Junkyard Church

Ephesians 4:14 "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming..."

Not too far from where I live is what I call the Junkyard Church.  I remember, not too many years ago, when the church was built.  It is a small, white frame building, with a simple steeple, on a two acre lot, big enough to seat at least a hundred and fifty people.

But it's not a church anymore.  It's a junkyard with cars and car parts scattered everywhere.  The owner seems to have a good business of doing mechanic work on local vehicles.  I'm sure the owner is a good man with a good reputation for repairing automobiles.  But every time I drive by the Junkyard Church I cringe.  I always slow down when I drive by - and think...

I think about the folks who built that church.  I think about the prayer meetings and excitement that led them to step out on faith and build a new church.  I think about the people who were saved there.  I think about believers who were baptized there.  I think about men and women coming together to form a church body.  I think about the pews, the piano, the pulpit...I think about the Gospel that was preached there. And, of course, I think about the preachers...

But something happened.  I don't know what happened.  But something devastating happened to cause a thriving church to become an automobile repair shop.  As I look at the verse from Ephesians 4:14 I wonder if the problem could have possibly been an issue with immature believers (children)?  Could it have been because of someone teaching false doctrine?  Could it have been because of someone's "trickery?"  Was it because of someone's deceitfulness?  I don't know.

But what I do know is whatever happened to the Junkyard Church can happen to any church.  Believers...we must pray for one another.  Guard your fellowship.  Grow up.  Forgive one another.  Stop complaining about the color of the carpet or the brightness of the lights.  Be on the lookout for weird theology.  Guard against anything deceitful.  Love God.  Preach Jesus.  Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.

If the Devil has his way, one day you'll drive down to the church where you were saved...where you gathered with your family for worship... for an oil change and tire rotation.  This is not a parable.  It's real and it's nothing short of a tragedy.  M

Eating An Elephant

Matthew 18:21-22  Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

How long does it take to eat an elephant?  Could take a while…weeks, maybe months.  But the only way to do it is one bite at a time.

How long does it take to forgive someone?  Could take a while…weeks, months, maybe years.  Sometimes, the only way to completely forgive someone is a little at a time. 

Have you ever been so hurt that you found it hard to forgive?  Has someone ever hurt you, your child, your wife or husband or friend in such a way that you couldn’t forgive? …A country song says, “Forgiving you was easy but forgetting seems to take the longest time…”  While that makes for a good country song, forgiveness isn’t easy – and forgetting is next to impossible.

A local long distance runner was interviewed some time ago.  He was asked how he could run so many miles.  He replied simply, “One step at a time.”

When I was very young in the ministry I remember well a man who said some hurtful things to me.  I was a kid, stumbling through my sermons, trying to find my way.  What he said hurt.  I forgave him.  But I find myself, some thirty years later, still forgiving him.  Because it still hurts.

Got someone in your past that you’ve never completely forgiven?  Join the club.  70 X 7 is 490 times.  Wow – that’s more forgiveness than many of us may be willing to extend.  I think Jesus was pointing us to ongoing, continual, extended forgiveness.  In other words, keep on forgiving.

I encourage you today to take a step in the direction of forgiveness.  Take a bite out of the elephant.  The person you are forgiving may never know.  But you will.  

Safe Place

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength...a very present help in time of trouble."

Living in North Alabama, how many times have I heard the weather reporter warn us about strong storms moving through the area?  And he usually says something like this:  Find a safe place in your home and stay there till the storm passes.

We know a few things about storms here.  Most of us have either survived a tornado, watched one pass by, or have family and friends who weren't so fortunate.  We all know someone who was hit by the storm and lost everything.  Their home was in the path of the storm and even though they lost all they had worked for, they lived through it.  They survived.  They found a safe place.

Sometimes, in this life, we will face storms that will utterly destroy everything that matters.  We may lose a loved one.  We may lose our health.  We may lose our job.  We may lose our home.  It's as if we're right in the path of the storm.  What do we do when we see the storm approaching?  Take the advice of the weatherman - get in a safe place and stay put.  Or, as I like to think, get in a safe place and hold on.

I remember one night close to thirty years ago when I was pastoring my first church.  I was awakened in the middle of the night.  There had been a terrible accident.  A young man and his wife were in critical condition.  Me and another pastor drove most of the night to be at the hospital with the family.  When we arrived, the wife had already passed away.  I walked into the intensive care unit to pray with the young man.  I prayed with him...and then, much to my surprise, he quoted the verse "God is a very present help in time of trouble..."  I won't ever forget it.

It's good to know when you are at your lowest - when the storm has hit your life - that God is more real than you ever imagined.  You will find, at your lowest, that He is your refuge and strength.  He is a very present help in times of trouble.

Going through a storm?  Find your safe place in Jesus - and hold on.  M

Then The Wicked One Comes...

Matthew 13:19  "The wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown..."

What an interesting little nugget of gold tucked in that 19th verse.  It's tragic yet true.  The sower has sown the seed.  The preacher has preached the Word.  And immediately comes the Devil...the wicked one...the enemy...and begins to snatch away the the truth.  Who is this written about?  The verse says, "When anyone hears the word..."  Anyone, anywhere, at anytime - The Devil is opposed to the Word and he will use whatever means to snatch it away.  How?

Later in that same passage we read in v22 that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word...and the hearer becomes unfruitful.  Wow.  The picture I get is that of twisting a towel or wash cloth to get all the water out of it.  We take the towel in our hands and twist tightly until it is almost completely dry.  Satan is a twister of lives...to get the Word out of us.  He's ok with us being spiritual as long as we're spiritually dry.  The enemy is not interested in choking me... He is interested in choking the Word that has been sown in me.

