A Matter of the Heart

Fred G. Sanford, portrayed by Redd Foxx on the TV sitcom Sanford and Son, was always claiming to be having "the big one". Can't you just see him clutching his heart with his arth-a-ritus-riddled hand, and hollering out to his deceased wife Elizabeth? On the show, he had the "big one" at least two or three times a week. Watching him in re-runs still cracks me up! Ironically in 1991, he did have the "big one". While filming on the set of a new comedy show, Foxx suffered a massive heart attack. Sadly, He was pronounced dead a short time later.

We have all heard that there are two things in life that are certain, death and taxes. We may not be able to get around the taxes part, but death has already been conquered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For Christians, death is only a temporary stage through which we pass. By accepting God's only Son Jesus, the Bible promises that we, too, will have victory over death. Jesus is our eternal hope for everlasting life. It is a gift that God has offered to every one of us. Instead of us hanging on that Cross, Christ took the pain and suffering from us. He died in our place, but God raised Him from the grave! He will raise us from it, too. With Jesus as our Savior, we will never need to fear the "big one".

Jesus said in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

Father, thank you for loving us enough to send Your precious Son Jesus. I am a sinner. I claim the blood of Christ! In Jesus name, Amen.

Weird Inspiration

As most of you know, I host an oldies radio show nationwide on 104.9. If you do not live in the area, you can listen to my show on Saturday nights from 6 till 11 from my website http://www.alskipper.com/. It is called Jukebox Saturday Night, and I would love it if you listened sometime. As this is my 22nd year in radio, I have studied oldies music a pretty good bit. I have gotten such a great response from my "song devotions" lately, I decided to do one more for the week. This is a true, weird inspiration story:

A singer/songwriter was sitting out on his balcony in New York City one night in 1967. He had just written what he thought was a great pop song. The only problem was that he did not have a title for the song. He wanted the title to be perfect! He knew he wanted the title of the song to be a girl's name, and he also desperately wanted a catchy name like Bony Moronie or Sloopy. He was totally frustrated. He spent hours looking through a dictionary but just could not find what he was looking for. Aggravated, he threw the dictionary on the floor and gave up. As he sat back in his chair and gazed out across the New York skyline, he saw a flashing neon sign on a 40-story building a few blocks away. The sign was flashing the letters of the company. It was an insurance company called Mutual of New York. As the letters flashed, the songwriter read it: M.O.N.Y M.O.N.Y. "That's it" he shouted! The songwriter's name, Tommy James, of the group the Shondels, and his song, Mony Mony, became a million-seller the very next year!

Isn't God absolutely amazing? He can inspire us from the most unusual sources. We all want to please Him and to learn what His will is for our lives. But if you are like me, you have noticed that He does not always simply shout out what He wants us to do. But I do believe he tells us and guides us, though sometimes in the most silent ways. Unless we take time to stop what we are doing and look around for His words, however, we may never "see" them. I wonder how many times He has tried to lead me in one direction, but I was not listening and went in another. There's no doubt if I had been paying 100% attention to Him, things in my life would be much better than they are right now. But it is never too late to start tuning more into Him. Has He been speaking to you lately? Are you sure?

Isaiah 42:16 says, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known..."

Father, teach us to seek You more diligently than we ever have before. Forgive us for being so blind and deaf to Your leading. 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.

Eye Of The Storm

We are heading into prime hurricane season here close to the Gulf Coast. Although the season has been fairly quiet, just as predicted by experts, I fear we are about due for a big one. The Tropical Prediction Center in Coral Gables, Florida has a hard task in which to perform when it comes to hurricanes. On one hand, if it issues an evacuation recommendation for an area, and a huge storm does not materialize, it is accused by the Media as "crying wolf". On the other hand, if it does not issue an evacuation recommendation for an area and a killer hurricane does make landfall, it is criticized for being incompetent. Why would it ever issue an evacuation in the first place? The reason is simple: To remove people from harm's way.

When the Church is Raptured by Jesus, it will be one mass evacuation! God loves His people so much that He wants to remove us from what is to come, namely the seven-year Tribulation. Some people don't believe that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation. In fact, some people don't believe in the Rapture at all. But I do believe it will happen, and more importantly, I believe it will happen before literally "all hell breaks loose" on the earth. The Bible speaks of a terrible time that is coming like man has never experienced before. But my belief is that Christians will not have to suffer through this unparalleled time. It is hard to imagine anything more devastating than Hurricane Andrew or Katrina. But those will seem like tiny rain showers compared to the "storms" of the Tribulation. Looking back, would you ignore those evacuation orders? God is sounding His warnings loudly and clearly. Will you ignore Him?

