boldly and proudly “To Hell” and kept walking, she asked and then pleaded with me not to go, she promised that we would work it all out when she got back next Wednesday.

 

I sometime later learned that “You cannot develop in your family what you do not possess yourself as in individual”. I couldn’t lead because I didn’t have what I needed to lead. What was missing was Jesus.

 

Next Wednesday arrived, and she didn’t. I took off early, grilled 2 T-bone steaks, just the way she liked them, fixed a salad and some baked beans and baked potatoes, and had an apple pie cooking in the oven and Breyers vanilla bean ice-cream in the freezer. I sat the table, and even put some candles on the table and waited. She should be home any moment I thought, and again, I was wrong.

 

I waited past the time she was going to arrive and then started making calls. I finally got a hold of her mother and was told that she came home that morning and got some more of her belongings and was coming back to Alabama. So, I put everything in the refrigerator, and made some calls and told my boss I would be late the next day and then made a call to my parents and told them that I was going to Alabama and was going to try to get my wife back.

 

My Dad tried to talk me out of going and said that there were tornado warnings in Alabama and headed to us here in Georgia, I didn’t care, I was going. As I pulled out of my road there stood my Dad in the road again trying to get me to stay home, I should have listened because when I got there, she made it clear that she was not coming home anytime soon she needed some time to think, it’s been over 30 years, I sometimes wonder how much more time she might need. I guess I still am a somewhat a smart-aleck, but I am doing some better now.

 

In 1989, I was one of the few people at that time that had a phone in their truck, so on my way back home the next morning I called my pastor and asked if I could see him later that evening, he said that he would be at the Church because they were having Vacation Bible School, and he would be there around 7:00.

 

As I arrived at the Church, I saw Snyder in the parking lot, and he yelled at me and said that this was Church, and ask what was I doing there? He was just joking with me. As he got closer, I said, remember when you said that one of these days God was going break me, or do something to get my attention, and that when He did, you wanted to be there? Well, here is that day, as a tear ran down my face. He said he was playing, and I said I know and told him what had happened and asked if he would come and pray with his Dad for her to come home. He said of course, and we went into the pastor’s study, and we meet up with Ben.

 

I needed someone to pray for her because I knew deep down that I couldn’t, but Ben could, but Ben wouldn’t. He wouldn’t pray for my wife that night, and I couldn’t understand why. The only reason that I was there was for his prayers. He said we were just treating the symptoms, and not getting a cure. The cure was for me to accept Christ that night and not to fix my marriage. I learned what it meant that night that “pain plants a flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel’s heart”.

 

He asked every way but coming out and saying bluntly are you saved for a while, he asked do you know Jesus as your savior? And then he finely asked if I were to die where would I spend eternity? I remembered the week before and how I stated I was going to hell. I just sat there, and then he finally said, ARE YOU SAVED?

 

My answer was I don’t want to be not saved. He said that was not the right answer, and then said that I knew what I needed to do, and he was right as Snyder opened his Bible and started the Roman Road, he paused then said that I knew these verses and I knew what I needed to do. And I did know what I needed to do. I personally have led people to the Lord before I had ever accepting Him as my Savior myself.

 

So, I asked Jesus to forgive me and that night I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Just like that everything changed that moment. My wife didn’t come home but I did. Circumstances didn’t change, but I sure did, the pain was still there but now so was Christ. Everything was for the better I assure you.

 

After that night as I got back in Church for the right reason, as I ran across different people, and it seemed that most had the same reaction and said the same thing when I told them that I had accepted Christ and was saved. They would say I thought you were already. But the ones closest to me would say I’m glad, I have been praying for you for a long time.

 

The old saying goes you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time. I had some of them fooled but not all, and the ones that knew better were praying for me and as we soon will see looking for me to come home.

 

I just had to make up my mind or come to myself, as it says. Sometimes the one you think that needed to come home don’t quite make it. What I have learned it was never about getting her my wife home, it was about getting Me Home!

 

If I had accepted the invitation the year earlier, she may never have left. But if she hadn’t left when she did, would I have ever got in the Word of God like I did, would I ever have stood in a pulpit and tried to bring a sermon, would I have ever got involved in the ministries that I got in, and saw the hundreds of souls saved as a result? Would I be writing this book right now?

 

Please don’t get me wrong, I do not under any circumstance believe that God made her leave, that goes against His Word. I do believe that he used the mess that I made to get my attention. Did you get that the mess that I made! And I do take full responsibility. But it did work for His good.

Does the book of Romans not say?

 

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV

and

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. NKJV

 

Understand that God is not a genie in a bottle, or a wishing well. He is God, and we sometimes act as if he is supposed to do what we say, instead of the other way around. We quickly forget and sometimes quickly walk away because He didn’t do what I wanted Him to do. I will just leave, and then we do, but the question is the same as Peter’s question and that is “Lord, to whom shall we go?”

 

John 6:67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” NKJV

 

I promise you maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, or next month, or even next year. But the time is coming that you will end up neck deep in the pigsty. Then where will you go? All we have to do is the same as the lost son did. Understand it is far better in the Fathers house.

 

As I have stated it’s been over 30 years, and she never came home, sometimes the one we love and pray for, never comes to their selves. Sometimes they don’t listen to the Father, but that is no excuse for you not to. Every story in life doesn’t have a happy ending. Just remember for some it’s not over yet. But for me, I thank God I can say as the last verse of our song said:

 

The prisons of my past, couldn’t hold me I’m free at last.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me. It’s over now.

My Father I see His arms reaching for me. It’s over now”.

 

See, it was me the whole time that was dead, and now I am alive.

I was the very one lost, and now I am found.

It is definitely a time to be merry. It’s party time.

 

Luke15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

 

And they began to be merry.

As the old saying goes;

If not God’s way? What?

If not you? Who?

If not now? When?

Is it over now?

Only if you allow it to be.

Power Through Prayer

By E.M. Bounds

Men of Prayer Are Needed

 

WE are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” The dispensa­tion that heralded and prepared the way for Christ was bound up in that man John. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” The world’s salvation comes out of that cradled son…. This vital, urgent truth is one that this age of machinery is apt to for­get. The forgetting of it is as baneful on the work of God as would be the striking of the sun from his sphere. Darkness, confusion, and death would ensue.

