I Love the Mountains
It’s not strong yet. But you can sense it. There is the slightest hint of Fall in the air. Not quite as steamy and hot. I came off the golf course last week and I was not soaked all the way through my clothes. And the simple fact is that it feels good.
Fall is my favorite time of year. I know that the seasons are not quite as pronounced here in coastal Georgia as in other places that I have lived, but it is still an enjoyable time. Golf, fishing, yard work, bike rides and just walking the dog are all much more pleasurable.
Later this month my wife and I will spend a few short days in the north Georgia mountains. I hope that the leaves will have started to turn. I hope to hit a golf ball while there, and very well may take a rod and reel to see if I can stir up a large mouth bass. But for the most part I plan to sit on the balcony overlooking a lake, to read, and to cruise around the mountain roads seeing the sites along the way.
God has given us such variety in the world in which we live. There are people of all shapes and sizes and colors and creeds. And there is such a variety of places. I often say that I love the mountains. Usually, I am referring to the Smokies of north Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
But there are wonderful mountains in New England. There are the Rockies out west. I’ve seen both of these. But there are mountains all over the world that I’ve not seen. And each mountain is unique in its own way. Just as each of the oceans and continents are different. And God made them all for our enjoyment.
As I travel later this month I hope that I will continue to see the matchless work of God in the beauty of His creation. I hope that I will give Him thanks, and that I will be humbled at what He has done for us. He truly is worthy of all praise.
Reunion
Several years ago, this month I attended a family reunion. My mother’s side. It was good to see folks I usually only see at funerals, but I have to say this. All of my cousins looked old! I’m not sure why. I hadn’t aged a bit.
I was able to take my dad to the reunion. He was quite sick at the time. He had just stopped taking treatments for cancer. The illness would eventually take his life. But he felt up to going on this day. He was one of only two of his generation in our family still living. One of my mother’s sisters was there, and dad was the only remaining in-law.
I know I’m biased, but my dad, “Uncle Junior” to my cousins, was truly one of the good ones. Since Granny lived in a trailer on our property, they got to see him frequently. He often joined in the basketball games we played in my front yard. He taught more than one of my cousins how to swim and a couple how to drive.
I watched several of the girls walk away from him in tears as they realized it might be the last time they would see him. The guys mostly suppressed the tears, but there was much sadness when we left the party.
But I know the good news. Dad’s days on this earth were numbered, though He actually lived two years beyond this. But we often forget that the same is true for all of us. The death rate for living is 100%. My Dad had made a reservation for a place called heaven. I am as confident of that as I am of anything I have ever written.
The Bible says about God, “You have placed eternity in our hearts.” Job was simply saying that there is a longing in every human heart for more than we can see in this world, and it is there because God put it there. We can and will live forever with Him if we have placed our trust in Him.
More than any other thing, you need to trust the Lord. He made you and He knows what is best for you. You can trust Him for now and for eternity.
Plans
This summer has been extremely busy for me. Our church had Vacation Bible School. I went to two camps with children and students, each a week long. We took a three-day vacation to see my sister and her family. And then my wife and I went out west for almost two weeks. Because of all of the travel, I had to plan my preaching carefully. In fact, I was writing and preparing two or three weeks in advance, knowing that I would not be able to prepare while away from home.
We all make plans. We make plans for home, work, school, and many other areas of life. There is nothing wrong with making plans. As the old saying goes, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
Yet, we must realize that our plans are always subject to things outside of our control. We may have to adjust our plans. And even more important, our plans may fall outside of God’s plans for us. The Lord has ways of making us change directions when we are going the wrong way.
In his short book, James writes of those who say, “’Today we will go into such and such a town’…Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” Such a subtle change in wording, but a powerful change in attitude!
I think a good summary statement could be as follows. “All of our plans should be submitted to the Lord for review and approval.” How many of you have to submit your plans to a boss, or a manager? There are times when the plans you thought were perfect are edited and altered.
God is in a better place to see the whole picture than we are. He is trustworthy and true, and will never lead us astray. His plans are always best for us.
We may not want to say it this way, but when we refuse to allow God to tweak our plans, we are in effect saying that we know better than He does what is best. We are claiming to be wiser than He is.
I have plans. I’ve prayed about them. But I want to submit all of my plans to the Lord for His approval. He knows what is best for me. I need to trust Him.
