Marriage - How to Last for Fifty Years

Joyce & Dwayne Walker 50 years
June 18, 1966 - June 18, 2016

Joyce and Dwayne Walker and the Providence of God

What is providence? It’s that theological word that means God controls all contingencies, all circumstances, all choices, all events, all people, all time to converge to precisely fulfill His will.  One of the best verses in the Bible that describes providence is familiar to most of us, Romans 8:28.  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.  Often, we are caught up in the ‘daily-ness’ of life and forget about the providence of God as events occur.  Permit me to share a few highlights from the last fifty plus years in which God’s providence was at work in our lives.

September 30, 1964, a day that will live in infamy; well, at least it will live in my memory.  For it was that day that I met the lady who would be the love of my life.  It was a most unusual blind date arranged by my roommate who was also dating a nursing student attending OBU nursing school.  

First date was a coke at Split-T, second date was a movie, and third date was the State Fair.  After a rocky courtship of over one and one-half years, I popped the question and she said yes.  We scheduled our wedding for five months or so.  However, on the second Sunday of June, 1966, we decided to get married the following Saturday, June 18.  Her parents weren’t sure that they could come on such short notice but they did along with twenty or so other acquaintances and friends.  Joyce made her own wedding dress in less than a week and we honey-mooned for one night at the Cinderella motel in Shawnee.  Real honeymoon was two months later and included Six Flags over Texas (nothing but the best for the Walkers) and visiting relatives in Texas and Colorado including Joyce’s parents in Denver.

We lived in a small one bedroom apartment for $65 per month.  Joyce was working as an RN and I was an assistance manager for a finance company.  Less than a year later, I was promoted to a branch manager and we were transferred to Pasadena, TX.  That lasted five months and we moved back to OKC and I took another job and Joyce returned to her job at Presbyterian Hospital.  Fast forward to 1970.  I was terminated from my job because I was “too nice” and told to look outside of the finance industry for my career.  I enrolled in a tech school and took full-time training for seven months in the field of computer programming.  I later completed my bachelor’s degree using the GI bill and subsequently obtained a master’s degree in 1985.  One of Joyce’s nursing instructors prior to her graduating from nursing school told her that our marriage would never last because she had a degree and I didn’t.  Guess we showed her!

We purchased our first home in Warr Acres in 1971 wondering how we could afford the $170 per month payments.  We both wanted children and went through numerous tests that were inconclusive so we began investigating the adoption process.  During this period, one of the doctors at Presbyterian found out that we were interested in adopting and subsequently had a newborn available in October, 1972.  Mike was born premature and spent 29 days in the hospital and we brought him home on November 3, 1972.  My career in IT was progressing nicely and included a few job changes along the way.  Joyce was either working full-time, part-time, or not at all, still at Presbyterian.  We received a call in December, 1975 from the husband of one of Joyce’s fellow nurses.  He was an attorney and the possibility had arisen that he might have a ten-month old girl available for adoption and wanted to know if we would be interested.  DUH!  The next day, he brought Sheri to our house with a grocery sack containing all of her worldly possessions.

Joyce has been the ultimate homemaker and the world’s best cook.  She could also sew, knit, crochet, and every other homemaking skill you can think of.  She made great outfits for both Mike and Sheri over the years and even made matching leisure suits one year for Mike and me. 

We were both raised in the country and began looking at moving to an acreage.  In 1979, we bought a new house on an acreage between Newcastle and Tuttle and lived there until 1986.  Highlights definitely included our garden and my Troy-bilt rototiller.  I bought Mike a used home-made go-cart and he rode it almost as much as I worked on it.  We enjoyed everything about country living except for having to drive so far to work, to the grocery, to church, etc.

During the early years of our life together, we attended Mayfair Baptist Church and were very active.  Little did we know that we were merely skimming the surface of what the Christian life was all about.  We began attending Metropolitan Baptist Church just before moving to the country and one of the elders was Russ McKnight.  We began attending his Friday night Bible study on the book of Romans.  We had never really encountered expository teaching and the doctrines of sovereign grace.  It turned our lives upside down but only for the better.  In June 1981, we began attending Faith Bible Church even though it was 40 miles away.  During the next six years, we tried other churches on occasion that were closer to our home but we always returned to FBC.  I had started working on my MBA in 1980 and the time was fast approaching when my credit hours would be lost so I decided to finish my degree at night at UCO.  Right, Edmond again.  I also began working as a sub-contract programmer for an ex-IBMer who lived in, you guessed it, Edmond.

