Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Part of my Bible Study this morning took me through Acts 17. This verse struck me,
"Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king–Jesus."
– Acts 17:7
The accusation leveled against Christians here was they were preaching Jesus as KING which their accusers rightly saw as a challenge to all other authority because a king is someone you are loyal to and OBEY.
Could we be so accused? Do we teach, preach and live Jesus as King and Commander, or have we reduced Him to merely a companion and "co-pilot"?
Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
In Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for my new friend from the gym.
Me: "Hey, Nina!" (pronounced nigh-nuh) "Happy New Year!"
Nina: "Oh, hey. Guess what I've got? I finally brought you that fruit cake! I was thinking it would be too late in the day to see you, but here you are."
We walked to where she had it neatly sealed in a bag.
Me: "Wow. You brought this for me?!" I teased, "Am I going to get as drunk as I did last time?"
Nina: "You betcha!"
We laughed and hugged.
Nina makes the most delicious Rum Fruit Cake. They come carefully wrapped in soaked cheesecloth to keep it moist (and will put hair on your chest!).
Nina and I met at the gym by exchanging casual greetings. First smiles, then hellos, then conversations, then food, and now hugs.
I'm so thankful for the kindness that can be found all around us.
To not only be thought of, but to be planned for. It truly made my day.
Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
When we come to Christ, we betray the world and its ways. We don't become good at it.
The cross we are all called to bear is the enmity we will face from the world for this treason.
“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
— Mark 13:13
Christ is King. Faith in Christ is defecting from one kingdom to another Kingdom who are at war with each other.
I will either face hostility from the world or from God.
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
— Matthew 10:28
This is the nature of our walk with Christ. Either you're fighting with Him and for Him, or you're a friend of the world and an enemy of God.
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
— James 4:4
Do not let prosperity preachers lead you astray.
The Faith is not about worldly success. It's about the True Riches of knowing God and receiving His Kingdom.
Which kingdom is your life in allegiance to?
You can tell by the source of your pride, how you use what you have to support the war effort, and how you've engaged in warfare today.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
The King has come, extending you peace from His wrath against the kingdom of darkness, freedom from its tyranny, and to offer you citizenship in an everlasting Kingdom established on His righteousness where you will be forever safe, at peace and received as beloved.
But you have to choose and you have to fight.
All who would receive Him as King are called to forsake all that they have in the world, pick up their cross / become enemies of the world, follow Him and receive the Kingdom. Believe Him!
Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
It's not uncommon to hear someone say, "Well, I'm not Jesus…" when a situation demands a standard that we deem impossible to meet.
But, if I'm a believer, to say that is to completely miss the point of my "belief".
Jesus is precisely who I'm supposed to be.
No. I'm not Him perfectly, nor completely, but I should be becoming what I eat and I should be eating Jesus.
"Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.'"
— John 6:53
So, I should be taking what I've consumed of Jesus and sharing that, sharing more the more I'm nourished.
Furthermore, this communion, as it were, is a team sport, so that we together can exhibit more of His person (Ephesians 4:7-16).
Originally posted on Facebook on Wednesday, December 25, 2024.
Is it possible to celebrate Christmas and "do it unto the Lord" which is at the heart of Romans 14? Perhaps, my family and I are still navigating that. But if we're not careful, we could misappropriate this passage to justify sin.
I'm not as concerned with "Pagan Origins" as I am "Pagan Destinations". Where does participation in Christmas as the world celebrates Christmas lead you? Does it lead to a deeper intimacy with Christ or away from it? When you're celebrating Christmas are you truly doing it "unto the Lord" or unto your own fleshly desires? As a pastor, that's what I'm concerned about and is what we all have to judge for ourselves.
Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Batman was my favorite "comic book" character growing up.
I say "comic book" character because I mainly read the novels.
I was drawn by a truthfulness in this fiction that, up unto that point in my 10 year old experience, seemingly wasn't being said out loud.
Darkness created Batman—not just crime but the inequalities and injustices surrounding wealth that give rise to it. In a way, he was a victim of his own wrongdoing. As a crime-fighter, he was literally fighting his own demons.
It was surprising to find how his conflict resonated so deeply. There's things we do, not for the thing itself but because of the pain that something's caused that we're not sure how to live without (and how culpable we are for it). This is why, I suppose, Batman never killed criminals.
Lots of people dismiss them, but comics are much deeper than super-powers and fighting. They are art in every way.
Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
On week 46 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks to God for @[100006034025062:2048:Charles Lala Evans].
It is the 90s on the campus of @[100064455593599:2048:Mississippi State University]. As we would board the transit bus headed to a class, the driver, Mr. Evans would occasionally stop students and ask, "Would you mind if I took your picture?"
Amazingly, it was never creepy. His smile and spirit were genuine and disarming.
His approach suggested you were worthy of remembering.
As a black kid away from home on a predominately white campus, he'll never know how much that meant.
And to think, it was simply an extension of a tradition born out a beautiful love that he shared with his wife. There's something eternal about that.
Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
I'm hesitant to poo poo on the current generation's music.
I've always thought what makes music popular is that it successfully captures the zeitgeist of the times.
Things seem to move much faster today than when I was growing up. For us, a zeitgeist spanned decades (eg. 80s vs 90s music), but today, it spans weeks, maybe a year.
I think there's a parallel between the fairly recent widespread use of memes and the recent music. Despite how unserious they seem, memes are highly condensed, super concise commentary on current issues that change in the blink of an eye. It's a highly intelligent artform that I think informs their music.
These kids are quick and clever. In my opinion, because of the unstable and fluid state of their reality, their art is more about vibe than content. I think they're powerfully communicating feelings more so than ideas. You don't need polysyllabic words to connect on that level.
For me art is something to be decoded rather than judged. Then again, I try to look for the genius in people. Maybe I'm looking too hard. What say you?
Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Typically, I'd buy my shoes online by doing some research, reading some reviews and try to make the best informed decision I can.
The results are generally decent, but I've recently been dealing with this niggling pain in my ankle that I can't seem to resolve even after buying orthotics.
I saw the ribbon cutting for Starkville's newest shoe store SCW Run and decided to give them a try. I'm delighted that I did.
John and Taylor were super friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. They evaluated everything from the condition of my foot arch to how different shoes affected my gait.
Based on their evaluation, they brought out several shoes that were specific to my needs, ultimately outfitting me with shoes that make my feet (and back and knees) happy.
They helped me with questions I didn't know to ask. I could not have arrived at the same solution on my own and I will never by shoes or orthotics the same way again.
If you suffer from back pain, knee pain or flat feet like I do, I recommend paying these guys a visit. They're worth the investment.
