GOT PUMPKIN?

Candy, Candy, Candy.

That is all the kiddies are thinking about this weekend. Candy and more candy. Halloween is approaching and the kiddies are excited. Well, I enjoy candy too.

I prefer to focus more on a harvest theme than halloween. Somewhere in all the ghosts and witches and skeletons, I lose it.

Angels are better than witches any day. I would rather focus on the goodness of the Lord than celebrate evil spirits and bad thinking.

So, my vote goes for a higher view, a holier outlook, a more positive take.

Witches and evils spirits are real so I would rather not give them any place. Years ago I will admit that we put too much time into the halloween scene, but not today.

Harvest-time fits me better. What about these pictures?

Neat

The carved pumpkin was done by Jerry Callison. He brought it to our harvest festival at our church, and you know who is in the other picture.

She is a beauty! I am so blessed.

CLOSE TO THE END

Here is a comment made by my daughter, Jennifer, from my blog from yesterday. I thought her words were telling, particularly coming from the younger generation.

Jennifer wrote:

It's very scary to see where our society is headed. I don't understand what this generation is thinking, without morals that come from God our society will break down. If everyone gets to make up their own morals then who gets to draw the line in the end? Who is to stop the pedophile? Don't people see where this is headed?? Sadly I only think it's going to get much worse. I believe we are witnessing the beginning of the fall of The United States. It's freaky that we are possibly witnessing the last days!

Another thing that keeps startling me is how what used to be wrong is now right and what was right is now wrong. In fact just having the opinion that homosexuality is wrong is dangerous and labels you as being wrong, unfair and the taker of others civil rights! It's going to be getting even scarier! Now is the time to be hiding God's word in our hearts before they take away our right to have a Bible! Some people won't think that's possible but I believe it's coming and it's going to happen sooner than we think!

***

Milton here again:

Society has always made moral choices. Actually they have to be made for the well being of mankind. It is a total fallacy to say that no one has the "right" to make moral judgements. To make no moral judgment is to make a moral judgement.

So here is the bottom line. Judgements and moral decisions are going to be made. The question is who is going to make the moral judgements and what morality will they chose? Someone's morals will prevail. It is just a matter of whose.

I choose to follow the Judeo/Christian model. It works. It is true. It brings blessings!

Imagine driving in a city with no red lights where everyone drives at breakneck speed giving no thought to intersections. One could only guess how many wrecks and deaths would occur.

Today's society wants no red lights, but that is suicide and will not work.

Yes, Jennifer, Jesus is coming. We are close to the end.

FOUNDATIONS OF TRUTH

Our world is turning morality upside down. The truth of generations past is being forgotten. It is implausible.

If we cannot take The Word of God at face value, can we at least accept how generations past have lived? Has all mankind been wrong and this generation all of a sudden become the enlightened generation of all generations?

Is marriage, as all past generations defined it, truly between a man and a woman? Or has this generation discovered truth missed by centuries of life?

Morality has always been dumbed-down. People have always wanted to sin, so regrettably to their own hurt. But todays' generation seem to think they are smarter. They think they are the enlightened ones. No one knows better than they know.

I don't think so. Time has a way of sifting truth out. God's Word hasn't changed. Mankind hasn't been wrong. Centuries of foundational truth lived out are higher than these "so called" enlightened ones.

When will we learn?

CONSISTENCY

Life without consistency can become tragic. When there is not consistency in how we live, act, and behave, then things begin to fall apart.

Leave flour out of a cake recipe and see what happens. You won't have much of a cake. Leave honor out of our marriage vows, and you won't have much of a marriage. If we fail to walk with integrity, then respect becomes tarnished.

On and off again functioning just doesn't get it done. A car that cranks and then won't crank cannot be depended upon. It loses its dependability. You just don't know if you can trust it to take you on a long trip or to work or even to the grocery store. It is not dependable. It is inconsistent.

Great relationships are made when you know you can totally trust the consistency of the both parties' lives. That is a winning combination.

By the way, that is God's way.

I once heard that the single greatest requirement for effective preaching is that people must believe that the preacher believes what he is preaching. That believability is determined first by the consistency of what the preacher lives. If the people see it in the life of the preacher, then they will believe that preacher truly believes what he is preaching.

