Ramblin' Thoughts From A Weary Mind

There is something inside each of us that really doesn't like to give up. It doesn't like the idea of admitting defeat. Saying that we are incapable of making something happen. In some situations, this can be a good thing...not liking to quit or give up. It brings about, in us, the idea that if we keep striving and  fighting, we can overcome whatever problem we are facing. Dealing with sin/addiction, such an idea of surrender or giving up is not only foreign but at the very core of our struggles. In fact, sometimes the individual wants to give up and quit using or drinking, but they can't. They simply can't stop. They try. Over and over and over, they fight this battle daily. But they fight it in the wrong way.  Some say that they have lost the will to quit. When in reality will power is not the problem. Complicated issues that deal with, first--the spiritual side of sin/addiction, make it hard for the individual to stop. They have devolved to such a level that they ...

Twenty five years ago, this book was the means God used to answer His call to pastor. I'm not even sure the book is in print any longer, but I have my copy and I reread it once every year. The basis for the book is that church has been taken out of the hands of the people given to (what the book refers to) professional clergy. We even have terms to divide church.... #1 - clergy....and #2 - laity. Now while I do agree that there has to be pastor's and teachers within the church, I think we've lost something by not giving the people a voice or place in our services. I'm not referring to a Christian-free-for-all type meeting, but I am on board with everyone having something to offer to the service. This is what I have tried to do with each meeting I've led. Last night's meeting @ VRC was a prime example of this. Now I do not go out of my way to coerce people to speak up, but I do want to create an atmosphere that says, "It's o.k. for me to speak ...

It seems to me that the minds of people are being assailed at every turn. The ability to keep one's mind at peace and rest is slowly being taken away by the demands and dictates of society. Here in our country, we medicate to be peaceful and even with that, it still doesn't work. A pill for depression.... A pill for chronic depression.... A pill for clinical depression.... I do not downplay depression or act like it is not a real malady, for it is. A mind that is racing and never at rest is an easy target for the devil. Just as the body needs rest, so does the mind. The answer? I thought you'd never ask. The finished work of Jesus. That's too simple you might think. I believe we fully discount the work of Christ on the cross. The power of God at work in us produces the very nature that society cannot. We read in Isaiah 26:3 - 4  -  The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in God the LORD, we have a...

(Some last minute thoughts and impressions on Christmas 2019) Luke 2:6 So it was while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth here firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. I love Christmas... Always have... Always will... It is the only season that comes to the Bynum household with our own specific traditions. Traditions that have now been handed down to another generation. Oh, on the scale of human endeavors, our traditions have no significance to anyone else.But at this time of year, those who gather at our house know full well what to expect in our celebration of Christmas. Putting up our Christmas tree is a night of memories. Each ornament has a story... And we share those stories out loud as we hang them. There are paper cut-out donkey's that Chad and Josh made when they were little boys. Crayon scrawl on the back of each ornament show th...

Night after night brought the same thing..... Supper..... Chores around the house..... Taking care of the little ones with runny noses and stomach aches.... Thoughts of the day crowded out any peace that could be found.... "How am I going to come up with the money to pay my taxes?" But there was the star in the night sky. Neighbors dropped by and shared their stories....misery loves company. Taxes are going to be increased to help pay for the new Temple... Thoughts of a Messiah or a deliverer were nothing more than a pipe dream.... But there was the star in the night sky. Dropping into bed, muscles sore and aching from the day's labor, you thought you'd find an escape from the troubles of life....but sleep did not come easy... It's hard to turn your brain off... But there was the star in the night sky. All through out Jerusalem and the surrounding country, life went on.... Day after day....Markets opened and people plied their ware...selling and buying... Ther...

Driving home last night was putting the punctuation on a good day. I was tired, but it was the good kind of tired. The kind that quietly tells you that you had heard God, and had followed His simple instructions. Turning onto Case avenue, I could see houses up and down the street all lit up with their Christmas decorations. I'm a sucker for Christmas lights. I love them. Maybe it's because we only put them out once a year. We don't see them everyday...day in and day out. But as I drove down Case Avenue toward Greene Street, I was reminded of a verse from John chapter one. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." Jesus.... The ultimate light... The "Let there be light" of Genesis one... Shines into our world... Shines into our hearts..... Shines into our lives.... Daily. Never ceasing... Always there.. The incredible news that He is the bridge, so to speak, between a fallen humanity and a divine...

Luke 2:6 "And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born." We read this verse and all nod in agreement that God's plan was moving into the next phase or part or whatever you wish to call it. God was sending his son, Jesus, into enemy territory to become one of us. To live among us. Work among us. Listen to us as we lived our lives around him. The Luke 2 verse states that " the time came" Most would think, well it means that the nine months for the pregnancy was coming to an end. That is one way to look at it. Why not look even deeper into the term " the time came" God had been enacting his plan for the salvation of humanity ever since Genesis 3:15. What if the phrase " the time came"  actually referred to the state of the world. That everything was in place for Jesus to step from the throne room of heaven, into a dark stable in Bethlehem. All the pieces had come togeth...

It was Christmas eve, 1981 and we lived on 4th street in Gadsden. It was after 11 p.m. and both my sons were asleep down the hall with the proverbial dreams of "Sugar plum fairies dancing in their heads." My wife, Vicki, had retired some time back and was fast asleep also. I had finished putting out the presents, locked the doors and was headed to bed myself. As I entered our living room, I stopped for one last look at the tree. Bynum tradition stated that the Christmas tree would remain lit on Christmas Eve. The lights, the ornaments, the tinsel all draped over our tree. There was one memory that flooded me at that moment. This was the first Christmas since my mother's death in May of that year. My mom loved Christmas because it was truly a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but also to celebrate one of God's gifts to us........family.  She loved her family and Christmas was the perfect time to let this show. Mom always went overboard for Christmas wi...

I know.... If you come to Saturday night service at Vineyard ReCovery you will see this rock on our stage. Nothing special about it. It's just a rock. But the rock has a history to it. We first started a service at Rapha (Drug and alcohol treatment center) back in 2006. For two years, we had our meetings on Sunday morning -  8:30 a.m.\ This was a stretch for me, as I was not use to having church early on a Sunday morning.  For eight years prior we had Saturday night church. Well, we went two years at Rapha having church every Sunday morning. In 2008, I was given the green light to move to Saturday night. I jumped on that quick before anyone even thought about changing their mind. Saturday night it was. Vicki and I began to think about how we could change the chapel and make it more relevant to those who attended. Vicki had always wanted an altar for the men to come down to pray or receive ministry, but she didn't want a typical altar. She wanted something different ...

Luke 2:8 In the same region thee were some shepherds staying out in the fields....... What hasn't been said about the birth of Christ? What song can be written that has something new to say about this event. What sermon can be given that lets us see Christmas in a new way? I don't think such exist. We tell the story because the story is worth telling. We revisit the events each year because we need to see ourselves "in" the story. We have changed since last year at this time. The events, situations and circumstances we have faced over the last 365 days have defined who we are today. Hopefully we have been defined in a positive manner. Hopefully we have been changed by the Holy Spirit at work in us, that reveals the truth that we look a little more like our elder brother Jesus. The reason I like the verse from Luke 2 is the simple fact that the Shepherds were on the "outside". They were not part of the movers and shakers of the day. They carrie...