I saw this last week on Facebook!

That phrase will/should put fear in the heart of strong man. For others, eyes roll and heads shake thinking about all that is on facebook that is…shall we say… short of the truth mark. Lamar Duke was the founding pastor of what is now One Savior Church off of Kolic-Helmly in the south part of the county. He went on to Pittsburgh, PA association work, New York Convention and now he is with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. I have underlined the two words caught my eye and that made all of the difference.

          "We do not work for victory, but from it" ~ Lamar Duke

Don’t just agree but give it some consideration. We live and work from victory. Not towards the victory we see in Revelation but from the victory won at the cross. Once again the cross was enough. A friend Lisa Day likes the phrase “We Win” because I used it to remind us of our victory but I was wrong. The phrase is “We Won.” It’s a done deal. The cross was the decisive blow to sin and death. Jesus did it. Not will do it, “it is finished,” he said. Not just his life but sin and death were stick-a-fork-in-it DONE. We won. So, why is it most days I feel like I lost, feel I’m a looser, in no way victorious? There is a reason I/we feel this way.

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Colossians 3:1-2 The Message

I/we use a macro lens instead of a wide angle “fish-eye” lens. With that vision all we can see is our situation and not even all of that. All we can interpret is what we can see and that is so limited. Unfortunately, that is our natural view. Most of us are not wide eyed in perspective. All we can really see is what affects us. True, all we really want to see is what affects us. That is not Christ’s view of life and living. The Kingdom of God is so much more vast and expansive than our one-foot-in-front-of another existence. That is not the panoramic view we are invited to experience. Yet at the same time within us is a desire to part of something bigger.

We can only experience that kind of view from the cross. Yes, the invitation is to die with Christ on the cross, lifted high, arms wide for all to see and to see all. THAT is the panoramic view of victory! No eyes focused on the ground and our own path but rather a view as far as the eyes can see. That is what resurrection life with Christ is like. Paul challenges us to act like we see that view. Is there fog, low visibility, darkness? That’s what faith is for. If you can’t see his hand trust his heart. Believe it’s good, it’s certain, it’s a winner. By the way, joining Christ in this adventure makes us winners.

Victory is ours.

We have won!

Bro G

Another Birthday!

               I don’t know if birthdays are good or bad. When you ask a child how old they are they will always answer looking forward. What I mean is, even if their 6th birthday was yesterday they will most likely answer the question “how old are you?” with “almost 7.” That’s what kids do. They look forward to the next thing. The best is yet to come, in front of them, not yet experienced, they are excited about it. That’s the good side of birthdays.

                The bad seems to happen as we reach middle age and realize that there is more time behind us than ahead of us. Then the answer to “how old are you?” will be 53 even though tomorrow is your 54th birthday or maybe “29 again” or “18 and holding” or “I don’t have birthdays anymore,” anything that delays the thought of another year having passed and us being older. We have our heals dug in and are leaving marks as time drags us forward another year.

                Birthdays are a time to look forward and a time to look back. The troubling part usually gets to us as we interpret what we see and what we don’t. Looking back may bring regrets over actions taken or missed opportunities, time wasted being “young.” It may lead us to wish a “do over” knowing what we know now so that “things will be different.” It is heart breaking because it can never happen. What’s done is done. The flip side is looking ahead at the ever decreasing time to do anything and or everything. The “skies not the limit” anymore as we recognize our finite nature here on this earth. Birthdays can be a bummer.

                “In the Bible everybody gets a comeback,” says Louis Giglio in a 60 second radio spot on Air1. Look at the examples. Moses was thrown out of Egypt and then goes back to bring the Hebrews with him. Later he is barred (both times because of his sin) from going into the Promised Land and yet at the transfiguration of Jesus he appears with Elijah. Peter denies Christ at the trial and is called by name at the empty tomb. Lazarus dies and Jesus comes and calls him back to life. Joseph is imprisoned three times (by brothers, Egypt and a tomb) and yet his body is returned on the Exodus. That’s what faith can do, bring peace in time.              

                The peace God gave me about eternity when I became a Christ follower is still real to me today. What I didn’t realize then – but I deeply appreciate now – is that faith is as much present tense as it is future tense ~ Dr. Chuck Lawless in Eight Unexpected Blessings of being a Christian.

