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

Confidence. Too much of this word and people think you are too cocky and you think too much of yourself. Not enough of this word and people say you lack self esteem and you need to build it up. Where is your confidence? Where is your level? Maybe you have a healthy balance, maybe you are on the down-and-out and you lack confidence, or maybe you are one of those who walks with your chest popped out and you are full of confidence. With me, it depends on what I’m doing. For example, until we started serving the Lord here in Harriman I haven’t played a musical instrument or sung in front of an audience in over ten years. But I was so excited when I had an opportunity to play drums one morning during worship. Oh sure, I was rusty, but it felt great! I was kind of embarrassed after the services because people would compliment my playing. I thought to myself, “Did you hear all my screw-ups? Couldn’t you tell I was rusty?” In fact, I even made some comments to them about it and they said they couldn’t tell that I messed up. At the time, I lacked confidence. Since we have been here for several months now I have gotten to play many times and I can tell that my playing has improved. I even look at the crowd when I play. I guess you can say I have more confidence in my ability to play! This week I took another step and played the bass guitar. This instrument doesn’t come as natural as playing drums so I really have to work at it. I love to play, especially for the Lord. I feel like David did when he was playing his instruments and dancing before the Lord. I still haven’t reached a level of confidence to where I can sing in front of a crowd yet, but Lord willing, I’ll get there. Think about some people in scripture that lacked confidence when they were asked to do something for God. Moses…Moses had no confidence in himself or his abilities. That’s why he came up with so many excuses, yet when he finally obeyed, his confidence grew and he became an awesome leader of God’s people. What about Gideon? God called him a mighty warrior! He was from a poor family and he was the least of his family. In fact, when the angel came to him he was hiding in the barn threshing wheat! Yet we see Gideon take on the challenge that God gave him and he defeats a whole army, not with an army of thousands, but three hundred. And their weapons were water pots! Look at Saul, when God chose him to be Israel’s first king, he hid! And yet he came to be a powerful king. And the list goes on and on. If you lack confidence to do something, study these examples, plus others in the Bible, and pray to the Lord to give you the confidence you need to do His Will. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

stand

Wow! I didn’t realize how long it has been since I have written in my blog and thanks to my father in law for pointing that out to me :’) Let me give everybody a quick update: we are doing o.k. we, along with countless Americans, are struggling financially due to making two house payments. Please pray for our house in West Tennessee to sell. That thing is killing us! We have dropped the price again and will take a major hit when we sell it. Speaking of taking a major hit…
We have been at our new church as youth ministers for about 3 months now. It’s been a rough road. On our very first outing as a youth group, we decided to camping. Unfortunately we had a girl sneak some alcohol into her tent and another girl drank some of it…too much of it actually. She passed out and was puking on herself. Obviously this created a lot of havoc and without going into detail, it caused friction in the youth group and with an elder and his family. If you read any of my previous blogs you would know that we have had trouble with churches in the past. My wife and I have been treated like dogs by some of the churches we have been associated with. This was something we REALLY did not need at this time. We are still feeling the effects of this camping trip and we are dealing with them the best we can. My wife made a comment to me the other day that really opened my eyes to something. She said, “It’s amazing how hard the devil comes after you when you are doing God’s Will.” And she’s right and I have said that statement many times in the past but for some reason I had forgotten that. Maybe it was discouragement, or maybe I was having a pity party and wanting to be petted. But that statement kind of gave me a second wind and has made me dig in my heels and start pushing forward again. Things could be worse, a lot worse actually. We have so many blessings that we lose sight of when hard times come and it’s so easy to lose our focus. If you are having hard times and facing troubled waters ahead, take a look at these verses and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus! Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Also read Psalm 42 and 43

fitting in

My six year old son asked me and his mother to watch The Incredibles move with him this morning. We have a ton of things to do today but I thought, “what the heck…they can wait,” so I popped the movie in and we watched it together. As I started watching the story line caught my attention right off the bat. These superheroes that each had their own unique trait or superpower were forced by society to “fit in”. So the movie is about this family with these unique characteristics trying to live a normal life like everybody else and the struggles the dad has with it. As I watched the movie I thought about how our society does this to us as Christians. We are unique. We have superpower inside of us—the Holy Spirit. He works through each of us in different ways. He takes our strengths and our talents which make us unique and He uses them to bring glory to God. And on a daily basis we have the outside world trying to beat us up and demand that we hide our identity, who we really are. We are like superheroes taking on the villains—Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
At the end of the movie the Incredibles are forced to come back as superheroes and society is happy to see them again because they had to defeat a evil robot that was destroying the city! The Incredibles are excited about being able to be who they really are without having to hide their identity anymore. Let me encourage you to be who you really are…a child of God filled with His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God… Do not allow society to beat you down, discourage, or keep you from being who you are...Christians, a child of God, filled with His Holy Spirit!

very tired

What a week! We decided to rent a U-haul Tuesday and move all of our stuff to Rockwood. Whew! We stayed up past midnight loading and got up again the next day at 6am to continue the work. After we got the truck loaded, the car loaded, and a 6 x 12 trailer loaded, we had to clean the house. We finally got on the road around 6:30pm. One thing about traveling from West Tennessee to East Tennessee is that you lose an hour because of the time zone. So actually, we got on the road at 7:30pm. Did you know U-haul’s can only go about 35-55 mph up a hill when it’s fully loaded? It all depends on the grade of the hill but there is definitely no getting in a hurry! There’s no worry about speeding tickets for sure. We arrived at our destination around 3am. We still had to get up the next day and unload all of this stuff. And we did. God blessed us with a storage place not far from the house we are buying. So at midnight we got everything done and headed for the place we will be staying at until our house closes. Thanks James and Angie! Thanks also to Kevin and Lefty for helping us unload our life belongings! We are excited about our new work. We are excited for the things God will do for this community through us. But for today, if at all possible, I just want to take a break and relax. Is that possible? I need some rest… Randy

I can do (endure) all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

yard sales

I am setting on my front porch at 6:30 in the morning having a yard sale. I've been out here since 5:30 and we have actually had one customer. We did OK yesterday making about $25 but today is going to be even better. Why do people have yard sales? Think about it. Is it to make some money? Of course...it is better to make a little money off your stuff instead of tossing it all away or donating it. After all, you may bring joy to someone! You know what they say, "Another man's junk is another man's treasure!" Here is my idea of a yard sale. A yard sale is a turning away from the past and looking toward the future. Let me explain. I was moving some shoes that my boys used to wear when they were toddlers. They are now nine and six and can no longer wear them. It brought back some old memories of them being that little. That is in the past. Now we are selling the past to buy some things for the future such as a new PS2 game or a new soccer ball.

