JUS THINKIN

I heard a story of a young man wanting to be baptized, so he called a preacher who agreed to meet him at a tank (pond) on a ranchers land in Texas. The young man and some friends arrived there first, and while they waited on the preacher they all went swimming. Tragically, before the preacher arrived something went awry and the young man drowned. This being a steadfast “baptism doeth now also save us” congregation, great discussion went on through out that brotherhood about the status of his salvation.

There is a similar story about a young man who went to a summer church camp and was encouraged to be baptized. He and a number of his friends decided they wanted to be baptized together, however when the camp counselor called his father, he was disallowed doing so because of his fathers concern if it would be a baptism of regeneration, or peer pressure. This young man rebelled in his heart against his dad by deciding he would not in the future be baptized either.

I am not discussing the guilt of the father or son on this occasion although their may have been better ways for both to react. I’m just wondering, If circumcision could be of the heart and not of the flesh, then could it be so for baptism. Could a drowned boy and a boy who was not allowed immersion be baptized of heart? Hmmmm…

One more thing. Why do you think that when virtually every new believer in the New Testament was baptized, it is so hard to be grasp in this day and age. Sure, I admit it’s a mystery, but more of a mystery is that something so simple is so hard to swallow when it doesn’t fit these reformation- restoration doctrines? I dunno?!… I’m sure it has something to do with my upbringing. That gets em off the hook in their minds anyway.

Some folks may assume I ask leading questions to get into a quarrel. I ask questions because I have questions that are unresolved in my mind. I hold to a particular idea because it is all I have for now (feeble as it may be). Maybe someday you’ll be the one who shows me the answers I’ve been searching for.

Thanks for dropping by, Bubba

DOT DOT DOT - or- I DON'T PRAY THE ROSARY

Sometimes when I talk to God, I go beyond a request for some person, family or event. I begin to think into the pain or grief, possibly the joy, maybe the road ahead for a newly married couple. That’s my dot dot dot times. This could go on for quite some time while I empathize with a family in turmoil, think of the joy my wife or children (whom I have just prayed for) have brought me, or dwell on the ways I can improve my service to God. What happens is… I forget where all this started and where it might have ended.

I don’t pray the rosary, so sometimes I don’t know where the prayer left off, and the musing began. This led me to wonder if my musings have become part of my prayer, or have violently interrupted it. Should I have said amen before my musings? Should I say amen after my musings? Once I have mused, should I find a place in my prayer to go back to and resume from that point to an amen? Do I gotta say amen at all?

This is really about “amen”. What is it? What does it mean? What is it used for? When should it be used? Is it a word that magically rockets our prayers to God?

I have long ago studied the word, its origin, and uses, but just recently I did again just because I was wonderin how I felt about it now. I could tell you what I think about amen, but that would take all the mystery out of it for you wouldn’t it.

Let all things be done to the Glory of God … AMEN.

WHADAYATHINK THEY'RE FOR

Whadaythink they’re for? Well. they’re for diggin post holes, stringin wires, mowin grass and building fires. For cutting wood and splittin too, washing dishes, scoopin poo. Kids don’t have much else to do so you should make them work for you.

I grow a garden, my poor back and I could have a heart attack, So when sowin reapin, all sept eaten for my ol bod would be a beatin. I choose instead to train my kid, course then I say how good he did.

Course I’m always willin when I can, to help a needy friend. I tell him “Take my kid with you and keep him to the end.” But if they carry on too long I think they might abuse him, I tell them he must come on home I really need to use him.

THIS IS DEDICATED TO MY FANTASTIC SON LUKE WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP, OR IN FACT DO THE WHOLE JOB BY HIMSELF. I KNOW HE WOULD RATHER BE DOING SOME FUN KID STUFF MOST OF THE TIME, BUT HE SELFLESSLY HELPS ANY WHO ASK.

THANKS LUKE FOR YOUR SELFLESS EXAMPLE.

FIREPROOF

I haven’t been to a movie theater in over 30 years. That is until I read about and heard reviews on FIREPROOF the movie. This movie was produced by a large church and it starred Kirk Cameron. Now I don’t know anything about any star really so Kirk didn’t influence me at all to see the movie.

What did influence me is the subject. It deals with a couple having marital problems, and ends with their marriage being made secure because of commitment to give all to make it work.

I was so impressed by the reviews that I bought both my girl and my sons in law tickets along with my wife and I and our young son, We all went to the theater together to watch FIREPROOF. When I saw the price of popcorn and drinks I almost backed out, but I sucked it up and placed my order like a veteran movie-goer… “giant popcorn and drinks please“.

Anyway, the movie was great. My emotions ran full circle as my heart pounded in fear, I laughed when I saw myself or others through the acting. I got big lumps in my throat from time to time and dared my tear filled eyes to overflow. Then again my heart pounded at the greatness of God and His goodness to us all.

