Juss Thunkin'
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Grandma Aaycock and the Rapture
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7OYNj0Ffji1Vy1FSXZTbnlUMU1HVktib29LdjVmSDdqRHVZ/view?usp=drivesdk
Monday, May 2, 2016
Andy and Ice Cream Jesus
Andy and
Ice Cream Jesus
After I heard a popular Christian
radio personality rail against being “legalistic”, I realized he was talking
about me and my beliefs and the beliefs of many of my Christian brothers and
sisters. No one wants to be put down with what the world considers an ugly word
like “legalistic”. Am I deceived, am I wrong, are others deceived? Satan
certainly is the father of lies and deception. It bothered me that this radio
personality, supposedly full of grace, attacked obedient minded people. But
something happened that made me feel better, almost immediately. The Holy
Spirit moved in me, bringing to my remembrance verse after verse, teaching
after teaching, and I realized that the true Jesus obeyed and taught obedience
with even love being a command, not just worldly affection, but true love that works
in unfavorable conditions. The world and many in the church today would call
Jesus “legalistic”. Many fans of Jesus just memorize the “sweet” teachings, the
ice cream dessert, and ignore the difficult “legalistic” teachings that Jesus
gave as requirements to be a true follower and not just a fan of Jesus.
Can we separate
Jesus from His Father’s commandments or “law”, as some refer to God’s will? Did
Jesus separate Himself from having to be obedient or is it now that we no
longer have to obey the commandments given to us through Moses? Does His
sacrifice at the Cross give us an automatic pass into the eternal life with our
Holy Father?
Can we separate Jesus from His Father’s law? Did He? In
Jesus’ great ‘Sermon on the Mount’, He teaches us that not only does He expect
us to keep the commandments, but Jesus’ presence now demands a higher standard
than the original law. Jesus said that not only can we not be sexually immoral
in the physical, but we must now also control our thoughts along with our
flesh! He teaches about the other commands in the same manner. This teaching is
in Matthew 5:27-30, His sermon on the Mount . Jesus demands a higher standard
because He is with us and in us. How could one who claims to be saved, with the
Holy Spirit in them, live in unrepentant, continual sin? I am not speaking of
temporal sin, repented of, but choosing daily to satisfy your flesh and starve
your spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin so that we can repent of
it, which means to turn away from sin and back to God. If we continue in sin we
remove ourselves from God. God never moves away from us, but when we choose
worldly sin, we reject Him, turning our back to him.
Hebrews 10:26 27
26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving
the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment,
and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
‘There
no longer remains a sacrifice for their sins’(26b). Grace to cover our sins is
a result of Jesus’ sacrifice at the Cross. Just as God is eternal, so is
salvation and grace. So how is it that our sins can cause us to lose our
salvation? If we continually sin, we choose world over God. The sin does not
have power over salvation but shows our true heart and Spirit, which does
affect our eternal salvation. Continual sin is the result of a broken
relationship with Jesus. Salvation itself was eternal before we received it. We
were not yet saved, because we had not accepted or embraced the salvation
available to us. Salvation was there in front of us, eternally available, but
it was not until we renounced our sin and made Jesus our Lord and Savior, that
we received the salvation that had always been available to us. When we receive
Jesus as our Savior we do not lose our freewill. We are free to choose sin or God.
We are not forced to serve God. We have to choose daily to be a servant and
child of God. This is a constant theme throughout God’s Word. Peter said that
we would have been better to have never known the love of Jesus than to have
known and turned away from Him to sin again (2Peter 2:20-22). Jesus sternly
warns that He will not allow anyone into heaven that does not DO the will of God
(Matthew 7:21-23). Obedience is
paramount to a positive relationship with our Father and front and center in
God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus made it clear that His life was
devoted to obeying God the Father. Jesus never changed God’s will for us, but
He became our advocate to be able to come to God with repentant heart and be
forgiven. Jesus announced that He only says and does what His Father says and
does (John 5:19). Obviously Jesus obeyed God, upheld His commandments and did
our Father’s Will. Every time Jesus was asked how one could receive eternal
life, His initial response always was, “Have you kept the commandments?” So the
answer is “no”, Jesus did not separate himself from His Father’s commandments
and neither does he allow us too.