It reminds me of the passage in Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul is speaking to the church at Phillipi and he is reminded of his past, of what he used to be. He has an awesome resume...except that persecuting Christians thing. He says that all of his accomplishments were trash compared to knowing Jesus and striving to be like Him. Paul says that he wants to know Jesus better, to know His power and then he says the above passage. I have done a lot of good and bad things in my past. I have made some good and bad decisions. I believe we can all say that. But today, this yard sale is more than making money, it's about turning from the past and looking to a bright, wonderful future serving my Lord and Savior in a place where I wanted to be since I was a kid-East Tennessee. As the old song goes, "I don't know about tomorrow...but I know who holds tomorrow and who holds my hand." Randy

Moving...

Let the fun begin! Last Wednesday we loaded up the family and traveled to East TN where we begin our new work as Youth Ministers at First Christian Church in Harriman. We have been staying in a hotel for nearly a week...did I mention we have 3 children? Talk about fun! We looked at over 30 houses while there and made an offer on one. Please pray that we get this house. It's a foreclosure and we would be getting a great deal and rent would be too expensive for us right now. And also pray for our house to sell here in Union City. We have seriously sought God out on this move. We have had several churches that offered more money, one even had a free home to live in, for us to work with but we didn't have peace about those churches. From the time Kim and I dated our hearts have always been in East Tn. Our blessing has arrived and it's time to go. Lord willing, we will put our roots down here. We are excited about the work and anxious to get started. I don't mean to sound selfish today but please pray for us as we make this move. We are packing, selling a house, buying a house, and starting a new job. As I said at the beginning..."Let the fun begin!"

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

Wow. It's been a long time since I have published a blog. Since losing my job at Exchange Street I haven't really been "inspired" to write. The last blog I actually wrote was in April and it's now June 25. My house still hasn't sold and I am waiting for a church. My last paycheck came two weeks ago so things are getting scary. I turned on the radio yesterday and David Jeremiah was talking about Gideon and how even though he was visited by an angel Gideon still questioned God by putting out some fleece at night. I feel like Gideon right now. We say we want to trust God and put our lives in His hands but when we are really faced with the situation where we absolutely have to trust Him and put ourselves to the side, IT'S HARD! Gideon wasn't a warrior...he was more of a wimp. He was least in his father's house and he was very poor. He was hiding out when the angel came to him. Yet God saw something in Gideon that maybe even Gideon didn't see and he was chosen by God to lead the Israelites to victory over the Midianites. Gideon's army started out with 32,000 men, yet by the time God dwindled it down, there were only 300 men. These three hundred men defeated a huge army with water pots! Talking about trusting God! I don't know what you are facing today...what struggles you have...but trust God. Hold to His hand and He will see you through. You will have the victory even if you are surrounded by your enemy and outnumbered 100 to 1. God will come through. I encourage you to read the story of Gideon in Judges 6 and 7. I feel like Gideon this morning, a wimp, but I know with God by my side I AM A WARRIOR! God bless you today friend.

What are you made of?

I have battled thoughts all this week. Thoughts of being a loser, a pathetic idiot, one who can't get it right. I know those negative thoughts only come from the accuser himself. He's the real idiot and loser. God has constantly reminded me that I am a child of His and that He dwells inside of me. That, my friends, makes me a winner no matter what trials I face and the same goes for you too! If we belong to Jesus, then...so what? Whatg about all these things that bombard our lives to bring us down and tries to keep us in the valley? We have victory over all of it! We may not be able to see it or feel it, but it is there-victory. Romans 8:15 says For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" and Galatians 4:6 says Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" That word "ABBA" can be translated as "daddy". We don't have to be afraid of what we are facing! We don't have to fear what lies ahead. All we need to do is trust that God, our Father, is with us and will be with us until the trials are over. By faith, start practicing your victory dance because it is near! Randy

Being Patient

Yes, it is the dreaded "P"word...patience. It's a word that I do not like very much and something I'm definitely not very good at. I have preached on this subject many times in my short preaching career but it is easier said than done. If you have read my blogs at all then you noticed that I lost my job a few weeks ago. It has been a little over three weeks now. I have sent resumes to several churches all over the states but I haven't heard much out of them so far. I keep wondering, "God, what are You up to? My pay will run out soon and I need to take care of my family!" Then I hear His reply..."Patience. Trust Me." It's tough. Really hard! Yesterday, the preacher at the church we visited preached on the Lord being Light and that He lights up our path as we take one step at a time. the Lord showed me something while I was in Iowa, an idea that I will share later on. right now it's in it's infant stages and I'm doing a lot of planning, thinking, and praying. We truly want God's will to be done. We want to walk in His blessings and not do something selfishly. I know God will take care of us...He always has. He has brought us through so much and when this test is over, we will be stronger and He will get all the glory. Keep us in your prayers...Randy

Road Trip

This past Sunday I got an opportunity to preach. It was great. After church my family ate with the youth minister and his wife. It was great fellowship. When we got to the car my wife and I made a spontaneous decision...we decided to take a road trip. We are now in Iowa where we used to minister at, 600 miles from home. We have surrounded ourselves with such great friends here. We haven't been here in over 4 years so we were due a visit. It's amazing how you can be surrounded by 200 people and be lonely in a town of 13,000 people and you can drive to a town in the middle of nowhere with 4,500 people in it and be surrounded with such great love! Jesus went through something similar to this. He was rejected by His hometown, even His own kind of folk yet He had 12 close friends that encouraged Him on a daily basis. True friends are great to have especially when you need encouragement. Even though it's muddy as can be, Osceola, Iowa is a great town to be in right now. Father, thank you for friends that lift up and encourage. What a friend we have in Jesus! Amen...

What does a Christian look like?

What is the first image that pops in your head when you hear the word "Christian"? How would you describe a Christian? Suit and tie, nice dress, someone who goes to church, quotes scripture, reads a Bible, sings praises to God…these are some words that comes to my mind. Maybe you think of things like hypocrite, stuck up, snobby, etc. or maybe you think of words like gentle, merciful, patient, etc. Drop me an email and give me some feedback.

I know that the word “Christian” means “like Christ” but do we, as Christians look like Christ? Do people see Christ when they look at us? Think about some of the things Jesus did. He healed people, He touched lepers, He cast out demons, He died for our sins, etc. In a nut shell, Jesus gave hope to the hopeless. What are we doing for those who have needs? Are we trying to meet them? We are a selfish people who have very little time for our own needs much less any one else’s. Christ was self-less and He made time for people’s needs. Even though He was surrounded by crowds of people every where He went begging for Him to help them, He always was filled with compassion.

I’ll ask you again…Do people see Jesus when they look at you? Lord, help us to “be Jesus” as I live my life today. Amen. Randy

trusting God

Today is my first day of not going to the office. It is really weird. I have preached for 7 years that we need to do God's will and we need to put our trust in Him. It's much easier to preach this concept than live it. For a while now my wife and I have prayed for God's will to be done in our lives but we had no idea that meant we wouold be jobless. I lost my position as a youth minister this past Thursday. I believe I am still numb from the shock. We have cried enough tears to fill up a bathtub. I have lost a lot of sleep. We have no place to go and yet we continue to pray..."God, Your will be done."

