Goodbye for a while...

I plan to put this blog on hold for a while in order to be able to give more time to the ministry of the the Word of God here and prayer. For now feel free to peruse the many subjects under "Labels." Maybe when things slow down a bit later you may hear from me more. Check back in a few weeks or months...I don't know, we'll see...

Thanks for your time and God bless you!

PS. If you leave comments, I'll still get them.

Adam Clarke's advise to ministers and people

I have been thrilled and convicted in my reading. I am reading Clarke's Christian Theology and I want to share some treasures that I have found in the chapter "Ministers and People." Clarke was one of the premier preachers of Wesley's era. He often had to enter the church through a window thirty minutes early because the church was packed due to so many people wanting to hear him.

"Preach the law and it's terrors to make way for the gospel of Christ crucified."

"Beware of discouraging the people; therefore, avoid continually finding fault with them."

"A preacher of the gospel should have nothing about him which savors of effeminacy and worldly pomp: he is awfully mistaken who thinks to prevail on the world to hear him and receive the truth, by conforming himself to its fashions and manners... Thus the church and the world begin to shake hands, those who profess to preach the doctrine of the cross act in this way? Is not a worldly minded preacher, in the most peculiar sense, and abomination in the eyes of the Lord?"

"Let it be well observed that the preacher who conforms to the world in his clothing is never in his element but when he is frequenting the houses and tables of the rich and great."

"The first preachers, historians, and followers of the doctrines of the gospel were men eminent for the austerity of their lives, the simplicity of their manners, and the sanctity of their conduct; they were authorized by God, and filled with the most precious gifts of his Spirit."

"He is not a seedsman of God who desires to sow by the wayside, and not on the proper ground; that is, he who loves to preach only to genteel congregations, to people of sense and fashion, and feels it a pain and a cross to labor among the poor and the ignorant."

"The ambition which leads to Spiritual lordship is one great cause of murmurings and animosities in religious societies, and has proved the ruin of the most flourishing churches in the universe."

"Every kind of lordship and spiritual domination over the church of Chris, like that exercised by the church of Rome, is destructive and Antichristian."

"A minister of the Gospel of God should, above all men, be continent of his tongue; his enemies, in certain cases, will crowd question upon question, in order so to puzzle and confound him that he may speak unadvisedly with his lips, and thus prejudice the truth he was laboring to defend."

"A minister of God who would act with great caution: every man, properly speaking, is placed between the secret judgment of God and the public censure of men. He should do nothing rashly, that he may not justly incur the censure of men; and he should do nothing but in the loving fear of God, that he may not incur the censure of his Maker. The man who scarcely ever allows himself to be wrong is one of whom it may be safely said, "He is seldom right." It is possible for a man to mistake his own will for the will of God, and his own obstinacy for inflexible adherence to his duty. With such persons it is to have any commerce. Reader, pray to God to save thee from an inflated and self-sufficient mind."

"Discipline must be exercised in the Christian church; without this it will soon differ but little from the wilderness of this world. But what judgment, prudence, piety, and caution are requisite in the execution of this most important branch of a minister's duty! He may be too easy and tender, and permit the gangrene to remain till the flock be infected with it. Or he may be rigid and severe, and destroy parts that are vital, while only professing to take away what is vitiated. A backslider is one who once knew less or more of the salvation of God. Hear what God says concerning such: how unwilling he is to give them up! He suffers long, and is kind: do thou likewise and when thou art obliged to cut off the offender from the church of Christ, follow him still with thy best advice and heartiest prayers."

Where have I been?

It's been a while. You'll have to check my wife Heather's blog to see why I've been too busy to post. For starters, I'll say that my wife's great parents arrived to visit us. And as you see here we've been busy. And recently got back from a great trip to beautiful Medellin, Colombia, the former stomping grounds the late cocaine drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Musicians: Feeding God's Sheep

Church music is not about performance. Church music is not about performers. Church music is not about liking the music. Church music is about Christ! Church music is about the message of Christ. If we will lift up Christ, he will draw all men to himself. The Holy Spirit will break the "loaves and fish" of our music ministry and will feed a hungry multitude.

The reason some Church musicians are incessantly searching for new gimmicks in church music is that they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they cannot feed. A Christian must be filled before he or she can feed God's sheep! Rather than throwing away our time-honored styles for church music, we as church musicians must experience spiritual renewal.

-Selected from Church Music Matters: A Music Philosophy in Christian Perspective by Garen L. Wolf I

From the 1st Epistle of Clement -- Peace

"We must adhere to those who cultivate peace, not to those who merely pretend to do so"

--Such is the title of chapter 15 in "The First Epistle of Clement" which caught my eye in my reading of The Ante-Nicene Fathers. (Thanks Dad, Mom, Michael, & Beth for buying me this 10 volume set for Christmas, 1997.)

God will help and save from addiction -- Here's how.

Whether your addiction be sodomy, pornography, impure thoughts, impure reading, impure actions including fornication and masturbation, substance abuse, gluttony, cyber pleasures, or other forms of enslavement to impulsive behavior in order to gratify your selfishly warped senses, there is deliverance! God wants to deliver you for it is His good plan that you live in liberty from slavery and in self-control.

If the Lord can cure the soul, He can heal the body -- the greater implies the less. To heal and save a sin-ruined soul is a much greater work than to heal a a diseased body. In thousands and thousands of instances God has destroyed vicious appetites, broken vicious habits, and saved the licentious, the drunkard, the tobacco eater, and those addicted to the use of opium, morphine, and other ruinous narcotics. If God can wrench these powerful appetites out of a man, as He has done in millions, He can heal the sick when it is His good pleasure to do so Praise the Lord!
-selected from Perfect Love by J. A. Wood

I have seen that God doesn't always remove all temptation or desires to addictions. But when the person gets sick enough of such to where he not only begs God for pardon and help in faith, but so that he also makes changes in his life to protect himself from another such downfall and gives all of his frail self to leave his addiction, then God gives bulldog determination to this needy person. Bulldog determination to resist such desires and with time to graduate to a such plane of victory where he wants nothing to do with going back to his addiction. But even then only constant faith retained by obedience and sobriety will allow such continued victory from addictions.

So deliverance is very simple: Be fed up with your sinfulness. Beg God for help and forgiveness. Make changes necessary to protect yourself (commit to your spouse first, or parent or pastor the changes you will be making to protect yourself). Make avail of any means of grace (Bible reading, prayer, church for fellowship, etc). And walk in any light God shows you to retain your faith.

Los ministros deben ser santificados enteramente - J. A. Wood

¿No es importante que los ministros de Cristo sean santificados enteramente?

Si, La santidad es el elemento principal de eficiencia en el ministerio. Sin ella, los talentos, el conocimiento y la elocuencia, son “como metal que resuena o címbalo que retiñe.” Sin ella el ministro no puede ni vivir ni predicar ni trabajar domo debiera. Hay una fortaleza, plenitud, energía y unción muy necesaria en el sagrado oficio del ministerio, imposible sin la entera santificación. –J. A. Wood

A mi me parece muy claro que la grande diferencia en los ministros en relación a su influencia y utilidad espiritual, so descansa tanto en sus progresos cientificos y literarios como en la medida del Espíritu Santo que ellos gozan. –Charles G. Finney

¿Puede un ministro predicar el amor perfecto con éxito sin que tenga el la experiencia?

