Tag: Jesus

Posted in communication, Grace, life, love, Scripture, thankful

What’s Your Worth?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Well, it happens every fall and that year was no exception…we got to pay the first installment on our property taxes. There is a first installment because there is a second installment and there is a second installment because taxes are well, really steep. All this reminds me of something that came in the mail a couple of years or so ago and it was from the tax guy—the assessor to be specific.

They told me they had driven by my house, and they really liked it—a lot.  And, since they liked it so much, they thought it was worth a lot more than they had previously thought.  A whole lot more.  They blessed me with a reassessment and the grand prize was I got to pay more property taxes. Yay.  Well, not really but it did give me a great opportunity to learn about how much God loves me.  Here’s what happened.

If you have been here before you probably know that for forty-two years my day job was being a pastor. It is something that I really enjoyed.  My favorite thing was sharing THE story but also sharing stories.  I love to take big truths and present them in a way that anyone can grasp them.  I think that is what Jesus did and I figure if He did it I should too.

A while back I was sharing the story from the Bible how four guys took this paralyzed guy to see Jesus.  When they got there, the house was stuffed with people.  There was no way they were going to get in.  So, they decided to take this guy up on the roof, dig a hole in the roof and then lower him right in front of Jesus.  It was crazy, it was radical, and it was different, but they believed two things.  They believe that Jesus could heal their friend and that the friend was worth the effort.  We all could use friends like that.

They began to haul this guy up the ladder to the roof.  Can you even imagine how difficult and challenging that was?  I mean how do you keep a paralyzed guy from falling off his mat while climbing a ladder?  Well, somehow, they pulled it off.  When they got to the top, they began to remove the thatch first and then break apart the mud and tiles.  After they had made a hole big enough to get this guy through—they lowered him down and He landed right in front of Jesus. I bet there was more than one person who wondered what in the world was going on. I bet too some people were grumbling about tearing up a perfectly good roof to get some poor, paralyzed guy in front of Jesus. I mean if he had been some rich guy maybe, but a nobody? And that’s what rang my bell.

You see to those four guys and to Jesus—this guy wasn’t a nobody—he was a somebody.  He was worth way more than a hole in the roof.  In fact, through the eyes of Jesus every soul if incredibly valuable, including yours.  And that’s when the reassessment thing came into focus. Remember, when the tax folks drove by my house they liked what they saw and they increased my assessment.  Their assessment really only means I get to pay more taxes.  It really doesn’t tell me what my house is really worth.

You see, I learned a while back that anything you or I own—our house, our car, is worth only what someone is willing to pay for it. That’s the bottom line.  So, here’s the deal.  God drove by your soul, my soul and assigned a value to it—what it was worth to Him and what He was willing to pay to redeem it.  Do you know what that was?  Well, we find it in the Bible.  It says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  Get that—everlasting (as in eternal) life.  God’s assessment of our value to Him was the life of His very own Son.  He allowed His Son to die on a Roman cross because He counted us as somehow worth it.  He just loved us that much.

Well, the end of the story for the paralyzed guy was pretty amazing too.  Jesus first calls him Son—not worthless, not broken, but Son. Then He forgives the guy’s sin—not what he wanted but what he needed—and finally, He tells him to stand up, take his mat, and go home.  Three seemingly impossible things but with Jesus, as you can probably guess, nothing is impossible when He shows up. The guy jumps up, takes his mat and leaves as the crowd is standing in disbelief.  They said they have never seen anything like that—and they hadn’t. The key thing is that the guy had to not only believe but also act on what he believed and each one of us must do the same.  We must believe that Jesus is Who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.  When we believe that—we are forgiven, and God becomes our Father.

