While biking in our subdivision the other day, I came across this construction site. A group of donors are making it possible for Sgt. Stefan Leroy and his wife to have a new home. I later Googled Sgt. Leroy and found this article posted on the Gary Sinese Foundation website:

“On June 7, 2012 while deployed in Afghanistan, Stefan and his platoon were clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Suddenly, two IEDs detonated and Stefan rushed to aid those injured by the blasts. While carrying an injured soldier to a Medevac helicopter, Stefan was struck by a third explosion. He lost both of his legs immediately.

“Stefan was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he spent over a month in the hospital. He spent two years learning to adapt to his prosthetics, drawing strength from his friends and the other amputees at the hospital. Sixteen months after his last surgery in September 2014, he ran the Boston Marathon. “Stefan’s current living situation does not accommodate his wheelchair, causing him stress in his day-to-day activities. The Gary Sinise Foundation looks forward to providing Stefan with a specially adapted smart home to ease his daily challenges.” Actor Gary Sinese, most known for his performance in “Forrest Gump,” started this foundation to make dreams come true for our defenders, veterans, first responders and their families. His website claims that over 1,000,000 soldiers have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan “bearing the mental and physical wounds of war.” Thanks to donations to his foundation, fifty-seven homes are completed, and twenty more are under construction. I rode back to the site to talk to some of the workers. Everything in this house will be wheelchair-friendly, from wider doors to lower sinks. The painters praised the efforts of Mr. Sinese who used his public platform to help those in need. When I got home, I looked further into what drove this incredible man to give so sacrificially. I was excited by what I found. Speaking at a Knights’ of Columbus dinner, an organization with which he has partnered, Sinese said this: “When I think about the life and sufferings of Christ, when I think about the stories of the extreme hardships and heavy burdens that our military men and women and their families were willing to, and continue to bare, I can’t help but think about this verse: ‘For greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’” If there is a better motive for sacrificial giving, I don’t know what it is.

Hurricane season is nearing, and we who live in Florida are being prepped with expert advice. The latest came from our trash removal service via the neighborhood newsletter. Apparently keeping our yard vegetation trimmed is key. We need to “thin out foliage so that wind can flow freely through branches, decreasing the chance of uprooting trees or plants.” That small step will prevent damage to cars, houses and people. Two years ago, according to the article, because of Hurricane Irma’s vegetative debris left on the ground, it took three months and cost more than $30 million to collect and dispose of all the waste.

Fortunately, Dave and I are renting in an area where the yard work is handled by professionals. That probably saves our neighborhood because my dear husband loves to prune (i.e., shred). He, a snip sniper, believes that plants and bushes need to end up basically at ground level so they can “start over.” Butchering more shrubs than I can count, Gardener Dave claims that his method will help the plant grow, bear better fruit and improve its appearance…which, given 30 or 40 years, is a possibility. Don’t get me wrong. I know that pruning is necessary, but it should be purposeful, not random from a Paul Bunyan wannabe who lights up at the thought of tinkering with an axe.

In the June update of “The Spruce,” the author calls pruning “tough love…(which) keeps (plants) healthy and encourages fresh, new growth and renewal.” Lopping off those sprigs or limbs keeps them from sapping the energy of the healthy part of the plant (you know, the part Dave has mutilated). If not pruned, the dead spreads and kills the entire plant.

Jesus knew all about pruning and used that analogy when instructing his disciples (and us) on what is necessary to thrive. I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2).

Pretty simple. If we are fruit-bearers (bringing glory to God by discipling others), He, as the grand gardener, prunes to increase fruitfulness so the storms of life won’t leave irreparable damage in our lives. Pruning might mean we lose wilted relationships, superfluous possessions, unimportant status, lifeless habits, etc., but if that temporary loss causes us to rely more on God and less on what we think we need, we will bear more spiritual fruit.

