Tiny's Thoughts

NEW BLOG

2009-11-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

The major reason I have not posted on this site for a long time is because I have posted a few things on Facebook.. I prefer Facebook. But I now have a new blog on which I will be posting Sermon and song entries. It can be found here.
Click on the picture to take you there.

Cool feature

2009-04-27T17:06:00.001-04:00

Bible Options

Libronix

Bible Study Software

Snow Day!!!

2009-02-03T17:42:00.003-05:00

Get in the Word and stay in it!

2008-11-21T11:06:00.002-05:00

Please watch this video. The only way to strengthen today's churches is a serious study of God's word. Not fun activities, not fluffy sermons, not feel good entertainment that's CALLED "worship"...

I would rather have a church of 40 that seriously took God's word for what it says... than a church of 200 that only came because they liked the music and entertainment.

Longing for home

2008-11-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

Last night I laid in bed talking to my wife about growing up on Cottontree.. a little road in Roane county WV. Here are a couple pics of that place... The one view is a view that I grew up with.. looking down the road and out of the hollar...
How I longed to get out of there and make something of myself...

Now I miss it... Life was simple...

Only in WV

2008-11-13T16:25:00.001-05:00

Will you find Portapotties in a hospital parking lot...

At Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV... (WVU!!!)

land of the lost

2008-11-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

Awww. the memories of Saturday TV from the 70s...

I loved this show...

Just as I am

2008-10-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

Wanna blessing... watch this video

Pastor Appreciation

2008-10-25T19:11:00.003-04:00

Today at our Harvest festival, a few people gave me cards and said some really nice things about me... For that I am thankful.

My wife even got me this cake to celebrate my graduation from the School of Christian Studied...

More pics from the State Convention and our way home

2008-10-23T20:18:00.003-04:00

I DID IT!!!

2008-10-21T22:28:00.003-04:00

After 12 yrs, I finally graduated from the WVBC School of Christian Studies!
In 1996, Rev. Paul Fulks, my area minister encouraged me to enroll in the school.
If I would have kept at it, I would have graduated in 3 years, but I took a couple classes, and then couldn't afford it. So I didn't take anymore until I became youth pastor at Sutton Baptist. I then started taking them sporadically... sometimes I couldn't afford to take the class, other times the one day classes were scheduled on a Saturday that was already busy for me in youth ministry. As a youth pastor, Saturdays are prime days for monthly activities.

So, I picked up a class here and there, and 12 years later with a lot of help from God, I graduated....

Next stop... Palmer Seminary.
I am now ready to begin the process of getting my Masters in Divinity degree.

But for now... tonight... I am celebrating!

Pics from the Convention

2008-10-21T22:19:00.001-04:00

Still More pics from the convention

2008-10-21T22:16:00.002-04:00

More pics of the convention

2008-10-21T22:13:00.002-04:00

Some pics of us at the convention

2008-10-21T22:09:00.003-04:00

First Day of WVBC Annual Meeting

2008-10-20T15:36:00.007-04:00

Well, we arrived! Actually the Convention starts in the morning, but we are already checked in to our hotel..
I have already ran into Max Hill, and Jim and Pat Ash. There is nothing like a bunch of WV Baptists converging on a town!!!

The leaves on the trees through the mountains were beautiful, and we enjoyed our trip down yesterday to Tabatha's mothers.. (Although we were ran off the road by a guy between Elkins and Buchannon!.... Tried my Christian patience!!! lol)

We stayed all night at my MILs and then spent sometime this afternoon with Tabatha's Grandmother, Freda, who is in the nursing home in Charleston. After leaving there, we found the two churches we will be attending, and then found our hotel.

Justin is wanting to go to Dollar tree, and then we will have dinner this evening. (Probably order in Pizza from Papa Johns... my favorite pizza)

Justin is having a time... he saw a map of the hotel on our hotel door and he started freaking out! He said.. "This place is bugged... this map says, "YOU are here!... Then he read the instructions on what to do if there is a fire in our room.. Step 1... Call 9-11 and tell them where you are.... Justin said, "How will they know I am here?!!!"

Then he grabbed all the coffee, creamer, little bottles of soap, and shampoo and is trying to sneak them into Tab's purse!

He really has to get out more often!

"JUSTIN... put that alarm clock down.. you can't take that home!!!
NOW! Put it back! ...and that remote won't work on our TV at home!"

After a good night's rest, (IF I CAN GET ONE!!!") He now thinks the ice bucket is a bed pan!!!........... we will be ready to go again.
Please pray that my mother can come to the graduation... she doesn't have a way to get here. I will update this blog tomorrow night after services...

Tim.

Getting ready to go

2008-10-17T12:17:00.003-04:00

Only 4 days left...

I have been looking forward to the Annual meeting of the WVBC for a few weeks now.
Besides getting to graduate from the WV School of Christian Studies, the gathering of over 500 WV Baptists together from all over the state is something that lifts my spirit.

This year the Annual Meeting will be held at St. Albans First Baptist Church. There will be awesome worship, sermons, and music. Getting to see friends that I haven't seen for a year is always a blessing. And this year our convention has hired a hispanic strategist to help church's and associations to start hispanic ministries throughout the state. I had the privelige of meeting him last evening at our local association meeting. His testimony is powerful, and I am convinced that God is going to work through our association in a mighty way.

For a couple yrs now, I have felt some sort of call to hispanic ministry, but the call has never came in clear. It is like God is saying, "prepare yourself" so I have been. For the last few years, our association has been planning a hispanic ministry, but all our plans get shot down. We know God wants it, but we didn't know the timing... until now.

As I type this, Juan, our hispanic brother is on a fact finding mission with another local pastor. He will assess our area, which happens to be heavily populated with hispanics, and will set up a strategy for our association and churches to start a ministry.

Anyway, back to the convention... We will be leaving on Sunday Afternoon. We will stay Sunday night with my Mother-in-law, visit my wife's grandmother Monday, and go on to the hotel near St. Albans Monday evening.

Tuesday morning, we have a minister's council meeting that morning and early afternoon, then the 1st session of the annual meeting around 3 pm... dinner, then back to the church for the evening service at 6:45. It is in this service that I will graduate from the School of Christian Studies.

Wednesday morning and early afternoon will be spent in workshops. Then the business session of the meeting will be held in the afternoon. We will go to dinner, then back to the church for Wednesday evening service... ending in communion with our brothers and sisters.

Then wake up Thursday, have lunch, and head home.

Hopefully, I will be re-energized by the time I get home. I love these conventions.
Pastors need to be fed too. And it is during these times that I am fed.

Please pray for our traveling safety.

Another Sunrise

2008-10-16T13:57:00.004-04:00

God is good!!!!

This morning when I woke up, and sent my boys to the bus stop, I noticed the view that God painted a portrait just for me.

So I took out my camera to capture it, and share it with all my readers...

Don't take nature for granted. Everytime you look at a sunset, or sunrise, or a mountain stream, or the ocean, you see something beautiful that God created just for you at that moment in time. Imagine, the creator of the universe caring enough for you to produce something of beauty just for you.

Have you thanked HIM today? YOU should... I should... We all should shout out to God, "THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME!"

A tribute to a brother in Christ

2008-10-13T12:26:00.007-04:00

Last week I received the news that a friend of mine had passed away.

I met him when I was only 6 yrs old. My family started going to a new church, and Ralph and his family was members there... Ralph and his wife, Leonna were a couple singers in the church's quartet. And I was always amazed at his ability to play the guitar. As a matter of fact, Ralph was the one that inspired me to play the guitar.

Last week Ralph passed away. He was 74 yrs old, and as I look back on my childhood and teen yrs, and even early in my marriage, I can see the influence he had on me.

Here is his Obituary:

Ralph C. Morris

Ralph C. Morris, 74, of Adonijah Community, Lizemores, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008, at home after an extended illness.
Born Oct. 24, 1933, in Crosby, he was a son of the late Esmond L. and Maggie Alice Morris. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Janet Fisk; and brothers, Dale, Merle, Edward and Norman Morris.
He was a retired carpenter, a member of Laurel Fork Missionary Baptist Church, Lizemores, and an Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Leona McGraw Morris; a daughter, Regina Bass of Lizemores; sons, Jeff, Bruce and Jamie Morris, all of Lizemores; sisters, Marie Johnston of Glen and Doris Summers and Evelyn Mitchell, both of Lizemores; and seven grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Laurel Fork Missionary Baptist Church, Lizemores, with the Rev. Earl Elliott and the Rev. Naaman H. Moore officiating. Burial will be in the Morris family cemetery, Lizemores. Military graveside rites will be conducted by Clay VFW Post 4419.

Here is a song he wrote that I have sung a few times.
It is called "The Little Ol' Church By The Road"
Little ol’ Church by The Road…
By Ralph Morris

Often times in my memories I wander again
to the Little Ol church by the road
I can see the dear people and hear them so plain
singing songs of the blessed abode.
I can hear my dear mother as she fervently prayed
blessed Jesus help me carry my load.
She was never downhearted or never dismayed
in the little ol church by the road.

There my mother was prayin,
while the preacher was sayin,
“sinner come and repent of your sins..
There the people all crowded,
while the sisters all shouted,
and the brethren were saying “amen”
It was there I met Jesus,
and gave Him my life.
It was there he took the weight of my load”
And he freely removed all my sorrow and strife,
in the little ol church by the Road.

