Pray...Live...Work and Keep on Keeping on...

     Welcome!  Can you believe that this Lord's Day (29) marks the last Sunday in January? Our new president, Donald J. Trump will have been in office for nine days.  He has been given a great and awesome challenge.  It is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian in America to pray, live, and work “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (I Timothy 2:1-3).

     P-R-A-Y!  Let us accept the challenge to pray for those who serve us in Washington D.C. as well as in our state and local government.  The men and women who serve our nation certainly need our prayers to God on their behalf, prayers for God’s provision and protection for all of us.  God asks us to pray for the governing authority.

     L-I-V-E!  God has blessed us with the stewardship of His great riches.  Let us accept the challenge of living every day generously, faithfully, and completely using our time, talents, and treasures in the most effective and efficient way possible. 

     Sometimes it is difficult to balance living generously and living conservatively. Having the correct value system in place in our lives helps us to know when to “open” and when to “close”.  When it comes to God and the opportunities that come our way to serve others who are in need we should live our lives generously with our all.  However, when it comes to the things in life that are outside these priorities, we must live our lives conservatively.  At the beginning of each day we have a limited number of “yes’s” and “no’s” to give.  We all are limited in time, talent, and treasure.  Our task is to live generously saying “yes” whenever we can while at the same time understanding that after we have used our “yes’s” we only have the “no’s.”  After using all the “yes’s” for today we tend to begin borrowing “yes’s” from tomorrow.  Can you see where we often get into big trouble?

     W-O-R-K!  Now there’s something about that word that is scary to some, difficult for many, and almost unheard of for a few.  Yet any endeavor requires it.  Every accomplishment is achieved by it.  Our country was founded on it.  America has survived these many generations because of it, and will continue to thrive through it.  We will be judged by it one day (Revelation 20:12).  Jesus worked (John 9:4, 17:4).  Paul worked.  He fought the good fight.  He finished the race.  He kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7).  We are commanded to work (I Corinthians 15:58; II Thessalonians 3:10-15).

     Let’s remember God’s command in Philippians 2:14; “Do all things without complaining and disputing.”  And let us pray, and live, and work.  God will answer, and provide, and strengthen.

Happy to be Alive and Well in 2017 - God is Good!

We are now a week into 2017 and life is rolling along as it has since God spoke those famous words, “Let there be light.”  Spring into Summer into Fall into Winter and back around.  I’ve been making this circuit for the past 57 years 6 months 14 days in Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina, and now in Kentucky.  Plans are to keep on moving forward, onward, and upward though as the years progress the move has slowed a bit. 

My moto has always been “110%.”  However, after a bout with high blood pressure (The ER nurses measured mine at 243/134 on the day of my awakening) in May of 2016, that number has been reeled into a more realistic “99%.”  I told the church not too long ago that living life at 110% can kill you.  And I know.  Only by God’s grace and mercy am I sitting here today writing this blog strong and healthy and still serving the Lord as His minister and messenger with the good church at Watterson Trail in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. 

I am thankful for my Chiropractor brother Dr. Michael Burleson in Daphne, Alabama who woke me up to “the silent killer” that was trying to take me.  He all but came to Louisville and took me to get the help I needed.  I am thankful for my Christian brother Dr. Anthony Remson who opened early to measure my BP and send me straight to the ER for measurements, tests, the medicine I needed, and a better way of thinking to keep me balanced.  These two doctors were supplied by God Himself to save my life for God’s glory and honor.  I am thankful. 

2017 will be and is a grand year simply because I am alive and able to see and experience the glorious blessings of life.  I can feel the warmth and the cold of the seasons. I have my wife, my children and grandchildren, and my family and friends around me on this side of heaven.  I have a work to do for the Lord Jesus Christ that is vibrant and full of passion, wonder, and excitement.  2016 was a year of change for me.  What will this new year hold?  I don’t know, but I am certainly happy to have it and will gladly face any and every opportunity and challenge with a smiling face and a joyous spirit.  God is my refuge and strength.  He supplies our every need.

Welcome my Friends - Happy Thanksgiving - Come and See at WT!

Hello!  Happy Thanksgiving this week and every week!

Tonight @ 7:00 at WATTERSON TRAIL CHURCH OF CHRIST at 9609 Watterson Trail in beautiful Jeffersontown, Kentucky we will be having a very special combined Bible study session, everyone together thinking about the four things Jesus asks of those who want to follow Him: 1) _______ yourself, 2) bear your ________, 3) ___________ Jesus, and 4) don’t be ___________ of Jesus.  We will then discuss just what it means to do these four things.

We will then ask ourselves if it is really “worth it” to do what Jesus asks us to do and learn about the definition of “worth” or “value.”  How can one determine the “value” or “worth” of something?  Value or worth can be determined by the following characteristics:

Age – Is it new?  Is it old?  How old?  Is it just “old” or is it “classic” or an “antique?”

