A Climb up Blood Mountain

Spent the day on Friday hiking up Blood Mountain on the Appalachian Trail.  Cool day, not too hot.

Had a memory of my first hike up this mountain 41 years ago.  I had been on a 26-day outdoor survival course called Operation Upstream during the summer between 9th and 10th grade which taught hiking, camping, rock climbing, repelling, orienteering, eating off the land, and water safety on a white-water river.  The hike came at the end of a 13-mile hike from our Base Camp.

It was a great day with the Lord.  It did seem easier 41 years ago after a 13-mile hike than today.

New Broadcast in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The A Word from the Lord 25-Minute Weekly Broadcast and our One-Minute Message will be testing on WRNN - 99.5 FM and WRNN (ESPN) 1450 AM in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this Sunday. The 25-Minute Program will run at 8:00 a.m. and the One-Minute Message will running throughout the afternoon on nationally syndicated talk shows.  If all goes well, we will begin a regular broadcast each week and the One-Minute Messages will play all seven days.  Thanks to Digity Media for helping make this happen!!

A Few Words From Agnes Sanford

Picked up Behold Your God (Copyright 1958) by Agnes Sanford.  Here are a few of her comments which I found thoughtful.

Keep the mind firmly and unwaveringly fixed on Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself is the express image of God.

We can run into danger if we seek for signs instead of seeking for God.

Hold before Him the work that you intend doing today with this mind that He has given you for a tool.

Prayer is not a matter of getting what we want the most. Prayer is a matter of giving ourselves to God and learning His laws, so that He can do through us what He wants the most.  And as we live in Him, we will more and more want what He wants.

But why does God depend upon our faith for the perfecting of His will?  That is His business.  I do not know.

There are times... when we should focus our attention not on the things that are beautiful and good but on the dust on the window-panes of our souls, so that we can wipe away that dust and increase our receptivity to the light of God's love.

He did not die so that we could become "sinners of all times," but so that we could become saints.

There is only one type of person who is hopeless, and that is the one who thinks he is already perfect.

Gratitude is a virtue and ingratitude is a sin -- the sin that Shakespeare described as being, "sharper than a serpent's tooth."

The greatest and most abiding gift is the gift of ourselves to God, that in the Name of Jesus Christ, we may learn to help and to comfort others as we have been comforted and helped.

Preaching at Asbury Seminary

I recently had the privilege of preaching to seminarians at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. This challenge to future leaders in the service of God on their most important service can be heard going to Asbury's YouTube Channel at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chapel/id438486434?i=311780048&mt=2.  Click on #15.

Was There Really a Resurrection?

May's Newspaper Column....

 Just recently billions of Christians all over the world gathered to remember and
celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and millions of Christians are
still celebrating as they live out the great 50 Days of the Season of
Easter.  Jesus had been executed by
the Roman government on a cross outside Jerusalem for his claim of being the
Messiah (Mark 14:61).  He had said
he would rise on the third day, and to his follower’s shock, he actually
did.  Today, as back then, there
are many who don’t believe it.

There are those who make it their ambition to demonstrate that Christianity is a
hoax, and that the Church has been deceiving people throughout its
history.  They conveniently ignore the eyewitness accounts of people who saw first-hand the risen Jesus.  They ignore the archeological discoveries which demonstrate communities which were transformed by believing in the resurrected Jesus. They ignore the changed lives which this resurrected
Jesus has affected throughout the years, and they ignore the personal
experience which people still have with the risen Christ.

The Gospel message is that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) entered the human race, lived
as one of us, died on a Roman cross for sins of humanity (even mine!), and rose
again by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The apostle Paul wrote to the first century believers in Rome:  “I
am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans
1:16).  What was true then is still true today.  For those who believe,
they discover that Jesus is really alive. This is not just a matter of
intellectual assent; it is also a matter of belief (of faith).  One can learn all the historical,
archaeological, and scholarly data, but it always comes back to a simple step
of faith. You have to believe.

 The risen Jesus said to the church in Laodicea and he says to us: “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).  For those who receive Him today, they
discover his resurrection isn’t a hoax on a personal basis.  He brings forgiveness of our sins, peace of mind and spirit, and an intimate relationship with the Living God of the universe.

Do your homework!  Know the facts; this is important!  But don’t just

leave it there.  Enter into a dynamic personal relationship with the God who still raises people from the dead.

From Letters & Papers from Prison

I believe that God can and will bring good out of evil, even the greatest evil.  For that purpose He needs men who will make the best use of everything.  

I believe that God will give us all the strength we need to help us to resist in times of distress.  But He never gives it in advance, lest we should rely on ourselves and not on Him alone.  A faith such as this should allay all our fears for the future.

I believe that even our mistakes and shortcomings are turned to good account, and that it is no harder for God to deal with them than with our supposedly good deeds.

I believe that God is no timeless fate, but that He waits for and answers sincere prayers and responsible actions.  --- Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

GOD'S NOT DEAD

Just saw the movie, God's Not Dead.  Well done!  Go see it.