Andy
Stanley uploaded a video teaching to the popular youtube, announcing to his
thousands of followers that homosexuality was ok and adultery was not. He went
on to explain that people who were involved in homosexual activity could be
leaders in the church, but adulterers could not. This is completely unbiblical
in every way. The bible clearly defines and declares any sexual immorality a
sin resulting in eternal death and damnation if left unrepentant, which Andy is
encouraging. False teaching that feels good and is sweet to taste, is a
dangerous trap. Anyone can be forgiven for their sins if they repent, turn away
from them, and follow Jesus. But, continual unrepentant sin, results in eternal
death says God. Andy is preaching Ice
Cream Jesus. If it feels natural and you don’t hurt anybody else, then it is ok
with Andy and Ice Cream Jesus, as long as you wear a smile and are courteous.
You see, Ice Cream Jesus is an imaginary Savior. Ice Cream Jesus agrees with
popular world ideals and distorts actual truth as it is written God’s Word.
Teachers serving up various flavors of this tasty eternal damnation, are always
happy and smiling because they are satisfying their customers who are looking
for someone to assure them that satisfying their flesh will not set them in
hell. Those customers come in droves throwing their money into the buckets
because they are thankful that Ice Cream Jesus forgives them of their continual
sin that they will not repent, and turn away from. By the way, without
repentance, there is no forgiveness. Forgiveness is also eternal, but like salvation,
has to be asked for and received. For that to happen, you have to confess and
repent…… even Apostle Peter had to repent.
Disclaimer:
I am not picking on believers with homosexual tendencies, I love you. I have my
own temptations to overcome as does everyone. It is just a popular sin that is
perverted as being acceptable to God in this time. God and His Will have not
changed. God loves you, no question, but that is not all that is required for
eternal life in God’s Kingdom. Deny yourself, (fleshly wants and desires) take
up your Cross and follow me says Jesus.
I am picking on Andy though. Shame on you, Andy, using all the popular
keywords like love, forgiveness, and your smooth, polished delivery to do
satan’s work of perverting the Word of God. By the way, Andy, why did you think
you have the authority to redefine sin? That is putting yourself over God. May
the Lord rebuke you.
Ice
Cream Jesus brings the sinners and leaves them in their sin. The poor folks
tote a bible but seem to be none the wiser. How do we know whether Ice Cream
Jesus or the King Jesus of Nazareth is teaching us? The quick method is one you
shouldn’t completely trust, but is a good initial test. Do you feel elated and
justified, pumped up as a teenager at a rock concert and everything is pretty
much ok, that you are on track with God? That is usually Ice Cream Jesus.
Jesus
of Nazareth assures us that we are loved, but we have sins that we are hiding
from ourselves which we haven’t given up to God. We will realize we still have
to guard ourselves from temptation and be wary of the world. King Jesus
teaching always has a strong element of sin conviction delivered, as promised,
by the Holy Spirit. In the presence of the true Jesus we are humbled in Spirit
as the Apostles were, not self-justified. Remember that continual sin is the
result of a broken relationship with Jesus, who removes sin. Sin has no power
to condemn, but shows the true self-serving spirit in a person.
1
John 2:3-6English Standard Version (ESV)
3 And by
this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his
commandments. 4 Whoever
says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar,
and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him
truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are
in him: 6 whoever
says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he
walked.
Best
test to avoid getting run over by the Ice Cream Jesus truck, is the Word of God,
from Genesis to Revelation. Don’t trust pulling a single verse or two. Truths
run as threads from the old through the new testament. Yes, old testament.
Jesus and the Apostles refer to the Old Testament as THE SCRIPTURES. If all of
this has you freaking out, then you have been eating ice cream every Sunday
Morning. Get your Bible out and google a subject …. Study and learn. God said
that we perish from lack of knowledge!
Calling
the Word false and ‘just stories’, is the only way that a person can justify
trusting feelings and redefining sin. Andy, unfortunately, has also done this
publicly, as have many other ice cream teachers. If the Word of God is not
true, then you have NO savior. If you can’t believe that the God who created
the universe and you, could put together a book that is true, then you don’t
believe in the Sovereign Creator Father. I had a bible study member ask me once
if I thought a donkey could really talk! (Numbers 22:28) “Yes, I believe that
my Father, who created everything, setting the sun in place, the universe in
motion, hung the moon, designed birds feathers to fly, who made the donkey
itself, who creates babies from two separate people, would have no problem
making a donkey speak!! That would be a simple thing for Him.” It would be
funny, if it were not so pitiful, how arrogant we humans are in our ineptness.