One way God prunes is through His word, the Bible, where we learn of behaviors that sap our energy and keep us from maturing in our Christian walk. Removing the undesirable sin- branches frees us to grow. Hebrews 4:12 explains the importance of allowing the Bible to dictate how we live: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The questions remain: What in your life needs to be pruned? Perhaps there is something that creates a drain on you, and even though “good,” it is not “best.” Aleasha Morris of “Leadership Vision” wrote of the benefit of spiritual pruning: “Finding and removing what chokes our life can help us to breathe deeper, spread wider, and grow higher than we ever thought possible.”

Sounds like a plan to me. I just pray it doesn’t take 30-40 years to get there.

There’s No Monkey Business in Forgiveness

Recently, my wife and I got to keep our five and three-year-old granddaughters for nearly a week. We enjoyed being able to spend that much time with them. I noticed how easily and quickly they forgave each other after having an “episode.” In just a few short minutes (after throwing what seemed to be a very serious and carnal fit of anger), they forgot all about it and played together like sweet little angels.

When we’ve been hurt by someone, we need to forgive quickly and never hold a grudge. Jesus repeatedly commands us to forgive; so forgiveness must be a lifestyle for the believer. If you think it’s too hard to forgive, just remember what Jesus said as He was dying on the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus experienced the worst hatred and cruelty from mankind, yet He forgave. Jesus is the ultimate example of love.

Forgiveness is a vital part of being a born-again Christian. However, a lack of forgiveness is a major problem among believers. There’s a serious scripture in the Bible that tends to be ignored: “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too“ (Mark 11:25 NLT). Another sobering reference is: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14,15 NLT). Notice that neither of these scriptures indicate that the person you’re to forgive has asked for forgiveness. So whether the offender asks or not, we are to forgive.

When we refuse to forgive someone, we’re letting Satan outsmart us and keep us in a rebellious position. We can’t receive all the good things God has planned for us when we continue to live in a state of unforgiveness. When we forgive quickly, it’s for our own benefit. When we miss it and sin, we repent and ask God to forgive us. He doesn’t wait a month or two, He forgives immediately. We’re to forgive in the same way. Shake it off, drop it, leave it, let it go, and pray for the person that wronged you.

Unforgiveness acts as a poison in your life, so why would you want to hang on to it? The longer you allow resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness to grow, the more potent these poisons become.

When you forgive, you’re extending mercy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7 KJV). So if you extend mercy to others, you’ll receive mercy from your heavenly Father. Mercy is something you can’t earn and don’t deserve. Perhaps you’re thinking your offender doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. Just remember that when you withhold forgiveness you’re hurting yourself, not the other person.

The Bottom Line: If you want to receive mercy and have your prayers answered, then forgive anyone you‘re holding a grudge against. Forgiveness is serious business.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

(620) 223-1483

Diamond Community Church

10:45 a.m. Worship

Two recent shootings have evoked a range of emotions from shock to rage to blame to guilt to grief. I get it. This is America! We should be able to go to Walmart or a restaurant or a concert or a movie or a mall or a softball practice or a nightclub or a festival or a church or a synagogue without looking over our shoulders, hoping some crazy person doesn’t pick us out as target practice.

The day after the massacres, I was listening to Christian radio as the hosts were discussing this tragedy, explaining that this is a fallen world and sin is rampant. I wondered if their “catch all” answers, albeit truthful, might come across as insensitive to the immeasurable sadness people feel during times like this. Do we Christians appear uncompassionate when our spiritual clichés ignore the depth of despair caused by such evil acts? If loved ones struggle with God during times like this, do we jump on such opportunities by evangelizing? I pray not.

We of faith know that the “Why’s” of hurting people are not too big for God to handle. Those grieving should be free to question without us pontificating about how Satan causes evil or by throwing out Christian platitudes as a means to dismiss others’ despair. Saying “It must be God’s will” or “God just needed another angel in Heaven” fails to recognize the pain felt by not only those left behind but also our Heavenly Father when evil prevails.