What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use, men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer.

 

Purpose in Prayer

By E.M. Bounds

Prayer Is a Keynote

 

THE more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil everywhere. Prayer, in one phase of its opera­tion, is a disinfectant and a preventive. It purifies the air; it destroys the con­tagion of evil. Prayer is no fitful, short lived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence. It is a voice which goes into God’s ear, and it lives as long as God’s ear is open to holy pleas, as long as God’s heart is alive to holy things.

God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God’s heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, out­live an age, outlive a world.

That man is the most immortal who has done the most and the best pray­ing. They are God’s heroes, God’s saints, God’s servants, God’s deputies. A man can pray better because of the prayers of the past; a man can live holier because of the prayers of the past, the man of many and acceptable prayers has done the truest and greatest service to the incoming generation. The prayers of God’s saints strengthen the unborn generation against the desolat­ing waves of sin and evil. Woe to the generation of sons who find their censers empty of the rich incense of prayer; whose fathers have been too busy or too unbelieving to pray, and perils inexpressible and consequences untold are their unhappy heritage. Fortunate are they whose fathers and mothers have left them a wealthy storehouse of prayer.

 

HOW TO PRAY.
PRAY SERIOUS AND WATCHFUL. 1 PET 4:7
1. 1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

What did the Disciples ask for? To learn how to pray. That’s where the power is!
Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

2. So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

ASK IN FAITH. JAM 1:6 _
“WHATEVER YOU ASK IN PRAYER, BELIEVING, YOU WILL RECEIVE”
(IF IT IS GOD’S WILL) – Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
Luke 11:5-13 (NKJV)
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?
8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Luke 11:9-10 (HCSB)
9 “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Look at what we Get when we ask, Holy Spirit, not a new house, not a new job, new truck… But The Holy Spirit, do we get the other things, sometimes but He God promised The Holy Spirit.

(NOT IN WRONG MOTIVE)
James 4:2-3 (NKJV)
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

IF WE: HUMBLE AND TURN FROM WICKED WAYS
GOD PROMISES: TO HEAR, HEAL, AND FORGIVE.
2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Again, WHO is He talking to. The Hebrews but it is an example for us.

IF WE: ARE RIGHTEOUS GOD PROMISES: TO HEAR.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

IF WE: PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL GOD PROMISES: TO HEAR US. 1 JOHN 5:14
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

IF WE: DRAW NEAR TO GOD. GOD PROMISES: TO DRAW NEAR TO US.
James 4:7-10 (NKJV)
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
3. But we have to pray and ask.
a. Ask for Renewing in your own heart.
b. Ask for healing in our lives
c. Ask for the Power of God to manifest itself in such a way that He can get the glory.

4. The power of prayer is not in who prays but in the one who hears our prayer. And that is GOD, that is who we are talking to.

Jer 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Note: He does not say I will give you things He said I will show you things.

Realize – Jeremiah live in tough times:
1. Jeremiah was a prophet called by God living in the midst of a sinful nation. Sound familiar?
a. He preached to the Jewish nation and its people about their sin but they wouldn’¬t listen, to him.
2. He had prophesied that if the Nation of Judah wouldn’¬t turn from their sin and turn back to God, they would fall into the hands of the Babylonians. (Exactly what happened)
3. His message was rejected. People didn’¬t listen.
4. Today, people hear the message of the Gospel but turn a deaf ear and reject the Lord when the Lord has said;
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
He says He will show us “Great and Mighty Things which You don’t even knows about”

5. God says Matt 17:20 if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Conclusion: Moving Mountains,
What Mountain is in your life that needs moving???
6. There are no limits with God.
What did the sea see when the sea saw??
Psalm 114:1-8 (NKJV)
1 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.
3 The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.

Matt 17:20 if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Do you want to see Great and Mighty things???
Accept Good’s invitation today
1. Pray for your homes
2. Pray for our church
3. Pray for your own life
4. Pray for our renewal of God’s love
5. Pray for those who are lost without Christ.

If You don’t know Christ, pray for your own salvation: God will answer.
Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Pray

From my next book, “More to Ponder”;

 

Rum Pum Pum Pum

 

I recall many Christmas’; some were really great and some were racked with grief and disappointment. The disappointment didn’t come from not getting the particular gift or not getting my wish list filled, but it was at the loss of a dear friend on Christmas Eve, the problem is that those memories have a way of seeping into the great memories also. But I want to focus on the good times.

 

As I grew up in the sixties, we didn’t have the internet or Amazon, but we did have the Sears and Roebuck “Wish Book” that was packed full of everything that we saw advertised on TV during our Saturday morning cartoons. We were allowed to pick a few things that we just had to have, and my Mother would call Santa (Sears) and tell him what we wanted and give him the item number, and we would be set. And just like that it would be under the tree on Christmas morning.

 

A few weeks prior to Christmas day, my Dad would show up with the family Christmas tree. He and my older brothers, Charles and Glenn would help set it up in the living room right in front of the picture window. Daddy would let the tree sit a day, he said to let the limbs fall into place, I think he just wanted to make the experience last just a little longer.

 

The next night. In a house that smelled like a pine forest, which to this day when I smell that Christmas tree smell it takes me back to those nights when we all gathered in the living room and waited patiently for Daddy to put on the lights. Again, he and my Mother or oldest brother had that job. After he did that Mother would put on the garland sometimes with my Dads help and when she got older my sister Debrah would help. And when the lights and garland was in place Mother and Daddy would open the box of ornament’s, and then they would referee as all five of us would get to put them on the tree, anywhere we saw fit. And after we finished our job, Daddy would divvy up the icicle or tinsel if you prefer. Then we again could put it on the tree and again wherever we wanted, and sometimes under the direction of our parents setting back watching. So, then the final piece of the tree was put into place, The Angle was placed in her spot at the top of the tree. The whole time this was done under the blanket of Christmas music being played on the record player in the background.

