The Bottom Line

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

When I attended elementary school, I was always excited about our yearly valentine exchange. It was a way to share my feelings with the girl I liked at the time. (I was too shy to do it otherwise.) I also enjoyed receiving valentines from girls that felt the same way toward me. It was a joy to love and be loved — even if it was “puppy love.“

Valentine’s Day is a special occasion when couples focus on one another and express their love with gifts — maybe a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a card, roses, jewelry, or a nice dinner. I realize that there are many who find this date to be difficult because the spouse who once shared this celebration is no longer around, due to death, divorce, or other circumstances. I’m certainly not minimizing this pain, but I want to remind you that God’s love for you is unconditional. God’s love is above and beyond that of human beings.

The Bible tells us that God’s love is so wonderful you can’t comprehend it fully. “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:18,19 NLT).

God’s love is available to anyone who will receive it; but many people are unaware of it. There are numberless ways He shows His love for you every day. You just need to slow down and look for it, and then thank Him. Anytime you experience favor or something good, it’s actually from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…“ (James 1:17). He also uses people to show His love to you. In addition, He’s sent you a lifetime’s worth of valentines and love letters in the Holy Bible.

Do you know, understand, and believe you’re special? Excerpts from Psalm 139 proves this truth: “You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion…. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.” God created you just so He could love you and you could love Him. Now that’s something to be happy about! Nothing can separate you from His unconditional love. But you do have the choice to either receive or reject this wonderful gift of love.

When we receive and return His love, we become children of the heavenly King. “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NLT). God will never neglect, reject, or leave you because you’re His special child. On this Valentine’s weekend, receive by faith the unfailing love of the Great I AM.

The Bottom Line: Does God love you because you’re special, or are you special because God loves you? Yes to both.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

Diamond Community Church

Worship 10:45 a.m.

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3

I like to work in my yard. I like to work in my yard because it is good exercise. I like to work in my yard because it is good therapy. I like to work in my yard because it is good quiet time. I like to work in my yard because my wife tells me that I must work in my yard.

When I work in my yard, I have a good time. It’s just me and Jesus. So, I like to sing praises to Jesus. I often worry the neighbors will hear me singing and call the police because they think I’m killing a cat. I don’t have the best singing voice.

There is a small orchard in our back yard. There are peach trees, apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, and cherry trees. One day, I was pruning those trees. I filled up a trashcan with leaves and limbs and I was singing. Have you ever had a song get stuck in your head? That day, I was singing, “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”

I filled up the trashcan with leaves and limbs. The trashcan was full, but there was one little pile left. While I was working, I was singing. “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”

I wanted to make more room in the trashcan for the last little bit of leaves and limbs. So, I grabbed hold of it, and I pulled myself up into it. I was still singing. “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”

I began to jump up and down. I wanted to smash the leaves and limbs down, so I could pile more in the trashcan.

Did I tell you that there are wheels on the back of that trashcan? The trashcan began to roll with me jumping up and down inside of it.

There was nothing I could do. I hunkered down in the fetal position as the trashcan rolled out from under me. When I hit the ground, it knocked the “He has made me glad” right out of me!

I stopped singing. I stopped giving Him glory. I stopped praising the Lord when I hit the ground.

The point is: When life is going great, it is easy to give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. However, when trouble comes, we forget all about Him. The One we need the most, we call on the least when we are in trouble.

I don’t know what trials and tribulations that you are going through today. But whatever your problems are, you can call on Jesus. He is the God of all comfort.

James Collins is the pastor of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. His latest book, “Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best of The Point Is…Volume I” is available on Amazon or by calling (620) 223-2986.

For the past nine years, our friends, Scott and Pam, have come to Mazatlán to hang with Dave and me, and every year, the predictable happens. Wherever Pam and I go, strangers bump into light posts and wives elbow their husbands. That’s because Pam is stunning and people stare at her. I can’t figure it out. Other than her silky black hair, her cobalt blue eyes, her Italian skin, her perfect white teeth, her petite shape and her impeccable style, what’s to look at?

Nine years ago, our first time shopping at a Mazatlán mall, we asked a sales clerk how to read the Spanish clothing tags. She gave Pam a quick once-over and said “Chico.” Turning to me, she bellowed “Grande.” GRANDE! Pam was a chico. I was a GRANDE. As Pam headed towards the size-two sales rack and I turned towards the tops that double as RV tents, Pam gave me that “I’m so sorry” look. I countered with that “We no longer are friends” look. After I recovered (like three years later), the whole thing became funny. To this day, we both crack up when I bring it up…which is every time we are together.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

See, I laugh.

