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Fishers of Men

The lake is one of my favorite places to visit.  We are blessed to live just a mile from Duncan’s Boat Dock on the Tennessee River, and within a few minutes our family can be fishing, kayaking, or enjoying a boat ride.  We do this often.

The water is a place where we can unplug and truly relax.  Fishing gives me time to think and reflect.

Do you ever think about the situation described in Matthew chapter 4?  Peter and Andrew were fisherman.  They made their living on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus approached them from the shore and invited them to follow Him.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.  Matthew 4: 18-20

Can you imagine the excitement Peter and Andrew must have felt?  Jesus was no stranger to these two brothers, as He had been preaching in the area and they knew of his life and message.  They immediately left their nets and boat and started their new work- fishing for souls.

I sometimes wonder what purpose God has for me.  We live in a busy, noisy society.  It’s often hard to focus on discovering God’s specific purpose for our life.  I struggle to focus on what God is asking me to do while here on this earth.  Discovering God’s purpose for my life is within my grasp, I just fail to truly seek the instruction.

Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46: 10

Be still.

He has a plan for us.  We have been given gifts and we are called to use our gifts for the benefit of glorifying His holy name.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  Psalm 62: 5

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8: 28.

This week I will try to earnestly seek God’s specific purpose for my life.  I will be still, ask and then listen for instruction.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last.  John 15: 6

May we all clearly hear our call to be fishers of men…and have the courage to accept it.

God bless.

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Good wisdom from the New Testament

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. — Colossians 4:5

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Fresh start

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the new academic year for Knoxville public schools. It’s a new feeling for Hollianne and me, as we now have a a child in high school, a middle schooler and our youngest in elementary school. School supplies are purchased and organized, new clothes have been bought and the backpacks are prepped. It’s off to school in the morning.

Our three are eager to get going.  The new year represents a fresh start.  New classes, new teachers and the opportunity to meet new friends.  Last year is a distant memory- any disappointments have been put away in anticipation of this new adventure.

All of us have this opportunity for renewal.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Fresh starts are made possible for those who believe in and walk with Jesus Christ.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… 1 Peter 1:3

Fresh starts.  And the confidence in knowing that the One who created the heavens and the earth is also concerned about us.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

Tomorrow represents a big day for children and educators everywhere.  Hug your kids.  Pray for all teachers.

And be thankful for God Almighty.  Renewal is available for all.

God bless you.

 

 

 

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Election Day

“If I were President of the United States I would:  make some new laws, no drugs and no smoking, give soldiers medals, and make the world a better place.” Britton Carver- kindergarten (2011)

I am grateful for the opportunity to live in a democratic society.  It’s a blessing to be able to vote and participate in the election process.  Hollianne and I don’t take this for granted- and we stress the importance of voting to our kids.

As much as I enjoy the political process, I am happy that this election day has come and gone.  It was a particularly ugly campaign season in East Tennessee.  Negative ads littered our mailboxes, radio speakers and televisions.  Many candidates not only wanted to tell prospective voters about their credentials and accomplishments. but also went on the attack.  Anything to earn a vote, it seems.

Unlike this somewhat tough political realm, we are blessed to have already been elected.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.  John 15:16

Jesus elected to be persecuted and die on the cross to take away our sins.  His decision afforded us with the opportunity for the ultimate freedom.  Freedom to live with our Lord and Savior.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  2 Thessalonians 2:13

We have been elected.  It is our choice whether to accept this appointment or not.  Will we accept or reject this generous gift?

Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:20

We have already been given the benefit of a win in the world’s greatest election event.  Jesus paid the ultimate price on that cross to give us victory.

Thank God.

 

 

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wedding gifts

California 2014It’s been 19 years since Hollianne and I exchanged our vows at the First United Methodist Church in Lexington, Tennessee. I had just graduated from the University of Tennessee and was working at a small college in Ohio. Hollianne was still in school and planning to begin her student teaching that next month in our new hometown of Marietta. It was exciting to see many of our friends and family gathered in one spot to celebrate our special day with us.

I can also recall all the wedding gifts that were given to us that day. They were piled up on tables in the reception hall of the church. We were so grateful for those gifts- as well as the ones received at various wedding showers earlier in the summer. We were poor as church mice, and these items were a great help in getting our home put together.