Duration – What of its quality?  Will it last?  Will it hold its value or worth?

Brand – Some things are valuable or have a high worth due to the brand.

Time and Effort Involved – Consider the worth or value of a doctor, a lawyer, a professor, an athlete, a musician, etc. and why.

Supply and Demand – Why is gold so expensive?  And nurses, just apply and start to work.  Why?  A painting was recently sold at auction for more than $80 million.  Why?

Intrinsic Value – Why is your grandmother’s old “whatever” worth so much to you?  And why is a set of items often worth more than the value of individual items?

Jesus is worth it.  Worth whatever I have to think, say, or do in my life.  He is ageless, timeless, one of a kind, gave everything He had for me, supplies my every need now and forever, and His value is beyond my thoughts or imagination.

You are worth it, too.  If your value could be calculated, you’d be worth more than all the world.  Jesus said so in Matthew 16:26

“For what profit is it to a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Come and join us at 7:00 for a spirited discussion.  And be thankful.

Fall...Election Day 2016...Question #2 - Who is the speaker speaking to?

November! Autumn! See the falling leaves?  Feel those cooler temperatures (Well, I guess we’ll have to wait a little while longer for this blessing.  It was 85 degrees on Tuesday.  Don’t fret.  Those cool winter breezes will soon arrive.)?  Smell the aroma of firewood burning in the fireplace. The turkey and dressing and pecan pie are just around the corner. The holidays are on the horizon.  Don’t you just love this time of year? 

Our “Trunk or Treat” went very well last Saturday along with our “Annual Chili Cook-off.”  Congratulations to Jane Johnson, our 2016 Chili Champion.  Jane’s chili held up against 12 entries.  Thank you to every member at Watterson Trail for your participation.

The Deacons’ Appreciation Sunday was a terrific success.  We had 100 members and guests assembled to honor our five hard-working deacons.  Thank you, brothers for your dedicated service: Ray, Jerry, Lee, Eric, and Denny.  Keep up the good work.

This Tuesday, November 8^th is Election Day in America.  We will be electing a new President who will serve our great nation for the next four years.  We will also cast our vote for others who will be leading our nation in their respective positions.  In Joshua 24:15 Joshua asked God’s people to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” and then courageously announced; “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Our choice on Tuesday is a little bit different.  We might say; “Choose for yourselves this day who will serve you, your family, and this great nation of ours, the United States of America.”  What a choice we have before us!  We have the privilege to cast our vote to elect the one who we trust to serve us for the next four years.  May God bless us with wisdom and courage as we cast our vote and then trust that His will be done.  God is our all in all.

Now to question #2 in the series: How can we correctly understand the Bible.

God has indeed given us a great promise in John 8:31-32;   “They Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

Jesus always keeps His promises.  Hebrews 10:23 tells us;   “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

We know that we can understand the Bible, because we are commanded to.  Ephesians 5:17 tells us; “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of Lord is.”

QUESTION 1 – WHO IS SPEAKING?

QUESTION 2 – WHO IS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING TO?

The Bible says in Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an Ark of gopherwood.”  We know who the speaker was; God.  But who was God speaking to? We should ask ourselves this question in order to understand God’s will.  Must we make ourselves an Ark of gopherwood?  Of course we know that no one today must build an Ark, because God was not speaking to everyone.  He was speaking here to Noah.

Luke 18:22 says, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow Me.”  To follow Jesus must we all sell all that we have?  Is Jesus speaking to us?  The answer is no, because Jesus was speaking to a certain ruler who was very rich and trusted in his riches to his detriment.  It is important to know who the speaker is speaking to.

It is very important to know who is speaking and who the speaker is speaking to in order to understand the Bible correctly. 

Understanding the Bible - Ask WHO IS SPEAKING?

How can we correctly understand the Bible?

In this series of articles we will consider several questions, answers, and comments that will help us to understand the Bible correctly when we sit down to read it.  God has given us a great promise in John 8:31-32:

“They Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

Jesus always keeps His promises.  Hebrews 10:23 tells us:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

We know that we can understand the Bible, because we are commanded to.  Ephesians 5:17 tells us:

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of Lord is.”

QUESTION 1 – WHO IS SPEAKING?

The Bible says in Job 2:9; “Curse God and die.”  The rest of the Bible teaches us to worship God, not to curse Him.  What shall we do?  After reading Job 2:9-10 we should ask ourselves, “Who is speaking?”  The answer here is Job’s wife.  She told her husband Job to “Curse God and die,” and was speaking foolishly.

Psalm 14:1 says, “There is no God.”  But who is speaking?  The passage shows us this is a statement of a fool.

In Acts 4:18 we read a command to not “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”  We are not to obey this command.  Why not?  Because when we read the chapter, and ask ourselves who is speaking, we learn that the enemies of Christ gave this command.  Therefore, we teach because Jesus gave the command to teach (Matthew 28:19).

Next time:  QUESTION #2 – Who is the speaker speaking to?