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I'd Rather Have You John and Janice Shavers were visiting with their son, Mike, and his family in Mobile several years ago.  At the time, John was working with Norfolk Southern Railroad in Atlanta, Georgia.  Despite the miles between them, the family would get together every two weeks. This visit found the father and son back on the golf course.  As they walked up on to a tee box, John told Mike that Norfolk Southern had offered early retirement to upper management employees over 55 years of age.  At age 56 and in his position, John qualified.  John went on to tell his son how much he loved his job.  He was a National Account Manager and his job was to maintain a good relationship with Norfolk Southern's largest customer: Georgia Pacific.  Some of the benefits of his position included a membership to a Country Club and box seats to Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons ball games.  As a part of his work, John would take VIPs of Georgia Pacific to pla...

Joel’s Lament     Last week, we began examining Joel’s prophecy and we read through 1:11. Continuing the imagine of a total devastation, in 1:11, Joel calls on the farmers and vinedressers to “be ashamed” and “wail.” The harvest is destroyed. The vine is dried up. The fig tree, pomegranate, palm, and apple trees are all dried up. Returning to the human predicament, “rejoicing dries up from the sons of men” (vs 12). This portrait “brings home the disaster in a striking, personal sort of way” (Douglas Stuart). Of course, “rejoicing drying up” is another figure of speech and is not an act that happens literally. Destruction of fruit trees was a part of the curses in the Law of Moses: Lev 26:20; Deut 28:40. It was worth mourning.     In verse 13, Joel calls on Judah to mourn, putting on sackcloth. The priests and ministers of the altar ought to lament, throughout the night. Why? Because the...

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them--Hebrews 11:16   We are living in a remarkable period of time. Read these words from A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Now, read them again and substitute the words, "this is" for "it was" and you will have a most accurate description of the time in which we live.    We live in a time in which sin, evil, wickedness and error abound. Our days are surrounded with so much unrest politically and spiritually making then troublesome and perilous. But still, isn't it great to be alive in this remarkable a...

  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18   Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16   Let us dig a bit deeper into these verses.   Jesus suffered, being tempted, Hebrews 2:18, and Jesus, in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.   It seems pretty clear, when you put He...

Are We (As Some Claim) Making Divorce an Unforgivable Sin? Jesus said, “Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another woman, commits adultery” (Mt. 19:9). What if a man does what Jesus prohibited? He divorces his wife simply because he no longer loves her, then later he marries another woman. Clearly, he is guilty of adultery. Now, what if this man wants to be forgiven? Let’s assume he is not a Christian. He learns about Jesus’ atonement, believes, and wants to be baptized into Christ. Can he continue in his marriage to his second wife? Many say yes, since baptism is for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). If someone objects that this unauthorized remarriage is still adultery, the objector may be accused of making divorce/adultery an unforgivable sin. What if a man is married to multiple women? (It is illegal in this country, but not in all.) He ignores God’s law of one man, one woman (Mt. 19:5-6). He is guilty of polygamy. Now, what i...

Layaway No More   Julie Ann Gates was standing in line earlier this month preparing to pay for her items at a Walmart in Derby, Vermont.  She overheard a man ask another customer who was in line in front of her about paying for his items.  She recalled the man saying, “Listen, I can either have you put it on a layaway, and I’m going to pay for it when you leave.  You’ll just have to come right back and pick it up.  Or, you could follow me over to the cash register, and I pay for it now.”   Gates was curious about the interchange she was witnessing and then the man, who would become known as a benevolent stranger, approached her.  "The guy turned to me and said 'are you going to put anything on layaway,'" Gates said.   When she answered affirmatively, the man said, “Well, why don’t you run and get what you were going to get and come back, and I pay for it.  I have a few minutes before I go to the d...