Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Burying the Dead
It's an appointment we'll all keep!
This afternoon, I helped bury one of the few remaining "Wilson" family members. My aunt Gloria, my dad's youngest of two sisters, passed away this weekend from complications with cancer. I buried my dad in 1988. His other sister lives in California and I haven't seen her in a hundred years. I have only one sister. Our mom is dead, too. There ain't many of us left!
I'm reminded of the one appointment that every cotton picking one of us WILL meet. Hebrews 9:27 says, "it's appointed unto man to die once, and after that to face the judgment."
Did you get that? It's a-p-p-o-i-n-t-e-d unto man to die....It's a blooming appointment! Death is on God's celestial Outlook datebook screen with a highlighted day with MY name on it! And, yes, YOURS is there too!
I'm always late for every appointment. It's just one of those great character qualities of my life. If you need me there at 9 am, tell me to be there at 8:45! My church members are even worse! No kidding. We tell new members to relax and show up late for everything. No sense being there earlier than everyone else!
But this is ONE appointment that everyone will not only meet, but we will meet GOD on time! On His time. No excuses allowed. He won't care if you've just got one more report to generate at the office. Won't matter. He could care less if you've got to get the kids to soccer practice. Won't matter. When your time arrives, you're meeting Him. Aunt Gloria did. My mom and dad did. Everyone I know that's gone on before me has. You and I will, too.
So, it makes perfect sense to me to be busy about getting ready, for we know not what hour our soul will be required of us.
There's actually nothing you can do to get right on your own for that appointment. Because Jesus did all the getting right that can be done when He died on the cross. See, all the crud that would make our appointment with God a really miserable experience, Jesus took and nailed to His cross and literally took it all away! (Col. 2:13-15; John the Baptist: John 1)
The ONE thing you and I CAN do to get ready for that sure date is to receive by faith that sin sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us. By faith, receive the grace of God displayed in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. He died for YOUR sins. Accept Him as YOUR very own personal Lord and Savior. Ask Him to forgive you and give you the free gift of eternal life. Tell Him that you know you've messed up in life and that you are right now giving it all to Him to change forever.
I believe that'll take care of all your appointment details.
And we'll get to say "Howdy" to aunt Gloria one day.
(Please read John 3:16; John 5:24; Eph. 2:8, 9; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-13)
Love in Christ,
Buster
This afternoon, I helped bury one of the few remaining "Wilson" family members. My aunt Gloria, my dad's youngest of two sisters, passed away this weekend from complications with cancer. I buried my dad in 1988. His other sister lives in California and I haven't seen her in a hundred years. I have only one sister. Our mom is dead, too. There ain't many of us left!
I'm reminded of the one appointment that every cotton picking one of us WILL meet. Hebrews 9:27 says, "it's appointed unto man to die once, and after that to face the judgment."
Did you get that? It's a-p-p-o-i-n-t-e-d unto man to die....It's a blooming appointment! Death is on God's celestial Outlook datebook screen with a highlighted day with MY name on it! And, yes, YOURS is there too!
I'm always late for every appointment. It's just one of those great character qualities of my life. If you need me there at 9 am, tell me to be there at 8:45! My church members are even worse! No kidding. We tell new members to relax and show up late for everything. No sense being there earlier than everyone else!
But this is ONE appointment that everyone will not only meet, but we will meet GOD on time! On His time. No excuses allowed. He won't care if you've just got one more report to generate at the office. Won't matter. He could care less if you've got to get the kids to soccer practice. Won't matter. When your time arrives, you're meeting Him. Aunt Gloria did. My mom and dad did. Everyone I know that's gone on before me has. You and I will, too.
So, it makes perfect sense to me to be busy about getting ready, for we know not what hour our soul will be required of us.
There's actually nothing you can do to get right on your own for that appointment. Because Jesus did all the getting right that can be done when He died on the cross. See, all the crud that would make our appointment with God a really miserable experience, Jesus took and nailed to His cross and literally took it all away! (Col. 2:13-15; John the Baptist: John 1)
The ONE thing you and I CAN do to get ready for that sure date is to receive by faith that sin sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us. By faith, receive the grace of God displayed in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. He died for YOUR sins. Accept Him as YOUR very own personal Lord and Savior. Ask Him to forgive you and give you the free gift of eternal life. Tell Him that you know you've messed up in life and that you are right now giving it all to Him to change forever.
I believe that'll take care of all your appointment details.
And we'll get to say "Howdy" to aunt Gloria one day.
(Please read John 3:16; John 5:24; Eph. 2:8, 9; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-13)
Love in Christ,
Buster
Check out the Other Blog Sites
Check out these other topics of Interest:
I have some other sites. I am writing about "Cutting Edge Small Churches" at www.cuttingedgechurch.blogspot.com.
I am also venturing where not many other Baptist pastors will in discussing the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer today at
Thanks so much for taking the time.
God Love you!
buster
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
What the World's Looking For:
I truly believe that the World is looking for this!
I was talking today with my good friend and local classic conversationalist, Jim Varnon. Our conversation took me back in memory to some conflicts that were once exercised in my local church. We discussed how tired we both were of fighting, unhappy, bickering churches and supposed "Christians".
I am VERY happy to report that this is not the condition of my church at the present, to be bickering I mean. We have enjoyed two full years of relative peace and unity. It took going through literal hell on earth to get there, but thanks be to God in Heaven, we've been in unity and peace for two years running.
Then, it struck me: I truly believe that the world is looking for peace and unity in a relational setting, a place where true fellowship can occur and folks can get along with one another, rely on one another and be true friends with one another. And I am of the personal opinion that the world would beat a path and tear down the doors to the place where that kind of unity of spirit would be found flowing in a supernatural way! That's what the church is supposed to be. We have the power to pull it off......Not in our own strength but in the strength and power of God Almighty by His powerful Holy Spirit!
In God's Word, the Bible, He says, "how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity." And in another place He says, "it's not by might, nor by power (man's own strength) but by My Spirit, saith the Lord." The kind of supernatural unity and joy of fellowship that God can and will produce in His church is the kind of life experience that people are innately searching for. I'm willing to bet my life on it. In fact, I have; I have dedicated my life to believing that God is offering all that takes to make life enjoyable to the fullest.
Jesus said, "My joy I give unto you so that your joy might be full." Wow! Everybody wants joy. Everybody wants to be loved and accepted and trusted and believed in. I love where in Romans He tells us that, "If God be for us, who can be against us?". God gave His own Son so that you and I could live forever. How much more will He give us to live in unity and peace, joy and fellowship?
Beloved, if your church is dull, lifeless and split with fighting, hatred and bitterness, then consider this: The God who gave you Calvary's Cross WILL also give you joy, happiness and fulfillment in living life! Read Gal. chapter 3; Romans chapter 8; and John chapter 15. Let the promises of God's Word take root in your heart. Ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. Receive Him in your heart by faith (John 3:16; Romans 10:9, 10, 13; John 5:24; John 6:40, 47). Then ask Him to fill your inner man, your heart with the power of the Holy Spirit of God for power to live life like He wants (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-47; LUKE 11:9-13) Then, by faith, live in God's power and love and strength.
Go spread to someone else. Let the faith roll on!
For Unity's sake,
Buster Wilson
Monday, May 30, 2005
How YOU can get started.
In the Interest of Free Speech....
I mentioned this month that I got started blogging because my interest was sparked by an article in a magazine. In the interest of free speech and the free flow of ideas, I thought it best to give you the place I found this information. Who knows? You may want to follow suit.The artilce was found in the June O5 issue of "Popular Mechanics" magazine, page 158. It's the one with the Space Shuttle on the front cover.
I found it at the pharmacy mag rack. Go ahead. Get it. There's one waiting for you.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU'RE JUST LOGGING ON TO ME FOR THE FIRST TIME, PLEASE GO TO THE ARCHIVE LINK TO THE LEFT AND READ THE FIRST POST I HAVE.
THANKS.
Keep looking down.
Dr.B
Might as well get started!
Everybody's doing it!
I've always wondered if I could ever reach a bunch of folks with what I consider to be the sometimes worth hearing intellectual rambling of my lazy mind. After reading an article about blogging in the Popular Mechanics magazine in a pharmacy while performing the perpetual wait recently, I discovered that it could actually be easier than I had first thought.
So, here I am. It's my first venture. My first at THIS. But lest you feel that I have nothing of note to really say, let me share just a few thoughts about myself so as to better acquaint ourselves.
I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi and now live in North Mississippi. I have been a pastor (as I currently am), an evangelist (a traveling pastor of sorts), an author (one book to my credit, "The Counterfeit"), been in radio and TV, mostly radio as an on-the-air personality, manager, co-owner, builder, sales and marketing, and such. I spent the year 2000 walking around my home state (900 plus miles total) with a 12 foot, 80 pound wooden cross to help spread the message in conjunction with Celebrate Jesus 2000. I've spoken to thousands in spiritual meetings, millions across the medium of radio, and have traveled on behalf of the Lord Jesus through 12 states and twice through Canada. I'm NOT attempting to do anything like brag. Nothing I've done merits any attention apart from the grace of God. I just want to establish from the outset that I'm not an uninformed, idiot Mississippi bumpkin that, golly, found a website!!
My greatest accomplishments ever, while I'm on that simple subject, was to marry the former Pat Robertson of New Albany, Mississippi and with her produce two of the finest people on the planet: Amberly Wilson Collins, our oldest daughter, and Sarah Whitney Wilson, our second. Amber is married to Matt Collins, the third greatest person on the planet. They reside in Brandon, Miss. Where Matt co-owns a few Wendys restaurants with his dad. Amberly is an event planner and fund raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Jackson, Miss. She is one of their top leaders helping others in the fight against blood cancers. Whitney just graduated high school with the highest honors of her school. She was also the largest scholarship award winner, getting over $60,000 in college scholarships as she heads this fall to Mississippi College. She is also Pontotoc's Miss Hospitality, a huge deal where we live, in Mississippi, The Hospitality State. She heads to Hattiesburg this summer to compete for the State Miss Hospitality title. We're very proud of both of our girls. They have both already exceeded our accomplishments in their short lives.
I will bloviate often about the facts of life.....NO, not THOSE facts, but the ones that really matter. Politics, religion and relationships. AND, I will be more than happy to receive emails and postings with theological questions, issues and what have you. I truly believe that you will find here DAILY, short, pithy, relevant postings about the things that could change your life forever.
Bold statement. All I can say is, check me out and see if I'm right.
God Bless you,
Dr. Buster Wilson
