In my early morning routine of prayer/exercise, I walk down our driveway to the street and back again. According to calculations, twenty-five round trips of that course make a mile. The mile walk offers a fresh start each day both spiritually and physically before the sun ever shines. In fact, when the moon is full, as it is at this writing, I get to admire the beautiful full moon. I am generally walking my course at about the same time each morning. One of my wife’s kinfolks happens to be going to work each morning about the same time. Once I discovered he was passing by during this time, I can’t help but look for the red pick-up coming through. Many times, he will give a short beep, particularly when I am heading back to the house with my back to the road. I will quickly throw my hand up in acknowledgement. What he knows, as I have told him, is that I am out there walking and praying, and I pray for him. So just about daily, he goes to work with an awareness that God is working in his life. He doesn’t have the cleanest “mouth” in the world, and he really enjoys his beer after hours and on the week-end and at family events. If you talk to him, he “knows the Lord”; he just acknowledges that he is not perfect, but he treats people right. He is a hard worker. Two lessons I learn in all this: one, prayers never go unanswered, and two, no matter where we are or where we think we are with the Lord, there is always more. Cornelius was not even saved yet, and God said his prayers and good deeds were laid up for a “memorial before God” (Acts 10:1-4; 11:14). This was a reminder, a record, before God. God’s not going to leave anything out. He wants every person to be saved. As it worked out under God’s hand, Peter got a revelation that Gentiles could be saved, so he went and preached Jesus to Cornelius and his whole household. They believed his word and the whole household got saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, and water baptized. The Gentile world was opened up to the gospel. I just want to encourage you to keep praying in faith with praises and thanksgiving to God. He hears your prayers and He wants to give you a “beep” of acknowledgement and assurance. Where ever that person is or wherever you are in the Lord, God’s got more for them and you. Jesus paid the price on the cross for every person. He who has ears to hear let him hear. Take authority over blinding, deafening spirits. Ask for the Spirit of God to work in your own life and in the lives of others. Even if it is just a beep of a contact or a smile or a pat on the shoulder, know that God is at work to save.
Category: Jackie Calhoun
Volkswagen Pranks
I was driving down the road the other day and something sparked the memory of some Volkswagen pranks of the seventies. Being duly entertained by such memories, I was driving down the road laughing out loud, thoroughly enjoying the mental show. I remembered the time a bunch of us guys got together just outside of good old Poyen High right before the final bell of the day. We knew the daily routine of the teacher. We all gathered around and lifted the little bug from the parking lot, over the sidewalk, and into the flower bed. Then we all nonchalantly stood by and waited. Sure enough, out he came right on time. Too bad those were the days before cell phones and social media. We could have gone viral with the posting. Not quite so dramatic, but equally entertaining was the time we put large rocks behind the back wheels. Coming out of the building and getting right into the car was such the teacher’s path, that whatever was placed in behind the back tire would not be noticed. Business as usual – from the building, into the car, start, reverse, and BUMP! He came bailing out of that car with perhaps an alarmed string of expletives to find out what he had run over. I really don’t know about the expletives. I was out of ear-shot. Then another time we blocked under the back axel just high enough for the wheels to clear the ground. It was not obvious. There was no suspicion as one would approach and enter the car. But then, when he cranked it up and put it in reverse to back up, all he got was a loud and long whirrrrrrrrrr – the back wheels racing in reverse with no traction with the ground. Ahh! The good times we had! How does the saying go? If we did not love them, we would not have a good time with them. I don’t know if that is true or not. But we had some good laughs, and nobody was harmed. It is good to laugh. The Bible says a merry heart does good like a medicine, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken and it dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 15:13). It says the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). When the disciples were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were so happy and care-free, the people thought they were drunk (Acts 2:13-21). Really, for what Jesus has done for us, we really ought to be happy, don’t you think? Well, I know a real God encounter with the power of the Holy Ghost can make you cry, and it can make you laugh. The crying part is to get rid of sin, and once rid of that, with the proper yielding to God, we can get filled with joy deep within and overflowing. The Spirit upon us is the joy of the Lord our strength.