A few years ago a friend of mine noticed a man in a restaurant who was choking.  The man who was choking motioned with his hand that something was wrong.  My friend went over and quickly performed the heimlich maneuver.  Immediately the man was breathing normally and my friend was somewhat of a hero.  Like the man who was choking, we must recognize that something's not right.  We must admit we've allowed the cares of this world to overwhelm the presence of God in our life.  It's the work of the Devil to snatch the Word out of our heart.

One more thing...The enemy also snatches the Word out of our heart by the deceitfulness of riches.  Well, what's so deceiving about riches?  Simply this: Riches do not satisfy the heart.  With riches, you can satisfy the ego.  You can satisfy your emotions.  You may even satisfy your flesh and blood.  But riches leave your heart empty.  Riches always leave you wanting more...more....more.

Only Jesus can satisfy the heart.  Friend - guard your heart,  Guard your relationship with God.  Because the Devil is busy.  Given the opportunity he will come and snatch away the Word that has been sown in your heart.  MM

A Dog Story

In an article by Dannie Hawley, I found a wonderful story I had heard about from Pastor-Teacher Alistair Begg.  It is the story of a grateful dog.  As Alistair and his wife strolled the quiet streets of a small village,  they glanced over at a man passing them as he rode his bicycle…along with his dog.  Much to their amusement and amazement, the man’s dog was seated behind the man and was resting against his owners back.

As Alistair and his wife turned onto another street, they saw the man and his dog a second time. The cyclist had stopped to speak to another man. The dog hadn’t moved from his perch.

After seeing the cyclist and his dog a third time, Alistair and his wife approached the man. The old dog remained relaxed against the man’s back, his head leaning on his owner’s neck. The dog’s front paws straddled his owner’s shoulders, flopping onto his chest as if he were a loosely-stuffed toy animal.

Alistair’s wife said, “That’s quite a dog you’ve got there.”  “I guess you’ve had him since he was a puppy.”  “Not really,” said the cyclist.  ”I found him in the pound a few years ago. He was on death row.  They told me he’d be euthanized soon because no one had come to adopt him. He’s been with me ever since.” (goldennuggetsandsilvermusings.com)

I love that story.  I love dogs too…But I love the picture it paints and the point it makes.  Once you’ve been rescued from death row…all you want to do is rest your head on the one who found you…loved you…and saved you.  That ol’ dog knew who his savior was and he was resting on him.  By the way, that dog was a Pit-Bull.

Deuteronomy 33:12 says, ”Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” 

Some might suggest God takes Pit-Bulls and turns them in to Basset Hounds.  Not me.  God can use the spirit of a Pit-Bull for His glory.  Just as the Apostle Paul was a Pit-Bull in every way.  Paul loved the Lord with the tenacity of a Pit-Bull!  He served God with the fearlessness of a Pit-Bull.  But when it came to his Lord and Savior - Paul knew who had found him, loved him, and saved him. And he rested n his Savior.  

God give us more Pit-Bulls for Jesus.

The Gift Of Jesus

Friends, 

Along with fifty other pastors, I have had the opportunity to contribute to a wonderful daily devotional book titled, The Gift of Jesus.  Each daily entry includes scripture, a devotion, and a prayer.  I am sure you will enjoy this daily reading.  Other pastors who participated are men such as Johnny Hunt, Bob Pitman, James Merritt, Ted Traylor, Don Wilton, Ronnie Floyd, and many others.  

This devotional book would make a great Christmas present.  If you are interested I would be happy to send you a copy.  For any contribution to Michael Mason Ministries I will get your copy in the mail today.  Additional copies are available for purchase. 

If you would like to make your contribution via PayPal you can do that at michaelmasonministries.com.  
My email address is michael-mason@charter.net.
Mailing address is 606 Birdsprings Road, Hartselle, Al. 35640.
You can text for information at 256-306-6645.

Thank you.  I hope you have a great Christmas season.  Michael

778-8874

For as long as my mother and dad have had a phone, their number has been 778-8874.  That number was disconnected this week.  Mother went to Heaven a few years ago and Dad is now in assisted living in Tuscumbia. 

That disconnecting is sad for me.  It’s a number I have had memorized since I was a boy in grade school.  It’s the number I called when I was sick, in trouble, happy, sad, heart-broken, thrilled…

778-8874…It’s the number my High School principal called after our regular visits.  It’s the number the neighbors called when I had been a part of rolling their yard, doing a donut in their yard, driving too fast, or living too loud. 

It’s the number I called when I needed to talk to Mother about what medicine I should take for a cold.  I called that number to ask Dad how to install a plug or fix a faucet.  I called that number the morning we were at the hospital waiting for Alyssa to be born…and again when we were waiting for Garrett to join us. 

It’s the number I dialed the morning Mother was in critical condition in Huntsville Hospital.  I called Dad and told him I’d be there to get him in a few minutes.  We both knew - but we anxiously made the trip anyway, hoping our gut feelings were wrong.  We were right.  She was gone. 

Since then I have been calling that number talking to Dad and wishing I could, one more time, talk to Mother. 

I still have it saved in my phone among the “favorites.”  I doubt I’ll remove it anytime soon.  There are too many good memories connected with that simple number…778-8874. 

If your mother and dad are still living, call them today. While you can.  M