We listed our country home but the real estate market was very slow back then.  We decided to move to Edmond anyway, figuring we’d save a ton of money on gas.  We leased a house but a year later we still had not sold our country home and were broke after making a house payment and lease payment for a year so we moved back to the country.  During that year in Edmond, a tornado hit our neighborhood in May (we were in the closet praying – missed our house by about two blocks) and in August, the Patrick Sherrill rampage birthed the “going postal” phrase as he murdered thirteen people at the Edmond post office.  Maybe Edmond wasn’t the place for us.  We subsequently sold our country house six months later and moved back to Edmond and have lived here ever since.

Joyce and I had both made a profession of faith and had been baptized in our early years.  After sitting under the Bible teaching of Russ McKnight, we both realized that we were living under a false profession and were not really believers in Christ.  Neither of us know the exact moment that we were regenerated by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, but it was between 1981 and 1990 and we were both baptized again by Russ McKnight.  Two quotes from Russ have stuck with me over the years and sum up my theology.  “All That God Requires, He Provides” and “All of Salvation is All of God”.  Russ brought the words of scripture alive to both of us and taught us that it is all about God, not all about us.  Russ passed away from cancer in 1992 and I still miss him.  He was my teacher, mentor, friend, and kindred spirit.  See your soon, Russ.

We continued at FBC for 24 of the next 29 years and came to Heritage in 2010.  Joyce has had several major surgeries over the years and I have had two knee replacements.  During our marriage, we have experienced the loss of my sister, my brother, my mother, and both of Joyce’s parents.  Through all of this, God has remained faithful and sustained us with his love, mercy, grace and comfort.

I retired in August, 2006 and Joyce retired in June, 2012.  My main hobby is golf and I have shot from 80 to 108 during the last year but it gets me out of the house.  Joyce and I spend time every day studying the Bible and praying together.  Those are the most special times of our day.  We are both involved in various ministries and studies at the church and enjoy watching British mysteries on Netflix.

We were blessed with the birth of our granddaughter, Kaylee, in January 2002.  In April of last year, our immediate family expanded with our son Mike’s marriage to Jennifer which included two more blessings our step-grandsons, Andrew and Anthony.  In April of this year, our daughter Sheri married Nathan Martinez and they live in Altus. This event was definitely the providence of God and we wish for both of our children at least 50 years together.

We have done quite a bit of traveling since Joyce retired but I won’t bore you with the details. Highlights maybe.  2013 – Southeast US including my first trip to Florida.  Attended a Bible Expositors conference in Mobile, AL with John MacArthur and Steve Lawson, ate at Paula Deen’s restaurant in Savannah, GA and spent two nights on Hilton Head Island.  2014 – PEI via Niagara Falls and  the Baseball Hall of Fame, and tours of Boston and Washington, DC on return trip.  2015 – California, Pacific NW, Alaska Cruise, and Glacier National Park.  Side trip to see Larry Busby who set up our initial blind date.

People might ask what is the secret of being married for 50 years?  Heck if I know!  Seriously, there have been ups and downs but many more ups than downs.  Years ago, a nephew wanted me to write something for his wedding since I wasn’t going to be able to attend.  I would like to share an except from what I wrote twenty-two years ago.  I believe it still applies today.  To summarize and paraphrase what I said follows:

Four Cs that contribute to a successful marriage. 