We have no idea what the next step is going to bring. We only have our faith. Faith that God will take care of us in this new journey. If you know of any churches that need a pulpit or youth minister, contact me. Just leave me a comment and I will get it. Please keep us in your prayers. Randy

Bottled up Jesus

What would you say is the biggest problem one faces in telling people about Jesus? What keeps a teenager at school from living like Jesus amongst their peers? What is it that keeps Jesus all bottled up on the inside of us when we know that people are in need of Him? What is it that keeps us from doing “good deeds” and giving God the credit? Why do we have so much trouble in sharing God’s Word with the lost, asking them for a Bible study?

I know at WinterFest the top answer was “we just don’t care,” but I don’t think everyone necessarily thinks that. I know I care about people’s souls but I still don’t do all the things I should. I don’t take advantage of all the opportunities that God gives me. For instance, when I was the Meat Department manager for a grocery store I was the first person at the store and I would be there alone for about an hour or so. Occasionally, there would be this guy that came in to buff our floors. He got there earlier than I did. He was very friendly and we would have small conversations when he was there. He liked to tell jokes and they were always clean. On this particular morning he had told me a joke and for some reason I decided to be brave and ask him about his faith. He told me he was a Jehovah Witness. All of a sudden a fear came over me like “what am I going to do?” and “what am I going to say?” after all I didn’t know how to talk to a Jehovah witness! (this story took place about 12 years ago) I locked up! I didn’t say anything about my faith and I didn’t mention Jesus. After he left I felt so terrible. I was ashamed because I could not “Speak Up For Jesus.” I even had a couple of chances before he left but I could not bring myself to talk with this guy. I did what most of us do…I said to myself, “I’ll talk with him another day.” That “another day” never came. That guy was killed in a car wreck just a couple of days later. I felt horrible. I had a chance to share Jesus with this guy and I blew it! It still shakes me up to this very day! The very next person I came in contact with that I knew was lost, I shared Jesus to them.

What was my problem with sharing Jesus with this guy? FEAR. Fear that I wouldn’t know what to say if he asked questions. Fear that I wouldn’t say the right words or things. FEAR! And because of my fear, I let a lost man go without sharing with him Jesus and he died never getting another chance! I still wrestle with fear. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head to do for ministry but I am afraid to step out and do them. We have a new coffee shop in town where people hang out. I wanted to go and just sit and meet people there but I was afraid. I am writing this blog from here now. Fear is one of the biggest tools the enemy uses. We MUST overcome our fears. If we want to be a servant of Christ we must conquer! Think of the early church. When Jesus was first killed on the cross, do you remember what they were doing and where they were at? They were hiding out in someone’s house because they were afraid (John 20:19)! But not long after that they were filled with boldness and they risked their lives to tell people about Jesus. And because of their boldness, even facing death, the church served Christ and His blessings were upon them. They church grew exceedingly and became stronger and stronger.
We have overcome. We don’t have to be afraid. We are the winners! We have been filled with the Spirit of Christ and in Him, there is no fear. There are too many souls out there, all around us who need Jesus and we have Him to give. Go out and conquer in Jesus name! 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Expiration date

As I got to work this morning I went through my normal routine like turn on my computer, check my desk for things I have to do today, etc. I brought my breakfast or lunch, depending on when I decide to eat it, with me today. I pulled the small cup of applesauce from my pocket and for some reason I read the writing on the side. It was an expiration date. Many things that we buy at the store come with an expiration date. I was a butcher for about seven years and we had to check our products on a daily basis to see if it was out of date or not. If it was out of date then it was pulled from the shelf and thrown in the garbage.

I know I think about weird stuff sometimes but the thought hit me as I was staring at my cup of applesauce…we have an expiration date! Unfortunately, it’s not stamped somewhere on our bodies so we do not know when our time will be up. What if it was? What if you knew when your expiration date was and you knew you were to be “taken from the shelf” in just a few days? Would you live your life any different? Are there some things you would change? Is there someone you would “make things right with?” Would you become more “selfless?” Would you try to make more of a difference in someone’s life or your community? Would there be some habits you would definitely break since you knew they were wrong? Or maybe you would give your life to Christ and live for Him knowing that eternity was a day or two away. Whatever you would do, why wait? Why put it off? Your shelf life could expire today or tomorrow. You may be good for several years but why take the risk? Live for Jesus and make a difference. Randy

Romans 14:10-12 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“ As I live, says the LORD,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

One of the biggest problems people have with God, in my opinion, is the problem with evil. We have just completed a study in my Wednesday night class on “The Existence of God” and “The Problem of Suffering.” In this study we covered this very issue. Not to be a dooms-dayer or the barrier of bad news but in some point in our lives, we will be faced with a tragedy and usually the first words people say is “Why has God let this happen to me?” It doesn’t matter if they are Christian or not, God always seems to get the blame. This is a deep, deep subject but I want to share my thoughts from my meditation this weekend.

I opened my Bible to Acts 12 and read about the persecution that has arisen to the point where the apostles were getting killed. In verse one and two we see where Herod the king had taken James, the brother of John, and had him beheaded. It so pleased the Jews that he was going to grab another one and do it again. Peter was the lucky, well, unlucky catch of the day. It was the time of the Passover (Acts 12:4) so Herod would have to put killing Peter off for at least a week. I don’t know about you but if I was Peter, knowing that I was going to lose my life in a few days, never getting to see my family again, I’d be so upset. I’d be yelling at these guards trying to persuade them that I had done nothing wrong and to let me go! But what do find Peter doing? He is chained between two guards sleeping (vs.6). That’s a testament to the peace of God. As the story reads, Peter is rescued by an angel and ends up at John Mark’s house where the Christians had been gathered praying for Peter.

Here’s a question for you. What’s fair about this story? What if you were in James’ shoes? His brother was killed while Peter was saved! Is this fair? Some of you would say no, absolutely not but others would say yes. I say “yes” and here’s why: Isaiah 45:18-22 says that God is a Just God. Revelation 15 paints a picture of what it’s like in heaven after those who won the victory over the beast arrived and verse 3 says that God is Just and His ways are true. I will make it as plain and simple as I can and you may say it’s just a “cop out” answer but it’s the best I can give. God is perfect in all His ways. Every decision He makes is right, it is just. It doesn’t matter if we agree with it or understand it. We can question Him all we want to but He is still God and He is in control. I don’t know why He rescued Peter and allowed James to die. But I know that He was there to comfort and strengthen them, to help them prepare for what was ahead.

