I’m the type of person who gives people the benefit of the doubt; I tend to trust people. Some times
that type of behavior backfires. Over the last 2 months I trusted a mechanic, a service manager at a
dealership and a car sales person at another dealership. All three broke my trust in them to the point
that I will not do business with them again. I must confess that I got a little mad. On the other hand, I
was more disappointed … both in them and in myself.
I was disappointed in them for taking advantage of someone who trusted them. I really do not
understand how someone can be “not truthful” in order to conduct business. And I was disappointed at
myself for allowing it to happen. I really like to be able to trust people and just take them at their word.
But it calls to mind the fact that I can always trust Jesus. He made many promise that bring peace and
joy to my life. I can trust Him to do what He says. He says that He brings a peace that passes the
understanding of mortal minds, and I know without a doubt that He does that. So when He says that He
is preparing a place for me, then that will happen. I trust Him … completely. And that is one of the best
aspects of my relationship with Him.
Maybe we can’t totally trust many people. Perhaps we should always take promises from humans “with
a grain of salt”. But never doubt Jesus.
Say good things about your Savior.

Sunday, Jan. 19, was designated “Sanctity of Life” Sunday across the Southern Baptist Convention.
The biggest concern of that movement is, of course, abortion. Abortion has become the primarily
concern of most liberal politicians and left-wing organizations. It is the “holy grail” of the left’s political
journey.
Over the years, pro-abortionists have defended their positions in many ways, all of which can be
answered quickly and sensibly. Not all abortion supporters look at it the same way. For some, it is a
question of when life begins. Those hold different standards for that, usually, though, ending up at “life
begins at birth.” I heard a minister say that! We believe what science says: life begins at conception.
A pro-abortion woman asked this to a lady who was speaking against abortion: “So you are saying that
an acorn is a tree?” She responded: “Yes. When it germinates, it is indeed a tiny tree growing until it
become a full-grown tree. But a tree nonetheless.” Another woman posted a picture of some eggs, flour,
sugar, and vanilla flavoring and said: “This is not a cake.” Someone responded: “it is not. But when you
mix it all together and place it in a heated oven, it is. No one has ever asked someone to check the oven
and see if the batter has become a cake. Likewise, a sperm is not a baby and an egg is not a baby. But
when they are joined together in the womb … they are a baby.” Life begins at conception.
However, as an overwhelming number of the pro-abortion faction now recognize that life may, indeed,
begin at conception, they have shown their true colors: some life is more valuable than others. A baby
in the womb is less valuable than a baby out of the womb. A baby in the womb is less valuable than the
“poor quality of life” of motherhood.
In uncivilized times in the past, when a baby is born and the parents do not want it, they would just
abandon the baby to die. We are vastly more civilized than that, aren’t we? We would not abandon a
child to die … we just kill them in the womb. Much, much more civilized, isn’t it?
Say good things about your Savior.

Does the Bible condone slavery? In a desperate attempt to discredit the Bible, a lot of folks say that it
does. And, even if it doesn’t say slavery is a terrible thing, it does nothing to stop it. The Bible
recognizes slavery, but it never condones slavery. We must understand something important as we
discuss the issue. There were several kinds of what was referred to as slavery in Biblical times.
There was, of course, the brutal kidnapping of individuals. Many were prisoners of war. People would
sell themselves into slavery to get financial relief and people had been known to sell a child if they could
not afford to keep it. Unfortunately, widows and orphans had few alternatives to becoming servant
slaves.
The Bible does, indeed, forbid the kidnapping and selling of people. In both Deuteronomy and
Numbers, the penalty for doing that was death. That is a pretty serious condemnation of that type of
slavery, wouldn’t you say? As far the other types of slavery if many of them were released it would have
been devastating to those released as they would have nowhere to go, no income, nothing to eat. They
would be reduced to begging. And, can you imagine the effect of hundreds of people released into the
streets?
No, the New Testament doesn’t include God telling everyone to throw their slave/servants to the street.
What He did do was instruct any who had these types of slaves to treat them fairly, be kind to them, and
never abuse them. That may seem a little strange that He just didn’t throw out a blanket commandment
“Thou shall have no slaves” but remember it’s about God’s timing. When the time was right, it was
Godly ministers and Christians who were among the first to work to abolish slavery in our nation.
In no way does the Bible approve of, or encourage, the kidnapping and selling of human beings. It didn’t
then…it doesn’t now…it never will.
Say good things about your Savior.

 

Bro. Tony

I was standing in the checkout line at Walmart reading the headlines on some of the magazines. Most of
them were featuring stories on “significant events” in 2024 or “people we lost” in 2024. It seems people
are interested in looking back; and that is a good thing to do. We can find some joyous and meaningful
events that are fond memories. And … we may find some sad or troubling events that we endured and
realized it made us stronger.
But how about looking forward? What are your plans for 2025? Do you even have plans for the new
year? I fear a lot of people live what I call a pinball life: they just live life until they hit an obstacle that
forces them to go in another direction. Those obstacles can be positive or negative, but the point is that
there is no plan; no goal.
I realize that even with definite plans, some things happen over which we have no control. But I feel we
can lessen those things by looking forward, making plans, and work toward achieving goals. And the
best way to do that is to seek God’s will and make His will your goal. There are two strong reasons for
doing that.
First, achieving God’s plan for you is what will bring the utmost joy and happiness to your life. Believe it
or not, He does desire that you experience a satisfying and fulfilled life. Therefore His will will not only
glorify Himself, but it will also assure you a peace that passes understanding and a joy most rare.
But think about this: Seeking and doing God’s will for you assures He will come alongside of you,
strengthening you with His power and authority. Think about it. When in the Bible do we have record
of a person seeking, finding, and doing God’s will … and failing? God always came through and He will
come through for you.
Make 2025 a year of seeking God’s will. His word guarantees that when you find it and do it, God’s favor
will fall on you. That would be a fantastic year, wouldn’t it?
Say good things about your Savior.