Here's the trailer...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMjo5f9eiX8

You Are Salt

March's Newspaper Column

You are SALT!

                 Did you know that as a follower of Jesus you have incredible influence?  Just by being who you are in Christ, you have a powerful influence with those around you – for good or for bad.  Just by walking in communion with the Holy Spirit, you influence your environment with the Presence of God.

Jesus tells his followers that they are different.  Those who receive Him as their Lord and Savior will not be like everyone else in the world.  They have been saved.  They have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  They have been brought out of darkness into Light.  They have the Holy Spirit living within them; that is, God Himself living within them.  They are not like everyone else, and neither are you - if you are a follower of Jesus.

In Matthew 5:13 Jesus expresses this by telling his followers that they are salt.  Salt is a common item used for preservation; Jesus’ mother would have soaked fish in it or dried meat in it.  Salt also kills germs and was used for other medical purposes; it purifies.  Today, we goggle with it if we have a sore throat; we clean our contacts in saline solution.; and we soak our feet in Epson salt.  Salt is also used on our food as a spice to make it taste better (some of us have medical problems because we use too much salt in our foods!).

Our world is in decay because of a lack of salt. All around us in our families, work places, schools, we see the darkness of decay with violence, murder, immorality, addictions, and dishonesty.  We see this decay in our families, social relationships, and personal struggles.

You may be discouraged and struggling because you are the only follower of Jesus at your work, in your family, or on your team.  Did you know that all it takes is one grain of salt to make a powerful difference? God may use you to salt your entire unbelieving circle – for Jesus lives in you and is with you.  You are the salt of the earth. Just by being who you are in Him, you may be the grain He uses to melt the ice of indifference.  Just by being his follower, you may be the grain He uses to hold back some immoral act or policy.  Just by being a person living in communion with the Holy Spirit, you may be the grain He uses to spice up a terrible relationship or impact a decision.  Jesus said: You are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13).  So be salt!

The Story of the Cup Cake Kids

Do you ever wonder if you can make a difference?  Dan Owens from Village Church, Vinings, GA began to minister to imprisoned orphan children in Uganda.  Soon his and other children caught on.  Check this out!

Click here for the story of the Cup Cake Kids

A Little Snow at the Beach House

This was a very strange snow storm.   The forecasters said beforehand it had too many variables to accurately predict what was going to happen.  It snowed for over 10 hours, yet only displayed three inches even though the temps were in the upper 20's.  A few miles to the west of us the roads were impassable; we only had a few icy spots.  Atlanta and Birmingham became parking lots.  Some school kids had to spend the night at the school.  Thousands were stranded in their cars or went to nearby homes, stores, churches, and restaurants which let people come in and sleep on the floor.  Cars ran out of gas while sitting in the gridlock.  At least one baby was delivered on the expressway.  Some people are still not at their homes staying in shelters or with people who opened us their homes to strangers.  But at our house... it made for some of the LORD's beautiful handiwork...

Overloaded and Stressed Out!

                  Jesus said in John 16:33 – These things I have spoken to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  Following Jesus brings peace into one’s life even in the midst of the great difficulties and tribulations of life.  His peace passes all understanding. It is real and it is wonderful!

                And yet, when I observe the modern-day Christian’s life, my own life included, I don’t see lives saturated in God’s peace. I see overwhelming stress.

I see anxiety. I see financial pressure. I see maxed-out schedules. I see people who are tired and weary.  Does this match up with what Jesus said in John 10:10 – I have come that they might life, and have it more abundantly?

God has given us a body with a soul. And each of our lives has a capacity of what our soul can take on at any given time (usually this capacity is way more than we can imagine). God desires that we might have life, and He desires it to be full. He wants us to have meaningful, fulfilling, lives filled with His Presence – life itself.  However, you and I tend to fill our lives with SO MUCH that we are over that capacity.

This space is called margin. It’s that space between ourselves and our limits. It’s breathing room. It’s that reserve for the unanticipated.  It’s that place for the surprises.  It’s that place between the “abundant life” and deadly lives.

Margin is allowing extra time to get to an appointment.  It is having money left at the end of the month after you pay your bills. It’s coming to the end of your day and having the emotional energy to play with your kids.  It’s having enough time in your schedule to be able to get a good night’s rest.  It is that place where God often meets us.

But too often, because of the choices we make, the debts we take on, our lack of trust in God, our desire to succumb to cultural norms, and allowing technology to control us, our lives end up with too much to do, too much debt, and too much demand. We end up in chaos, being overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, physically debilitated, and SPIRITUALLY dead.

Is this the way God wants us to live our lives?  Is this the witness He wants us to have to our unbelieving friends?  It’s time for us to take a serious look in the mirror and examine ourselves and the priorities we have for our lives.  We are not only wounding the cause of Jesus; we are hurting ourselves!!

Richard Swenson, in his book, Margin, writes: Overload is not having time to finish the book you are reading on stress.  Margin is having time to read it twice.  Overload is fatigue.  Margin is energy.  Overload is red ink. Margin is black ink.  Overload is hurry.  Margin is calm.  Overload is anxiety.  Margin is security.