Truth be known, I wasn’t too happy about my reassessment, but I was glad it taught me a new way to look at how much God loves me…and you.  When we are down on ourselves, when all I can see are failures and warts, when I want to give up and quit, I remind myself that my Heavenly Father thinks I am worth a lot. You see, I’m also learning that His opinion is the only one that matters. So why not take a rest in Him today.  Because you know—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, life, priorities, Scripture

Not Visiting–But Moving In

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” Colossians 3:16a

I once read a story about a seminary professor who was studying in the Holy Land and met a man who claimed to have memorized the entire Old Testament in Hebrew. Knowing that would be quite a feat, the professor asked the man if he could give a demonstration. The man agreed, and the two met at the man’s home.

The professor took out his Hebrew Old Testament and the man asked, “Where shall we begin?” The professor loved the Psalms, so he suggested “Psalm 1.”  And beginning with Psalm 1, the man began to recite from memory while the professor followed along. For two hours, the man continued without a single mistake. Needless to say, the professor sat very impressed.

Well, when the demonstration was over, the professor discovered something about the man that shocked him. He wasn’t a Jew nor a Christian and in fact was an atheist. He knew the Scriptures better than many Jews and most Christians and yet they had done nothing to change his life. The reason why? He simply didn’t believe them.

What a tragedy…to know the most precious truth in the world so thoroughly and not allow it to touch you.  But I wonder if that tragedy hits closer to home than we want to admit?  How many of us listen week after week as teacher after teacher shares from the Word of God and yet fail to allow it to change our lives?  You see, it really isn’t enough just to be present and hear…we need to hear with the intent to allow it to change us.

In Jonah 3 we read that the king of Nineveh heard the message of God that Jonah preached. It so impacted his life that he led the citizens of that city to repent and turn from their sin.  And that impact changed God’s mind about their impending doom.  Remember it isn’t enough to hear…we need to hear with the intent to apply and change. Paul said it this way, “Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” That simply means we don’t need to allow the Word of God to pay our lives a visit…we need to allow it to move in.  I know sometimes truth can make us just a little uncomfortable but don’t worry.  The God who wrote it and gave it to us is the God who wants us to know, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, friends, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials

His World–Their World!

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love.” 1 John 4:16

It’s like traveling around the world. I never cease to be amazed at the world that God has created for us. My wife Judy and I love to travel, and I have found a way to kinda, sorta travel while sitting right in my living room chair.  It all happens courtesy of YouTube. I’m not sure why or how but one day, I stumbled upon a video of sorts that would take a part of the world and set pictures of it to relaxing music.  It may be England or Africa or Germany or maybe Utah.  Regardless, it is amazing and marvelous. I truly enjoy it and perhaps you should try it.  And then…it got better.

So, while I was trying to pick a place to visit, I found a feature that showed live webcams from all over the world.  Every few seconds, a different live video of a different part of the world would appear along with the current weather for that location.  Ok…this is way cool.  Imagine all these different places, all being shown live.  People are walking, visiting, or perhaps sleeping.  Cars are driving up and down the streets and trucks are making deliveries. It might be raining or snowing, warm or cold, sunny, or cloudy.  It is a world tour of the…world.

Recently, I was watching, and a video showed up showing early morning Philadelphia.  The sky was blue, and it was a beautiful spring morning.  God was showing off.  And then, just like that, I found myself looking at a place high in the Austrian Alps and even though it was mid-May it was snowing to beat the band.  For all intents and purposes, it was still midwinter. And it was just about then that it hit me.

All those videos were just like snapshots of our lives…each one different and each one unique.  As we look around some folks’ lives are like a beautiful spring morning—things couldn’t be better.  Look over there and there is someone enduring the beating rain of a severe storm and finally, glance over there and someone is locked in the midst of winter.  We sometimes forget that our lives, our experience may not be the experience of the person standing next to us.  While our lives are neat and orderly, theirs might be filled with gale force winds and pounding hail.  For us things couldn’t be better—for them things couldn’t be worse.

Can I encourage us to remember that?  Can I encourage us to be sensitive to the fact that our world may not be someone else’s?  Can I encourage us to be more understanding when someone seems to be rude and huffy when perhaps, just perhaps, they are doing everything they can just to stay afloat.  Jesus was so good at this.  He could read someone and respond and it wasn’t just because He was God in the flesh but also because He was determined to love others.  We can, and should, do the same thing.