We uphold science and man’s ‘discoveries’, yet we cannot cure the common cold,
much less change the course of the weather or create true life from nothing.
So, the question becomes, what do you truly believe?
I
am not judging or condemning anyone. That is God’s job, thankfully not mine!
There is going to be a judgement. My desire is that through the Truth in God’s
Word, we will all pass into the arms of Jesus and not be rejected because we
lived a life led by the false teachings of an Ice Cream Jesus. We want our God
to be what we want Him to be, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
Thankfully God is steadfast, loving, unchanging and Holy. God told Moses, “I am
who I am.” Because of man’s sins, Jesus had to be sacrificed so that we MAY be
able to approach our Holy Father. Ice Cream Jesus says we can be nice, smile
and stay positive, your sins are forgiven with no changes or repentance from
sin. My King Jesus warns us sternly to be obedient or He will not grant us
passage into the Kingdom of God. Jesus warns us sternly at the end of one of
His greatest teachings …..
Matthew
7:21-23English Standard Version (ESV)
I Never
Knew You
21 “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will
say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out
demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to
them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of
lawlessness.’
‘Lawlessness’,
yes, it is translated from the original greek writings correctly. Ice Cream
Jesus and his false teachers tell you that God’s law doesn’t matter anymore.
That is a lie, a deception. We need to learn to pray for God to show us our sins, so that
we may repent of them. I have been amazed at the pride and self-serving heart I
fight. I have been amazed at the anger and unforgiveness in me, much of it from
my far past. I am not a stiff neck legalist. I just love God and His powerful
Word. I ride a motorcycle, drink the occasional beer, and laugh with friends as
much as possible. I won’t beat you over the head with the Bible, you are free
to believe or not believe. I simply do not want us to be deceived and fall into
satan’s many traps. Jesus requires all of our being, for we are bought with a
price, a very high price. Jesus sets us free in Him to love and be forgiven.
May God bless you, Kenton
PS. The Church is not a civic club or
community fun group. The Church is the Body of Christ dedicated to bringing
glory to our Father and the good news of the Gospel to the many nations. He
does not obey us, we obey Him.
Monday, May 18, 2015
I Was There
I
Was There
I
beat Him with everything that I had. I whipped Him. I cursed Him as
He bled. I mocked Him. I spat on him. I laughed at His torment. I
reveled in His pain.
You
see, I was there two thousand years ago when they
crucified Jesus of Nazareth, and you also
were there in Jerusalem.
As difficult as it is to imagine,
it was for our
sins that Jesus was
crucified. He was crucified for the sins of all men; past, present,
and future. King David, Elijah, Mother Theresa,
Martin Luther, you, me; we were all there. Our sins put Him on that
Cross and on that Cross my sins were washed away by His Blood. Everyone who has repented and turned to follow Jesus has
left their sins on that bloody old
rugged cross. Jesus made the final sacrifice that day
that was so powerful, so pure, that nothing more
needs now be done. He makes
all things new. He made clean what was unclean. He made a way to the
Father for the prostitute and the Leper, the adulterer and the thief.
He made a way for us all.
I
will never be ashamed of Jesus because he was not
ashamed of me. I will not look around a
restaurant to see who is looking and then pray so quietly my children
can't hear me. I will keep my Bible near me
always. I will keep His Word
on my heart and my lips always. I will pray at
school. I will not tolerate things that my Father says are evil.
