I call this article, “The Need for The Irreplaceable Family.” As you get into the details, I think you will understand why.

For several years, I have thought about this subject because of Larry. Larry who? Larry was my half-brother that I did not meet or know about until I was in my late fifties. We only talked a few times, and we saw each other four times. I learned about the need for family because of how Larry died. Larry had no family but me. Well, he had a few distant cousins but had no contact with them.

He died alone in his home, sitting in his chair. With no family or close friends, Larry sat lifeless in his chair for three days. Finally, the teenage boy next door wondered about him and went to check on him. He found him dead. That story has haunted me ever since. We all need family to check on us.

The Family is the cornerstone of humanity, the anchor that keeps us grounded amidst the chaos of life.

Our family is our source of love, our source of support, and our source of belonging that shapes our identity and provides a safety net in times of need. The importance of family cannot be overstated.

Our families are there for us through thick and thin, offering emotional support when we feel overwhelmed, helping us navigate the complexities of life, and providing a sense of belonging and purpose.

When God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” (Gen 2:18) He wasn’t just talking about Adam needing a wife. He was foreshadowing the need for family—the irreplaceable family.

Lonnie Davis

In the story of the Prodigal Son, the Bible says, he gathered all his possessions together and “took a journey into a far country.” In other words, he wanted to get away from his father’s watching eyes. Many people try to do the same thing with God. If only they can get out of his watching eyes, then they will be free to do what they really want. Alas, we learn that God is everywhere. There is no escape from his eyes. That attribute of God is called “God’s Omniscience.”

When you did deeper into this you will see that God’s omniscience is a good thing for Christians for several reasons:

1. It means there are no surprises. God knows everything about us and understands us completely – our thoughts, feelings, struggles etc. We don’t have to try to explain ourselves to God or wonder if He gets us. He already understands. Years ago, Hollywood made a movie called “Defending your Life.” In it the characters had to stand before God and explain why they acted like they did. They had to defend their lives. That is very simplistic. We don’t stand before God so he can find out what we did and why. We don’t have to explain anything. He knows all about us and loves us anyway.
2. It means we can’t hide any sin or mistake from God. This should motivate us to live openly and honestly before God since He sees all anyway.
3. It allows God to guide us perfectly because He knows our future and can see the consequences of our actions. His infinite wisdom and knowledge means His guidance for our lives is trustworthy.
4. It provides assurance that God knows our needs before we even ask and nothing escapes His attentive care for His children. Our loving Father is intimately acquainted with all our ways.
5. It inspires awe and worship of God. The depth of His knowledge is unimaginable for us as humans. Realizing this should humble us and draw us to reverence.

Further reading on the Omniscience of God:

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5 NKJV).

Our God is all-knowing. He possesses infinite understanding and awareness. As Psalm 139:4 declares, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” There is nothing that escapes His notice.

I remember playing “hide and seek” as a child. I would find clever hiding spots, stay extremely quiet, and wait eagerly to see how long it would take my friends to find me. Sometimes I would even sneak across the yard to a new location while they searched the old one! Of course, I could never fully escape their pursuit.

In the same way, we can never hide anything from our omniscient God. He knows our actions, thoughts, and motives more intimately than we know ourselves. Jesus said in Matthew 10:30 that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

God’s infinite knowledge can be frightening at first. We are exposed and known thoroughly. But it also offers great comfort. No struggle or pain escapes His notice. No tear goes unwitnessed. He understands and cares for us better than any earthly parent ever could.

So take heart today. Bring your full self to God – joys, pains, questions and all. Rest in the security that you are fully seen and known by your loving Father. His perfect knowledge leads to perfect love and care. You never walk alone.

Lonnie Davis

1 John 4:19 is a beautiful verse about the root of our ability to love others – “We love him because he first loved us.” Especially notice the word “Him.” It was added in some older Bible versions, but the most reliable early manuscripts do not include it. This change the meaning significantly.

This verse is not just saying we love Jesus because He first loved us. Rather, it means we are able to love others because God first loved us. This is a profound truth that has changed how I see love. 

You see, my capacity to love was based on how lovable the other person was. I showed love to people who were kind, godly, and had it all together. But that’s not how God’s love works!

God poured out His love on us even when we were trapped in sin, unlovable, and His enemies (Romans 5:8). His love is not conditional on us being good enough. He loves simply because He is love (1 John 4:8).