• Christ - unbelievers have (in my opinion) very little hope of a successful relationship because of their bent toward sin that can only be dealt with by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ himself said "Repent or perish" and "You must be born again".  Sadly, the divorce rate in the church is about the same as the rest of the world.  You may love your mate with all that you are but if your heart of stone has not been turned into a heart of flesh by God's Holy Spirit, you will spend a lot of time rowing against the current.  Today is the day of salvation.
• Commitment - probably should be removed from the dictionary as it appears to have been removed from our society.  This is certainly the value missing from most marriages today.  "Til death do us part" has been modified to "Til something better comes along".  We get so bound up in feeling good that we tend to want to bail out at the first sign of trouble.  A real commitment is a conscious decision to stick it out when our feelings say to go.
• Communications - seems to be overused in the land of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, ad nauseum.  Communicating requires face-to-face time, not tweet to tweet or text to text.  Many years ago during some of our struggles, we participated in a group study in our home using the book "The Marriage Builder" by Larry Crabb.  I highly recommend it.  One exercise in the study included going into the bedroom with your spouse and both sitting on the bed facing one another and sharing some of your deepest struggles.  Listening is missing from our communications today.  We think if we are talking, that is communicating.  If no one is listening, you are wasting your time.
• Cherish - I understand it to be putting the other person first and never violating their dignity.  We place such a high value on them that we are always looking out for their good even to the point of denying ourselves, if necessary.  It might even require giving up some of our "rights" which probably seems un-American!  Marriage is not 50-50, it is 100-100.  Each partner is to give 100% to their mate expecting nothing in return.  This is true ministry.

In closing, I would be remiss to not mention our biggest addiction which we have shared for our entire married life.  It is Trixie, Trooper, Heidi, Mary Lou, Emmy Lou, Sammy, Charlie, and Molly, our dachshunds over the years.

I would like to close with the theme or our lives both now and forever.  It comes from the Protestant Reformation of the 1500’s.  It is known as the ‘five solas’.

Sola scriptura- By Scripture alone
Sola Fide- By faith alone
Sola gratia- By grace alone
Solus Christus- By Christ alone
Soli Deo gloria- Glory to God alone

Already tired of Christmas Decorations?

Ran across this a couple of years ago.  Real meaning of Christmas is shown very clearly.  Everything else that the world holds on to as Christmas is false.  Celebrate the Savior and not the commercialism that sucks us in.  Praise God !!

Stop Judging Me!!

"You're just judging me and the Bible says that you are not supposed to judge anyone."  How many times do we hear this.  Everyone likes to pull verses out of their context and usually it is because they are trying to justify their behavior which, most likely, is at odds with what the Bible teaches. We try to be judgettes (new word?) too often and it is usually regarding a sin that we have had victory over and the one we are judging is still involved in the sinful behavior.  A better way to approach our judgette activities would be to align ourselves with scripture and move from the role of judgettes and become fruit inspectors.

Both the Old and New Testaments have a lot to say about fruit and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ certainly pulled no punches when discussing fruit.  Here are a few examples:

Matt 3:8-10 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  This was spoken by John the Baptist and repeated later by Christ.


Matt 7:15-20 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.   Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.   This was spoken by our Savior.


John 15:1-6  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Scripture can't get any plainer than this.  Followers of Christ will produce good fruit and it is not optional.  In my two previous posts on 1 Cor 6:9-10 and Gal 5:19-21, I hope it has become apparent that continual practicing of sin in an unrepentant manner is not an acceptable performance of those who will be inheriting the kingdom of God.  What kind of fruit are you producing and does it really matter?  What should this fruit look like?  Let me describe it as other-worldly if you will.  It is not anything like what is happening in most of the lives of Americans today, even professing Christians. We have bought in to the world system when the Bible reminds us that we are just passing through and if we love the world, God is not Lord and Savior.  Spend a little time with me as I comment and define what the "fruit" of the Holy Spirit should look like in the believers' lives.  I hope you realize that these comments are directed at me as well as you.  I struggle daily with the flesh and indulge in my favorite sins way too much! Here we go.


