Me

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

(written 12-03-04 Hendersonville, TN 3:54PM)

Who keeps my heart beating?
My lungs full of breath?
My mind full of imagination?
Who holds the key of death?

In reality, I have no control
Over this life that I live
At any moment it could stop
If God decided not to give

The next breath that I breathe
Is a blessing in disguise
When I grab it, it’s gone
Before my very eyes

I would like to hoard enough
To control my number of days
But my hands are too small
So I lift them in praise!

To the Giver of Life
In Him all things move and be
What a precious gift I have!
Me

Touching lives

Matthew 8:1-4 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Can you think of someone who has touched your life throughout the years? What was it about them that made them so great? Was it the time they spent with you, encouragement, or something they may have done that meant so much? We all have been on the outside looking in at some point in our lives and needed someone to reach out with a welcoming and loving hand.

In the scriptures above, we find a man who was a leper. A leper in the days of Jesus had a serious disease that would eventually lead to death. There was no cure. It involved sores on the skin that would spread all over the body. As a result, the leper would be an outcast to society. They were defiled and had to stay away from everyone else. They lived a life of isolation. What a great picture of sin in our day. It is infectious and spreads to everyone around leading to defilement and isolation. In the end, the loneliness, guilt and brokenness can drive a person to their knees looking for hope and comfort. Have you ever been at this point in your life? I know I have!

The focus of these verses is the healing power of Jesus Christ. This man probably had not been touched in years. His body was probably sensitive, dirty and aching. However, Jesus not only listened to the broken hearted man but also touched him where it hurt the most. What a picture of grace we see in Christ! He has the power to touch sin-defiled souls and say be clean. Nothing can compare to His touch and His Words. Did you notice how fast he was cleansed? Immediately…

We must never underestimate the power of Christ to impact those who are separated from God and dead in their sins. The apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). He also told the Colossians, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person”(4:5-6).

We, the Church, are the body of Christ. He desires that we touch the untouchables with His truth and love. As I teach and preach each week, I can’t help but wonder how good of a job we are doing at stepping outside of our comfort zones, lending a helping hand, and sharing Christ’s compassion. It is easy to be like the Pharisees and look away in disgust over the spiritual leprosy that infects our society. We are commanded to live at high moral standards and be separated from sin, but on almost every page of scripture, I find Jesus full of grace and truth in the middle of publicans and sinners.

Today while visiting the prison, I began looking around at the ages of some of the young men. They could not have been much older than twenty. I wondered where their parents, friends, teachers, coaches and pastors may have been. I know these are the people who touched me the most and directed me in life. Although some will choose to remain a spiritual leper, let’s be careful to listen, open enough to care and willing to share the truth of God’s Word each day! Only eternity will tell how many lives Christ has touched through you!

Side Roads

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Have you ever been frustrated with the path you are on in life and seemed like you were going no where? The other day while travelling from Bowling Green, Kentucky to White House, TN, my wife and I were slowed down to bumper to bumper traffic for what seemed to be miles of waiting. The interstate had been shut down and all of the traffic was redirected to a nearby highway. Immediately, we began thinking of all of the alternate routes that we could take to try to bypass the situation. Our impatience and determination to get ahead of everyone took over because we were ready to be home. It was late at night, and we really wanted to rest and relax at home. Instead of waiting with everyone else on the detour to another exit on the interstate, we decided to keep moving faster down the road. Our friends were behind us and sat through the traffic.

After some consideration on our own, we headed down the highway where there was no traffic. The only problem was that we drove about 20-25 miles out of the way. While finding ourselves in the midst of nothing but roads and farmland, I decided to call our friends who had sat through the traffic. They had made it back to the interstate and were 10 miles down the road. We would have been in front of them if we had waited in line with everyone else. With wasted gas and wasted time, we were left frustrated, tired and ready for bed.

Does this sound like your spiritual life? Are you always trying to get ahead of God instead of waiting for Him to deliver you in the right time? It is so easy for us to lose the discipline of waiting on God and try to make things happen in our own power. This sounds a lot like the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years, because they didn’t have the faith to believe that God’s way was the best way. God used the wilderness to teach them to move when He told them to move and stay put when He told them to stay put. One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is moving forward without the blessing of God. While in the desert, the Lord led the children of Israel with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. Today, the Holy Spirit indwells and directs the believer with the Word of God into the purposes that God has planned for your life. Grow where you are planted until the Lord asks you to go somewhere else.