When we fully receive this undeserved, lavish love of God, it should soften our heart and start to change how we view difficult people. We realize our one qualification for God’s love was our desperate need for grace.

This transforms our ability to love others – even unlovable people – through His power. With God’s love flowing through us, we can forgive those who hurt us, serve the needy, and embrace outcasts with compassion. 

That this is the meaning is obvious in the verses that follow (1 John 4:20-21). They explain that hating people shows we do not truly love God. Loving the invisible God requires tangibly loving the visible humans created in His image. His love in us overflows.

God would fill us with His unconditional love for others. As recipients of His endless grace, may we extend that same grace and love to a people who are broken.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is taken from Matthew 25:34-40: 

 “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

In this passage, Jesus teaches us that serving others in need is like serving Him directly. He notices when we turn away from those who need help, but He also sees when we lend a hand to those who need help. 

Once Liz and I were waiting in a lab for me to have blood drawn for my doctor. While sitting there, an older lady rose from her chair and walked haltingly toward the lab. Liz told me, “Go help the lady.” I questioned whether she wanted help so Liz did a typical Liz thing. She got up and helped the lady herself. When she came back to me, she said, “She has cancer of the spine.” 

There was nothing I could say because I knew I had blown the opportunity to do good.

How often do we avoid helping someone because we judge their situation? Yet we never know the full extent of people’s needs. Like Liz, we must open our eyes to see the needs around us. Then we can serve Jesus by serving others. 

To help others, the first thing to do is to open our eyes. There are many who need our help. A simple act of kindness done in His name can make a world of difference to someone going through a hard time. 

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Revelation 22:5. It tells us about heaven and says,

“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun. For the Lord God will give them light.”

For 40 years I have rarely preached a funeral when I did not relate the following story.  I want you to have it because if you don’t need it now, you will one day. As the church song says, this earth is not my home, I’m just pass through. Along this line, one man said,

As a boy I used to think that heaven was a place with streets of gold and gates of pearl and with angels everywhere. But there was nobody there that I knew and wasn’t sure I wanted to go there.

By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven as a place with streets of gold, gates of pearl, with angels everywhere, but with one inhabitant that I knew. 

Then my mother and father died, and heaven was a place with streets of gold, gates of pearl, angels everywhere and one little boy that I knew and my mother and my father.

Then other of my acquaintances died and so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew. 

But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself. 

Afterward another loved one went, and then another. By that time I had so many acquaintances and loved ones in heaven that I no longer thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of people I love. Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth.”

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Ephesians 4:31-32

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another.”

Here is the lesson from this short verse.

Some years ago, I exchanged Christmas gifts with an old friend. I bought him a nice $30 gift. What he gave me was a piece of software. It looked like it came out of one of those discount bins at Wal-Mart. He accidently left the price tag on it and I noticed that the price was 499, which I read as four dollars and ninety-nine cents. I was a little surprised that he thought so little of me. Several months later I found out that part of the number was missing and the price was $49.99.

I am grateful for three things: 

First, that my friend loved me more than $5.

Second, that I learned that one should not judge a gift or a friend by how much they spend.

Third, that I had not said anything about my “cheap” friend to anyone.

The real point of this story is the third one. You will never be sorry for the unkind remarks that you do not make. As our text says, Paul wrote, “Be kind and compassionate to one another.”

Once, after I had moved away from one church, a member of the church had been wounded by unkind remarks from one of its members. I called the friend on the phone to comfort him. He thanked me for my concern and said, “They did the best they could.” Wow! His response to someone’s unkindness to him, was to frame the remark as “They did the best they could.”

I admit that I did not write those words down. I did not need to because they were burned into my heart.

The way the man who was the target of the unkindness handled unkindness has become a life lesson for me. They remind me that I should never make unkind remarks. Never! It is an unchristian thing to do. I hope I don’t fail in this lesson. It is hard to keep so if I do, I hope I will repent and make things as right as I can.

Lonnie Davis

Today we turn our attention to Habakkuk 3:17-18

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, thought there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Wow! That is a promise of faith. However, Habakkuk what promised, other Godly men like lPaul and Silas lived.

