Sometimes Salvation

For our sake He made to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

I still consider myself a ‘work in progress’ as it pertains to my walk of faith. The enemy will stop at nothing to undermine our joy by constantly reminding us that we don’t measure up to God’s standard.  As believers in the body of faith,  we must boldly declare that we are indeed new creations in Christ and continue to press on in our Spiritual journey...

I have been in a rut lately, Spiritually speaking, and during our recent sermon series, Guardrails, I heard Stephen DeFur deliver a message at Cokesbury, that reminded me there is nothing that we can possibly do to make God love us any more or any less than He already does...   

We simply cannot be defined by our past.  To add to that thought, we also need to understand that we cannot earn God’s grace or His love; He already loves us now and always will.

God understands that our growing and learning is a process and He wants us to enjoy ourselves on the way to reaching our goals as believers! 

Sweet Pain

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  1 Peter 4:12-13

Painful trails are a part of life, in fact, Jesus assures us that we will go through them at some point.  While we all must go through some pain, but God promises us that He loves us and will use those painful times to help us grow in our faith.

Trails are also like exercise-the more we go through them, the stronger we become.  How else can we learn to endure, grow our faith, and learn patience?  The pain we feel now is only temporary but it also provides us with an opportunity to depend on God and show our joy as we share in the sufferings like Christ.

Bad times come and go, but the development of our godly character is continuous and will last until we go to our eternal dwelling in heaven.

Rescue Me

Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.  Psalm 50:15

It’s been several years since my grandfather, "Pop", went to his eternal resting place, but I remember my grandfather dying of cancer like it happened yesterday...   

L. Foy Fisher, Jr., was a wonderful man, husband, father, and grandfather who lived a life above and beyond reproach.  He was someone I looked up to and during his funeral service, I tried my best to hold back the tears knowing that I had some ‘big’ shoes to fill in order to carry on his legacy.

There were many people at his service that he had worked with over the course of his career as a cotton purchaser for J.P. Stevens, which was one of the largest textile manufacturers in the world at the time.  Knowing that he was a man of faith, I have always wondered just how many people’s lives he impacted.  He certainly has impacted my walk of faith.  I seriously doubt that he and my grandmother missed a single Sunday of worship at St. Matthew’s Methodist Church in all of the years he was living.  It wasn't just attending worship; he frequently shuttled my grandmother to and from the church to serve when and wherever they could.  They would often prepare meals and deliver them to shut-ins, the elderly, and the poor.  Knowing that God places such value on the soul, I would not be surprised to know that my grandfather led many people to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

When we face difficult times, trouble, or problems, we must not forget that God will use it for His glory.  Rather than shrug off your problems, open your mind to God’s work.  Our pain, suffering, and heartaches just may have a divine purpose-to glorify God!

Everyday

Go your way...and be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It's taken me most of my adulthood to finally enjoy "my life" rather than coveting someone else's. I have especially been thinking about this lately as some of our best friends/neighbors recently moved to Florida earlier this week.  It sounds a bit corny, but I was looking at all of the photos of my family and friends that came scrolling by on Apple TV the other night and couldn't help but feel blessed and overwhelmed.  There are lots of smiles, great times, and lots of love captured by each photograph.  

God wants each of us to enjoy the life He has given us here on this earth. Enjoying life does not mean that something exciting is happening at all times, it just means you enjoy the simple, everyday things. Too many people wish their days away until their next vacation or adventure and then as a result, miss out on the many blessings that God has in store for them in the process.

Let's face it, most of life is rather ordinary, but each of us is equipped supernaturally to enjoy life in an extraordinary way.  We should enjoy our lives to the fullest and be a witness to the power and joy from God that is available to everybody.

Just The Way You Are

Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.  Galatians 5:26

 

Paul’s words from the above passage in Galatians have been difficult for me to abide by personally.  It’s just too easy to look at what someone else has (doesn't have) or something that you have (don’t have) and boastfully compare.  Paul’s challenge to the Galatians was for them to grow in the Lord until they have the joy of doing something commendable without resorting to boastful comparisons with other people and the same should hold true for us as well.

Once we find our identities in Christ, we are set free from the comparisons and competition with others.  With this wisdom, we are to do our best to bring glory and honor to God rather than ourselves and the norm of just trying to be better than someone else.

Our loving Father has created each one of us uniquely and individually and what a wonderful freedom we have knowing that we can simply be who God created us to be!  He loves each one of us just the way we are and He never makes mistakes.

