​When I was a young boy I played as much baseball as possible. All my friends played baseball because it was fun and cheap entertainment. All you needed to play was a glove, a ball and a bat. We could make or find something that could be designated as bases. I also watched a lot of baseball on television in those days. Lou Brock was one player that especially fascinated me because he was so fast at running the bases. Lou Brock’s name became synonymous with stealing bases. He had stealing bases down to a science. Pitchers were always trying to pick Lou off base because he would take such large leads prior to stealing the base. You may know that the pitcher out of the corner of his eye, tries to see how far the runner is off of the base. He is especially looking to see which way the runner is leaning. The key for the pitcher to pick off a base runner is to throw to the base when the runner is leaning in the opposite direction. That is similar to the way Satan tries to get at us. Let us be careful which way we are leaning. There are only two ways to lean, we are either leaning towards the world or toward Jesus. When we have our spiritual armor in place, we are not simply leaning on Jesus we are standing with Jesus and His Word.

Clark Tatum

​There is a little phrase found in 2 Timothy Chapter 1:1 that I absolutely appreciate. The phrase uplifts our souls and helps us experience a spiritual freshness. The phrase is found in the KJV, NKJV, ESV, NIV, and the NASB reads this way: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. The promise of life is what it is all about! The promise of life is at the forefront of Paul’s thinking as he writes his second letter to Timothy around A.D. 67. This great soldier of Christ is sitting in a Roman prison and will soon be executed for his faith, yet he still maintained his passionate heart for God.
 
We might ask what does a passionate heart for God look like? Here is the short answer. Passionate hearts ruled by God will always desire to please God and keep His Word.  A passionate heart will always be in pursuit of eternal things. It is the heart that will be a faithful steward of God’s Word till the very end. The passionate heart for God is a beneficiary of the promise of life and thus desires to serve God till it takes its last beat. A passionate heart motivates us to love – God’s way – till our last day on earth! Remember God doesn’t only want us to have a passionate heart for Him; He has a passionate heart for us, (John 3:16).

Clark Tatum

​How easy it is to be bogged down by the regrets of yesterday, and to be immobilized by the uncertainties of tomorrow. We often go through the day alternating between “Why did that have to happen yesterday?” and “What if I can't handle what may happen tomorrow?”  Neither our regrets nor our fears have anything to do with what really matters the remaining hours of this day. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus implies there is no point in worrying about tomorrow when today's plate is already full. Today and tomorrow we are to move forward by faith. Matthew 6:25-33 reminds us faith steps in the direction to seek first God’s kingdom (the church) and His righteousness. Decide today that you will give no weight to what's already gone and that you will spend no emotional energy on what is yet to arrive. Concentrate on doing your best to please the Lord today (2 Corinthians 5:9). Lamentations 3:22-23, Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Remember yesterday, today, and tomorrow's plate is linked to God's love and mercy. They come new every morning, washing out the remnants of the past, offering strength for today and hope for tomorrow (Romans 12:1-2).

Clark Tatum

​     Loving our families and other people requires paying attention. It is an all too common of a scene. A couple sits at the breakfast table. One spouse, let’s say the husband is immersed in the newspaper, while the wife is pouring out her heart. Frustrated, she finally complains, “You are not looking at me and you are not listening to me. You are not paying attention!” Maybe in the evening when husband comes home and flips on the TV, his wife or children want to talk about the day, but his ears and eyes are tuned into the TV.  His wife, son or daughter finally complains, “You are not looking at me and you are not listening to me. You are not paying attention!” 
     You want to have a better marriage, better communication with your children, or with your parents; you want to be the best Christian you can be, than live in God’s love.     Living in God’s love means you will listen and it is not just a casual listening to what God says. It’s the kind of listening that says, “I want to hear what you have to say,” type of listening. The Apostle John writes to the believers and tenderly says, Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). Love shows. Love cannot be hidden – you see it. There are all kinds of things Satan uses to distract us, but when we love as God loves us, we will stay on track. 

Clark Tatum

I appreciate the attitude of the captain whose battalion was surrounded by the enemy. Tremendously outnumbered, he wanted his men to understand what it meant to be a soldier under his command. He said, “Men we are surrounded by the enemy. Don’t let one of them escape.” What a spirit! Here are two pressing enemies that surround us. Pressing Problems can grip down on us and be crushing beyond our ability to   endure (2 Corinthians 1:8-11). With every problem therein lies seeds of opportunity. We can learn things during tough times that may escape our learning during other times. We may learn the value of looking up and out during times of trial. Continue to pray for families who feel the heartache of life’s storms. It is during the pressing problems of life we need to understand the power of God’s love and how nothing in all creation can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39). Evil Forces blast on the scene of our lives and they can be overpowering and seemingly suffocating. Satan and his forces can’t keep us down (1 John 4:4). Because of Sin all sinners, which is everyone, desperately need to know the love and forgiveness of God (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 15:10). Let us do what we can to see no one escapes God’s love and forgiveness.

Clark Tatum