A Better United States of America

Over the last few years, our nation has been rocked terror, protest,  mass shootings, hate crimes, new laws that interfere with many of American’s core beliefs.  Charleston, South Carolina was the scene of a hate crime where a lone gunman stalked his prey for nearly an hour while Christians were praying and studying the Scriptures before shooting up the house of worship and murdering nine. 

Rioters took to the streets in St. Louis and Baltimore to protest against what they felt was police brutality and prejudice against blacks.  Four Marines and one sailor were murdered at the hands of an Islamist extremist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Police officers are murdered in Dallas, Texas.  Unarmed black men shot and killed by police officers.  Some National League Football players kneel during the National Anthem in protest against the brutality toward people of color.  School shootings.  Church shootings.  Mall shootings.  And the list goes on. 

“One baby is aborted every 26 seconds. That’s 137 every hour.  Which means there are 3,304 murdered every day; 23,196 every week; 100,516 every month and 1,206,192 every year just in the United States of America.”  http://www.mccl.org/us-abortion-stats.html

While the stats are tough to read and our present-day America is looking bleak in the eyes of millions, never count out God and what he will do next.  He is aware.  He knows our situation inside and out.  He will never leave us abandoned without hope, nor forsake us while we are at our worse.  One of the reasons that Romans 5:8 is my favorite Scripture is because it tells all of us that while we are at our worse, God is at his best.  Look at it… “ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”  God is in the business of redeeming us, saving us and being merciful to all of us.  

Don’t give up on America just yet; instead, let’s look at how we can live the Jesus life and make an impact in our nation that will help rid our towns and States and an entire nation of hate crimes, murders, drunk drivers, prostitution, greed, deception, and liars 

God never created any of us to do wrong; rather, he created us to have a wonderful relationship with him.  1^st John 4:19 says it perfectly, “We can love because He loved us first” (paraphrased)

Also, God would have never made us in his likeness if we were created to be rebellious.  Moses said in Genesis 1:27 that we are all “made in the likeness of God.”  God is love.  God is peace.  God is good.  God is patient.  God is kind.  God gentle.  God is self-control.  God is faithful.  God is joy. 

The way each of us helps change a community for the better is to be better ourselves.  The way to be better is to model God’s likeness and to allow the indwelled Spirit to lead us in our pursuit of godly living.  The way to model God’s likeness is to train our thinking and behavior to be godly.  The Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:8, "...train yourself to be godly."  The way we train to be godly is by doing four very important lifestyle changes:

Number 1:  Keeping focused on Jesus, not on self!  Hebrews 12:1-2, "...throw off everything that hinders us...fix our eyes on Jesus....” It’s all about Jesus!

Number 2:  Praying and Positive Thinking! Philippians 4:4-9, "...in everything, by prayer...think about such things...." Stinking thinking only gets you a bad attitude and no friends or influence.

Number 3:  Kicking out bad habits!  Galatians 2:17-21, "...I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...." Jesus and the Spirit keeps the bad habits from coming back if you stay connected.

Number 4:  Being around motivators!  Hebrews 10:23-25, "...let us consider how we may spur one another...let us encourage one another....” Church gatherings are the spark to give energy to model godly values. 

When godliness leads our lives, community’s change, crime goes down, hate of one’s color of skin loses out and murderers become life protectors. 

It all starts with YOU!  Will you be the ONE to start making our community a better place to live? 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Angels Among Us!

A few years ago, I was getting groceries at a local supermarket in South Carolina.  I finished my shopping and found a checkout lane empty and headed for lane 6.  The cashier was extremely nice as we chatted a bit.  The total was $34.78.  I got out my debit card and swiped it, but the cashier said it didn’t take the card due to non-sufficient funds.   I said, “That can’t be, I just made a deposit into my bank account and have plenty of money.”  She said, “Try it again.”  I did and the same results, non-sufficient funds.  I was totally embarrassed, but thankfully, no one else was in line with me.  I said to the clerk, “I am going to my bank, please set my groceries aside, I will be right back.”  I walked out the door and headed for my car.  The cashier comes out and yells, “Sir!”  “Sir!”  I turned around and she said, “A man came up to me and paid for your groceries.”  I was dumfounded because there was no one else in line and no one could have known my debit card didn’t work.  I went back into the store to thank the man, but he was nowhere to be found.  There was only one way in the store and one way out.  The cashier and I looked all over the store but we could not find him.  I remember the cashier saying with a smile on her face, “You must have an angel watching out for you!” 

