🤵‍♂️A Question Asked👀

 Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you. Walt Whitman

In Matthew chapter 22 we read of a lawyer asking Jesus a tricky question. His question was a question to entrap and expose Jesus to the people as a very ignorant man. Good luck on that Charlie. 

Matthew 22:35 (KJV) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

Matthew 22:36 (KJV) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Which is the “great commandment” ? Which commandment has more magnitude than the others?  Jesus responses by saying;

Matthew 22:37 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Matthew 22:38 (KJV) This is the first and great commandment.

“Thou shalt love the Lord” How?

1. “with all thy heart”
2. ”with all thy soul”
3. ”with all thy mind”

That my friend is a tall order. In the New Testament “heart” is mentioned 106 times. The first time it is mentioned is in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 8 and it reads Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Free from moral defilement. This reminds me of the hymn “Is Thy Heart Right With God..

 Is thy heart right with God,

Washed in the crimson flood,

Cleansed and made holy, humble and lowly, Right in the sight of God?

• Is there no more condemnation for sin?
  Is thy heart right with God?
  Does Jesus rule in the temple within?
  Is thy heart right with God?

• Are all thy pow’rs under Jesus’ control?
  Is thy heart right with God?
  Does He each moment abide in thy soul?
  Is thy heart right with God?

Jesus told that lawyer to Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul and mind. I need to ask myself, is there love in my heart for my Lord? Or is it filled with other loves? The love of wealth, power, people, positions, prestige, is there any room even left for loving the Lord? Follow Saul’s life until he became  the Apostles Paul. See if we can say that we had that big of change in our lives? Saul started out under men of his day, men with power, prestige, men in high places. Men who were looked up to. Saul sat and watched and even held the clothes of those who stoned Stephens. Saul consented  unto Stephen’s death. Saul made havock of the Church. Saul  went into people's homes and took men and women and put them in prison leaving children without parents. Saul was not a good man. We say that was awful and I will agree but we were just as bad in other areas of our lives. Then it happened Saul was on his way to Damascus when he met up with the Lord and that my friend changed his life for eternity. Can you identify? Don’t be like the lawyer questioning the Lord God. Be like the man who got a new life and a new name, a new love and started learning about the Lord his God. Are we learning more, loving more of the Lord we say we love? 

💋The 2 Most Memorable Experiences 🌀

 “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln 

Proverbs 18:22 (KJV) Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

I’m not good at on the spot questions. Patrick Henry, a young man that I went to Church with a few years back. Patrick and his family are now missionaries in Argentina. Anyways Patrick asked me this question one night. He said what book do I have that has helped you the most? NO one had ever asked me that question before and I didn’t have an answer. I had many books in my library but to say which book sticks out in my mind above all others was unanswerable at the moment. I’m not quick at answers like that. That is why I don’t want to be called on in a crowd, I would rather think before I speak. I went home that night with that on my mind. After thinking on it for a while I came up with which book. It was a book by the name of “The Chemistry of the Blood” written by M.R. De Haman in 1943, what a book. How can Jesus be fully man and also fully God? M.R. DeHaan, a Medical Doctor explains it, it’s in the BLOOD! I went back in a few days and reminded Patrick of his question and gave him my final answer.

Last week I was listening to a radio station called New Life. It is an FM station out of Griffin GA. I was listening to Chip Ingram’s broadcast “Living on the Edge.” When he made a statement to something like this “what 2 decisions were your best decisions you ever made?”  Without thinking 2 popped into my mind. The first was a Sunday Morning in 1973 when I asked the Lord Jesus to save me. That day has changed my life for eternity. 

The Second was Monday night January 5, 1970 when I asked Judy Booth to marry me and she said yes. We did on Wednesday January 7, 1970 some time after 3:00 pm or 1500 hours whichever you prefer. I remember the bell at the courthouse in Walhalla South Carolina was ringing at three o’clock as we walked toward it. She was 18 and I was 19. That was 56 years ago today, and she is still the apple of my eye, the love of my life. I think of her when I get up in the mornings and the last words from my mouth before we go to sleep is “I love you.” I have never quit loving her. Six months later Uncle Sam said I need you somewhere else and just like that I was gone.🗯️ ✈️ We have shared many a good day in those 56 years but mixed in with those good days, just like you there have been those days you could live without. So the best 2 decisions I have made without doubt was that Sunday Morning at 2365 Young Street in Atlanta Ga, Eastland Heights Baptist Church. And that night on Bouldercrest Rd in the parking lot of Walker High School where we both graduated.  

Now get this. I came home after hearing Chip Ingram and told Judy what I had heard on the radio and told her 2 thoughts popped into my mind. Then I asked her what do you think they were? She said the day you got saved. I knew she would get that one. Then she blew my mind (that’s a saying from the 60’s.) She said the day you asked me to marry you. Really! I never thought she would get that one. I asked her why she said because I know you love me! 

