You Might be A Christian.....

Matthew 5:16...In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Years ago Jeff Foxworthy came up with ways to tell if you might be a Redneck and it became quite possible to look, see and point out a "redneck".....especially if everytime you got married, and your Ma and your Pa were yer in-laws agin......and you wear a belt buckle that weighs mor'n three pounds. There are just ways that people KNOW you are a Redneck and most importantly, you are proud of it.

Now ain't that the way it should be with your walk with God?  Shouldn't people be able to point you out as a Christian?  If Leroy should see you saying a blessing over your next plate of "chitlins'....you might be a Christian. If the the bible you carry is bigger than your belt buckle, you might be a Christian, and more importantly, be proud of it! Let your light shine like a Wheat Lamp.

Jesus, we thank you for every opportunity to shine with Your Glory, that in glorifying You as the Savior, we, too are glorifyed in eternity.

Being Hospitable with What You Possess...

Leviticus 19:34...You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Ma and Pa decided to tidy up the trailer and open up a small hospitable place for passerby-ers to stop fer the night...a sort of Bed and Breakfast, but having such a small trailer home, Ma hung out the sign next to the bug zapper on the front porch that simply said, "Ma's Biscuit and a Blanket".

When visitors come a-visitin' you should give what you have to make them comfortable. If all you have is some bisquick and worn blankets. The Bible tells us to "by being hospitable to strangers, many have entertained Angels unaware."

Lord, help us to take what little or what lot we have and use it to treat those that we meet or that come into our lifes in the hospitable way you would treat us.

God's Love is Forever...

Jeremiah 33:11...Gods faithful love endures for ever.

The Possum George Jones had a song that went "He stopped loving her today" and it was like the love Pa had for Ma. He couldnt get over his lost love until death carried him a way.  There was just something beautiful in their love....as they got older they shared everything. I remember the morning at the Waffle House and Pa ordered breakfast for him and Ma and had to wait for Ma to finish so he could get his turn with the teeth. The love of God toward us is as enduring and lasting as that. God will love us forever.  And forever is to be with the Lord that will love you forever. There will be no stop loving you today moment with God.

Are you prepared for a relationship that has no end because thats what you get when you invite Jesus into your life. He will never let you go and His love endures through everything and forever.

Dear Jesus I come to you with a thankful heart that you'll love me forever and ever. even mor'n  ma loved pa.....

Seeking The Wisdom of God....

Proverbs 8:5...become expert in reason, o you simple ones, you foolish ones, take training to heart....

Judd was proud of his intelligence, why he took the test down at the Cracker Barrel, and having left only 2 pegs on the triangle board, his IQ came back as "purdy darn smart"....the family was so proud. Now they had someone to call when and if they ever got on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. Uncle Judd.

The bible tells us to seek wisdom from the Lord and and not to rely on our own intelligence. Or Uncle Judd's. If a man seeks wisdom let him ask of the Lord. Do not be proud of your own intelligence but seek the wisdom of God and He will guide you in all things.

Lord Jesus, in all humbleness we seek your wisdom and do not lean toward our own understanding, putting aside how smart we are and being quided by Your Word.

...Jesus will Look For You

Luke 15:4....what man of you having an hundred sheep loses one and wilt not leave the ninty and nine to seek that which is lost?

Jesus doesn't want to lose any one of his sheep. Like Old Man Grady when he went a-hunting the other nite, he wouldn't come on home til Ol'Joker finally made his way back to the pack of coon hounds ready to load up and git on home. Why if Old Man Grady hadnt located Joker that night he would have returned to that very spot until he found him. If Old Lady Grady would let go of some funds he would buy one of them locating contraptions called a trackin' system. No hunter wants to lose his prize hound.

Jesus has a tracking system and its more than our small minds can understand but know that He knows where his sheep are and will bring them home.

Father, I thank you that you care for me and my whereabouts, that you would seek me and keep me close.

Day Six...Trusting In Jesus to take care of Our Needs...

Phillippians 4:6....be anxious for nothing but by prayer and thanksgiving make your request be known to Him and He will give you his perfect peace.....cast your care on Him without worry....

