Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

When there’s a challenging situation in your life, you’ll find Jesus at the front end prompting His compassionate servants into action. These kind people are the “givers.” And then you’ll also find Jesus at the back end, where hopeful individuals are the “receivers.”

God likes to use His children as givers to accomplish His plans. He does miracles without human assistance, but He also works through those who love and serve Him. Jesus was talking about compassionate believers with obedient servants’ hearts in Matthew 25:37-40 NKJV: “The righteous will answer Him, saying, ’Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, ’Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

God likes for His children to pray boldly and specifically ask Him for what they need (see Hebrews 4:16). As God moves in response, these believers become receivers. The scripture reveals, “And my God shall supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NASB). Well, there He is again. Jesus is everywhere we turn. But we should already know that because He says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13 NKJV).

Make sure you recognize Jesus when He shows up because He wears a lot of different faces. Here’s a partial list of what He’s done for us over the last several months: Jesus has baked a blackberry pie, shoveled gravel onto our lane, brought out Schwan’s meals, baked desserts, provided home-cooked meals, and sent cards. Jesus has changed the oil in our van, filled up our gas tank, cut hair, shared garden vegetables, mowed our yard and pasture, and cut and delivered wood. Jesus has been a chauffeur, changed the lawnmower oil, prayed for us, run the Weed Eater, given money, and even mailed a box of Queen Anne’s chocolate-covered cherries to us. The face of Jesus is beautiful — and He looks just like our family and friends! As humble receivers with grateful hearts, we count our blessings and thank God.

There are times when life lands you in a pit to slug it out with a vicious lion. In the Old Testament we read about Benaiah, one of King David’s mightiest men. He was a valiant warrior who did many heroic deeds. “…on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 NLT). Humanly speaking, the odds were against him, but Benaiah won anyway. I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to believe that Benaiah looked up from the bottom of the pit and saw the offered hand of a friend to help him climb out.

Jesus is a chain breaker and a heart mender, and He’s not afraid of lions or hard work. So when you’re asking, believing, and standing for your breakthrough, rest assured Jesus will show up with His sleeves rolled up and His work gloves on.

The Key: No matter which end you’re on, Jesus is there.

The confused, American woman asked me to help her fill out the form needed for her passport permit. Her adult son was too busy, I guess, as he spent his time in line perusing his leather-covered folder which contained every possible document (including multiple copies) to make him legal in Mexico. “Dan and Ruth” told me that they were on a mission trip.

Dave and I were driving to Mazatlán and were crossing into Mexico at the Columbia, Texas, border, notorious for little traffic and hassle-free trips. Not this time. The line of cars was crazy- long, and since only one lane was open, we had no choice but to pull in behind the other hundred vehicles waiting their turn. After fifteen minutes of not moving, an impatient truck driver behind us zigzagged out of line, followed by several dozen other drivers, determined to squeeze in at the front. At this rate, we wouldn’t cross into Mexico until 2021.

All along the line, passengers began exiting their vehicles, paperwork in hand, so that while the driver waited to pull forward, they could be inside having their passports, etc. checked. I did likewise. The drivers who had cheated by pulling around us had created a monster.

(How is it that some people think they are above the rules?)

Once inside, I waited in line for my passport to be checked. That’s where I met Dan and Ruth. When my paperwork was completed, I was told that I needed copies and had to get into line #2 where, for a fee, all of our documents were copied and snacks were sold. Once finished, I noticed Ruth in the middle of the copy line. Overly-prepared Dan was meandering about, double-checking his multiple copies, and that’s when I sprang into action. “Dan, Ruth doesn’t have to stand in line. You have copies of everything, so you’re set.”

He excitedly told Ruth that they could bypass line #2 and go directly to Line #3. Once she exited the line, thanking me profusely, an official asked if they had a copy of the passport document they received in line #1. No, they didn’t have that copy. Only the original. Well, then, they needed to get in line #2 to get it. I avoided eye contact.

