Money Saving Bridge to a Soul Saving Jesus

The Adventure of Justah N. O’Body Chapter 1 part 4

The year is 1991 and it is the year that the 911 emergency call center is introduced, Arnold Schwarzenegger is “Back” in Terminator 2, American Soldiers fight in Operation Desert Storm and it is the year thirteen year old Justah comes to Saving Faith in Christ Jesus.

Justah is sitting third pew center with his mom at the Bethlehem Baptist Church and he has no clue what Bro. Schoolmaker is preaching because deep in side his soul there is a battle raging. Justah, for the first time, has a real sense of his sin and is under great conviction. Truth be known he has had a growing concern over his spiritual condition for some time now,especially after the scary movie, and has been questioning his salvation experience. In the past when Justah would talk to his parents, preachers, and deacons about his concern they would all ask the same question “Did you pray the prayer?” One time, after being asked this question, a deacon said “maybe God is calling you to a ministry; is there anything you like to do?” “I like to sing.” Justah answers. “Great, God must be calling you to a music ministry, lets pray.” A music ministry isn’t cutting it for Justah, he is in trouble and he knows it.

As they leave the church and cross “That Money Saving bridge” so called because of the car dealership on the other side whose commercials would say “Cross that Money Saving Bridge to High Chaparral Car Emporium “, Justah asks “Mom, what does it mean when you think your saved but you believe your lost but you prayed the prayer?” Without warning Justah’s face is smooshed against the passenger side window as his mother preforms a flawless J-Turn (also known as a Scandinavian flick) by taking her foot off the gas making a slight right turn and then a hard left turn and engaging the handbrake causing the car to make a sharp 180. She then give her little four cylinder GEO Metro all its got and races back to the church to talk to Bro. Schoolmaker.

Bro. Schoolmaker opens his Bible and shares the Gospel with Justah, This is the first time Justah can remember anyone actually sharing the Gospel with him. Bro. Schoolmaker starts at Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Justah is all too aware of his sin. Then Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Justah knows that he is facing spiritual death and that he rightly deserves hell because of his rebellion against God. Romans  5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Bro. Schoolmaker shares how over two thousand years ago God sent forth his only begotten Son, born of the virgin Marry, who lived the sinless life showing that He is God in the flesh. How He taught that He is the way the truth an the life and that no one can come to the Father but through Him. How Jesus was crucified on a cross, taking on Him all of Justah’s sin and How Jesus who knew no sin became sin on his behalf and how Jesus became the propitiation by taking on the full wrath of God. How Jesus died on on the cross was buried in a borrowed tomb, how He rose from the dead on the third day victorious over sin and death and that if Justah would repent of his sin and place his faith in the Lord Jesus that as his sin was placed on Jesus at the cross so would the grace and righteousness of Christ be placed upon him. “Do you understand?” asks Bro. Schoolmaker. “Yes sir.” responds Justah. “Then you know what you need to do.” Justah bows his head and humbles himself before God and cries out to the Lord to save him and forgive him of his sin and at that moment the saving grace of God fell upon Justah and his life was never the same.

Movie Night of the Left Behind

The Adventures of Justah N. O’Body Chapter 1 part 3

Justah can’t believe it, Ichabod Baptist Church is having a movie night! A bonafide popcorn and Coca Cola movie night. The only problem is his mom and dad don’t want to go, so Justah will have to ride with DEACON DEATH!…I mean…Deacon Grey! Deacon Grey is the scariest man Justah knows. He wears a gray suit, that matches his gray hair, that matches his gray skin, that matches his gray Cadillac. Deacon Grey is ten feet tall and a thousand years old. When a kid acts up during church it’s Deacon Grey that takes him out back. Two leave but only one returns….Deacon Grey. Justah is determined  to watch a movie even if he does have to ride with Deacon Grey.

As Justah enters the church he sees a small crowd sitting in a semicircle around a TV that looks like it could be kin to the TV that was executed years before. Deacon Grey turns on the TV and then clicks the dial to channel 3 then channel 4 and back to channel 3. He then realizes that the VCR is unplugged. With the VCR plugged in and the TV on the right channel Deacon Grey slips the video cassette  into the VCR and the Movie begins.

The movie starts out innocently enough. Happy people with  bell bottom jeans, long sideburns and hair down to their waist. Needless to say that this was not a New Release. But all is going good…until. All of sudden people start disappearing, old, young, and in-between but what scares Justah the most is that ALL THE CHILDREN DISAPPEAR.

The ending scene is of a woman running across a dam with soldiers from a One World Government chasing her. They surround her and there is no place to go so she does the one thing no one expects…she jumps off the dam. Fade to black, roll credits.

Justah is white as a sheet and decides two things 1. he will never go to a movie at the church again and 2. always bring a change of underwear.

Crackers and Juice: Snack time for Christians

Chapter 1 part 2

Six year old Justah sits with his mother third pew center of the Ebeneezer Baptist Church, although it is now called Ichabod  Baptist Church after the whole TV disaster.