El Señor Jesucristo dijo: “El pastor va delante de sus ovejas y le siguen.” ¿Cómo esperaremos éxito cuando llevamos a la gente delante de nosotros en lugar de guiarla? --J. A. Wood

Debo ser guiado por el gran Pastor a “delicados pastos” y “junto a aguas de reposo” antes de que pueda guiar al rebaño de Dios a estos mismos lugares. – el presidente Mehan

Cualquiera que sea nuestro nivel en la vida cristiana será el nivel de nuestra membresía en general. –el doctor Lovick Pierce

Cuan importante es un ministerio santo. Limpiaos los que lleváis los vasos de Jehová. La iglesia casi nunca pasara el nivel de religión que el ministro ocupa. –el doctor George Peck

¿Por qué se predica poco sobre el asunto?

Hay razones por las que la santidad no se predica más fielmente. Es difícil que la corriente suba más alto que su fuente de origen. Es difícil predicar lo que no se ha experimentado pues se tiene el miedo de recibir el reproche, “medico, sánate a ti mismo.” Esto evita que nosotros hablemos a los miembros directamente sobre sus acciones pecaminosas, y negligencia de la sangre de Jesucristo que limpia de todo pecado y sus apostasías y ruina final como consecuencia de sus acciones. –el obispo Peck

Adonai -- a name of God

Adonai occurs 340 times in the Old Testament. Adonai has a very special meaning: Master, as of a slave of Master as a husband is to a wife. While the master expects service from his slave, he in turn guarantees to that slave that he will provide shelter, food, water, and protection. He will endeavor to keep that slave in good physical condition. A good man says to his wife, "As head of our house under Christ I will see that you have food, clothing, shelter, and protection. I will lay down my life for you because you are my wife." That is a picture of Adonai and His people: a relationship of a righteous master and his servant; of a loving husband and his wife.

-selection from High Conceptions of God by R. E. Carroll

Full Steam Ahead, Flaming Ministers!

from pg. 9 from Holiness or Hell? by W. B. Godbey:

O, the temptations to a preacher to serve as a brakeman.

When William Bramwell was a young man, he set his heart on a very nice, genteel, popular, etiquettical, eloquent D.D., as his beau ideal, and was striving with all his might to emulate him. One summer afternoon, he was studying in a hammock in the front yard, and fell into a few moments of peaceful slumber, from which he was aroused panic-stricken by an awful vision of this eloquent and accomplished Doctor of Divinity as appearing with a horrific visage and shrieks of despair, he exclaims: "Lost, forever lost!" Bramwell, thrilled and thunderstruck, whirling around, is saluted by a passer-by: "Did you hear the news?" "What news?" "Doctor ____ fell dead in his office this afternoon, at three o'clock."

Suffice it to say, he took the alarm, changed his course, got the Wesleyan sanctification and lived to verify God's only definition of a gospel minister, namely: "a flame of fire." (Heb. 1:7) God gave this definition.

If a preacher is not a flame of holy fire, he would better tarry at Jerusalem till he is endowed with power from on high. (Acts 1:4) Woe! Woe! unto the brakeman. The New Jerusalem Railroad is every inch up grade from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Hence the murderous and suicidal folly of putting the brakes on the gospel train. We should all be firemen. There is no danger of getting the fire too hot. The boiler can't burst, for God made it, not man. Every inch of the road is insured. Fear neither bridges nor tunnels. This road has been in operation six thousand years and has never had an accident. So let us all turn firemen, run as fast as we can and hurry all the people through before the judgement day.

I've changed my blogger template

For sometime I've wanted to change my blogger template. I disliked the close margins on my old template because that made every post seem so long. Also the dark color made for more difficult reading. However my artistic side liked the dark background in order to bring out the color in any pics I used. I will miss that color in this new template. So I am not completely satisfied. However I like the wider margins. Feel free to let me know if you think that it's worse or better.

Confronting sinners with Christ, herein lies power

Our power as Christians does not come from impressing the world so that they want to embrace Christ. Our power comes in the confrontation of the Cross. We must confront our sinful culture and be plain about sin. When we and our churches seek after respectability we loose the power of the Holy Ghost. This is Paul Washer preaching; we Wesleyans of today have a lot to learn from this Southern Baptist Minister and missionary to Peru. Powerful.



Hat doff to Lane Chaplin

How Wesley dealt with fanaticism

How Wesley treated fanaticism is seen in a letter to his brother Charles, written in 1762: --

"This week I have begun to speak my mind concerning five or six honest enthusiasts. But I move only a hair's breadth at a time. No sharpness will profit. There is need of a lady's hand, as well as a lion's heart."

- pg. 159 of Wesley on Perfection by J. A. Wood

On Ethos & Unction in Preaching

And all bear him [Jesus] witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" -Luke 4:22

Somehow the audience senses the character of the preacher during a sermon. And the preacher's character impresses the hearers for better of worse. This is as important as [in my opinion more important than] logic and good style and effective delivery. The Greeks of classical times called it ethos, or ethical proof. It is the phenomenon of a preacher bringing his own inner essence, character, virtues, and reputation to bear on the persuasive moment.

The early Christian preachers . . . were even more inclined to stress the preacher's life, character, and credibility as more important than eloquence.

Two men were talking abut a certain preacher. One noted that his homiletic style was not all that he had hoped it would be. His companion replied, "Yes, but every time I hear him, I want to be better." He was talking about this elusive quality called ethos.

Most preachers find it hard to define the "unction" or "anointing" of the Holy Spirit in preaching. Nevertheless they can tell you what it is like not to have it when preaching -- it is painful, lonely, desperate, discouraging beyond description. W. E. Sangster describes unction as

"that mystic plus in preaching which no one can define and no one (with any spiritual sensitivity at all) can mistake. Men have it, or they do not have it. It is a thing apart from good sermon outlines, helpful spiritual insights, wise understanding, or eloquent speech. It can use all these media -- and dispense with them. It is rare . . . and unspeakably precious. Unction comes only on praying. Other things precious to a preacher come of prayer and something else. Unction comes only of praying. If nothing else revealed the poverty of our secret prayers, the absence of unction would."

-Selected from When Adam Clarke Preached People Listened by Wesley Tracy

Faith or presumption?

"By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." (Hebrews 11:29)

If the Israelites can run through on dry land we can too. So said the Egyptians. They really believed that. But we know better. They were not the people of God. So their faith was not real faith.

But often God's people have the same presumption. God's children say, "Let's go do the right thing and all will end well. " Not so. In Deuteronomy 1 God's people tried to take Canaan but also without real faith. God earlier had told them that they should conquer Canaan. But now Moses told the children of Israel that since they had been disobeying God by complaining (v. 27), not submitting to authority (v. 26), and not trusting God in their trials (v. 32) that God was not going to allow them to enter the Promised Land. So they "repented" (v. 41) and decided to go do the right thing and conquer the heathen for God anyway. But they "went presumptuously up into the hill." (v. 43) So they were "chased" by the Amorites and destroyed" and "wept before the Lord" but God would not hear them.