Line #3 had about 50 people ahead of me…definitely the longest line because that’s where all of our documents were checked and verified and where I noticed that the buddy system was alive and well. Waiting people who had bypassed the #2 line handed their paperwork to a friend who then joined the #2 group. Only they didn’t just join it. They crowded in the front of the people who had been waiting patiently (like Ruth). Not only did they get copies, they loaded up on bags of snacks. Seriously…were Dan, Ruth and I the only ones for whom the rules applied? Why weren’t more people like us? Examples of preparedness and patience.

After an hour wait, it was my turn to stand behind the plexi-glass window and pray that I had all the legal paperwork I needed. Title to car and copy of title. Check. Passport and copy of passport. Check. Permit to enter Mexico and copy of permit to enter Mexico. Check. Mexican insurance forms. Check. So far, so good.

“What is your license plate number?”

No check. “I have no idea.”

“Well, Senora, I have to have it.”

I phoned Dave who, I imagined, still had to be in the car line. He didn’t answer. I called again. Same result. I texted. He called me. I accidentally hung up on him. I refused to turn around, knowing I would be the recipient of well-deserved glares as I held up the line. Murmurs could be heard: “Why is it some people think they have the right to get in line before they are prepared?” Granted, it was in Spanish, and they could have been asking for some Cheetos, but I’m pretty sure that’s what they were saying.

In Matthew 7:1 Jesus told his followers, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged,” a scripture many people in line that day needed to heed. Just glad that didn’t include me.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

In the 60s and 70s, I had the privilege of growing up around country people in a small town (population 1,063) in Missouri. Thinking back to my roots, I’m especially fond of the rural dialect I heard and spoke everyday. These informal phrases were not found in a dictionary, but no one ever had to explain their meaning. For example: “ugly as a mud fence, skinny as a rail, big as a barn, two heads are better than one, a heart as big as a washtub” and the list could go on until the cows come home. Today I’m focusing on the colloquial slang of being “between a rock and a hard place.” Again, no explanation is necessary and I would imagine most every adult has been there, or is there right now.

This phrase gives the impression that you’re stuck and there’s no way out. But I want you to know there’s one adjustment to one word that can turn your situation completely around. If you’ll capitalize the letter “r” in “rock,” you have “Rock.” King David said, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my Rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken“ (Psalm 62:5,6 NLT). When you have God as your Rock on one side, it doesn’t matter what the hard place is on the other side. God is bigger than any “mountain” you will ever come up against. He’s not asleep at the wheel, He knows what’s going on, and He’s working in secret to bring you out in victory.

As a believer, you have a responsibility to exercise your faith and believe that your Rock will deliver you. God needs you to work with Him in cooperating with His Word (which is His will), purposes, and plan. If you’ve thrown in the towel and given up, you’re not giving God anything to work with! The Bible is full of powerful scriptures to help you through tough times. But if you don’t truly believe them as your own personal promises, you’ll continue to struggle with fear and doubt. God doesn’t want His children to be miserable, so He tells us, “Do not tremble; do not be afraid. …Is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock — not one!” (Isaiah 44:8 NLT).

I don’t know what your personal “hard place” is, but God does. You must learn to trust Him to do what only He can do. Jesus told His disciples, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26 NLT). The definition of everything is: every thing; all. Or if you prefer a country dialect, it means “the whole shebang.” “Now all glory to God who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“ (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).

My favorite gospel songwriter, Dottie Rambo, composed the lyrics and music to “I Go to the Rock.” In 1996, Whitney Houston performed this song in the hit movie “The Preacher’s Wife.” Here are some of the lyrics: “Where do I go when there’s no one else to turn to? Who do I talk to when it seems no one wants to listen? Who do I lean on when there’s no foundation stable? I go to the Rock I know that’s able, I go to the Rock.”

The Key: If you’re between the Rock and a hard place, you can trust God that everything is going to be all right.