Jesus
died on the Cross and then rose
from the grave, and because He lives, I can face tomorrow with hope
in Him. I know He has conquered the grave, satan, and holds the keys
to hell. He is King of kings, the Lord
of Lords and every
knee will bow to Him. But the greatest of them all is to know that He
is mine!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Revised: Grandaddy Doss' teaching on love
Granddaddy
Doss’ teaching on Love
By Kenton
Jenkins
revised
The greatest sermons are the ones that we "see" lived out by someone
important in our life. I am grateful that God blessed me with great parents and
grandparents that ‘walked out’ their faith daily. As a teenage boy, I was
spending the summer at my mother's parents home in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
The Grandfather clock chimed its time
for us as I turned down the hallway toward the bathroom. I saw the
bathroom door swing open and was about to turn my eyes away when I realized
that both of them were in their pajamas. Bath time, I would soon realize, was
an ordeal, as my Grandmother Doss was stricken with osteoporosis and the
disease had nearly immobilized her. I saw my grandfather lean his
seventy plus year old body over and scoop the little lady up in his arms
before I could offer to help. He had her night gown on her, and Frances,
although small in stature, was now delivering her bedtime orders as usual. She
was chattering away, “now Bonnie, you make sure those apple fritters get
covered up and set in the oven and wipe that table good and see to it that ……”
He winked at me as they came through the doorway. He laughed his funny sideways
laugh, “Yes, yes, yes, Frances, I will take care of it.” He had a way of
picking at her and she would just shake her finger and out would come his
sideways laugh again. That laugh of his would really ‘stir her soup’ and they
would go back and forth talking until he got the covers pulled up just like she
wanted. Afterward, she would send him to tidy her kitchen. Then, regular as the
sun setting, he would sit at the table in the middle of the little kitchen and
have a glass of buttermilk and cornbread stirred to just the right consistency.
Grandma would call him to come to bed and he would only stop to brush his teeth
on the way. I can still hear his prayers drifting through the house. I pictured
him in my mind, on his knees, beside his bed as I had witnessed many times.
To this day, seeing my elderly Grandfather carry his bride out of that bathroom
was and is the greatest act of love I had ever witnessed. It spoke volumes
about the commitment and unwavering dedication that he demonstrated daily. He
labored with a smile because he was glad to serve as his Lord and his
circumstances required. I never heard him complain about anything, save
possibly the crooked politician or a weak preacher who wouldn’t stand up for
God's Word. He studied his bible daily. Pastors and Sunday school teachers
could be found occasionally in their living room testing the soundness of their
doctrine with Brother Doss. He planted a bigger garden than we thought he
should, every spring, with a push plow. Grapevines, chickens, cows and horse
apple trees made their homes there too. On the back porch there were mason jars
and old cans full of all kinds of things from leather shoe laces to
straightened nails. Nothing was wasted and everything had its place. Be
careful, because there is not a rail around the back porch. If you make your
way down to the root cellar you would find lots of sweet potatoes laid on the
cool red clay steps that were hand cut out of the earth and mason jars filled
with wonderfully tasty fruits and vegetables.
As a teenager, I thought he was crazy for not selling his little 9 acre farm in
the middle of bustling Lawrenceville, Georgia. The fancily attired real estate
agents would dramatically set the grand figures in front of him and I would
dream about all the boats and lake houses and toys that I could buy. Grandma
would refill the tea glasses as he politely said, “no thank you”, for the
umpteenth time. What I realize now, that I was blind to at the time, is that
you can’t buy that kind of life with money. The kind of life they had has to be
sweated out, prayed for and worked through to the finish, in love.
It took many years to sink in, but in watching their life I have come to
realize a few things about love. Love does not sell itself short to the world
nor can it be exchanged for currency. Love does not allow you to put your own
wants in front of another's needs. Love does not flatter with empty compliments
that make you think too much of yourself. Love never accepts disobedience, but
disciplines in kindness and truth to circumcise the uncircumcised heart. Love
finishes the job no matter how hot it is. Love will carry you through to the
end. Love of Jesus is the most important thing that there is. I saw my
grandparents walk out all of these principles and many more. I did not
appreciate the fullness of their faith and love at the time, but now I see what
a privilege it was to have such Godly people guiding my heart through the way
they lived.
I surely
do miss standing on Granddaddy’s back porch listening to the chickens fuss and
the cow’s lowing. I can smell the fresh cut grass and see the red clay patches
here and there in the drive that swung around the house. I’d give anything to
draw a bucket of that cool clear water from the old well. I look forward to
seeing my grandparents again when the Lord calls me home. I now appreciate who
they were and would love to sit down with them and just talk a while at that
little kitchen table. Maybe Grandma would make us a batch of apple fritters to
give our hands something to hold while we talked. I will call my cousins in
from all around and just listen to the funny things my Grandparents generation
did to get through the "depression" or watch again as Grandaddy dares
my poor cousin to taste one of his home grow hot peppers, as he himself chews on
one, then laughs that sideways laugh of his, as my cousin runs for the sink squealing.