What's going on here? God's children thought that they had faith. But actually they were presuming on God. We also can do all the things that God tells us to do. Pray the prayer of faith, anoint with oil, take time to be holy, warn the heathen, preach, be instant in all seasons, finance God's work, reprove the works of darkness, forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, and ten thousand other things that God wants. But all is done presumptuously and without faith if we are harboring sin, walking against light, not single minded (Mt 6:22,23), or as the children of Israel, complaining, begrudging our authority structure, or not trusting in God in all circumstances. Or it may be that God doesn't want what we want and we need to listen to HIm. Unless we do things God's way in order to have true faith our end result will also be a disaster like the Egyptians assaying to cross the Red sea or Israel going up and being smitten before the Amorites. Sure, God in his mercy may hear us and forgive us, but our work may be lost. (1 Cor 3:13-15)

Humanly weak so that we might be mighty in God.

In my Bible reading I came across these powerful truths by the Apostle Paul which applies greatly to anybody hoping to serve others.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. -selections from I Corinthians 4

A Christmas Carol, New life, & Peace

Deb Yost at RedStateEclectic has a read worthy post here "in honor of the Prince of Peace." With quotes from Dickens classic A Christmas Carol to a non partial video showing the tragedy of war, it is truely touching. May the Prince of Peace soon come and as Tiny Tim said, "God bless us everyone."

Silent Night: The story of the World War I Christmas Truce

Soldiers against war. Lew Rockwell posted this on his blog.

On this day in 1914, in the first year of the great civilizational disaster called WWI, German and British soldiers on the Western front stopped shooting. Not only that, they celebrated together, as brothers, the birth of the Prince of Peace. Their panicked leaders eventually forced them back to killing, but some day, the soldiers may not listen to the generals and the presidents, but to a Child born this day in Bethlehem. Then the angels' song of "peace on earth" can begin to come true.

Read John V. Denson on the Christmas Truce.

This is a precious Christmas story for history buffs and all lovers of Peace.

Merry Christmas!

A big Merry Christmas wish to you the readers of AChristianBlogs! Christmas is one of our family's favorite times of the year. We see touches of happiness, sharing, goodwill, peace, and other reminders of God's goodness to us. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21)

This is what we live for. This is what we invest in. Jesus came as a baby so that we might be made holy. This is the real good news. This is what we give to others. One day soon when Christ finally sets up his reign, happiness, sharing, good will, and peace will overcome at all times.

Notable quotes about the Bible

Abraham Lincoln: "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book."

W. E. Gladstone: "I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time, and of these eighty-seven were followers of the Bible. The Bible is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and an immeasurable distance separates it from all competitors."

George Washington: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

Napoleon: "The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it."

Queen Victoria: "That book accounts for the supremacy of England."

Daniel Webster: "If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

Thomas Carlyle: "The Bible is the truest utterance that ever came by alphabetic letters from the soul of man, through which, as through a window divinely opened, all men can look into the stillness of eternity, and discern in glimpses their far-distant, long-forgotten home."

John Ruskin: "Whatever merit there is in anything that I have written is simply due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily read me a part of the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart."

Charles A. Dana: "The grand old Book still stands; and this old earth, the more its leaves are turned and pondered, the more it will sustain and illustrate the pages of the Sacred Word."

Thomas Huxley: "The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and oppressed. The human race is not in a position to dispense with It."

W. H. Seward: "The whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever growing influence of the Bible."

Patrick Henry: 'The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed."

U. S. Grant: "The Bible is the sheet-anchor of our liberties."

Horace Greeley: "It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom."

Andrew Jackson: "That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests."

Robert E. Lee: "In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength."

Lord Tennyson: "Bible reading is an education in itself."

John Quincy Adams: "So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year."

Immanuel Kant: "The existence of the Bible, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity."

Charles Dickens: "The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world."

Sir William Herschel: "All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures."

Sir Isaac Newton: "There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history."

Goethe: "Let mental culture go on advancing, let the natural sciences progress in ever greater extent and depth, and the human mind widen itself as much as it desires, beyond the elevation and moral culture of Christianity, as it shines forth in the gospels, it will not go."

Henry H. Haley, Haley's Bible Handbook" (Michigan: Zondervan, 1965) pp. 18-19 found online here.

Happy Birthday to my dear brother Michael!

Michael, Happy Birthday today, December 19th! If God would give me the opportunity to pick anyone in the world to be my only brother, I'd pick you all over again. Thanks for being a great brother who has always put up with all my idiosyncrasies, bossiness, tattling, and bickering and loved me anyway. I hope that I have outgrown all but my idiosyncrasies -- those I may never outgrow. You are a great brother, husband, dad, and son. I recognize that I have a rare treasure of a brother who is a hard worker, mature, conscientious, and who knows how to use his head. And you have a great family. I tried to find a great pic with just the two of us but to no avail. It looks like we need to take some pics when we see each other again. But I love this pic of you, Beth, & Isaiah. I love and miss you all. (Sorry I couldn't get this pic any bigger. I stole it off of your blog, Beth.)

God's sacrifice for our sins was not easy

This is a tear jerker of an illustration of the sacrifice God made for our salvation. I had read this illustration but it's just as touching in video form. As with all illustrations, there are shortcomings, but it's good.



Thanks so much, Jon Earls.

Arlington National Cemetery at Christmas

These wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worchester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine (one of the poorest parts of the state). The owner, Merrill Worchester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out.

Government Cannot Do The Church's Job

One thing that Christians should come to terms with is the truism that government cannot do the church's job. Not in any shape, manner, or form. Yet, by the way many Christians and pastors behave these days, one gets the impression that they don't really understand this truth.
Instead, it seems that many Christians and ministers see the government--especially the federal government--as an extension of the church.

Now, if anyone thinks that I am about to go into a "separation of church and state" tirade, think again. The modern definition of "separation of church and state" is so far removed from the original meaning of the First Amendment that it is downright preposterous. All the First Amendment does is prohibit (the federal) Congress from passing any law establishing a state church or from prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

The idea that James Madison and the other authors of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights intended to prohibit children from praying in school, or state and local governments from posting the Ten Commandments and from erecting Nativity scenes is the invention of
modern-age humanists, whose real goal is to eviscerate America's Christian heritage. Such reasoning is a complete inversion of the real meaning of the First Amendment. All the First Amendment was designed to do was recognize religious liberty, something Americans enjoyed
until the infamous Supreme Court decisions in 1962 and '63.

That said, it is equally apparent that many Christians and ministers today have developed the attitude that somehow the federal government is supposed to enforce by law what only the Spirit of God can enforce through grace. Let's be plain: the federal government cannot do the
church's job.

The role of the federal government is to secure the rights that are given to us by God. Namely, the rights of life, liberty, and property. Properly understood, the role of the federal government has little to do with providing "services," and everything to do with securing the liberties of the people. It is just that simple.

However, a majority of Americans today believe that the federal government (in essence) is supposed to be father, mother, provider, teacher, doctor, and even preacher to people. Instead of looking to God, the family, the church, and individual responsibility, we look to Uncle Sam. And this sentiment is shared by a host of professing Christians as well.

Therefore, instead of doing the hard work of teaching and disciplining our children, we look to Uncle Sam to straighten out our rebellious kids. Instead of preaching the hard messages of truth from our pulpits, churches expect Uncle Sam to straighten out (through the power of law) all those "bad" people out there. Instead of taking personal responsibility for our own health and livelihood, we expect Uncle Sam to be our provider and protector.