Gal 5:22-25  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

• Love - this is agape love as described in John 15:13.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.  More than likely this type of sacrifice will not be required of us but this shows the limits of our love - unlimited, if you will.  John MacArthur states in his commentary "A person who thinks his love is great enough to sacrifice his love for fellow believers but who fails to help them when they have less extreme needs is simply fooling himself.   ....having a habitually unloving spirit toward fellow Christians is reason for a person to question his salvation".  The thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians has a lot to say about this subject.  We should all think about what this chapter says moment by moment.  Remember that love is not an option, but a command.  It is an action, not simply an emotion.  I fear that in todays' society, we too often confuse love with lust.
• Joy - this word is used over 70 times in the New Testament.  Again, sometimes we confuse joy and happiness when joy goes much deeper than being happy.  Again, MacArthur describes it well.  "Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord".  In James, we read: James 1:2-3   Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  It doesn't say that we will necessarily be happy when going through various trials, but our joy will see us through if we are genuinely walking with God.
• Peace - Again, this fruit of the Spirit has very little, if any, relationship to circumstances. Paul speaks to this in Phil 4:4-7  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  We are not talking about peace as the absence of war but as the super presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Our world may be crumbling but our Savior still provides peace and this must be exhibited to others.  They should be astonished by our peacefulness in the midst of our agony, thereby, knowing that something supernatural is going on.  This is God's peace given to his elect.
• Patience - would like to skip this one due to the high level of conviction that covers me whenever I think of how short of the goal I fall and how much rotten fruit I produce in this area.  Our patience must be shown as we endure injuries inflicted by others.  This patience must be shown with tolerance and long-suffering amidst a calm willingness and acceptance of the circumstances.  As mentioned, this fruit is lacking in me and, perhaps, many others.  Ever heard of "Road Rage"?  Only one small example that easily comes to mind when I think of patience.  Patience ties directly to our salvation as Paul writes in Rom 2:6-8  He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
• Kindness - is a tender concern for others and may include giving up our rights.  This is not politically correct and as Americans, it has been drilled into us for decades by the ACLU and others that "we have our rights".  Kindness was best exhibited by our Savior and given to us by the Holy Spirit.  Here are a couple of examples from the Old Testament.  Zech 7:8-9  And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,  Prov 21:21  Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. 
• Goodness - is to be desired and manifested to those with whom we come in contact.  It has to do with moral and spiritual excellence that is know by its sweetness and active kindness. Again the Bible explains itself better than any words of mine.  Ps 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Ps 27:13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!  Rom 15:14   I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.  Like all of the other fruit, our goodness must be applied on a daily basis.
• Faithfulness - always reminds me of the song "Great is thy Faithfulness".  God is faithful even when we aren't.   Rom 3:3-4 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar.  This part of the fruit of the Spirit pertains to loyalty and trustworthiness.  God in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ, has shown us what faithfulness should look like and we are to emulate our Savior.  Rev 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,  Rev 2:10 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
• Gentleness - might be better translated as meekness.  In fact, other translations use "meekness", "humility", "gentle behavior".  In the volume "Synonyms of the New Testament" by R. C. Trench,  when speaking about the Greek word prautes, he writes: "Gentleness does not consist in a person's outward behavior only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men; as little in his mere natural disposition.  Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God.  It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.  MacArthur states "In the New Testament prautes is used to describe three attitudes: submissiveness to the will of God, teachableness, and consideration of others".  This characteristic as well as the following one is not used to describe God in the Old Testament as the other seven are.  Col 3:12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  Eph 4:2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
• Self-control - finally, got to one that I've conquered! NOT!  This refers to constraining passions and appetites (not just food which is my great struggle).  1 Cor 9:25-27  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.   Paul is not just talking about athletes so us couch-potatoes don't get off the hook.  We all need more self-control.  Don't you love the way Peter seems to say AMEN to what Paul has just written.  It is amazing how the Holy Spirit inspired both of these writers to say almost the same thing.          2  Peter 1:5-11 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Contrast this to the passages in 1 Cor 6:9-10 and Gal 5:19-21 which identified the behavior that would prevent persons from entering the kingdom of God.  In this last passage, provision has been made for entrance into the eternal kingdom for those who practice these qualities that lead to godliness.

In closing, Paul reminds us that no one would make laws against these character traits and stresses that if we live by the Spirit, we must walk by the Spirit.  What kind of fruit are you producing or are you producing any fruit at all?  Contact me if you have comments or need help.  I try to be a good listener but you have to talk louder as I get older.................  Sorry for the length but scripture is to be shared and never returns without accomplishing God's purpose.

Enough Already, Paul!

For those of you who read my September 15 post (both of you), this may sound familiar.  However, we as fallen men need reminding over and over again and Paul quite often repeats the same teaching in different places to drive home a very important point that usually has eternal significance. Consider the passage that I focused on in my September 15 post, I Cor 6:9-11. 

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,  10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

 In the post I attempted to drive home the point that those who practiced the offenses listed as an on-going lifestyle were just kidding themselves when they claimed to be followers of Christ.  I'm not sure that those who read it picked up on the main points but Paul uses similar text in the book of Galatians although the list of sins is different.  The gist of the passage is just the same:  If you remain in these sins for extended periods of time and are identified by others as practicing these offenses, you might be deceiving yourself when you say that you are a Christian.  Consider the passage,       Gal 5:16-24

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In my September post, I defined the terms using the Greek word for each transgression.  I will try to use English words this time to keep things simple, so simple, that maybe even I can understand. Some of the evil practices are the same as in the I Cor passage but most are different.  They are all called deeds of the flesh as opposed to spiritual or spirit-led deeds.  Neither of the lists are exhaustive as indicated by the use of "things like these" and "such things."  As we go down the list, examine yourself as I will.  Do I continually practice these things?  The Holy Spirit (if you are a believer in Christ) will convict and convince and spur you to repentance and a turning away from these things.

• Immorality or sexual immorality - this includes any type of sexual activity outside of marriage including adultery, homosexuality, fornication, bestiality, prostitution, etc.
• Impurity - usually referred to ceremonial uncleanness, in other words, anything in your life that would separate you from approaching God.
• Sensuality - this is a word that describes American society today - blatant sexuality and uninhibited sexual indulgence.  Sex is used in most advertising because "sex sells".  Look at the most popular celebrities - Miley Cyrus is the perfect example, no shame or concern as to what others think of you.
• Idolatry - would be the act of worshiping anything more than you worship God.  It usually involves man-made images but could be other individuals, life-styles or activities, and the list could go on and on.  What is more important to you as you live day-to-day than your God?
• Sorcery - could be the use of mind-altering drugs.  Aristotle and other ancient Greeks used the word as a synonym for witchcraft and black magic.
• Enmities and strife - hateful attitudes and bitter conflicts among individuals would be included here. Strife usually brings about wrong actions.  It seems that too often this strife is self-contained within the family unit which damages all who are around it.
• Jealousy - is a form of anger and hateful resentment caused by coveting for oneself what belongs to someone else.
• Fits of anger - sudden unrestrained expressions of hostility toward others with little or no provocation or justification would describe this phrase.
• Rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy represent animosities between individuals and groups that sometimes continue to fester and grow long after the original cause of conflict has passed.  Are you holding grudges?  They can become very destructive when established as a way of life.
• Drunkenness - excess use of alcoholic beverages which usually leads to rowdy, boisterous, and crude behavior.
• Carousing or orgies - related to pagan worship ceremonies which often included the temple prostitutes. Does not really require definition in our society, it has almost become a way of life, especially during spring breaks.

"Do such things" in verse 21 is translated as "practice" in the NASB and clarifies the meaning.  This is not a one time occurrence of these transgressions, but an everyday, on-going practice that has become your lifestyle.

If you profess the name of Jesus Christ, you must not be practicing these things.  You are dragging the name of Christ through the proverbial mud by your lifestyle.  You should be very afraid if you fall into this category and the following scripture may apply to you in the eternal future when you stand before our omnipotent, omniscient God to give an accounting of all that you have done.   

Matt 7:21-23

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  22  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  23  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessnes

Next post will include 5:22 and the fruit of the spirit as evidenced in the lives of those who are walking by the spirit and not the flesh.

 

It's Over!

A multitude of memories covering most of my 72 (73 tomorrow) years were touched by grief today and a pall has covered Yankee fans of my generation.  Yogi Berra died today.  Most recognize some of his favorite malapropisms: 90% of baseball is half mental.  It ain't over til it's over.  If you come to a fork in the road, take it. and deja vu all over again.  However, those of my generation who mostly still hate the Dodgers, remember his skill as a baseball player in spite of his size.  One memory that stands out for me is his tomahawk swing for a home run in a televised (black and white) Yankees' game in the early 1950's.

The above picture shows (l. to r.) Joe Dimaggio, Yogi, and Mickey Mantle.  Mickey was my #1 favorite, Phil Rizutto was #2, and Yogi was #3.  The only disagreement my dad and I had (we didn't communicate much) was over baseball.  He hated the Yankees and I loved them.  He always rooted for the other team, no matter who the opponent was.  Some of the greatest joy of my childhood was the Yankee World Series victories in five straight years, 1949-53.  1954 was Cleveland Indians and New York Giants and included Willie Mays' amazing over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz to turn a double play.  The Giants swept the Indians but I didn't care.  If the Yankees weren't in the World Series, I usually didn't even watch it.  In 1955, horror of horrors, the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in the World Series for the first time.  We got even in 1956 and even included Don Larsen's perfect game, the only one in World Series history.  Most baseball fans have seen the film of Yogi jumping on Don Larsen after the final pitch.