I remember the preacher so gentle and brave
as he told of the father above.
gave his only son Jesus all the lost ones to save
such wonderful, wonderful love,
I shall never forget how he spoke when he said
come to Jesus he will carry your load,
and so often he told of the life giving bread
in the little ol church by the road.

My sister and I at that little ol church by the road... Click on the picture to enlarge it.

I am a Soldier

2008-10-13T01:09:00.003-04:00

I found this a few yrs ago, and I wanted to share it with you.. I have never found out who wrote it.. if anyone knows, let me know, so I can give proper credit...

I AM A SOLDIER
I am a soldier in the Army of My God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, Prayer and the Word
are my weapons of Warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,
trained by experience,
tried by adversity,
and tested by fire.
I am a volunteer in this Army,
and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this Army at the rapture
or die in this Army;
but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out,
I am faithful, capable, and dependable.
If My God needs me,
I am there.
If He needs me in Sunday school to teach children,
work with the youth, help adults, or just sit and learn.
He can use me,
because I am there!
I am a soldier.
I am not a baby.
I do not need to be pampered,
petted, primed up, pumped up,
picked up, or pepped up.
I am a soldier. No one has to call me,
remind me,
write me, visit me,
entice me, or lure me.
I am a soldier.
I am not a wimp.
I am in place, saluting my King,
obeying His orders, praising His name,
and building His kingdom!
I am a soldier.
No one has to send me flowers,
gifts, food,
cards, candy,
or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled,
cared for, or catered to.
I am committed!
I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into this Army,
I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing,
I will still come out even.
I will win.
My God will supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ.
I am a soldier.
Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me.
Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me,
and Hell cannot handle me!
I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain
and then bring me back to rule this world with Him.
I am a soldier in the Army,
and I'm marching, claiming victory.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am a soldier,
marching Heaven bound.
Here I stand!
Will you stand with me?

2008-09-18T22:06:00.005-04:00

This is the day that the Lord has made!
This morning, I walked out on my front porch and saw this beautiful sunrise. What a gift from God! It reminded me that the troubles from yesterday are gone, and today is a fresh, new day. God gives us these reminders that he is on the throne and in control of our lives...

If you are having a bad day, just wait until tomorrow and watch the sunrise.

Does Worship Stop When the Music Does?

2008-09-16T14:11:00.006-04:00

The following is the paper I wrote for the class Worship and Music through the School of Christian Studies:

I hope you enjoy.

I am a member of an online Christian community called Baptistboard. I have been a member of this community since October of 2003. We have discussed a lot of subjects, and worship and music are prominent in our discussions. Since this board is made up of all different stripes of Baptists (As well as other denominations), I have been challenged to redefine and/or provide support for my view of worship. The following is a post I made on 8/29/06 in the thread titled (Does Worship Stop when the music does):

Music is just a tool to use to worship... so is prayer, meditation, Bible Study, Preaching, etc.. A Christian should never quit worshipping... Even if there were no music we would still Worship our God for WHO He is... not what He does....but Who He is... But thank God for music... it is a gift to us, from Him, that aids in our worship of Him. No, Worship doesn't end when the music does, unless you are worshipping music...It doesn't start when music starts either...
For a Christian, worship is life.

Having read New Ways in Christian Worship by Robert W. Bailey, and Beyond the Worship Wars by Thomas G. Long, I am persuaded that my post on Baptistboard.com back in 2006 is still the correct way to view worship.

While talking to the woman at the well, Jesus said, “God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” - John 4:24

Jesus was clear that worship must be done in spirit and in truth…
But what does this mean?
The phrase, “in spirit” strips away the belief that worship is tied to material things.
The woman had just mentioned two physical places that people went to worship. Jesus was pointing out Worship is not tied to Jerusalem or any other place. Worship can be done anywhere at any time, with or without physical elements to help us along.

The phrase, “in truth” applies to the fact that Jesus is God. He was God in the flesh talking to that woman. The woman had been use to worshipping in the shadows of the coming Messiah. The Pentateuch, which was the Samaritan’s scriptures, was full of shadows of the coming Messiah. The offerings and ceremonial rituals that Moses handed to the people were pictures of the coming Christ. But that woman had the privilege of looking into the eyes of the actual Messiah. She was staring truth in the face. And she realized it.

No longer would people be bound to a physical place to worship. No longer would people be limited to their preconceived ideas (based in the ceremonial rituals of the Pentateuch) of what the Messiah would be like. Now we can worship God any place at any time, knowing that Jesus is God. Jesus is the truth… For Jesus said himself, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

So how does this truth translate into today’s culture? How can we take this truth and apply it to us and our churches?

In today’s church when the word “Worship” is mentioned, it seems that people automatically think of music. Even job titles in churches point to this concept. We have Worship Leaders, Worship Pastors, Ministers of Worship, etc… but they all have one thing in common: music.

But music is only one aspect of worship.
Let’s define worship. The word worship comes from the old English term, “Worth ship” It means to apply worth to something. So when we “worship” God, we are applying worth to God. We are reflecting back to God the truths of who he is. He is Holy, Just, Righteous, and is worthy of our praise. Worship stems from who God is, not what he does for us.

Other ways to worship God is Bible reading, Praying, meditating, proclamation of God’s Word, giving of tithes and offerings. All of these say to God, “You are worthy of my praise, time, and resources. We say to God, here I am, I am completely yours, use me how you want. Romans 12:1 I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

Worship means so much more than the 15 to 20 minutes we spend each Sunday morning right before the Pastor gives the sermon.

But because of this misunderstanding, we now have churches splitting over the right way to “worship”. There are many different music styles in American churches today.

• Ultra-traditional: Those like the Church of Christ, Primitive Baptist, or Old Regular Baptist teach that no instruments should be used with music.

• Traditional: Those that sing traditional hymns, and an occasional Southern Gospel, or Bluegrass song

• Contemporary: Those that use Contemporary or Praise and Worship music for their services. Opponents of praise and worship music often call the songs “7-11 songs” because they often use repetitive phrases that consist of only a few words. They sing the 7 word phrases 11 times.

• Blended: Those that blend the above styles in a service.

Again I believe that if God’s people would properly understand the meaning of worship, people would not be at odds with each other, but would appreciate the differences in the different styles.

Which is worse, an older person that has always been use to traditional worship refusing to allow the younger generation to use contemporary songs OR a younger person refusing to come to church because the church only sings hymns?

To me, both are sinfully wrong.
But I see it in both sets of people. When the older person refuses to allow the younger generation to worship using modern music, he is wrong, and it reflects that the older generation is worshipping a style of music, or culture instead of worshipping God.

When the younger person refuses to come to church, or join a church because the church only uses hymns, that person is wrong, and it also reflects that the younger person is worshipping a style of music instead of worshipping God.

Both sets of people are sinfully prideful in thinking that people should accommodate them by meeting their demands before they will worship God.

So in an effort to reconcile the differences of opinion, some churches give in to the demands of one side and alienate the other side. Some churches decide to pro-actively split the congregation offering two services, one a traditional service, the other a contemporary service. Still another option is blending the styles of music into one service, using some traditional elements and some contemporary elements

No matter what decision a church makes to reconcile these differences, the doctrine of worship must not be compromised. Jesus said we must worship him in spirit and truth.
We must be teaching our people that worship comes from the heart, and that music is just a tool that we use to accomplish worship. Music is not the goal, but the means to get to the goal. We should be able to worship God no matter in what circumstance we find ourselves. We should be able to worship God no matter what physical things are connected to our worship. We should be teaching our people to worship God in spirit.

I am also convinced that when people truly see the truth of Jesus, worship naturally flows. I believe that the person that is addicted to traditional worship will still be able to praise God even in contemporary settings. Also the person addicted to contemporary worship will not boycott the church if the church decides to stick with hymns.

It all comes down to an issue of the heart. Do Christians in today’s world truly love Jesus or are we so self-centered that unless the demands of our musical styles are met, we will not come to church to worship?

Maybe that is the problem; the modern American church believes it meets TO worship…
We are still steeped in the idea that we need to be in a particular place before we are worshipping. We don’t understand what worshipping God in Spirit is about.

Maybe if instead of people meeting TO worship on Sunday mornings, they would COME WORSHIPPING to the Sunday meeting. If we start teaching people to worship outside the church building we may cut down on worship wars. If we start teaching people to start Sunday worship the minute their eyes open on Sunday mornings, people will have the right attitude when they walk through the church doors. If people were worshipping on their way to the church building, then that worship would carry over into service, and the focus would be on God instead of what type of music is in the church, or what instruments are being used, or what sister Maggy So-n-so is wearing! Can you imagine a church filled with Christians that had been with Jesus that morning? What a Sunday that would be!

Worship is not something we watch, it is something we do. But it seems that more and more people are coming to church to just watch worship. Maybe it is a symptom of a generation grown up on television, internet, etc., but it seems that many just want to watch others worship God. But somehow we have to get back to true worship. Somehow we have to teach people that worshipping God in spirit and in truth is more important than if we sing, “It is well with my soul” or “In the Light” by DC Talk.

So to answer the title of this paper, Does Worship Stop When the Music Does?

No, Worship doesn't end when the music does, unless you are worshipping music...It doesn't start when music starts either...

For a Christian, worship is life.

And you think you had a bad day...

2008-09-09T22:18:00.005-04:00

I saw this in a myspace bulletin...
Before you go out and condemn our troops because you are gullible enough to believe what the liberal left, and the liberal media present as News... (which is nothing more than socialist wannabe trash) Take a minute to read this, and look at the pictures... Then thank God that we live in a Country that has the best armed forces in the world!

