Poem by Dr. Art Williams

Don’t Wait Too Late

What will you be doing tomorrow,

If tomorrow is just like today?

What kind of life will you be living,

If you continue living the same way?

You are where you’ve been coming to-

It always works out that way.

And you’ll be right where you’re headed,

Unless you change today.

Oh many have said, “I’ll make that change,”

And then decided some other day.

But “other day,” for them, it never came

Before their lives were swept away.

What if that city, that silent city,

Could speak to us some way?

Why don’t you know that millions would say,

“Don’t wait another day!”

“For I waited, and I waited too long,” they’d say.

“For me, it’s now too late!”

What about you, my brother, sister, friend-

Why on earth do you wait?

Make the choice, the wisest choice,

That leads to life - don’t wait.

Make it now - as early, as soon as you can.

Don’t be one who waited too late.

                                           - Art Williams

In times like these

The lyrics to the beautiful song, “In Times Like These,” are on my heart this morning. Oh, the comfort Jesus, the solid rock, brings to the Christian. In times likes these people are giving up and are not able to cope with the uncertainty of each day, each hour, yea, each breath. Do you find yourself swallowing to see if by chance your throat is sore? Do you find yourself breathing deeply to see if you can get a deep breath? It is a frightening time in which we are going through but Jesus is with us as Christians. There’s comfort in His promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. And for the Christian should death come, to be apart from the body is to be present with the Lord. What greater comfort can one ask for? I hope you know the tune to “In Times Like These” and can sing along with me. 

In Times Like These

(Ruth Caye Jones)

In times like these, we need a Savior,

In times like these, we need an anchor.

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the one,

This Rock is Jesus, The only One.

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

In times like these, we need the Bible,

In times like these, oh be not idle.

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the one,

This Rock is Jesus, The only One.

Be very sure, Be very sure,

Your anchor holds, and grips the Solid Rock.

In times like these, I have a Savior,

In times like these, I have an anchor.

I'm very sure, I'm very sure,

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

This Rock is Jesus, yes, He's the One,

This Rock is Jesus, the only One.

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds, and grips the Solid Rock.

Corona Virus Homebound

The year 2020 will stand out in everyone’s memory because of the Coronavirus spreading across the world and causing such havoc. I remember as a young girl mother and daddy talking about the Great Depression. My brother told how he had a paper tablet to do his school work in. The teacher let him use half of it the first half of the year and the other half for the last half of the school year. My mother told of how sugar and necessities of life were rationed by the government. That was a date that was remembered in their lives.

In Elba in 1929 there was what Daddy called a great flood in Elba and indeed it was. He told of how he rescued people from the roofs of their houses into a boat he was riding. That date stood out in daddy’s memory. He never forgot it.

In our lives the next great flood of Elba happened in 1990 when we lost everything in our house in downtown Elba. We shoveled out our muddy belongings through the doors of the house.The things that we loved and held dear to our hearts were gone forever. That date stands out in our memory.

September 11, 1911, will forever be etched in everyone’s mind when the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists. The President claimed they had woken up a sleeping giant and we wouldn’t forget. He was right.

And now today as we are approaching the third week of being homebound by the laws of the land, excluding emergencies, I think of a far greater day that is coming. I look up into the beautiful clouds floating through the air and I try to imagine hearing the trumpets blowing on the four corners of the earth and seeing our Lord coming in the clouds to meet us in the air, declaring that time will be no more. That will be a day like no other. I sometimes think, “Come Lord Jesus,” so I can be alive and see it and then I remember that the Bible says no one will be cheated out of seeing that marvelous sight because It says “every eye shall see Him.” Doesn't that give you chill bumps? I am so glad that our Lord planned His return so everyone can first see Him that way.

We know that great day is coming. It is going to happen. Everyone who has ever lived will see the Lord when He returns in the clouds. He will never set foot on the earth because the earth will be destroyed by fire. We will meet Him in the air. At that time life as we know it will cease to exist. There will be no more opportunities to read our Bibles, attend services of the church, do a good deed, repent or give our lives to the Lord. Time will be no more. That will be a day we won’t have to remember. We will live with the Lord in eternity forever in that heavenly city. May we be ready to meet Him when He comes.                               

Reading Bible Through

I did it! Finally in all these years I have read through the Bible. I’ve read my Bible for years but never have I read it all the way through. It was very enjoyable and I learned a lot.

One thing I gained from reading the Old Testament is that God is long-suffering. He could have wiped the earth clean more times than just with the flood and been done with the mess that the people caused but he didn’t. He is a very patient God without doubt. But another thing I gained was He says what He means and He means what He says. He keeps His promises. He warned the children of Israel He was going to destroy Jerusalem over and over and over, and He did!  The next thing I gained was how much God loves His children. Parents can’t hold a light to Him in the love He has for His children. And patient, how patient God is. Many of us wouldn’t have put up with the things He did for half as long as He did. There are lessons for us to learn from reading the Old Testament.