 

After the tree was perfect at least we thought it was perfect, Mother would fix us some hot chocolate with marshmallows, Daddy would turn off the lights in the room, and the room would be lit from the tree and the reflecting off the hardwood floors. The Christmas albums would be playing softly, and we would just sit there for a while and absorb what we have accomplished. Not knowing or understanding how fortunate we were at that time. We would sit and listen to the songs, “O’ Come All Ye Faithful,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “Little Town in Bethlehem,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and on and on and then my favorite “The Little Drummer Boy”

 

 

After hearing that song can you guess what made it to my Christmas list? Think for a second and if you said a drum you would be correct. Now this was right up my Mother alley.

My Mother has a way of getting us not only what we wanted but also what we needed. She loved getting us toys that made a great symphony of noises. And my Dad was the one that helped Santa put everything together, and he made sure that if it needed batteries, it had an abundance of power to bring us a loud and wonderful Christmas. There was always the Christmas PJ’s, socks, underwear, shoes if we needed them. We didn’t need a new outfit that was coming a few months later at Easter.

 

As the weeks slowly went by, Christmas Eve, would finally make it and that was and is one of the best nights of the year. The smell of cakes, pies Chex mix and Christmas tree was one of the best memory makers that there could ever be. Mother let us watch as she cooked the cakes and pies, she even gave me and my brother Ray the beaters to lick clean, and the bowls and spoons to clean the same way. After we did the best we could scrape and licking icing and batter and wearing as much as we ate, Mother would then take them and wash them and start again on the next pie or cake. And the process started all over again. The kitchen would be full of laughter and fun. Just as it should be.

 

Then Christmas morning came. I think that my parents were as excited as we were, no I know they were. We would all go into the living room together and Mother never had to say what was who’s. We knew what we asked for and in a certain section under the tree would be exactly what we requested.

 

The house was always full of people on Christmas, which with three brothers and a sister, my Mother and Father, we were pretty much a crowd by ourselves. But there were always others to show up also. The main reason I think was just to eat my Mother’s Christmas dinner. There was always a huge turkey, a perfectly cooked ham, salad, two pans of turkey dressing, one with celery and one (mine) without celery, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, candied yams, deviled eggs, potatoes salad, piping hot dinner rolls and for dessert she would have a pineapple upside-down cake, a coconut cake, and the best hard-boiled fudge chocolate cake in the world. (we called it the concrete cake, but it was what we all looked for and at times fought over.) an abundance of sweet potatoes pie and then there was also the best banana pudding ever there was that graced the earth.

 

This wasn’t just one Christmas like this, but it was this way year after year when we were young. We gave our wish list, we knew to ask for what was in the budget, some years a lot, some not so much. We were taught to accept and to be thankful for what we did received. Furthermore we knew that we were not rich, but we also knew that others had it far worse than we did even in the lean years.

 

In my section under the tree one Christmas was just a single little drum with my other gifts. As the years went on and as I grew, one year was a little drum set. A bass drum, one tom drum and a snare, with two cymbals. Then as I got older and in middle school, I even got a bag and hardware for a snare drum my Uncle Gene gave me. My Uncle Dee took it had new heads and snares put on it. And then I joined the Tapp Middle School Band. Made first chair, section leader and then honor band, all from that little drum I received that Christmas because of that song “The Little Drummer Boy.”

 

As the years went on, I didn’t play in high school and sort of lost the ability to play as well as I once did because of lack of practice, but I never lost the love for drums and to beat on them. I later on bought me a Pearl Drum Kit. It had a snare four toms a floor tom the kick drum with two crash cymbals a ride cymbal, and hi-hat. I added a set of roto toms which made my set a ten-piece kit. It sat in my living room for years and when people first came into my house they would usually say when seeing them “I can tell you are single because no woman would allow those drums in a living room.” The kit is now serving God in my home church as I have them on loan to them.

 

I never lost the love for drums, and I still love to hear a good drum corp. It all started with that little Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy.” And now I want to look at that song a little and maybe give you something to ponder.

 

From the internet we get this:

The words and music to the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy was composed by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958.

The lyrics of Little Drummer Boy consist of no less than 21 rum pum pum pum’ — a major part of the song and therefore presenting an apparently easy task for the lyricist! However, Little Drummer Boy has been a huge hit for several artists.

 

I took out the rum pum pum pum’ to get you to look at the words;

 

Come they told me, we need to do that very thing, Go into ALL the word and present the Gospel (the Good News) what did the Bible tell us to tell…

 

A newborn King to see unto you a child is born, angels telling the shepherds…

 

Our finest gifts we bring, the best we can offer as far as earthly things are as filthy rags. God wants more He deserves more…

 

To lay before the King, King of Kings

So to honor Him, when we come…we honor by coming into His presence God wants to hear from us…

 

Little Baby, I am a poor boy too, He gave up heaven, came as a baby…

 

I have no gift to bring, that’s fit to give the King, we have nothing, we came into this world naked and naked we will return. You can’t take it with you when you go.

 

Shall I play for you, On my drum? And there it is.

 

Mary nodded, the ox and lamb kept time, that always bring a smile to me, and then I saw animals on Facebook keeping time with music…

 

I played my drum for Him, do whatever God has called you to do.

I played my best for Him,

 

Then He smiled at me, Me and my drum. Me and my drum.

 

 

I don’t want you to miss the best part of the song, and that is that the Little Drummer Boy could only offer what we all need to be offering Jesus. And that is our BEST! Snyder used to say if you are going to sleep in church then at least snore and do you best.

 

“He did it all for His Love for You.”

By: Richard Mullen

 

He can turn the tides and calm the angry sea. He alone decides Who writes a symphony. He lights ev’ry star That makes our darkness bright. He keeps watch all through Each long and lonely night. He still finds the time To hear a child’s first prayer. Saint or sinner call and always find Him there.

 

Though it makes him sad to see the way we live, He’ll always say, “I forgive.”

 

He can grant a wish or make a dream come true. He can paint the clouds

And turn the gray to blue. He alone knows where To find the rainbow’s end.

He alone can see What lies beyond the bend. He can touch a tree And turn the leaves to gold. He knows every lie That you and I have told.

