February 19, 2009
I think I finally understand something about church leadership. After a person is in leadership for a long time he can’t help but rub some people the wrong way from time to time. No matter how hard the person tries and his motives are pure and well intended, he will make somebody mad or jealous over the most trivial things. It’s strange how hind-site can be so clear. I was once a member of a church for nearly thirty years and was involved in almost every aspect at one time or another. Some of the people that used to complain the most are the ones doing the things that I used to do. Is this ironic or what? Another thing that I find ironic is that I still love the church and its people and would still do most anything that I could to help them. I was talking to an old friend the other day and he asks if I was still going to the same church. I was trying to come up with a good answer when he sensed my discomfort and said “oh you got churched”. This is a new term to me but he was right because I guess I did get churched. I doubt that I will ever do any kind of church-work again. I joined another church more to remove my old membership than joining a new fellowship. I have found that God still works through his people and while I am waiting, I’ve found that there are still good people left in churches. This church reached out to us way before I considered going there. They ministered to us in the lowest spiritual time of my life and are still doing so. I’m still trying to sort out everything that God has been trying to show me. There is one thing that is crystal clear to me, when I get to heaven, I don’t want church-people for close neighbors’ at least like some of the ones of my past. You ever wonder why Skunks are called Pole-cats in the South? Any encounter with a skunk needs to be with a long pole. This is how I feel about some people of my past. Any encounter with these folks from now on will be with a very, very long pole.
by W. Kesley
July 4, 2008
We hear stories about the one who struck out at the plate at a crucial game. Or maybe the one who missed the final winning shot during a basketball game. We have seen movies made about these things. All the what if’s in all our lives. You can do your best your whole life long to live right and do the right thing. With one little slip of the tongue your whole life can be altered and never be the same again. If we could take back a word said in anger or a word taken out of context things would be different we think. How will we be remembered? We will be remembered by this one little slip of the tongue and not for all the good we have done in the past. Isn’t it strange how we humans choose to remember the bad instead of the good? Life can be overwhelming at times. No it’s not fair but this is real life. All this sounds like I have been reading the book of Ecclesiastes; Vanity is Vanity all is Vanity. All for naught. What’s the point of eating, we’ll just get hungry again or what’s the point of resting won’t we just get tired again? What about the one who hit the game winning home run or the winning basket? All of this too will be soon forgotten. The bible teaches that life is like a vapor all so temporary. Time has little meaning to God. It also teaches that only what’s done for Christ will last so maybe we shouldn’t concern ourselves so much with things of this world. We should try to live our best and trust in God to help us finish well. Unknown quote: “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
by W. Kesley
June 4, 2008
This is a sad little story about a child who was then around ten years of age. He had a love for music and loved to sing. He would sing at his church not solos or anything like that but he would sing along with the choir and congregation. Then one day he was talking to his mother about important things to him. The conversation turned to what he wanted to be when he grew up. He told his mother that he wanted to be a singer when he grew up. This unthinking mother quickly told him saying oh you don’t want to be a singer they don’t live very long thus ending the singing career of one little boy. The mother would say often that she couldn’t sing and none of her children could sing either. It didn’t matter that one of her other sons later sang in a quartet. (A note here, this little boys brother grew up and one of his sons is a Minister of Music today) This little boy heard this so much that the only time he would sing was when he was alone. What a waste. This mother didn’t understand the importance of encouraging her children. Do you encourage your children in the things they love to do? Parents, have you ever said anything like this to one of your children? This could have a devastating effect on a child. I wonder what this little boy’s life would be like today if he had received the right kind of encouragement. One last though here. I believe that Grandparents are better parents than parents. My reason is they have been with their children from birth to marriage and beyond. They have seen the end result and they know what’s really important. Perhaps they would change some things in their own child rearing if they could. I also believe this is why kids always love the Grandparents so much. We have been there and we know better now what the real important stuff is like communication, spending quality time with them and having regular meals together to name a few. I’ll just bet that most Grandparents will agree with me.