Take the issue of morality, for example. When, pray tell, did it become the responsibility of the federal government to define, inspect, and enforce morality? Is this not first, the responsibility
of the home, and second, the responsibility of the church? Do we really desire a federal government with the power to define and enforce morality? God forbid!

At this point, I should make it clear that state and local governments have every right--and even the responsibility--to establish community standards. State and local governments are legitimately within their rights to prohibit those activities deemed harmful to the health and well-being of their communities.

If states or municipalities want to prohibit "adult" book stores, they certainly have the right to do so. If they want to make prostitution and drug use illegal, they have every right to do so. If they want to regulate nightclubs and honky-tonks, more power to them. I, for one,
have no desire to live in Pottersville. However, none of this is any of Uncle Sam's business!

Here is the problem: our pastors have become spiritual pantywaists and our churches have become spiritual playgrounds. Pastors and churches have sold their souls to success-driven "ministry." We want big attendances, big offerings, big family life centers, big youth departments, big Sunday Schools, and big-name people on our membership rolls. And we will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

And most of the time, in order to accommodate our overwhelming desire to be a "big success," pastors and churches will soften the message to the point that the average Sunday sermon is little more than a glorified "how-to-get-rich," or "how-to-be-happy," or
"how-to-avoid-guilt," ad infinitum, ad nauseum, pep-talk. Words such as "sinner," "Hell," "judgment," "retribution," and "repentance" have been permanently removed from the vocabulary of the average pastor. The plain, powerful, old-fashioned Gospel has been replaced with sloppy, mushy, offend-no-one sermonettes that could not bring Holy Spirit conviction if one even wanted it--which hardly anyone does.

Furthermore, the music program of the average church is nothing more than a hard-rock concert, and our youth programs are little more than dating services. There is no church discipline or accountability. People can dress (or undress) any way they want, talk any way they want, and act any way they want with little or no supervision or oversight.

Then, when our families and communities go to Hell, instead of hitting the prayer closet and asking God to send revival to our hearts, our homes, and our churches, we demand that Uncle Sam fix it. We support presidential candidates who say they will lead the federal government in finding solutions to all of our ills.

To continue reading the rest of Pastor Chuck Baldwin's message click here.

What if this was your boy?

This is so touching. I wept and wept watching this several times. This little boy's reactions tells the truth. He has been living with a lot of pent up hurt. We need our Daddies in the home with Mommy & Junior.

It cuts out with "Junior" crying, "I thought they killed you, Daddy." (You got to move the slider past the glitch at :45)

On pg. 7 of YouTube comments a soldier said, "We are your sons. We are your daughters. We are the defenders of freedom. While sent off to fight in a distant land that freedom has come under threat. As a member of the USAF I cannot endorse any one candidate. But I can endorse freedom. Bring the family home. Bring you're loved ones home. Your fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and the defenders of freedom home! (P.S. Guess who I'm voting for)"

Many don't come home.

When you watch this think of how evil war is, and empire building, divorce, wrongful stealing of children by CPS, kidnapping, and any other form of separation of children from their parents. God weeps over sin and what it has caused. Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus, and take away sin.
full version here

Habakkuk 1:5: God doing great things

Let me share something meaningful from my devotions. (Hab 1:2) "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!" It may at times seem like we pray and pray and through human eyes we may not see God work the way we want to see Him work. But then the verse...

(Hab 1:5) "Behold ye among the heathen and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you."

This let me know that God is doing a work much greater than we can even know, and it is far beyond that which we could be told. For it is not that which we can see with our eyes. It is Spiritual; a GREAT work and He is doing it in our days before our very eyes and we are witnessing it. I even now see the some of these great wonders by faith. Praise God!! See it?

Your Taxes Subsidize China

A truthful piece by a member of The House of Representatives showing that China, who forces abortions and persecutes Christians, is being subsidized by your tax dollars.

Each year the people of the United States write a check to subsidize China, one of the most brutal, anti-American regimes in the world. Lately it has been in vogue for everyone in Washington to eagerly denounce the egregious abuses of the Chinese people at the hands of their communist dictators. Yet no one in our federal government has been willing to take China on in any meaningful way.

Very few people realize that China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of American taxpayer subsidies. Thanks to the largesse of Congress and the President, China enjoys subsidized trade and the flow of US tax dollars into Beijing's coffers.

I offered an amendment before the House of Representatives last month that would have ended the $4 billion subsidy our nation quietly gives China through the US government's Export-Import Bank. The bank underwrites the purchases of goods and services by the Chinese government and others around the world. Unfortunately, only a minority of Democrats or Republicans supported my measure. Apparently, many members of Congress are happy to bash China, but don’t mind lending her U.S. taxpayer money at sweetheart interest rates.

Some of your money went to fund a nuclear power plant in Shanghai owned by the China National Nuclear Corporation, a state-run company. Many US-based multinational corporations benefit directly from Export-Import Bank subsidies to China, including Boeing, Westinghouse, and McDonnell Douglas. So it’s not hard to understand that business trumps the feelgood rhetoric condemning China.

There is no constitutional authority for Congress to make loans to any country, and certainly no basis for giving away the hard-earned cash of Americans to communist leaders who brutalize their women and children with forced abortions, and persecute Christians for their faith.

Click here to finish article by Ron Paul.

Holiness, the reason for our preeminence

The doctrine of entire sanctification constitutes a leading feature of original Methodism. But let us not suppose it enough to have it in our standards; let us labor to have the experience and the power of it in our hearts. Be assured, brethren, that if our influence and usefulness, as a religious community, depend upon one thing more than any other, it is upon our carrying out the great doctrine of sanctification in our life and conversation. When we fail to do this, then shall we lose our preeminence; and the halo of our glory which surrounded the heads and lit up the path of our sainted fathers, will have departed from their unworthy sons. O brethren, let your motto be, "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD."

-from Perfect Love by J. A. Wood selected from the pastoral address of the General Conference of 1840

Most of Iraq's Christians have been killed, So says Iraqi missionary

Weeks ago I was asked about my opinion of the war on Iraq and I shared it here. One point I mentioned was that the Iraq Christians are suffering for it and wanting us to leave. I had seen a video of Iraqi Christians sharing this opinion but then I couldn't find it. Well, this isn't the same video but a new one along with an article. The Anglican missionary to Iraq is telling how many Christian Iraqi men have been killed since we have been over there -- 90% have now been killed or have fled. He is the Reverend Canon Andrew White, an Anglican chaplain who suffers from multiple sclerosis and is fanatically determined to save the last Iraqi Christians from the purge. Read it and watch it here. (check out the continued 2 pages too) May we be faithful to the Christian Nation of our suffering fellow believers around the world.

Perverted religion spreads to politics

The Religious Right is the product of a satanic perversion of Christianity, satanic because it attempts to “improve” upon God. Satan’s rebellion is equally an attempt to “improve” upon God. God has given us the Kingdom, but victims in the throes of this perversion believe it isn’t good enough and they know better. Eaten up by pride, they want big preachers, big buildings with their names in big letters, big money, big cars, big planes and big hair. God says He does all – all – all the soul saving for eternal life, but consumed by themselves they are competing with Him to see who can save more.

