Trouble in the outhouse…
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Got up at 5 a.m. Bit too rainy to get the paper. Looking forward to my morning devotion.
Was reminded about my prayer journal this morning. I’ve kept one off and? on over the many years. Lately there? has been such a flow of the Spirit over my prayers that I haven’t written anything in my? journal for awhile. Now would be a good time to start up again. I consider every prayer entry in my? journal to be a contract between me and the Lord. And I mark them off one by one by one.
Several years ago I heard a preacher on the radio talk about the kinds of prayers that God doesn’t answer.? Sorry, it was a terrible teaching. When he was through, I could not figure out what kinds of prayers the Lord answered.? Sure hope I misunderstood him. I know better than that. God answers all kinds of prayers, even those that never reach our lips.
Think I’ll leave off sharing my? ? devotion today. Got some other things I want to talk about.
Spent time this morning studying what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:10, in that we must all (including Paul)? appear? before the judgment seat of Christ.
This is such an interesting area. The judgment seat is not the judgment seat for sinners. Only the redeemed of the Lord will be there. It is actually a judgment of rewards and has to do with our future placement in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. (Likely the millenium.)
Should do a study on this. Just one note - The word ‘appear’ is not the best rendering for the Greek here. It literally means ‘to make manifest.’ It is at this believer’s judgment that the? Lord manifests what our life was really all about.
Paul? talks about this in his first letter to the Corinthians. The point is that every child of God will receive certain rewards and will receive praise for having accepted Jesus Christ. However, some rewards can be lost depending on how we used our bodies as a vehicle of service.
Really can’t say much about this. Paul? cautions us about passing? our judgments and opinions.? Listen to him:
“I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord? comes who will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts;
“and then each man’s praise will come to? him from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:4,5 nasb.)
Did you notice that ‘everyone’ will receive praise. So the judgment seat of God is not a judgment of condemnation. Whereas we may lose certain rewards, yet the Lord Himself will offer praise to every single believer.
The Lord gave me a dream about this some years ago. He showed me that each one of us has a personal book concerning the total of our lives. No sins are recorded. Remind me one day and I’ll share the dream.
Received a call this morning from Lane. Is he ever glad to be home. Always enjoy talking with this brother. His heart is so full of love for Jesus.
Also received a call from Juanita (Lita) in California. She is such a precious soul. Can’t help but love her with all my heart. Lita is my stepfather’s wife. (Ross passed away some time back.) Lita comes to Louisiana each year to be with my sister Julia.
Do I ever have a chore set before me. I haven’t worked on my Pastor’s Memoirs since May of 2004. Got to play catch up.
My Memoirs are a journal of sorts where I record all my sermon titles and varied notes, such as baptisms, marriages, funerals, dedications, and so on. Would you believe that I have sermon notes from 1965?
Well I brought 2004 up-to-date. Too tired to venture any further.
Was thinking earlier — I am 66 years old and the last 43 years I have been a servant of the Lord, most of it full time. I’m not very good at math, but it seems that I’ve served the Lord almost twice the number of years that I was in the world.
Began preaching at age 24. Then you have to take away the years of my very young age, that is, those years of innocence. Seems like I’ve been a preacher all my life. Seems all my kids know about me is,? daddy is a preacher.
My children always had to live in a glass house. Pretty hard on them. What fine children they’ve become. Yes, they’ve had their struggles and downfalls, but look at them today. Every one of them is an achiever in their own rights. And every one of them love mama and daddy, and one another, with a love that is so unique to our family. (Sorry. There I go bragging again.)? ? ? 
Can I give you just a smattering of my background? I was actually born in Pineville. We left here when I was a month old. The next nine years of my life were a mixture of Virginia and California. Latter time in California. I don’t remember Virginia at all.
Returning to Louisiana in 1949, was sort of a shocker for me. I dearly loved my Carver kin. But having lived in California with all the modern conveniences of the time, when we came to Louisiana it gave me pause. Thought I had moved back into Daniel Boone’s days.
The hardest part was when my mom and dad remarried and we moved to Sharp, Louisiana.? You may not want to believe this, but we had no electric lights. I literally studied my school work with an oil lamp. Had to carry water to the house in a bucket.
Had no running water. No indoor plumbing. Grandma Martin cooked with a wood stove. I remember grandpa singing and playing his guitar on the front porch.
We drank water out of a common wooden bucket. Had either a goard dipper or a metal dipper.
One of my aunts and her family lived not far from us in a log house. No glass windows. The windows had heavy wooden? shutters that had to be pulled in? at night.
None of this disuaged me. I rather loved it. Got use to running around bare foot.
One thing really stands out, and it has to do with the ministry. When I was 10 or 11, I felt this notion that I was suppose to be a preacher. I would gather two of three of my cousins in the outhouse while I stood at the door. They couldn’t get past me. Boy, did I ever give them down the road.
Didn’t much need an altar call. They were all glad to get out of that church setting.
Had another venture with the outhouse. I had gotten in some kind of trouble. Didn’t know what mama and daddy were going to do. Out to the outhouse I went. I prayed something like this, “Lord, if you will get me out of trouble, I promise You that I will preach the gospel the rest of my life.”
Did it work? I think so. Don’t remember getting into trouble. In fact I don’t even remember what the trouble was all about.
You would think that my ‘troubles in the outhouse’ was over. Not to be.
We were visiting one of mom’s sisters. Had to go to the outhouse. When I got there, a bunch of pigs darted out the door. Going in to do my business, I noticed something biting me.
Would you know it? I was covered with fleas. Out the door of the outhouse I jumped. Right there I took off every stitch of clothing that I had. Man was I ever jumping around and slapping my skinny legs.
Herer’s another? one? if? you care to listen. I had me a banie rooster. He would challenge? the big rooster to a duel. Soon as the big rooster would fluff up his feathers in a fighting stance, my banie would hastily depart.
It was so sad. My banie use to roost on grandpa’s outhouse at night. Well, it was winter and a heavy freeze came our way. Would you know it? Next morning found my banie deader a door nail, frozen on the ground. So much for my fighting banie.
One more and I’ll close my journal for the day.
Was on a missions trip to Honduras. While waiting for my plane to load up, I decided to try my Spanish out on some of the venders. Did it again. The lady asked me what I was doing in Honduras.
At least I thought that was what she asked. I wanted to tell her that I had been ministering in many beautiful small towns. (Barrios.) What I said was that I had been preaching in many beautiful bathrooms. (Banos.) She had this strange smile on her face. Of course these beautiful Hispanic people love it when you try to speak Spanish. They are so patient.
Ok, now you know many of my secrets. Just call me ‘the outhouse preaching, preacher.’?
Sending love once again,
Buddy
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