Roads Traveled #255

Isaiah 35:8  A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. 

Luke 9:57  As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go."

Luke 8:5  "The sower went out to sow his seed ; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.

On the road, down the road, at the forks in the road, rocky road, road to nowhere, winding road, crooked road, rough road, road to recovery, roadblock and on and on the road goes. Have you ever noticed how many ways you use the word road. Have you ever looked into God’s Word, the Bible, and seen how many times a reference is made to a road: like the road to Jericho, the road to Calvary, the road to Emmaus, the road that leads to Samaria.

Paul was saved and met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus. Philip preached Jesus in the town of Samaria and throngs came to faith in Jesus. As he left town he met a man on the road who inquired about being baptized; because he saw water by the road. Phillip said he could if he believed in Jesus.

The path or road that Jesus walked as he approached the hill called Golgatha or Mount Calvary where he was crucified is called the Road of Suffering. It was on this road that led to His crucifixion that he suffered much. In Spanish it is called “The Via Dolorosa.

What road are you on? Are you following Jesus down the road to holiness? Are you walking on the narrow road or headed down the road to destruction. It would be a good time to choose to walk on the Highway of Holiness, the road to victory in Jesus.

Joshua 24:15 “…choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

__________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from "on the road" in Independence, MO. (Found a Starbucks in Wichita but not time to write.)

Sandy and I arrived in MO several hours ahead of what we had planned. Glad we did. IT IS HOT IN MO. HUMID AND YUKKY. We are meeting with Brett and Mary Yohn from our church in Nebraska today (WED). Looking forward to seeing them. We meet the rest of the week with Sandy's relatives and some more close friends.

We travel down to my home town on Saturday evening and I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church in Eldon on Sunday morning. Eager to fellowship with former pastors, high school friends and lots of relatives. I do wish it would cool off!!! I mean the weather.

Thanks for your prayers for our safety. The trip has been good with no real problems. For those of you who have never pulled a travel trailer this will mean nothing, but we achieved an even 12 miles per gallon in our first 1300 miles. That is a good trip for anyone pulling a trailer. 

We will be in Springfield next week to see Sandy's brother and his wife and children. I will also be preaching at Second Baptist Church of Lebanon on July 7th. 

Our plans are to return home sometime the middle ofJuly. In the meantime we will just have to sweat. That is the MO word for perspiration. 

Love you all. God bless. ~ DGW

Precious Memories #254

2 PETER 1:3,9,12-15 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

How’s your memory? There are likely many things you remember with joy and happiness. Some of your remembrances hold pain and sorrow. The Apostle Peter reminds his readers that remembering is very important. In order to grow spiritually it is necessary to remember. He reminds them that they have received, at salvation, everything they will need to live a godly life through God who called them.

Remember he says that you have received the great and precious promises of God through salvation. Remember that you have escaped the corruption of the world because you share in God’s divine nature. Christ is in you and you are in Him. Don’t forget it!! Don’t forget that your sins have been forgiven.

He calls his readers nearsighted and blind when they forget the blessings of God’s redemption. You may not have ever thought of remembering as a spiritual discipline like prayer and Bible reading, but Peter’s emphasis is upon remembering for the sake of becoming all God desires of you. Take time to reflect upon your salvation experience. Think about those times when God was most real to you. Remember the moments when God spoke to your heart and gave you direction. God does desire for you to grow spiritually and has given memories as one of the ways to accomplish His will for you.  

_________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Have I mentioned to you lately that "GOD IS GOOD?" I am reminded everyday that God is holy, loving, forgiving, merciful and compassionate. He loves you and me alike and cares for our very lives. What a great God we serve. 

This past Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at the East Verde Baptist Church near Payson, AZ. What a delightful time with the wonderful people in that church. The church is located in the Pines on the Mogollon Rim. The setting of the church is just beautiful. 

Sandy and her two little grandsons, Johnny and Justin, tried at what appears to be scuba diving. They did not enter the water, but the googles were adorning their eyes for protection. Johnny thought it was exciting to see Grammie with her googles on. 

Collin leaves for California on Monday to visit his Dad. He is looking forward to camping, hiking, and spending time with him. Collin went in for his school physical this week. At twelve years old he is already 5' 5" and 123 lbs. His Dad is 6'4". I think Collin is on his way to that height. 

