Marketplace Evangelism Today

The Cane

Have you ever wondered about how a cane is used? The cane is a device that helps people walk who has physical impairments. In Bible times, it was also used by shepherds keeping watch over their flock of sheep.

A shepherd’s cane typically had a crook on the top which could be used to wrap around a sheep’s neck and pull it to safety. The shepherd’s cane could also be used as a defense weapon to ward off people who might be attacking them or to ward off wild animals going after the sheep.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 23:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I just love this promise. Jesus is our shepherd. When we are weary, He makes us lie down in green pastures. He leads us besides still waters. He restores our soul. He tends to us when we need it most. He loves us so very much. He anoints our heads with oil meaning that He cares for us to the point that our innermost being overflows in His love for us.

For me, doing life without Jesus is like walking on a broken leg without a cane or a crutch. It’s hard and painful not to have hope in Christ. Doing life without ever reading and studying the Word of our Heavenly Father is like being in a desert and thirsting for water but never getting a drink that would quench our thirst.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” If you are having difficulty in life with your faith, then pick up God’s cane, the Holy Bible. The secrets to a successful and happy life are written in that Book. Seek a relationship with the Father’s Son. Commit your life to Him today.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” Joshua 24:15b. I pray that you will serve Him as well.

My Tribute to Foy Kathleen Hocutt Lee

Today is Mother’s Day as well as my Mom’s Birthday. I want to share the legacy that came from the Hocutt side of the family. I seem to know more about my Granddaddy Hocutt than I do about my Granddaddy Lee. I know my Dad was a devout Christian, his Christian faith fits right into this tribute about my Mom.

My Mom was born in 1912 and her Daddy was the Reverend Joseph Edgar Hocutt of Sharpsburg, NC. He was a circuit rider preacher on Sundays traveling to various churches from Sunday to Sunday. During the week, he was the school teacher in a one room school house in Sharpsburg. He taught children from first grade on up. His legacy was passed on to generations beyond his immediate children.

My Mom was a preachers kid and she was raised in a Christian home on a farm. She grew up loving God and she accepted Jesus at a young age. She grew up into a respectable young woman and met my Dad, and they ultimately got married.

God used both my Mom and Dad for His glory. When we lived in Rocky Mount, we attended Lakeside Baptist Church which was across from the Rocky Mount City Lake. We attended church on a regular basis and my Mom always enrolled me in Vacation Bible School. There, the Bible was taught and I learned about how much Jesus loved me.

As I grew older, we moved to Portsmouth, VA when I was 12 years old. We started attending Grove Park Baptist Church and I accepted Jesus as my Savior at the age of 13. The Reverend Clyde Finley baptized me.

While we lived in Portsmouth, both my Mom and Dad connected with that church. He became a Deacon and my Mom got into many church ministries such as ministering to inmates at the Portsmouth City Jail, she took in a homeless woman where she lived with us while trying to get her life back on track.

My Mom had the heart of Christ and she wasn’t afraid to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus. She engaged the gospel of Christ daily by being the hands and feet of Christ.

In our family, I have one brother and two sisters. There are a total of 4 siblings, all descendants of Reverend Joseph Edgar Hocutt. My Mom and Dad taught us the Bible, prayed for us, and never gave up on us. Even when I was a little rebellious in school, they continued to love me.

There is a Scripture from Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is exactly what my Granddaddy Hocutt did. He trained up my Mom in the way of the Lord and she never departed from it. She raised her family to love God. This is the legacy from my Granddaddy’s dedication to God.

Today, there are three ordained men of God that are heirs of Granddaddy Hocutt. I for one am a co-vocational minister of a parachurch. My brother is an ordained Deacon and Elder of his church. My nephew is an ordained Deacon and Elder of his church as well. Our wives are devout followers of Christ and are engaged in the ministry of their churches and ministries. My two sisters are devout followers of Christ Jesus. Both teach women’s Bible studies, minister to women of broken marriages, and minister to people who have addiction problems. Both sisters are gifted in writing Christian devotions, songs, and poems.

