A driving experience never to be forgotten
By Rita Sutton
The longer we travel on this journey of life, the more I recall my childhood. The phrase, "those were the good ole' days" seems very fitting. Often, the good times we experienced become more precious memories.
Several of you have expressed your enjoyment when I share my loving memories of growing up. So for you, here is one of my most special "times."
I've forever enjoyed pretty clothes and definitely shoes and purses!
The Lord expects His children to look "holy," and I tried to obey. With my (mother's) dresses dragging on the ground, my high heels clanging as I walked and my hat reaching the sky, I held my famous tea parties.
Of course, my tea was very "watery" and my "English biscuits" were cookie crumbling perfect! Well, my special "friends" and I thought it was quite exquisite.
Oh yes, sometimes, quite often in fact, they were delighted so to be invited to my party, they would allow me to eat and drink their share of refreshments - something I was always prepared and happy to oblige.
As I grew, so did our neighborhood. Pastor Marcus and his wife, moved in across the street from us. They were a strange looking couple to me, what with him being so tall and she being so petite.
I can say my neck sure got a good work-out when visiting them. And visit I did, sharing my love for fancy clothes and shoes. I would always admire her outfits for she looked like a movie star! (And her feet were small, just my size at the time). The day Mrs. Marcus gifted me with a beautiful dress, high heels and a beaded necklace, I felt I was in Heaven! You must understand, her shoes just fit, and her dress allowed me to show them off!
When church time came, I dressed, and placed my heels proudly on my feet. Yet Mother just would not give in for me to wear them. In her book, they weren't "Sunday go to meeting" appropriate. But I would "go to town!"
A certain day I felt it a must for me to "drive" mother's car to pick up something at the store. I proceeded on my imaginary excursion, "parking" the vehicle when I returned. After going inside to play, there was a knock on the front door. Mother proceeded to answer.
Before her stood a wonderful friend of ours, Mont Wright, asking, "Lucille, is that your car down the road at the electric pole?" Of course, Mother replied, she "didn't think so. It shouldn't be."
But upon looking further outside, at a second glance - she couldn't believe what her eyes showed her. Sure enough, it was Mother's car, my "going to town vehicle" backed into the pole.
Needless to say, the sojourns to the big city were over for me.
My friends, it is similar on our passage in this life. I learned early on to "Be sure my sins (wrong doings) would be found out." My Mother still loved me, even tho' she punished me to teach me what was right. God's word tells us "he chastises those He loves." The Lord loves even when we do things which aren't according to His Way.
It breaks the heart of God when He must "whip" us, especially when we keep doing the same wrong over and over. Oh how much easier and more joyful if we would learn from our mistakes early on. He delights in our laughter, not when we're caused to cry.
Until next time, remember God loves us more than we can fathom. May we love Him enough to live and work for Him, upbuilding His Kingdom!
From my heart with love.
My
Answer
By Billy Graham
Q: I guess you could say I burned my bridges with my family over 20 years ago. They weren't perfect, but I have to admit I was the main problem. Now that I'm older (and hopefully wiser), I'd like to get back in contact, but they aren't interested. Should I just forget it? - J.H.
A: No, you shouldn't forget it - both for their sake and for yours. Admittedly, it may not be possible to restore your relationship with your family - but that shouldn't keep you from trying. The Bible says there is joy for those who promote peace (Proverbs 12:20).
What can you do? First, let them know that you regret what happened, and that you know you were in the wrong.
Don't dredge up the details of the past, however, or try to play the "blame game"; what they need to hear is that you're sorry for what you did, and you hope they will forgive you.
Incidentally, a letter will probably be more effective than a phone call. If some of them respond positively, you can follow up from there.
At the same time, they may be suspicious of your motives, or even be afraid to become too involved with you. Remember: It takes only a second or two to break a bone, but it takes months for it to heal. The same is true with relationships Ñ and in all honesty, they may never be completely restored.
The most important thing you need to do, however, is to seek God's forgiveness for the past. Our sins may cut us off from others - but most of all they cut us off from God. But God loves you, and Christ died to make your forgiveness possible.