Where else do we have to turn to? Are you going to turn your back on God? How then will you be saved? How will you make it into heaven? How will our sins be forgiven because Christ is the ONLY answer (John 14:6)! If you turn your back on God, you lose and their remains no more sacrifice for your sins. Instead of questioning God “Why?” we need to run to Him for comfort and strength, not run away from Him. Read 2 Thessalonians 1. In these verses you will see where persecution and tribulation actually made the Christians stronger because it brought them closer together and they relied upon God to see them through it all. Their hope hung on the fact that someday Jesus would come to their rescue and their persecutors would be repaid by God. Friend, God is here to help not hurt. He is here to comfort, NOT condemn. Trust Him don’t turn away from Him. He will give you peace and He will help your understanding. Randy

Don't drop the ball!

As we were taking communion yesterday in our service, I turned to Matthew’s account of the “Last Supper” found in Matthew 26:26-29. As I read this passage I thought about how this was such an intimate moment Jesus had with the twelve. He has spent the last three to three and half years of His life with these guys. They have built a strong bond, not only with Jesus, but with each other. In just a short time, the friend they called Jesus, would suffer the most horrific death a man could go through and this “Supper” which was actually the Passover meal, would spell it all out for them. Jesus took the bread and said, “This is My body.” Then He took the cup and said, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” And after eating this meal, Jesus told the men that He would no longer drink with them again until they see him with the Father.

Then Jesus made a comment that struck a nerve with Peter, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26:31-32 NKJV) Peter says, “I will never be defended because of you.” And Jesus replies back, “You’ll deny Me three times before the rooster crows.” Now this really upset Peter, “I will NEVER deny You, Jesus, in fact I will die with You.” Yet within a matter of hours, Peter, being the ultimate, super strong disciple, denies Jesus three times and the rooster crowed. And get this, the last time he denied Jesus Peter cursed!

What happened to “I’ll never deny You…I’ll die with You?” It was still there embedded in the heart of Peter. That’s why when Jesus turned and looked at Peter, after that rooster crowed (Luke 22:61), he ran off wailing in tears of sorrow. And we all want to blame Peter for being an idiot. We know he gets a little cocky sometimes as is the case here. I’m sure if we were in Peter’s sandals we would all say the same thing, “I’ll never be offended because of You and I will die with you.” In fact, if you read the text, it says that all the disciples agreed with Peter (Matthew 26:35)! Here’s my point, how many times have we said, and meant it at the time, “I will (You fill in the blank) for Jesus?” yet we never follow through? We had good intentions but we dropped the ball. It is so easy to blame Peter for what he did, yet are we any better? If we don’t follow through with what we promised Jesus, then, no, we are not!

Lord, forgive us for when we fall short. We “drop the ball” many times like Peter did. Thank you for Your patience with us. In Jesus name I pray…Amen. Randy

forgiveness

One thing that is absolutely necessary for us to do as Christians is to FORGIVE! In Matthew 6:15 Jesus says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” There is nothing grey about that verse. If we want forgiveness from God, then we must forgive others. And notice that there are no conditions in the following verses! “But you don’t understand what they did to me!” you might be saying. It doesn’t matter what they did. There are no conditions. We MUST forgive. I know from personal experience how hard it is to forgive someone especially when they are in the wrong and you have no control of what they are doing. Think about Jesus and all that He went through before He got to the cross and when He was on the cross. Look at how He was treated. We wouldn’t even do that to an animal. Whatever we face in this life couldn’t compare to what He suffered and He never did anything to deserve the treatment He received. Yet as He hang from the cross he cries out, “Father forgive…” We have no excuses.

I have to tell you about an amazing example of forgiveness that I saw Wednesday while I was at home for lunch. As I usually do I come home, fix my lunch, and turn on the TV to watch the news. Bobby Cutts, Jr.’s trial was on this particular day. He was being sentenced. As most of you know he received 57 years in prison for killing Jesse Davis, a girl who was pregnant with their second child. As normal procedure, the family of the victim got a chance to speak to this killer who took their loved one away. I believe two sisters spoke out and one claimed that she hated him and could never forgive him for what he had done to their family. Then it was the mother’s turn. She told him that she hoped that he would find God while he was in prison and she hoped that he court would have mercy on him so he could get out someday and see how she has raised his son and that he could tell him the truth someday. And what she said next just blew me away. She said that she forgave him for what he had done! Not only hat but she looked him right in the eyes! Man! Would you be able to do that? I would like to say that I could but it would be very difficult. I think my first reaction would be, “I want to get my hands on him/ her!” but the Jesus inside me demands that I forgive just as she did.

Is there anyone in your life today that you would deem an enemy? Is there someone you “just cannot stand?” If there is then you better deal with the situation now and find a way to forgive. Don’t let unforgiveness fester. It only causes bitterness and anger. Go to that person and work it out. Be Jesus.

Father, if there is someone who we need to forgive today, show us. If we have wronged someone and we know that they are bitter or angry with us and we now about it, give us the strength and courage to ask for their forgiveness. “Thank you” for forgiving us of our wrongdoings even when were enemies to You. In Jesus name I pray…Amen. Randy

Where did they go?

I started to share with you yesterday the story found in Luke 17:11-19. It’s the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed. This story shares the heart of Jesus and shows us His willingness to share His mercy and how compassionate He is. Once again He travels through Samaria which is something a Jew definitely did not do. If you were a Jew and you stepped even a toe on Samaritan soil, then you were considered unclean. You have defiled yourself and that means a trip to the priest. But once again we have Jesus challenging their laws and walking through Samaria. Why not? It’s a shorter walk, right? As He enters a certain village ten lepers, standing far away from Jesus (because of the Law), get His attention. They yell at Him to have mercy on them. He looks over at them and tells them to “go and show yourselves to the priest.” Verse 14 makes an interesting point…don’t miss it! It says “as they were going, they were cleansed.” It wasn’t an “instant healing”…it took faith. And evidently they had some because they took the first step. And as they went to see the priest they were cleansed. Now get this. Evidently they were still in Jesus’ sight when only one of them turned back and yelled “thanks!” Luke 17:15-16 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. My question is, “What happened to the other nine?” Where did they go? And Jesus thought the same thing: Luke 17:18-19 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” What did these guys think when this one Samaritan turned around to go back to Jesus? Did they think “Dude! He said go to the priest. The temple is that way! Well, he didn’t follow instructions so he’s going to loose his blessing.” I don’t know what they thought or where they went after seeing the priest but what I do know is this…they didn’t say thanks! They were given a great blessing, this miracle. They had been healed from leprosy which meant they could now return to society and live a normal live but they didn’t say thanks, only one…the Samaritan. Not only are we greedy and selfish with Jesus, but we are also unthankful. We take God for granted. Just like these nine that went off with their blessing never to be heard from again, God blesses us time and time again but we are too busy to stop and say “thank you.” Oh, we might say a quick, microwaved prayer, but what we need to do is take some quality time and spend it at the feet of Jesus just like the Samaritan. He fell on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving thanks to Jesus.