We have all raised our children in Christian homes where they have learned about the sacrificial love of Jesus. My daughter Corrie, accepted Jesus at 5 years of age. Most of my siblings children have accepted Christ Jesus.

This is a powerful legacy of Christian ministers of the Gospel. My Mom was more that a Mom to us. In her elder years, she would always end her prayers with this phase. “Dear Jesus, help me to be less of myself, and more about you!”

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today, as I reflect back on my own Mother and our relationship, I want to thank God for a godly woman who dedicated her life to loving God with all her heart, with all her soul, and with all her mind! She definitely loved her neighbors as herself.

My Mom was the daughter of a preacher who was raised in a Christian home. She married my Dad and they had four children, with me being the youngest. As long as I remember, their lives were dedicated to serving Jesus and they made time for family and friends. They raised us to love Jesus as well as taught us the ways of the Lord.

I see some of the same traits of my Mom in my wife. She is loving and caring of her family and friends. She cared for her own Mom in the last years of her life. My sweet wife sacrificed for her Mom and Dad. We would take trips every year to see my Mom as well as her Mom and Dad.

My wife Diane and I adopted a baby from Portsmouth through Bethany Christian Services. We named her Corrie after Corrie Ten Boom. We loved that little girl as it was our goal to raise her in a Christian home. Of course, we were not perfect parents as we had no other children, so we asked much advice from friends and family as well as our church for support. We loved and sacrificed much for the opportunity to raise this child in the love and admonition of Christ Jesus. Today, our little girl is no longer with us as she is married and on her own trying to start her own family.

Diane and I both love her so very much and wish the best for her and her husband Christian!

Today, I want to wish my wife Diane and my Mom, Foy Lee, who is now in Heaven a very Happy Mother’s Day! Those who have their children, please cherish every moment and pray for them. Although our daughter is physically absent, she and her family are in our hearts and prayers.

I want to thank my wife Diane for being a loving Mom, wanting the best for our daughter, and being a teacher of the way that God would want our children raised, to love God with all their hearts, soul, and mind, and to love their neighbors as themselves.

Here are some Scriptures that will help you in teaching your children about the Lord Jesus and our Heavenly Father.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will never depart from it.”

Proverbs 1:8-9 “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”

Isaiah 54:13 “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”

Psalm 127:3 “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.”

Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such of these.”

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Honor your father and your mother, This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, Things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on earth.”

Today, Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there. God loves you! Seek Him and you will find Him!

Breaking News: Jesus Arrested, Convicted, Beaten, and Crucified

Marketplace Evangelism Today

Spring, 30 AD. Early this morning at approximately 1:30 AM, Jesus was accosted and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by Temple Guards of the Sanhedrin. Judas, one of his disciples betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. During the arrest, according to an eyewitness by the name of John, “Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Another eyewitness by the name of Luke states, “Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.”

The reason Jesus was in the Garden was that he was praying. It is reported that earlier that night, he and his disciples enjoyed a supper together. Judas then left the group…

View original post 2,194 more words

Retired American Heroes Volunteering for Ukraine’s “International Legion.”

I just read in The New York Times that American Veterans are heading to Ukraine to volunteer to help fight against the Russian Army. According to The New York Times, He is identified only as Hector, who is a retired US Marine, who served two violent tours in Iraq, boarded a plane this weekend to Warsaw, Poland. The Times goes on to say he packed several bags filled with rifle scopes, helmets, and body armor, which were donated by other veterans.

Hector says, “sanctions can help but they cannot help right now.” The Times reports that he is one of a surge of retired American soldiers heading to Ukraine as well as preparing to go.

President Zelensky announced that he was creating an “international legion” to fight the Russians. Hector says that he hopes to train the Ukrainians in his expertise, armored vehicles and heavy weapons. Hector says that there are a lot of Vets who have trained for this kind of warfare all their lives, and many will be going very soon.