Shine, Baby, Shine
I just finished reading through the book of Revelation, in the Bible. It was just a read-through. It was not a study. I don’t know why Hollywood has not created a block-buster movie from it. I am sure they could computer-generate a real graphic and dramatic movie. If Mel Gibson ever gets hold of it, he might create a sequel to his movie “The Passion of the Christ.” The writer of the book of Revelation stated the book was “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). Jesus is the truth. So, in the book, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing-but-the-truth is told. Mel might be steering clear of it because of the warning in the last chapter. It says if any man takes away from the words of the prophecy of the book, God will take his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city (Revelation 22:19). It is a pretty serious thing to leave out part of God’s whole body of truth. I know that is not something I’m not interested in doing. I want to tell it all. I know I will be answering to God for what I taught, regardless of man’s approval or disapproval. So, I want to get it right — right in line with the Word. I came out of the read clearly realizing there are two kinds of people we see in the book of the truth revealed — righteous and unrighteous. There are those who are righteous because they repent in the face of sin, and they are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. There are those who are living an unrighteous life because they refuse to repent. They are carrying their sin. Their end is not good. I say it would make a good movie because in the book, the good guys win. Even those saints who are tortured and killed win. They die in the grace and the faith of the King having their life as a testimony of Jesus. From death, they are resurrected to rule and reign with Him forever. In the book, sinners perish forever in hell, and the good guys who follow Jesus live with Him in heaven forever. There are lots of beasts and monsters and deceit and killing and sexual perversion and witchcraft and gore as is in any “good” movie these days. In the Bible, it is not a computer-generated fantasy. It is the truth of Jesus Christ being revealed in the earth. His righteousness is revealed right in the midst of all the social, religious, and political corruption. I know one thing for sure. I don’t want to be caught dead in sin. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that makes me right with God. I will take the blood, and the blood alone. As all hell plays out in the world around me, I will make sure I am right with Him and shining the way He wants me to shine.
A Season of Joy
On a mission trip to India, we taught in a two-month crash course Bible school. The goal was to equip the indigenous believers to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into all parts of India. Some were going into remote regions where the gospel had never been preached. As a part of that trip, a team of us went into the Garo Hills in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. This entailed a five-hour jeep ride going high into the mountains to the villages in which we would be holding the conferences. The people of that region looked like Chinese, with China lying just on the other side of the mountains. The people were a very stoical people, very proper and self-controlled, saying few words and showing little or no emotion. I was in a meeting teaching the believers on evangelism. As I spoke, I noticed one gentleman on about the third row appearing to be trying to hold back laughter. As I continued to speak, he continued to try to control himself from laughing. Soon, those on each side of him appeared to start trying to hold back laughter, also. The others around them were ignoring them -– for a while. Soon, they too, were trying to hold back laughter. I observed all this happening as I continued to teach on evangelism. Soon, one man fell out of his seat, bowed over with muffled laughter. Then another, and another. I recognized what the Lord was doing. He was refreshing His people with His presence. He was giving a season of unbridled joy. I gladly gave place to what was happening and allowed the people to experience a liberty in the Lord they had never known, nor even heard about. Psalms 126 talks about the Lord turning the captivity of His people with them experiencing “joy” and “rejoicing.” The Hebrew words for “joy’ and “rejoicing” mean “a creaking shrill shout of joy” (Strong’s Concordance H7440). In Luke 10:21 Jesus “rejoiced in spirit.” The Greek word for “rejoiced” means “jump for joy, exult” (Strong’s Concordance G21). In the second chapter of Acts when the people were filled with the Holy Spirit, the onlookers thought they were drunk. Peter quoted Psalms 16:8-11 explaining about the people whose “tongue was glad.” “Glad,” again means “to jump for joy, exult.” Peter wrote to the church how through believing, even in the midst of trials, we have “joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). A lot of us justified believers in the Lord Jesus need to have our “souls” saved. We need a good dose of the Holy Ghost. We need to experience a season of joy by the power of God’s Spirit. This is the rest and the refreshing that comes by yielding to the fullness of the Spirit of God (Isaiah 28:11-12). When our tongues get liberated with God’s joy, Jesus is proclaimed in the power of the Spirit.