Wrestling with God during these painful times does not prevent Him from being in control, but Him being in control does not negate others’ pain. Lives are now changed because people were in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” Twenty-two died in the Walmart massacre, including a young couple shielding their two-month old baby, a couple married 60 years, buying a blow-up bed for visiting relatives, and a grandfather helping his granddaughter raise money for her soccer team. Today I received word that the sister of an owner where Dave and I live in Mazatlán, Mexico, had just left our complex and driven to El Paso. She was one of those killed. Nine were murdered in the Dayton shooting which involved college students, a young man celebrating his birthday and parents with young children.

Senseless. Sickening. Sin-based. Yes.

What are we to take from this? Pastor/author Rick Warren addressed the best way to handle grieving people in his sermon series following the suicide of his adult son. His advice? “Show up and shut up.” He called it “the ministry of presence” and reminded his congregation that the Biblical story of Job shares that his three friends left their homes to sit in silence with Job for seven days.” Warren’s counsel? “The greater the grief, the fewer words needed.”

Be there, he continued, and don’t wait for an invitation. Find a need and fill it. Warren said that his Muslim neighbor “showed up” every week, mowing his (Warren’s) yard, but saying nothing. Friends came with meals and a hug. No one recited scripture.

So, what’s the Christian to do? After all, we know the Truth, the same Truth that will set us free. Still, I believe that we are to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and unless told otherwise, that means we are to support those hurting by praying, listening, understanding, filling a need…and wait for a later, better time to share about the role of sin in our fallen world.

“Juan” grew up poor in a Mexican village, learned the dining business, and ultimately opened an upscale restaurant in Mazatlán. It has become a frequent, fine-dining establishment for many of my friends. Last January he sent his daughter to live on a goat farm in England. He “had it” with her “Princess mentality” and decided to bring her down to earth with a lesson in humility.

Juan and his wife met several years ago when she was visiting Mazatlán from London. They married, and along came “Princess.” Without realizing how they were catering to her every desire, both parents became alarmed when their seven-year old daughter began insisting she was “entitled.” Their years of doting on her had backfired, and now she lived in a parenting world they had created but abhorred. Designer clothes. No chores. Only rich friends. Hours in front of the mirror. Mani’s and Pedi’s upon demand. Inability to apologize. Pouting when things didn’t go her way.

In other words, a spoiled brat.

Even more alarming, Princess’s three-year old sister was beginning to mimic her older sibling’s behavior. The parents were soon to have two prima donnas on their hands. After talking, taking away privileges and grounding, Hector and his wife made no headway.

The answer? Make a phone call to the mother’s relatives in England to ask if Princess could spend six months there, living and working among their goats. Their prayers were answered when the relatives agreed. Mom and daughter left soon after.

Sometimes drastic measures are necessary. Sometimes those measures are the greatest demonstration of love.

A famous Bible parable is the story of the Prodigal Son. A man had two sons, the younger one demanding his share of his father’s estate. His wish was granted. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So, he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

For a little background, pigs were considered unclean animals. (Still are, in my opinion, but gosh! I do love bacon.) Jews were forbidden to touch pigs, yet this once-privileged son had sunk so low, he was living in their porky sties, watching them eat better than he was. Pig Heaven this was not.

The Biblical tale has a teachable ending. Son #2 came to his senses, returned home and apologized to his father who was waiting for him with open arms. There are many lessons in this parable, not the least of which is how the son represents those of us in sinful rebellion who find ourselves living in less than God-honored conditions. All the while, our Heavenly Father wants nothing more than for us to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness so he can shower us with His love.

Like the prodigal son’s father, Hector is praying his daughter will return home with a new heart. No doubt, God loves his request. After all, He’s in the business of changing people. Author Rick Warren said it well: “God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He’s working on you too.” If He can do it to caterpillars and sand and coal, He certainly can do it for Princess…and for me…and for you.