Could that be a reason so many people find “Christianity” repulsive? They think it is Christianity that rightly repels them, but it isn’t. It is a perverted imitation.

God governed directly through his judges, but some “liberals” among the children whined that they wanted a king.

-Quotes from a powerful article by Allan Stang that I read today called Religious Right Crucifies What's Left Of America. It's from the same website where Pastor Chuck Baldwin does commentary.

Law states "extreme belief system" is terrorism

"The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, 'Destroy them!' For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 5:12; Psalm 34:7; 1 Peter 1:5

THIS IS AN URGENT ACTION ALERT:

S 1959 "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" must be stopped at all costs.

Pick up your phone today and contact your US Senator's office to instruct them to vote "NO" on S.1959.

Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Full PDF text if the bill:
http://tinyurl.com/3a3y2z

If this bill is passed, and becomes law, your words and actions could be considered terrorism. S 1959 EVISCERATES FREE SPEECH, and empowers the govt. to declare ANYTHING they deem an "extremist belief system", instantly make you a terrorist, resulting in stripping of US citizenship, torture, and/or execution, with no habeas corpus rights, no ability to challenge even in the US Supreme Court.

Contact your Senator and let them know they will be looking for another job if they vote yes on this bill, which is now introduced into the Senate as S.1959 THIS BILL **MUST NOT** BECOME LAW, PERIOD.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1959

If this becomes law, your words could be considered "promoting an extremist belief system", and all they have to say is that you are using PLANNED OR THREATENED *FORCE* (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VIOLENCE) --FORCE by exposing CORRUPTION, CRIMINALITY against "THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, *****OR ANY SEGMENT THEREOF" READ THE BILL MANY TIMES AND VERY CAREFULLY--YOU ARE THE TERRORIST (WHICH MEANS THEY CAN STRIP YOUR CITIZENSHIP, AND HAVE YOU TORTURED AND EXECUTED).


Senate is back in session today, do not hesitate, call, fax, email your Senator ASAP.

Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

(thanks to Renee Houlihan, organizer for Ron Paul prayer warriors Meetup)

This is Phillip now. God's Word warns us that the Beast will wage war on the saints. Now you may see how it could be done legally. All under the guise of fighting terrorism. This all the more reason why satan wants our civil rights taken away under the idea of "protecting you against terrorism."

The Great Thanksgiving Hoax

by Richard J. Marbury and shared on Rush Limbaugh several years, first printed in the Ludwig von Misses Journal in 1985.

Each year at this time school children all over America are taught the official Thanksgiving story, and newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines devote vast amounts of time and space to it. It is all very colorful and fascinating.

It is also very deceiving. This official story is nothing like what really happened. It is a fairy tale, a whitewashed and sanitized collection of half-truths, which divert attention away from Thanksgiving's real meaning.

The official story has the pilgrims boarding the Mayflower, coming to America and establishing the Plymouth colony in the winter of 1620-21. This first winter is hard, and half the colonists die. But the survivors are hard-working and tenacious, and they learn new farming techniques from the Indians. The harvest of 1621 is bountiful.

The Pilgrims hold a celebration, and give thanks to God. They are grateful for the wonderful new abundant land He has given them.

The official story then has the Pilgrims living more or less happily ever after, each year repeating the first Thanksgiving. Other early colonies also have hard times at first, but they soon prosper and adopt the annual tradition of giving thanks for this prosperous new land called America.

The problem with this official story is that the harvest of 1621 was not bountiful, nor were the colonists hard-working or tenacious. 1621 was a famine year and many of the colonists were lazy thieves.

In his History of Plymouth Plantation, the governor of the colony, William Bradford, reported that the colonists went hungry for years, because they refused to work in the fields. They preferred instead to steal food. He says the colony was riddled with "corruption," and with "confusion and discontent." The crops were small because "much was stolen both by night and day, before it became scarce eatable."

In the harvest feasts of 1621 and 1622, "all had their hungry bellies filled," but only briefly. The prevailing condition during those years was not the abundance the official story claims; it was famine and death. The first "Thanksgiving" was not so much a celebration as it was the last meal of condemned men.

But in subsequent years something changes. The harvest of 1623 was different. Suddenly, "instead of famine now God gave them plenty," Bradford wrote, "and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many, for which they blessed God." Thereafter, he wrote, "any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day." In fact, in 1624, so much food was produced that the colonists were able to begin exporting corn.

What happened?

After the poor harvest of 1622, writes Bradford, "they began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop." They began to question their form of economic organization.

This had required that "all profits & benefits that are got by trade, working, fishing, or any other means" were to be placed in the common stock of the colony, and that, "all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provisions out of the common stock." A person was to put into the common stock all he could, and take out only what he needed.

This "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" was an early form of socialism, and it is why the Pilgrims were starving.

To finish reading the article click here.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Today the sweetest lady in the world turns 34! Happy Birthday, dear Heather! Happy Birthday from Kimberly, Sarah, Noah, and I. We love you dearly! God blessed this world and I when you were born. May you have many more birthdays! (Heather with Sarah & Kimberly with wrap skirts that they made.)

Congratulations to my dear wife!

Congratulations to my wife Heather on her blogging abilities. Her blog Heather's Highlights has just passed 25,000 visits in just 8 months. A Christian Blogs is not yet to 5,000 in 5 months. Keep up the good work Sweetheart; maybe you'll cause some readers to come this way. Ha! I love you. I'm your blog's biggest fan.

Jesus receives sinners and they are transformed

“This man receiveth sinners.” -Luke 15:2

Note how condescending the speaker is. As if he would never do that. But note how condescending “this Man” is. He is renowned for such.

What if “this Man” did not receive sinners? Jesus receives the lowly sinner and sends him away saved. His condescension was scorned; today it is renowned. His reception of drunkards has transformed them into delights to society. He has received bastards and has sent them out as battleaxes of truth. Prostitutes have become partakers eternal life. Adulterers have become anointed tools of his choice. Poor folks have been made rich in truth. Unwanted maidens have become mothers in Israel. Backward lads now conquer in prayer. Converted derelicts direct ministries. Convicts have conquered.

Jesus receives sinners. This is the triumph of the Gospel. Those who had been trapped by satan’s wiles now live in freedom. They had been doing the will of their father satan. Now they do the will of their Heavenly Father. Someone received them. Someone loved them. Someone had mercy on them. They will never be the same. Received and regenerated sinners populate heaven.

Why war? A view from 1946

While on the subject of war . . . this prophetic piece off of Mises.org is a pamphlet from 1946, called One Year After by Virgil Gordon.

WAR, which we profess to fear or hate, is only one expression of the growth of the power of the State over men's life and work, which in recent years so many have come to accept, encourage or support as progressive and desirable. Economic warfare, class and labor conflict, inflation, bureaucratic despotism, all forms of compulsory collectivism, national and international "planning," conspiracy and espionage, and the movement toward a world Superstate—all these and many other features of the economic and political panorama on the road ahead at home and abroad today are merely manifestations of the mania for unlimited government power which is evident everywhere in our time.

Though we fought and won this war in high hope of securing peace, plenty and freedom for ourselves and other peoples everywhere, the plain truth is that today there is less of all these things, less hope of them, and indeed less aspiration for them, anywhere in the world than there was before—even in America....