The Yankees have won 27 World Series and lost 13.  No other team in the history of baseball even comes close. Yogi played in ten World Series.  In the 1950's, Sport magazine contained full page photographs of athletes and I had pictures of the most famous Yankees tacked to the wall in my bedroom.  They included Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizutto, Yogi Berra, Allie Reynolds, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, and others.  I used to get the Yankee yearbook back then.  Sure wish I had kept them.

Don't follow baseball much any more but I do check the scores and standings for the Yankees.  Guess I always will.  Yogi, a member of my favorite baseball era, is the last great Yankee in my opinion.  I drove around the new Yankee stadium in the summer of 2014 probably just to stir up memories of the glory days of the the Yankees of the 1950's and 1960's.  Baseball is the great American past-time, you know.  But sadly, for Yogi, it's over!  Gone, but not forgotten.  You were one of a kind.  RIP Yogi....

Heaven Bound? - Don't Be Too Sure!

I ran across these verses a few days ago in my daily Bible reading.  They can be the most frightening and the most comforting verses in all of Paul’s writings.  The context is a letter written to a church that had serious sin problems which Paul has been addressing.  The severest appears to be a case of incest which is mentioned in chapter 5.  Paul admonishes the Corinthian believers to remove this person from the assembly and to not associate with him (! Cor 5:13)  He then discusses conflicts among the church members that were leading to lawsuits.  Again, for the sake of unity, he chastises them and states that they are guilty of the same acts as those who are the objects of the lawsuits.  He states that believers should be able to settle things without bringing in unbelievers to be their arbitrators and judges.

He then pens the following verses which should sum up the Christian life although certainly every sin is not contained in the verses.  He does, however, seem to focus on the sins that are so closely identified with an immoral society.  Sort of like the United States today, you think?  Slowly read these verses, taking in each and every word and let the Holy Spirit stir you to self-examination as he has stirred me upon reading these verses again and again.

1 Cor 6:9-11  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither  fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

What does he mean by the unrighteous in verse 9?  (94) Greek word is’ adikos’ which implies one who violates or has violated justice; unjust; sinful; one who deals fraudulently with others; or a deceiver.  Other verses include Matt 5:45, Luke 18:11, 1 Peter 3: 18, and 2 Peter 2:9.

⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed^[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered^[a] once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,^[a] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

However you wish to define unrighteous, it means those who have not been savingly joined to Jesus Christ.  They are lost, condemned, and under the wrath of God and if they remain in that condition, they will never enter the gates of heaven.  Therefore, there is reserved for them eternal punishment in hell forever.  I pray that you belong to the first group and not the last.  The good news is that you can change that by repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  Would you do that today?   There is still time.

Paul then issues an imperative; ‘Do not be deceived’.  Simply put, do not stray from the truth.  This is the greek work planao which means deceive, err, go astray, seduce, wander, or be out of the way.  This is used 39 times in the New Testament.  Here are some examples from which you can see that we can be self-deceived, deceived by someone else, or deceived by Satan.

Matt 22:29  But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

1 John 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is 

righteous.

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

From the above, we can deduce that both believers and unbelievers can be deceived.  Satan has been described as the great liar or great deceiver, but we must be aware of our own weak thinking as well as the influence of those around us.  Next, Paul points out to the Corinthians (and to us), the multitude of sins that focuses on immorality and how the continual practice of these sins is usually equated to unsaved persons.  Believers may fall into these sins on occasion but they must not be their on-going lifestyle.  We will now examine each of these.

Ø  Fornicators – is the Greek word ‘pornos’ from which we get pornography.  It is defined as immoral, sexual immorality in general and unmarried people in particular.  Today, in our country, it hardly causes a ripple and appears to be the normal instead of the exception.  ABC recently received the second ‘Excellent’ rating ever issued by GLAAD (Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).  This was because 55% of their 103 prime-time hours clearly reflected the quality and relative quantity of LGBT representations in their  original programming. The following is from John MacArthur’s commentary.  “But fornication in any form is an abomination to God and should be an abomination to his people.  Those who habitually practice and defend it cannot possibly belong to God.”  Wow !

