“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:5-7
“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life…Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these…Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat ?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’…But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-26a, 28b-29,31,33
Passing along one’s faith in Christ to the next generation is not only Biblical, it’s crucial as well! I was blessed to have a grandmother “Bernice” Mabrey who like Timothy’s grandmother Lois, was a key witness for Christ in my early and “formative” years.
One cold and snowy North Alabama morning when I about five or six years old, my Mamaw Mabrey did something with a leftover piece of that good old iron-skillet -cornmeal-made cornbread that forever changed my life! Mamaw and Papaw lived in a split-level home that featured an average-sized back yard; one covered that morning in a deep blanket of glistening white snow. We were both in the kitchen when she suited up with her long coat, scarf, and rubber boots, before grabbing that hunk of cornbread from the skillet and proceeding to walk out the kitchen door. Once the door was closed, I did something she never wanted me to do; I proceeded to climb up on her kitchen sink so I could look out the window, and sure enough, there she was walking into view in the backyard with cornbread in hand. And then Mamaw did something I did not quite understand at the time; she broke off pieces of the cornbread and pitched them into the snow, before walking back into the house. But before she opened the kitchen door, I saw something amazing! I witnessed little black birds, one after the other, flying down to eat their breakfast fill upon the snow!
Dear friends, I can assure you that not only has God provided me with His strength, hope, joy, direction, peace, and love in both the good and difficult times of thirty-one years of ministry, I know deep within my heart, I am where I am today, because of the faithful prayers of my grandmother Mabrey. Her faith; sincere and unashamed, was the kind of faith Paul encouraged Timothy to “rekindle” [keep in full flame] so as not to neglect the gift of teaching and preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world of the first century A.D. Oh! Christian! Will our heavenly Father not take care of His children as He most assuredly feeds the birds and clothes so beautifully the flowers? Never be ashamed of the gospel message as you invite the Holy Spirit to “rekindle” your gifting today all to the glory of God!
Pastor Louie
Sand Mountain Sermonette 38
Psalm 92:12-15; Matthew 5:16; James Exodus 16:2-8
Papaw’s Long-sleeved Shirt
“The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Psalm 92:12-15
I still remember sitting with my grandfather Mabrey in the softball stands of our hometown one hot summer Alabama afternoon as I was waiting for my church softball team to play. Papaw was a big fan of our team and would come often to watch us play. And on that day, I remember he was wearing his all-familiar long-sleeved style of shirt which was also buttoned at the top; one that he wore all year long. I also remember asking Papaw why he wore a long-sleeved shirt when it was so hot. And he said, “Louie, it’s because I stay cold all the time.” Well, I can tell you that although I did not understand his statement personally at the time, I sure do now, for I am only a few days away from my sixty-fifth birthday as I write this sermonette and I find that I prefer a long-sleeved shirt in warmer weather a lot more than I used to!
Christian, the psalmist, whom I believe was older himself, offers us the way to stay young in the Lord as we grow older. Pastor Charles Stanley said, “Our bodies may age, but we get older only if we choose to do so—attitude is what makes the difference.” My grandfather had a wonderful and encouraging attitude. For example, if he received a wrong order at a restaurant, he never called the waitress back to complain and make his order right, he would say, in contrast to family members who insisted he do so, “I can learn to like this.” Papaw also loved to be around all ages and all ages loved to be around him. He would listen to every word I would speak and every question I asked and would always encourage me in times of difficulty. And another thing about my grandfather; he enjoyed being old!
So, here is the deal. First, the psalmist is calling us to be content with the fact that we are growing older. Yes, we may experience more aches and pains than we did when we were younger, but it is our choice to either be a “light” for Christ in this dark world (Matthew 5:16) or to be a grumbler like the Israelites of old when they complained to God in the desert (James Exodus 16:2-8).
Secondly, the psalmist is calling God’s people to grow and flourish like the palm trees as well as the majestic cedars of Lebanon that Solomon used to foundationally frame the great Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Christian, as we grow older, we grow and flourish as we remain “planted” in the Lord by staying in His word and allowing His truths to take deep root in our lives in addition to having daily conversations with God in our private “prayer place.” And do not forget, even if you are retired, continue to labor for the Lord in the place He has planted you! In this manner, you will remain a very “green” (fruit-bearing) and “sappy” (Jesus-connected) Christian all your life! And these are great things!
Pastor “Medicare” Louie
Sand Mountain Sermonette 39
I John 4:7,9; I John 4:10-11 and John 3:16
Happy Valentine’s Day!
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God…By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” I John 4:7,9
I have always enjoyed Valentine’s Day, especially during elementary school! My mom would take me to the store and purchase a big box of valentine cards I would sign and give to my classmates on that special day we exchanged valentine cards in class. But before that special day, I would take an old shoe box, cut a slit in the lid, cover the lid and the box in white paper, color several red hearts on my makeshift “mailbox,” and then print my name on the top of the box. Upon arrival at school my teacher would invite her students to walk around and drop their cards into each homemade mailbox setting on top of each student’s desk. And boy o’ boy, the wonderful thing was when you went back to your own desk, opened your mailbox and began to read the cards given to you.