It goes back to the consistency issue. It seems to me that we need a revival of consistency about as much as anything thing else.

Solomon put it this way. He wrote:

Proverbs 25:19

Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

How about praying today that God will help you be more consistent. That is my prayer today.

HOW LONG?

Faith cannot be separated from patience. Faith often finds release and answer immediately and that is wonderful.

But what if you had to wait 24 years for your answer to come? Would that still be faith? Or what if you didn't see what God had promised turn into reality for 400 years? Would that be faith too? Abraham and Noah knew that faith required patience. Some in the Bible waited even longer.

Hebrews clearly notes that it is through both faith and patience that we inherit the promises.

"..but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

The writers notes that we should be"

1. Diligent

2. Not sluggish

3. Imitate

That makes for a good formula. How long before the answer comes you have been seeking from God? Be diligent. Don't be sluggish. Imitate those who have inherited. The answer will come in His perfect time.

Have faith and be patience. You will inherit.

CONNECTING

Meeting new people and making new friends adds to life. This should be a daily venture for all of us, especially for Christians. Christ in us reaches out toward others. Usually, all it takes is a smile and a brief kind gesture. Most people respond.

Last week I connected with numerous new people and made new friendships. I have found that motorcycling is one of the easiest ways to connect with people. They don't know that I am a preacher. They just don't expect preachers to ride. It removes their preconceived notions.

I have had people pull up next to me at a red light, or store, or restaurant and start up conversations over Big Red. They each have a comment or question to offer. Many times I have used this conversation starter to get a word in about the Lord.

People need to know the Lord. They need to know God is love and that He sent His son to die for us. They need to know that they can spend eternity in heaven.

May God help us to connect and graciously share His love.

458 MILES ON BIG RED

Thursday I left Switzerland, NC, headed toward home. I have spent this week riding the mountains in NC, with several guys from Jax and Alabama. It was a man trip while Wanda was with her sisters and Mom on a ladies trip.

Traveling with the guys makes for all kinds of manly stories, you know just like the girls but opposite. Guys are ok, but don't come close to riding with Wanda. Sorry guys, that is just the way it is. We did have a super time stopping here and there, looking at Parkway views, sipping coffee, and tailgating from the back of Big Red. We actually stopped at a couple of antique shops and a furniture outlet. One of the guys was a girly man.

We had a christian gang going there. We prayed before every ride for safety and for our families back home, and we all gave thanks for a safe ride.

I saw turkeys, deer, and dead animals all up close. The turkey flew right over my head, and the deer were thirty yards or so in front of us crossing the Blue Ridge. Believe me, they get the right-of-way.

When we left Switzerland, our intent was to stop in Columbia, SC, overnight, but we arrived there sooner than we anticipated and just kept riding, and riding, and riding. We finally stopped here in Jax.

That makes for about 458 miles in one day on Big Red. There were numerous stops along the way, but we were ready to get home. So home we headed.

The Autumn leaves were just glorious. The beauty of God's creation is beyond words. That what makes riding in the open so enjoyable. You are just out there in all of it.

Oh, one final thought. Thank God for a safe trip with only one issue, a dead battery on Big Red. That was minor and replaced quickly. I can't wait for the next trip. Life is good.

The pic above was taken in Switzerland, NC, at the inn we stayed.

Wow!

What color! What fun!

And God made it all!

A REAL HIGH POINT

Traveling the Smokies is fantastic in the Autumn. The leaves are glorious and the weather is perfect. This is a guy trip, but Wanda is in the mountains too with her family. We are just not riding together. I miss her.

Riding the Goldwing is the best way to see the colors. I am right in the middle of all the smells and sights. It is man and God.

We rode to the the highest point in the Blue Ridge Parkway. Up, up, up and then a little higher. Then down, down, down and down some more. It doesn't get any better than this in enjoying this gorgeous country.

We had a little rain at the end of the day, and I had to replace the battery on my Goldwing. Little bumps in the road, but worth it all.

Each ride begins with prayer and ends with thanksgiving.