The Dead Heart

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. -Jesus Matthew 15:8-9

It’s almost too easy to attend worship service for a short time on Sunday and then forget what you have learned the second you pull out of the church parking lot.  Sometimes, things that begin with good intentions can become mindless routines and the same holds true with our spiritual growth and development if we are not deliberate with our walk of faith.

We regularly attend worship and serve at our church when we can, but there have been weeks and even months that have passed by that I failed to grow closer in my relationship with God.  A pure heart results in wanting only what God wants, which are things that produce eternal benefit.  Simply stated, God wants us to follow Jesus, grow spiritually, be transformed, and blessed in all ways.

Those with a pure heart desire what God desires more than what they personally want.  Seek Him daily, grow closer to Him, and fall deeper in love with Him!!

To Love Somebody

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4,7

Plainly and simply put-we all want to be loved.  There are people who may claim otherwise, but we are all created with the same basic need and desire to be loved.  After dealing with a recent family emergency and witnessing first hand the love of a couple that has been married for over 42 years, I think that I am still learning what 'true love' genuinely is...

When you love someone, you must be willing to open up and share your feelings, fears, ideas, and experiences with that other person.  When you love someone, you must be willing to talk to that person.  When you love someone, you must be willing to work on solving problems in the relationship together with that other person.

One of the most commonly read Bible verses at any wedding comes from the book of Corinthians and describes genuine love as love that is marked by generosity, willingness to change, grow and mature, and the willingness to share the good and bad over a lifetime with another person.

Take It Easy

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened and I will cause you to rest.  I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Matthew 11:28

In addition to having snack-time and playground time, I am envious that our children get to enjoy both as well as an afternoon nap at school.  I have always wondered how much more productive adults would be if they were allowed to pull out the red and blue mats and take an hour-long power nap after enjoying a quick snack...

True rest, physical and mental, is highly underrated.  God actually wants us to stop, rest, and take a mental break for our souls as well.  It’s hard to find true peace when your mind is constantly at work, trying to figure out what you should do about everything in your life.

The next time you are worn out from a tiring and exhausting day, take some time to experience rest and peace by going to Christ and allowing Him to refresh your soul.  We all have this wonderful privilege, so take advantage of resting in Jesus’ loving arms.

'40'

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  Psalm 40: 1-2

As much as I would like to believe I am a patient person, I am not.  Coming from Atlanta, where my daily 15-mile commute to work took me at least an hour and a half to drive, one way, you had no choice but to be patient.  We currently live in Knoxville, where you can make it from one end of town to the other in about 20 minutes, but some days, I grow very impatient and frustrated with some of the drivers here in East TN.

We all struggle with impatience at times and many of us have been doing it since birth.  For instance, both our sons are all smiles until they both want something and then they will proceed to nag and whine until they try to get their way.  We all want things instantly.

As adults, we still struggle with being patient, especially when it comes to God answering our prayers and petitions.  Dr. Charles Stanley says that it is ‘dangerous’ to grow impatient with God as “we might miss the Lord’s perfect plan and His blessings.”   

I believe Dr. Stanley is right on.  We must learn to accept what God gives us and sometimes what He does not give us so that we can live with peace and without stress.  While waiting, we should continue to converse with God through prayer, obey His commands and seek Him for direction.  Only when we trust Him and patiently wait for His good and perfect timing will we be at peace.

Get Closer

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.  Psalm 33:11

Getting closer to another person is essential for any relationship, friendship, or marriage to grow and flourish.  The same holds true for our loving Father who has a desire to grow closer to each of us in an intimate relationship.

The course of our lifetime is spent growing closer to Him, following His will as God meets our needs.  All of this is part of His plan to fashion each one of us into the beings that will spend eternity with Him at the end of our lives on this earth.

God sometimes postpones or delays meeting some of our needs in order to bring us to a place of dependence on Him, so that we realize that we need Him, which, in the end, draws us closer to Him.

Walk every day in fellowship with the Lord and draw closer to Him as He will do the same and draw closer to you.

Soul Kitchen

Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water!  You who have no money, come!  Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost!  Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?  Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy?  Isaiah 55:1-2

We have all been there before…you look in the refrigerator or pantry for something to eat and don’t see exactly what you are craving and then declare to your spouse that “there is nothing to eat in this house.”  Even if we found exactly what we were craving in the kitchen, the satisfaction is only short-lived and such is life; we move on to the next thing that we want or think we need.

