Paid in Full!

When I was a 15 year old skateboarder we talked this lady, who had a shoe shop, into selling skateboards. One huge mistake she made was letting teenagers charge stuff. There was no way we could pay for it! We didn’t have jobs. We were not responsible with money, or at least I wasn’t. the only time I got money was if my mom gave it to me. I was down at the shop one day and she said she needed her money. What was I to do? I was a skater kid…a broke skater kid. I scrounged up some money, probably begging my mom for it, and took it to her, hoping it would please her for a little while. Some time later I came up with a little more money and I went to pay on my bill. She said she didn’t my money, that my mom had come by and paid it off! Woo hoo! I was debt free. My debt was paid in full! My mom did this several times. She is the greatest! I love you mom!
This is exactly what Christ has done for us. He has paid our debt. We owe everything to God. We have run up a huge bill that we could never repay because of sin so God says, “No problem…I will pay it.” And he gives us a Passover Lamb, Jesus. He nailed our sins to the cross. He rose victorious from the grave, and He now sits at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us. You see, if we are Christian, that is, if we belong to Christ, God does not see our sin…He sees the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ washes our sins and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness! Our debt is paid in full! Thank you Jesus! Let me leave you with these verses from Romans 3:21-27 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[a] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Trinity?

Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit… These three separate entities make up God yet they are one. To make something complicated easy let me say it like this: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one in the same yet they are different! Are you confused yet? Many people believe that God is God and there are no three separate entities. But this can’t be the case! For example, when Jesus was being baptized by John the baptizer in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven like a dove and landed on Jesus, and a voice from Heaven (which would be God the Father’s voice) said, “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.” Get it? There is God the Father or God, God the Son in that came in the flesh, and God the Holy Spirit that dwells in us as Christians today (Acts 2:37-39).
Still confused? Let me try again. If you were to look at the book of Genesis and read chapter one, you would come across the word “God” several times. There were two words used for God throughout the Old Testament, Yahweh and Elohim. The word used in Genesis 1 is Elohim which is plural. Plural means that there are more than one. Verse 26 even says, “Let us make man in our own image.” Notice the plurality. If it was singular, God would have said, “Let Me make man in My own image.” So if Elohim is used which is the plural word for “God” then more than one entity must have been present at the creation. And they were! Obviously God the Father was there because He spoke all this great stuff into existence. What about Jesus? Take a look at John 1. This chapter is all about Jesus. Verse one and two say this, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” What about the Holy Spirit? Genesis 1:2 says “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. You see, it’s really simple. All three, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were present at creation and are still with us today! I don’t know why so many people want to complicate things. I know this is not a exhaustive study and there are numerous arguments, but I think you get the point. Thank you Lord for your creation, including us in your plan, saving us by Your grace, and leading us as we journey toward Heaven. Amen.

Do you know what it's like to be in a vehicle and you are going fast and you want to slow down but when you apply the breaks you just keep going? That's the way my I feel lately. I have been terribly busy with getting my youth calendar ready for 2009, lining up activities for this year, planning future events, and getting lessons prepared. I just looked up yesterday and realized January is already over and February is upon us! In fact, I mentioned in my monthly caller article that it feels like this year is blowing by so fast. I keep saying I'm going to slow down and take some time off but I just can't seem to find any! If you have some to spare, I'll take it.
I got an opportunity to preach a couple of weeks ago and it went well. I preached on "Life Is Fragile". I came up with the idea after seeing the plane down in Hudson River. It amazes me that all those people came out of that situation alive. Thank God for that. I didn't use this in my sermon but I did think about this thought later...James (4:14) says that our lives are a vapor and that we are only here for a little while and we are gone. Have you ever noticed how fast a vapor disappears? Even if we live 100 years, that's still not very long compared to eternity. So the question I ask is, "What am I doing in my life that makes a difference?", "Who have I made an impact on?" and even "What impact have I made-positive or negative?"
I hope you ponder these questions. Maybe you have made a great impact on someone. Maybe you have directed their lives in a positive manner, maybe even shared the Lord with them and they gave their life to Christ...AWESOME! Or maybe you have made a negative impact on someone and you know it. Is there someone who you need to forgive? Life is short...TOO SHORT! Let go of it. Go make it right if it's wrong. Go out today and be a blessing. Randy

love

Love. What is love?

