Pavement Ends Ministry: Recent Episodes
Douglas Huff
The goal of this podcast is always to give simple messages of hope and encouragement. My reward is simply knowing that God can use this podcast to touch the lives of people I may never meet. I have no way of knowing who is listening nor is that important. However I know that it is possible for the P.E.M. podcast to be heard anywhere that the internet can go. For this reason I wish to ask a favor of you. If you have listened to the podcast would you please let me know where you are listening from? Just send me message saying something like, " I am listening from------". You can post to the Pavement Ends Ministry Facebook page, find me on LinkedIn or email me at pavementendsministry@gmail.com. Thank you, please keep listening and tell your friends about The Pavement Ends Ministry podcast. To God be the glory. Douglas Huff From Down Where The Pavement Ends http://podpoint.com/pavement-ends-ministry
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God’s Way is Better
A song made famous decades ago tells the story of a man looking back on his life with pride, boasting that whatever mistakes he made, he made them “My Way.” No regrets, nothing to apologize for.
Whenever I hear that song, I always think, that is really foolish.
Personally, I have to say, regrets—I have a bunch of them. In fact, I have too many to name. I know my regrets are the result of trying to do things my way instead of God’s way. The Bible teaches that a man’s way may seem right to him, but in the end, it can lead him down a dangerous path.
Regrets are ferocious prosecutors. Like good lawyers, they know the facts and keep hammering you with them. They keep you awake at night, replaying the same painful scenes over and over in your mind. The video of your regrets runs on a loop—and the pause button is broken.
What can be done about regrets? On our own, nothing. We do not get to have do-overs in life, and past mistakes cannot be undone. The man who sang, “My Way,” may have made a lot of money from his music, but he did not profit from his mistakes.
Wise people don’t brag on their regrets. They learn from them. Really wise people learn to take their future choices to God. The Bible teaches that we should acknowledge God and trust Him with all our being. If we do this, He will hit the pause button on our regrets and give us perfect peace.
So, if our regrets teach us anything, it is this. We cannot lean on our own understanding. There is a new song for us to sing. “Come to the Altar” by Elevation Worship invites us to leave our regrets and mistakes behind because Jesus is calling today. It doesn’t celebrate going our own way, but instead reminds us His way is better than ‘my way.’
Jesus is calling. He will instruct you and teach you the way you must go. He has seen it all, and the way He leads is perfect.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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I Am an American
(In Honor of Flag Day)
I am proud to be an American. In my blood is the DNA of a Dutchman who, in the early 1600s, climbed aboard a small sailing ship to cross a dangerous ocean. He was seeking the freedom to worship God as he was led by the Holy Spirit, and the opportunity to prosper in a new land.
I am an American. In my blood runs the DNA of men and women who carved a life out of the wilderness. They were farmers and hunters who worked hard to provide food and the necessities of life for their families. They were businessmen who thrived in a free-market capitalist society. They were Christians who built churches and shared their faith with their neighbors.
I am an American. Flowing through my veins is the blood of patriots who picked up their squirrel guns to defend themselves against an oppressive government. After the war, they traveled from New Jersey to Virginia, then to North Carolina, and finally settled in the Goose Pond community of Oglethorpe, Georgia.
I am an American. I am proud to count among my ancestors men who felt compelled to take up arms and fight under the Stars and Bars of the Southern states. Some died, some lost limbs, and one man—my grandfather’s grandfather—suffered greatly as a prisoner of war.
I am an American. I am blessed to have inherited the spiritual fervor of my parents and grandparents. They were, and are, great Americans who worked hard and prayed even harder as they worshiped and served the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.
I am an American, and I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. Now we must once again become one nation under God, forever indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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1 I Shall Not be Moved
Here’s a truth that most people do not know and even fewer truly understand. If God is going to use you, He is going to move you.
Now, that is a devastating thought for most good church members. After all, “I Shall Not Be Moved” might as well be your theme song. There you sit, in the seat that has molded itself to your association. Your preacher even prays for you by mentally picturing you in your usual spot in church.
So, it’s true. You will not be moved. You won’t be moved by your preacher’s sermon, you won’t be moved by the Holy Spirit, and you certainly won’t be moved from your seat. So there.
And here’s the truth: if you refuse to be moved, you will not be used by God. Check the Scriptures—yes, the Bible. Read it. You’ll see that every great man and woman in the Word of God was used only after they were moved.
They all had this in common. They were comfortable where they were. They were good people, doing their work and enjoying their lives—until God called. And when He called, they moved.
They moved from the center of their comfort zone to the center of God’s will. And God used them powerfully—but only after they moved.
Is this a call to leave your home for a foreign land? Nope. That’s up to God. This is a call for you to move out of your comfort zone. Make a new friend. Forgive an old enemy. Pray for your preacher. Visit a nursing home. Share the Gospel.
There’s no telling what God might do with people who will change their tune from “I shall not be moved!” to “Here am I, Lord, send me!”
Oh, and by the way, don’t try to use your age as an excuse to do nothing. The Bible tells us that God used a child prophet named Jeremiah, a little boy named David, and an old codger named Moses. Age has no impact on God’s ability.
So, move—God is waiting to use you!
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
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When Seeing Jesus is Enough
This morning, my daily Bible reading took me to Luke Chapter 2 and the story of Jesus’ birth. As I read about the shepherds being visited by angels and then going to see the baby Jesus, I found myself wondering, “What happened to the shepherds after this?”
We know they went away praising God and joyfully sharing what they had seen. But did their lives suddenly become easier? What do you think? Did they leave shepherding for speaking tours, book deals, and synagogue invitations? Or did they remain shepherds—only now, after seeing the Christ, wolves no longer attacked, the grass stayed green, and tending the sheep no longer felt like hard work?
Probably not. Most likely, their lives did not change after they saw the Christ Child. People still looked down on them and considered them second-class citizens. Green grass was still hard to find, and wild animals still attacked their flocks. I don’t think seeing Jesus made their lives any easier at all.
All too often in today’s world, a false promise is presented. People are led to believe that when they follow Christ, their lives will suddenly become very easy. They think that once they encounter Jesus, their addictions will disappear, their bills will be paid, and their sicknesses will be healed. But this is not what Scripture promises. The true promise of salvation is not that life on earth will become easy, but that life in Christ is eternal.
Now, did the shepherd’s lives change after they saw Jesus?
Yes! Now they had hope. They knew that God considered them first-class citizens of Heaven, and when the wolves attacked, they could fight with the power from on high. They had seen Jesus, and that was enough.
Now I challenge you. Come to Jesus. The addictions may still be there, but He will walk you through them. The bills will still roll in, but Jesus will never roll out. Sickness may linger, but Jesus will linger longer. Come to Jesus. Life on earth may not get better, but life in Heaven is eternal and far better than anything this world has to offer. Come to Jesus. When you see Him, you will realize that He is enough.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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The Bird in The Shop
One day, a bird flew into the shop. As soon as it came in, it shot up to the ceiling. Mistaking the white ceiling for the sky, it kept flying against it. Not wanting him inside, I tried to shoo him toward the open door. But to get out, he had to fly low, while his instinct told him to fly high. Instead of escaping, he kept bumping against the artificial sky—the ceiling. All day, he flew back and forth, trapped, because he would not lower himself enough to go through the door.
Do you know how I finally got the bird out? Well, I turned the lights off and shut the door. Birds will not fly in darkness. Then I opened the door a tiny bit. This caused a thin sliver of light to shine on the ceiling. The bird began to flutter in that small patch of light. He was afraid of the dark and drawn to the light. Taking a ladder, I climbed up to where he was and caught him in my hand. Then I took him outside and released him to real freedom!
The bird reminds me of human nature. So often we become trapped by our own foolishness. Refusing to humble ourselves, we keep bumping against an artificial sky of our own making. We rush back and forth, trying to find freedom, but on our own, we will never succeed.
God will show you the way, but you must humble yourself and kneel in prayer. Freedom can be yours, and your problems can be overcome if you are willing to do things God’s way. Jesus is the light. If you come to the light, He will take you into His hands and lead you into true freedom.
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
Email- douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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Call Out to the Father
I saw it at a Middle School football game. The offense ran a sneak play. After it was over, all of the players got up but one. This one boy seemed to be in a lot of pain. Lying on his back, he rocked back and forth, holding onto his leg. The coaches and trainers all ran to where he lay. We all hoped it was just a cramp, but it looked serious.
We were sitting not far from the boy's parents. Now, football parents know that you trust the coaches and don't rush to the field every time your child appears to be hurt. So, I watched Mama and Daddy anxiously, waiting and watching.
But then, raising his head, the boy let out a piercing cry that was heard all over the Granite Bowl, “Daddyyy.” Before the last echo faded, his father had jumped the wall separating the stands from the field and was at his son's side. Because that is what Daddies do. When our children call, we come!
This isn’t a parable. I actually saw it happen. But it is an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly principle. In Luke 11:13, Jesus teaches us that if ordinary men can be good daddies, then how much better is our Father in Heaven? Throughout the Bible, we are told that all we have to do is call out to God and He will answer. In times of great distress, He says, “Here I am.” Those times when we are confused, He says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and teach you things you do not know.”
The bottom line is this. While men on earth can be good daddies, we have a God in Heaven who is a truly great Father. God is good and loving. Like the football parents in the stands that day, He waits for us to call out to Him. Yet even before we call, He will answer, because that’s what God does. When His children call, He is already there.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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The Corn has Turned Brown
In the cool of the morning, I sit on the back porch. My thoughts this morning are on the goodness of God. At the edge of the porch, a swarm of hummingbirds competes for sugar water. In the woods, squirrels are chattering about whatever is important to squirrels. Now, a slight breeze brings a rustling sound from the dried-up corn stalks.
A few days ago, I was pulling corn.The patch below the house produced a lot this year! We put a lot of corn in the freezer. Then we told all our friends and neighbors to get some corn. I took a lot of corn to people who couldn't come and get it. We were blessed with an abundance of corn this year. But now the corn has turned brown.
Yes, July was hot and dry. But the fact is, when the corn is ready, you only have a few days to gather it. If you don't get it when it is ready, it will get hard. The stalks will go from bright green to brown. Then it's over until next year.
The dried-up corn reminds me of my late neighbor Dan. Every year, he planted corn. Most of the time, he produced a lot of corn. One year, it was extra hot and dry. When the corn did not grow, all of Dan’s money, time, and elbow grease were wasted. But Dan didn’t worry about it. He just grinned and said, “I will plant corn again next year.”
Dan’s attitude about raising corn reminds me of Proverbs 28:25, which says, “He who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” Sometimes it rains, and sometimes it doesn’t. Some years the corn grows, and other years it won’t. So, I will trust in the Lord with all my heart because anyone who trusts God will not be disappointed.
. God has shown kindness by giving us rain from heaven. Because of His wisdom, the crops grow in their seasons. This is why listening to the rustling of dried-up corn stalks fills my heart with joy.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
Email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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No Shoes in Heaven
I'm a tenderfoot. I have never been comfortable going barefoot. Even when I was a little boy, I wanted my shoes. Growing up, I spent a lot of time rambling through the woods and pastures. Often, you could find me splashing in the creek, chasing crawfish and minnows. But I never took my shoes off.
As an adult, I still resist going barefoot. In Northeast Georgia, we are infested with fire ants. If you go outside without shoes, the fire ants will find you, and they will bite you. Their bite feels like fire! But even when I walk around in the house, I feel more comfortable wearing shoes.
I think it is wise to wear shoes. And it is Biblical. When the prodigal son returned, his father put shoes on his feet. In Ephesians, we are told to put on shoes as we prepare to spread the gospel. John the Baptist wasn't even qualified to untie Jesus’ shoes. And in the Song of Solomon, we read that women's feet are beautiful in sandals. So yes, it is wise and Biblical to wear shoes.
However!
I have concluded that there will be no shoes in Heaven. After all, when Moses approached the burning bush, he was told to take off his sandals. He was standing on Holy Ground. When Joshua met the Commander of the Lord’s Army, he was instructed to, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” Joshua did as he was told, because he was standing on Holy Ground.
So, when we reach Heaven, to borrow a phrase from Uncle Jed, I think we will “take our shoes off and set a spell.” Maybe we will run barefoot on the streets of gold and dip our toes in the Crystal Sea. And when we raise our hands high to glorify Jesus, we will feel the wonder of God flowing from our fingertips to our tippy toes. Because there won't be any shoes on our feet to keep us from feeling the Glory as we stand on Heaven's Holy Ground.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
Email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
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The Last Mountain
The old man stands at the foot of the mountain. The way ahead is very steep. This is not the first mountain he has climbed, but it will be his last. As he looks up the path, he is leaning on a staff that he has carried for many years. He will carry it one more day.
He is not familiar with the trail on this mountain. But this is not a problem. God has always guided his steps. This journey will be no different. He has always been faithful to his God. The Great I Am has always been faithful to him. Now, with his staff in his hand, he takes the first of his last steps.
Moses was a true hero of the faith. He had climbed many mountains for God. In Deuteronomy 34, we read about his last mountain. On that day, his eyes were undimmed, and his strength was unwavering. And yet the steps he walked that day would be his last steps on earth. However, because of his obedience and faithfulness to God, his last step on this mountain was his first step in Heaven
When Jesus invites us to walk with Him, He doesn’t promise an easy life. Instead, He calls us into a journey filled with challenges. Jesus is urging us to embrace the adventure of faith. Life is filled with many mountains. And one day, like Moses, we will come to the Last Mountain. On that day, with Faith in Jesus as our Staff, we will begin a climb that will end in the Heights of Glory.
Today, I am thinking of a precious preacher friend of mine. Obediently and faithfully, he has climbed many mountains for his God. But today, the relentless nature of time has left his eyes dimmed and his mind confused. Now he stands at the base of his last mountain. It will be a difficult journey, but his spiritual strength is unwavering. God has always directed his path, and today is no different. Soon, with undimmed eyes and a clear mind, he will step onto the summit of The Last Mountain.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
www.pavementendsministry.com
email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com
Everybody is a Nobody Who Can Be Somebody
In Mark Chapter 5, there is a story about a woman who was a nobody. We don’t even know her name. If we had been there on this day, she would not have been in our field of vision. Seeing her would have made us uncomfortable, so we would have chosen not to see her. If we had seen her, we would have assumed her problems were her own fault, because that is the way we think.
She was a nobody. Most people would have avoided her. She was not supposed to be there. For twelve years she had suffered with an issue of blood. This made her unclean. Because she was unclean, she could not be around others. She could not even worship God. In her shame and grief, she spent everything she had seeking help. She has suffered all sorts of abuse and indignities. Hopeless and helpless, she spends her days and nights lonely and untouched.
She felt like a nobody. But one day she overheard people talking about Jesus. I say “overheard” because since she was a nobody, why would anyone bother to tell her about the Savior? She considers herself a nobody so she cannot even face Jesus. She hopes that maybe she will be healed if she can just touch his coat. To the world and herself, she was a nobody. But to Jesus she is somebody. He stops everything and looks for her. He finds her and calls her daughter. Her faith in Him has made her well. She was a nobody, but now she is somebody. She is a child of God.
Do you feel like a nobody? Have addictions caused you to spend all you have seeking relief from your demons? Are you broken and abused? Do you stand there weeping? Is your life filled with loneliness? Are your days and nights spent untouched and unloved? Maybe it seems that no one sees you, because no one offers help. It seems that no one cares. To the world you are nobody.
Today I hope you hear about Jesus. I hope you will push through the crowd and reach out for Him. Have faith only in Jesus. He will stop everything to reach out to the ones the world ignores. Everybody is somebody to Him. The Bible tells us that God is rich in mercy. Because of His great love, even when we are nobody and dead in our sin, He makes us somebody alive in Christ. Wow, look at the love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Anybody can reach out to Jesus because everybody is somebody to Him.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
www.pavementendsministry.com
Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com
That's What Daddies Do
Daddies fix things. They fix flat bicycle tires, start stubborn lawnmowers, repair leaky commodes, troubleshoot washing machines, and get swings swinging again. Most of the time, they may not know exactly what they're doing, but they always do their best because that's what daddies do - they fix things.
My daughter called me one day and told me the battery was dead and her car would not start. At the time she lived across the state. It was at least a three-hour drive. So, I told her that I was on my way. She said Daddy, I don't want you to come and fix it. I just want you to listen to me. So, I listened to her. After all, that is what daddies do.
But if she had wanted me to drive three hours to fix her car, I would have. I believe that is my job as a daddy. No matter how busy or important a man is, his children come first. Whether his son or daughter is five or fifty when they say “Daddy, I need you.” He will drop what he's doing and go to them. Because that's what daddies do.
For years, sitcoms have denigrated fathers. The government has tried to replace dads, and social groups have attacked men. In doing this, they have caused great suffering in this world. The world would be a better place if more men were real daddies. You see little girls need a daddy to be their first love, and little boys need a daddy to teach them how to be a man.
So, guys step up and be the Daddy your family needs. Give your life to Jesus. Cherish your wife and keep your vows. Read the Bible to your family and take them to church. Love God with all your heart because a man who loves God first loves his family best. You may not always know how to fix things. But if you lean on God, you can do the things a Daddy does.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
www.pavementendsministry.com
Memories
I remember Gin Creek. I assume it was named Gin Creek because at some point in time and someplace in its travel it must have powered a cotton gin. I remember a smooth path alongside this creek where I would walk. I remember crawfish running backward and minnows threading the quick current.
Long before cell phones and computers, there were creeks with elm leaves and water snakes floating in them. Long before boys entertained themselves with video games, they kept themselves busy damming up creeks to make swimming holes. They also rode bikes with no brakes down steep hills. And now old men have scars and aching bones as a result of the glorious crashes that occurred at the bottom.
I remember cane poles and catching bream. In those days there was nothing to worry about. As we rambled through the woods, ticks did not bite and people were good. Also in those days, flat screens were used to keep the bugs out of the house and the net was used to catch fish.
I remember going to church. And preachers who gave out bubblegum and the love of God to children. I remember Vacation Bible School with white-haired ladies and crafts. I also remember Kool-Aid, cookies, and the gospel being served. This is where I decided to follow Jesus.
I remember Sunday School and a teacher who took his boys squirrel hunting. I remember a pastor who walked with Jesus daily and modeled humility. And the legend of Brother Jack lives on today. He and others like him are the type of preacher that I hope to become someday.
Memories. I don’t press them in the pages of my mind. Instead, they are running on the screen saver of my heart. They tell of simpler times and sweeter pleasures. They remind me of places and people who have shaped my life. But most of all they remind me of how much Jesus loved that boy who used to play in the waters of Gin Creek.
Call Your Mama
Among the last items of business that Jesus took care of, even as He hung on the cross, was to make sure that His mother would be cared for. His mother’s life was turned upside down at His birth. She was there while He grew, changing His diapers and kissing His skinned knees. She worried when He was left behind in the temple and tried to understand when He said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” For this reason, before Jesus said “It is finished,” He looked at John and said, “Behold your mother.”
Jesus was His Father’s son, but He was His Mama’s boy. In the Bible, it seems as if He performed His first miracle to please His Mama. Like Jesus, we should always try to please our mamas. Just like all Mary, all mothers make great sacrifices for their children, and like Mary, all mothers should be honored and loved by their children.
Here are a few ways that you should love your mother.
Love her verbally. Tell her how much you love her. Love her physically. She needs and deserves your hugs. Love her patiently. Goodness knows she was patient with you. Love her with your ears. Remember all the time she stopped what she was doing to listen to you. Take the time to sit and listen to her. Love her generously. There is nothing too good for your mama. Remember all the sacrifices she made for you. Be generous with your love and money, but most of all be generous with your time
It does not matter who you are, what you do, or how much money you make. If you honor your mother, she will be proud of you. Love your mother with all your heart. Love her so that she will be thankful for all the time she invested in you and all the sacrifices she made for you. Remember whoever you are, you owe a lifetime of love to your mother.
So, call your Mama!
Honor your father, and your mother that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
How magnificent is the Power and Authority of the Lord my God! His shining glory illuminates the highest heaven. From the mouth of children, He ordains strength. A bloodthirsty fool may rise against Him, but He destroys the enemy with vengeance.
