Matthew TwoSix:ThreeNine

Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:11-12     Lately, I have found myself spending a lot of time in the Book of Acts. I’ve been enamored by the early church and its actions. These people actually knew Jesus or knew people who knew Jesus. They saw the miracles. They heard the parables. They saw the reactions of those threatened by Jesus' very existence. They were hunted, thrown in prison, and killed because they followed Jesus.    The selection above comes after Peter and John were abducted by the temple guard. The Bible says, “they seized Peter and John” (Acts 4:3). I can say I’ve never been seized. It is a concept I can only understand because I have seized things, but never people. My kids come home with Halloween candy and I seize my favorite candies. I have seized many an opportu...

 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 1 Peter 2: 13-14 This is one of those selections of scripture that we like to gloss over while reading the Bible. This letter is written by the apostle Peter to the churches of another part of the Roman Empire. The people were located in what is now Turkey and were facing persecution for being Christians.  Christians were the new kids on the block when it came to religions. I'm sure it felt uncomfortable to the people of the time. I'd think they'd have felt similar as we would about a new cult popping up in our neighborhood.   Peter tells the church, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" (1 Peter 2:12). He basically says be...

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6 NIV The person Jesus said this to had been paralyzed for 38 years.  That's along time!  He was at a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda. The remains of this pool can still be seen in Jerusalem.   The colonnades around the pool was a location where many disabled people were left each day to rest.  I envision hundreds of people laying on mats, unable to get up and move.  While others are wandering around aimlessly because they are blind.  It seems it would have been a sight to see. With all of these people around, Jesus chose one. I suppose He could have chosen any of them.  For that matter, He could have healed all of them.  Yet He made a personal invitation to just one.   The simplicity of the question is astounding. It seems like a lay up, a no brainer, a gimme. Reading it today,...

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”  Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”  Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. ...

This is something that has been percolating in me for a while.  I have tried numerous times to put my thoughts on paper.  Each time I do, something happens.  I get distracted and do something else instead or I tyoe it but completely fail to save it. I have found that happens when I am writing something and it's just not right because God is still working in me.  So if you are reading this, I finally did it! It seems you cannot say COVID-19 without insighting a STRONG emotional response. For many, fear moves in. Others experience sorrow from the loss of a loved one. Many times it immediately shifts to a soliloquy about mask mandates violating personal rights or failure to wear a mask recklessly placing others at risk. Certainly a debate will begin about the vaccine.  Let me assure you I am not here to debate either polar end of these topics.   Rather, I suggest we need to OPEN OUR EYES!  We might just be missing it. We might be missing ...

 This morning as I sit down to write this, our nation celebrates our Independence Day. A country born on the ideals of freedom for all. I might suggest it is an ideal we still strive to achieve.  This 4th of July is a bit different than most.  To the south of us loomes a tropical system.  It brings wind and massive amounts of rain with it.  As it passes over the Carribean Islands we pray for the people who call those islands home. We ask for their safety from harm and the impacts of this storm.  Independence Day is a celebration of a bond of an oppressor broken.  The Monarchy in England strived to take care of itself at the expense of the colonies in the Americas.  As our forefathers signed the Declaration of Indepence, they announced that those they represented were free from this bondage of oppression. The ideal of freedom is realized only through Christ. At our baptism, we make a similar statement as our country's forefathers did. W...

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, - Proverbs 23:26 The concise message of many of the Proverbs is powerful to me.  The invitation above is simple and to the point yet has significant depth. It is a transactional exchange. We give our hearts and in exchange we delight in His ways.  Seems pretty simple, right? The proverb starts with, "My son…" Simple and easy to glance past to the rest of the Proverb. However, it is significant because children have a special place.  They are dependent on their parents to support their most basic needs.  Food, shelter, clothing are just the tip of the iceberg. Parents provide protection and educate children in the ways of the world. Parents love their children in a very special way. God establishes that bond as He calls out to us and makes no doubts as to our relationship.  We are not only children, but His children.  He asks for not part of our heart, but the whole thing- even that...

This past Saturday I got the chance to catch up with my friend at breakfast. We connected months ago over grits, of all things. I learned he really didn't care for grits. Turns out his parents used to make him eat them quite often and in many forms. As he has grown older he's made the conscious decision, he's had enough grits for a lifetime. On the other hand, I really enjoy grits. They are a wonderful breakfast food with butter, salt, and pepper. For dinner, you can't beat some good shrimp and grits. I have a recipe for jambalaya grits that will put a smile on anyone's face. It is like jambalaya meets cheese grits. Yum! My friend and I joke about grits everytime we see each other. I offer him some and he politely refuses. Of course, I respect his wishes and don't give him any grits. How do you offer someone grits? Do you insist they eat and like them because you eat them? Do you put them on their plate anyway? Do you treat them differently bec...

Our family recently took a vacation.  We drove up to north Georgia for some time in the mountains.  After that we headed to Cumberland Falls in Corbin, Kentucky (that's a story for another time), and finished in south Georgia in Fitzgerald. While we were driving through the mountains, Julie pointed out that from a distance the trees make the mountain look smooth.  Distance and perspective make a difference.  The truth is, much of what was under that treeline was rough, rugged terrain. The type that is hard to traverse.  Much of the rocky earth wasn't suitable for plant growth.  Just the hardiest plants survive.   Isn't that the case with many of us? From a distance we look completely in control.  We look like we've got it together.  It is smooth sailing.  Once you get closer, the view changes.  Our rough ruggedness is exposed.  All of our flaws can be seen. The challenges we face, battles we fight, are there un...

A tool of corporal punishment. A means to an end. Punishment for wrong doing. Death. In Florida and other states they used to call it "Old Sparky". It was used to complete the punishment of those sentenced by the courts to death.  For over 76 years it was the tool used to kill criminals in Florida. The cross. A tool of corporal punishment. A means to and end. Punishment for wrong doing. Death. In the Roman Empire crucifixion was the preferred means of punishment. A criminal was beaten then hung on the cross.  Hung by being nailed to the wood. The cross then erected for all to see. The criminal would be left there to bleed and suffocate to death.  I'm not sure about you, but just the thought of the electric chair gives me the heebie-jeebies. If given the chance to simply sit in Old Sparky, I'm not sure I could muster the courage or would have any interest in doing so.   I imagine the cross brought similar emotions to the people of Jesus' time. I can...