Three years ago we were shopping in a jewelry store. I could have robbed the store blind while Edna, the sales clerk, fawned all over Pam. Walking up to her, Edna cupped Pam’s face and began speaking of the “aura” that my friend exuded. She droned on and on and on and on while I stood there like a hood ornament on a junk yard Plymouth. After enough was enough, I cleared my throat and said, “Edna, what about me?” Her response, after staring at my face for a few seconds, was more than even I expected.

“Uh…No.” Then, returning her gaze to Perfect Pam, said, “But your friend, she is magnificent.”

You’d think I would learn, but I don’t. Yesterday P.P, and I went…you guessed it, shopping. Entering a different jewelry store, the clerk greeted us in English and then addressed my friend. “You have a stunning neckline.” I responded that it went well with her “aura,” and the saleslady agreed.

It’s a conspiracy. That’s what it is, a conspiracy.

The amazing thing about P.P. is that her beauty is not her only gift. She is a talented singer, dancer, voice-over specialist and painter. Our condo is filled with Pam’s magnificent contemporary paintings. On this visit, I ordered her latest: an abstract star. The minute I saw it, I knew it was perfect to hang above our guest bed. Pam shared that when she posted it on her website, she received this response: “You call this art? My dog could paint better than you do.”

I asked Pam how she answered. “I told him that he must have an awfully talented dog.”

Add cleverness to Pam’s list of attributes.

What people don’t know about my friend is that her life is not as perfect as it appears. As a child she was a victim of satanic ritual abuse. Her story is horrendous and too shocking to share, but it took years of counseling for Pam to recover. Her paintings became her therapy as she found that her unique blend of colors was a source of healing. What she has overcome would put most people in a mental institution. Not Pam.

Through her experience, she learned that God wants her to share with others who have been abused how to overcome their pain. She realizes (and it has taken her years to get here) that what satan meant for evil, God will use for good (rephrased Gen. 50:20). Pam now depends not on any therapist but on Jesus and only Jesus. Our thirty-six year friendship has become richer and deeper because of Him, and I am grateful that He has allowed me to be a part of her journey.

“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

“Help me! Help me!” he screamed.

My friend, Bob Jackson, and I had just walked into a local assisted care home. Bob stepped around the corner and went into another room. I was left alone with the man. He screamed again, “Help me!”

He was sitting in front of a television. I glanced over and saw Michael Landon on the screen. I thought, “Maybe he doesn’t like Bonanza and wants someone to help him change the channel.” So, I walked over to where he was sitting and kneeled in front of him.

“I will help you.” I said.

“Close the gate.” he yelled.

“What gate?”

“That one. Close the gate before those calves get out.”

I pretended to close an imaginary gate.

“Okay. It’s closed.”

“Thank you.” He held out his hand. I took it. He had a firm handshake.

“My name is James. I’m a preacher.”

“I’m Otis (not his real name). This is my ranch.”

For the next few minutes Otis told me all about his place. He had Angus cattle grazing out in the back pasture. He grew milo, corn, and wheat on the rest of his acreage. His wife, Anita (also not her real name) was waiting for him with their baby at the farmhouse.

“How long have you and Anita lived on this ranch?” I asked. There was a sparkle in his eye as he thought about Anita. He smiled and said, “I grew up here. I’ve lived here my whole life. Anita joined me a couple of years ago when we got married.”

“Otis,” I said, “I have to go. Before I leave, would it be okay if I prayed for you?” He said, “Sure, preacher. But make it quick. I have to get back after those calves.”

He bowed his head and closed his eyes as I prayed. For just a moment, the confusion seemed to leave him. For just a second or two, he seemed to be with me there in the assisted care home. When I finished praying, we both said, “Amen,” and I could tell that in his mind, he was back on his ranch.

I stood up and walked away, but somehow Otis went with me. Oh, he didn’t physically come with me, but I have not been able to stop thinking about him. I plan to visit his ranch again next week.

Some people might question how a loving God would allow a man like Otis to spend his final days all alone in a state of mental confusion. However, I don’t believe Otis was alone. I felt the presence of Jesus in that room. Otis is far from alone in his old age.