So, if you do the computer thing, check out YouTube and search for relaxing music or videos and enjoy and as you are, remember that those places are places where people are living and maybe struggling.  Then, determine to be like Jesus, who managed to love each person no matter what. A song says that Jesus loves the little children, all the little children, and if He does…we should too. 1 John 4:16 says, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love.” We have come to know and believe that no matter what…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in communication, Family, gratitude, life, school days, Scripture, thankful

The Wonder of Music

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!” Psalm 96:5

You might say that I am a music nut.  I love music.  Ok, to be honest there is some music I like better than others, but by and large—most music is great.  I discovered something recently that I find to be quite a mystery.  I have satellite radio in my car and because of that I have access to a large selection of music.  I have several buttons preset so I can easily access my favorites.  Number one is modern or contemporary Christian.  Number two is smooth jazz—oh, I like that one. Then come the decades of my youth—sixties and seventies.  And then comes the mystery—the fifties.  Let me explain.

For some reason I find that I enjoy that station…a lot.  But more surprising, I know almost every song that is played.  I think that kinda odd.  My parents certainly didn’t listen to much of the radio, my older brothers and sisters were mostly grown by the time I came along last and the sisters next to me were sixties gals.  So where did it come from and how?  I don’t have a clue.  All I know for certain is that I like what I hear.

They say that variety is the spice of life, and I must agree and that might explain my love for most music.  When it comes to worship (the music we do that talks about God) I have two favorite instruments and guess what?   They don’t go together either.  First, I love drums.  I can’t play the drums. I have no rhythm—in fact I struggle to clap to the beat but all of that doesn’t change my love to both watch and hear them being played. Now in direct contrast to that is the violin.  There is something sweet, almost precious, about the sound of a violin. Its melodic sound can quickly sweep me away in worship.

So how is it that I can like such a variety of music and two instruments that are such opposites? I think the answer is simply at the center of it all is my love for music.  That seems to top everything else. So, you are just as likely to see me patting my foot to southern gospel as you are to a piece of the classics.  I think this love for the central thing might help us in our God stuff. You see, if we keep the focus on Him, all the stuff on the sidelines doesn’t matter nearly as much. It’s nice to know that no matter where I worship…I can worship because it isn’t the music that owns me…He does.

So, I hope music is a big part of your life.  And more importantly…I hope the God who created it is too.  As you journey in life, learn to appreciate the Creator and the rest will fall into place. The reason is simple.  As His book puts it, “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.” There you go.  I guess we shouldn’t be surprised no matter what, He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, friends, life, Scripture, Southern born, travel

This Little Light

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16

Here they come…ready or not. There are so many special memories that I cherish from my trips to Africa. At the top of the list are the friendships we developed and the wonderful people we met. However, there are few things that were not special and at least one really bugs me (pun fully intended). While ministering in Uganda, we would stay and work on the islands of Lake Victoria. While there was no plumbing or electricity…there was an abundant supply of bugs…insects.

This became very clear at night when nature called and you had to walk to the outhouse. Obviously it was very dark so you really needed a flashlight especially since the many barnyard animals left us gifts all around. The problem was as soon as you turned on the light, all those bugs and insects instantly were drawn to the light. Turn on the light and you became the most popular guy to a zillion bugs. They literally swarmed you. That forced you to either choose being friends with those zillion bugs or turning out the light and taking your chances.  Most often I took my chances. I don’t like bugs.

You see, bugs are always attracted to light. Down south where I was raised if you left the porch light on…you had bugs. That’s just the way it was. But guess what?  If you turned the light out the bugs quickly left and went wherever bugs go in the dark. The bottom line is bugs are not attracted to the dark…period. And guess what again? What is true in the bug world is true in the spiritual world. You see, if we want to win people to Jesus we have to attract them. And guess what (for the third time) attracts them–the light of Jesus. There’s just something about “authentic Jesus” light that calls and draws people. No light and they will just choose to wander in the dark.