Since that time I’ve come to appreciate the other gifts that have accompanied our union on August 5, 1995.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  Genesis 2:24

I truly had no idea what kind of special friendship would develop with Hollianne.  I’ve been blessed with great friends since childhood and through my adult years, but Hollianne has become my best friend.  She has provided us with three beautiful children and a house full of laughter.  She picks me up when I need encouragement.  She makes me feel special and loved.  I love waking up and coming home to her each day.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

Another great gift has been an extended family.  While my immediate family is very small, through this marriage I’ve gained six brothers and sisters-in-law, two wonderful “parents” and seven nieces and nephews.  I’ve also gained close friendships and many great memories with Hollianne’s family. Best of all?  They’ve embraced me as one of their own.  I love them.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.  Proverbs 18:22

Hollianne makes me a better person.  She’s a great example of a Godly woman and she provides me with the best example of how I want to live.  She loves my mother and father and is an incredible mother to our children.  Hollianne wants me to get to heaven- and that’s the greatest act of love and support that I can have on this earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

Weddings are special occasions, but the gifts over the years are what make marriages so special.

Celebrate your wedding gifts each day.

God bless.

 

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What’s your idol?

Britton's idol picture

You can learn a lot from your kids.  Britton, our youngest child, brought home a sign from church a couple of months ago.  The message was simple and plain…”You shall not make for yourself an idol.”  At the bottom of the sign was a man who is bowing down- obviously paying homage to an object of earthly affection.

Britton’s lesson that day was about ancient people from the Bible who worshiped all sorts of gods.  Fertility gods.  Storm and harvest gods.  Sea gods and hunting gods.  Even the Israelites who were being led by Moses out of Egypt quickly deserted their teachings and faith to worship a “golden calf” (Exodus 32).  They were tired of waiting on Moses to return from Mt. Sinai and decided to create a new object of worship.  Needless to say, God wasn’t very happy with these impatient followers.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.  They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.  They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.  Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust them.  Psalm 115: 4-8

I’m not much better.  While I don’t practice the worship of pagan gods discussed in the Old and New Testament, I’m just as guilty about being impatient and getting distracted.  Many things can serve as idols for me.  If we aren’t careful, we can become quite caught up in chasing earthly pleasures instead of focusing on true worship.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.  For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an alter with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,”  Acts 17: 22-31

We serve an all-powerful God.  The creator and ruler of the entire universe.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  I Chronicles 16: 26

We have been given implicit instructions to keep focused.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I Corinthians 10: 14

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.  Luke 16: 13

I explained to Britton that anything that hinders our pursuit of seeking God’s will and instruction for our lives is considered an idol.  It can be Legos (as Britton brought up), college football season, the pursuit of that promotion at work or concern about a family relationship.

“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” And he called the people to him and said to them, “hear and understand….”  Matthew 15: 8-10

What clouds your focus?  What idols stand in your way of serving the living God?  I easily recognize a few in own life- and I pray for self-awareness (and guidance from friends) to help me with those that I cannot clearly see.

Let’s all pray for help to remove the idols in our lives.

God bless you.

 

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Soybeans, sunflowers and salvation: from dirt we came

I had breakfast in a soybean field this week.  I was in Milan, Tennessee to attend the celebrated Milan “No Till” agricultural festival.  Milan, by the way, is the hometown of two notable past Presidents of the University of Tennessee- Dr. Andy Holt and Eli Fly.  Not too shabby for a town with a population of 7,800 folks.

No Till is an farming method that doesn’t disturb the soil as much as traditional methods- among other things it allows great moisture retention. The event draws hundreds of people from across the state and region to witness advancements in agricultural technology and demonstrate the latest improvements in farming methods.

I attend many events like this each year- but this one is special.  It’s a celebration of an agricultural culture.  A celebration of the soil and the fruit, vegetables and crops that come forth from it.  It’s also a celebration of people- farmers and their families.  Good, hard-working, intelligent and honest folks.

Cycles are inevitable in agriculture.  There is a time, a season and a reason for everything.  Planning, planting, feeding and harvesting are all vitally important to the farming process.

And to me- this trip back home to West Tennessee was a reminder of the temporary nature of our own lives.  Our earthly bodies, like the plants of the field, aren’t built for immortality.  We know that God formed us from the dust of the ground.

…the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  Genesis 2:7

We are also reminded that our bodies will eventually return to the earth.

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.  Genesis 3:19

Our earthly life is a cycle.  We are born, grow, and work.  We age and eventually pass away.  But just as our friends lay great plans for their crops of the fields, our Heavenly Father has a plan for us.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:13-16

Our time on earth is limited, but we have a purpose.  We need to be fruitful and work to realize God’s will for the cycle of our temporary, earthly life.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Colossians 3:23

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  I Corinthians 10:31

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.  Proverbs 16:3

Let’s make our limited days on earth productive and eventually experience the full blessing of the harvest.  God needs workers.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matthew 9:37-38

While crops take time to grow and harvest- our work with our neighbors (near and far) does not have a time table.  It is immediate.

It’s time for all of us to get our hands dirty.  We need to encourage one another to do good in order to glorify God’s most Holy name while on earth.

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Matthew 13:21

Let’s hit the fields together.

God bless.