On a blustery day, I hear the wind howl and watch the tree sway back and forth. When the sun goes down, the light abandons the sky and the moon rises, to stand guard over the night. In the distance a whippoorwill cheers as the stars begin to decorate the purple sky. All of this makes me wonder who are we that God would have us on His mind. He made us a little lower than the angels. Yet, He has given us a crown of glory and honor.
He is the great and awesome God and He has given us authority over His creation. He has placed all things in our control, the cattle in the field, the beast in the woods, the birds in the air, and the fish in the water. We are just sons of men and yet the Son of God has visited us to give us the right to become children of the most high God.
How magnificent is the Power and Authority of the Lord my God! His shining glory illuminates the highest heaven. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!
Psalms 8
A Call for Kindness
I am committed to treating everyone with kindness, regardless of their background or lifestyle. I believe that good manners can revolutionize society, and as such, I will always use polite language when speaking to others. Even if I don’t agree with their views, I will use words like "yes sir," "no sir," "please," "thank you," and "excuse me."
I'm also convinced that crude, vulgar, and offensive language has no place in a civilized society. People who persistently use such language are to be pitied, as it can give others a low opinion of them. Also, using good language can go a long way toward improving one's standing in life.
The Bible teaches us that we should put away bitterness, wrath, and evil speaking, and instead be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving. It also tells us that the meek shall inherit the earth and that a gentle answer can turn away wrath.
Despite the foolish celebration of rudeness, cruelty, and vulgarity in today's world, I believe that true goodness lies in being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, meek, and gentle. These are the qualities that God is pleased with, and as someone who loves God, I am compelled to treat everyone with kindness.
God has commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So, Because I love God with all my heart, His love compels me to be polite to everyone. So, it does not matter who you are, what color your skin is, or what lifestyle you have chosen I will treat you with kindness.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
www.pavementendsministry.com
email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com
The Last Star
It is early. The sky is clear. The night is fading as the darkness gives way to the rising sun. There is one last pinpoint of light in the southeastern sky. Is it a stubborn star or a distant planet? I don’t know. But I do know that as the sun rises it will disappear.
God has appointed the moon and stars the task of being lights in a dark sky. Their beauty and brightness silently sing of His Majesty. But they always give way to the rising sun.
However, this last stubborn star seems determined to hold its place in the night sky. Why? I don’t know. Maybe God is using that star to teach me a lesson.
I am a child of God and a preacher of His gospel. He has appointed me to be a light in a dark world. My calling is to let my light shine before all men and glorify my Father in Heaven. Jesus has promised that soon He is going to return. When He does, His light will shine in the darkness and the darkness will be overcome. Then my little light will no longer be needed.
Some people have tried to tell me where, when, and how my light should shine. The opinions of these people mean nothing to me. I have committed my way to the Lord. I trust Him. It is His Holiness that makes my light shine in the darkness. His glory is my purpose.
It is late. The future is clear. This dark world is going to give way to the coming Day of the Lord. My prayer is that like that last star, I can continue to shine my light in the darkness. I will give way only to the coming of the Son of Righteousness.
This Old House
On April 16, 1978, Deborah and I were married. In 1979 we purchased a house and it has been our home ever since. In this house we have laughed and cried, fought and made up, celebrated and mourned. This is where we live. In this house, we raised our family, and every inch of it is coated with memories. It is our home, but it is not us, it is not our marriage
This house greatly reflects our personalities. We are familiar with all the creaks and pops and every crack in the walls. There is contentment to be found in its every flaw and there is no more comfortable place than our house. But if it is taken from us tonight and if tomorrow we are homeless, we will still have each other. You see this house is our home, but it is not us, it is not our marriage.
All over this land, there are buildings that people call churches. Some are beautiful brick-and-mortar structures, while others look more like metal warehouses. In these buildings church members have laughed and cried. They have fought and made up and they have celebrated and they have mourned. In these buildings, the family of God has grown and they are filled with memories. But we would still gather if all these buildings were destroyed today and we had no place to gather. We would still worship God. These buildings are not the church, they are not our salvation.
The church is the bride of Christ, and Jesus is the Bridegroom. He loves the church and He gave His life for her. But when Jesus said," I will build my Church” He was not talking about brick and mortar. No. He was talking about us. We are His bride, and we are His church God has chosen us to be precious, living stones in the spiritual house that Jesus is building.
One day all these buildings that people call churches will rot and burn. They were never meant to be permanent. However, the church that is the bride of Christ is built on a firm foundation and will never fail. Christ loves the church and gave Himself for us. He has sanctified and cleansed us. One day we will be presented to Him as a glorious church, holy and without blemish. Because we are the Church that Jesus is building.
A Tale of Two Men
In the fourteenth chapter of The Gospel of Mark, we find the story of two men who betrayed Jesus. One of these men betrayed Him for money, and the other one was afraid. One of these men betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and the other one denied Him with an oath. The first one had maliciously schemed to sell Jesus and the second one had boldly proclaimed that he would never deny Jesus. But he did. They were both guilty.
Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid. Both men felt shame and regret for what they had done. The name of Judas will always be synonymous with treachery and deceit but Peter will always be remembered as a saint. What was the difference?
When Judas saw that Jesus was to be crucified and he was sorry for what he had done. So, he tried to fix it. He tried to take it back. But a sin that has been sinned cannot be unsinned. It cannot be taken back. Judas could not live with the devastation of his sin, so he took his own life. Thus, he will always be remembered as the man who sold the Savior for thirty pieces of silver
Peter also was devastated by his sin. But he did not try to fix it himself. He knew, that His sin could not be unsinned and it could never be taken back. But unlike Judas, Peter received forgiveness for his sin, not because he was sorry for his actions but because he repented of his sin. Later as they shared a breakfast of fresh fish Jesus forgave Peter and cast his sin as far away as the East is from the West.
At some point in time, we have all betrayed Jesus. Don't say you haven't, that would just be a lie. We are all sinners, and the sins that we sin cannot be unsinned. But Jesus has promised that if we repent of our sins, He will have compassion on us and will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Our sins cannot be taken back and you and I cannot fix them. But when Jesus forgives us He also forgets about our sin and it is just as if we had never sinned. The Bible says “Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Happy is the person whom the LORD does not consider guilty." Psalms 32:1-2 NCV
The Tomb Was Not Empty
In none of the Gospels are we told that the borrowed tomb of Jesus was empty. If someone had stolen the body of Christ, the tomb would have been empty. If the body of Jesus had been left to rot, the tomb would have been worse than empty. If the tomb had been empty, then Christ would not have risen and we would be most miserable. But Christ is risen and the tomb is very full.
On that Sunday morning, the ladies came to anoint the dead body of Jesus. Instead, they found the tomb full of the Glory of God. They were met by angels who said “He is not here. He is risen.” When Peter ran to the tomb, he did not understand what had happened. But later he would realize that the tomb was permeated with peace and forgiveness for his troubled soul. Indeed, on Resurrection morning the tomb was enveloped in the settled hope of eternity and saturated with the power of God that brings salvation.
So often we find ourselves in a field of headstones. Heartbroken we watch as a loved one is lowered into the grave. But when we are in the valley of the shadow of death we are not without hope. Without a doubt, we can find comfort in the knowledge that our Savior has already traveled this way. Fear not. Jesus’ tomb is filled with victory. Death has lost its sting and the grave has lost its power. The stone was rolled away proving that the grave could not contain the Son of God and will not hold the child of the King.
On Resurrection Sunday we celebrate our risen Savior. An angel rolled the stone away to give us a look inside the tomb. There we see a folded napkin and crumpled grave clothes. But that is not all we find. You see the tomb of Jesus is filled with a promise. This is the promise Jesus is alive, death is not final and life in Christ is eternal.
What do you miss most from the past?” There are a lot of things I miss. I miss quality workmanship. I hate to buy appliances that will only last a few years. I miss clean entertainment; I remember the time when real actors could act and real singers could sing. None of them had to take off their clothes or use foul language. There are a lot of things I miss and wish would make a comeback. But the thing I miss the most is good morals.
In the process of life, sometimes we all get broken. And sometimes we don’t even know that we are broken. When God begins the process of fixing us, we don’t understand why we are suffering. So, we cry out to Him for mercy. The truth is when God is grinding, cutting, welding, and hammering on us, He is being the most merciful to us. He is fixing us where we are broken.
If you are a child of God, you have this promise that is found in 1 Peter; “After you have suffered for a little while…. Christ Himself will restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.”
God dearly loves His children and that is why He chose us and set us apart. So, no one should ever be surprised by the kindness of a child of God. It is faith in Jesus that has saved us. We are commanded to add goodness, self-control, godliness, and brotherly kindness to this faith. With a gentle word, we can turn away anger. With a good word, we can give encouragement, and with a kind word, we can calm a troubled heart. For this reason, we should always clothe ourselves with mercy, gentleness, and kindness. If we do this, we will be dressed for success.
in this episode I talk about the need to clothe ourselves in kindness.
When I think about the Goodness of my God I am overwhelmed with joy. I have to lift my voice and my hands to Heaven. And I often wonder why other people don’t do the same thing. You see, I am happy that I serve The Lord. When I am in His presence, I can’t help but sing. And even though my voice is not very good, the noise I make is full of joy.
The Great Engineer of the universe tells us in Genesis Chapter 8 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” When I go to gather my tomatoes and have to wipe the sweat from my face, I will give glory to God because the sweat on my brow is a testimony that His promises will never fail.
The powers that be hate it when people get along. They know that people who get along cannot be controlled by evil people. So let us make their lives miserable. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Lift each other in prayer. We can glorify God with our actions and make the world better with our smiles. Be like Jesus and say, I Love People.
God is a master at bringing beauty from ashes and joy from suffering. In Romans 8:18 we are promised that “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Yes, droughts and fires may be worrisome and smoke and haze may cause us pain and suffering. But look at that sunset!
In the Bible, God tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.” These days, wickedness abounds and evil is celebrated. So now, more than ever, we need to humbly bow our heads and experience His unmistakable sovereignty. At night the whippoorwill declares that God is good. In the morning the birds awaken to sing to the glory of the Righteous King. Just as the sunrise is inevitable, in the same way, we know that the Kingdom of God is unending.
A rich young man once asks Jesus how he could enter Heaven. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give away the proceeds, and follow Him. Sadly, the young man missed Heaven because he could not turn loose of his stuff.
Does this mean that riches and wealth are evil? No! It means that we must understand that all we have comes from God. If you love your stuff more than you do Jesus, there will be no place for you in Heaven. If you don’t have time for God now, He won’t have time for you later.
the love of God and the wrath of God are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. In almost every book in the Bible, we read commands and admonitions to fear God. Throughout the Bible all the people that God used had one characteristic in common, they all feared God. The righteous people that I have known in my lifetime were used by God because they feared God. Until you humble yourself in fear and trembling at the feet of a righteous and wrathful God you can never receive the mercy and grace of a loving God.
Church attendance is down all over the country. And many churches struggle to keep their doors open. Why is that? I believe it is because most Christians don't want to offend anyone. They are unwilling to stand up for Jesus. When Christ is not lifted up, no one is drawn to Him. Therefore, churches all around are dwindling away. Will you be the reason that people are drawn to Jesus?
Strong is the heart of a daddy. The heavy-duty heart of a daddy has been crushed, broken, stretched, and swollen. It has soared like an eagle and yet stooped to a child's eye level. This great heart can roar like a lion and purr like a kitten. For the sake of his children, he will stand up and fight the fiercest enemy or kneel in prayer to the Holy Father. A good daddy places his heart in the hands of Jesus. He knows that he loves his children best when he loves the Savior the most. Listen to this podcast to hear more about A Daddy's Heart.
This is a retelling of the story of The Prodigal Son. But in this story, the emphasis is on the older brother. Don't let a hard heart become so cold and calloused that the embers of love cannot be rekindled.
The promises of God are as sure as the air we breathe. And like the air we breathe, the promises of God are necessary for our very existence. However, while breathing air is involuntary, claiming the promises of God is not.Listen to this podcast to hear more about the Promises of God
In Luke chapter 17, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus then told them that they could do great things if they had even a tiny bit of faith. Wow, that is a tremendous promise. That is what most of us want.Listen to this podcast to hear more about how God uses faithful people.
Christians have received tremendous blessings from God, but Satan hates you and wants to destroy your peace. And he especially wants to destroy your testimony. So, guard your heart and make sure you lock the gate.
Our nation has ceased to be exalted because righteousness has ceased to be important in our lives. Since righteousness is not important then neither is God’s approval. If you do not seek God’s approval, can you call yourself a Child of God? Let me remind you; God said: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) Listen to this podcast to hear how the corrosion of sin is separating us from the power of God.
We want to know if we are successful. But God does not measure success as the world does. The Bible tells us that if we obey the word of God then the Father’s love is made complete in us. This is how the world knows that we are in Christ and Christ is in us.
Today is the day that the Lord has made and it is good. The wise decisions you made yesterday will pay pleasant dividends today. The good choices you make today will yield a sweet crop tomorrow. So, live in the here and now for the glory of God and the glory of God will brighten your path today.
How magnificent is the Power and Authority of the Lord my God. His shining glory illuminates the highest heaven. To Him be all honor and glory. Oh LORD our Lord How excellent is your name in all the earth.
I saw God today and He is good. In the waiting room of a doctor’s office, I observed the people around me. This is the kind of place where people sometimes receive bad news. So, as I watched the people come and go, I sensed the presence of God and His grace all around me. I saw overwhelming evidence that God is good.listen to this podcast to hear about the evidence of God's goodness.
Lord, make me to know that my end is near. Teach me the length of my days so that I may know how frail I am. You have made my days short. And my age is as nothing before You. Every man at his best state is but a vapor. Every man walks about like a shadow.In this podcast, I talk about the brevity of life.
Indiana Jones never lost his hat, but Paul never lost his faith. Paul ran a strong race and fought a good fight. He knew that he would be all right. He once said, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Jones faced danger for dead treasure. Paul gave his life for incorruptible glory.This devotion is about the Apostle Paul and his treasure that was laid up in Heaven.
By now almost everyone has heard of the “Asbury Revival.” A Wednesday night chapel service that continued for weeks. It has been reported that the Holy Spirit had taken control. It was also reported that the testimony, preaching, and singing of ordinary people were used in a mighty way. Evidently, this happened organically. There were no famous preachers, no well-known musicians, and no influence from religious denominations. It seems the Holy Spirit alone was in control. Jesus was lifted up and people were drawn to Him. And some people didn't like it.This podcast contains my thoughts on the people who have spoken negatively concerning the Ashbury Revival.
Jesus Christ is the only foundation stone for a civilized society. He created all things and in Him is the consistency of all things. He holds everything together. Without Him, nothing is built and nothing will last.
It was a cold day in February. I sat at my breakfast table and watched a couple of blue jays build a nest in a tree in my yard. As I watched, it occurred to me that these birds were exercising great faith.Listen to this podcast to hear about a Blue Jay's faith.
Your value, my value to God is so much that He gave His all, His very Son, to purchase your pardon, to redeem you from certain death. His love for you cost Him everything. Please don’t waste His tremendous extravagance. Give your all to Him, because He gave His Son for you.
February the fourteenth of course is Valentine’s Day. A day of celebrating the romantic love between men and women. It is also a day when Jared, Hallmark, and FTD Flowers celebrate an increase in their revenue. I do not think that many people know the real story behind all the candy, flowers, and heart-shaped cards. While it is good that we celebrate love and marriage, we need to remember the man who was Saint Valentine.listen to this podcast to learn the story of St.Valentine.
Jesus said; “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die — ever.” If Jesus can raise a dead man for the Glory of God, He can handle your problems for the Glory of God. Bring your mess to Jesus, loose yourself, and let yourself go. I promise you this, in Christ, there are no hopeless situations.Listen to this podcast to see how there are no hopeless situations in Christ.
Jesus began His ministry with this command; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The word “repent” means, “turn around”. Now, we associate repentance with turning from sin, but there are other reasons to repent. For example, if you are going the wrong way or there is danger ahead, you need to turn around. On the other hand, if you are investing time and effort in things that don’t work you also need to repent.Listen to this podcast to learn more about the importance of Repentance.
Thank you Brother Jack for your Godly influence on my family. Thank you for sharing Jesus with my family and asking us to come to church. By your love and faithfulness, you have proven that you are, “A man after God's own heart”.
Listen to my words all that are sick and lonely, afraid of the darkness that surrounds you. The Savior is calling out your name if you will just be still and listen. The Holy Spirit is the rod that will protect you and the staff that will rescue you. Jesus is the Seeker of the one that is lost.
Sometimes, like Hagar, we may think that life is unbearable. But we must never forget that He is the God-Who-Sees. He will bring clarity to your soul when life is intolerable and unsure. With artistry that can only come from the Creator, your broken heart and shattered dreams will be remade into a beautiful mosaic. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the God Who Sees.
An old year is passing away and a New Year is being born. Leave your worries and cares behind. Claim God’s promises for the New Year. Call out to God and He will answer you. Listen to God and He will teach you. Look to God and you will see new things. Because every day His mercies are new.
The manger scene is all about you. You are lost in your trespasses and sin. But there is a gift for you. You won’t find this gift under a tree. The tree comes later, in the shape of a cross. You will find this Gift beautifully wrapped, in swaddling clothes, in a manger, in a stable.
Sometimes you don’t need a word from Jesus; you just need to rest in His presence. Sometimes you don’t need to ask anything of Jesus, you just need to lean back against His chest and listen to His heartbeat. Close your eyes and rest, the enemy dare not attack, you are in the bosom of the King of Kings. In this podcast I resting in the arms of the Savior.
There is something more important than deer hunting. You must become a follower of Jesus. Salvation is not easy, but it is not complicated either. Jesus simply holds out His hand to you and says, “Follow Me.” Following The Savior is hard. It can and often does lead to danger and discomfort. But you must be determined to follow Him without turning back.
Everyone’s life tells a story. Many of these stories are tragedies. We all need to learn to be understanding. We are all better off than someone else and where they are today, we may be tomorrow. Learn to be kindhearted because time is not wasted if it is spent being kind.
It occurs to me that “nothing”, is a very important factor in the Christian life. That may sound strange, but it is true. You see the essence of “nothing” plays an important part in our worship of Jesus. We even sing about it in church when we sing; “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Listen to this podcast and learn why you can be thankful for nothing.
I've had this hat for many years. That old felt hat has been in two countries, on two continents, in two hemispheres, and many of these United States. When it was cold, it kept my head warm; when it rained, it kept my head dry. Its broad brim shielded my eyes from the sun and often blocked the light when I took a nap. It is a good hat! Where is my hat? Losing my hat is not important. but our nation has lost its way. listen to this podcast as I talk about this.
In the song “God Bless the USA” Lee Greenwood sings, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died to give that right to me.” I believe this to be one of the greatest songs of all time. But in honor of all veterans, I would like to change two words. I would like to say, “I won’t forget the Ones who Served to give that right to me.” On Memorial Day, we remember those who died in the service of our nation. Veterans Day however has been set aside to honor all who served and sacrificed so much for our freedom
Listen to this podcast as I honor the Veterans.
I was twelve years old and it was the opening day of deer season. It was still dark. The sun would not even think about rising for another thirty minutes. I climbed into the deer stand as Daddy’s flashlight illuminated the boards nailed into the tree. He watched as I got settled in then handed my new Winchester 30-30 up to me. Before he walked to his stand he asked me, are you scared? I said no, I’m all right. But I lied. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of this devotion.
I especially like clocks with pendulums. The swinging pendulum is marking time as it moderates and motivates the clock. With every swing of the pendulum, another second is gone. Seconds add up to minutes, minutes add up to hours and hours add up to days. This is the passage of time and time is like a great threshing machine mowing down the days of our lives. Listen to this podcast to hear more about this thing called time.
We are blessed that the Bible does not answer all of our questions. We don’t know what caused Paul to suffer, so we can identify with him in our suffering. Because we know God’s grace was sufficient for Paul's thorn in the flesh, we can be sure it is sufficient for ours too.
