Blog Archives

ASKING FOR DIRECTION

4/30/2015

Long before the televangelist scandals of the 1980’s ever came about, preachers have been teased over their concerns about money. Now, if the truth be known, this may be somewhat justified. From the time of Balaam in the Old Testament Book of Numbers, far too many preachers have been overly preoccupied with the material world at the expense of the spiritual one.

And yet, at the same time, if that is true for ministers, how much more is that true for lay people (who greatly outnumber us). This is especially true in the materialistic culture in which we now live.

In a devotional titled “The Only Impression That Counts“, Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr. relates the story of George W. Truett, longtime Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas from 1897 to 1944.

Once a wealthy oil tycoon thought he would try to impress Dr. George W. Truett with his great riches. So he invited the pastor to visit his sprawling property in Texas. He pointed to the acres of land in the north and said, “Pastor, as far as you can see in that direction, I own it.”

Then he pointed eastward and stated, “I also own everything you see that way.”

He showed the pastor the land to the south and east, again claiming to own everything within eyesight.

Dr. Truett waited until the businessman had finished, and then he raised his hand and pointed toward Heaven. He asked, “But how much do you have in that direction?”*

Ouch! That one hits a little close to home – for all of us, ministers and lay people alike! But then, once we understand that life consists of more than the material, we suddenly get Dr. Truett’s point!

Scudder continues…

Unless we have treasures in Heaven, no earthly riches will profit us. We can start laying up this treasure by understanding our spiritually bankrupt condition before God. Regardless of our financial wherewithal, we are all indebted to God because of sin. The only payment He accepts for sin is death (Romans 6:23a). We cannot give Him our property or riches to pay off this outstanding debt.

God knew this, and sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to Earth to pay the price for our sins through His death and shed blood on the cross. Three days later, He rose again from the dead, offering eternal life.

My friend, God isn’t impressed with your possessions. His heart will only be moved to cancel your sin debt when you accept His free gift. Put your trust in Christ today.

Brother Scudder then concludes his post with this most fitting quote by David Livingstone: “I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ.”

Amen, sir. Well said!

*SOURCE: http://www.victoryingrace.org/january-23rd-the-only-impression-that-counts.

NOTE: The story of Dr. Truett and his wealthy parishioner is available from multiple secondary sources online. Among them, the one primary source most often cited is the October 24, 1992 edition of Our Daily Bread. (Cf.: http://ourdailybread.org/.)

A collection of Dr. Truett’s actual sermons are available online at: http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/search/collection/fa-gwt/collection/fa-gwt.

GIVE IT UP… FOR GOD

4/27/2015

After more than thirty five years, a friend of mine from high school recently got in touch with me. His name is Doug. We were close friends throughout our middle school and high school years; but as our college years unfolded, life took us in different directions. It was certainly good to hear from him after so long.

As we chatted back and forth about bygone days, he reminded me of an episode that had occurred in high school. It had to do with learning to make God one’s highest priority in life.

A little background information is in order. When I was in school, I really did not care all that much for football; but I absolutely loved basketball. And yet, the irony was that I could easily make the football team; but I could not make the basketball team - no matter how hard I tried.

Two years running, in the eighth and ninth grade, I made the football team; but, in both of those two years, and again in the tenth grade, I was among the last ones cut from the basketball team during tryouts. By contrast, my friend, Doug, was not a football player. But he was an exceptional basketball player. If memory serves me correctly, he was the starting point guard in both seventh and eighth grades, and also for the junior varsity team in the ninth grade.

In our conversation, Doug reminded me of that fateful day back in the tenth grade when he had told me after school that he had just gotten cut from the basketball team. At the time, I had not believed him. I thought he was joking, until he left to go home and I went on to practice. Coach Adams strung me along for a few more weeks, and then cut me as well, just before the season started.

What Doug shared with me was how that whole event went on to serve as such a pivotal point in his relationship with God. By his own admission, basketball had become an idol for him. For this reason, Doug now clearly sees that God took it away from him in order that He (God) might draw Doug into a closer relationship with Him.

Doug went on to accomplish some wonderful things. He was either the Valedictorian or Salutatorian of our graduating class - I cannot remember which. Among other things, he also went on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy and then to fly fighter jets off of aircraft carriers! He has had a full and wonderful life in service to his fellow man, and now serves as an Elder in his church.