We are all created the same in one aspect; to be in a relationship with God.  This yearning and basic human need is often times misunderstood and we continually try to find satisfaction in things of this world such as: substances, money, power, relationships, possessions, or even careers.  The truth is, NONE of these things can substitute our need for Jesus in our lives.

I can say from experience that I have tried to fill that void in my life with just about everything this world has to offer and it’s never enough; in fact, the only way to find contentment in this life is to seek to have a relationship with the One who can satisfy you like nothing or no one else can.

Don't Give Up

Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.  1 Peter 4:1

There have been times in my life that I have tried to finish certain tasks or objectives and just simply given up.  Others, I have remained faithful and disciplined and have been successful.  When we set goals, or more importantly, when God has called us to a task, we should never give up.  When we give up, we miss out on the blessings of reaching our goal and we also are telling God that we don’t trust Him to help us get there.

Just because God asks you to do something, it is not a guarantee that it will be easy.  In fact, I can hardly recall anything that God has asked me to do that ever was easy.  This principle can be applied across our lives-from our marriages, to parenthood, to friendships and relationships, from work to even small projects; we are assured that the journey may be difficult, but in the end, we will face no worries or problems in heaven.

Jesus guarantees difficulties in this world, but He also promises none in the next!

My Favorite Mistake

He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Proverbs 2:8

If I had a dollar for every instance that I asked our sons to make “wiser decisions,”  I’d be a rich man.  Then again,  if my parents had a dollar for every time they asked me to make a “wise decision,” they would be millionaires.  Most of us make mistakes because we simply do not know the correct choice or decision to make.

No one sets out to make mistakes, we just make them when we are careless regarding the needs or desires of others and when we don’t take into consideration all of the factors we need to consider.

The only way to make sure we stay on the right path is by seeking God’s wisdom.  He will always lead us to make the right decisions- wise decisions, that are not just good for ourselves, but all others involved.   Praise be to His holy name!!  

If I Could I Would

As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.  2 Chronicles 26:5

Discouragement will rob us of our contentment, peace, and joy if we allow it to.  It’s easy to feel discouraged when you are facing the impossible, but the good news is that none of us that have a relationship with Jesus Christ have to sulk in our self-pity.  We have a choice to make and that’s whether or not we choose to seek and believe God, step out in faith, and leave our worries behind us.

Our loving Father enjoys taking what may seem like an impossible situation for us and turning it into the possible-no matter what it is.  Do you sink into the pit of despair when things don’t go as you would like them to or do you live in expectation of what the good Lord will do?

The Heart of the Matter

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32

Our youngest son, Elijah, has been learning some valuable life lessons recently on forgiveness.  In the best way that I could possibly explain to a five year-old, I told him that we all make mistakes or bad choices that hurt other people’s feelings at times.

Forgiveness as I understand it, means letting go and letting God.  Sometimes, we may not receive the apology we seek from someone who has hurt us.  In those instances, we must turn that person or conflict over to God and let Him deal with it.  When we turn it over to God, we must trust Him to handle things His way and NOT our own.

It makes no difference if someone asks for forgiveness or not, we must learn to extend forgiveness at all times.  Too often, I have held onto my hurt feelings for long periods of time, waiting on someone to ask for forgiveness.

The sooner that we forgive, the sooner that God begins His good work and the healing process in us.

The Arms of My Savior

God is not the author of confusion but of peace.  1 Corinthians 14:33

Our family went for an afternoon swim recently at our neighbor's pool.  Elijah, our youngest son, is almost six years old now, but still requires adult supervision as he has finally learned to swim on his own.  One of our good friends jumped in and scared Elijah as his expression quickly changed from a smile into a look of fear because he was scared and it caused him to slip off the float he was on. He was fine once I swam over to him and held him for a few seconds while he caught his breath.

You see, when one of us holds Elijah, he knows his parents and has absolute and complete trust in us.  As a growing child, he has a sense of security in his parent’s arms and is at peace.  

Just like a child trusts his/her parents, trusting God is also at the heart of our peace.

If we have an opinion about God that breaks down our trust of Him, we may feel anxious or become confused.  When we trust God with every fabric of our being; knowing that He is good all of the time, we can be at peace with our loving Father.

Forever Man

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  2 Corinthians 5:17

I truly enjoy looking at old family pictures…Alicia and I look different now than when we first met and to see how much both of our boys have grown up and developed is truly remarkable.  Needless to say, change is one of the true constants of life.

