I’m in the process of reawakening my creative side by reviving my old blog i4Daily.
I hope you get a kick out of the pictures 🙂
While visiting a music store (Fiddlers Anonymous) to hear some bluegrass music, my daughter Katie was approached by the owner of the establishment’s dog.
The dog was in-your-face friendly!
But, you know, we Americans do like to maintain a little more space between noses, LOL!
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I pray every one of you has a great day, today. Try to find a place to corporately worship with other believers. If you’re ever in Soddy Daisy, TN, I’d like to invite you to visit us at South Soddy Baptist. #southsoddybaptist
“The true preacher, preaching with every drop of his lifeblood and with every spark of his understanding of the Word of God, has an unction from heaven itself. His feet may tremble but the rock upon which he stands shall abide forever.” W. A. Criswell
My pulpit at South Soddy Baptist
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It’s been a long time since I regularly posted to i4Daily … it’s been a long time since I had an iPhone 4s, too. But, who knows, maybe it’s time to crank it up again. Let me know what you think.
This is Jack and Mona (I’m not crazy about the “Mona” name, but that’s what my daughter named her).
Jack is a Chiweenie (sp?). Mona is supposedly a Chorkie. Jack has been going on Saturday-morning breakfast rides for years, but this was Mona’s first.
Notice how that Jack is sitting all proper and face-forward, while Mona is more interested in what I’m doing with my feet and hands as I drive.
Jack knows the destination, but Mona does not.
Sometimes, when the struggles of life want to drag us down, we need to be reminded that we have a purpose and a destination.
Prophetically speaking of the Messiah to come, Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote:
For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. – Isaiah 50:7
Looking…
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This right here is wisdom every one of us should heed, especially those of us who are “pillars” in our communities, i.e., pastors.
Falling. Not the “trip over the rug” falling. Not the missed the curb falling. I’m talking about real falling–the moral and spiritual falling. Last week I heard that a friend, colleague, and fellow pastor fell, and fell hard. Now those of you who are close friends, please do not ask me who or where–because I will not tell you. My friend and fellow pastor and his family are going through the unimaginable right now and such details will do nothing to bring healing and restoration, for them and that congregation.
I remember way back, the Jimmy Swaggert event. And I remember thinking and saying, “Well, what should you expect from someone who considers themselves a superstar in the church?” I know, I know, that was not very gracious, merciful or kind. Truthfully, it was very self-righteous on my part. Add to that, the recent fall of Bill Hybels. I’ve heard…
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This reminds me of a song by Natalie Grant that I’ve heard a lot over the past couple of months: “More than Anything.” Below are the lyrics to the chorus:
Help me want the Healer
More than the healing
Help me want the Saviour
More than the saving
Help me want the Giver
More than the giving
Oh help me want You Jesus
More than anythingI think Mitch Teemley’s words fit right in with that sentiment.
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I’m no longer driving a school bus (I’m working with Aflac! Call me!), but I would still encourage you to buy a copy of my book and share it with others. Here is one of the 20 stories you’ll find. Enjoy.
Bob “Apple” Smith, a bus driver for the county, has a lot to explain. A quick look at his bus will let you know why. It is stripped. Stripped of EVERYTHING!
According to Bob, shortly after dropping off the last of his children, he made a quick “personal” stop. It was during his “personal” stop, which took longer than he anticipated (probably due to the excessive amount of jalapeños Bob insisted to be put on his eggs for breakfast), that vandals supposedly stripped his 88-passenger ThomasBuilt bus.
“Once I was finally able to finish my business,” Bob said, “I went back outside and said, ‘I’ll be d—-d!‘” He went on to say, “Those little hoodlums worked quicker than piranhas on a pig!”
The Link
No wonder, Bob had parked his bus in one the most notorious places in town. For months the police have been answering calls from stranded motorist who could do nothing more than cry after doing their “personal” business. Fortunately, an unbelievable link may have been found.
After investigators did some research, Bob was not the only one who had eaten eggs at a particular diner on Downtown Street. It seems that more than one patron of “Slick Sam’s” had eaten eggs before having to stop just blocks away to make an emergency “deposit.” Coincidentally, those same patrons had their automobiles stripped.
