There is a Hole in the Web, Imonk, R.I.P.

April 9, 2010, 07:08
Filed under: Uncategorized

Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk, 1956-2010

Earlier this week the web became a dimmer place as the light of Imonk, Michael Spencer was removed from this world. Imonk’s blog was the first blog I ever read on a regular basis. I read his essays first, the blog was an afterthought. I was googleing depression and found an essay on an overturned boat. It was about Mike’s Dad, who suffered from profound depression, before medication and acceptance for such an illness was acceptable or available. I was still mourning the passing of my Dad, and can still recall the imagery of this powerful writing to mind.

I ended up a faithful reader, and sometimes commenter on his blog. Many of the blogs I read today, and many of the commenters on this site I met there at the Imonk’s busy web-page. Some of you have become wonderful friends of mine, and I owe it to Michael, and thank him for it. I would like to share some other things I owe to this great word smith.

The “Evangelical Circus” was a term Mike coined to describe the churches of the bible belt that he was so familiar with, and that caused him so much conflict and distress. He loved Jesus and all who do the same, but so much had occurred to muddy the spring of Living Water that he needed to express his frustration. I had a really hard time grasping a lot of this. Only after months and months of reading the strange, other worldly experiences of so many believers did I come to realize the damage being done to the Word and the Gospel by many who professed to love it. The comments shared by so many gave testimony to the hurt inflicted on Seeker, Sinner, and Saint alike by a Bride who overshadowed her Husband, a church of the name of Christ, but not of His personality. I really needed this understanding in my ministry. Thanks, Michael.

Being a northerner, I had assumed that the Fundamentalist churches I had been exposed to were out of the ordinary, freak aberrations, inevitable but rare, unfortunate but ignorable. The thousands of comments I read over the years convinced me that this myopic legalism was almost the norm for Evangelical churches who embraced a form of legalism that fell far short of the Way of Yeshua the Messiah. Imonk’s blog helped me to minister to those escapees of such churches and bring healing to wounds that were very slow to heal. Thanks, Imonk.

My acceptance for liturgy also is owed to the Imonk. Our service at Dayspring is still very informal, but I check the liturgical calander and have even thought of having an earlier more liturgical service in what I would call, “High Baptist”. More hymns, doxology, corporate prayer, responsive reading. We will see how God leads. Not long ago I would have never entertained such a thought, as I had be influenced by the “as the Spirit leads” movement to such a degree that I sold short those expressions of worship that were more formal, even though I found them beautiful and meaningful personally. I am richer for the understanding. Thanks Michael.

Once I emailed Michael apologizing for arguing a bit too forcefully on his site after being drawn out by Surfnetter, and Michael was kind enough to email me in return, starting a correspondence that showed him to be very kind and understanding. I was wrong to get so wound up in his house, but he did not condemn, but rather understood and helped me deal with difficult debaters by giving me a new perspective. Thanks , Imonk.

Seeing a chubby preacher who was born in 1956, plays guitar, blogs, and who loves Little Debbie, die of cancer really hits home with me. It is like looking in a mirror. Why did I survive my cancer and God chose to take Imonk home? I learned a while back not to hurt my head trying to figure out the ways of the Lord. I have smoked, drank, drugged, caroused, and generally sinned far more than the humble Monk, yet here I am writing about him. As so many things in life, it just does not seem fair. I told my kids for years, if you want fair, it comes in once a year on the fair grounds on Rt. 118, other than that you just need to wait for Jesus. As for me, I remember that I am mortal.Thanks Michael.

Speaking of not fair, how do you explain that this man worked for peanuts all his life serving the Savior, and had just “made it” with a book, and magazine interviews after 10 years of faithful blogging and 3 decades of teaching the Word. You don’t. How do you explain to the world that passing from this life to the next can be gain? You don’t. He worked for the kingdom, not for the world. Thanks, Michael.

I did not agree with everything this man said. I still say he was raised in a cult, [ boy, did that get him going!] but I learned to type IMHO near the comment. [Not that I am humble in all my opinions, especially that one] One big point of disagreement was the Roman Catholic church. The evangelical circus has so damaged his wife Denise that she has become a Catholic. Perhaps because of this Michael though the RC church was growing with discontented Evangelicals. In my area they are selling and raising Catholic churches by the dozens, and few who call themselves Catholic know much if anything about their faith, the bible or take the whole thing very seriously. In my neck of the woods there are Uber Catholics in the minority, and the majority of practitioners who in truth are social members. His comments did make me very aware of a group of people so injured by the Circus, that they sought refuge in another group of believers. Thanks Michael.

I learned a lot at Internetmonk.com My kids are buying me Michaels book for father’s day. The site will stay up, the articles will be re-read, the podcasts will be re-heard, but there will be no fresh Imonk until we meet at the Throne. If you told me a few years ago that I would cry for a man I never met, whose work I simply read on a blog, you would have been met with disbelief, but every day is a learning experience. Thanks Michael.

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Patience to wait for Change

March 12, 2010, 14:53
Filed under: Bible study, Christ, culture, faith | Tags: Alcoholics Anonymos, blessing, churches, congregants

There are all Kinds of people who come to Dayspring Bible Chapel where I preach and pastor. The guy above is quite typical. He might not be welcome at a lot of churches. It is true that I end up cleaning up a lot of butts, and I have been told that “good people’ will not stop at our church if they see this type out in the parking lot, I feel even apes with bad habits need to know the Word of the Lord. We are working on civilizing these guys, but smoking, as bad as it is, is better than what a lot of them have left behind. May God help us all to see our bad habits and leave them at the foot of the cross.

The above pictured type church attendee is my personal weak point. Dealing with bratty females has never been easy for me.
This type comes in all ages, and usually does not last in the Dayspring fellowship. The ones who say they are Christian are the hardest to deal with. Those are the ones who feel the Holy Spirit has done His Sanctifying work on their bodies and souls, and are eager to guide others in the process that will make the rest of the church h as perfect as they are themselves. Give me the apes, please, they know they are not much, and see the need for god in their lives. the Bratties always feel God’s work in their lives is complete, and love to praise Him for His wonderful creations, themselves.

We now have a couple of these guys, the Cool Bean Rockers! They are too young to have messed up too much, but old enough to mess up if they do not focus on God. They are talented , intelligent, and just the sort Satan would love to Enlist. Can’t have them ole Slew Foot, we got them first, and we are filling them with the Word so that they will never be of use to you. If we work with these guys now perhaps they will never devolve into Apes!

We have had a few of these pass through. I don’t get them. They seem to live in a different world, speak a different language and are genuinely alien to us. They like the music, or the sermons, or the fellowship, but usually only 1 or 2 out of 3. never the whole package. As they leave we hear.” Beam us up, no intelligent life here.” Whatever, as long as they leave. We think they are going to the mother-ship, but we know they don’t want fellowship with the Father and us.

While most people are accepted here, this is one group that is not. We have many races at Dayspring, and quite a few guys who are bald-headed, but what really counts is what is under the scalp. Our Jesus was a Mediterranean Jew, who would not be allowed in this group. You just can not worship God if you worship your race. Pick one.

This is just not allowed! The holy Spirit is to empower you to do Kingdom work, not to foam at the mouth, or roll around on the floor. I do not know what spirit makes men bark like dogs or laugh uncontrollably. What ever spirit it is that makes people act drunken is the spirit that most at Dayspring seek deliverance from. Sit up nice in church, or go lay on one of the couches, but we praise God that we no longer roll around on the floor, we sobered up.

These guys are rough to get in shape to join the flock. Quite often they have a sickness on Sunday morning that prevents church attendance. They call this sickness a “hang-over” but in reality it is residual poisoning. On Saturday night they have not a problem in the world, and are ready to plunder, fight, mate with women who look attractive through their beer goggles, and ‘ eat drink and be merry for tomorrow they might die’. We have found that alternative fellowship, true friendship, the type that continues when the wallet is empty, combined with the Wisdom of the Word, can affect even these denizens of the alcoholic depths. Real men stay sober in order to serve the Lord. ”Take a seat, Think, and be Holy, for someday you shall surely die”.

A few of the guys at Dayspring have worn this fashionable attire. The matching bracelets have secured many of our writs. Quite a few of us have an allergy to alcohol, when we drink we break out…in handcuffs. I love working with people like this. They understand guilt. They know of a Judge. They can admit their sin. These are the people who worship a God who had new mercy every morning. Humility goes well with an orange jump suit.

Well it is time to prepare to meet the church on Sunday. Hopefully I will have smiling faces of repentant people before me, eager to hear the Word of the Lord, and eager to humbly serve the Kingdom. Or maybe this guy…

Whosoever will may come.

1 Comment

In His “Carbon Free” footsteps

February 18, 2010, 11:03
Filed under: Church wrongs, culture | Tags: Crazy Christians, culture war, denominationalism, UK

British bishops urge ‘carbon fast’ for Lent

Change global climate, in the name of Jesus!

LONDON — Several prominent Anglican British bishops are urging Christians to keep their carbon consumption in check this Lent.

The 40-day period of penitence before Easter typically sees observant Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians give up meat, alcohol or chocolates.

But this year’s initiative aims to convince those observing Lent to try a day without an iPod or mobile phone in a bid to reduce the use of electricity — and thus trim the amount of carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere.

Bishop of London Rev. Richard Chartres said that the poorest people in developing countries were the hardest hit by man-made climate change.

He said Tuesday that the “Carbon Fast” was “an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God in a practical way.”

There are times that try my good will, and some things that drive me not up, but through the wall of polite concern. This press release has upped my blood pressure and caused me to think bad thoughts.

First of all, even the UN is getting off the “Climate Change” bus. Even Al Gore has been quiet lately.[ Thank you, God]. With all that is going on in the U.K., as far as the influx of Islam, alcoholism, their economy, church closings, and a host of other really scary, absolutely negative social trends, this group of clerics has decided that their best effort could best be directed toward a problem that does not even exist. Help me Lord to not say, “Rocha!”.

Now to the measurable science of it all. A charger for an Ipod or cell phone consumes less than 500 mA. Five hundred Milliamperes. The impact of shutting off all the cell phone and Ipod chargers in the UK would be nill! Most people charge these devices at night, past peak power usage times. Perhaps these Anglicans think there is someone at the generation station reading a dial that will say, “Smith-Jones turned off his Ipod, crank her down, mate.”Preposterous! Of all the energy reduction consumption programs in the world, this is the least effective.

This is not a ‘practical way to show God’s love’ , this is a politically correct way to jump on a band wagon that has been proven to have no wheels. God’s love an be shown best by sharing the Gospel in a country where Christians are an endangered specie. Studies show that in Canada the Anglicans will be extinct in one more generation, cell phones and Ipods or not.

I applaud the idea of going without electronic companionship for a day, even a week, or for all of Lent. Everyone is so plugged in, turned on, and tuned in, that the voice of God, the still, small, voice, is often lost in the air waves. What a fine and noble Lenten message it would be to say,

“Listen to those around you this Lent!”

“Unplug your devices and pray quietly this Lent!”

“Turn your radio on, and listen to the music in the air, turn your radio on, get in touch with God” [anybody remember that one?]

“Power down, to be empowered from on High!”

This Lenten message makes the Church look petty and ineffective, filled with politics and false beliefs. Well, if it quacks like a duck…. God forgive me for my anger.

2 Comments

Gnastic influence not Gnew, Gnow Sourced

February 6, 2010, 11:42
Filed under: Church wrongs | Tags: church, churches, Crazy Christians, factions, God

I have had a few conversations with Gnostics. In order to converse with them I have read some of the Gnostic “gospels”in the same way that I have read the Koran and the Book of Mormon and the L. Ron Hubbard books. It is an advantage to be able to relate to a differing belief system with some level of understanding, and having a common platform from which to begin communication. It would not be possible to communicate with people unless you have some common frame of reference.

It has been much more difficult to communicate with the Gnastic Christians. These are the people who just seem gnasty. They have gnasty comments, gnasty actions and while they claim to use the Bible as a study guide, I have long suspected that another volume of “wisdom” of some kind takes precedence over the Blessed Scripture.

Certain modern bible scholars have used an inductive method to come to a conclusion that there was a pre-gospel book called “Q”, the “source” for Matthew, Mark and Luke. The claim is that there is so much commonality that a written form MUST have been in existence that the writers used as a template for their letters. As an uneducated man, I always supposed the commonality to Christ.

Using this accepted scholarly technique, I propose that there is a source book for the Gnastics. It is obvious from their large number and homogenous nature, the uniformity and ubiquity of this branch of Christians , that there is some guiding text book on which their behavior is based. I will call it “The Gospel of Gnast, Guide book for the Gnasty Christian.”

I know this book is existent! It must be. There is such an amazing base of evidence . Based on quotes so often heard from people who follow this philosophy I believe it is possible to reconstruct segments of the Gnast, even to find verses, based upon the behavior and speech of the Gnastic Christians. While my scholarship is poor, my experience with the Gnastics predates my conversion to Christ my Lord, and in fact may have delayed it. Were it not for the supremacy of God and the relentless power of the Holy Spirit, I believe the doctrine of the Gnatics would have kept me from the Grace in which I live. Based on these years of [horrible] experience I will interpolate what their Gospel must contain.

Verily, The Lord seeith the heart through rose-colored glasses. The appearance of religion is what is desired of you by your God. Cruelty is to be honored if it is ye who are cruel, honesty directed at thee is cruel and mean Spirited. Your salvation is a badge of honor to you, and is to be used to make the unsaved feel like the miserable wretches they are. Those preachers whose message is an ointment to your ears are truly blessed, those with whom you do not agree are hell-bound sinners. The way you were when you first became a believer is the way thou shalt stay, and those doctrines you first embraced are never to be questioned. Suffer the little children to be scolded and criticized, whereby ye can feel good about thyself and thy mighty status as “true believer”. Those who would criticize thee by holding scripture to thy face as a mirror are of Satan. Blessed art the sour, for they shall ensure the pews have much open space. For God so loved some of the world, That He sent His only Son, that ye and thy little clique might feel superior to all. Thou shalt support the church and thy Pastor as long as ye are having thy needs met.

There is a great body of Gnastic teachings that I have yet to compile. These teachings run deep in the Body of Christ. Have you experienced them? Do you have some Gnastic Verse to share? How have Gnastics affected your life, your ministry?

Or is it just me.

7 Comments

Lost Sinners, to Believers, to Ministers

February 5, 2010, 11:08
Filed under: faith | Tags: dayspring, Pastors

Growing in Christ, for service.

What a joy it is to see those you have ministered to begin to minister to others! I count it a privilege to minister to people. It is a job I do not deserve, a duty that is a gift. I am starting to experience an even deeper joy. The people I have ministered to in the name of the Risen Savior are ministering to others in the name of Christ.

Our little church has a lot of ministers. There are people reaching out and loving others, sharing the love of Jesus, and having a faith that is alive with works.

I visited Marie in the hospital during her dark times. She now visits the hospital, loving the infirm with a depth impossible before her own trials.

Jeff came to Dayspring seeking what Dan had, and now brings others to share what he found.

Bob had a grudge against preachers, [ understandable] and now is every Pastor’s dream, an elder who can teach, preach and pray.

Melinda was a youth in Praise team, now leads a praise team and ministers to youth.

Mike was an agnostic alcoholic, and now shares the Truth with the struggling as only someone who has been there could do.

Young Michael, who at one time had no communion with the Lord, now prepares His Table in true worshipful service.

Little Jessica, [2 years old] , the one for whose life we prayed, now hands out bulletins . [You should see this, she takes her job seriously!]

G and P ,who once received economic help from the church, now bless the church with what God has given.

The Holy Spirit is working on us all to make us usable for the Kingdom. can anyone ask more?

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Sunday’s Sermon at Dayspring

February 4, 2010, 21:52
Filed under: Bible study | Tags: bible, God, mercy, sermon, trials

If this works, it will get posted on Dayspring.trials

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Deliver us from our daily bread?

February 3, 2010, 23:58
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Family

Slices of...poison?

The new year started of with a new challenge at stately Willohroots manor. My beautiful wife began 2010 with hives, and an itchy rash. Using a food journal, we found out that bread was causing a reaction. Doing research we learned that not only bread but all wheat products contain a protein called Gluten. Gluten is the lovely Dawn’s kryptonite!

This has been a learning process. Early into our adventure I poisoned her with soy sauce, since then every ingredient is checked out for this vile substance! We found “bread” she can eat, “bread made out of…..rice. Same with noodles. All wheat products are forbidden.

Live and learn. Now we are praying, “Give us this day protection from bread”.

The good news is we figured it out and Dawn is doing much better, in fact many “mystery ailments are fading or gone completely. Who would have thought pasta would be intolerable to my Italian woman!

Thank God for His guidance,and finding the source of misery quickly! Perhaps we will both lose some weight, as eating out at a restaurant is out, and I am learning a new way to cook for her.

Anybody have an Idea for communion? Matzo bread is out!

3 Comments

Dayspring praise band

February 3, 2010, 23:41
Filed under: Uncategorized

002_B_001_people get ready_2009_01_01 (4)

Last year’s Praise band, is this a good thing, or something like it, to put on the Dayspring web site?

Honesty is more valued than politeness. Thank you.

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What am I doing here?

November 3, 2008, 04:28
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: churches, God, Pastors

Did you hear the one about the guy who tried to start a church? Some times I feel like a punchline. I am setting up this blog to find kindred spirits or at least kind read spirits with whom to share the joys and woes of working for God. It would be nice to get advice and encouragement from afar. Or aclose. I’ll take it any way I can get it. Here’s the sit rep.

God called me into the ministry in 1977. Being the fool sinner I am, I told Him No way. This was not my brightest moment. The Creator of all communicated with me in a real way and I got in a fight with Him. I told Him I did not like churches, could not stand preachers, thought church members were hypocrites and lame brains. There I was at Wilkes College down by the river bank, watching the Susquehanna go by, yelling at God. I am not even Pentecostal. Yep I won that fight, Showed Him who the captain of this ship is. I’ll sing for you, I’ll preach here and there, but shepherd that flock of yours? No way. Did I say I am a pastor? I still find fault with churches, in fact they rally tick me off [mine included]. I get along with a couple of preachers, but the line up on TBN mostly bring out the worst of my thoughts. I still think churches are full of hypocrites and lame brains but now that they have made me head lame brain I feel better. We are working on the whole hypocrisy thing. We are full of them, but have room for a few more.

The bigest difference between then and now is that i love these people. So varied, so diverse in age, race, back ground, education, at various levels with their walk with God, I love these people.

So here I am. That’s me, next post is the church.

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What Kind Of Place Is This? I. : The Origin

November 3, 2008, 15:00
Filed under: History, roots of Willohroots | Tags: church, dayspring, pastor, preacher, SBC

Dayspring Bible Chapel does not readily fit in to any of the accepted categories. By that I mean, we’re not really an existing work as we have all new people, new name, we’re creating our own new traditions, but then again, we’re not a new start either. The branch that is Dayspring grew from the stump of something called the Wyoming Valley Baptist Church. Let me give you a quick history. In the seventies the SBC looked at a map and decided that Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, really needed a southern baptist work. Now the area had quite a few American Baptist churches and Independent Baptist churches, but was predominantly Roman Catholic with Methodist and Presbyterian presence. What church a person attended was by and large based upon his or her ancestry. Later european immigrants were RC, earlier English and German immigrants were not.

A tent revival was held and I’m told two hundred people walked the aisle. A church was needed to house these people so Wyoming Valley Baptist Church was formed. When the church’s temporary headquarters was leveled to put in a bypass a new building was sought for a permanent home. A fellow named Pacey ran a bar/shoe store on River Road in Plains. I find that an odd combination. Pacey was being charged by the stool (barstool) for his sewer hookup. He told the town fathers that he didn’t like that and for spite would sell his building to a religious organization that would not have to pay taxes just to teach them a lesson. He actually threatened to sell to a black religious organization but there were none in the market for a bar/shoe store at the time. The building was purchased and the SBC went to work.

I love how SBC churches work together when they have a mission, and the mission of destroying a bar, it seems, brought them great glee. They built a really nice meeting hall for approximately 100 people. They gave some donated bibles and hymnals from a church in Flordia that had upgraded, helped them call a pastor, prayed for them with loving hearts and turned them loose. While this was all done with the best of intentions, it didn’t work out. I can safely say that it didn’t work out because they went through twenty two pastors in twenty five years. What really had been built was a meat grinder for pastors, their families, and the believers who loved them. Put the latter into the mix, wait a little while, and watch the bleeding mangled mess that comes out the other side.

Now as all good southern baptists know, right next to the soverignty of God is the autonomy of the local church, so that when some mess like this exists the cure can only come from within. I admire the courage of the men who accepted the call to this work. I am forced to admire their courage else I would have to doubt their sanity. Through all of this a core group of “deacons” and key leaders hung in there. They prayed fervently that God would finally have mercy on them and send them a decent pastor instead of all the fellows they had put up with to date. That’s the origin.

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What kind of place is this? Part 2: The Middle Kingdom.

November 3, 2008, 22:28
Filed under: Uncategorized

Not long ago and not far away, my Pastor, Tom was running out of church every other week, to go preach at Wyoming Valley Baptist. God had put it on his heart not to let the doors shut. As a bi-vocational pastor, he does something at a Nuke plant, the flock would want to visit with him after services, but he would fly on a twenty minute ride to preach to the “faithful few” ,all three of them, at WVB. The weeks he was not there Walt, a very good bible preacher was.

The solution was to send me. When I started preaching there my girls’ idea was to just to invite all three of them up for breakfast and preach over desert. [Baptists have desert even at breakfast, it is a hobbity thing] It was not a bad idea, I am a great breakfast cook and only a fair preacher, but that is just not How Things Are Done, so preach away! My wife is a very good piano player so they could have had the traditional 2 for 1, but the remnant had there own talent pool. Now I did not marry my wife for her piano playing. I married her because she was, and to me still is, the hottest woman in the world. Any way I was now a preacher. The remnant liked that. I don’t think they liked pastors.. Pastors have some authority. Preachers were fine, you see them on Sunday they educate/entertain and move on. And do not forget the altar call, visitors or not, it is not church without 1. Alter call, 2.Doxology, 3.Prayer request/Testimony, 4.Plate passing, 5.Traditional hymns, 6.Message, 7.Cupcakes.

The 7 essentials were fine with me as I was just the preacher, and hey, they gave me $50.00. So I preached and they were happy. Some people returned to the church some new folk showed up. My family my and I were miserable. We were disconnected from two churches, as every other week left us out of the loop. Also there were control issues. The three remnants were 1 family. Husband, wife, husband’s mom. He was the Deacon, she was the Boss. This went on until the church grew enough to call a real pastor. The same people using the same methods that had failed so many times before went on a pastor hunt.

As happened many times before, they loved this guy, …at first. As the honey moon turned to civil war the pastor got me to join. I then was involved in a painful process that saw another pastor down the road and the church reduced to about 10 people. ” Could you come preach for us? ” AgAIN? but now I was a member. read, ” What kind of place is this”, Part 3 The Great Flood[s]

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Avoid Guilt By Association, be a NINNIE

December 13, 2008, 10:16
Filed under: Crazed Thought

How to avoid Guilt by Association be a Ninnie!

I am going to become an Neo Independent Nondenominational Neighborhood Isolationist Evangelical. That would be NINNIE, for short. I will stop reading ANYONE’S books, blogs or articles. I will associate with no one and go no where. That way nobody can GBA [guilt by association] me. Actually if somebody does, I won’t know about it.

All my fellow Ninnies will meet to worship in individual cubicles, so as not to associate with each other. We will deny membership to anyone who would want to associate with us, or anybody else.
We will practice 5th degree separation, refusing to associate with anyone who CONSIDERED associating with anyone. By the way 3rd degree separation is refusing to associate with Masons and 4th degree separation is refusing to associate with Knights of Columbus.
You will not be able to accuse us of preaching prosperity as we will reach no one, and to avoid conflict we will have no ministry. We will be against both out reach and impact.
It is not hard to be a Ninnie, just hard to be friends with one. For more information on the NINNIE movement don’t dare contact me or any of us, we will not associate with any of you, we just don’t know with whom you have associated.

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No Christian left behind! [Educationally, not rapture related]

January 10, 2009, 17:09
Filed under: Uncategorized, What would you do?

This is not about the Rapture, or Rapture Ready Christians. That would be a completely different post. I am not a fan of the “Left Behind” series for my own reasons. This is about the amazing lack of educational substance in most Christians I have met. For the purpose of this post I will not be defining Christian, I will let anybody who claims the title have it. All denominations or lack thereof, may apply. Here comes the thesis statement.

Most Christians are ignorant of their own beliefs. It might be more accurate to say they are ignorant of what they should believe in if they are Christians. This is not to say a PhD is needed, but how can you be saved from sin if you do not know what sin is? Would it not be good to know we are saved by Faith through Grace? What is grace? What is faith? Atonement? Sanctification, Justification? I do not mean a theological treatise, just a working definition.

I make this scathing comment as I live in the world. Few people I meet go to any church and many people who do go to church have little knowledge of the Faith. I read a book about the guards at Gitmo. The Islamists often said, “You Christians do not know what you believe!”. I fear in most cases they were right. The level of ignorance makes the job of false doctrine teachers quite easy. Most people I meet have no right idea of Jesus! My cousin once sent me a forward that broke my heart. I guess it was meant to be humorous. The gist was this, ” I went to a young man’s funeral. I didn’t know what to do. I asked myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’m so I condemned him to hell and left.” I missed the joke. Everyone, everywhere, should know that Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save.

There are thousands of such examples. Many people seem to have mixed in some of their own ideas, or used the Chinese menu approach, one from column A, two from column B and the hot tea please. I meet people who are Christians, but will tell you Christ certainly was not God, or was a nice guy but must have sinned a little bit somewhere.

SOLUTION: We need to start Preaching to the Test. My public school teacher friends have complained about teaching to the test for a while now, but I see no other solution. Teach and Preach to the Test, as none of us will get out of this world with out some severe testing. Preach to it!

So of what should the test consist ? This is a theoretical exercise of course, but what do you think someone should know before they get their Learner ‘s permit. We test people to drive, to hunt, to work in the trades, so what, I ask, is the minimum requirements of knowledge to get a card in the Christian union? Feel free to opine.

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What do you need to know To be a Christian

January 13, 2009, 09:56
Filed under: Uncategorized

Thank you for the input on the question. The depth of thought and biblical base of those who answered the original question is both humbling and satisfying. Now here is my take on the situation, aimed not at the pulpit but the pew.

There is a God. [I feel today we must start at this point. Socially we are in an age far distant from God.]
God is singular, an individual with a personality, goals, thoughts, feelings, all so far above us as to be mysterious and beyond our full comprehension. He is Perfect, Loving, Just and Merciful.
This God not only created everything but as in ”Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” desires a relationship with us.
Humans, by their own choice and nature of rebellion within each one, have failed to live up to the standards of a perfect God. This has resulted in death, pain and suffering. We are separated from God by sin.
Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, fulfills God’s desire for a relationship with us, His creation, “but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”
In the greatest expression of Love ever conceived Jesus walked among us as a man, led a sinless life and paid our penalty on the cross. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ”
Those who acknowledge God’s authority, repent of their sins, cry out to Jesus to forgive, cleanse, make whole ,guide and lead them in a new God honoring path, will be accepted without fail, and will never, ever, be abandoned by a loving Savior, who will send them the Comforter in this life and bring them into the next eternal existence of the Joy of God’s presence.

14 Comments

Who is Not invited to Fellowship

January 19, 2009, 19:16
Filed under: Uncategorized

There was good discussion here about who is a Christian, and now it is time for the obverse. Who would you not sit with in Christian fellowship. I am not in anyway playing the “who is saved ” game. Salvation is of God, and the role of Judge is His alone. Let me put this in a setting that maybe less offensive, but still allow us to put a point across.

We are all in a distant land on the mission field. After a safe, productive year we are having a Thanksgiving feast. We are going to thank God and have a good time in fellowship. Who is not on your list of partisipants. Who, just by being there, would ruin the mood of Christian love and brotherhood for you. It is like we all are planning our guest list, who is not on the list? We don’t hate these people, we just are not going to let them join the club because…..

Don’t be shy, let us know, tell us why.

It is my pool, I will dive in first.

Todd Bently, I will use youtube as my why. Come on people!
John Crowder , and anybody who “tokes the Ghost”. I knew cannabis, I know Jesus, if you don’t know the difference you don’t know nothin’. No turkey for these turkeys!
Anybody who belongs to a denomination that is assured I am going to hell for my denominational affiliation, and actually believes it. If you don’t think I will be with you in heaven you can’t be with me at this dinner. We are celebrating an eternal fellowship after all. I love these guys anyway, I will send them a plate of left overs, with gravy, but no seat at the table.
Anybody who ever held a sign that says “Jesus Hates Fags” or the like and has not repented. Homosexuals need a Savior, so do you and I. This includes anybody who ever protested a heroes funeral for any reason. Not a drop of cranberry sauce.
Benny Hinn. [Unless this guy could shout , "fire!" at the stuffed, cooked, bird before us and have it fly away.] How much damage to the Word can one guy do?
Anybody who says that the Bible meant something a long time ago, but it means something completely different now. We have no common ground for dinner conversation. I have a guide book and compass, you have suggestion list. I’ll save you a wing.
David Cloud. He wouldn’t come anyway. This man is more sure of being right and inerrant in his hermeneutics than any Pope or council of bishops has ever been. It was his separatist, super holy group that was the monster that ate my friend Frank, ruined Frank’s marriage , killed his two churches, and convinced a good man he was not even saved. He was told to keep serving communion, however, as he was probably most closest to saved of anyone in North East Pa. I got a score to settle. Not good dinner company. No soup for you! You very, very bad man!

Well that is my list. It is my party, I can invite who I wish. I have no idea of the state of their souls, I am judging their company. Will you join me now in saying Grace?

Dear Almighty Father, bless our fellowship and strengthen our souls with Your Spirit as this food feeds our bodies. Give me your love, as I have trouble loving the uninvited, even though I know I should. Shape me closer to Jesus who loved us all. Help those at this table get a good true message out to the world. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

15 Comments

Watch your Tongue!

January 24, 2009, 01:30
Filed under: Uncategorized

Tongues in today’s church. One more divisive issue. I just posted this at a nice guy’s site. I am now looking for opinions. The name has been changed to protect the innocent only by Christ’s atoning blood. It was part of a larger discussion on the Gifts of the Spirit, my partner in converstion is a Pentecostal, and a really nice guy.