Sear Your Steak, Not Your Conscience

When I was a little boy, I stole a quarter from my mother’s purse. I immediately knew I had acted wrongly and I needed to make it right. Day after day my conscience bothered me and the heavy load of guilt increased. I finally confessed my sin to my mother and repented to God. Admitting that I had stolen money was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Of course mother and God forgave me. It was a wonderful feeling to be free from guilt and shame and to have a clear conscience again!

When you become a child of God, the Bible states that you’re a new creature and you have the spirit of Christ living in you. Your newly-cleansed conscience can be trusted to lead you in paths of Christlikeness. Deliberately ignoring your conscience is a spiritual danger as stated in 1 Timothy 4:1,2 NKJV: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” Sear means to burn to dryness and hardness; to cauterize; to expose to a degree of heat that changes the color of the surface, or makes it hard. A seared conscience will make you insensitive to God’s voice and opens the door to deceiving spirits from Satan.

In the book of Acts 24:16 NKJV, Paul writes, “…I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Keeping it clear requires you to do the right thing even when it seems to be the hardest task you‘ve ever done. God speaks in a soft and tender voice that can be ignored if that‘s what you choose to do. But in order to follow Christ wholeheartedly, you must be able to hear the voice of your conscience.

A seared conscience doesn’t happen overnight; it‘s a process that occurs over a period of time. I recently read an incident about an older gentleman that brewed his coffee on the woodstove. He’d pour the boiling coffee into his cup and drink it quickly. Through the years, this man had seared his lips, mouth, and throat until it was easy for him to drink boiling coffee. This is an example of how you need to keep your conscience tender so that spiritual things will be clear to you.

If you speak unkind words, treat someone badly, tell a lie, or act out an evil thought, your conscience will let you know about it. Do yourself a favor and don’t shrug it off! The minute your conscience warns you, stop and make it right. Believe me, the sooner the better because the passing of time will make it harder to straighten out, and repeated offenses will eventually sear your conscience.

If you want to walk as close to the Lord as possible, then you should be thankful when your conscience convicts you. God is giving you the opportunity to come up higher in your spiritual walk.

The Bottom Line: If you want a close personal relationship with God, don’t sear your conscience.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

(620) 223-1483

Diamond Community Church

Worship 10:45 am

“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21

It was so hot last week… I saw a chicken lay an omelette. It was so hot last week… I started sweating like a politician on election day. It was so hot last week… Jehovah’s Witnesses started telemarketing.

Right in the middle of all this heat we have been having, our air conditioner went out. I came home and my wife, Amanda, was frowning. She was drenched in sweat. She looked at me and said, “The air-conditioner is out. I don’t care how you get it done, you just better get that air conditioning fixed, preacher boy.” Now this is not in the Bible, but I have learned a valuable lesson in life: “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” From the expression on Amanda’s face, I could tell she was not happy.

I panicked and ran to the phone. I called 10 air-conditioner repairmen. Nine of the 10 did not answer. I left messages for all of them. None of them called me back. I finally got a hold of an air conditioning repairman. I said, “Our air-conditioner is out. I’ve got an emergency.” He said, “You and everybody else has an emergency. I can get someone out to you in 4 to 6 weeks.” The rest of the summer is going to be hot at my house.

When I was growing up, our church didn’t have air conditioning. Instead we used church fans. For those too young to remember, church fans were little paper fans with wooden handles. In our church, they were always available in the hymnal racks on the backs of pews. The fans in our church were provided by the local funeral home, and at election time, a politician or two would bring in a batch.

On one side of a church fan there would always be a picture of Jesus. Usually Jesus was in a garden, or sitting with children, or holding a lamb in a soft meadow near a brook. On the other side there would be the commercial message of the funeral parlor or the politician who had donated the fans.

“Downer Brothers Funeral Home. Put Them In The Ground, With No Money Down. Our Coffins Are So Nice, You’ll Want To Die Twice. We’re Dead Serious. Ask About Our Installment Payment Plan.”