When I was a teenager, at the age of 17 I thought I knew what love was. I met a girl in high school that I just couldn’t wait to see. By the time seven o’clock rolled around and it was time to get off of work, I bebopped to her home town to see her. My heart would race! My truck couldn’t go fast enough! And when I saw her I felt all that gooey stuff. You know what I mean? She was “my first love”. I reckon everybody has one…some even marries theirs. And that was our plan until…
Well, like I said, I thought I knew what love is. Twenty years later, I’m still learning what love is, but I guarantee I had no idea what love really was when I was seventeen. When I was so “in love” another girl caught my eye and I had to pursue her. So I broke off a great relationship with my first love for someone who I didn’t know, and by the time I got to know her, although she was a hottie on the outside, she wasn’t very lovable on the inside. Our relationship didn’t last very long because, well let’s just say that I didn’t like sharing my girl with other guys. Get it? You see I thought I was in love with my “first love” but I had no idea of what love is.

Love.
Let’s talk about what love is not.
Love is not: getting flowers, writing the words on a card, giving boxes of chocolate, heart-shaped balloons, text messaging or talking on the phone all night long, groping all over each other, hugs, kisses, no matter how long they last, etc. No. These things are not love! They may be things you do when you are in love, but they are not love. And I can go on and with this thought.

What is love?
In my opinion, this is love:
Tolerance-there are some things you will just have to tolerate that you may absolutely hate.
Balance-have you ever watched a balancing act? If they go too much to one side they fall! Love is all about give and take. You can’t have it your way all the time. Your loved one needs your time and understanding.
Giving-We as people are geared to “get all we can”. We are constantly taking and hardly ever giving. One of the greatest things we can give is an ear and keep our mouths shut!. (Boy, I really suck at this part)
Accepting-Everybody makes dumb choices. However, nobody likes to be rejected. We all want to be accepted and feel like we have a place to fit in.
Compromising-This goes back to the give and take concept. You can’t always have it your way. There has to be a compromise. Not on moral things. I love sports. I was athletic all of my life and played all kinds of sports. Now I coach my kids. But if something comes up with the wife and it’s important to her, that game on tv will have to be recorded and watched later.
Learning-never think you have it all figured out. If you stop learning things about each other, you are in trouble. Find time to spend with each other and learn something new.
Sacrifice-I know it hurts, but take one for the team. Let go of your selfish wants and desires and give some time to your mate’s dreams. Get your ego out of the way.
Forgiving-this is what love is all about. You will fail. Your mate will fail. However, love picks up the broken pieces and mends them back together again. If it can’t, it takes what is left, and puts them to good use. If you hold on to those things that hurt you, it will destroy your love and your life.
I’m out of time but these are some thoughts I had today at Piggly Wiggly. Maybe someday, I’ll make a sermon out of this. In the next few days, I will have some more thoughts and examples. peace. Randy

home

Home… Home is where the heart is…there’s no place like home…home is where your story begins…Home. My hometown, my alma mater, the awesome Milan Bulldogs, played for the state championship this past Friday night. They were 14-0 going into this game and it looked as if they might be able to pull off an upset and beat Alcoa. But, unfortunately, Alcoa would not be denied their fifth straight state championship title.
Since I now live near Alcoa this was a hard pill to swallow. One thing cool about this game was that it was on local television. It was great to see that purple and white once again. Even though we lost it was still awesome to see. I graduated from Milan in 1990. We have always had a good football team, especially when John Tucker (no relation to me) was there. At one time, and still may be, Coach Tucker was the all time winningest coach in the state of Tennessee. We have won several state championships and I’m sure more will come. Maybe even next year because this team is young and I believe they can make it back to Murfreesboro. Good luck to them.
Watching that game brought back memories, memories of my high school days and living in Milan. There were good times and some bad times. There were great times and some just absolutely horrible, nightmarish. But I still, no matter where I live today or tomorrow, I still consider it home. It made me wonder of where my friends are living now and what are they doing with their lives. It made me relive some of my childhood, skateboarding all over the streets, building half-pipes, playing baseball, waffle ball, basketball, etc. in my big back yard. I had an awesome go-kart track around that yard. Oh yes…memories. One lesson that I am learning these days is that those days are gone…they are past…I can’t do anything to change the good or the bad…all I can do is take care of today and what is ahead of me. I’m thankful for what the Lord has allowed me to go through, both good and bad, and I’m grateful that He is guiding me, holding my hand, as we walk together today, and I can lay my head down tonight and sleep peacefully knowing that He will be there with me tomorrow. As many times I have failed Him, He has been faithful to me. As many times I have left Him and didn’t follow through with His Will, He has always been there waiting for me to pick up the broken pieces and get moving again. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Randy