Sandy and I will be in MO to visit family and friends starting next week. I look forward to seeing my Dad. He is in a nursing home in Eldon, MO. This past Saturday our friends the Tuttleton's stopped in to see him. They had not seen one another for over 30 years. It was a great reunion. My brother, Steve, is in rehab the same nursing home. He has COPD and was having much difficulty breathing. He is receiving respiratory therapy. I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church in Eldon on the 30th. Looking forward to seeing lots of family and friends there. We also are having a mini-family reunion that afternoon. Can hardly wait. 

I will be preaching at Second Baptist Church of Lebanon on July 7th. Roger Marshall, a long time friend and college roommate is the pastor. It will be a joy to be with that church again. 

Fourth of July weekend Sandy and I will spend with her brother Sammy and his wife, Kathy. Sandy really is excited about that. We will also be seeing more of her family in the Kansas City area.

We will end up our trip in Arkansas where we hope to see our friends the Nobles. They were in our church in Nebraska in the early 70's. What a great vacation. We are driving and pulling our travel trailer, camping along the way. Sandy and I both are looking forward to our time together: ALONE!!

I do hope you are having a wonderful summer. Burke and Bennett are in youth camp this week in Glorietta, NM. They have texted a couple of times. Think they are enjoying themselves. 

When we return I will be speaking at the Men's Breakfast at First Baptist Church of Tempe on Saturday the 20th and preaching at Northpointe Baptist Church in Chandler, AZ on the 21st and the 28th. BUSY SUMMER!!

May God bless you with a great summer of reunions with family, friends, and with God. 

Blessings to you from our God who is so good.  ~ DGW

                                                                      

Come and Dine #253

John 21:12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

There is nothing quite like a fishing trip, a fish fry and friends getting together for a meal. Peter had decided to return to his old life, fishing. He announced to the other disciples that he was going fishing. They in unison agreed to go along. Of course as many fishing trips progress; they caught nothing. You call that getting ‘skunked.’ Jesus was on the shore waiting for them. After an all night fishing trip they were tired and hungry. Jesus calls to them from the shore and mockingly says, “You have not caught any fish, have you?” There answer was in the negative. Jesus then gives instructions to cast the net on the right side of the boat. They complied and filled their net with 153 large fish.

There were so many fish they could not put them on the boat, so they dragged the net to shore where they found Jesus with breakfast cooked and ready to eat. Fish and bread awaited the hungry disciples. Jesus merely said to them, “Come and have breakfast with me.” This was the third time they had seen Jesus alive after his resurrection. They knew that it was Him and yet they made no comments.

A meal with Jesus must have been a highlight for the disciples, and yet they had eaten many meals with Him. This was special. It was with the resurrected Jesus. It was the climax of three years of ministry. He was alive and breaking bread with His friends. Do you break bread with Jesus? Do you dine with Him? Do you spend time soaking up His words from the Word of God? Do you talk with Him, fellowship with Him, and thank Him for His presence? Today spend some time with Jesus. Fellowship with Jesus is great!

It was during this encounter with Jesus that He asked Peter the BIG QUESTION: “Do you love me.” It may be that as you commune with Christ, eat from His words that He will ask you that question. How will you answer? What would you say if Jesus asked you, “Do you love me?”

Spend some time with Jesus today and tell Him that you do love Him. 

________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Happy Father's Day!!

I must have fishing on my mind. I am writing the devotional about fishing, going fishing again this week, and just returned from fishing. The only problem is that I am fishing like the disciples: (I am not catching anything). Oh well, it is just great to be able to go and enjoy God's wonderful outdoors. The pics this week are actually from the camping trip last week. Johnny netted himself on several occasions. He just enjoyed putting the net over his head and walking around. Justin is lying down in his bed in the camper. He is a real jewel. Collin and I caught one. But we had a great time. 

I preached last Sunday at West Glendale Baptist Church. It was a wonderful experience. The congregation was very receptive and kept me going with several 'Amens". This week I will be at East Verde Baptist Church near Payson, AZ. It is a small church in the tall pines on the Mogollon Rim. Such a beautiful setting for a church. They are currently without a pastor. Pray for their pastor search committee as they seek the pastor for their church. 