I think about what happened to me often and am grateful God uses his angels to help his children in times of need, stress, difficult situations or tragedies.  The singing group Alabama performs a song called, Angels Among Us that is fitting for so many hard to answer situations.

“Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love”

There are some who will say that God doesn’t use angels today as he once did!  According to Hebrews 1:14, the writes asked, “Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?” (MSG)  Angels are used by God to be a protector for believers.  King David proclaimed in song in Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (NIV)

It cannot be disputed that angels are active and usable for service to God whenever he calls them to serve.  It is also true that any believer can entertain angels at any time, anywhere. 

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!” (MSG)  How we act towards stranger’s maybe a test to see how we will act toward one of God’s angels.  It could be the next person who asked us for food or shelter could be an angel in disguise to see how we would respond to the request.  We must always be aware of who is in our presence.  We must never show a lack of respect, a judgmental attitude toward the hungry or the homeless, never allow the stranger to leave without showing him/her kindness; for it could be an angel of God. 

Angels are more than a figurine on a shelf or an ornament on top of a Christmas tree; rather, they are God’s servants to be used to aide believers in life as God sees fit.  Angels are real, used by God today, and, as much as Satan and his angels are active, so are God and his angels. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Putting the "GRAND" in Parents

To get to grandma’s house in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, we had to drive down miles and miles of dirt road.  Her house was in a little community called Richwood’s. At the time, I didn’t think there was much “rich” to the community.  After all, I was a kid who was growing up in the city of St. Louis.  We had it all; so I thought! 

Grandma’s house was not fancy.  On the front porch was her laundry room with all the primitive conveniences – a tub, a washer that had a ringer to get the water out and a line that was attached from the house to a tree to dry the clothes.  As you walked into the house, there was a woodstove in the middle of the living room, a couple bedrooms and a kitchen.  To use the bathroom, you had to go to the outhouse that was located about a hundred feet from the house.  On a cold night, those hundred feet may as well have been two thousand feet!

Grandma’s yard was filled with chickens running around, a huge oak tree with a tire roped to a limb for anyone to swing on and an old white abandoned church building that set at the very corner of the property. 

All around were dirt roads, rice and watermelon fields.  My dad’s one room school building was just up the road.  It was dilapidated, but became a place for all of us to hang out and play when we visited grandma. 

As I write, I can see myself running down the dirt road or playing in my dad’s old one room schoolhouse or watching my grandmother catch a chicken that would become our dinner that night.  I can see the tire swing and hear the crackling of the fire as my siblings and I lie on pallets of grandma’s hand stitched quilts.  I can smell the bacon, biscuits and homemade chocolate gravy.  I can feel grandma’s warm hands as she would touch my face or hold my hand or hold me in her arms.   I see her face. I hear her voice.  I miss her. 

Proverbs 27:19 describes the heart of most grandparents, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” The heart of a grandparent is full of love and grace and tenderness and joy and patience and kindness and peace.  Grandparents are “grand” because they have learned that life needs laughter and meals around the dinner table.  Grandparents see the value in spending time with their children and grandchildren.  Grandparents are grand because they focus much of their attention on God and have conversations with him all through the day.  Grandparents are grand because they no longer have the rush to get a job done; they are now more relaxed and enjoy every moment with the very people they love so much.  Grandparents are grand because like Jesus, they allow us to come to them for rest and receive their inner gentleness without conditions. 

Proverbs 17:6 proclaims that “Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.”  Yes indeed they are, but grandparents are the steady in the storms and the light in the dark when we are scared and the hope that everything will turn out ok and the hand who wipes our tears and holds our heart. 

Today, I am thankful for grandparents.  I am thankful that God gave them a heart to love unconditionally and be packed full of everything that is kind and good.

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian