Good Words for Today
My full name is Clarence Raymond Pritchard. I was named Clarence for my uncle (my father's older brother). Raymond was my father’s middle name. When our oldest son was born, we named him Joshua Tyrus Pritchard—Joshua for the great Bible hero and Tyrus in honor of my father who was named after Ty Cobb, the great baseball player. Our second son was named Mark Alan after Marlene’s older brother Mark and my younger brother Alan. When our third son came along we named him Nicholas Andrew because we saw the name Nicholas and said, “That’s a strong name.” Andrew is in honor of my older brother Andy. I learned something about the value of names when I traveled to Russia with John and Helen Sergey in 1991. On our third or fourth day in Russia, I noticed something unusual about the way the men addressed one another. They would say each other’s first name and then they would add a middle name that always ended with “ovich.” My friend John Sergey was addressed as “Ivan Mikhailovich Sergei.” When I asked John about it, he said that Russians use the patronymic. “Patronymic” is a word that means “the name of my father.” The “ovich” ending in Russian literally means “son of.” Therefore, “Ivan Mikhailovich” literally means “John son of Michael.” It’s a way of recognizing your family lineage. Every son bears his father’s name. When John asked me my father’s name, I told him my dad was named Tyrus Pritchard. John thought for a moment and said that in Russian my name with the patronymic would be “Ray Tyrusovich”—“Ray son of Tyrus.” That pleased me when I heard it because I’ve always been proud of my father. The thought of being called by my father’s name is one of the greatest honors I could imagine. I think he would be proud and pleased too. Even though my father died 44 years ago, a part of him lives on in me and in my three brothers. If I can be permitted to paraphrase the words of Jesus, if you have seen me, you have seen my father—however imperfectly, however incompletely, however mixed in with other influences on my life. But he is there, sure enough, in my face, my voice, my actions, my habits. I even see him in my three sons–fainter still, but the influence is there. My sons are like me in many ways, but I am like my father in some ways and so his influence passes on to the third generation. Sometimes when I visit my relatives, one of them will say, “You remind me so much of your father." There is no finer compliment I could receive. That’s what it means to bear my father’s name. It is far more than having the same last name. His character and personality was in some small way passed on to me. Even though he has been gone for many years, I have a sacred responsibility to honor his name—to live up to the things he taught me, to try to be as good a man as he was, to live in such a way so that people who never knew him will look at me and say, “His father must have been a good man” and the people who knew my dad will say “He’s a credit to his father’s name.” The Bible calls “Honor your father and your mother,” the first commandment with promise “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land” (Ephesians 6:2-3). For many years I marveled at the prayer of Psalm 128:6, “May you live to see your children’s children,” which somewhere I saw paraphrased as, “May you live to see your grandchildren playing at your feet.” That happened to me again this week. Because we spent the night with Nick and Sarah in Chicago, we spent time with Hannah (who is two years old) and Josh (who is seven months old). Josh came crawling to me and then climbed on my lap where he proceeded to grab my glasses. Hannah sat in my lap and had me read her a book about farm animals while she made the sounds of a pig, a horse, a lamb, and also explained the story to me, sort of. Few things in life are more satisfying than that. Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere. Enjoy this day and the children and grandchildren the Lord has given you.
"The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin." Frederick Lehman, 1917
"Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much." John Newton
"A soft answer turns away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1). Lord, help me to remember that because I'm sure I'll need it before this day is done. Amen.
Fear not. Satan will not win in the end. King Jesus will have the last word.
"Prayer is like laying down tracks for God's locomotive to come barreling through." Watchman Nee
"All of us have inflated views of ourselves until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.” John Stott
When you stand at the gate of heaven and God says, "Why should I let you in?" what answer will give? "I was a member of Wesley Methodist Church." Not good enough. "I was an elder at Wayside Chapel." You'll be in big trouble. "My father built our church." That's good, but it's not the right answer. "I lived a good life." Wrong answer. "I gave to feed the hungry in Namibia." That's truly wonderful, but that won't open the doors of heaven. "Pastor Ray baptized me." Not even close. If you want to go to heaven, you must trust in Jesus Christ and him alone. You must go "all in" on the Son of God who loved you and died for you. You must believe in him so much that if he can't take you to heaven, you aren't going to go there. Don't be proud or cocky or arrogant. If you make it to heaven, it will only because of God's kindness toward you. And between now and then, run to the cross every day. Lay hold of Christ and never let go. May God help us all to "wholly trust in Jesus' name."
"When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And there proclaim: 'My God, how great Thou art!'"
Thank you, Lord, for praying friends because I don’t think I could make it without them. Amen.
"There is plenty of work for love to do." Alexander McCall Smith
Life is too short to be grouchy today.
"What a pity it is to live in a world like this and not enjoy living. It is amazing that any one should live in a universe so glorious, and not feel like shouting." Charles E. Jefferson
This is the best news you ever heard: “For those who are in Christ Jesus, now, today, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but NOW, there is no condemnation.” Donald Grey Barnhouse
You're not the savior of the world. That position has already been filled.
"Men who really have seen evil things, and fought mightily against them, as a rule have been not only the bravest men, but also the cheeriest and most hopeful men." Newman Smyth
Live today as if Jesus might come today. One day you'll be right.
"Come home, come home, You who are weary, come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling, O sinner, come home!"
When God wanted to save the world, he started with a baby in a manger. Small beginnings are no hindrance to the Lord. Go ahead and get started. You never know what God will do.
"We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Christians are, by God’s grace, cockroaches. We can survive anything.” Mark Dever
We need tenacious winsome courage to live for Christ today. Tenacious meaning, "Never give up." Winsome meaning, "With a smile, not a scowl." Courage meaning, "Standing strong in hard times." These are not the best of times, but they are not the worst either. Onward, always onward, by God's grace, full of faith, with tenacious, winsome courage.
"Preach the gospel. Die. Be forgotten." Count Zinzendorf (1700-1760). Do your part and let God determine your legacy.
"No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand: Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."
Don't be ashamed to admit you were wrong. It means you have more sense than you had before.
So many people are frozen with fear over what might happen two months down the road. If God could create the world in six days, he can surely handle your problems in September.
True believers have never been popular with the people of the world. Our righteousness intimidates them, our boldness annoys them, our refusal to participate in their sin infuriates them, and our love for God mystifies them.
"Salvation is of the Lord." All spiritual growth starts right here. The sooner we figure this out, the happier we'll be.
We are in God's presence, united with Christ, led by the Spirit, surrounded by angels, enrolled in heaven, accepted by the Father, and forgiven by the blood. Because of Jesus, we live next door to heaven.
"May the love of Jesus fill me, As the waters fill the sea; Him exalting, self abasing, This is victory.”
"When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made a satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also.'" Martin Luther
A good verse that covers most of life: "You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will" (John 13:7).
If you stop praying, the world will stop bothering you. The great mark of true faith is that we keep praying when it would be easier to quit.
Christ cannot fail. I may struggle, but he cannot fail. I may waver under the attack, but he cannot fail. If Christ is in me and I am in him, no matter how weak I may feel, Christ cannot fail.
"Let us then be true and faithful, Trusting, serving every day; Just one glimpse of Him in glory Will the toils of life repay. When we all get to heaven, What a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, We’ll sing and shout the victory!"
Sometimes I think the hardest job God has is getting his children to admit how desperately they need him.
God has more grace in his heart than you have sin in your life. Jesus is a better Savior than you are a sinner.
"Lord Jesus, we don't care who comes in second as long as you come in first. Amen." William Sangster
Sometimes God doesn't show us his plan in advance because we wouldn't believe it anyway.
"When the last war has been fought, when the last political or economic upheaval has spent its energy, when the last galaxy has been swallowed by a black hole, Jesus will be left standing. And if you and I are in Christ, we will be standing too." Ron Scates