Or, “Elect Hamp Baker State Senator. Family Man. Deacon. Honest. Keep Your Freedom, Guns, And Money. Vote November 7^th.”

Hamp Baker wasted a bunch of money on church fans, because he never was elected. He always put his picture on his fans. He looked just like Uncle Fester from “The Adam’s Family.” He was so strange looking that nobody would vote for him.

I remember one church fan with a picture of heaven. As a seven-year-old, I would stare at the golden streets and imagine walking there.

That church fan reminds me of the story of an old miner who struck gold and carried his bag of gold with him everywhere. One day he died and went to heaven, still carrying his gold. When he arrived, an angel asked him why he was carrying asphalt.

On earth, we value gold as being the most precious of metals. In heaven, it will be what we walk on.

The point is: The things we value in this life will not be so highly valued in heaven. Money, fame, houses, and cars are nice in the here and now. What value will those things have in eternity? Earthly possessions are temporary. Our true wealth is in heaven.

Have you made your reservation for heaven? Trust Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Make you reservation today. Trust me, you would rather go to heaven than the alternative.

You think it’s hot here? There are no air conditioners in hell.

James Collins is the Pastor at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. He can be reached at (620) 223-2986, or through the website thepointis.net.

Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. (Prov. 16:24)

Last week, I wrote about heeding warning signs, especially those given to us by God dealing with choosing the right mate. It took no time at all for Dave to make me crazy. All I asked was for him to look up the definition of a clove of garlic—and yes, I should have known the answer. Bulb or clove, which is which? My brain simply refused to go there. (Sometimes it does that. But that’s a story for another time…provided I can remember it.)

Anyway, I was chopping garlic; Dave was sitting at the kitchen table, playing a word game on his phone. My recipe called for two cloves, but the “bulb-clove” thing confused me, so I asked for help. My sweet hubby needed to finish his game because he was being timed, and I guess he was going to win a kajillion dollars if he won, so I waited patiently. Then he started.

“Patty, did you know that garlic is related to the onion?”

“Lovely. What is a clove?”

“Did you know it comes from the genus Allium?”

“I don’t care where it comes from, Dave. What is a clove?”

“Here’s something interesting. It helps medically. Did you know that?”

“Did you know that I’m about to bang my head on the cutting board?”

“Patty, you’re really cranky, but I’m serious. It’s recommended for gout, snakebites, scalp ringworm, earaches, stomach aches, hemorrhoids…”

“That’s terrific, but unless you are getting a PhD in garlic, all I need to know is the definition of a clove.”

“Wow! It helps treat heart disease, enlarged prostate, chronic fatigue, stress, and…”
“Dave, if it’s recommended for stress, I’m going to suck down this whole thing just to get me through this conversation.”

It was then I left Dave, excitedly rattling off all kinds of garlic gobbledegook, and walked into the living room where my computer is located, googled “clove of garlic” and found my answer. As I stopped chopping and tossed my two cloves in with the other ingredients, sweet hubby was still sharing his research.

“Do you want to know how to get rid of garlic breath?”

“Do you want to know how to get rid of a wife, because you’re getting close.”

“Gosh, Patty, I thought you’d find this interesting.”

“About as interesting as swallowing a bowling ball.”

“Cranky, cranky, cranky.”

As I write this, I think of wonderful Christian couples who never would have a conversation like this. Their words are bathed in prayer, and they purpose to edify each other. From the minute sweet hubby said, “Did you know that garlic is related to the onion?” they would have stopped chopping and shown interest. They would have asked for a handout and memorized the spreadsheet. They would have put the other person’s feelings first. I know that’s what God wants me to do. I know that time is short and I won’t have Dave forever (unless, I guess, we eat a whole lot of garlic).

Proverbs 16:24 gives us advice to guide our talk: Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. I need to memorize that scripture. Kind words benefit soul and body.

Then again, I could just chomp on a clove of garlic. If Dave’s lucky, maybe it remedies crankiness.