Soft and Sweet

Matthew 12:36-37

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Someone once told me... "Make the words you speak today be sweet to the taste, because they may be the ones you eat tomorrow". 

How often do the words we say come back to us?  Seems like my words are way to often a size 12 1/2. I try to guard my mouth and keep my words calm and edible. I have found that sometimes it's best just to be quiet. But you and I both know that we can't always be quiet. We must speak. So we must learn how to speak. 

Before we speak we need to realize certain things...

  - These words are recorded!

God's word teaches us that He is recording every word, all the way down to even the idle word that you mumble under your breath. So before we speak, we need to remember that His perfect ears are listening and recording. 

  - These words will judge us!

He also tells us that we will give an account for the things we speak. These recorded words will try us. We will either be justified by them or condemned by them. 

Lord Jesus, please help guide the words of my mouth. Please let them honor you through every breath. Let my words be stern with love, bold with grace and saturated with mercy. Please help guard my speech. Let it be seasoned with your Amazing Grace!  In Jesus' name. 

Heart Melting Words

Joshua 14:8

Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

A man named Caleb in the Bible was strong and faithful. He and Joshua were two of the twelve spies that went into Canaan. They both saw things that God had promised the children of Israel. Their report of the land was true and with enthusiasm. I can see these two right now... Rejoicing and punching each other in the arm as they try to out do each others memory of what they saw. "Those clusters of grapes where huge... The soil of the land was so rich... Did you ever think we would see such beauty?"

In our scripture this morning, Caleb recalls his brethren and their response. He had just spoken about what God promised through the mouth of Moses. He said, "I was forty years old when I spied the land". He said, "I have wholly followed The Lord my God". Caleb knew that what God had promised, He would perform. 

But notice what he said about his brethren that went up with him. He said their words, "made the peoples heart melt". The words of these negative friends made the people disbelieve and melt. The power of a negative influence is very strong. 

Being negative requires no work, it can begin on its on through very little force or desire. Out of 12 spies, 2 were solid and believed, but the negative words spoken had spread and caused the encouragement from these two to fade out.

How are you influencing people today?  Are you following God wholly? Or just being negative?

A Day I will Never Forget

John 8:36

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Yesterday I had the privilege to attend an old fashion Campmeeting. Oh what a time we had. There was singing and shouting. People in the altar praying unto God. Special music that would fill your hearts with the Spirit. Preachers declaring the Gospel of Jesus with passion and truth. 

I was praising God for the moment He saved me. I had just finished singing a song that says, "I'm free, so free... I'm in the Spirit and the Spirit's in me... I'm rejoicing because, I'm not what I was... Thanks to Calvary's tree, I'm free". My tears began to flow and my heart began to rejoice because of the freedom I now have in Jesus. For so many years I was lost without hope, but thanks to Jesus and what He did on Calvary I'm now saved. I'm free!  The scripture this morning says, "To whom the Son sets free, is free indeed"!  

As I was having a great time in The Lord, a man named Lloyd Thomas stood to preach. This man was older than any other preacher that had preached thus far. He began by introducing himself. Then he made this statement... "I've just been saved over 40 years ago". That caught my full attention. I started rejoicing even more. I thought, "How awesome! I've just been saved over 40 years ago". 

Don't you get it?  It's not that the man had been saved over 40 years. If he had been saved over 400 years ago, it wouldn't shock me, because God is faithful that promised. The Lord Jesus who saved us is also able to keep us. Don't get me wrong, I love the security of the believer but that is not the chord of my heart that God plucked. It was the beginning... "I've just been saved..."  

What makes me so excited this morning is that no matter if we've been saved 4 years, 40 years, or 400 years it changes us so much that it seems like it was just yesterday. Praise God!  Ask a prisoner the date they were released and they will tell you, probably along with the time. Ask a drug addict when they found freedom from those chains and they could probably tell you the last time they took a hit. Ask a drunkard about the day they got victory over the chains of alcohol and they could tell you about the last sip they had. 

Ask me about the day God saved me... I'll tell you how the sins rolled away.  I've just been saved over 22 years ago. 

Our Amazing God

Mark 6:51

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

Jesus had just blessed the lunch of a boy and fed five thousand people. He then left the disciples to go pray on a mountain alone while they crossed the waters of Galilee. At about three o'clock in the morning they see Jesus walking by and they cried out. Jesus says, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid". As Jesus steps into the boat, the winds ceased which also caused the waves to cease. The disciples looked at one another with amazement. The scripture says that they were "sore amazed in themselves beyond measure". 

These men had just seen two fish and five loaves of bread feed a multitude of people. What else could have amazed them?  The Lord Jesus had just made them wonder in their hearts. I can hear them say, "Wow! What an amazing God". 

You know, isn't it like that with us?  We may be starving and not know where the next meal may come from, but it comes and we are amazed. We may not know when the storms will cease, but it ceases and we are amazed. When God does these things in my life, my jaw still drops. I'm amazed at His grace, love and mercy. It amazes me that He could love me so much. It makes me want to shout! It makes me want to sing!

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now I'm found

Was blind but now I see!

To explain the grace, love and mercy of God, what word could you use other than amazing?  It is the amazing saving power of Jesus. It is the amazing love of Jesus that sought me. It is the amazing blood of Jesus that bought me. It is the amazing grace of Jesus that will take me home. Lord, I'm amazed!