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Gators, darkness and the ultimate flashlight

I believe that heat and humidity come to die in South Carolina each July. I have been working in the Palmetto State for the past two days. It’s a beautiful place, especially the coast. But the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

I had to be at a breakfast meeting today at 6:45 am. I had decided to get in a quick run around the hotel before breakfast, so I headed out of my room around 5:00 am. I was taken aback at the humidity even at this early hour, but I was even more surprised by the darkness. Pitch black. There wasn’t a hint of sunrise as I started my run, but I eventually found the pathway that circled the hotel complex and began to plod down the trail.

It was dark. There were very few lights along the trail, so each step was taken with caution and a bit of trepidation. The hotel had placed small guide lights along the trail about every 1/8 of a mile, so my strategy was to simply run- carefully- from light to light.

About a ½ mile into my run I spotted a sign that warned visitors to watch for alligators crossing the path. This was a bit unnerving- as I was now painfully aware of the opportunity to run upon a reptile in the darkness.

It was a dark world this morning. There were numerous obstacles along the pathway…fallen limbs from yesterday’s winds, large pools of water from an overnight downpour, and the threat of angry, hungry reptiles. It probably wasn’t smart for me to venture out into the darkness, but I went anyway.

I was reminded about the larger, greater darkness we encounter in this world each day. Stress, strife and sin can cloud our judgment and keep us from seeing (and thinking) clearly about our purpose and our daily walk with Christ.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

The Bible. God’s own word. We’ve been given this ultimate guidebook to navigating our way through life. We have the ultimate light to help us focus on how to live our lives, how to treat people and how to persevere through tough times. It’s up to us to seek this wisdom. The more we read and study- the more clear our path will be.

Let’s encourage one another to read and reflect on the wisdom of the Bible. It’s the ultimate illumination device.

God bless.

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Hey doc, I’ve got this plank in my eye…

Have you ever been tempted to make a quick, unchecked judgement on someone?  I’m guilty.  Maybe it’s their speech, appearance or even a bias about them “not being from around here.”

The Bible gives us great instruction about passing judgment on others…that is, how we look at other’s actions as unfavorable or wrong.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Matthew 7: 1-2

We are asked to not be hypocritical or self-righteous when dealing with others.  Instead of making snap judgements- let’s choose in engage in another way.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.   Matthew 7: 3-5

We are all sinners.  Broken.  As Christians we should desire to edify one another.  Support one another.  In order to best help someone else, we need to take an honest assessment of our own lives.  Where do we need help?  Where are the “planks” in our lives?  I can think of several areas in my own life…and I’m certain that you could tell me of others!

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  John 8: 7

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.  But who are you to judge your neighbor?  James 4:12

It’s easy to make a snap judgment on someone without knowing their complete story. Their background. Beliefs. Work ethic. Heart.  We serve a God of justice, but also a God of love. We need to reflect that spirit of love first when interacting and approaching others in need.

Let us lift one another up.

God bless you.

 

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Prodigal Son? Not LeBron…

IMG_2680My boys have been fascinated with the LeBron James saga this week.  We’ve been on vacation- but at every opportunity they tuned in to ESPN to get the latest.  It was an interesting story…as four years ago LeBron spurned his home state of Ohio to go to “greener pastures” (and more talent) in Miami.  You remember what happened next.  LeBron jerseys were burned all over Cleveland and northeast Ohio.  People called him traitor.  His image was removed from buildings and local endorsement deals.  Even his family was not immune- as his mother had to endure all sorts of hostility and threats.

Four Finals appearances and two NBA championship rings later- he decides he’s ready to return home.  The 2010 decision was a thing of the past.  All is forgiven in an instant.  An internet article described it as the “Prodigal Son Returns.”

This is a reach.  I don’t think that LeBron’s situation can be described a prodigal.  You all remember the story from the book of Luke, which truly describes the story of the prodigal son.

Luke 15:11-32 (ESV) And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

We know what happens next.  The son returns home and is forgiven by his father.  Riches, followed by unrighteous living, a downfall, and then a return to the comfort of his family.

While LeBron’s decision can’t truly be compared to the account in Luke, I can certainly relate from my own life.  There have been times when I have behaved, acted or just thought in ways that provided a departure- or at least a temporary distraction- from the way that God wants me to live.  Career, self-interest and pride have often blinded me from God’s will for my life.

1 John 2:1-29 (ESV) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

Thank the Lord that we have an advocate for us when we go astray. Our heavenly Father provides us with unconditional love, and through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross we have grace and forgiveness from our actions.  We just need to repent and change course- not an easy thing to do for prideful people, like myself.

Philippians 2:12-16 (ESV)  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

I am thankful for the forgiveness that is offered when I wander astray as the prodigal son.

God bless.

 

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