Lord, we take time today, to worship you, to sit at Your feet, and to glorify Your Holy Name. We thank You for all that You have done for us. Bless those who are less fortunate than we are. Continue to bless our churches, our nation, our families, and most of all, may You be uplifted and glorified in all things. In Christ name I pray…AMEN. Randy

selfish people

Since yesterday’s blog, I have been doing some thinking and a lot of praying. As I thought about what I was writing and the subject matter the Holy Spirit just illuminated the fact that we are a greedy people. As Christians, we are greedy with Jesus (see yesterday’s blog). And as I was spending time with the Lord this morning He revealed something else to me—we are also selfish. I guess the two kind of go hand in hand.

Have you ever seen two kids playing with some toys. It’s usually one kid with the toy that the other kid wants very bad but he’s not willing to share. We were in Nashville, TN to ride Thomas the Train and as we waited the boys went in a tent to play with some of the train tables they had set up. Of course, there were kids all over the place and the few trains they had to play with were scarce. My son went over to one of the tables to play and there was this one kid who had every train on the table to himself. He had at least 5 cars to his train while the other kids just stood there and watched, begging him for just one of those trains. My son wasn’t going to let him get away with that. He wasn’t going to watch this kid hog all of the trains. He just reached right over and grabbed him a car or two. That kid went ballistic! He was crying and screaming and made such a scene. Thankfully his dad came over and told him to let the other kids have a turn.

That’s the way we are with Jesus. We are selfish or stingy. Have you ever seen Lazy Town? If you have kids, I am sure you have. There is a character on that show named Stingy. As you can tell by his name he is “stingy.” Everything he gets he doesn’t want to share because “it’s mine.” And we act the same way with Jesus, “He’s mine. Salvation is mine. His blessings are mine. You can’t have any.” Oh I’m sure we would never say anything like that, but that is exactly how many of us Christians act! And when we finally are forced to share some of Jesus we kick, scream, and pout just like a kid who is made to share. Check back tomorrow because the holy Spirit has just revealed another “trait” we possess and it’s nothing new! I’ll leave you with this verse to think about… Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Randy

church planter

This past Sunday we had a guy talk to a few of us at church about church planting. Now I know what many of you are already thinking… “Isn’t there enough churches already?” Let me share with you some statistics that he gave us about “church” as we know it today. There are about 350,000 churches in America today. 3, 800 closed their doors last year and they are closing every day. The average size of a church is around 125 people. 50% of churches are less than 100 and have a bi-vocational preacher (he works two jobs because the church can’t support him financially). Get this one…80% of churches are either keeping the ship steady or they are declining and only 5% are growing!

I live in the South where we have a church of some flavor on every corner. I can throw a rock from where I am sitting at hit at least four different churches. I can go 2 or three blocks and see several more. They are everywhere here! So maybe we do have enough churches…at least in the South. But let me share with you another statistic he gave us. 83.3% of people, surveyed in 2005, said they do NOT go to church anywhere and if they go, it is no more than four times a year (holidays)! That leaves 17.7% of the population going to church. Wouldn’t you agree with me the field is ready for a harvest?

I know it seems to us that everybody has already heard the message of Jesus and that everybody goes to church somewhere already so why bother. That’s a lie from the devil! Look at the statistics that I just gave you. 83.3% of the United States population says that they stay home instead of coming to church. That means one of two things, either they don’t care about Jesus or we are not doing our job to reach these folks. Remember these words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”? The harvest is plentiful but His laborers have taken an extended lunch break! We are too busy sitting around in our buildings on our padded pews getting fed bunt we ain’t sharing the food! That’s called greed people! Isn’t that a weird thought? We would never say we are greedy people but we truly are! We are greedy with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. What good does it do to pray, read our Bibles, listen to some sermons, go to small groups, sing some songs to God? What? Did you just say it helps you to keep “in tune” or “in focus” with God? You just proved what I am saying. If we are not taking what God has instilled in us and sharing with the lost, who are desperate for love and acceptance, then we are greedy!

This is exactly why our churches are closing the doors. We have sat around and got fat from the meat of God and we haven’t been exercising. Oh yeah, we pray for the lost, and then we sit back down on our pews. But I’m afraid that it’s just a prayer that sounds good when we stand in front of the congregation. Oh, we say we want to win the lost! You know…the Great Commission. We even have it in our creeds and mission statements. How many people were baptized or gave their lives to Christ in your church last year? The last 5 years? The church today has been filled with greed. Not for money, not for power, although these are prevalent in our churches today, no, the church has been filled with greed for Jesus. We just keep Him bottled up inside so we can have Him all to ourselves. Lord forgive me, forgive us, for our greed. Help us to share Your love, Your grace, Your mercy and compassion, with a lost soul today. Randy

Share Jesus

The last session of WinterFest was called "Share Jesus." It sounds simple enough. And the concept is as simple as the title: we as Christians are to share Jesus. I love the method that Jeff Walling came up with for the kids to have an opportunity to "share Jesus." He asked them to get their cell phones out, open up the contacts, pick one out, set their alarm to go off at 3:16 (John 3:16) so they can pray for the lost. Then, after 30 days, pass on the Bible that was given them at WinterFest to this person they have been praying for and "share Jesus."

I'm sure their (and ours) cell phones have plenty of contacts that are lost. We know plenty of people who are unchurched, left church, who do not have a relationship with Jesus...right? Yes. We even have family members who do not know Christ. What are we doing about it? Anything? are we sharing Jesus? Isn't that our job? Isn't that our privilege? We have been given a responsibility by Christ to "be light." Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

My question is, "Why do we keep Jesus to ourselves?" When people's lives are in danger, their soul is in jeopardy, and we know it that it is, and we have the answer that will help them, why do we not "share Jesus? I know we don't want people, especially friends and loved ones, to go to hell. I'm sure that we want them to know the joy and freedom that comes in knowing Christ and to bathe in the peace that He gives. what holds us back? Could it be fear? Sure. Could it be that we are afraid that we might not know how to answer their questions? Sure. Nobody wants to look dumb. Maybe it's because we are ashamed of Christ there are many reasons or excuses we can come up with. At WinterFest, they played a game like family feud and the question they had to answer was, "Reasons why we do not share Christ." The number one answer was...we simply do not care. Think about it! We would never admit it but the number one reason that we don't share Christ is because we don't care! It's not important to us. It's not a part of our daily routine so it doesn't get done. I couldn't imagine standing before Christ and saying to Him, "You are not important."