For doing good, they were dragged before the judges. They were falsely accused. Without a conviction, they were stripped of their clothes and beaten with rods. The Bible says they were hit “with many blows.” After the beating they were thrown into jail. Paul and Silas were not only jailed, but were thrown into the most secure part of the jail. That was not enough so they fastened their feet in the chains.
 
With no human hope of escape, Paul and Silas did the only thing they could. Acts 16:25 tells us,
 
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”
 
Stripped and beaten, cast into jail and chained to the wall, how does one sing a song of praise? The Bible does not tell us what song Paul and Silas were singing, but it is almost certain that they were singing one of the songs found in the Book of Psalms.
 
Maybe it was Psalm 11:1, “In the LORD I take refuge.”
 
We do not know what they sang, but we do know they sang. This means that even when times were hard and life was tumbling in, these Christian men had the faith it took to trust in God.
 
Anyone can trust God when the sea is calm, but only a man or woman of faith can trust God when the sea is stormy.

No matter our circumstances, we must praise God anyway!
 
Lonnie Davis
 
 

Do you keep on doing that thing you wish you could change. Don’t feel alone in this. Even the Apostle Paul lamented over this. In Romans 7:18-19 he said,

“I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”

There have been times when I feel like I could have written that. Well, the Bible tells us how to overcome this. Let’s follow the steps to discover the secret of overcoming bad behavior.

Step 1: What you think is what you say.

Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

In plain words, “What you think is what you say.” 

Step 2: What you say is what you do.

James 3:2 – “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

This verse teaches that if we say a thing, we are more likely to do that thing. 

Step 3: What you do is what you are.

James 2:18 – But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 

As loudly as someone may protest “That’s not me,” people can see who someone is by watching what they do.

The final step, is you are what you think.

Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Our more common way of saying this is “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

If you want to change what you do, if you want to change what you say, if you want to change what you are, change what you think about.

That is why Paul called on us to think about whatever is lovely, honest, true. (Philippians 4:8)

Lonnie Davis

Our Text for today is James 4:13-15

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

This passage reminds me of a story I heard decades ago. There was this young man who graduated from high school. After his ceremony, all his family was celebrating and congratulating him. His grandfather had a different approach. 

His grandfather said, “You graduated high school, so what’s next?” 

The young man said, “I’m going to college.”

 Grandfather asked, “What’s next?” 

“Well, he said, “I will get a degree in law.” 

Again the grandfather said, “What’s next? 

The boy replied, “Then I will be a lawyer.” 

Grandad said, “What’s next?” 

“Then I will set up a law practice.” 

“What’s next?” 

“Then I will become a judge?” 

“What’s next?” 

“Someday I hope to be appointed to the Supreme Court.” 

“What’s next?”

Exasperated, the young man said, “Why do you ask ‘What’s next?” He said, “Grandad that is a life time appointment?”

The grandfather paused then asked, “What’s next?”

I love this old story because it remind us that we need to think about the day when all of this will end and then we have to ask “What’s next?”

It has been my solemn experience to be at the bedside of those I love and say good by to them. It has been my honor to say that all of them prepared their life for “What’s next?”

In all of our life plans we must keep that short question in our plans.

Lonnie Davis

Our Text today is – 2 Chronicles 7:14

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

In talking about this verse, I want to tell you about a man named George Wilson.

George Wilson is a real person who in the early part of the 1800’s and was sentenced to death for robbing the mail and killing a government employee. While on death row President Andrew Jackson sent him a pardon. 

He did not commute his sentence to life, he pardoned him. He was free to go. In response to this George Wilson did a strange thing. He refused the pardon. His case was taken to the Supreme Court. 

This was the only time in American history when the Supreme Court was asked to decide if a man could force the government to execute him. Chief Justice Marshal wrote the court’s opinion. He wrote, “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is not a pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.” Following this verdict, George Wilson was hanged.

In our nation’s law books this case is strange and rare, if not unique. In religious matters, this case is rather common. Every soul is under the condemnation of death. Paul told the Romans, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23). Later he said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23). After telling us of our sentence of death, Paul said, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (6:23). 

We have all been issued a pardon. Sadly, many do not accept the pardon. We rejoice in the 3,000 souls who were saved on Pentecost (Acts 2), but thousands more left that day without accepting the pardon extended to them.

God has issued a pardon to you. Whatever sins you may have committed, whatever wrong you have done, whatever burden you are carrying, He pardons them all. All you have to do is accept the pardon.

Lonnie Davis