In place of the plenty which they hoped the promise of peace would bring, we have a planetary epidemic of political compulsion and control called economic planning which everywhere cramps and cripples, or ruthlessly exploits and dissipates the productive powers that have survived the
destruction of war.

Waterboarding is not Simulated drowning it IS drowning!

Thanks to Lew Rockwell for finding this post by Malcolm Nance at Small Wars Journal.

"We live at a time where Americans, completely uninformed by an incurious media and enthralled by vengeance-based fantasy television shows like “24”, are actually cheering and encouraging such torture as justifiable revenge for the September 11 attacks.

"Waterboarding is not a simulation. Unless you have been strapped down to the board, have endured the agonizing feeling of the water overpowering your gag reflex, and then feel your throat open and allow pint after pint of water to involuntarily fill your lungs, you will not know the meaning of the word.

"Waterboarding is a controlled drowning. It does not simulate drowning, as the lungs are actually filling with water. There is no way to simulate that. The victim is drowning. A team doctor [in the American version] watches the quantity of water that is ingested and for the physiological signs which show when the drowning effect goes from painful psychological experience, to horrific suffocating punishment to the final death spiral.

"Waterboarding is slow motion suffocation –usually the person goes into hysterics on the board. For the uninitiated, it is horrifying to watch and if it goes wrong, it can lead straight to terminal hypoxia. When done right it is controlled death. Its lack of physical scarring allows the victim to recover and be threatened with its use again and again.

"Call it “Chinese Water Torture,” “the Barrel,” or “the Waterfall,” it is all the same."

[We do not want our American sons and daughters going through this; I condemn it in all forms. "With what measure ye meet it shall be measured unto you..." -Jesus]

To finish reading this article by the expert Malcolm Nance who has experienced water torture click here.

The history of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Wow! This really choked me up. There are a lot of tear-jerking facts that I didn't know about the story behind our beautiful National Anthem. May God have mercy on us and may we keep up the spirit of those first Christian patriots. Praise God for the wonderful USA. Enjoy.

Leonard Ravenhill burns on revival

Leonard Ravenhill shares his burning heart for revival in a question and answer session. This will convict you for not praying more . . . it will help your faith to pray . . . it will make you want to pray. I first saw it on Jon Earl's blog. Thanks Jon for finding it. I thought that I had time to watch only for a few minutes, and I ended up watching the whole thing. Then I found a place to pray. As I remember there is a doctrinal point or two that I don't agree with but it's powerful! Enjoy. I couldn't get it to embed so click here to watch.

Weep precious tears to reap joy

Turn again, and tell Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, I have seen thy tears. -- 2 Ki. 20:5
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. . . -- Psa 34:18

photo credit Haitian Street Kids Inc.

Tears are heavenly showers which bring forth blossoms. Precious are those glistening diamonds which spill from the windows of the soul. A sincere heart-cry opens itself to receive help from above. 1 It waters seeds sown by God’s grace.

Many are the hard hearts who have been broken by sad, sad circumstances. God allows such in His goodness to lead them to repentance. 2 Likewise, many tender hearts have captured the attention of God through tears. 3 God bends low to hear a choking sob. 4

Incalculable progress has been made with prayers of strong cryings and tears. For God promises that they who sow in tears shall reap in joy. 5 Our Saviour knew this and practiced such and was heard in that He feared. 6

Often words aren’t enough to vent our strong desires. They are best expressed by tears. As sure as the spring showers bring flowers, so he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. 7

_____________
1 Exo 22:23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry. Psa 107:19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
2 Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
3 Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
4 Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
5 Psa 126:5
6 Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
7 Psa 126:6

The ballad of Ron Paul by his grandchildren

A friend Laura at RedStateEclectic says, "Here's a video of Ron Paul's grandkids singing "The Ballad of Ron Paul" back in 1996 when he ran for Congress the second time around. All I can say is...awww.... This family needs to be hanging around the White House (even though most of the kids would be high school age or all grown up by now)."

Notice all the girls' dresses. Heather and I liked that. This is a healthy Christian family filled with love. We loved this and watched it 3 times as a family.

Our Holy God and His response to holy men

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. -Isaiah 57:15Awed by the towering Cumulonimbus clouds billowing miles into the heavens, we earthly minded humans are tempted to think that this would make a fine throne for the Almighty. But God sees it more fitting to inhabit eternity and the holy heart. We know that all of the glories contained in the earth are only His footstool.

As we endeavor to comprehend God through the pages of His Holy Book we find that the primary attribute of God is His holiness. He is proclaimed, “Holy, Holy, Holy” in both Testaments. He says that His name is Holy. His name represents His character. And He says that he dwells in the holy, with the humble and the contrite. His holiness is evident in every book of the Bible. From the very beginning when Man made an unholy choice, God separated Himself from us. Later when Jesus was made sin for us God forsook His very Son. And finally when eternity seals our choice God will eternally separate Himself from all who did not embrace His holiness.

What is God’s holiness for us? It is walking in His light so that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. God’s holiness will not be limited by a man’s former depths of depravity. No matter how dirty a man becomes in the depths of sin, no matter how twisted a mans thoughts, no matter how selfish a man’s attitude, the holy Blood of Jesus Christ can make him an innocent, blameless, saint full of only love for God and man and fit to be a throne for God.

Billowing clouds do impress us, but a holy man is glorious indeed. The man who God cleanses from all black sin and fills with all love becomes a snowy white dwelling for God protected from all filthy storms of lust and vanity.

Gratefulness of Republicans in Action

Laura Ingraham said something nice here on Tucker which made some very grateful fans. Find out here with pics and story of Operation Flower Drop what the fans did to show their deep gratitude. I'm not a girl, but with something like this I can understand the reaction of, "Awwww, how sweet!"

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that hope in His mercy

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. – Ps. 147:11

Hope! To some hope implies doubt. But to the saint hope implies confidence and patience, trusting and waiting -- even painfully waiting. At times we are brought to the end of our means where there is no other hope but God. Then broken, we cry out to God. With our cry God delights to come near. For He is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. [1]
And when God comes good things happen.

Often we scheme and claw to bring solutions to our problems. But when we wait on God, ask Him to have mercy on us, and with Godly fear do what He wishes, we rest in His solution. We rest in Him and His mercy, not in our own strength.

Abraham against all odds believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations. As an old man he believed God’s impossible promise. [2] Much time passed. He trusted and painfully waited. God took pleasure in him. God poured out blessings on him, his seed, and even on us as a result of such patient hope. This confident waiting is good for it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. [3]

By hope we are protected for it is our helmet, the hope of salvation. [4] The world is a stranger to our hope but even when all else passes away God Himself will be our hope. “The LORD shall roar out of Zion, and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people.” [5] In fact, this great event is our great hope. We are confidently waiting for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. [6] We are saved by hope, resting in God’s mercy which is everlasting. So happily, we will patiently wait. [7]

Scripture Notes:
[1] Psalm 34:18
[2] Rom. 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

[3] Lam. 3:23
[4] 1 Thes. 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
[5] Joel 3:16
[6] Tit. 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
[7] Rom. 8:24,25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Sir: Are you building what God wants or what you want?