 

He, did it all for me,

He = used to refer to a man, boy, or male previously mentioned or easily identified. “Jesus”

Did = achieve or complete. What? Calvary’s Cross.

It = used to refer to a thing previously mentioned or easily identified. Gave us the Gift of Salvation

All = the whole of one’s energy or interest. Forgave us from every sin past present and future

For = in support of or in favor of (a person or policy). on behalf of or to the benefit of (someone or something). Took someone’s place

Me = used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself as the object of a verb or preposition. Compare with I.

 

 

 

 

So, we have in this:

Jesus, achieve and completed on Calvary’s Cross paid for the Gift of Salvation. With His whole energy and interest to Forgive us from every sin past present and future in support of, in favor of, on behalf of, to the benefit of taking someone’s place and that someone was and is to refer to as ME!

 

He, did it all for me,

 

That’s the gift of Christmas

 

The Gift that had Worth, Jesus gave it all. Therefore, who did He do it all for?

 

You that is who!  I pray you have received His Present to you.

Merry Christmas!

 

THE CHAMP

How do you define greatness? What are the qualities of the men and women that do extraordinary things and achieve greatness? I can’t tell you! I have none of the qualities needed. However, by the grace of God I have had the privilege to know a very few people that I consider great. One of them is Lex Luger!

During the 1980s and 1990s professional wrestling was a craze. Its popularity was with a very large and diverse number of people. Many of the wrestling stars became celebrities that were famous worldwide. The most famous of those wrestlers was known as Lex Luger. I sincerely believe that Lex Luger was perhaps the most famous man in the whole world during his glory years.

Lex played collegiate football at The University of Miami and then professionally for the Green Bay Packers.  The Green Bay Packers were so proud of Lex’s great success and fame via in the professional wrestling rink that they enshrined him in their Hall of Fame.  Lex’s physical frame and physique was extraordinary.  Lex had an internal drive to excel and compete that propelled Lex into professional wrestling and demanded that he was great! Lex became a wrestling mega superstar. For years, he would dominate the sport and become a world champion on three different occasions. He competed against only the greatest of the other professional wrestlers.  Lex Luger’s appeal was so broad and expanse that Mattel made action figure toys of him for children. Millions of people cheered for him each and every time he stepped into the wrestling rink.

Lex would go on to chronicle his life and the battles he fought along with the storms he endured during his life in his book “Wrestling with the Devil”. Lex goes into great detail while describing the actions, deeds and the events which turned him from being the greatest physique and best body in the world into an C5-C6 quadriplegic hospitalized at The Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007.

In October 2007 Lex flew into San Francisco for a conference. While there he had a type of seizure or stroke that would paralyze him. After several weeks in a Bay Area hospital in the Bay Lex was transported to The Shepherd Center in Atlanta for treatment.  This was the best option and venue for Lex to find any type of recovery.  The Shepherd Center was also in Atlanta where Lex made his home. This was an act of God providing help and grace to Lex.

My pastor (Steve Baskin) was the person most instrumental in the conversion of Lex into becoming a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Steve had kept the church body appraised of Lex’s condition throughout his time in the Bay Area and continually sought the prayers of the members of the church on behalf of Lex.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I asked Pastor Baskin if my wife and I could visit with Lex. I had no thoughts of being able to provide Lex with any great, profound or inspiring words. I simply felt like I needed to go see him and do what I could to encourage a man very young in The Lord. I have some very good memories of Lex and his early days as a Christian. I remember him once coming into church a little late and the sermon had already started. Lex had walked down to the pew I was sitting on. I was sitting on the end of the pew and was resting my arm on the end of the pew.  I felt a presence near the right side of my face and turned toward it. Frankly I was shocked to look 12 inches away into the face of a giant man staring at me. All he said was “move over!” At that moment I had instantly already made peace with God and made sure that all my sins had been forgiven! There was no need to finish the sermon or to give an invitation on my behalf. I was right with God at that moment for sure. Later I had the privilege of seeing Lex be baptized. I can also recall watching Lex in a televised wrestling match along with my sons and praying that Lex would someday become a believer and then a witness for Jesus Christ.

Those memories and thoughts were crowding my mind as I walked down the hall of the Shepherd Center toward Lex’s hospital room while holding my wife’s hand. As we walked, I prayed for help and direction on what to say to Lex. I was humbled just to be able to visit with this man that was in many ways so much bigger than life. I was stricken with the realization that I knew that there were absolutely no words available to me that would make his life better. I began to question the sanity of me saying anything at all to a man in the nightmarish situation that Lex was living in.

When Val and I knocked on the door we were acknowledged with a “come in”.  Lex was in a hospital bed on the far side of the room. Several people were there from a Christian magazine talking with Lex. They very graciously stepped aside and allowed Val and I to come to Lex’s bedside. Lex looked up and smiled. I was amazed at that smile. Here was a man that only had slight movement from the neck up, but he produced a smile. I noticed that the little finger on his left hand was twitching slightly. His left foot was sticking out of the covers and you could see the toes also twitching. Lex was already working on his rehab diligently even though it was one twitch at a time. Every journey begins with the first step regardless of how far the trip will take you. These were very slight movements but very difficult for anyone in the condition that Lex was in.

Lex was literally rehabbing himself one toe, one finger, one anything, at a time. He was not giving up and was already working with everything that he had within himself to regain any strength that he once had. I was in awe!

Lex was physically paralyzed. He had already gone through many great storms and dealt with numerous disasters in his life.  He had been wealthy but now financially dependent on others. He had probably been the most physically admired man in the world for nearly a decade and had been known worldwide as “The Total Package”. But at that moment Lex was a very frail man physically. He now required another person’s help in order to dress, feed and clean himself. His fame was now a memory and his future held no promise of a better tomorrow.

I struggled for the words that I had prayed so hard to know and find before getting to Lex’s hospital room.  I probably then asked the most stupid question anyone has ever asked someone in that condition. I said “Champ, how are you doing?” … Immediately I wanted to take all the air out of the room so that I could catch my ridiculous words before anyone heard them. How can anyone ask a paralyzed man lying prostrate in a hospital bed that question?  It was obvious to anyone that could see that Lex was not doing well physically. Everyone in that condition is being challenged mentally and spiritually to the absolute limits of endurance. Lex’s condition was far more serious than I can adequately describe.

