DADDY

My brother Tommy--much older than me--told me how it was in our home before daddy got religion.

"Mama kept me and Wilfred in a back room while daddy drank and played music in the living room with his friends."

Years later when I came along we never missed church, and Mama read the Bible to us before going to bed. Daddy still played guitar and mandolin with his little band of friends but without booze. My foot tapped to the rhythm of The Missouri Waltz, The Tennessee Waltz, Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon and other folk tunes. 

A father's goal should be to develop his children to seek and glorify God with their lives.

Ephesians 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of The Lord.

There are no perfect fathers except our Heavenly Father, and He can help dads to be better fathers.

My father, Gene Watson, left me spiritual values that changed my life. I am thankful.

Can You Imagine?

Can you imagine the anticipation of Elijah awaiting the whirlwind to catch him up to Heaven?  

Can you imagine him recalling his life before he leaves, perhaps smiling at the Mt. Carmel Victory (1 Kings 18:17-45). I can, and I can imagine his humility as he remembers the ravens and the poor widow woman feeding him in the desert?

His friend Elisha was with him when it happened.

2 Kings 2:11 . . . . behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

What an exit! Can you imagine?

Can you imagine the dead in Christ rising out of their graves and the living saints flying up with them to meet Jesus in the clouds? Read about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17. I can hardly wait.

But until then my heart will go on singing

Until then with joy I'll carry on

Until the day my eyes behold that city

Until the day God calls me home.

Stuart Hamblen

Power Prayers

The most powerful people in the world are not the political movers and shakers, kings, queens, dictators, presidents, generals, celebrities or the wealthy.

The most powerful people in the world are widows, women, men, children, the poverty stricken and others who believe in the God of Heaven and call out to Him by faith.

James 5:16 . . . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Our prayers may seem weak at times, but the Spirit of God takes the tiny mustard-seed-faith and offers them up to The Lord Jesus, Who offers them up to God the Father, Who answers with a mighty powerful force.

Many of my answered prayers were one word: HELP!

Selfishness, idolatry, unforgiveness or unconfessed sin will hinder prayers.

Never stop praying for your lost loved ones.

Standing On The Promises

I've shared this before, but I love remembering this special blessing. 

I was sixteen and in severe pain, lying on a gurney under a bright surgery light. On examination the doctor had said the gangrene cyst on my ovary thrust me close to death.

While waiting for the anesthesiologist to come in and put me under, I distinctly heard a man's voice beside me.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be all right." An immense peaceful feeling swept over me. Raising my head, I looked around the room and saw no one.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I'm thankful that God holds us up when we are too weak or too scared to think. Whatever the struggle--major or minor--we must believe that we can stand on the promises of God.

True Worship

When I reflect upon God--His power, His grace, His love, His mercy, His salvation, His Word, and a host of other things--my heart can't help but overflow with love and adoration.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Worship should be our primary purpose on the way to church. Loving and honoring our pastors, enjoying sweet fellowship and talented singers are great, but it's not worship unless the Spirit of God draws us to adore Him. It's all about Him, not us.

The Book of Revelation pulls back the curtain between earth and Heaven and gives us a glimpse of pure worship in glory.

We should worship God every day. A Christian living without worship is like a bird trying to fly without wings. 

That Word--That Light

Before time began, Jesus was with the Father creating the world. From the threshold of time, love for that world spun a plan for redemption for the sinful souls of mankind.

John 1:1,3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

When Jesus came to the world in the flesh (John 1:14) He brought light to that dark world. That light changed my life.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us . . . . 

In spite of His glory and miracles, Jesus became a controversy when He claimed to be God. His greatest glory was when He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and die for our sins.

Praise Jesus for revealing Himself and His Father to us. Praise God that a sinner like me can come to Jesus by simple faith and be eternally saved by grace. 

My Glorified Body

This life is temporary. It didn't come here to stay but is merely passing through.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

"We know" that Christ is alive, therefore, we know that death cannot claim us. Because I live, ye shall live also (John 14:19).

This body is only the house we live in. When a believer dies, the body goes to the grave, but the spirit goes to be with Christ.

When Jesus returns for His own, He will raise the dead bodies in glory, and the body and spirit shall be joined together for a glorious eternity in heaven.

The glorified body is called "a building of God, a house not made with hands"--our house which is in heaven. My glorified body will be like that of my Lord and Savior--perfect.