Ø  .Idolators – is the Greek word ‘eidololatres’ which means an image worshipper and refers to those who worship any false gods and false religious systems, not simply to those who bow down to images.  In today’s world, there are numerous idols that we have worshipped and it is only getting worse.  A few examples would be:  a political party or ideology, money, fame, a family member with high intelligence or athletic prowess, our jobs, sports or entertainment personalities, our accomplishments, and I could go on and on.  The believers’ worship is to be reserved for God.

Ø  Adulterers –is the Greek word ‘moichao’ and describes those who have unlawful intercourse with another man’s wife.  In the Old Testament, it was punishable by death so God must not look favorably on it.  It corrupts the participants and their families and defiles the God-established relationship between husband and wife.

Ø  Homosexuals and Sodomites – various translations show different wording.  Some use the word effeminate, some use abusers of self, male prostitutes. The first Greek word used is ‘malakoi’ which often referred to a catamite which was a young male companion of an older male.  They were usually the passive partner in sexual relations.  The other Greek word is ‘arsenokoites’ which refers to one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual.  Everyone is familiar with Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament and many references in the New Testament.  God destroyed these two cities because their sin was exceedingly grave (Gen 18:20)  The latest Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage is simply an indication that the majority of mankind has no fear of God and Romans 1 has come true.  Whoever heard of the term gender neutral until recently.  The Word of God is very clear and condemns homosexuality throughout.  Those who would have believers to be silent on this issue do not realize the dangerous ground that they are standing on;  God will not be mocked and you reap what you sow.

Ø  Thieves – the Greek word is ‘kleptes’ from which we get the term kleptomaniac.  No hidden meaning is to be found here.  Stealing stems from the sin of greed.  We want more than we have and will do almost anything to get it.  The news today is replete with thieves in action, from cigarettes and beer to millions and even billions of dollars.  We are living in an entitlement society and if you or the government won’t give me what I ‘deserve’, then I will take it.  Don’t I have my rights!

Ø  Covetous – the Greek word is ‘pleonektes’ and describes one who is eager to have more, especially what belongs to others.  This is very close to thievery but perhaps the coveter doesn’t have the courage to actually steal, they simply want and this often becomes an obsession that does eventually stir them to action which then becomes thievery.

Ø  Drunkards – the Greek word is ‘methusos’.  Again, this is very straight-forward.  It describes one who is intoxicated and not in control of their actions.  We are commanded in Eph 5:18 to not be drunk.  The horror stories from past and present alcoholics confirm how damaging this type of behavior is.  Much mental and physical damage has been inflicted by those under the influence and many deaths are attributed to ‘demon alchohol’.

Ø  Revilers – the Greek word is ‘loidoros’ and is used to describe those who destroy with their tongues.  Sort of like a 24-hour a day political smear campaign.  The book of James describes the awfulness of reviling and we know that scripture teaches that our tongues only reveal what is in our hearts.  Damage done by the tongue can last a life-time.

Ø  Extortioners – the Greek word is ‘harpax’ and some translations use the term ‘swindlers’ which is probably more common today.  Scam artists, blackmailers, false advertisers, and embezzlers are just a few of the types that would fit this category.  They usually steal indirectly so that their conscience can be seared over and they can convince themselves that their behavior is just a ‘little’ bit shady.

Quite a list wouldn’t you say?  I’m sure that most of us know people who would fit into each category.  However, our greatest concern should be that we do not fit into any of them.  By deceiving ourselves, we may be participating and acting as one of these while condemning others in a different category.  We highly condemn drunkards yet we cheat on our income tax.  We see red when homosexuals flaunt their behavior but we think our fornication, ‘shacking up’, or living together is perfectly acceptable.  We tongue-lash other drivers nearly to the point of road-rage (reviling), yet we neglect our family because of our self-made idols such as gambling, fishing, hunting, golf, or fill in the blank (idolatry)  I’ll let you come up with some other examples.  Just don’t look too closely at my behavior.