Giving up basketball was a tough thing for Doug - especially from his perspective at the time as a tenth grader whose world had hitherto revolved around it. But Doug’s testimony proves that when we place anything above God, He will invariably require that we give it up for Him! And yet, anytime we undertake such a sacrifice, we win in the long run. It may not be so easy to see at the time; but viewed in retrospect, we almost always see what God had in mind.

As a pastor, there have been many times than in my life when I have had to give things up to serve the Lord. Even now, He still asks sacrifices of me. But whenever this happens, I have learned to trust that God simply has something better in store for me.

What about you? Has God ever asked you to give something up for Him? Could it be that He is asking this of you even now? If so, then what will you do? Even if it is painful, I encourage you to make the sacrifice. In the long run, you will very likely be glad you did. Just ask Doug!

STORMY WEATHER

4/24/2015

As I write this, my wife and I have just finished climbing down off of a stepladder, having decided to go outside and check our gutters for any residual leaves or debris. Why would we have undertaken this typically fall activity in the springtime? Because the weather man tells us that some pretty severe storms are headed our way. And the gossip on Facebook says they are packing seventy mile per hour winds!

You see, the month of April has not been kind to the good folks here in east Tennessee over the last few years. Several severe storm fronts have passed through during this time of year. And in one particular year, 2011, after a fierce night of tornadoes and hailstorms, tens of thousands of houses and other buildings wound up getting new roofs.

For these reasons, the Jacksons have learned to respect April storms. We take customary precautions, such as bringing in our flag, securing loose items, checking the gutters, and similar items. We have decided that it is always better to be over-prepared than caught off guard.

I did not do all that well in basic Spanish class back in high school. But I do remember a few words. One of those is the word for storm: “tormenta”. That is an apt description of what storms so often do in our lives - they torment us.

On more than one occasion, the Disciples of Jesus were tormented by storms. The Gospel writers - Matthew (in 14:22-34), Mark (in 6:45-53), and John (in 6:15-21) - all relate the story of how the Disciples were caught in a storm out on the Sea of Galilee. While they were struggling fearfully, they looked up to see Jesus coming toward them, walking on top of the water. When He got into the boat with them, the wind ceased.

The other storm they faced is recorded by the Gospel writers Mark (in 4:35-41), Luke (in 8:22-25) and Matthew (in 8:23-27). In this episode, Jesus was already with them when the storm arose. However, He was blissfully sleeping in the bottom of the boat. Fearful for their lives, they awakened Jesus, whereupon He commanded the storm to be still, and it did!

The lessons one can learn from these two stories are myriad. But the essential truth is that we need not fear the storms of life; for even though they are inevitable, Jesus is with us and He has power over the storms of life whenever they arise.

I once heard a preacher point out that storms are a part of life. He made the point that everyone is either just coming out of a storm, in the midst of a storm, or else headed into a storm. I think he was spot on in this observation.

If you are facing a storm today, remember that it is important to do all you can to prepare. But in the end, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you will never have to face that storm alone. Four years ago, when tornado after tornado was literally touching down all around us, my family and I simply fell back on the most important thing we had going for us: we prayed and asked the Lord to be with us and to see us through that terrible night. He did just that.

At other times, the storms I have faced have been of a different nature. Some have been physical, some emotional, some relational, some financial, and some personal, to name but a few. Yet, no matter their nature, they have all been calmed by the power of an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving, and all-powerful God. Because of this, I know that whatever type of storm I may face in the future, He will be faithful to see me through that as well.

And what He has done for me and my family, He will also do for you and your family. As Moses told the people of God (in Deuteronomy 31:6) when they were on the verge of their struggle to possess the land of promise: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” And that, my friend, is the best preparation for facing any storm that there can ever be.

GOING HOME

4/20/2015

I am participating in the re-dedication of the newly refurbished 190 year old Hopeful Baptist Church down in north Fayette County, Georgia later this spring. My great, great, great, great grandfather, Jordan Jackson, was a founding member and Deacon there in 1825. Most every time that I make a trip back to Georgia to visit my old stomping grounds, I go by this old church where so many of my ancestors were involved. As I do, a flood of memories are unleashed from my own childhood.