The point is: If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He promises to carry you when you are old and gray. You may not always be able to feel His arms beneath you, but the Lord has promised that He will never leave you. Your friends may leave. Your family may leave. Even your mind may leave. But Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you.

I can’t tell you how many years you will live on this earth or what you might face as you grow old. But I can tell you one thing for certain: Christ will carry you even when you can’t carry yourself.

Soon, the sun will set on Otis’ ranch. When that final sunset comes, I believe he will hear Jesus say, “Enter into your rest, my good and faithful servant. Anita is waiting for you. Don’t worry about the calves. I will close the gate…”

James Collins is the senior pastor at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. Find out more about his ministry at the website www.fortscottfsbc.com.

There were so many good-feeling moments from Super Bowl LIV. Here in Mazatlán, Mexico, I had proudly worn my Chiefs’ shirt in anticipation of the big event. Sometimes a stranger would give me a “thumbs-up” and point to my shirt, but since many of the people who live here are from the San Francisco area, that not always was the case.

Dave and I were the only Chiefs’ fans at the Super Bowl party we hosted. That did not dissuade me from hanging two Chiefs’ banners, one in my window and the other in my living room. We were excited! Well, I was. As Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback, explained when asked in a pre-game interview how he remains so calm, he said he once was a baseball pitcher, and pitchers have to remain calm to do well. Enough said.

The pregame ceremonies were filled with nostalgia as the host city brought back the NFL’s top 100 former football players. Four centurions who served in W.W. II were introduced, with one presenting the token for the coin flip (at which point, I admit I teared up). Yolanda Adams’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” gave me goose bumps, as did the flyover with four jets streaming above in perfect synchronization. Players from both teams lined their respective 24-yard lines as a tribute to legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant who died in a tragic helicopter crash the week before.

And then there was the game which, for three quarters, looked like head coach Andy Reid would be denied his first-ever Vince Lombardi trophy. But then the Chiefs do what they do best: They came back. Down 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter, the Chiefs tacked on 21 additional points to win the game. During the postgame festivities, Chiefs’ CEO Clark Hunt credited the Lord for “blessing us with this opportunity. The glory belongs to Him, and this trophy belongs to the best fans in the National Football League.” According to the “Tyler Morning Telegraphy,” Hunt previously had shared his faith and spoken about how he makes spiritual development a priority. “In the National Football League, Christ is really glorified. My identity is my faith in Christ.”

Like I said, those were some of the many feel-good moments from Super Bowl LIV. My disappointment—shared by many friends—was the half-time show featuring two multi-talented, athletic, gorgeous Latino women: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Local Facebook postings were divided between those who considered it “the best halftime performance ever” and those who considered it the worst. In reading several reviews the following day, the word “sexy” appeared in most. But is that the goal of entertainment at the Super Bowl?

One of my girlfriend’s eight-year old twins commented on how “nasty” the dancers were. Granted, the show was intended to pay tribute to the Latin culture (at one point, Lopez’s caped American flag was reversed to the Puerto Rico one), but I felt this show’s vulgarity failed to live up to the dignity that preceded–and followed–it in what is supposed to be a family-friendly event. Both of these entertainers are too talented for such a performance! What confused me was how the NFL speaks out against human trafficking yet allows women to become objects who use their bodies to bring attention to the plight of their country. (As an aside, while the two dancers were entertaining the crowd, a dear friend was rescuing prostitutes on a trafficking sting.) No doubt that adds to why I found this show particularly offensive.

Christ certainly was not glorified during that act, and I was disappointed that an otherwise classy event was marred by such an unclassy performance. Nothing about it made me proud to be an American, except, I guess, that we are a nation of freedoms, even to the point that such freedoms give us the right to pole dance at a football game. Remember Yolanda Adams lyrics, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee…”? Fortunately, that covers even the Lopez/Shakira halftime show.

Nina Pearl Garrett, age 91, resident of Iola, KS, died Monday, February 3, 2020, at Medicalodge of Fort Scott. She was born October 15, 1928, in Iola, the daughter of Benjamin Harry and Pearl Oka Stotler.

She married Marion Gene Garrett on March 21, 1947, in Yates Center, KS. He preceded her in death in 1993. Nina farmed her entire life. She also worked as bookkeeper for Iola high school. She was a member of the Salem United Methodist Church.

