...who needs enemies? The Lenton reading started back today with John chapters 1 and 2. The first few verses of John are favorites of mine. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, he was with God in the beginning. It boggles my mind to know that Jesus was the Prince of Glory and chose to come to a dusty little town born of parents that were inexperienced and poor! He gave up the shimmering garments on heaven for swaddling clothes and the bed of a King for a manger in an animal's stall. When He got here and grew to be a man, He called to himself a band of men, the disciples. Jesus took them and promised to make them fishers of men. They were with Him daily and saw all He did, from feeding the five thousand and opening blinded eyes to raising the dead and eating with tax collectors. They saw him change water into wine at a wedding and talk with the woman at the well, telling her the secrets of her life. Just reminding you so that you will realize, they KNEW him. Reminds me of a secular song I have heard "If you don't know me by now, you will never, ever, never know me..at all" They knew the Lord. Look at Peter standing outside of where Jesus was being questioned and see him DENY ever even knowing the Lord, now see Judas as he walks in to get money in exchange for Jesus' life. Judas took the 30 pieces of silver, they were heavy in the bag and felt so good to jingle. I see him looking into the bag, just checking not able to believe his good luck! He went to the Garden and planted the most famous kiss of all times on the cheek of our Lord. In this day and time we not only deny our Lord every day through things that we allow in ourselves, but we deny the Lord any time that we hurt each other. I don't have to agree with your theology to love you! If you have sinned it is none of my business to correct you in words but by living a life in your presence that will convict you and make you want to live a better life. It will certainly do no good for you or me if I choose to talk about you, run you down, or constantly try to ruin your reputation. 2Cor. 10:12 We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.  When you begin to critisize others  you are saying that you, yourself, are superior, else how could you make such a judgement? Be merciful, dear friend, you may find yourself in a situation where you may fall short and others will be judging YOU! We are told in the Word that if we judge someone then we set ourselves up for judgement by the same measure! So best keep your lip zipped and maybe someone will return the favor! Don't let it be said of you as it could be of Judas..."with friends like you, who needs enemies?"

Be blessed, pray, be a faithful friend that is a secret keeper before men and a secret pray-er before God!

It is 4:20 PM Sunday afternoon, I need to be at the church at 5PM for practice and sound check as our Spring concert is tonight. My heart is heavy and doesn't feel much like happy music, but as a PK for all my life and one who also ministers in the church, I know that the service will go on whether I am happy, or not. I know that God is in total control of our  lives, this is just a little much and one of those times when I am having to practice what I teach...total trust in the all seeing eye of our Father God.  Three weeks ago this morning (Sunday) I had waited all night without sleep to deliver the sad news to my dad that his "little" brother had died. Uncle Harding was three years younger than daddy(91 on April 5) and would have been 88 on May 17. His death was sudden, a fall with a killing blow to the head. Such a horrible thought, I could hardly bear it myself, much less relate it to my dad. The moment before I told him he was happy and singing an old hymn, which he does every morning, knowing when I uttered those words of death he would be devastated. I stood looking at him for a moment just saving the memory for a moment. My brother came in and I chickened out and had him to tell him the news. This morning I walked into my parents bedroom, I could hear daddy singing from his bath room and mother was sitting on the side of the bed pulling on her panty hose (I gave them up years ago!), she still wears spike heels at the young age of 85. Again, I stood there for a moment, asked her if she had drank her coffee before it got cold, and did she eat her oatmeal...then as daddy was coming back into the bedroom I said, I have something sad to tell you...her expression automatically took on the tragic knowledge of what I was about to say. Uncle Earl is in heaven with mama and little daddy this morning, he left at exactly midnight..so he died on Sunday as did both my grandparents (the Paulks) and Joan (their baby daughter who had died of cancer). After the news had soaked in, she continued to pull on her stockings. I told her that whatever she felt like doing, I would cooperate, meaning if they wanted to stay home from church I would do what I needed to do for them to stay. She stuck her chin out and shook her head NO and said I am going to church, he would want me to do that! I remembered the Sunday morning that little daddy died, April 5 (my dad's birthday) 1992, she had gone across town to Decatur where he had been living with my cousin, and after having seen him, had gone to church. Why would today be any different? Nehemiah 8:10 (King James Version)Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  We work for the Lord, He is our portion. Joy in Him is our strength. The press is pointing out his faults and telling scandals that are old, part truth and part lies, but they tell it as the truth instead of saying all that he did for the community he lived in and for the Kingdom of God. Whether he was saint or sinner is not for us to decide, God has compassion and His mercies are fresh every morning, as we read in Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Be blessed, Pray for our family as we say good bye to a loved brother and uncle.