Isn't this a great picture of Wanda. She is such a beautiful lady. I am blessed!

RIDE SAFE

Motorcycle riding is exhilarating, but comes with a price. The issue is safety. Ride hard, but ride safe. It is a pleasure sport for me that has come late in life. I never, ever expected to take up this sport. I have always thought I was smarter than this, but it is fun far beyond my expectations.

I am on another quick ride up to the mountains with a group of guys who have been after me for years to ride with them. Never thought I would, but here I am.

It is a guy trip so Wanda is off with her sisters and mother. They are actually headed North too so I bet I find her in the mountains before I head back home.

Motorcycling riding has actually pushed me to be a safer driver all the way around. I pay more attention to safety issues now that I motorcycle than ever before.

What is the secret? Ride the speed limit. Don't take risks. Watch for the other guy. Keep your mind on the road.

Life has no guarantees. I will ride safe and enjoy the journey. I pray and ask for the Lord's protection and angels to keep guard.

What fun! Pics are on the way,

CAGED IS COMING AGAIN!

This Sunday I will tag team preach with Eric Dalaney. It will be another illustrated sermon entitled "Caged" and we both will speak. I look forward to sharing The Word.

What puts you into a cage?

Disobedience?

Fear?

Insecurity?

Past failures?

Condemnation?

Sin?

You might be surprised when you look closer at what entraps people and how long they stay in their traps. Cages can become permanent houses that some never get out of. We were not created to live in cages. We were created to soar on wings of eagles.

Jesus sets people free. Come to Southside this Sunday and get our of your cage.

You can be free!

MORE REPAIRS

Mending and repairing and maintaining things takes lots of time. The more stuff you have the more time it requires. I guess that makes for voting for a more simplified life. All those "Things" have to be fixed.

I am not the best handyman at all. My brother Max inherited those genes from our father. I didn't get one of those genes from what I can tell. They both can repair anything from clocks to cars.Max repairs and maintains major, heavey equipment where he works. I repair very, very little.

Maintenance minimizes repairs and mending. Keeping the oil changed, and filters clean, and tires with proper air pressure are all easy items to do. Yet, they all take time.

My major emphasis is on soul maintenance. This demands attention too.

Here is an interesting text.

Isaiah 48:

¹⁷ This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.

¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Those words in bold stand out. "If you had only paid attention...."

Soul restoration, repair, or maintenance are dependent on paying attention to His commands. When we do that, then there is peace and righteousness. That is a blessing beyond expression.

IT'S COOL

How hot has it been?

Maybe the hottest I can remember in my life, but it is cooler now. You can enjoy the feel of Autumn temps. They call it hog killing weather in Alabama. Now it is not that cool here in Jax, at least not yet, but it does feel good.

It makes motorcycle riding sweet. It makes football more comfortable to enjoy. It gives release to new colors and leads toward the Holiday seasons just weeks away.

Florida is the place to be these next months. The roads will crowded with all those folks up North heading down I-95. They will fill up South Florida and Central Florida and a few will even stop on the First Coast.

Long sleeves are coming off the closet racks. Air conditioners will run less. Yards won't have to be cut so much. Sweet. Nice. Cool.

It is Florida and it is cool. Yahoo!

CAGED IS COMING!

This Sunday I will begin a new illustrated sermon series entitled "Caged." Throughout the month of October I will be speaking on the issues of life that sadly often imprisons and cages people. My heart breaks when I hear the horrible lies that satan tells people and see how he leads them to a caged existence.

Here is a photo of one of the cages that represents how people are prisoned as a result of their foolish choices. There is that word "choices" again. Choices lead to life or death, freedom or bondage, blessings or curses.

Samson of the Old Testament is a prime example of a man with incredible gifts and talents and who was powerfully used by God. Yet, He wound up caged, blind, and the brunt of cruel jokes. How terribly sad.

Are you caged, bound, or limited by circumstances of your making?

Are you caged by issues beyond your control?

Are you caged and bound from fulfilling God's destiny and plan for your life?

Maybe this sermon series is something you need to see and hear.

Caged is coming this Sunday to Southside. Join us and bring a friend.