I want you to picture in your mind a wheel. A wagon wheel, or a bicycle wheel it doesn’t matter as long as it is a wheel with a hub, spokes and a rim. In this picture, you see the hub in the center with spokes attached to it. These spokes extend outward to the rim. The rim is the part of the wheel that touches the ground and leaves a mark. In this devotion i compare a well functioning church to well made wheel. Listen to here more.
When Jesus taught people He would often use parables. The word parable means “laid alongside of or parallel to”. Jesus would use earthly examples to teach spiritual principals. The parables that He taught took the people through grain fields, sheep folds and even into pig pens. Jesus was not one to make acquiring knowledge come easy. He knew that the experience of learning is often just as important as the knowledge itself.
A man whom I will call Mr. C is accusing God of committing crimes against humanity. He charges the Lord with malfeasance because of all the evil in the world. Referring to stories from the Old Testament he charges God with genocide. Now, Mr. C is demanding an apology from God and intends to hold Him accountable for His criminal actions. in this podcast i explain why only a fool will challenge God.
Remember this, the earth will shake, the fires will rage and storms will roar but God is always in control. He doesn't always calm our storms but He does always care for His children.
Since my porch is facing to the southeast, I am able to watch the motion picture that is the rising sun and wakening day. This morning I am watching a doe and her two babies as they feed on the remnants of my garden. From the woods I hear chattering squirrels and all around me is the unmatched music of God’s orchestra. Listen to this podcast to hear more about God's Good Morning.
Satisfaction is sweet when it comes from a job well done. Sleep comes easy after a hard day’s work. A sweat soaked shirt is a badge of honor that is achieved with honest labor. Food tastes better when you have earned it with your own abilities. Work is a blessing from God. Listen to this podcast to hear how Hard Work is indeed a blessing from God.
He was not a big shot preacher. If he were here today, he probably would not be invited to speak at the annual preaching conference nor would he be appearing at the denominational convention. And yet this simple man, while he was in chains, had the opportunity to stand before kings and governors and preach Christ and Him crucified. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the power of the simple gospel.
He is an omnipotent God with unimaginable power and ability. He is the God who spoke the universe into existence and directed light to come from darkness. He is superior to all things because He is The Maker of all things. He is the grand and glorious God who specializes in nothing special. Listen to this podcast to hear more.
If you have everything this world can offer, but you don’t have Jesus, you have nothing. If in this world you have nothing, but Jesus is your Savior, you have everything. In this podcast i am reminded that all we need is God because He is enough.
Do you feel like a nobody? Have addictions caused you to spend all you have seeking relief from your demons? Are you broken and abused? Do you stand there weeping? Is your life filled with loneliness and do you spend your days untouched and unloved. Maybe it seems that no one sees you, because no one offers help. It seems that no one cares. To the world you are nobody. In this podcast I tell l about Jesus turning nobodies into somebodies.
Early morning is best. I sit on my back porch to read, write and visit with God. Even though it is going to be hot today, the air is still cool. While the breeze whispers a peaceful melody, the birds and bugs sing the lyrics of creation. I can almost imagine that the world is at peace. However, the sound of a jet overhead reminds me that a great big stupid world is never far away. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of this devotion.
Do you remember the old schoolyard ritual of choosing teams? Remember how the two oldest or biggest would appoint themselves captains then pick their teams. They would always start by choosing the biggest or strongest or the ones with the most talent. One by one they would choose while the ones who were not so big or strong or talented would stand looking at their toes hoping and praying that this time, they would not be the last one picked. Listen to this podcast to hear about the joy of being picked first.
In the history of the Kings of Judah, Hezekiah was one of the best. He led His nation well and did many great things. However, toward the end of his reign he did something stupid. (Read this story in 2 Kings Ch.20. This thing that he did was a product of him doing what was right in his own eyes. The result was death and destruction for his children, grandchildren and nation.
God’s patience has been evident throughout all time. He was patient with Adam and Eve when they hid themselves in the garden. He was patient with David when he cheated with Bathsheba. He was patient with Jonah when Jonah ran from His calling. And He has been very patient with me when I have been everything but the man I should be.
In Matthew 11:12 we read “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” For a long time, I did not understand this verse. I would read it, scratch my head and ask God “What in the world are you talking about?” The Bible says ask and you will receive, so one day while I was driving, He showed me what this verse meant. Listen to this podcast to hear what God taught me.
As Jesus began his ministry, He called two fishermen named Simon and Andrew to be His disciples. He called them by saying," follow me and I will make you fishers of men." These were two ordinary men who were destined to remain ordinary until they trusted Jesus. Then He made them into extraordinary men. listen to this podcast to hear more.
Jesus personally called the men He wanted to be His disciples. These men were Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the Son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananite and Judas Iscariot Now we know that Jesus walked this earth as a man, but He was The Great I Am. Therefore He knew all there was to know about these men He wanted to be His disciples. listen to podcast hear more.
In this life there will be many times when you wish you had a third hand. For this reason, always make sure that your life is in the Hands of God. It is with an unwavering confidence that you can trust Him and know He will help you.
Among the last words that Jesus spoke from the cross were, "It is finished" . What was it that was finished ? What task had Jesus completed? Listen to this podcast to learn about the end of an era.
For the ones who are graduating, congratulations. The God of all creation has made you to thrive and to accomplish great things. God has a high hill for you to climb. Now it is up to you to find that hill and then climb it. People who reach their God given summit have refused to be mediocre. They are leaders who stand out from the crowd and thrive. Here are some things you must know if you are going to stand out from the world.
Listen to this podcast to hear this advice.
You and I are here in this place and this time. You did not choose this time and maybe didn’t choose this place, but here you are. I would like to suggest that you may have been chosen for such a time as this. You were uniquely created for the responsibilities and opportunities of your life.
“Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.” Children have sung this cute little song in church for decades. We think it is about a short man who could not see Jesus because of all the tall people. However, maybe we have missed the point. Maybe this story is about a group of people who are so self-centered they make it hard for others to come to Jesus. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Don’t accuse God of being unfair. You see God loves all people so much that He gave His only Begotten Son to die on the cross. Anyone who puts their trust in Jesus can have eternal life with God in heaven. However, how can anyone trust in Jesus if they have never heard of Him. And how can they hear of Him unless someone tells them about the Gospel?
Often people will say they do not believe that a loving God will send anyone to hell. They are absolutely right. God does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to Him and be saved. That is why He allowed His Son to be crucified. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn anyone. He came so that everyone would have the possibility of salvation. Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven. He wants you to choose to follow Him. If you decide not to trust Him, then you have made the choice not to go to Heaven. Listen to this podcast to hear more--
The men were laughing and talking as they enjoyed the meal. When the door opened, they turned to see a woman entering the room. In her hand she held a beautiful alabaster box. The container itself was very valuable and the men knew that the oil it held was worth more than they could earn in a year. Maybe they thought, she is going to give it to Jesus for His ministry. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story;
In the Bible, the story of Job was one of extreme brokenness. Financial ruin, heart rending grief and intense suffering left this once prosperous man crushed and shattered. In the third chapter of Job he says “For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I cannot relax or be still; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” Job never prayed for brokenness, it was what he feared and dreaded. But he was broken, and from his story we can learn how to react when we are broken.
The day of the Lord is coming soon, but we don’t know when. Therefore, we should live every day at peace with God, confessing our sins and living righteously for Him. Understand this, every day that passes without His returning is another opportunity for us to share the Hope of salvation with your neighbor. Listen to this podcast to here more about the return of the King.
Recently my daily Bible reading had me in Numbers chapter 28. As I read, I thought about how frustrated the people must have been as they tried to please God. They had laws to keep that they could never keep. So they had to make many sacrifices to atone for the laws they constantly broke. They were imperfect people trying to be perfect. They lived their lives trying to please God. But they never could no matter how hard they tried. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Useless, an old building torn down and reduced to a pile of worthless wood. Good for nothing, really all it was fit for was to be burned or left to rot. Looking at the heap of old planks I thought, maybe there is something good in there. One by one I examined the old planks. Every one of them was rough. Twisted and warped there was not a straight edge to be found. It was just an old pile of useless lumber. Listen to this podcast to hear what i did with these old boards and what God can do with broken lives.
The Apostle Paul has been credited with planting many churches. However, it is an injustice to The Holy Spirit to give Paul the acclaim for starting these churches. Paul never planted a church, he never started a church. He simply went into all the world, made disciples of all kinds of people, immersed them in the Word of God and taught them to follow Jesus. Churches popped up wherever Paul went because the Holy Spirit worked in and through the disciples Paul made.
Listen! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “The second is Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” It is true and all Christians know it. All the commandments of God are contained in these words, “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” I do not intend to take anything away from those commandments but I believe that we have missed the first commandment in this passage of scripture. You see the very first thing Jesus commanded us to do was to listen”.
Jesus knew exactly how much time He had and did not waste it. You and I however do not know how much time we have. The Bible teaches us, it is impossible to know what will happen tomorrow and that our life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Like Jesus we must realize that our time is limited and determine not to waste it.
All people have an element of brokenness within them, but few realize that God can turn their brokenness into a blessing. The blessedness of brokenness is this; God knows you by name and He wants to mend your wounds and heal your broken heart. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
The truth about Jesus is not found in the social and prosperity gospels that false prophets preach. The truth about Jesus was seen when He took a basin of water and washed the feet of His disciples. The truth about Jesus was revealed when they nailed Him to the cross and He said to the man with the hammer, “I forgive you”. The truth about Jesus saturates an empty tomb because He is not there, He is risen and now He sits at the right hand of the Father. The ultimate truth about Jesus was given to us when we were commanded to “Take up your cross and follow
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. The writers of these books of the Bible are called Major Prophets. However, these men would not be popular preachers in today’s world. They would be canceled by the woke culture. Talking heads in the news industry would call them religious kooks. Most politicians would label them as right wing terrorists and call them conspiracy theorist. The elite denominational leaders would shun them. in this podcast i call for God's people to step up and become like he old prophets.
It seems to me that men are always getting in God’s way. When The Father wants to show us great things, somebody wants us to close our eyes in prayer. When God wants to whisper in our ear, somebody wants to shout a sermon at us. And when the Lord wants us to be still and know that He is God, a lot of churches want to fill our lives with things to do. Listen to hear more.
Most Christians struggle with some type of addiction, even the most Godly among us. All of us have a thorn in the flesh of some kind. The Bible does not answer every question so we don’t know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. But we do know that God's grace was sufficient for Paul. The Bible does tell us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
I know that nothing is permanent. Where God’s Word is written in stone one day the stone will be turned into gravel. Where Gods Word is written on paper one day the paper will burn. Where God’s Word is written on lambskin one day the lambskin will rot. But God’s Word will never fail. I know God’s Word will never fail because God’s Word is written in my heart. And my heart belongs to God.
Maybe you have taken your life and wasted it. Maybe you have found yourself in the hog pen of life and hog slop doesn’t taste so good. Here is the good news, our Father in heaven has been waiting and watching and longing for you to come home. Won’t you leave the pigs and come to the Father. I can see Him now, when you start walking toward Him He will come running to you. He loves you, pig slop breath and all. Listen to this Podcast to hear more about a lost son and a Loving Father.
The first Christmas was a disappointment to many. The King of kings was born in the insignificant town of Bethlehem. His nursery was a stable; His bedding was old rags and hay. The Child would be raised in Nazareth and everybody knew that nothing good ever came from Nazareth and certainly not the Messiah.
Christmas is about hope. The soldier, the mother, the policeman and the preacher all hope and pray for the same thing. We all hope and pray for the same thing. So like the angels let this be our song, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Please listen to this podcast and pray for peace.
Sitting on top of a mountain Bethlehem is about six miles from Jerusalem. Nearby a heartbroken Jacob had buried Rachel, the love of his life. Here was where Ruth the Moabitess, fell in love with Boaz, the Lord of the Harvest. In this little village, the prophet Samuel anointed the shepherd boy David as king. And hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, Micah prophesied that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah.
Listen to this podcast to hear more about Bethlehem
So often it seems that darkness is driving us into a corner. In the darkness are you not drawn to a ray of light? When the world is dark Jesus is the light. If we will fly to the light, He will take us into His hands and release us into true freedom. Do you believe this? Do you trust Him? He is our only hope. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion.
Suddenly, there was a whoosh of air as a large pair of wings flew within inches of my head. A huge owl startled me when he landed on a limb not ten feet away. We sat at eye level, but his back was to me. Then, as only an owl can do, he rotated his head until he looked straight into my eyes. For a long second we stared at each other. We both blinked, and then he said “Who” and flew away. Listen to this podcast to hear the answer to the question of "Who" I am.
I love Thanksgiving. Families spend time together and there’s always plenty of turkey, dressing and gravy. Thanksgiving comes at the best time of the year. I love the falling leaves, the cool days, the cold nights and the smell of smoke from someone’s fireplace. I love Thanksgiving for many reasons, but most of all I love the fact that grateful people are giving thanks to our good and gracious God.
Listen ti this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion.
In this era of social Christianity, we have surrendered our ability to impact the world. Instead of the church influencing the world, the world has infiltrated the church. Once we bore the marks of Christ and had a preservative effect on the world. Now we have turned our eyes from Jesus and the marks we bear are the footprints of the world. Because like salt that has lost its saltiness we are fit only to be walked on.
Listen to this podcast to hear more.
There is a story in the Bible of David defeating the Amalekites in battle. After the battle, some of the men who fought did not want to share the spoils with the ones who guarded the supplies. In 1 Samuel 30:24, David makes it clear that he considered the ones who served in support to be just as important as the ones who served in battle. Now, not all veterans served on the battlefield. Not all veterans served in foreign lands. But all served. Every soldier on the battle field needs an army of support personnel behind him. It does not matter where they served, our veterans all served faithfully. They are all genuine heroes. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
From a human point of view I want you to know that Jesus was killed on the cross because He was guilty of committing a horrendous crime. It was a crime that mankind cannot tolerate. You can do almost anything and be forgiven, but not this. We do not forgive people for this crime. What was this horrendous crime? Jesus was guilty because He did not fit in. He stood out from the crowd. He did not do what they thought He should. He was guilty of being different, so they killed Him.
There is no such thing as a perfect pastor but that does not matter. God demands that a congregation should love and respect their pastor. They must treat him with the honor and dignity that is due to the pastoral office. In this podcast i give advise on how a church should treat their pastor.
My front yard is covered with leaves. This is not unusual. It was covered with leaves this time last year and the year before. As long there have been trees, in March the leaves begin to appear and in October they begin to fall. This is truth. It is truth because it is true. You can say that it is not true and that the leaves will not fall in October, but that would not be truth it would be a lie.
My friend is Jehovah Shalom, the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Lover of my soul and my Prince of Peace. Some people would call what I am doing, “Prayer” but I call it listening to my Friend. Sometimes when I sit listening to Him I drift off to sleep. However, He does not mind that I go to sleep, no more than I mind when my grand-baby goes to sleep in my arms. You see it’s easy to fall asleep when you know the Peace that is beyond your understanding. What a friend we have in Jesus.
Many people picture Noah’s ark as being a small boat crammed with animals. That is wrong. The ark was a huge barge like boat. It was designed to survive the most terrifying storm in history. It had no means of propulsion nor did it have a rudder. It was powered and guided by the Creator of the universe. The most amazing fact of all is that when the rain came the Ark was not crowded; it was only about one third full. Listen to this podcast to hear more about Noah's Ark.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe that to be true. I also believe that quietness is in the ear of the listener and peace is in the heart of the believer. If you choose to rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God then He will envelope you in salvation and wrap you in righteousness. Peacefulness and a quiet soul are fruits of a righteous heart. Peace and quiet is not found in a location but in the heart of a person who will be still and know that He is God.
Many people are praying for America. Most are praying that God will fix our fractured country, that He will save our nation. I don’t like being the bearer of bad news but God is not going to save America. The truth is God is not in the nation saving business. Jesus died on the cross not to save nations but to save people. So is there any hope for our nation? Listen to this podcast and hear what Christians must do now.
Proverbs 15:14 says; “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while a fool feeds on trash.” I am a physical diabetic today because for years I ate trash and junk food without moderation. Most of us today are spiritual diabetics because of the un-moderated trash that we have put into our heads, hearts and spirits. God says we need to develop a healthy hunger for righteous knowledge.
We are sending the children out of the room and telling them to be quiet because we are trying to worship, but Jesus is saying, “Hey leave them alone”! Do you want to know what worship in heaven is like? Then watch the little children. They crawl all over Jesus. They laugh, they giggle and Jesus tickles them so they will laugh some more. When they get tired, they sit in his lap and cuddle with Him.
Come to Jesus and worship Him as a little child. listen to this podcast to hear more.
It is a truth that the only thing that is unchangeable is God and His Kingdom. For that reason He has told us that we should, “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed “changed” by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1–2) How do you handle change? in this podcast i talk about the inevitability of change and how we should view it.
God has a promise for those who follow Jesus. It is a promise of salvation and eternal life. The road we travel when we follow Jesus is often intimidating and toilsome. Many people start out after Jesus but fall away when His teaching demands they take up their cross and follow Him. Those who go back from following after Jesus will never experience the promises of God, but for the ones who persist there is a crown laid up in Glory. Listen to this podcast to hear more.
In 2 Tim.1, Paul teaches Timothy that faith in Jesus was a faith worth having. Faith in Jesus is faith with a heritage. Each generation is given the Gospel and the responsibility to advance the Kingdom of God. Paul was willing to suffer anything for Jesus because of his Faith. Now you and I must decide what we are willing to sacrifice so that the next generation will inherit a Godly Heritage. Please listen to this podcast to hear more about a faith worth having.
I love to watch hummingbirds. These little miracles of flight are always entertaining. As I sit and watch, I think about what it is that draws them to my feeder. The feeder is not especially pretty so that is not why they come. It is in a good location, it hangs next to a red rose bush. But I don’t think they come for the view. The content of the feeder is very colorful, but that is not why they come either.
They don’t come to my feeder to entertain me, they come for sustenance. They don’t care that the water is colorful; they only want the nutrients that give them strength. Here is where they find the nutritional fuel to build nest and raise families. When the baby birds begin to fly, the parents will bring them to the feeder, where they know they will find sustenance. How does this relate to your walk with Jesus? listen to this podcast to learn more.
My five time great grandfather, Robert Huff, was a wealthy man who owned property in several Georgia counties. He ran a general store which also served as a post office and a small bank. Well respected in the community he held several positions in the county government.
When he died at the age of 54 in 1842, he was survived by 10 children and was buried in the family cemetery on a hill overlooking his spacious home in the Glade District of Oglethorpe County, Georgia. listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
My daddy is going to kill me! Sixteen years old and he has only had his driver’s license for a month. Driving his daddy’s truck he looks down to change the radio station and does not see the car in front of him slowing down to make a turn. Thankfully no one is hurt, but two vehicles are damaged. What happens next? Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
A character from an eighties television show was known for this catch phrase, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I believe he may have stolen that saying from the Apostle Paul. You see, Paul had a plan to preach the Gospel in Rome. However it was not really his plan, it was God’s plan. Paul made this trip to Rome, as a prisoner of Rome. On the way he was shipwrecked, snake bit and almost killed by Roman soldiers. However Paul’s faith never wavered because God had assured him that he would stand before Caesar. Paul was sure that his plans would come together, because he trusted in God’s plans. please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Here in America we are concerned for our nation. We hope and pray that God will turn us from our sins and return us to our former righteousness. However, we make the mistake of reminiscing with rose colored glasses. You see the good old days were not that good and this country has never been righteous. Understand this, God is not going to save America because God does not save nations, He saves people. Please listen to this podcast and be challenged to take the gospel into your neighborhood.
“Come and see.” This is a challenge to see in Jesus the Answer to all questions, the Object of all desires, and the fulfilled Promise of all time. Indeed the invitation is to come and see in Jesus the Final Treasure that is worth any sacrifice we have to make.
This time we live in is strange and terrifying. This world has a need for great men who will stand up for righteousness and the Kingdom of God. These men will not come from the entertainment or sports venues. Nor will they come from the pulpit or political world. The Holy Spirit is looking for ordinary men who will sink to their knees in prayer and stand on their feet to do battle with the enemy.