I am reminded of column once written by Lewis Grizzard. Lewis was a gifted columnist who once wrote for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. He parlayed that into a successful comedy speaking tour and even more successful series of books, all of which helped to endear any entire generation of southerners. To be certain, at times he could be more than a little irreverent. But he could also speak truth in a way that was quite convicting.

I wanted to post a favorite piece he once wrote here today. I hope it speaks to you.

No Spot Is So Dear...

On a cold day last week, I stood outside the church in my hometown of Moreland, Georgia, that is so dear to my childhood and tried to remember how long it had been since I was in-side. Ten years? At least that long. But if there weren't still roots here, would I come back so often in my mind?

Church was about all we had. Sunday school was at ten, but preaching was only twice a month. We shared sermons and the preacher with another flock down the road.

What did they call it on Sunday night? MYF? We had a couple of rowdy brothers in town who broke into a store. They were juvenile first offenders. Their punishment was to attend Methodist Youth Fellowship for six months. First night they were there, they beat up two fifth-graders and threw a Cokesbury hymnal at the lady who met with us and always brought cookies.

She ducked in time and then looked them squarely in their devilish eyes. Soft as the angel she was, she said, "I don't approve of what you boys did here tonight, and neither does Jesus. But if He can forgive you, I guess I'll have to."

She handed them a plate of cookies, and last I heard, both are daddies with steady jobs and rarely miss a Sunday. That was the first miracle I ever saw.

Revivals at the church were the highlight of the summer. I remember a young visiting preacher talking about the night he was converted.

"I was drunk in an Atlanta bar," he said, "and I was lost. But Jesus walked in and sat down beside me. Praise His name, because that's the reason I'm with you here tonight."

That frightened me. If Jesus could find that fellow in an Atlanta bar, he certainly wouldn't have any trouble walking up on me smoking behind the pump house in Moreland. I always took an extra look around before lighting up after that.

Workers were smoking one day in the attic of our church. They left a cigarette. It took less than an hour for flames to destroy that old building. I didn't cry, but grown men did.

We built it back—of brick this time. Country folks will dig deep in the name of the Lord.

The best fried chicken I ever ate, the best iced tea I ever drank were the fried chicken and the iced tea on Homecoming Day at the church. Dinner on the grounds, we called it. The chickens had been walking in someone's backyard earlier in the morning. The tea went into a galvanized washtub. A piece of block ice kept it cold.

The day Red Murphy died, they announced it in the church. The congregation wept as one. Everyone loved Red Murphy. He ran the little post office and took children on pony rides.

Maxine Estes taught my Sunday school class. In rural Georgia in the fifties, she was big on being kind to your neighbor no matter the color of his skin. I learned to sing Hymn No. 153, "Love, Mercy and Grace," in that church. And "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." And the one I still break into occasionally today, "Precious Memories." They do linger.

My mother married my stepfather inside that church. And one hot Saturday afternoon a long time ago, a pretty nineteen-year-old girl married me at the same altar. I told her I would never forget her, and I haven't.

It's easy to fall away from the church, no matter the closeness to it in times past. I have done it. So have you. Grown people can do as they please. The 10:30 Sunday morning movie is even an excuse I use. So are Saturday nights that should have ended a lot earlier.

I never could bring myself to walk inside my old church last week. But some Sunday morning soon, maybe I will. And maybe I'll put a ten in the collection plate, and maybe they'll have chicken and iced tea, and maybe afterward I'll make a habit of it.

There is a new country song out. An old man is singing to a group of fellow derelicts. "Lean on Jesus," goes the chorus, "before He leans on you."

I'm not one to panic, but it's something to think about.*

Yes, it is. Sadly, Lewis suffered from an ailing heart and left this world much too soon. He passed away after complications from his from his fourth heart surgery at the tender young age of 47. My suspicion is that even as the doctors were working to fix his physical heart, the Lord was working to fix his spiritual heart as well. Too many of his writings, such as the one above, testify to this.

A friend of mine down in Georgia keeps a famous Atlanta Journal and Constitution cartoon, titled Lewis at the Pearly Gates by Mike Luckovich, framed and hanging on his wall. It shows Lewis stepping up to Heaven’s gates, and having his beloved Black Labrador Retriever, “Catfish”, who preceded him in death by five months, running out to meet him.

If the reception was that great outside of Heaven’s gates, imagine what it must have been like inside them!!