                Birthdays are a reminder with God all things are possible and come backs are as common as sand. Crossroads is celebrating a birthday Sunday. A year may be done but God is not done. No, God is always moving forward redeeming the past and opening up unlimited possibilities for Eternity in individuals and organisms. Time for a Birthday PARTY!

Bro G

It might be an image of Grace!

Barbara and I hosted an engagement party for Elizabeth and Weston (our oldest and her fiance') this past weekend. Friends etc. from this area were invited to join us etc. I was more in the paying, helping part than the inviting part. The menu was easy and delicious Low Country Boil and steamed oysters. Yes, I know we are at the early edges of the oyster season. Sausage, corn and potatoes are easy requiring little to no preparation to go in the pot. Shrimp is another story.

We were able to purchase 50lbs. of fresh Georgia shrimp that had been swimming in the ocean 24 hours before for a good price. They came with the heads on. Popping heads was the task at hand and it went faster than I thought. Although more than once did I think the shrimp were multiplying in the cooler as I loaded up the bowl. In the end we had 34 lbs. of headed shrimp. We were pleased by the minimal waste. I had a scraped, sore index finger from the process for several days.

Oysters have little to no prep other than a hosing off before going into the steamer. The work comes when they emerge and need to be shucked. If the shell is open then it is much easier but if it is closed that can be a chore. We ended up with 160lbs. of oysters. I know oysters are a taste that has no middle ground. It seems people either like them or they don’t for all kinds of reasons. It is a black and white kind of thing. As I was shucking some oysters for my own consumption I thought about the function of these two inhabitants of the ocean.

Oysters filter out the sea water and shrimp “consume plant detritus, worms, decaying animal parts such as clams, fish and snails. As they move about they promote the growth of algae. Many species are cannibalistic.”[i] Both live at the bottom where the garbage collects. They live not in the pristine clear water at the surface or just below but in the depths. They live in the worst places and do the most insignificant functions at least that’s how we see them. Yet they taste so good?

Through the miracle of life, what is waste becomes tender muscle in these animals. What was discarded becomes desirable. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Psalm 118:22 HCSB It is an image of our transformation from sin infested, infected, affected wretches to the very image of Jesus Christ. God uses the bad places, tough spots adversities of this world to develop the muscle in us. Grapes grown under adverse drought condition are sweeter producing better juice. I believe it is the same for us. The miracle of grace is our sweetness in spite of our diet and environment.

Bro G


[i] http://www.eaglewoodgourmetfood.com/what-do-shrimp-eat.html. Accessed 9.10.15

It says Service in the name!

Several years ago we bought a new refrigerator. Bigger because we needed more room, better with two ice makers and Budget because it would cost less to operate and save us energy dollars. Well it is bigger and yet there is still not enough room to get everything in there without some creative arranging. Budget I don’t know if it saves us energy dollars or not. The sticker said so. Better two ices makers are great when they work but recently both were having problems.

The one on top did nothing at all. The one on the bottom makes ice but water was leaking into the bottom of the freezer, freezing and then blocking the drawer from opening easily and closing completely. We would have to unload it, chip and remove the ice chunks from the bottom. So, we called repair as we have and extended warranty. It would be three weeks until the appointment. The repair firm is A & E Service Company.

In speaking to the scheduler, we informed them that no one is at the house until 8:30 each morning as we drive school buses but after that we would be there. They said they understood (some of you know where this is going). The appointed day came and I arrived back at the house early. It was 8:22 and we had two messages on the answering machine. The first one said we would be the first call the tech made and they would arrive before 9am. This message was recorded at 7:45am. The second message was a call to reschedule our missed service appointment and was time dated 8:16am. WHAAAT? So, I called the number and asked what was up. They wanted to know if the tech left a note. I went and looked at both doors and no note. They said they would contact the tech and get back to us. This seemed like we were service them! That got me thinking.

Out of our need is how we come to Christ. It is what draws us to him and motivates us to believe. Yet, many of us stay always needing, always asking and always consuming the resources of faith and the community of faith. Sometimes that leads us to believe we deserve it maybe more than others. Yet the one who did deserve it said he had come to seek and save the lost, to serve and not be served. Jesus was a servant and commands us to be servants in his stead like his example. We are to serve others not consume. To answer your objection, service to others is where we will find the healing we need. As we love our neighbor, Christ meets the longings of our hearts. Service comes in cups of water, backpacks, lawn work or courtesy. It requires an outward focus. It’s not in our name but our DNA as children of God.

In HIS Service and Yours

BroG