“We are blessed so that we will bless others.”

Jenn, a mutual fund expert, teared up when sharing that phrase that she had heard from a Colorado pastor. “Which is why we are here.”

I was in Kansas City for a workday to begin cleaning up a strip of buildings being converted to a shelter for prostitutes/trafficked women. For several months, my son, Adam, and his family have been involved with others like Jenn and her husband, Jared, in procuring a house to serve as a safe home for these women to be “loved on.” Just when they thought they had found the perfect place, doors would close and they would start searching again.

That’s when Jenn and Jared begin driving around Kansas City’s roughest neighborhoods where they observed prostitutes working. They wanted their facility to be in the heart of that area, so when they saw a “For Sale” sign on a group of dilapidated buildings, they got excited. A tour of the stores and apartments above reeked of danger, as floors were falling in and little was salvageable. To the trafficking team, it was loaded with potential, an opportunity for God to work.

Jenn spoke to me of the time when she and Jared were in front of their new purchase and watched a decked-out truck pull up to the curb; the driver kicked (literally) a woman onto the sidewalk, her pants around her ankles. A twelve-year old neighbor boy saw her lying there, battered and bruised, and ran inside his house to grab a blanket to cover her. She became one of the first people tended to and loved on by the young couple–confirmation to Jenn that God was blessing their dream and they were in the right neighborhood.

To Jenn, even Covid was a blessing. Normally she spends her weeks on a plane, flying around the country, but when she no longer could do that, she had time to spend on this endeavor. Jenn continued, “God did what only He does best.”

Volunteers began lining up to help, a church made a donation, a medical team signed on, and soon a “Christine’s Place” banner hung between two upstairs, painted windows. Literally, painted windows. When the glass broke years ago, instead of replacing it, the owner covered the holes with plywood and had windows painted on.

I met Christine yesterday. A recovering prostitute, she showed up, decked out in her Sunday finest and escorted by an elderly gentleman, her arm linked in his. Christine used to “work” that street until she was beaten so badly that she quit. She became pregnant, and her sight began failing. The doctor gave her a choice: use the medicine, save the eye but lose the baby, or lose the eye and save the baby. She chose the latter and gave her baby daughter up for adoption. Her second pregnancy offered her the same choice. Again, she chose blindness over abortion and today is completely blind. Her fourteen-year old son lives with her.

Some news stations were there to do a story on “Christine’s Place” and were amazed to see the number of men and women giving up their Saturdays to use their expertise to make this dream a reality. Christine was an instant hit, as were the carpenters, back-hoe drivers, donated clothes’ folders, and clean-up crew. From 10 years old to 84, people were there to help.

During this Christmas season, I pray that we all recognize that Jenn’s words are the formula for how we are to live our lives: “We are blessed so that we will bless others.”

May we all find a way to put those words into action.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

When Elvis Presley, American icon, concluded his concerts and exited the stage, Ed Hill, gospel quartet singer and stage announcer would say: “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.“ This statement had to be made for the sake of the devoted fans. Otherwise, they would not leave their seats and go home because they were hoping Elvis would come back out and do an encore, or at least take another bow. Some still say, “Elvis may have left the building, but his fans are still there.“

I recently saw a t-shirt that read, “The Church has left the building.” That’s a powerful and scriptural declaration. The Bible repeats incidences of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day criticizing Him because He associated with sinners. He spent very little of His ministry preaching in the Temple. He went where the people were. Today, can we effectively proclaim Christ Jesus outside the walls of a church environment? I think so. Every concert Elvis gave would include some gospel music, confirming that Christ can be proclaimed in diverse venues. Thousands of people, who skipped out on attending church, were impacted by the gospel message of “How Great Thou Art.”

One day when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw professional fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew casting their net into the water. They must have had a hungering in their hearts, for when Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,“ they immediately hung up their nets and followed Him.