As I think back on this time, I am reminded that this simple and profound celebration of Valentine’s Day in my childhood years was an exercise of the heart in giving and receiving. The apostle John’s magnificent portrayal of the love God has for you and for me; a love that towers above all other loves in Christ is staggering and humbling indeed! It is the love that comes from the heart—the very being of God! And John says it is the ground-basis for loving one another in the Body of Christ (the church); the fruit born of the love of God made manifest via the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross alive in the heart of every Christian! Loving God and loving others are the essence of the Christian life as it is the witness of Christ to a dark and dying world in need of redemption!
But John goes on to say how this “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (Charles Wesley, 1747) would not be possible if it were not for the truth that God first loved us. A perfect love having come down from heaven to earth (See I John 4:10-11 and John 3:16). Good News! The righteous wrath of a holy God upon the sin of mankind was satisfied once and for all through His love shown at the cross!
Thank you, Lord, for childhood memories and for child-like faith that leads us to Jesus who leads us to You now and forever!
Pastor Louie
Sand Mountain Sermonette 40
Psalm 3:3; Psalm 3:8
Sand Mountain Sermonette 40
Look Up!
“But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” Psalm 3:3
Walking downtown Albertville, Alabama, with my Papaw Mabrey was always a wonderful adventure when I was a little kid. Papaw would park his familiar FORD car at some section of town and then we would get out and usually walk to two or three of our favorite spots like the little café where we would eat a delicious cheeseburger and the old feed store that smelled of old wood and feed; complete with little bins of seed and little metal scoops used to bag your own feed. And it was walking downtown that Papaw taught me one of the most valuable lessons he would ever teach me regarding the way I looked at God, myself, and other people.
Often, when we were walking down a sidewalk in or around town, my grandfather would note that I was looking down at my feet and not looking up to see where I was going or to whom I was about to meet along the way. A lot of this had to do with the fact that I was shy and afraid to talk to other folks, but no matter, as soon as my grandfather saw someone walking in our direction, he would say to me, “Now, Louie, when we pass that man walking toward us, I want you to look up, smile, and say ‘Hello” to him.” And you know what? I would look up, smile, and greet that individual every time, and if you know me today, it is usually difficult to keep me quiet!
In Psalm Three, David finds himself in a “cowering” position in life. He is broken and fearful for his own safety because his son Absalom is seeking to kill him as he usurps his father’s throne! Can you imagine? And yet, beneath the crushing blows of his adversaries, David cries out, “But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” He also writes, “I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about,” (verses 4-6).
As David looked around and saw his unfavorable circumstances, rather than look down in defeat, he chose to look to God as his source of confidence, courage, and consolation in the face of opposition. And, in doing so, he realized that God Himself was the lifter of his head for He was the One who would protect and deliver him in the face of his enemies.
Has life paralyzed you with fear? Are you at odds with someone; that someone being yourself, perhaps? The same God who calls us to look up and have conversation with other Christian believers as we journey through life, is the same God who will not only deliver us from our enemies but will deliver us from our own enemies of bitterness and hostility by calling us to pray for our enemies and those who come against us. Look up, your salvation in the Lord draweth near! (See Psalm 3:8).
Pastor Louie
Sand Mountain Sermonette 41
John 1:4-5; John 1:12-14
Sand Mountain Sermonette 41
The Movie Projector
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it.” John 1:4-5
I will never forget my first job which I held when I was a Junior in High School. I was a relief movie projectionist for the two drive-in and one walk-in theater projectionists on their nights off during the week. Although I made only $7.50 a night, it was a dream job for me because I love movies so how much better could it get?
Now, allow me to tell you a little bit about the movie projectors from the 1970’s. Each projectionist room housed two projectors so while running one projector, the projectionist was loading the other projector with the next reel of film and so forth. Each projector housed the lens and threading mechanism for the reel of film along with an empty reel to receive that roll of film in front, a lever that would allow the light from the lamphouse to pass through the moving film and lens and onto the movie screen next, and in the rear of the projector, the big lamphouse in which the great light was produced that makes seeing the film possible in the first place. And it is the lamphouse I wish to share with you.
The fellow who trained me showed me how to set up the two rods within the lamphouse that, when the electric current was turned on and the motor which revolved one of the rods was set in motion and the two rods were touched, the light produced within was so bright that I was warned never to watch this process directly with the lamphouse door open for it could blind me immediately. There was a tinted small circular window on the side of the lamphouse door I could look through in which to see this amazing spectacle of light take place in a safe manner.
John tells us of the great darkness of sin, evil, and deception, that has overtaken man’s heart and the world through sin. But he also tells us of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is “the light and the life of men!” Jesus, who entered this world as “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us” at His birth has enabled us to see the glory of the Father as Christ would reveal the Father’s grace and truth as made evident in Himself to every heart that would receive Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12-14).
When we look through the lens of the cross, we see the brilliancy of the Father’s love for us!
The day Jesus died on the cross, a brand-new scene was displayed across the world; a film that will never break, lose its luster, and will keep playing all through eternity when we in Christ stand before the Father one day in heaven and witness the brilliancy of His splendor and His glory! John also tells us in the book of Revelation that we will also witness the nail prints found in Jesus’ hands and feet as well! Thank you, Jesus, for the light of your presence that has overcome the darkness on earth and for the endless light of your presence now and forever! Jesus, full of grace and truth!