joy

The One That is Lost

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He counted them once and then he counted them again. He knew he had one hundred sheep but he could only count ninety-nine. So he counted again and yes, one was lost. It was just one sheep, but these were his sheep. He knew each one by name and knew each one by sight. Now most of them are safe, but one was lost.

Ninety-nine sheep are safe. Only one is missing. Outside it is cold and dark. The wolves are howling. It is dangerous to go out. Some shepherds would say, “Ninety-nine are safe, so I won’t concern myself with the one that is lost.” But not the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep by name and His heart trembles for the one that is lost.

Carrying a staff and a rod for protection, he goes out into the cold darkness. He searches until he finds his lost sheep. Tangled in the briars and brambles, the frightened sheep is torn and bloodied. Using his staff, the shepherd draws the lost one to safety. Anointing him with oil and binding his wounds the Shepherd sings with joy because he has found the one that was lost.

Jesus, my Lord, is the Good Shepherd. Many of His children are safe in the fold. But some have wandered away. Maybe you have been cast into the briars and brambles of addiction. Or maybe you are just confused, stumbling around in the darkness, endangered by the worldly wolves. But Jesus, the Lover of your soul, is heartbroken because you are in danger. He longs for His lost ones to be safe.

Listen to my words all that are sick and lonely, afraid of the darkness that surrounds you. The Savior is calling out your name if you will just be still and listen. The Holy Spirit is the rod that will protect you and the staff that will rescue you. Jesus is the Seeker of the one that is lost. He will draw you close, bind your wounds, and anoint you with healing oil.

Trust in this promise from Ezekiel 34:15-16; “I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down.” says the Lord GOD. “I will seek what is lost and bring back what has been driven away, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.”

Douglas & Deborah Huff

email- pavementendministry@gmail.com

Zaccheaus, You Come Down

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Have you ever been thirsty or hungry or tired and not know it? I have, there have been times when I would be busy doing something and simply forget to take time to eat or drink or rest. But then I would hit a wall. I would realize that I could not keep going one more minute because I had a need. I needed food or water or rest. When I would take a drink of cool water it would rejuvenate my whole body. It would make me wonder why it took me so long to realize that I had a need.

Zacchaeus was a man with a need. He had been so busy becoming a rich man that he did not realize how poor and tired and hungry he was. One day he heard a crowd coming, and asked, “What is going on.?” Someone said,” Jesus is coming.” So Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see who Jesus was. When Jesus saw him in the tree He said,” Zacchaeus, come on down I am going to your house today.” That day Zaccheaus found that Jesus met a need he did not know he had.

I know that many of you today are spiritually thirsty, hungry, and tired. You have been so busy trying to live a life that you have neglected to care for your soul. Now, you are out on a limb and you have a need that you can not fill.

Jesus is the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost. He is looking up at you on your limb and saying, “Come on down I want to go to your house today.” If you will receive Him, He will bring salvation to your house. Then you can quince your thirst with His living water, satisfy your hunger with the Bread of Life and rest your weary head on His gentle shoulder.

Douglas Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

The Prodigal Son

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In the Bible, Jesus tells the story of a man whose son demands that he be given his inheritance so that he can go out on his own. The father reluctantly gives his son his own livelihood and watches as the boy goes off into the world. The father knew that this was not about the money; no it was about a son rejecting the father’s love.

As the story goes the young man goes to a faraway land where he blows through his money in no time at all. Of course, when the money is gone the good times are gone, and when the good times are gone so are the friends. Now we find the boy with no money, friends, or food. He has to take job feeding pigs and wishes that he could eat the pig slop. And then finally one day he decides to go home and ask his father for forgiveness.

Now you may think this story is about the prodigal son but it is not. The story is actually about the father. You see as soon as the boy left, his father began to watch and pray for his son to come home. Day after day he would stand at the gate looking and longing to see his little boy coming down the road. Finally, the day comes when the old man sees his son coming home. The old man we tears in his eyes runs to meet His boy. With hugs and kisses, He welcomes him home

You know on second thought this story is not about the old man. It is about God and you. Maybe like the boy you have rejected the Father’s love. Maybe you have taken your life and wasted it. Maybe you have found yourself in the hog pen of life and you have found that hog slop doesn’t taste so good.

Here is the good news, our Father in Heaven has been waiting and watching and longing for you to come home. He is waiting to receive you with open arms. Won’t you leave the pigs and come to the Father? I can see Him now, when you start walking toward Him He will come running to you. He will clothe you in His righteousness and feed you from His table. You know He loves you, pig slop breath and all.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

Come and See

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Come and See

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”” (John 1:43–46)

“Come and see.” This is a challenge to see in Jesus the Answer to all questions, the Object of all desires, and the fulfilled Promise of all time. Indeed the invitation is to come and see in Jesus the Final Treasure that is worth any sacrifice we have to make.

When Philip said, “I have found Him” he was saying they had been looking for a Messiah who would change their lives and he recognized in Jesus the Messiah. The crisis of our time is that the ones who need Him the most are not looking for Him. Oh, they are looking for something but they don’t recognize that Jesus is the Final Treasure.

