The Heart Of The Matter

This Saturday night on my radio show, in celebration of Valentine's Day, I will be featuring "heart" songs. That is, songs with the word "heart" in the title. How many do you know? Let's see, there is Heart and Soul by the Cleftones, This Old Heart Of Mine by The Isley Brothers, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart by The Bee Gee's, Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee, and tons more. Our heart must be the most important part of our body because we refer to it so often. When we get startled, we say that our heart skips a beat, when we love someone, we say we love them with all our hearts, and when we memorize things, we say we know it by heart. I miss the days in elementary school when I would get those little "Valentines" from my classmates. I can still remember going to the store and getting a box of 30 Valentine cards and then handing them out to classmates. Now that was fun and exciting!

Here's an idea for Valentine's Day this year: Why don't we go to the store and get a box of those little cards and then give them to our co-workers and friends. It would be like we were back in elementary school, and I bet it would make those people we give them to feel real good. It would be a really nice way of saying how much we love and appreciate them. And while we are at it, perhaps we should give one to Jesus too. We could set aside a little time on Valentine's day and say a special prayer to the Lord. We could tell Him just how much we love Him and how much He means to us. I can't think of anyone who has been better to me than God. I have had some major struggles over the past couple years, but God has walked with me every step of the way! Don't we serve an awesome God? This Valentine's Day, let's give our hearts to the One who loves us most. Let's give our hearts to Jesus!

Hebrews 3:12 says, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

Father, I give You my heart. Thank-you for loving me enough to give Your only Son. In Jesus name, Amen.

Help Us To Remember

I recently received this in an Email. It really spoke to me so I wanted to share it with you.

Heavenly Father, help us to remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mom who worked 9 hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make correct change is a worried 19-year old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans next semester.

Remind us Lord that the scary-looking bum, begging for money in the same spot everyday is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store isles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she just got back last week, this will be the last year they will go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts You give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear.

Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to everyone. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy, and love. (Matthew 5:44)

I Found A New Place

I think I have found a new place to share Jesus Christ. Recently, I have been blogging on a college football message board. This is where college football fans from all around the country can debate and "argue" about whose team is better. I have found it to be a lot of fun. I have chatted with some pretty knowledgeable people who really support their favorite teams. But like always, there are some who are not Christians, and who love to poke fun at my picture I use on the message boards. The picture I use is of me wearing a blue "Jesus" shirt. Some of the bloggers love to attack me verbally for believing in "a fairy tale". But for every one of those kinds of people, at least 3 or 4 others will "come to my rescue" and applaud me for having such a strong faith. There is one guy on there that loves his favorite QB so much, that he even calls him Jesus Christ. He claims that Jesus never walked the earth until he started playing for his team. In a few conversations with him, he has flat-out told me that God is just a fairy tale. I try to reason with him that although he thinks God is just a fairy tale, he must believe Jesus is pretty awesome to give his favorite player that name. It goes right over his head!

I am proud to be a follower of Christ, and I am not in the least bit ashamed of it! It is an amazing feeling to be verbally attacked for being a Christian, but to respond to that attack with, "I still love you, and so does God." Not only do those attackers not know how to respond to that, but the other 1000 people reading it gets to see Christ in action through me. By only responding to those attacks in a loving and caring way, I am showing that I am a true Christian. I must admit that it is hard not to attack back. But through the love and strength of Christ, I am able to remain strong. We are lucky that God has called us to be Christians. But it also requires a great deal of responsibility on our part. People are watching us very closely. They watch how we respond to things. The way I see it, when attacks come our way for being Christians, that is an excellent opportunity for us to show our true colors. It is a great opportunity for us to show the true colors of Jesus Christ!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Lord, thank you for choosing me to be a Christian. I ask You to always give me the strength to show others I love Christ by loving them. In Jesus name, Amen.

I Will Get You For That

What a lopsided baseball game. In 1916, Cumberland College defeated Georgia Tech 22-0. It was rumored that the Cumberland team consisted of some professional players. Using professional players was not only illegal, it was also just plain wrong. How embarrassing that game had to be for Tech! But guess what happened that next Fall? The Georgia Tech football team, with their famous coach John Heisman, paid the Cumberland team back on this day in 1916. Tech defeated Cumberland 222-0! Did you notice the similarities between the football score (222-0) and the baseball score (22-0)? That football game was the ultimate "you got what you deserved" pay back.

It is sad that so many of us try to "get people back" when they do us wrong. That concept was certainly not taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In fact, his teaching was the exact opposite. He encouraged His disciples to actually "do good" to those who persecute them. How hard is that for us humans? It is so natural to want to retaliate. It is human nature to want to "give them a dose of their own medicine". But it takes a very big person to love his enemies instead of wanting to get even with them. How in the world can we live up to the standard that Jesus set for each one of us? I don't think we truly can. But we can probably do a better job than what most of us are doing. If we draw our strength from Christ, and not from ourselves, we will never score 222 points against our foes, even if they do "deserve" it. Thank God He did not give each of us what we "deserved" for our sins!

Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Father, please remind us that vengeance is Yours, and Yours alone. Help us to do good instead of evil to those who persecute us. In Jesus name, Amen.

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

In 1974, the Canadian band Bachman Turner Overdrive, also known as BTO, had a #1 smash hit with You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet. You may already be singing the song in your head, as the lyrics are somewhat strange. Well not so much the lyrics as the way the lyrics were sung on the radio: Ba-ba-ba-baby, you ain't seen na-na-na-nothing yet. What is the deal with the way they sang it? The story goes that one day the band was fooling around in the studio with their song. They never really intended for it to be a hit, so they were just goofing around singing it like various singers would do it. They sung it jokingly like Elvis, Tiny Tim, Bob Dylan, and such. Well that particular day, their drummer, who had a stuttering problem, was not present in the studio. So they began singing the song like he would sing it...stuttering all through it. The rest is Rock n Roll history!

The members of BTO were not poking fun at their drummer as much as they were celebrating what he brought to the band. In an indirect way, he was responsible for the group's only #1 hit record. We are all different. God created us in unique ways, complete with our own talents, smarts, and levels of creativity. We also have our own quirks and less-than-perfect ways. But through God's perfect ways, we all have something to contribute to others. Regardless what our particular hang-ups may be, we all have the power to overcome those hang-ups and to do some incredible things. The key, though, is to put Christ at the center of our lives. Since He created us, He also knows how to lead us to make a huge impact on the people around us. God is good, and even if we are not, He is able to still use in in good ways. Today, let's celebrate our differences. It is so easy to point a finger at others for their faults. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, we know we have just as many as they do, if not more. Yet God does not point a finger at us.

I John 4:7 says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

Father, please teach us to love one another, regardless of what our faults may be. Remind us that we are not perfect, but You are. And it is only through You that we can make a real impact on others. In Jesus name, Amen.

Rockin' Robin

It was on this day in 1990 that singer Bobby Day died of cancer. Day is best known for his 1958 Pop hit "Rockin Robin". The song was inspired by a true story. It was written by Leon Rene, who lived in a two-story home in Los Angeles with his wife Irma and son Rafael. Leon and Irma had separate bedrooms-hers was in the front of the house and his in the back. Early one spring morning, a robin perched on a tree in the front yard and started chirping and putting up a major racket, right under Irma's bedroom window. This went on for about a week. She complained that the bird was keeping her from getting all her sleep. Leon was less than sympathetic. He told her, "Oh it's ok, that bird is just a singer like us. All he is doing is hoping and bopping and singing his song." But the next day, the bird took up residence under Leon's window. The composer then changed his "tune". It resulted in a Top-5 song on Billboard's Pop Chart.

How many of us are like Leon? We don't consider how things effect other people's feelings until that same thing happens to us. The Bible tells us that we should share in others good times and their bad times. We should laugh and cry right along with them. That's what it means to truly care about other people. Jesus was "moved to tears" when He saw how the death of Lazarus effected his two sisters Martha and Mary. But it is more than just when death strikes. Death does cause all of us to feel pain with others. But what about the little things? We should consider that no matter how small things seem to us, to somebody else, it could be something major. Unless we have experienced that same thing, we should not allow ourselves to think less of their problem. Today, let's all try to share with others whatever it is that is bothering them. Because in doing so, we are showing just how much we truly care for others. And that pleases our Lord.

1Peter 4:8 says, "Love others deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

Father, please help us to put our own desires aside and to consider others. We know that You have commanded us to love each other. Please teach us to love deeply. In Jesus name, Amen.

Brain-Washed

Many people who are not Christians think of those of us who are as being brain-washed. Since they don't believe all that "Jesus" stuff, they are convinced that we do, only because we have been brain-washed by our parents or friends. To me, brain-washing means to completely change the way a person thinks and then enabling them to believe in something unconditionally. We know there are many religions or cults that use this tactic to recruit new followers. For example, we can agree that Radical Islam uses brain-washing techniques to hook their followers. I mean, how else can one explain a group of people who believe that by killing innocent lives, they will go to heaven and be rewarded?

Jesus said that without faith it is impossible to please God. I have faith in Him, and I totally believe God created the universe and sent His only Son to die for my Salvation. My entire thinking pattern has changed to focus more on Him. I don't understand a lot of things in the Bible, but I do truly believe every word of it, regardless of what scientist may say or current research might "suggest". So am I brain-washed? I just might be. But following the teachings of Christ differs in one gigantic way from other religions and cults: I am also HEART-washed! Not only has my thinking changed to be more like a Christian, but my heart has also been transformed to reflect Jesus' main teaching: Love one another. So if I have been brain-washed, then I praise God for it. And I thank Him everyday for my heart-washing too!