We have this promise; if God is for us then no one can stand against us. So, I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable can defeat us. If Jesus is your Lord, absolutely nothing can come between you and God’s love. Victory is ours because in Christ we are More than a Conqueror.
Years ago I was watching the World Series when the announcer made a profound statement. He said that the championship teams did not get to the top by practicing the doing of great things. These teams were great champions because they hit the field every day and practiced simple and fundamental baseball. Practice keeping both hands on the glove and the impossible over the shoulder catches will come. In the Bible Jesus promised that we can do great things. However, He taught us to do the simple things
On Memorial Day I pledge to remember and honor over 3,000,000 great men and women who sacrificed greatly in defense of the Constitution and for my Blessings of Liberty. Also because I am free, I will never stop glorifying my God and Savior Jesus Christ. He has given me the Rights of Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness which is found in the Hope and Promise of Eternal Life.
For the ones who are graduating, congratulations. The God of all creation has made you to thrive and to accomplish great things. God has a high hill for you to climb. Now it is up to you to find that hill and then climb it. People who reach their God given summit have refused to be mediocre. They are leaders who stand out from the crowd and thrive. Here are some things you must know if you are going to stand out from the world. Please listen to this podcast hear the rest of the devotional thoughts.
The story is told in John Chapter 5. In Jerusalem there was a pool called Bethesda. Crowds of sick people gathered there, hoping for a miracle. One man had been coming to the pool for 38 years. Jesus asked this man “Do you want to get well?” The man replied with excuses. He said “Nobody will help me and I can’t help myself.” So Jesus told him to “Get up, take up your bed and walk.” Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
One of my favorite characters in the Bible was a man named Barnabas. He was not one of the more well-known men in Scripture. As far as I know, he never performed any miracles. He is not credited with writing any of the books of the Bible. However, I am convinced that we are blessed today because God used Barnabas in a mighty way. Please listen to this podcast to hear more about Barnabas.
You may say, “I see no God, therefore there is no God.” Understand this: To the pure, God reveals Himself to be pure. To those with integrity, He shows His integrity and to the faithful, HE IS the manifestation of faithfulness. If you have eyes to see, He is the light of life. However, if you choose to remain in your blindness, for you He has reserved eternal darkness.
Jacob was a man who would grab whatever he wanted. From his brother he grabbed the birthright and their father’s blessing. From his father-in-law he grabbed, two wives, two concubines, thirteen children and many animals. Now he is between a brother who promised to kill him and a father-in-law who told him not to come back. This is when he finds himself in a ditch wrestling with God. In this podcast i talk about what can happen when you come to grips with God.
What I Learned From Jethro
We said goodbye to Jethro last week. He came here as a tiny puppy and had lived at our house for almost twelve years. He was hit by a truck and could not get well. The veterinarian said this was the best thing for him. When he gave him a shot, I held his chin in my hand and scratched his long floppy ears. While I looked in his eyes and talked to him, I felt the weight of his head in my hand and saw his eyes close. And yes I cried when RoRo died. Please listen to this podcast to hear the last thing that Jethro taught me.
The Roman soldiers dragged him from the dungeon. They made him pick up a heavy wooden beam. When the lash of the whip cut across his back, he started walking. He and two others carried the instruments of their deaths up the hill. Today he was going to die. It was what he deserved because he was a thief. How could this be the best day of His life? Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Often I stand outside on a clear night and marveled at the immense beauty of the night sky. The stars I see in the sky are innumerable and yet I know that some of the stars are not stars at all. Instead many are entire galaxies of their own. Science tells us there could be as many as 100 billion galaxies in the universe and each of those galaxies could have more than 100 billion stars. This boggles my mind. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story
I found a dead bird lying under a bush. There were no wounds on its body, nothing to show why he died. It looked as if it had just come to the end of its life. As I looked at the tiny remains, I thought about the life and purpose of a bird. What is a bird’s purpose? Well, it seems a bird’s purpose is to live, raise its young and sing. By doing what it was placed here to do, it fulfills its ultimate purpose, which is bringing glory to its Creator. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
John was sent from God. He had a purpose and that purpose was to bear witness that Jesus is the Light of the world. He was born to point to Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". John knew that he was not worthy to untie Jesus' shoes. He knew that he would decrease while Jesus increased. He knew that it might cost him his head but still he raised his voice to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Even though he knew all this, he was happy to be nothing more than “A voice crying in the wilderness. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
We must understand this; Jesus does not care about the haul of the offering plate. He only cares about the heart of the giver. One day we will all stand before the Savior. When you do, He will not ask how much money you gave or what great things you did for your church. You see, He does not care about the amount you give as long as you trust Him with all that you have. He does not need your money, but He longs to have your heart. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the one who gives the most.
His sisters were raising a ruckus. They did not think he should be working in the hot sun. But working in the vineyard is what he wants to do. Rocks have fallen from the wall and need to be replaced. Vines have to be pruned and briers must be pulled. At the end of the day Mary and Martha will continue to nag him about taking it easy. But his sore muscles and his sweat soaked clothes are trophies of life. There was blood trickling from a scratch on his arm. Lazarus looked at it and chuckled. He said, “Just think, before Jesus came, I was dead last week”!
I want to tell you a story about my neighbor Bud and his great grandson Logan. Bud is with the Lord now and Logan has grown into a fine young man. This story took place many years ago when Logan was a toddler maybe two or three years old. Bud had a pasture right across the road from my house. The pasture fence was old, the cedar posts were loose and the barb wire was sagging. One day I sat on my front porch and watched as Bud and little Logan worked on this old fence. Listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Some people ask, “Is it safe to follow God”? And I answer “no”! This very inconsiderate God that I serve has said to His children, “Take up your cross, and follow me. The very idea of a cross speaks of danger. So, no, God is not safe, but safety is entirely overrated anyway. Listen to this podcast to hear more about The Inconsiderate God.
All around where I live are places where houses once stood and families once lived. If I use my imagination, I can see these houses still standing and smell the smoke that rises from their chimneys. Children play in the yard and trace chains rattle as daddy brings the mules in from the day’s plowing. Supper is on the table. You can almost smell the corn bread and pinto beans. These imaginary aromas are wafting traces of many yesterdays. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story
I have two dogs. They are both mongrels. Jethro is a Basset Hound mix. He is not a small dog, but he is short and he is long. He has long sharp toenails and he can dig a hole in a heartbeat. I am not sure what Theo’s ancestry is. She is black with tan markings on her face and legs and she has short pointy ears. Her legs are very long, which helps her to run very fast. Her greatest asset is her loyalty. Wherever I am there she is. (Right now she is lying under the chair that I'm sitting in.) Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of this devotion.
This morning as I sit in my study there is a fly buzzing around, and I am determined to hunt it down and swat it. As I think about my place in the history of this earth I know that life is but a vapor. Along with all the billions of people that have lived here before me, I know that I and that fly will soon be nothing but dust. The Word of God tells us this, it says, "from dust you were taken and to dust you will return”. Please listen to this podcast to hear more.
She had lived on this earth for almost a hundred years; her body was worn out and tired. Her fingers would no longer play the piano and her voice was too weak to sing. Now the Savior she served was ready to receive her unto Himself. Family and friends gathered around her bed to say goodbye. Her last words could barely be heard on earth, but they rang loud in Heaven. With a soft but sure voice she said, “In Jesus’ name amen.” Then she closed her eyes and went to the place that had been prepared for her Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Joseph did not have to be a daddy to Jesus. But he listened to God and did it anyway. That is what real men do. We listen to God. Hear me men, it is time for you to step up and become the righteous leaders of the church. It is time to address the uncomfortable issues. It is time for men to be a Godly daddy to their own children. It is time for men to be a righteous father figure to those who have no daddy. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion. Thank you.
I am an American. I am blessed to have inherited the DNA of my parents and grandparents. They were and are Great Americans who worked hard and prayed harder while they worshiped and served the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. I am an American, And I pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, and now, we must again become one Nation under God and forever be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The words of famous men are often immortalized, but the reserved and quiet man will not be remembered by many. His taciturn nature will frustrate his wife and children. But his love is revealed through his actions. God has created him quiet but faithful. He does not seek to be noticed, he just seeks to please God. Great men show their greatness not with words but with deeds.
The soldier has a few hours of quiet. He spends this time cleaning his weapon and checking his equipment. Christmas is coming. He thinks about his wife and the kiss that he won't have under the mistletoe. The children will be excited as they open their gifts. He wishes he could put their bikes together. It is hard to keep the sand out of his equipment. He wonders, "Will there ever be peace on earth?"
We sing silent night, and for most of the world, it was silent. In Bethlehem most slept deep and dreamlessly, not knowing that time was being divided. The streets of the city were dark, lit only by the silent stars; no one knew that the Light of the world had come to banish darkness. Please listen to this podcast to hear more about the little toen of Bethlehem.
When God delivered His final message through Malachi, (who wrote the last book of the Old Testament), He stopped communicating with man for nearly 400 years. It was a deafening silence in divine revelation. After 400 years God broke His silence by sending angels to speak to Zacharias, Mary and Joseph. The message they heard was this. The fullness of time had come and the promised Messiah would soon be born. God had broken His silence with the sound of Christmas. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of this story.
I usually try to write something uplifting and inspiring. But today I am mad. I am mad at denominational leaders who would rather be culturally relevant than Biblically correct. I am mad at church people who celebrate sin instead of mourning sin. I am mad at so called Christians who vote for politicians who support the murder of unborn babies. I am mad at the preachers and teachers who spend all their time teaching about the love of God but have ignored the wrath of God. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of this message.
Right now we are all blessed with loved ones that we can hold in our arms. But we are also blessed by the memory of our loved ones who are in Heaven. The Bible talks about a great cloud of witnesses and I believe many of our loved ones are in that cloud. They blessed us while they were on earth and their memories bless us still. So I challenge you, honor their memory by finishing the race that is set before you. Let’s lift our eyes to heaven and give thanks with a grateful heart for all our blessings past and present. Please listen to this podcast and share with your friends.
You will scare some people to death if you read the Bible every day. False teachers will be scared because they can no longer lead you wrong. False preachers will be scared because they will be revealed. Real preachers will be scared because they are going to have to work harder to stay ahead of you. Politicians will be scared because Bible readers will not be misled by their lies. Socialists hate Bible readers because God’s word is truth and truth has given us freedom that we will not surrender. Satan trembles when you read the Bible every day because you will learn to resist the devil and when you do he will have to flee.
It occurs to me that my chickens are exhibiting the true American spirit. True Americans don’t sit around waiting to be fed, they take care of themselves. True Americans will not trade freedom for safety. True Americans will not be told when, where and how to worship. They will worship how, where and when the God of all creation calls them. True Americans don’t depend on the government but will lift their eyes unto God in whom they have placed their trust. Please listen to this podcast and share it with your friends.
I believe that laughter of children is sweet music and the love of a child can put a song in your heart. I believe that the sweat from hard work feels good and the reward of working hard is a good feeling. I believe that reading the Bible while the sun comes up is a good way to start the day. A cup of coffee while talking to God will make the day good to the last drop. The Bible tells us in Romans 15:13 “ the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion.
Captain James T. Kirk was the lead character in the science fiction series, Star Trek. The movie “Star Trek Generations” was the last one in which William Shatner would play the character of Captain Kirk. In the movie Kirk is called on to travel through time in order to prevent an evil villain from destroying millions of lives. Of course Captain Kirk won the battle and the enemy was vanquished. But James Kirk was mortally wounded. As he breathed his last he asked, “Were we successful, did we make a difference?” The answer was yes. So Captain Kirk said “Good, it was fun.” Please listen to this podcast to hear the complete devotion.
I found that reading the Bible every day gives me a sense of hope and optimism. This is why I start my day with coffee and the Bible. I don’t try to understand what I read, I just read to be in the presence of God. Sometimes what I read is boring. Those are times when I just listen to the heartbeat of Jesus. I have never regretted spending time reading the Bible and neither will you. Reading the Bible every day is good for your mind, body and soul. So read the Bible. I dare you. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the importance of Reading the Bible.
The Word of God is never wrong. Maybe your circumstances have led you to think you can disregard His teaching, but you are wrong. Perhaps your situation causes you to feel as if His commandments don’t apply to your life. If so, you need to know that your feelings are wrong. Understand this. His ways are higher than your ways and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts. If you disagree with the Word of God, you are wrong and He is right. God is never wrong! Never! in this podcast I talk briefly about the infallible constancy of Gods Word. Please listen and shrare it with your friends.
It occurs to me that every four years Americans place their hope in a different kind of superman. It is called a presidential election. We hope for truth, justice and the American way, but we will only be disappointed when the new president does not save the day. So put your hope in Jesus. He is the only One who deserves our absolute trust. He is all powerful and all knowing. He is the embodiment of Truth, Justice and Righteousness. He has defeated doomsday and no kryptonite formed against Him can prosper. He is the Maker of all things and in Him all things are held together. He is the King of Kings and at His feet all nations and all presidents will bow.
God in His kindness has appointed every season with unique blessings. For this reason I will rejoice and be glad, because every season is a season that the Lord has made. So I give thanks, not just in the fall but in every season, winter, spring, summer or fall because I know His mercy falls fresh on me.
No one has time to listen, that is, no one but God! Yes, God in Heaven is leaning forward on His throne to listen me. The Bible tells me that before I even speak God hears and answers my prayers. He promises that if I call out to Him He will hear me and show me things that are beyond my imagination. When I ask for something He gives it. When I am seeking for something He helps me to find it and when I knock, He opens the door and invites me in. God always has time for me and He will always listen to my prayer. Listen to this podcast to hear more about My God who has time to listen.
In the book of Luke, we read that the one who works is deserving of his wages. Whatever we do, our work makes our world a better place. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that the ones who will work are worthy of their pay. He also makes it clear that the ones who will not work deserve nothing. For those who will hear it, socialism is a satanic and destructive form of government. Anyone who promotes socialism is ungodly and evil. Do not be fooled by politicians who try to buy your vote by offering you things you have not earned. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the blessing of hard work.
I encourage you to handle each and every day that God gives you with prayer. Give thanks to God for every day, the good days and also the bad ones. Each one is a gift from God. Allow Him to be the puzzle master and watch the puzzle pieces fall in place. Listen to this podcast to hear more about this puzzle called life.
The Bible teaches that if we trust the Lord and not our own abilities and if we acknowledge Him then He will direct our paths. It also teaches that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Listen, if we obey Jesus, if we turn left when He says turn left or turn right when He says turn right, go when He says go, stop when He says stop, speak when He says speak and be quite when He says be quite. Then He will use us to accomplish great things. We can do nothing on our own. But with Christ in us, with His wisdom, knowledge and ability we can do anything! Even drive a truck. Please listen to this podcast to hear more of this podcast.
How great is God’s love? How long will He love you? Well, start counting all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the earth. The final number of the grains of sand is the beginning of the number of days that God will love you. Please listen to this podcast to hear more about the Greatness of God's Love.
I was twelve years old and it was the opening day of deer season. It was still dark. The sun would not even think about rising for another thirty minutes. Daddy shined his flashlight on the boards nailed into the tree as I climbed up to the deer-stand. He watched as I got settled in then handed my new Winchester 30-30 up to me. Before he walked to his stand he asked me, are you scared? I said no, I’m alright. But I lied. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
In this world we live in, racism is a commodity of small minded and manipulative people. Many politicians, most of the news media and some so called preachers, exist only for the money they make by causing heartache and division. These evil and wicked people thrive most when good people suffer. They hate it when good men forget about their differences and come together over the things we have in common. Please listen to this podcast and listen as i talk about the key to reconciliation.
I have not seen it in fifty years. But I know it’s still there. About a mile upstream from where State Highway17 crosses Broad River, there is a rock. It is in the middle of the river and at normal stage it stands about two feet above the water. The part you can see is only four or five feet in diameter and yet it has withstood great floods and terrible droughts. The strong current of the mighty Broad River continues to roll, but it will never roll away this rock. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion about the Rock.
A lot of people today have it all wrong. Instead of saying, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” they say, “Listen Lord, your servant is speaking”. People often read the Word of God, not with an open heart but with a personal agenda. They don't want to hear what God has to say. They want God to say what they wish to hear.
Important people of this generation will be forgotten by the next generation. Necessary things of today will be useless tomorrow. Up to date will become out of date and cutting-edge will become obsolete. The sun will rise and the sun will set. What is built today, the earth will reclaim tomorrow. Ancient things have already been forgotten and modern things will soon be ancient. Therefore, remember your Creator and know that while this life is only a vapor, the life we have in Jesus is eternal. Worship Him while you are in this world and be prepared to move on.
Throughout history a handful of great men have done great things for God, and we all know their names. However the Bible teaches that in Heaven the first shall be last and the last shall be first. By far the men who have done the most for the Kingdom of Heaven are the simple men whose names are not known. On earth they never hear the applause of men, but in Heaven a great cloud of witnesses will greet them with a standing ovation. With dirty hands and calloused knees they are simple but faithful servants who do their jobs well. Just like Isaac.
Nehemiah was an Israelite who loved God. He was heartbroken when he heard that his nation and the city of Jerusalem was broken and in distress. He spent many days mourning and fasting for his people. In the Bible, the book of Nehemiah is the story of how God heard and answered Nehemiah’s prayer. In Nehemiah 1:5-11, we find Nehemiah’s prayer. Today I am going to borrow Nehemiah's thoughts and adapt his prayer to fit the world we live in. This is my prayer. Please listen to this podcast and share this prayer with all your friends.
Legend has it that the apostle Paul was only about 4 feet 6 inches tall. Physically he was a small man but spiritually he was a giant in God’s army. As a soldier of Jesus Christ, he felt constant grief in his heart for those who did not know the Savior. Gladly, he would have been willing to suffer eternity in hell if it meant that lost people would be saved. When threatened with death for preaching the gospel, he knew that he was standing against the gates of Hell and he would not back down.
The heart of a daddy is a mess. It has experienced every emotion known to mankind and even some that are known only to him. It causes tears to leak from his eyes that he doesn't want you to see and cheers to come from his lips that he wants the world to hear. A daddy's heart tends to hold things in and makes it hard for a man to express his feelings. It will swell with pride and race in fear. Love will make it tender inside but it is often surrounded by a hard outer shell that needs to be cracked. Yes, a daddy's heart is a mess but it never stops loving his children. Please listen to this podcast and share with your friends.
Civilization is again in danger of being destroyed. Socialism, Islamic terrorism, atheism and other unholy factions are fiercely trying to destroy everything that is good. I believe the danger is even greater today than it was in World War 2. At least then the Nazi were across the sea. Today our worst enemies are firmly entrenched in the society they wish to destroy. We need another "Great Generation" to rise up and turn back this satanic horde of destroyers. The responsibility lies with the adults of today to raise up a generation of Godly men and women. We must become the foundation for the next great generation to stand on. Please listen to this podcast and share it with your friends.
Jesus said; “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die — ever.” If Jesus can raise a dead man for the Glory of God, He can handle your problems for the Glory of God. Bring your mess to Jesus, loose yourself and let yourself go. I promise you this, in Christ there are no hopeless situations.
I am an American, And I pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, and now, we must again become one Nation under God and forever be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
On April 19, 1775 in Lexington Massachusetts the first battle of the Revolutionary war took place. When the shooting ended and the smoke cleared, eight brave patriots lay dead. Their blood would join with the blood of many others as a priceless sacrifice to purchase our liberty. Beginning with the eight men who died that day, over 1.35 million Americans have given their lives in the service of this great Nation. When I see the blood red stripes on Old Glory, I am reminded that I must always remember and never forget the Soldiers who died that I might be free. Please listen to this podcast as i honor the ones who gave their lives for our freedom. Please share with your friends.
I often wonder about the purpose of the stars. Why did God create all these galaxies? Mankind can never visit them, they are too far away. We can never reach them so they will never provide any of our necessities. All we can do is look at them. They are beautiful, but what is their purpose? And what is the purpose of the immeasurable expanse of the universe? Listen to this podcast and consider the magnitude of the love of God.