Theophilous , does your church meeting sound like a cacophony of Geese? Would some one coming in think you were drunk? I don’t know, I’m asking. These were Paul’s concerns. Paul clearly says that tongues is the least to be desired gifts, far less valuable than prophesy. I wonder why everybody wants it?
I am with you on spiritual gifts, there have been times I just wasn’t right with God and preached a real stinker, cause it was me preaching without the Spirit. Humbling.
I think of the words of the Lord, “you evil generation always desiring a sign.” I also read the scripture this way: Mat 6:7 ”But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Here is the Greek for vain repetitions,

strongs# g945 βατταλογέω battalogeō
battalogeō
Pronunciation
bät-tä-lo-ge’-ō (Key)
Part of Speech
verb
Root Word (Etymology)
from Battos (a proverbial stammerer) and G3056
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) to stammer
2) to repeat the same things over and over, to use many idle words, to babble, prate.

This word is onomatapoeia, a word made from a sound. Jesus is saying do not pray by saying,” batta,batta, batta”. I swear I have heard just that sound out of people “slain in the Spirit”.

I hope you see my skepticism, and it has a base in scripture. I would feel more at ease if someone became able to preach, or teach, or help, or became a good helper or administrator etc.as a Spiritual gift, as I could see these gifts being useful to the church . It seems Paul also thought that 1cr.14:12 ”Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”
Paul didn’t seem to think tongues was all that with a bag of fries. 1Cr 14:1 ” Follow after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.”
The first thing that got me is still my main sticking point, 1Cr 12:30 ”Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”
Why would everybody in the church get the same gift? I get the impression that Paul was not a great fan of speaking in tongues.
Well there is a lot I don’t understand and I do not expect that to change. this is not an issue I would break fellowship over, but it is good to talk about between believers.
I agree we must share our walks, we are after all on the same Path!

Source, Blue letter Bible, KJV cause I am in a KJ mood this morning.

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10 Comments

Tasers for Christ, Shocking Love

January 24, 2009, 11:29
Filed under: Uncategorized

There is much talk on the web these days about church discipline, as well there should be. There is also a lot of information on youth ministry. So with tongue firmly in cheek, I offer this imaginary blog post. It was inspired by a post, by a true servant of God who is in youth ministry. Pray for him, it is a rough job! The following has no basis in reality, but I hope brings a chuckle.

YouthMinister Blog says…

We had a lock in last night. 27 youth were confined in the church basement with pizza, games, cool Christian movies ,and surround sound Casting Crowns and News Boys. The pastor organized the event, but was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict with his Christian Bridge Club. I have never been invited to this club, it must be about bridging the gap to the unbelieving, I think.

Things went well. No one died. I had 5 Red Bulls to keep going and I still feel great. The shaking is subsiding. There were a few problems. Two 7th grader girls were hanging on an an 18 year old boy and try as I might to communicate the undesirability of this they refused to cooperate. One girl who is a member of the church and should know better was just behaving poorly. It was a bit frustrating. Well I am going to the clinic now. My wife says it is not a good sign to have nose bleeds and facial tics, but the other youth ministers have the same simptoms so it can’t be bad. Maybe we should have prayed before we started the night off.

Willohroots responds:

Ah, an opportunity to teach church discipline! Good luck with that. We live in a culture without discipline, hence your problem.. I used to do teen ministry. I am thankful that it is past tense. I would suggest using a Taser, since I am not in your church and will not be there when it all breaks lose. I will read the news on the blogosphere, “Youth minister Tasers two 7th graders for raging hormones and an 18 year old just because. He then Tased a member of his own church and held the button down till the battery died. ” I guess you can’t do that, but would not Student Ministry be more enjoyable if the most heard quote was, “Don’t Tase me man, don’t Tase me!” ? I mean more enjoyable for you. I’ll bet we would get a lot more volunteers to work with youth if we issued Tasers. Hey this isn’t like adultery is it? You know where Jesus said don’t even think about it? Naw, can’t be. After all there is no commandment “thou shall not Tase.” Can you not think of a young person that a few thousand volts administered at the appropriate time would not be a blessing? Spare the volts and spoil the child. Tasers are small, relatively inexpensive and their use takes little training. Life Way will soon offer Tasers at a reduced cost to SBC churches. AoG churches offer their own version,” Slain in the Amperage”, which has the added feature of causing the target to speak in strange tongues while voltage is applied. The Methodist model is not recommended, as it consists of a recording that says, “Imagine you were Tased, Hurts doesn’t it?” Shalom,, and you better pray before you open the doors to youth!

17 Comments

Close the Church of Christian Criticism

January 27, 2009, 09:11
Filed under: Uncategorized

The Internet has been a real blessing to me. It has enabled me to continue my education, expand my Christian contacts [like you, I hope, dear reader], entertain myself with youtube and blog-reading and even help me to witness the Truth in love and minister to those in need. It also drives me right out of my mind.

In the past I could ignore those groups of people who say they are Christian, and may well be , yet practice something I find disturbing, like snake handling, or legalism. Now I am exposed to things I formerly was able to ignore. At the top of my personal Ignorance list was the existence of a cottage industry full of vehemence and bile, that group of people who say they are Christian and spend their lives criticizing everything that happens in a building with a cross on the roof. Don’t get me wrong, there are some loose wingnuts on the wheels of modern Christianity, and pointing out the insanity is healthy! I am not talking about those of us [me] who desire to point out wackos and frauds; I mean people who take on whole denominations, entire -faith-groups of mainstream believers, or really well known figureheads of the faith.

Is there any point in declaring Billy Graham to be anathema? All right he is old and says some odd things today, but have you read his stuff? Did you see his track record? If we were all anathema like Graham there would be a lot more Christians. Is it necessary for the Kingdom to declare John Macarthur a heretic? I have problems with dispensationalism, the whole Jesus just making a touch and go but not really landing is odd to me; I don’t own a Scofield, but MacArthur preaches the gospel! If you do a little googleing you can find somebody against anybody! It is not only individuals that get the indictment of heresy, the Southern Baptist Convention is working for the devil if you listen to some. Now I have been in the SBC tent for 12 years, there are issues. Are they apostasy? Are they anathema? Again, if you look you will find some group nailing away at another group as if they get paid a quarter a word.

Has the discernment of God’s people so decreased that we can not tell a Todd Bentley from a Ravi Zacharias? We can’t perceive a difference in message from Benny Hinn to Tim Keller? We can’t see a change in group dynamic from C.M.A. to the K.K.K.?

We need to read and follow Paul’s advise to the Philippians, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.” I listen to a lot of sermons. I am not seeking an error in another’s ways, I am seeking to be fed on the word of God. If there is something on the plate I do not like, I don’t throw the whole dish to the ground and condemn the cook, I take what I like and praise the meal.

Please look out of the box you live in. Look at Europe. Can you call it Christian? Have you seen England? Do you think we live in an age where we can pick each other apart without serving the Enemy? It just can’t be that hard to separate the wheat from the tares. People my age will remember the Supreme Court decision on pornography. In attempting to define it one judge said, “you know it when you see it.” That definition did not stick, but come on, you know it when you see it. I do not think you need a PhD in theology to know good doctrine from false. Good doctrine may not be perfect doctrine, but it is not purposely false. As for false doctrine, you know it when you see it, it is a lot like porn.

44 Comments

Image is Everything

January 31, 2009, 10:19
Filed under: Uncategorized

So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen 1:27

The question on the table is what does it mean to be made in the image of God?
The word image is translated from the Hebrew word ,Tselem. The Definition given on Blue Letter Bible is as follows:
a) images (of tumours, mice, heathen gods)
b) image, likeness (of resemblance)
c) mere, empty, image, semblance (fig.) In my words, we are a model. We are a representation, [or should be, or could be] of something much greater than ourselves.
If we are a work of art, God Himself is the subject we are modeled after. Now a model of a 747 CAN’T FLY, AND NOBODY CAN SIT IN IT, Because IT IS A LESSER REPRESENTATION.
Please do not say God made us little gods and please do not say that I said that, that is not the point. We are little models of God. What does that mean? Well, as God can create, so can we. As God can imagine, so can we. As God can emote, so can we; and, the biggie, we are Triune beings. We have a body, we have a soul, and we have a spirit. You can’t argue with me on the first as you are corporeal, the second one is the basis for most religion and discussed a lot in the bible, and what animates and feels love, rebellion, happiness , etc. is your spirit . Blessed are the poor in spirit said Jesus and Deut 2, God hardened Sihon’s spirit, etc.

So here we are little models of God sitting around wondering if the model maker exists. For this reason I find the tragedy of Atheism almost humorous.
So if we are in His Image we should be capable of being like, and thinking like Him, right? Well, that was what the Devil said in the garden, you can be like God, in fact that is the cry of the cults still to this day, be like God in___ easy lessons. Our first parents ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we can be like God!
That did not work out for us. The world we live in today is a result of people thinking they know right from wrong better than God. We call that Sin.
God then gave us rules, so we would know right and wrong, and although that did not work to have His models act like Him, it did show us what sin was, and is. Jesus came not only to teach, not only to provide Divine forgiveness, but He came so He could go, and in leaving this realm physically , to send back a Helper who would do something amazing, give us a God like Heart, be our conscience when our conscience fails, to teach, guide, assure, reveal, guide us into repentance, and so fulfill the prophecies that our hard hearts would be transplanted with hearts designed closer to the original model, that we would have the mind of Christ and the heart of God. For us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and thereby really be an image of our Creator, we need to stay in the Vine that is Christ,(John chapters 14, 15, 16, 17). That pleases God! We then bear fruit. Not through our striving or our efforts, but through abiding in Christ. (Submit to Him by trusting Him for all.)
During the World Wars, from what I have read, naval officers and lookouts studied recognition models, models of ships at various scales, so that when something appeared on the horizon they could recognize it. I wonder, if someone used me for a recognition model, would they get an idea of what my God is like?

Hebrews 1:3 in speaking about the Messiah says:”Who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Christ was an express image. The greek suggests a printing engraver’s plate that stamps out the same image when pressed into a medium, in other words, when the world pressed the Savior He left the image of God. If you want to know the character and characteristics of God look at Jesus. In fact the Greek word for image in this verse, charakteer[sp], is where we get our word character. If we are serious about being an image the way we were designed to be, we should pray.

Heavenly, Glorious, God, may we model Your love and compassion for all mankind and never reflect to the world in such a way that would make You look bad. This is impossible for us, but all things are possible in Christ, so we pray in His name for the Spirit to mold us daily, Amen .

22 Comments

Baby Jessica, Will you pray for her?

February 1, 2009, 08:30
Filed under: faith, Uncategorized

This is one of the struggles in our church, Dayspring Bible Chapel. Please read this and support us with prayer. Thank you

Patty said 6 hours ago:

We do need your prayers. Baby Jessica was born on April 21,2008 weighing 5lbs 7ozs and perfectly healthy. On August 5th, almost 4 months into her young life she was life flighted to Hershey Medical Center. She was near death with her eyes sunken, her abdomen sunken and her soft spot on her head sunken. She was in renal failure and her liver was shutting down. She was bagged for urine and there wasn’t a drop. Jessica had no tears when she cried. She was ashen gray and lethargic. Her weight was just 6lbs 13ozs, not even a pound and a half since her birth almost 4 months ago. Little Jessica’s condition was the result of being starved by her birth parents. As our Jessica laid in the arms of angels the doctors worked feverishly to save her life. She responded immediately to being hydrated. Her kidney’s started working again and the rest of her body was coming back to life. She is a miracle of God. She started to eat with no difficulty at all and gained almost 2 pounds in 5 days at the hospital. Children and Youth were called in. They contacted us to see if we would take Jessica when she got out of the hospital so she wouldn’t have to go in to foster care. Jessica’s mother is my husband’s sister who has had her other two children, now 6 and 8 years old, taken off of her 4 years ago.
Jessica came home to us on August 15th. She was so tiny and frail. She is the most lovable sweet baby. She gained another 3 pounds in the first 6 days we had her. She is doing wonderful now and is perfectly healthy again, praise God! Jessica’s case was handed over to the District Attorney, but charges have not been filed as of yet. I have found out that Children and Youth may not have gotten needed medical records for the DA to prosecute and the charges may be dropped. My husband and I went to Hershey ourselves and got the records and are presenting a package to the DA on Monday 2-2-09, with the records, pictures and a letter to explain to the DA why justice needs to be done for Jessica. Children and Youth are planning to put Jessica back into the home of the people that almost murdered her. Her birth mother is an alcoholic among other things, with a good size criminal record and had her other two children taken away from her. Her supposed birth father, has a very long criminal record that includes assault and battery (on a woman) terroristic threats, drugs and alcohol abuse. Jessica would be in grave danger if she were to go back with her birth parents. We are trying to get a lawyer for Jessica, pro bono. I have gone from full time to part time employment to take care of Jessica and we have 3 other kids at home to take care of. Money is tight, but God’s grace and blessings are incredible. There is a court hearing February 25th for the courts to give Jessica’s birth parents visitations. Right now we have to take Jessica every Tuesday for “parenting classes” with her birth parents as ordered by the court. These classes have proven to very traumatic to Jessica. She goes in screaming and comes out crying or she falls asleep crying. But Children and Youth claim these classes go “wonderful” I have learned this is an organization that only cares about parent’s rights not the child. When we got Jessica most of her hair was gone from her pulling it in anguish when she was being starved, and she also would not sit in a car seat without screaming. Since we have had her she has stopped pulling her hair and she goes in the car seat. Since these parenting classes, though, she is pulling her hair again and is crying in the car seat again. She was very friendly to strangers and now she just buries her head in my shoulder and won’t go to anyone without crying. She is being made to suffer again by being made to be with the people who wouldn’t feed her. Please pray first of all that the DA presses charges very soon and they are convicted. Please also pray that Jessica will never have to go back with her birth parents again, unless they have changed their life style of drugs and alcohol and abuse. We dedicated little Jessica last Sunday. It is all in God’s hands. We pray for wisdom for us to do what needs to be done to help Jessica get justice and for her to be able to live in a safe loving, godly home the rest of her life.

Willoh… Jessica was Daysspring’s first baby dedication. Please pray for protection for Jessica, strength for Patti and Bob, and that the justice system will protect this beautiful little baby.

13 Comments

SBC ANNOUNCEMENT [or alphabet soup]

February 3, 2009, 18:59
Filed under: Crazed Thought

The SBC announced through the NAMB that the BF&M will be available 24/7, am/pm/ , to the members of the NEPBA and other groups within the Pa./NJ BCC . Also the NASB and ESV will be available for ESL classes ASAP.

Also the SBC will ask the WMU and CBF to watch their P’s and Q’s .

Be advised the IMB states the GSEC in the GAP motivates the CPMS according to the ASR.

Most important the NAMB needs to seek the AWOL church member’s POV, PDQ, before they are SOL.

14 Comments

Why is church so hard?

February 5, 2009, 01:00
Filed under: Uncategorized

Don’t say it isn’t. There are too many unchurched believers, burned out pastors, rebellious youth, and empty spots in the pew for me to buy into “easy church”. I have been in many churches and hung out with enough church people ,heard enough complaints and felt and witnessed enough pain to know it just isn’t easy.

There should be less interpersonal problems in church than out. We are all to have the mind of Christ, to be of one mind in our mission, so what gives? Don’t take this wrong, I love Dayspring and our small but growing church family. Being a pastor has turned into one of the greatest experiences of my life, this is not a complaint fest, but there is aways a bit of friction or an issue somewhere. There is aways maintenance and tweaking needed. I spent over a decade as a Vol. Fire Chief, and I find a lot of parallels ,actually a lot more than I would have expected. That said, Dayspring is still the smoothest functioning church group I have been involved with.

Am I jaded? Getting asked to leave a few churches, and being in a soap opera church for a while can leave scars, but from what some of you say and from reading a lot of church blogs, I am far from the only wounded Christian. I have often thought if we hired the billboard next to the church to say.” hurt in your last church, come here to heal” we would pack the place. Still might do that someday. Hanging with preachers has convinced me that trouble abounds. Get some of these guys alone, build some trust and the plastic smile breaks off into a pained grin, and then morphs into a death mask. A lot of these guys are hurting. No wonder Barna says over 1000 preachers leave ministry every month!

All right, maybe some of these guys are their own worst enemy. I have made enough messes myself, but taken as a group, used car salesmen seem happier at their jobs. By the way in a recent poll used car salesmen were called more trust-worthy than pastors. Correlation? I am not a seminarian,[ by choice, by the way]. Some of the most miserable pastors I have met are about one year out of seminary and six to eight months into the pulpit. No offense ,but more classes in humility and a couple less in Higher Biblical Criticism might be a better preparation to serve in a church where the deacons know they will stay and you will move on.

Here is some theory, just theory, please submit your own. Top 10 reasons church is hard. In no order.

People who are sure of being right about eternity sometimes think they are eternally right.
People who have been at a chuch for years feel ownership of it, not stewardship.
Church family blood is a lot thinner than blood family blood.
If the church pays the preacher, and I put money in the plate, then you work for me and I am your boss, right?
I am here to serve God and if you get in my way I will hurt you, in His name. [this one works in the pulpit and the pew]
Why should I examine myself, I’m Saved, Sanctified and Saintly?
My feelings are the most important thing in the church, God loves me, and would not want my feelings hurt, even if it is necessary for growth.
Expectations , realistic or not, must be met or disappointment reigns.
The meter of God’s will is success, God would not back a loser. This success is of course instant and miralulous.
There are ways to do things, and the best ways are the old ways. the argument , “we have always done it like that” is a trump card. [note to Baptists, that means it wins]

Hard as it is, it is worth it to me. I never grew much outside the church, also, I get paid [kind of] to be there. I understand why it just doesn’t pay a lot of people to be there.

17 Comments

Cheery Thoughts for the February Blues

February 5, 2009, 23:19
Filed under: Uncategorized

This time of year many of us struggle to keep a stiff upper lip, or struggle to keep up, or just struggle. The cold, the short days, slow economy, bad news and lack of outdoor activity combine to drag even normally chipper people down. Since some say you are what you think , here are some tasty bits of food for thought.

Never ever think, “oh it can’t get worse”. Never.

The wisest man speaks not until he has completely thought out the, ah , ah, ah, you know, ah…..the thingie.

Why do we pray so well when we’re bad, pray good when we are poor, yet pray poorly when we have it good and pray badly when we are well?

No matter how bad you have it, somebody thinks you have it better than they do.

Never say God does not care about you, or God doesn’t care at all, God cares about all, including what you say.

When you get to the bottom of your pit, be glad it is not a septic tank.

The male Praying Mantis mates once, then gets his head bit off, and you think you have lost your head over sex!

When life gives you lemons, scurvey looks like a good option.

Count your many blessings, they may be tax deductible.

There are times you will feel as useful and noticed as the first “r” in February.

Never give up, it ruins your opponents thrill of victory.

At the door of opportunity, just when you think you got it knocked, you learn you have to ring the bell instead.

All the stuff you learned in school was not useless, it kept the teachers off the dole.

Never worry about money, money can’t buy everything, even though everything costs money.

Don’t lose sleep over inflation, unless you are in a life raft.

Prayer is not about asking God for stuff, prayer is stuffing yourself with God.

That’s all I got, I hope it helps. This is as deep as my pool of wisdom runs. Spring will be here soon, the celebration of Resurrection, hang in there!

How do you cope with winter blues? willohroots.wordpress.com

9 Comments

I am a nervous wreck, Post traumatic ?

February 7, 2009, 12:54
Filed under: Uncategorized

I don’t say this lightly. I know a lot about wrecks. I have totaled, smashed up and destroyed, my share of Detroit’s production. I have also responded as a Fire Fighter and Fire Chief to quite a few 10-50′s or MVA’s [motor vehicle accident]. I know a wreck when I see one. The primary duty of the first responding officer is to give a scene analysis, so here we go, this would be my report on myself.

“Arrived on scene, very short trip, to find vehicle still on the road, engine running, two wheels in the berm , driver concious, but stunned, verbally responsive 4×5, no obvious sign of trauma, but somehow entrapped. no visible cause for accident, damage slight, calling for transport of victim for evaluation. Securing scene. “

I mean I am still going to work and church and fixing broken cars and thawing pipes, I an still on the road, but not moving at the rate of traffic. Things are passing me by. My quick wit has a new time delay feature. I am stuck in an unseen rut.

I also am familiar with Nervous. I do have a psych degree and worked in a ward for a while, more than that I grew up with a family that suffered from advance agoraphobia. Fear of the market place. Not wanting to leave the house, mom, or not wanting to leave familiar territory,dad.

Therefore, I feel certified to diagnose myself a nervous wreck. The clinical term for this is Wreckius Nervosis. I got it.

As a Christian I know Jesus said “Don’t worry”, and I don’t. I have been given faith abundant and overflowing. I cast my cares at the foot of the cross. Worry is not the black ice that caused the wreck. I am an Alfred E Neuman poster boy. [If you get that do penance] So I search for a causal factor for my condition. I think I found it on the good old internet! http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm

Here are my symptoms as found on that sight.

Sense of a limited future (you don’t expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career)

PTSD symptoms of increased arousal

Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Irritability or outbursts of anger
Difficulty concentrating
Hypervigilance (on constant “red alert”)
Feeling jumpy and easily startled

Will the Real Theory of Evolution Please Stand Up?

By SUZAN MAZUR

AN EXPOSÉ OF THE EVOLUTION INDUSTRY

BEYOND DARWINSIM

“Unless the discourse around evolution is opened up to scientific perspectives beyond Darwinism, the education of generations to come is at risk of being sacrificed for the benefit of a dying theory.”
– Stuart Newman, New York Medical College

”There has never been a theory of evolution.” – Cytogeneticist Antonio Lima-de-Faria, Evolution without Selection

”It works by selection of traits produced by random variations in the genes. That’s essentially Darwin’s hypothesis. I think not. . . . There’s something wrong with the theory. It goes deep.” –Jerry Fodor

Here are more things “smart guys” say.

” He told me that if what is causing change is not selection, then maybe it is some laws of organization, but that “basically I don’t think anybody knows how evolution works.”

”The heritable traits, features of biological organisms – complex or simple – change over time. They change as a function sometimes of variables or other god knows what.”

“But the question that evolutionary theory is about, as opposed to questions about where did life start or something of that sort, the question of evolutionary theory is about when you get these changes in the inheritable structures of organisms – where do they come from? What are the controlling variables? “

” Darwin doesn’t explain how life begins, “Darwin starts with life. He doesn’t get you to life.”

So these guys have questions, more than questions, they see the holes in the logic. All these men are very educated in the field but the article even says they must be careful to mind their tounges . One more quote.

Stanley Salthe, a natural philosopher at Binghamton University with a PhD in zoology – who says he can’t get published in the mainstream media with his views – largely agrees with Lewontin. But Salthe goes further.

“Oh sure natural selection’s been demonstrated . . . the interesting point, however, is that it has rarely if ever been demonstrated to have anything to do with evolution in the sense of long-term changes in populations. . . . Summing up we can see that the import of the Darwinian theory of evolution is just unexplainable caprice from top to bottom. What evolves is just what happened to happen.”

” But neither will most science blogs report there’s a paradigm shift afoot because they share the same ideology as the corporate media. At the same time, the Darwin industry is also in bed with government, even as political leaders remain clueless about evolutionary biology.

“ Thus, the public is unaware that its dollars are being squandered on funding of mediocre, middle-brow science or that its children are being intellectually starved as a result of outdated texts and unenlightened teachers. ”

So will this be reported or taught or mentioned? No. The truth is Darwinism is the anti God. For now. What is important is to be anti-God, not to be honest or correct or well educated.

I am willing to listen to other opinions about most subjects. If the sources above say there are areas of evolution to be debated, I no longer want to be treated like hill-billy cousin with a second grade education when I weigh in with some of my opinions. Here they are.

God created life.
Each specie is designed for a niche by a loving Creator.
Science can not, and should not be expected to explain everything.
The wonders of nature show the Glory of God.
Jesus to this day holds all things together.
Belief in God is not a sign of low IQ.
God explained all this and more in His Word, the bible.
God created the duck-bill platypus to mess with zoologists who believe in evolution.
Man is not evolving, man is devolving further away from God.
You do not have to believe this, the bible says some will not.

Don’t let anybody tell you the case is closed on evolution, it really is just a theory.

20 Comments

Evangelical Grinches, are they Christian?

March 12, 2009, 21:24
Filed under: Uncategorized

grinch12 I have an issue that is really robbing me of peace and sanity. How can a christian be mean? I do not mean on occasion when your tooth aches and your tire goes flat and the neighbors dog ate your newspaper. I am asking about those people who wake up mean and go to bed sour. People who neighbors avoid, who make terrible bosses, who discourage and/or belittle others. I have no doubt you have met one. Almost every church has a few, some churches have a bunch.

How is this possible? And worse, The Barna survey of young people said this,

“One of the groups hit hardest by the criticism is evangelicals. Such believers have always been viewed with skepticism in the broader culture. However, those negative views are crystallizing and intensifying among young non-Christians. The new study shows that only 3% of 16 – to 29-year-old non-Christians express favorable views of evangelicals. This means that today’s young non-Christians are eight times less likely to experience positive associations toward evangelicals than were non-Christians of the Boomer generation (25%).” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/16-teensnext-gen/94-a-new-generation-expresses-its-skepticism-and-frustration-with-christianity

One explaination is, we deserve it. This is what frustrates me most, the group of people who brag the most about the bible act as if they have never read it. Our Savior and His apostles taught well, but we seem to be failing the test. We are not practicing His Christianity.

Mat 6:15

“But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

If you believe as I do , that Jesus was more than a teacher, more than a man, that He taught with authority born of His position, I would think you would be serious about this one. Forgiveness is not an option.

Luk 6:31

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Do you need an M.Div. to get this one? You do not need to break it down into Greek or “unpack” it. This is not about reciprocal behavior, the other parties participation is not required. Be honest, do you see people in church, all of them, doing this?

I ask because people are sensitive. How many mean people in a church does it take to drive a seeker away? One. It is not fair, but if one person hurts the sensitive feelings of a broken person who has crawled into church for the first time in a long time, or ever, that person’s chance of remaining to hear the Gospel is greatly reduced. How many mean people does a child need to have contact with before he/she learns church is a bad place?

Mat 5:7

Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

I need God’s mercy every step of my life. If I understand this verse, if I show mercy to others, God will show mercy to me. Is my lack of seminary training blinding me to something? It does not say to withhold mercy from gays or pregnant teens or the addicted. God loves mercy.

Since we are all sinners saved by His grace, and we sit at the feet of the Messiah to be taught, how do we all fall short of His words from Matt. 7?

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

I take the words of Christ quite literally , if we judge others, a job that, by the way Jesus says He did not come to do, John 12:47, I will be judged in like manner. When I think of the most judgemental people I have met, many are legalists who go to a Christian church. No one could stand up to the level of judgement they render, and Jesus says that is the level used to judge them! I want to judge mercifully, if at all.

So are these unmerciful self appointed judges Christian? How can we possibly tell? Still in Matt. 7 The words of the Savior:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but

inwardly they are ravening wolves

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.“

What fruits? The fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,faithfulness,kindness,

goodness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Sour grapes and lemons need not apply. I write this because the truth is that if we followed Jesus’s teachings everybody would want to hang out with us. Churches would be packed, children would keep the faith of their parents, and none of that is happening. We are not spreading as we should, it is time to take stock. Do you think the problem is with God? His Word? Or could it possibly be us? Instead of being fruitful we have cheapened our relationship with God by adding legalism. We were warned about this by paul in Collosians

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world,

do you submit to regulations– “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

Many of us are just not practicing Christianity. We are in a self-made religion that got away from what He tryed to teach us.“ Love God, Love your neighbor.”

Almighty Father, Creator of all created, forgive us, and guide us in love, to love, by Your love, for You are love. Amen

24 Comments

What is a Pastor’s Role in the Church?

March 22, 2009, 19:54
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: God, Pastors, preacher

manatcross

photo from http://www.mvmc.org.uk/testimonies.html[ I love it!]

Most of you know I never volunteered for this job. I came by the way of Jonah . I fought the call for 30 years, but ended up right where God wanted me, when He wanted me, and where he used me. As we changed from a failed 25 year old mess to a vibrant new church start, I changed from a 47 year old supposed escapee of God’s plan, to a living, new, church Pastor. The church is new, I am too. The church went through two floods, death of the head deacon, an exodus of the old school and a name change. I have experienced change on the same order. There is a joy in watching God do a complete make-over, almost as much joy as being the object His remodeling.

My ideas of what a pastor is, what he does, how he interacts with the people God has given him to love, have always been nebulous. I had no model, no education, no human mentor, no clue. I wish I could point to a pastor who made a difference in my life, but although I searched for such an experience, it was not to be. My years as a lay preacher certainly helped to prepare me, to a degree, with bible study and sermon presentation, but were of no help , and perhaps were a distraction or at best a false start for the role I have today.

I am convicted that “Feed My Sheep” is my main task. Jesus’s commandments to ”Love God and Love thy neighbor” are my objectives. I have learned that without the Holy Spirit I can do none of it. There is a lot less of me in me, and praise God a lot more of Him.

What do you think the job entails? What does it exclude? I have learned a lot from the comments of the readers here, but I have much more to learn. Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but so far being a friend to the people in the pews seems to take priority and also be amazingly rewarding.

Tell me, I might not follow your advice, but I will listen.

13 Comments

Tragedy or Comedy, What’s the Story?

March 23, 2009, 21:35
Filed under: Uncategorized

comtraj I have had the conversation, “Does God have a sense of humor?” many times. There are too many examples of ”coincidences” in my life that are so ironic only a loving God could set them up. I have been served my words and my judgements on a silver platter so often it is my the “blue plate special” at the diner of my life. These meals have not been served with bitterness, but with a kind, and merciful side dish of love.

I feel God is a master of humor. From talking donkeys to Jesus’s commandment to the formerly blind man, ”Don’t tell anybody“, there are things in the bible that just break me up. A woman telling David that her husband is well named, Adam and Eve hiding from God, you got to laugh. If the bible does not give examples of God’s humor to you, what about His creation? For every majestic creation like the eagle, there is the comic relief of the dung beetle, and other than divine funny bone, how do you explain the duck-billed platypus.? Or my life?