When I read this story, I was just in awe of the courage of our Veterans who are now retired but who have placed their entire lives on hold to go over and help defend a sovereign nation who is being assaulted by a bully like Putin! Please join me in praying for these “American Band of Brothers” who very well may die on foreign soil as volunteers for a war that is not theirs! What true American Heroes these Veterans are! May God be with them in their quest to defeating the evil empire that is attempting to pervade a sovereign nation as well as Europe.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24-26

Do You Think Ukraine Will Win or Lose?

A friend of mine asked, “Do you think Ukraine will win or lose?” My response is the following.

I believe that this aggression from Russia is just the beginning. This aggression will set the stage for the Antichrist to come on the scene. Whether Christ comes back Pre-tribulation or post-trib, or right in the middle, no one knows for sure. But I believe He will come again with the shout of the trumpet. And the dead will rise first to meet Him in the air. Then those who are living will be, as written in the Greek, be raptured up to meet Him in the air. We all better be ready because according to Scripture, Jesus is coming. Whether Ukraine wins or loses, I have no idea. But I believe this is the beginning of what we have been waiting for, for many years.

Many times, we don’t think about God’s time table. We only think about ours. Now I have heard many say, “If Trump were President, this would have never happened!” But perhaps that was not in God’s plans. His plans are to draw everyone close to Him. He wants our full love for Him, through His Son Jesus.

When Jesus comes again, I know there will be many left behind to endure through the remainder of the Tribulation. Those left will be persecuted beyond comprehension by those who follow the Antichrist.

As for Putin, I think he is possessed by demons. This would make sense if Russia is going to be a catalyst in the ushering in of the Antichrist. The fact that many nations are seeking to join the European Union because Putin is after Ukraine is astonishing. It seems to all be coming together.

And look at what is happening all over the world. Most all countries are supporting the Ukraine by sending defense weapons. We have gone from a global pandemic to a global crisis on the eve of a Third World War in less than two years. I am looking and hoping Jesus comes back soon. I think what is coming is beyond imaginable.

Let’s go back to Trump. I believe he was in Office for one term. Biden is in now. Whether we like it or not, God controls who are the leaders of our nation and world. How will God use Trump in the future, I don’t know? But what is most important is that while we, Christians, are still on this earth, we need to be telling as many people about the saving grace of Jesus as much as possible. Because a time is coming when there will be no more chances. The harvest is ripe and time is short. There is a storm coming worse that what Russia is doing and has done.

Who Do You Seek?

This picture above is a shopping center parking lot in town that has two bars located side by side. Every space is taken as well as people parking on the street. Every occupant that came in those cars are seekers. They are seeking some sort of gratification, completeness, or happiness that they will never find in those bars. They seek fulfillment but alcohol deadens feelings, hurt, and sadness. With alcohol, the problems seem to disappear but are always back the next day. They seek the wrong source of being fulfilled.

Now imagine that all these cars were at a local church. People parking on the grass and streets to get a seat inside. Those people that came in their cars are also seekers. They seek forgiveness and mercy. They found the living water where they no longer thirst. Jesus is the “Living Water” and you will never thirst again because it is only through Christ Jesus that you will find wholeness, completeness, fulfillment, love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

In John 7:37-39, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.

It is only through Jesus that one will receive the Holy Spirit, and they will never thirst again. Are you running from the Lord? Are you seeking everywhere but nothing is satisfying your quench for thirst? The problem is that you are drinking the wrong water. It is like you are at Jacob’s Well, and you dip your pail down to drink cool water, but that water will never satisfy your thirst. That is why you keep seeking in all the wrong places.

If you would only surrender your life and your heart to Jesus, ask Him into your life and into your heart, ask for forgiveness of your wrong doings in life which are known as sin. Jesus will forgive you. He will come into your life and into your heart. He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you and you will never thirst again.

What are you waiting for? The time is at hand! No one knows if today we will take our last breath. Pray this simple prayer.

“Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I believe that you died for me and rose again on the 3rd day. I believe you are God’s Son and that you came into the world to save me. I am sorry for my wrong doings. Please forgive me and come into my life and heart. I want to live for you and serve you all the days of my life.” Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, Jesus has forgiven you and He has come into your life. Get involved in a local Bible believing church. I will be praying for you. May the Lord bless you!