The only hope for unbelievers caught up in any of these is a changed life brought about by responding to the call of God who is wooing you to repent and be saved.  For believers, a new life is not needed, but repentance is.   Some verses on repentance are: 

Rom 2:4-5 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 

2 Cor 7:10  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 

Repentance simply means a change of mind and direction.  We must turn from our sinful behavior and turn to our Savior.

The good news and encouragement is found in verse 11 which needs very little explanation.  ‘And such were some of you.  But you were washed……….’  Here, Paul is speaking to the believers and I am sure that he knew many of them when they were walking down the sinful paths either as unbelievers or believers who had stumbled.  In any event, he is now focusing on their current condition which is one of sanctification and justification.  Their sins have been forgiven and they are marching down the path to Christ-likeness.  This path is different for each of us.  Some seem to run a four-minute mile when it comes to spiritual maturity while the rest of us seem to be crawling like infants.  Regardless, each of us will make the run successful.  Jesus Christ will lose none that the Father has given him.  No one can pluck us out of the Father’s hand or the Son’s hand. (See John 10:28-29).

To wrap this up, I would like to quote again from John MacArthur’s commentary.  He can say things so much better than I.  “The Corinthian believers had experienced transformation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.  God’s name represents His will, His power, and His work.  Because of Jesus’ willing submission to the Father’s will, His death on the cross in our behalf, and His resurrection from the dead, He has provided our washing, our sanctification, and our justification.  A transformed life should produce transformed living.  Paul is saying very strongly that it was unacceptable that some believers were behaving like those outside the kingdom.  They were acting like their former selves.  They were not saved for that, but from that.”

In Memoriam: Edward L Walker May 13, 1925 - March 19, 1945

Ever stopped to think about who you will most look forward to seeing when you get to heaven?  I imagine most Christians dwell on this more as they get older.  Do you then try to make a priority list of who, when, and for how long?  Will there be time in heaven?  Someone recently used the verses in Revelation 6 when the martyrs underneath the altar cry out "How long, O Lord" and they are told to rest for a little while longer to argue that there will be time in heaven.  Personally, I think time will be measured differently and I don't think we will need watches or alarm clocks but that is a discussion for another time.

Obviously, we will first want to see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Will we have to wait in line?  How long will the line be? Yeah, I was in the army and spent way too much time waiting in line!  Anyway, after 10,000 years or so with Jesus getting some of our questions answered (will it really matter then?), it will be time to move on and greet the other grace recipients with whom we will spend eternity.  I tend to group these believers into three categories:  family, biblical, and other.  This is personal preference and if there really is no time, will the order really matter?  Under family, it would include all nuclear family members who bowed the knee to Christ and were alive at the same time that I was on the earth.  Some I knew better and longer than others but it would surely include parents, siblings, and offspring.

Under biblical, it would be hard to prioritize.  Maybe this list could be a start:  Paul, Peter, Adam, Eve, David, Job, Abraham, Moses, Joseph....I could go on but I won't.  Under other would be Charles Haddon Spurgeon, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Martin Luther, I think you see where I am headed.  And now to the real reason for this post.

March 19 will be the seventieth anniversary of the death of my brother, Edward Lee Walker.  Don't know why but his nickname was Jim.

 These are pictures before he joined the U. S. Army.  He is standing by my father in the middle picture.

He joined the army after high school and after training was sent to Europe.  He was in the infantry and part of the group that crossed into Germany in the area of the Remagen bridge.  He was killed after being struck by shrapnel in the head.  His body was buried in Belgium until after the war and was returned to the states in 1947.  I remember the flag-draped coffin at the First Baptist Church in Seminole, OK but have no actual memories of my brother other than from pictures.  I am the little "soldier" in a couple of the pictures.

Below is a picture of the telegram delivered to my folks followed by a letter that my mother had written to Ed that was returned marked "deceased."  It was postmarked on the day that he was killed.  Next are two letters from the army that are self-explanatory.

Below is Ed's purple heart which is given to those killed or injured while defending their country.  Doesn't seem like much for the life of an 19-yr-old who was killed a couple of months before the war in Europe ended.  My mother told me that Ed was a believer and I have a couple of his old letters sent from Europe and he states in one of them that there is nothing to worry about, that God will take care of him.  I long to sit down with Ed and get to know him.  After all, we are brothers............