The only problem for Mr. Smith is the additional time it would have taken to strip the large bus. Some are questioning whether or not there may be seeds of deceit at his “Apple” core. It was not long ago another driver, Margaret “Snoopy” Jones, overheard Bob say, “I am tired of this job, but I’m not going to quit without getting a medal.” Ms. Jones insists he was speaking code, meaning “metal” when he said “medal.” This is still under investigation, but questionable, however.  It seems that  Ms. Jones has a record of saying, “Bob was always the ‘bad Apple’ in the bus driver barrel.”
For heaven’s sake, don’t believe everything you read.
A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. – Proverbs 14:15 NIV
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1 KJV
Sometimes things like this can be seen as funny (I hope), but many are sadly deceived in issues that have eternal significance. Â The Bereans did not even take the Apostle Paul’s words at face value. They “tried” his words by comparing them to Scripture (Acts 17:10-11). Â You see, no buses got stripped by vandals, and you could easily prove this by doing a little research. As matter of fact, the bus in the picture was stripped, but only for spare parts (it had an engine fire that made it too expensive to fix). But so many people will take anyone’s word, believe any hearsay, hold to any old rumor or fable, rather than take the “noble” route of the Bereans and “search the Scripture.”
Filed under Life Lessons, Uncategorized, World View
In a sermon I preached not long ago, I made mention of the fact that you never see “First Baptist,” “Methodist,” or “Community Non-Denominational” plastered above an underground church. When all one wants to do is worship God without being imprisoned or killed, denominational distinction is one of the least of their worries.
That led me to think of other things that an underground church might not worry about:
No, I don’t think underground churches ever have time to worry about all these things. They are more concerned with fellowship, encouragement, prayer, reading God’s Word in any version they can get their hands on, and staying alive.
Yet, it would seem we think we are closer to God than the underground, persecuted church because, after all, we have more things to worry about.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. – Jesus (John 17:20-21)
Maybe we should concentrate more on what really matters…”that the world may believe.”
Filed under Christian Living, Christian Unity, God, legalism, Uncategorized, worship
When you don’t know your Bible, the arguments of those who hate it appear far more believable. The following article from Insanity Bytes should sting the conscience of many.
Yep, I’m going to grant them a point with this little meme. Congratulations, evangelizing atheists, you scored a hit! You totally sunk my battleship.
Just keep in mind that while the Titanic is so melodramatically sinking, I actually have Someone to sing praises to while the violins play and people are busy rearranging deck chairs….
So, the Christians are completely without excuse here, too. People actually died, they gave their very lives so that everyday, ordinary people in the modern world, could have free, unrestricted access to bibles of their very own.
There are many versions available, too. I prefer the KJV…..but I also kind of enjoy the Passion Bible, too. Regardless, they all pretty much capture the same concepts, although some are better than others. If you can’t really read, you can actually have the bible read to you by this guy with a wonderful Scottish brogue. I kid…
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On Wednesday, June 15, 2010 (over 8 years ago) I preached a short message from Isaiah 57:15 entitled “Three R’s and Revival.”
It was as I was casually reading through Isaiah 57 that this verse grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I was reading it on my iPhone, actually, in the NET version, and it went like this:
“For this is what the high and exalted one says, the one who rules forever, whose name is holy: “I dwell in an exalted and holy place, but also with the discouraged and humiliated, in order to cheer up the humiliated and to encourage the discouraged.” – Isaiah 57:15 NET
When I went back and looked at it, my eyes filled up with tears. I was impressed with this fact: The Holy One isn’t too good to sit down with the humiliated and discouraged!
God is humble.
Of course, He is! Just look at what He did! Jesus became flesh (John 1:14) and walked in our shoes. He allowed Himself to be humiliated and beaten, even crucified, although He had every reason to look down on us, being God (Phil. 2:6-7). The “High and Lofty One” became the “meek and lowly” (Matt. 11:29).
There was/is no pride in God.
Isaiah 57:15 KJV –Â “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
The three R’s that I see in Isaiah 57:15 are these: Reign, Realm, and Residence.
Reign
Earlier, in chapter 6, Isaiah said he “saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…” The “high and lofty” One is none other than a King. And not just any king, this is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. The same description is found in Revelation 4. In verse 2, John saw a throne “set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne.” Who was the One that sat on the throne? Evidently, the same Person who was seen by Isaiah, because in both accounts the angels were crying out “Holy, holy, holy...”