So, here it is.. copied and pasted from the myspace bulletin, just as it asked people to do.

this is sad...

You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

..

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

Revival

2008-09-09T10:06:00.003-04:00

What does the word "Revival" mean to you...

To me it means to renew that promise I made yrs ago to God.
Maybe you made the same promise..."If you save me, I will serve you no matter what."

Have you made that promise?
If so, do you keep it?

It is so easy for us to let our promises to God slide. But God expects you to keep them. Are you serving Faithfully? Or are you MIA... Missing In Action?

God needs us to fulfill our promises and duties...
When you are MIA you suffer...
Other Christians suffer...
Jobs go undone...
People are not helped...
Souls go to Hell...
Are you shirking your duties?
Do you make your other brothers and sisters pick up the slack because you are not fulfilling your promises?
Have you promised God something...

Maybe you bargained with God in prayer....

Maybe like this...

"Oh God, if you give me... ____________... I promise I will attend church more, pray more, be a better Christian, read your bible more, witness more, serve in church more, help others.......blah, blah, blah"

Then God answered your prayer....

Whatever it is you promised God you would do... God expects you to keep your promises..

If you don't keep your promise, can you really expect God to answer your prayers the next time you try to bargain with him?

Our church will be having Revival services the last part of the week.
A local pastor, John Vetter, will be preaching.

For me, these services are important, because it is a time for me to examine myself, and to make some changes in my life that reveal God's love in a more clear way to the world.

It is a time to allow God to clean my heart, get all the junk out, and renew my spirit.

Even as a Pastor, I make mistakes... and need to repent.

Is there something you need to repent of?
Is there a promise you are not keeping?

If so, talk honestly to God... He will forgive you.... then keep your promise.

Early Memory of Church

2008-09-01T14:28:00.001-04:00

The following is one of my earliest memories of church..
This is the way I remembered it as a 6 yr old boy...

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the sun was bright, flowers were just beginning to bloom, and birds were beginning to sing on the banks of Elk River. I was 6 years old, and was riding with my mom and dad and sister to church. Dad had just been called to preach the year before, and had only preached a few times. As a matter of fact, one of my earliest memories was in that church. My family was sitting in the back of the church, and I looked at dad and asked him if we could go home, I had already watched this service on TV! But that morning was different, I could tell something was wrong, but I didn’t know all the details. I overheard dad telling mom that, “If Gene thinks he is going to take the church from Pastor Ray, there will be a fight and a half.”
You see, Ray had been pastor for around 3 yrs, and the church had grown from around 15 in attendance to around 75 in attendance. Ray had worked hard building that little WVBC church at Falling Rock. Before Ray came to the church, Gene was pastor. Gene realized that the church wasn’t growing, so he resigned and brought in Ray to be pastor, but Gene still attended the church and had a lot of influence on the decisions of the church.
Rumors had been circulating that Gene wanted to be pastor again, and was going to take over the church. And it seemed that everything was coming to a head that Sunday morning.
We arrived at the church, and set in our usual seats. After Sunday School devotions, we went to our classes, my class was in the little building across the parking lot, and the Pastor’s wife was my teacher. At 11 O’clock, we crossed the parking lot to go to the worship service. I set down with my parents, and service began. There were about 60 in attendance that morning, and all seemed to be going well up until the time, Pastor Ray stood to take the pulpit.
He walked up behind the pulpit, and right behind him was Gene and one of the Deacons. Gene told Ray that he was not going to preach in that church again, and that he was now the pastor. Gene and the Deacon picked Ray up and threw him into the choir chairs. Some men started to come to Ray’s defense, but Ray stood up, and stopped them. Ray dusted himself off, and started walking down the aisle toward the entrance of the church. Ray’s wife, and children with tears in their eyes, followed him, and out the door they went along with the congregation. Only 8 people were left inside. On the outside, it seemed like total confusion to this 6 year old boy. What had just happened? I had never seen this on TV before! What do we do now? Ray invited us all to his house, and we had service in his front lawn. I remember watching for Gene to drive up. I was scared at that point, and thought that Gene would try to start something at Ray’s home. But he didn’t.
That was essentially the end of that church. My family started going to another church, other families just quit going. Ray started pastoring another church a year later. And by the time I was married, he was pastor of my wife’s home church. He was my pastor when I announced my calling to preach, and he was the one I chose to preach the Charge message at my ordination.
What happened to the church Gene took over? That little church beside the road has been shut down and re-opened many times since by other preachers, but it has never been a light in that community since then… Ironically, its name was New Light Baptist when we went there. Later in years, I asked Ray why he didn’t fight back, and he said that he felt that morning that God told him to be Christ-like, and that meant to him to be humble. That was one of my earliest memories of church.

Meet Kelly

2008-08-30T09:36:00.002-04:00

It has been a long time since I posted something. So I thought I would start posting again on a regular basis...

I want you to meet my fictional friend, Kelly...
For those that know me, don't try to figure out who Kelly is. She is a summation of many different people I have known in my life.

Meet Kelly… Kelly is a single mother of 2. She has never been married, and her 2 girls have 2 different fathers who doesn’t want anything to do with them.
She goes out with her friends on weekends and is looking for love in all the wrong places. She has a minimum wage job that will only work her 25 hours a week. She is renting a runned down trailer off a slum lord. Her trailer has windows broken out, a leaky roof, and pipes under the sink that leak…and the land lord has refused to fix them, but she doesn’t want to move because she can’t find anything else around for $150 a month. She struggles to keep her utilities on, and has learned how to play the system. She knows which agencies will help her and which ones won’t. She knows when the food pantry opens, and the workers at DHHR know her on a first name basis. A treat to her is finding enough change in the couch cushions to take her 2 girls to McDonalds to buy something off the dollar menu.

She lies awake at night, and thinks back to her days in high school. She was popular, she was a cheerleader, captain of the volleyball team, and could have any guy she wanted. She had plans on going to college to be a LPN. And made good grades.
Her life was bright, and happy… until that day the nurse at the health department told her she was pregnant. IF only she hadn’t went out with him!

She wonders is there anything in this life worthwhile, will her life get any better? What will her daughters grow up to be like. There has got to be a way out of this, but how?

What would you say to Kelly if you met her?

Read 1 Samuel 22:1-2 – “So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.”

Did you catch that?
David took a bunch of misfits and created a mighty army out of them.
David took a bunch of "Kellys" and created a mighty army out of them.

He took people in trouble, people who were in debt, and people who were miserable in life...
He discipled them and made them into warriors...
Here is what 1 Chronicles 12:21-22 says about them (21) And they helped David against the band [of the rovers]: for they [were] all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.
(22) For at [that] time day by day there came to David to help him, until [it was] a great host, like the host of God.

David was a picture of Jesus, and since the church is Jesus' body, David was simply doing what the church should be doing...

We should be looking for the "Kellys" in our life...
Who knows what would happen if the church would reach out to the "Kellys."

All we have to do is look around to find misfits… like Kelly in the Opening illustration..
They are our next door neighbors.
They are our friends
They are the cashiers at our favorite stores..
They are the people behind the counters at the fast food restaurant.
They are your family..
They are the ones that pass you by on the street…

They won’t tell you their problems, but when they lay in bed at night, that is all they can think of.

David took a bunch of misfits and turned them into a mighty army…
David was a picture of Jesus…
Jesus is doing the same thing…
Matthew 11:28 nlt
(28) Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Effective churches are the ones that realize this principle…

Why do good people suffer

2008-03-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

Why should I suffer?

Do you ever wonder, “Does God really care about me?” Have you ever questioned why God allows suffering to occur? While I’m not going to pretend to know everything, I do know that God loves you. .I do know that God gave his only son to die for this lonely, pathetic, world. I also know that Jesus came to save you and I from Hell. God allowed Jesus to bear the sins of the world on that old rugged cross. Jesus was sinless, yet he suffered the cruelest death known to man. If anyone could complain Christ would have the right! But he never opened his mouth in defense.
Rest assured that God is protecting you from the evil one. When Satan fires those fiery darts at us it is God that shields us from them. “But”, you say, “I’m a Christian and I’m going through some very rough times right now . Does that mean that God doesn’t love me?” Let me reassure you that God loves you and knows exactly what you’re going through. So let’s look at some reasons that God would allow his children to suffer.

1. To develop faith- Suffering produces dependence on the Lord, it takes us beyond self-sufficiency.
(I Peter 5:10 ) when our backs are against the wall then we have to turn to God.

2. Suffering reveals true character- It shows what’s in our heart, the true nature of our character. Moses talking to the Israelites says in Deut. 8:2, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”

3. To expose hidden or hurtful sin- Sometimes our trials are chastisements. During times of pain we should pray as David prayed in Ps 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

4. To learn obedience- Suffering trains us to obey God. Sometimes experience is the best teacher. Even Jesus learned obedience through suffering. In Hebrews, speaking of Jesus, it says in Heb 5:8, “Though he were a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.”

5. To keep down pride- Paul had a thorn in the flesh that God refused to remove. (2 Cor 12:7) Pain and suffering has a way of reminding us of our limitations.

6. Last but not least- to glorify God- some of my favorite phrases in the bible start with, “and it came to pass”. Even in the midst of a storm you can rest assured that it will “come to pass”, in other words, all problems in life are only temporary, and when your suffering ends you faith will be stronger, and when your faith grows you glorify God.
No one likes valleys, we all want to be on mountain tops. Just remember this -- in order to have a mountain it takes two valleys and a whole lot of dirt!

