The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Author: Allan (Page 103 of 492)

Until Then

May 2, 2022 / / 0 Comments

By God’s grace, more than 800 volunteers showed up here at GCR Friday night and Saturday to pack 260,000 meals for Ukrainian war refugees. Most of the workers came from dozens of different Midland area churches, but some were representing a few regional non-profit groups or local sports clubs. We bagged and stacked the rice and dehydrated vegetables, boxed and taped up the meals just like we were instructed, and loaded the pallets onto a massive semi-tractor trailer that took off immediately for Houston. All the food should arrive in Poland along the Ukrainian border by the end of this week.

I’m so thankful to God to belong to a church that steps up to help out. I’m grateful to belong to a generous community out here in West Texas that cares so much about others. And I praise God for the cooperation we experience in Midland, the mutual love and partnership between churches and organizations in doing Gospel work together.

Someday, there will be no more war. Someday, there will be no more violence. There will be no more hunger. No more fear.

Until then, we want to be the ones who provide the food. And bring the peace. And express the love and share the grace of God.

Peace,

Allan

Love.

April 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

The divine command is to love. Love God and love others. Period. Our Lord says there are no greater commandments. All the Law and the Prophets, everything God says and God wills, is summed up in the command to love. Always. Everyone. Period.

Now, be ready, because you’re going to suffer. You’re going to be questioned. If you decide to love, you might even be mistreated or ostracized. Don’t be surprised if you lose the popularity contests when you choose to love God and love others. Love, period, as a command, as a commitment, as a way of life – that doesn’t fly with this world and all its groups.

But our God is not a group. He’s not a state or an institution or a party or a possession or a race. Hallelujah! He is the eternal Creator of heaven and earth and the loving Father of us all. And his love is everlasting. His love is open and welcoming. It’s inclusive and courageous and compassionate. And it has no fear.

Love doesn’t tear down, it builds up. It never divides, it always unites. And it doesn’t applaud leaders who promote hate and bigotry and division and violence as a way to get things accomplished. Love is humble, not arrogant. It doesn’t boast. It doesn’t repay evil for evil.

All the preaching, all the prophesying, all the giving – it’s worthless, it has no value if there’s no  love. The Bible says love is more important than faith and knowledge. Love is more important than hope and good works. Love takes precedent over our worship assemblies and our voting records. It’s more important than our budget meetings and party platforms and theological positions. Love is bigger and more important than any issue that can possibly be out there in our local paper or on the national news. And if that’s true – and we know it is! – we must be more committed to loving others than we are to any of those issues.

We have to place unconditional, God-ordained love in the primary position of our hearts and minds and in God’s Church. All our time and energy, all our passion and strength, must go toward love. Period.

Whatever you do as a child of God and a disciple of Christ must be done in love. If anybody tells you to do otherwise, if you get an email insisting that you forward something that’s not loving, if any leader or group urges you to act in any way toward anybody or other groups that’s not loving, you know that person or that group is not under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

If I don’t love, I am cutting off the very expression of God’s nature in my body and soul. To not love is to act opposite of our Lord. Love is where we find our ultimate fulfillment and realize our potential as God’s people. It’s not love, but… It’s never love, maybe… It’s not love, under certain conditions… It’s just love. Period.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luka Doncic is only 23.

Go Mavs.

Allan

Big Day for C-A

April 27, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Happy Birthday to my darling wife, Carrie-Anne.

I’m going all out for you, sweetie. How about a trip to Israel in a couple of weeks? How about a Caribbean cruise next month? How about a new air conditioner for the house? And a new front door?

And, maybe a brand new job at a local high school or middle school somewhere in the Permian Basin? I can’t help you there. But I know you’re close, and I know you’re excited to start working with students again. It makes me smile to think about your enthusiasm and desire for pouring your abundant love and grace into those young people. I’m proud of you and I admire you so much for the all-nighters, term papers, research, new technology, presentations, and speeches you’ve put into your counseling degree and the next stage of your selfless work with and ministry to teenagers.

How about just a really nice steak dinner tonight? Not quite Perini’s. But almost.