If you’re going to fish, you have to go where the fish are. You can’t catch a fish up in a tree, nor can you expect them to jump out of the water into your arms. If you’re going to fish for men, you must go where the people are. You shouldn’t expect them to come to the church building, although occasionally they do. And in that case, how do you treat them when they walk into the building? Do they leave thinking they’ve been loved by the Body of Christ?

Jesus fished for men everywhere He went. Scriptures reveal that He ate supper at the home of Simon the leper (Mark 14:30). He taught and ate dinner at the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42). He disrupted a funeral procession just outside the village of Nain (Luke 7:11-15). Yes, Jesus attended weddings and visited cemeteries and everything in-between. He preached in the synagogues, but the religious leaders usually wanted to kill Him, so he fished elsewhere.

Exiting the sanctuary is where the rubber meets the road. When the Church (believers) leave the building, they have a God-given responsibility to fish for men. When you’re around people, that’s your opportunity to fish. Jesus has left planet earth, but His followers are still here. So always use the bait of love, and remember that you catch ‘em and Jesus cleans ‘em.

The Key: Like the dead boy of Nain, get up, get out, and go fishing in Jesus‘ name!

This was a hard week. Two ZOOM Bible studies brought news no one wants to hear. Monday night’s group has prayed for Adam, a thirty-two-year-old husband and father, for months. Today, Karen, his mother and ZOOM member, forwarded the email he sent her: The tumor in my colon did not shrink nearly as well as the surgeon had hoped. So there will be no reconnection after my colon is removed. Additionally, the lesion is right up against my prostate, meaning my surgeon is unsure if just removing the colon will be enough, and potentially the prostate will need to come out as well, and if that’s the case, there is the potential that they may need to remove my bladder too. Finally, the liver will need to be addressed after all of this takes place.

Again, my surgeon said that she is going to do her best, and if the Lord wills it, I am more than willing to sacrifice my “quality of life” to spend more time with my wife and children.

“If you all could be praying for me and my family. This looks to be a very deep valley that we are currently walking through, but we know that God is good through it all.

Our current prayer is for nothing short of a miracle, as we move closer to surgery. At the very least, we are praying that the cancer can be clearly removed without touching the prostate/bladder, and that God halts the cancers growth and spread in the liver. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support of my family as we continue to walk with God through this. Praying that He blesses you all for the blessing you have been to us. We love you all.

Please pray for Adam and his family.

Tuesday’s ZOOM call had its own share of tough news. My dear friend’s beloved father passed away that morning. When she found out he did not have much time left, she booked her flight to Switzerland, only to be told that because of Covid, she would need to be quarantined for two weeks before visiting him, and if she stayed with her mother, her mother would not be able to visit her father. She canceled her flight and will have to settle for visiting her dad’s gravesite at a future date.

The same day, a text shared a Pet Scan revealing a friend’s esophageal cancer has spread.

We all have our stories, and through our tears, we cry out to God, the One who knows our beginning and our end, the One who can make a difference, imploring Him to fix things. Sometimes we see the miracle; sometimes not. Still, we know that Jesus lacks nothing in the miracle department. The book of John gives seven signs demonstrating Christ’s vast powers:

1. Water changed into wine—Jesus’ power over quality

2. The nobleman’s son healed—Jesus’ power over distance

3. The impotent man healed—Jesus’ power over time

4. The five thousand fed—Jesus’ power over quantity

5. Walking on the water—Jesus’ power over natural law

6. The blind man healed—Jesus’ power over helplessness

7. Lazarus raised from the dead—Jesus’ power over death

Of course, the fact that Jesus can does not mean he will. Our job is not to second-guess but to know that—for all of us– the end-game of this life on earth is death. Unless we are raptured, it is a certainty we cannot deny. We. Will. Die. The key for all of us is to be prepared. All three of the men mentioned above made Jesus the Lord of their lives, and because of that, they will spend eternity with him. I pray you do the same.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

My everyday routine occasionally triggers a childhood memory for me. I guess that’s a sign I’m getting older, but I really enjoy my trips down memory lane. While eating some canned peaches the other night, I remembered that when I was a kid I only liked to eat the sweet heavy syrup. There was no nutritional value in the syrup, and by refusing to eat the fruit I missed out on some protein, fiber, and vitamins. I eventually outgrew that silliness and now I eat the peaches and pour the syrup down the drain!