The movie was timely for my two daughters and their families who are not too far into their relationships… It was good for me… been married 34 years.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone, even those of you who have it all together… but I think it might be wise to waite and pop corn after you get back home.

NAILS IN MY BOARD

I heard a story long ago, and perhaps you have too. I don’t remember some of the particulars, but what I do remember will probably suffice for my intended purpose.

Goes like this: A young boy was having problems being a good boy, as young boys sometimes do. His dad was having a hard time helping him to learn to be good, as dads sometimes do.

One day the dad had the young boy sit down with him as he laid out a plan to help the young boy see how often he was disobedient or did other thoughtless wrong things. He Gave him a nice clean 6’ long 2”x12” board and a box of 1 ½”nails. He told him that every time he did something wrong he was to drive one of the nails all the way into the board. When he did a good thing he would be allowed to pull 1 nail out of the board.
The son agreed and thus began the sequence of driving and pulling nails. At first the nails were being driven at a fierce rate while the pulling was somewhat sporadic. However, as the young boy saw his board filling up with nails rapidly, he began to make extra effort to do good things so he could pull more nails out. He would go to his dad triumphantly when he had a good day and show him the board. His dad would congratulate him and encourage him to keep up the good work.

This kept on over a few years when finally one day the son now older and the father-son relationship on the sound footing of Jesus; the son went to his dad and declared that he had removed the final nail. They both hugged and rejoiced at his growth. (it’ about here that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir begins singing THIS IS HOW IT FEELS TO BE FREE.) Then they walked out, dads hand on sons shoulder to look at the board.

They both stood there for a long while… nothing said. When the son finally turned to his dad, there were tears in his eyes. I told you he’d grown older. There were tears in his dads eyes too, for you see the board was nearly destroyed by the claw hammer digging and prying to remove the old nails… and all those holes….

They hugged as his dad explained that… yes with Jesus and repentance your sins are forgiven. And yes you can feel free and forgiven. But your sins leave scars. You are not the only one damaged by your indulgences. That board will never be brought back to its original cleanness and newness. The board represents the effects of your sins on your parents, friends, and Jesus. Forgiveness and eternal life are gods gift to you… repentance and restitution are your gifts to God ands those you’ve sinned against.

People, don’t think it odd if you feel forgiven and free from your sins, but those you have sinned are having a little harder time rejoicing with you. You need to start sanding down that ole board, putting some putty in the holes, and trying to make some sort of restitution to the ones you’ve hurt. Sure, it may be hard, but that’ll when you know how it feels to be free.

People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated. --D.A. Carson

It is perilously easy to have amazing sympathy with God's truth and remain in sin.-- Oswald Chambers

DON'T SWEAT THE GOOD STUFF

There’s an old saying ”Don’t sweat the small stuff” meaning don’t bog yourself down and muddle your life with little things. Thus my title DON’T SWEAT THE GOOD TIMES. Blessed people are muddled down in fear of the future which may or may not be as they predict.

There are so many messages of gloom and doom going around that I just thought I would remind folks of who was in control.

If I believe that God created all things (which I do) and that He knows all things (which I do) and that he has prepared the paths for us and is with us unto the end of the world (which I do). Then why would I feel like the world is all out of control. It may be out of my control, but it’s not out of Gods control.

I heard a quote on Paul Harvey News the other day. “ How do you make
God laugh?… Tell Him YOUR plans for your life.

See… this is I believe the secret to a happy and joyous life. Accept Gods plans for your life.

Folks are all frightened that America is falling apart, the economy is failing, some foreign government is going to take over OUR country. There are millions upon millions who have never seen nor possibly dreamed of the fortunes and advantages that we have and grew up having. Boy, wouldn’t they like to be in YOUR shoes today as you wait for your world to collapse in on you? And no foreign government is ever going to take over MY country, they can’t reach it from on earth.

God knows those who are suffering in foreign countries and in the ole U S of A. If you find yourself being one of those please take comfort in this. Mt 28:20 “… and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.


Ps 31:22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

David said in his HASTE “ I am cut of from before thine eyes.” He knew better, just looked too closely at his worldly surroundings and was a little quick to assess his situation. Maybe so are we. But God was still right there, and He’s still right there with us.


"This time like all times, is a good time, if we but know what to do with it." Ralph Waldo Emerson


Ps 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

OH MY GOD

I was watching Brad talking to Tabitha, and Ohmygod, he turned and looked straight at me.

You shot a hole in that nickel? Ohmygod, how did you do that?

Oh-my-god you should have seen the look on Brenda’s face when she opened her gift.

Oh-my-god… that’s the weirdest spider I’ve ever seen.

It seems that the God of the universe has lost the reverence that folks ought to feel for Him. His name has become a trendy byword which is not with ought offence. Regard the following quotes instead and see the difference.

Ps 71:12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

Ps 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

Ezr 9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

Da 9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (#2 of the 10 commandments)