Who Am I to You?

Good Sunday Morning to all! I want to share something with you all that is very intimate in my walk with Christ Jesus.

Recently, I have felt like I was in a spiritual desert. After watching the Christian films God’s Not Dead 1 and 2, I felt the Holy Spirit (Jesus) move on me and ask, “Who Am I to You?” I started weeping in bed and left to go out the living room so that I would not wake my wife. What followed was an immense time of weeping and prayer.

My answer to the Holy Spirit was “You are the Son of the living God and You are my Lord and Savior.” I then prayed for a deeper spiritual walk with Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit led me to the Book of Luke.

Luke was never an original disciple. As a matter of fact, he never knew Christ Jesus personally, but he had heard the stories and eye witness accounts of Jesus ministry, Jesus ultimate arrest, beating, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Luke interviewed all of the disciples as well as Jesus’ Mother, Mary. Luke was educated and was a physician. He knew how to write and he composed the book we now know as Luke. Luke also traveled with the Apostle Paul.

The point of sharing about Luke is that although he did not know Jesus while Jesus lived, Luke learned of Him and wrote down the eye witness accounts of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus from the testimony of all of Jesus’ disciples with the exception of Judas, his Mother, as well as hundreds of others. There were over 500 eyewitnesses to Jesus death and resurrection after being in the tomb for 3 days. Luke became a Follower of Jesus Christ as a Believer. He was instrumental in the Cause of Christ Jesus.

As the Holy Spirit led, I read through certain Scriptures that pertained to me. Nothing like this has ever happened to me in my walk with Christ. I prayed and asked forgiveness for what the Holy Spirit brought to my mind and what He taught me.

I am sharing this with you because Christ Jesus wants you to have an intimate and closer walk with Him. The Holy Spirit will minister to you, and will bring things to your mind on what we need to improve on, sins we have committed and not asked forgiveness for, teach us how to live and how to follow Jesus teachings.

I have heard it said by those who are in ministry that many teachers, preachers, pastors, and ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will go through a period of time they describe as a “Spiritual Desert.” This desert causes them to want to be closer to Christ Jesus so much. That is what I am going through right now. God is trying to teach me something and I must be open to His teaching. Just as I must be open to His teaching, when you are in that spiritual desert, you yourself must be open to the Holy Spirit’s teaching as well. There could be a sin in your life that you have not repented of or that you are not involved in daily prayer or Bible study. Our walk with Christ Jesus should not just be once a week but a daily walk. We are to be so much in love with Jesus that we are seeking Him daily, meaning reading the Word of God and praying earnestly to our Father who is in Heaven. He is our Abba Father.

If we are truly in love with Jesus, then we need to also take a stand for Christ Jesus in our community. Just say His name right now. Jesus! Jesus! It is the sweetest name I know! Although we live in a society that mocks Christians, uses the Lord’s Name in vain, and the name of Jesus is a curse word, I want you to know that the one’s who truly know Him and the one’s who truly love Him, when they say the name of Jesus, there is power in that name. The Bible says that demons will flee at the name of Jesus. Therefore, because of our love for Christ Jesus, we are to take a stand for Him in a society, that doing so, is considered politically incorrect.

God is NOT Dead! He is alive and well each day! To God be the glory!

If the Holy Spirit (Jesus) asked you, “Who Am I to You,” what would be your answer? Are you in a spiritual desert? What will you do to have a closer walk with Christ Jesus? I pray that you will come to know Jesus as your personal Savior. If you already know Him, what are you doing for the cause of Christ? Who is Jesus to you?

You Can Change Your Outward Appearance, But What About Your Heart?

Most recently, I saw a news article posted on Facebook about the hundreds of General Electric plant employees in Ohio, who marched out of work to protest the vaccine mandates. This article is not about the mandates or the protesting of forced vaccinations. It is about the inward man, the heart of a person.