Take some time this week to pray that God will open up doors of opportunity for you to share Jesus. All you have to do is share what God has done for you. If you want to share the Gospel message of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, just turn to 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 and then turn to acts 2:36-41 and simply tell them to do what they did. It's really that simple! Randy

See Jesus

This lesson at WinterFest just filleted my heart wide open! This is what I've been trying to get people to understand since I first went into the ministry. I can sum this blog up in one sentence...God does not see race, money, status quo, gender, etc. The fact of the matter is that every person ever born into society has a soul that needs salvation. No matter where they are in our "made up" categories, they have a soul that needs the blood of Jesus! If we don't share Jesus with them...who will? Are we to say, "To hell with them," just because we don't associate with their type? We, as Christians, have to get passed that attitude! As Jeff Walling said in his sermon, "We need to look beyond the outside shell and see what's on the inside." God said the same thing in 1 Samuel 16:7 when Samuel was to anoint a new king of Israel and all of Jesse's sons were to pass before him. "Oh, surely you want this one Lord." And God's reply, "But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” As you know the story, they wait for Jesse to get David and God chooses David as king.

Only if we can truly grasp this concept! I like the two examples Walling used. He used a Goth kid and two gay men holding hands walking into our church building. More than likely, we'd have them met at the front door and never let them in. "Why, we can't have someone like this in our church! What will people think?" for those of you who have this attitude, let me give you something to think about: What does God think about YOUR attitude? It's definitely not Christ's. I hear people get up and pray in church that we want the lost to be saved. That all sounds good but many times, I'm afraid we really don't mean it because when the lost start showing up, we freak out and run them off. We hold elders meetings so we can get these people out of here. Parents and church members alike complain about how they look or they worry if these people will influence their children to "get on drugs." Give me a break...they go to school with them every day. How about this thought...why don't your kids make an influence on these kids, or adults even, for Jesus' sake!

Jesus ministered to everybody-rich, poor, male, female, Pharisee to the average Joe. He walked on Samaritan soil and ate with sinners in their homes. I challenge you to really dig deep into your soul and ask yourself, "Am I truly like Christ or do I just fit the mold of what I think a Christian is?" When is the last time you looked and somebody, judged them, and put them into a category, and never associated with them? If you were truly like Christ, you'd see that person as a soul that needs Jesus. Thank God that He is the potter and I'm the clay and that He continues to shape and mold me into His likeness. where would we be without His grace and mercy? Lord, help me, help us as your people, see as Jesus sees...Randy

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 10-13

Be Jesus

The Saturday morning lesson at WinterFest was “Be Jesus.” I had the privilege to meet one of the most fascinating persons named Marilyn Laszlo. Marilyn studied linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and then kept her commitment to God by serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. She traveled to Papua New Guinea, with a translation partner, to Hauna Village, home of the Sepik Iwam people. Marilyn, her sister Shirley, and their language helpers took an unwritten language and created an alphabet and reading books, and taught the people to read and write (copied from her blog/ to know more about Marilyn go to (http://marilynlaszlo.blogspot.com/). She was the perfect example of “Being Jesus” however, in his sermon, Jeff Walling reminded us that we do not have to go overseas or to some foreign country to be Jesus. We can be Jesus to our neighbors, our friends, our family, our church members, people at the grocery store, teachers at school, etc.

Think about what Jesus did. Luke 4:17-19 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Jesus did just what the prophets claimed He would do. He touched lepers, opened blind eyes, ate with sinners in their homes, set people free from demonic torture, etc. He did all of this in local neighborhoods, people that He grew up with as a child. Jesus traveled around the local villages and people would flock to Him. Every time He would stop to give some teaching, there would be hundreds, sometimes thousands of people hanging on every word He said. They just couldn’t get enough!

What happened to that environment? We have to beg and beg people just to have an opportunity to share Christ with them. It seems that hardly anyone is interested in what we say or do as Christians. Why? Could the problem be with us and not the world? Could it possibly be that over a period of time Christians have stopped “being Jesus” and the world has turned a cold shoulder? We simply need to “Be Jesus.” When it’s not popular, when it’s challenging, when you are being threatened, though it’s the hardest thing to do…Be Jesus. Reach out to this lost and dying world, make a difference for Christ. Simply put…”Be Jesus.”

Know Jesus

What does it mean to know Jesus? Many people say they know Jesus, including myself, but how well do we now Him? Think about this with me for a minute…many times we say we know so and so but what we really mean is we know their name and we have met them on a couple of occasions. We may know a few things about them like what kind of car they drive, how tall they are, what color hair they have, what their parents names are, etc. and we confess to really know them. But do we really? No. Let me give you an example. This weekend at WinterFest we, me, my wife and kids, met two comedians named Bean and Bailey. My sons got their autographs and my wife and I had a conversation with them. I learned that they grew up in Morristown, TN. When I was 12 years old I played against them in the Little League state tournament championship. So I told them about this experience and we talked about some of the players that I played against. I can walk away from that day and say, “I know Bradley Bean and Jackson Bailey.” But in reality, I have no idea who Bradley Bean and Jackson Bailey are! I don’t know their wives manes, what kind of car they drive, where their house is, etc. I don’t really know these guys because I don’t spend time with them. I have only met them at a youth rally. And this is the way many people are with Jesus. They have heard about Him at church, they have attended a Bible study or two, they have sung about Him or listened to a song about Him on the radio, etc. and we say, “Yes, I know Jesus.” But in reality, we don’t really know Him because we haven’t spent time with Him. We don’t worship him like we should, our Bibles are collecting dust, our prayer time is only when it benefits us or we are in trouble and we need help with a certain situation. How would my relationship with my wife be if I treated her that way or even my kids? It wouldn’t be very good. If I only used her when I needed something or I came home and never spoke with her, she’d probably disown me pretty quick. If I didn’t play with my kids or have any interaction with them, they would not be close to me and they wouldn’t have anything to do with me. It’s all about relationship…being intimate. I’ve been married for nearly 12 years to my wife and we dated for a year so I know her pretty well. I know her deepest desires, her favorite things, what she likes and dislikes. I know what makes her tick! Why? Because I spend so much time with her everyday and every night. I can truly say that I know my wife. That’s what it means to know Jesus. To spend time with Him, not just on Sunday mornings at some building, not just listening to someone else’s prayer in a group setting, not just hearing a scripture or two being read, but spending time with Him daily…quality time. Time in prayer, communicating with the Father and listening for His response, worshipping at His feet instead of microwaving your worship just to say you got it done, and reading the Bible, God’s Word, every day. When we do these things, then and only then, will we rally come to know Jesus. How well do you know Jesus? Randy
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

WinterFest

What a weekend! Friday morning we, my family along with 42 youth and adults, traveled to Gatlinburg for a youth rally called “WinterFest.” I have to admit I wasn’t very excited about going because last year, which was my first time to go, was a flop. The fire alarm went off during the Saturday night session so we missed it entirely and I wasn’t impressed by the production either, however this year was a different story. WinterFest passed out a New Testament Bible before the production began. It was to be used all weekend and at the end of the program they challenged the students to pass it along to someone in their contacts list on their cell phone. They used characters to play Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and these men explained what their book is about so the youth could understand better. They had several visuals using sand and paintings. At the end, they took all the individual paints and made one huge display that formed the face of Jesus. (I would recommend that you try and find the “Sand Man” whose real name is Paul Castillo. What he does with a handful of sand is awesome!) God moved in awesome ways. The theme of the weekend was Mission Christ. The four points were: 1. Know Jesus. 2. Be Jesus. 3. See Jesus. 4. Share Jesus. I will talk about these points as the week goes on.