Focus
I got a new phone recently. I-Phone 16 Plus. My old phone wouldn’t keep a charge. It was dropping calls. And it took forever to get to the ESPN page so that I could check on the scores from the West Coast. I didn’t want to do it. I was afraid there would be too much to learn. But I had very little choice.
I miss the days when the phone hung on the wall in the kitchen. I could leave it behind while I went fishing or to the golf course, and no one was upset that they could not get in touch with me. If something was urgent they left a message on the answering machine, and I would return the call as soon as I got home.
Computers, tablets, phones and the like are supposed to make our lives easier, and often they do. If I can remember only a portion of a Bible verse, but I can’t remember where it is in the Bible, all I do is type in the words I do recall in the search box, and within seconds the entire verse and reference appear.
Indeed, there are many conveniences to having these electronics in our lives. I can lay in my bed and watch a ballgame on a four-inch screen. I can speak to someone around the world. I have all the information I will ever need at the tip of my fingers.
And yet, computers can also be very frustrating. I’ve told people I prefer a laptop to a desktop because I get better distance with the laptop when I’m mad at it. I’ve also wondered if I should have been born in 1859 rather than 1959, except I do really enjoy air- conditioning.
The truth is that all of our machines can help us, but they also distract us. They grab our attention when we need to be focused on the things that matter most. God wants us to put Him first in our lives. He wants us to follow Him, to serve Him, to love Him, and to share His grace with others. I struggle with that at times, and I imagine you do, too. Still, there is the call. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. He will never lead you astray.
Obligations
School is back in session as of today. Some kindergarteners will be taking those first steps in their journey. There will be timid ninth graders walking into the high school for the first time. Everyone is a bit excited, and a bit nervous. That includes the teachers.
For years my life revolved around the school calendar. First I was in school, from kindergarten (I started in the Fall of 1964) until I received my master’s degree in May of 1984. For twenty consecutive years I went to school, and if that wasn’t enough I started again in 1994 and stuffed a three-year program into five, graduating again in May 1999.
Of course, I’m married to a teacher, and then we had sons. We followed the school year for all of our activities. We want on vacations in the summer, and visited family over the Christmas break. Both of my boys were out of school by 2008, but Tina did not retire until 2020. So, the school year controlled my calendar from 1964 to 2020.
Today I am aware of the school calendar. I do have granddaughters, so I know their schedules. But we’re free to plan things that we could never plan before. We are hoping to take a trip to the mountains in September. And if we choose to go somewhere else during the school year that will not be a problem. As I said, we’re free.
And yet, I still have a calendar I need to follow. As a pastor I would never take a vacation that would have me away from my church on Easter, Mother’s Day, or the Sunday before Christmas. I want to be present for those events. The truth is we all have obligations we must keep.
Our first and most important obligation is simple. Love the Lord. And then, love each other. Jesus made it clear that these two commands stand above all others. And Paul says that we do all manner of things, but if we do not love, it is simply loud noise.
I pray that I will practice love as I should. I pray the same for you. Our world could use a little more Christian love.
Get Ready
Well, while you were sleeping I had another birthday. I don’t look forward to them as much as I once did. I remember the anticipation leading up to my 16th birthday! I already had a car, a 1966 Ford Fairlane I bought from my cousin for $400. Turning 16 meant I could drive it alone! Man, such sweet freedom!
It’s been 50 years since that momentous event. Like I said, I’m not as excited about birthdays as I once was, but I’m not ashamed of the number. I’ve earned every gray hair in my head. Some were caused by two rambunctious sons. Dare I say some were caused by church members in various places. And I have to admit that some were caused by my own foolish decisions.
I’ll share this with you. I am one year from the age when my mom passed away. That is a sobering thought. I feel good. I’m still quite healthy. The folks in Cooper’s Point see me out on my bike three or four times a week, I walk the golf course at least once, and I walk a three-mile stretch the other days. I am trying to maintain my health. I would love to live many more years and enjoy watching my three beautiful granddaughters grow up.
But just like you, I have no idea as to the time I have left on this earth. The Bible says, “Man knows not his time.” It also says, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment.” The truth is that the death rate for living is 100%, and it is a bridge that we will all cross one day.
The point of this life is to get ready. God has made Himself known to us through the Bible and through His Son. He calls us to turn to Him by faith, and then to follow Him. And He has promised us a reward in a place called heaven.
