In a moment in the twinkling of an eye

I've had an interesting week. On Sunday, I had a low blood sugar episode which incapacitated me for the day. At 1 am Monday morning lightning struck our apartment building. As I was laying there thinking about what had just happened, God brought this to mind. Matthew 24:27 (KJV)27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then to really drive the point home, yesterday (Tuesday) while driving back to work after going to get some lunch, a pick-up truck drove across two lanes of traffic at a red light just in time to hit me. I did not see him coming until he hit me. I went to the doctor today because I have pain only to find out now I am the proud owner of a brand new hernia. The events of this week have driven home the reality that Jesus could return or my fragile life could be taken away in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. The reality of it is that we are one heartbeat from eternity. I've been a believer for 34 years and I really don't think much about Jesus' return. I've had to repent. Our job is to tell a lost and dying world the gospel of Jesus Christ. I recently had spoken over me that I was anointed to preach that:

1. Jesus really did come to this earth.
2. He really did die for our sins.
3. He really is coming back. and finally
4. (added by me) There really will be a judgement and all who have not accepted Jesus' payment for our sins will be judged and spend eternity in Hell.

Also today as I was filing a claim with the insurance company of the man that hit me, the lady that I was talking to thanked me for being so polite. She said that I had a "different spirit" about me. I told her that I am a pastor and as I was about to hang up I said "God bless you". As I was hanging up, I heard her say "I need that". I immediately called her back and asked her if there was anything that she wanted to pray about. She told me that her and her husband were searching for meaning in their life and that they really wanted to know what God's purpose is for them. I am so blessed to have been able to pray with her on the phone and encourage her. She told me that she knew that it was not a coincidence that she was the one assigned to handle my case. I told her that we had talked by Divine appointment, not coincidence and that God loves her and her husband enough to allow these circumstances to happen so that we would have that conversation. We had a genuine encounter with Father God. It's humbling to know that while I'm worrying about my car, there are people walking around with no hope. It put things into perspective for me.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (KJV)
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O gravec, where is thy victory? 56 † The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

God and Golf

In July I went to our Annual Pastor's Conference in Columbus, OH. On Friday afternoon, we had a golf outing. I went but backed out because I didn't have a clue what to do. Since I returned I have purchased a set of golf clubs on EBAY. I figured since I had clubs, I should take some lessons. I'm usually good at what ever I do. Well... I've found something that I'm not good at. Golf. Of course, I guess I should give it a little time. I took my first lesson on Saturday. It occurs to me that it's going to take a LOT of practice for me to be even fair at this. Our next Pastor's Conference is next July. I'll be ready to play golf next year. Our walk with God is very similar. The more time and effort I'm willing to put into my walk with God, the more I will get out of it. Not that I believe that I can work my way into God's favor. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, that was all that was needed to be seen by God as righteous. As with my relationship with my wife (smoochie), we entered into our marriage on December 14, 1991. It is our express intention for this marriage to be the only marriage for us until we go on to glory. Even though I know that she loves me, there are certain things that I will not do because I do not want to damage our relationship. This takes discipline and practice. It is the same with my relationship with God. I don't strive to live a holy life out of fear. I do it because I don't want to damage my relationship with God the Father. There are things that I work at, prayer, Bible Study, etc... to keep my relationship with Father God alive. It is my prayer for you that you will continue to grow in your relationship with God. Not out of fear, but because you want to be closer to your daddy and be changed from the inside out into His image. We have the assurance that if our relationship with God is not where it once was or should be getting to, we can go back to the basics and improve it. As with golf, if I listen to my teacher and do the things he's telling me to do, the correct way, I will see results. God is saying the same thing to us, go back to the basics and work on your relationship.

Help me be the man my dogs think I am

Dogs are great! They are always ready to think the best of you. They are loyal no matter how you treat them. We have two Pomeranians and they are my little buddies. When I come in from the road sometimes I think their little tails are going to fly off. To them I am the greatest person in the world. They love me unconditionally. I heard a christian comedian (Ken Davis I think) say a few years ago that he prays every morning "God please let me be the man my dog thinks I am." It's funny but, you know, there is truth in that. I want to be the man that people can approach without feeling criticized or condemned. All dogs want is to be loved and fed. There are a lot of hurting people out there. What they need is to know that God loves them no matter who they are or what they have done.

A conversation in a truck stop

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in a truck stop in Missouri and there was a guy sitting across from me that had one arm and one eye missing. I sat there and talked with him as he told me stories about when he was a truck driver. I realized that I was seeing the story that I had written about just the other day. A grounded truck driver that is no longer on the road. It really touched my heart. After he left, I was sitting there praying to myself and asking God, "why does it have to be so different in here than it is in church?" God spoke to my heart and said "I am ready to show My power right here, it's you that I'm waiting for to step out in faith and expect Me to move." It was not in a condemning way but, God in His love was telling me that He is waiting for us to step out and believe that He will move. I really care for those truck drivers out there and I pray that God will help me to be more bold in speaking for HIM!

God's Grace

I woke up yesterday morning from a dream. God was speaking to my heart and I will never forget it. It was a very short, succinct word. Over and over in my mind I kept hearing that all of the grace that we will ever need from God was poured out on the cross when Jesus died for our sins. I know this is simple truth but, a truth that we need to hear from time to time. It's easy to get so caught up in life that we forget these basic truths. In 2 Timothy 2:1 Paul wrote "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." This describes the unlimitable, immeasurable and infinite grace of God that is always there. Our responsibility is to step into that grace by faith. There is not a sin that I could ever commit that was not in the future when Jesus gave his life for ME!