 

Bro. Tony

Another “New Year” is here: AD 2025. Why 2025? Time is marked by the most wonderful event in the
history of creation: The Birth of Jesus. AD is an abbreviation for the Latin words Anno Domini which
means “the year of our Lord”.

There has been a move for quite some time to replace the AD and BC with CE (Common Era) and BCE
(Before Common Era). On an atheist website one writer said that BC and AD denote the “privilege role
of Christianity in a society where it is no longer the defining belief system”. He also stated that using CE
and BCE was “refusing to submit yourself….to a Christian agenda that is all about asserting domination
over culture, politics, society, and even your every thought process”.

Those who would use CE and BCE would keep the year. This would simply be 2015 CE. That’s so silly. I
would ask them these question; “What began the Common Era? What event separates CE from BCE”.
The correct answer is still “the birth of Jesus”.

If I can remember to do it (and you know how my memory is) I’m hoping to put the AD after the year in
every situation I have to write the year. I guess you can say it’s my way of “asserting domination over
culture, politics, society, and even every thought process”.

In the meantime, I hope you have a Happy New Year. Let’s make AD 2025 a wonderful year of worship,
service, and witness.

There is a thing called “grounding” that is making the rounds on social media. It may be a new thought
or a recycling of an old thought. It is exactly what it sounds like: walking barefoot on the earth, thus
“grounding” you. Here is how one website describes it: “Grounding or earthing is a therapeutic
technique that focuses on realigning your electrical energy by reconnecting to the earth. There’s little
research behind grounding but smaller studies have reported benefits for inflammation, pain, mood,
and more.” I have no idea if that works or not. It does make sense. After all, God made us from the
earth, so there could be some connection.

Regardless of whether or not grounding yourself to the earth has physical, healing properties, being
grounded in the Word definitely has spiritual properties that far outweigh earthly grounding. The very
God who created us knows this body, mind, and spirit He designed. What He tells us will bring joy,
peace, happiness, and health will work each and every time. We can trust the One who wrote the
manual. God didn’t have to do studies, interview people, or run some tests. He knows how He created
us to function, body, mind, and soul.

Here is one example of a truth from God that promises what grounding (or yoga and meditation, for that
matter) cannot produce. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV). I especially like that part about a peace that transcends all
understanding.

But there are hundreds more instructions and truths in the Word of God. And, as they bring us closer to
our Creator, they are designed to make your life better in all facets. Walk barefoot on the earth if you
desire, but if you want a better life…ground yourself in the Word of God.
Say good things about your Savior.

 

Bro. Tony

The Bible speaks of the devil “walking to and fro” or “prowling” with the intent of finding ways of getting
into mischief. I thought about that when I read an article chastising Christians for decorating for
Christmas, saying such decorations are pagan symbols. I began wondering what kind of victory Satan
wins when I put wreaths on my windows. I wonder if the devil rubs his hands together and laughs at me
when I place the last ornament on my tree.
Here is where I think his victory lies: Christians argue and quarrel and point fingers at each other as the
harmony of the church is shattered. Also, we waste time arguing about something that is of little
consequence: “swatting at gnats while swallowing camel”.
Christmas has come to be celebrated in two distinct ways. The religious meaning (the most significant
and important) and the secular celebration. When someone uses the term “pagan” referring to the
secular celebration I believe they are misusing that word. When we think of something as being pagan
we most frequently mean that it involves worshipping the wrong gods or denying God altogether.
When we tell stories of Santa Claus, or reindeer, or elves or snowmen we are not claiming deity for
them. We are not worshipping them as a god…we’re not even saying they are real! Neither are we
denying Christ, demeaning the Father, nor blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Not all secular events are pagan,
even if they use decorations that used to mean something else to other people in antiquity.
Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the family, give God the glory!
Say good things about your Savior and about His Church on the Bluff.

Bro. Tony

It’s Christmas time again and with that comes the discussion about whether Christians should celebrate
Christmas. I have seen several posts on Facebook and have received a couple of emails from religious
organizations trying to convince people, one way or another, that Christmas is related to pagan
celebrations: No good Christian should take part in it. Let me share my take on that. Read more…

Have you ever read the Thanksgiving proclamation from President George Washington? Though many
today claim a “wall of separation” between church and state, God’s influence and reverence for Him,
was clearly a vital part of our nation’s collective thinking. As such it molded and shaped our political
leaders' beliefs and thus their government’s direction. The following is that proclamation (the italics are
mine). Read more…

Have you ever read the Thanksgiving proclamation from President George Washington? Though many
today claim a “wall of separation” between church and state, God’s influence and reverence for Him,
was clearly a vital part of our nation’s collective thinking. As such it molded and shaped our political
leaders' beliefs and thus their government’s direction. The following is that proclamation (the italics are
mine). Read more…