I saw Jesus
A Devotional By Brother Shepherd
I saw Jesus last week. He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt. He was up at the church building. He was alone and working hard. For just a minute he looked a little like one of our members. But it was Jesus, I could tell by his smile.
I saw Jesus last Sunday. He was teaching a Bible class. He didn’t talk real loud or use long words. But it was Jesus. I could tell by his loving voice.
I saw Jesus yesterday. He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick. They prayed together quietly. For just a minute he looked like Brother Jones. But it was Jesus. I could tell by the tears in his eyes.
I saw Jesus this morning. He was in my kitchen making my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch. For just a minute he looked like my mom. But it was Jesus. I could feel the love from his heart. [Read more]
Born Again
A Devotional By Brother Shepherd
The other morning while I was shaving, I was looking in the mirror and was grateful God saved a wretch like me. I thought of a scripture found in John 3:3 that says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is where Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again.
Nicodemus had asked Him a question, how could he have eternal life and Jesus said you must be born again. There are 3 important phrases in this statement. [Read more]
The Lord’s Supper
By Brother Shepherd
The Lord's Supper
Yesterday evening my Son Blake and I attended First Baptist Church Woodlawn, TN, and they were serving the Lords Supper. Pastor Jody Kilburn preached the seriousness of the partaking of the Lords Supper and how we should examine ourselves of unconfessed sin in our lives before we partake of it.
God gave me a picture in my mind of just me standing before Him. There was no one else in the world. It was just God on the Throne and He pronounced me guilty of my sins and there was a tear in His eye. Jesus already had the crown of thorns on His head and blood was running down over His face and He spoke to the Father and said, Father, he is guilty but I love him, and I want to die in his place.
That pierced my heart. Just to think that Jesus loved me enough to die for me and God loved me enough to let Him. He loves you this much.
Think about that please.
The Rock
The other day as I was looking through one of my concordances I came across the list of names of Jesus. Some of them were counselor, Rose of Sharon, Morning Star but one caught my attention particularly and that is He is called the Rock.
One day I was riding my four wheeler on the back side of my Sister and Brother-in-laws farm and there is a small creek there, and I like to go there and work on my sermon. On that particular day I was sitting in the middle of the creek on my four wheeler and I noticed a small school of fish. [Read more]
Dive in and submerge yourself
A Devotional By Brother Shep
Today I’m thinking about swimming and how refreshing it is to jump in or dive into the deep water. You are submerged and you become lighter. A great book in the Bible about diving into Jesus, is the book of Colossians. In the 2nd chapter of Philippians verse 5 it says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ,” that is kind of like jumping in the deep end of the water.
Colossians tells us in the 2nd chapter verse 10, “And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” We are submerged in Christ and we are complete in Christ. Colossians 3:1-3 is what I mean when I say that we ought to be submerged in Christ. [Read more]
Fruits of the Spirit
A Devotional By Brother Shep
Today, I was wondering if people who don’t know me, when they see me can they tell that I’m a Christian? Paul wrote in Galatians 6:17, “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Paul had physical scars on his body because he had been beaten, thrown in jail, shipwrecked and all of these scars on his body were visible. You see the scars and they’re there because he served Jesus, here is proof of that.
I serve Him, but I wonder about me. I have not been beaten, thrown in jail, or shipwrecked. I have no physical scars to show because I’m a Christian. So what are the marks on us that people can see? I think we find the marks in Galatians 5:22 where it tells us what are the fruits of the spirit. In other words, what can people see us producing? There are 9 of them. After all there are only 9 of them. Remember that is what Pastor Jimmy Terry told us. They are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance. If someone looks at you today, can they see these qualities in you?
This is Brother Shep asking you to think about this.
The wilted tomato plant
A Devotional By Brother Shep
This spring Blanche and I brought a Topsy- Turvy tomato plant grower. It is working just find. The plants take a lot of water. This afternoon I noticed that the tomato plant was wilted real bad from lack of water.
The temperature is in the 90’s here today. I watered the plant and in about a half hour the plant was starting to stand up and look healthy again.
Add a little humor to your life
Humor in Uniform is a favorite section in the Reader’s Digest. Having served as a soldier and Army Chaplain, for 20 years, in time of peace and for two years of war in Vietnam, I appreciate recognition given our soldiers, even if its humorous.Being rather serious and solemn by nature, I have a psychological need for entertainment, especially humor. I meet this need for balance for jocularity by selecting cheerful TV programs to watch while exercising at the Athletic Club. When I get there early enough, I’ll watch my all time favorite, M.A.S.H.
For my own benefit, as well as that of listeners, when I give a homily at the Unitarian Church, I introduce the message with a humorous story. I find this is an effective means of gaining the attention of the congregation. It also gives me some sense of calmness and peace of mind. [Read more]
Let the coming year bring personal and political renewal
As we move into spring and the substance of 2009, the year will continue to bring renewal. Changes in power, approaches, and results will impact Clarksville, the State of Tennessee and the nation. For when we pray “God Bless America,” there is the opportunity for renewal for us personally as well as nationally throughout this year.
In 2009, we have a favorable wind of renewal available to re-establish virtues, moral principles, and moral quality to our government at all levels. In foreign policy let us be done with torture, rendition and the deliberate misleading of the public in the guise of justifying action that leads to placing our men and women in uniform unnecessarily in harm’s way and demolishing governments of other nations. Let this year be the year to bury the order of pre-emptive military intervention against what we perceive as nefarious nations. [Read more]
Someone delights in you
A few words directed to a friend, neighbor or family member or even an adored pet, can release a resevoir of strength within . Normally, these are words of appreciation and acknoledgement.
At Fort Leonard Wood, the Army’s largest basic and advanced training post, I served with command leaders to include hundreds of drill sergeants of all ranks. I served, too, commanders that I would have followed into combat at any time and any place. How did these men and women impress me and receive my loyalty? They were leaders trained in reassuring and encouraging others. They elicited a sense of self with new recruits, NCOs and officers with a reassuring word.
On Inauguration day I followed my daily routine of exercising at the Athletic Club. As my legs moved my mind was also active as I listened and watched President Obama give his address. His speech captivated and motivated me. before I realized it, I had exceeded my goal at the treadmill of 50 minutes. This awesome speech motivated me; his words somehow improved my power of endurance. [Read more]