Justah is filling in the O’s, P’s and D’s of the morning bulletin when new pastor, I.M. Boring, says in conclusion for the fifth time. The house lights lower and the pipe organ begins to bellow out I Surrender All as Pastor Boring starts the altar call.

“Please stand with every head bowed and every eye closed. If you know that if you were hit by a bus on the way home from church that you would go to heaven raise your hand.”Justah’s mom raises her hand high in the air. Justah knows this because he is peeking out of one eye. It is no surprise to him that his mom is going to heaven because she gets to have snack time. You see, every three months or so, the men in black suits bring out the golden trays and on the trays are tiny crackers and thimbles full of wine….I mean grape juice. Only those who are going to heaven get to have snack time.

Pastor Boring continues “Now if you don’t know for sure that you would go to heaven if you were his by that bus, raise your hand.” At this time Justah raises his hand. He knows he is not going to heaven because he doesn’t get to have snack time. Most Sundays Justah would be a good boy and keep his head bowed and his eyes closed but as Pastor Boring says “I see that hand, oh yes I see that hand, yes, YES I see your hand!” Justah is filled with curiosity of all these people who are not going to heaven. So he lifts up his head and peeks through tiny slits of his eyes. His eyes widen as the shock of seeing that he is the only one raising his hand. He looks up at the preacher ( which he soon regrets) and Pastor Boring is looking right at him beckoning him with his bony finger to come to the altar of doom…I mean salvation.

Justah shakes his head no and quickly closes his eyes and bows his head and keeps them that way until he is safely at home. Even though he did run into the wall three time trying to get through he door.

Justah thinks that the horror is over but the nightmare has just begun. After service that Sunday evening, Pastor Boring calls for Justah and his mother to come to the Pastor’s Study. It was long rumored, by the older kids, that people go into the study but never come out…

“Sit down young man” says Pastor Boring with a soft, kind voice. “Would you like some crackers and maybe some juice?” he asks as he pushes one of the golden trays before Justah. “Wow”, thinks Justah, “this isn’t so bad, I don’t know what I was so afraid of.” Justah reaches for one of the tiny crackers when Pastor Boring, with the back of his swinging arm, knocks the try off the desk with a crash. “Not so fast heathen, first you must pray this prayer.” That’s when the interrogation begins. Pastor Boring pushes a lamp into the face of Justah. “Don’t you want to go to heaven? Pray this prayer!” over and over again. “Pray this prayer, pray it, you know you want to. now just repeat after me. I’ll make it easy on you just bow your head and pray silently.” Justah does not bow his head, he just looks at Pastor Boring and then to his mother and back to Pastor. “I tell  you what my little friend, I will pray the prayer and when I am done just blink twice if you believe the prayer. How about that?” Justah is frozen in fear. Pastor Boring looks to Mrs. O’Body and says, “I have never had someone so close to being saved and not get saved.” And with that Justah and his mom head home.

When Justah is safely at home and snugged as a bug in a rug under his M*A*S*H* 4077th covers. He thinks about what Pastor Boring said. “Don’t you want to go to heaven, just pray this prayer.” He knows that if he prays the prayer that he will get to have snack time at church, although he would have to take a bath in front of everyone but it would be worth it. So Justah stands up in the middle of his bed and says “Lord the preacher said that I need to pray this prayer so here it goes. Forgive me and come into my heart so that I can go to heaven when I am hit by a bus on the way home from church. Amen.

Soon Justah took his bath (baptism) and from then on he joins in on snack time.

 

Justah Christian part 1

This is part one of Chapter 1 of the Adventures of Justah N. O’Body

Chapter 1 Justah Christian

 

TV or not TV? That’s a dumb question

 

The year is 1982 the location is a small southwestern town in New Mexico. Four year old Justah N. O’Body with his mom and dad visit the Ebeneezer Independent, Fundamental, Dispensational, Premillennial, Pre-Tribulational, Non-Liberal, Door Knocking,Soul Winning,KING JAMES VERSION ONLY Baptist Church.  

As his family enter the church the scene before them is out of an episode of Night Court, with the Judge’s bench, plaintiff and defendant tables, a witness stand and even a tall bald-headed man in a bailiff uniform sequestering them to the back pews.

The bailiff brings out the defendant, a 1981 Zenith color television, being wheeled in on a flimsy aluminum TV stand.

The prosecuting attorney, who is also the pastor of the church, begins to make his case against the defendant testifying to the court of the perversion that has been allowed into our homes through Satan’s evil eye called television. He tells how through the Horns of Satan called rabbit ears that sex, drugs, and rock n roll is spewing its corrosive influence upon our children and adults alike.

From the senseless violence of the A-Team; the promotion of drunkenness, laziness, debauchery and stupidity of Cheers;The liberalism, communism and socialism of Family Ties; the feminism of Kate and Allie and how Newhart’s Larry and his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl is none other than Lucifer and Double Demons. “I rest my case!”.

The Pastor puts on a Judge’s robe and declares the TV guilty. The sentence is death by beating. The judge takes off the robe and puts on an executioner’s mask and whips out a Louisville Slugger baseball bat and commences to beat the TV into a pile of glass, plastic and electrodes.

The TV is dead and the O’Bodys are in shock. “What an idiot.” whispers Mr. O’Body.

Later it was revealed that the Pastor owned a T.V. but he insisted that it was only to watch the News and Cooking with Justin Wilson, I garontee.

Justah N. O’Body

Over the next few weeks I will share parts of a book that I am writing. This is the introduction.

Introduction:

Growing up I had a crises of identity. People would not call me by my name but referred to me as Barbara’s boy, Willie’s son, E.C.’s grandson or Mary Sue’s grandson. When I was older my first name was used as a second name. They would say it’s “Just David”. I would show up for a youth event and they would say it’s Just David so let’s go home or It’s Just David so it’s not worth going.

As an adult things haven’t changed much for I am still known by my parents and grandparents which I consider a privilege. There are times I am still called Just. Just a high School graduate, just a preacher, just an associate pastor, just an A-Div and on and on it goes.

Out of my identity crises comes this book about the adventures of Justah N. O’Body. You will come along on Justah’s spiritual journey from his earliest church memories to his salvation and time as a pastor.

Though the heart of each story is completely true I have used dramatic license for the fun of it all. Names have been changed to protect me from bodily harm and lawsuits. Enjoy

David Young

Asking Vs. Telling

My wife and I have two very different parenting styles. She is a “Do What I have asked you to do” and I am “No, Do what I told You.” I fill that if you ask a question like “Will you please clean your room?” or “Will you please take a shower?” that it leaves room for our daughter to say “No.”

I think at times we act as if God and His Word is asking us a question instead of telling or commanding us to action.

“Will you please share the Gospel?”

“Will you please be holy?”

“Will you please keep my commandments?”

“Will you please attend Church?”

“Will you please love on another?”

God is not asking, He is Telling

“ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19,20

“ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15,16 cf Leviticus 11:44

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34,35

Don’t put a question mark when God has put a period.

 

 

 

 

A Question of Marriage

Malachi 2:10-16

To me, there is no better earthly picture of our heavenly relationship with God than marriage. In this section of Malachi the question of Marriage comes into play. We will see three aspects of marriage. The Covenant Marriage,The Condemned Marriage and The Certified Marriage.

First:

 

1. The Covenant Marriage v. 10
   • Verse 10 speaks of our covenant (oath-bound promise) with God. We have covenanted with Him to honor Him, cherish Him, and to Obey Him in all things and this very much includes the commands upon marriage. God had commanded that His people to be separated from the pagans and not to intermarry with the pagans Ex. 34:14-16. When we marry outside of the faith or, as in the context of this passage, divorce in order to marry outside the faith, we have violated our covenant with God and are inviting His judgment upon us.

which brings us to the second point of:  

1. The Condemned Marriage vv. 11-13
   • When we marry outside of the faith it
     1. Compromises our Walk with God
     2. Nullifies our Worship of God

Let me illustrate this: If I was to divorce my wife and marry a satanist would I still be taken serious as a representative of the One True God and would God receive and honor my worship if I am violating His law and condoning the pagan actions of my satanist wife?

Thirdly we see:

1. The Certified Marriage vv. 14-16
   • When we marry, be it in front of a preacher or a justice of the peace, with a church full or a hand full, we need to know and remember that our marriage has been witnessed my God almighty. Let us keep our covenant with our spouse and with our LORD.

A Question of Honor

 

 

 

Read Malachi 1:6-2:9

In this next section of the Question and Answer the Lord asks “Where is Mine Honor?” Malachi 1:6

The Lord gives them the

I. Illustration of Honor 1:6

A. Son                                                                                                                          B. Servant

II. Indictment of Dis-Honor 1:7-2:9

A. Polluted Worship vv. 1:7-14                                                                           B. Punished Worship vv. 2:1-4                                                                         C. Picture of True Worship 2:5-6                                                                       D. Putrid Worship vv. 2:7-8                                                                               E. Profaned Worship v. 9

July 7 & 8 from Ligonier Ministries

July 7 & 8 from Ligonier Ministries

Why Awake to Rightousness?

So why do I call my blog awake to righteousness? I am so glad you asked. A few years ago I was preaching through 1 Corinthians and a verse jumped out and smacked me in the face and I have never gotten over it. What is this verse? I am happy to share it with you.

1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”

God used this verse as a wake up call for me. I need to be more aware of those around me and to the fact that they have no knowledge of God. It reminded me of when Joseph died and his brothers and that whole generation and a new king arose who knew not Joseph (Ex. 1:6). The next generation didn’t know about Joseph or the way God had provided through Joseph to preserve Israel and Egypt because someone stopped sharing that knowledge. Maybe they just took it for granted that everyone knew.

May I never take the Knowledge of God for granted and may I Awake to Righteousness.