This Warrior is a Child

2008-03-07T10:13:00.001-05:00

I have been listening and singing this all morning....

Warrior is a Child by Twila Paris

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armorThe warrior is a child

Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemiesThat lay me at His feet
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and look up for a smile 'Cause deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armorDeep inside this armor
This warrior is a child.

You might be a pastor if....

2008-02-25T22:25:00.003-05:00

I stole this off a thread on Baptistboard!!! http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?p=1189549#post1189549

I was laughing my head off...
Any pastor can relate to these...

YOU MIGHT BE A PASTOR IF...
~ Everybody stops talking when you enter the room.
~You've ever lied at a funeral.
~ You always read the obituaries.
~ You've ever suffered anxiety attack while playing Bible Trivia Pursuit.
~ You wonder why people who have some time to kill want to spend it with you.
~ You get your second wind when you say "And in conclusion"
~ The ideas you bounce off board members really do.
~ Your car tires are balding faster than your head.
~ You wish someone would steal some of your sheep.
~ You've seen more religion at a pool hall than you've seen at a Church softball match.
~ Your Bible has more side notes than printed text.
~ "Annual Church Meeting" and "Armageddon" are one and the same to you.
~ You jiggle all the toilet handles before you leave the church
building.
~ You've waded in a creek wearing a necktie.
~ You've ever dreamed you were preaching only to waken and discover that you were.
~ You'd rather negotiate with terrorists than the church organist.
~ You see a picnic as no picnic.
~ You've ever wanted to fire the church and form a congregation search committee.
~ You've been tempted to take up an offering at a family reunion.
~ You've ever wanted to give the sound man some feedback of your own.
~ You've ever wanted to lay hands on a deacon, and you didn't mean praying for him.
~ You often feel like you are herding cats instead of shepherding sheep.
~ Your sermons have a happy ending...everyone's happy when it ends.
~ You've never preached on TV, because your wife made you get down before you broke something.
~ You feel that it is your job to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

I HATE SATAN

2008-02-24T23:27:00.002-05:00

I just had to say that... I hate satan.

He tears families apart.
He destroys lives
He seperates Christians
He tries to destroy churches...

And I can't wait until he is in the lake of fire burning, suffering, day and night forever and ever!!!

Sometimes I wonder if Hell is too good for that creature.

I just had to get that off of my chest.

Christians stay strong in the Lord.
Satan is trying to devour us...

He hates us.. He will do anything he can to destroy us.
He doesn't fight fair.

Remember though that in the end, WE WIN...

Did you read that Satan? YOU ARE A LOSER!!!!
For my LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, promised that your gates will fall, and we as Christians will be victorious! So stuff that in your pipe and smoke it.

Two of my favorite female vocalists

2008-02-20T20:47:00.002-05:00

Bonnie Rait, and Norah Jones...

Tabatha can't understand why I like them, but there is something different in their voices.... They sure beat the teeny bopper pop junk out there today... Here they are singing Tennessee Waltz..

The 7 steps to understanding the Bible

2008-02-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

In order to properly apply a Bible scripture to your life, you have to properly interpret the scripture.

If you apply the scripture without the proper interpretation it is called eisegesis. This is using the Bible in a wrong way. It is making the Bible say what you want it to say. It is adding to the Bible.
When you first interpret the scripture, then apply it, it is called exegesis. This is drawing the meaning of the text from the text. This is what we should be doing.

Here is a list to run through when you approach a scripture. Remember to always pray first. It is God that directs your steps.

1) Lexical: When you read a passage, do you know what all the words mean? Define all questionable words. Remember, as someone has said before, “If the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense.”

2) Literary: What section of the Bible are you in? Prophecy, narrative, poetry, letters, history, etc. A proper understanding of each section will help you know when to take the scripture literally, of figuratively. Whether it is to be General doctrine or specific doctrine…

3) Historical/Cultural: When was the book written? What was going on in history at the time the book was written? What did this passage mean to the original readers?

4) Theological: What are the other scriptures in the Bible that deal with the same subject as this scripture? Imagine all the writers of the scripture sitting around a table discussing this scripture, what would they say?

5) Contextual: Look at the scriptures surrounding this scripture, in what context is the verse written in?

6) Orthodox: If the meaning of the scripture can be debatable, how has the church interpreted this passage in the past? That may give you an idea. You are not bound to believe someone’s interpretation, but it may give you fresh way to look at the passage.

AFTER, and ONLY AFTER, you interpret what the passage says:
If you try to apply a scripture before you understand the meaning behind the scripture you will be guilty of eisegesis (reading your meaning into scripture) The goal of any Bible student should be exegesis (extracting the meaning FROM scripture, and applying it to your life) So, AFTER understanding the meaning of the scripture as the original readers would have understood it, you can then apply it to your situation...

7) Application: Ask, “What does this mean for me today?” “Why did God put this in the Bible?” “If this wasn’t in the Bible, how would it affect my life?” “What can I get out of this passage that will help me, or help others?”

SO, go ahead, and pick a scripture and practice. I may go over a few here in the next few days to show you how it's done...

Here is a worksheet you can cut and paste to help you work through this process...

The 7 steps to understanding the Bible

Worksheet:
Scripture: ________________________
Author: ________________________ Date of writing: _________
Type of writing: (literary style) ___________________________

Lexical (definitions of words):

Historical/cultural influences:

Theological (Other scripture in the Bible that are connected to this passage):

Context of surrounding scripture:

Orthodox (What has been the teaching of the church?):

How does passage this apply to me?

The pentecostal dog

2008-02-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

I got this off a post on Baptistboard....

A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new
dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a
kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.

The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. "Fetch the Bible," he commanded. The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner.

"Now find Psalm 23," he commanded. The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity
with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct
passage, pointed to it with his paw. The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.

That evening, a group of church members came to
visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses.
The visitors were very impressed. One man asked, "Can he do regular dog tricks, too?" "I haven't tried yet," the pastor replied.

He pointed his finger at the dog. "HEEL!" the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair,
placed one paw on the pastor's forehead and began to
howl. The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, "Good Lord! He's Pentecostal !"

Another Gospel

2008-02-08T18:11:00.000-05:00

What does the Bible say about those who preach another Gospel?

Galations 1:6-10 NIV
(6) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--
(7) which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
(8) But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
(9) As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!(10) Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God

So What is the Gospel?
Well, it is not a lovey dovey version that some preachers try to promote.
Some will preach anything to appease their audience.
Some refuse to say anything negative, and then cushion their heresy by saying they are called to preach "encouragement"...

Without sharing with people what sin is, and pointing out that they are condemned without Christ's sacrifice, the preacher is not doing his job of warning people of Hell...

By just patting someone on the back and saying "God wants you to have a victorious life" is not the Gospel...

The Gospel is Balanced...

Every human must hear what sin is...
The Bible says that the law was the Schoolmaster to point us to grace.
Without hearing the law, a person will never understand whythey are condemned to Hell. But once they understand that God set boundries for us humans to live in.. and when we cross a boundry, we have sinned against God.

For instance, when God said, do not commit Adultery, and someone commits adultery, they have crossed the boundry, and just sinned...

Add on top of this the statement Jesus made, that even if one lusts in their heart, they have committed adultery.

So, what person has not committed Adultery?

Or Have you ever stolen something? Anything? Even something small? If so, you are a thief...

Or have you ever lied about anything? anything?
Are you lying now?

If you have, you can now properly call yourself a liar.
Now God says in Revelation that liars will not go to Heaven.
(Don't look to Candy man preacher to tell you this... He would lose his congregation)

But here is the balance...

While you were yet Sinners Christ died for you...
Rom 5:8-10 KJV
(8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
(10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

See that, If you are justified (which is a legal word meaning to be declared righteous) with God, you will not face wrath....

So that leads to how a person is jusified....(declared righteous)
Rom 10:9-13 KJV
(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
(12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
(13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

See that? Beleiveth unto righteousness...

So what does one have to believe? That Jesus was born from a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose again.
Because He was sinless, He could be your substitute... God placed the wrath that was legally intended for you on Jesus on the Cross... Jesus became sin, although he knew no sin....

If you believe that, and confess it to God, you are saved...

It is really simple...

So why do candy men preachers not want to tell you that you are a sinner on your way to Hell?

Paul also addresses this....
2Ti 4:3-4 KJV
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

What is Paul's suggestion?:
2Ti 4:2 KJV
(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

This was Paul writing to a young pastor...
Telling him to stand for truth, and rebuke the false teachers...

Paul also tells us that 2Ti 3:1-6 KJV
(1) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
(2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
(3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
(4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Now, let me ask you this... do you know any false teachers that have lead silly women away with lust?

Now don't get mad at me...
God instructed Paul to write it...

Go talk to God...

Love kid's style

2008-02-08T08:56:00.001-05:00

CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

"One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too." Andrew, age 6

"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell...that's why perfume and deodorant is so popular." Mae, age 9

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be painful." Manuel, age 8

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." John, age 9

"If falling in love is anything like learning to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." Glenn, age 7

ON THE ROLE OF BEAUTY AND HANDSOMENESS IN LOVE

"It isn't always just how you look. Look at me, I'm handsome as anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." Brian, age 7

CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS

"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them." Gavin, age 8

"They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing." John, age 9

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs...and don't worry if their parents are right there." Manuel, age 8

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." Alonzo, age 9

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF ADULTS EATING DINNER IN A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE?

"Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold...other people care more about their food." Bart, age 9

"It's love if they order one of those desserts that's on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are---on fire." Christine, age 9

HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." Dave, age 8

"Don't forget your wife's name..that will mess up the love." Erin, age 8

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"Love will find you. Even if you hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." Dave, age 8

"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding the fourth grade hard enough." Regina, age 10

2008-01-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Last Things:

There are two types of Eschatology, Individual eschatology (which deals with the future of an individual) and Cosmic eschatology (which deals with the future of all creation).

As to Individual Eschatology every human will experience physical death[1], which is the soul separating from the body[2]. Believers are then in the presence of Christ[3], while unbelievers are in the torments of Hell[4]. At some point in the future, there will be both a resurrection of the body for the believer and unbeliever[5]. In which the soul and body reunite[6]. During the believer’s resurrection, they will receive a glorified body[7] and stand in front of Christ to give account of their Christian stewardship[8], and then will be with Christ forevermore[9]. Following the unbeliever’s resurrection, the unbeliever will be sentenced to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire[10].

As to Cosmic Eschatology, Jesus Christ will physically return to rule the earth from David’s throne, Jerusalem, for a period of time, 1000 years[11]. Before this, there will be a period of seven years of Tribulation[12]. 3 ½ years of Great Tribulation in which God will pour out his wrath on the people of the earth. Due to the promises in God’s Word that believers will not experience the Wrath of God[13], I believe that Christ will return to take His church to safety before Great Tribulation[14]. After all is said and done, God will give believers a new Heaven and New Earth, in which we will be with Christ forevermore.[15]

[1] Hebrews 9:27
[2] James 2:26 ; Ecclesiastes 12:7
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:8
[4] Luke 16:22-23
[5] Revelation 20:4-6
[6] 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
[7] 1 Corinthians 15:43 ; Philippians 3:21
[8] 2 Corinthians 5:10
[9] 1 Thessalonians 4:17
[10] Revelation 20:14-15
[11] Revelation 20:4
[12] Daniel 9:25-27 ; Daniel 12 ; Revelation 12:14 ; Revelation 11:3 ; Matthew 24:21
[13] 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ; Revelation 3:10
[14] 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
[15] Revelation 21

THE CHURCH

2008-01-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

The Church:

A New Testament church is an assembly of baptized, born-again, believers[1]. It is the divinely established vehicle God chose through which the world may know Jesus[2]. The word, “church”, “Ecclesia”, means, “called out assembly.” It refers to a local assembly of baptized believers, under the discipline of the Word of God[3], which has been called out for a specific purpose, to continue the ministry of Jesus throughout the world[4]. The phrase “The Church” represents the whole of Christendom[5], all believers in Christ at all times and places. It is both an organism and an organization. It is an organism in that it is made up of many members that God has divinely placed in the body of Christ to work together[6]. It is moving forward through history; ever changing it’s methods[7] to share the unchangeable message of the Gospel[8]. It is an organization in that Christ is its only head[9]. It’s scriptural officers are Pastor and Deacon whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles of Timothy and Titus. Each member is equal and has the same authority as another[10]. It has two ordinances, Baptism[11] and the Lord’s Supper[12]. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer[13], into the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Ghost[14]. It is the picture of our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It symbolizes our death to sin and resurrection to a new life[15]. It is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relationship[16] in that it places the believer into the local church thus symbolizing the placement of the believer into the Body of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, at the point of regeneration[17]. The second ordinance is the Lord’s Supper[18]. It is through this ordinance that we commemorate the atoning death of Christ[19]. The two symbols of this ordinance are the bread, representing the broken body of Christ, and the cup representing His blood[20]. Each element symbolizes the dying love of Christ. Each Christian should use this ordinance to examine his or her life in order to become closer to Christ[21].
[1] Acts 2:37-41
[2] Matthew 16:16-18
[3] Acts 2:41-47 ; Matthew 28:19
[4] Matthew 28:16-20
[5] Matthew 16:18 ; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:4, 5:23 ; Revelation 7:9-17
[6] 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
[7] 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
[8] Galatians 1:8
[9] Ephesians 5:23
[10] Romans 12 ; 1 Corinthians 12
[11] Matthew 28:19 ;
[12] Luke 22:19-20
[13] John 3:23 ; Mark 1:10 ; Acts 8:36-39 ; Romans 6:3-5
[14] Matthew 28:19
[15] Romans 6:3-5 ; Colossians 2:12
[16] Acts 2:41-47 ; Matthew 28:19-20
[17] 1 Corinthians 12:13
[18] Luke 22:19-20
[19] 1 Corinthians 11:23-30
[20] Luke 22:19-20
[21] 1 Corinthians 11:28

Salvation...

2008-01-17T16:25:00.001-05:00

Now we come to why Jesus died: Salvation:

Salvation involves the whole process by which we are taken from being completely useless in the sight of God and on our way to Hell, to being all that God has created us to be.[1] It occurs in three phases. First, the Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of Sin (Justification)[2], second, the Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin in his life (Sanctification)[3] and finally, when the Lord returns, we will be saved from all the physical results of sin and of God’s curse on the world (Glorification).[4]
When one admits to God they are a sinner, and turns to God for Salvation[5] through Jesus[6], one is born-again (Regenerated) we are created anew[7]. We are also united with Christ, therefore giving us the right to be justified[8]. Justification is a judicial term. It is the act of God where by we are declared righteous[9]. When we express saving faith, which is the personal appropriation of the work of Jesus Christ and nothing short of total trust in the shedding of Christ‘s blood to take away our sin[10], God adds righteousness and perfection to our record[11]. God is the only source with the power to declare righteousness.[12] Justification does not declare the sinner “not guilty” but “as-not-guilty”. The act does not make one righteous, but declares one to be[13] based upon our union with Christ. We are also adopted, thereby giving us rights as a son of God[14]. We are joint-heirs with Christ[15]. Sanctification is the act of God whereby He sets apart the believer at the point of conversion[16] to preserve[17] and keep us secure through His Spirit[18]. Sanctification is also a progressive work whereby we grow in grace until the point of Glorification[19]. Glorification is the final stage of Salvation whereby we are completely redeemed, and fashioned like unto Jesus’ glorious body[20].
[1] Ephesians 2:5-10
[2] Romans 5:9 ; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 ; John 3:17
[3] Romans 6:22
[4] Romans 8:18-23
[5] 2 Corinthians 7:10 ; Acts 2:37-38
[6] Acts 4:12 ; Romans 10:9-10,13
[7] John 3:3 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ; Titus 3:5 ; Revelation 1:5
[8] Galatians 2:20 ; Romans 8:1; John 15:5-4
[9] Romans 3:21-30 ; Romans 4:2-9,22 ; Romans 5:1,9-11,16-21
[10] Mark 16:16 ; Acts 4:12 ; Acts 16:31 ; Romans 10:9-10 ; Ephesians 2:8-9 ; 1Peter 1:5 ; Romans 4:1-10
[11] Galatians 3:6 ; Romans 4:3-6,11,22,24 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21 ; James 2:23
[12] Isaiah 54:17
[13] Romans 3:26
[14] 2 Corinthians 6:18 ; Romans 8:15
[15] Romans 8:17
[16] 1 Corinthians 6:11
[17] Jude 1 ; I Thessalonians 5:23
[18] Ephesians 1:13-14 ; Ephesians 4:30
[19] 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ; Philippians 1:6
[20] Romans 8:29-30 ; Philippians 3:20-21

The Holy Spirit

2008-01-16T11:43:00.001-05:00

The Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity[1]. He is God and has all attributes of God[2]. He is a person, thus having a personality. He can be grieved[3], quenched[4], and resisted[5]. He is the promised comforter[6] that Jesus promised to “send” [7]once Jesus ascended. He has many functions. He helped in the creation of the world[8], and is actively re-creating each believer into a God honoring vessel[9]. He convicts, reproves, sinners of sin[10]. He indwells[11], sanctifies[12], and seals[13] each believer at the point of salvation. He also empowers[14] and teaches[15] each believer, changing them into the image of Christ[16]. He imparts differing gifts to every believer [17]that, when used, enhances the kingdom of God[18]. Because he is God, He should be worshiped as God.
[1] 1 Corinthians 3:16 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19 ; Matthew 28:19
[2] 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ; John 16:13 ; Luke 1:35 ; Hebrews 9:14 ;
[3] Ephesians 4:30
[4] Isaiah 63:10
[5] Acts 7:51
[6] John 15:26 ; Acts 9:31
[7] John 14:26 ; John 15:26 ; John 16:7; Galatians 4:6; 1 Peter 1:12
[8] Genesis 1:2
[9] John 3:5-6 ; Philippians 1:6
[10] John 16:8
[11] Romans 8:9
[12] 1 Corinthians 6:11
[13] Ephesians 1:13 ; Ephesians 4:30 ; 2 Corinthians 1:22
[14] Acts 2
[15] John 14:26
[16] 2 Corinthians 3:18
[17] 1 Corinthians 12:11
[18] 1 Corinthians 14:12 ; Ephesians 4:12

2008-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus Christ:

Jesus of Nazareth, the one called Christ, was, is and always will be fully God and man.[1] Being fully God, he existed before creation and is the second person in the Trinity.[2] At the fullness of time, God the Father sent God the Son to the Earth to save humanity.[3] He was born to a virgin[4], lived a sinless life[5], worked miracles[6], and called men to repentance[7]. He willingly gave his life[8] on the Roman cross as an atonement for humanity’s sins[9]. After being bodily resurrected on the third day[10], He then appeared before many[11], only later to ascend with a promise of returning for all who believe[12]. He is presently sitting at the right hand of the Father[13] as an advocate for the believers[14]. When He returns he will not come again as a humble servant, but a mighty King[15].
He came to reveal God to man - He is a Prophet[16].
He is ruling, and will rule the kingdom of God - He is a King.[17]
He is reconciling humanity to the Father - He is a high Priest.[18]

[1] John 1: 1-14
[2] John 1:1-14 ; Matthew 28:19 ; Genesis 1:26
[3] Galatians 4:4 ; Luke 19:10
[4] Matthew 1: 18-25 ; Luke 1:26-38
[5] Hebrews 4:15 ; 1 Peter 2:22 ; 1 John 3:5 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21
[6] John 11:1-46
[7] Matthew 4:17 ; Mark 1:15
[8] Matthew 26:52 ; Luke 23:46
[9] Romans 5:7-21 ; Hebrews 10:1-17 ; Hebrews 9:24-28
[10] Luke 24:1-12 ; John 20:26-29
[11] Matthew 28:16-20 ; 1 Corinthians 15:6
[12] Acts 1:9-12 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
[13] Acts 7:55
[14] Romans 8:34 ; Colossians 3:1 ; Hebrews 1:3 ; Hebrews 8:1 ; Hebrews 10:12 ; 1 John 2:1
[15] Revelation 19:11-16 ; Matthew 25:31 ; Matthew 24:27-31
[16] Acts 3:22 ; Deuteronomy 18:15-18 ; Matthew 21:11 ; Luke 24:19 ; Matthew 11:27 ; Hebrews 1:1-2
[17] Ephesians 1:20-22 ; Revelation 19:11-16
[18] Hebrews 3:1-2 ; Hebrews 2:17

Satan... The next part of my doctrinal statement

2008-01-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

Satan:

Satan, in the Hebrew, means “the arch enemy of God, or adversary“. In the Greek, it means “the accuser, or devil”. [1] It is one of the most common names, along with “the devil”) given to the Christian’s greatest enemy. Although the Bible never speaks of his direct creation it is clear that he is a fallen[2] creature of angelic origin[3]. Although he is superhuman, he is still bound by the limitations of a created angelic being[4]. Therefore he is not omniscient, omnipotent, nor omnipresent. He still answers to God, and can be put to flight, or resisted by the power of the Holy Spirit[5]. He is also known as Beelzebub[6], enemy[7], evil one[8], accuser[9], adversary[10], deceiver[11], thief and destroyer[12], tempter[13], father of lies,[14] Belial[15], dragon[16], sinner[17], and murderer[18]. Each name represents a facet of Satan’s character. He has one great motive; he hates God and man[19], and acts to defeat God’s plan of salvation and establish his own kingdom of evil.[20] Although he is known as the price of demons[21], and in some aspects appears presently to rule the world[22], his future, along with his kingdom[23], will be an eternal abode in the Lake of Fire.[24]

[1] From Strong’s Concordance G4567, and H7854.
[2] Luke 10:18
[3] Job 1:6
[4] Job 1:12
[5] James 4:7
[6] Matthew 4:1; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15
[7] Matthew 13:39
[8] Matthew 13:19,38
[9] Revelation 12:10
[10] 1 Peter 5:8
[11] Revelation 12:9
[12] John 10:10
[13] 1 Thessalonians 3:5
[14] John 8:44
[15] 2 Corinthians 6:15
[16] Revelation 12:3
[17] 1 John 3:8
[18] John 8:44
[19] 1 Peter 5:8
[20] 2 Corinthians 4:4
[21] Matthew 12:24
[22] Luke 4:6; John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11; Matthew 12:24; Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4
[23] Matthew 13:30
[24] Revelation 20:8-15

Sin... The 5th part

2008-01-12T10:37:00.000-05:00

Sin:

Sin can be defined as:
1) Missing the mark,[1] that is, to deviate from the standard of holiness that God has set;
2) To go beyond the limit of righteousness that is established by God,[2] and
3) To distort what is right for the purpose of ones self.[3]
Pride and selfish desires are at the root of sin.[4] Sin is not only what we do, but what we are.[5] We are sinners.[6] We are not sinners because we sin- we sin because we are sinners-We are born with an inherent tendency to sin.[7]Because of sin we are incompatible with a holy God.[8] Sin has affected, not only, our ability to have a relationship with God,[9] but also, our ability to truly know of him. We have went from a state of intimate knowledge of God to one of depraved knowledge. In other words, at one time we knew God intimately, then we became vain, only to have our hearts darkened, we then became fools, and tried to invent new gods.[10] Because of sin we will reap sin’s wages, death.[11] Furthermore, we in our sinful humanity are condemned to death already.[12]However, Christ died to lift the curse of sin, and the sentence of death from us.[13]
[1] Romans 3:23
[2] 1 John 3:4
[3] Luke 13:27; Matthew 23:28
[4] Isaiah 14:13-14; Gen 3:6; Romans 1:21
[5] Psalm 51:5; 58:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:12-21
[6] Romans 3:23
[7] Psalm 51:5; 58:3;
[8] Romans 8:7-8
[9] Romans 1:18
[10] Romans 1:21-23
[11] Romans 6:23
[12] John 3:18
[13] Romans 5:8-9; 6:23

Humanity... The next section

2008-01-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

Humanity:

Humanity is God’s elite creation.[1] We are the only creature that was created in God’s image, thus implying that all human life is sacred.[2] We are eternal creatures - once we have been given life we will continue to exist eternally.[3] We are volitional creatures - we have free will; we can choose not only, an end, but also, the means of attaining that end.[4] We are intellectual creatures - we have the ability to reason, to learn from the past, and anticipate the future.[5] We are moral creatures - we have the ability to discern between right and wrong, God expects us to exhibit the same moral attributes as Himself.[6] We are social creatures - we desire relationships with one another and with God.[7] We are a tripartite being, having three elements; The body is the material element of man, the soul is an invisible element that recognizes self-consciousness, and the spirit is an invisible element that is God-conscious.[8] Man was made without sin,[9] thus having a perfect relationship with God,[10] but was given the choice to sin in order to exercise his free will.[11] Because of disobedience, humanity was cursed with death, and suffering.[12] No longer could humanity have a perfect relationship with a holy God.[13] But through God’s eternal purpose we, who are willing to receive Christ as our savior, will acquire the image of Christ[14], thus enabling us to once again commune with a perfect God.[15]

[1] Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7
[2] Genesis 1:26; 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9
[3] Matthew 25:41,46; John 6:47 Revelation 22:5
[4] Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6,17-19
[5] Genesis 2:19-20 Adam possessed intelligence to name the animals; 1 Timothy 2:14
[6] Leviticus 11:44; 1 John 4:8; Philippians 4:8
[7] James 4:8; Deuteronomy 4:29
[8] 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12;
[9] Genesis 1:31
[10] Genesis 2:16-25
[11] Genesis 2:16-17
[12] Genesis 3:15-19
[13] Genesis 3:22-24
[14] Romans 8:29
[15] John 14:23;Galations 4:6; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 3:20

More Doctrinal statement... The Trinity

2008-01-10T14:57:00.000-05:00

The Trinity:

God exists as a Trinity, One God in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.[1] All attributes are shared equally by all three[2]. while they are three separate persons[3], they still are one. One substance in three persons. Each have a separate and distinguishable function in the salvation and redemption of man. God the Father authored the plan of salvation, God the Son fulfilled the plan of salvation, and God the Holy Spirit carries out the plan of salvation[4]. Because God’s ways and thoughts are above ours[5], we cannot completely define the Trinity in human language, thus all analogies are incomplete and become illogical when illustrated.
Notwithstanding, my favorite illustration is the three dimensional rationalization. In this illustration, the three dimensions each represent 1/3 of the Godhead. God the Father is the height, God the Son is the width, and God the Holy Spirit is the depth. All dimensions are equal, and required to make a three dimensional object.
[1] Genesis 1:26; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 3:22; John 1:1-14; , 1 John 5:6;
[2] John 10:30
[3] Luke 3:22
[4] 1 Peter 1:2
[5] Isaiah 55:9

Doctrinal Statement Continued... God

2008-01-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

Here is the second section of my doctrinal section...