My daddy and his daddy were truck drivers.

I stopped in a truck stop in Georgia a few years ago and found this on the back of the menu. I was so touched by it, I offered to buy the menu. The waitress graciously gave me the menu. I'm a third generation gear jammer and this is a story worth repeating.

My Daddy is a Truck Driver, By Dan Baker
It was sharing time in Sunday School Class, what does your daddy do? One boy’s dad was a Doctor and another one’s was a CPA. The teacher said “Their daily bread was bought with their daddy’s pay.” Then the teacher looked at the little boy and could tell he was about to cry, so the teacher figured something must be wrong. He quickly asked him why? The little boy replied with tear filled eyes, ya’ll have all the luck. All your daddies are rich; they drive big cars and have important jobs. My daddy just drives a truck! The teacher spun his chair around and grimly faced that class. He said yes I’ve taught you well, but I will burn in hell, before I’ll let that statement pass. You kids see me as a Sunday school teacher, just a cripple with a lesson plan, but down inside these twisted legs are the bones of a Truckin Man. I was a high Rollin, hammer stompin, Dude till the ice on Interstate 10 took the finest old rig that a bank ever bought to the bottom of the Rio Grande. There isn’t much to tell about what came next, except the ole wheel chair I ride, and now and then I teach this class so the Good Lord will know I tried. And I tried young fellows, I tried real hard just to pay for all I done, but I’m going to close this Good Book now and I’m going to talk to this truckin man’s son. He’s a trucking man, boy do hear me? Don’t give me that hang dog look, your daddy is a gear jamming king of the road. He’s a winner in any man’s book. Who feeds you kid? Does a grocery store or the fast food joint down the street, or does some eighteen wheeler running all night long bring home every bite you eat? There ain’t a thing you’ll use today that some ole trucker didn’t bring. Somebody’s daddy rode all night long so you can do your thing, this country’s thing, this whole thing rolls on wheels. We are kept alive by these men that drive, these men that God made out of steel. You just can’t jam gears for thirty years without learning a thing or two. If a country don’t move, then a country don’t eat, and son that brings me back to you. The next time you talk about your daddy, you understand son, you’re talking about the Man. You’re the son of a hard headed, proud thinking, Hoss who just doesn’t fit in most folk’s plans. So don’t tell me your daddy is just a trucker. He is the man that takes this country where it goes, and I just hope that somewhere down inside, that someday you will feel that pride that I used to feel pushin that ole road. The teacher seemed to lose his concentration. You could see the memories flooding through his brain, his eyes were fixed a million miles from where he sat there, as the driver inside slowly spoke his inner pain. He said, “I don’t know what they will ever say about me. Let them call me whatever they want to but more than anything write the truth upon my gravestone, I was a Trucker Man.” I ‘ll never know what happened to that teacher – just a wounded Angel grounded from the road. A trucker man that taught me daddy was the finest man that this truckin man will ever, ever know. Amen

Daily Scripture Confessions

One of the most powerful tools that we have at our disposal is scripture memorization. When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus always replied with "it is written". It is of vital importance that we commit scriptures to memory so it no longer requires any thought but, instead when thoughts come against us, we instantly recognize these thoughts as not from God and us God's Word to disarm the attack. The battlefield is in our minds.

Psalm 119:105 says "Thy word I have hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee"

1. JESUS IS LORD OVER MY LIFE. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved.

2. I AM FREE FROM THE CURSE AND THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM ARE UPON ME. Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

3. I HAVE FAITH. Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have mad thee a father of many nations,) before him, whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things, which be not as though they were.

4. I AM PROTECTED. Isaiah 54:14 in righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

5. I AM WORRY FREE. John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

6. I AM HEALED. Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

7. MY THOUGHTS ARE ONLY GOOD. Proverb 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

8. I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

10. EVERYTHING THAT I LAY MY HAND TO PROSPERS. Psalms 1:3 And he shall be like a tree in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

11. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER. Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord.

12. I HAVE NO FEAR. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

13. I CAN RESIST TEMPTATION. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

14. I AM THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL. Deuteronomy 28:13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments o the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

15. GOD WILL FINISH THE WORK THAT HE STARTED IN ME. Romans 11:29 for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Melissa

Today my wife (smoochie) and I were in the grocery store. As we were checking out I couldn't help noticing the girl who was bagging our groceries was named Melissa. I also couldn't help noticing that she was mentally retarded. I was touched by her for a couple of reasons the first being that I have a daughter named Melissa, whom I love with all of my being. The second reason was that although she was obviously really struggling to keep up, she had a very good attitude and seemed to be enjoying what she was doing. I made a point to tell Melissa about my daughter and how I thought that she had a really cool name. She just beamed that I would take the time to talk with and encourage her. It was a reality check for me to see her trying so hard to do a good job as people were all around her in such a hurry to just get their groceries and get out of the store. Smoochie and I made a special point to be very understanding with Melissa and thanked her so much for her good attitude. It was refreshing to see someone who obviously liked what they were doing. If for no other reason, God has put "special" people like Melissa on this earth to humble us. It also occured to me that He did Melissa a favor because she will never have to worry about her eternal destination. I believe she will have a place of special honor in eternity. God bless you Melissa.