Last time, the thing we can do that takes zero talent was “be on time.” 

Today we can all  “Make an effort.” I used to say I can’t without ever making an effort to. I know there are things we can’t do no matter how hard we try. If someone were to say “Wayne, we need someone to play the piano.” I could put in all the effort I wanted to but there would be no music. I went snow skiing, ⛷️never been before; I put in the effort for about 10 hours. Today I can say because I put in the effort that I can’t ski!🎿

⏳Time⌛️

Time waits on no one!

Matthew 25:24 (KJV) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

We more than likely have read or heard about the talents written about in Matthew chapter 25. One man has 5 and one has 2 and then there is the one who only has 1.  The one with 5 doubles his and the one with 2 doubles his. The one with only one does nothing with his talent. Oh yes he does, he hides it. 🙆🏻‍♂️why?  Matthew 25:25 (KJV) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

We all have talents some more than others. I had a friend that had multiple talents. His name was Jackie Stewart he lived in Tellico Plains Tennessee. I first met Jackie at a youth camp in Blairsville Georgia. He pastored a Church in Tellico Plains. He had taken as I did his youth group there for a week. I don’t remember the year maybe 1985 or 1986 that we met but we became instant friends. As we sat one evening together before we  went to another service he said to me “Wayne, I wish I was as talented as you are.” I looked at him like he was a nut. Talent, I said. You have got to be kidding. I will never forget that afternoon he told me that, when he himself had more talent than I will ever have. Little did he or I know that he would be in heaven in just a few years. Talent, what is it? It’s our ability to do something. It could be playing an instrument, it could be an artistic ability, speaking ability, carpentry ability and a host of other abilities. Like I said we all have talents. Now whether we use them or not is up to each individual. In the next few days I want to name 10 important things that we all can do that takes no talent at all. We will start with number 1 “Being on time takes no talent.” We all have the ability to be on time. One man told me that if you are not at least 5 minutes early you are late. Another man told me if 10 people have to wait 5 minutes for you because you are late then you have wasted 50 minutes of time. It takes no talent to be on time. 

😊HAPPY NEW YEAR🤗

Being happy can be found in the darkest of days if we remember to turn on the light. 

As we face the New Year we are all hoping and looking  for a good year. Some want a better year than the last while others are satisfied and hope the next will be the same as the last. Whichever side you agree with there is one thing for sure you want to be here and enjoy Christmas of 2026. Don't you? I thought you would say yes. 2026 will bring joy, excitement, thrills and chills but it will also have its days of disappointment, discouragement as well as sadness. Everyday will be different, none will be the same, maybe almost but not the same. Days are like our finger prints; they are all different.

The New Year 2026 Thursday January 1 many will say to themselves. I will stop cursing, looking, smoking, drinking, I will fix my anger problem, I will love my wife/husband/ children more, I will pray, read my Bible, go to Church and the list goes on and on. It's the list that never ends, why? Because

Sin is our Daily Battle:

Sin “The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule”

We can curb its appetite but we will never be able to destroy its presence. 

1. David teaches us how to Cleanse our way 

Psalms 119:9 (KJV) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Do we?

2. David teaches us how to Curb our appetite 

Psalms 119:11 (KJV) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Do we?

How do we Cleanse our way & Curb our appetite 

3. David teaches us not to wander from God's Commandments 

Psalms 119:10 (KJV) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Do we know what they are?

Yet we still wander, we still sin! Why? I try so hard. Here’s why, we are sinners and we need a Savior! A Savior that will forgive us.

Hebrews 8:12 (KJV) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Hebrews 10:17 (KJV) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Psalms 103:12 (KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

FORGIVENESS is refusing to bring it up.

I have a close friend and I hurt his feelings. And for over 30 years he was upset with me. One day I apologized and asked for his forgiveness and he nor I have ever brought it up again. God FORGAVE and will never bring it up again. Has God forgotten? 

No, I just don’t think God will forget what Jesus died for. 

Hollywood has marketed sin to be enjoyable and entertaining. Is it? No it’s not and we all have had our personal adventure to know. Get ready for 2026 and make a real difference that this time next year you can rejoice and be glad. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Don’t forget to turn on the light

 

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Family Member 👨‍🦰

 The new year is nothing but new opportunities to do things better.

We have heard about how we should live all our lives. What we should eat to be and stay healthy. They should know they say they are experts. Now when it comes to how to get to Heaven we hear there are many ways. Can one go to Florida going north? You can go north and go to Florida. How? Until you find out you can’t! That is what many do today about going to Heaven. They tell themselves I’m a good person. The Bible says you are not. 

Romans 3:12 (KJV) “there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ” 

No one goes seeking after God.  