W. Kesley
May 29, 2008
I have been a Christian for some 35 years. I once held a position in our local Church County Association where one of my responsibilities was to do a phone survey of Pastors about their churches in the Association. I was amazed at the number of Pastors that needed to just vent on someone willing to listen. I was once the Chair-person of a Pastor search Committee. This was the most heart wrenching thing that I have ever experienced listening to so many Pastor Stories. One shared his story of sin in his life while I could only pray and cry with him. I’ve had a lot of dealings with Church Pastors. Maybe this qualifies me some to write about Pastors and their wives. Over the years I have had a number of pastors of my own. Some are still my best and dearest friends. I have also tried to be a special friend to my pastor. I wanted to be the kind of friend to whom the Pastor didn’t feel like he had to minister to. I wanted to minister to him, to help him anyway I could. I felt like I might be able to take some of the heat (so-to-speak) off of him if I could. I can admit that it got sort of warm at times but I don’t have any regrets. You can’t be around pastors much without getting to know their wives. I wish I could mention names but it would be inappropriate. I have come to admire Pastor’s Wives in the things they do sometimes seemingly so small to the onlooker. The way they watch out for their husbands. We used to kid one pastor wife about not letting him have much to eat. My personal belief is that they are surely called by God just as the Pastor is. This can be verified by finding out about their lives before they became a Christian or a Pastor wife. I still find it hard to imagine one Pastor’s wife (a Long time ago) wearing blue-jean cut offs so short that the pockets hung down below the cut part. What a wonderful person she is. This was part of her grooming, getting her ready to answer the call with her husband. I had a Pastor’s wife once tell me that you called him, not me. I think Pastors and wives come as a set just like on the Ark. Then there’s one or two wives that we wonder about sometimes. Again this is my personal belief that when we see this type of pastor wife that I tend to wonder if the Pastor or Preacher was really called by God or was he just Momma called. You want to know something shocking? Pastors and their wives are special people but they are just people….. just like you and me.
By W. Kesley
I know I’m risking a lot by writing about divorce. Yea right the dead-horse issue. Divorce could be considered a curse word in today’s Baptist Churches. I can write about this because it happened to me a lifetime ago. Long before I came to know our Lord Jesus as Savior. I have been lied to by Preachers and Deacons, by Teachers and by Saintly Christians. Books have been written about this subject, Preachers worldwide have preached about it. Christians no matter when they were divorced before or after they are saved are all treated like second class Christians in the local Baptist church. We are treated like there is something missing in our salvation experience. We are treated like we are not as saved as they are. Oh…..I guess you want to know about the lie thingies. What was this big lie that I’m making such a fuss over? It’s that part in the Bible where it says you shall be forgiven for all your sins. This must surely be a bad translation like preachers talk about all the time. It should have said; You shall be forgiven for all your sins except one. The Baptist church would readily accept this translation since it’s the way they treat divorced people anyway. Just to be fair, there are people in the church today that believe the correct translation and act accordingly. A big but here……..but we have never done it that way before and besides old uncle Howard and aunt Lulu believes it the other way and they ought to know. This means that studying the bible for yourself and knowing what it says for yourself is just not worth the time and effort. It also means that there are many good and gifted Godly people being brushed aside or ignored because they are not quite as saved as the rest of the congregation. Do we really believe what the bible says or do we just take somebody else’s word for it? You might ask…. do you really believe all this? I in turn would ask you…. have you ever been divorced? Ridiculous to you maybe but not to me.
By W. Kesley
February 22, 2008
John 8: 1-11
I have wondered many times what Jesus wrote on the ground that day. I agree with most that it could have been the sins of all those that were present waiting to stone the woman. We forget this story a lot of times when a fellow believer fails in some way to meet our expectations. We are too quick to condemn them and start reaching in our pockets for stones. I think you can agree that so many times it’s over repeated gossip of lies and half truths. Someone once said we should never believe anything we hear and only half of what we see. Another sad thing is we don’t take the time and trouble to find out the truth before we judge our fellowman. In my opinion jealousy is the number one killer in our churches today. It can be over the most trivial thing. Once a person gets mad over something it usually means that somebody is about to get hurt. I’ve seen way too much hatred in churches. I would really like to ask some so-called church people if they think that there will be two different heavens, maybe one for their crowd or click and another one for the rest of the world. Maybe my readers can agree that no matter who or what we disagree over that there is always and I do mean always two sides to every disagreement. I believe Jesus would be pleased if we would at least take the time and trouble to find out the whole truth before we reach down to our pocket’s full of stones.
by W. Kesley
November 28, 2007
Sometimes you just wake up with something on your mind. Have you ever noticed the faces of some singer entertainers? It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s Christian or secular singers. By their facial expressions some of these singers look like they are experiencing pain as they sing.