Our Linton reading for the day is a wonderful truth and not repeating one that we already had. If you have ever wanted to do something for the Lord and didn't know where to start, by reading the following scriptures (which I have printed from the Message) you will see that the smallest thing that you offer to the Lord, when you do it with an honest and giving heart of love,is big in God's sight! It is as if you have had a healing campaign if you visit one sick person, or give food to one hungry person, or help "somebody as you pass along", it grabs the attention of God, Whose eyes, according to scripture,are always looking for the person that is doing good. So don't be discouraged if you are not a super star of the Gospel, a sought after teacher or author, just do what God puts in your path and you will be the Super Star in His eyes, and Who better to impress than the Father? Now read really slowly and absorb the Word! Luke 21:1-4 Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all!" Matthew 10:42 (The Message)"We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing." Mark 9:41Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice. One day a young man had mowed the lawn at the church, on a riding mower I might add, he was on payroll so I would think that whatever his superior asked him to do, he should be willing, right? I happened to be in the garage as he came in and rubbing his hand across his forehead said "I am not going to do this anymore, I have paid my dues, I wanted to preach!" I didn't say a word, but I thought of all the toilets that my mother and I cleaned and all the hours of sweat and dirty work my dad did to build the church and here this young man thought that riding on a lawn mower cutting the church's grass was "paying his dues"..that young man wasn't working for the church much longer. When you work in any capacity for God from parking lot attendant to nursery worker to the man who stands in the pulpit, you have done work for God. Extend a hand of friendship to someone that walks in alone, smile at the person who looks like they really need prayer. Offer YOURSELF as a living sacrifice, doing whatever small task you can...and YOU will become great in the eyes of God.

Be blessed, Pray and don't be the living sacrifice that keeps crawling off the altar!

God is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations. Today was my mother's birthday. She has always been a very positive person, the kind that finds the best thing that will come out of a situation. Always in a good mood and willing to help, the one everyone goes to if they have a cut or scrape that needs mending. I remember when my nephew, who lived next door to us, fell from his bicycle, he was just so wounded...first thing he said was "Go get Mimi!" Every morning before he left for school, he would come over for her to clean and re-bandage his wounds, only she could do it..nevermind he had perfectly good parents at home who could have done it just as well..but it had to be Mimi. We have little stickers on our doors that say "May all who enter here feel peace", and our hope is that they feel the peace that passes understanding that only the Lord can give! Inviting Jesus into your home will bring that sense of peace right on in...In our Lenton reading(Luke 19-20) for today we find that Jesus invites HIMSELF into a home, the home of Zacchaeus, who was the head tax man, and quite rich!He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?" Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages." Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost." When people think of your home, what do they think? Is it a house of peace, love and safety, or is there fear, arguing, anger, hate, prejudice and disjointed, dysfunctional family members all going their own way? The only person that can make a difference is you, and that's the truth. I will share something personal with you. I have been divorced for 24 years, yet my children's father is welcome in this home 24/7 and comes in shares a cup of coffee and conversation when ever he comes to take the family out to dinner (twice a week). When he needs prayer for anything he calls me and asks me to pray, and then when the answer comes, as happened yesterday, he calls and gives the praise report and thanks me for praying. How can this happen? Because I wanted peace in this house. Lay down pride or revenge or whatever it is you feel and become what you claim to be, a Christian. I realize that this situation may be special and might not be possible for you, but you can at least not say angry words that make your children cringe, remember that children love BOTH parents, no matter who is right or wrong. If what I have said offends you, I am truly sorry and I am not making a judgement, just saying, invite Jesus in, He is the Prince of Peace and can say about YOUR home "Today is salvation day in this home" as he did in the home of the hated tax collector, Zacchaeus!

Be blessed, Pray, invite Jesus in to dinner and ask Him to stay, the end of the verse says "the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost", be restored starting today!