God is not a man-made idol or idea formed in the human mind – He is “high and lofty.” He is “exalted” above every other creature, whether in heaven or on earth. “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11 KJV).
Because He is king, there remain only two options with regards to His reign: you are either His subject, or you are His enemy. God does not operate like earthly kings and nations. We have allies; but not God. His kingdom demands total loyalty (every knee shall bow). Serving another king is not a good thing at all, for it will only result in His judgment. No king is greater than He. To serve another is to live in rebellion.
Realm
God is the One that “inhabiteth (inhabits) eternity.” This is His realm. His influence reaches not only across all known and unknown areas of the universe but across time immortal!
It was said that at one time the sun never set on the British realm. All over the world, there were colonies under the control of the throne of England. But even more impressive than that, God’s realm isn’t limited to the present rising and setting of the sun, it is in ETERNITY.
It is important to note something here. I am not opposed to reading different translations, but a good example of when a new translation misses the mark is changing the word “inhabiteth” to “rules/lives forever.” Of course it is true that God lives and rules forever; however, there is more to it than that. The word “inhabit” touches upon His eternally sovereign omnipresence. God/Jesus is not just king over the here and now, or the future, but over the past, present, and future at the same time! He inhabits eternity! There is nothing in the realm of time, no matter where it is, that is out of His scope of authority.
Stop and think about this, folks. Think about the practical application of the above statement. Let’s just say you need $100 tomorrow to pay a bill. Or, it could be $1 million, a billion – doesn’t matter. You could go to an earthly king and ask for help, but the king would be limited to the time frame in which you needed the money, the amount that he had, and the limitations of his realm. Not God.
I have seen money come in for a need that was desperate. God provided what was needed. But, when you look at the sequence of events, God started answering that prayer long before it was ever prayed – decades before! God is not limited by time, space, or anything. His realm covers it all. When George Mueller prayed for milk (for his orphanage), do you not think that God had already put in place the necessary sequence of events to make that milk wagon drop a wheel? It is not even out of line to think that He went back to when the tree was planted that provided the wood for the wagon.
Residence
God not only lives in the “holy place,” but He dwells with lowly man. His name is Emmanuel – God with us. But notice this, He only dwells with the humble, the contrite, the broken-hearted, the cast down, the weary, the needy (“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” – James 4:6). Even though He could choose to stay in His high and holy place, far above the heavens (as most men would do, given the opportunity), He makes His bed right on the floor with the lowliest, shivering beggar.
Of all people, God should be the one who looks down His nose at us. He is the “lofty” One upon the throne. We are the helpless sinners. How ironic is it that the only ones who will not open the door of their hearts are the prideful? Pride closes the door to the King.
He said “I dwell” in order “to revive.” It is the presence of the God who cares; the God who understands where we are; the God who makes His home with the “discouraged” and the “humiliated” that brings revival. Oh, to live without hope, without compassion, without a tender touch from a caring hand, brings death. But to have a King step down from His lofty position in the heavenlies, from the eternal, to a lowly place in time – that revives the heart.
The gulf that separated me from Christ, my LordÂ
It was so vast, the crossing I could never fordÂ
From where I was to His domain, it seemed so farÂ
I cried “Dear Lord, I cannot come to where You are”ÂCHORUSÂ
He came to me, He came to meÂ
When I could not come to where He was, He came to meÂ
That’s why He died on CalvaryÂ
When I could not come to where He was, He came to meÂHe Came to Me – by Squire Parsons
Don’t let pride shut the door to your heart when the King of Kings seeks to dwell with you.
Filed under God, Preaching, salvation, translations, Uncategorized, worship
Now I have another blog to write for!
Actually, I’ll let you in on a little secret – I’m going to be recycling for a little while.
Our church just got it’s new website up and going, even though it’s really still under construction. Nevertheless, I wanted to give you guys a link to a post so that you can find and “like” the new blog and website.
I am looking forward to having regular videos uploaded, too. They won’t be of church services, but short, devotional teaching specifically made for the website.
Do me a favor and check it out 🙂
Maybe you could help me think of a name for the church blog … something besides “our blog.”
http://southsoddybaptist.org/2018/08/10/perfection-not-required/
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The Recovering Legalist 