Occasionally, it appears that some Christians only want the limelight of following Jesus. You know, just the sweet stuff. But Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me“ (Matthew 16:24 NLT). Taking up your cross means to give your entire life to God. It’s a total dedication of your soul, spirit, and body given to His service in anything He says. You may be thinking, “God hasn’t told me to do anything for Him.” I think you better blow the dust off your Bible and read it.

Following Christ wholeheartedly means being a servant. At the Passover supper, scripture reveals the following account: “So He [Jesus] got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him. …And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:4,5,14,15, 17 NLT).

The Son of God and King of kings performed an object lesson in humility and servanthood. Since Jesus humbled Himself to do the lowly service of a slave, we should serve one another in the same way. Sometimes we want the blessing without the service or the dedication. We also need to realize that love is the motive for being a servant. If we serve out of duty, then there’s no blessing in helping others because it‘s just a “job.” But if we serve out of love and compassion, then we’re reaching out to others as Jesus commands us.

The road of unselfish service is pretty narrow. There’s no room for all the sweet stuff you think you need, so toss it out. Living a self-centered life will blind you to the basics of what Jesus taught. But once your selfishness is laid aside, you’ll be able to see those in need. You’ll be free to use your gift to bless others: “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10 NLT).

Servant living is not popular today because the focus of our culture is on personal happiness and comfort. Believers should pray for a bigger servant’s heart toward God and man. Since Jesus washed dirty feet, it’s fair to say there’s no act of kindness too lowly for Christ followers to perform.

The Key: If you want a blessed life, drain the syrup and follow Jesus’ example.

Jesus knew what he was talking about. Every time he spoke. He literally was a know-it-all.

Can you imagine how much fun that would be? I mean, sometimes I act like I know more than I do, but really KNOWING? Wow! As the wife of a former pitcher/coach, I probably have seen a few thousand baseball games in my life. Our house has been filled with players and staff who sit for hours and talk about the mechanics of pitchers. I should know the difference between the movement of a sinker and a change-up.

Dave and I watched this year’s World Series, and periodically I commented on a pitch. “Was that slider really outside?” Dave’s corrections were annoying. It was a “curve ball.”

He was wrong.

I watch “The Voice” on television and remark that the singer sounds just like Celine Dion. No judge turns his/her chair. Their observations stun me. The vocalist was “a little pitchy” or “had an irregular vibrato” or seemed “a little breathy.” WHAT?

Last week, I attended church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pastor Loran Livingston was livid about what he had read the previous week on social media. He called Christians into account after they had written defamatory statements about the presidential election on social media, reminding his congregation that none of us have all the facts, and that we act unloving when we pretend we do. Sometimes (most times) the best thing we can do is keep our thoughts to ourselves. Know-it-alls find that an almost impossible task.

The amazing thing about Jesus is he didn’t have to prove he knew anything…like we think we do. Sometimes, what he knew he refused to disclose. Before being crucified, he remained silent—instead of defending himself–when being interrogated by Herod, the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate. I’m fairly certain I would have had some pithy thoughts I could not keep to myself.

My granddaughter’s husband, Tyler, is in seminary in North Carolina. Recently, I was there to visit them (and meet my new great grandson—so cool!) and asked Tyler about his experience. He answered that he thought that seminary would provide more answers, especially after learning Greek so he could better understand and explain the true intent of scripture. He said that he has more questions now than when he entered seminary.

I shared with him how my former pastor explained the seminary experience:

The first year in seminary you don’t know what you don’t know.

The second year in seminary you know what you don’t know.