God:

There is only one, living and true God[1]. He is the creator and sovereign ruler of the universe[2]. He is not limited by wisdom (He is Omniscient)[3], nor by power (He is Omnipotent)[4]. Nor by time, space, or matter (He is Omnipresent)[5], He is a Spirit[6], and all life comes from Him[7]. In His morality, He is loving[8], just[9], gracious, merciful[10], holy[11], righteous[12], patient[13], true, and faithful[14]. He has a personality[15] and He desires a relationship with humanity[16]. He is unchangeable[17]. He exists as a Trinity, One God in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.[18] All attributes above are shared equally by all three[19]. God is involved in everything that concerns His creation, from the smallest to the largest detail[20]. God has an eternal purpose in which the end result will be the redemption of all who are willing to receive Christ as their savior[21]. God has given man the freedom to make choices and to be themselves, but God works within those choices to accomplish his eternal purpose.[22]
[1] Deuteronomy 6:4
[2] Genesis 1:1
[3] Psalms 147:5
[4] Matthew 19:26; Job 42:2
[5] 1 Kings 8:27
[6] John 4:24
[7] Genesis 2:7; John 1:4; Acts 17:28
[8] 1 John 4:8
[9] Ezra 7:26; Psalms 72:2
[10] Hebrews 4:16
[11] Leviticus 11:44
[12] Psalms 19:7-9
[13] 2 Peter 3:9
[14] Titus 1:2
[15] Exodus 3:14
[16] John 3:16
[17] James 1:17; Malachi 3:6
[18] Genesis 1:26;Luke 3:22; , 1 John 5:6;Matthew 28:18-20
[19] John 10:30
[20] Colossians 1:16-17
[21] John 3:16-17
[22] Romans 10:13;Romans 8:28-30

My doctrinal statement... part 1, The Bible

2008-01-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

Over the next few weeks I will be taking classes through the School of Christian Studies through the West Virginia Baptist Convention. As a side note, I only have a few classes to finish, and should be able to graduate this October at our convention.

The classes I am taking the next 12 weeks is Christian Doctrine. I have already had this class but am auditing it. Some other members in our church are taking classes also for the first time...

"Why?" you may ask would you want to take the class over... Well, I as a pastor need spiritually fed, and I crave this level of spiritual education, and God works through these classes to feed me. I also love the interaction between students in the classes.

One of the requirements that I had to meet when I took this class was to write a doctrinal statement...

This is also related to the paper I had to prepare in order to be ordained.
Preparing this document was not an easy task.. I took it very seriously, and weighed each word while preparing it. The other requirement was to make sure every statement I made was backed up by scripture. So footnotes had to be included...

So, for the next few posts, I am laying out my doctrinal statement...
Apparently the reference numbers to the footnotes will not show up when I cut and paste it here, But if you research the scriptures below each section, you will soon be able to connect them to the statements in the paragraph...

The first statement has to do with the Bible...

The Bible:

Men, divinely inspired, penned the Holy Bible . It is infallible and inerrant in communicating the truth God wants humanity to know . Every word in the originals was exactly what God had intended to share with humanity . It is an eternal gift from God to us, so that we may know the way of salvation . It is the ultimate standard by which all human conduct and doctrines should be measured . Even though inspiration and strict inerrancy can only be claimed by the original manuscripts , we can rest assured that God, through his divine preservation , has given us copies and translations that are inerrant and inspired in a derivative sense, in that they accurately reflect the originals . Therefore the translations and copies have the same authority as the originals.

2 Peter 1:19-21
2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 17:17
Matthew 5:18
2 Timothy 3:15
Proverbs 30:5,6
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Proverbs 30:5-6; 2 Peter 1:21
Matthew 24:35 ; John 10:35
Psalms 119:89; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Mark 13:31

Isaac's Recital

2007-12-29T22:22:00.000-05:00

Here is Isaac playing, O come all ye Faithful at his piano recital a couple weeks ago.

American Kid by Go Fish

2007-12-17T10:43:00.001-05:00

If you attended our Christmas play last night, you would have heard a lot of Go Fish Music... Go Fish is a Christian band that is sweeping the nation... for kids!
They have been around since 1993, but have just been recognized within the last few yrs..

Here is a song that is dedicated to our great American Military kids...
I hope you like it!
If you do, go out and buy a CD for your child...
Or go online and download their songs...
Here is a link to their website CLICK HERE

Daring or Stupid?

2007-12-14T22:32:00.001-05:00

Christmas with a capital C....

2007-12-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

Take this all you wimps that want to say "Happy Holidays"..

Are you a true WVian?

2007-12-07T00:13:00.000-05:00

THE RULES OF WEST VIRGINIA ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Turn your cap right, your head isn't crooked.

3. Let's get this straight; it's called a "dirt road." I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

4. They are cattle. They're live steaks. That's why they smell funny to you. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? Rt. 50 goes east and west, I-79 goes north and south. Pick one.

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $150,000 corn pickers and hay balers that are driven only 3 weeks a year.

6. So every person in West Virginia waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.

7. If that cell phone rings while an 8-point buck and 3 does are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

8. Yeah, we eat catfish & ramps. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.

9. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

10. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women, regardless of age.

11. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Order steak. Or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham & turkey.

12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup. Oh, yeah.... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!

13. You bring "coke" into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice.

14. You bring "Mary Jane" into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.

15. College and High School Football is as important here as the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.

16. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards -- it spooks the fish.

17. Colleges? We have them all over. We have State Universities, Community Colleges, and Vo-techs. They come outta there with an education plus a love for God and country, and they still wave at everybody when t hey come for the holidays.

18. We have a whole ton of folks in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. So don't mess with us. If you do, you will get whipped by the best.

19. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers. Refer back to #1.

20. 4 inches isn't a blizzard - it's a flurry. Drive like you got some sense in it, and DON'T take all our bread, milk, and bleach from the grocery stores. This ain't Alaska, worst case you may have to live a whole day without croissants. The pickups with snow blades will have you out the next day.

Feeding the hungry by playing an online game

2007-12-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

I found something yesterday that is amazing!!

How would you like to help feed the world's hungry while playing a game, while learning?

I found a way to have fun, and affect the world at the same time...

www.freerice.com

At FreeRice, you can play a vocabulary game. For each correct answer, 20 grains of rice are donated to the World Food Program. The rice is then distributed to those in need.

This might not sound like a lot of rice. However, the vocabulary game is fun and addictive. Your contributions will quickly add up.

Wondering where FreeRice gets the food to donate? The site is supported by advertisers. The advertising generates money to buy the rice. FreeRice is a non-profit organization. All money from advertising goes to help feed the world. You can learn more by reading the Frequently Asked Questions. www.freerice.com/faq.html

Now, the thing I like most about FreeRice is that it’s a win-win situation. In exchange for helping the hungry, you’re helping yourself. The questions can be quite challenging, so they'll improve your word power!

So, go there, see what level you can get to... I was up to level 40 yesterday, try to beat that!

Tears of the Saints

2007-11-20T23:46:00.000-05:00

An awesome video based on the song, "Tears of the Saints" by Leeland...

Casting Crowns concert

2007-11-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share with you some footage I found on youtube of the Casting Crowns concert I went to this past Thursday in Charleston, WV...

I hope you enjoy it...

Prepare your heart for Revival

2007-10-30T17:07:00.000-04:00

How many needs the love of the Father, that He has placed in each one of us to share, and not to keep?
This video keeps speaking to me today....
Maybe you are like the girl...
Maybe you are like the snobs...
We all need forgiveness.... even me. God knows how much I ask him for forgiveness... I think I ask so much, that I have a speeddial button on my prayers!!!
Please, please watch it... and let God break your heart.

A DVD you have to see...

2007-10-28T22:36:00.001-04:00

THE CHRISTMAS STAR
The True Story

Barry Setterfield discusses the historic and scientific evidence for the Christmas story.

The Birth: When was it?
The Wisemen: Who were they?
The Star: What was it?

This is A very enlightening study that every Christian needs to see... Barry does a great job of stripping away traditionalism, and replacing it with the truth of Scripture.

Have you ever wondered if December 25th is Jesus' actual birthday? Where did the Wisemen come from? Just what was the Christmas Star the Wisemen followed? Barry Setterfield uses Science and History to support the Bible.

Beginning in November, we as a church will look at these Questions using this DVD.

You can also own one of these DVDs! It will make a great Christmas present for friends and family...
Our homecoming committee is selling these for only $20 a peice.
For every one we sell, $5 goes to help support our upcoming church anniversary celebration...

So, Learn more about Christ, while giving a great Christmas present, all while supporting a ministry... what better use of $20 can you think of?!!

Top Ten Things...Never heard in church

2007-10-28T22:00:00.000-04:00

10. "Hey, mister, get up! It's my turn to sit on the front seat!"

9. "Pastor, I was so blessed that I didn't even notice the service went over time by 35 minutes!"

8. "You know, I enjoy coming to Sunday School so much more fun than going fishing on Sunday."

7. "Oh, good! We have another missionary with us today!"

6. "Pastor, I'd like to volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the junior high Sunday School class."

5. "Yes, I would so appreciate having the opportunity to serve on the clean-up committee!"

4. "I just love singing choruses I've never heard before."

3. "Well, it seems the sanctuary is already filled, so let's just start the service early."

2. "Pastor, we would like to send you to the month-long Bible seminar on Maui."

And the number one statement nver heard in church is:

1. "Nothing inspires me like the annual stewardship campaign!"

"Amazing Grace..My Chains Are Gone" By Chris Tomlin

2007-10-26T11:40:00.000-04:00

This is more beautiful than the original "Amazing Grace"
I know my next song to learn!!!
Amazing grace How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbade to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

Revival Nov 7-9th 7pm nightly

2007-10-25T23:40:00.001-04:00

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Do you know someone like this? Could this woman be named Paula?

2007-10-25T16:41:00.000-04:00

After you watch it, watch it again, and pay attention to the guy on the right with the cutter...

Then at the very end, watch for some action on the left, toward the back of the room...

What a ringleader...

2007-10-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

Is it me, or do they look like they are up to something...

Super Pastor!!!

2007-10-23T21:40:00.000-04:00

Don't pick on a Korean...