Everyone knows that Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give death”. But did you know that he also said,” It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was not founded, by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” These words bear witness to the fact that our Founding Fathers knew that this nation could survive only if she stood on the solid rock that is Christ Jesus. Please listen to this podcast to hear more.
While mamas might think that all they do is dry tears and wipe noses and bottoms in reality what Mama is doing is molding young lives and shaping the future. For this reason, we should all rise up and call our mothers and wives blessed. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a mother who fears the Lord and loves her family should be praised. Listen to this podcast in which honor Mothers on their day.
All of us enjoy making plans. With great detail we plan weddings, surprise parties or family vacations. We save our money in anticipation of buying things. Sometimes our plans are as simple as saying “tomorrow I am going to cut grass.” But then tomorrow comes. Maybe sickness, or death will take control of your calendar. Perhaps a busted appliance will empty out your bank account or maybe pouring rain will fall on your overgrown lawn. And then all you can do is shake your head and acknowledge that you never know what tomorrow may hold.
When I watch a Superhero movie the special effects are awesome, but they cannot match the powers of my God. In 2 Samuel 22, I read that when God’s children are attacked by His enemies the anger of God is stirred. Then the earth shakes and the foundations of Heaven tremble. His voice thunders from heaven and the lightning bolts fly like arrows from His bow. Look and you will see the clouds billowing out behind Him like a cloak of righteousness as he comes, Riding on the Wings of the Wind. Listen to this podcast and hear more the greatness of our God.
Society is the house we live in and it is in shambles. It does not matter what your age is, you are not promised tomorrow. If you do not want to leave a broken and rundown house behind, do something to improve society today. Remember your loved ones are going to live in this world you leave behind. listen to this podcast to hear how a dying man set his house in order.
On April 16th, 1978 I nervously stood in front of the altar at Stinchcomb Methodist Church. When the doors swung open a beautiful girl stepped through and walk down the aisle to take my hand. The preacher asked us to promise to love each other until death did us part. We both said we would and he pronounced us man and wife. in this podcast I honor my high school sweetheart. Click the link below to listen.
In the Bible, God tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.” In these days, wickedness abounds and evil is celebrated. So now, more than ever, we need to humbly bow our heads and experience His unmistakable sovereignty. At night the whippoorwill seems to be proclaiming that God is good. In the morning it is as if the birds awaken to sing to the glory of the Righteous King. Just as the sunrise is inevitable, in the same way, we can know that the Kingdom of God is unending.
The question has been asked, “Is God punishing us with the Corona Virus?” I don’t know. I don’t know. But I do know this. When good men of God speak the truth, they are verbally stoned by the news media. I know when compassionate people of God minister to the ones who are sick and hurting, our government officials often treat them with contempt and suspicion. I know that churches are being closed but abortion mills are considered essential services. I know for so long now Jesus has stood with His arms wide open, longing to gather us under His wings. But most people are not willing to come to Him. Now Easter Sunday is upon us but the Church House will sit empty and desolate.
My question to you is this, Is God enough for you? If tomorrow all your possessions are gone will you still love and worship God? Or with all these things are gone would you think that God must not love you? Is your faith based on your many possessions or do you trust the One who made all this stuff? Listen to this podcast and be challenged to say, The Lord is my Shepherd and I want no more.
Concerning the Corona Virus, President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the government is taking bold steps to confront this crisis. At this time, more than ever, I am proud he is our president. However, my hope for the future is not now, nor has it ever been, in the government. I firmly believe that the Creator and Owner of the universe, the One True God, is ultimately our only hope for defeating this virus. Therefore, I am calling on God’s people to rise up and fervently pray. But weak generic prayers will not be effective. Today your prayer must be intense, specific and bold. Please listen to this podcast and share it with your friends as i challenge everyone to boldly pray for God to intervene in this current crisis.
I believe that laughter of children is sweet music and the love of a child can put a song in your heart. I believe that the sweat from hard work feels good and the reward of working hard is a good feeling. I believe that reading the Bible while the sun comes up is a good way to start the day. A cup of coffee while talking to God will make the day good to the last drop. The Bible tells us in Romans 15:13 “ the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” At a time when many people are concerned about the corona virus it is good to know that we have a God in whom we can trust and believe. Please listen to this podcast and share it with your friends.
His name was, well we really don’t know if he even had a name. He is known as Bartimaus, but that just means that his father was a man named Timaus. The Bible says he was a blind man who sat by the road begging. Sometimes a person would feel sorry for him and throw a cheap coin in his lap. But mostly the world saw him as a person with no sight, no usefulness and no hope. He was not even worth a name, so they just called him the son of Timaus. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story of The Man with no Name.
Throughout the Bible there are many stories of people who did great things for God despite their limitations. Moses led a nation out of slavery in Egypt. All he had was a staff and God’s leadership. David killed the giant Goliath. All he had was a rock and Godly courage. The truth is, if God ask you to do something, He will give you the ability to do it. But you can’t worry about what you don’t have, you’ve got to go and see what you do have. Listen to this podcast to hear more.
When Jesus taught people He would often use parables. The word parable means “ laid alongside of or parallel with.” Jesus would use earthly examples to teach spiritual principals. The parables that He taught took the people through grain fields, sheep folds and even into pig pens. Jesus was not one to make acquiring knowledge come easy or fast. He knew that the experience of learning is often just as important as the knowledge itself.
I usually try to write something uplifting and inspiring. But today I am mad. I am mad at denominational leaders who would rather be culturally relevant than Biblically correct. I am mad at church people who celebrate sin instead of mourning sin. I am mad at the so called Christians who defended the lap dance that was featured in the Super Bowl half time show. I am mad at the preachers and teachers who spend all their time teaching about the love of God but have ignored the wrath of God. Please listen to this podcast and share it with your friends.
“More to come” that is an assurance that the emptiness will not last. This is nice if you are looking for a book in a bookstore. But what happens if it is your life that suddenly has the gaping empty spot? Where is the promise of “more to come” when death takes a loved one. Where is the hope of “more to come” when a crazy disease steals your future? Where is the desire for “more to come” when divorce invades your marriage. Life events like these often leave us feeling empty and thinking that there cannot possibility be any “more to come.” Listen to this podcast and be assured that faith in Jesus promises that there will be More To Come.
John the Baptist, He wrote no epistles and none of his sermons were preserved for us to read. And yet Jesus said that there was never a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But when they asked John who he was he said of himself, "I am just a voice crying in the wilderness". Listen to this podcast and be challenged to humble yourself and become a simple voice for the Gospel
From religion to religion today, there are many different opinions about who Jesus is. Unfortunately, this is also true inside most mainstream Christian churches. Whether in Baptist, Methodist or any other denomination, from pew to pew you will find that people have different thoughts about who Jesus is. This has come about because so many preachers are writing sermons to please men instead of delivering messages that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Listen to this podcast to hear more about who Jesus is.
I am not a sports fanatic. But that does not mean that I am opposed to sports. I just don’t get excited about the games. I enjoy watching a game once in a while and I am happy for others who are big fans. But sometimes I think that people have rather ridiculous reactions to the big game. So these are my thoughts about the big game on the morning after.
It is important that followers of Jesus should set aside time every day to read the Bible. But do not read the Bible with an agenda. Open the Word and imagine that you are climbing on to your Father’s lap. Lean back against His chest and feel His heart beat. Close your eyes in prayer. Let Him show you things you could never see, with eyes that are focused on the world. Listen to the rumble of His voice as He tells you things that are meant only for your ears. Rest in God’s arms and find peace that is beyond your understanding.
Yes it is easy to receive salvation. You don’t have to do anything or say anything. All you have to do is trust Jesus and surrender your life to Him. However, regardless of what you may have been led to believe, it ain’t easy to live for Jesus after you’re saved. I know. I am, sixty two years old. I have been saved since I was nine. Yet I still struggle with the same sins I struggled with as a teenager. I thought it would get easier, but it didn’t.
The old year has come to an end. For most of us, in spite of our bad attitude and the gloomy talking heads on TV, we all have to admit that we had a good year. Now, the world does not want us to admit this. The news man does not make any money off good news and politicians thrive only when people are unhappy. So in the old year that is passing, the world has tried to keep us shortsighted and sour. Listen to this podcast and be challenged to have a new vision for a New Year.
Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. A tiny baby was born, a Royal Son was given. For those who will receive Him, His name is Prince of Peace. His government is everlasting and His peace will never end. It will be ordered and established with judgement and justice from this time forward and forever. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the Son of God whose Kingdom is forever and ever.
Christmas is about hope. The soldier, the mother, the policeman and the preacher all hope and pray for the same thing. We all hope and pray for the same thing. So like the angels let this be our song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Please listen to and share with your friends this devotion about The Peace that is not of this world.
This Christmas season, as we navigate the hubris of flying reindeer, jolly old elves and a little drummer boy, let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Let the beautiful lights remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world and the evergreen trees shall symbolize our hope of eternal life. Underneath the trees will be beautifully wrapped gifts, but the greatest gift of all was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
When I consider the tremendous future I have in Gods Kingdom I am struck by this one fact, it cost God everything to purchase my salvation. The Ten Commandments He gave to guide me were not enough to save me. The prophets he sent to teach me could not impart eternal life. And the words that he spoke to shine light into my darkness could not brighten my way. In order to save me God had to give all. So He did. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Please listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the devotion.
The Bible teaches that we are to rejoice always, because there is always joy to be found in Jesus. We should pray without ceasing, because we have a God who never ceases to listen to our prayers. In everything we can give thanks, because God is victorious over all things. Please listen to this podcast where i talk about the importance of Thanksgiving.
It was after my granddaughter’s soccer game. Everyone was folding their chairs and putting them in the bags. I watched as my ten year old grandson, without being asked, folded his Mama’s chair. Not far from where we stood, there was an elderly gentleman whose chair had not been folded. Jake, my grandson took it upon himself to go to the gentleman and help him fold his chair. As I watched Jake helping others, my heart swelled with pride. Jake has a gentle servant’s heart and the world is greatly blessed because he is in it. Please listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the devotion.
“Thank you for your service.” We always mean well when we say this but I have noticed many veterans seem to be embarrassed by the recognition. It is as if they would say,” I was just doing my job”. Yes, they had a job to do and they did it well. Veteran’s Day and everyday a grateful nation says thank you for a job well done. Myself, I will always be proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free and I will never forget those of you who served so faithfully to preserve that right for me. Please listen to this podcast, in it i pay tribute to to all the great veterans.
When you think of the story of Lazarus, you may think only of a dead man being brought back to life. However, it occurs to me that this is a story of Jesus’ ability to overcome the most hopeless of situations. When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, everyone thought that He was four days late. However, Jesus is never late. He simply waited until Lazarus was dead enough for people to see and believe that He is Lord over the most hopeless of situations. Listen to this podcast to hear more about Jesus overcoming hopeless situation.
All our lives most of us have heard and believed this misquote from the Bible “Money is the root of all evil.” Like all biblical misquotes, this misleading statement is perpetuated by people who will not read the Bible for themselves. The truth is money is not the root of all evil. Money is just a tool. Just like all other tools, money is not a source of evil. Evil comes from the heart of the ones who misuse the tools God has given us. Listen to this podcast and learn how to overcome the roots of evil,
I don’t know what hell is like, but I know it is an awful place. I know that it is a place of torment. I know that Jesus died on the cross, so that no one HAS to go there. I know that no one goes to the Father, except through Jesus. I know that a daddy has a tremendous influence on his children. I know that Jesus said, “ let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them.” He also said “Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” This is one of the most important devotions God has ever given me, please listen to it and share it with all your friends.
For most of us, the burdens that hold us back are nothing but mementos of things that are best forgotten. If you will listen you can hear Jesus as He says, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Cast your cares on Jesus and experience the peace and strength you were designed to have. Please click the link to listen to this podcast.
We in the Church like to say, “even so Lord come quickly.” And we should look forward to His coming. I know I do. But maybe we should stop going into our church buildings, shutting the doors behind us and singing, “The King is coming”. The reason Jesus has not returned yet, is because He is patient. God does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to repent and follow Him. Since you know this, what sort of person should you be? The Bible teaches that we should walk in holiness and godliness as we go out and tell people that The King IS coming. Please listen to this podcast and hear more about the King who is coming "Soon and Very Soon"
The old man sat in a corner of the church enjoying the worship service. He was the best preacher and teacher in the church, but he seldom spoke anymore. He was old and he was tired so he had passed the baton to another generation. But in recent months, he had begun to be concerned about the things being taught to the congregation. The pure Gospel of Jesus Christ was being changed to appeal to a larger audience. Many were teaching that Jesus was not a real person and that He was not the only way to the Father. The old man determined he must speak out. He would tolerate nothing, but the truth. Listen to this podcast to hear more about a man who challenges us to stand on the Truth.
Do you have self-inflicted scars and pains from past mistakes? Do you have wounds on your heart still festering years after someone hurt you? If so I have some good news for you. You are the kind of person Jesus likes to hang around with. Jesus loves broken people. The Bible tells us that, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart”. So if you have a broken heart or a broken marriage, if you are the victim of broken promises or broken dreams you can be sure that God has a special love for you.
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This means it is within reach and it is available to all who wish to live in it. All we have to do is reach out and take the hand of Jesus who is reaching out to us. However, most people will never receive salvation. Why? Because they have filled their arms and hands with things of this world. To reach for Jesus would mean to turn loose of their stuff. . Drop those things of the world; reach for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take the hand of Jesus and be saved or cling to this world, sink into the pit of hell and be lost forever. What profit is there for a man who gains the whole world if he loses his soul?
One of my favorite characters in the Bible was a man named Barnabas. He was not one of the more well-known men in Scripture. As far as I know, he never performed any miracles. He is not credited with writing any of the books of the Bible. However, I am convinced that we are blessed today because God used Barnabas in a mighty way.
Two of the most precious gifts that God has ever given us are work and rest. Yes, I believe that a good day’s work is as much a gift from God as a good night’s sleep. After all, what is rest without work? In my own life, I have found that sweaty clothes and sore muscles combined with the knowledge I have done the best I could, always meant I would rest good that night. It is an undeniable truth when you work hard you will sleep good. Listen to this podcast hear more about the blessing of hard work.
In the book of James we read that, “Faith without works is dead”. The message is this; it is useless to brag on God if you won’t do what He says. If you will not let God change your life, your mind, your speech,your actions and your attitudes you are not a child of God. Remember this; just because your name is on a church roll does not mean that it is in the Lambs Book of Life. Listen to this podcast and hear a modern day parable.
Important people of this generation will be forgotten by the next generation. Necessary things of today will be useless tomorrow. Up to date will become out of date and cutting-edge will become obsolete. The sun will rise and the sun will set. What is built today, the earth will reclaim tomorrow. Ancient things have already been forgotten and modern things will soon be ancient. Therefore remember your Creator and know that while this life is only a vapor, the life we have in Jesus is eternal. Worship Him and prepare to move on. Please listen to this podcast about Moving On.
We often look down on people who have made bad decisions. Emotions, personal situations and cultural peer pressure often lead people to make poor life choices. We tend to see these people as people to avoid. But the people we try to avoid, Jesus sees as precious souls. If indeed we are in Christ and Christ is in us, then we will love as He loves and learn to see everyone through His eyes of Compassion. Listen to this podcast to learn more about seeing through the Eyes of Compassion.
He sits quietly under an old fruit tree. He had planted this old tree many years ago when the heart of a young man beat in his chest. Now his body is finished. Old battle scars have become more pronounced and arthritis reminds him of all the broken bones in his life. Now the heart of an old man beats in his chest as he sits under this old fruit tree. Listen to this podcast to hear more.
A character from an eighties television show was known for this catch phrase, “ I love it when a plan comes together.” I believe he may have stolen that saying from the Apostle Paul. You see, Paul had a plan to preach the Gospel in Rome. However it was not really his plan, it was God’s plan. Paul made this trip to Rome, as a prisoner of Rome. On the way he was shipwrecked, he was snake bit and he was almost killed by Roman soldiers. However Paul never faltered because God had assured him that he would stand before Caesar. Paul was sure that his plans would come together, because he trusted in God’s plans. listen to this podcast to hear about the surety of Gods plans.
There are many people who consider gentleness and kindness to be signs of weakness. However, it is not a weakness to be kind. I believe that the power of kindness is second only to the power of the Holy Spirit. Being kind is the ultimate show of strength. Like a super hero we should be cloaked with the mantle of kindness. Please listen to this podcast to learn how to be dressed for success
The Bible does not answer every question, and that’s a good thing. It is a fact that all Christians struggle with sin, even the most godly among us. All of us have a thorn in the flesh of some kind. We don’t know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. But we do know that Paul found God's grace to be sufficient. And like Paul, we know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Listen to this podcast to hear more.
I am thankful that the God of all grace has called me to His eternal glory in Christ. I know that after I have failed miserably, He himself will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. The patience of God is driven by His love and mercy. It is because of His merciful patience and not my goodness that I know He will never leave nor forsake me. Please listen to this podcast where i talk about the sweet patience of God.
I am an American. Within my blood is the DNA of men and women who carved a life out of the wilderness. They were farmers and hunters working hard to provide food and life necessities for their families. They were businessmen who thrived in a capitalist free market society. They were Christians who built churches and shared their faith with their neighbors. Listen to this podcast to hear this devotion.
The right to worship freely is the foundational right of all the unalienable rights given to us by the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. When the Freedom of Religion is abolished all other rights will soon be gone. We must never relinquish our right to worship and the focus of our worship must always be Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only One who can give Life, Liberty and Happiness.
Read the Bible and you will hear the voice of Jesus as he teaches the whole counsel of God. Listen to the wind in the trees and be reminded that the Holy Spirit reveals knowledge of the Holy One. Hear the laughter of a child and know that there is joy in heaven over the salvation of a lost soul. Hear the shuddering sobs of mourners and understand that Jesus weeps with the broken-hearted. Just listen and the evidence of God’s love will be heard all around
Strong is the heart of a daddy. The heavy duty heart of a daddy has been crushed, broken, stretched and swollen. It has soared like an eagle and yet stooped to the eye level of a child. This great heart can roar like a lion and purr like a kitten. For the sake of his children he will stand up and fight the fiercest enemy or kneel down in prayer to the Holy Father. A good daddy places his heart in the hands of Jesus. He knows that he loves his children best when he loves the Savior the most.
As Fathers Day approaches i am remembering my Daddy and want to use this podcast to honor his memory. Thank you for listening.
Do you have self-inflicted scars and pains from past mistakes? Do you have wounds on your heart still festering years after someone hurt you? If so I have some good news for you. You are the kind of person Jesus likes to hang around with. Jesus loves broken people. The Bible tells us that, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart”. So if you have a broken heart or a broken marriage, if you are the victim of broken promises or broken dreams you can be sure that God has a special love for you Please listen to this podcast and hear about a God who can turn your brokenness into a blessing.
Jesus has called out to us because we are the ones that He Himself wants. You and I are chosen in spite of our sins and failures. He does not call us because we are good or holy. He doesn’t call us because we are righteous and just. He calls us because we are sinners in need of a Savior and He is that Savior. Please Listen to this podcast to hear more about the "The Chosen Ones".
On April 19, 1775 in Lexington Massachusetts the first battle of the Revolutionary war took place. When the shooting ended and the smoke cleared, eight brave patriots lay dead. Their blood would join with the blood of many others as a priceless sacrifice to purchase our liberty. Beginning with the eight men who died that day, over 1.35 million Americans have given their lives in the service of this great Nation. When I see the blood red stripes on Old Glory, I am reminded that I must always remember and never forget the Soldiers who died that I might be free. Please listen to this podcast as I try to honor the heroes who gave their lives for our freedom.
In 2 Tim.1, Paul teaches Timothy that faith in Jesus was a faith worth having. Faith in Jesus is faith with a heritage. Each generation is given the Gospel and the responsibility to advance the Kingdom of God. Paul was willing to suffer anything for Jesus because of his Faith. Now you and I must decide what we are willing to sacrifice so that the next generation will inherit a Godly Heritage.