God was so disappointed in the children of Israel, his chosen children, and rightfully so. One can’t read about the Israelites without comparing them to us in today’s world. I’m sure God is disappointed in us and how reckless we are with life and His gospel. Why just think about His church and how He sent His Son that we might be saved. Look at all the different denominations popping up everywhere. They might as well be golden calves the people are worshiping because everyone is teaching a different doctrine. They are doing things their way. Ignorance of the scripture abounds. Near us is a newly formed church with a sign that reads something to the effect of “About God not religion.” Really? Again, ignorance of the scripture abounds.

It chills me to hear a person say, “I’m a member of the First Church.” Really? Which church is that? Does it wear His name? Does it practice His doctrine? Is it named in Romans 16:16?

I hope the Lord will be long-suffering and forgiving toward us when we stand before Him. I beg for mercy for not being as diligent as I should have been in telling others about Him. Life’s pages are swiftly turning and golden moments are being lost to a lost and dying world. “Lord, please help us to use our time wisely and recognize opportunities when they stare us in the face. Help us to be bold in sharing the Good News of Your Word. Help us to fasten our eyes on You and the eternal reward the faithful have waiting on the other side and conduct ourselves accordingly. In Jesus Name, I pray.”  

Masks, Masks, Masks

Masks, masks, and more masks, everywhere you look. A person is dare-some to get out without a protective mask covering the nose and mouth area of their face. I wonder if we will ever feel safe without a mask again.

Webster defines a mask as a covering for the face, worn for disguise, protection, etc.; anything that conceals. The people of the world are wearing them for protection against the Coronavirus. We are among the group known as the people of the world. We wear them too. Earlier this week we received a box of masks from a friend in Brundidge. Her family member had them shipped in from China. They are the ones with “95” on them. I’m proud of them but I’d rather just stay home.

I’ve been thinking of how we mask our sins. We cover them up with different masks. Some know they are openly living in sin but just choose to ignore it and go about their normal way of life. So we have the mask of ignoring. We know what is underneath the mask but we choose to ignore it. We know it won’t go away but maybe if we just forget about it for a while we can continue to live with it a while longer until it raises its sinful head again. As long as nothing is said we can ignore it.

Then there is the mask of excuses. We cover up with excuses the sins we participate in. We have excuses for anything we do that we know is not right. Masks won’t keep Satan from getting into our hearts. He can penetrate the best of the best of us when we are least expecting it.

We have the guidebook, the Bible, that is the ONLY truthful way to find out if we are masking our sins or not. There’s only one way to read it and that is by accepting what It says about the subject we are masking. Sin can’t be masked no matter how hard we may try. It will always be there and never go away. The good thing is that it is by those precious Words of God that we will be judged. All masks will come off on the day of judgment. Homemade masks, purchased masks and those shipped in from China won’t be able to masks our sins when we stand before God. He’s seen and He knows all things. We will stand before Him as we are, not as we have masked ourselves to be.

What’s behind our masks? What are we hiding? What have we been concealing? It may be time for us to come clean, throw away the masks, and accept things according to the Word of God. It is then and only then that we can walk freely, uprightly, and humbly in the sight of God knowing that we are covered by the greatest mask of all, the blood of Christ. Let’s put on the whole armor of God and walk freely and without fear in this world of sin.

I'm doing it for the Lord

I have a first cousin in Snowden, AL whom I love dearly. Barbara Bryant Haire and I spent the night  with each other as teenagers and through the years we have reconnected from time to time. I was delighted recently to learn of Barbara’s

continued love for the Lord and her dedication in working for Him. For the past two Thanksgivings we have been invited to join her lovely family for the noon meal.

The thing I want to share about Barbara is something I love to think about. She prepares the Lord’s supper on Saturdays for the Liberty church at Hope Hull, AL. Barbara went into great detail one day telling me how she makes it on Saturday. She said, “I take great pains to do it just right, mix it, roll it out, mark it with a fork so it can be easily broken. I take this very seriously because I’m doing it for the Lord.”

Ahhhh, there you are. That’s the key sentence. Did you get it? She said, “I’m doing it for the Lord.” Think about the statement, “doing it for the Lord.” What if everything you and I did we remembered we were doing it for the Lord? What would that entail? 

1. We would approach the task at hand with a happier attitude. We would be excited that we had the opportunity to do something special for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
2. We would work at it diligently to make sure it was just right. We would not slack off.
3. We would not use inferior products. If it was for the Lord it had to be the very best we had to work with and give.
4. We would not take short cuts in making this product because the Master would be using or grading our work. Only the best of the best for the Savior could be used.
5. We would take great pride in our work and finished product. I think we would probably smile while we work, whistle or even sing because of our joy in working for the Master.
6. We would look at the finished product with great pride.
7. We could rest from our labors and be content to know that we had done our best and given the best we had to give to the One who gave His all for us.