Yes David, I still laugh at that.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Bob the Builder will fix it. Yes he can!
Bob the Builder
I can still hear the theme song ringing in my mind. "Bob the builder, can we build it? YES, WE, CAN!" In the cartoon they played it every time Bob was needed. Bob is a cute little generic construction worker with blue overalls, a yellow hard hat, and a tool belt. Bob along with his buddies, who are living tools and machines, can fix anything. Bob, being told about a problem, will whip out his toolbox and the theme song plays. Then Bob, with a smile, begins fixing the problem with the ease and positive attitude that only a cartoon character can muster.
In Bob's cartoon world, the animator, who created he and his story, is his God. How often do we try to fix the problems in our life without our true God? "Move over God, I got this." We say to ourselves. While we can do all things through Christ, we can do nothing good without God. Nothing that we do in our own power will stand for long, but what God builds will stand forever! Only prayer to the Lord moves Heaven and hell and can bring the eternal fix or change that we need. It is only when we remove ourselves and turn everything over to God, that we can begin to see problems in our life get fixes that truly change for the good and last. We have to choose to remove our self pride, self confidence and trust God, not ourselves. That is hard to do. The world preaches self reliance and self confidence. Jesus teaches us that we can do nothing without God!
The greatest fixit men live their lives on their knees in prayer, because they know that only God brings good and lasting change. God can soften and change the hearts, minds and thinking of our enemies or business associates to our good. God can destroy our enemies and lay them at our feet. All the gold, silver and everything in this world belongs to God. God can move money or anything else from one place to another to make provision for a saint of His at anytime. Our Father works in ways that we wouldn't think of or can even comprehend.
To be truly successful, we must turn our lives over completely to the Lordship of Jesus and trust Him to make a way for us. We should fight our battles on our knees, in prayer about all things in our life. We have to take everything, in humility, to God. This is not what the world teaches us, but Jesus taught us that we can ask anything in His name and it will be done.
I know how impatient I can be. One of the most difficult things for me to do is to wait on God, in prayer and thanksgiving. Often God holds us still while he prepares a blessing or miracle to come to pass. He goes ahead of us softening hearts, preparing the way for us and in His time He opens a door for us. When that door opens, we have to choose to step through the door and receive what He has prepared for us, in thanksgiving.
I don't know about you, but in that time of waiting, I am like a race horse in the starting gate. I fram around in the gate, fussing and complaining, while I wait on God to pull the trigger on the starter pistol and the gate to fly open releasing me into His blessings. But God waits on me to calm down and he teaches me to be thankful and content where I am. I need to learn contentment, humility, thankfulness in the midst of my trials. The apostle Paul never prayed for our situation to change, but that we endure with thanksgiving. Jesus was beaten, humiliated in many ways and even betrayed by those closest to Him. He NEVER complained because he knew our Father despises murmuring and complaining. God sent His chosen people of Israel around the mountain in the wilderness for forty years during a journey that should have only taken a couple of weeks, because they would not stop murmuring and just be thankful for their freedom! They were even receiving Manna from heaven every day and yet, they still complained. Complain and you will remain. We have to learn to live on our knees praying with a thankful and contrite heart that we are being led by God.
Let us give thanks where we are and pray out our life to God, all of our life, things great and small. Let us renew our minds to the mind of Christ and hold all thoughts accountable to His word. Let us be lights in this world. While our salvation is personal, Jesus makes it clear that it should never be private. We should always be prepared to give our testimony. We should always be looking to guide the souls to God, that he chooses and calls to Him. It is ok to be anxious to fix things like Bob the builder, but always fix the 'things" in your life in the strength and mind of Christ. Then our 'things' will truly be 'fixed'.
Peace and joy be yours in Christ. Kenton
Monday, December 29, 2014
Rise and Shine
Rise
and Shine
“Over there, is Cumberland
Island,” The elderly man said as he pointed Northwest of us across the marsh and the
intracoastal rivers. I stood there on the boat ramp shielding my eyes from the sun, soaking in
the primal smells, and the salty aroma of the coast. I was almost there. I love
the Coast and the wildlife sanctuary at Cumberland, it has always been
at the top of my list of places to make a part of me. Camping only, with no hot
water, no malls, no stuff. I was feeling sick of the ‘stuff’ world I live in.