If we want to draw people to the light–we have to turn it on–we have to be like Jesus and shine like Jesus. If we live darkly–well, we won’t get many, if any, followers. So, what do you say, let’s turn on the light in this dark work and share the light of Jesus. While people can easily resist our churchy religious stuff they will find Jesus irresistible. Like the kid’s song says, “This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”  Afraid to flip the switch?  Just ask your Dearest Daddy for a little help. I promise you…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, food, life, money, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God

Faith and Shifting Sand

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God is not a man, that He might lie, or a son of man, that He might change His mind.” Numbers  23:19a

Well, I just don’t understand it.  You know, there are some things in this world that just don’t make sense.  You probably have noticed that we seem to be in the middle of some kind of financial crisis.  Inflation is inflating…can someone say ouch? And then there is this whole gas thing.  As I write this gas is over three dollars a gallon and just for fun there is talk of raising the gas tax–already the second highest in the nation. Can someone say double ouch? It is hard to believe that just a few years ago when we were doing the pandemic thing gas was about $1.52 and we said we just couldn’t believe it.  Well, go figure.  And the amazing part is that we are all driving as much as we did when it was cheaper.  Those guys with the big pickup trucks with big engines are still putting the pedal all the way down. It’s like gas is free.  What?

And then of course there is the shortage thing.  They are saying it has to do with supply and demand.  Well, if that is true somebody needs to start demanding more supplies.  Things, like eggs, require a loan to get a dozen.  In a time of precedented happenings, life just seeming to be going on like before.  The restaurants are full, the some store shelves are empty, and no one seems to be in a panic.  In fact, in at least one instance they seem to be celebrating. Yup…it’s true.

I’ve just about given up watching the news, but when I do they will sometimes show this scene from Wall Street.  It occurs at the end of the day, and it shows about fifteen or so people on this platform and it is their job to ring the bell calling for an end of the trading day.  So, the other day, when the stock market had fallen nearly 1,000 points there were people there and as they rang the bell, they were cheering like madmen (or women).  They were yipping and yelling like they had just won the lottery.   Big smiles and grins filled their faces.  It’s like they didn’t even know what had just happened.

Well, it turns out no matter what happens on any given day, these folks, and it is always different folks, get up there and do this madman (or woman) celebration.  I’ve concluded it has nothing to do with the market…they are just glad to ring the bell.  Maybe it is because the day and damage is done or maybe it is because they made a ton of money.  All I know is it sure is confusing.  It sends this crazy mixed-up message and I’m left scratching my head. Good or bad? Happy or sad? Who’s knows?

So what do you do in a world that often doesn’t make a lot of sense? That’s a fair question. To be honest, there are times these days when I don’t know exactly what to do or say.  I want to complain but that isn’t going to help.  I want to whine but that doesn’t change anything.  I want to get mad sometimes but, well, what good does that do?  I think the right thing is stay the course and to believe and trust…in God.  I mean even if you aren’t a God person maybe today would be a good day to give it a try!  Everything around us is shifting and sinking—maybe we should try something different.

I’ve been on my personal Jesus journey for more than a few decades.  I’ve seen the mountain tops and I’ve trudged through my share of valleys and the one constant has been God.  I don’t always understand but I have found that even when I don’t…He is faithful. The Bible, the oldest and most reliable of sacred writings, tells us that God is not a man, that He might lie, 

or a son of man, that He might change His mind. I know that might seem a bit extreme if you are not a believer and I get that.  But don’t these extreme times call for something extreme…like faith?

I’m not sure what the price of gas will be in a week. I’m not even sure there will be eggs in the cooler but I am sure that no matter what my Dearest Daddy in heaven will be the same…good, faithful and trustworthy.  I’m sure that no matter what, He will be there, the Whisperer whispering, “Don’t worry son, I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Easter, forgiveness, Grace, heaven, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

Ready, Set–Go!