The Bible teaches us two very important truths about change: The first being, despite living in an ever-changing world, God NEVER changes and is ALWAYS dependable.  The second is that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we experience a change of heart (repentance) that produces a change in our outward lifestyle.

Sure, there are times that I look back on my life and miss certain things and activities from my past that I know are wrong, but  my heart has been changed and I remain faithful and obedient to God, not because I have to, but because I choose to, out of love.

My life has changed because of my love for Jesus and  I am a blessed man; I have a beautiful wife and children, a wonderful family, awesome friends, a promising career, good health, and my life will remain forever changed because of my relationship with Him.

Changes

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.  Philippians 2:13

I recently recalled a powerful sermon that the late and great, Dr. Steve Sallee preached a few summers ago at Cokesbury HVA  entitled “Underdogs.”  One of the many points that has stuck with me all of these years later is that we must all come to a place of total submission where we give up our control and yield completely to Jesus Christ.  Far too often, we rely on our own strength instead of tapping into the supernatural powers available to all believers in faith.

God never will force Himself on any of us and we have all been blessed with our own free will. When you invite Jesus into your life, you are also giving Him permission to use His almighty power to change you.  We can attempt to change ourselves all that we want, but we will never see real results unless we turn it over to the One who has the power to make things happen.

If you open your hearts and allow God to make changes in you, you will see a transformation that will last a lifetime.  Your life will see dramatic changes if you allow God to do His work in you! Don’t rely in yourself, but rely on God and His never-ending supply of strength and power!

Happy

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered.  Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.  Psalm 32:1-2

I recently heard a fantastic presentation at work about stress management.  One of the keys to living a "less-stressed" life was to be grateful more often... 

God created us to live an abundant life-so much so that His Son died on the cross to save each one of us.  Just knowing that our sins are forgiven should be enough to satisfy us and make us all happy, but sadly, many of us are not. 

If you are like me, much of your time may be devoted to doing good and noble things such as serving God, but we can also burden ourselves and miss the simple blessings that He has in store for us.  We need to slow down and take the time to just be grateful for the mercy and forgiveness we have all been freely given. 

I think that God is less concerned with how much we 'do' as long as He knows that we love Him first and foremost in our lives.  Just knowing that He extended His loving grace to each of us by paying the ultimate price should be enough to make us all happy.  He loves us, so let's enjoy it more!!

Help Me

Fear not...for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties...I am the Lord, Who says to you, fear not; I will help you! Isaiah 41:10,13

With so much uncertainty in my line of work, just trying to provide for my family, and the seemingly never-ending amount of bills, I sometimes find that it's too easy to look at my circumstances and become afraid. The above passage from Isaiah instructs us NOT to look our problems, but unfortunately, many people, just like me, do the exact opposite.

The more we pour over our problems, the more fear grows inside of us, and the more fearful we become.  God tells us to fear not, for He is with us.  So, rather than focusing on our problems, maybe we should focus on God, who can handle any problem we will ever face.  

Regardless of our circumstances, big or small, He promises each and every one of us that He will strengthen us and harden us to our difficulties. Praise be to His holy name!

Stormy Monday

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.  Psalm 37:5

When I read the story about the disciples who were on the boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, who panicked and were fearful of the storm that engulfed them, I am reminded of the seasons in life where God wants me to trust Him and patiently wait on His blessings.  

We are all familiar with how Jesus walked across the water to the disciples and calmed the storm with a simple command.  His words made the violent waves and wind to be tranquil again.

What an analogy for us to recall during life’s greatest storms.  The disciples on the boat learned to trust in Him during the most terrifying of situations and even in the worst possible situation that you and I may face, He is waiting for us to reach out and take His outstretched arm.

The Beautiful Letdown

What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.  Luke 6:22

Children can be hurtful to one another, especially when it comes to excluding someone from a group.  I recall being mean to one of my classmates in 3rd grade on the playground during recess one afternoon, back in 1983.  For some reason, my group of friends wouldn't allow him to join in our game of kickball.  He did have a rather large head and I distinctly remember changing the words of the Madness single "Our House" to poke fun and say, "_____'s head, in the middle of the street..."

Just knowing how bad he must have felt still makes me feel guilty to this very day and I am always reminded of that playground instance when I feel like I am being excluded from a group or being ridiculed for my faith.

Jesus clearly states that it is actually a blessing when you are made to feel like you are an outsider that doesn't belong on this earth.  WHAT?!? It sure doesn't feel like it.