The third year in seminary you don’t know what you know.

The fourth year in seminary you know what you know and how much you still need to learn.

Know-it-alls expose their insecurities when their opinions are the only ones that matter, and I don’t know about you, but until we reach Heaven, none of us have those bragging rights. More times than not, we just need to keep our thoughts to ourselves.

That being said, I still think it was a slider.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

About 25 years ago, my husband built a treehouse for our kids that was fit for Robin Hood himself. He chose a big sturdy hedge tree and began to build the fortress, complete with a trap door, fireman‘s pole, and a basket on a rope to pull up and let down through an opening in the floor. Recently, our daughter and her girls were in the pasture and Lydia Mae and Felicity wanted to go up into the treehouse. Mariam agreed, so she got hammer, nails, and boards to add some steps to make the climb doable. Mariam went up first, and then from the top she instructed each little girl where to put their feet and hands as they made their climb. The girls had never done this before, and it was a little scary for them, but they trusted their Mommy to get them through it. And she did.

Without the help of their mother, who knew all the ins and outs of climbing that tree, Lydia Mae and Felicity could not have accomplished their desire. Their high level of trust was very obvious. I love this scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths“ (Proverbs 3:5,6 MEV). This verse is not just something appropriate to write in a graduation card, it’s an everyday-all-your-life command to put into practice.

It’s a downward crash to the bottom of the tree if you think you don’t need God. Proverbs 3:7 NLT reads, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.“ Trusting in yourself is pretty worthless and leads to a miserable life; and unless you change your ways and begin to honor God, your afterlife will be way worse than your earth life.

“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956. The motto was first used on paper money in 1957. Back then, money was handled by most adults every day. I believe that printing this motto on our money was divinely inspired. In fact, the plastic cards should have “In God We Trust“ printed on them too! Sixty-three years ago, our Country’s leaders thought it was important for Americans to put their trust in God — and it still is.

God is absolutely trustworthy. You won’t find a better track record anywhere. Moses and the children of Israel came up to the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army breathing down their necks. God rolled up His sleeves and basically said, “Just watch Me work.” God is not looking at our beloved U.S.A. while wringing His hands and saying, “I don’t know how this is going to turn out.“ No, God’s Word is firm: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning…I say, ’My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:9,10 NIV). God knows the future before it even happens. Everything He plans will come to pass. He simply needs His children to trust Him with childlike faith.

I encourage you to stand firm and beef up your trust in God as the apostle Paul instructed pastor Timothy: “…We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV).

The Key: Quit trying to climb the tree by yourself, and ask for God’s help.

Nine times in the book of Philippians Paul tells his readers to “rejoice.”

Easy for him to write.

He wasn’t dealing with Covid. He wasn’t being told to cancel Thanksgiving. He wasn’t forced to wear a mask. He wasn’t reading about a potential cabinet member (Ezekiel Emanuel) addressing the life of senior citizens: “There are not that many people who continue to be active and engaged and actually creative past 75. It’s a very small number. … These people who live a vigorous life to 70, 80, 90 years of age — when I look at what those people ‘do,’ almost all of it is what I classify as play. It’s not meaningful work. They’re riding motorcycles; they’re hiking. Which can all have value — don’t get me wrong. But if it’s the main thing in your life? Ummm, that’s not probably a meaningful life.” (MIT Technology Review, 2019)

Paul did not have to deal with such foolishness. He had no idea what “troubling times” were all about.

No, wait! Most historians say that Paul and his pal Silas are writing from prison with a sadistic jailkeeper overseeing their cell. Paul’s done it this time! He just can’t stop himself. He continues to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the same Paul who persecuted Christians not that long ago, deriving great pleasure out of capturing, beating and even killing them…until that is, he had a life-changing encounter with the One who questioned his disbelief.

He met the One who loved him more than anyone. And Paul never again was the same.