I view my life as a comedy, not in a shallow sit-com sense, but in a Shakespearean context. A tragedy and a comedy both have elements of pathos and humor, the real difference between them is the outcome. A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has an ending that leaves the spectator with a much different feeling than does Hamlet. The final act of the life of a follower of Jesus the risen Messiah is to be risen like Him and spend eternity with God worshiping and praising Him, so based on that final unending act, no matter what takes place between now and then, life is a comedy.

This attitude helps me fight depression and gives me a positive outlook on others. No matter how bleak the current state of events, my faith in the coming of Christ in power and glory lets me concentrate on the final act. As I minister to others with various degrees of effectiveness, and especially when my frustration levels climb to near the point of despair , it is good that I may get some distance and observe from the second row the play that is unfurling. One of the theatrical presentations now appearing at Dayspring is the story of B. and M. These are two guys who have attended services, Bible studies, and even participated in work days and ministries, but have yet to make a public confession of their belief in Christ, or to show that true repentance has changed their lives. So far that is tragic. The comedy is that they each think they are counseling the other.

I get detailed reports from M. that B. is “coming around” and “doing better” , and corresponding reports from B. that he “had a long talk with” M. and that he sees signs of “improvement”. Each has adopted the other as a ministry. Now on a secular, earthy level, I am sure this is a positive thing, but as a pastor I see the blind leading the blind. The good part is they have bonded and are beginning to care about someone other than themselves. There is undoubtedly progress toward a less self centered existence. The bad news is that each feels superior to the other, considering himself a minister, and the other a ministry. I receive these reports with great interest nodding and saying , “Oh, yes” in a therapeutic manner as self disclosure is always an element. The comic element is the seriousness of the report. One would think that spiritual enlightenment lurked around the corner, but in the last two years or so there has been no great advancement. The progress reports each gives the other has been mostly positive.

I am not posting anything I have not told these guys, but like good actors on the stage they seem ignorant of the voice of the narrator as they move through the scenes of life. When I am with them, whether separately or individually, I speak of Jesus and how he gives meaning and direction in life, how the Holy Spirit guides in wonderful ways, how God can make a message out of a mess, and how someday, sooner or later, they will meet with Jesus, and at that time He will judge the quick and the dead. Better to be quick than dead. I read evangelism books where the hero speaks to the subject for five minutes and, Praise God! , the sinner is face down on the floor begging Jesus to save him from hell. This does not jive with my life experience.

So we watch the drama unfold. Is it a tragedy? A comedy? If the dynamic duo described above realize Jesus is Lord and Messiah, and understand that serving Him is the true purpose of the believer, then what a wonderful comedy it has been! We will laugh at these two as if they were Laurel and Hardy, or Aykroyd and Belushi. But if they continue to bob and weave around the stage, when the final curtan is lowered, what a tragedy it will be. Two talented warm hearted men accompanying each other straight into Hell , each convinced he is somehow serving the other.

Pray it is a comedy. I hate sad endings.

15 Comments

Ticked Off, Anger Manages Me well

March 25, 2009, 22:22
Filed under: Uncategorized

anger_management There have been many time I have failed to manage my anger. Yelling at my dean was bad enough, banging my fist on his desk was way out of line. My wife and I have had some episodes of intense fellowship. We blame genetics. When her fiery Italian blood is up against my stubborn Welsh bones, there is no yielding in battle. We lived by one rule, it had to get settled, no going to bed mad. We were not trying to live by Eph. 4:26 BE ANGRY, AND {yet} DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, some times it was long after dark till we ironed out our situation.

Anger has shut my brain off many times. When the bible tells of of the battle of our new nature against our old flesh, memories of behavior ruled by anger shouts,”Amen!” . By god’s mercy I never killed anyone, or ended up serving time. I sure have hurt some feelings, ended a few friendships, and turned into a primitive brute on occasion. Studying Judo for a decade was a great help in controlling my body, but my mind still flamed on occation.

At 53 I am mellower by far. I would hope the Holy Spirit has been working on my sanctification, a drizzle of wisdom has been added, and some thorns in the flesh slowed down some of the instantaneous reactions that used to get me going. I was wrong to get angry most of the time, but not always. Often it may have been a crime of degree, as in getting angry good, getting mad bad. About 6 years ago when I was pulpit supply at what became Dayspring, I had an occurrence of anger provoked by behavior that would have caused Luther to draw his sword.

Dayspring is on the borderline of densely populated suburbia and the flood plain of the Susquehanna river . we are blessed with 3.8 acres of surprising woodlands right next to river road . One morning as I preached from the bottom of my heart imploring the Spirit of Christ to soften flint-like hearts, my sermon, my labor of love, was drowned out by the sound of a chainsaw. The trustee of the church has told his nephew’s friend’s neighbor that we wanted all the trees cut down and he could have the wood to burn in his fireplace. Although at the time the grounds were deserted 167 hours a week, this Cretan thought 11:35 Sunday to be appropriate for logging at a baptist church.

The sermon was forgotten. The thoughts of denuding this little patch of paradise and the unmitagated gall of harvesting God’s lumber during services was more than I could take. Eventa are a bit cloudy as i look back, but Paul Bunyon’s pick up pulled out with amazing speed for such and old vehicle. It is likely I offered to store his saw for him in a place not normally used as a garden shed. I returned and finished the sermon, as i remember it was on forgiveness. Oh well.

There are still some things that get me mad. those of you following the story here about baby Jessica know that this is an issue that raises blood preasure. [update coming soon, keep praying]
To not feed your baby, to allow a helpless infant to starve and dehydrate, this is a crime against humanity and God . The slowness of”the system” in dealing with an issue like this, well it just gets me angry! Twell me, am I supposed to pray for these people? Really? Can I pray a good Welsh prayer, ”Father bless them with meat to eat, enough to choke on.” I guess not.

Politics gets me mad, I have sworn off of it. Local politics in my area where judges sold the future of young kids for filthy lucre, that gets me mad. People misrepresenting my Jesus, that really gets me mad. I have been blessed never to run across one of those “Jesus hates fags’ protest groups. The thoughts of a soldiers funeral picketed by crazy people calling themselves Baptist brings thoughts of vigilante justice to mind.

Graceshaker has a post about Liam Nelson’s latest movie. It is a revenge flick, like one of the old Chuck Norris films. Get Chuck mad, everyone dies. I can’t watch it. Too much of the old me actually wants to bring my personal justice to the world. The better part of me knows vengeance is not mine, but His.

What lights your fuse? Am I the only guy with dry powder in a spark filled world? Be honest, what sets you off? Let us all pray to be loving, and let God be the judge. And one more question, is it sinful to want to see some folk on judgement day and after? I know God does not wish to see a soul in Hell, but I look forward to eternal Justice. Is that a “my bad”?

13 Comments

Definition, How do You Define Yourself?

April 3, 2009, 09:19
Filed under: Uncategorized

dictionary How do you define yourself? How do others define you? You are not going to escape being defined, if you try we will say, “there goes X, you know the one that avoids defining.” and you will be defined by that, by a lack of definition. Most people do not seek to avoid definition, instead they live for it. I am a teacher, a preacher, a truck driver, they define themselves by their profession. I am a Libertarian, a Democrat, a Republican, defining by politics. I am a Christian, a Jew, an Atheist, definition by belief system [yes atheist is a belief system]. Today a great division of definition exists where we define ourselves by our sexuality, straight, homosexual, transgender, or bi-sexual.

We use words to define ourselves, and the meaning of words change over time in light of the culture. When it was said in the 1500′s the church is an awful place, we meant it was a place filled with awe, now the same statement has a much different meaning. Had I lived 100 years ago I might have described myself as Gay, [usually] , but that statement today would be very misleading. I can not call myself pro-choice, even though I believe greatly in personal freedom, because that term now means something I stand against.

I remember in college, after my conversion to Christ, receiving the yearly placement card I had filled out as an underclassman. In the block that was used to define religious affiliation I had marked atheist. Reading it now was a slap in the face that brought me to my knees once again in repentance. The other choices were ‘Jewish’, that would not work, ‘Catholic’, I did not fit in there even though I tried, ‘Protestant’, I could think of nothing to protest, and ‘Other’. I checked ‘Other’, and wrote in “Christian”. I was a bit upset when it came back to me, Catholic. I tried again, and it came back Protestant. I hand carried it into the registrar’s office and sought satisfaction. “Surely, you have heard of this religion, there are millions of us!” I said in my young adult indignity, “Yes we have”, was the answer, “But Christians are either’ Protestant’ or’ Catholic’”. I still have a problem with this.

These days the church has defined itself to a ridiculous degree. There are Calvinists, Neo-Calvinists, Amillers, dispy’s, Fundamentalists, and more flavors then Baskin -Robbins. I have grown to use Tim Keller’s definition to describe my faith, Orthodox Christian, it works well. The danger of such description is that it may lead to, and does lead to division of the Church. the one invisible catholic [little c] universal Church is wracked with definition to the point of absurdity.

Defining the self is quite an industry. We have whole sections of this at the book store, are you a Capricorn? A type A personality? A Seeker? A Clear? An entrepreneur? The bumper sticker industry thrives on our desire to define ourselves, and others. Emblems for cars define us to the world, will you have your fish symbol with or without legs? Are you a scuba diver, or do you still have Kerry 04 on the bumper. Our cars define us too, a Hummer2 vs a Subaru, a Ford 250 diesel dually, verses a Hybrid. Working in Real Estate taught me a lot about self definition, some seek a home, other seek a badge of achievement.

I have defined in myself many ways over the years.

Reader
Rebel
Scuba diver
Scholarship winner
Judo player
Electrician
Judo coach
Fireman
Adjunct Instructor
Fire Chief
Preacher
Sales Man
Loan Officer
Pastor
Unemployed

I have learned to define myself from a biblical world view, but that has many differing categories , some that change form time to time, some that are the most constant foundation stones in my life.

Sinner saved by God’s Grace
Under Rower
Under Shepard
Clay on the Potter’s wheel
Evangelist
Elder/teacher
Servant

Definitions are important, they enable us to see ourselves , give us focus and meaning, but they can also limit and diminish. I want to be defined by Jesus,” Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” and again ,”Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.“

I want to be light, I want to be salt, and by the power of the Holy Spirit it is my desire that God will use me to season, preserve, heal, melt, give flavor, and show the Way of Christ to a lost world. I want to meet my Savior and be defined by Him in this way, “Well done, good and faithful servant” Is there a more glorious definition? A servant who has been both good and Faithful?

May we all meet at the Throne and hear those words from His Holy Lips.

What definition or combination of definitions do you use, or would you use to describe yourself?

11 Comments

UPDATE, COMEDY OR TRAGEDY? Victory!

April 3, 2009, 20:33
Filed under: Uncategorized

Blogs are not supposed to be am evangelistic tool, but if it works,,,

I Posted a story about M. and B. It was about the blind leading the blind. M. finally found my blog and read the story. His first reaction was that he could really help those two guys, then he realized he was the M. referred to.

Something clicked. He called this morning and asked, “What do I need to do to be Baptized?” He told me he realized his life was a mess and he believed Jesus could straighten it out. I was floored, and thankful. This has been a two year process, with more ups and down than the roller coaster at Knoebel’s grove. Tragedy averted. We will spend some time together this coming week in conversation, I need to be sure he has understanding, but I think his old, dead, heart has been quickened by the Holy Spirit. Praise God! This man has a story that would make a good movie, and the best is yet to come.

I have read many stories where a preacher would preach a powerful sermon, and someone would run down the aisle and give their lives to Christ. I have never personally experienced it, it could be my preaching is just not that inspirational. I rejoice that I have seen people, over time, finally come to repentance and belief. I am just finishing a book Zondervan sent me, “Flickering Pixels”, the author opines that today people’s salvation process not like a light switch , on and off, but like a dimmer switch, slowly ramping up to the light. I want to believe that. It would make me feel good about my preaching, for one thing, and give me hope for the glow of light I believe I am seeing in some at Dayspring. We are up to 6 or 7 in our spring Baptism class, with a few more wanting to talk about it. Not bad for a group of 50 or so.

Thanks for your prayers, and don’t forget B. There is much work to be done in our area, the Field is as white for the harvest.

10 Comments

The Christian Life, a Study in Humility

April 6, 2009, 18:01
Filed under: History, roots of Willohroots, Uncategorized | Tags: fool, God, humility

humbledman Does humility come easy to any of you? If so you have my respect and God forgive me, envy. Don’t worry , I will get rid of the envy by leaving it at the foot of the cross, and repent, but I could not deny it without false testimony. Humility has NOT come easy to me. I always wanted to be the “….est” at something. Smartest, coolest, toughest, quickest, some measure of outstanding achievement or performance. It may have been a result of being the youngest [there it is again], smallest[oh boy], fattest [no brag there], kid in my class. Reasons and rationalizations aside, I sought niches in which to excel. I wish I could tell you that this was channeled into socially acceptable, God honoring categories that led me to be a leader of industry and achievement, but that would be going back to the whole false testimony thing. A lot of the niches I wanted to be captain of were down right sinful. God takes His servants from some odd backgrounds. I rejoice that Moses was a stuttering murderer. I am given much hope in the Saul part of Paul’s life. Abraham’s failures allow me to more readily call myself a servant of the Most High, this is a group whose qualifications are not based on the individual, but on the Holy God who used them. When Noah went on a bender after doing all the right things he showed a humanity I can relate to, perhaps all too well, a lack of perfection that only goes to illuminate God by the contrast of His light to our dark.

God does not often use the prideful servant. The Holy Spirit fills the empty vessel, not the one filled with pride of self. Jesus called us not to lead, but to follow. Since from birth we are self minded, God must send people and instances and the Holy Spirit to act on us as Nathan acted on David. ”You are that man”, experiences are horrible to go through, but iron is heated, beaten and quenched to be made into a tool. If we offer God the ore of our basic existence, should we not expect to be refined? We can trust that His expert hand will not strike harder than we can bear, nor will He withhold the fire until the dross is skimmed away. God has caused or allowed many humbling experiences to come into my life; He has placed me in situations where I have been helpless, looked foolish, and/or had no hope except His mercy. Looking back these were times to praise Him, even though at the time of occurrence they seemed cruel, or at best humorous. I would like to share a few of these moments, for I am sure they will make you feel better about your humbling experiences. We all know that pathos is when you trip over a rake in the yard, comedy is when your neighbor does it. Allow me to be your neighbor and have a good natured laugh at some of these situations, I assure you that neither the neighbor nor I were permanently injured by these events.

On a scorching August day we were called to a ” assist the civilian” while Hanging around at the Fire House. The temp was bumping 100 degrees, and most of us were in shorts and tshirts. The Hermit had found a dead animal in his well and wanted us to pump out and chlorinate the cistern. A marvelous opportunity to train the new guys , girls, and juniors in the operation of a portable pump. I took the squad truck and about seven “newbies” and off we went to serve the community. We set up next to the well with a 300 gpm portable pump and two lengths of suction , with no hose needed as we would just blow the water out of the pump and out of the way. Everyone listened attentively as I, the experienced Fire Chief shared a chunk of my knowledge. They watched as I primed the pump and started the operation. Now it was their turn. I watched from ten feet away as the suction was re-lowered into the well, the pump restarted, but they had forgotten to prime, so no flow was to be had. I took a step closer as a rookie figured the problem out on his own, applied back pressure and re-angled the outlet. At me. 300 gallons per minute of rancid dead animal stew hit me right below the belly button. Do you think that is humbling? No, humbling is when this well water, freezing cold well water blows your shorts down to your ankles in an instant. Did I mention it was freezing cold water? The great Chief stood before the crowd with all the primary sexual characteristics of a Ken doll. That is Humbling.

I lay in a fetal position on a hospital bed unable to move. I had been this way for weeks with herniated discs. The local hospital was afraid to operate due to my cancer history and had shipped me out for expert surgery. As I lay there I asked God, “Can there be anything worse?” I advise you to avoid that comment . A 6’3″ man with bright red hair in a Ronald McDonald permanent showed up with a disposable razor. If you wanted to cast a flamboyant gay guy for a movie, you would cast this fellow. ”Time to shave your bummy for Doctor Martin!” , he announced with glee. Humbling. By the way, he was an excellent care-giver who understood a man’s pride, and did his best to preserve the gram of dignity I had left.

I was in a bible study/prayer group. I looked around the table at my fellow travelers, and realized I was superior. I was the only one with a college education, actually a GED would have been trump with this crowd. I was not on welfare, I was wearing clothes bought just for me when they were new, not from the Salvation Army store. I did however, have a problem. I could not pray. Since my mom died the previous year, I just could not pray. I called it prayer-locked. In front of a group I could sound like I was praying, but I was not talking to God, I was speaking so others would know what a good prayer I was. Then it was Tami’s turn to pray. She told God how happy she was for the miracle last night, that when she rechecked the cupboard with faint hope, there was a box of macaroni and cheese and her family had supper. ”Thank you Jesus for feeding us.” She meant every word, nothing fancy, just humble and honest, from the bottom of her heart. I did not get my turn, I was crying. My heart was broken, I was humbled, and once again I could pray. Thank you Jesus, thank you Tami.

I wish I had no more stories like this, but to keep the testimony true, I must admit there is a bunch. Some have no humor involved. I once thought I was pretty tough, but I found out my own skin cells could turn against me and take me out. I thought I was smart, but I have done the most idiotic things. My dependence on my God grows every day.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

He hath shown me, and I rejoice.

14 Comments

Flickering Pixels, [from Bookshelf to Blog]

April 9, 2009, 11:20
Filed under: Uncategorized

flickeringpixels11 Todd and Tina Howard sent me a book to review. Here is an open invitation, if you send it I will read! I like books, and I like free, so this is a real winner for me. Rob the Texan Bar-b-cue chef sent me a book also that will be next, there are a few others, so here we go ,a new willohroots feature, From the Bookshelf to the Blog, my review. [I will also test drive cars and taste cheeses, please contact me for delivery.]

Reviews are by nature subjective, our perspective can drastically alter perception. It would behoove the reader to know I am a bibliophile. My house is too full, says my wife, of books. As Mike Bell is the Eclectic christian, I am the eclectic reader. I once spent three wonderful hours reading a 1938 manual on engine repair, wonderful read! I can also turn on a book, with dire results. I picked up the sequel to ‘Silence of the Lambs’ at an airport, and when I got home took it out back and shot it, repeatedly, for wasting two hours of my life I would never recoup. I am also very jaded when it comes to Christian books. I like John MacArthur, but disagree on some important points. I like Charles Stanley and agree with him , but his writing style does not thrill me. I did not like ‘Purpose Driven Life ‘at all, no apology. The Howards knew none of this when they shipped ‘Flickering Pixels’, but you do have this knowledge, it will help you understand.

Flickering Pixels is written much the way the municiple swimming pool in my old home town was designed. Perhaps the engineer turned editor. Shane Hipps starts us out in the kiddy pool, ankle deep. As a former advertising executive he quotes McLuhan [advertising guru] and says that Christians have long been taught that the Message [not the translation that irks me so, but the gospel] matters, but the Method, the way we spread the gospel, is flexible. I had to agree, I have been to those seminars, that is what we have been told. Yawn, another guy saying the same old same old, but then he hit a new twist.

The water gets wading deep around this point. Hipps describes how we are shaped by the medium. The bombardment of sight and sound has shaped and shifted the way we think, the way our brain functions. Hipps seems motivated by a frustration, his evangelical upbringing seminary training and Mennonite tradition gave him no help in evangelizing the lost. Paul’s method of linear thinking that was used on Mars Hill seemed lost in today’s word. I started to relate, as my attempts to preach people into the kingdom has been an abject failure. I was dog paddling on at this point.

Hipps believes that the amount of information bombarding us today has lead to a stunting of individual growth. He called it ”a permanent puberty of the mind”. Hipps explained how Systematic Theology needs to give way to Practical Theology and then brought examples of change in seeker/believer thought processes. This was the adults only section of the pool, deep waters indeed. When it was explained that today’s believer’s salvation experience is more similar to a dimmer knob than a light switch I knew this writer had something I needed, and this book would be read and reread.

The last chapters of this book are diving area deep. He could not have started with so much depth, you need to gradually wade in to get there. Hipps says we need to teach today with images, not necessarily power point images, images of real life. His whole point is that we are the message. In my words, to bring people to Christ we must be Christians. Pretty radical, right?

Here is a writer more approachable than MacArthur, more readable than Stanley, much deeper than Warren. This is a book that vindictes what we at willohroots have shared, what many of you post on your blogs. Fine doctrine is fine to have, but the heart and mind of Christ is to love others, to be an image of Christ by acting in love is not only the message, it is the method.

I never thought I would so strongly endorse a book. This needs to be required reading for anyone who would claim the title Christian. The antidotes of Christian love and the out takes from the Mennonite handbook ’Agreeing to Disagree in Love’ are uplifting enough, but I think this type of thinking is the antidote to the decline of the Evangelical church. I could paraphrase the book with these words,

Interview with Shane Hipps at Out of Ur ,

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2009/02/video_ur_shane.html

Select for Copy; Double click to (de-)select all

Jam 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” It is time for the deception to end.

flickeringpixels1

2 Comments

Good Friday?

April 10, 2009, 10:20
Filed under: Uncategorized

Cross in Dayspring Bible Chapel

When I was a youth ages ago, I could not imagine a group of people so perverted as to call the day their Savior died “Good”. Hey, I was young , nine or ten and very poorly eduated in the Christian doctrine. it took a lifetime but I get it now. It was a horrible Friday, but it was , for me, a Good friday? Is it a good Friday for you?

If you believe , ”When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy,” Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” and they were healed, it is a Good Friday.

If you believe His Mission was as He said, When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” and you have heeded that call, it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe Jesus had Power over all, as in: And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still“. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. It is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe Jesus raised the dead, And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her,”Talitha cumi”; which is, being interpreted “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” It is indeed a Good Friday.

And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, “Thou art the Christ”. If you Believe as Peter, it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe and are not ashamed, ”Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.“, it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe He said, Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. and have responded as did this man, “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”.- it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you can see as clearly as blind Bartimaeus who said, ”And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.” and have cryed out in like manner, it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe as did the Centurion at the foot of the Cross, And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God”. it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe an Angel once said,” Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid him. it is indeed a Good Friday.

If you believe, it is a Good Friday. If you do not it is just another day.

7 Comments

Unwanted Holy Week Visitors

April 11, 2009, 12:48
Filed under: Uncategorized

WARNING, THIS IS A POST ABOUT VIOLENCE AND CONFLICT.

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. THE WAR IS ON!

Unwanted intruder seeks nuts at Dayspring

We have had an open door policy at Dayspring, but that may need to change. All God’s creatures moan for His coming ,Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”, but some will need to moan outside. I received a call from a woman cleaning the church that said,”We have a problem”. Being a bit PTSD [see post], images of fire, flood and attack raced through my mind. ”Something is eating the windows.” Instantly I knew the culprit, the squirrels are back.

The church that sprung from Wyoming Valley Baptist, was built by SBC volunteers. God love these people. They came in their R.V.’s and stayed a week, ripping out the bar / shoestore combination,[ weird already, right?] and leaving a really nice church building in their wake. This was 25 years or so ago and if they had any error it was to assume that the church building would be finished by those the church was given to. It really never was. Small things like finishing around the eves was never completed. Since I have been in the pulpit there has always been more important things to do. This lack of attention to details somehow allows squirrels to get in, but not out. We had the same thing last year, a squirrel entered and then spent weeks of escape attempts but died in the effort.

Once again we have a visitor, more accurately an invader as visitors rarely chew our woodwork. Our Anderson windows now look like this.

Could be beavers, but more likely squirrels.

I tried to trap them, but the old hunter’s saying, “you must be smarter than your prey”, defeated me. I was feeding it/them. Now the strategy is to leave the window open so that he ,she, or them may simply leave. The problem with this is that one or more may enter, perhaps in hope of peanut butter filled traps, or feeding stations as they may be known in squirreldom.

Many Christians I know try to see a ‘sign’ in all around them. Does this mean Dayspring is full of nuts? Or Squirrels? Most of us are a bit squirrely as judged by the world, but God loves us anyway. Does this mean we are at war with nature? We try to be earth friendly, but yes we do use styrofoam cups.

These invaders need to learn a biblical lesson, they can not win! We shall be victorious! Gen. 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

We shall be victorious! The war is on!

Dayspring, hand over the peanutbutter, or else!

Lord save us from The wild beasts!

17 Comments

Slightly out of Focus

April 29, 2009, 13:40
Filed under: Uncategorized

fuzzy-dog

For the last eight years my wife and I have worked in an office right down the street from my church. It was really handy to be available to the people who would drop in or to call if they had a need. We rarely took a day off, and I realize now that besides an income my job provided structure and focus.

You would think that being laid off would yield a lot of free time, at least I thought that being laid off would yield a lot of free time. Wrong again. Since the home office decided my wife and I were redundant, we have had the time to actually take one ride in the country. That is it. Where did all the time go?

Learning about being bi-vocational is a continuing process. Today’s lesson is that a bi-vocational preacher who is laid off still has a vocation, and in fact one that will swell to fill some of the void of a 40 hour week job that is no more. Men and women often define themselves by occupation , and I have seen people devastated by job loss. It is a gift to me that when asked, “What do you do?” I still have an answer. ” I pastor a church called Dayspring.” Every time I say that, I hope God does not lay me off.

The week after my corporate lay off I shared a fear from the pulpit. I shared that often in my mind an image appears,[ perhaps taken from the Robert Duvall movie, The Apostle], of the ‘Pastor Police ‘ showing up at Dayspring and taking me away in cuffs, apologizing to the people for the affront dealt them by being subjected to my rantings. For a sinner like me to have the honor of speaking the Mysteries of Christ, the Love of God, and His redemptive plan, seems totally outlandish. Should this Holy calling not be reserved for a Nazarene? Some one kept pure from birth, no fermented products, somehow dedicated to the servicew of god from childhood, a modern day Levite? How can it be that a man who has waded so deep in sin is chosen to preach and teach the Gospel? There is only one answer, ”But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”“

So I am bi- unemployed. It seems to please God to continue to allow me the privilege of loving His people and feeding His flock. Part of that responsibility and privilege is to support my family with a new job. I have no doubt He will provide, and no doubt a change was due.

When the job left so did my pattern of life, my schedule, my habits. The systems that had developed for sermon prep, study , even prayer were all affected by the lack of schedule. It is taking me a while to adapt. So my blog-cation is over, my “shock of change” , diminishing. It is time to learn to use the hours of the day in a new way.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Time to put things in focus.

6 Comments

Baby Jessica Update, Prayer Power, by Patty

April 29, 2009, 14:07
Filed under: faith, Uncategorized

Follow up to BABY JESSICA, WILL YOU PRAY FOR HER?

To all Jessica’s angels and prayer warriors;

I can’t thank everyone enough for keeping Jessica, Bob and myself in your prayers. God’s love, grace and mercy is awesome!
Our sweet Jessica turned one year old yesterday 4-21-09. She is doing wonderfully! She is up to 16.2 pounds. She is still on baby food mostly, but we are introducing “people food” slowly as her digestive system seems to be very sensitive to flavored foods and starches. She is crawling, cruising and desperately trying to walk. Her muscles are still strengthening. Her legs and arms are strong. Her hips and mid section is still firming up. She is a maniac in her walker. (she backs up better than I do in my car)
What a personality! She is very stubborn and has quite a temper, (that’s how she survived) but she is the most lovable baby around. She is always hugging and giving kisses. She looks at you as if she sees your soul. It is very humbling. She knows Jesus. When we read her books and there is a picture of Jesus she kisses it. (I did not teach her that, she did that on her own, again, humbling) I can go on and on about her.
As far as her birth parents… the DA has pressed charges and we are awaiting the arraignment to set the trial date. They have been charged with “Course of Conduct” which is a 3rd degree felony. (not just child endangerment which is just a misdemeanor) The assistant DA working on the case is said to be an excellent lawyer and very tough. Praise God! When the DA pressed the charges all contact they had with Jessica was discontinued. (I no longer have to take Jessica every week for “parenting” classes with them. Again praise God!) Although Children and Youth are trying to fight this because they still feel they are putting Jessica back with her birth parents. There is a hearing in May with the Orphans court, but I don’t think the DA is budging on this. (please keep in prayer)
We have a new case worker with Children and Youth who is a blessing from our other one. She told me she is on our side and will do all she can to help us. Our other case worker did everything she could to get Jessica back with her birth parents.
The birth father told the DA that it wasn’t his job to feed the baby. (that went over real well) The DA is very disgusted with both of them and what they did to Jessica.
Please keep all in prayer. God is, as always, proving to me that He is in control. I know I have a promise from him that this little baby is not going back. Although I get very anxious at times, my faith is being strengthened.
Here is pictures of Jessica now.
Thank you again everyone and God bless!!!!

Patty S

How could anyone ignore this face?

4 Comments

Dan, We’ll miss You, till we meet again.

May 4, 2009, 12:21
Filed under: Christ, faith, Uncategorized

wallpaper_3d_christian_calvary_800lg Our newest family member, Dan F. was called home to be with the Lord suddenly Sunday morning in his home. There are as yet no details. Dan was a recent addition to our fellowship, bringing a joy of the Gospel of Jesus and a real outgoing personality, I will miss his voice saying, “Go on now,Tell it!” , as I preached.

Friday night we spoke for an hour on the phone. Dan told me that he was ready to tell his story of sixty years in hope I would right a book about his life. I will need to wait till I meet him in glory to hear it all, but let me share what I do know from his testimony.

Dan grew up in a large Italian family in New Jersey as the only white kid in the neighborhood. It must not be easy to be a white minority member, but what was harder still is when the family finally moved to a white neighborhood, Dan did not fit in at all, as he was socialized in a African -American community and was never able to adjust to his new setting. Once again he was an outcast. He said he tried prison on the East Coast and the West Coast, and preferred neither.

Dan struggled with addiction and anger management. He married a beautiful black woman he called the love of his life, and served as a deacon, the only white member of a black church, and felt quite at home there. Addiction has no respect for title. Deacon, pastor, husband, the monster that is addiction can never be ignored or it will strike even after it has been pronounced dead.

I met Dan after he left a Salvation Army six month program. Sixty years old and starting over once again. The church gave him a grub stake to get proper clothes, and he began a menial job, truly starting from the bottom again. What courage it must take to get up in the morning in a strange town, alone, fight the good fight of life, working , battling addiction, trying to make amends with loved ones damaged by the selfishness that comes from the addicts life. Great faith is needed to gather strength to go on.

We were at a homeless shelter feeding those gathered, when Dan gave his testimony. People stood up as he walked from the podium and got in line to hug him. I never saw that before. His message of his own frailty and God’s power reached across racial and social lines with the power of a lumberjack’s ax. His dependence on God’s mercy for a victory gave hope to us all.

When we last spoke there was a weariness in Dan’s voice. It was the sound of a man who had packed three lifetimes of pain and struggle into one non-stop dramatic episode. The world will not understand, but most of you will, a loving God gave Dan what he desired most, peace and rest. Death to the world is the end of life, to us it is the beginning. Imagine Dan with an incorruptible body that has no destructive desires, no damaged parts, no scars and war wounds. Imagine him with a heart, not broken with failure and short coming, but filled with the awe of God. Imagine him in a place where his speech patterns and color will be irrelevant. That is Dan’s future, that is Dan’s eternity.

I feel privileged to have met Dan, to be a small part of his life, to have heard a small part of his story, and to have been his friend and pastor at the end of his earthly run. It is a joy to know that Dayspring was a pleasure to him, and provided a church home for a short but important time.

Dan died struggling with life, I am sure he was in a period of victory , but even if he had slipped into defeat, but I am sure it would not affect his Salvation. Our future of being in His Presence does not depend on our victories in life, but in Christ’s Victories on the Cross! Dan knew who His Savior was, why he needed Him, and fought the battle with all his might. Can any of us do better?

Dayspring will have a memorial service for Dan F. Sunday night May 17th. We will be sad, yet we will celebrate. We will invite Dan’s associates from the S.A. and the rooms he visited in meetings, and celebrate the Victory that gives us the Great Hope. There will be music and funny stories, and definitely, cake. We will sing our songs of the faith, and also Against the Wind, a Seeger song that Dan said described much of his life. Pray that flint hearts will be softened and the Word received.

When I get before the Throne and start to praise my God for all Eternity, I just know there will be a voice in the background saying, “Yes!, go on now, Tell it!” Thanks Dan, you were an encouragement.

5 Comments

Fred Phelps banned from UK

May 6, 2009, 06:05
Filed under: Crazed Thought, Uncategorized | Tags: banned, Crazy Christians, Jesus, nut bag, UK

One of 22 banned from entry to United Kingdom

On more than one occasion Fred Phelp’s behavior has caused me to wish Baptists had a Bishop in the hierarchy, or at least a hierarchy. Baptists love and support the independence of the local church, so there is no one who has the authority to defrock the disguisting, or remove the tinfoil hat wearing idiot as long as there is some sort of group willing to gather in front of the pulpit.

Fred is the guy with the “God Hates Fags” signs. He is the guy that takes a crowd of like-minded [? mind?] folk to protest at the funerals of soldiers who died in service to our country. He is the guy some folk think of when you say,”Baptist”. Fred founded the Westboro Baptist Church where I am told a bunch of his relatives and a few odd ducks manage to miss the whole point of the greatest teacher of love the universe has ever seen.

So the United Kingdom bans this guy, his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper, a hamas terrorist , and nineteen others from entry. Here it is fron The National Post>>

Britain has blacklisted 22 people from entering the country, accusing them of fomenting hatred, glorifying terrorism or being capable of inciting ethnic violence in the country.

A list of 16 of the people was published yesterday to “name and shame” them, according to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

The list included U. S. conservative talk-radio host Michael Weiner — also known as Michael Savage–Fred Phelps, a U. S. anti-gay activist, Hamas lawmaker Yunis Al-Astal, Jewish extremist Mike Guzovsky, former Ku Klux Klan leader Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe, and several Islamic preachers.

The frustrating part of the story is that Fred gets international publicity. Isn’t that the way it goes? Some guy like Jeofurry who preaches his heart out and works for flood victims, and spreads the love of the Gospel will be known by a few of us, Fred gets mega multi- media press. Where is the Baptist Pope when you need him!? Can the name Baptist be copyrighted so there is a brand name recognition issue? If you were trying to pass kookie-cola off as Pepsi a team of lawyers would have your lunch and the brown bag it came in. Mr. Phelps can use the name baptist and we have no recourse , and don’t get me started on that title Reverend that he uses.

Fred will not land at Heathrow

Free speech is to be supported. Mr. Phelps is entitled to every wacko thought in his head, and to open up his mouth to speak such drivel. My issue is that to use the name of the historically most tolerant religious denomination as he does, to speak for my Lord Jesus as he claims to , and to call yourself a minister of God as you are the world’s worst witness of His Love, does damage to the Kingdom that surely makes the devil smile. Those of us who claim to speak for God as prophets, or speak the Word of God need to tremble in fear that not only what we say, but the way we say it, is pleasing in His sight . There are far more glorious places than England to be banned from.

10 Comments

Christians [or Critictians ] Attacking A.A.

May 7, 2009, 20:44
Filed under: Jesus, Uncategorized | Tags: addiction, Alcoholics Anonymos, church, Critical christians, love, pastor

Does this seem like an evil prayer to you?

There are times I would like to secede from the flock called Christian. Perhaps I could be known as a Jesusian, or a Yeshudist. It could be a genetic thing,

I do come from a long line of protestants, the people who have 1st Welsh Baptist, 2nd Welsh Baptist and Plain Old Baptist churches on corners of the same street, attended by relatives, some of whom still speak to each other. It could also be shame that motivates my desire for distance.

There is a segment of the church that shares all of my main theology. They and I could say the same creeds, read many of the same books, admire the same martyrs, sing the same hymns and serve the same Lord. You would think that these brothers and sisters and I would share the same ‘world view’ having very little variation in opinion or behavior. You would think. I do not mean the Phelps contingent, or snake dancers, or the Toronto blessing gang, they get written off as the crazy cousins with unfortunate tendencies that everybody hopes miss the reunion. I am talking about people who are just wrong, way wrong, and claim the rightness of God.

The spotlight falls today on that group of the righteous that hate Alcoholics Anonymous. They are not just critical, all groups and individuals could use some criticism, and AA is certainly not above criticism, these people are haters. I really never thought anyone could hate AA. Any group dedicated to getting people sober must have some redeeming qualities, but not to this group of Critictians, [my new word, they are a lot like Christians on the outside, but filled with a hollowness where the love is supposed to go] who go so far as to declare that a demon dictated the twelve steps.

There is a great way to reach out to a newly sober seeker! Tell her that the group that taught her a way to stay sober, and upon which she is leaning for support was started by the devil. I won’t put up a link to such nonsense, but a quick google will get you to all kind of sights like that. Do they have a picture, or a recording of said demon at work? No. They have inferred this because A A does not preach the Gospel in a way that they approve . It does not matter that A A does not preach the Gospel at all, the fact is that A A mentions God, and these people have the copy-write on all that is godly.

It would do my heart good to see these people apply the same standards in all of the different facets of their lives. If they were off the coast on a cruise in a storm, floundering, and the Coast Guard shows up to help they should say,”Away with you,you are not a Christian organization , God will save us!” It should not matter to them that the Coast Guard is not designed to preach the Gospel but to save lives, or even that some Coast Guard personnel are certainly good Christians, no, a blanket condemnation is in order.

If, God forbid, their home was to catch fire, do not send the fire department. Some of the firefighters are agnostic, [few], there may be an atheist with them, but almost certainly some will have a St. Florian medal, as they are good Catholics. “Away , go away let it burn, you pray to a saint, not to God through Jesus, leave you follower of the whore of Babylon!” It should not matter that the fire department exists to save lives and protect property, not spread the gospel, or that some of the members are fine Christians, they should be condemned!

Alcoholics Anonymous is not a Christian organization. It was not designed to spread the Gospel, it was designed to spread sobriety. It is in the same category as the Coast Guard or the Fire Department, a life saving service comprised of good, dedicated people of purpose. If I am in danger on the water or in a fire I will accept help from a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Jane. I will them thank Jesus for their help and pray for their soul.

I wonder if the Critictians are willing to get up at 3 am. and go to a bar to get someone who has fallen, bring them home, watch them puke and love them the next day. It is easier to call the drunk a sinner and move away. It is no wonder why there are so few Baptists with overt drinking problems, we throw them out. A A provides a useful service, 24/7 world wide. Many in my church go to meetings. They know A A is not perfect, but then again neither is my church.

Thank God I am not an alcoholic! How horrible it must be to be compelled to drink, knowing full well the pain it will cause to self and loved ones! I am also not a T-totaler either, although I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a drink. I don’t drink because it just doesn’t fit into my life often, not because of moral conviction. I may have a beer this summer, but I thank God that many in my church will not, because one drink opens a floodgate for the alchoholic.

I am working on a guide to assist Pastors and Lay Leaders to work with people in recovery in AA. These people need a Savior! Telling them the life raft they cling to was made by Satan is not part of the program. Critictians make it impossible to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ by their very nature of condemnation. Please let me know your thoughts on AA, your concerns, your experiences.

John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Are we here to condemn? Or to spread the news of His Salvation!

9 Comments

Fire truck dedicated to Willis ‘Pop’ Hapeman

May 9, 2009, 09:02
Filed under: Fire Fighters, History, roots of Willohroots, Reaction

Mt. Zion's new truck dedicated May 9 in honor of my Dad.

The company started in 1976, and this is the first brand new rig ever to go in the barn. My dad rebuilt the engine on their first truck, a 1956 Ford, they have come far.

I have been asked to say a few words in honor of my Dad. The guys and girls at the company really thought a lot of him. There is a plaque on the pump panel, in honor of Willis ‘Pop’ Hapeman. Dad was blessed with 53 years in fire service. I was really surprised when, at his funeral, the Pittston and West Pittston Fire Companies put the aerial ladders at full extension forming an arch for the hearse and parade to go under. we call it putting up the sticks. It is an honor seen most often when a firefighter dies on the job, but I guess dad fought enough fires in both towns to deserve the honor.

He was a leader as Fire Chief, then President, then Pop. He offered marital and relationship counseling to people who had no one else to talk to. People would confide the most private things to him. He was a very special man. I grew up in a small town where Dad wad the borough electrician. He was responsible for the town fire alarm. That meant I got to blow the siren a lot. What a thrill for a young boy to make such a loud noise! Dad had a key ring with keys to about half the houses in town, in case they needed electrical work he could get in to do it. He was trusted, and with reason. He was honest to a fault.

It will be an honor and a privilege to speak on his behalf today. There are some things I will not mention to the crowd that I would like to share with you, as shared burdens weigh much less.

My dad never saw my family sing in church. When the girls were young my wife would play keyboard, I would play guitar, and we would sing in various churches as a way to serve our God. He never saw that. I have been preacher for almost thirty years, fill in, old age homes, Church of Christ, Baptist, Congregational,etc. My dad never heard me preach. I was a soloist in churches and school , college,and churches. My dad never heard me sing. My dad did not believe as I do. He often said, “When you are dead you’re dead!” He wanted no part of church.

My readers can understand why, when he died I went through a two year period of depression. He had told me that if I became a preacher he would break my leg, and if I became a Baptist preacher he would break both my legs. Threats like this from a big powerful man must not be ignored. I was made Pastor the week he died. I stood over his bed, looking at his legs, both broken from within by cancer, and just had to wonder.

I loved my Dad. We spent so much time together as business partners, hunters, and firemen. My life was often in his hands, and he always pulled through. Once another company shut my hose line off while I was in a working structure fire on the nozzle, once. After Dad straightened them out that would not be repeated.After the 72 flood electricity had me stuck to a pipe in a basement and he kicked me off,[ he said he enjoyed that], and we will not speak of the bar fights here. As far as eternity, I have thread bare hope of a deathbed conversion. All things are possible with God, and even if we are separated after time ceases I still owe Dad much. He taught me a good trade, made me a Fire Fighter and Chief, taught me to shoot straight with firearms and people. There is no doubt he was a good and honorable man.

I need to get in fire company mode, dry my eyes and look the part of a past Chief honoring a past Chief. On a purely secular level it will be a great day, I just am not sure I can function on a purely secular level these days.

Pray for my brother firefighters, they are some of the best people I know. Introduce them to the Savior with love, Amazing Grace should be more to them than the name of the song they play at a fireman’s funeral.

12 Comments

Christian School Student Suspended for Prom

May 14, 2009, 06:30
Filed under: Uncategorized

Is this a Kingdom Serving Witness?

Heritage Christian school in Ohio has suspended Tyler Frost for going to the prom with his girlfriend. Heritage Christian school has a statement up on their website that you may read for yourself.

http://www.heritagefindlay.org/index.cfm?i=6416&mid=1000&id=199128

Naturally this bad call will get a lot of press. When was the last time you read in national news about a decision that seemed odd on the part of a secular school? Well it happens, but does not create a feeding frenzy like this. The world is watching those of us in the Christian community very closely, as nothing can damage us more than the pain we inflict on ourselves. While we are taught not to generalize about nationality or race, it is acceptable in the world’s eyes to say, ”There go those Christians again.” Prejudice against us is perfectly acceptable.

In an unsigned statement on their site, this paragraph may be found:

In the Old Testament, Joseph was in a place of temptation and he fled. Unlike this situation, he didn’t put himself in that place. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” II Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts but follow after righteousness faith charity and peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” When the school committee, many years before I became the principal, set up the policy regarding dancing, I am confident that they had the principle of fleeing lustful situations in mind. The question as I see it is, should a Christian place themselves at an event where young ladies will have low cut dresses and be dancing in them? Isn’t it contrary to the example of Joseph and the verses that I stated?

I feel really bad for the author of that statement in particular, and for the culture of that school in general. In fact, more than ‘feel bad’ I dispair of the entire society that takes the Gospel of Christ and tries to shove it into a man-shaped box, instead of trying to grow people into a Gospel -shaped, Christ -shaped community. Is the author telling us that he struggles with lust issues due to a low cut dress? Is a little cleavage all it would take to have him fall into sin? If the sights at a Prom are so disturbing, how would he go to the beach, or even the Mall? I have an idea, let us put women in a coverall outfit, we will call it a burka, so that the sight of an ankle, or a thigh, or a breast will not cause us to sin, oh yeah, wrong religion.

I am trying to guard myself from sin and sarcasm and snarkiness, but failure is imminent. If Christianity had always had this attitude missionaries would never have gone into the topless peoples of the islands, we would let them burn for fear of temptation. If this attitude was the correct one we would not be doing teen outreach, as there are young women who have grown up in a culture of ‘sex sells’ and in appearance are dressing like a display case for Victoria’s Secret. If this attitude was correct our Savior would not have gone amongst the prostitutes and tax collectors.

Joesph fled a seductress, not a woman in sexy garb. It was not the woman’s appearance to be avoided, it was her behavior and intention. I hate it when people pull a verse from a story and say “Here you go, I am right!” Paul’s advice to Timothy had nothing to do with anyone’s outward appearance, but was wise advice to a young pastor on maturing past a point where the flesh has control, “youthful” is the word, and becoming strong in the Lord. What about the rest of the story?

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.

And the Lord’s servant [fn] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

Does it seem to you that our administrator is heeding these words? Is this patiently enduring [what he thinks is] evil? Try to tell me that this man has not caused a foolish ignorant controversy. He did.

The point of the Christian life is not to leave the world, but to live in it by the Power of the Holy Spirit avoiding sin not by adherence to rules, but by the guidance of the very Heart and Mind of Jesus that indwells us by the Gift of the Spirit. Legalism in all its forms denies the Deity of the Holy Ghost and His power. This was not an orgy Tyler was going to, it was a Prom, with teachers and chaperons. The lesson Heritage has taught here is two fold:

One, we are weak and need to avoid situations that might tempt us. Two, we are better, or at least we think we are, than you Prom goers, oh yeah, and by the way, you are going to Hell.

There are rules to every organization. My point is not to flaunt rules, but this is a situation that should have been handled man to youth, in love, and in private. Christian schools need to prepare students for life, not act as a cult. The Amish do not require 17 year olds to give up the world, they get a choice when they are a little older. Maybe they trust their young men more. I have seen this type of legalism result in two very different but equally unfortunate situations. Unmarried men at 30 and 40 years of age, not bringing new life into the world to carry on the Christian traditions, and escapees of legalism who fall into the traps of sin in the world for which they were totally unprepared. Perhaps Heritage is promoting a culture that is not based on the freedom that is in Christ, but on the rules that are based on the weakness of sinful man.

23 Comments

Daughter Gradutes Cum Laude , BSRN

May 18, 2009, 20:35
Filed under: History, roots of Willohroots, Uncategorized

6 Comments

The Church as seen by a Ret. Vol. Fire Chief

May 19, 2009, 12:11
Filed under: Bible study, Christ, Crazed Thought, faith, Fire Fighters, History, roots of Willohroots, Jesus, Uncategorized, What would you do? | Tags: Chief, Fire Service, training

Fire training from www.wcupa.edu/.../training%20pictures.asp

It has pleased God to provide much of my training needed to pastor Dayspring Bible Chapel in fire-halls and in fire service. My leadership skills with volunteers [ still needing much improvement] , my teaching style, my counseling and discipline abilities were all honed in Fire Service at Mt. Zion Bicentennial Fire Dept. To me this makes biblical sense. Moses was trained as a shepherd, Nehemiah in a king’s court, Luke in study to be a physician and many more examples. God is a master of cross training.

Moving from Fire Service to His Service I have noticed a lot of comparison points where churches fall far behind firefighters. One area not lacking is technology. Churches use PowerPoint and email and websites, burning DVD’s of services and using audio visual aids with cutting edge science. This is an area in which I admit Dayspring is far behind. Other areas in the visible church could learn much from your local fire department, and my suggestion is we emulate or at least learn from America’s Bravest:

Mutual Aid, one company calling and receiving assistance from others
Member Retention, recruiting is fine, but keep what you have
Leadership Hierarchy, know who is in charge of what
Buddy System, a pair beats high card every time
Personnel Accountability , know who is where and their condition
Member Utilization, everybody works for the common good
Pre-Planning, prepare for the worst, think ahead
Bonding in powerful life relationships
Community Service, cat in tree, pool fill, non fire service calls
Effective Mobilization, calling out the troops in time of need
Fellowship in leisure activities, work hard, play hard
Emergency Reaction, no committee decisions on an alarm
Training, the only usable personnel are trained personnel

Take a look at the picture above. A college age woman is using a Dry-chem portable extinguisher on an imaginary fire. She has been able to hold the extinguisher, feel it’s weight, hear the sound it makes when it discharges, see its range and operate it in a safe environment. She has no doubt been taught the mnemonic,P.A.S.S. Pull Pin, Aim , Squeeze, and Sweep. Imagine how her success at reducing property loss and mitigating a hazardous situation has been improved by this training. Experience has taught that well meaning people without training have failed miserably in using hand held extinguishers. More than one person has dropped a CO2 extinguisher in panic at hearing the loud roar it made when used. Many frightened people have not pulled the safety pin, and strong men have broken many handles squeezing with all their might against the safety pin. The extinguishing agent does no good against fire if not directed at the base of the flame from the proper distance.
For the cost of a refill, $38.00, this woman has been made into a firefighter who could save millions of dollars. No doubt she sees now what area the tool covers, and now understands how big a fire may be combated with this device, and has been taught when the battle is worth fighting and when to bail out. An extinguisher in the hands of a trained person is a firefighting tool. An extinguisher without training is a red can on the wall that pleases insurance companies and is usable only as a door stop.

At church and in His service we fight the very flames of Hell. How much training do we provide? Pastors have seminaries [I have deep rebellion issues on this one that I will get to later] , Lay leaders have conferences, but does the guy or gal in the pew get training? Training applicable to real world scenarios? It just does not seem so. Here is a great read by Willohroots commenter Michael Bell, found on the Imonk site where we met.

Michael Bell

How To Stop The

Hemorrhaging:

A Follow Up To The Pew

Forum Data

May 15th, 2009 by iMonk

“As noted earlier, before the age of 24, most of those who will leave have already left, whether they be Catholic or Protestant.”

Mike points out What is happening, here is my take on Why: They are untrained. Putting a firefighter in a position of danger without proper training and equipment is a recipe for disaster. Best case scenario, he will quit the service feeling he is a coward and a failure, or worst case, he will die. The church is too often presented as an island of comfort, a refuge from a world of sin, a safe society where sin is presented as “their” problem and we claim to have overcome. When a young adult is loosed into a world of all nature of sin the flames are too much and the options are either to beat a hasty retreat or be consumed. There are some time honored training methods available to us, and we need to teach and preach them if we are to succeed. Here are some areas that we need to address:

Witnessing, not tracts, not acting plastic, but sharing Jesus in a real and meaningful way.
Confronting sin face to face, retreat is not the only tactic.
Preparation for condemnation from the world , it is going to come, be ready, your professors [most] think we are crazy.
Real world issues are not black and white: divorce, sex, drugs,etc, must be understood – not simply condemned.
History of the Bible and the Church, in truth, warts and all, knowledge is power and many of our youth are powerless.
Evils of the Church, we are His bride, but we have messed up a lot, from crusades to defense of slavery, the truth is good to know.
Denominational Distinctives, we do things differently, get used to it. Sure ,’we are right and they are wrong’, but God forgives [whoever we are].
Sin. Sin is fun in the short term. Admit it and do not fear, we face nothing alone, He is there.
Forgiving, forgiving , forgiving

The church has a choice, to be a a life raft floating on the sea of society, tossed by the waves and adrift, or a surf rescue society, trained people with a mission deliberately putting ourselves in harms way , with purpose and mission , to head out into danger for the purpose of rescuing the lost and drowning. We can be strictly a social hall, offering a nice place to have fellowship, or with training and the weapons provided by God, rolling out with a higher purpose, saving the lost from the flames that never die while keeping each other as safe as possible in a hostile environment.

We were saved to serve, not sit. Our service cannot be done without preparation. Next post, Training. What say you? Are you trained? Have you been to some good classes? Share, we all need to keep sharp.

6 Comments

No Liberty at Liberty?

May 23, 2009, 10:19
Filed under: Uncategorized

Liberty BUT NOT THE DEMOCRAT CLUB, FOR THEM THE SIGN IS:

D-no-democrats News out of Liberty, No Democrat club on our Campus!!!

Liberty University spurns Democratic club

By Washington Post | May 23, 2009

WASHINGTON – Liberty University will no longer recognize its campus Democratic Party club because its parent organization stands against the conservative Christian school’s moral principles.

The club, which has about 30 members, will no longer be able to use Liberty’s name, hold on-campus meetings, or be eligible for student activities money.

“I think it does the university a great disservice to stifle one side of the discussion simply because we are Democrats,” said Maria Childress, the club’s adviser and an administrative assistant at the school.

Brian Diaz, president of Liberty’s Democratic club, said he was informed of the school’s decision in a May 15 e-mail.

“The candidates supported are directly contrary to the mission of Liberty University,” the e-mail said.

Liberty has had a College Republicans club for years. The Democratic club formed in October and worked aggressively to elect President Obama.

“They . . . let the Liberty University College Republicans stay on campus, but they don’t let us,” said Diaz, 18, who will be a sophomore next year. “Sounds like censorship to me.”

Childress said she is trying to appeal the decision to Jerry Falwell Jr., who became the Lynchburg school’s chancellor after his father died in 2007. In the meantime, students who violate the rule face reprimands under the school’s conduct code, which could result in expulsion.

Being currently out of a paying position I would like to suggest to Liberty University that they hire me in a new post, called “The Guy who Advises Us on how not to look like Fascist Idiots”. I would work cheap, from my own home, and save them lots of time and energy, and serve my God and His Kingdom by preventing a fine institution from a foolish act.

I know how these decisions are reached. In a small group of like minded people someone brings up an idea, packs it into a snowball and it begins to roll down the mountainside until a village is wiped out in the avalanche. My suggestion is that I be allowed to examine the snowball for signs of intelligent life. If not me I nominate Andy Stanley, or Charles Stanley, or Stanley the maintenance man from the local high school. Someone who is a bit out of the forest so that a tree may be examined individually. The view from the Ivory tower is always myopic. Seriously, our own Jeofurry would be perfect. He is one of their own, not a dispy, and coming from the far country of North Dakota, knows a bit about snowballs.

This is NUTS! There are 30 people on campus, 30 out of thousands of students and faculty who chose to belong to the Dems. What threat or danger are they to the campus at large? Can the administration not see that shutting them down does more damage than good? The latest news is that the group may meet on campus, but not be recognized. I am not a fan of the party of Pelosi and Obama, not at all, but the whole point of our free society is to allow divergent beliefs to be expressed. Here is a short list of why if I were ”the Guy” this snowball would have been tossed on the stove.

Closing down a Democratic club shows no faith in a two party system.
The bad press generated by this will fill atheist blogs for years.
It is possible that this group sought change from within. I deplore some Republican methods and strategies, but I will stay to use my vote to , hopefully, bring the party back in line with my values. If I leave I will not advocate the dissolution of the party.
College is where youth rebel. Does anybody remember hearing an old adage that goes something like: “If you’re not a liberal when you’re in your twenties you haven’t got a heart; if you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 40 you haven’t got a brain.” I registered as a democrat at age 18 to vote for Al Harris in the primary. I represented 10% of his votes in my state. At twenty I was an active Republican and have been since, although Libertarian is looking good these days.
At a time when we want Christian bible studies on school and college campuses, this attitude of exclusivity serves poorly. We need increased dialogue with the other side, yet we fear it?

So I say, “Oi vey ist Mir” or, “I carumba ” or, ” Man, what were you thinking?” Liberty has a student behavior clause that states no student can harm the Witness of the University. No worries, no student could do the harm the administration did with one really foolish decision.

Ouch! That is really going to hurt!

9 Comments

He Leadeth Me, Oh Distressing Thought!

May 26, 2009, 16:14
Filed under: Uncategorized

P1010019 Yeah, I know where you want to lead me is a great place. I know I will enjoy being there. You have my best interests at heart, and I even know you love me. It’s just that being lead thing. It is agaisnt my nature. Something in the way I am built, the way my Creator put me together just rebels at the thoughtof being led.

I strain against the leash no matter what the destination, for it I would rather be in charge, follow my own lights. I do have a brain you know. If You wanted to lead somebody arround you could have got a dog you know.

5 Comments

The Culture Wars, I Refuse to Surrender.

June 16, 2009, 18:23
Filed under: Crazed Thought, Reaction | Tags: church, culture war, God, Heroes, Jesus, Pastors, SBC

The Cross and the Flag , not Mutually Exclusive

I have been told by preachers , politicians, and many Christian Bloggers, that the culture wars are over and WE LOST. In every war I have read about there are a few hold outs who refuse to drop their arms and submit. I join the ranks of those who become resistance fighters in hope, however slim of a turn around in fortune and an eventual victory. Even if victory is impossible I will still continue to fight until my commander and chief calls me home.

I think the reason so many feel the war is lost is that our leadership has been so horrible. We did not choose our battles well. Large formations of well meaning Christian soldiers fought in vain over issues that were a diversion from the real battle. The issue was never Democrat or Republican, it was family values versus blatant filth. Instead of marshalling the troops and training them to attack only the worse most obvious examples of darkness and sin, we boxed at shadows and made great mountains out of ant hills, while the problems of our culture worsened. Did we really think ‘ Harry Potter’ was the worst thing that could happen to our children? Western civilization has had witch stories since before The Brother’s Grimm collected them. We can show kids movies about a talking cucumber, but stay away from magic! Friends, talking cucumbers are not of God!

Why were we so upset that Disney had Gay Day? If we were not going to attend that day what do we care? And what is the difference between Disney movies and Harry Potter? Big Blue Genies may look cute, but the dijin are fallen angels. The movie ‘Pocohantas’ shows my ancestors digging for gold teaching children that the Pilgrim fathers came here to despoil the land, the truth is they wanted a Puritan State. Is that what we were going for in the culture war? If I boycotted everything that did not think and act in a way that met my approval I would be a Robinson Crusoe on an island of my own isolation. How does that move the war ahead?

Our generals missed the main camps of the enemy. Drugs have been and still are ripping our culture apart. How many can name the great Christian battle against them? Did we offer prevention programs in schools? Pizza parties for youth groups were designed more to boost our numbers, however well that worked, than to broadcast the dangers of drug use and provide coping behavior for an entire generation. Alcohol destroys families, kills youth and wastes life, yet few churches joined the battle even as far as hosting an AA group. Marriage success runs fifty- fifty even among the church, so while we have talked about the problem we do not seem to have had much impact, even in our own ranks. We seem to be better at uniting against an issue than forming a coalition for anything.

One great problem we have suffered in the war is fratricide. The other day I was on a site that just loves to pick on Mark Driscol. You may not like him or want him for your Pastor, that is your choice, but if your biggest enemy is Mark Driscol, you need to look around a bit more. People who love Jesus pick on Billy Graham, John MacArthur, the Internet Monk, and you and I when they get a chance. After the name of Jesus, all those mentioned are fallible. Are you surprised? only the Savior is without fault, and if we dig enough we will find something to complain about in all our brothers and sisters. Hold your fire! Our ranks are thin enough.

So as a surviving warrior I make my stand in the jungle of America. I love the values with which I was raised. My elementary school dismissed for Wednesday morning church school in good weather. We would go to the closest Protestant or Catholic Church for Bible study or CCD according to our denomination. Some students stayed behind and played ball, nobody judged. We began the day with The Pledge of Allegiance. Why not pledge allegiance to the Government in a government school? We had a moment of silent prayer. I have visited schools over the last thirty years. There is no silence, ever. I am not a barbarian for valuing this.

I still think taxes higher than a tithe are wrong, that abortion is awful and all too much turned to in our country. Using abortion as birth control is abhorrent to me, but signs in churches, ”Unwed Pregnant Women Welcomed and Supported” are not to be found. Legislation is not an answer, propagation of a culture of life is. I find most songs on some radio channels offensive, and no Britney, I could care less where Amy is. I do not like Gay Pride Parades, but what adults do in private is of no concern or interest to me. Forbidding someones closest friend and partner full access in medical emergencies seems barbaric. Anyone who pays rent and maintains a property has a right to live in it. Christians do not need to accept sinners behavior, but we do need to be understanding, as we know we too have fallen short of the Glory of God .

I do not wish to turn the clock back to the fifties or the sixties, I seek only to have my point of view accepted, as I accept the point of view of others. So quit if you want but for me the struggle goes on. My role model will be Hiroo Onada. He was sent to war in 1944 and continued his struggle until 1974, until his commanding officer told him to stand down.

onoda-Hiroo my Hero Can I do less? Do I have less faith and desire to obey my maker than this good soldier had to obey his superiors? I was told to ‘Fight the Good Fight’ and I will do so till ordered differently.

If Hiroo can hold out in the jungles of Guam for 30 years I can fight a bit longer here in Pennsylvania .

It would be easy to call Hiroo a fool, to ridicule him for being overly zealous, but he earned my respect, and although I think he was on the wrong side supporting a racist Imperialistic government that am thankful was defeated, he did his job, and then some.

28n_onoda_narrowweb__200x226 Hiroo’s commanding officer assists his surrender after 30 years.

Will my commander be as proud of me? Put me down as an armed belligerent, a guerrilla fighter. I will use my voice and my vote to the best of my ability in the hopes of someday hearing” Well done, my good and Faithful servant.” I will continue to shine the Light of the Cross that I love on the Flag of the country that I love, and pray that the pendulum will swing back to a more moderate, less secular state of affairs in the United States. Call me an optimist or a fool, but surrender is not an option.

6 Comments

Excerpt from my Wife’s college paper.

June 17, 2009, 09:39
Filed under: Uncategorized

warning_born_again_christian_greeting_card-p137883635147345051q6k5_400 “I am a Christian. I hesitate to even disclose this because “Christian” does connote certain negative ideas of behavior, dress, mores, and judgmentalism. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some Christian groups behave more like a cult than a Christian society, and passing down judgments upon the rest of the world, and their own people. These groups are the ones newsworthy and therefore in the national media. But the small as the head of a pin Christian groups who are out there genuinely doing good works, not living to sit in judgment of others, not out seeking media attention, who are seeking knowledge and truth and committed to giving a leg up to others – to helping others, are not heard of. This is the type Christian subculture I am involved in and committed to. Christian beliefs were instilled in me through cultural transmission by my mother and father. When I turned eighteen I left the “mother” church in search of something else. I retained my Christian foundation, but found another way of expressing it other than the church I grew up in and even left the denomination in which I was raised.

As a teenager in the early seventies I was part of a counterculture. The seventies were a hold over from the sixties and hippies were still a part of the counterculture of which I myself was a part of.”

Do we need to warn others of our Christianity? Do we often add a caveat to our writings and to our speech? Do you share my wife Dawn’s concern that you will be viewed in a different light if someone knows you are one of “them”?

As a group we followers of the Way of Christ have not left a good witness. Is that fair? Is it the bad press we have recieved, or is it the truth that we have deserved? How proudly do you wave your Christian flag, or do you sheepishly admit to a faith, but point out you are not one of those. No judgement here, just asking.

8 Comments

DUI Court, Lawyers and Tryers and Beers, oh my!

June 20, 2009, 09:57
Filed under: Uncategorized

dui

“but Occifer, I only had tee martoonnies!”

I spent 5 hours at DUI court Friday. Jesus forgives all, but you still have to do the time for the crime here in the world. There were 120 cases brought before the judge that session. If that is how many cases were presented in one court session, and not all the drunk drivers are caught, how many people are under the influence on the roads today? God protect us from the impaired, they are legion. .

Would you believe that people show up for court on their second DUI wearing the shirt from their favorite bar? No kidding, for real! One fellow had a St. Patrick’s day shirt with a picture of a beer can, while another guy advertised for a local tap room. If cameras were allowed I would make a gallery for you of people who just do not “get it”.

Out of the approximately 120 cases, 7 pleaded guilty, including my friend. This either means that in almost 94% of the cases brought there were gross mistakes of identity, improper police procedure, mechanical failure of breathalyser tubes or hospital blood alcohol tests, or you are pleading not guilty because the system is designed for you to do so.

The Judge did everything he could to talk these 7 people out of pleading guilty. He told them he would not accept their plea unless he was sure the defendant understood their rights, the consequences of the plea, the penalties of the crime, and the lack of appeal afterwards. This was explained to them all as a group and to each individually. Judge Toole did a fine job of explaining all this. One thing however was not brought up. The Truth.

Never mentioned in the proceedings, having no relevance I could see, were the facts. If you were consuming alcohol or mind altering substance before or during the operation of a motor vehicle, you broke the law. If you broke the law there is a penalty. That would be a justice system. We do not have a justice system in this country, we have a legal system. The major difference is that in a legal system, justice is almost blind to the truth, blinded by the far more important legalities of the system.

The famous example I heard of this for years is the ” Trunk lid malfunction”. There for a while in the 60′s, during a routine traffic stop, the trunk of the car would mysteriously spring open. There were occasions where this phenomenon resulted in the officer seeing a shipment of drugs in the trunk, and brought about a an arrest leading to a conviction. Now we have probable cause laws and the result is that Police now ask, may I look in your trunk. If you do not wish them to look there, they will not, until the drug dog is called, barks at the trunk, and gives probable cause.

As much as I value individual rights, it seems that the whole of the system has turned into cops vs. lawyers. The cop writes up the charge and the lawyer picks it apart. Truth of the action is of great concern for the police officer, but not for the attorney. I feel this is proven by the system itself. We have a charge called ‘ false arrest’ that face police who would overstep their bounds, but there is no charge of ‘false defense ‘ for defendants and attorneys that seek to obfuscate the truth to their own ends. Any sort of behavior seems acceptable in defense of legal charges. If a man says I didn’t do it, and you have absolute proof he did it, is not this lying perjury? No, not in defense. Overhearing the privileged attorney client conversations in the back of the room was quite enlightening.

So my honest friend will spend time in jail, pay huge fines and court costs, loose the ability to apply for a license to drive for over one year, [ he quit driving after the incident until such time he could trust his own sobriety] and be on probation afterward. All of this is balanced out by being able to say, “I told the Truth.”

Jesus taught us that the truth will set us free. This does not mean a “get out of jail free” card issued to Christians, it means that even in prison we are free from the chains and bondage of lies and the father of lies. We walk in the light even in the dark places. My friend said, “There must be something for me to do in jail.” If only all of us had that Kingdom Mission mindedness. In Truth, we all have something to do, where ever it is that God sends us.

5 Comments

Biblical Illiteracy, Rampant and Wrong

June 26, 2009, 06:15
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ATHEISM

illiterate `

There is a reason our church has Bible in the name. We study the bible, we learn from the bible, the bible is our, well,.. bible! It has always amazed me how ignorant, and I mean that in the nicest way, people who call themselves Christians are of the bible. I do not mean those who claim a different doctrine, I mean those who have no clue. They are Legion.

Here is a clip going around the net that has been plagiarized so much I can not find the original, but I have read things in the Barna surveys that are similar, I hate to believe this, but I do.

” The Bible remains the most popular book of all time, and almost all U.S. homes (93 percent) have at least one. Yet only half of U.S. adults can name a single Gospel, and most don’t know that the first book of the Bible is Genesis. A 2000 survey showed that even 60 percent of those chapter-and-verse-quoting Evangelicals thought Jesus was born in Jerusalem rather than Bethlehem. Similarly, a 2004 survey of high school students found that 17 percent thought “the road to Damascus” was where Jesus was crucified and 22 percent thought Moses was either one of Jesus’ 12 apostles or an Egyptian pharaoh or an angel. Half of high school seniors also thought Sodom and Gomorrah were married. “

Do you think this may be true? I have seen ‘Jay Walking’ on TV, so I guess anything is possible. When my youngest was in elementary school there were children who did not know who Jesus was, so the survey kind of fits into what I have seen. I have a guy who showed up at church two times, the only two times he has ever been in a church in his life.

This level of ignorance has an awful penalty for our society. There is no way our culture can have a biblical word view if it does not view the bible. The most painful part of the situation is it is our fault. Me, you the reader, we are responsible. I would rather argue about Calvinism, or Infant Baptism, or Lutherans like theoldAdam, or did Driscol say a dirty word, or is McArthur right about total cessation, or should Warren have used Isa in his prayer as a name of Jesus. you can get 100 comments on Internet monk if you claim[quite rightly] that “church” as we know it is in trouble. I would rather argue what in the end is opinion with people who read the bible, than go out and read and share the bible with people who have no clue.

I love Christian blogs. they keep me sharp, give me a sense of community, introduce me to people iwould not get to meet otherwise and help me shape my own thoughts by bouncing them off of others. If you are reading this you enjoy it also, I enjoy reading comments and posts by and IKE, and JEOFURRY, AND REV. ANDY and GRACESHAKER, THE OLD ADAM, JOE, SHAWN, JOHN, JOY, my friend ROB who called from Texas when I hit a rough spot, and the rest of the frequent fliers and occasional visitors. On a good day there are about 100 of us who pass through here. We do not all agree on everything, but we all, praise God, have much more than a passing knowledge of Scripture, and I believe a passing knowledge of Christ that we each seek to grow and extend.

I would much rather speak to Christians, even ones I am in disagreement with than go out into the world and attempt to spread the Gospel. I share a common language, world view, jargon, and fellowship with Christians. Out in the world people think we are crazy, they do not understand a faith based in the Unseen that has more of a reality to us than sun up this morning. Our faith draws us together as we share the experience of a common reality.

No matter who gets the blame the reality is that the Bible plays no part in the life of most Americans today. What I consider to be the very word of God, writings inspired by the Holy Spirit, is a bunch of old literature to most. The best selling book of all time has little effect on the lives of most of my fellow citizens. Even many church goers, nominal Christians, many who would argue, and may be correct for all I know, that they are Heaven Bound Children of the Most High God, have no working knowledge of Scripture. They do not read, study, or understand Holy Writ, would not turn to it for solace or wisdom.

Many churches do not stress the reading of the Bible, and all too many sermons are not scripture based. The old joke about the preacher who had a great sermon ready, if he could just get some scripture to go with it, is a reality in many churches. It is entirely possible for someone to be a regular attendant of an organized church and still not be familiar with the organization of, or stories in the Bible.

So those of us who love the Bible and love Godand love our neighbor need to share the whole of the word with our society. We need to spread our love of scripture with the world. Our mission should be to get them to give it a try, see what wisdom, what love, what provision has been laid up in a storehouse of verse!

Psa 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Comments

Biblical Answers for a Biblically Illiterate Atheist.

July 1, 2009, 22:37
Filed under: Christ, faith, Uncategorized

atheist

So much biblical ignorance, so little time. what do some of these “churches” teach?

This broke my heart when I read it at http://thebeattitude.com/2009/05/28/losing-my-religion-why-i-walked-away-from-christianity/

A portion of the writer’s comments and his 20 points in blue and my answers in black. What do you think?

The change was a culmination of things that I could no longer ignore. Faith is belief in the unseen and unprovable, but still requires a foundation for that faith. With the countless religions of the world, I began to question why the god of the Bible is more believable than all other gods worshiped on earth. With the mountain of evidence staring me in the face, my faith began to die.

Last fall, I finally moved past guilt and admitted to myself that I no longer believe in Jesus or the god of the Bible. Surprisingly it was a relief. Not because I wanted to run wild and sin freely, but because I no longer felt the weight a Christian carries. The weight of guilt, unworthiness and fear of god’s judgement. I continue to spend my days striving to be a good husband, father and son. I help others in need around me as often as I can. The big difference is I do these things today because it brings me joy, not because I believe it brings an imaginary god joy.

For those wondering, here is a condensed “Top 20 List” of the things that led to my rejection of Christianity.

1.God is wrathful, jealous, hateful, and kills nations of people like it is a bodily function. He is certainly not just or “holy” in nature.

1Jo 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God has in His own time for His good purposes ended civilizations. These were specific instances of specific cultures. We do not know what would have come from those societies, God does, and He had His reasons. We know that to bring salvation to mankind the nation of Israel had to exist, to show the greatest love of all. A Tribe that would endanger the existance of the branch of Jesse would need to go. God more often showed amazing mercy to peoples, Nineveh, the Gentiles, and all who would repent.

2.The act of throwing people into infinite torture and punishment for not believing a Jewish guy from 2,000 years ago was God’s son, or unknowingly worshiping the wrong god, is extremely cruel and sadistic.

Deu 32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Psa 19:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

It is truly amazing that any at all are to be with God in eternity. I am not an expert on Hell, and praise God will never be.

Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The rescue is here, do not reject it and blame the rescuer!

3.The statements, “God works in mysterious ways,” or “It will all make sense in heaven,” are little more than irrational cop outs. This God allows horrible atrocities to be committed against innocent men, women and children every day.

Eph 2:2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience–

The world is not a terrarium run by a benign overseer making sure all is well. The bible is clear that at one time we had a Paradise, but not now. Satan is alive and well, and is the Prince of this world until Christ returns. How do people see evil and attribute it to God instead of to the father of all lies? This one amazes me. God has given us free will to be as evil as we wish. It is as if all mankind is Job, and we are tested to see if we will curse God and die. It looks as if some will. How much of the evil you reject is man made? All of it? It is because of this evil that judgementmust come.

Genesis 6:5
The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. GOD HAS THE SAME ISSUES WITH MAN THAT YOU DO.

4.Bloody animal and human sacrifices are illogical demands by a divine god as payment for petty wrong doings. These actions are no different than the rituals of archaic pagan religions. Not to mention the bizarre ritual of symbolically drinking human blood and eating human flesh.

Mat 12:7 “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

The old testament sacrifices taught that sin has a price in innocent blood. The Lord’s table is the culmination of that and a reminder to us of the price paid for sin. To reduce the ordinance of communion to an act honoring of cannibalism is exceptionally small minded. We are to live on the Bread of heaven, and be sustained by the life of Christ. Each time we eat or drink we need to remember the source of our strength and life, Christ. It is a mnemonic device, not a magic act.

Luke 22:20
In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant [established by] My blood; it is shed for you.

What an amazing metaphor! More than a metaphor, blood was the symbol of life! This brings us into communion with each other and God.

5.If God loves us and wants us to know and believe in him, why be so completely invisible? What is the purpose of being so illusive to those who believe and worship him?

I do not find Him illusive at all. He is always there for me, always.

Hbr 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

How would it be faith if it were concrete before you? Such is the test. The odd thing about the testis that it is open book, and He will provide you with a measure of faith if you ask.

6.God never manifests himself or performs miracles as he regularly did for the Israelites in Old Testament stories.

I see miracles in changed lives everyday. I am one. See above, faith is the key.

Psa 97:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

Ask God to take the scales from your eyes and you will see His majesty! Creation celebrates the Creator!

7.Prayers are never answered. Certainly not in the way Jesus described. Prayer has absolutely no affect on the world around us.

I have seen prayers answered! Prayer has great effect on the world, “greater is He than the one who is in the world”. God is ,however, not a dispenser of miracles to be manipulated! Jesus Himself asked God to pass the Cup of His death away, but that was not to be, Jesus also prayed,”Thy will not Mine.” God will do His will, it is His will to at times manipulate things as we ask, but not always. He is not existant to do our will, we exist to do His. Do not put God to a test, He is above it.

8.Jesus did not fulfill major Old Testament prophesies or even fulfill his own promises and predictions.

Have you read Isiah 53? And hundreds of others, from the book of Genesis on the bible points to Jesus! And if you are going to start with “This generation shall not Pass” please remember there are still jews in the world, generation can also mean race.

Mar 15:28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

There is one of many.

Jhn 7:42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? Jhn 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

I could do this all day.

9.The authors of much of the Bible are unknown. And of these unknown authors, the men who wrote the gospels likely never even met Jesus considering they were written 40-70 years after his death. A far cry from reliable testimony.

This historical inaccuracy is glaring.

1Cr 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

This was written by Paul during the lifetime of people who had seen the Risen Savior. Mark was dictated during Peter’s lifetime. Read Lee Strobel, he does a better job than I of clearing this up. The life of Jesus has more first person accounts than most of the things we accept in ancient history. Many more. To clear up the matter, John was written by John, Luke was written by Luke, Micah was written by Micah, there is a pattern here. All was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

10.The Bible is repeatedly contradictory with itself, reality, and the laws of morality. Couldn’t God inspire a less poorly written book?

Use the link to Blue Letter Bible, there is a section on biblical “conflicts” that will help. These are the things that should be discussed in any good Sunday School. There is no conflict of morality or reality. For 66 books written on 3 continents over a thousand years the bible is remarkably coherent, miraculously so.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

11.The Bible is open to interpretation. Everyone interprets it in the way that suits them best or serves their purposes.

Scripture interprets scripture, the same Holy Spirit that inspired it is still available to interpret it. I am so sorry that ,yes, people abuse and manipulate Scripture, and that is sinful . Apostasy began in the time of the book of Acts, as the church formed so did Gnostic and apostate groups. Here is a good guide for you, if someone “interprets” something in a way not seen before in a few hundred years, I will bet it is wrong.

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

12.Throughout history, Christians have justified horrific actions by the Bible and its teaching.

Throughout history Christianity has been a mass of sinners run by sinners. Horrible things have been done in the name of Christ. I concede that point with remorse and we need to beg the mercy of God for what the Church has done. None of it was done with true biblical mandate. Most of it was done by groups and power structures who did not follow the bible, and in fact rebelled from it.

Jesus Himself criticized a group of Christians who were on the wrong track, He hated what they were doing, but the behavior of sinners is no excuse to reject the Savior. These words were spoken by the Risen Savior Himself. It seems you and Christ have that in common.

Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

13.The Bible promotes hate and persecution against women, homosexuals and those who worship other gods or no god at all.

Those societies most influenced by Christianity, the societies we call Western, have the most women’s rights and the most rights for homosexuals. Compare us to Islam. Homosexuals are killed! Women still can not drive or own property. Jesus’s group of supporters had many women, there are many church leaders, Lydia, Phoebe, mentioned in the bible. The Jews were taught by God to honor all human life, except in time of war. I find no base for these claims. Old Testament law concerning homosexuals was specific to the nation of Israel. Paul stood on Mars Hill and respected the beliefs of others. Scripture teaches not all are called, and to love our neighbor, no mention of religious proclivity.

Hbr 12:14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

14.According to the Bible, nearly 70% percent of the people in the world will burn in hell because they don’t believe Jesus was the son of God.

Jhn 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

As a member of the 30% I thank God! I also recognize my responsibility to tell the 70% about Jesus!

15.The only reason I was a Christian was because I was indoctrinated into the religion as a child as a result of the culture and region of the world in which I was born.

You were not a Christian, if that is the case. God sees the heart not the membership card. No one is a Christian due to family or culture, only when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and brings the repentance that causes a fear of God do we make Christ the King of our lives and become a member of His flock. You must become a new creature to be of the family of God.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

16.Christianity has no more rational or factual foundation than any other religion on earth that I openly reject.

I do not know what other religions you have rejected, I assume all of them. That may be a good start. Our foundation is Christ, rational, and quite factual.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

17.The Christian church is disjointed and can’t even agree with one another.

Yes it is. Mostly due to a lack of standing on the bible. Man made rules and traditions are devisive. You might be surprised how much bible based Christians agree, but we are human, fallible, and sinful. Do not judge the King by His subjects!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

18.Christians are not at all ethically or morally different from non-Christians.

I honestly apologize if that has been your experience. Here is what a true Christian should be filled with:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

19.Today, powerful church leaders steal, lie and molest young children. The church repeatedly attempts to cover up these atrocities, only to reluctantly apologize as a last resort.

Yes, again I concede and add that in my humble opinion it is going to get much worse. Any church that would attempt to cover such sin is no Church of Christ, it is a society of man using the things of God as weapons against an ignorant populace.

2 Peter 2

False Teachers

¹ There used to be false prophets among God’s people, just as you will have some false teachers in your group. They will secretly teach things that are wrong—teachings that will cause people to be lost. They will even refuse to accept the Master, Jesus, who bought their freedom. So they will bring quick ruin on themselves.² Many will follow their evil ways and say evil things about the way of truth.³ Those false teachers only want your money, so they will use you by telling you lies. Their judgment spoken against them long ago is still coming, and their ruin is certain.

1 Timothy 4

A Warning About False Teachers

¹ Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later times some people will stop believing the faith. They will follow spirits that lie and teachings of demons.² Such teachings come from the false words of liars whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron.³ They forbid people to marry and tell them not to eat certain foods which God created to be eaten with thanks by people who believe and know the truth.

20.It is absolutely irrational to continue to believe archaic teaching with the amount of knowledge we’ve gained through science and technology. The Bible reads like a book of primitive folklore, not divinely inspired insight into our true reason for existence.

Mark 12:31
“The second is this, ‘ YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Is this teaching outmoded?

Mark 12:33
AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

This one?

Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:10
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

James 2:8
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, ” YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

I hope these never go out of style. There are many scientists that believe,and were brought to belief by their studies. One thing science can never provide is reasons for existance, that is out of the realm of science. As one who has read a lot of primitive folk lore, I do not see the similarities. The Bible is unique.

Peters words are true now as they were then.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.⁹ The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in them will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed.^[a] ¹¹ In that way everything will be destroyed. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God,¹² as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in them will melt with heat.¹³ But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.

¹⁴ Dear friends, since you are waiting for this to happen, do your best to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at peace with God.¹⁵ Remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient. Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.¹⁶ He writes about this in all his letters. Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by doing this.

¹⁷ Dear friends, since you already know about this, be careful. Do not let those evil people lead you away by the wrong they do. Be careful so you will not fall from your strong faith.¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and forever! Amen.

31 Comments

Biblical illiteracy in the News, Moses Nominated?

July 4, 2009, 21:36
Filed under: Uncategorized

leahy soto

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will begin confirmation hearings July 13, shrugged off the GOP concerns being raised about Sotomayor, saying some in the GOP were going to oppose any Obama pick – “even if the president had nominated Moses.”

Biblical literates would never nominate Moses for confirmation to any office.

^Exodus12So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

Talk about skeletons in the closet! Moses had one literally buried in the sand!

^{Exodus 3:11}But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

I does not seem that Moses had the self confidence to stand up to scrutiny. One answer like that and the committee would vote him out.

^{Exodus 4:10}Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Public speaking skills are necessary for a appointee. Moses was sorely lacking in this.

^{Exodus 4:14}Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

A nominee must be expected to stand on his own, not have a partner to speak for him for him.

^{Exodus 4:27}Now the LORD said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness ” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

Oh well, there goes the conservative vote. Looks like Moses would not have had a chance!

4 Comments

Lightning strikes at Willohroots!

August 9, 2009, 19:51
Filed under: Uncategorized

Mega-volts of awesome power!

Stately Willohroots manner, nestled in a valley on top of the Blue Mountains, or Endless Mountains, of North Eastern Pa. [ between the Smokey and Catskills , the heart of the Appalachian Chain, if you are looking at a topographical map] was the scene of an electrifying experience recently. A nearby lightning strike put a surge through our state of the art Dell tower, cooking the framistan or possibly the wiggetator. As you can tell, I am no computer tech.

There are several things I found out through this experience.

There is no money in our reduced budget for repair of anything.
It is possible for me to warn my wife about taking on line tests in a storm
It is only possible for me to warn her, not to say anything that will actually affect her behavior
I really need to get more involved in the job search
My Son in Law , who bought me this replacement computer so that I can blog again is a real gift
I have a battery back-up surge protector left over from the closing of my office that the Internet company said to keep as it was too heavy to return. [ "too late smart", the Pa. Dutch say]
No damage to anything can affect my love for my wife
I missed the on line community here and at your sites. A lot.

I appreciate The people who contacted me to inquire about my lack of bloging activity. Thank you for your concern, God bless your caring hearts. I will email each of you soon, now that I am up and running on the electric pathways. I will be catching up on my reading of your blogs and look forward to hearing from all of you soon!

5 Comments

Raising the Bar, Again

August 10, 2009, 18:55
Filed under: Uncategorized

RAISING THE BAR copy

Wonderful imagery from Grace Church. gracechristiancenter.com

I have been in the pulpit at Dayspring for five years now, well actually, only for the last two years has the name been Dayspring. I have been preaching here at least every other week from 2000, every week since 2004. I started as a preacher, now I am a pastor, God has been good to me to stage me up in this manner. In His love and mercy He has let me grow in stages, matching my duties and responsibilities [at least to a degree] to my skill set and spiritual development. Going from preacher to pastor was shocking, scary and to be honest if I were not forced into it it would have never happened.

God called me into the ministry in 1977, soon after I became a believer after a “Pauline” experience. I responded in biblical fashion, like Jonah, I denied the call. I remember standing by the edge of the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre yelling at a God whose existence I had denied just a short time before. I remember shouting with tears in my eyes, “I do not like Your churches,I do not like your people, I can’t stand your preachers, get somebody else!” [ Ah youth, foolish youth, truly wasted on the young as they say. ] Were my God not so merciful as to defy description, I would never have had the chance to serve Him and His people. I now love His church, and His people, however I am still a bit skeptical of His preachers, well some of them.

Once again the bar is being raised. I feel called to a greater commitment, a higher level of personal accountability, a greater degree of service and sanctification. Should we go to 2 services? Three? An old time traditional service at 9:15? I feel there are people who miss the liturgical beauty of an “old time” worship, with organ hymns and responsive readings. What about a Sunday night “unplugged” version with just guitar, no praise team, and a relaxed Q and A period? What about me elevating the bar on my personal prayer life and general lifestyle?

There are more questions than answers, but if you look in the above picture, the jumper is made less as the bar is raised, there must be less of me so that there may be more of Him.

Opinions highly valued.

3 Comments

A Tearful Salute to my Fellow Christians

August 11, 2009, 11:24
Filed under: Uncategorized

I borrow my brother's image to make a point.

I am using this image as I have stood where my brother stands, and felt what he is feeling, besides, I have no picture of me in like circumstance, and besides, this man is FAR more handsome than I.

I salute my brothers and sisters of the faith, who value good doctrine and try with all their might to please God by following His Word as they understand it, to the depths of their souls. Good doctrine is important, even critical. I do not respect the traditions of men, as we are sinful and fallible, and I truly believe that the bible gives us all we need to follow God faithfully.

We are warned in scripture by the Apostles, the Prophets , the Inspired Writers, and the Savior Himself, that men would pervert and twist the Ways of God to suit the ways of man. I salute, and I do not salute lightly, your efforts and your principles. Please allow me to stand with you on the side of Scriptural Doctrine.

Allow me to explain the tears. As a brother Fireman morns the loss of fellowship and the tragic waste of a death in the line of duty, I morn the loss of fellowship and tragic waste of witness so many of my doctrinally sound brothers cause by their legalistic attitudes. To some of these people ” legalistic” is a complement. “Competitive Christianity” is a sport at which all are losers. By being so conscious of every jot and tittle of the Word, they seem to have missed the sentences, the paragraphs, the epistles themselves. They understand the points, but do not connect them into a line. It is in their criticism that their heart is shown. Children of a forgiving God can not emulate Him by being , at least in their own eyes, perfect while seeing the faults of others. It can only be assumed that they have removed all motes. Some examples found on blog pages and in pulpits:

Joel Olsteen is not Satan, Satan would never advise so many people to find a bible preaching church near their home. You may not like his style or content, but Satan?
Billy Graham may have said a couple things you don’t like, but he never said he was perfect, he said Jesus was. When you have pointed as many people to the cross as did he, feel free to criticize.
Mark Driscoll can not be called apostate because you do not like his T-shirt. His word usage is appropriate for his flock. When you have pointed as many people to the cross as has he, feel free to criticize.
All Catholics are not Hell bound. I am no fan of Rome, but Christ has more to say about this than does the Pope.
It is possible that “theoldadam” has been redeemed yet not turned Baptist. [I said possible, as in , "All things are Possible with God"]
Rick Warren will not go to Hell for using Isa as a name for Yeshua the Messiah, it is no less an affront then calling Him by a Greek version of a Hebrew name. Jesu forgives.
True life stories abound on the Internet of churches beating people down. Graceshaker’s story brought tears to my eyes. This is done in the name of Jesus? Look around, you can find some bragging about these incidents.
John MacArthur is not the Second Coming, he is merely a great expositor, but human and possibly in error [but not much].
Steve Brown [Steve Brown,etc.com] will not go to the “smoking” section of the afterlife for being a pipe smoker
We are saved by Grace through Faith, not by our doctrine.

The attitude I have tryed to describe is one reason why it is hard to fill a church today, or find a church if you are looking. My friend Texas Rob of ” A Voice Crying out in the Wilderness ” has as his most recent post the desperate feelings of a futile search for fellowship in his area. I have felt it myself. Until I was in the pulpit at Dayspring I never had a fellowship could fit into as the churches I could salute for biblical accuracy had a Pharisaical attitude, and the lovey dovey churches barely used a bible.

It hurts to see the Way of Truth and Love be used as a weapon. I am not sure my doctrinally correct friends will allow me to stand in their ranks. I take great hope in Jeofurry, and Shawn W, and Graceshaker, Mike Bell, Ike, Joe, John, and Dr. Headly, and Rev. Andy Little, and the rest of you, who seem to understand that good biblical doctrine can and must be infused with, coated with, and major in Love. John 3:16 shows us God’s motivation, pray that it becomes ours.

12 Comments

DUI Followup, from June archive

August 11, 2009, 11:30
Filed under: Uncategorized

Out of 22 people in a DUI [DWI for y'all] driving class, ordered by the court, when told a Breathalyzer would be used and a 0 tolerance policy extended, guess how many [ out of 22] were sent home for alcohol use.?

Remember this would mean drinking that morning, or getting tanked the night before. Winner will receive the key to stately Willohroots manner for a weekend.

4 Comments

This is not a joke?

August 11, 2009, 11:34
Filed under: Uncategorized

So an Irishman, a black guy, a Guatemalian, and a Polish fellow carry a carpet into a church while a Welshman holds the door….. Hey that is not a joke, that is my church!

Dayspring Bible Chapel! When we told it we used a bit rougher language, but in brotherly love. God bless the American church and the diversity it brings!

2 Comments

A Tearful Salute to Marianne Lordi

August 15, 2009, 08:35
Filed under: Uncategorized

Dissenting voices are welcome at Willohroots. People who have the courage to speak against the writer are to be commended. People who do so based on an honest biblical faith, doubly so. Marianne Lordi left a response to Tearful Salute. That required a response that is this post, Marianne, and readers, please take this in the spirit that I wrote it, one of humble love of you and of the Savior that taught me to love my God.

The most popular post on this blog is, “Close the Church of Christian Criticism”. This is written out of a feeling of repentance festering in me for decades of being a critic myself. I know we need to stand firm for doctrine, and never has one of my sermons been criticized for lack of a biblical base. [other criticisms abound, but not that one!] I feel we save Satan a lot of trouble by sniping at ourselves, and in the disunity we show as the bride of Christ. Christ seems to have a bi-polar bride who fights with herself at every opportunity.

I reply to Marianne as I have replied to many of my own flock, in love, but with the conviction of my spirit brought about by years of dedication to being lead by the Holy Spirit. If the tone of love does not flow in my words, blame my writing skills, not my heart or my intent.

Joel Olsteen is a motivational speaker , who at the end of his sermon suggests that people go to a bible church.

I personally would never sit under him, there is no meat , there is no milk, there is no meal. To the millions of the unchurched and depressed in America, he may well be the only one in their lives who tells them to go to church. He is even specific in telling people to go to a bible based church. This means that he is advertising for me. Please explain how demonizing him will lead anyone to Christ. My comment was, “he is not Satan”. He is not. Jesus loves Joel Olsteen, and please remember we have a God who can use a donkey to get His word out. We are called to love even such as Joel, and I welcome people in my church who have been broken,[some by the church] and turned to Olsteen for a positive word. I suppose none of them to be either saved or educated in scripture.

Suppose an innocent seeker followed Joel’s advice and went to a bible preaching church to find Jesus. How effective is it to save that soul to

by demonizing the one who referred him or her to come in the first place? I can’t have it. I confess I have done it myself, God forgive me if I was ever a stumbling block to Salvation.

One of Rick Warren’s big classes, thousands in number,is discribed as the following, ” ‘Fresh Start with God’ is designed to encourage, equip and assimilate new and recommitted believers as they grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.” Please criticize this title. Have you listened to a few Rick Warren sermon’s before you made your pronouncement of his heresy? I got up early this morning to listen to a few before I posted my reply to you, as I wish to be fair. It is not my style, it is his style, and I can see his appeal, and he does preach Christ. From 205 people on Easter Sunday 1980 to 22,000 last Sunday, he has grown a church a little. Do you think none of them saved? If you are repeating the mantra that Warren does not preach Christ, without listening to him preach, you have become a gossip, not by my judgement, but by the Bible’s. God forgives us when we forgive others, recognize our sin and turn from it.

Marianne, you are convinced that Rick Warren will pay a price at the Judgement. We can not do this! God looks at the secret places of the heart, we can not do that. Jesus said he did not come to judge, yet you and I wish to do that which the Blessed Savior refused to do. He will judge when the time is right. We are the branches, Jesus the true vine, God the Gardener, He will prune or cause to flourish whom He will. Please, I beg of you, do not put yourself in such a dangerous position as presuming to judge, for with the same measurement we use to judge will we be judged ourselves. I could not stand to such a judgement, and you can not either, for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Is Christ’s blood not effective for the cleansing of Rick Warren’s sins?

Google Rick Warren, the first 4 or 5 pages are criticisms and denouncements. Does this serve the Kingdom of Christ? Why are there more pages criticizing Warren than Todd Bently or Andrew Womack? I will post some possible reasons.

It is easier to be a Saturday morning quarterback then to get on the field
Guys from little churches like mine are jealous, envy motivates them to find fault
He doesn’t do things the way you or I would
He is not perfect, therefore there really are points to pick on and be correct about
When you stand up for Christ, rocks will be thrown.
Most of us on the internet are so desperate for readers that we will join the criticize club to get some hits
It is easier to use the bible to see the sins of others than to use the bible as a mirror to see the depths of our own sin.

I salute you Marianne for your desire for the Gospel, and I love you for your love of the Lord. We most likely share a doctrinal statement with very little deviation. I wish you were in my church, and were my friend, but as I said in the post you responded to, will you allow me to stand with you? Am I ” out of the club” for my opinions? I have been thrown out of a few churches, so that is not a new experience for me. Somehow, through Divine Providence he has given me a pulpit and a mission in life, things I was too foolish to seek, so He must have some purpose to drive my life. [ sorry I just had to do that] By the way, I did not think much of Rick Warren’s book, ”Purpose Driven Life”, not enough bible for me, but he is still my brother.

I wish to comment on one more thing, and it is a personal beef of mine.

“As it says in James,if you desire wisdom on a matter, ask and God will give it to you. Pray about it. God bless you.”

This implies that if I would just pray and seek God’s wisdom, I would end up agreeing with you. My dear believer, the distance from God’s mouth to you ear is no shorter than from His to mine. In this statement is the crux of the matter , Christianity is not a competitive sport! There is no “I am more saved than you are” we are saved! The only possible measure of our faith is the fruit of our works. Have you brought 22,00o people to church lately? Me neither.

I do salute you. Thank you for allowing me to use you to show the source of the tear in my eye.

11 Comments

On mission in Virginia

August 19, 2009, 23:00
Filed under: Uncategorized

I will be returning to Willohroots Wednesday, pray for safe travel and God’s Will.

3 Comments

The Unfortunate Victims of Cross-Fire

August 28, 2009, 22:52
Filed under: Uncategorized

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! James 3:5 NASB

I have a love for sound doctrine, I also have a burden for souls. There should be no conflict here, but in this imperfect world that groans for His coming to make all things right, I perceive a danger to the vast crowd of unreached, hell-bound, misguided, people we are called to love. It is easy for them to get caught in the cross-fire. As we shoot at each other, to no real result, there are casualties occurring on the sidelines about which we need to be sensitive.

Allow me to make some opening statements to set up my argument.

The majority of Americans are biblical ignorant
Critical, logical thinking is not taught nor esteemed
To unbelievers we are all one big group, Christians. They do not understand or recognize our sub-groups that we so highly value. They do not give a fig for Calvinist, Charismatic, fundamental, Liturgical, or any other label with which we are so familiar
Joel Olsteen, The Pope, John MacArthur are all in the same group to them, “church guys”
The general populations ignorance of theology is matched by an ignorance of History. I was actually heartened to read C.S. Lewis describing the average RAF member’s idea of history as, a time long ago, when there were knights, and cowboys and Indians, and most likely dragons, but not in any real order
17% of American casualties in Desert Storm were from “Friendly fire”
There are some denominations that really creep me out, I have no doubt they are in error
One tool Islam has used since the Qu’ran is to point to the disunity in Christendom
We have a whole lot of disunity

Let it be understood that there are some “preachers” out there that I would really like to meet in the deep woods. I am an egotistical sinner, enough to think that a lesson in self defence, [that is what I would call it, I am a great rationalizer], would do some of the “Jesus Tokers”, ”Spirit Drunks”, false Healers, and out right charlatans a world of good. Let me knot up a scourge and go to town before I get too old to do it. When I see some of the crazy things called Christian on youtube I get enough indignation , I think it is righteous, to smack the babble out of some of these fellows mouths. There I confessed. But I want to do it in the deep woods, not to avoid witnesses, but so that I am not a bad witness myself.

I have been married thirty years, [ by the way, I am praying this does Not work like a mortgage, 30 and out], and believe it or not, my lovely wife and I have fought. I do not mind fighting, but we never wanted to do it in front of the children. You see that is what we are in large part doing as Christians. We meat eaters are fighting in front of children who have yet to taste milk!

I am trying to treat some of the Christians whose behavior I just can not stand as the crazy uncle at the family reunion, he is going to be there, just ignore him. I need to do this because there is a world of unsaved people who need me to be loving and explain the Word to them. This burden must out desire to criticize the other team no matter who that might be. It is perfectly allowable to suggest that the way I believe and worship makes more sense to me, but it does no good to brand another as apostate to make myself look better. Have you seen any of these evangelistic methods work?

Why most people who say they are ”Christian” are lost
There is only one way to Heaven and we meet at 9 am
Don’t be fooled by all the crosses on the steeples, it is a decoration
Here is a list of famous preachers going to Hell

How hard is it to come up with a blog roll that says just that? The blogosphere is chock full of Critics for Christ. Jesus told us to go forth and make disciples, not go forth and criticize. Let us attempt to correct each other in love and understanding, not in arrogance and hostility. How many friendy fire casualties are acceptable in this war? It is entirely acceptable to speak what you perceive to be the truth but do it in love, and with understanding not judgement. I am strongly of the opinion that many are wrong, but I can not call them unsaved, that is well above my authority. I guess Peter said it best in his first letter, 3: 8,9

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Who does this encompass? The people in your pew, your church, your denomination? I do not have the wherewithal to judge that. If God is the Father, Christ is His virgin born son, Savior of mankind, and the Holy Spirit is the promised guide and comforter,then we have much in common.

Triage is the skill of putting resources to their best possible use by keeping first things first. Think of the lost first, then deal with the misguided, and don’t let the kids see you fight.

Fight nice Christian Children, Your Father is watching!

5 Comments

Six Baptisms at Dayspring!

August 28, 2009, 23:18
Filed under: Uncategorized

There will be, God willing, six baptisms at this Sunday! Praise God! These are a varied bunch of people coming from atheism, addiction, alcoholism, and two young men who brought their mother to be baptised two years ago. These two guys came into our flock about 5 years ago and spontaneously asked us to pray for their mom. Midway into the service she arrived. They are now 15 and 13. Praise God for His Spirit that quickens!

Please pray for Marie. She would like to be baptised , but has health problems. She has lost a big toe and others are in danger. She has been a single mom to my biggest fan, Althea, a 27 year old perpetual child due to retardation. Marie is frightened, I would be too. Praise God for His Mercy.

We will be using the next door neighbors pool. Years ago there was a blood feud situation between the neighbors and the old church. Now he cuts our grass and plows our snow, for free! Last month he sent his son to Sunday School! Praise God for His Spirit that brings reconciliation!

Pray for good weather, we would not want to be rained on, we might get wet!

5 Comments

What do these people have in common?

September 2, 2009, 23:09
Filed under: Uncategorized

Witnessing Baptism at Dayspring

See this crowd? They vary in age, skin color, gender, national origin, native language, educational level and economic status. They do not vote alike, talk alike, enjoy the same pastimes, or eat the same kinds of food. What in the world that could unite such a diverse collection.?

This is Dayspring Bible Chapel , well some of Dayspring, at the Baptism last Sunday. They have a lot in common that you do not notice at first glance.

They are all sinners
Their Savior is Jesus the Risen Messiah
They love Jesus and because of that life changing love they seek to love God ands their neighbor with all the strength of their heart
They depend on the Holy Spirit to author and grow that love
They are my family, for whom I would give my all

I look at this picture and feel a great responsibility. It is my calling, as I love my Savior, to feed this flock. I must feed them good solid Biblical food, and attempt to shepherd them with love and the Spirit’s guidance. That responsibility alone should keep me humble and cause me to pray without ceasing.

5 Comments

Did I hear a Hokie?

September 3, 2009, 08:45
Filed under: Uncategorized

Birds of a feather?

While in the deepest, most rural regions of Virginia, we came across a species of bird new to us. Some sort of turkey on steroids, it is called a Hokie bird. Beloved by the natives, it is cheered on by the local populace, and it’s war cry is imitated by thousands. I hear there is a place in it’s nest for a trophy.

This is an example of one we found in Blacksburg. [ the one on the left is a Hokie, the one on the right I am still figuring out after 21 years] There must be some sort of infectious nature to it all, as I find myself cheering for a guy named Tyrod, respecting a fellow named Beamer, and saying “Go Hokies!” I have yet to gobble, but as the condition advances it may become irresistible.

Go Hokies!

5 Comments

9/11, the still night sky..

September 11, 2009, 12:29
Filed under: Uncategorized

What was missing from the night sky?

The impact of the morning of 9/11/01 was emotional and disturbing. I was out in the yard on a beautiful day smacking golf balls for the dog. [ I do not golf , I smack balls for the dog, he brings them back. I fear for his life if he ever learns that we live next to a golf course, such behavior is not universally appreciated. ] It was a great blue sky day. We were going into work a bit late that day as we had evening appointments . there was no big hurry,no rush, life was fine. My wife, who was at the time a Fox news junkie, came out and said,” Will, you’ve got to see this , a plane hit the Twin Towers.” My first thought was that a Timothy McVeigh wanna be in a Piper Cub made a statement, and that Christians would be demonized. I came in to watch and saw the second plane hit, ” live and in action”.

It is an amazing age we live in. I saw The Challenger disaster ‘live, I saw the Twin Towers attack, live. I fear what else I see in the future. I wonder how the ancestors of the Faith interpreted Rev. 11.

⁹Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.”

As a modern Christian, I see a ‘live feed’ of the bodies laying in place broadcast around the world. Billions will see them arise at the Call of God. ‘Live and in color’.

As horrible as the impact of the hijacked jets was, the collapse of the towers was the emotional ‘coup de gras’. I looked at my wife and said, ”I just lost a couple hundred brothers.” I was off by a bit, in mere moments we had lost 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics, 23 NYPD, and 37 PA cops. I know the estimated death toll was 6000, a horror for each family, but I relate to the emergency responders on a different level. We are family.

We never did go to work that day, we watched Fox and MSNBC , searching for information, prayed for Firefighters and their families, and were generally stunned. It was a day of sadness and defeat. Somehow however, it was all two and a half hours away, [that is how we measure distance around here, in drive time] and was slightly unreal, as if you could go to bed that night, and wake up to a new reality, finding it all just a nightmare.

It came home, and touched me where I live,that night. There is a lovely night sky at stately Willohroots manor, with just a hint of light pollution to cloud the sky in the East from the city of Scranton, the darkness of the night sky above Appalachian chain here in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania, at an altitude of 1500 ft. provides a wonderful observation deck for the canopy of stars and planets above us. some people have a prayer closet, and if that works for them fine, but I have found I need as little material separating me from God as possible. I have a prayer yard. Looking up at the wonders of the heaven, knowing it was all created by God, and that He knows the stars by name and put each in the right place and that the light from some of them have been on the way to my eyes for millenia, and yet God is no older now than when He created them, well, it all combines to quell even my giant ego and put me in the proper mood to pray. I was in need of prayer that night, fearful of our future as a nation, of reprisals, frustrated that I had nothing to offer to help my fallen brothers, emotionally drained and looking forward to the embrace of my God.

As i looked up into the clear sky, something struck me as very wrong. It took a few minutes to process, but there were no aircraft. I live under a fly zone, a highway in the sky. Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport is used as a radio beacon for fly over traffic, and is relatively busy on it’s own. That night , and for a few nights after, for the first time in my life, there was no air traffic. I looked up at the sky as did Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. I looked at a sky devoid of modern travel, I looked at the sky as Jesus and the Apostles did, nothing up there of man, only what God hath wrought.

So every night, as I take the dogs out and look up, I count two to five aircraft, most way to high or distant to hear, and I remember 9/11/01. Each evening is a reminder that it will take very little to wipe the tracks of man from the world, very little to change our way of life permanently. Every night I think of the war radical Islam is bringing against us, the horrible casualties thereof, and the uncertain future of my children.

I know God is everywhere, but above the circle of the earth, above the atmosphere we use for life and air travel, outward of the globe of strife and conflict where Satan is, for a time, allowed to act as a rogue Prince, is a universe, imagined, designed, built, and maintained by a God of Mercy and Order. It is so good to know that He will eventually , in His good time, bring Order and Justice to reign in peace here, on our little dot spinning round at the edge of the Milky Way.

Every time I look up now at the night sky I say, ” Come quickly Lord!”. Until then, I hope that my children will see planes when they look up at the night sky. May they fly in peace untill He comes.

2 Comments

My Daughter finds a new Worship Group

September 16, 2009, 09:48
Filed under: faith, Reaction | Tags: A.A., addiction, Alchoholics Anonymous, worship style

Humbly seeking a Greater Power

My family and I have done some traveling through the Christian wilds of northeastern Pa. There was a span of time where we visited quite a few different churches bringing the gospel message and singing blue grass and Southern gospel music. The kids were never overly impressed with any of the church families . Now, I will grant you , my girls are a rough crowd. They are very critical of “Holier than thou” and have a built in hypocrisy meter that goes off with great sensitivity. [ I just can't imagine where they get it.]

Often times we would drive home with me being the apologist for the group we had just left. Usually the conversation revolved around one or two of the group who exhibited highly judgemental behavior, or in some other way played the ‘competitive Christianity’ game and managed to offend my young daughters in some fashion. In reality, it is not hard to offend young girls, they are sensitive to even implied abuse. I am not really sure the oldest girl ever healed from this duty fully, as she still thinks 99.9% of all the Christians she meets are worthy of her disdain. We are working on it.

When the youngest daughter came in last night and announced she had discovered a group filled with humble hearts, seeking God, changing lives, and showing the way to Christ I was honestly surprised! Far more common would be here coming home saying, ”You will not believe what I just experienced, and they call it a church!” Last night she was energized in prayer, rejoicing over changed lives, humbled by broken spirits, and warmed by love of others in this group and their love of a living God who is active in their lives.

Last night my daughter attended on open Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

8 Comments

Will the circle be Unbroken?

September 16, 2009, 19:20
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: denominationalism, fellowship

Fellow travelers circle the wagons for mutual defence

Imagine, if you will, our travel through this vale of tears, the path of our walk toward Eternity, using as an analogy the wagon trains from the western expansion of the settlers in America in the mid 1800′s. Each wagon will represent for us a denomination. We have Jeofurry steering the Baptist wagon, TheOldAdam in charge of a Lutheran wagon, Rick Warren in a Purpose Driven wagon, ShawnW holding the reins on the Preacher Woman wagon, Bishop Martino in the RCC wagon, Rev.AndyLittle in the Rainbow Wagon, and Joel Olstein in the Your Best Wagon Now. These are just some of over one hundred wagons headed for The Promised Land. Each wagon is sure that they know the best path, and carry the most pleasing cargo.

While there are some definite differences in opinion and style of the occupants, there are definitely many commonalities.

a desire to go in the same direction
a belief there is a right and wrong way to get there,only the right way succeeding
an eager anticipation of the journeys end
agreement that there is an Enemy who would stop them if he could
a belief [in theory] in loving their neighbor
knowledge that the area off the path is fraught with danger
reading of a common book, albeit with differing opinions
the same Wagon Master commands them all

In the history of the United States people have put aside differences of national origin, language and even denominations to band together. Alone, in single transit they would be easy picking for the elements and enemy to pick off. Together they made history, and a new nation. This fact gives me some hope for the future. Are Christians as smart as were the settlers?

Some day, perhaps soon, if we do not band together and circle our wagons, the enemy will find us easy to defeat. Segmented and divided the flaming arrows of the evil one will surround each lone wagon and attack it from all sides. If the circle is unbroken we will have a safe middle ground, and present a united front. Some of my fellow travelers may be wrong, but at least they are wrong about the right things. The enemy will not care about our differences of opinion, they matter not to him. Anybody headed for our declared destination is fair game.

Stop on over at the Dayspring wagon, I make a mean plate of beans, bring some biscuits and we will sing along to the mouth harp. [ I hear that theoldadam's wagon has a barrel of beer, but as a Baptist I am sure that is just an evil rumor], if we stick together the trip might actually be enjoyable!

19 Comments

Poor Witness? Here’s your sign.

September 21, 2009, 09:00
Filed under: Uncategorized

It is possible to be very wrong, even when you are right.

Every once in a while, when I feel tough enough, I peruse the other side of the blogosphere, the atheists. I do not do it to find someone to argue with, I don’t feel you can argue someone to the Lord, I do it to hear their arguments, and see what they think of us. Mostly it seems, they think we are idiots and sometimes I think they are right. Not because of our faith, but because of the witness some of our little families show to the world.

Look at the young fellow in the picture above. Is that the Gospel? Is that the Good News of Jesus Christ? Do you see hope for redemption on his sign. I was once many of the things listed on his ‘go to hell’ placard, and at times can slip back towards a few of them, yet I am not in danger of God’s Judgement. That is the Good News.

fail-owned-welcoming-bible-lesson-fail

This will pack them in. Everyone is welcome to everlasting punishment. Great.

Church Sign

This one ticks me off! Sure God was the one who said water would not be compressible, but He never said to build hotels on the sand. Actually I remember something about the solid rock. Anyway, If I just lost a loved one to AIDS I would not go here for comfort. Aids is spread primarily through behaviors God does not approve of. Look at the spread of heterosexual AIDS in Africa, adultery kills. I have not heard of God starting a war in the last few thousand years. I thought dictators and politicians start wars. Don’t blame God for man’s sins. What sort of ego do you need to put words in God’s mouth? I have a fear factor that just would not allow me to do that.

churchsign_spell

Now there’s a reason to come to the Lord.

olivet_baptist_sign I have nothing to say on these two that does not speak for itself. It is not just church signs.

1044617-e3protestors_super

streetpreacher1

I don’t know what they are protesting on the top picture, but whatever it is they are really advertising for it. The guy on the bottom gets credit for using the word salvation, but salvation is not a right, AIDS is a plague not a right, and Hell is not mentioned as a right in Romans. There is a really bad attitude showing here. This is not “Come let us reason together.”

wacko-christians

Update… This is a spoof picture, but they did such a good job, people took it as real! See Chris’s comment below. Sorry Mark O. First of all, maam, where in scripture do you see the Lord crying over dance. And you sir, I have been married 30 years, I like to dance with my wife, and I can testify with truth that dancing does not lead to sex. Not always, and in my humble opinion, not often enough. Using the technology hidden in the basement of stately Willohroots manner I was able to enlarge the book the man is holding.

macs-for-dummies

This could explain a lot.

kansascitychurchsex

You put this on a billboard? Really? I read about the challenge, and my wife and I actually participated in ‘The One Day Challenge’ [ hey we are old and busy] I hear what you are saying, but people judge you by your signs! This is ridiculous! You want to challenge the world, try this, challenge them to go without sex for 30 days to discipline the body and honor God. Might not bring in as many people, you think?

wonder-of-truth-sign-1

If no one else has noticed, 50% of America is Democrat. Win an election, lose some souls. Fair trade? Somehow I doubt it.

bumper

Ah the bumper sticker crowd! Don’t you love it when they cut you off, or park in three spaces? I believe I believe the way this person believes but I bet I get to talk to more people.

Well for all that , these signs are not all that bad, I would much rather live in a country where I see these things listed above,,,,,,,,, not the one below.

muslim protestors (1)

10 Comments

There’s a sermon in it: Displaced fish

September 24, 2009, 10:19
Filed under: Christ, faith, Uncategorized | Tags: Crazy Christians

Pond dwellers swimming in a cold mountain stream, for a time.

It must be the preacher in me. So often things in nature, in life, in movies or a show, reach out to me with the Truth of God’s Word. At church, before the sermon, someone may put something in ‘The Mystery Bag” and I am challenged to preach a 4 or 5 minute impromptu sermonette to the children about whatever it is I may find there. The kids seem to love it. The principle is that since God is the Creator, everything created must tell His story. I find that is true in all of life.

This spring there was a high water occurrence do to heavy spring rains. We have been blessed with a small creek in the back yard, running down the middle of the property , normally home to striped minnows, crayfish, and the occasional frog. This spring the high water brought some unexpected guests. From the pond at the top of the hill came some Bluegills. Some of you may know them as blue-gilled Sunfish, or bream. They had been swept down stream, over a 12 foot waterfall past the rocks and downed trees, and ended up in a small dammed area in the back yard.

Blue gills are not native stream dwellers. They live naturally in ponds and lakes, where the water is warmer and still. They are not streamlined like trout, which are designed by the Creator to cut through currents and live in cold moving water. Their color helps them to blend with the weeds and grass of a shoreline, but betrays them in a free stone stream. If my wife and I did not feed them they would never survive, and if we did not protect them the Great White Herons would have had a wonderful meal. I’ll not soon forget the image of a 3 to 4 foot high bird in a larch tree giving my wife dirty bird looks, as she scolded it for trying to get its lunch at stately Willohroots Manor. They have grown on their diet of bread and scrambled eggs. I guess we could eat them, or ignore them and let the high water or ice take them to their doom, but they have given us much pleasure this year, as we have enjoyed watching them through crystal clear water as they fed and swam around. Abandoning them now would be very out of character for Dawn and I. This weekend we are going to scoop them up and give them a car ride back to the pond where they belong, so that they can live with their fellow pond-dwellers in safety and security, safe from the ravages of winter.

Do you see the sermon in this yet?

This world is not our home. It is a cold place where we are buffeted with the currents of the stream of things far beyond our control. We are for a time in a damned place, damned by our disobedience to to merciful God, living in a place where the adversary prowls like a roaring lion waiting to devour us, where ravenous birds of the air prey upon the seeds of the Gospel that have no firm root in good soil.

Were it not for the protection and provision of a kind and loving Creator we would perish. This Creator so loved us that He walked among us, being for a time, a little fish in a great pond, not choosing to rule, but to teach and guide us to repentance and love. We have grown, even in this hostile environment, by his provision, and he who has started a good work in us would never abandon us to the flood and the chilling cold of a time when His warming love is absent from the stream of history. We hope we have given him pleasure with the sacrifice of our Worship, and our feeble attempts to imitate Him. He has promised to gather us up, all of us, the living and the dead, and take us to a place of warmth and eternal provision, where we can be with others of our kind in a place protected from all assault and deprivation. He will not do this because of what we have done, but because that is His Nature, and His promises are sure.

Somehow that fish symbol means a bit more to me today.

He will gather us up , the whole school!

5 Comments

Just how wide is the Christian Bell Curve?

September 26, 2009, 09:53
Filed under: Uncategorized

Does x mark the spot?

Most of us are familiar with the bell curve. [ I believe it is named after our friend and willohroots blog poster The Eclectic Christian, but I am not serious about that.] The curve is a way of showing graphically that the largest number of a given group is in the middle but out on the ends there are extremes, but in lesser number. With my Psych background, I am most familiar with IQ plotted in this manner. Intelligence Quota, or as measured, how successful one is at taking an IQ test, can be shown in a population as most in the middle being an average, and some with genius on the right side, and a roughly corresponding number of the less intelligent on the left.

Let us say a bell shaped curve was drawn not to show intelligence in the population, but to show Christian beliefs. Say we got some data from the Barna group. Barna is the Christian Gallop. Here is an example of a recent poll.

/www.barna.org

One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances. Slightly less than half of the born again adults (46%) believe in absolute moral truth.

Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches. That proportion includes the four-fifths of born again adults (79%) who concur.

Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force. Even a minority of born again adults (40%) adopt that perspective.

Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior. Not quite half of all born again Christians (47%) strongly reject the notion of earning salvation through their deeds.

A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth. Slightly less than two-thirds of the born again segment (62%) strongly believes that He was sinless.

Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still rules it today. That includes the 93% of born again adults who hold that conviction.

I am not about to address the findings of that survey, that is a different post, today I am asking, because I wish I knew, How far out from center can you get and still be a Christian?

Are the 7% of born again Christians who believe in a God who is not all powerful, all knowing , are they really Christian? Are the 38% who believed Jesus was a sinner really ‘saved’? The 53 % who work to earn salvation?

Let us look at this behaviorally. How far out can you get not only in your beliefs but in your practices. This one is chewing me up today. Are the men crawling around on all fours barking, claiming the Holy Spirit is involved in this asinine behavior Christians? Are the people who pantomime drinking and then fall around as drunk Christians? Are people who ‘Toke on the Ghost and then act stoned Christians? I really don’t know, but it sure makes me wonder. A perfectly nice fellow here in town, invited me to his church, where , he explained, you can plunge your head into a basin of holy water and come up speaking in the tongues of angels. I missed that in my bible, and have no desire to do such a thing. Where do each of us fall on the graph?

Lets look at people who hold up signs that say “God hates America” are they too far out on one side or the other to be called Christian? What about women preachers who marry Gay ,Lesbian, Transsexual, Trans gender Couples? Are they on opposite sides of the bell? How far out are they?

What would be measured? Adherence to doctrine? Toleration for others? number of baptisms? Love?

They way the bell curve is viewed by many in the Christian blogosphere, is the X marks the spot. X of course, is where they are at. They define themselves as the pivot of the Faith. To the left, not saved, to the right, in danger of Hellfire. It is obvious to them that they are right, Saved, justified, logical, and to be emulated. Maybe they are right. They can’t all be right as they are certain that the other guys are all wrong, so who is in the center of the curve? Does being in the center of the curve make you correct, or just popular?

I have no metrics to plot my faith, no measuring stick other than Scripture, which is the same gauge that the others, some of whom I consider real wackos, say they use. I am no longer sure the group called Christian would plot out in a bell shape. There are times I feel far out numbered by the kooks, hard-hearts, blasphemers, apostates and swindlers. If I am the x on the graph, these guys are so far out in left and right extremes that I can’t see them.

I do not think X marks the spot, I think the spot is marked with a cross.

cross

10 Comments

Having Christ’s mind, Treasure in a clay jar.

October 17, 2009, 09:14
Filed under: Uncategorized

Having Christ’s mind?

Human skulls containing the mind of Christ?

People can argue about so many things. The condition of ingested prophets,[please see last post] that old question of philosophers ” How many pins can you stick in the head of an angel”, the color to paint the lobby, Scripture vs. Tradition, all these have caused rifts from church splits to shooting wars. How in the world can any group of people be centered on a common mission? How can peace reign with free thinkers?

From Philippians 2 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Savior could humble Himself to the point of death, most of us won’t give an inch on a committee if we think were are right. We would rather be right than relational. Our grasp on our rightness far exceeds or grasp on righteousness.

Philipians 1 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Will we suffer to put up with others even if we disagree? Well if Christ could let go of being equal with God, i guess i can let go of some of my precious ideas.

If the salvation message of the Good News, ”Repent and Believe!” is foremost in our lives we need to put all other thoughts in second place. So i repent in sack-cloth and ashes. There will be no ”1st Baptist Church of Jonah Died in the Fish, Church of the Resurrected Slimy Prophet” . I can’t break fellowship with Justin and Joe over this issue. Justin I am sorry I called you a candi-corn eating heretic. [ I didn't type it, just said it, sorry], Joe I will stop digging for dirt to besmirch you, If you are convinced Jonah lived in the whale, well my love for you in Christ Jesus means more to me than my opinion on a small issue. I wish to be forgiven and continue our fellowship. I would rather be humbled than alone.

But, just asking, would it be all right if we examined and spoke of my belief when this issue came up, and could we have discussion without division?

By the way, this was one of my opinions that was brought up to me as a reason I should leave a particular church where I was active in a few ministries.