Every year there are ladies whose tender hearts are especially crushed on Mother’s Day. They cringe when the pastor calls for the oldest, the youngest and the mother with the most children to stand and be recognized. They tremble when the children walk by them without stopping, as they carry gifts to the mothers in the church. It is not that they begrudge these mothers their special day. It is just that their arms long to hold the children they don’t have.
In Genesis there is a story of a man named Enoch. The story goes that Enoch walked with God every day. But one day Enoch could not be found, because that day God took him home to heaven. Now I think that like Enoch, those who suffer from Alzheimer’s walk close to God in ways you and I cannot understand. As these gentle old souls shuffle along on their last journey, I think that God walks with them. He listens to their jumbled words and untangles their confused thoughts. Then one day they are no longer here, their journey has ended. God has taken them home. Please listen to this podcast about the last journey of the Gentle Souls with Alzheimer's.
Someone once asked President Ronald Reagan how he wanted to be remembered after he was gone. His answer was, “I don’t care, I won’t be there”. This great man understood that in the grand scheme of eternity even the actions of presidents will dissipate in the winds of time. You and I should also remember that our life on earth is like a shadow and like a cloud our works will fade away. It is a wise person who leads souls to Christ. The Bible says “Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens. Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” This is a promise that will never fade away.
Fear Not,The tomb of Jesus is filled with victory,death has lost its sting and the grave has lost its power. the stone was rolled away to show that the grave could not hold the King and will not contain the soul of a child of God. listen to this podcast to hear more.
The Suffering Servant on a donkey brings peace and drives away fears. He says to us today, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27). Things taught by men are often wrong but the Revelations of God never are. What is revealed to us by this story of Jesus riding on a donkey? This simple truth, kingdoms won by victorious conquerors are temporary but Life given to us by the Suffering Savior is eternal.
The Word of God is always right. It is always right about everything. Now you may have an incredible IQ or you may be abundantly ignorant, however if you say, "I know what the Bible says but this is what I think." Be assured of this. God does not care what you think. If you disagree with God you are wrong and He is right! Always! Please listen to this podcast to hear the res of this devotion.
In Philippians 4:11, the Apostle Paul tells us that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. Paul knew that no matter what he faced in life, God was good and greatly to be praised. So let us learn to be content in whatsoever state we find ourselves. In good times or bad, in comfort or pain, in sickness or health, let us lift our hearts to heaven and praise God anyhow. Click the link to listen to this podcast.
These are dangerous days for children of The One True God. Satan is known as the prince of the power of the air. For this reason, when a hand full of Mohammed followers are murdered, the whole world hears about it. However, every week hundreds of Christians are murdered by Muslim faithful and the airwaves are silent. These are dangerous days. The world hates those things that God loves. That is why evil people defend the murder of babies, promote the persecution of Christians and seek the destruction of families. Please listen to this podcast as i brag about My God who still reigns;
Sometimes your heart is broken from loving people who take your love for granted. Your tears flow like a river and you want to give up. So give up. Climb onto the lap of Jesus, lean against His breast. The tears He once shed, He shed for you. The blood he once bled, He bled for you. Listen to his heart beat. Once this heart was broken for you and now it beats for you. Close your eyes and rest, the enemy dare not attack, because you are near to the heart of God.
Paul was devoted to the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. He was determined to boldly open his mouth and preach truth to all people. He knew what was right and would not let the world turn him around. He put on the whole armor of God and went to battle with the ruler of darkness. He did all he could to stand and then he stood his ground. Knowing that the shield of faith would protect him from the fiery darts of the evil one, he refused to back down. Please listen to this podcast to hear more;
Jesus is my Savior. When I was a nine year old boy, I reached out my hand to Him and trusted Him with my life. I didn’t understand a lot about Him. But that was okay, because He understood everything about me. My faith in Him was not misplaced. He has never failed me. I have many good friends and loved ones whom I can trust with things of this world, but for my eternal hope I will trust in no other name than Jesus. Please listen to the podcast to hear more.
This is Why There is a popular game show that awards points not for giving the right answer but for asking the right question. Imagine if you will this scenario. Contestant number one says, “I would like to take Struggling Churches for 500.” The host then says, “1 Corinthians 16:22 says If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let Him be accursed.” Contestant number one is then awarded 500 points when he asks the question, “Why are so many modern churches dead and dying?” Please listen to this podcast to hear more about why some churches are dying.
Today there are a lot of people struggling with things they need to be saved from. Alcoholics wish God would set them free from the bottle. Drug addicts beg God to deliver them from their pills. Porn addicts hate the images that haunt their screens. On the highways, road rage is destroying the testimonies of fish emblems. People everywhere are begging God to save them, but God will not save them until they are willing to be their own savior. Listen to this podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Let me say a few words about the sanctity of human life. It is my belief that the Creator ordains life and HE sees as precious, each breath and heartbeat of every life. However, we live in a time when mankind has clashed with humanity. Today for many, human life has been deemed to be disposable. Please listen to this Podcast to hear more about The Sanctity of Human Life
King David was known for being a “man after God’s own heart”. Davy Crockett was known for his stand at the Alamo. My friend David McConnell is known for faithfully pastoring Northside Baptist Church for twenty six years. I am sure many times throughout the years David felt God’s smile upon him because he too is a man after God’s own heart. I am also sure that many times in his ministry he must have felt like he was at the Alamo and wondered if he was going to get out alive.
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When Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer, He was not necessarily instructing them to memorize and repeat these words. I believe in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus was teaching principles for us to apply to our prayer life. Each line of this short prayer contains important truths that we should contemplate as we pray. Doing so will transform our prayer life, but not just our prayer life,it will transform our whole life.
I saw God today and He is good. I sat in a waiting room as my wife had a medical test done. This is the kind of place where people receive good and bad news. Sitting here watching people come and go, I sensed the presence of God and His grace all around me. I sit here saturated in the knowledge that God is good.
Our nation is in one heck of a mess. Sin is rampant. The murder of babies in the womb has been designated a woman’s right. Perversion has been normalized. Things that used to disgust us now entertain us. Furthermore, Christians are enjoying this entertainment just as much as lost people. God has commanded His people to come out be a separate people, but we have found it easier to blend in than to stand out listen to this podcast to hear about the only hope we have in in America today.
The Bible tells us that God is looking throughout the earth for people whose hearts are loyal to Him. When He finds such people He will show His strength on their behalf. You and I will never change the world, but we can change our actions. Whatever we do, we must choose to do it enthusiastically as if we are doing it to please God and not men. If we do this, men will see our good works and God will be glorified. Listen to this podcast to hear more about A Job Well Done.
When you read the Bible every day, it becomes an influence in your life. Wherever you walk, you will experience God’s guidance. You can lay down to sleep knowing that He will watch over you and when you wake up you know that God will be there to talk with you. Read the Bible regularly and it will become a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.
Listen to this podcast and be challenged to spend time reading Gods Word everyday.
When the angels had gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s go see this Baby that the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing Jesus, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were surprised. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Listen to hear the rest of the story
Christmas is about hope. The soldier, the mother, the policeman and the preacher all hope and pray for the same thing. We all hope and pray for the same thing. So like the angels let this be our song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
From the Bible, we are taught that long ago in Bethlehem a Child, a tiny baby was born to a virgin named Mary. We are also taught that a Son, The Son of God was given to the world. And now, because of the birth of this Child and the gift of the Son, the Light of Life is shining for the people who once walked in darkness. God became a man and dwelt among us so we no longer have to dwell in the land of the shadow of death. The Lord’s promise of hope has been kept.
Please listen to this podcast and hear more about the Promise of Hope.
His name was Joseph. His calling was possibly and probably the most important task ever given to a man. Joseph was chosen to be the earthly daddy to the Son of God. He could have rejected this responsibility but He didn’t. Instead, Joseph chose to be the daddy he didn’t have be. Listen to this podcast to hear more,
I have no intention of eulogizing the Former President,” better men than I will do that”. These words that I record today are simply to remind everyone that death is no respecter of persons. As a pastor I have ministered to both wealthy and poor families during times of grief. I can attest that death cares nothing about the status of a person and heartbreak is a common denominator for all people.
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Ninety-nine sheep are safe. Only one is missing. Outside it is cold and dark. The wolves are howling. It is dangerous to go out. Some shepherds would say, “I have ninety-nine that are safe, I won’t concern myself with the one that is lost.” But not the Good Shepherd. He knows his sheep by name and his heart trembles for the one that is lost. Listen to this podcast to hear more about The One That is Lost.
Most of the time when we talk about giving thanks, we make a list of people and things that are currently in our lives. This is as it should be, because we are surrounded by present blessings. However, today I have blessings from the past on my mind.
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In the song “God Bless the USA” Lee Greenwood sings, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died to give that right to me.” I believe this to be one of the greatest songs of all time. But in honor of all veterans, I would like to change two words. I would like to say, “I won’t forget the Ones who Served to give that right to me.” On Memorial Day, we remember those who died in the service of our nation. Veterans Day however has been set aside to honor all who served and sacrificed so much for our freedom. Listen to the podcast to hear more,
People often asked me, “Where do you get the ideas for the devotions that you write?” The short answer is,” God gives them to me.” The long answer however is that I have learned to see the evidence of God in all my surroundings. This forensic evidence confirms the power of His love. Just as with Jeremiah, the proof of God ignites a fire in my soul that cannot be contained. It is my inspiration to write and to preach.
The Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. It’s profitable for correction and instruction in righteousness. However, it’s useless if it’s not opened and read. Furthermore it’s dangerous to misquote, quote out of context or tell people the Bible says what it does not say! The sad truth is, many Christians don’t read the Bible. Most of the time when someone tells you what the Bible says they are not quoting Scripture, they are quoting what someone else has said about scripture.
Although it may be the best one we have, I realize that the word awesome is inadequate to describe my God. His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. My feeble command of the English language cannot do Him justice. So I will borrow these words from an old hymn and say, how marvelous, how wonderful. Indeed how awesome is Jesus Christ my Lord.
It is Sunday morning. I’m scheduled to preach in a few hours. I get up early to begin my day with prayer and reading God’s Word. The moon was in the dark stage last night, so as I sit on the back porch with my Bible and a cup of coffee, it is utterly dark outside. The sounds I hear are night sounds. Frogs and bugs are singing the songs that they have been given to sing. Two owls communicate over long distance about their night’s work. As I sit and listen to the night sounds, it occurs to me that the darkest night is part of God’s plan and it is always followed by the rising sun.
God is the great creator of all things. He is the grand architect of an ever expanding universe. He is The Master and Maker of all living things. He counts the stars in the sky and knows them by name. It is God who holds all authority and nothing is done without His permission. He holds the hearts of all of the rulers of this world in His hands. Those rulers don’t have time for me, but God does. He is my Father in Heaven and He loves to spend time with me.
Underneath the sun, the people rage and plot vainly against our omnipotent Lord. They imagine they can free themselves from His laws. Corrupt and wicked people conspire to do evil things to God’s righteous ones. Sometimes we feel as though we are being chewed up like bread. We wonder does God hear our prayers. Yes, He hears our prayers. From his throne in heaven, He laughs and ridicules the ones who conspire against Him and His chosen ones. We will prevail because in Heaven our God reigns.
Fall must be God’s favorite time of the year. Look around see the weeds that you have fought all year, now doing a yellow victory dance! The leaves have fulfilled there obligation to the trees and now they proclaim God’s glory with a blast of colors. The cool nights make you reach for a blanket and the mild days are fore runners of heavens comfort. And what about the sun. God puts on a brilliant display with the sunrises and sunsets and it seems that even at mid- day the sunlight has a different shade of Glory
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When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he unleashed the second law of thermodynamics upon the world. This law states, that when left alone everything will collapse, breakdown, or wear out. When God created this world it was perfect and incorruptible. The first man Adam, chose to rebel against God and sin entered into the world. The curse of sin brought death and destruction. Therefore, we have to work hard to maintain houses and machines and our bodies or they will deteriorate.
Here today and gone tomorrow is our life on this earth. Yes, life is brief but everlasting hope is found in Jesus. In Him we can find the Way we can travel, the Truth we can believe and Life that is eternal. “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and gracious in all His acts. The Lord is near to all who call out to Him. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him. He hears their cry for help and saves them. The Lord guards all those who love Him. Let every living thing praise His holy name forever and ever.” Psalms 145:15-21
Satisfaction is sweet when it comes from a job well done. Sleep comes easy after a hard day’s work. A sweat soaked shirt is a badge of honor that is achieved with honest labor. Food tastes better when you have earned it with your own abilities. Work is a blessing from God. Throughout the Bible we find God honoring and blessing the people who work hard and earn their own food. But in 2 Thessalonians 3 we find God saying that a person who will not work should not eat.
God has promised that with a little faith, we can prayerfully move mountains. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, your prayers can bring healing to the sick, salvation to the lost and hope to the hopeless. This is true for all of us who believe in the power of Jesus our Savior. Sometimes in our human frailties, we struggle to believe this. But if we cry out to Jesus, He will help us in our unbelief.
A rich young man once asks Jesus how he could enter into Heaven. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give away the proceeds, and follow Him. Sadly, the young man missed Heaven because he could not turn loose of his stuff. Does this mean that riches and wealth are evil? No! It means that we must understand all we have comes from God. If you love your stuff more than you do Jesus, there is no place for you in Heaven. If you don’t have time for God now, He won’t have time for you later.
Joseph was his real name, but the Apostles nicknamed him Barnabas because Barnabas means, “Son of Encouragement”. He had the gift of encouragement and used it to inspire people to do their best for God. Even the greatest men in the Bible often needed encouragement. And God used Barnabas to inspire the hearts of at least two of the most important men in the New Testament. Listen to this podcast to hear more about The Encourager.
God is our Master. He has promised us that He will never leave or forsake us. And He won’t. But we are prone to wander and be disobedient to the Father who loves us. His grace is sufficient and His Love is everlasting so He sends the thunder. When storms hit in our lives and we call out to God, He will hear us and let us in because He loves us and wants us to feel safe. We can always feel safe when we learn to stay close to the Master
When the lightning flashes and the thunder rolls, I will worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. I know that the voice of God thunders over the earth and is powerful and full of majesty. His voice speaks with the tenderness of a deer giving birth or the fierceness of an earthquake that brings down great buildings. In his temple everyone shout,” Glory!” The Lord is enthroned as King forever. Our God gives strength to His people forever. The Lord will bless His people with peace forever. For this reason I will always rejoice and praise God when I hear the thunder roll.
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People often write things on their hands as reminders. But what they write is temporary, it will only last until they wash their hands. But God will never wash you from His hands. The Bible says that you are inscribed in His hand. That means that your name is not just written, it is carved into His Hand. It is permanent.
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The Bible tells us that God’s plans are greater than our plans and His ways are greater than our ways. Bill Borden knew that obedience to God is the only way to be truly successful. His story is a challenge for us to surrender to God with no reserves, to follow Jesus with no retreats and to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit with no regrets. Listen to this Podcast to here the story of Bill Borden a man who served God with no reserve, no retreats and no regrets.
Has hopelessness become a resident in your heart? The loss of a loved one may make you think that life can’t go on. Financial ruin can remove a roof from over your head. A disease diagnoses may put your future in doubt, or a prison sentence can convince you that your life is over. These things can rob you of your will to live and your hope for a miracle. But don’t let your heart drown in despair. The Bread of Life is here now. Jesus says; rise up and eat. So rejoice in the Lord and find joy in the God of your salvation. In His presence, miracles are possible because He is The Destroyer of Hopelessness.
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OK, I live in the south. I ask the blessing over my food and I say y’all. When I see my friend I ask him,” how’s your Momanem” and when a strange dog comes in my yard I holler, “gitonoutahere”. I am not afraid of hard work and I have a perfect farmers tan. The culturally elite sneer at me and call me a redneck. But I am not offended, because I am proud of my southern heritage.
Long before the creation of Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, there were brave men who stood on truth, believed in justice and invented the American Way. These great men were the signers of the Declaration of Independence. These men were not bullet proof, but they were willing to face a hail of bullets for the sake of freedom. They firmly relied on the Protection of Divine Providence as they pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in support of the Declaration of Independence.
It is my belief that most people don’t care what the church looks like or where it is located. They don’t really care if the sermons are colorful or entertaining. What people want, what people need is sustenance. A church that provides the Holy nutrients that are needed to live and raise a family will be a growing church.
A daddy's heart is big. It has to be. It has to be big enough to hold strength, courage, wisdom and gentleness. A daddy needs to be brave enough to kill spiders and strong enough to open jars. He must be smart enough to fix a bicycle and gentle enough to eat imaginary cookies. A daddy's heart has the wisdom to let little hands do what they can and knows when to help and when not to help. Most daddies don't know how big their heart is, but it is big enough to love his children with an unending love
The Bible teaches "Children are a heritage from the LORD. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” Arrows are made to fly high and fly far. They are also made to fly straight and true. But it is the strength of the archer that bends the bow and launches the arrow. It is the skill of the archer that aims the arrow and hits the target. It is the wise archer who develops arrows to be true and straight.
What do you do when the world draws you away from The Heavenly Father? What do you do when it is dark and you don't know how to get back to Him? Well you call out to Him. You can be sure that He will hear and He will answer your call. In Psalms 141:1 we read; “LORD, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.” If you find yourself separated from God and it is dark just keep calling out to Him and He will keep answering you. You will never forget the sound of His voice as it leads you home.
The writer of Psalms prayed “Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, so that I may know how frail I am." (Psalm 39:4) I have a feeling that if you knew the measure of your days, then your favorite TV show would go unwatched and you would not care who won the ballgame. Instead it is likely that time spent with family, friends and loved ones would become very precious. And time spent on our knees before God would become absolutely essential. So, what if you knew the number of your days
In Philippians 4:11 the Apostle Paul tells us that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself in. Paul knew that no matter what he faced in life that God was good and greatly to be praised. So let us learn to be content in whatsoever state we find ourselves in. In good times or bad, in comfort or pain, in sickness or health let us lift our hearts to heaven and praise God anyhow.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” As Christians, we must honor Jesus who gave His life that we might live. As Americans, we must honor those who died that we might live in freedom. On Memorial Day we are reminded to always remember and never forget that our God given rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness have been sealed by the blood of many great American heroes.
Jesus is asking us today, “Do you want to be made well?” For as long as I can remember I have heard Christians talk about the need for revival. Myself and other pastors have dreamed of a great spiritual awakening. Congregations all over the world are wondering how they can keep their sick churches from dying. Meanwhile we go into our buildings, pull the doors closed behind us, and hope for a supernatural movement to stir the waters.
It does not matter who you are, what you do or how much money you make if you honor your mother she will be proud of you. How do you love your mother? With all your heart. Love her in such a way that she will be thankful for all the time she invested in you all the money she sacrificed for you. Remember whoever you are you owe a lifetime of love to your mother.
For all of who are graduating from school I want to say congratulations and God bless you. I hope you know that the God of all creation made you to thrive and to accomplish great things. I Challenge you to find the high hill that God has for you and then go climb it. Do not let the world form you in its image. A habit of great people is that they do not imitate mediocre people. The Bible says;“Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate," (2 Cor 6:17) If you are going to thrive you have to stand out from the world. If you are going to impact the world you have to refuse to blend in with the world. Eagles don’t roost with chickens and chickens don’t soar high above the world. You were made to soar. Here are some things you must know if you are going to stand out from the world
Some people ask, “Is it safe to follow God”? And I answer “no”! This very inconsiderate God I serve has said to His Children, “Take up your cross, and follow me.” The very idea of a cross speaks of danger. So, no, God is not safe, but safety is entirely overrated anyway
Many people have a picture of the Noah’s ark as being a small boat crammed with animals. That is wrong. The ark was a huge barge like boat. It was designed to survive the most terrifying storm in history. It had no means of propulsion nor did it have a rudder. It was powered and guided by the Creator of the universe. The most amazing fact of all is that when the rain came the Ark was not crowded; it was only about one third full.
On April 16th, 1978 I nervously stood in front of the altar at Stinchcomb Methodist Church. When the doors swung open a beautiful girl stepped through and walk down the aisle to take my hand. The preacher asked us to promise to love each other until death did us part. We both said we would and he pronounced us man and wife.