I Thessalonians 1:10 says, "And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Father, please help us all to heed Your warnings. Direct us to bring Your Good News of Salvation to everyone. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Real Love

In the mid-90's, country singer and songwriter Joe Diffie had a top-5 hit with John Deere Green. The song is about a boy who climbs atop a water tower "on a hot summer night" and paints on it a huge heart, dedicated to his girlfriend Charlene. Instead of painting the heart red, he painted it in "John Deere Green". As the song continues, they get married, and years later the heart can still be seen on the tower, regardless of what town officials do to try to erase it. The final stanza of the song is as follows:

Now more than once the town has discovered

painting over it ain't no use

There ain't no paint in the world that'll cover it

the heart keeps showing through

That is my favorite verse of the whole song. To me it says, "true love will stick through anything", regardless of how bad circumstances get. Can we expect others to love us to this degree? Can we expect our spouse, kids, friends, and family to love us through thick and thin, no matter how thick we may make things? Believe me, I Have made an absolute mess of situations in the past couple years, and I have found that very few have remained by my side. That is not their fault though, and the only blame I am placing is on myself. But Jesus Christ has never abandoned me, even in my darkest hours.

The big heart of Christ can also never be "painted" over. No matter how much we sin or how terrible that sin may be, His heart for us "keeps showing through". He left the comforts of heaven for earth, traded in His Kingship for slaveship, and suffered and died on the Cross for one reason: To save me and to save you. He did not save us from death, for death would have been a better place than where we were headed. Death would actually have been desirable compared to what we were destined for. We were destined to a forever-state of the most horrible pain and suffering we could ever imagine, and then some! Jesus endured that unimaginable pain so we did not have to suffer, so we did not have to feel those whips on our backs and thorns in our scalps, and so we did not have to feel those sharp, rusty nails piercing our hands and feet. Do you know anyone else who would have loved you or loved me that much? I have to admit, I have done some pretty dumb things to mess up and chase away my true loves recently. But it is such a comfort to know that I can never mess up enough to chase Jesus away. My sins will never have the power to "paint over" His heart for me! Praise Him!

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ, even while we were dead in our sins-it is by grace you have been saved."

Father, how does a limited human thank an unlimited God for an act of such immeasurable magnitude? You are awesome!! In Jesus name, Amen.

Satan

In the Gospels of The New Testament, we are told of how Jesus cast out demons that had possessed various people. In the accounts, victims of possession were described as writhing uncontrollably on the ground, foaming at the mouth, and loudly speaking blasphemy against the Lord. Terrifying images of the horror film The Exorcist immediately come to my mind. But why was that type of possession so common then but uncommon now? Satan may not be taking over people's bodies the same way he used to do, but he is definitely still taking over people's bodies. On this day in 1991, cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested for the killings of 17 people. In America's short history, there have been well over 100 serial killers documented by officials. I will list ten of the more infamous ones: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway ( The Green River Killer), Charles Manson, The Zodiac Killer, Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker), David Berkowitz (Son Of Sam), Randy Craft, The Boston Strangler, and Dahmer. These ten monsters combined to murder and mutilate over 258 lives! Satan is alive and well in the U.S.!

Most of these instruments of the Evil One never even closely-resembled those possessed in The Bible; Most in fact looked like your everyday "boy next door". What a frightening thought! Even more frightening is the fact that Satan doesn't always transform himself into such evil monsters as serial killers. Sometimes he even enters each of us in more subtle ways. When we lie, cheat, talk nasty, or even have something as seemingly harmless as a bad thought about somebody, we can safely assume that Satan had at least something to do with it. How do we protect ourselves against him? There is only one way: Jesus Christ! The devil is much more powerful than we, but not even half as powerful as Christ. Jesus defeated him in the wilderness and at Calvary, and has been whipping him ever since. Are you protected from the evil one? Are your wrapped up in the safety of Jesus?

Ephesians 6:11 says, "Put on the whole armor of Christ so you will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Father, thank you for Your Divine protection against Satan. Lord, we have no chance against him ourselves. But it only through Your Perfect Son Jesus that we are able to endure his attacks. In Jesus name, Amen.

Relentless Storms

First of all, I owe you an apology. The night I wrote the devotion about my friend Mike taking his life, I inadvertently left off the first line that it was about him and NOT about me. I sincerely do apologize. I wrote that devotion from what I felt was his point of view...a view of complete despair and emptiness. Let me say this right now: I will never, ever take my own life! I have to admit that the past few months have been the hardest in my life, and a new problem that is equally as bad has popped up in the last day. And although I am having some bouts with sadness and maybe even depression, I promise that suicide has not, and will not cross my mind!! Now, on with the devotion.