Survivors include a daughter, Joyce Nickelson and husband Doug; granddaughter Katy Donovan and husband Dale and their children Garrett Donovan, Alaynah Crawford and husband Josh, and Ayemiah Donovan; grandson Ryan Bo Garrett and wife Andi; grandson Ty Garrett and wife Ashley and their children Decembyr and Alexander Garrett; grandson Patrick Nickelson and wife Krystal and their children Paige and Keira Nickelson; granddaughter Nicole Davis and husband Jason and their children, Kerragan and Nickelson (Nick) Davis; and grandson Aaron Nickelson and wife Shari and their children Aubry, Izzy, Lily, and Havyn Nickelson; and daughter-in-law Linda Garrett.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Wayne Leon Garrett; three brothers, Lawrence, Boyd and Dewey Stotler; and a sister, Leona Wilson.

Pastor Lloyd Houk will conduct services at 11:00 AM Saturday, February 8^th, at the Salem United Methodist Church, 805 Missouri Road, Iola, KS.

Private family burial will follow in the Iola Township Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 10:30 AM until service time at the church.

Memorials are suggested to Safe Base – Wayne Garrett Children’s Garden and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

The Bottom Line

When I was a kid in 1968, Dolly Parton released the song, “Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark.” I thought it was a cool song and when we went to visit family in Southwest Missouri, I asked Uncle Dennis if he’d heard, “Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark.“ The next time we visited, we asked the same question and it became a family joke. After that, sometimes when we’d get together someone would ask, “Have you heard the song, Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark?” We had a lot of laughs out of that question.

However, fear is no laughing matter and it can destroy our faith if we allow it. We all have opportunities to be afraid. The words “afraid” and “fear” are used 593 times in the KJV Bible. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.” A lot of people are running scared because of the deadly Coronavirus. However, there is protection from this virus and it’s faith in the Word of God. Psalm 91 is known as the soldier’s psalm for protection. But it’s God’s Word and it applies to anyone who believes and trusts in His promises. Let’s read some of His promises:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. The Lord says, ’I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation‘“ (select portions of Psalm 91 NLT).

This scriptural promise of protection is only for those who live (remain) in Christ as their Savior, healer, and protector. It’s for those who choose to trust in His name. A godly man once said: “Either the Bible is true, or it isn’t. If it isn’t, let’s throw the whole thing out. If it is, let’s begin to act like it is.”

In Mark 5:36, Jesus said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid. Only believe.” Jesus knows that our first response to bad news is to be afraid. But He tells us to treat the symptom of fear with a healthy dose of faith — faith that God’s Word is the truth and we can depend on it.

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” (Psalm 56:3,4 NLT).

The Bottom Line: Refuse to run scared. Claim the promises of Psalm 91 and trust in God.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

(620) 223-1483

Diamond Community Church

Worship 10:45 a.m.

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:24

I am blessed that the Lord moved me to Fort Scott. I love the people, the beauty, the history, and the excitement of building a church for the Lord Jesus Christ. I love Southeast Kansas. But I don’t like the weather. It tends to get cold here. Very cold.

This past week, it was so cold, the local politicians had their hands in their own pockets.

It was so cold, I had to wave a blowtorch in front of my nose so I could sneeze.

It was so cold, we had to chop up the piano for firewood, but we only got two chords.

Because of all the ice and snow, schools were closed Wednesday. Our church was also closed. However, instead of working from home, I decided to go to my office at the church. My old truck has 4-wheel-drive. So, I didn’t have too much trouble getting to work. However, when I stepped out onto the church parking lot, my feet went flying out from under me, and I landed full force on my back.

The sensation was strange. I had no air. I needed air, but I couldn’t breathe. Finally, after long moments of laying on my back gasping, I was able to inhale.

Why does that happen when you get the wind knocked out of you? It would seem that the body would immediately desire to fill the vacuum, but it takes long, agonizing moments before you can breathe normally.

The same thing could be said about Holy Air. When you take a spiritual fall and force the Holy Spirit’s fullness from your life, it would seem that your spiritual being would immediately move to invite Him back. Unfortunately, many times, a long agonizing period goes by before you surrender to His filling you afresh.