Often people will say they do not believe that a loving God will send anyone to hell. They are absolutely right. God does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to Him and be saved. That is why He allowed His Son to be crucified. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn anyone. He came so that everyone would have the possibility of salvation. Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven. He wants you to choose to follow Him. If you decide not to trust Him, then you have made the choice not to go to Heaven.
Two disciples were very disappointed in this Man named Jesus. They thought He was going to use His power to overthrow the Romans, restore the kingdom of David and set them free. But He did not do things the way they thought He should. And now He’s dead. So they said, “ it’s over we might as well go home.
What are we here for someone asked? Well, we are here to see Jesus, the Messiah. He is going to be the national Liberator. That is why we wave these palm branches. You see Jesus is going to save us from the Romans. The people who were enjoying this parade the most understood it the least. I believe Jesus had tears flowing from His eyes that day because these people were looking for the wrong thing
Today I hope you hear about Jesus. I hope you will push through the crowd and reach out for Him. Have faith only in Jesus. He will stop everything to reach out to the ones the world ignores. Everybody is somebody to Him. The Bible tells us that God is rich in mercy. Because of His great love, even when we are nobody and dead in our sin He makes us somebody who is alive in Christ. Wow, look at the love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Anybody can reach out to Jesus because everybody is somebody to Him.
Maybe the thought of groveling at the feet of Jesus seems unpleasant to you. If so, then remember that the Bible says you should, clothe yourselves with humility because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He May lift you up in due time. It was humility that made Jairus righteous and you can be sure that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. His ears are attentive to their prayers.
Don’t be satisfied to learn only from preachers and teachers. Take time to ponder the Word for yourself. Slow down and meander thru the pages of the Bible. The world will tell you what to think, but Jesus wants you to know how to think. That is why it is the journey to knowledge that is most important, because it is in the journey that you gain wisdom. Knowledge without wisdom is foolishness.
You are blessed when you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. This world is not your home. The people who are at home in this world will always hate God’s servants. In this world you will be abused and harassed. People will always report evil lies about you. However through it all you can find joy and great happiness because yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. You are truly blessed because great is your reward in Heaven.
Jesus Christ is the only one who can deliver us from evil. Because of the mercy that He has shown to us, we are indebted to share our hope with our neighbors. We must never be ashamed of His Gospel because it is the power of God for salvation. He has built us into a mighty Church and against His Church the gates of Hell cannot prevail.
Now, God never promised His children that every day would be good. But if we trust Him, we will find that everyday God is good. As a child of God, we have only seen the beginning. We don’t know how we will end up! Our eyes cannot see, our ears cannot hear and our hearts cannot understand the fullness that God has for His children. We know that faith is the essence of things hoped for and the certainty of things not seen. It is our faith in Jesus that fills our empty hearts and guarantees us that there is “More to Come”!
The steps of this good man had been ordered by the Lord. All his life he had been delighted to walk in the Way. Once he had been young but now he is old. Often he had fallen but he had never been cast down. In his righteousness, he had never been forsaken because he was like a tree that was planted by the rivers of water. In the stillness, he tasted the goodness of God’s Love and he was glad to sit in the shade of the old fruit tree.
Here is a question. Is there anyone whose crimes and sins seem so horrendous to you, that you think they deserve to go to hell? Would you refuse to pray for or share God’s truth with that person out of fear that they might be saved? If so, you would choose to condemn someone else to hell. The Bible says in Romans 2:1 “ you are inexcusable, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself.”
Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples. Alan and Barnabas probably never consider themselves disciple makers, but they were. Neither of them ever led a weekly discipleship group. But they both taught many to walk in paths of righteousness for the sake of the good name of Jesus.
Jesus tells us in the Book of Matthew that we should take His yoke upon ourselves. When He says this, He means that He wants us to work along side Him in the Father’s business. Jesus’ yoke is easy because He is the one carrying the load. When He allows us to walk with Him, it is not because He needs us but because He loves us and wants us by His side. Put your hand in His hand and you will find that He is working on you, making your soul fit for His kingdom
God is a giver of Grace. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” God the Father with His Marvelous Grace is saying to everyone “Come with Me and all I have will be yours. I will be your Father and you will be My child. And you will never be homeless again.”
I hope you have a blessed and happy New Year. It is my prayer that in the days to come you will cling to God’s promises. No matter what your incredible journey brings, may you always find peace in the presence of our Lord.
Christmas is a hard time of the year for many people. If that includes you then My heart goes out to you. But be encouraged, you may be disappointed at Christmas time but you will never be disappointed with Christ. As our Savior He gives us hope, as our Messiah He gives us peace, as our Lord He gives us comfort and as our King He gives us the victory. And please don’t forget that Jesus brings joy to the world and joy to you and me.
Jake my eight year old Grandson reads the Christmas Story. It is my prayer that as we celebrate the birth of Jesus we will do so with the wonder of a child. Merry Christmas From Down Where The Pavement Ends
Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. A tiny baby was born, a Royal Son was given. For those who will receive Him, His name is Prince of Peace. His government is everlasting and His peace will never end. It will be ordered and established with judgement and justice, from this time forward and forever.
Christmas is about hope. The soldier, the mother, the policeman and the preacher all hope and pray for the same thing. We all hope and pray for the same thing. So like the angels let this be our song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Douglas Huff From Down Where the Pavement Ends
God with us, what does it mean? The real question is what does it mean to God? You must understand everything revolves around Him. He will not attach Himself to your plan for your life; instead he offers you the opportunity to attach yourself to His plans. His plans are higher and greater than ours. Our ways are at best mediocre, His ways are meteoric.
The day of the Lord is coming soon, but we don’t know when. Therefore, we should live every day at peace with God confessing our sins and living righteously for Him. Understand this, every day that passes without His returning is another opportunity for us to share the Hope of salvation with our neighbor. The promise was made and the promise will be kept, Jesus Christ will return in all His glory. So let us rejoice, because soon and very soon we are going to see the King.
This Christmas season, as we navigate the hubris of flying reindeer, jolly old elves and a little drummer boy let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Let the beautiful lights reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the world and the evergreen trees shall symbolize our hope of eternal life. Underneath the trees will be beautifully wrapped gifts, but the greatest gift of all was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The Bible teaches that we are to rejoice always, because there is always joy to be found in Jesus. We should pray without ceasing, because we have a God who never ceases to listen to our prayers. In everything we can give thanks, because God is victorious over all things.
The murders in a small church in Texas were heartbreaking and terrifying. But they only scratch the surface in this war that the Bride of Christ is called to fight. Satan is our enemy. He leads an army of reprobates in an attempt to stop God’s people. Homosexuals, abortionist, socialist and anarchist are following their father the devil in his attempt to destroy families and churches. But the battle belongs to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and we stand in the power of His might.
Jesus is the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost. He is looking up at you on your limb and saying, “Come on down I want to go to your house today.” If you will receive Him, He will bring salvation to your house. Then you can quince your thirst with His living water, satisfying your hunger with the Bread of Life and rest your weary head on His gentle shoulder.
It is good to go up on a mountain sometimes, because down here the world looks pretty messed up. Wars and rumors of wars and the wickedness of man make this world look hopelessly bad. But on the mountain you can see the world as God sees it. He has said, I am God and I change not. Because He does not change God the Father still says, “It is good". Listen to this podcast and find encouragement in our unchanging God.
The next time you see a falling leaf let it remind you of the truth that Jesus died on the cross, not so that you could continue in sin but so that you could be rescued from your sin. Also, the next time you see a leaf being cast to the ground let it remind you that unconfessed sin will cause many to be cast into the pit of hell. And that is truth whether you like it or not.
Through the years there have been a lot of things that I would have liked for God's people to know about the pastoral position. But I never felt comfortable teaching these things because I was afraid that as a pastor it would have appeared to be self-serving. I always wished that someone else had at some time in the past taught these truths. Now that I am not the pastor of a church I can teach these truths without appearing self- serving. This devotion is taking from a message in which I teach about what God would have you to know about the office of the pastor. Please listen and then go and honor your pastor. I am available for speaking engagements and would love to share the message about, "What God Wants a Church To Know About Their Pastor"
life is but a vapor here today and gone tomorrow. We can do nothing about that. But we can live our lives in such away that one day when we stand before the God of Eternity, He will say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant!” and that my friends is the only thing worth living for!
My Mama, will be the first to tell you that she is not perfect. Never having much money, but raising nine children who always felt like they were rich, could only be done with love from an almost perfect heart. Because of my Mama’s love and prayers, all of her children grew up to love Jesus. She also taught Sunday School for years and years. Hundreds of children learned about Jesus because Mama always had a perfect love for Him and the little ones He loved. Please listen to this podcast, in it I honor my Mamma on her eightieth birthday.
The Bible teaches that one day, “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” The Bible also says that we should seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. The truth is there is no profit to be had in all the gold in the world. It is only the treasure that you lay up in Heaven that really matters.
Remember this, the earth will shake, the fires will rage and storms will roar but God is always in control. He doesn't always calm our storms but He does always care for His children.
The greatest nothing of all was found that Sunday morning when the ladies went to the tomb to anoint the dead body of Jesus. The stone was rolled away and when they looked inside they saw, Nothing! He was not there. He is alive! He has defeated death, hell and the grave and Nothing could hold Him down. Nothing can rise against Him and prosper. Nothing is more powerful than God and nothing is more beautiful than His Majesty. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, Nothing is as solid as Jesus.
There is a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of the church. This battle is in the local church but not for the local church. The battle is for the people that God gave His Son to save. We should know we are losing the battle when we center our attention on the church and not the people that we are called to evangelize.
I spent the day of August, 21 2017 with two young men that I love with all my heart. The Total Eclipse was awesome, but seeing it with Kent and Jake made it a million times more special. Together we wasted a day and watched as the heavens declared the Glory of God. It was a day well wasted.
The Bible tells us that a child of God is more than a conqueror. What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? Well, a person who is more than a conqueror knows that the fight is fixed and he cannot lose. As they enter the battle they know that they can be wounded and injured and there will be times when they are frightened and discouraged. And yet we are more than a conqueror because we have the assurance that whoever is born again has already overcome the world. Our hope is in Christ and He has already made us victorious.
Many people start out to follow Jesus, but the road to eternal life is narrow and difficult. Along the way most people will stumble and fall. Many will be lost unless someone is willing to be there for them. Will you be a Barnabas? When someone falls, will you help them up, when someone fails, will you give them another chance, and if someone is going in the wrong direction will you show them the right way. The challenge in this podcast is for Christians to help their brothers and sisters when they stumble.
Walking with Jesus is I like a marathon and not a sprint. Many people profess to be followers of Christ but starting the race is not the same as finishing the race. The Apostle Paul taught us that to follow Christ requires endurance and perseverance. In Hebrews 12 he tells us that we should “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, always looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. If we are going to receive the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus we must forget those things which are behind us and press on. If you fight the good fight and keep the faith, then you will hear the applause of Heaven as you finish your race.
The Bible teaches that we are to go into all the world making disciples and teaching them about Jesus. When God asked, “ who will go for me.” Jack McVeigh answered and said,” Here am I Lord, send me.” He was given the power of the Holy Spirit, and through the lives of the many people that he reached with the Gospel Brother Jack has truly gone into the whole world making disciples. In this podcast I honor my friend and mentor, a man who truly is " A Man After Gods Own Heart".
God in his wisdom has made us diverse. It is our differences that give us our individual value to the Kingdom of Heaven. Even though we all have different talents and abilities, we must understand that our greatest asset to God is our faithfulness.
The Great Engineer of The Universe says in Genesis chapter eight, “As long as the earth endures, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” When I go to gather my tomatoes and have to wipe the sweat from my face, I will give glory to God because the sweat of my brow is a testimony that His promises will never fail.
Most of the songs that we sing in church are prayers. A song we sang in church yesterday was no different. In the first verse the prayer was for righteousness and in the second verse the prayer was for holiness. These are good things to pray for, but the third verse had this prayer in it, it said: brokenness is what I pray for”. It was then that I stopped singing, and I asked myself why anyone would ever pray for brokenness. Do you understand what you are asking for?
God is my reward, my cup overflows with His blessings. He holds my life, my future in His hands. His surveyors have drawn the boundary lines for my inheritance, it is a beautiful and pleasant place. Psalms 16 is the inspiration for this podcast, please listen and be encouraged.
In this podcast i confess that in the past i have self-righteously judge peoples prayers because i perceived them to be theologically incorrect. But God does not hear the prayers that are formulated in our heads, He hears the prayers that come from our hearts.
We cannot manage time. But we can learn to make better use of our energies and activities. The important thing is to prioritize. Decide what matters most and do not waste time on that which does not matter. Take a couple of minutes to listen to this podcast, in it I challenge you to consider how precious time is.
Everyone knows that Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give death”. But did you know that he also said,” It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was not founded, by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” These words bear witness to the fact that our Founding Fathers knew that this nation could survive only if she stood on the solid rock that is Christ Jesus.
We are a great nation and a great people today because we have carried forward the spirit of the Declaration of Independence; and we must demand that we truly will be a “government of the people, by the people and for the people.
What if you knew the day of your death? How would you spend your time. In this podcast I challenge everyone to live their lives as if today might be your last. Because after all we are not promised tomorrow.
I remember hearing an old preacher say, “If you are reading the Bible to learn about God, Stop it! This old preacher was teaching that we should not read scripture in order to learn about God; instead we should read His Word in order to rest in His presence. Like the Disciple whom Jesus loved we should lean on His breast and listen to His heart. In this podcast I challenge you to be like Samuel and say; " Speak Lord your servant is listening".
In this podcast I discuss the fact that Jesus never intended to give people what they wanted. Therefore by today's standard He was a failure. Jesus called on people to give up all they have to follow Him. That is not a good strategy for growing a church. but it is the only strategy for giving new life to dying sinners.
The Word of God is clear. It is the responsibility of daddy to train up a child in the way he should go. A father should encourage his children to fly high and fly far but he also must teach them to fly straight and true. This is a terrifying responsibility because, the truth is unless he trust in God no man has the strength, the skill or the wisdom that children need from their daddy. Therefore the challenge is for every daddy to be like Enoch and to become known as a man who walks with God.
The great desire of Jesus is to rescue the lost one. The great longing of the Father is to have fellowship with all men. The great purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to shine the light of Salvation into all the dark cracks and crevices so that those who are lost might be saved. In this podcast I talk about the three parables about lost things that is found in Luke Chapter 15.
In this podcast i talk about the need to teach our children to love God with their whole heart and encourage them to make prayer their constant source of strength. If we do this, then I predict that the next generation will become the "Greatest Generation".
As I sit and commune with God, my dog pesters me for attention. She stands on my left nudging my hand begging me to pet her. When I ignore her she goes to the other side and nudges my right hand. If I continue to ignore her she comes around in front of me and plops her big head down on top of my Bible. When I push her back and continue to read she lies down at my feet to wait until I decide to pay attention to her.
The salvation of many souls may depend on your obedience to The Great Commission. We must follow the example of Jesus. Satan will try to distract you, just put him behind you. Family members and religious leaders may not understand you, but don't let that hinder you. Pray a lot, sleep when you need to, always be about the Fathers business and never stop until God says “It is finished”.
2,302,280. If google is correct, this is the approximate number of American Soldiers who have died in the service of their country. These are the ones we honor on Memorial Day. Now this may shock you but listen carefully; the sacrifices of these great heroes were not made in defense of our freedoms! In the Oath of Enlistment, every American soldier swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to bear faith and allegiance to the same. You see, these many sacrifices have been made for a document. Oh, but what a document it is.
John the Baptist. He wrote no epistles and none of his sermons were preserved for us to read. And yet Jesus said that there was never a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But when they asked John who he was he said of himself, " I am just a voice crying in the wilderness".
This is a repeat from last year about this time. it is my advice to those who are graduating from High School. Please listen and share it with a graduate. Thanks
Every spring high schools graduate into the world a new class of young adults. As these young people toss their hats into the air, very few realize just how much their lives are about to change. They will face new challenges and opportunities. From now on Mama, Daddy and Grandparents will not be there for every decision they make. And that is as it should be. They are adults now and will be responsible for their own choices, the good ones and the bad ones. Listen to this podcast as i share some thoughts for those of you who will graduate this year
Mamas might think that all they do is wipe bottoms and noses and dry tears, but in reality what Mama is doing is shaping young lives and affecting the future. For this reason, we should all rise up and call our mothers and wives blessed. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a mother who fears the Lord and loves her family should be praised. Take a couple of minutes and listen to this podcast in honor of Mother's Day
Religion does not, and cannot save anyone! Religion does not prepare you a place in Heaven, only Jesus can save you and only Jesus can prepare you a home in Heaven! Only a relationship with Christ will save lost souls! Listen to this podcast in it I talk about the difference between being religious and having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
As I observe the sinful nature of this world sometimes i wonder why God does not just wipe it all out and start all over. But then I realize that He already has. For those of us who have received Christ, old things have passed away and He has made all things new. Listen to this podcast and be challenged and encouraged by the fact that in Christ we are new creations.
Two ships leave the port. Both ships are headed for a distant land where they plan to be loaded with valuable cargo . The first night out there is a fierce storm. The storm is devastating And only one ship is able to survive. The other one is tossed around by the waves until it is capsized and lost. Why was one ship able to withstand the storm but the other couldn't? Please take a minute to listen to this podcast In it I talk about the ballast stone we need to help us survive storms
Grandchildren, short people who come to visit with old people and turn their lives right side up. I pray that God will hold my grandchildren in the palm of His hands.
The word righteous means to have a right standing with God or to be good enough. But on our own none of us will ever be good enough. So there is no reason to think that we could ever have eternal life. But God is not a reasonable God. " In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
One day all these buildings that people call churches will rot and burn, they were never meant to be permanent. However The church that is the bride of Christ is built on a firm foundation and will never fail. Christ loves the church and gave Himself for us, He has sanctified and cleanse us and one day we will be presented to Him as a glorious church, holy and without blemish.
My God is worthy of all honor and glory and praise. If I never receive anything in return it does not matter, I will worship Him. He is the Creator and Owner of all things and He alone is worthy of all I have. I will save nothing for myself, I will be broken and poured out for My Savior.
The greatest symbol of Christianity is not the cross; it is the empty tomb of our Lord. The Romans killed many people on a cross and their bones are still in the grave. However, the tomb of Jesus is empty. If you look inside you will see that it is saturated with proof that He is alive and He is Lord.
Please take a minute to listen to this podcast and celebrate with me our Risen Savior.
On a blustery day I hear the wind howl and watch the tree sway back and forth. When the sun goes down I watch as the sky turns purple and the moon rises, to stand Guard over the night. In the distance a whippoorwill cheers as the stars begin to decorate the purple sky. All of this makes me to wonder; who are we that God would have us on His mind. He made us a little lower than the angels and He has given us a crown of glory and honor.
Society is the house we live in and it is in shambles. It does not matter what your age is, you are not promised tomorrow. If you do not want to leave a broken and rundown house behind, do something to improve society today. Remember your loved ones are going to live in this world you leave behind.
How do you find the practical application of the Bible? In 1Timothy 4:5 Paul says that we should, " Meditate on these things; give yourselves entirely to them, that your progress should be evident to all." To borrow a thought from Charles Stanley, you should learn the lost art of pondering God's Word, mull it over, let it simmer and focus prolonged attention on it. Hard thinking is a crucial piece of becoming more like Jesus.
In this month of April, when you sneeze let that sneeze remind you to bless someone. And remember, that we only have eight more months in this year to cover this world with the golden Gospel that brings Hope to this hopeless world.
"Cast your cares on Jesus for HE cares for you" Worrying is a sin because when you worry you tell Jesus that you don't think that He is God enough to handle Your problems. The devotion in this podcast was written by Jon Courson.
In a few days I will have a birthday. I have had a good many of these birthdays. In my years on this earth I have seen a lot and done a lot. But I am not finished yet. There is still a lot more to do and see. I believe that God has said to me, Doug, you are old and advanced in years but you ain't done yet. There is more work to be done, so get up and get busy. This podcast is a challenge for you not to let old age be an excuse. God is not finished with you so get up and get going.
