I dislike labels more than most people. I know labels are sometimes necessary. It’s just when we use them to slander another that bothers me. Someone asked me recently what I was and I replied, “I’m a male Christian Southern Baptist and depending on who you ask, I am a conservative, moderate, fundamentalist, or liberal,…
Someone said, “There’s no free lunch.” While that may be true, there is free love, at least in a manner of speaking. God’s love for us is free, meaning it cost us nothing to receive it and nothing to keep it. God said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). “Everlasting” means…
One of God’s greatest gifts is memory. Today is a day devoted to memory – Memorial Day. When we remember, we sometimes sit in a recliner and reflect. Other times we DO something to in response to memory. Today people will place flowers at gravesites and memorials of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for…
I don’t tweet. I surf, google, text, cell and facebook, but I don’t tweet. A guy has to draw the line somewhere. So I don’t tweet – at least not yet. According to their web site, Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected (tweet) through the exchange of…
John Wayne was not the only one who called people “pilgrims.” The writer of Hebrews referred to early believers as “strangers and pilgrims” on the earth (Heb. 11:13). Likewise Peter wrote, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims. . . ” (I Peter 2:11) If we are pilgrims, it follows that we are on…
Miss Belle was sixteen years old. In people years that’s well over 100. She was a beautiful, gentle, loving, loyal, long-hair dachshund. She left us last Saturday morning. Mark Twin said, “Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” I’m glad heaven is not…
I will never forget the first time I met Jim Hatley. He walked into my office and introduced himself as the new Director of Missions for our Association. He was wearing blue jeans and boots – not drug-store cowboy boots, but work boots. He was on his way to deliver boxes of Bibles to Pastors…
A recent survey asked more than 800 pastors to name the critical ministries of their churches by listing the top five. Only five percent of participating pastors listed prayer/prayer ministry/prayer groups in the top five. Do they not know that exclusive of the Psalms, which is a prayer-book of its own, the Bible records 650…
“I’ve got your back” is a popular way of assuring someone that you are watching out for them. According to “The Urban Dictionary” the phrase comes from making sure you are safe by watching what’s behind you when you’re busy looking ahead. Isaiah knew who had his back. “Your ears shall hear a word behind…
“So live that when the rumors begin, no one will believe them.” I said that to every class of students I had in my teaching career. In recent days I have seen the truth of that affirmed again. Few of us will avoid being the subject of rumors. We must remember that ultimately it is…