I love you, babe. I hope you’re having a really great day today. I hope everybody you’re with today at Legacy High appreciates your sweet spirit and your remarkable gifts. And I am grateful to God for the joy and the love you bring into my life.

Happy Birthday,
Allan

If Not You…

April 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God.” ~Hebrews 12:15
As children of God and disciples of Christ Jesus, we demonstrate his grace to the people around us. We make sure all the people we contact every day know the truth about our God because they experience it in us. They encounter his grace in us. They see it and feel it in you.

This is as practical and tangible and as real as the Christian life gets. Whatever you have received from the Lord, you generously pass it on to others.

“Forgive each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” ~Ephesians 4:32
Forgive the person in your life who doesn’t deserve it. Forgive the person who’s never apologized. We’ve got more than enough people out there accusing and condemning. Who’s going to forgive? Christians who, by God’s grace, have been forgiven.

“Accept one another just as Christ accepted you.” ~Romans 15:7
Invite somebody over to your house who is 30 years older or 30 years younger than you. Take somebody to lunch who’s a different race or speaks a different language. Have a conversation with somebody from a different culture than yours and learn something. We’ve got lots of people out there dividing us and categorizing us and drawing lines and excluding others. Who’s going to accept others? Christians who, by God’s grace, have been accepted.

“Love one another as I have loved you.” ~John 15:34
Take a Sonic drink to your grouchy next door neighbor. Say something kind and encouraging to the customer service agent. Compliment the cashier at the gas station. Give up your own rights and give in to the demands of someone else. There’s enough hate out there, there’s enough haters – more than enough. Who’s going to show love? Christians who, by God’s grace, have been eternally loved.

Peace,

Allan

Happy San Jacinto Day

April 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments

It was 186 years ago today that the Republic of Texas secured its independence from Mexico at San Jacinto. Celebrate responsibly with tacos or barbecue (with a Dr Pepper, of course) or Stevie Ray Vaughan or Willie Nelson or Bernie or Lonesome Dove or anything else that similarly reminds you of how grateful you are to live in this great land with all these great people. You might also think good thoughts for the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka, be careful.
Go Mavs.

Allan

Deciding to Die

April 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” ~Galatians 2:20

We all want to be raised with Christ. We want to claim God’s will for our lives that we be raised with our Lord to walk in newness of life. We want to experience the divine promise that we will be raised with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly realms.

But, first, you have to die.

The apostle Paul goes beyond saying Jesus was crucified in his place. Paul says he’s been crucified with Christ. He died with Jesus.

Of course, resurrection life and power is available to you. It’s available to you right now. But you have to die first. You can’t be raised until you first die – that’s just common sense.

Look at our Lord. Jesus did not resurrect himself. The Father raised him. What part did Jesus play in his raising? He died. He submitted to the will of God and he died.

Resurrection life and resurrection power is what God does in you when you decide to die to yourself and die to the world and die to your sins; when you die with Christ, when you’re buried with Christ, when you die, then God resurrects. It’s your call.

And it’s not really about your feelings. It’s about your will. It’s about what you decide to do.

When a guy gets married, the preacher doesn’t ask him to take out the ring and then talk about how he feels. Before you take this woman, tell us how you feel. “Man, I feel like I’m about to throw up. My hands are shaking, my knees are weak, and I’m sweating like a cow. I feel terrible.”

No, we don’t ask that. The question is: Will you take this woman? “Will I? Yes. I will do this. I will make the decision now to take this woman and commit to her as my wife.”

It’s a choice. It’s a decision of the will.

If you’ve never been baptized…

…will you? Will you die with Christ this Sunday in the waters of baptism in order to share in the resurrection?

I don’t care if you’re twelve-years-old or in your 30s or 50s. I don’t care if you were born and raised in the Church and, for whatever reason, you’ve never been baptized. I don’t care if you’ve never been inside a church building before.

Will you be buried with Jesus and be raised to walk in the life and power of his resurrection? Will you make the choice? Will you decide to die with Christ?

Peace,

Allan

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