There are many successful people that live religious and moral lives by the world’s standards, yet are driving down side roads that lead nowhere in comparison to eternity. The attraction of fortune and fame or a better way of life can be devastating on the eternal impact we can make for the cause of Christ. God often uses circumstances to slow us down and enable us to hear the His voice. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” It is easy for us to stray away sometimes and allow our ears to get dull of hearing God’s Word. If you find yourself in a quiet place in your heart crowded with people, listen because God wants to speak to you and prepare you for the road ahead. If you fail to listen now, your frustrations may lead you astray until you realize that time and energy has been wasted and God’s way is the best.

Prayer is the key to staying in the center of God’s will. My wife and I were tired and ready to be home. We allowed our impatience and frustration of sitting in traffic to overwhelm us and take over. We didn’t want to slow down and therefore wasted time. The world tells us, “Faster, faster, we need another master.” Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Let the Spirit of God navigate your life and you will always be where you need to be no matter what time it is day or night!

Access

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Have you ever thought about the great freedom that you have to access things all around? Growing up, I wanted access to the cabinets at home that were securely guarded by my mother. I couldn’t eat sweets all day and especially before supper. Occasionally, she would grant me the privilege of getting a snack before supper. I can remember having my own key to my parent’s house and being amazed that they would entrust me with it. Later, I was given keys to a car at sixteen years old. Can you remember the power and freedom that you enjoyed? About a year ago, I was able to get a key that would give access to me and my wife’s first house. There is definitely power in having access!

My mom is no longer guarding the cabinets, and I can lick the bowl of yellow cake batter without her watching over me. It seems that I have also lost the awe of entering my parent’s home, driving my car and entering our home anytime. Accessing these things is part of everyday life. They become mundane. The privilege of being able to get into the cabinets at will and having a key to my parent’s home, a car to drive and a home to sleep in each night has turned into a right that I think I sometimes deserve. These blessings are easily taken for granted. Even the freedom to access my bank account with a debit card loses its luster when I look at the account balance.

With our accounts of sin being settled with God at Calvary and with the realization of true conversion in the heart, we are given peace with God through Jesus Christ. We are adopted into the family of God and become His sons and daughters. Have you ever seen a loving Father turn away his son or daughter when they come to them with a question or desire? We have an amazing privilege today to go to God in prayer and access His wisdom, nurture, love and truth for every situation. It is not a right that we deserve or have earned. It is all of grace. We never have to worry about the account running low, because He is able to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He is the Creator of the earth, above all things and is watching over His children. Have you forgotten about the gift and privilege of prayer?

Today, we have the power to access about anything that we want. From the power of buying books to getting on the internet, we can retrieve any kind of information that we desire. With good relationships with people, you can access many homes. However, the only way to access Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Do you understand the greatness of the One who allows God’s people to access heaven? Though millions of people are praying today at different times, only those who are conversing with God through Jesus Christ are being heard. There is only one true God. How great of a revival do you think God would send if His people would pray and seek His face?

God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 gives the challenge, “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.” The power that is needed in the church today is a result in God’s children knowing their Father in heaven. Daniel 11:32b says, “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Are you looking for strength, wisdom, understanding and courage? It is only found in Christ. “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18)

There’s Something about that Name

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Have you ever been in close contact with someone who is famous and been overwhelmed with awe and joy? The giddiness, excitement and rush can cause you to do some crazy things. In Junior High, Miss Tennessee came to our school to support the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. When she walked the halls with the crown and beauty, I could have melted and especially when she handed each student an award for completing the program. During my senior year of high school, my basketball coach took us to an NBA game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. I was in an arena of giants, and one of my friends got his own souvenir from the trash can. It was a cup that his favorite player had taken a drink from. Recently, I met Lennox Lewis (an amazing boxer) in the airport, Dierks Bentley (a country music singer) at a prayer breakfast, and saw John MacArthur (a Bible expositor) speak in person. For some reason, there was a sense of joy, excitement and respect which arose in my heart.