The Safe Place
My furry little friends Waylon and Willy survived the fourth of July. They are terrified of fireworks. They are unnerved by any sharp sound, but particularly fireworks. All the sizzling, popping, and booming immediately sets them shivering and trying to get as close as possible to their master. If you remember earlier, Willy crossed the creek and had to be reprimanded. He was dealt with by some stern words and just a touch with “the stick.” That incident is behind us. Now we have a totally different issue. Due to the fireworks, these poor little fellas are beside themselves with fear and anxiety. For this, the master will take measures to bring safety and comfort to them. In preparation for the fourth, I put the large kennel in our house. I put a foam floor in it with a blanket and bowl of water. I got the little CD player and set it on repeat with some worship music. I have taught them the command to “kennel.” They know to go straight back to the back room and get in the kennel. So, when the popping started, I went out and opened the boys’ pen and told them to “kennel.” They quickly headed toward the house, but stayed close to me. They went right into the house as I opened the door and trotted to the place provided for them. I went in later to find them snoozing with the music going without a care in the world. I was happy to see them resting while the world around them was popping and going ballistic. Peter denied Jesus but later repented. Jesus assured him that He had prepared a place for him to be with Him forever. Jesus ministered to him to bring him into peace in this world, and into peace hereafter (John 13:36 – John 14:1-6). Jesus went back to heaven. Peter, with total allegiance to follow Jesus’ instruction, was filled with the Spirit. He became the leading minister to fearlessly reach thousands of people for Jesus. In fact, by the power of the Spirit of God, he preached to the very Jews who killed Jesus. He was instrumental in turning many of their hearts to believe in the Lord (Acts chapters one and two). We might have fallen and failed the Lord. That is not the end of the road. The Lord reaches out to us to free us from our sin. He will comfort us and instruct us to be filled with His Spirit, and He will use us mightily. He is the Master with a heart of love and a mind to fulfill the purpose of God in our lives. We can turn from our sins, faults, and failures. We can look to, obey, and cling to Him. By trusting Him alone, we come into His safe place. He has a safe place provided for you in the Spirit. Run to Him. Allow Him to fill you and love you, as only He can love you.
Punch the Right Button
We have been engaged in a plethora of hospital visits for others. Navigating in hospitals requires elevator rides, unless you decide to get your daily stairs work out. Elevator rides require pushing the buttons that will take you to the desired floor. Perhaps I am the only one who has this challenge, but when I am looking at a panel of buttons in an elevator, I have to really look to push the right button. Most of the time I get there and push the colored button that has a number on it. I guess the stainless-steel button just blends in to me on the stainless-steel panel. My attention is drawn to the colored indicator button, so without thinking, I often push the indicator button. More than once, I have done that and just stood there for a moment waiting for something to happen. If my mind is busy thinking about something else and I wait long enough, finally the door will close and I am still just standing there. By then my attention is drawn to the fact the elevator is just sitting there and not going anywhere. Then, I purposely search for the right button and punch it, getting my journey underway. In a busy time, the door will close and you will go somewhere, but not the floor of choice. So, when I get to the elevator, I study the panel of buttons and pull my attention away from the colorful buttons and punch the stainless-steel button of the floor of choice. That gets me where I want to go. That probably does not apply to every elevator at every hospital, but I know it does apply to some. I have embarrassed myself before, laughing at myself, by punching the wrong button and just standing there waiting for something to happen. If we want to get to our desired location in life, we’ve got to punch the right buttons. Sometimes we are attracted to the brightly colored buttons that don’t take us toward our destination. That’s when we need to back up and study the panel board to choose the button that is hooked to our desired floor. It might not be colorful. It might just blend with the daily grind and discipline of life, but it is connected to where we want to go. That’s the button to punch. It is the same with the things of God. We might have punched a button that is taking us nowhere, while we are desiring more. Study the panel board. Study the Word. What does the Word say in plain language? Punch in with God what the Word says. God is faithful to his Word. The Holy Spirit works with the Word. Jesus is the anointed Word who is come in the flesh. By the same operation of God through faith, the Spirit-anointed Jesus can come into your spirit man who lives in your flesh man. Christ living in you will take you where you want to go.