Oh my, can we not see that each day we are given to use for the Master? We are given another day to work, sing, and whistle as we go about dedicating each day to Him. What a blessing to have the opportunity to know the King of Kings and to live and serve Him daily in this life knowing that our reward is waiting on the other side.  Be joyful today!                                 

Calling Home

It never occurred to me when I married Doug and moved away from home how I would never be able to call home without it being long distance again. Of course, today we don’t even think about long distance calling or how much it costs. But back in the 70’s I was very conscious of it.

We were just starting out in marriage and Doug was in Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis working on a Master’s degree. I enjoyed talking to mother and writing her letters as we tried to stay in touch often. I’m sure she missed me as much as I missed her.

I can no longer call that familiar 897-2788 telephone number and hear her sweet voice on the other end. Today I dialed it once again and though I expected to get another voice, the recorded voice said, “I’m sorry the number you have reached has been disconnected or is no longer in service.” I can’t call mama anymore but there is someone who knows where she is, what she is doing, and how she is doing. I can call Him anytime.

I remember in January 2014 the morning after mother went to heaven I woke up and said, “Well Lord, how is mother doing this morning? I know she is fine and that you are taking care of her now.” How comforting to know that she is in His care and no longer in mine after ten years of loving her in our home.

It gives me great joy to know that I can call my Lord at anytime and He will see and answer my prayer. He is:

Waiting - “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).

Watching -  Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).

Longing - “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy ladened

and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

Listening - “Ask and it shall be given unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

Concerned - “He cares” (1 Peter 5:7).

Happy to hear from me - “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

It can happen in a flash

It can happen in a flash, in a moment, yea in the twinkling of an eye. One moment you can be feeling great and the next minute almost completely immobilized. That is what happened to Doug Saturday a week ago. He had a reaction to medicine he was taking after his recent biopsy. He still feels some pain from it.

Mother had been to worship that Sunday morning and was home seated at her table eating lunch. When she started to rise she couldn’t walk. Suddenly her life was changed forever. She crawled to the next room to get to the telephone and called me. A stroke was taking place in her body. Time was critical. One moment she was fine and the next her life changed forever.

Five girls in our area went for a joy ride together one night recently, topped a hill and lost control of their car. They went down an embankment and hit a tree. Three of the five were killed instantly. It happened in a flash without warning.

We have no guarantees in this life except the guarantees that God provided for us through His word. I love to think about the promises, the guarantees of God. 

God has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4).

“Heaven and earth will pass away but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

“I go to prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am you may be also.”

“Trust and obey.”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

I Wonder

I wonder if the little birds roost in the same place each night.

I wonder what time the little birds go to roost at night.

I wonder what time the little birds awake in the morning.

I wonder how the little birds communicate with each other.

I wonder what the little birds do in the rain and heavy storms.

I wonder how the little birds choose their mates.

I wonder how the little birds decide on a place to make their nest.

I wonder if the little bird’s songs are recognizable by their mate.

I wonder how long the little bird's lifespan is.

I wonder if the little birds keep the same mate for life.

...and I stand in amazement that not one of them falls to the ground without our heavenly father knowing (Matthew 10:29).

...and I stand in amazement that our heavenly Father feeds them (Matthew 6:26).

And if He cares for the little birds of the air, I know He cares for me and you.

God Knew His Name

Recently I have been studying and reading the Old Testament through again. Tuesday morning I was reading chapter three of Exodus and was so overcome with the lessons taught that I wanted to write them down somewhere besides the margins of my Today’s English Version Bible.

You remember the account of Moses taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep and spotting a bush on fire. He walked over to investigate. Verse four says, he heard a voice, “Moses, Moses.” Now stop right there. Did you get it? God knew him by name. He didn’t yell out, “Hey You.” He simply called him by his name Moses. Isn’t that beautiful? Doesn’t it make you feel special to know that He surely knows us by name also? He knows your name and my name.

In verse six, God identified himself to Moses. He told him He is the God of his ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There was no trying to fool or scare Moses. He identified himself and then told His plans.

He had seen how cruelly His people were being treated in Egypt. God knows what is going on within our lives. He’s watching. He’s seeing. He knows. In verse seven the Bible says God heard their cry to be rescued from their slave drivers. Sometimes we may think God is not listening, does not know, does not care, but that isn’t true. God is listening. He does know. He does care for each one of us. God knew about their suffering. He knows about our suffering too. He knows and He cares.

Verse eight tells us He had come down to rescue them out of Egypt. So we might wonder what is next? What did God have in mind for the children of Israel? God had a plan, a good plan. He was going to bring them out of Egypt to a fertile and spacious land, which was rich and fertile. Isn’t God good? Isn’t he wonderful? He gives us more than we can even ask or think. When we might think He is not listening, not hearing us, He hears. He cares. He wants the best for us. God’s plans are always best.