Romans 3:11 (KJV)  “there is none that seeketh after God.” Adam and Eve ran and hid themselves when God came calling for them. Do you hide to do anything? Why? Many say I’m an open book. Nice saying but no one including myself is an open book. We may almost be an open book but there are things we don’t talk about like those things you like to do alone. Now God has a plan for all of us and the plan is the same. It’s a simple plan so don’t rush by it..

 John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Break this verse down a little bit. “God so loved the world” who is in the world? Are you and I not in the world? For God so loved you and I. What does love do? It causes a person to give, is that not what God did? “that he gave”

God wasn’t cheap on His giving for God gave “his only begotten Son” God gave His only Son. There is always a purpose for giving. We give to those we love everyday but we also give much nicer gifts on special occasions. Why? Because we love them and want to give. We may wish those we know a happy birthday, anniversary, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. The ones in our family we give much more than just verbally and so does our Heavenly Father. God gave to those that “believeth in him”

God didn’t give to those who just acknowledged Him but those who put their trust in Him. Like we may not give to those we work with, live Nextdoor to or our friends. We read that God gave to those who believed in Him two gifts. The first was that those who believe, place their trust in Him would not “perish” Then God goes a step further and gives us the second gift “everlasting life.”

What was the reason that God gave us this great gift “For God so loved the world.” Which you and I are a part of!

These gifts are only for family members. Are you a family member? You are if you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ God’s only Son. A new year is coming, it’s almost here. Will you be new in 2026 or the same as you were in 2025? To be honest I like those 2 gifts “not perish” and “have everlasting life.”

🧐Truth, Is It Really True?🤔

 You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Well I think you can’t know anything for sure. What is true for you is not for me, I’m searching for the truth. It is true the Varsity in downtown Atlanta has the best onion rings anywhere! Is that true or is that taste? That is taste, not truth and the reason being is my friend doesn’t like their onion rings. Truth never changes. It doesn't matter where you believe it or not, like it or not, trust it or not it will always be true. If 3 people were doing this math problem 2+2=

The first person comes up with the answer 3 and the second person comes up with the answer as 4 and the third comes up with the answer being 5. Which one is right? The second person that gave the answer to be 4. New day, new teacher, new year same test what will be the answer?

The correct answer will always be four. Why? Because we just think that sounds best. No! Because it is true and truth never changes no matter what I or you think.  All our lives we have been lied to. Go buy anything and you are told that you have a 7 year replacement if anything goes wrong. We will send our repair people out to your home and if it’s unrepairable we will replace it with a new one. That sounds good but my question is why can you explain your repair guarantee to me in two sentences verbally. Then in writing I have to read 10 pages in small print that  supposedly is to say the same thing???? I have a car warranty that is bumper to bumper. That all sounds wonderful verbally but I have found out that everything is not covered bumper to bumper. I tried to explain and show them where the front bumper and the rear bumper was only to discover that I was wrong. It is one of those cases where I was led to believe that I knew what bumpers were. Only to find out in their 10 pages front and back small print 

Policy that I didn’t. We no longer live in a handshake world. It’s not what they are saying, it's what is written on that policy that will take you 30 to 40 minutes to read. Truth has somehow gotten tangled up in the small print. Nonetheless Truth never changes.. Psalms 25:5 (KJV) Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Psalms 119:160 (KJV) Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Like I have said, do your own thinking!

🤗The Greatest Gift🎁

 God never gives anyone a gift they are not capable of receiving.

Think! What was it? The best Christmas gift you ever received? The awe of it in all its beauty. Where is it now? What condition is it in? Does it still hold any awe at all? Probably not. Now I’m interested in that word gift; what is a gift anyways?

Webster says that a gift is “A present; any thing given or bestowed; any thing, the property of which is voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation; a donation.” That’s what a gift is but a gift is nothing unless the  person it was intended for accepts or receives it. If that doesn’t happen it still belongs to one who voluntarily wanted you to have it. 

God sent His only Son Jesus Christ in the form of a baby. Luke 2:11 (KJV) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:16 (KJV) And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Jesus born in Bethlehem His mother a virgin; virgins don't have babies 

Matthew 1:23 (KJV) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Luke 1:27 (KJV) To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. Do I believe what the Bible tells us? Oh yes I do! Not only do I believe it. I also have received the greatest gift to mankind, Jesus Christ. Yeah, the same baby born in Bethlehem. Why do I say that Jesus is the greatest Gift?  Luke 19:10 (KJV) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

He was looking for me! For what reason? He had a gift for me, but remember a gift is worthless unless it is received. I did receive, oh happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. 

John 1:12 (KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

I am one of the many that received Jesus Christ as my Savior. Therefore I have become a son in God's family all because I believed on His name. The greatest Christmas gift still has its awe and its beauty and is still in great condition and I’m still in the family. I hope you too have received the greatest gift too.