*SOURCE: Lewis Grizzard, Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You (New York: Warner books, 1984), pp. 8-11.

Lewis Grizzard’s estate runs a web site at: http://www.lewisgrizzard.com/. Many of his writings and recordings can be obtained here.

You can read more about Lewis’ life, death, and accomplishments at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?pid=2021037.

Also, you read about Lewis' Labrador Retriever dog, old “Catfish”, here: http://onlineathens.com/stories/042105/fea_20050421039.shtml#.VTUg2NrD
85s.

And lastly, the Lewis Grizzard article posted here has the actual cartoon: http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/10/20/lewis-grizzard-gone-but-not-forgot
ten/.

DAILY MATTERS

4/16/2015

As Easter fades into the past, I take this opportunity to remind one and all that the true measure of this significant day is to be found in its impact on the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 19 matters because it details the events of Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion. Chapter 20 matters because it details the events of Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection. And chapter 21 matters because it details the events of Monday, the day of decision for Christ’s disciples.

At the beginning of chapter 21, Peter and several other disciples revert to their old occupation of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. In a repeat of the earlier miracle of the fishes (as recorded in Luke 5:1-11) wherein Peter is called to be a fisher of men, John records how Jesus came to them and reaffirmed their call to follow Him.

The implication is that, while there is nothing wrong with fishing per se, it is nonetheless not what they have been called to do. It is, in fact, beneath them, as it is interfering with their true calling as Apostles. The challenge is for them to step up and now do what they have been called and empowered by the resurrected Christ to do!

And the same applies to all who would follow the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Are we all called to be Apostles? No, by no means. The fourth chapter of Ephesians, among many other New Testament passages, makes plain that there are a variety of tasks given to the followers of Jesus Christ.

But the Monday after Easter is the day of decision for all who follow Jesus. For we must all decide what impact the risen Lord has on our lives. Each of us must earnestly seek His will as His follower. And whatever He directs us to do, we must then pursue at the expense of all other endeavors in life!

And that Monday, therefore, is just the beginning. For just as each and every day of the Biblical Easter narrative matters, whether Friday, Sunday, or Monday, even so does every single day that we serve the Lord matter.

May all of us, including me, make certain that we make the most of each and every day the Lord gives us. Only then can we hope to make a difference in the world in which we live. More importantly, only then can we hope to have an eternal impact on those with whom we live in this world.

FIDDLEDEEDEE

4/13/2015

I once heard a story about a denominational worker who was being introduced as the keynote speaker at a conference. The emcee was pouring it on in the introduction, even mentioning that the distinguished speaker had three earned doctorates.

When the speaker was finally allowed to approach the microphone, he was anything but haughty. In addressing the crowd, he told them not to be too impressed by all his degrees. He put it this way: “Well, you see, I was given this Doctor of Divinity, and this Doctor of Laws. So, since I had a D.D. and an LL.D., I just decided to go ahead and get myself a Ph.D. That way, I had myself a PhiddleDeeDee!”

If you are troubled by the thought of overeducated clergy, my friend, then try an undereducated one! I once knew a minister who, perhaps troubled by his own lack of formal education, used to proudly proclaim: “I don’t get my sermons up; bless the Lord, I get them down!” Trust me when I say that it showed! To be sure, such expressions almost always garnered a few good laughs. But the sad truth was that the humor failed to cover for just how shallow his sermons often were!

For my own part, I am thankful for the opportunity for formal education that God gave it to me. He has certainly used it to open many doors for me in my life and ministry. Far more importantly, He has used it to better suit me for the ministry to which He has called me.

This is one reason that I am so glad to be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I serve as the Director of the East Tennessee Extension Center. We have around fifty or so students enrolled in some stage of graduate education at any given time.

We hosted our annual open house this week; and were honored to have several prospective students in attendance. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about accredited graduate theological education as a working professional, feel free to check out what Southern has to offer at: http://www.sbts.edu/extension/centers/east-tennessee/.

But whether you decide on Southern Seminary or not, I encourage you, as I do all who would serve the Lord in ministry, to get all the education you can. If not, then it might be wise to be prepared to attend another prominent school: the University of Hard Knocks!

THE WEEK AFTER EASTER

4/10/2015

Aimee Moiso of Vanderbilt University once wrote a beautiful and thought-provoking piece titled “’Twas the Week After Easter”. Given that it is once again the week after Easter, I thought this would be a good time to re-post it.

‘TWAS THE WEEK AFTER EASTER

’Twas the week after Easter, and all through the church
All the pomp of last week seems now left in the lurch.

Easter baskets so recently filled to the brim
Sit empty, save bits of fake grass round the rim.
The bunnies are eaten, ears first and then toes
And marshmallow peeps, from the wings to the nose.

The dozens of eggs dyed bright colors with care
In hopes that egg hunting might soon fill the air
Sit cold in the back of the fridge, dark and pallid
Awaiting a fate of school lunch or egg salad.

It’s hard to believe it’s been just a few days
Since we came to this place and were awed and amazed
Yes, Easter arrived just a week ago now
With all the egg cracking that Ken would allow
and banners and colors and flowers throughout
The choir in full form, all the organ stops out.
That was last Sunday – if you can believe it.
‘Course, when Monday came it was hard to perceive it.
On the news, there was death and destruction galore
And we can’t seem to get through a day without war
And then Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday come round
and soon Easter felt more like a joke than profound.

But perhaps that’s the right metaphor to invoke,
An image of Easter as great cosmic joke.
After all, if you listen, and train a good ear,
There’s something out there you might just get to hear.
From somewhere above, and from somewhere beside,
The sound of deep laughter is heard to abide.
The sound is quite faint, its echo so tiny;
It’s quite hard to hear ‘neath what’s loud and what’s whiny.
It’s lost in the noise of the cars and the traffic,
But if you try hard, you might hear God laughing.

What’s more, if you listen with well-tuned-in ears,
You may just find out it’s the sound of the spheres.
The laughter ‘neath all of the noise and the smoke
Is that of the One who has played the best joke.

Though we huff and we puff and we live in our sin,
We were made by a God who just will not give in.
Though we lie to our friends and we cheat on our taxes,
We justify wealth and deny others access,
We puff ourselves up and then boast quite a lot,
We act like we’re king of the hill when we’re not
Still, our God finds a way to make good of our slime –
And God’s played the ultimate trump card this time.

When God came in Jesus to teach us to love,
To show God is with us, not miles up above,
We nailed him to wood and our spear pierced his side,
And then after betrayal and torture, he died.

“Now you watch and see what I will do,” our God said
And God overturned death and brought life in its stead.

It’s the trick of the ages, the great cosmic joke:
No matter what happens in life to us folk,
God’s love is so wide and love’s height such a summit,
that even the darkness cannot overcome it.
When the weight of the world feels like one giant, “NO!”
God’s laughter says, “You wanna bet? Sure, let’s go.
“It’s not a fair bet against me, I confess.
“’Cause when death declares ‘NO!’ my new life responds, ‘YES!’”

Our God is a God of reversal, you see,
Always opening us to what newness might be.
When we think that the powers of God have been drained,
God says, “I’ve got more up my sleeve. Look again.”

We know it ourselves, we can see that it’s true.
‘Cos you’ve known newness in your life, haven’t you?

Do you remember, that moment of light?
When dawn began breaking in blackest of night?
Perhaps it was after a time of depression,
When pain in your soul was beyond your expression.
When nothing about waking life seemed alright,
And you laid in a bed of no sleep late at night.

Or maybe it was after someone had died,
And your grief sat like cold oatmeal deep down inside.
On the outside you seemed to go on with your days,
But inside was like a deep fog or dark haze.

Or maybe you hurt for a partner now lost,
A wrenching betrayal // a divorce at great cost.
The death of a child // a huge debt to pay,
Addiction // long illness // a move far away.

“Dark night of the soul” is what this is called,
When darkness has over light taken hold.
When even the presence of loving, kind friends
Seems like it won’t make a dent in amends.
The positive outlook of those who have hope
Seems silly when you’re at the end of your rope.
“Show me!” you want to scream right in their face,
“Show me where God is in this stupid place!
“I cannot see why you hold hope in this hour,
It’s clear that God’s left us to use our own power.”

Except our own power is never enough.
We try to be strong, but the going is rough.

I think that’s how Thomas felt, how it had been.
When all the disciples that gathered had seen.
But he had seen only Christ’s death days before.
How was he ‘sposed to believe there was more?

He said, “I can’t know what you claim did appear,
Unless I see marks of the nails and the spear.
Unless I can put my own hand in his side,
I will not believe more than that Jesus has died.”

In the darkest of nights, in the coldest of days.
It is hard to believe there is more than the haze.
It is hard to believe that the dawn might yet come.
That new life will appear, that new life might become.

But remember way back to your darkest of days,
When the dawn began shining a light in your haze.
When you knew that the morning might come yet, at last.
When someday this pain would be part of your past.
Or when new life, new love, new adventures arose,
When another door opened when all had seemed closed.
Just when you thought, “No new tricks for this dog.”
A lighthouse appears in the midst of the fog.
Surprises that rise like a bulb in the spring,
That’s the moment when God’s doing quite a new thing.

And that newness, that glimpse of what this life might hold,
The promise of something new, shocking and bold,
Is what Thomas saw when he touched and believed,
Christ broke through his darkness; new life was conceived.

“Now you watch and see what I will do,” our God said
And God overturned death and brought life in its stead.

That’s what God does in our lives every day.
God gives us what we need to see hope anyway.
In the rising of Christ from a violent, cruel death,
We know that God’s love is as close as our breath.
In the midst of our doubt, in the midst of our pain,
When the world says “No way!” God says “Yes!” once again.

So now can you hear it, the ripple of laughter?
The presence of God in the now and hereafter?
It’s the joy of the knowledge that love conquers all,
Even death on a cross; even our sinful fall.
The laughter rides round in the spin of the earth,
The change of the seasons, the signs of rebirth.
It sings in the mountains, it moves in the seas,
Its chuckle is heard in deep roots of the trees.

Even after the Easter egg hunts are all through
And the baskets of chocolate have vanished from view
Still the laughter goes on through the turning of years.
The music of God in the movement of spheres.

You might think that that’s a good place now to quit,
And I’m running out of good rhymes that will fit.
But here in this Scripture there’s more to discern.
There’s one other thing that from John’s words we learn,
Jesus says to his friends, “Now may peace be with you.”
But he also says, “As God sent me, I send you.”

As we celebrate Holy Play Sunday, my friends,
It is not just James, John and Peter Christ sends.
You are now people who know the joke, too.
The story, the punch line, the laughter: it’s true –
You’ve seen it at work in your very own lives
When into dark night of the soul light arrives.

This cosmic joke that we know to be true,
The chance to bear witness, to live what is new,
Is something that we are to share far and wide
This joke is too good to keep locked up inside.

Go tell your own tale of God’s work in your life,
Tell your friends and your colleagues, your husband, your wife.
We all need to be told again and again
That God’s love does triumph, and new life will reign.

In the dark night of the soul, like dear Thomas,
It’s sometimes too dark to remember the promise.
That’s why we must tell our own stories, dear folk,
Of God’s work within us, of God’s cosmic joke
That overturned death, even death of the Son,
So that we might live like the victory’s won.

With joy and with laughter, let’s go from this place
Not with some insincere smirk on our face,
But with peace in our hearts that has come from above,
To share the new life of the risen Christ’s love.

SOURCE: http://www.stonechurch.org/Sermons/2012-04-15-Aimee.pdf.

DEAD OR ALIVE

4/6/2015

Brian Dubes is an outstanding Optometrist here in east Tennessee. He is also a fellow church member and a good friend of mine. He recently wrote about an experience he had that he calls his “Prius Miracle”. I received permission from him to reprint it here. I think you will enjoy it. Brian writes:

Yesterday morning as I turned the corner to go pick up Shelly from her therapy after her full knee replacement, my car scared me. My little Toyota Prius has served me faithfully for nearly 11 years and about 237,000 miles, with not so much as a flat tire, PTL! But as I turned the corner, it let out a horrible growling and banging sound! I pulled over along 321 and got out expecting to see a completely flat tire, but there was no flat. I pulled back out into traffic accompanied by an echoing, growling, and snapping sound as I crept slowly over to Shelly's therapy. It was scary to drive with such a racket! I felt like the engine was going to seize up at any moment.

I got a dolly to tow it into Knoxville. The first stop was a repair place known to be less expensive than Toyota, where I was told that it was probably the CVT transmission. They had never worked on one, so I growled my way over to the dolly to reload it.