My response to the post of the GE Workers in protest was the following, “We will see a disruption in household goods. Just be aware, plan, stock up, pray, and support those who take a stand! By stocking up, I mean buy the supplies that you need for at least three to four weeks’ worth. Do Not Hoard!”

After posting this, a fire fighter whose profile picture had him posing in a Virginia county fire fighters uniform in front of his department’s fire engine posted a very snarky post. He wrote, “Joseph T Lee, yeah, because adults keep acting like 3 years old and quitting their job over a tiny needle.” Many people responded negatively to his post.

Today, this same person changed is profile picture and removed his fire department information as well as his picture in uniform. Then, it dawned on me and I was inspired to write this story. I do not know why he changed his picture, but possibly because he got a lot of flak over his post.

The issue of him changing his profile picture most likely was to hide the fact that he was a county firefighter in Virginia and he was changing his appearance so that those initially looking at his profile would not see that he was a member of a particular fire department. I have seen this type of behavior before.

This circumstance reminds me of people in general, who try to hide who they really are by changing their outward appearance. They put on their best public appearance, and what appears on the surface may be a lie of what is really ingrained in their hearts. Our public appearance may be a total deception of what is truly lurking in our hearts. Our outer appearance and public life may be nice to others but when we get home and take off the costume, then our real self comes out. Look at Luke 6:45, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

There are several other Scriptures that speak of the condition of man’s heart. We can dress ourselves up and look the part, but we have no way to cleanse our filthy hearts of sin and unrighteousness. The only way to do that is to ask Jesus into our lives, pray and ask forgiveness of our sins.

My wife has said for years, what comes out of one’s mouth is what is really in their heart. I can assure you, mankind’s heart is very sinful and we deserve Hell for our unrighteousness. But there is hope in Christ Jesus.

We can masquerade as being a nice person but the truth be told, what is in our heart will ultimately come out. As for the fellow who called the protesting workers “3 year old’s,” maybe he changed his profile picture so that he could continue to post mean and snarky comments in order not to be reprimanded by his fire department. Who knows! When posting on social media, we should be careful in what we type out as we may truly be showing our own hatred that lurks in our hearts. And if we have that hatred, we should repent and immediately ask forgiveness.

A man or woman cannot save themselves. Only Jesus, the Christ can do so. We are living in a spiritual warfare and once one becomes a Christian, then the Holy Spirit will come to indwell them. The Holy Spirit will help clean up the nastiness of one’s heart. Once this is done, then certainly the outward appearance will be truth and not a lie.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Media

The Lord is My Shepherd

Many times, Psalm 23 is read in death bed ministry. But this Psalm was also meant for those who are living and follow the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

Look at these words and read them with me.

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Look at this Scripture one more time and reflect on these facts:

1. By following the Lord and allowing Him to be our Lord & Savior, we will never want for anything. He will provide all that we need.

2. He makes us lie down in green pastures means that He many times wants us to rest in Him. We are recharged when He leads us beside still waters. He restores our soul. He makes us whole again.

3. As long as we allow Him to be our Lord & Savior, He leads us down paths of righteousness for His glory.

4. Even when we walk through the darkest valley, He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We could be facing death and He is with us every step of the way. It is through belief in Christ Jesus that we will have an inheritance in Heaven with Jesus.

5. Jesus’ rod and staff comforts us, like the shepherd of sheep. When sheep stray away, the shepherd uses the crook of the rod or staff to move the lost sheep back into the fold so nothing will happen to it. To know that Jesus is there to comfort us during our most difficult times is very comforting and reassuring.

6. Even if our enemies are attacking us, Jesus is there with us. He anoints our heads with oil. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. His relationship with us is such that our enemies are left out. Our salvation and relationship with Him is protected. No one or thing can rob us of eternal life with Christ Jesus. Our love for Christ Jesus will overflow our hearts.

7. As Followers of Christ Jesus, goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we, when we die, will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

This chapter in Psalms ministers to me daily. I pray that you will see that Christ Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life for you freely. Only through Jesus you will inherit eternal life and only through Jesus, you will be able to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.