jcrooks

3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured[b] of his leprosy.
You don’t touch lepers.  It just ain’t done.
The rules say not to touch him.  Jesus didn’t “have” to touch him…he wanted to touch him.
You stay away from Tuberculosis patients as well.   My [...]

1 What if the Lord had not been on our side?   Psalm 124
For those who know me, they understand my love for Southern Gospel music.  I remember Johnny Cook singing this song.  I am certain that the Israelite folk did not sing this psalm like The Statesmen.  For those of you who have a need [...]

30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.”
I can’t imagine what that woman felt.  He daughter was under the attack of the enemy – an evil spirit was in her.  The mother found Jesus and fell at his feet begging for her daughter.  I have seen a mom [...]

Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash [...]

41″Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.
The Lyrics to an old hymn struck me as I read this passage



Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear [...]

13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,
“they are before the [...]

11 Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! 12 Therefore, go and give this message to Israel.[a] This is what the Lord says:
“O Israel, my faithless people,
come home to me again,
for I am merciful.
I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt.
Admit that you [...]

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
Maybe it is me, however, I find myself reeling this morning from what I have experienced yesterday.  Mr. Nutter is on his way to [...]

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
God is.  And I am glad!
A [...]

8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
I don’t think I am alone.  I think there are others who are looking forward to things to come.  I [...]

18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over [...]

19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
When life is anchored correctly IN CHRIST you can stand the storms [...]

I have enjoyed a wonderful day in Marietta, GA with my mother.  She is an Il Divo fan.   According to their website…” Il Divo were initially brought together by pop impresario Simon Cowell in 2004, following an extensive worldwide audition process. The virtuoso blending of operatic technique with romantic and popular song took the world by [...]

3 Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
Country Preacher!  Not one of those big time preachers on TV all the time.  Just a simple preacher with a message from God that would change the lives of the people forever.  He was given a message for a people who were comfortable and religious.  [...]

Couldn’t believe my own eyes!

3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the LORD tests the heart.
You would think you could become a millionaire by taking your old gold jewelry, putting it is that self contained envelope (which those who pilfer this deal say is “safe”), send it to them and they will melt it down, weigh [...]

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
WOW!  I am amazed at the confidence that we can place in the love of our Lord toward us.  This morning as I sat and thought about what is going on around me of the verse in Proverbs that says [...]

52He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
OK, the title looks good.  I wish I could read it but I understand it this way - Sic vox non vobis—You are to lay up, but not for yourselves. Old truth and new methods work well together.  I am looking at the bible given to me by Stafford Hebert and the Midland Park Baptist Church Family.  It is Thompson Chain Reference Bible.  I will never forget “Preacher” telling me years ago that the Bible is God’s Word.  Preach it!  He would tell me that all the time.  He like this particular Bible because it had a commentary of scripture commenting on scripture.  He would always tell me to never stop preaching the old time truths of the Word of God.  I celebrate the impact he has had on my life.  He is in his 90’s now and I honor him each week as I pick up my old KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible and preach from the old ragged edged Bible.
Today God reminded me that I am to stand in the pulpit, open an old Bible filled with history proven and God blessed truth and preach it with no apology.  I get to tell it to a different crowd.  They are new!  But the Old Truth is still the foundation of what I will be preaching.  I am going to the storehouse where truth is stored and I will bring out a bit of an old story told by the lips of my living Jesus  - a parable -  and share it with a new crowd living in 2009.  What a privilege from heaven!  God has honored me today.
The truth is - he gives it to me so he can give it through me.  That is true with money, furniture, preaching, truth, etc.  We are simply the vessels through whom God pours his life and stuff on other people.  We get if from him so we can give it away.  That keeps us from being Pharisees and Scribes, religious snobs who mark people off as the “haves” and the “have nots”.  I fin

28″Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Maybe it is the fact that I can come that blows my mind.  The offer is to those who are “weary and heavy laden”.  Maybe it is just me getting old.  Compared to Smith and Mahan (inside joke) I am still a young man with nothing to gripe about.  But after a long grinding week I wake up “weary” physically.  I wake up “heavy laden”.  There are things that weight long and hard on all of our hearts.  Things like issues that we deal with in our own life.  I was reminded yesterday how our past haunts us from time to time.  Maybe it has to do with family.  I always think about Jason and Jenn and their being planted in and around Baltimore, MD and the ministry that God gives them in the finance world and in caring for kids who have been neglected.  God was gracious to let them serve people there.  I always pray for Jeremy and the impact of his life with his friends.  He is a talented young man and is very gifted and compassionate.  I always pray for Kimberly for physical protection as she plays soccer and finishes up at school.  “Weary and heavy laden” are two of my traveling buddies.  I am glad that I can bring my wife, my church, the needy families in the fellowship, the hurting…  I am no stranger to those two.
God gave me a place to bring them - “Come unto me…”  There is no place in the world like the being in the presence of the Father.  I sit at our Child Care Center at Southside and watch as little children run and jump into the arms of their parents.  Some of the little ones crawl across the floor to their parents, pull up on their pant leg and all but beg for them to pick them up.  I watch as the little ones find comfort in the big hands of their parents carressing them into their arms