Watts' Words

When one considers the heritage of this country, the present day culture is almost amazing. Just meander through the historical monuments in Washington, D.C., pay attention to the engravings of our forefathers, and the obvious conclusion is that the founding fathers of this nation had a deep faith in God and deep trust in the Bible. For instance, above the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court hangs an indelible engraving of the Ten Commandments. This is only one of many illustrations of the desire from those deep thinking writers of our national documents to keep God's word center stage in this nation. So how is it that we now live in a society which believes in tolerance for everyone and everything except God and the Bible. In the early days of America the Bible was THE text book for the teaching of reading to young students in public school. Today that same Bible is not really allowed on the school grounds let alone in the classroom. Just exactly how did this happen? Who was it tha...

Years ago I heard a preacher pontificate; "every person in this room is in one of 3 places. They are either in the middle of a storm, coming out of a storm, or about to enter a storm." At the time I didn't really believe my ears, however, a few more years of life convinces me that this axiom is absolutely true! However, most of us have unrealistic expectations about life. We actually expect things to go smoothly and are surprised when "the train jumps the tracks." If you and I honestly review our lives, we are required to admit that trouble surrounds us. So how do we make it through? Jesus' half-brother, James, gives us a clue. In the book which bears his name, the scripture records, "count it pure joy when you fall into various trials and testings." Two things are noteworthy from this verse. First, it is not "IF" but "WHEN" we get in a storm. Next, we need be view the reason for this struggle with joy. Why is this? Because the ...

Of all the days that should be days of rejoicing, praising, and even worshipping, it should be Easter! Much more than bunnies, candy, eggs, etc, this day is about our Lord Jesus. It was this day that He made a way for our redemption and justification! Redemption & Justification-- hmm - now there's two big words, whatever do they mean and better yet, are they just religious words or do they apply to "me?" Well yes, they both possess a tremendous application to us all. Redemption, by definition, means several things. Here are a couple; 1) It means to "buy back." This meaning should remind us that God designed each one of us to have a close, intimate, and personal relationship with Him. We are His by creation. However, when sin came into the world through Adam in the Garden, we lost this relationship. You see, God is a good love, but He is also a God of purity and thus, cannot allow sin in His presence. Upon sinning, both Adam and Eve were barred fr...

We are early in this election year and already I'd like it to be OVER. Years ago, there was a movie in which a candidate withdrew from the election and suggested that the majority vote for "none of the above!!" Man to have that option!! Yet, to vote for none of the above means two things; 1) It means you vote with the majority. To abstain from voting in protest is tantamount to giving the majority your vote. 2) It means to not vote. With respect to one candidate, a vote of "present" is not an acceptable position. It means you're sticking your finger in the air to see which way the wind of politics is blowing and then your cast you sails to go with that wind. It means you're sitting on the fence---all you get from riding the fence is splinters. Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in time we can make a difference if we don't give up. To not vote is to give up. Let us remember that our system of "democracy" as a republic is buil...

In many ways, I feel like one of the most blessed and fortunate men to ever live. No, life has not always given me all that "I" wanted, but it has certainly given me more than I deserved!! Back in 1994 I moved to Biloxi, MS, as pastor of the Bay Vista Baptist Church. Spending 6 years with that wonderful congregation and being able to stay in that "area" for another 5 years had and has its little perks. For instance, the friends established on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are friendships which will last a lifetime. Some of the best people I know live down there. Being the golfer that I 'try to be' and loving golf as I do, Billy and Sheryl Applewhite (both golf professionals) became like family to us. We spent time in their home, they spent time in ours, we played golf together, fished together, and we even lived in their 'house' for a year! Needless to say, this is a relationship which we value greatly. Along our journey, Billy and Sheryl have introduce...

One of the great part of being a Pastor is seeing God changing people's lives. There are those who come to faith in Christ and their lives are transformed by the power of Christ. These changes are those which make the angels in heaven rejoice. (In human terms, that would mean "throw a party"). We are designed to have a personal relationship with God. When we come to Christ through faith we find forgiveness, new life, and this personal relationship with God. According to His word, the ONLY way to have a personal relationship with God is in Jesus Christ. These days my heart has been blessed by the repentance, confession, and renewal of some who have known the Lord for a long time. They have, for one reason or another (most of the time "accidentially"), allowed their relationship with the Father to grow cold & stale AND NOW, they have heard God's voice and responded to His call. Honestly, all of us who know the Lord have been right there! Today, it ...

Recently I sent out one of those blanket emails which I happened to think was "right on" (actually, delete most of them). This one was about the 10 Commandments' place in the history of the USA and gave information relative to some of our founding fathers and their attitude towards God, the Bible, Christianity, and even religion in government. Candidly, I carefully selected (or at least I thought I did) my receivers from my list of "friends" and sent it out with a reference to one of our "Presidential Candidates". You guessed it, less than 6 hours later I had a blistering response from one of my "friends". This "friend" was all over me for such propaganda and went on to literally denegrate the philosphies and impact of those leaders who established this great nation. So I sit and I wonder....... Can a person be "Christian" politician and consistently vote for the murder of babies? Or to give "Civil-Rights" ...

Most of us remember (in years past) of attending "Community Revival Meetings." In fact, we even had a name for those meetings. We called them "Crusades." The preachers who were invited were always well-known. Billy Graham, James Robison, and E. J. Daniels are but three from a long list of "Mass Evangelists." Many times these events were held in "Football Stadiums" and people came from miles around to attend this event. (Personally, I remember my church group driving over 3 hours to hear Billy Graham). The super part of these meetings (this picture which is still etched in my mind) is hundreds of people making decisions for the Lord. Sadly, today those meeting are viewed as a "relic" of days past. Yet, in good ole Hueytown, Alabama, last week we saw (what I believe) to be the beginning of a renewal of this revival effort. Many of the congregations in and around this community came together for a meeting such as this. Admittedl...