Old Bigman walked the white halls of the work now collecting dust. With a heavy heart he remembered. He and his dream team had rallied emotions to build these hallowed walls. Back then it seemed God was in it all, so much so he had little time for his young family. Then he left due to failing health. Talent stepped into his vacancy. With time, entrance into second blessing holiness quit being stressed. Zeal for respectability caused tactful suppression of certain older Christian "noisies." Fervent prayer and shouts of praise lost popularity. Things became too staid and reined in for some of the faithful. God fearing Christians left. Good guys with charisma but not entirely sanctified were brought in for their slick business models, programs, and education which solved complications. Somehow God's spirit seemed to be grieved even though they still rejoiced in the sacred memories of past triumphs. Leadership said things were going better than ever. But supporters disheartened with the unspiritual atmosphere placed their resources elsewhere. Also the children of the founders wanted nothing to do with the work for it had robbed them of their parents' attention. All this left the leaders with the choice of shutting its doors or of going "liberal" to try to generate personnel and funds. So the work slowly died.

Old Bigman reflected on all the years of blood, sweat, and tears. He groaned, "Was it worth it, God?" He had been sincere. Where did things go wrong? He had only wanted to do the will of God.

Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." Yet we never read once of Him dedicating himself to build buildings or even a work. He dedicated himself to discipling men who He charged to do likewise with others. We read not once of the Apostles building structures. Apostolic men are more concerned with building up the church of Christ -- men. For they know steeples decay, but the church marches on, so they invest accordingly.

This is where so much disappointment comes in. Early Methodism learned this hard lesson with Cokesbury. Asbury found that discipleship was more blessed on the local and individual level. And it is often the unlearned lesson today. Wise men must give themselves to building up men before structures or organizations. When this is done, the Great Commission is obeyed. And when God's law is followed the rest of God's will, be it buildings or organizations, never needs forced.

Supporting a good work is natural and right, and we weep to see that which we have given our lives to go down. But the birth and death of works have been the history of the church. So it behooves us to seek God's face until our wills, ambitions, and resources, including time, are owned by God and given to make people holy. Three questions must be answered. Do you take enough time for your own soul to prosper in holiness? Is your family truly being discipled by your holy life and with plenty of your cheerful time given? Are you faithful to your local church and pastor with prayer, support, love, tithe, and what's left of your time? What? Your church is not worthy of such? Then it is your duty, Dad, to pray down revival or to find one worthy and become a part of it for the souls of your family.

There will always be Young Bigman around to use others to build his dreams. This is invaluable when those are God's dreams. Meanwhile, remember that only souls live forever and influence other souls, but Young Bigman sometimes becomes Old Bigman with a crumbling empire. So first fulfill the three important questions. Then may your empire building be like that of the carpenter's Son who labored not for that which perisheth but to build the church, which is holy hearts.

* This invented account is not an intentional portrayal of any church, institution, organization, or person but rather a caution to keep essentials paramount. Also, the author is not against structural organization, but rather much to the contrary.

7 things about me... 'cause I got "tagged"

I've been tagged by our friends Rob & Deanna. This means I write 7 things about myself and tag 7 others.

1.) As a boy, I detested writing; now I love to write.

2.) I am an artist (or at least somewhat artistic) in my spare time which now-a-days means never. For my wife's engagement gift I made her a large portrait of herself. It was created of dots from rapidograph pens taking me 50 hours.

3.) I love to read:
A.) I have no time for novels.
B.) I devour mostly the Bible these days.
C.) I also love to read after anointed historical revivalists and leaders such as the early church fathers, and also Wesley, Asbury, Fletcher, Brengle, and other early "Methodist" leaders also these eras' church history and church polity.
D.) I devour advice or challenges from anointed sources to praying, parenting, missions, and pastoring.
E.) Finally I enjoy patriotic, Constitutional, American issues reading.

4.) I was scared to death and dreaded to pursue God's will for me as a preacher because of hating to be in front of people. I wanted to be an architect. Now I wouldn't be able to find a greater satisfaction in life than I now have by following God's will. It gets sweeter each day.

5.) My mother had a grandpa from Scotland (thus her Scottish maiden name) and great-grandma (Rodriguez) from Portugal. I am pleased to be a red-blooded American.

6.) I have five strong desires:
A.) That my family circle (for generations to come) be unbroken in heaven.
B.) That God raise up a mighty holiness church not just in Colombia, but around the world.
C.) That God would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest He smite the earth with a curse.
D.) That the church have such a revival that it would convert it to such as it was in Pristine Methodism again -- with Old Methodism's holiness, standards, music, glory, emotion, fervency, love, energy, initiative, polity, etc.
E.) That the USA would not only turn to God in the above revival but that she would turn again to be a true Constitutional republic. In such she would trade with rather than police the world, stay out of foreign entangling affairs such as the UN, go back to a gold or silver standard, would abide by limited Federal power instead of undermining the States' authority, and the icing would be to have a Christian president who abides by the Constitutionally limited Executive Powers.
Give me all five and I'll feel like I died and went to heaven.

7.) My living heroes:
Anyone who puts God and family before everything else in life. Namely, my wife Heather.
Also SOME of my male role models and living heroes are:
My Dad Phillip (Bud) Dickinson (a life of faithfulness to what is good, a self-giver, and the hardest worker that I know)
My Father-in-Law Edgar Bryan (disciplined, conscientious, persevering, a perpetual student of the Word)
My Pastor Carl Eisenhart (He is a living and tireless example of 1 Cor. 13, a truly great servant, and a prayer warrior.)
My Mission Director Mark Becker (faithfulness, love in action, and servant hood personified)

I tag the following:
www.howzy1.blogspot.com Daryl Hausman or Laura Hausman
www.hillings.blogspot.com Chris Hilling
www.joshavery.blogspot.com Josh Avery
www.jonplank.com Jon Plank
Everyone else I planned to tag have been tagged.

I'd rather be a holiness preacher

Forget the other occupations; I'd rather be a holiness preacher! In our church is a former prostitute changed by the Grace of God. A woman attends who has shacked up for many years with a man. She is now separating. We're working with a Paramilitary terrorist who is making advances toward Christ. We have refugees displaced by warfare here that are happy in Christ and starting a new life. We have abused ones turning to Christ and at least one abuser slowly changing by God's grace.

What career engineer, psychologist, or salesman sees this happen? What politician has such direct results? He seeks a consensus with evil and good people to make both sides agree. A holiness preacher confronts evil with the full Gospel. And he conquers at last, for the Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation.

Yes, I'd much rather be a holiness preacher. You may say, "But a politician can change an entire country -- notice the liberation of Iraq or the fall of the USSR with the cold war." The tyranny of Saddam is being replaced with Weight Rooms, TVs, and Jobs. Does materialism or even capitalism save a country? Saving one soul at a time from all sin saves a country. Notice the fall of Communism in Russia. The devil has replaced his club with a smile and a wink. They are still hell bound but happier. So the only way to save a country is by preaching the entire Word of God. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can make men holy. And we preachers are the honored ones to bear the Good Tidings; we are the future shapers.

So forget the other occupations; I'd rather be a holiness preacher! We have blessings others know not of. Yes, others may have more money and bigger houses. I'd gladly trade that for my blessings. He that hath left house or lands. . . shall receive one hundredfold in this life and in the world to come. To us is what God promised the Levites, "I will be their inheritance." Nothing compares with the satisfaction I have. So at the risk of being misunderstood I still contend; it's much better to be a holiness preacher.