I have reached that time in my life when I look back and reflect on my childhood days. One time in particular comes to mind about a man named Ray Eller, who used to sing at my church. He died a very long time ago of cancer. It seems strange to me that I have though about him many times in my life. He made quite an impression on me as a small boy. He used to sing one song a lot, “When He reached Down His hand for me” Tears would stream down his face as his whole countenance would glow. I believe that if anybody knew Jesus, Ray did. Some day some of my readers will join me as we listen to Ray sing again.
by W. Kesley
September 2, 2007
A few years back I was sitting in church listening very intently to the pastors sermon. He was speaking about heaven and I was very interested since I was planning to go there and stay for a very long time. As he was speaking and describing some of the things that we would see. He began to refer to heaven as being up, you know up in heaven. I began thinking, Oh… Ooo… now I understand finely, yes finely that where it is. You see my wife also has a place that she calls UP! So….now it all becomes clear…..that’s where all my stuff is. UP, in heaven cause that’s where my wife has been putting my stuff for years in a place where she calls UP and brother when she puts it there I never see it again. So now I can really look forward to being reunited with all my stuff that’s in this place called UP. I bet there’s a person like that in your house too.
by W. Kesley
August 11, 2007
Filed under: Uncategorized — Administrator @ 4:06 pm
I think we should be careful not to judge people but we can and should be fruit inspectors. I’m referring to a group of men who’s role is supposed to be Spiritual leaders in today’s church. We all watch these men with scrutiny as they go about their Priestly duties. Some excel and make us proud while others ……(we’ll not go there) These men should always be lifted up in prayer and encouraged. These men will have more to answer for than the average Christian at the judgment seat of Christ. I have made an interesting observation over the years about this group of guys. Some you can’t find with the FBI and some neglect their duties while others keep their pews warm and still others are very consciousnesses about their role in the church. There’s one thing that I have really noticed when it comes to serving the Lord’s Supper they’ll be there dressed up in their suits and their shoes spit polished and ready for fill their role as an ordained grape juice and cracker passer-outer. In my opinion and this is what a blog is all about, this barely falls just short of Pharisee-ism. It’s almost like putting on a uniform to DEAK. Now I know some will fail to see the humor in this as others can find fault in a birthday cake but really some wouldn’t wear a tie to their own funeral. I think it’s funny and all of us are funny when we really take a close look at ourselves. I have been in church the biggest part of my life and have seen some of the funniest things imaginable. I also think that Christian living can be trying at times but it’s still the most rewarding life this side of heaven.
by W. Kesley
December 24, 2006
Very early on in my Christian life God placed many different kinds of people in my path. Some were dear Saints of God and others who were not so saintly. There was this one older deacon who mentored me by the way he lived his life. He was a quiet and a unassuming man. This man by his life showed me what being a Christian was all about. When he visited people he would actually look inside of their refrigerator to see if they needed food. Then there was another man that also went to our church who was very emotional and loud in most of the services. At one such service this same man went into one of his spiritual fits. He was still going at it while people were going home. I stopped in the doorway and was looking back when this old deacon must have read my mind and stopped by my side. He quietly spoke to me saying Son, it’s not how high you jump or how loud you shout, it’s how you walk when you come back down that matters. Now I know many could be thinking that he was just worshiping in his own way. That’s not for me to debate. This one thing I do know is, when I get to heaven, I’ll be looking for a man named Mark Boring, he’ll be the old deacon making his rounds from Mansion to Mansion looking inside refrigerator’s and making sure people have enough to eat.