Last Sunday, I fell. Oh, I didn’t physically fall like I did on Wednesday. Instead, I had a spiritual fall. A man raised his voice at me after church because he was upset over something trivial. When he raised his voice, I reacted badly. I got mad. I screamed at him and walked away. I have been mad ever since. I am not mad at him. I am mad at myself. I should have handled the situation differently. I should have controlled my temper.

The other day, I went to visit a patient in an assisted care facility. She was wearing a bright yellow bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet read: FALL RISK. The words on her bracelet meant: Watch this person carefully. She may be unsteady on her feet. Help her get from place to place.

I suppose that I should also wear a bracelet that says, “FALL RISK.” I haven’t lost my temper for years, but I did last Sunday. Even though I am saved by the blood of Jesus, I still fell.

I appear to be in good company. The Apostle Paul considered himself to be a “FALL RISK.” Paul was one of the greatest Christians to ever live, but he said he was the “chief” of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He called himself a “wretched man” (Romans 7:24). Even though he had a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, Paul knew that he still had within him a sin nature.

As followers of Jesus, we sometimes get knocked off our feet. However, it’s one thing to fall; it’s another to give up. If we get up again and ask the Lord for forgiveness, He will fill us like a breath of fresh air.

The point is: When you get knocked down, look up. Jesus is there. He understands and cares. He will help you get back on your feet again.

James Collins is the senior pastor at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. Find out more about his ministry at the website www.fortscottfsbc.com.

Howard is a nuclear engineer. He is 86 years old and lives in the same Mexico condominium complex as Dave and I. Last year he almost died when he checked himself out of a hospital because its NFL playoff games were broadcast in Spanish and not English. He returned to his condo long enough to watch the Sunday games. When his breathing labored, his wife, Joyce, called a friend who drove Howard back to the hospital where he was put in a coma, intubated, and spent a week in that condition. That was a year ago. Howard continues to recover.

Dave and I were not here at that time, but we were in constant contact with Joyce. Things were not good. Before we came down to Mazatlán this year, I prayed that God would give me an opportunity to have a straight-forward conversation with Howard about eternity.

Dave and Howard are buddies. Never a day goes by that Howard does not come to our patio (once, twice, sometimes three times) a day to “chew the fat.” Conversation ranges from politics to the importance of ocean tides to proper maintenance of tennis courts to the peso/dollar exchange rate to sports…lots and lots of sports. Dave and I have invited him to come to church with us, but Sundays are days he and Joyce meet another couple for breakfast. Year after year after year. “Someday,” he says, he will join us.

Because Howard once headed the laboratory team that worked on the atomic bomb, he has a great interest in modern warfare. Last week he responded to an email I forwarded him about a new U.S. missile that “slices, dices, but doesn’t explode” and recently was used to kill terrorist Suleimani. This was his response: “That is the problem with war, killing innocent people, and in today’s world even identifying the innocent from the enemy is not easy.  Why does God let us have war?” Since Howard does not believe in God, this was HUGE.

I answered soon after. “I’m sure He grieves over it as much as we do.  It’s a fallen world and won’t be perfect until eternity…depending upon where you end up.  We have to remember that this world is the antithesis of what Perfection will be.  Scholars much smarter than I have written at great length on this question.  I just try to do whatever little things I can to make it a better place.  One small step at a time.” Howard responded. “Yep. We do what we can.”

Last night, Howard came by for his evening chat. Three or four topics into the conversation, Howard began sharing why as a young boy he left the Mormon religion. He spoke of its history and the vengeance the church hierarchy had exacted upon those who persecuted its people. When he finished, I responded that Jesus had taught such a different message, like “Turn the other cheek.” Our friend pointed his finger at me and said, “He’s the man.” And for the next hour, Howard spoke of how no one has impacted the world like Jesus, how His message revolutionized the way people think, and that He taught compassion and love like no other.

As our conversation continued, it was apparent that Howard knew more about the Bible than most Christians. He just couldn’t “get” the God part. Abraham agreed to kill his son? Who would do that? Noah’s ark really held what it claimed it held? Impossible. The Tower of Babel was the cause of various languages? Nope. Had Jesus known God? (When Dave and I used scripture to show Jesus was God, Howard reminded us that scripture is man-written, not Jesus-written. He couldn’t buy the “God-inspired” part.)

Mostly, Dave and I just listened. I have no doubt this conversation will continue, and I am excited for where God will direct it.

Like I said, “One small step at a time.”