I want to take a few minutes to brag on the youth that went on the trip. They were very well behaved and we had no major incidents! The only problem that I am aware of is the hotel got onto us because a few of the youth had bought those plastic guns that shoot plastic b-b’s. They were outlawed on the property and one kid got caught (I promise…I am not the kid). They were on time for the devotionals which required them to leave the shops in Gatlinburg and get back to the hotel by 10pm. They stayed in their rooms after “lights out” and I never heard anyone complain. There were no arguments or fights and the trip there and back home went as smooth as it could.

Overall, I must say I have never experienced a youth rally or church service that was as good as this weekend. It is my prayer that the lessons given seek deep within our hearts and our lives are changed by what we witnessed. Lord willing, I’ll have more details as the week goes on. Randy

Shape this lump of clay

Jesus was different. He ministered to all types of people, both poor and rich, no matter what nationality. He was never biased. He touched lepers and he challenged the ways of the religious leaders of His day. Today, I want to share with you some more people that those two fish (see previous blogs) represent.

First, the disciples or apostles. In Acts 2 we see them being filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter begins to preach about Jesus and how the Jews were guilty of crucifying Him. There were about 3000 souls baptized that day and the church had begun. The church, also known as “followers of the way.” This was what you were labeled if you left Judaism (the old way before Jesus died on the cross) to follow Jesus. Not long after Acts 2 we see a trend taking place—persecution. The apostles, and the church, were persecuted on a daily basis. Slapped around, beaten, heads cut off, are just some of the things they endured. Why? Because they chose to swim in the opposite direction. They didn’t want to follow “what was normal,” or what people thought to be normal.

Then you have Paul and Barnabas. Two guys who traveled all over their area and started churches…from scratch. Paul had been trained as a Pharisee, well versed in the Old Testament scriptures. He even had Christians put in prison and killed! He once swam with the Judaizers. But when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his whole life changed and he started swimming in the opposite direction. He too was persecuted. He was beaten, scourged, stoned, etc. yet he persevered. People would actually chase him from town to town trying to kill him! Why? Because he was different. He didn’t do what people thought was normal. He didn’t fit the description of what they thought should be happening. He went into their synagogues and instead of doing the same old rituals that they do week after week, he preached Jesus and Him crucified. Then he went into the markets and into people’s homes and preached Jesus. No. He didn’t sit in church buildings waiting for the lost to come in…he went out and got them!

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like these people. People who made a difference. And how did they do it? By being like Christ. It’s that simple. Take a look at your life, your spiritual life. Are you like these people? Or are you just one of the crowd. Do you choose to be different or do you just follow along with what ever? I want to be able to say, “I have the attitude of Christ,” but when I look within myself, I see that I have a long way to go.

Thank you Lord for your patience with us. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for being the Potter and forming this lump of clay. Continue to shape and mold us into YOUR likeness and not ours. In Jesus name…Amen. Randy

Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

where are you going?

Seeing those two fish swimming in the opposite direction than all the fish in the tank at the Aquarium restaurant in Nashville really got my attention. It made Matthew 12 come to life. As I said in yesterday’s blog, I have always been different. I think differently than most people, especially when it comes to “church.” To put it as simple as I can say it, “I’m sick of the way churches have become.” Not all but most, it seems, have become social clubs. You must have a certain amount of money in your bank account, dress a certain way, and you must follow certain “rules” if you want to hang around. (I’m know we have to follow the Bible, but I’m talking about our own “personal rules” that we have and force them on someone else.) Like the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Jesus’ day. Sure, they had the law and the prophets to govern by but they also put their own twist to things. They had all of these traditions that they made law and forced others to live by them as if God Himself had said it. If one didn’t look like them or act like them they were looked down upon and the Pharisees, who were suppose to be an example of God to the people, would shun them and label them “publicans and sinners.” They would have nothing to do with those individuals. They would go out of their way to avoid any communication with these types of individuals. Yet they stood in the streets and prayed beautiful prayers and they showed off their phylacteries so people could see how much Bible knowledge they had. I have learned that people don’t care how many scriptures you or I can quote. They want to know how we can help them. It does no good to slam someone with scriptures…in fact, it turns them off. If, however, we get involved in their lives and help with a need, the door to share the Bible with them will open and they are more likely to listen!
The Pharisees are like the school of fish swimming around the tank in one direction. They prayed, did daily rituals, made sacrifices, sang their chants, etc. Although it looked great in the eyes of man, it became a routine. Jesus said that “their hearts are far from God.” (Matthew 15:8) Jesus represents the two fish swimming in the opposite direction. He did things different. For example, He said things like, “Moses said to you…but I say to you…” Jesus touched lepers when no one would. He challenged the very thoughts of people. He sat in the homes of “sinners” and ate supper with them. Jesus chose to swim in the opposite direction…to break the mold of how things are “suppose to be.” What’s more important: wearing a suit and tie to church or a lost soul? Wearing my beanie while I eat with a bunch of youth or a lost soul? I think Matthew 12 and other passages make it clear…the lost soul. When our churches grasp this concept, then we will “have the attitude of Christ” and then, we will begin to see growth and not decline.
One thing that really stands out to me in Matthew 12 is verse 7, But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. This is the second time Jesus has mentioned this passage to the Pharisees (see Matthew 9:10-13). This passage comes from Hosea 6:6. Rick Rusaw, in his book, The Externally Focused Church, gives a great explanation of this passage:
Mercy, most simply put, is God’s attitude and action toward those in need or distress. Mercy goes beyond pity (to feel sorry for) or compassion (to feel sorry with). Mercy is always expressed in actions. The Good Samaritan is an example. The Samaritan distinguished himself from the priest and the Levite not just because he “took pity on him”(Luke 10:33) but also because he “had mercy on him” (Luke 10:37). Mercy is love with legs on it.
It’s time we, church, show mercy. It’s time to put the legs on our love and truly show Christ. Randy

Be different.