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:18

Well, you will probably be reading this on Maundy Thursday—the Thursday before Good Friday—day day of the Last Supper—the launching pad for the greatest event in human history.  This Sunday will be the epitome of the Christian calendar.  That day followers of Christ around the world will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That day, churches around the world will be filled with people who, at least on that day, declare their belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. Most churches will experience their largest attendance of the year. People who attend church infrequently seem to be drawn to worship around Christmas but especially around Easter.

Really that shouldn’t surprise us at all.  At Christmas we feel the warm embrace of a baby coming into the world.  In the case of Jesus, the birth of the Savior of the world…Emmanuel…God with us.  Wrapped in that night is hope…hope that there will be a tomorrow.  But the celebration of Easter goes forward from there.

You see, in Easter…actually in the Christ of Easter we find strength, power and victory.  Buried in each of us is the confrontation with our own mortality…we all must face death.  Short of the rapture, we all are going to face death.  In the celebration of Easter we find that death doesn’t have to be the end…in fact, it is a beginning of sorts.

When Jesus willingly died on Good Friday and demonstrated His power over death by resurrecting Sunday morning, He forever proclaimed that mankind no longer had to fear death.  I love what He said in John 10:18.  Speaking of His death, He said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” 

Isn’t that just incredible?  I lay my life down and then I can take it up again.  It is that power that led Paul to write in Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…”

Really, there is such power in all of this that the resurrection and the One who was resurrected must be the center of our worship every week.  This most likely is the reason the first century church worshiped on Sunday. They understood the power of this great truth.  Think about it–no other man–no other religious leader or teacher–no one ever did what Jesus did.  It was so big that 2100 years later we are still talking about it.  Incredible.

So, as you read read this may it be your motivation to get ready to celebrate this Sunday and every Sunday. Not only does this truth have the power to change our lives—it also can change the way we worship. Begin now, right now, to prepare for the biggest Sunday of the year. If you’re not sure how, just as the One who pulled all of this off. Believe me…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Easter, Family, gratitude, life, love, Scripture, thankful

The Easter Suit

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

It’s just another one of those special memories.  It was spring in Jacksonville, Florida and number fifteen or so in my life journey.  Back in those days, Easter was a big deal, and so was what you wore.  We were raised in the tradition that Easter meant a new outfit…it is just what we did.  But just like Christmas beliefs and traditions sometimes change…so did this Easter tradition.  As we got older…the new outfits got fewer but then, for some reason, it happened.  One year, when I was about fifteen, Momma and Daddy loaded me up in the car, drove across town to a men’s store for the sole purpose of buying me an Easter suit.

I’m not sure what prompted this or a hundred other sacrifices they made for us but it happened.  The name of the store is lost to time but it may have been Tatum’s—a store known for quality men’s clothing at a good price.  So we arrived and went in and soon I was trying on suits.  They say some things never change and that is true.  Today when I shop for just about anything it isn’t the label that matters or even the style—price takes the day.  It is a matter of practically and budget.  It is true today because it was true then.  Remember, somethings don’t change.

Soon, with the help of our salesperson, we had settled on a subtle green tweed suit.  It was a very nice suit and the price was very reasonable.  I would later realize that might have been because it was a rather heavy wool material and there wasn’t a lot of demand for it in Florida.  Regardless, it was soon mine.  But Momma and Daddy weren’t done.  The salesman led us over to the shirt department and we picked out a creamy yellow shirt that matched the suit perfectly.  But wait…there was more.  Next came a tie.  To this day I can remember this—my first tie—bought just for me.  It was a linen, striped tie made of pastel colors.  Again, a perfect match for the new suit and tie.