A Drop of Hot Solder
Many years ago, I was the major financial force to support my family. We had young ones with all their needs, and I was self-employed working in the home repair and remodeling business. For me, time was money so I did not like to have to do things twice. My idea was to do it right the first time and go on to the next thing. This practice kept me busy, and I needed to stay busy to make ends meet. I recall a water tank I installed. It was plumbed with copper pipe. In those days we did not have all the quick-connect stuff that allowed you to just screw something off and on when installing a hot water tank. The joints of the piping were soldered together, which is sort of a type of welding using a torch, a metal brush and flux compound to clean the joint, and a roll of silver solder. The silver solder is a coil of soft metal thread about one eighth inch thick. After cleaning the joint of the pipe and the coupling with the metal brush and the acid flux compound, you stick the pipe together with the coupling and heat it with the torch. With the heat still going on it, you then touch the end of the silver solder to the hot pipe, and when the temperature is right, the solder will melt and migrate into the joint of the pipe to seal it. Everything must stay in place for a few moments for it to cool down thereby sealing the joint and fusing the pipe together. The water tank was in an awkward position so I was straining to reach the piping to work it. I got the pipe all cut to length, cleaned, and dry fit together. When I torched it to put the solder on it, I failed to notice that as I held the pipe in place, my hand was directly below one of the joints I would be soldering. When I soldered that joint, the excess solder dripped down on my hand. I could not let go or the joint would come apart until cooled, and the whole process would have to be repeated. Time lost. So, I just gripped it tight and let it cool with the drop of hot solder sizzling on my hand until all was cool enough to turn loose. The burn healed, but that moment was a test of endurance. We get tests in life that require raw endurance to hold things together. It can be a painful moment until things “cool down.” Then it is time to turn loose and let the healing take place. Jesus came to make us all overcomers. To overcome we must hold to the promises of God in spite of what is going on. Trusting in God’s faithfulness, we can be assured He will perform His Word. Our faith is accounted as righteousness. The repair is successful as we hold to His faithfulness.
Across the Creek
I watched Willy gingerly prance across the back yard toward the creek. Waylon and Willy had a dog meeting by the creek. Then Willy disappeared, walking down the slope to the creek. Waylon watched the house. Waylon trotted across the yard and went back into the pen. Everybody knew what was going down. Willy crossed the creek – a big no-no! I got a stick, walked to the creek, and waited. I didn’t call. Waylon came back out of the pen and stood by. I petted him and assured him he was okay. I had left the gate open so they could run around in the yard for a while. This is a normal practice that I have done for years, but I have to watch them just for days like today. Occasionally they get an itch to go beyond the boundaries. So, we waited. By watching Waylon, I knew when Willy was making his way back through the thick cane. Sure enough, in a minute he emerged and paused, assessing the situation. I made eye contact and curtly said, “Willy, you get back over here!” He didn’t move. I said it again, this time with more force. He slowly started wading the creek. Seeing the stick in my hand, he knew what was coming. It just takes a touch of the stick when they have done wrong to get the job of reproof and instruction accomplished. When he got within range, putting great displeasure in my voice, I touched him with the stick telling him to get back in the pen. This evoked a disgruntled muffled growl from him as he made his way across the yard to the pen. “Creek, no!” was my repeated instruction, as I followed him across the yard. I purposely slammed the gate behind him after he got in the pen, demonstrating my displeasure for the deed. They both know better than to go across the creek. They have both done it. Today, Waylon chose not. He remained in the safe zone within boundaries. Willy fell to temptation. He had to be disciplined. I would like to see them get off the 1.65 acres and have some new adventures, but the dangers are too great. Injury, loss, and death looms in those pleasures of sin that last for only a short season. I must keep them on the straight and narrow. Man has been sneaking around and trying to cover and justify his sin since the beginning. Romans chapter one tells us that man knows better, but we do it anyway. That is why we need the Savior who gives us his Word and Spirit. Jesus came to save us from the injury, loss, and death of sin. When we yield to the temptation, he waits as we do our thing, then he disciplines and instructs us of a better way of life. He loves and cares for us and wants the best for us. We stay in the safe zone by listening to Him.