God told Moses what He wanted him to do. Moses was a bit hesitant and thought he was not the one to go to the Egyptian king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God assured Moses He would be with him. We can rest assured that God will be with us also when we are striving to do His will.

And then summarizing this section, God told Moses He would be with him and told him one thing for him to do to show as proof that He had sent him. God said, “You are to worship me on this mountain.” Does it not stand to reason that we show our love and devotion to God by worshipping Him?

I hope this study has meant as much to you as it did to me this morning. God bless you.

                                                                            - Glenda W. Williams

Earthly home is never the same

We were sitting at the table recently when I spotted a bluebird sitting on the little perch outside the door of the old shabby bird house. It was a bright blue so I assumed it to be a male bird. It peeked in the door and then back outside. Over and over this continued. I quickly decided it was one of the latest baby bluebirds to hatch out and leave home. For some reason it had come back home. The house was now empty, no one was there, and yet it had the need to come back home to regain some of what he had before he left.

The little bird was a lot like we are I think. We love home and we dream of it always remaining as it was when we were a part of it. We return and things are never the same as they were. Loved ones are gone, meals prepared for us are no longer there, family members are not there to welcome us home, the comfort we long for is forever gone.

This home is not like the home prepared for us in heaven just waiting for us to come and dwell therein. There will not  be anything shabby about this home. It will be the best of the best. It has been prepared by the Master Carpenter himself. It won’t be a lonely place to dwell because there will be many more just like it nearby. The neighbors will be the best and kindest people who have lived on earth. Loved ones will be seen forever there. People will be so happy they will be singing praises to God and praising Him all the time. There will be no need for lights because there will be no night there. God Himself will provide the light. There will be no need for different seasonal clothing because everyone will be robed alike in white sufficient for all seasons. We will be welcomed and wanted there. We have a special invitation from Jesus Himself who invites us to come. Anyone can go, but not all will go. There are rules to be obeyed to enter the gates of that city. We have a lifetime to make preparations to go but our departure date is not known to us. Now is the time to prepare. Behold today is the day of salvation to all those who trust and obey.

“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3; Read also Revelation chapters 20-21).

When My Time Comes

                        When My Time Comes

When the time comes for my steps to slow,

   When my balance is no longer straight on go;

I ask you to bear with me as I walk along,

   Hold my arm, guide me straight, keep me strong.

Take the time to walk by my side,

   Leave me not alone without a guide;

Your touch gives me strength to make my way,

   Your caring and loving voice blesses my day.

I realize that I am a hinderance to you,

   You see, I’ve been there for others too;

But the time I took with others to show them I care

   Has given me blessings beyond compare.

Please take the time to call me each day,

   To ask how I’m doing, and hear what I say;

Listen carefully, precious one, to my aches and pain,

   Comfort me with understanding words that do not wane.

The years are fleeting, the months are far gone,

   The weeks are flying, the days are no longer long;

Hours are passing quickly each day,

   My minutes on earth are passing away.

Help me to make these final years as joyful as can be,

   Forget me not, precious one, you are right behind you see;

The kindness you show to others along life’s way,

   Will return to you two-fold in many different ways.

God sees our every move in each and every way,

   We are His hands and feet on this earth each day;

Just as He shows loving kindness to one such as I,

   Please know your good deeds do not pass Him by.

        “Love suffers long and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13).  

                                                   - Glenda Williams Williams

                               6-18-2020

I recently found a note I had written about mother. She lived with us ten years and during that time I tried to keep records of things she said. This note pulled at my heart strings once again.

Mother woke me at 12:55 a.m. on that date. She hugged me close and asked, "Will you be all right without me?" 

I told her, "I will be fine. Douglas will take care of me. If you want to go on and be with your mother and daddy and brothers and sisters and all the saved ones in glory, it will be okay, and I will come.”

"You will come?" she asked.

"Yes, I will come," I answered.

She said, "I wish I had gone to church.”

"You did go to church every time you could," I reminded her.

She and daddy were always early...much too early some would declare. Mother didn’t drive so after Daddy’s death Herschel and Patsy were faithful to take her with them until she had her stroke and moved with us. We took over from there.

You see the things that I gain from this late night conversation are:

1) She wanted to know if I would be all right if she passed on to the other side.

2) She wanted to know if she went first that I would come, that I would follow her.

3) She remembered, and wondered if she had gone to church as she should.

I imagine when it comes our time to depart this life that we too will remember. We will look back over our life and remember what we did, what we left undone, and what we should have done and perhaps what should have been a priority in our life. It's never too late to make sure that all is right with our soul. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. May we let Him in by obeying His teachings so that in the stillness of the night we can rest with confidence that all is well with our soul.