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And ye shall seek me and ye shall find me when ye shall search with all your heart."

Father, thank you for cleansing my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to Glorify You in everything I do today. In Jesus name, Amen.

Here, Take My Daughter

As I was praying last night, thanking God for sending His only Son to die in my place, it hit home just how incredible of an act of love He showed me. My mind shifted to my daughter, Bailey Boo. Think about your child as you read this devotion today. I know we are not supposed to hate anybody, but think of a person you dislike a lot. Imagine that dirty, filthy person bringing unspeakable harm to say, your Mom and Dad. As hard as it is, try to imagine that person actually torturing your parents over and over again, while all you can do is helplessly watch. Now imagine that awful criminal is finally caught by the police and sentenced to death. But then, you become filled with tons of compassion for this evil person that just ruined your life. You decide to do something that nobody in the world would ever consider doing. You decide to ask the police to execute your innocent child in the place of this "evil slime".

As you stand by, watching your very own baby being beaten, and having to listen to her cries of sheer pain and agony, you notice that the person you just pardoned is standing around laughing and mocking your child. As your baby hangs there on a cross, bleeding from head to toe, that evil person does not even want your pardon! Your act of sympathy towards his crime is neither deserved nor appreciated. But instead of getting angry at the person, you choose to forgive him. Wow! There is NO way I could ever love another person that much. I know that may be a sin to feel that way, but I just don't see how I could do it. But God did it! When we sin against Him, it is even more painful to Him than it would be for us to watch the torture of someone very close to us. We may think of ourselves as being a good person, but in God's eyes, we are far worse than the worst criminal. But God loves us anyway. He chose to send His only Son Jesus to die in our place. Isn't that absolutely incredible? Have you truly thanked Him for that act of love? I mean, have you truly thanked Him?

Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Father, how do I thank you for what You have done for me? I promise to always keep You first in my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Seventy Times Seven

Sometimes in our walk with the Lord, we can feel helpless, trapped, or even doomed to repeat the same past mistakes over and over. It is easy to grow frustrated and impatient with ourselves. It seems that the harder we try to do all the right things, the more discouraged we get when we fail. We love the Lord and want so much to do all the things that please Him. But the more we learn about God's heart, the clearer it becomes that we will never measure up. If we were able to live in such a way as to please the Father, then there would have been no reason for Him to send His Son Jesus. Because God created us, He is well aware of our character defects and our nature to repeat past sins. But He does not criticize us, rather, He loves us through our repeated mistakes.

In the book of Romans, Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Peter asked if seven times was enough. Jesus told Peter, "not seven times, but seventy times seven." If our Lord Jesus Christ says we should forgive another person that many times, shouldn't we also extend the same amount of grace to ourselves? No matter how hard we try not to, we are going to fail at something most of the time. But the Scriptures teach us that instead of beating ourselves up about it, we should pray for forgiveness and ask God to help us do better the next time. Christ's death on the Cross was sufficient to cover all our sins...past, present, and future. This amazing grace of Jesus is not a license to sin, however, instead it should be a constant reminder of just how helpless we are, and just how much we truly need Him as our Savior.

Titus 3:5 says, "God saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy."

Father, please forgive me of every sin I have committed. Teach me that I am not perfect, but You are perfect. It is only through Your perfect, amazing grace that we are saved. In Jesus name, Amen.

Is That Jesus?

A few years ago, I went to play basketball at a friend's house. There were three of us playing in his driveway. I wish you could have seen us: 3 big, fat white guys trying not to get hurt! After playing for a few minutes, it was break time! I was in serious need of some oxygen. Looking around, I could not find any. But what I did find was a beautiful little girl on the front porch. It was the young daughter of the man who lived at the house. I walked up to her, stroked her hair, and said, "You sure are a very pretty little girl." I then walked away. Because of my full beard, blue eyes, and the fact that I was nice to her, she assumed I was someone special. She turned to her Dad and asked, "Is that Jesus?" What a compliment!

I have never forgotten her remark. But thinking back on it this morning, It hit me in a different light. The Bible teaches us that we should strive to be like Jesus. Of course we can never be just like Him. In fact, we can't even get close! But by trying very hard to be like Him, we will certainly become a much better person, and in the process, allow Christ to shine through us. It's kind of like playing basketball or any other sport. We strive to be perfect at our skills. We know we can't be perfect, but that should never be an excuse to not try. Are you striving to be more like Jesus Christ? I am going to put forth my best effort today.

Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Father, please teach me how to be more like You. If it be Your will, please shine through me to bring glory to Yourself. In Jesus name, Amen.