I want to say one day with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In other words, I want to finish well, and I pray the same thing for you. I pray God will grant us the grace to follow Him wherever He leads, and that we will be faithful to Him in all we do.
God of All
While you are reading these words, my wife and I are on vacation. Really it is more of an adventure. We have flown to New Mexico, rented a car, and are making our way back home. Along the way we will visit 11 states, five of which will be new to us. Following this trip I will have visited 40 of the 50 states in our nation.
I am amazed by the beauty and the variety of the geography and the people in the United States. We have the mountains of New England, the Great Smoky Mountains in the southeast, and Rockies out west. They are alike, and yet different at the same time.
And then there are the people. Southerners like to say that we are the friendliest folks, but I’ve been privileged to encounter good people all around this nation. And I’ve met a few southern folk I would prefer to avoid, too.
And then there’s the food. While on this trip I plan to eat green chili sauce in New Mexico, brisket in Texas, a steak in Iowa, and ribs in Kansas City. I want to try all of the local cuisine, just like I had crab cakes in Baltimore, lobster in Maine, and wings in Buffalo.
Every time I travel I like to indulge in the local foods. Even when I have travelled abroad. I only spent one night in London, but ate fish and chips. In Haiti, I enjoyed the Caribbean dishes, and I loved the cabbage soup in Russia and Ukraine.
Last week I spoke of the diversity of weather, just in our nation. Today I have highlighted the geography, and the foods enjoyed around the world. And I believe that the Lord has provided it all for our joy and benefit.
Around us is an abundance of seafood delights. I’m so glad that I am not allergic to shellfish. And we have the beauty of the saltwater rivers and the marshes and all that entails. The God of the marshes is the God of the mountain. And He longs to be the God of your life.
Do you know this God? I pray that you will seek Him, because the Bible says, “You will find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”
Heat and Humidity
We find ourselves dead center in the middle of summer at this time of year. Where we live it is extremely hot and humid. I remember when I first moved to a suburb of Detroit, Michigan having someone say to me, “I hope you can stand the humidity here. Our temps are not extremely high, but the humidity is terrible.” They simply did not understand.
Conversely, it was a while back that I was on the golf course playing with the men’s group at Sapelo Hammock. I was paired with someone who had recently moved from the north, and midway through the round we got a brief, but intense rain shower. We took cover for thirty minutes, and then resumed our round. The gentleman said to me, “Well, at least the rain will cool things down a bit for us.” He had no idea of the steamy situation that was about to envelope him.
It’s funny how our expectations about the weather change based on where we live. I’ve had the opportunity to live in Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana and Michigan, and I have travelled around our country as well as a few places around the world. I think the two hottest places I have experienced, one you would expect, and the other might surprise.
Haiti in July. The temperature in the room we where we slept was 96 at 10 p.m. What a miserable night of sleep. But then, in the city of Donetsk in Ukraine I went to a worship service. I was wearing the expected coat and tie, and we were in a home. The room was perhaps 15 by 15 feet, and some thirty people were crowded in to hear me preach. I thought I was going to pass out. It was miserable.
Well, what is my point? Simple really. God has given us great diversity in weather, depending on where we live. We had the snowstorm of the century here earlier this year, surprising us all. There can be heatwaves in the north. But through the heat, the rain, the cold, and the sunshine, God is with us every step of the way. “He gives rain to the just and the unjust.” And we should give thanks through it all.
A Great God
We are approximately halfway through the Summer now. I know that I am about halfway through with what I knew would be a busy calendar. Our church has had Vacation Bible School, I’ve been to children’s camp, and I’ve been to my sister’s home in north Georgia for a time of vacation with family. Still to come is another camp, and then Tina and I will be going on vacation.
I mentioned this vacation several weeks ago, but it’s worth another mention. In September 2022 we took an adventure. We left Shellman Bluff, drove all the way to Maine, then over to Niagara Falls, and finally returned home. Along the way we saw forts, and battlegrounds, and Halls of Fame, and a baseball game. It was not a restful trip, but it was a lot of fun.
The upcoming vacation promises to be the same kind of adventure. This time we are flying to Albuquerque, renting a car, and taking 11 days to come back home. We plan to visit caves and canyons, test the local cuisine in several places, and see another ballgame. We’re even going to visit Graceland for the first time. If all goes well, after this trip is completed, I will have visited 40 of the 50 states in our union.