by W. Kesley
November 21, 2006
Filed under: Uncategorized — Administrator @ 8:35 pm
I have a special love and appreciation for Pastors. Most are overworked and underpaid, and taken for granted. I know I can always trust and count on them to be there for me. I try to keep in touch with these old friends. Recently one of them went home to be with The Lord. His name is Marshall Lamb. My favorite story about this Godly man happened right after my wife and I joined his church. He asked me to accompany him to a funeral. Neither one of us knew the family and I think he just wanted some company during the long drive. As he shared with me on the way that the family had asked him not to preach about Jesus. I know he was troubled by this as we talked and he said he couldn’t preach without talking about Jesus. Well, during the funeral Marshall preached and was very careful about his remarks. When the time came to close the service Marshall prayed. This was the most evangelistic sermon-prayer that I’ve ever heard, Jesus this and Jesus that. On the way home I questioned him about this and he said with a great big grin, they didn’t tell me not pray about Jesus. I have to say this was the boldest little man that I’ve ever known. He taught me so much while he was my pastor and all through the years. We visited when we could. His last time at our house was at homecoming day this year. He wanted to come by and visit after the service. While he and Lois was leaving we were standing in the dive way and Lois said Pray Marshall this might be our last time together and it was. Bro Jack Price and myself visited him once since then and was going back the Monday three days after his death. My, how I would love to hug that old man just one more time. I’ll see you again some day old friend. His picture is on this website.
by W. Kesley
October 1, 2006
Filed under: Uncategorized — Administrator @ 9:33 pm
I once knew a man that was always asking, When are we going to do the stuff? Our Churches today are better trained than ever yet somehow the stuff just don’t get done. We know how to lead people to Jesus. We have been trained to do this and that and we’re always having all kinds of meetings and talk about how we should help ole so and so but we still don’t do the stuff. I was sick once, some time back when a good friend came by to mow my yard. He didn’t ask if I needed anything, he just got on the mower and mowed my grass. He has the Spiritual gift of service and uses it. We people today always say: call me if you need me, knowing all the time most people don’t like to ask for help so what happens?
NOBODY DOES THE STUFF.
by W. Kesley
September 29, 2006
Filed under: Uncategorized — Administrator @ 1:41 pm
While thinking about our up coming Christmas season my mind went back to a time not long ago when we were fortunate enough to be in a town called Bethlehem and stood at the place where God became man in the form of a child and they named Him Jesus. We saw places like where He grew up and where He turned the water into wine. We visited the most beautiful place on earth in Tiberious the Sea of Galalee where He walked on water and calmed the sea while not far from there He was baptized by John the Baptist. We walked and stood at the place where Jesus fell beneath the load of the cross. We went inside His empty tomb, then had Communion in the Garden. It saddens me deeply to know that His own people the Jews still reject him today. Psalms 122:6 says pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper who love thee. Christmas to me is not about a little baby that was born in Bethlehem. Its About the promised Messiah, the Son of God who became man to die on a cross in order to take down the veil between God and man. This coming Christmas Season, won’t you ponder the deep things of Jesus the Christ and His love for us?
by W. Kesley
Filed under: Uncategorized — Administrator @ 1:41 pm
Music is an important part of any Church. It set’s the tone for worship and prepares the heart for the preached word. It uplifts the heart and it’s a style of worship of our heavenly Father no matter whether a person is actually inside a church or not. Most all people love to sing whether just humming or singing along or maybe just listening. A lot of people have trained voices while others sing by letter (letter fly) It’s amazing that when many voices are put together some good and some not so good the sound that comes out. I believe music is a special gift from God to mankind. Such a special gift to man that I challenge you to show me a place in the bible where it says Angels sing. I believe singing is reserved for we the people only, Angels are special but so are we.
by W. Kesley
I never cared much for the song until one night when I really gave it some deep though. Christian life is much like a railroad when you really think about it. When a Christian stays on track there is only two choices to make. To go forward or backward. So…most people want to go forward so that will be our direction in this short little story. Comparing Christianty to a railroad is easy. On curves we must slow down a bit and in Mountains we have little choice but to go slower. On strait track everything looks great but there are dips that are hard to see until we are already in them and they cause us to sway from side to side. On a railroad there are many hidden dangers so we have to be on guard because it takes much less than we would think to be derailed. Once again comparing our churches and Christianty to a train and railroads, we must remember Who supplies the power and remembering also that when we are all pulling together and going the same direction we will reach our final intended destination which is to be together with our Lord Jesus.
by W. Kesley