Then the Lord took over. Lex looked up at me and gave an incredible smile and said, “Chuck, I am doing great!”. I was taken back. I thought for a moment. I deserved a rebuttal answer for my stupid, stupid question. But to my amazement Lex was being sincere. I clumsily apologized for my question. But Lex looked directly into my eyes and said, “Chuck, God put me here for a reason. This is a good thing that I am here and God is good. This is a blessing!”. I braced myself and tried to gain some sibilance of poise. I then responded with, “Champ, I need for you to please explain that to me. How is it a blessing for you to be paralyzed and in this hospital bed?”

Lex looked up and explained that the events and mistakes in his life had left him estranged from his children and ex-wife. He was divorced and his children had decided that they did not want him in their lives. Lex had been praying for a way to re-connect and possibly reconcile with his children. He then told me that because of his past the director of the Shepherd Center had initially resisted letting him come there for treatments. However, she relented and allowed Lex to come to the Shepherd Center. When Lex arrived, he was able to demonstrate to everyone that the person he had been, was no longer the man that he now was. Lex had become a new creation in Christ and was now a different man.  Lex then said something that rang all the chimes.  He told me that after he had been admitted into the hospital the director’s husband had been talking with him about various things. That man just happened to also be a coach on one of the teams that Lex’s son played on. That gentleman had expressed a desire to assist in some way to help Lex reconnect with his son. Lex then said this, “God is so good. God put me here to help me get back with my son! Isn’t that great?!?”

Lex had been humbled in every way that I think a man can be.  Yet he was still persevering through his enormous anguish with a competitive drive that cannot and will not quit, surrender or retreat.

I don’t know if Lex and his son ever reconciled. However, what I do know for a fact is that only a great, great champion can experience such pain, heartache and disappointment and then still realize and profess the mercy and love of God! That type of courage and resolve requires qualities far beyond what it took for Lex to become one of the most famous and admired celebrities in the world.

For most of his adult life Lex has been surrounded by groupies and other people that just hung on. They were people that would cling to him because of his success, fame and money. They never achieved much for themselves, but they would mooch off of Lex and his celebrity. Please understand that I do not claim to be a close friend to Lex. However, he taught me so much that evening. Lex Luger gave me a completely new perspective on what it takes to be special for God. So many want to do great things but only a few are willing to pay the price and endure the pain to achieve greatness. Everyone wants acclaim. Only a very few are willing to produce the sweat, shed the tears or exert the effort required to earn all the things necessary to attain it.

 

Lex taught me that victory is not always won with a clinched fist raised over and above an opponent. Sometimes a great victory is won in a hospital bed. I learned that a strong belief and dependence on God is far superior to any championship belt or ring. Faith in God is eternal and all material things are temporary. A man or woman with an indomitable spirit such as the one that Lex has cannot be conquered.

Before Christ came into Lex’s life, he was a world champion wrestler. Now Lex has a greater title — A Man of God! He now lives his life fervently serving his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has never lost a battle. The Lord Jesus will remain undefeated all through eternity. Lex will forever be a member of the family of God which is comprised by the believers in Jesus Christ.  Lex now is winning souls for Christ. Those victories make an eternal difference with the souls of men and women. Those victories are not temporary. They will last forever!  The glory of any conquests Lex had on a football field or in a wrestling rink lasted only until the next game or next match. The victories that Lex has, are now for Christ, and they are going to last for all eternity. Lex competes now for the souls of men on behalf of Jesus Christ. Those wins will yield eternal consequences and blessings for each soul of those men and women.  Any soul won for Christ is trillions of times more valuable than any title, trophy, belt or money Lex has ever won playing football or competing in the rink!

Lex Luger is and will forever be a member of the only undefeated team in the universe. He is a first teamer on God’s team. Lex Luger is and will always be a Champion for The Lord Jesus Christ!

Selah

Charles J. (Chuck) Busby

GRANDMOTHER’s DOILY

 by Charles Busby

 

The best Christmas present that I have ever seen was presented to my mother by my brother (Glenn) and his wife (Donna).

The gift was a single doily that was handmade by our maternal grandmother (Ida Maude). A doily is an ornamental mat made from cloth strings. They are used on end tables and coffee tables or any flat top surface to decorate the room. This particular doily had been a wedding gift from my grandmother to Glenn and Donna. She was not able to afford to buy them a gift so she gave them the only gift that she could which was something that she had made years earlier.

Donna had the doily placed in a shadow box, wrapped it and gave it to my mother as a present the Christmas of the year that our grandmother passed away. Obviously anything that your mother makes is going to be very special and precious to anyone. Donna and Glenn knew this. The doily was special and treasured by Glenn and Donna. However, they knew that the doily would have a much greater and more significant importance to our mother. That shadow box with the doily inside currently hangs on a prominent wall in my mother’s house. I doubt that any soldier from any special forces unit could convince her to take it down.

Our grandmother was a very poor lady. Life had been very difficult, hard and extremely painful for Ida Maude. She was a divorced woman in her late twenties with six children. Her existence was compounded and made much more difficult because of her own very poor life decisions. Those decisions resulted in her living as a single mom and surviving as a share cropper in Northeast Alabama in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The requirements of her landlords were extremely demanding and physically exhausting. She and all of her children were expected to pick at least 100 lbs. of cotton by noon each day. The cotton boils would always cut their fingers. The summer heat and humidity was scorching. The only shade or relief each day would be an occasional passing cloud. My mother has told me on multiple occasions that during the winters there would not be enough money to even buy salt. Salt is the most inexpensive item that we can buy.  Yet they frequently only had popcorn for supper without salt. Sometimes they would eat boiled pumpkin just to have something to have in their stomachs. To this day my mother cannot stand to smell a pumpkin. Malnutrition caused all of the children to be slight of build and very lean.