A Leg, a Thigh, Mashed Potatoes and Biscuit
My wife, Barbara, recently went into a certain no name, no blame fast food restaurant that sells chicken. There are several different chains. She asked what was included in the box of food. The young man dutifully replied a leg, a thigh, mashed potatoes, and either a roll or biscuit. Barb asked if she could get all white meat. He mechanically replied, “You get a leg, a thigh, mashed potatoes, and either a roll or biscuit.” She asked if she could get coleslaw instead of mashed potatoes. In his expressionless, flat, deadpan manner he replied, “You get a leg, a thigh, mashed potatoes, and either a roll or biscuit.” Barb said “I don’t want a drink.” He said, “You gotta have a drink. It comes with a drink.” There were two customers in the restaurant, Barbara, and a man at a table eating. The order was brought to the counter by the other worker who could see Barb was the only person waiting. Looking around the virtually empty room, she raised her voice and called out “Order 717”. She looked at Barb and asked “Did you order two five-dollar boxes?” Barb said, “I paid six dollars.” “Oh, my bad, it is six dollars”, was the matter of fact reply. So, Barb brought back two boxes of food that had a leg, a thigh, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit in each. We laughed at the incident and blessed the food with thanksgiving and ate it. The young people were working a job. That’s good. They were well trained. That’s good. We got some food. That is good. The Lord has spiritual food for all people. His box of food is not limited. He custom designs our spiritual diet to meet our needs and desires. His service toward us is not mechanical and impersonal. He knows us intimately. He knows everything going on in us and around us. He is not just doing a job to make it through the day and make a little money. He has actually given all to make sure we have all the provisions we need to prosper in life in every way – spirit, soul, body, in family, financially, having favor in life, and with an eternal future with him in heaven forever. Too often, it is only presented to us, here’s what you can have: a leg, a thigh, mashed potatoes, and either a roll or a biscuit. No. In God’s kingdom there is forgiveness and the fullness of God’s presence and supernatural power. There is healing, having an identity in Christ, and living with spiritual authority in life’s circumstances. There are new relationships with apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. There are ministries of helps, giving, and showing mercy, and other manifold operations of grace. All this spiritual food is available and operates as we repent toward God and have faith in the promises of God that we have in Christ Jesus. We can feast abundantly at the table the Lord has prepared for us.
Ten Pews and a Cargo Trailer
The inside of the church has been receiving a facelift. Part has been painting, and part has been replacing the old pews with modern padded chairs. Pastor Barbara expressed to the church one Sunday that she was praying about swapping the pews out with chairs. She asked everyone to be praying with her about that. Later in that week she mentioned to the property owner she was desiring this. He said that would be fine, and that he just happened to have some nice padded church chairs. He paid fifteen hundred dollars for some chairs from another church moving into a facility. They had their own chairs and did not want the ones that were already in the building. He had the chairs stacked and covered in his storage building. He said we could have them if we wanted them. Barbara determined that we would need about 70 chairs. We went and looked at them and there were 75 chairs. We gladly received the chairs that same week with thanksgiving unto God. God had provided before we ever asked. Now, to get rid of the pews. It was advertised and some were picked up by some people. With 10 pews left, a man from Tupelo, Mississippi came for them with an 18-foot cargo trailer. The pews were 10 feet long. We had the task of getting all ten pews in that trailer. They would not fit end-to-end. The trailer was not long enough. The pews did not stack one on top of another. There was the driver and three of us men and Barbara. It was like working a puzzle. We would try to envision the best way for it to go, then try it and have to try another way. We all had our envisioned ideas and suggestions. If one way did not work, we would have to take it out and turn it around and try it another way. The pews were very heavy and hard to handle. It took everybody making suggestions, being proved wrong, trying another way, submitting to another one’s suggestion, and trying that. We all had the mutual goal to get ten pews on the trailer. We all worked together toward that one goal. It was not my way or your way that was important. It was whatever is the way that works, that is the way to do it. In this way we got all ten pews in the trailer in the midst of sporadic rain. After the man drove off, the bottom fell out. This is the way things are accomplished in the kingdom of God. It is not my way or your way that is important. What is God’s way as revealed by the Word and Spirit of God? This is what will work. Sometimes we have to admit our idea of it was wrong and back up a go at it a different way. In this way, God’s goal of reaching the world for Jesus, with power, can be accomplished.