This week this verse was made big in my heart, where it says they were filled with WONDER. This simple little word WONDER is like amazed or amazement or simply I just dont understand. Church folks say to me all the time Bro. Johnny why do you drive 4 to 6,000 miles a month from one Church to another Church, preaching sometimes as many as three times a day, living on three hours sleep a night. I wonder why do you keep driving your self after having one stroke already. Sleeping in motels and eating strange food and leaving your family and even saved people say I wonder why do you do such a thing. These Poor Pastors that have been so abused and his little family has been hurt so much and you say "I Wonder Why Would a man stay at a Church with folks that dont care about CHRIST or the man of GOD that Christ sent their way." Now all of the above are supposedly saved folks, but now lets get to the unsaved that scratch their heads and say I WONDER WHY? 1. They Wonder Why We Go To Church. Well you and I that are saved we know why it is in your heart after your Born again is a desire for the house of GOD way before you know Heb 10:25 Forsake not the assembling yourselves together. I got Saved on a Friday night at twenty eight years old and I had never been to a Church and didnt know a Baptist from a Methodist. We did not know what time church started because we had never been, so we showed up our first Sunday at 4:30 Sunday morning at an old country church no sign out front. They never visited me so the first Sunday after I was saved I visited them. Amen I didnt know that folks showed up on Sunday Morn at 9:59 Amen! Hey I dont have to go to Church, I get to go to Church Im addicted and I have got to have it everyday. I cant do without it. II. They Wonder Why We Try To Convert Them They do not realize because we have been converted we want to see everybody have the same peace and joy that we have, Hey, by the way, surely you do witness to folks on your job or school dont you? We have a command to go unto all the world and Preach Mk 16:15 then Mt 28 Oh I get excited when I see somebody getting born again, now I mean Repenting of their sins a real changed life III. They Wonder Why We Carry A Bible Now Hold it!, time out!, there is only one Bible its the 1611 KJV This KJV tells me where that I came from and where Im going if I dont REPENT. This KJV is our mama. This word birthed us into the family of GOD. We need to read it and study it and memorize it Psa 119:11,130 - 1st Pet 2:2 - Job 23:12 IV. They Wonder Why We Dress Different Than They Do Even the wild man that lived in the tombs and ran naked. The minute this crazy man got saved, the book says that he was CLOTHED and in his right mind Mark 5 also 1st Tim 2:9 - Deu 22:5 When he got saved he covered his nakedness and you will too when you get in your right mind V. They Wonder Why That We Sing Different Than They Do Oh I used to sing those Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, the Platters and some Johnny Trash and Tammy Whynot songs. But GOD puts a new song in my mouth even Praise unto our GOD Ps 96:1 - Eph 5:18 Oh I have sung Amazing Grace 10,000 times but it still thrills my soul. VI. They Wonder Why We Believe In Prayer After your are saved and JESUS is your LORD and you are in the right relationship, oh boy oh boy, I have had so many Prayers answered, not that I deserve them but because you and I are his Child. John 14:14 VII. They Wonder Why Do We Run Our Homes Different Than Theirs Oh thats elementary. It is because we had a house but once JESUS becomes LORD of our lives like Zacheus we ask JESUS to come to our house and then or homes are under new management. We now believe the man is head of the home and the wife is the heart of the home and the Children are the hope of the home, and the children are ran by love and switches and its yes mam and no man and yes sir. Eph 5:25 VIII. They Wonder Why We Give Our Money They say why do you give that money to that preacher and they dont realize that we give because we are saved and we give it to CHRIST Mal 3:10 - Matt 19:21 IX. They Wonder Why We Are Really Better Off Than They Are Oh Volumes could be said here about this life and the life here after, see, Paul said that if only we had hope of Christ in this life we are most miserable and this is why we have miserable Baptist. They are just looking at this world and what it can give. If there was no heaven and no mansion, just the peace and joy that he has given me is enough because of the change in my life and now I am a somebody because of him. The Government says I am a Tax payer and the Politician says I am a voter and the attorneys says that I am a client and my doctor says that I am a patient and the school teacher says I am a student and the bank says that I am a depositor and the airline says that I am a passenger and the hotel says that I am a guest and the TV station says that I am a viewer and the radio station says that I am a listener and the folks next door say I am a neighbor and the Church says that I am a member and JESUS says "Johnny You are MINE! glory - glory - glory! Yes we we who are the children of GOD are better off. X. They Wonder If My Conversion Will Last Oh, they said I would be back in the bars, taking dope, drinking and fighting and staying in jail. I would if not for JESUS ! He called me I wasnt looking for a preaching job and he let me be a handler of the Holy Word and GOD asked me to Go and tell it. Now Im an ambassador, glory, glory, dont get me wrong, I have wanted to quit Preaching but there is something on the inside that wont let me. I used to quit every Monday morning. I can remember the same tongue that used to use GOD'S name in vain and tell dirty jokes and tell lies is the same tongue that now sings Amazing Grace. This same pair of hands that held a shotgun to rob and held whiskey bottles and other men's wives and held a deck of cards with an ace up my sleeve NOW is the same pair of hands that will pass out a tract. The same hand that would put cocaine in a spoon and take a needle and tie a bandana around his arm and shoot the drugs into his veins to take a little trip in the flesh is soon going to take a big trip on a cloud to glory and this hand that would hold a coors beer now opens the Church Door for people and says welcome to our little Church come on in. THATS What CHRIST can do. I say that I will live as long as GOD lives I will live NOT because of me but because he lives on the inside of me I have a King living on the inside of me! Hey, I'm just as much a saint as Saint Paul or Saint Peter or Saint John.
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Johnny The Baptist