We give away stuff to make room for more stuff. We go in debt for more and more
stuff that has little or no value soon after it is purchased. For a few days I
was going to leave all the bills and the stuff behind and walk around with God and my camera.
After the long ride, I tied my little Ogeechee river boat to the pier, letting out a sigh of relief. My little
skiff was not designed for the open coast and brackish water had been licking over the
sides at times when the water was choppy. From the dock at St. Mary’s, the island seemed
so close, but it took me forty five minutes on the winding waterways and then
across the open waters of the Sound. I looped my rope around one of the thick
wooden posts at the dock. I decided to leave my gear for later and walked the
long pier and path to the ranger station. I had not made a mistake in coming
here, the twisted oaks and saw palmettos, though familiar to me, were different here.
Each tree painfully shaped by relentless sun and ocean winds, told its own story.
They were each joined at the canopy to provide almost complete cover. From the
canopy down to the top of the saw palmettos were masses of twisted limbs so
distorted that they could have been their own abstract art piece, seeming to
have no rhyme or reason in their lines. Indeed, this was a very special place;
very old, very worn, very strong, very independent.
The next morning I awoke long
before daylight, which is unusual for me. I had a sense that God was saying, “Get
up, I have something to show you.” I was wide awake immediately, no coffee. I
stepped out of the tent. It was very dark, still too dark to see the fog, but I
could feel it as it embraced me like a blanket. I looked around, but could not
make out any shapes. God didn’t say a word, but there was an overwhelming desire
to get ready for something that was about to happen. I felt around for my camera
gear. I found my tripod and my large format camera. In a moment I had my
Hasselblad, which any photographer knows is one of the greatest cameras of all
time. They took it to the moon for a reason, with the right photographer, it
can make iconic images, clear and brilliant, but with feeling. I decided to
leave the large format camera and just take the ‘Hass’ and tripod. It was a
good decision.
By memory, I
headed toward the beach. If I ran into palmettos, I was off the path, it was
simple. I was thinking, as I fumbled along with my gear in tow, about how early
it was and how out of character this predawn jaunt was for me. After about
fifty yards or so, God showed up. I looked up from following the path and there
they were. Angels seemed to be breaking through the thick tree canopy and the fog in
beams of light. It was indescribably beautiful as they tickled the tips of the
palmettos and spilled onto the ground. I could now begin to realize just how
thick the fog was.
I headed
towards the tall dune that defined the island interior, to go out towards the
beach. As I came closer to leaving the interior, I sensed I should stop, but I
wanted to catch the sunrise. “Turn around.” I heard the words, very soft, very distinct.
I sat my gear down and turned around. Beautiful beams of light were cascading
through the canopy and dancing on the twisted limbs and palmettos of the island’s
interior. It was a symphony of light, shadows and shapes. It was breathtaking
and magnificent. Only God could paint something that was so beautiful it seemed
as if you could see, hear, and taste its intensity. I must have shot a dozen
rolls of medium format through the Hasselblad in the few moments that I had. I
realized that I was losing the moment, the fog, the angel lightshow. I was alone in a
stand of palmettos looking around and soaking up the beauty and the sea air
rolling in. A lone twisted old oak with long low branches, stood near the path
leading to the ocean. The dune was high behind it and was nearly as tall as the
tree. The fog seemed to be holding there
next to the back of that dune and the beams of light were still there dancing
to some heavenly tune. I got into position and worked around the tree as a
breeze rustled the leaves and the birds were beginning to sing.
At some point I just stopped
tripping the shudder and I stood there taking in all the smells and sounds and the
glorious sunshine filling the earth as it pushed out the darkness. There were
no words, just peace. I knew that my Lord had taken me, His son, for a walk. It
was unbelievable. I later told God that He was just showing off that morning on
Cumberland Island, and I enjoyed every moment of it.{This was a trip in 2006, a much needed break. I used to enjoy photography in the days when black and white photography was still dominated by film. I still haven't been able to get the same results from digital technology so I rarely carry a camera these days ....miss my film rolls!}
Friday, December 5, 2014
Kissin' and Cupcakes
Kissin’
and Cupcakes
I remember
the first time that I kissed a girl. I liked it …. a lot! When I think about
the kiss, it was actually kind of odd, but in a good way. We had been playing hide
and seek in my backyard when there was an overwhelming chemical reaction that
even my ten year old brain realized was about to result in a kiss. Being a
young lady and resident brownie scout, she decided that this kiss shouldn’t occur
in this location. The giant tree we were behind shielded us from prying eyes,
which I thought to be quite an adequate place for a kiss. But I am a male, so
my opinion was politely dismissed. This wouldn’t be the last time I had to wait
on a woman.
