Come walk with me…
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Thought I’d get an earlier start on my blog today. I’ll add to things as the day transpires. (This one will be a bit longer than usual.)
Woke up this morning around 4 a.m. Too early to get up. As I lay there I thought about things I wanted to do today. Would like to clean up Snicker’s grave site and fix up his marker with the appropriate information. Also thought about getting some white rocks to pretty things up a bit. Course everything depends on whether it rains. (Also need to burn some trash.)
Went back to sleep and then got up at 6:30. CJ and I went for our morning walk. Picked up the paper. Back home for coffee and devotion. But I really need to tell you a bit more about General Claudius Josephus. He is such a neat companion.
As I’ve already shared, when CJ and I go for a walk he will explore around the property, always keeping me in sight. If I want him closer to me all I do is clap my hands. Then I’ll say to him, ‘CJ, come walk with me.’ He stays right with me til he tires a bit. Then he’ll wander off with more exploring. That’s all right. My buddies a true friend.
Well, CJ has finally done it. He’s never been? allowed on the furniture at the parsonage. Looks like we have a? new thing in the works. While I am in my devotions, CJ will crawl up on our leatherette love seat with his full body, and lay his head on my lap. It is so precious that I’ve decided to let him do that. He just lies there while I spend my time in the Word of the Lord. Can’t help but notice the grey hair on his face and his ears. Guess we old dudes will age together. He just lays there as I? write in my Gems for Jesus my revelation for the day.?
As I thought about telling CJ to come walk with me, it brought to mind what Jesus said to all troubled peoples. He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt11:28-30 nasb.)
I’ve often thought how hard it is when we come under certain religious yokes. Lot’s of people write to me on our Ask the Pastor page. They write about their burdens and about their fears in life. I think the real answer is that sometimes we take on a religious yoke instead of the yoke of Christ. I don’t mean to sound negative in putting down religion. But there is a real need for God’s people to understand what it means to walk with Jesus.
The bottom line of salvation is that Jesus did not come to give us another religion, a better religion, or even a religion at all. He came to give us Himself. If we will learn this one lesson in life, then we can associate with whichever flock the Lord will assign us to, but we will know the reality of walking with Jesus.
There is an? Old Testament Psalm that speaks to this. Read closely and you will hear the message of the cross…
“I will hear what? God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear? Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness? and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psalm 85:8-13. I could write a commentary on this. I prefer that you let the Holy Spirit open up? your understanding to the beauty of the life of the cross.)
Hope I’m not too preachefied this morning. (Is that a word?) Just got this writing stirred up in me. Felt like I needed to share some things upfront.
This? brings me to my morning devotion. Been meditating through 2 Chronicles. That book has a lot of instruction for God’s people about attitudes.
I was reading this morning in 2 Chronicles chapter 26 about a certain king of Judah named Uzziah. He was made? king at age 16. It says, “He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done.” But later? in life you see a turn in attitude. It later says, “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple? of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.”
Uzziah reached over into an office where he was disallowed. Only the priests of God could burn incense. The short side of this is that Uzziah became a leper the rest of his life.
Here is the troubling area. So many failures in the pulpits today, not to exclude failures in any Christian’s life, can be contributed to the stumbling block of pride. It is so easy to move away from the yoke of Christ and become lifted up in ourselves. Pride can become a destroyer. But if the prideful downfall results in a true return to the Lord, then we always find that the Lord is plenteous in mercy. The Bible says that His mercy endures forever.
I? wrote in my Gems for Jesus a simple prayer; “Let me O Lord, not fall into the trap of pride. It has brought many a person to his knees. Thank you Lord for your love and goodness to me.”
Had a number of emails to respond to this morning. Decided it was important to write the brother from India who had requested that I come visit them. Felt the Lord wanted me to give him an encouragement. Here is part of my response…
“Thank you Pastor Wellington. It is good to hear from a brother in India. … Thank you so much for the invitation. I will definitely put it before our Father in heaven. Right? now I am walking through a medical problem. Later on this year I should be able to do some traveling. Of course everything depends on my heavenly instructions.
“Do you have the AWANA program in your churches? One of our good friends has introduced that youth program to some churches in India. Lots of Baptists churches use it. Here is a web site that you can check on: http://www.awana.org/
“Please keep me informed on your work in India. We will be praying for you.
“In Christ
“Buddy”
Well, I’ve been off to a fine start. It’s now 9:40 a.m. Don’t usually write in my journal this early. I’ll probably add a bit more a bit later.
11 a.m. CJ and I went out to burn some boxes. How I love to watch him rolling the grass, first one side and then the other. We walked over to Snicker’s grave. The ground is still too wet to work on it. Took his grave marker. I’ll fix it up with dob and dod and all the be-twixings. Probably put a picture on it.
Sis JoAnne brought? a sugarless chocolate pie over. That girl really looks after the flock when there is any sort of need. She is the director of our Daughters of Zion. JoAnne is? a sweetheart from heaven. We have so many precious disciples at Christian Challenge.?
Betty and I finished up Snickers grave marker. Looks real nice. It says, ‘Snickers Duke of Martinville - Born November 11, 2004. Passed December 25, 2006. Betty’s little one.
11:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. What a wonderful drive with my lovely bride. Betty did the driving. We traveled up Highway 29E. Heading out of Pineville is always nice. Then the land gets lower and you see a lot of scrub oaks. At Highway 84 we turned left to Jena. (Right goes to Jonesville.) Still lots of scrub oaks. Then the road begins to rise into hilly country and once again we are in the pine trees. At Jena we caught Highway 8, back to towards the Monroe Highway. (167) What a lovely drive. Hills and beautiful scenery. Fishville is really a nice country setting.
Turned south on the Monroe Highway and headed back towards Pineville. The beautiful ride continued right through Ball and into Pineville. Pineville has to be one of the loviest cities on the Red River. We got all the hills. Poor old Alexandria had to settle for the flat land.? 
Another treat at 3:25. CJ began barking. At the door was a flower man. Guess what? Our dear friend from Houston, Miss Lois Gibson, sent the most beautiful basket of flowers. Her card said, “Since you both are having to stay inside more than usual, I thought you might appreciate something to look at. Just because — Lois Gibson.”
Thank you Lois. They are beautiful. CJ has already had to take his smell. Course he is so tall that he can look down at the flowers sitting on my desk.
Don’t have any funny stories to share today. But the Lord has been putting something on my heart to write on two of the forums that I host. Want to share some secrets about ‘first fruits.’ This is likely one of the most misunderstood teachings around today, especially with some religious groups.
One other thing — I can hardly wait for Nathan to begin his series of teachings on ‘Why we believe what we believe.’ (Spend a goodly time with Nathan this evening talking about ministry things.)
Also very excited about getting to baptize my youngest grandson this next Wednesday evening. The Lord has blessed me to baptize all my grandchildren. What an honor.
Guess I’ve better sign off for now.
Still love all of you with ALL my heart.
Blessings,
Buddy
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