Sandy and I leave for Missouri on June 24th. We are driving and pulling our travel trailer. We look forward to some time together. We will be all but a few days in our three week journey. I have made sure their is a good fishing spot nearby each campground, and a Starbucks. We will send pictures and continue to write The Encourager. I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church of Eldon, MO   on June 30th, and at Second Baptist Church of Lebanon, MO on July 7th. If you are in the area come see Sandy and me. 

Sandy is having an ultra sound of her left carotid artery this week. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but the cardiologist heard some sounds he did not like and wanted further testing. We will keep you informed. Please remember her in prayer. 

I had someone tell me the other day that because of The Encourager they knew more about my grandkids than they did their own. Sandy and I are so grateful that our children and grandchildren all live here in the Valley. God has blessed us. 

I hope and pray that God is blessing your life. Don't ever forget, "GOD IS GOOD."  ~  DGW 

PS: DGW are my initials which I am sure you realized. Someone last week told me it could also stand for "Doing God's Will." 

Use Your Resources #252

1 Corinthians 4:2 “In his case, moreover it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Luke 16:11 “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you.” Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own.”

Who or what owns you? It has been said that if you cannot give away what you have; you don’t own it, it owns you. There is a story of a man in the church that had a wealthy relative who died and left him a million dollars. About the same time he had a severe heart attack and was in the hospital in critical condition. No one wanted to tell him about the money for fear it would cause him to have another heart attack. Feeling he needed to know the pastor of his church was selected to tell him. The pastor went into the room and talked of sports, weather, and whatever until he finally placed this question to the man. “What would you do if someone gave you a million dollars?” Without hesitancy the man said, “Pastor I would give half of it to the church” whereupon the pastor had a heart attack and died.

Remember this; God owns everything. You are given the honor and responsibility to be a steward of what he gives to you. To be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you you can chose at least six things to do with it. You can give it away, you can save it, you can spend it, you can protect it, you can hoard it, or you can invest it.

God has promised to those who are faithful stewards of anything that He will bless you. The blessing does not necessarily mean an accumulation of more. It can mean the blessing of giving to see God use whatever you have given away help others. It can mean protection from God of all you have.

It is a real joy to be a faithful steward. Use the resources God has entrusted to you to help others. Use the resources to know that God receives glory from the faithful steward. Your goal of bringing glory to God is accomplished as you express your faithfulness.

_________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from the beautiful Rim Country of AZ

What a fun week!! Camping with Collin, Johnny, Justin, Mandy and Sandy was an adventure. Johnny and Justin decided 4:30 AM was the getting up time while you are camping. Johnny's final comment at the end was, "Camping Fun!" That was worth missing a little sleep on my part. Collin took a friend, Tristan. The two of them had a great time. We managed to catch fish, not many though. For those of you in the Valley of the Sun my condolences. The temperature was in the 70's. Beats the 100 plus you have experienced this week. 

Sunday I will be preaching at West Glendale Baptist Church. Pastor Don will be missing in order to attend a graduation. I am so glad for the opportunity. The following week I will be at the East Verde Baptist Church in Whispering Pines. That is about 10 miles up on the Rim from Payson, AZ. June 30 I will be at the First Baptist Church of Eldon, MO. The following Sunday I will be with my good friend, Roger Marshall, at his church at Second Baptist Church of Lebanon, MO. 

While in MO and AR Sandy and I will get to see our families and friends. Sunday the 30th my extended family will gather for a family reunion of sorts. It will be my first time to join one of those great gatherings in 18 years. Really looking forward to the time together. 

God is so good. Everyday I am grateful that He has spared my life for times like these. Seven years ago today I was recovering from the surgery that revealed my liver full of cancer. It was four years ago that I was in the hospital with a liver abscess, high fever, septic shock, grand mall seizure, excessive edema, and in general not a good situation. I thank God that I now can do some of the things I enjoy. The cancer is still present and growing. The stent that was placed in the left lobe of the liver is currently working well. The doctors tell me the right lobe is nonfunctioning. Living on half of a liver is very possible. 

I pray that God will give you added strength, encouragement, and hope. Life has its ups and downs and the great promise of God is that He will always give us the grace to see you through. His grace is sufficient.

Blessing to all of you.  ~ DGW