The beauty and variety in the United States is wonderful. I still think the Smokey Mountains are my favorite place to visit, but the New England mountains are also beautiful. I’ve seen the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Long Island, and I have lived where snow can be on the ground for several months at a time.
God did not create a boring world. Just in Georgia you can explore beaches and the mountains in less than a five-hour drive. Why would God take so much care to create? Well, He is a creative and wonderful being. And we need to remember this. We are the crowning glory of His creation. Made in His image, we can know Him in a personal way. Of course, we have marred that image through sin, but we can be made whole again by trusting in His Son. I pray that you know Him, and that you enjoy Him, wherever you might travel, and whatever you might see.
He truly is a great God.
CentriKid Camp
While you are reading this I am at Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Georgia for “Centri-Kid.” This is a camp for children from second to sixth grade. This is my second year to attend. We have eight children from our church here this week.
I will tell you this. The bed in the dormitory is not a Sleep Number Bed. I have to share a bathroom with 40-50 other people. Were it not for breakfast and the salad bar at lunch and dinner I would be hungry. And the noise of some 500 elementary aged children, combined with the heat and humidity of July in South Georgia are enough to drive a sane man crazy. And there are those who would say that I wasn’t a sane man when I left home.
Still, I’m here, and I’m glad I’m here. It really is a fascinating experience. Every day the children attend worship services, one in the morning and one in the evening. They do recreation and have “tracks” that they attend. The tracks are activities they have chosen, something that interests them, and they attend each day for an hour (things like baseball, archery, and one that captures my attention called, “No Boys Allowed”).
Track time is one of my favorite times. That’s when I go back to an empty dorm and relax. I wash clothes, read, do sermon preparation for Sunday, and maybe take a nap. But I also take a few minutes to pray for the children from our church, as well as those from all over the southeastern United States who have come for this week.
The fact is, we have no idea as to the background for all of these kids. Some come from healthy homes. Some, not so much. We have a week to pour into their lives the things of God. And we pray that these things might overpower the other things that they face every day. Will you join me in praying for these ? You don’t have to know their names. God knows.
It is truly amazing what God can do in the life of a child during a week like this. It’s not even a full week. We arrived late Sunday afternoon, and we will be home by noon on Thursday. And yet God is honored, and lives are impacted for this world and eternity. What a great God He is. I pray that you know Him as your own.
Family
As you read these words I will be in Gainesville, Georgia at my sister’s home. She started planning this week several months ago. All of our children are going to be in the area for a few days of rest and relaxation on Lake Lanier. It will be the first time that we have all been together since our Dad passed in 2021. It’s been too long.
I am thankful that Pam insisted that we look at and clear our calendars for this week. Too many families drift apart after the last parent is gone. We have remained close. She and her husband have come to our home, and Tina and I have been to theirs. But the extended family has not all been in one place. Each of us has had a grandbaby born since Dad died. They need to meet each other.
I often have to remind myself that it was the family, not the church, that was the first institution created by God. And it should be the family that comes first in our priorities. Now, that does not mean that I don’t think the church matters. In fact, it matters a lot. We can use our families as excuses to ignore and neglect our church, and I don’t think that is a good thing at all. But we can also neglect the family if we are not careful.
It’s been a long time ago. I was associate pastor and a seminary student. It was “Home Week” for Southern Baptists, a week when the family was to be emphasized and celebrated. And my pastor began to make announcement for all of the activities at the church that week. Different age groups were doing something every night of the week. And Dr. Bailey stopped, looked at the congregation and said, “Folks, we have a problem. Too many activities. No time for your family. At the risk of being fired, I’m cancelling all activities in our church until we meet again next Sunday morning for Sunday School and worship. Be with your family this week.”
Well, we both kept our jobs. You know, we don’t have to take that radical a step to show that family matters. But I pray that you will see the need to spend time with your family while you have the opportunity. God gave you your family for a reason. Serve your loved ones to the glory of God.
A New Grill
This past Sunday was Father’s Day. I cooked on my new grill. I seem to get a new grill about every third Father’s Day, and have for some time. I’ve been told by some folks that a grill ought to last longer than that. I would tend to agree, but it hasn’t for me. I don’t think that it’s just the time frame. I put a lot of miles on a grill. We cook on it several times a month. So, I wear them out pretty quickly.