My grandmother’s circumstances in life required that she be very resourceful! Every item coming was precious. Everything had to be used with absolutely no waste.  Any empty can such as a coffee can became a storage vessel, empty glass jars became drinking glasses until they were used for canning purposes again the next summer.  Flour sacks had multiple purposes after the flour was used up.  But the greatest example of the resourcefulness of my grandmother was the way she would save the strings used to sew the flour sacks closed.

A flour sack always had a string sewn across the top of the sack. When a flour sack was to be opened for the first time it was necessary to pull the string through the bag. When the string was removed it would yield a 12 to 15 inch long piece of string. Ida Maude would save those strings until she had enough to make a doily.

It would take our grandmother untold hours to craft each doily. She would take each string and weave it into a handmade pattern that she crafted. She would do this with fading eyesight and little light. When the doily was finished it was a piece of art. Those doilies were extremely intricate and ornate with designs so beautiful that is hard to describe.

Our grandmother took worthless strings and turned them into works of art. Grandmother’s doilies were amazingly beautiful.

I am always amazed at how incredibly brilliant all of my grandparents were to live and survive in such dire circumstances. They did not complain or whine.  They would get up each day with little to eat and small expectations for any relief and then do what it took to make a living and survive the realities of their lives.

What is so, so incredible is that someone in those circumstances could see the potential of those tiny and seemingly worthless flour strings. How impressive is it that someone could devise a way to weave those strings into anything as ornate, clever and beautiful as those doilies!

I believe that God gave my grandmother her resourcefulness. He inspired her to make something beautiful out of essentially nothing – those worthless flour sack strings.

Isn’t that what The Lord does with people?  He is able to take a worthless and broken human life and with the Holy Spirit craft and transform them into persons with significant meaning and a great purpose. A life that is used to serve and glorify God is beautiful. God prefers to take nothing (a total void) and create a world out of it. The Lord used only dirt to make Adam.  You are exactly what God wants to work with when you feel worthless and of no value. That is when God redeem their souls thru the blood of Jesus Christ and turns a person into a masterpiece for his glory. I sincerely hope that The Lord views me as a flour sack string. I would be thrilled for God to use me to make one of his doilies.

 

 

The Church Has Left the Building

During this time of uncertainty, the number of questions out there are, how are we going to vote in person or by mail? Are we going to send our children back to school or home school? Can we go to the store and get the necessities of life without losing our life, not from a virus but from rioters? Do I wear a mask for their protection or am I wearing a mask for mine? Why can we go to the liquor store but not the Church. And on and on we go. But in the midst of all this stuff I saw a profound post that said;

 

The Church Has Left the Building

 

And my reply was and still is, it’s about time. I was raised being told how we measure our love for God is in how much time we spend in the local Church. You have to be there Sunday Morning Sunday School, Sunday Morning Worship, Sunday Night Training Union and Sunday Night Worship Service, and then Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. And I’m sorry to say that’s not true. Before you get mad at me read on.

 

We were never commissioned to go to the church and fellowship, but we were told by Christ Himself in Red letters:

 

Mark 16:15-16 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

The Promise Keepers put a post out recently that stated “With Church doors closing across the country, it’s time for us to show that the Church has never been about the building.”

 

There was a song that my home Church sang years ago called:

“We Are Still the Church”

“We are still the church

We will go forward

We will go on

Let’s forget about the things

which are behind us

We are still the church

keep pressing on

 

Now we started out for heaven’s shores

A long, long time ago

Jesus as the Captain of this boat

 

And the rock of ages holds us securely in his love

And though we’ve been through many storms,

praise God we are still afloat

 

We are still the church

We will go forward

We will go on

Let’s forget about the things

which are behind us

We are still the church

keep pressing on

 

Now this ship may bear some battle scars

We’ve been tossed from side to side

Still the waves of sin are raging high

 

But to God we serve His sovereign

He is still the King of kings

And he will hold us steady until we reach the other side.

 

We are still the church

We will go forward

We will go on

Let’s forget about the things

which are behind us

We are still the church

keep pressing on”

 

We were the Church, we are still the Church, and we will always be the Church!

 

It is not or has it ever been about the building, but it is most definitely about the Temple, Paul said it this way to the Assembly of people in Corinth.

 

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

When the letters were written to the different Churches in the Bible they did not go to a particular building or address, but to an assembly of people that were believers in that area. And thus, to the Assembly of Corinth, or Ephesus, or Philippi. Not a building, but to “The Way” of believers in that area.

 

We ARE the CHURCH not the building. Nowhere in the Holy Scripture does it state for us to “Go to Church” but it does say for the “Church” to go to the world. And as a side note the word Church should have been translated according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. As assembly. A group of people of same mind.

 

ek-klay-see’-a from a compound of (ek) and a derivative of (kaleo); a calling out, i.e. {concretely (in a definitive or conclusive way)} a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):

Usage Notes: English Words used in KJV: church 115 assembly 3 [Total Count: 118]

 

But wait does the Bible not say;

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

And we have Tony Evans Bible Commentary saying:

 

“Tragically, some of this letter’s readers had started neglecting to gather together (10:25). They were avoiding the means God had provided to help them. Remember, when your “get-up-and-go” has gotten up and gone, you need someone who can lift you up. Furthermore, there’s someone ready to throw in the towel who needs you to walk alongside him or her. That’s why the writer of Hebrews says: Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works (10:24). It can be hard to be a Christian. We need to be practicing the “one-another’s,” encouraging each other… As [we] see the day approaching (10:25).”

 

It’s not talking about going to a building but getting together and helping one another.

 

Please, PLEASE, don’t get me wrong, We NEED the Church as we have it now, but we have done it the same way we have done most things, and we let our way get in the way of God’s way. Over the years we let traditions get in the way of how the local Church is supposed to be. I know we need teaching and being ministered too regularly. I have to have that extra shot in the arm weekly myself. But nowhere and I mean nowhere does it say we have to go to a certain building, at a certain time, and a certain number of visits weekly, and dress a certain way, singing a certain song a certain way, and to do that proves that we love the Lord. It is not there.