The truth is, as a Christian, we are outsiders and we don't belong on this earth.  We must endure hardships and trials among the many blessings during our lifetimes, but God promises that we will all one day reach the place that we truly belong.

We can all look forward to receiving God's blessing for the ridicule we endure for our faith today.

Turn On Your Lovelight

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.  Proverbs 23:7

Before making a cold call to a prospective customer, sales experts say to ‘smile’ while on the phone or the person on the other end of the line will detect that you are less than enthused about making the call and your sales results will be dismal.  Just like smiling on a cold call, our thoughts can affect other people around us in a profound way.

There have been times in my life where my people in my circle of family and friends have made me angry or upset and rather than discussing the issues openly, I allowed them to well up on the inside, which ultimately impacted my thinking and the way I acted around them.

You see, if we think loving thoughts about others, we become loving individuals, but if we are thinking negative thoughts, it is near impossible for us to act in a loving manner towards others.

We are all called to be a blessing to other people and love them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  If we can learn to control our inner thoughts and love more with our thoughts, we will be more loving as individuals, and love is what this world needs now more than ever!

Listen Up!

Come and listen to my counsel.  I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.  Proverbs 1:23

Just like I grow frustrated when my sons don’t mind or listen to me, I am sure God feels the same way about me when I fail to seek His infinite wisdom and listen to what He is trying to tell me.  God promises us that we will become wise if we listen to Him.

Here are three simple ways to listen to God better:

1.) Read the Bible.  God’s Word is not just a collection of stories, it’s is the living and breathing Word of God and it should become the instruction manual for our lives.

2.) Pray.  Our prayer life should not just be filled with a laundry list of our requests and petitions; they should include being still and quiet and listening for God to talk to us.

3.) Seek godly advice.  A wise man learns from others and the same principle holds true in listening to what other people who have gone before us are willing to share about their lives, mistakes, and heartaches.  

Desire

There is none upon earth that I desire besides You.  Psalm 73:25

Regardless of whether you are married, divorced, dating, broken up, in a relationship or not, we all have the need to be loved.  We can really find ourselves in trouble when our needs for intimate love go unmet and we begin to feel isolated, estranged and unfulfilled. Often times, these unmet feelings for love are confused with sexual desire, but they are much deeper than just a physical want or desire.  We are all created with the need to have a love that is unconditional, peaceful, and consistent and only God can provide this never-ending love.

I know what it is like to be trapped in a relationship where you feel like your significant other doesn't know the “real you” or doesn't love you unconditionally for who you "really" are.  It’s a hopeless and lonely place to be, but the good news is that we ARE all loved by the One who knows us inside and out.   In fact, He knows the “real you” and will never stop loving you.

Just like the Spiritual vacuum that we have in our souls that can only be filled by Jesus, the same holds true for love and only God can provide us with the love that we need!

Roll With It

We are assured and know that all things work together and are for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.  Romans 8:28

Our youngest son, Elijah, said something to me the other day that got me to thinking...very innocently, he said, “Daddy, granddaddy is so old that he knows everything.”  With a smile on my face, I kindly corrected him and said something to the effect of: “as wise as his granddaddy is, we all will continue to learn the rest of our lives on this earth, even him too.” 

I still learn something new each and every day in my walk of faith, and agree with the apostle Paul in stating that all things are certainly not ‘good’ but somehow all work together for good.  God is continually working on me giving up the control over my life so that I understand that His ways are far better.

When things don’t go as we planned, we can let things fall apart, or we can roll with it.  It’s hard to relax and let the chips fall where they may, but I am a firm believer that all things work for God’s greater good and we will never fully understand or grasp why certain things happen the way they do.

Trust that God’s design is better than your own and let Him work out the details of your life-He always knows what is best for each of us!

Judgment Day

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.  Matthew 7:1-2

With the latest news headlines and outpouring of public opinion on social media, I wanted to write today about the dangers of judgment.  We must be careful when we judge others, because we simply may not know or understand all of the facts or circumstances.  I have had my fair share of people make unfair evaluations about me and I know that I have wrongly done the same to others throughout the years. 

Before we jump to conclusions about others, it helps to recall the hurt we have experienced in the past when we were wrongly judged.  It helps us to avoid looking at people through a negative filter that gives us a distorted point of view.

It’s when we see others as Jesus sees them-as God’s children-that we begin to offer love, grace, and mercy rather than judgment. Just because we don't agree with someone doesn't mean that we cannot get along with them...