I know to clean it regularly. I keep a cover on it. And it stays under the roofline of the back deck. Still, the burners and the drip plates wear out regularly. I’ve replaced the plates before, but by the time the burners go it’s time for me to get a new grill. I’ve just decided to go with the basic grill, no frills, and replace it when needed.
Unfortunately, that is how we are in a lot of things today. We live in a throwaway society. I had an uncle who was a television repairman for 30 years. He made a good living for his family. Good luck finding a TV repair shop today. When your TV dies you go buy another one. Microwaves, toaster ovens, and stereos, too.
Even worse, we live in a time when people are considered dispensable. And there are times when a person not doing his or her job needs to be replaced. I get that. But sometimes I wonder. Did we train that person properly? Did we give her all of the resources she needed to do the job? Or did we just throw him in the fire and hope he could escape unsinged?
People are precious to God. He created us in His image. That means all people. Even the creepy neighbor down the street, the so-called friend who betrayed you, and your ex-mother-in-law. Jesus once said that when we treat others in a certain way, we had treated Him in that way.
I pray that I will not see people as a nuisance in my ministry, but I will recognize that every person I encounter was placed there by God. We have been called to serve others in Jesus’ name. I pray that we will do just that.
By the way, the steaks were delicious.
Remember
We celebrated Memorial Day earlier this week. Originally known as Decorations Day, Memorial Day is a time when we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Unfortunately, there are times when we forget the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day often stands for the beginning of Summer. We open our pools (if we have them), go to the lake, and take advantage of this year’s “Memorial Day Mattress Madness Sale.” We forget what we are supposed to remember.
The thing is, forgetting is normal for humans. And yes, I am fully aware that it only gets worse with age. Not long ago I was looking directly at two of my church members, folks I’ve known for more than a decade, neighbors and good friends, and I could not think of their first names to save my neck. It’s aggravating, frustrating and embarrassing.
But worse than that is when I forget the things that matter even more. What Christ did for me. The goodness and grace of God. All of the blessings that have been given me, even though I do not deserve them.
God gave us a supper to help us to remember. “Remember me,” Jesus said to His disciples. “Whenever you eat this bread, or drink this cup, remember me.” In Revelation 2:5 Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, “Remember…” Over and over we are told in the Bible to remember.
Let me remind you that to remember means more than merely to call to mind. It means to do something. Seven times in his little book Nehemiah prayed to the Lord to ask the Lord to remember him. It is not that God is prone to forget as we are. Rather, Nehemiah was asking the Lord to do something for him…to help him…to remember him.
I hope that you stopped for a moment on Monday to remember, and to give thanks for, those who died so that we might live in freedom. Even more, I pray that you will remember to give thanks to the One who gave His life that you might live forever.
“Time is a Gift”
Last week I mentioned that my personal calendar is not as attached to the school calendar as it used to be. Since the boys graduated and moved out, and Tina retired from teaching, we have a bit more freedom to plan our time…sometimes.
But the truth is, my summer is already filled with activities that are going to take my time. My sister has invited all of our family to come to Lake Lanier for several days together. Our church will host Vacation Bible School from June 9-13. I will be traveling to two different camps this summer, one with middle school students, and the other with elementary students. And Tina and I have plans for a trip out west. We already have a full schedule that will keep us busy until August.
How does that happen? How do we lose control over our own calendars? Well, the truth is that one could say no to some of these events. But some of them are so important that I want to be a part of them. I wouldn’t miss VBS for anything. It matters too much. And as exhausting as a week of camp can be, I look forward to that special time, too.
And then there is vacation. Tina and I are going on more of an adventure than a vacation this summer. We may need several days to recover. We are going to fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico, rent a car, and take eleven days to come back home. We plan to take in a baseball game, see caverns and canyons, and visit five states we have never visited before. We think it’s going to be a lot of fun.
The older I get the more I realize this statement to be true. “Time is a gift.” The truth is that none of us knows how much time we have on this earth. We need to make the most of every minute that God gives us. He has not promised us tomorrow. But He has promised to be with us in ever how many tomorrows we experience.
I pray that you will trust the Lord with every minute of your life. Give your days to Him. Trust Him and follow Him. He will not lead you astray.
Calendars and Time
The school year is coming to an end. Soon the boys and girls will be enjoying their summer vacation. Teachers, too, by the way. For years the school calendar played a decisive role in my own schedule. My wife was a teacher, and of course our boys were in school. All of our plans revolved around the school calendar.