Rufus loved his old reclining chair, the one that sit on his front porch and provided him a nice place to spend summer evenings sitting and watching the traffic his small trailer home. When Ma made him give up the porch sitting and put the chair in storage, he asked cousin Felroy to keep it at his house down the road where it wouldnt be left out in the winter weather. But he found himself worrying about his favorite chair, and would call Felroy almost daily, to check on the old piece of furniture. Always asking Felroy if his chair was okay, Felroy finally asked him to take the chair home with him because if Rufus felt Felroy wouldnt care for it properly, he needed to just take care of it himself...

Jesus tells us to cast our cares upon him, but when we do that but still worry constantly about our problem we are doing what Rufus did about his chair. Leave it in the care of the Lord and dont fret over it anymore. Your favorite chair is out of the way of bad weather when it sits in the house of the Lord.

Dear Jesus, help me to give my cares to you in prayer in complete knowledge that You who cares for me will take care of my every need.

....Throw Out The Filth of Your Past...

Hebrews 12-1...let us set aside every weight every sin that easily drags us down...Psalms 51:10...create in us a new heart....

Throw out your trash. Sally Sue was purdy glad to see that store bought baby diapers were disposable cause like she told Uncle Percy she didn't see why anyone would keep any.

Theres plenty of trash in our lives that builds up, piles over and some can even get purdy smelly.
Every day you must sniff the debris in your life and determine that it is smelling up the relationship you have with Jesus. Like the dirty diaper, not only will it be a misery for the wearer but anyone around will soon get the scent of your mess, so toss that crap out.

Dear Lord Jesus, create in me a new heart, one with a fresh odor of mercy and grace that I will not smell up the air of my relationship with you.

...Being Born Again

John 3:3...Jesus answered and said "I tell you the truth, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

Rufus read that verse and thought whow, thats mighty strange words there, and, like Nicodemus, he wondered how the heck anyone could be born agin....If Ma had anything to do with it, it sure nuff weren't gonna happen.

Preacher Arnold was glad to explain it to Rufus when he brought it up at meeting come Sunday.
"Well, Rufus, its like this", he said. "Its about you quit living the life of the world and change into your Spirit life that began the moment you let the Holy Spirit into your heart."
Rufus studied a minute and said, "I guess its like Ma smackin' ya over the head with a hard cast iron skillet and you just aint ever the same?"
"Well", head shaking, head scratchin, Preacher said, "uh well sort of, I guess."

Lord we thank you for your loving touch that is a bit less painful than Ma's tender touch, and ask forgiveness that we needed to be walloped in the first place.

Know whats true and believe with all your heart.....

Ma wasn't so convinc'd that them astronuts had really walked on the moon, but she sure fired knew wressling was real.

 The bible tells us to test that which we know to be true and protest that which we know to be false. The position we take on what we believe is the measure of our faith.
Believe without doubting, dont waver on the rising waves that are tossed about in disbelief. but hold firm to putting your heart into the hands of the Savior. Be as adamant in yore beliefs as Momma is about watching that wrassling come Friday night.

Father, We come to you in what we are to let you know that by our prayers and meditations we believe and don't doubt. Accept what belief we bring today and help it increase more and more day by day.

Day One......The Cinderblock of my Salvation.....

(Devoting yourself to the Lord in your own words/language and culture)

Matthew 7:26...And Jesus spoke and said whosoever hear my words and abide by them I will liken to a wise man that builds his house on a Rock...

Its true that duct tape and cinder blocks are very useful items for most of us southern folks. Theres a lots of things you can fix with duct tape. In one southern state the New Quarter was two dimes and a nickel duct taped together. And cinder blocks, every one needs at least twelve of them, mostly to prop up the old car or truck and make pretty flower holders says Ma. And if you have four of 'em heck you got a bed frame. Its good to have solid heavy rocks to prop up your important things. I am sure Ma and Pa wouldnt want the bed falling down with the younguns in it.

Just as strong and dependable as the cinder block, Jesus is the rock we need. When you are resting on Jesus, you are resting on rock. Solid rock. With Jesus as our Rock, we can rest sure far trusting we won't fall jest like that bed holding up the younguns while they sleep.

Jesus, we look to You, the Rock of our faith, the cinderblock of strength in all our troubles. Thank you for being a solid rock we can count on to keep us safe.