 

In the television show The Big Bang Theory, the character Sheldon Cooper first met his future wife Amy Farrah Fowler, and their conversation went something like this, Amy said “I am only here because I have a deal with my mother to date one time each year”, and Sheldon’s response was “I have an agreement something like that with my mother, but it is to go to Church once a year”. And then Amy’s reply was and that’s what got me think about this the most and that was “I don’t have a problem with a deity, but I do have a problem with one that takes attendance”.

 

I have the same problem, God is with me everywhere I go, and I do not see him taking attendance. Again, don’t get me wrong, we need the local Church but more importantly the Church needs us. It needs us to get together to make sure we are doing what God wants the way God wants it. And we need to learning through God’s ministers how to reach the world, because face it without the local Church I would say a majority of people would not know what the Bible says or more importantly, what the Bible means.

 

We need to get together, so we can be with more people of like mind. And that mind should be the mind if Christ Jesus. So, we can reach more people with our combined resources for the cause of Christ Jesus. I myself am limited with what I can accomplish, but with my local Assembly we can put our money together and our knowledge of the Word of God, and reach more people by Going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every person that I can’t reach on my own.

 

Just a piece of another chapter from my next book:

“Something More to Ponder”

 

Psalm 23 “He anoints my head with oil”

“Sheep can get their head caught in briers and die trying to get untangled. There are horrid little flies that like to torment sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils which turn into worms and drive the sheep to beat their head against a rock, sometimes to death. Their ears and eyes are also susceptible to tormenting insects. So the shepherd anoints their whole head with oil. Then there is peace. That oil forms a barrier of protection against the evil that tries to destroy the sheep. Do you have times of mental torment? Do the worrisome thoughts invade your mind over and over? Do you beat your head against a wall trying to stop them? Have you ever asked God to anoint your head with oil? He has an endless supply! His oil protects and makes it possible for you to fix your heart, mind, and eyes on Him today and always! There is peace in the valley! May our good Father anoint your head with oil today so that your cup overflows with blessings! God is good and He is faithful!!”

 

Years ago, while visiting my Grandmother in Cobb Hospital, and watching her mentally and physically slowly leave us through Alzheimer’s over the years. One particular time as she was there and news got out, we saw different family members gathered to visit her and comfort her through this one of many stays.

As I arrived, I saw that my Mother was already there with a number of cousins and other family members. My Grandmother was having a pretty good day, so as I entered the room, she looked at me and asked who I was? I replied DeWayne, and I could see the look of confusion on her face, so I added what most of my close and immediate family referred to me as and that was Dinky.  She then smiled and said you are one of Littlelynn’s boys, right? (Littlelynn (Little-one) is what she called my mother, and that is another story for another day).  I told her she was right and just sat and listened as different people came and went that day.

As I observed the counteraction with different people, I saw that she was enjoying the attention and then someone asked her how she was doing? The answer was “I am doing great; I don’t understand why I am in here I want to go home”. I asked her if she wanted to go fishing with me, and her reply was “Let’s go!” after a few moments of hearing how good she was doing my cousin Ricky came in and joined in on telling her we were going to get her up and take her with us to the lake. She was all for it, and she was as sprite and active as could be.

Then just like that, things changed, the Doctor walked in and said, “How are you doing today Mrs. Jarrell’s?” and then her response was, in a weak in sad voice, “I’m not doing good at all, I feel terrible.” As she laid back and closed her eyes as if she had no strength to even speak. And then me trying to encourage her and play with her I said, “awe that’s not what you were saying a moment ago, you said you didn’t see any reason in why you are here and you felt good enough to go fishing with me and Rick.” In which that didn’t go over to well with her, she sat up in that bed and said in an angry voice, “You ain’t purdy (pretty) you ain’t purdy at all, if I could get out of this bed I would…,” and at that time my Mother said get out and get out now! Rick was laughing, and she didn’t seem to care for that either, so he said hold up Cuz I’m going with you.

So, down we went to the break room.

After standing a pulpit in a number of churches over a few years, you get where you can detect conviction on people’s faces. I remember when I was in church as a child. Usually bored to tears and ready to go home or anywhere except sitting in that church. That the preacher would finely wind down and the song leader would come up and start the invitation. Sometimes I wanted out because I had other thing I rather be doing, and other time was because I was under so much conviction that I wanted out, and I wanted NOW!

When a preacher says let’s sing just one more verse there is a reason and usually an excellent reason, and that is that they see something that you don’t. What we see is someone standing there holding the seat in front of them so tight, until their knuckles are white. They are hoping to get out of that church, and to get out NOW. The Holy Spirit has come down and the spirit of conviction is on their face. We as preachers see this, and we want to give them every chance we can for them to move. This could be the last time for them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. So, just one more verse. When you hear that, I ask you to please start praying for the ones hearing that invitation.

Back to the elevator ride down to the break room. I am extremely claustrophobic, and so when I get on an elevator and the doors close, I usually start talking, to get my mind off the fact that I am in a little room and the doors just closed and everyone is breathing up all my oxygen. The thing that I normally start talking about is the Bible and what Jesus means to me. That day was no different. It works as a fantastic evangelistic tool because the ones in there with you have nowhere to go, so you have only a few seconds to present the gospel.

This was one of those occasions, except the conviction I saw this day in that elevator was on my cousin’s face. Ricky is more like a brother to me than a cousin. Years ago, when his mother was pregnant with Ricks little brother Steve, and he was born, they brought him home and showed him to Ricky, and said here is your little brother. Rick told him he didn’t want him; he wanted a brother like Dinky. We are close.

Now we have made it to the break room and Rick started asking questions about being “Saved”. So, I told him all he had to do is ask the Lord to come into his heart in the form of The Holy Spirit, Accept the forgiveness of his sins and Believe that God has giving him the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, who paid the price for the forgiveness of those sins. He said that he wasn’t sure about all this stuff. He like me was raised in church, he has seen how some people are on fire one week and gone the next, and he said he didn’t want to be like that. I said I didn’t want him to be like that either. I wanted him to be like Jesus, not people. He then asked how do you do that? How do you accept salvation?

We were standing in front of a Coke machine and I had just dropped two quarters in and asked what he wanted. He said a Coke, I pressed the Coke button and down it came. And the Spirit of God did also. At that moment God gave me an example to share with Rick. I reached and got the Coke and said this is Salvation, this is a gift from me to you, I paid the price and it cost you nothing all you have to do is reach out and take it. I held it out to him, and he reached out and took the Coke from my hand. Then he said is that all there is to Salvation? I just have to take it?

He like most would think that I would have said yes and all would be well. But I didn’t, instead I reached and snatched the can back from him and said, nope see I took it back, this is where God showed up, and I said a lot of people think just saying words gets them Saved, but there is more to it than that. I then popped the top of the drink and handed it back to him and said now drink that. He took a few swallows and I said “that is Salvation”, you have to make Christ a part of you, you have to invite Him in to your life.

When he was just holding the can of Coke, anyone could do as I did and take it away from him, but now that he drank the Coke it is now and forever a part of him and there is nothing I or anyone else could do to get that out of him. That is Salvation, Making Jesus Christ a part of you by Believing on the price that was paid by the Father, through the Son, by indwelling you with the Holy Spirit. That is “SALVATION”.

We need to do as Christ said for us to do, after feeding the thousands with a kid’s sack lunch of 2 pieces of fish and five little biscuits. And then miraculously walked on water, and then tells the ones that followed after another meal that they have to take Him in them through the eating of His flesh and drinking His blood. Take His character, take His Love, take what he is holding out and giving to you freely, all you have to do is accept it. It is not about asking for forgiveness it’s about accepting the fact that you are already forgiven.

Feeding the Five Thousand

John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”  6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”  13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” NKJV

Then we see Jesus Walks on the Sea and then He speaks about being The Bread from Heaven

John 6:22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone —  23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks —  24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

But we saw in this story that Jesus is foretelling of the last supper and then we can see that in Matthew:

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. NKJV

It is reemphasized in First Corinthians:

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians  11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,  “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  NKJV

I believe that many of people that are sitting in the “Church” building today have taken the can and never popped the top. We the preachers and teachers sometimes do a poor job of letting them know that just saying words are not the same as having a draw of the Holy Spirit of God.

We sometimes just say to repeat after me, and they say words and there is no repentance and confession of being a sinner. We have a gift of salvation given to us but we have to accept the gift of forgiveness. We don’t have to ask for it, it is already ours all we have to do Believe!!! The Bible is clear that all sins were and are and are going to be forgiven. It is not about forgiveness, again it’s about accepting that forgiveness, or popping the top and drinking it in.

We have to take the Bread and eat, “His Body”. Taking the “Bread of Life” and let it nourish us;

John 6:35-59 (NKJV) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…
⁴⁰  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”…
⁴⁷  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
⁴⁸ I am the bread of life.
⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
⁵⁰ This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
⁵² The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven–not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
⁵⁹ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

We also see that Jesus said we have to take the Cup and drink, “His Blood”. Take the “Cup” The Living Water and quench the thirst that is everlasting. As we see when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He said;

John 4:10 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”…John 4:14 (NKJV) “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

 

Accept that “Forgiveness” Like when I offered Ricky the Can of Coke is like saying the words, but when you pop the top and take it in you no one, and I mean no one can take it away from you then. That is accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. And then you will see that there is nowhere else to go as Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And if not then we see as the students of Jesus did;

 

Many Disciples Turn Away

John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?  62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”  71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.   NKJV

I always find it amazing that our Lord lets those leave, he offered the can and all they had to do is pop the top, but they chose to leave, they chose to walk away, and He let them walk away and then He even asked His own disciples. It was so freeing as a minister to see 1 out of the 12 that walked with Jesus knowing that he saw the same thing as the others but that one chose not to pop the top. It took me years to understand that you will not reach them all. The bottom line is the hearer’s choice to accept or walk away. And Jesus let him do just that, walk away, and even betray him.

Never does the scripture after the Death Burial and Resurrection, say that we have to ask for forgiveness, it says that we need to accept His forgiveness.

Confession, admitting that we are sinners and need to accept the forgiveness.

1 John 1:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

And then we need repentance, to turn from the way that we were living and follow Christ and Him crucified for the remission of our wrong doings, “sin”.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  NKJV

Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. NKJV

Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. NKJV

 

2 Cor 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. NKJV

God is giving everyone more time to come to repentance;

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

Rick did latter accepted Christ and even went on to be a minister of the same Gospel I tried to share with him that day. Because he not only took the can He popped the top.

 

The gift has been given. The can is in your hand.

All you have to do is;

Pop the Top.

PRAYER

Three Prayers that we pray, I believe every prayer falls into one of these categories.

1. Prayer of acceptance; (Salvation) Repent 180 degrees, Confession (acknowledge you have sinned) = verb feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.

2. Prayer of petition; Asking for something.

3. Prayer of Praise. 2 parts;

          Adoration (Thanking Him for who He is)

          Thanksgiving (Thanking Him for what He has done)

Answered before we asked;

A missionary family in Africa years ago had 2 small children.

The second being born after they arrived on the mission field. The youngest was sickly and needed much care. It had to be wrapped in blankets most of the time to ensure that it stayed warm enough. The mother was heard to say, over and over, “I wish we had a hot water bottle.” Her thinking was that with a hot water bottle, she could place it next to the child and provide it some heat. After a few weeks, a package arrived from England. In that package were several items that were sent to the family anonymously to help them in their new location. Among the items, there was a hot water bottle. The mother thanked God, but couldn’t recall having prayed for it. As the last of the items were taken out of the box, the oldest child came to her mother and said, “Where’s my new baby doll?” Her mother responded, “There isn’t a doll in here.” The little girl asked them to look again, and when they did, under all the packing material was a little, new baby doll. The mother asked the girl how she knew there was a doll in there. She said, “Well, when i asked God to send a hot water bottle for the baby, I asked Him to send me a dolly.” This story becomes even more remarkable when we stop to consider that this package had to travel to Africa first by ship, then by pack animals until it reached the family. It began its journey some 6 months before the baby had been born and before the little girl had ever begun to pray for those things!

What a God we serve!