Open your heart and life to Jesus Christ today.
Verse of the Week - Isaiah 55:8-9(NIV)
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
No matter how hard we try to perceive the awesomeness of God, he is still God and we are not. We must forever remember that the original, and still primary, sin was to try to become like God in terms of knowledge and understanding. We are to know God, but we can never fully know everything about him. We are to take on his character, but we cannot approach his majesty, righteousness, or holiness on our own. This is both exciting and frustrating. But, the promise remains that one day we will be like him and see him as he is (1 John 3:1-3) and know fully even as we are fully known (1 Corinthians 13:11-12).
Arise
and Cross This Jordan
By Pastor Dustin Wilds
This week we will begin looking at how we are to claim the promises of God for our lives. To see this illustrated we will look at the story of Joshua leading the children of Israel from the wilderness, across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.
In the book of Joshua chapter one verse two, we see the Lord speak to Joshua and tell him that it is time for the People to enter into the Promised Land.
Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the Children of Israel. (Joshua 1:2, KJV) To lay a foundation of what is going on in this scripture, we see a crossroads in history were two generations of the Children of Israel meet. In our scripture we find the second of those generations on the bank of the Jordan River staring into the Promised Land. The ironic part of this story is they find themselves standing were their forefathers stood thirty-eight years earlier facing the same decision; "Do we trust and obey God and claim the Promised Land or do we give in to our doubts and go back into the wilderness?"
The first generation doubted God, gave into their fears and spent the rest of their lives in the wilderness wondering to themselves what would have been if they had only trusted God.
The second generation has the opportunity to either repeat history, or make history.
I believe that this is so true of God's people today. God has all these blessings waiting on us, if we will not doubt, but trust and follow Him.
Yet a lot of us are satisfied with a wilderness walk with God. As long as we are saved, that is good enough for us.
We will struggle with a dry and barren spiritual life living off of a few goose bumps every now and then calling that a relationship with the Lord.
God wants us to get past the goose bump, God wants us to get past the struggle, and God doesn't want our spiritual walk with Him to be dry and barren. God desires to be in an intimate relationship where He can talk and spend time with us. In Genesis we see where He would come down in the cool of the day to spend time with Adam and Eve.
Here is the question I have for you this week - if this is the kind of relationship that God wants with us, how come so many us settle for quail and manna (the food God fed the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness), when He has promised a land flowing with milk and honey?
The answer to the question is what stopped the first generation of Israel and it is what the second generation has to overcome.
The Jordan River. You see every year about the time that the second generation of the Children of Israel find themselves at the Jordan River, the Jordan River floods and overflow its banks.
Normally the river would probably be about forty feet wide. That would not be that big of a deal to cross, but when it was flooded it was probably forty feet deep and two miles wide.
This makes a huge difference and also makes it a little easier to understand why the first generation doubted.
If we are ever going to claim the promises that God has for us, we will have to cross a Jordan. Jordan comes from a Hebrew word which means "Descender or one who goes down."
The Jordan represents all of the trials and struggles that we will go through in our Christian walk. We will either rise above them, or we will sink beneath them. The Jordan is the place where we will either breakdown or breakthrough; we will either drown or walk on water. The Jordan is the place where we decide whether the dream is worth taking a chance and stepping out on faith or giving up and settling for what we have.
Claiming our Promised Land is about exercising our faith and trusting God. The Bible tells us in the Hebrews that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice; by faith Noah prepared an ark; by faith Abraham went out not knowing where he went; and by faith Abraham offered up Isaac. Before any of these people could become inspirations of faith they had a decision to make. Will I cross my Jordan or not? Everybody has a Jordan to cross.
Next week we will begin looking at exactly what we must do to cross our Jordan. God Bless and have a great week.
Pastor Dustin pastors the Lakeview Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee.
In the book of Joshua chapter one verse two, we see the Lord speak to Joshua and tell him that it is time for the People to enter into the Promised Land.
Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the Children of Israel. (Joshua 1:2, KJV) To lay a foundation of what is going on in this scripture, we see a crossroads in history were two generations of the Children of Israel meet. In our scripture we find the second of those generations on the bank of the Jordan River staring into the Promised Land. The ironic part of this story is they find themselves standing were their forefathers stood thirty-eight years earlier facing the same decision; "Do we trust and obey God and claim the Promised Land or do we give in to our doubts and go back into the wilderness?"
The first generation doubted God, gave into their fears and spent the rest of their lives in the wilderness wondering to themselves what would have been if they had only trusted God.
The second generation has the opportunity to either repeat history, or make history.
I believe that this is so true of God's people today. God has all these blessings waiting on us, if we will not doubt, but trust and follow Him.
Yet a lot of us are satisfied with a wilderness walk with God. As long as we are saved, that is good enough for us.
We will struggle with a dry and barren spiritual life living off of a few goose bumps every now and then calling that a relationship with the Lord.
God wants us to get past the goose bump, God wants us to get past the struggle, and God doesn't want our spiritual walk with Him to be dry and barren. God desires to be in an intimate relationship where He can talk and spend time with us. In Genesis we see where He would come down in the cool of the day to spend time with Adam and Eve.
Here is the question I have for you this week - if this is the kind of relationship that God wants with us, how come so many us settle for quail and manna (the food God fed the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness), when He has promised a land flowing with milk and honey?
The answer to the question is what stopped the first generation of Israel and it is what the second generation has to overcome.
The Jordan River. You see every year about the time that the second generation of the Children of Israel find themselves at the Jordan River, the Jordan River floods and overflow its banks.
Normally the river would probably be about forty feet wide. That would not be that big of a deal to cross, but when it was flooded it was probably forty feet deep and two miles wide.
This makes a huge difference and also makes it a little easier to understand why the first generation doubted.
If we are ever going to claim the promises that God has for us, we will have to cross a Jordan. Jordan comes from a Hebrew word which means "Descender or one who goes down."
The Jordan represents all of the trials and struggles that we will go through in our Christian walk. We will either rise above them, or we will sink beneath them. The Jordan is the place where we will either breakdown or breakthrough; we will either drown or walk on water. The Jordan is the place where we decide whether the dream is worth taking a chance and stepping out on faith or giving up and settling for what we have.
Claiming our Promised Land is about exercising our faith and trusting God. The Bible tells us in the Hebrews that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice; by faith Noah prepared an ark; by faith Abraham went out not knowing where he went; and by faith Abraham offered up Isaac. Before any of these people could become inspirations of faith they had a decision to make. Will I cross my Jordan or not? Everybody has a Jordan to cross.
Next week we will begin looking at exactly what we must do to cross our Jordan. God Bless and have a great week.
Pastor Dustin pastors the Lakeview Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Pro-life groups
gather for vigils
By
Martha Woodward
Every Friday until March 27, several Knox area churches, along with the Pro-Life Coalition of Knoxville, will gather for the "40 Days for Life Vigil."
The group started the series of vigils on Feb. 19. Members are using the Biblical examples of 40 days to take a stance against abortion. These vigils were spurred by Planned Parenthood's recent purchase of a property at 710 North Cherry St., through a limited liability company (the Leonard Lawson LLC.).
The idea of using the time period of 40 days comes from the scripture that tells the stories of Noah's 40 days of rain, Moses' 40 years wandering in the desert, Jesus' being tempted for 40 days in the wilderness and the disciples' being tested for 40 days after Jesus' ascension to Heaven.
Those who have joined the fight against the location of the addition of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in East Knoxville includes people of all ages, all colors, all walks of life and all religious affiliations. They are united by one message, "Choose life; stop abortion."
The group is against all abortions - surgical and chemical.
"Taking a drug that kills the fetus is just as bad as having the child removed from the womb surgically," said Lisa Morris, spokesperson for the Pro-Life Coalition.
Morris described mifepristone or RU 486 as the "abortion pill," which can be used to cause an abortion up to nine weeks into a pregnancy.
You can learn more about the vigils, by visiting the Web site - www.40daysknoxville/vigil.
Pastor Johnny Watson of the AME Bethel Church said, "If we do not do something to stop this now, something bigger is coming."