Well, it’s official. Change has come to the hill. I just finished listening to the press conference where they announced Lane Kiffin as the head coach of my beloved Tennessee Volunteers. I’m excited about this change, especially if he puts the staff together that people are talking about. We should be able to compete in the SEC once again!
Did you see any of the press conference where Coach Fulmer was let go? It was sad. Many people rejoiced. I had mixed emotions. I have felt like change was needed for years but my heart went out to Fulmer and his family. I know the feeling of being let go like that. I was at my previous church for a year and a half and I was let go and it was totally unexpected. I couldn’t imagine being somewhere for thirty years of my life and then it comes to an end. It was obvious how much Tennessee means to Fulmer. Yeah, he may get a big fat paycheck out of it but I guarantee you that money could never replace what he has lost.

How do you deal with unexpected things? Just to be honest, I have really struggled with what has happened to me and my family. I struggle with emotions toward the people who have hurt me and put my family in a very difficult situation, especially financially. I struggle with the fact that it has even happened. Why? Why me? Have you ever asked God that question? Why is this or that happening to me at the most worse possible time it can happen? But I refuse to give in the towel and give up. I must keep on going and I will. I know someday all will be well again. Maybe it’s a test from God. And yes, I have, on several occasions, had some serious conversations with God about all of this. I need answers. But do I turn away from the One who has the answers? Do I turn away from the One who can help me through this difficult time? No. In fact, I run to Him for strength, guidance, understanding, wisdom, etc. and I want to encourage you to do the same thing if you are struggling with life or with your faith. What alternative do you have that is better than God? If we turn from Him, then we have lost all hope. If you lose hope, then you have lost everything.
I was flipping through the channels the other day and I came across a preacher preaching on How to Handle Discouragement. He was using Psalm 42 and 43 as his text. I encourage you to read and study these passages. I will leave you with this verse from Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Keep the faith, Randy

I said “good morning” to an older gentleman this morning at work (Piggly Wiggly) as he passed by me. Then I asked him how he was doing and he made a comment that let me know he was just glad to be alive. He said, “We are never guaranteed tomorrow” and these comments sparked a short conversation. The man said something that was so simple yet profound. It spoke volumes. I have made the same comment many times during a prayer, a lesson, or a sermon. This guy said, “We have so much to be thankful for and we just take it all for granted.” Then we proceeded to mention things we take for granted like the air we breathe, being able to walk, eat, etc. It is so easy to lose sight of this idea because we “just take it for granted.” Think about it for a second or two…Did you wake up this morning wondering if your heart would be beating? No. You expect it to be beating…if it doesn’t you won’t be thinking at all! Did you go outside and get in your car thinking, “I hope this thing gets me to work”? Unless you drive a clunker, the answer is no. You reached in your pocket, grabbed your keys, put them in the ignition, and started down the road be-bopping to some music and didn’t give it a second thought. We just expect it to happen. I can go on and on with so many examples but I believe you get the point.
There are tons of verses in the Bible about giving thanks and I challenge you to take a look at some of them. But one that I want to share with you is Psalm 118:19 which says, “Open for me that gates of righteousness. I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.” Don’t wait until you gather with your family for Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday to say “Thanks”. Say it today, right now! Say it every day as you begin your day. “Lord, I thank you for all your blessings. Thank you for all those things we take for granted each and everyday. Thank you for salvation. Thanks.”

This is an awesome song written by Dennis Jernigan

Thank you, Lord

For all that You've done, I will thank You

For all the You're going to do

For all that You've promised

And all that You are

Is all that has carried me through

Jesus I thank You

And I thank You

Thank You Lord

And I thank You

Thank You Lord

Thank You for loving and setting me free

Thank You for giving Your life just for me

How I thank YouJesus, I thank You

Gracefully thank You

Thank You

© Dennis Jernigan