Well, my boys are now grown men, and my wife has retired from teaching. I try to be aware of the school calendar. I keep up with the activities of my granddaughters (one will be graduating from elementary school later this month). But the school calendar no longer dominates my days. In fact, Tina and I are trying to plan a trip to the mountains sometime in the fall.
Of course, the church calendar still plays a role in when I can go out of town. For instance, I will never take a vacation the week of Easter. No self-respecting pastor would ever skip out on that week. And in our case, we can’t really take an anniversary trip. We got married on December 22. Young and in love, it never occurred to us that an anniversary this close to Christmas would make it impossible to get away at that time.
The truth is, even if you are fully retired, you don’t operate on your own time frame all the time. There are doctor’s appointments, birthdays and graduations of grandchildren, and other events that call for your attendance. There is never a time when you are fully in charge of your own calendar.
In fact, in James 4:15 we are reminded not to make any plans completely on our own. Rather we are to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” The preacher, in Ecclesiastes 9:12, went even farther. “For man does not know his time.” And because we don’t know our time, we need to commit to live for the Lord every day. Go ahead. Plan a vacation. But always be aware. Your time is in God’s hand.
Happy Mother’s Day
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. It is a day set aside to honor, and to remember the ones who brought us into this world. Last month was the twentieth anniversary of the passing of my Mom. It’s hard to believe she’s been gone that long.
My mom was quite the lady. She grew up in a very poor home with a father who had a tendency to drink too much. When he was sober he was a hard-working farmer and blacksmith. But when he started drinking, he could not stop. He died before she entered high school.
Mom was the ninth of ten children, and the only one of that group to graduate high school. She was state champion in basketball. She played guard back when the girls did not run the full court. That means she only played defense. But she played it ferociously.
Growing up my family played basketball together in the front yard. It was always Dad and my sister against Mom and me. Sometimes (actually every time we played) it got rough. Mom and Dad were competitive, and they did not give in to our whining. It was either get tough, or get beat.
I inherited character traits from both of my parents. I look like Dad. I have his sense of humor. I’m afraid I have a bit of Mom’s temper. I have always been extremely competitive. For both good and bad, I am Junior and Shelby’s son.
I also have a heavenly Father. And it is important that I display His character traits. Goodness, kindness, love and compassion. These are just some of the things that should be on display in my life. Jesus once said, “Be ye perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” He knew that was an impossible task. And yet, it is something for which to strive every day.
I know I resemble my earthly parents. My wife reminds me of that from time to time. I pray that I will be more like my heavenly father every day. And I pray the same for you.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Guilty
I recently renewed my fishing license. I also renewed my annual “SIP” permit. I’m good to go. You know, the fact is that you can fish without a license. You may even catch more fish than I do. And you may never get caught. But I have to tell you this. I just feel better when I’m out in a boat knowing that I meet all of the legal regulations. If a game warden approaches me I have no reason to get nervous. I will pull out my license and keep on fishing.
I’m sure you’ve noticed this on the highway. Your traveling along, perhaps going 74 mph on the interstate, and all of a sudden brake lights are shining everywhere. You have to brake yourself. And before you know it you’re going 60 mph. You wonder if there is an accident. But then you see it. The state patrol car, or the sheriff deputy truck is stopped on the side of the road, lights flashing, with someone pulled over.
I get it if you are in the far-right lane. The law requires that you either move over, or that you slow down significantly. And there is a reason for the law. It is the safety of the law enforcement officer. It’s the right thing to do.
But if you are going 70 mph in a 70-mph zone, and you are in the far-left lane, why are you slowing down? You are obeying the law. You have no reason to slow down. There is no need for you to be afraid. And yet, everyone slams on the brakes, and we travel 10 miles under the speed limit until we are 100 yards past the patrol car. And then look out. The race is back underway.
I think it is a guilty conscience that causes this. Even though I may be obeying the speed limit at the moment, I am aware that there are other times that I have not. And so, out of guilt I slow down. I look around. I glance in my rearview mirror to make sure I am not being followed. I have a guilty conscience.
The fact is that we all ought to have a guilty conscience at times. We are all sinners. We all need God’s forgiveness. And we are blessed that He offers it when we confess our sin and repent from it. I am so grateful for the grace of God. It is the only reason I have hope. I pray that you will have this hope, too.