There was some tailoring to the done but by Easter morning I was set and dressed to the nines.  That morning, I assembled my new outfit and proudly headed off to church.  I was so proud but for a special reason…one you have read before in Grits.  I was proud because of all my parents had done to make sure I had a new Easter suit. Why that year? I don’t know.  Maybe it was because I was stepping into manhood.  That year, and most years that followed, the subtle green wool suit was too warm to wear but that never stopped me from wearing it.  It was special and that was all that mattered. It was a suit of love…a suit of sacrifice.

Looking back their Easter sacrifice is made even more special. You see, that gift and sacrifice was at least a little like the gift and sacrifice that God made for us that first Easter.  He gave His best, His only Son to a Roman cross so we could be forgiven and dressed in His righteousness.  And unlike my suit that was a little too warm for Florida…His gift was perfect…in more ways than one. A perfect sacrifice for an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. And why? Because of love.

Easter, Resurrection Sunday, is just around the corner but it would serve us well to remember that every time the sun rises, it reminds us of the resurrection.  It is no accident that Christians worship on Sunday…by design it is a celebration of the resurrection. I’m not sure how long I held onto that subtle green, too warm, suit but I have never forgotten the love that bought it for me.  And, I’m sure I will never forget the love of a God who cared enough to give His very best so that we could call Him “Dearest Daddy.” 

Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome.  In it, he gave them an Easter suit of sorts, a reminder of God’s great love.  He wrote, “But God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Imagine that—broken and unworthy—and yet He loved and He gave.  Today and each day, don’t leave the message of Easter behind.  He loves us, He cares for us, and He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, life, school days, Scripture, sovereignty of God

Satan, Sally & Ruff

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Everybody needs a dog.  Now I know that is a generalization, but the fact is dogs can add a lot to life.  Sometimes that “lot” is good and sometimes not so much.  The bottom line is that dogs are kinda like people.  They are all different, they all have different personalities, and they all have different names.

When I was growing up, I can remember three outdoor dogs that we had.  Momma and Daddy had an indoor dog named Penny. She was a, uh, well, overweight chihuahua mix and was pretty much the queen bee of the house.  But through the years that I remember we had three other dogs and all three were as different as night and day. The first one had a very unusual name.

Now, first remember these were real outdoor dogs.  We are talking their dog food was whatever scraps were left over from dinner and they never got a bath.  So regardless of what adjectives I use to describe them, you would never find them at a dog show.  The first one was a beautiful, red, long hair, Irish setter.  I’m not sure where we got him, but I can assure you he was free.  We definitely did not pay for dogs.  Besides the fact that this dog was really pretty, his name set him apart.  His name was, wait for it, Satan.  Yes, folks, we actually had a dog named Satan.  Even as I type this, I am saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”  But…I am not.

Satan, the dog—not the king of evil—didn’t get his name from his behavior but rather from his red coat.  You know how we like to dress Satan (the king of evil not the dog) in red? Well, I guess Momma and Daddy decided it seemed appropriate.  I know when I am introduced to someone, sometimes I hear their name and say, “Well, he or she looks like a Judy or a Sam.  Well, Satan, the dog, with his red coat fit the bill.  What a crazy name for a dog.

The second dog that holds a spot in my dog hall of fame was a beagle named Sally.  Now Sally, I think, is a kinda happy name.  I have a hard time imagining a stern-faced Sally though I am sure there are plenty out there.  Well, Sally, the dog, had a bubbly personality and had the unique ability, wait for it, to smile.  Now, as Jerry Clower the comedian, used to say, “if I am lying, I am dying.”  You could walk up to ole Sally and give her a greeting and she would turn her upper lip right up and smile at you.  Bring her supper and up the lip would go.  She was a nice contrast, as you can imagine, to, uh, Satan (not the king of evil but the dog.)

The third and final dog that fills my memory of dogs in my growing up years was a rough and tumble, short legged, who knows what breed or breeds, dog we named, wait for it, Ruff. Our dog Ruff didn’t stand out with a shiny red coat nor could he smile.  He was just Ruff. If he was a human, he probably would have driven a big Harley hog, wore a leather jacket, and smoked cigarettes.  He was rough.  He may have had small dog syndrome because truthfully, he was short and stocky.  But, regardless, he was a good dog, and he was loyal.  He ruled the backyard and protected us from all the bad guys.

