America and me
America and me go way back.
My first memory of real pride in being an American was our seventh grade graduation ceremony, at Union Elementary in Macon, Georgia. It was a small school on the then outskirts of a growing city, with two seventh grade classes totaling maybe 40 children.
We had practiced our parts for weeks. One girl was to lead everyone in the pledge of allegiance, another boy recited the declaration of independence from memory. My part was to recite the preamble to the Constitution. Once I got through that, I could breathe.
I remember vividly to this day singing with my fellow graduates,
"This is my country, land of my birth.
This is my country, greatest on earth.
I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold.
For this is my country, to have and to hold."
This is my country.
We sang a part of that song when I graduated that might not be sung today, as our nation struggles with what to do about God. It went like this:
With hand upon heart I thank the Lord For this my native land,
For all I love is here within her gates.
My soul is rooted deeply in the soil on which I stand,
For these are my own United States.
It was a different nation then. Some things were wrong, and needed to be changed. Others were right, and needed to be preserved. We've finally lived up to our "created equal" boast, but left our Creator behind. The Bible points us to truth when it says:
Proverbs 14:34 (Msg)
God-devotion makes a country strong;
God-avoidance leaves people weak.
This 4th of July, we are going to celebrate America. But if we fail to worship the One Who gave us our real freedom - everyday - we will have missed more than the point of this devotional.
May God bless the United States of America.
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
Friday, July 02, 2004
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Where Would Jesus Eat?
My friend and fellow preacher-creature Arnold Hendrix was back in town for his home church's 50th anniversary celebration this weekend. We went to the local diner at lunch to enjoy each other's company and some good food.
As we left, Arnold (an actual native Floridian) asked the proprietor about someone. "Does ___ still come in every morning?" "Oh yes, she said, about 8."
"Well what about _____?"
"He's a little later, about nine. You know we have two waves - the early one, mostly retirees, and the late one."
Arnold thought of another person and asked, "What about old ___.? He's been coming here 20 years and still thinks he's one of the new kids."
She turned and looked over her shoulder, "he was right there today. We were teasing him about coming here so often. He gave it right back though, said he might stop coming here, since he could get that sort of aggravation at home."
Her smile wasn't that of a businessperson who's running a money-making enterprise. It was that of a friend. Her customers were her friends and family, and unfortunately if nothing changes, in about a month Doris' Diner will close to make way for a wider highway. They call that progress, but I'm not convinced.
Years from now, people will ask, wasn't that where Doris' place used to be? And they'll remember fondly for a while - not the food (though it's excellent), but the fellowship. People knew each other there. It's exactly the kind of place Jesus would have loved.
Friends, that's a lot like a place Jesus does love - and how that place, His church, should be.
Like the diner, people come from everywhere, all walks of life to be fed the Word of God. They receive nourishment for their souls, and are strengthened. But more than that, they become family, adopted by God, and embraced by His people - in a place where people matter - where everybody knows your name.
Some think a successful church has great programs.
Some think a successful church has great music.
Some think great preaching carries the day.
Some think a successful church has the right denominational banner on its masthead.
But Jesus said that the world would spot the church right away - it would the one that had followed His plan.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35 (NLT)
It's a shame Doris' has to close. If we could get some good preaching and some praise and worship in there, they'd have a head start on a bunch of churches. It's for sure they'd win the covered dish Olympics hands down.
But their claim to fame as far as I'm concerned is relationships, and those last, even if the diner won't. We know the church will endure to the last, but it ought not take endurance to keep it together.
Make sure yours is working hard on loving each other. That's the Jesus way.
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
My friend and fellow preacher-creature Arnold Hendrix was back in town for his home church's 50th anniversary celebration this weekend. We went to the local diner at lunch to enjoy each other's company and some good food.
As we left, Arnold (an actual native Floridian) asked the proprietor about someone. "Does ___ still come in every morning?" "Oh yes, she said, about 8."
"Well what about _____?"
"He's a little later, about nine. You know we have two waves - the early one, mostly retirees, and the late one."
Arnold thought of another person and asked, "What about old ___.? He's been coming here 20 years and still thinks he's one of the new kids."
She turned and looked over her shoulder, "he was right there today. We were teasing him about coming here so often. He gave it right back though, said he might stop coming here, since he could get that sort of aggravation at home."
Her smile wasn't that of a businessperson who's running a money-making enterprise. It was that of a friend. Her customers were her friends and family, and unfortunately if nothing changes, in about a month Doris' Diner will close to make way for a wider highway. They call that progress, but I'm not convinced.
Years from now, people will ask, wasn't that where Doris' place used to be? And they'll remember fondly for a while - not the food (though it's excellent), but the fellowship. People knew each other there. It's exactly the kind of place Jesus would have loved.
Friends, that's a lot like a place Jesus does love - and how that place, His church, should be.
Like the diner, people come from everywhere, all walks of life to be fed the Word of God. They receive nourishment for their souls, and are strengthened. But more than that, they become family, adopted by God, and embraced by His people - in a place where people matter - where everybody knows your name.
Some think a successful church has great programs.
Some think a successful church has great music.
Some think great preaching carries the day.
Some think a successful church has the right denominational banner on its masthead.