I don’t worry about little things. Only big things. Like covering my bald spot and keeping it covered. Or answering a question at bible study correctly. Or keeping my fingernail polish from chipping. Or missing a deal on Etsy. Or honking (when and for how long) at rude drivers. Or forgetting names. Or questioning if the pastor is singling me out with his sermon. (And yes, he is.)

You know, big things.

I hope you get my point. Making a mountain out of a molehill is an area in which I excel, and before I know it, I’ve turned that little hump into Mt. Everest. So, you can imagine what I do with actual mountains… like every one of my family members. People on my bible study’s cancer list. Our country. Being bold in sharing the Gospel.

One person defined worry as “to gnaw.” This is what he said: “Like a dog with a bone, the worrier chews all day long, and sometimes it is a very old bone the worrier gnaws. The bone gets buried and dug up, buried and dug up, as the same old pain gets reworried ceaselessly.” I so get that.

If I give myself permission, I can allow those thoughts to turn into a runaway freight train, and my worries can consume my thoughts until they dominate my moods. That’s why I need to cling to Charlie Brown’s adage: “Worrying won’t stop the bad stuff from happening. It just stops you from enjoying the good.” So true. After all, we all are given X-amount of seconds to live. Why would we spend even one of those thinking of “the bad stuff” and not the “good”?

You and I are surrounded with blessings. Too many to count. This year, because of the giftedness of my step-daughter and daughter-in-law, I will be taking 100 Ziploc bags of lotions, shampoos, etc. to hand out to people who work at the dump here in Mexico. Today at church, three of the praise team members were introduced as coming to Christ through the ministry in the colonias where the poorest of poor live and where our church weekly goes to feed and tell them of Jesus. We learned of a musical conductor who brought instruments from the states and is starting an orchestra with the children in a colonia. Every time our pastor returns to the U.S., we were told, he returns with wheelchairs; to date, he has brought over 100 which he “loans” to the handicapped. Blessings upon blessings!

For 2020, I’m making a pact with myself to stop my runaway, worry-train dead in its tracks. I will focus on what is good and true and edifying. I will hand my concerns over to God and refuse to take them back, and I will remember what Corrie Ten Boom wrote in her book, Clippings From My Notebook: “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” And that includes my bald spot.

The Bottom Line

It’s been said that “you can‘t keep a bird from flying over your head but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.” I can remember being called out in grade school for daydreaming. My thoughts and vivid imagination would take over and I wouldn’t even hear what the teacher was saying. Have you ever been thinking about something other than your driving and miss your turn?

How would you classify your thoughts, imaginations, and attitudes? Are they clean or corrupt; positive or negative? The beginning of a new year is a perfect opportunity to change up some things in your life. A great place to start taking inventory is your thought life. Whatever you think about will profoundly affect what you do. God created us, so He knows our tendencies. God knows all about you but He loves you anyway! “…You know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence!” (Psalm 139:4 TPT). God has given us specific instructions in the Bible to keep our thoughts headed in the right direction for holiness and victory.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Inner purity is a challenge that requires you to guard your thought life with diligence.

If you have the attitude that your thoughts don’t matter and it’s only what you do that counts, you’re gravely mistaken. What you do outwardly — the things that people see — determines your reputation with man. But God is interested in what’s on the inside of an individual. Even though God knows what we’ll think and do beforehand, He expects those who believe and love Him to line up their thoughts and actions according to His Word. Scripture reveals that your thoughts do matter. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV).

We need to stop an impure thought the moment it pops into our mind. Jesus spoke plainly regarding our thought life. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5: 27,28 NKJV).

In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus was invited to the house of Simon the Pharisee. While there, He was anointed by a woman whose life had been drastically changed by the love of Jesus. “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!’ Then Jesus answered his thoughts….” Simon did not audibly voice his critical opinion, he simply thought it and Jesus knew what he was thinking. Simon’s thoughts mattered, and so do yours.

God knows if you reject or accept negative or impure thoughts, and He expects you to control them out of respect and love for Him. What you think to yourself counts with God. It’s encouraging to know that God’s grace will enable you to maintain inner purity so that your life will honor Him.

The Bottom Line: Man doesn’t know your thoughts, but God does…if you love Him you’ll walk the line.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

Diamond Community Church

2591 Jayhawk Road

10:45 a.m. Worship