So passionate is he that he can’t help but rejoice. No matter what his circumstances are—including finding himself in a first-century, Roman Empire stock. Matt Chandler, author of To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain (clever title since these are Paul’s own words) explains Paul and Silas’s dungeon experience: “These devious contraptions would contort a prisoner’s body into all sorts of excruciating postures, locking limbs and joints in place to the point of making the entire body cramp. The prisoner’s body would sear up with excruciating pain, and then the Romans would just leave the person there for days.”

So, okay, Paul probably did know what being inconvenienced was all about. Things were not working out as he hoped. Still, his response is what blows me away. Instead of complaining, instead of having a “Why me, Lord?” attitude, instead of bribing the jailer to release them from their shackles, he and Silas hold their own little worship service and begin singing and praising God. They have a time of thanksgiving. They rejoice.

What is there to be thankful for?

Oh, I dunno. Perhaps that God has not forsaken them. Perhaps that God is in control. Perhaps that they simply love Jesus and will not be deterred, no matter how ugly their situation.

What happens next is no surprise. An earthquake cracks open the cell doors, the missionaries share the gospel with the jailer, and he and his household become followers of Christ. Well, well, well, what do you know? Paul’s purpose was to share Jesus Christ. No matter his age, no matter his predicament. (I think that if Paul lived today, he might have a few words for Mr. Emanuel.)

So, what are we to take from this? Perhaps a little gratitude. I take that back. Perhaps a LOT of gratitude. After all, we have an ample supply of toilet paper. We have funny memes about home-schooling. We have Walmart grocery-pickup. We have clean closets and utensil drawers. (Surely!) Some of us have survived the virus. We have life.

But most of all, should we choose, we have Jesus Christ.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

It’s kind of embarrassing to say that I have a knock-down-drag-out with the Saran Wrap every time I try to use it. No matter what I do, it sticks to itself instead of the baking dish. If I had four hands, I think I could do it right. When it just sticks to itself, it’s not doing the job it was designed to do. The last time I had one of these annoying episodes I think I said out loud, “It just sticks to itself and doesn’t do any good.”

Some Christians stick to themselves and don’t want to go out and be a light in the darkness. This is not the way God designed His children to live. Jesus said that believers are the light of the world. I distinctly remember watching President Ronald Reagan’s funeral service as it aired on June 11, 2004. I’ve never forgotten that the following scripture was read: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV).

In the book of John 8:12 NKJV, Jesus says: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.“ Today, Jesus is not walking on planet earth in bodily form as He was when He spoke those words. However, He has transferred the light to His followers and tells us not to hide it. If Christians only cluster together once or twice a week, how is that helping those stumbling around in the darkness?

We’re to take the light of Jesus and love people with it. And it’s not always necessary to preach a sermon to them either. In fact, your life is a living message to everyone you’re around. My brother, a retired pastor, has worked for God and His Kingdom all of his adult life. He and his wife, both living, have the following quote inscribed on their headstone: “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words – St. Francis of Assisi.”

Country artist Donna Fargo released a great message song in 1974 entitled, “You Can’t Be a Beacon if Your Light Don’t Shine.” A beacon is a fire or light set up in a high position as a warning, signal, or celebration. “There’s a little light in all of us by God’s design” is a true lyrical phrase in the song. Let’s just say that when you’re born again you have the light of a candle. As you grow in Christ and become more and more like Him, your candle grows to a flashlight, then to a blazing torch, and finally a beacon.

It’s up to you how big and bright your light shines into the darkness. It’s up to you whether you’ll put your money where your mouth is. It’s one thing to talk about the love of God, but it’s another to show your love by doing good in the midst of evil. Jesus, our example, went about doing good (Acts 10:38). Christ-followers should have a light burning so hot within them that they can’t keep it to themselves. The world (those without Christ) is in deep darkness and they probably won’t be able to find their way to the church house.

The Key: If you’re hiding instead of shining, Jesus commissions you to get out from under the basket and shine your light on high beam.