The votes are in on my poll "In your opinion, do you believe if a Christian commits suicide, will they still go to heaven? Over 80% of those responding either said "no" or "I don't know". I guess it is a pretty hard question that the Bible does not directly address. My opinion is that "yes" they will still go to heaven. If you believe that they won't go to heaven, then consider this. To God, all sin is equally bad. So if you believe they will go to hell because they did not ask for forgiveness, then we are all in serious trouble. That would mean if there was ANY unconfessed sin in your life at the moment of your death, you would lose your Salvation. Given that the Bible says we all sin, then the odds are definitely stacked against us. As a matter of fact, I imagine we all have some unconfessed sin at this very moment. I agree this is a difficult subject that has been debated forever. But the more I learn about the heart of God and His Son Jesus, the more I doubt any sin is going to terminate what He did for us on the Cross. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But it is also my honest feeling.

Nehemiah 9:17 says, "You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love."

Father, I praise Your holy name, no matter what personal tragedies I am facing. I will never stop telling people about your saving grace. In Jesus name, Amen.

My God

I am proud to say that I serve an all-powerful, all-loving God. Not only did He love me enough to send His Son Jesus to save me, but God even loves me enough to take care of me every single minute, even when I don't deserve it. I am proud that God understands me, even if I don't understand myself. I'm proud that God will never abandon me, even when everybody else has. I love God with all my heart. And through my most difficult trials and circumstances, He loves me too. I will never, ever give up striving to please Him, even when I can please nobody else. We are all born to make mistakes, to do incredibly dumb things, and to make a mess of our lives. But God loves us anyway! I completely dedicate my life to Him, even though I make mistakes and will continue to make them. There is no circumstance too big for My God!!! Before you judge others, consider your own faults. God is also there for you, too.

Psalm 119:169 says, "Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord, give me understanding according to thy word."

Father, thank you for loving me. I pray for everyone who is troubled at this hour. Teach us that the only true peace is the peace we find in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pray Hard

The previous post was about my friend who committed suicide. He left a wife, a 10-year old daughter, and a child on the way. I spoke to his wife yesterday, and she said he had been under incredible amounts of stress. She revealed to me that one of his ex-girlfriends had recently came around and she felt he was still in love with her. She was killed in a motor vehicle wreck on Tallahassee about 2 weeks ago. According to his wife, Mike just could not take it. There was probably more to it, but that is what she told me. It is so sad to know some people hurt this much.

I wish I knew how to help somebody when they are feeling so down. We all have our moments, but I have found such an incredible peace in Jesus! It is amazing to me that a person I can't see, touch, feel, or hear in the normal sense can bring such peace to me. I find that the more I pray, the closer to Him I feel. I am sad that Mike is gone and leaves a grieving family behind. That is the saddest part of all. Those that are left behind are filled with unanswered questions. All we can do is pray for them. Pray hard!

Psalm 17:6 says, "I call on you, O God, for You will help me."

Father, I pray for Mike's family and loved ones. I know they are hurting and seem to think no relief is in sight. Father, please comfort them as only you know how. In Jesus name, Amen.

Don't Die Before You Die

Today was a horrible day for me! I have been questioning God about several things. I am struggling with a personal issue that has all but wiped me out. On top of that, two people I know, both in their early 40's, committed suicide this week. Just how much sadness is in people's lives this day and age? We all make mistakes. We all do things we wish we didn't do. Life doesn't come with instructions, and the best we can do is read God's Word and pray hard. But you know as well as I do that trying to find God's will and trying to understand why He allows some things to happen are two of the hardest things in our spiritual lives. We trust that God has everything under control. But that does not always convince us to be happy and to simply play off everything that happens as "just His will". Those two who committed suicide are dead. But how many of us are also dead, although we are still breathing?

We can't be happy all the time. Sadness is just a part of our fallen, sin-ridden world. But what can we do when we are trying to survive the sadness? How do we "make it" to happiness again? I guess if I knew the answer to that I could write a book and become rich and famous. All I can do is speak about how I survive those times. I give it all to God, and rely on His perfect strength daily, sometimes even hourly. I have always survived every single episode of sadness my entire life. And although what I am enduring right now personally is the absolute hardest trial I have ever faced, I will survive it too! God WILL NOT let me down! I just wish everybody else had the same kind of faith that I have in the Lord. I wish suicide would never rear its ugly head again in our world. But we must face it. Some people are very sad, and contemplate taking their lives all the time. As God's children, we need to ask Him to give us the wisdom to spot these people, and then share everything we can with them to head off a potential disaster. The last thing we need to ever do is downplay somebodys sadness. I know it is hard to cheer some people up when they are really depressed. But Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors. I am pretty sure He meant to love them, even when it means we have to put ourselves out for them. We must share each other's burdens. After all, God shares all of ours.

Philippians 2: 3-4 says, "Consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only at your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Father, oh Lord, why is there so much sorrow in our world? Please teach us to truly love one another. Teach us to share others burdens, just as You share our burdens. If there is anyone tonight on the verge of suicide, Lord please help them in the way only You can. In Jesus name, Amen.