A question for you, Christian. Do you recognize Jesus as the Final Treasure? The answer to that question may be the answer to the question of why has the American church lost its ability to impact society.

Brothers, you say that you are a Christian, so I challenge you to make the Word who was in the beginning, the Word who was with God and this Word who is God to make Him the Final Treasure of your Heart. Then maybe you can impart to a dying and thirsty world a desire for this Living Water.

Then when you extend an invitation to “come and see,” they will see that Jesus is indeed The Final Treasure.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

The Promises of God

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One promise that God made is found in John 6:47 which says, “Truly, I say to you, he that believes in Me, has everlasting life. Now everybody wants to live forever. But I ask you; are you willing to do what God says to have that eternal life? This devotion is an audio podcast. Click the link below to listen as I talk about the promises of God.

https://podpoint.com/pavement-ends-ministry/the-promises?fbclid=IwAR2QZSIqxKGbq2Mgo114-1VNybCdJwwdEjMp75IBOClkkRhSnjweDKwYXqk#

Mother’s Day

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Towels, washcloths, Kleenex, baby wipes, dish towels, and aprons. I believe that these things could be seen as emblems of motherhood because mamas are always wiping something. They wipe stinky bottoms, snotty noses, and skinned knees and they have been known to wash a dirty face with spit and a Kleenex. Their time seems to be filled with wiping down kitchen counters, and bathroom floors, and the tears of broken-hearted children. There is one thing for sure, mamas are always wiping something.

In the book of Judges, there is a woman named Deborah who served as a Judge and leader in the nation of Israel. She was a genuine hero in the history of God’s people and yet when she referred to herself in Judges 5:7, she spoke of herself simply as a “mother in Israel”. She was a poet, a prophetess, a judge, and a heroic leader but her greatest source of pride and joy was in the fact that she was a mother. She knew that there is no higher calling on earth than motherhood.

The fact is while mamas might think that all they do is dry tears, and wipe noses and bottoms in reality what Mama is doing is molding young lives and shaping the future. For this reason, we should all rise up and call our mothers and our wives blessed. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a mother who fears the Lord and loves her family should be praised.

On this Mother’s Day, I want to honor the memories of my two Grandmothers and my Mother-in-law. I also want to give honor to my Mama and my Wife, my Daughter- in-law and my Daughter their worth is far above rubies or any other earthly treasure. To all mothers, on this day and every day you are highly favored and greatly blessed. Thank you for always wiping up our mess.

Douglas Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Mothers

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Among the last items of business that Jesus took care of, even as He hung on the cross, was to make sure that His mother would be cared for. His mother’s life was turned upside down at His birth. She was there while He grew, she changed His diapers and she kissed His skinned knees. She worried when He was left behind in the temple and thought she understood when He said, “I must be about my Father’s business”. So before He said “ It is Finished” He looked at John and said, “ Behold your mother”.

Jesus was His Father’s Son but He was His Mama’s boy. In the Bible, it seems as if He performed His first miracle to please His Mama. We should also always try to please our mamas. However, my mama wouldn’t like it if I turned water into wine.” Mary, like all mothers, sacrificed greatly for her Child. And like Mary, all mothers should be honored and loved by their children. I give you a few ways that you should love her.

Love her verbally, tell her how much you love her. Love Her physically, she needs and deserves your touch. Love her patiently, goodness knows she was patient with you. Love her with your ears. Remember all the times she stopped what she was doing to listen to you. Take the time to sit and listen to her. Love her generously, there is nothing to good for your mama. Remember all the sacrifices she made for you. Be generous with your love and money but most of all with your time.

The Bible says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. ” (Exodus 20:12)

It does not matter who you are, what you do, or how much money you make if you honor your mother she will be proud of you. Love your mother with all your heart. Love her in such a way that she will be thankful for all the time she invested and all the sacrifices she made for you. Remember whoever you are you owe a lifetime of love to your mother!

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com

He Chose You First

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“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.“

(2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Do you remember the old schoolyard ritual of choosing teams? Remember how the two oldest or biggest would appoint themselves captains and then pick their teams? They would always start by choosing the biggest or strongest or the ones with the most talent. One by one they would choose while the ones who were not so big or strong or talented would stand looking at their toes hoping and praying that this time, they would not be the last one picked.

And there was always the one, “Maybe it was you” that was not really chosen at all. The captain who was cursed with the LAST pick would look at you and say, I guess I will have to take you. Then you would play right field and bat last.

I have some good news for you. The biggest Captain of all time has chosen His team and guess what, He chose you, and He picked you first. The Bible tells you in Ephesians 1:4 that; He chose you — before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” (Ephesians 1:4)

Now for the life of me, I cannot understand how God does it! He has chosen all of us and we are all His first pick. But I don’t have to understand it. I just trust Him and know that it is true. He looked at me and named me as His V.I.P. I don’t stand around looking at my toes anymore because God chose me.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

Down Where the Pavement Ends

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com