I was raised in a religious setting. My family went to church every time the doors were opened I guess. My dad had started a bus ministry at the Baptist church and it did well from what people tell me. My brother went on mission trips when I was a kid and now he has started a men’s ministry. My mom is heavily involved at an Assembly of God where I used to play drums at. I’m a youth minister at a church in TN. I was raised Baptist and, as mentioned earlier in a blog, I played drums at an Assembly of God for about five years. When I was twenty-two years old I met a girl who was raised Church of Christ. At the time I was attending another Baptist church and playing drums for a Southern Gospel group. We eventually married and started attending a Church of Christ church. While there the minister encouraged me to preach. After all, this was a desire that God had given me so I went to college and got a degree in Bible. I got my first “preaching job” at a church in Iowa before I even graduated. The reason I’m telling you all of this is so you will know my background. Trust me, it has something to do with the two fish from the restaurant (see yesterday’s blog). Unfortunately, church is very different when you are in an administrative position. Many times I wish I was still a member and didn’t know anything that went on behind closed doors. Don’t miss understand me, I love doing what I do but sometimes the road is tough, especially when you are like those two fish swimming opposite from the rest of the crowd.
I am different. I’ve always been different. I was a skateboarder in High School and wore the weird clothes. I don’t believe in wearing suits just because I’m at church or standing behind a pulpit. I wear a beanie (stocking hat, toboggan) all the time, even when I’m eating! I buy my clothes from Goodwill or one of the other consignment shops in town. I’m different. And when it comes to “church” I have some different opinions about things and it drives people crazy, not to mention that it also gets me in trouble sometimes. When I started the teen center I painted a sign that reads, “It’s OK to be different…Jesus was different.” It’s also painted on one of my old skateboards and this theme is on my business cards. This has been my motto my whole life! And that’s what God was showing me with those two fish at the Aquarium restaurant. The next morning after seeing those fish, I read Matthew 12 again and the first twenty-one verses came alive. It all made sense. Jesus was different. He challenged the “church” people of His day and the way they thought. They wanted to kill Him. They were supposed to be pointing people toward God but instead they spent their time trying to kill Him! Jesus didn’t fit their mold and He surely didn’t fit the description of the Messiah according to them. No. “We are all swimming this way around the tank. You are supposed to be like us. This is the way we do “church.” I can’t speak for you, but as for me and my house, we will…NOT fit into your mold! We choose to be different. We choose to be like Jesus, to reach out to the broken hearted, the lost, the drunkard, the outcast, the cutters, the sexually impure, and the list goes on and on. Jesus came to save those who are sick. We won’t find them in our church buildings during “worship” time on Sunday morning. We have to go into their territory. Remember what Jesus said? “I have to go through Samaria!” Jews didn’t dare set foot on Samaritan soil but Jesus did. And because He did so, many people were converted. Dare to be like Jesus. Don’t just fit the mold of “church.” But if you do dare to different, let me warn you, you will be challenged, even by the “church” people! Randy
Matthew 12:1-8 (The Message) One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!" Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them? "There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."

Lord, help me to understand...

It seems like every time I read scriptures lately Matthew 12 keeps coming to my mind. I remember the first time I read it, which was about five or six weeks ago, I didn’t really get anything out of it. I have read this chapter several times since with no major revelations. I had been and have been praying for God’s Will to be done, to help me listen for His voice, give me understanding, and to guide my steps so I know God is trying to teach me something. Just what that is I haven’t figured it all out but this past Friday something happened that helped in my endeavor.
I had been to a missions conference in Nashville to prepare for an upcoming trip to Mexico. On the way home we stopped at a restaurant that my wife had heard about and wanted to see—The Aquarium. So we went to the mall but instead of going to the Aquarium, we went to one called the Rain Forrest Café. My five year old was horrified because the gorillas were “staring at him” and when the thunder hit, it was all he could take! After all, we had just been through those tornadoes that hit in West Tennessee last week. So we decided to go to the Aquarium and eat. We sat in there for hours it seemed but in reality, it was about two. It was cool. They have an aquarium in the center of the restaurant that reaches from the floor to the ceiling. It was filled with sharks, sting rays, and all kinds of fish. They even had a diver who got in the tank and waved at the people! As I watched this fish tank I noticed that a school of fish was swimming around the top of the tank, all of them in one direction. In fact, all the fish were swimming in the same direction. They just swam around the perimeter of this huge tank almost like clock work. Every few seconds they’d come back around with their group. I didn’t think too much about it at this point except that it was neat how they stayed together in a big clump like they ruled the tank and dared anybody to mess with them. But then something happened in that tank and I immediately pointed it out to Kim. The Lord does work in mysterious ways and He uses many things to get our attention and to teach us lessons. The reason why it caught my attention is because this particular thing stood out like a sore thumb. There were two fish, the same kind of fish that were in the school, that were swimming in the other direction! I told my wife to look at those fish. It was so weird to me that I grabbed a napkin and a crayon (they gave these to my kids when we came in to eat and it was handy to write with) and wrote the experience down. I didn’t yet know why it struck me so, but it did. And the next morning it all came together and Matthew 12 came to life! God had used some fish to teach me some valuable lessons. I’ll share them with as the week goes on. Just remember this, if we let God speak, He will. If we will slow down and listen, we will hear Him loud and clear. Get that wax out of your ears! Randy
Matthew 11:15 (and others) He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Like a thief...

The sirens sounded and my kids were scared. We had already prepared for a time like this. It was half time of the TN-FL basketball game when the sirens sounded for a tornado in the area. We have lived here for one and a half years without using our tornado shelter but I sure am glad we had it. School had let out early anticipating these strong storms that were to be coming through our area. They had arrived. Our NOAA radio kept sounding its alarm every few minutes. This time it was for our home town. The sirens were screaming outside for us to head for safety. I went to the neighbors and invited them to come to our shelter. Fortunately for us, the tornadoes went south and north of us. But about 45 minutes south of us, Jackson, TN, wasn't so fortunate. There was major damage to that city including Union University which is where my brother and sister both attended many years ago. Praise the Lord nobody was killed which is nothing short of a miracle! (watch the video) There are 31 reported deaths just in TN alone and over 50 throughout the the storms path. I remember listening to a girl being interviewed and she said, "When the sirens sounded we didn't think a whole lot about it because we live in West Tenessee and it happens all the time. We went to check the weather and we couldn't open our door so we headed for cover." We do have a lot of storms and we get a lot of warnings. We are guilty of taking it for granted.
The Bible tells us that one day we will stand before God in Judgment. This is something we take for granted as well, both Christians and non-Christians. Most of us don't wake up each day anticipating Christ's return or death. We get busy living our lives, carrying on our daily routines, and boom...it happens (or it could happen). How many people do you know that has died unexpectedly, so young? Think about this...we are only one breath away, one heart beat away from eternity! If we don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and His blood is not washing our sins away, then it will not be good when we stand before Him in Judgment. What about you friend? Where do you stand today? You never know when your time will expire here on this earth. Are you living in sin or in Christ? Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were effected by these storms. Randy
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.