Three dogs, three distinct personalities and characteristics and three names that kinda, sorta, fit them.  Back in the old days of the Bible, names were a really big deal. You would name your son or daughter based on your hopes and dreams for them.  Sometimes it worked out…and sometimes, well, it didn’t.  I know when Joseph learned that Mary was going to have Jesus, he had some inside help on the name.  I mean an angel shows up and says, “Hey, Mary is going to have a baby and you are to name Him Jesus because He is going to save the world.” Now that is one important name.

And guess what?  That is exactly what He did.  His destiny was to die on a Roman cross to pay for the sins of the whole world—mine and yours and well, everybody’s.  When you hear the name of Jesus—think Savior because that is what He is.  His name is special, very special, and is one that should not, ever, be thrown around lightly.  Guess what? God likes to give names to His kids too.  In the last book of the Bible, it says that God will give us a new name written on a white stone and no one will understand the name but one who gets it.  Until then, well, He just calls us son or daughter. I like that.  And as His son or daughter, we have the assurance that no matter what comes our way, we can count on Him.  We can know for sure, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Integrity, life, priorities, Scripture, travel

Lawbreaker

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 14:15 

Can someone say, “lawbreaker?” Now, by and large I have always considered a person who generally follows the rules. Well, something happened on our trip to Florida that sorta gave me a new perspective. First, I was not a speeder. Oh, I might go one or two over the speed limit but that was it. In fact, for the last year or so, I would set the speed control right at, or under, the speed limit. It was just something I did. Well, here’s the confession. On our last trip south I found myself going a full five to seven miles per hour over the interstate speed limit. I know—I can’t believe it either.

I think it started on our last trip to Atlanta for Operation Christmas Child. I was supposed to follow someone and they were doing around 75 to 77. Well, I felt like I needed to keep up so I did too. To my surprise the world didn’t come to an end…in fact, in some ways it was easier because that was the speed that it seemed everyone else was traveling. I discovered that doing what others are doing can be…easier. So our next trip was the one to Florida and not surprisingly I found it very easy to just keep doing what I had done. You see, often when you cross a line it becomes easier and easier to keep right on crossing it. Hmmm.

I know, and you probably know, that lawbreaking is like that. When we break the law, if we don’t get caught, we eventually convince ourselves that we won’t get caught…ever. Now I know, and you probably know, that is simply not true. If you mess around with breaking the law, and especially God’s law, you will eventually pay the price. Lawbreaking and sin both carry penalties. Now I didn’t get pulled over so I didn’t get a ticket but something in me was reenforced that is very important. If I had, or if I do, well, I will fully deserve it. And guess what? If and when it happens, and whether it is two miles per hour over the speed limit or ten—I will be just as guilty. I became a lawbreaker when I went one mile per hour over the limit and that made me—guilty.

This really came home to me the other day. I was driving on a four lane road near our town and suddenly someone I knew passed me. My first judgement thought was, “Hmmm, they shouldn’t be speeding.” That worked until I looked down and discovered that I too was speeding—I too was a lawbreaker. I quickly realized that I had no right to judge them…period. Now this story is not about speeding or breaking any traffic law for that matter. Really, this is about God and His law and the fact that we should remember that breaking the law is breaking the law. There aren’t big sins and little sins—only big and little consequences. There aren’t little lies and big lies—a lie is a lie. We just need to be as holy as we can be. We need to remember that God gives us rules for a purpose…one of which is to make our lives better.

Jesus said that if we really loved Him we would keep His commands. So what do you say…let’s make holiness a priority. Let’s remember that once we are comfortable with being a lawbreaker—well, it can take us places we don’t want to go. Do you need a refresher course in spiritual driving (sorry couldn’t resist the analogy), just go to God’s driver’s ed course. First thing you learn is…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne