Are you a Jonah?

I heard a sermon last night that posed that question. It has gotten me to thinking about my life. Years ago much like Jonah I had a prejudice against people with Drug and Alcohol addictions. I believed that they deserved to be miserable and I did not want to help them know anything about Christ. And through the years the Lord would bring people in my life to be close to me that had these problems and time and time again I was cold and harsh to them. Until the day that I found myself addicted to prescription drugs. You see I was like Jonah. The addiction I had was like the fish Jonah found himself in. I had to fess up to my prejudices I had to repent. But like Jonah I still struggle with love for these people even though not only has God healed me but I am married to a man healed from these addictions also. I know that God will give me more people to love and help with these problems and I pray now I will follow him and not run away. Do you have a prejudice? Are you running from God? Read what happened to Jonah. Let's be able to answer No I am not a Jonah.

Jessica Hudson

Do we fear God really?

Do we fear God? I mean us as Christians. In the book of Jonah the sailors that were carrying Jonah feared God when they found out who he was. Why do we as God's children not fear him? I think it is because we are comfortable with our sin and with God's punishment. We have played the blame game so long that now we just blame everything on someone else. It is just like talking to someone about salvation if they do not know they are lost they can not be saved. If we don't realize that God is punishing us thru our health, finances, children and other things then how can we know to repent. I know from experience that getting into the word of God starts to show you God's will and his punishment for our sins. So I am trying to get excited about reading God's word again and as I do I am more exposed in my sins and fear of God's judgments. I saw an interview tonight about the generation from 12-25 year olds that seems to believe that being spiritual is the same as being saved. How sad to think that we have a whole generation that does not fear God and his judgment because they have been lured into a spiritual sense of security. If you do not fear God then God will bring you down like he did David and Jonah and Me. He is in control and He is the only way.

 
 

Meet the Queen

The road west was the route, headed out to meet the Queen, Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Arkansas. We left Bryant Arkansas headed west on I-30, (Benton to the Hwy. 70 exit is the worst piece of interstate in Arkansas) and took the Hwy. 70 exit to Hot Springs were we took the Hwy. 270 By-pass around Hot Springs to the end and going Hwy. 270 west again. The weather was perfect as we cruised through the Ouachita Mountains. We stopped outside Mt. Ida at the Dairyette to stretch our legs and to get something to drink. As we stood outside waiting on our order an older couple, sitting inside, invited us to join them, clean cut folks riding a Harley, naturally they were surprised I was a Pastor. The place was clean with nice restrooms and polite, quick, service made this a good place to mark for a stop.

From there we rode on into Mena, AR. Where we stopped and filled our tank before heading up Hwy. 88, which is the Talamena Scenic By-Way this is a wonderful ride up to the park, were we spent the night at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. The Lodge was nice and they are beginning a renovation this year and when it is finished it will be the Queen of Arkansas again. The lodge restaurant was ok but not great, the restaurant was clean and well maintained with good service. We met another couple there they were riding from Beaumont Texas to Eureka Springs Arkansas on their Yamaha. We spent a couple hours with them talking about our church and the Lord, in the end we invited them to stop and visit us the next time they came by our way.

The next morning dawned clear and breezy and we would continue west down the Winding Steps Scenic by-Way that begins at the Oklahoma state line. This is another wonderful ride and we virtually had the road to ourselves we met one bike and one car all the way down to Talahina Oklahoma.

If you have never ridden the Talhamena and Winding stair by-way you are missing one of the best rides in the south central United States. In Talahina we looked for brunch and found an excellent place to eat at Pam's Diner located at 304 Dallas. The atmosphere was down home, the people friendly and the food excellent. On top of that the prices were low and the portions large, so bring your appetite and don't worry about your budget because you won't go broke, check them out if you are in the area.

From Talahina we had no clear route we just meandered up 270 to 128/28 to 80 to 10 to 9 to 5. Not the shortest route in fact when asked, by Jessica, if I knew where we were going I said no but if we keep heading east we would come to some place I knew and that place was Danville Arkansas. This reminded me of my life in Christ people ask what we will do next or where we are going next and I tell them I don't know but if I keep following Christ one day I will be home, home with the lord. You see we are all just sojourners here, for those who believe on Christ as our Savior this place is not our home, our home is with Christ in heaven.

Hebrews 11:13-16 tells us that many have died believing this truth of God's word,

" These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. In we are told that once we believe on Jesus Christ as Savior we become fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God and members of God's family and home, "Ephesians 2:19-20 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." See we truly are just traveling through this world and isn't the motto of the true biker that, "it's not about the destination so much as the Journey." So if you are a believer on Jesus Christ, a true Child of God, enjoy the journey on your way to your true home.

 
 

Till the next stop keep the wind in your face,

Steven W. Hudson