August 30, 2010

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears them and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17

Do you remember the story about Jesus and Peter walking on the water? (Matthew 14:22-33) Jesus sent the disciples across the sea and they got in a real storm. After hours of going nowhere, Jesus came walking on the water and scared them out of 7 years growth. Peter asked Jesus to prove it was he by letting him walk on the water too. Jesus said “come” and he jumped out and walked over to him on the water. Then he became afraid and sank. End of the story, right? Not. We often miss the next little verse. Jesus reached out, pulled him back up on top of the water and together they both walked back to the boat and got in. He didn’t carry him and he didn’t make him swim. Peter started living the miracle again, although a little wet. Ever sink in your “walk” with the Lord? It is really not a question of if you will sink, but when you will sink. The good news is that when it happens and we cry, “HELP!” Jesus will reach out, put us back on the path and walk with us to the end. Maybe you are ashamed of failure. Maybe you are afraid he has given up on you. Sorry to inform you but He never gives up on his children. Very soon he will reach down and lift you up from your fear and sinking and again you will walk with renewed faith and confidence because he hears your cry and delivers his righteous ones out of all their troubles.

Thought for the week: I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
-- Thomas A. Edison, (attributed)

Funny for the week:

His wife's graveside service was just barely finished, when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance. The little, old man looked at the pastor and calmly said,

'Well, she's there.

Amen brother……….Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: How many horns does the beast have in Revelation 13? Ten (Rev. 13:1)

This week’s question: What did the eunuch ask Phillip after Phillip had preached to him about Jesus?

August 23, 2010

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of our heart.” Psalm 37:4

I had just finished read a neat little book called, “Who Moved My Cheese?” when I had to make a major decision in our family finances. Normally I am very prone to stay with the status-quo and not change. But after reading the book I chose to go back out in the maze of life and look for more cheese. Someone had moved mine. As usual I did a lot of self inspection and with fear and trembling made the move. Thinking about it I and to admit that I do the same thing in my spiritual life. When it comes to listening to the Lord and attempting new things, I often become paralyzed by the nagging emotional burden of self-doubt. I often wonder how many things the Lord has asked me to do and because of fear and doubt I failed to do them. I simply did not have the confidence in myself or God to believe that it could be done. (Not a pretty picture of someone who has Rev. in front of his name is it?) Sometimes it was because of memories of past failures, intimidation of lack of talent, or just plain fear. Regardless, the task was left undone and a blessing was unclaimed. The good news is that that is not the Jesus way. It is a faith issue and we must learn to put our confidence in the Lord who overwhelmingly makes up for our human shortcomings. So I challenge you along with myself that when Jesus “moves our cheese” to step out in the maze in faith and follow him and “he will give us the desire of our heart.”

Thought for the week: The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office. -- Robert Frost

Funny for the week: Where did our innocence go?

Paul Newman founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children stricken with cancer, AIDS, and blood diseases. One afternoon, he and is wife, Joanne Woodward, stopped by to have lunch with the kids. A counselor at a nearby table, suspecting the young patients wouldn't know Newman was a famous movie star, explained, That's the man who made this camp possible. Maybe you've seen his picture on his salad dressing bottle?' Blank stares. 'Well, you've probably seen his face on his lemonade carton.' An eight-year-old girl perked up. 'How long was he missing?'

Too long………… Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: Where did Abraham grow up? Ur (Gen 11:27-32)

This week’s question: How many horns does the beast have in Revelation 13?

August 16, 2010

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19

Last week I shared what God had done in Mississippi following hurricane Katrina. Well, this week I must do it again. When God is moving and working, we MUST share it and not sit on it. Right? This is just too good to wait. While we were in Meridian there were around 100 NC Baptist Men and women who were there to do restoration. Cutting trees off people’s homes and helping them patch up their homes. There was a young (20 something) boy showed up from New Jersey named Russell. He was New Jersey from head to toe. White boy with dread locks, loud voice and accent that can’t be mistaken. Every other word was “man”, “like”, “dude” etc. Our people fell in love with him. They gave him the nick name “Monkey Man”. He was a professional tree surgeon and he had more energy than half our old retired people put together. Flip a rope over a tree limb, hoist himself up and swing around the tree, limb to limb, chain saw swinging from his belt and the limbs came falling down. I was setting with him one evening and ask how he came to be there in Meridian with us. If I leave out his likes, mans and dude’s, his one hour story became, “I wanted to do something for the people hurt by the hurricane; asked my boss if I could go and he paid for my air fair; called Red Cross and they said go to Meridian Mississippi. Flew in, called the city and they said a big bunch of NC people doing tree removal were staying at First Baptist; they picked me up and dropped me off, and, dude, here I am.” After we got back, on Sunday September 18 one of my members at Crest View handed me page 2A from the Friday 16 Charlotte Observer. Ken Garfield was telling the story of John Gore from Thomasville who had been in Meridian Mississippi 17 days cutting trees. The article ended with this paragraph and I quote. “Every once in a while on the hurricane shift, there’s reason for a church volunteer to smile. A tree surgeon named Russell came down from New Jersey to help remove limbs from roofs and power lines. In the midst of doing God’s work, he found Jesus. John Gore was there when he (Russell) was baptized in a lake. Russell’s buddies fired up their chain saws for a chain saw salute.” Russell thought he was doing a good civic duty. But when God is involved there is no such thing as coincident. He never dreamed God had his finger on him bringing him into contact with a bunch of NC Baptist who truly love Jesus and into an encounter with Him that changed his life for eternity. What “Russell’s has God brought into your life lately. Tell them about Jesus.