Many people like to surmise what Jesus would do in particular situations. The best thing for us to do however is to open the Bible and see what He actually did do! In this podcast I talk about how He wants you to follow Him, not for what you can get from Him but because He is Lord.
Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid. Both men felt shame and regret for what they had done. But the name of Judas will always be synonymous with treachery and deceit while Peter will always be remembered as a saint. What was the difference? In this podcast i talk about the power of forgiveness
Somewhere there are veterans who need our help. They have sacrificed greatly for us will we sacrifice even a little for them.
A faithful persons mind is always on Christ and these words are always in their heart, " not unto me O Lord, not unto me, but unto You belongs all honor and glory and praise forever and ever, In this podcast I talk about when the disciples asked Jesus to enlarge their faith.
God is the Creator of all things. He came from no where, He stood on emptiness, and with His Hands took nothing and created everything. He has a plan and a purpose for His creation and I will glorify His Name.
In this podcast I encourage people to do what God tells you to do when HE tells you to do it. The soul that God wants you to impact today may not be around tomorrow. The blessing God has for you today may not be available tomorrow. Just do it, today.
In this podcast I talk about the Godly heritage of America. America is great because America is good. America is good because from the very beginning this country was established by people who worshiped and served Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the way. Following Him is often difficult and scary. But when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need not be afraid. His rod of protection and staff of guidance will give us comfort. One day we will lie down in the green pastures of His love and dwell in the presence of God forever. This is the promise of God for those who refuse to go back from following Christ.
The Bible tell us that Elijah had a nature like ours. This means that if we will cover ourselves with the righteousness of God then our prayers can be just as effective as Elijah's.
The work of loving your neighbor will not earn you a place in heaven. But, Gods Word makes it clear, the fact that a person does not love their neighbor proves that he has no place in the Kingdom of God. Do you love God? Prove it by loving your neighbor.
"There is no fear in love; for perfect love casts out fear." The words “There is no fear in love” may conjure up images of white doves fluttering away in the sunset while violins play in the background. But really, what does this verse mean? How is it possible that love can drive away fear? Listen to this podcast where I answer that question.
There are three Great Institutions of God. On the day of Pentecost He instituted the Church. In the book of Exodus He instituted government. But first and foremost in Genesis Chapter two, God instituted the Family. . The family was, is and always will be the foundation for all of civilized society. God’s plan was, is and always will be that marriage would be one man and one woman for life. So using The Ten Commandments as my guide I have developed what I call, “the Ten Commandments of Marriage. Please listen to and share this Podcast about the, "Ten Commandments of Marriage'
Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you, bless the ones that curse you and pray for the ones that abuse you. Do for others as you would have them do for you. Love everyone, especially the ones who don't love you! If someone strikes you turn the other cheek! Give and expect nothing in return! Don't judge and don’t condemn. Be merciful because God has been merciful to you! These rules are simple and they will not change! Do you want to have an impact in the Kingdom of Heaven, then learn the rules and practice the rules!
We are in desperate need of revival! However revival will never break out in the midst of comfortable church people whose spiritual apathy has flat lined the evangelistic heartbeat. You know that Jesus Christ is the Rock of the ages, but most of you will not, get out, and let Him rock your world!
Because I love God with all my heart, His love compels me to be polite to everyone. So it does not matter who you are, what color your skin is or what lifestyle you have chosen I will always treat you with kindness.
Today you may have a need. I promise you God will provide. He may provide miraculously, mundanely or He may provide for you by teaching you to do without. No matter how it is provided it will be from God. Listen to this podcast where I talk about the God of the miraculous and the mundane.
The flowers that bloom this month will be pretty. The groundhog may or may not see his shadow. But there is one thing for sure. Love never fails. And between faith, hope and love the greatest of these is love
It does not matter who you are, where you are or what you are doing, God has a special calling for you. You may think that you are nothing special, but God specializes in using nothing special for His glory.
In this life we have to exercise faith in many things, but Jesus is the only One who is completely trust worthy. In Psalm 37 we are told that if we trust the Lord that we will thrive in His faithfulness. And if we commit our way to Him and trust Him, then He will fulfill all His promises for us. But you must trust Him?
The older I get the more wisdom I see in the advice that David gave to his son in 1 Chronicles 28:9 He said “As for you, my son Solomon know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.”
Everyone carries a burden, that is just the nature of life. Burdens come in many forms. Sometimes the burdens might be envelopes with windows that outweigh envelopes with paychecks. A hospital waiting room might be your load today or an overbearing boss may be piling weight on your shoulders. All of us have burdens and if we are not careful these burdens will crush our spirits. In this podcast I tell about the Savior who. promise to help us carry our burdens.
Many times I have wished that I was a better manager of my time. But then who can manage time? It marches on and it has no concern for your plans or desires. No, we cannot manage time. But we can manage our own actions. We can learn to make better use of our energies and activities. The important thing is to prioritize. Decide what matters most and do not waste time on that which does not matter.
It is because of His love for you that He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for you. Jesus the Son of God was crucified for your sins. He died, was buried and rose again so that you can receive forgiveness. In the grand scheme of things, on this earth your life is but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. But if you believe in Jesus and trust Him with the speck of dust that is your life you can live forever in the presence of God in heaven.
Who Can you really depend on? Even the people who love you the most will sometimes let you down. In this podcast I point out that Jesus is the only one who will never let you down.
When we feel wretched and wonder who will deliver us from this body of death, we can thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Because God's grace was sufficient for Paul's thorn in the flesh and it is still sufficient for ours
Have you experienced the healing power of Jesus? Have you experienced the saving power of Jesus? Has Jesus blessed you with material wealth, has He blessed you we special abilities? If so, what are you doing with His gift? Peter's mother In-law gives you an example to follow. Maybe it is time for you to get up and get busy serving the Lord.
How can you know Gods will, first of all you have to decide that you really want to know His will and that you are willing to do His will? You have to come to a point in your life where you say to God, "Lord, I want what You want even when I don't want it!"
I often wonder about the purpose of all the stars. Mankind can never visit them, they are to far away. They can never provide us any of lives necessities. All we can do is look at them. They are beautiful but what is there purpose. And what is the purpose of the immensity of the universe. In this Podcast i talk about what I think is the answer to why God created such a great universe.
Happy New Year . We don't know what this year holds, But we can trust and believe that God is in control. The truth is there are not many things in life that we have control of. There is however one thing that you do have control of and that one thing is your attitude. The attitude that you choose will determine whether or not you have a Happy New Year.
Listen Jesus is calling out to you with the promise of making you into an extraordinary person. But you must be willing to trust Him with your life. You must choose to Follow Him and let Him use your tools and your talents for His glory.
What do you do when the world draws you away from The Heavenly Father? What do you do when it is dark and you don't know how to get back to Him? Well you call out to Him, and He will hear and He will answer you. In Psalms 141:1 we read; “LORD, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.”
This Podcast is simply me telling the Christmas Story in my own words. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I pray that God will fill your days in the New Year.
At Christmas we focus on the Baby in the manger. But in this podcast i talk about things that Jesus might have experienced as a young boy and young man.
Christmas is about hope. So like the angels let this be our song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Maybe your life is a mess and your heart is full of turmoil. Why don’t you allow your heart to be a new Bethlehem? Today make room for Jesus to come into your heart and you will find that all your hopes and fears will be met in Him today.
Christmas is about Jesus, born to give you the gift of Life. Christmas is about God, who gave His Son for you. Christmas is about you. What are you going to do with the Gift that God has given you?
In Isaiah we read, "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar of; For truth is fallen in the streets.' In this podcast I talk about the fact that many people are offended by Truth. Unless you live in the Truth and Light of the Savior love you will never experience peace on this earth.
Many have tried to gain eternal life on their own strength. But they all have failed because all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. But this is the Christmas season and what we are really celebrating at Christmas is Hope. In this podcast i talk about The Savior who was born in the fullness of time brought hope to a dying world.
The greatest reward we can hope for is to hear God say," well done good and faithful servant. But how can you expect to hear these words if you have not done well remained faithful until God says that you are done.
The bible says, “The fool says in his heart there is no God." Did you know the Greek word that is translated “fool” also translates to the English word “moron”. So, basically what the bible is saying is that only a moron would not believe in God.
Christ came to be a servant and He is our example. We should be like Jesus and submit to Gods plan by being servants to those around us.
The promises of God are as sure as the air we breathe. And like the air we breathe the promises of God are necessary for our very life to exist. However, while the breathing of air is involuntary, claiming the promises of God are not. In His Sovereignty He has given you the free will to receive or reject His great gifts. When you do not take hold of the promises of God you lose tremendous blessings. But it is God’s nature to allow you to choose, He never forces His blessings on anyone.
In this podcast i talk about our need for repentance. Jesus did not come to condemn us but if we do not turn from our sins we condemn ourselves. That is why He tells us to, "Go and sin no more."
Who am I, That God would give His Son to die for me, that I might have eternal life! Who am I that I am called to preach the gospel! 1 Peter 2:9 which says “ You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." That is who I am.
Because of our Christian Heritage we are the most blessed people in the world. I wonder, could it be that because of our many blessings, and our many possessions that we think that we don't need God anymore?
I enter into His gates with thanksgiving in my heart. I come into His courts with praises on my lips because He is God. Because He is God I am always thankful and will never stop blessing His Holy name.
God never promised us that there would not be times of suffering in our lives. In 2 Corinthians we are told that we will be troubled on every side, but don’t be distressed. We will be perplexed but we should never despair. We will face persecution but God will never forsake us. And though we might be cast down we will never be destroyed.
If the sun shines or the rain falls, Jesus is the Great I Am. If your favorite team wins or loses Jesus is the Great I Am. whatever happens in your life I hope that you can look to Him and say even so Lord Jesus come quickly.
Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that through Him the world might be saved. You can have salvation IF you want it but you must choose to follow Him. IF you do not you will be lost. It is your choice.
Throughout the Bible God promises unending love and eternal protection. In this precious love letter He tells of the terrible price that He has paid, the wonderful home He is preparing and He gives us this greatest of all promises, “soon I will return and receive you unto Myself, that were I am you will be also.”
Jesus said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me. And He was lifted up on a cross were He died for your sins. He was lifted up from the tomb because He had defeated death, hell and the grave. He was lifted up into heaven were He is now seated at the right hand of The Father. And today, I give praise and honor to the Lamb of God! I lift up the Name of Jesus because He is Messiah, my Christ, my King and my Savior.
The Gospel is the living word of God written in our hearts proclaiming we are free. I Christ we are free from our past, free from our sins and free from condemnation. The Word tells us that Jesus stood as our representative. He paid for our sins and now we are free to live for Him.
Today is the day that the Lord has made so you should make the most of it. We are not promised tomorrow live today as if your life depends on it!
If Jesus is your Savior there is coming a time when all you question marks will be turned into exclamation points, our sorrow will give way to singing and our pain will be lost in praise.
God's amazing grace is given to us simply because He loves us. We do not deserve it and we cannot earn it. We are saved by grace because He loves us and because we receive it by faith.
We are a post Christian nation. But do not blame these on the Government. After all, The Government is, Of the people, By the people and For the people and the people have decided that God is not important any more but their own selfish desires are. PEOPLE wake up: Get into the Word Of God and learn the doctrines of God so you can teach the truth of God and then we can experience the Glory of GOD!
History is filled with stories of great men and women whom we all admire. But did you know that no great man or women has ever been born! No, only babies are born. Our heroes became heroes when they overcame their circumstances. They become great when they make wise and good choices. Great men and women do not do great things, they simply make it a habit to do the right thing
All you really need is to be in the presence of the Lord. And Jesus is the way. Listen to this podcast about the One who can give you what you really need.
Listen to this devotion where i talk about how we can obey God when He tells us to "Fear Not". God has chosen us for adoption into His family. He is our God and we are His children therefore we need not be afraid.
In this podcast I talk about the misconception some people have about salvation. To follow Jesus does not mean that your problems will go away. Walking with Him means that He is with you and will give you strength to take you through troubled times The promise of salvation is not that life will get easy but that Life in Christ is eternal.
Pain can be our Friend, through it we learn to trust God. God will often use pain in our lives to bring us from where we are to where we must be in order to receive His blessings.
Some people will try to impress you with big words and some people will try to put labels on you like fundamentalist or reformed. If you want to label me,label me as a servant of Christ. When it comes to vocabulary I have found that most often simple words are the best words. Especially these words, " Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so."
"The people did what was right in their own eyes." In the book of Judges this phrase led to one of the most horrible stories in the Bible. It seems that today most Americans also want to do that which is right in their own eyes. This has led to our nation being just as perverse as the Nation of Israel was in the last three chapters of Judges.
There is only one way to Heaven and that way is Jesus. The story of the Tower of Babel is a story of men trying to work their way to heaven. all their work failed and they were left with rubble. Many people are trying to work their way to heaven today, they to will end up with rubble.
America is great because good men stood on the Word of God while they led this nation. America is good because humble preachers carried the message of hope and salvation which stirred the hearts of people to live righteous lives.
What is your soul worth? God thinks that your soul is worth the Life of His Son. When Jesus cried out from the cross, "IT IS FINISHED", He was saying that the transaction was done, the price had been paid and you pardon had been purchased. That is Priceless Love.
Revival, people say that they want God to revive their churches and their lives, But do they really? The truth is God will not send revival until we take up our cross and follow Him. Revival will not come to those who are unwilling to change. Listen to this podcast and ask yourself, "Do I really want revival in my life? Am I willing to accept the change that will come with revival?"
Jesus loves broken people. While everyone is broken in one way or another very few find the blessedness of brokenness. The blessedness of brokenness is this, God loves to fix broken people.
Actions speak louder than words. In this podcast I wish to challenge you to live in such a way that people will know that you are a Child of God simply by watching you.
Listen, Wisdom is calling. Those who receive wisdom receive understanding. Find wisdom and you will find joy, find wisdom and you will find life. This Podcast is an adaptation of the eighth chapter of Proverbs.
I find that the best time for me to spend with God is the early morning. Listen to this podcast as I talk about the things we can learn in a fresh new morning.
What is critical thinking? It is the ability to examine the facts and decide for yourself what is truth. For to long, to many people have been willing to let others tell them how to think. When God created us in His own image He gave us the ability to think and find truth for ourselves. For this reason we need a revival of critical thinking.
When you worry you are casting doubt on God's ability to take care of you. The things you worry about the most are often like a heavy fog that burns away in the presence Son.
Actors, sports figures and politicians get all the glory but they don't produce anything. This podcast is in honor of the ones who really make this nation great; the Common People.
When it comes to evangelism modern Christians pretty much wimps. We are commanded to be witnesses for Christ and must not let anything fence us out of the evangelistic field.
I believe that we must stop letting the world tell us what is right and what is wrong. The Word of God must be our guide and the Glory of God our entertainment. Lets turn our chairs around, lets turn our backs on the tv and our faces toward God
It doe not matter how great your accomplishments are, in a hundred years your life will be represented by a dash on a tombstone. So the most important thing you can do today is please God. He is the One Who makes this life have meaning.
Most of us pray that God will send revival. But do you ever ask God to transform you into an instrument of revival?
Paul was an ordinary man who preached a simple Gospel. He was determined to preach nothing but Christ crucified and his preaching is still changing lives today. Please listen to this devotion and be challenged to pour yourself out for Jesus.
The victory that we have in the valley of the shadow of death is this; Jesus our Savior has walked it before us. He has defeated death, hell and the grave and now in the presence of the Holy Spirit we can have the courage to fear no evil.
A cow who was prone to go through unlocked gates teaches me that I must always be vigilant to lock the gates behind myself. In the same way I can never let my guard down because Satan is always looking for a weakness that he can shake me with.
Would you be content in whatever state you find yourself in. Life can change in an instant, today you may be healthy and praising God. But what if tomorrow life is not so good, would you praise God anyhow
Hands, God calls us to do His work with our own hands. But to often we are disobedient and refuse to lift a hand to help others. I pray that this devotion will challenge you to let God use your hands to love the needy.
Jesus died a death that He did not have to so that you could have eternal life that you do not deserve. There is no other friend like Him.
Change is neither good nor bad, change is just a fact of life it is your attitude toward change that determines its impact on your life.
In this podcast I tell the story of a truly romantic kiss. It is an example of true love and the reality of "until death do us part".
A child of God can be sure that The Creator of all things knows his name. The Bible tells us that God has our names written on His palm and also that as children of God our names are sealed in the Lambs book of life. Does He know your name? If not then know this today can be your day of salvation.
Nothing ever stays the same. In this podcast I challenge you to accept the fact that change is inevitable. For this reason we should not resist change, instead we should plan for it and harness it for the Glory of God.
in this podcast I speak to the fact that before God's people can lead this nation back to righteousness we must first address the unrighteousness that is so pervasive in our churches.
Is your spiritual walk just for show or do you worship God in truth and spirit. if your religion has not changed you and is not glorifying God then you may be suffering from Amiable Religiosity,
This Podcast tells the story of a Secret House Church that has its worship service interrupted by violent soldiers. The soldiers issue an ultimatum, "deny Jesus or die. What would you do if you were faced with the choice, "renounce Christ or die?
This is the day that the Lord has made and as I rejoiced I made a list of a few of the things that make me glad. Relax ya'll, God is good and greatly to be praised.
In this is a brief devotion I explain that "God with us" means that we are not seeking to be in His presence for personal benefit but that we follow God in order to please and glorify Him.
Is it fair that people who have never hear the Gospel cannot go to heaven? if that is your question then you are asking the wrong question. The question that you should be asking is, "what am I going to do about those who have never heard the Gospel?"
With all the negative news that we hear every day it is easy to feel discouraged about the future. In this devotion I challenge you to have Hope, because in every new sun rise God proclaims that He is God and He does rule and reign.
In this podcast i challenge everyone to make wise choices, because the choices you make impact not only yourself but also the people that you love. You were chosen for such a time as this so make you choices wisely.
Can you taste God, yes in all the grand and glorious creation of God He is a sweet savor to our lives.
Socialism or Capitalism? In the parable of the talents found in the 25th chapter of Matthew it seems that Jesus is teaching that He favors capitalism and is opposed to those who expect something for nothing.
Can God continue to bless a nation where the murder of unborn babies is sanctioned and celebrated? listen to this podcast and then spend some time praying that Gods people will rise up and become a force for righteousness.
How long will Old Glory wave over a free nation. I believe the answer depends on the followers of Christ. Will Christians stand up and lead this nation back to Christ or will we allow this great country to be taken by the enemy.
This is a devotion about a stray dog that I accepted as my own. In this story i remind those who are lost and lonely, hungry and homeless that God is waiting for you to come home.
A story of a bird that is trapped in a building and has to be placed in darkness before it can be rescued.
In this world you may often be left out or ignored. Sometimes you will be made to feel very unimportant. But to God you are very important and He has chosen you to be on His team.
Russell Huff raised nine children on granite polishers wages. His favorite hobby was deer hunting and i loved to go hunting with him. Daddy love God, my Momma and us children. He has been walking with Jesus in heaven for over two years and we still miss him.
There is only One Man who can save the day and that Man is Jesus Christ. In Christ and Christ alone can we place our hope.
The kingdom of darkness leaves a trail of tears, but the Light of the Kingdom of Heaven will crush the kingdom of darkness.
Studies have shown that when it comes to leading children to faith in Jesus that the father is the most important person in a child's life. This is a story about what can happen when a daddy does not think that He needs God.
When we learn that God is worthy of our complete devotion then we will worship Him in truth.
What does it cost to be kind? Not much in the grand scheme of things. What is the value of a kind act? For someone it might be the most valuable thing you can do for them.
Congratulation to all graduates, you were made to thrive, here is some advice that will help you to reach your potential.
This is my prayer that God will raise up Godly People to reclaim America from the evil that pervades through out the nation. Listen to this podcast and share it with your friends. Then pray with me that God will once again rule in this land.
A brief devotional thought about the working of God in our lives to fix our brokenness.