Call A Timeout

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

I love watching sporting events. Baseball, basketball, football, softball, etc...  It doesn't matter to me, I just love competition. One of the common grounds that all these sports share is a timeout. The football coach can call a timeout if the defense lines up in a way that's unexpected. The quarterback will call timeout in order to bring the players back and rethink the strategy. The softball coach will call a timeout in order to walk up to the mound and calm his pitcher down. A basketball coach will call a timeout with just seconds left on the clock in order to call that last miracle play. 

This morning will you do me a favor?  Call a timeout!  Even if you have to say it aloud, call a timeout. Don't wait until the enemy is lined up against you. Don't wait until your tired from pitching and there is nothing else to give. Don't wait until the clock has almost given up its last seconds. Call it right now. 

Look at this amazing scripture this morning. "The God of Hope..." When we are weak and the enemy is against us, take a timeout and realize that we serve the God of Hope. He is the anchor to our soul! Gather your families together and remind them in the huddle that Christ is our God of Hope. Tell them what the God of hope will do for us. 

THE GOD OF HOPE FILLS US... He fills us with His a Joy and Peace. The joy that is unspeakable and the peace that passes all understand. He tells us in the huddle that we must believe. Trust Him! It's through believing in Him. 

THE GOD OF HOPE FULFILLS US... He says we will abound in His hope. God completes us in every area of our lives. He desires that we are completed, perfected, through His hope, joy, peace and love. 

HE DOES THIS THOUGH THE HOLY GHOST... God will do this work through the working of the Holy Ghost. Remember what Jesus said?  I will not leave you comfortless. I will send you a comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. He will teach you all things. Jesus wants you to have joy, peace and fulfillment through the Holy Spirit. He is reminding you today that you are not alone. He says He will be there every step of the way. 

Now, get out of this huddle and go be what Jesus has called you to be. Go live in the joy He has given you. Go rest in the peace He has extended to you. Go and worship in the Spirit He has sent to us. When the timeout is over, take the field!  

Learning From History

2 Chronicles 7:21-22

And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

Someone once said, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it". How true is that statement today?  This morning let's take the time to learn about the children of Israel and their sins as a nation. Some have told me throughout the years that we have no lessons to learn from Israel and their failures, but I think differently. Israel repeatedly failed in their walk with God. But over and over, God was there to forgive them and bring them back to what they needed. But notice what God says this morning...

He says that their house, which is high, will be a sign to everyone that passes by. How great would it have been if The Lord was speaking about an astonishment of praise and worship? But He was speaking of being and example of those people who used to be blessed but now are not. 

When I went to Israel a few years ago we saw the first century stones that Jesus possibly walked upon. We saw the Temple Mount. We also saw the area where the priests used to walk across to enter the Temple area. It was destroyed, along with the Temple itself, and you could see the heaps of stones. Jesus told them this would happen. When I saw this I immediately began to think of how we will fall to this same ruin if we don't place God and His Son Jesus as our top priority. 

The scripture says they forsook The Lord, The Lord that redeemed them, they laid hold on other gods, worshipping and serving them, and God will make an example out of them.

My prayer this morning, and many mornings, is that God will continue to be gracious and forgive the sins of His people and His church. Some would say it's the worlds fault, but this wouldn't be true. They don't know any better, but the church does. We know the history through scripture. So we should pray for more understanding lest we also repeat the same sins they did. Please don't think I'm negative when I say this, but I feel that we are very, very close to repeating it even today. 

Lord please help us to learn from mistakes and history. Please help us to stay focused upon You!  Lord remind us of what we have in You!  Thank you Jesus, I love you. 

Fantasy Christian League

James 2:1

​My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

We are at the beginning weeks of football season here in the south. Which means lines are drawn and the one-liners are being rehearsed. In Alabama alone there is great adversity when it comes to football. From little league park ball to college ball there is a battle every weekend. Most of the biggest battles are not on the field, but in the stands. At the parks, it seems like there is a fight every week. Some dad, or mom, is being thrown out of the park either for their mouth or fists. At the high school level, I've seen parents jump the fence and take the field. I saw one dad jump the fence and begin punching a player. At the college level, I've seen drunks ranting and raving on who was the best quarterback in the league and who stunk the worse as a player. On the field, most of the time, the players play ball. But the stands tell a different story. Some fans roll trees on their home turf, while other fans poison or even burn those trees. It's crazy!

One crazy thing is how an athlete will be judged by weight room stats, running stats, etc... Then when it comes game time, you can't seem to find them on the field. Others will not weigh in as well and you don't give them much thought. But they unleash themselves on the field and become and impact player. It's so funny to hear people gear up for football in the off season. They begin to pick their players and teams. They pump it up so much!  We've now got a "Fantasy Football League".  Where you can draft your players and build a team. 

Sad thing is... This attitude has bled over into our churches. Not in recent years, it's always had its place in the church. The name is SIN!  One person picks this Christian and another one degrades them. One player messes up and falls and it seems like it is on an ESPN News report. "This just in... Last night #12 starting deacon in The Baptist Church was reportedly seen leaving the town bar. He was later picked up by police for a DUI. What will the Baptist do this year without their starting deacon? Will discipline take place? How could you sit in church with someone who would do such a thing? Now back to you Erin."

Yes, the sin of the deacon is wrong and one the church should address. The sin of picking and choosing is wrong as well. So is the backbiting and tale bearer. So is looking upon people and seeing if they will make a good Christian or not. Seeing who would benefit the church team or not is wrong. Looking upon their riches or poverty is wrong. 

James 2:9

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Let God keep the stats, you run the ball!  Let the church leaders do the discipline, you hold the line! Stop picking your Fantasy Christian League and play ball!

Lord, please help me keep my eyes on YOU!  Never let me pick the team, cause we would lose every game. Thank you Lord. I love you!