Thought for the week: What others think of us would be of little moment did it not, when known, so deeply tinge what we think of ourselves. -- Paul Valery

Funny for the week: Where did our innocence go?

Just before I was deployed to Iraq, I sat my eight-year-old son down and broke the news to him. 'I'm going to be away for a long time,' I told him. 'I'm going to Iraq.' 'Why?' he asked. 'Don't you know there's a war going on over there?'

From the mouth of babes………… Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: Complete the following quotation of Jesus with two words: “Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 18:3)

This week’s question: Where did Abraham grow up?

August 9, 2010

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Back in 2005 I had the privilege of responding with the NC Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief group to Meridian Mississippi after Katrina struck. Any time we go out on a relief there are always miracles that happen. This is one of my favorite and I love telling it over and over. If you’ve heard it before, maybe you need to hear it again. God is awesome and we need to tell of his wonderful works over and over. I have to praise Jesus for what he has done. I know many of you were praying for me that week when we were in Mississippi. One of the best indicators of that were the miracles he did. I want to share one with you this week. I was assigned to the maintenance crew and on Labor Day Sunday we had the hose to our steam pressure washer blow out. Without that instrument we would be nearly shut down in our ability to clean the hundreds of cooking pans and Canbros we send the food out in. The other maintenance person and I jumped in his truck and headed out to find a replacement. Keep in mind, two NC boys in a town neither had ever been in that had been hit by a hurricane, no map and no idea where they were going. The pressure washer is a “Hotsy” and we knew we would need that brand hose to replace the one broken. After several futile stops it became clear there was no “Hotsy” dealer in Meridian Mississippi. So we did the only thing left to do. He drove, and I prayed. My prayer was as simple as our need. “Lord, this is your work and your organization. You know our need for a hose and you know where one is. Lead us to it. We can’t go back without it or the whole operation will be shut down.. Thank you Lord for answering this prayer. Amen” We came over a little hill (and I mean little, this isMississippi, you-all) and there was a fire department. It was Fire Central for the entire city. A man was standing in the open door and I said, “Let’s ask him.” We did and he thought a moment and then said, “Wait just a minute.” He went inside and came out with another man. We shared our need and he grinned and said, “I think I might be able to help you fellows. Follow me.” He jumped in his truck and we whizzed through the city to the municipal garage. As it turned out, the man was in charge of the garage and they had a “Hotsy” pressure washer they used to clean engines. He took the hose off and handed it to us and said, “Use it as long as you want.” What are the chances that the head of city maintenance would be hanging out with the boys shooting the fat at the fire department we stopped at on Labor Day Sunday? God knew, and he ordained we would find that department at that moment and have our need met. I believe miracles are any event, divine or natural, whose timing can only be credited to Gods working. Because you were praying for us, God worked miracle after miracle just like this one to keep our feeding unit operating and our people safe. Thank you for your prayers as we joined God in meeting the needs of so many suffering from hurricane Katrina. Your share in that ministry was greatly felt and observed.

Thought for the week: Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. -- Dr. Seuss

Funny for the week: Where did our innocence go?

On the way back from a Cub Scout meeting, my grandson innocently said to my son, 'Dad, I know babies come from mommies' tummies, but how do they get there in the first place?' After my son hemmed and hawed awhile, my grandson finally spoke up in disgust, 'You don't have to make up something, Dad. It's okay if you don't know the answer.'

Smart kid ! ………..Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: Who asked the following question: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” The wise men (or Magi) (Matt. 2:2)

This week’s question: Complete the following quotation of Jesus with two words: “Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as _____ _____, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

August 2, 2010

Rather than a verse and commentary today, I would like to share three prayers that have meant a lot to me from Tony Evans book, Free at Last.

When Tempted pray:

“Lord, I know that in Jesus Christ I am more than a conquer. I don’t feel like a conqueror, but I am presenting my body to You because I know You can give me the power I need to resist and be victorious. In Jesus Name, Amen” p. 47

Concerning walking by the spirit:

“Lord, I believe what You say about me, and in my mind I want to live for You and obey You. I am going to take a step of faith and turn away from what my flesh is telling me to do. I know I don’t have the ability to pull off what I have just determined to do in my mind. So, I am relying on the power of Your Holy Spirit to enable me to walk in the direction that You want me to go. In Jesus Name, Amen” p. 117

When feeling defeated:

“Lord, You said I am an overwhelming conqueror in Jesus’ name. I can do all things in Jesus’ name. I am victorious in Jesus’ name. So, I am going to believe You and engage my will to trust You in this circumstance. In Jesus Name. Amen.” p. 136

Thought for the week: A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs. -- Mark Twain, Following the Equator

Funny for the week: Where did our innocence go?

Working as a pediatric nurse, I had the difficult assignment of giving immunization shots to children. One day, I entered the examining room to give four-year-old Lizzie her needle. 'No, no, no!' she screamed. 'Lizzie,' scolded her mother, 'that's not polite behavior.' With that, the girl yelled even louder, 'No, thank you! No, thank you!

I’m with her…………… Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: The title of what book in the Bible means the “preacher”? Ecclesiastes

This week’s question: Who asked the following question: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”