66 years ago, today!

November 18, 1951, I united with Lakewood Baptist Church, Garland, Texas upon profession of faith and for baptism. I grew up a Methodist, but the Lord had gloriously saved me in August 1950. I spent a year discovering God's direction for my life attending Dallas Bible Institute. Billie and I had begun dating in February and I was filled with so many questions that I had become a thorn to my Sunday School teacher and to my Pastor. They suggested that I not spend so much time reading the Bible.
One Sunday I was at Billie’s house for dinner and her pastor was there, at her suggestion I shot my questions to him and he gave me chapter and verse for answers. That was what I was looking for, so when I fully determined that God was calling me to preach, that was the Sunday I joined Lakewood. I won’t go into details as to how my family received the news, I can do that later.
When Brother Alford baptized me that night, while in the baptistry he asked the church to license me to preach and on November 25, 1951, I preached my first sermon. Took as my text Isaiah 53, “The Suffering Servant.” That is all that I can remember of the sermon layout, just knew that the Lord Jesus was who Isaiah was talking about and that that same Jesus had become my savior.
Crossed a few rivers, climbed a mountain or two, spent more time in the valley than I wanted, but it has been a wonderful pilgrimage. Learned more in the valleys than I did on the mountains.
God has blessed me with SO MANY great friends along the way. The Lord blessed Billie and me with so many fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters along the way. We were privileged to laugh and cry with them. Enjoyed wonderful fellowship, spent many hours in their homes, with them in the hospitals, rejoiced with them when they married and babies came along, stood and wept with them at gravesites. We experienced the whole gamut of life with them as dear loved ones.
So young when we went to Black Jack Baptist Church as pastor, only 19 years old, didn’t know (as we say in East Texas) beans, other than I had a message burning in my heart. Those dear people loved us and were fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters to us. God blessed even in my ignorance with souls saved and lives changed. Precious memories!!! According to them, every sermon was the best they had heard, of course, I knew that couldn’t be true, but it was sure an encouragement to this kid preacher.
I think I will leave this for now and add to it later, so, if you are reading this and you are one of those with whom I have shared ministry, I want to THANK YOU for what you have meant to my life. If you don’t really know me I want to THANK YOU for taking the time to read these ramblings.

Pleasant Memories

Please forgive me for re-posting from a couple of years ago, but this hit a note in my heart again.

As I was walking this afternoon a tune and words started coming in my memory. Probably haven't heard them or thought of them in 50 years or more. I do this sometimes and sometimes it is pure foolishness and then sometimes it has real meaning.

I'm remembering as a teenager laying on my bed, at night, on the back porch listening to the Hit Parade. Those were hot summer nights with no A/C, just a little oscillating fan. (Youngsters won't know what I'm talking about. Still have that fan.)

This song was one of my favorites. Pleasant nights with no worries at all. I had lots of girl-friends, as a teenager, until that little blonde moved to Garland and stole my heart and became "My Happiness." I sure miss that sweet girl since she went home to heaven.

My Happiness

Chris Isaak

Evening shadows make me blue

When each weary day is through

How I long to be with you

My happiness

Every day I reminisce 

Dreaming of your tender kiss

Always thinking how I miss

My happiness

A million years it seems

Have gone by since we shared our dreams

But I'll hold you again

There'll be no blue memories then

Whether skies are grey or blue

Any place on earth will do

Just as long as I'm with you

My happiness

A million years it seems

Have gone by since we shared our dreams

But I'll hold you again

There'll be no blue memories then

Whether skies are grey or blue

Any place on earth will do

Just as long as I'm with you

My happiness

Songwriters: ROBERT MAXWELL

Have You Experienced Any Storms Lately??

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your Seat Belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke ..

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.

"Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

"Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the little girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home."

There are many kinds of storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don't worry!

-- Author Unknown

Just Missing Old Friends

I published this 3 years ago today in FB. Every year, it seems, I lose more and more friends in death. I know it won't be too long before I join them, but in the mean while I'll rejoice that I knew them and thank God for the impact each one has made on my life.

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When we reach our 80's we begin to notice that many of our friends have outstripped us and are now with the Lord. Spurgeon puts this in perspective in this little devotional paragraph. I hope you enjoy it as I have.  --BroJames

APPLES OF GOLD.
Proverbs 25:11
I seem to be standing increasingly alone, for many of my friends are melting away. My brothers, my comrades, and my friends are leaving me for the better land. We have enjoyed holy and happy fellowship in days of peace. We have stood shoulder to shoulder in the Lord’s battle, but they are now melting away. 

One has gone and then another, and before I look around, another will have departed. I see them for a moment, and then they vanish from my gaze. They do not rise into the air like our Divine Master (Acts 1:9), but I am persuaded that they do rise. It is only the poor body that descends, and that descent is only for a little while. They rise to be forever with the Lord, and the grief is ours who are left behind.

Why this constant thinning of our ranks when the warfare is so difficult? Why are the finest removed? I am sad. I could best express myself in a flood of tears as I survey the line of newly dug graves, but I restrain myself and look on it in a clearer light. The Master is gathering His ripest fruit, and well does He deserve them. He is putting His apples of gold in settings of silver (Prov. 25:11).

When we realize that it is the Lord who desires them to be with Him (John 17:24), it dries our tears and makes us rejoice. We are no longer bewildered because we now understand why the dearest and best are going home:

Father, I long, I faint to see
The place of Thine abode;
I’d leave Thine earthly courts and flee
Up to Thy seat, My God.

Charles H. Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters, ed. Roy H. Clarke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1999), 119.

In Calm Repose

“I will make them to lie down safely.”—Hosea 2:18

YES, the saints are to have peace. The passage from which this gracious word is taken speaks of peace “with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground.” This is peace with earthly enemies, with mysterious evils, and with little annoyances! Any of these might keep us from lying down, but none of them shall do so. The Lord will quite destroy those things which threaten His people: “I will break the bow and the sword, and the battle out of the earth.” Peace will be profound indeed when all the instruments of disquiet are broken to pieces.

With this peace will come rest. “So he giveth his beloved sleep.” Fully supplied and divinely quieted, believers lie down in calm repose.

This rest will be a safe one. It is one thing to lie down, but quite another “to lie down safely.” We are brought to the land of promise, the house of the Father, the chamber of love, and the bosom of Christ: surely we may now “lie down safely.” It is safer for a believer to lie down in peace than to sit up and worry.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” We never rest till the Comforter makes us lie down.

— C.H. Spurgeon

How to Handle Worry

Follow Paul's instructions given in Philippians 4:6-7, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(KJV)

I like the way the New Living Translation gives us help to understand what the Apostle was saying, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

A Reason for Praise

William Cowper (1731-1800) wrote many great hymns, among them was "There Is a Fountain." He wrote this hymn based on the scripture Zechariah 13:1, “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." (NKJV)

As I read and meditate on this scripture and hymn my heart is blessed. I can see a sermon in each stanza of the hymn and they all point to what the Lord Jesus did for us on the Cross. This is a personal testimony of praise for what Christ has done for me.

As you read and think on these words may they fill your heart with praise to the one who shed His blood “…for sin and for uncleanness.” If you do not know Him, may God, the Holy Spirit, open your heart to see your sin and lead you to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

  There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

  The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

  Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow’r, till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.

  E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.

  When this poor lisping, stamm’ring tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save.