My next stop was Toyota Knoxville, where I did not have an appointment. A very nice service rep agreed to work me in as soon as possible, bless him. He also said that they had never replaced a CVT transmission - they are nearly "bulletproof". I waited over two hours, and then he came back to report that they hoped a tune-up might correct the problem, as the CVT transmission was rarely an issue. After another hour, he returned to give me "the news we all dread with our old faithful cars". "Sir, I'm sorry to report that our efforts have failed, and there's nothing more that we can do. Something in the bottom end is ruined." The bill was now up to $360, "poured down a hole". He genuinely felt bad that there was no solution. He spent 45 more minutes with his manager, and they decided to reduce my bill to $146! Thank you, Lord!

Then crept and growled my little car back across Parkside to the dolly and towed my Prius back home. I parked the rig overnight to decide on the best plan to "dispose" of my old friend. People will make fun of me, but I used to "pat its dash" nearly every and say, "Thank You, Lord, for such a good little car." For 6 long years I drove it to Crossville, sometimes six times per week. It would get 45 miles per gallon, and all I had to do was give it gas, fresh oil, and sets of new tires. And now I had to decide the best way to get rid of it, as it wasn't possible to spend thousands on a car hardy worth $2000 in good running order. Even the grandkids helped Papa mourn over the loss of his car.

Saturday morning I decide to list my Prius on Craigslist to get whatever salvage value that someone might offer. Then we drove over to Upward Basketball to watch the grandkids. My youngest son, Bryce, was there. By this time, I already had received a call from someone in Halls who was offering over $1000 in cash to take my car "as is". Bryce said to wait, as he had an engine code reader that we should attach to the car first. I told a second caller to wait while we checked on the possibility that the engine wasn't as bad as everyone told me.

Bryce and I checked the code reader on the engine, but there were NO codes showing! He agreed that when sitting inside the car it sounded awful! But when one of us was outside with the hood raised, the engine was running smoothly! So we started to think more rationally. IF the engine is running smoothly, and IF Toyota CVT transmissions are "bulletproof", THEN the problem must be in whatever kind of "transfer case" there is between the two. We both slid underneath the front of the car, and it looked nice and clean - no sign of any problems. Then Bryce said, "But I see a BIG rock stuck between the engine and the transmission!" We took a hammer and screwdriver and beat it out of there. Bryce said, "Now, don't get your hopes up - it was only a rock." I climbed inside and started my car. It was quiet! NO growling! Pardon me, but my car was DEAD, and now it's ALIVE!!!

And now I want to tell everyone I see how good God is, and how grateful I am. I am always going to keep that rock as a "memorial" to what God did when He showed us what needed to be done.

Amen, Brian. Well said. A huge rock lay over our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday. It signified to everyone that He was dead. But on Easter Sunday morning, the rock was rolled away. And Jesus was alive!

As the Apostle Paul said (in First Corinthians 15:1-4): “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved … that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”

BELIEVE ME

4/2/2015

Haywood A. Smith, as Senior Pastor of Westminster United Methodist Church in Kinston, North Carolina, once told the story of Cathy Norman’s experience on Easter Sunday.

Cathy Norman said that after twelve years as a church organist she did the unforgivable. She said, “I overslept on Easter morning.

The church service was scheduled for 6:30 a.m. At 6:31 the minister called to see if I was on my way, but I was still in bed. Happily, I live near the church, and in ten minutes I was seated at the organ.”

The following Easter her phone rang at 5:45 a.m. When she answered, the minister told her gently, “CHRIST IS RISEN, and you’d better, too!”

Praise God for Easter! Jesus Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! And because He has risen, you and I can rise too!

For in the Gospel of John (11:25-26a) Jesus Himself said: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

He concluded this statement with a question in verse 26b: “Do you believe this?” And that is the key to life, both eternal and abundant: belief. For the Bible tells us in the New Testament book of Hebrews (11:6) that: “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

In the Gospel of John (3:16-18), we are told: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

I hope you have believed the wonderful story of Jesus Christ, Who as the One and Only Son of God, rose from the grave that first Easter morning. If so, then because He did so, and because of your faith in Him having done so, you too will one day rise again!

SOURCE: http://westminsterumc.net/files/2015/03/Apr2015.pdf.