Month: November 2018

Hearing His Call

My father-in-law was a farmer. He raised cows and pigs. His milk cows roamed all over his acreage. Each evening when it came time to milk the cows, he did not have to chase them down or round them up. He would go to the barn and holler the word “silk” over and over. I did not know what the word meant but I figured that his cows did because they always came to the barn.

 It was such an interesting thing to see so I went out there myself one day and tried the “silk” call. I shouted “silk, silk, silk” for several minutes. Nothing happened and no cows came to the barn. I was wrong about the cows knowing the meaning of the word. They did not know the word; they knew the voice of the farmer. It was his voice they were following. Another voice they would not follow.

 In that same way, Jesus is our leader. He is our shepherd. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)  Those who love Jesus and belong to Him, hear his voice and follow it. If someone comes and tries to lead them astray, they reject the stranger. In that same chapter, Jesus said, “They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (10:5)

 One of the most emotional pictures in the Bible is the heartbreaking scene of Jesus looking out over the city of Jerusalem and saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37)

 Jesus still calls us. It is not “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” but it is our name that He calls. He calls, “Come to me.” Will you hear His voice?

Jesus also said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and 

learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. 

                                                  …Matthew 11:28-29

~Lonnie Davis

I never really liked Pepsi. I was more of a Coke guy. Years ago, Pepsi did a commercial they called, “The Taste Test.” In the commercial they would have random people take a small drink from two unmarked sodas and then ask which the people liked. Most people picked the Pepsi. It was a very effective commercial which amazingly drove Coke to change its formula. I thought the commercial was a hoax.

During that time, I found myself in a line at the Kansas State fair taking the Pepsi/Coke test. I took a quick taste of both and then picked the best tasting one. They lifted the board that revealed my choice. I had picked the Pepsi.

Years later, I was walking through Sam’s and was offered a small sample of low fat gravy on a meatball. It was so good that I bought a big container of the powdered gravy.

Neither of these stories had a happy ending. Pepsi was not and is not my favorite drink. The low-fat gravy sat around the house till we threw it away. I did, however, benefit from those two experiences. From these I learned a life principle. I call it the “Law of the Little Taste.”

The “Law of the Little Taste” says that you cannot really tell much by a tiny sample. You cannot tell if you like to swim by getting into the water for five minutes. You cannot tell if you like a food by having one tiny bite. You cannot tell if you like a job by walking through a factory.

My law is actually a cousin of A 300-year-old statement by Alexander Pope. He said “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” Always gather all the facts you can. The law of the little taste will fool you.

Remember, life is only fully rich when you follow the principle found in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Don’t take a little taste of something. Do it with all your might.

~Lonnie Davis

When you reach the age where you have more days behind you than you do before you, you can appreciate the research done by Harvard scientists. According to one report, Harvard scientists have made great headway in the search for reversing ageing.

Here is the quote from one reporter is:

“Scientists at Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston report they were able to reverse signs of aging in mice by tweaking a gene that protects cells from the harmful, cumulative effects associated with growing old.”

Don’t get excited. No matter what any scientist does or says,

(1) We are supposed to grow old while on earth.

Genesis 3:22 says, “And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” We were not made for here. We were made to get ready for there. I am all for living a long life, but ultimately we will grow old here.

(2) Time is relentless hunter.

It eventually catches up with everyoel of us. Even if we could reverse the effects of ageing, eventually this too would pass.

• Methuselah was the oldest. He died at 969 years. (Gen 5:27)
• Jared was the second oldest. He died at 962 years. (Gen 5:19)
• Noah was third oldest. He died at 950 years. (Gen 9:29)
• Adam, the first man lived 930 years and then he died. (Gen 5:5)

Even if we live a thousand years, even that thousand years would pass.

This is not a fatalistic, pessimistic article, but is a story of good news. On Earth I will grow old and so will you, but you are not made for here. You are made for there. When you are there you will never grow old. Scientist will not figure it out. It is God’s plan.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  (Revelation 21:3-4)

I think one day we may appreciate the story of the old couple who died and went to heaven. They walked around and saw the streets of gold, the heavenly mansions, and all the glory of heaven. Finally the old man said to his wife, “If you hadn’t made me eat all those health foods, we could have been here years ago.”

I am not ready to go today, but I don’t want to live here for ever.

~Lonnie Davis

Be Patient

Ask nearly any one to define patience and they will struggle. Ultimately someone will say something like “patience is being able to wait for what one wants.”

That is not exactly it.

A man doing time in prison is able to wait until his release date, but he has no other choice.

Patience is more than waiting.

Psalms 37:7-8 gives us good incite into the definition of patience. The verse exhorts us:

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret.  it leads only to evil.

Patience means to “Be still before the Lord,” and “Do not fret.”

In patience, there is no anxiety but rather a calm waiting for God to do his work. It means that you do not fret when things do not work immediately. It means to keep your spirit and “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath.”

Patience is not just being able to wait, but being able to wait with the right attitude.

There is a Jewish legend about Abraham and patience.

According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him.

Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man’s feet and gave him food and drink. The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing.

Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship God?”

The old traveler replied, “I only worship fire. I reverence no other god.”

Hearing this, Abraham became angry, grabbed the old man, and threw him out of his tent and into the cold night air. When the old man departed, God called to Abraham and asked where the stranger was.

Abraham replied, “I threw him out because he did not worship you.”

God answered, “I have suffered him these eighty years – although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?”

Abraham would have done well to remember the old word of wisdom, “When you’re tempted to lose patience with someone, remember how patient God has been with you.”

Be patient with someone today!

Lonnie Davis

There was a Christian lady who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things “in order,” she contacted her preacher and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the preacher was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

“There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly. “What’s that?” came the preacher’s reply.

“This is very important,” the woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The preacher stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. “That surprises you, doesn’t it?”, the woman asked.

“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the preacher.

The woman explained, “In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main courses were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, “Keep your fork.” It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming.

I just want people to see me there in that coffin with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.”

-Anon