I don’t recall
how, but we ended up on the couch in the living room and she was giving
instructions. On the count of “three” we were to kiss. Man, when “three” got
there, I think my left shoe popped off. Wow! You never forget your first kiss.
I thought for sure this would result in marriage and some kids. But alas, it
was a short romance, mom’s footsteps were coming down the hall. Mom came in the
living room with some cupcakes and milk and I was pretty sure that it wasn’t
going to get any better than this, right here and now, kissin’ and cupcakes.
Fast forward
a few decades and I have had a lot of ‘firsts’. First date, first drive, first
homerun, first touchdown, first truck, first girl wrecking truck, first
daughter, first job, it’s a long list. With each first came a thrill and a
sense of accomplishment or guilt, according to the nature of the “first”. Most
of us have a tendency to chase that thrill or reminisce longingly for the
thrill of a “first’ or of youth. I have chased that rabbit and I bet most of
you have too. If we aren’t careful, chasing that ‘first’ rabbit can lead us
down into some deep dark holes where things get ugly. When we allow ourselves
to become bored or discontent in our life, you can bet that the devil will send
a rabbit, i.e. temptation, our way. How do we find ‘lasting’ contentment which
is the opposite of chasing the rabbit, the momentary thrill? Philosophers,
psychiatrists, and ten cent self-help gurus have written volumes on the subject
of contentment or happiness.
It is a basic
human need to be loved and accepted. Without this basic need being satisfied,
we will never receive lasting contentment and joy {what a wonderful word}. Where
does one find such love and acceptance? God, who created us in His image, is
Love. 1 John 4:8 Anyone who
does not love does not know God, because God is love. In order to be content,
we must know that we are valuable enough to be loved. God made us to have a
relationship with Him. God doesn’t make mistakes; He made you exactly as He
wants you to be. God even sent His son, Jesus, to become a sinless sacrifice covering
our sins with His grace to make us righteous and able to have a relationship
with Him! When we give our self to Jesus, we become a child of God, and in that
relationship we find the ultimate love and joy.
Why are there so many sour faced
Christians then? We have trouble receiving Gods love. His love is tremendous
and wonderful, but we don’t fully trust God. We block our own blessings. It is
our nature to take care of problems, to make plans, to do it on our own. We
lack faith in God to handle our “little” problems. We are supposed to leave our
cares and burdens at the Cross where Jesus died for us. We take our bag of burdens
to the Lord and we get on our knees and pray about our burdens. The problem
comes when we finish praying. We pick our bag of burdens up and get back to our
routine. We pull our burdens back out and speak negatively about them and cry
with our friends about them. We make plans to solve our problems and even
create a mental wheelbarrow to carry our burdens, all because we never trusted
God to take care of them! Peter walked on water in the midst of a storm as long
as his eyes were on Jesus. He got into trouble when he saw the waves and doubt crept
in. His faith was compromised when his thoughts became negative. He sank
because he doubted. I certainly am not looking down on Peter. He walked on
water with Jesus. How awesome is that?!
To be happy, to have joy, to know
love, we must learn to trust God in His promise to take care of His children.
Seek the Kingdom of God first and all these things will be added unto you, says
the Lord. Pray, obey God’s commands, bless others and put God first. If we can
do these things then we will avoid most joy destroying, self - destructive
behavior that the devil has taught us! In this world, the prince of darkness
will find a way to hurt us through a loved one or a boss or some other means.
But, we know, that God will work ALL things to the good of those who love Him!
We can be content if we choose or we can chase rabbits. Being content doesn’t
mean that we don’t strive for better for ourselves and others. We just have to
make sure that we don’t put ourselves first, but God and neighbors. To know
true joy, we have to learn how to truly be thankful for Christ’s love and what
we already are blessed with.
Keep walking,
Kenton
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