10 Comments

Back on the wheel.

October 12, 2009, 22:52
Filed under: Christ | Tags: God, love

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

I feel myself being put back on the potter’s wheel. My career, my health, my ministry. It is scary, exciting, and rejuvenating. I do not know where I will end up, I do not know what I will end up, but I know whose Hands will shape me. I pray I do not jump or slide from the wheel before He finishes me. Then there will be the fire to harden the new construction. Always the fire, to skim off the dross and to cure the vessel to a usable hardness. Seems to be the finishing stage to a new beginning.

The alternative to being clay on the wheel is to either mud on the ground, or a broken useless vessel. Lord, I would rather be a vase than an ashtray, but you are the Artist, the Divine Potter, I am just the clay. To be molded for Your use by Your hands is more than I could hope for or deserve.

Whee! I feel the spin starting!

6 Comments

Searching for what is not hidden

October 3, 2009, 11:21
Filed under: apostacy, Bible study, Christ, faith, Jesus | Tags: cults, denominationalism, factions, God, Pastors, revelation

hiddeninplainview It is human nature to explore, to search and to delve into depth and hight never visited before. This personality trait of mankind has motivated us to cover the globe with civilization, exploiting as many of the God given resources as we can find and put to use. Were we not made this way there would be no advancement, no exploration, no progress.In academic and philosophic circles there is a great desire to plow the virgin field, and to stake claim to new grounds as the inventor or discoverer or progenitor of a new theory or school of thought.

It may be this portion of our nature that cause so many people to search for a “deeper” or “hidden meaning” in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am personally convinced that the Holy Bible holds all the information needed to know and please God, though the Good News of Jesus, the Risen Messiah. The Bible has proven itself to me to be authoritative, complete, and truly Holy. There are many translations available to compare and contrast what is said to come to a personal understanding of the meaning presented. It is enjoyable and educational when people bring different translations to a small group study. comments like, “My Bible says,” or “It is said a little differently here” bring open discussion allow varying perspectives to be examined, giving participants the opportunity to voice the sentence in their own words, so as to bring the meaning home.

Finding “hidden” meaning in Scripture is quite another matter. There is a thriving industry, and has been as long as there has been scripture, in having some “enlightened soul” teach the secret meanings, and “unlock” they mysteries of Holy Writ. The new rash of Cabalists tell people that they are skilled at finding the meaning in the white spaces on the page, not in the inked portion. This obvious nonsense satisfies Madonna. Books and websites and cults that brag on finding treasures hidden for centuries in the most read of all books abound. There have been claims for everything from higher levels of awareness, to the location of Atlantis, all placed in the bible, usually KJ 1611, or the original Hebrew, or even in a painting of The Last Supper.

Re-reading some Gnostic literature has fanned the flames of my irritation. I take the words of Paul seriously, ”This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” , and I honestly do not believe that one can be a steward of the mysteries of god, without being a servant of Christ. The conjunctive is binding. Those who claim to have “mysteries” but are not serving Jesus, are quite possibly serving someone else all together. Those who use the very words of the Savior to weave a web of confusion deserve a special place on my list of irritants. Let me share this portion of poison.

Jesus’ Five Stage Model of Consciousness And How His Theory of Nature Provides the Key To Stage IV

Jesus’ parable of the sower (Mark 4:13-20) conveys how his teachings are received according to the stage of consciousness of the receiver. What the sower is sowing is the Word, meaning the logos/mind of God. As soon as those on the edge of the path (those in Stage I) hear about the word/logos, they let Satan [the personification of evil] come and carry it away. Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock [those in Stage II] hear the Word [Jesus' logos/logic teachings] and at first, welcome it with joy. But because they have no root in them, they do not last;.. When the first test or persecution on account of the word comes, they fall away at once. “For they have no moral conscience to persist. Then there are others, [those in Stage III], who receive the seed in thorns, [meaning in a judgmental environment]. They have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches, and all other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing. And then, there are those who have received the seed in rich soil [those in Stage IV]. They hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, 30 and 60 and a 100 fold.” [Mark 4:13-20]

The key concept, upon which Jesus anchored his knowledge teachings, is that each of us is meant to grow through five forms/states of consciousness and each form is initiated by a consciousness-raising idea.

This discussion of “levels of knowledge or awareness” is quite common among those who seek to find the secret in the open. Perhaps a better ”unwrapping” of this parable was given by the author,” 10. And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, [began] asking Him [about] the parables. 11. And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12. in order that while seeing, they may see and not perceive; and while hearing, they may hear and not understand lest they return and be forgiven.” 13. And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14. “The sower sows the word. 15. “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16. “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky [places], who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17. and they have no [firm] root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18. “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19. and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20. “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Nothing of levels, but of different reactions differing people have to the gospel, a reaction we have all seen take place. The 8th chapter of Romans is also given a treatment of being divided into levels. It seems anything is used to promote the idea that some people know some facts that others have missed.

Could it be the truth is plainly laid out for us? Hebrews 1

1. God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2. in these last days has spoken to us in [His] Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;

. Joh 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Deuteronomy 30:11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, IT IS NOT HIDDEN FROM THEE, neither is it far off.

Col. 2: 2. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: 7. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Before delving in to supposed mysteries and hidden revelation, we should encourage seekers to contemplate the ultimate Mystery. 1Jo 4:19

We love Him, because He first loved us.

5 Comments

Confessions of a Halloween Hater

October 5, 2009, 14:05
Filed under: Uncategorized

pumpkin puke My absolute least favorite holiday of the year approaches. I don’t think my rebellion to this particular celebration of the American Way is purely religious. I do not think it is Satan’s birthday. I am not sure it is a night of special demonic activity. I just don’t like it for a lot of earthly reasons.

We had more nuisance calls for rubbish fires and set trash fires on that date than on any other during the year.
Ask the cops about vandalism, if your house wasn’t hit…
Just what we need, an excuse to extort neighbors for empty calories
I have never seen “Halloween” the movie, or “Friday the thirteenth” and I am all for personal freedom, but anybody seeing “Saw” more than once should be monitored by a government agency. Tis the season…
Gore is not entertainment, not the former V.P. nor the display of blood and guts one sees all over on Halloween.
Christians look really foolish with their “Hell houses” and most Halloween alternatives are unfortunately lame.
Candy corn is just wrong
Little kids with “Scream” masks are not funny. They should not even know such movies exist.
Being “attacked” by a chain- less chainsaw in a fun house or while on a hayride holds no entertainment value for me.
Pre-pubescent girls dressed like hookers is sad, just sad.
Pubescent girls using the holiday to dress like prostitutes just makes me wonder how many kids are orphans , what are the parents thinking?
Soaping windows is bad, waxing windows is just evil.
Toilet paper looks bad on trees.

Putting the worst on display seems to me to be what Halloween is all about. the occasional ”fancy dress party” or costume ball is a lot of fun, but the night has come to mean a different thing. Our worst nightmares on display, the dark side magnified, the nasty made normal , that is what it is today.

I have a mixture of Halloween memories, good and bad. Panting for breath behind a Superman mask and wearing those “really cute” homemade costumes my mom made, not too good. Bobbing for apples, going on scavenger hunts and playing hide and seek at the MYF in rural America are good memories. This blog is not the place to tell the tail of the MYF Halloween Hayride where the minister’s daughter taught me a thing or two,[ it was innocent by today's standards] , but that was a good memory.

So am I just a Fundamental Evangelical grouch? Am I missing the hidden goodness of a young child with an ax stained with fake blood? Should I not be upset by dozens of witches walking the streets? If you think I am overreacting, tell me. In the meantime , I say, ”Down with Gore, Yeah Hayrides!” Take it any way you wish.

By the way, any un-lame Halloween alternatives? I would like to do something beside leave the lights off and hide behind the couch.

25 Comments

Light at the end of the Tunnel

October 10, 2009, 23:37
Filed under: faith, Fire Fighters, Uncategorized | Tags: Alchoholics Anonymous, ATHEISM, Chief, depression, Fire Service, God, love, Nature

Tunnel through the rail road fill at 7 tubs.

I have been going through some tunnel times. I seem to be much better at getting a second interview than I am at getting a job. I am sick of being broke, church giving is down, it rains a lot, my aches have aches, and I am generally miserable. Worst of all i spent a lot of time this week with Johnny. Johnny was my assistant Fire Chief for about 5 years back when i was Chief. he saved my rear in a figurative way a couple times, and I think God used him to save my life once.

The reason spending time with Johnny put the icing on my depression cake is that he has become a practicing alcoholic. johnny is 7 years younger than I, but now he looks 10 years older. his hands shake, his face is lined deeply, his legs can hardly hold him up. His dad died of alcohol in 73, his pretty younger sister dies about six years ago, same thing. I love this man, and just know he is on the way out. I have tried praying, preaching, and invites to AA. Without a Damascus road experience he will go the way of his family. I don’t see John often, but every once in a while, in the dead of night he will stop by, drunk as a skunk and smelling worse, to reminisce and wake me up. It only happens two or three times a year.

I was with Johnny because he called me Wednesday, his mom had passed away. He needed his Chief. I was with him as much as I could be. We went to the funeral Mass at The Holy Redeemer. His mom was a strong Catholic, but it didn’t take for John. They have a new priest, and I enjoyed[90%] of his homily. Their beautiful building with its vaulted ceilings is a lot different from, Dayspring’s drop ceiling plainness. I hear they are going to sell it, and as much as I would love to preach there, i just don’t see that happening. Very Christ centered. I stayed with him for the burial and the little dinner after. We sent over a ham and some buns, it is about all I can do. I can’t reassure him, or promise reunion, he is not a believer. he told me that this existence is Hell. His theology is really wrong, but he is strong in his disbelief.

Anyway, the Godlessness of the situation brought me to a dark spot. I have to watch my self. I have been really depressed in the past, and if I let my Gospel armor loosen, and if I do not take care of me and walk closer to God i can get so down i can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I took a hike with son in law Mark, [Eutychus to us] , and took some pictures and walked the blues away. It lifted me, may you enjoy. These are from the Seven tubs Recreational area in my home County of Lucerne.

P1010095

P1010069

P1010097 P1010070

The tree tops of north East Pa. The colors are coming in.

Looking out to the Blue Ridge Mountains , across the Susquehanna valley

One of the Seven tubs

Markus Eutychus, excellent hiking partner!

P1010072

So how can you stay depressed with such natural glory around? How can i be down when God has taken me through the tunnels of cancer, and pain, and paralysis? Do I think God retired? Am I silly or simple enough to think that He who started a good work in me will nor complete it? Being around people who have shut out God really runs me down, being around God and His works is my prescription. Hope you like the photos!

6 Comments

Men’s Bible Study, Where do we come from?

October 12, 2009, 21:41
Filed under: Uncategorized

We are starting a new men’s study based on the life of David. it will take a while to get through it, and the first stages will be to speak of the early life of David. Part of the study will be each man sharing how his boyhood was spent. I thought I might start by sharing mine with you, the Willohroots reader.

redneck_pics_baby I fell to temptation at an early age.

baby smoke One sin attracts another, and it got worse with age.

redneck_pics_camper5

I was fortunate that my parents had a second home in the country. It was equipped with all the modern conveniences, so it did not seem like camping.

redneck_pics_luxurybathroom

My dad spent a lot of time teaching me the manly arts.

redneck_pics_antiterrorist

I did, however spend a lot of time at my school desk.

redneck_pics_skeetlauncher

My childhood companion and only friend was my faithful dog Brutus.

redneck_pics_dog

Other than that I was just a normal kid.

NintendoNerdLord

I got into firefighting for years, but that was very strenuous, I hurt my back and had to learn to take it easy.
lazy-firefighter

Some time in the late 70′s i saw a sign from God and went into His service.

redneck_church_sign2

I am glad to be involved in kingdom growth, but there is much i need to learn. For instance, we believe in total immersion, i am just not sure for how long. Don’t worry, Tyron was revived after only a few minutes of CPR.

P1010041

Seriously, you may be surprised at how much of this is true. Somebody really did steal our lawn mower! In the meantime, I need to get to Neal Bortz and find out how so many photos from my family album ended up on his site with the word redneck written on them!

4 Comments

Baby Jessica Update! Praise God, keep praying!

October 13, 2009, 08:49
Filed under: blessings, faith, Jesus | Tags: blessing, God, Grace, love, mercy

By the Grace of God, still with us!

Patti sends us an update on our miracle girl! This is Jessica, who was so ignored by her birth parents, that she needed to be Life flighted to Hershey Medical Neonatal Center, on the brink of death. They neglected to give her food or water. She is a survivor! Thank you Jesus

From Patti:

First of all I would like to thank all for your prayers to our awesome God for our sweet Jessica and Bob{[Patti's husband, Jessica's uncle]and myself. Don’t ever doubt that your prayers aren’t heard and answered, and so gratefully and humbly appreciated by Bob and I.

Jessica will be 18 months old on October 21st. She is now almost 20 lbs and a healthy, bright, energetic little girl. She is running, and talking. She loves reading and can recognize all of the alphabet and some numbers. She knows pretty much every animal and the sound they make.

We took Jessica to an animal park/zoo. She loved it so much. She just laughed and pointed at all the animals and called them to come to her. She fell in love with Twigga, the giraffe, who she got to feed carrots to. She had no fear as this huge animal bending down to her and wrapping his tongue around her little hand to take the carrot. She laughed and wanted to keep feeding him, which she did many times. Many people there took great joy at watching Jessica enjoying the animals. They followed us around, some took pictures of her, one man took a video. All had such smiles on their faces watching this little angel enjoying God’s creatures.

She is the biggest little helper. She loves to help me cook and bake. She is very stubborn and determined and just understands so much. She truly is a miracle and a wonderful blessing and an amazing little girl.

October proves to be an eventful month. Her birth father is awaiting a bench trial. He has pleaded not guilty although the DA thinks he may end up pleading guilty at the trial. This trial is to be within the next two weeks. Her birth mother has her plea hearing on October 27th and is expected to plead guilty. They both have been testing positive for drug and alcohol throughout the entire judicial process. They had a meeting with Children and Youth and the mother showed up drunk. Children and Youth have tried to get them to give up their parental rights, but the birth father said “it’s my kid” and they think the birth mother would have given up her rights, but she was drunk, and the birth father wouldn’t let her alone with them.

God has been proving to me over and over again who is in charge. In my most anxious moments He wraps His arms around me and says,” be calm, I am here”. We had the nightmare case worker, and then she went on maternity leave and we were assigned a new case worker who was a dream. In September the old case worker was back. She called me on the phone to set up a visit and not two minutes into the conversation she was already telling me not to get my hopes up about keeping Jessica. Well, needless to say, my asthma kicked in because of my anxiousness. I dropped to my knees and prayed God to let me just not listen to her. I prepared myself for this meeting by having people pray, and I spent all morning going from room to room just praying the blood of Christ and glorifying God for all He has done and will do. By the time the knock on the door came the Lord had me in a peaceful state, knowing he was in control. When Miss Nightmare came in and sat down, I took a deep breath and smiled. I asked her how she was, and told her how Jessica was doing. She then told me (brace yourself) Children and Youth were going to give total custody of Jessica to us and they would be out of the picture. What an awesome God!!! So on October 21st (Jessica’s 18 month birthday) we have a hearing to appoint Bob and I as Jessica’s sole legal guardians. Thank you Jesus again and again!

We will now pursue adopting her. We have no idea what it will involve. Our prayer is that both parents will give up their parental rights. Maybe once they are convicted and jailed they will realize what they have done and if they care anything at all about Jessica they will realize that she is happy and thriving and in the best place she could be.

Please keep us in continued prayer. We look forward to adopting our little Jessica. Pray that we have wisdom in what to do and who to go to.

I thank Pastor Will and Dawn for their constant prayers and help. I thank my family at Dayspring Bible and also all of you who I wish I could meet and just give you a big hug.

Thank you so much! God bless you all!

Patty

4 Comments

Prayer Request!

October 14, 2009, 11:28
Filed under: Uncategorized

One of the Dayspring flock is in need of urgent prayer. Our sister is being rushed to the hospital. She is about 7 months pregnant, and is experiencing a hemorrhage.

Please pray for the mercy of God on this situation. The very fact that she is in the flock is a miracle. She is carrying a little girl, and we wish the opportunity to love this child and raise her in the Lord.

Update, Just got a call, our sister is home, still pregnant with a healthy baby! Thank you, Thank you Jesus!

3 Comments

Jonah, the Myth, the Story, the Sign.

October 15, 2009, 14:12
Filed under: Bible study, Church wrongs, Uncategorized, What would you do? | Tags: bible, churches, Pastors, Sunday School

Get real.

The stories of the Bible are a gift from God to mankind. The inspired prophets penned tales that illustrate the condition of man, his relationship to God, and God’s great Love for us all. It is annoying and horribly upsetting when well meaning people take these wonderful tales and present them in a way that renders belief in them almost impossible, and actually misrepresents what I would consider the main points and message. The story that most offends me today is the story of Will, pardon me, Jonah. I relate to this story as it seems to be the story of my life. To have it reduced to the story of Pinocchio is really upsetting.

The case in point that chafes my chaps today is the tale of Jonah. I love this story! I relate to this story! I think every word in this story is true. I do not believe that the picture above is indicative in any way of what occurred. The flannelgram pictures I was shown as a child that threw me into rebellion [ ok, I was already in rebellion, but this stuff helped], are still out there. The testimony of Christ himself should confirm my point.

I was in a study group one time and the leader told me, ”It is OK if you do not have the faith to believe that Jonah lived in the whale three days.” I do not think it is ok to believe that Jonah lived in the whale, as I do not believe that to be an example of faith, I believe it to be an example of poor hermeneutics. Look at what happened in the tale as Jonah was pitched overboard.

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights

Fish. Not whale. The Willohroots concordance defines the word used there, Keetos, as ‘giant swimming thing you would be scared of if it swam by you.

Here is a picture of Keetos from the willohroots concordance.

large-Whale-shark-feeding It looks very capable of swallowing Jonah, or anybody it wants to, or is ordered to by God.

So this is probably a better representation,

August Jonah and the whale sm

Than is this,

GeppettoWhale The verbiage involved in the story seems to agree with me. The King James’ says:

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Now I am not really sure about what that means, but I doubt I will be doing very much blogging after my soul faints. The ESV makes it a bit clearer:

When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.

Seems like Jonah died. I am not making a point to be argumentative, I feel this is very important. When we teach the New Testament , the Old Testament stories are often critical to a complete understanding. When Jesus, Yeshua, the Son of God and Messiah said, ”This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one^[i] greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.”

So when we teach the sign of Jonah, does this make sense?

Sunday school illustration used when I was a kid.

Or should we be teaching this?

sidebar_tomb_sealed How could the Savior have said to people,” I will live inside a fish, or more believable[ or no more believable than that] a giant whale, for three days, this is the sign I give to you.” Is that what He said? Or did He say, ” As Jonah was dead for three days in a fish, so I will be dead three days in the tomb. That is the sign. ” What do you think was the lesson our Lord brought there? Is there any way to use Jonah living in a whale to illustrate Jesus?

The bible , my Savior, my God, taught that,

jonah was a foreshadowing of

tomb

So tell me, am I being one of those weird preachers that goes through the nursery and gets rid of the stuff that reminds me of Pinocchio and fails to teach a Gospel message? I fear that putting falsehoods into the minds of children, even small ones give the Devil a foothold. I am not saying i am right all the time, or smarter than the average bear, I am saying I care and will do all I can to rightly interpret the word from the nursery onward.

What say you?

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

May God richly bless the reading of His Word, and may the Holy Spirit who inspired it lead us to a useful and correct understanding of it.

17 Comments

Forgiveness Plea

October 20, 2009, 08:11
Filed under: Uncategorized

repent I repent! In trying to make a point about division , I caused it! Please forgive my lack of tact, it is no secret that I have the subtle charm of a buffalo in a bakery. No more allusion and tongue in cheek, it hurts when I bite down!

I must remember that we speak of serious matters and these are serious times. I have learned that Justin has taken 20 lbs. of candi- corn and gone off to the desert. I hope he will not harm himself or others.

Seriously, I might kid you, but I would never hurt you! Sorry if some of you all got offended. I might be stupid, but I am trainable!

3 Comments

Kingdom Math

October 27, 2009, 09:32
Filed under: Uncategorized

$Carry the two, add the ought , divide by short span of attention$

Carry the two, add the ought , divide by short span of attention

If you are one of the Dayspring people who recently were baptized please stop reading now. Seriously, if your initials are Mike K. [ yes, you] , or any of the new people, don’t let this bring you down, it is just how it is. Anyway, for the rest of the Willohroots readers there is a mathematical problem in new church plants that is manifesting itself at Dayspring, and is all too common in the Christian world. I have heard church planters talk about it, and I have read some blogs about this phenomenon, but it sure gets real when your face gets rubbed in it.

A new church start with a Christian core group of a few established, experienced disciples, and a larger group of newbies, seekers and the walking wounded has a wonderful balance. There are experienced, stable people who can provide the voice of godly wisdom, and who are financially secure enough to be a back bone of support for the outreach ministries of the church.

In our capitalistic society, a hug is wonderful, a shared meal is a delight, but to impact a life often takes money. We have had no success with our rich young ruler [Mark 10:17] ministry. Most of us had to be shown we were lost before we saw we needed a savior. While many unsaved people are quite wealthy, some lost people often need a bit of help. We don’t want to see someone who is cold and needs a coat, and say “We will pray for you!”. Dayspring has paid a couple rent, tax, light, and phone bills, bought some clothes, and generally showed some love to the people God has put in our path. These small expenditures have proved very effective in getting the attention of un-churched people and illustrating to them the Love of Jesus.

Most of the people to whom we have reached out have responded very positively to the Gospel message, our small gifts were enough to get their attention and open their hearts to a life changing method. Many of these people are stabilizing, and with God’s help overcoming addiction, arrogance and biblical ignorance, improving their own lot in life and moving toward a position from which to help others. This movement may take some time. Often there are fines to be paid off, amends to be made, new jobs to be found. The adventure of a Christian life is just beginning for these folk, and it is a joy to observe and share God’s involvement in their lives.

So often, however, that portion of the church that was the financial backbone , the tithers who have walked with God and who have been blessed with health and jobs and a stable financial base begin to move away. These new people do not act, or speak, or dress like the church people of former fellowships. some have coarse language, no idea of how “church people” act, and as they are reinvented by God often have unstable employment, and contribute spottily to the church. They did not grow up in a pot luck covered dish society. They bring a bag of chips and joke about the lack of a six-pack. Many step outside for a smoke, as we must sometimes pick an addiction to fight. There are times that the slogan T-shirt is way wrong! If these people invite family to a church function, there will often be trouble, as their families are often a wreck, and not supportive of one of their own who has gone ‘religious”.

The positive side however outweighs all of the above. These new Christians have hearts, so recently installed by God as He replaced the Flint hard, cold, sin drenched , damaged , evil hearts that these folk came with, new hearts that love the Gospel, love a bird song, love the sun up, love the scripture, and love the little church that God used to bring them to Him. There is an energy, a sense of victory surrounding them that is truly a blessing to behold. All Christiandom should rejoice, as did the angels in heaven for the salvation of these precious souls! Now for the problem, it is the Law of Diminishing Financial Return.

Due to poor life style choices of the past, this new group owes Caesar money for fines, and have had a share of employment issues. There is no way, at the moment, that they can contribute much cash to the cause. They contribute time, sweat, labor and prayer, but the economics are going to need to wait a while. This should not be a problem, as you have the established brothers and sisters to back them up , right? Here in lies the problem. People who have been “churched” for years have expectations. They grow to miss the fellowship of body of like believers. It is not easy being an elder in every social setting. Sometimes they want to just be one of the group. There is a comfort in a body of like-minded believers. It is nice to go to a pot luck knowing there will actually be other cooked products there. It is refreshing to talk about Charles Stanley, and Billy Graham without someone piping up, “Who is that? I listened to Joel Olsteen once, He seems like a nice guy!” Stories of abuse and addiction can be hard to hear. I didn’t say it was easy.

I have heard the frustration. A wonderful woman, a former Christian teacher and a bible student once said to me, “All these changed lives are great, but we need to get back to basics!” She was quite serious. Another saint left fellowship saying, “I feel like the oldest person here, like a dinosaur, I need to be around older people.” Other stable families visit, say they love the music, like the preaching, but they don’t return. We do have some scary looking dudes. I think these people are forgetting a lot. We are not to be a club. we are to reach out into the community and make disciples. Church is not about what you can get out of it, it is what can you put into it! Bringing in the harvest! That is why we exist, and all else is but window dressing. I would rather show the Light to one lost man, than be in the light with one hundred who can see. We are called to be a life boat, not a community swimming pool! Here are a couple verses that have given me strength lately, enjoy!

Galatians 2:10

They only asked us to remember the poor– the very thing I also was eager to do.

2 Corinthians 9:8-10 (New American Standard Bible)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

as it is written,
HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness

6 Comments

I miss fitting in, am I a misfit?

October 30, 2009, 19:05
Filed under: blessings, Christ | Tags: bible, denominationalism, Evangelism, factions, God, Jesus, legalism, SBC

Thomas Grunfeldmisfit_4 Thomas Grunfeld is my favorite taxidermist. He has taken the Jackalope to new heights. I really relate to these images. Quite often I have felt that I too am an assemblage of cast off parts.

In my search for a new career, OK, job, I get the weirdest comments about my resume from interviewers. ” So you were an Electrician for over twenty years, went from being Pa.’s youngest licensed Journeyman electrician, to an Electrical Inspector, then a teacher of robotics at a junior college , yet you have a Psychology degree , spent more time as a volunteer Fire Chief than in any kind of job, worked as a banker for 12 years managing branches, and you say you have been a Pastor since 2004, and now you want a career in with us?” I can’t imagine why they are confused. From this side of the desk it all seems so logical.

At least there is this degree of consistency, my ministry resume is just as odd. For years I did not go to any church planting meetings, as I did not think I was a church planter, as I was in a pulpit of a church that was built 25 years ago. Now I am in a church that is a new plant that started four years ago. It is the same Church building, but a new church was born there. I was just along for the ride. There were no meetings or trainings offered for people serving in a church that was being reinvented. Church Strengthening, yes, church Planting, yes, Church Reinventing or Church Rebirth, not so much.

I have been preaching the Gospel as pulpit supply on and off for 32 years. I never went to seminary, and that was by choice. There is a conservative Baptist dispensational seminary almost in my back yard, and even though we preach from the same book and share so many values, I find an attitude there that repulses me. I have looked back in the history of a few local churches and found that they were doing great, until a preacher from that Seminary was called to serve there. After that church growth would cease and families would be torn apart, all in the name of Jesus. As I looked into other sources of education I found two schools. One so loosey goosey that scripture was a suggestion, the other so sure of their doctrine that they would choose it over Jesus, and in fact I think some of them did. I then judged all seminaries by this one. I am also nonjudgmental.

In most areas of doctrine people say I am quite conservative, but I am comfortable with gays and addicts and criminals, and atheists, many of whom really are nicer than I by any standard. I do not like liberal theology, nor do I like the cocky conservative who is so sure of himself that he would advise the Apostles. I am comfortable with reading conservatives, but would rather associate with liberals. The conservatives think I am aberrant, the liberals think I am conservative.Neither side will buy me lunch.

I have never been ordained, as the only groups whose ordination I would accept would reject me for some of my beliefs. My head does not fit in the jar. I have sat on ordination councils, but it is not likely I will ever be ordained. There does not seem to be too much of a problem with this in practice, no one really seems to care. When I was an Atheist I was ordained in the Universal Church Of Life, as a professor of mine thought that if a bunch of ministers of this group met at his home , it would be tax exempt. Ordained as an atheist, but not as a believer.
What a misfit!

The people I baptize become Baptists, yet I was baptized Church of Christ. I was dedicated as a Methodist, but was never a dedicated Methodist. I play guitar in a praise band with drums and all, but I personally prefer the old hymns of the faith. I serve communion with Matzo and Welches, and yet think that if there is no Real Presence, something is awfully wrong. I do not believe in divorce, but the best elders I have worked with were divorced men. Divorce ends a marriage, not necessarily a ministry.

I preach out of the Holman, but only because I bought them for $3.00 a piece. I love the King James, but lean on the NASB, study out of the ESV and put up with the NIV. In the 70′s, after King James study and them discovering the NASB I really enjoyed the Good News bible. I taught with a guy who claimed he was saved with the Good News, and soon after his conversion the Holy Ghost told him the only translation was KJV. Go figure .

To me the Catholic church has let down thousands of people, so poorly taught them that the vast majority know very little of the Gospel, and fall into unbelief. A couple weeks ago I sat in Mass at a funeral and had a wonderful time of prayer and worship. I disagreed with a couple points of the homily, but the priest has such a loving attitude it did not bother me. It was all about Jesus and that suits me fine. I’m not turning, but I’m not all that turned off either.

I tell my wife who is of Italian heritage that my Welsh heritage of song is superior to all, yet I listen to this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2SZ-nCBmsU Nice as it is, it can’t compare to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_XJFp5JXpk

So none of the pieces fit together. Well I have been given a great gift of faith, I know that my loving, Father will not allow a sparrow to fall, but that He knows. Even if it is a funny looking sparrow.

Thomas Grunfeld, artist for today's images.

9 Comments

Holy costume party Batman!

October 31, 2009, 17:46
Filed under: Uncategorized

I just got something sprung on me, the AA meeting I wish to go to to support and celebrate at is a costume gig. I found a Hawaiian shirt, a bible, and a cup from Starbucks, any ideas?

I know, I am going as,, Rick Warren!

8 Comments

Nerf Swords don’t cut

November 4, 2009, 09:40
Filed under: Church wrongs | Tags: depression, Evangelism, Pastors, preacher, sermon

National Publishing and Jones Brothers, 187[?] Willohroots family bible from my ‘s dad’s side.

New Illustrated Devotional and Practical Polyglot Bible [Cincinnati

Monday started off with rank disappointment, so instead of getting all down and blue, I thought I would listen to Jeofurry sermon. I like to hear Jeff preach, and thought that would be uplifting. Just to continue the downward spiral of the day, I could not get any of his sermons to load. At least the day was consistent.

I popped over to the church site of a friend of mine, someone I had not checked in on in a long time. I found an eight part series on The Beatitudes, at least that was the title, but they really weren’t. A little googling and I found out that they were Rick Warren sermons, from one of Rick Warren’s sermon series. I listened to most of them. Now I was really depressed.

I heard a good man, a man with a loving servant’s heart become a shadow. His sermon illustrations were not from his own life, they were from Rick Warrens life, and so the message I was getting was like a fax of a fax, a bit blurry, lacking the crisp detail needed to bring a message. Seeing some one attempting to imitate anyone but Christ, well it just isn’t Christian.

Armed with a cynical attitude and already filled with negatives, by the power granted to me by Google, I set out to check out other web sermons. I found way too many cheap imitations of the same thing. Now I imitated Warren at a fancy dress party, but never in the pulpit. There are so many people going to Hell, so many of the saved that need the guidance of Holy Writ, and the exhorting that comes only from the Word, that I take my post very seriously. I can imitate no one. I do not need to. My God has worked in my life, He continues to do so, He does this so that I may share His Glory and point to Him.

To fight the Great War we are given the words of Moses and the Prophets, the Apostles, and even the words of the Messiah Yeshua! These words have Power!

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edgedsword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Ephesians 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I am afraid some of my brothers are using imperfect swords. The power is not there, because instead of reaching up to God for power in preaching, they are reaching out laterally to other preachers who have had success in their area. They must forget that the success they are viewing came from God, not from the preacher whose church they are observing. Instead of getting the message from the source, they are sitting in the shadow of a man, not the light of the Son. If you attempt to copy Warren, or Piper, or Keller, or MacArthur you will be such a shadow, wielding a shadow sword. Reach High! Attempt the unattainable, and seek to copy Christ, as did James, and Peter, and Paul, and all the rest. You will fail, as I am sure they did, but it is a glorious failure, as the attempt is a victory, and fail to reach that hight the highest worship that we have. The sword from this armory will have little effect in real war.

Blades of sponge do not pierce to the heart.

I am not condemning Rich Warren, there are plenty of blogs for that, but I am pleading for us all to use the great weapon we were given, the Sword of the Word. Jeff , get First Baptist Langdon, North Dakota site fixed, and encourage your pastors to be themselves, as God has molded them. My wife has taught me much, but most of all to be me in the pulpit, just me. If God put me there, [and He did] , why try to be someone else? It is best to be a real little guy, standing in the Light of Jesus , wielding the true Sword, than the shadow of a giant, holding a Nerf blade against the Devil. The bible has many stories of God using men and women, but I can only think of one where He used a Shadow.

4 Comments

Scranton Catholic Woes

November 6, 2009, 14:35
Filed under: Church wrongs, Uncategorized | Tags: churches, denominationalism, pastor, Scranton

elec city
774px-Scranton_welcome_sign_from_The_Office_credits Some of you have seen this sign on a TV show called ‘The Office’. My daughter watches the show, I do not. I tried, but I just do not get the humor, if there is any. There is far more drama, and even comedy in the reality that is Scranton. The City broke away from Wilkes-Barre a century ago at the hight of industrial Pennsylvania, and is a fascinating place. It is the home of two really quality, really Catholic, Universities, Scranton U. a Jesuit institution, and Marywood, founded by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I am no expert, but that sounds about as Catholic as it gets.

Scranton is amazingly culturally diverse. King coal brought in labor from Europe in stages. The dates on the many churches give a guide to the waves of immigration. First the Irish, then the Italians, and when the coal companies had enough of those, they went to Western Europe to recruit. If there were one group they might unite, and that just would not do. Fortunately for the mine bosses , all these ethnic groups pretty much hated each other. We have Slovak, Polish, Czech, Italian , Irish, Russian , Greek , Hungarian, and plain old Catholic churches in this area. These groups never worshiped together, often fought in gangs, avoided intermarriage like the plague, and had their own language, customs, foods holidays and Saints. These were people who took their Catholicism seriously. The church was a major part of their lives, providing all social contact, education in the English language and trades, and giving political direction. Even today in Jessup, right outside Scranton, St. Ubaldo races the other Saints for honor, it is close on occasion, but Ubaldo always wins! Even when he fell of his perch one year and had to be hastily reassembled, he won!

Times are changing. Now there is intermarriage, a more homogenous culture, and a lot of empty churches. Bishop Martino became very unpopular by closing Catholic schools and churches. The diocese was broke, he said, do to a lessening of contributions and the payouts made to all the child abuse victims. As bad as things are, they get worse. Like this.

(more…)

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Scranton Catholic Woes, continued…..

November 6, 2009, 23:43
Filed under: Church wrongs, Reaction | Tags: churches, preacher

I post these problems not to gloat, i have learned that that does not work out for me. I serve a God who humbles His servants! I post this because the Catholic church around my area has one problem after another.

My imagination is disturbed enough to think that I could have been sitting in a service watching a Power Point on the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, and have the Chippendales or worse put on the screen. It is almost humorous, except that my imagination is also fertile enough to imagine myself putting on the presentation. Ouch. It must make this guy feel a bit better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IymxMidkyI4

The one that really concerns me is Bob Timchak. I was a regular reader of his faith column. He wrote some great stuff on several congregations that I like. He seemed to me to be a really good guy. I am hoping that this is some sort of rig. Seriously, I am that jaded. The tip to the authorities came from the diocese. We have had all sorts of molestation cases, a case where a priest was charged with perjury to a grand jury looking into a mobster friend of his, stories of mis managed money and DUI payoffs by a bishop, but the diocese drops a dime on Timchak. If they are going to rat people out, they could start on some more pressing examples! Well, I will follow the trial with interest. I pray God will allow our legal system to bring justice. Here is an article on Bob, I found. I will keep you posted.

Timchak has served in the diocese since 1992, starting in Wilkes-Barre at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

After stints directing religious formation at Seton Catholic High School in Pittston and Bishop Hoban High School in Wilkes-Barre, Timchak was assigned to Hazleton, where he became a controversial figure in 2006.

As pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, and Transfiguration Parish in West Hazleton, Timchak was outspoken about his disillusionment with the diocese’s closure of Transfiguration School.

“Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money, and when the church puts money before everything else, it really is going against the message of Jesus,” Timchak in 2006 told the Times Leader newspaper in Wilkes-Barre, for which he wrote a regular faith column.

“Father Bob,” as known in his newspaper column, subsequently took a yearlong leave of absence before being assigned to Pike County. During his leave, the diocese said, he worked for the Luzerne County Probation Office.

Robert Timchak

5 Comments

Hamfluenza virus strikes!

November 11, 2009, 14:51
Filed under: Uncategorized

ham I feel like swine. I am going to pop myself in the oven until this is done!

4 Comments

World Council of Churches, or World Climate Committee?

November 13, 2009, 09:58
Filed under: Church wrongs, Uncategorized | Tags: churches, denominationalism, factions, God, gun control, Jesus, Nature

oikoumene

It is so easy for a group to get side tracked, to forget the reason it exists and drive the train of its time and energy down a good-looking dirt road. Trains belong on tracks, no matter what the power of opinion and well-meaning ulterior goals may be set up, a train on a dirt road is still a train wreck.

Keeping a group on mission the purpose of leadership. When a town council declares the President a war criminal, the real criminal act is that the town council is not taking care of the town. When the local PTA group getting involved in fundraising, they are not concentrating on v being a liaison between parent and teacher. Fire Companies that become purely a social hall lose their focus on fire fighting. Here is an example of this phenomena that I could never have thought up.

World Council of Churches to ring bells for global warming.

The leading council of Christian and Orthodox churches also invited places of worship for other faiths to join a symbolic “chain of chimes and prayers” stretching around the world from the international date line in the South Pacific.

“On that Sunday, midway through the UN summit, the WCC invites churches around the world to use their bells, drums, gongs or whatever their tradition offers to call people to prayer and action in the face of climate change,” the council said in a statement.

“By sounding their bells or other instruments 350 times, participating churches will symbolise the 350 parts per million that mark the safe upper limit for CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere according to many scientists,” it added.

The chimes are meant to start at 3.00 pm local time in each location.

The WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches representing about 560 million Christians in 110 countries.

The Council of European Bishops Conferences, which gathers Roman Catholic bishops and archbishops, is also supporting the campaign, according to a letter released by the WCC.

If this were a group united to fight global warming, I would have no problem with this decision. Personally I find it a waste of time and energy by deluded people who have been convinced of a falsehood by a global climate change industry, but if that was what they were formed to do, more power to them. However according to the WCC website these are the purposes of the organization:

are called to the goal of visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship;
promote their common witness in work for mission and evangelism;
engage in Christian service by serving human need, breaking down barriers between people, seeking justice and peace, and upholding the integrity of creation; and
foster renewal in unity, worship, mission and service

Here is their self description.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It is a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ. It seeks to advance towards this unity, as Jesus prayed for his followers, “so that the world may believe.” (John 17:21)

These are commendable goals! It would appear to me to be about as possible as bailing out the Titanic with a tea-cup at around midnight April 14, 1912, but I can appreciate impossible missions, it is the effort that counts, but how does raising global awareness of a crisis that many do not buy into further the Cause of Christ? How did a group who has avowed a purpose of Christian unity become an environmental activist coalition? Do you see this in their mission statements? Here are some other issues the WCC addresses.

“A world without poverty is not only possible but is in keeping with the grace of God for the world” affirms a call that will play a central role at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, 14-23 February.

What did Jesus say? John 12:8
For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Christians should aid the poor, but a global redistribution of wealth seems out of line with the teachings of The Master.

Here is another project the WCC is working on.

Resettlement of people displaced by the consequences of climate change was highlighted as a major concern for churches at a gathering of ecumenical representatives from Asia and the Pacific region.

Now i am sure that if global warming were a truth, many regions of the world, Siberia, the Step’s, would become hospitable for settlement and food production, but that really does not fit in the purpose of the WCC. Seriously these people honestly think that global sea levels will rise dozens of feet, submerging islands and leaving people in a “Water World” environment. I thought they might be followers of Kevin Kostner, until this picture surfaced.

Leader of the Warmer Climate Coalition This could explain a lot. Well meaning people get into a group and some sort of mob mentality takes place that drives them from the goals originally set up as their very purpose in life. Global warming and poverty are not the only issues derailing the WCC.

agenda_02 Peoples and the Earth? I thought they were out to unite Christians? Somehow the concerns of people and the earth have taken over. The stated agenda now is Alternative Globalization. I really don’t like the sounds of that, and I admit I do not know what it is. None of this makes me want to dive in and join the WCC in its campaign to unite churches, if they still try to do that.

Every group needs a purpose, and leaders exist to make sure that the group does not deviate from that purpose. If the WCC is now more interested in political, sociological, and environmental issues, that is fine, disband, or at least reorganize. To continue to take money from churches who want to see increased fellowship and a move toward uniting the fractured Bride while existing to make social change is at the least hypocritical, at the most robbery.

Here is another WCC project.

SayNoToGuns The terrible truth of this fallen world, is that guns often stop the killing. At Fort Hood it was an armed officer who ended the rampage. History has shown us that it is the unarmed population that is subject to slaughter. Opinions aside, do you think this fits into the WCC’s stated purpose?

5 Comments

TV, 300 channels,

November 24, 2009, 12:34
Filed under: culture | Tags: culture war, depression

The last week I was useless. While it wasn’t swine flu, something had a hold on me and would not let go. My energy was drained. Coincidentally, the family moved the dish receiver downstairs. Here at stately Willohroots Manor that is a big change.

My wife and i were never big fans of TV. We moved here twenty-five years ago and did not have a TV. This so upset some of our friends that there were occasions we would return home and find a TV left on the porch by family or friends. We finally hooked one up to watch videos when the kids came along, but still had no connection to prime time. My girls have told me that this made them outcast at their school. The other children would discuss shows that my kids were ignorant of, and my oldest daughter was scarred by no seeing Travolta in “Grease” until a late age. at least that is what she said.

We had a satellite dish for a while, but it offended me. We were painting No.1 daughter’s room, working late one night. It was around 8 o’clock . The wee bairn was watching Nickelodeon. Seemed safe. As we picked up our paint supplies and cleaned up, she appeared at the door. “Mom, Dad, I need to speak with you. If you are going to have sex, please use a condom, as i do not want you to get sick.” Drop the paint.

I should not have had to explain to my daughter that mommy and daddy were in an exclusive relationship for over a decade, and we would not get sick from making love, as we were doing things by God’s design, and His way is good. I could not bring myself to pay $88 per month to have these little chats.

When the Son in law and No.1 moved into the east wing, they brought TV back to the manor. It was not in my area of the house and I could care less. Somehow it migrated downstairs, but I ignored it, as I am kind of a busy guy. My wife Dawn, wanted to watch a couple football games. yeah I know, we have a lot of role reversal issues, and so put her blessing on the box. Being in no shape or mood to do much else this last week, I did the weak thing, and turned the thing on. I sat down with my Gatorade and crackers and a handful of remotes to be entertained.

I grew up on TV. As an only child TV was my friend. My friend has changed. I thought I would watch a show with Courtney Cox. That nice girl from Friends. I had to google Cougar to find out what the show was about. Not entertaining. There were reality shows that made me very depressed with the shallowness of my culture. About a third of the channels seemed to be infomercials. There are about three TV preachers can watch, but watching them is depressing, it just reminds me I should be doing sermon prep. The History channel had a couple good things, but most was old hat, and they only seem to have a few shows a day, and recycle them, so you can’t watch them all day. The shows on bible related stories are way off the mark.

I like the cooking shows, but being a fat guy, that probably is not good for me. Food porn. And speaking of porn. I am not a prude by any means. I live in a rough world and grew up in a rougher one, but in the 10 years of my absence from the viewers seat, things have really slid.

Thank God for healing! I am up and able to do again. My thought of this experience is this, I get people’s attention 1 hour a week. That thing is 24/7. The battle is quite lop sided. We had a child in Sunday school last week that was very upsetting. He was about 5 or 6, and told the teacher that his heroes were Jason and Freddie, and that he loved to kill, and would like to kill himself one day. This was very upsetting to the teacher, who shared with me. I went to the adult who brought the child to inquire about this travesty. I was told the boy’s dad watches slasher films almost exclusively, and when the child is in his custody that is what they do together. How is that for quality time?

Back back depression! I guess it is good I know what is out there, but I do not have to be pleased about it. If we were judged by our broadcasts, what sinners we would be. Praise God he looks at the heart not our watching history, or does He?

9 Comments

Finding Joy thru dark clouds

November 25, 2009, 13:55
Filed under: Bible study | Tags: bible, blessing, depression, God, Jesus

Tomorrow is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving has a great theme, wonderful history, and none of the stress and less of the emotional baggage that Christmas brings for me. No. 1 daughter will make a great meal, [I can put up with fruit in the stuffing, I guess], we will have guests, all will be well. All except me. I am dealing with a wave of depression. The best way to describe it is having the feeling of Satan standing on my chest. Seriously, if you have been blessed to avoid depression , I will share, it feels like waves, literal waves, and affects even the breathing. To me it is the virus of the spirit, a head cold of the heart.

So I turn where I have learned to turn for solace and strength, not my wonderful wife, I learned that is really not her job, although she helps, but to my God through His Word. I seek His joy.

Proverbs 15:13

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

I do not want to be the wet rag thrown on the party tomorrow. My fake smile is horrible. I would starve as an actor, or a poker player. You can read me like a billboard. The spirit that I need to have to serve the Lord and my family is wounded if sadness reigns. I am broken, and need mending.

Acts 13:52
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

So what is wrong with me? Am I not a disciple? I am sorely lacking in the continually part. There are times I am joyful, and I praise God for the times the Holy Spirit fills me to the brim, but it is not continual. I wonder just how long those early followers were continually filled. Didn’t they have a bad day? A bad week? I admit, I have a weak week once in a while. So I turn to the Psalms.

Psalm 51:8
Make me to hear joy and gladness,Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

Make me hear it! My flesh does not want to be filled with joy, it seems to like this cozy cave of gloom and self pity, so God, please, make me hear Joy and gladness!

3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

How can i not be joyous? My children are not perfect but they are a blessing. My #1 daughter is an RN, and a great one! I have been told she lights up a floor with her presence! She is good hearted, though rough talking, lives with us, she and her husband paying utility bills i could not afford since my lay off. And her husband is a good hearted man, who plays too much playstation, but has been as a son to me. #2 daughter last night was sharing about the Lord with a recovering addict who is living with us. She is a musician, whose songs have moved many people, She dropped out of colege to pursue her dream of writting and performing music. She leads our praise band and loves God. Children like this and I am depressed? Forgive me lord.

Romans 14:17
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The thanksgiving meal is not to bring joy, but to celebrate it!

Psalm 100:2

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.

I forget that I, little old me, gets to serve Yahweh God!!!

Psalm 87:7
Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,”All my springs of joy are in you.”

While I can not toot a flute, i strum a guitar. I look forward to an eternity of singing praises to God! I like life, but death offers so much to me, a promise that I look forward to with joy.

Psalm 84:2
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD;My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

I take refuge in my God, it is more an act of His strength than of my weakness, for His strength far surpasses my weakness.

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment,His favor is for a lifetime;Weeping may last for the night,But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

I know the morning is coming. The night may be long and dark, but the morning always comes.

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

That is how I want to spend Thanksgiving, giving to those who have not, having a holy day unto Him. I should not be grieved for the strength of the Lord does bring me joy.

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvationAnd sustain me with a willing spirit

The joy when He first touched me! When i first realized, by the Holy Spirit, that He was my Father, I was a sinner, and that He forgave me through the blood of Jesus! Indescribable joy! Yes restore that joy to me Lord! Sustain me.

Matthew 25:23

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

That’s what I live for, to hear those words from the mouth of God. If I can be faithful with His strength, not fail on my own, what a joyous reward awaits!

Hebrews 12:11

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

James 1:2
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

So for now a trial, a dark moment. morning will come showing me molded more in the image of my Savior, brought a tad closer to His perfection, yet still miles away from it.

John 16:24

” Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

So now I pray, Lord God, in the name of Jesus I ask you to lift my heart from the pool of darkness. Restore to me the joy of my salvation, let me sing Your praise, serve You, share You, and be faithful to you. Lift the foot of my enemy from my chest and let me embrace my trials, as if i am in Your will, that is joy enough. Let me be joyously thankful in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Whew! That is definitely better. Thank you God. I hope this helps some of you too.

4 Comments

Thanksgiving indeed

November 26, 2009, 08:04
Filed under: Christ | Tags: God, Jesus, resurrection, thanksgiving

There is so much to be thankful for, health, wealth, freedom,friendship. One thing that outshines them all is that Jesus has risen.

Luk 24:34

Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon

This is the foundation of the Christian faith, That Christ was born, lead a sin free life, and has, indeed, risen, to eternal life, and not just He, but we too shall rise!

1Cr 15:20

But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.

The first fruits of a harvest called to fruition by God himself!

How do I know that He is risen? The bible tells me so, firstly.

Act 10:40

Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

It was no secret!

Mat 28:16

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

1Cr 15:6

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

These words were written when living witnesses could collaborate the story!

Secondly I know He as risen for His promise to me has been fulfilled!

Jhn 14:18

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Jhn 14:26

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Lastly, I know He is risen because I see Him at work! The lives that change in ways only He can accomplish , cleansed from filth and sin. This is His labor still in the world, and to be a servant to Him is great!

Phl 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun agood work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

I have several times heard a story of a soviet party speaker on Easter. He called together a crowd in the town t lecture them on the folly of religion, how superstitious it was compared to the truth of the State. He spoke for two hours. when he had finished the Orthodox Priest stood amongst the crowd and said, “He is risen!” The crowd replied, “He is risen indeed!”

The truth can not be suppressed. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Give thanks.

8 Comments

odd man out

December 1, 2009, 13:03
Filed under: What would you do? | Tags: bible, denominationalism, depression, factions, fellowship

Have you ever felt like a square peg in the village of round holes? You would think I would feel at home in a group of Baptisty preachers and pastors, but I really do not. There was a dinner at the mission, and i ended up sitting with the recovery people, I just felt more at home.

Then there is the music. i really don’t enjoy listening to much country music. I like Bebo Norman a lot, but the live stuff quite often tosses me into rebellion. There was a very talented man playing trumpet, guitar and singing to a recorded track, but he had that spikey short hair and one of those mustaches that slipped off the upper lip and landed just below his lower lip. If i didn’t look, I could admit he was very talented. I am that jaded. The whole CCM scene has left me being judgmental to all CCM artists and i am sure that is wrong.

They guys in the program told me they liked when I preached. They said the last fellow gave a rousing dissertation on baptismal regeneration. He stated that all “so-called Christians” that believe in baptismal regeneration are going to Hell. He knew that because he had the Holy Spirit and that if you had the Holy Spirit and attended a church that believed in baptismal regeneration you would immediately quit and join his denomination. So much for Steve “theoldadam” and the lovely Church of Christ people who first befriended me. Personally, I put a lot more faith in my Savior than in my denomination or my doctrine.

A lot of pastor meetings really depress me. I was with a friend who was really struggling with a crisis in his ministry and life. We were going to a pray in. On the way there he was rejoicing that he was going to confess and get support for a huge problem, it was so big that he needed the group to help. We circled up and began to pray in order. After one preacher prayed for God to guide the deacons to give him a raise, one prayed for his flock to accept modern music, and another fervently, tearfully, prayed to God for his board to give him permission to rip up the pews, as we all know that souls are best saved by preaching in the round. When it was my friends turn to pray, he said,”pass”. Two months later he left his wife and his two churches and ran off with the gym teacher. I don’t go to those meetings anymore.

I served on a regional board for about two years, we spent most of the time writing and adjusting the bylaws. When i was an organizer I was taught that to take a group out of a coalition, get them working on their bylaws, it renders them useless. I shared this, to no avail. We finished the bylaws, and within a year the structure of the whole thing changed. Throw those bylaws out, start over. I don’t go there anymore.

I fit in at Dayspring! Thank God he gave me a place to hang out and glorify The Lord! I feel at home there. We aren’t much, but we are real.

9 Comments

Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Lord.

December 4, 2009, 12:30
Filed under: Christ, Uncategorized | Tags: bible, Grace, Jesus, love

Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. So we have read it, so we have sung it, so it must be, right? Then how do we explain to those not of the family of Christ, and they always want and need explained to, why there are wars, and why so few truly have peace with God? You can not be at peace with an unknown entity, not be at true peace with One you feel hostility toward. Since the Word is true, why did the Advent of the Christ not bring a new era of peace to the earth, and make the last two thousand years a paradise? Where is this peace of which the angels sang? Something is wrong here.

My journey through faith and reading of the Word has taught me that if there is a fault with the Word, it is on man’s side not God’s. Let us take a look at other translations.
New King James “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Footnote:
* NU-Text reads toward men of goodwill.

NLT “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.*”

Footnote:

Or and peace on earth for all those pleasing God. Some manuscripts read and peace on earth, goodwill among people.

NIV “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

NASB and RSV “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”*

ESV “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”*

Footnote:

* Some manuscripts peace, good will among men

I see here a huge difference. God did not come at Advent to make nice with the world. God came to give an avenue by which we may please Him, the avenue of Faith in the Messiah. How did the King James translators deal with this verse later in the same book?

Luk 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Does that not propose a conflict? The fault is never God’s, it is ours. Would Christmas attitudes be different if the carols sung said, “Peace on earth to all who please Him by Faith?” The unbelievers might feel a bit more left out, and seek to get on board.

Do you have the peace He brought? Are you pleasing to the Lord, not by your inherent goodness or your works, but by your faith that brings the inevitability of good works? May we all praise God for the Gift this season!

3 Comments

Prayer Request

December 8, 2009, 09:29
Filed under: Uncategorized

I am off to Scranton to interview with the Salvation Army for a Drug and Alcohol counselor position. I would be a chance to get paid for what i am doing already, and an opportunity to work where I do not need to hide my Bible.

Please pray that this works out on His plan, it would be a blessing if this is His will. It is entry level, and that is fine with me, as I am entering a field I left 30 years ago. This is a job that would fit into my Dayspring schedule very well. May His will be done.

3 Comments

Soul Saving lessons for Christmas

December 12, 2009, 14:58
Filed under: Uncategorized

There are lessons we can learn in life from many sources. Here are a few things I learned about sharing the Gospel with the lost from Water Rescue class. first let us look at what we are taught from the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts about rescuing someone who is drowning.

Reach: Hold on to the dock or your boat and reach your hand, a boat oar, a fishing pole, or whatever you have nearby to the person in the water

Throw: If you can’t reach far enough, toss things that will float for the person to grab.

Row: If you’re in a boat, use to oars to move the boat closer to the person in the water or call out to a nearby boat for help. Don’t use the boat’s motor close to a person in the water, they could be injured by the propeller.

Don’t Go: Don’t go into the water unless you are trained the way life guards are trained to rescue frightened or injured people. Yell for help.

If you call 911, stay calm and give your exact location.

Learn first aid: CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) for drowning and how to help someone who has been in cold water and may need treatment for hypothermia.

Now let us change it slightly for the Christian in the world.

4 rules of Soul Saving

Reach: Hold on to Christ and your church and reach out your hand, your heart, your wallet, or whatever you have been given by God to the person in danger

Throw: If you can’t reach out enough, toss things that may help for the person to grab on to. Godly music, Books, stories.

Grow: If you’re in a church, use it to pray for the person in peril. Call out to nearby brothers and sisters for help. Don’t judge the lost, they could be injured

Go:. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

When you call on God, stay calm and give your cares to Him.

Learn to evangelize: CPR (Christ’s People Reach-Out), for our Gift is to be shared.

May you be used to save a soul this season! May many Blessings from The Most High rain on you and yours!!!!

7 Comments

Luzerne Co. Courthouse Christmas Crisis!

December 21, 2009, 16:04
Filed under: culture | Tags: ATHEISM, churches, Jesus, legalism, protest luzrne

There has been a battle of late for the display of the Nativity scene and the Menorah at our courthouse. A student at Kings College, the college with a big statue of Christ on the top, called the ACLU to report the display as a violation of the separation of church and state. The county decided that to avoid a lawsuit they would take the display down.

I can understand the county not wanting to be sued. So far 23 public officials in Luzerne county have been indicted by an FBI investigation. Just last week commissioner Skrep [ our version of Shrek in size ] resigned, after being caught taking a $5000 bribe. i do wonder where the ACLU was when the corrupt judges here in the county were denying the rights of children in court, to get money to buy yachts and condos in Florida.

The outcry was immense!

Here is the story , at the same source for the pictures, http://www.citizensvoice.com/news/courthouse-pulls-nativity-menorah-displays-to-avoid-lawsuit-1.495916

Well , the display is going up, a law firm will defend pro-bono, and secular seasonal stuff will be added. This seems odd to me, as there would be no snowmen, candycanes, Christmas tress, etc. without the birth of Christ to celebrate. Let us not even put into the mix that without the freedom that comes from living in a society based on Judeo- Christian values these people could not protest. You will not find the ACLU, the Arab Civil Liberties Union, dissenters are not allowed in non-Judeo Christian cultures.

The plot thickened when getting on the radio to defend the ACLU’s position was one of Dayspring’s own, the Hippie. Hippie has a problem with statues in general. As a veteran of the Arab -Israeli conflict, a born again Christian, and a member of the ACLU, he expressed his view clearly and articulately. he loves jesus, i know this is true, but feels separation of church and state is important not just to civil rights, but to the survival of Christianity. he spent time in Europe and in the Arab countries. He has seen that where Christianity was enforced by the state, it died.

Where did I go wrong! How can a conservative Baptist preacher have such a radical in the flock! I got emails and phone calls, some with suggestions that can not be repeated. Can someone like this worship with us? Has he not been affected by the Word? Did I fail him? Or is it actually possible for us to have opposing views on things that are not essential to the faith?

What say you?

7 Comments

Our President preaches the Popular Gospel

December 23, 2009, 09:25
Filed under: Uncategorized

THE PRESIDENT: The birth of baby Jesus, and what he symbolizes for people all around the world is the possibility of peace and people treating each other with respect. And so I just hope that spirit of giving that’s so important at Christmas, I hope all of you guys remember that as well. You know, it’s not just about getting gifts but it’s also doing something for other people. So being nice to your mom and dad and grandma and aunties and showing respect to people — that’s really important too, that’s part of the Christmas spirit, don’t you think? Do you agree with me?

No, Mr. president I do not.

2 Comments

Atheist Display At State Capitol

December 24, 2009, 11:48
Filed under: Uncategorized

This cheery little poster was placed right next to a nativity scene at a County Courthouse.

In America everybody gets freedom of expression.

With rights, come responsibilities. I would not place a Christian symbol right next to a faith group that might find it offensive.

If this thing were any closer to the manger it would have been leaning on the crib.

Don’t you think the Atheists should put out something that really shows what they believe in? I think they should. They should put out… nothing.

6 Comments

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2009, 11:37
Filed under: Uncategorized

Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

May the Gift from on high be opened in your heart, and may you have the peace with God that he came to give.

Thanks for being part of the Willohroots family.

3 Comments

A little Mountain Gospel Music

February 3, 2010, 20:09
Filed under: Uncategorized

My family spent some time when the girls were little singing in churches. We still try to make a joyful noise. Here is Melinda and I. Track05

	patricia sylvia on Baby Jessica, Will you pray fo…
	Leonardo on Spiritual Warfare # 1 Part…
	Larry Silverstein on A Tearful Salute to Marianne…
	Dirty Harry on A Tearful Salute to Marianne…
	Rob on There is a Hole in the Web, Im…

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This is one of the struggles in our church, Dayspring Bible Chapel. Please read this and support us with prayer. Thank you

Patty said 6 hours ago:

PTSD symptoms of increased arousal

Other common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Will the Real Theory of Evolution Please Stand Up?

By SUZAN MAZUR

AN EXPOSÉ OF THE EVOLUTION INDUSTRY

BEYOND DARWINSIM

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Wilkes ceremony celebrates tradition, future

WILKES-BARRE — Tabitha Hapeman of Harding joined a long line of nurses in her family as she received her bachelor’s degree in nursing during Wilkes University’s 62nd annual commencement Saturday.

BY KRISTEN GAYDOS STAFF WRITER

Liberty University spurns Democratic club

2 Peter 2

False Teachers

1 Timothy 4

A Warning About False Teachers

The Sign of Jonah

Galatians 2:10

2 Corinthians 9:8-10 (New American Standard Bible)

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