Fruit
My garden is growing beautifully at the moment. I have potatoes, tomatoes, squash, peppers, and cucumbers in the ground. The combination of the warm nights, sunlit days, and water (either rain or from my well) are making them grow exactly the way I would wish. The plants look absolutely amazing. They look healthy. I am very pleased.
But here’s the thing. I am not growing these plants for their looks. I am growing them for the food. I want to eat my first tomato sandwich of the year. I want to put cucumbers on my salad. I want to make homemade pico de gallo with the peppers to put on shrimp tacos. And I want to eat the first batch of fried squash for supper. I enjoy watching the plants grow. But the measure of whether or not a garden is good is whether or not it produces food to eat.
Jesus once said that the same thing is true about humans, and especially about those who claim to be His followers. “You will know them by their fruit,” He declared in the midst of His Sermon on the Mount. Yes, you may call yourself a Christian. You may go to church every Sunday. You may wear a cross around your neck, and speak fluent “Christianese,” but if you do not produce fruit you are not doing what Jesus has called you to do.
And what is meant by this idea of fruit? Paul said, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are the traits that set us apart as the children of God. I pray that your life will display the fruit of the Spirit and that others will know that you belong to God by the fruit you produce in your life.
He Lives!
This is the week. Holy Week. Passion Week. It is the week that we remember all that Jesus did in the final week of His life that makes it possible for us to enjoy eternal life. It is the week that we celebrate the greatest event in all of human history.
On Monday of the week of His death, we believe that Jesus cleared the Temple of those selling and trading animals for sacrifices. On Tuesday and Wednesday Jesus spent much time teaching His closest followers. On Thursday the Lord ate dinner with those same disciples, instituted the Lord’s’ Supper, went to the garden to pray, and was arrested.
And thus began the whirlwind of events that would lead to this day of celebration for us. He was tried, convicted, and put to death on the cross. His body was placed in a borrowed tomb, and His followers slinked away in despair. Jesus had talked to them about what was going to happen. But they simply did not believe. Their hope was gone.
But on Sunday morning, some of the women went to the gravesite to more properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial. And that’s when the fun began. His body was gone. Angels encountered the women and told them to go and tell the disciples what they had seen.
Then Peter and John went to the tomb and discovered the same thing. The body of Jesus was gone.
Soon Jesus would appear to them. Over the next 50 days He appeared to more than 500 different people (1 Corinthians 15:5). It was clear. The Lord and Savior who had died on the cross on Calvary’s hill was alive again.
There are those for whom this story seems far-fetched. I get it. It’s not every day a dead person wakes up. But I will say this as boldly and as carefully as I can. Jesus is alive, and if that is not true, then all of Christianity is a lie. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, and if He is not alive today, then our entire faith is a hoax. Again, Paul said so much in 1 Corinthians 15. But then he said, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”
And that is why we sing. That is why we celebrate. That is why we believe. “I serve a risen Savior. He’s in the world today.” And for that we give thanks and celebrate.
“She went to be with Jesus”
This week marks the twentieth year since my mom passed away. Her 67th birthday was on April 4. She died on April 7. I was the only one in the room with her when she took her last breath. I was living in metro Detroit, and I flew down in the early hours of Tuesday morning. On Wednesday evening I sat in the living room with her as my dad went to his own bed for the first time in a week.
I slept a bit in the chair beside her bed, and I woke up around 7 Thursday morning. I realized we were near the end. About 7:30 that morning she went to be with Jesus.
There are a multitude of things about that day (and that year) that are etched in my mind for the rest of my life. In the first place, Mom was just a little more than a year older than I am when she died. To say that is sobering is an understatement. Especially when you realize that on her 66th birthday we had no idea what was just around the corner. The brain tumor was discovered in July. She was gone the following April.
But I suppose the one thing that stands out the most is the final sentence that I wrote in the second paragraph. “She went to be with Jesus.” What I’m saying is that my Mom did not cease to exist on April 7, 2005. In fact, at her funeral later that week I declared to those present, “Shelby Butler is more alive than she has ever been.” And I still believe that with my whole heart.
In eleven days we will celebrate Easter, Resurrection Sunday. It is a day for dressing up and going to church, for gathering with family, and for reflection and worship. But more than anything it is a day to celebrate God’s ultimate victory over Satan. Jesus is alive, and because He is alive, we can live forever. I hope you believe it. I’ve staked my entire life on it.