Heartbreak in Colombia

I am amazed at how intense Colombia is. I am regularly seeing something shocking or sad. Some time back I saw two men struggling to throw a man off of a bridge -- as I was thinking of what to do, a bus pulled over to help. I saw a woman get robbed, I wanted to give chase but I had my children with me and the man disappeared among the old buildings. I was telling my friend later how angry it made me and that I wish that I could have defended the woman. He told me that some time back, he watched a woman get robbed, so he chased the man, and the man turned and shot him in the lung nearly killing him. At times we see women who have obviously been beaten up. A few days ago I saw a car sitting alone in the street with a shattered windshield and a big pool of blood in the street in front if it. No one was around. Every few days I see someone crying, many times they are just walking down the street with tears running down their face. The answer to Colombia is not the United Nations, Free Trade Agreement, Plan Colombia, military occupation by the USA, cocaine fumigation, the government, education, nor even religion. These are just temporary pain killers or other sources of problems. The unwillingness to let go of sin is what keeps people down. The only solution is the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses from all sin.

Good comes out of working with carnal Christians.

In front of everybody Christian Carnal lost his cool and yelled at Pastor Ben Cleansed. Bro. Carnal had been bucking his God given authority structure - his pastor -- and was suffering for it, but blamed the pastor. Later Pastor Cleansed cried out alone before God, "Lord, what lesson are you trying to teach my suffering, carnal brother?" But God showed Ben that the point was not to figure out lessons, rather He wanted to give Ben Cleansed more love for his false accuser. For God loves carnal, conniving, screaming Christians more than Ben loves his own little children. He loves them tenderly. Ben can also love them with a tender love, even if they are using and hurting him. When Bro. Cleansed can appropriate God's work of grace and seek God until He gives such a benevolent love in him, then God's Will is being done in harrowing situations. When Bro. Ben holds Bro. Carnal away because he hurt him, used him, or treated him wrongly, he hinders God's ability to reach Carnal through his perfect love under trial. For God wants to convince the world that His great work of heart holiness stays sweet under pressure and around irritating people. For Pastor Ben Cleansed possesses perfect love and must allow it to grow and be stretched. He will suffer long, seek not his own, bear all things, and endure all things. Bro. Cleansed must not hinder what God wants to do through him for others by not reaching out to those who are evidently still carnal.

1 Cor. 3:3 speaks of three vile expressions of carnality. "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" Envy - a foul heart condition, strife - caused by corruption proceeding from the mouth, and divisions - the rotten actions which ruin fellowship among brethren. The world manifests these three sure signs of carnality. But the Spirit of God will lead Bro. Carnal away from this and into perfect love.

Ben Cleansed believes in a second instantaneous work of grace that delivers from carnality in this life, and God still teaching him more. Pastor Cleansed used to shy away from getting close to and using carnal Christians according to their gifts in God's work, especially when those three carnal fruits and more follow in their wake. But he is learning that these strengths can and should be used. He found that using them wisely can be complicated however when the congregation instead of the pastor decides who does what. Or when due to carnality, they want only certain responsibilities. Or they create so many problems that it is easy to overlook their great benefits. "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox." (Prov. 14:4) Remember that Jesus worked daily with 12 carnal Christians for years. These men like Bro. Carnal showed anger, selfishness, vengeance, and unbelief. Yet Jesus sent them out to heal and to preach representing Him. He spent time with them daily, and tried to teach them. And He used their strengths. This showed His great faith and vision that they would someday be filled with and led of the Holy Spirit. So a refusal to get close to carnal Christians may show a lack of faith and vision. Or worse it may reflect a lack of love that bears all things.

Doing or Being? A how to for ministry.

This not only greatly encouraged Heather (my wife) and I here on the mission field, but it also challenged us. Any of you wanting to do something for God should keep the following advise from Oswald Chambers. Thanks to our dear pastor, Carl Eisenhart for sending this to us.

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not . . . , but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:19, 20

Jesus Christ says, in effect, Don't rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me. The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. When once you are rightly related to God by salvation and sanctification, remember that wherever you are, you are put there by God; and by the reaction of your life on the circumstances around you, you will fulfil God's purpose, as long as you keep in the light as God is in the light.

The tendency to-day is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make usefulness their ground of appeal. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure that ever lived. The lodestar of the saint is God Himself, not estimated usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that Our Lord heeds in a man's life is the relationship of worth to His Father. Jesus is bringing many sons to glory.

That which has characterized every saint since Adam

"Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness," said Oswald Chambers. Think of it. Abandon to God is the very outworking of true holiness. This has marked of great moves of God in the history of His church. Abandon to God has characterized every saint since Adam. And it even describes Christ himself.Yes, our Saviour was the exemplary model of being abandoned to God. "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (Jn. 4:34) Jesus came to do a specific work ? the will of His Father. He laid aside his glory, splendor, and majesty and became vulnerable, weak, and lowly. We don't enjoy such; neither did He. He came as a baby when He had been the eternal Creator with no beginning. But we shun demotions. Most ignored this great Baby's coming. Yet we want recognition and honor. He was born to suffer, undeservedly, at the hands of his friends. Yet we won't tolerate it. As a child, He learned obedience by what he suffered, yet we run from suffering. He submitted himself to his parents' authority, yet we find excuses to get around our authority structure. He followed not His own desires, but first filtered it through the test of his Father's will. "I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me." (Jn. 8:28) At times, we'd rather not know God's will. Jesus simply abandoned Himself to His Father. And when we are such He does great works in us and with us. They may be unseen works, but they are spiritual works in us and great and precious works beyond value.

Many think that abandon to God is the ability to sway the crowds with preaching, being able to name a dozen souls won for Christ, or the ability to tell of spectacular accomplishments for God. But abandon to God is living in simple childlike faith in God. It is having God's peace when your heart is rocked. It is trusting God's sovereignty when your life is upside down. It is resisting temptations to indulge because the love of God constrains you. It is feeling weak and lowly in tests and trials, and looking to Jesus with all that is within you. It is praising God and telling Him thank you when life is unfair. It is trusting, praising, and worshiping God when you feel horrible or when you feel nothing. It is showing love and smiling to cheer others when your own heart is breaking. It is loving the one who hurts you. It is being humbled while before God in the Word, prayer, and worship. It is looking to God's mercy as if you were a dying sinner yet following God's Word as if works could save you. These are fruits of holiness which God gives when we are abandoned to God. And the simple living out of these fruits brings more glory to God than we could know. It cooperates with God's vast purpose much more than any personal holy feelings or great feats for God ever do. Going to a mission field doesn't impress God. But praising and trusting God in trials does. Planting churches doesn't impress God, but faithfulness in temptation does. Feeling love for God doesn't impress Him, but loving our difficult brethren does. Lining the altar doesn't impress God, but seeking and doing His will in the smallest matters do. This is abandon to God. Few understand that this faithfulness to God's desires is greater than any striking exploits. Many feel defeated because they are not wowing the world. Meanwhile God is making a glorious but hidden spiritual opus of their abandon to God that will bring glory forever to His mighty name.