If you have ever come into contact with someone like this, I am sure that you acted the same way. Nervous, intimidated and scared to say a word, because whatever you say may make you sound ignorant. The moment is awkward for both parties. They don’t know you at all, and you seem to know everything about them from a distance. If only we could capture the same awe, reverence and love for the greatest person who ever walked on this earth—Jesus Christ. These men and women have been lifted up because of the gifts that they possess. Some look beautiful. Some can slam dunk any way you would like for them to. Some can box any man. Some are amazing singers. Some are amazing teachers. However with all of their gifts and their revenue combined, none can compare to Jesus!

There is something about His name that has echoed through the halls of history. The bookstores are full with pages refuting the beauty, historicity, significance, teachings, miracles, power, love, sacrifice and claims of the Christ who lived in Galilee two thousand years ago. He’s approachable, but beware, He knows everything about you. He leaves no room for hypocrisy, is not influenced by money or power, and hates the pride of men. When you come into His presence, you will immediately be humbled by His grace and left speechless by His glory! Though He inhabits eternity, he resides in the hearts of the lowly who need His mercy to make it each day. He saves all who come to him by faith with a repentant heart. From the most arrogant church member who has never met him to the homeless drunk on the street, He shares His gift of salvation. Have you really met him?

Five years ago this week, I found myself to be trapped in religious traditions, lost, lonely and broken inside. I was crying on my bed in the middle of the night, desperate, willing to change, in need of forgiveness and yearning for peace. I had no where to go and no where to turn. The Lord came looking for me, and he found me in the darkness of my sin. He picked me up, began carrying me, and now He’s teaching me to walk by faith and not by sight. He has never left me since, but corrects me often. The glamour, prestige and excitement of meeting these big-named people has drifted away with time. They left their impression for a moment, but Christ has captivated and will captivate me for eternity. My heart is still giddy and full of joy and excitement. As I realize and understand more about Jesus each day, I stand amazed that He would speak to someone like you and me!

If you are out there…

Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Have you ever wondered if there are any more honest people left in the world? For some reason, we are not living in the world that my grandfather would tell me about. He often spoke of his dad being the kind of man that would fill his merchant’s baskets full of grain, would shake it down and continue filling until it was full and overflowing. He wanted to be honest and give each person that came into his mill a quality product for an honest price. Also, the days of only needing screen doors with latches are overshadowed by our homes with security systems whether it’s a dog or an elaborate alarm device, dead bolts, and weapons to defend against any intruder. We can definitely tell that people live like there is no God who will judge every action and word spoken.

During this past week, my wife and I decided to get away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary during her spring break. We were excited to have the bags packed; reservations made, and were ready to get on the road. The trip was going great, and when we were about 20 miles from our destination, we stopped for gas and enjoyed our lunch together. Everyone was happy until we stopped at a bookstore nearly 10 miles down the road, and I realized that my debit card was missing. I checked and rechecked my checkbook but to no avail. This would not have been so bad if I hadn’t already lost my Driver’s License earlier in the week. My wife had already encouraged me to get a wallet or something to keep up with everything. In the past 17 years, I have only had one wallet and didn’t use it very much. The atmosphere went from happiness to fear and frustration. I had already been a victim of identity theft in October of 2005, of which is just now getting cleared up, and I definitely didn’t want to go through that process again.

Have you ever had to retrace your steps and think of where you may have lost something? This is the journey we embarked on. It only took 10 minutes to go back to where we last stopped, but it seemed like an hour. I had a receipt in my pocket from the restaurant and decided to call them on the way. They searched the dining room and didn’t see anything. The lump in my throat grew bigger especially when I knew our first anniversary trip was in jeopardy. Finally, we made it back to the gas station, and in desperation, I approached the counter and asked if anyone had turned in a debit card. What is the likelihood of someone finding a debit card and not trying to use it for themselves? The employees asked me my name and wanted to see my driver’s license (my brand new one). From under the counter, they pulled out my card and said an older gentleman found it out in the parking lot. What relief flooded my heart! I could not help but praise Christ for the honesty of the man and protection of my name.

There are still honest people out there who desire to walk in the truth (3 John 1:4). Whether this man knew the Lord, I do not know. However, he did reveal that he feared a future judgment. Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Everyday, we live under the Sovereign rule of Almighty God. Hebrews 1:3 speaks of Christ and reminds us of His Majesty, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” God knows, sees, and hears all things. How should we live in light of God’s holiness and righteousness? For those who are out there living to please the Lord Jesus Christ, I say thank you in advance for blessing others by being right, honest and fair.