But Jesus said that the world would spot the church right away - it would the one that had followed His plan.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35 (NLT)
It's a shame Doris' has to close. If we could get some good preaching and some praise and worship in there, they'd have a head start on a bunch of churches. It's for sure they'd win the covered dish Olympics hands down.
But their claim to fame as far as I'm concerned is relationships, and those last, even if the diner won't. We know the church will endure to the last, but it ought not take endurance to keep it together.
Make sure yours is working hard on loving each other. That's the Jesus way.
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Who Cares?
Someone once wrote that a preacher should study with the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. I'm sure the idea behind that is to not lose touch with the world, but so many times when I read of the critical needs certain people are in, and the lack of a willingness of anyone to do something about it, I'm moved to ask, "Who cares?"
Today's paper carried a story of a woman who was offering one child for sale in order that she might feed the rest of her children. Such things ought not be. In ancient Israel, God wrote into His laws protection for the poor, the widowed and the fatherless. Pundits point out, when such laws are brought up, that there is no record of Israel actually keeping the laws of Jubilee.
In my readings of the Old Testament, I don't see them doing a very good job keeping a lot of the others either.
People are hurting all around us. Mothers and children are in need. Who cares? God does.
James 5:11 (Msg)
...God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
He cares about that child who'll go to bed hungry in a land of plenty.
He cares about the woman who'll cry herself to sleep.
He cares about the man who fears he'll lose his job of 20 years.
He cares about you... right down to the last detail.
God cares. And you and I can help Him. Find someone you can be God's instrument of compassion or care to. Answer the question with, "God cares, and so do I."
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
Someone once wrote that a preacher should study with the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. I'm sure the idea behind that is to not lose touch with the world, but so many times when I read of the critical needs certain people are in, and the lack of a willingness of anyone to do something about it, I'm moved to ask, "Who cares?"
Today's paper carried a story of a woman who was offering one child for sale in order that she might feed the rest of her children. Such things ought not be. In ancient Israel, God wrote into His laws protection for the poor, the widowed and the fatherless. Pundits point out, when such laws are brought up, that there is no record of Israel actually keeping the laws of Jubilee.
In my readings of the Old Testament, I don't see them doing a very good job keeping a lot of the others either.
People are hurting all around us. Mothers and children are in need. Who cares? God does.
James 5:11 (Msg)
...God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
He cares about that child who'll go to bed hungry in a land of plenty.
He cares about the woman who'll cry herself to sleep.
He cares about the man who fears he'll lose his job of 20 years.
He cares about you... right down to the last detail.
God cares. And you and I can help Him. Find someone you can be God's instrument of compassion or care to. Answer the question with, "God cares, and so do I."
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Time Is Running Out
Upon receipt of an email from a government official today, I was informed that time was running out for me. You see I got this email from Swaziland that said:
"We have a consignment in our custody valued at $15,000,000.00 USD (Fifteen Million United States Dollars) which was deposited by one of our customers from France. For the past six years it is been recorded in our computer system that the beneficiary of the deposited consignment is dead and up till date we have not received any word from his relatives concerning claims of the deposited consignment.Unless you act immediately, your claim will be forfeit."
How was I supposed to know that my rich and unknown relative had died and left me $15M dollars? Frankly, I am a wee bit skeptical of this since: tracing Wilsons is very difficult (just ask anyone who's done family tree work) and two, all my family together wouldn't have a fraction of that. But if I don't act immediately, my treasure will vanish.
Or will it? No, because it cannot.
2 Cor. 4:7 (Msg)
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us.
Granted, looking at the wrapper, you'd see just another guy named Wilson, trying to please God, take care of His family, and love people.
2 Cor. 4:16 (Msg)
... Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
You see, I have this treasure.
The love of Christ.
And with Him, I will spend eternity. Oh and not one day goes by without His generous love for me giving me more treasure to share. Time isn't running out. I've got all the time in this world and the next one too.
I hope you do too. If I can help you understand how God could love you just as you are, or help you take another step along the way toward Him, write me.
Because unless you have that Christ-treasure, time is running out.
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
Upon receipt of an email from a government official today, I was informed that time was running out for me. You see I got this email from Swaziland that said:
"We have a consignment in our custody valued at $15,000,000.00 USD (Fifteen Million United States Dollars) which was deposited by one of our customers from France. For the past six years it is been recorded in our computer system that the beneficiary of the deposited consignment is dead and up till date we have not received any word from his relatives concerning claims of the deposited consignment.Unless you act immediately, your claim will be forfeit."
How was I supposed to know that my rich and unknown relative had died and left me $15M dollars? Frankly, I am a wee bit skeptical of this since: tracing Wilsons is very difficult (just ask anyone who's done family tree work) and two, all my family together wouldn't have a fraction of that. But if I don't act immediately, my treasure will vanish.
Or will it? No, because it cannot.
2 Cor. 4:7 (Msg)
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us.
Granted, looking at the wrapper, you'd see just another guy named Wilson, trying to please God, take care of His family, and love people.
2 Cor. 4:16 (Msg)
... Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
You see, I have this treasure.
The love of Christ.
And with Him, I will spend eternity. Oh and not one day goes by without His generous love for me giving me more treasure to share. Time isn't running out. I've got all the time in this world and the next one too.
I hope you do too. If I can help you understand how God could love you just as you are, or help you take another step along the way toward Him, write me.
Because unless you have that Christ-treasure, time is running out.
Grace!
David
This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.
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