2007-10-16T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today's afternoon sermon, the annual sermon, was brought by Ken Miller, Pastor of FBC Weston. He preached on the need to not exact revenge on people, but to bless those who curse us. It went along with the theme of the convention this year which is Peacemaking... How to get along with your enemies....

Anyway, he told a story I want to relay to you...

There were these three men int the army stationed in Korea. They had a young Korean for a cook... These three men thought it was funny to play practical jokes on this young Korean. They would put vaseoline on the knobs on the cook stove, They would position pails of water over doorways so they would fall on him when he walked through the door... They would take his shoes when he was not watching and nail them to the floor...

One day, they felt bad for what they did, so they went to him to apologize...

The Korean said, "Let me get this straight... no more sticky to da stove?"
The three said... yep...

"No more wet on da head?"
The three said ... yep...

"No more "stucky to da floor?"
The three said ... yep...

The Korean boy.. .said, "GOOOOOD, NO MORE SPIT IN YOUR SOUP!!"

Gotta go, we just finished eating at Cracker Barrell, and we have to be back at church by 6:30...

We made it...

2007-10-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it to Parkersburg for the WVBC.

After a good night's rest, we will be busy, busy, busy...

But if you need me, just call the cell phone.

BTW, the fall leaves are beautiful in the mountains!!!

The Dusty old shoes

2007-10-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

I showered and shaved.............. I adjusted my tie.

I got there and sat.............. In a pew just in time.

Bowing my head in prayer......... As I closed my eyes.

I saw the shoe of the man next to me..... Touching my own. I sighed.

With plenty of room on either side...... I thought,

"Why must our soles touch?"

It bothered me, his shoe touching mine... But it didn't bother him much.

A prayer began: "Our Father"............. I thought, "This man with the shoes.. has no pride.

They're dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse, there are holes on the side!"

"Thank You for blessings," the prayer went on.

The shoe man said............... a quiet "Amen."

I tried to focus on the prayer....... But my thoughts were on his shoes again

Aren't we supposed to look our best.. When walking through that door?

"Well, this certainly isn't it," I thought, Glancing toward the floor.

Then the prayer was ended............ And the songs of praise began.

The shoe man was certainly loud...... Sounding proud as he sang.

His voice lifted the rafters......... His hands were raised high.

The Lord could surely hear.. The shoe man's voice from the sky.

It was time for the offering......... And what I threw in was steep.

I watched as the shoe man reached.... Into his pockets so deep.

I saw what was pulled out............ What the shoe man put in.

Then I heard a soft "clink" . as when silver hits tin.

The sermon really bored me......... To tears, and that's no lie

It was the same for the shoe man..... For tears fell from his eyes.

At the end of the service........ As is the custom here

We must greet new visitors.. And show them all good cheer.

But I felt moved somehow............ And wanted to meet the shoe man

So after the closing prayer.......... I reached over and shook his hand.

He was old and his skin was dark..... And his hair was truly a mess

But I thanked him for coming........ For being our guest.

He said, "My names' Charlie.......... I'm glad to meet you, my friend."

There were tears in his eyes......... But he had a large, wide grin

"Let me explain," he said........... Wiping tears from his eyes.

"I've been coming here for months.... And you're the first to say 'Hi.'"

"I know that my appearance........."Is not like all the rest

"But I really do try................."To always look my best."

"I always clean and polish my shoes.."Before my very long walk.

"But by the time I get here........."They're dirty and dusty, like chalk."

My heart filled with pain............ and I swallowed to hide my tears

As he continued to apologize......... For daring to sit so near.

He said, "When I get here..........."I know I must look a sight.

"But I thought if I could touch you.."Then maybe our souls might unite."

I was silent for a moment............ Knowing whatever was said

Would pale in comparison... I spoke from my heart, not my head.

"Oh, you've touched me," I said......"And taught me, in part;

"That the best of any man............"Is what is found in his heart."

The rest, I thought,................. This shoe man will never know.

Like just how thankful I really am... That his dirty old shoe touched my soul

Redneck Baptist Church

2007-10-07T22:40:00.000-04:00

You are in a redneck Baptist Church if…
* The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.
* People ask (when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000) whether the two fish were bass, crappie or catfish, and what bait was used to catch ‘em.
* When the pastor says, “I’d like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering,” five guys and two women stand up.
* Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.
* A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because “It ain’t never been in a hole it couldn’t get me out of.”
* The choir is known as the “OK Chorale.”
* In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.
* Baptism is referred to as “branding.”
* There is a special fundraiser for a new church septic tank.
* Finding and returning lost sheep isn’t just a parable.
* High notes on the organ set the dogs in the parking lot to howling.
* People think “rapture” is what you get when you lift something too heavy.
* The baptismal font is a used dip tank donated by a farmer
* The choir robes were donated by and embroidered with the logo from Larry, Darryl and Darryl’s Barbecue.
* The collection plates were made out of hubcaps from a ‘56 Chevy.
* The pulpit committee asks prospective pastors questions about hunting dogs, shotguns, and deer rifles.
If you have Mens and Ladies out-houses behind the church (and its part of the pastor’s job discription to clean em)!
If there are gun racks on each side of the front door.
If the church has smoking and non-smoking sections in the sanctuary.
If the outcome of the NASCAR Winston Cup points standing causes a church split.
If church discipline means a trip to the woodshed!
…you have a NASCAR driver’s name on your prayer list.
…you have made change out of the offering plate.
…you left the baptismal pool a little warmer than when you entered it.
…you have trucks in your parking lot with recently killed deer in the back.
If the communion cup holders on the backs of the pews double as spit cup holders.
If the men come in their “dress” bib overalls.
…if church potluck announcements have to specify “no roadkill”.
…your John Deere hat matches your tie.
If instead of a bell, you are called to service by a duck call.
If the minister and his wife drive matching pickup trucks.
If the communion wine is Boone’s Farm “Tickled Pink”.
If “Thou shalt not covet” applies to hunting dogs, too.
If the final words of the benediction are, “Y’all come back now!! Ya Hear!”
So go out there and git-r-done for Jesus!, because Jesus Got-r-done for us!

Alan Jackson and working your way to Heaven...

2007-10-06T14:09:00.000-04:00

Alan Jackson has a popular song... Maybe you recognize the lyrics....

Where I Come From

'Cause where I come from it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from a lotta front porch pickin'
Where I come from tryin' to make a livin'
Workin' hard to get to heaven
Where I come from

Did you see that... "Workin' hard to get to Heaven" What?
You see this is the problem with the old fashioned, southern USA, country mentality....

The old thinking is this: If you are good enough, and work hard enough you will go to Heaven...

I have one word for that.... Hogwash!

If you were to die today would you go to Heaven?
If you were to die ten years from now would you go to Heaven?

The answer depends on whether you fully trust Jesus to get you there.
If you say, “I don’t know about 10 yrs from now… I might lose my salvation.” Or "If I am good enough" You are not fully trusting in Christ to save you, which is very, very dangerous.

If you are depending on getting to Heaven by what you do, or don’t do, you are basing your salvation on your works…
Those that base their salvation on their works will go to Hell..

Think about it like this…. If you could get to Heaven by yourself, why did Christ die?

It is only through his shed blood on Calvary that you can go to Heaven…
And only through trusting Him… faith… do you have access to the blood.

Eph 2:8-9: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Do you see the NOT OF WORKS part?

If you are working yourself to Heaven, you are on your way to Hell…
Stop today… put your trust in Him… your whole trust.

It is the only way to save your life!

I hope Alan Jackson realizes this.

Are you looking for a perfect pastor?

2007-10-04T22:28:00.000-04:00

OK, here he is....
The Perfect Pastor

Preaches exactly 20 minutes and follows it with an invitation in which everyone is convicted but no one is offended.

Works from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and serves as church counselor as well as janitor.

37 years old with 40 years of preaching experience.

He is paid $400 a week, and gives $100 back to the church.

Tall and short, thin and heavy set.

Hair is parted in the middle and is straight on one side and wavy on the other side, with a balding spot on top revealing his maturity. And grey all over.

Has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with seniors.

He smiles constantly with a straight and sober face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously at his work.

Spends 40 hours a week in sermon preparation, 20 hours in counseling, 10 hours in meetings, five hours in emergencies, 20 hours in visitation and 15 hours in evangelism, 6 hours in weddings and funerals, 30 hours in prayer and meditation, 12 hours in letter writing, and administration, and 10 hours in creative thinking.

Spends 5 evenings at home with his family, plus a day off, and always stops for interruptions.

Makes 15 visits a day to shut-ins and is always available in his office.

Spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched.

A seminary graduate, but uses only one- and two-syllable words.

His kids are perfect, his mother is rich, and his wife plays the piano.

His house is large, his bank account is small, and his car is in the shop.

He is paid too much but gives it all to the poor and wears nice clothes.

He is talented, gifted, scholarly, practical, popular, compassionate, understanding, patient, level headed, dependable, loving, caring, neat, organized, cheerful, and above all, humble.

If your pastor does not measure up to these criteria, send this list to six other churches that are also dissatisfied with their pastor. Then, bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the top of the list. In one week you will receive 1,643 pastors. Surely one of them will be perfect. Have faith in this letter. One church broke the chain and got its old pastor back in three months.

Playing God

2007-10-03T12:28:00.000-04:00

Why is it Christians wants to make up so many rules?

Don’t get me wrong, rules are important.
But there are some very legalistic Christians out there that only seem to be happy when they have a list of do’s and don’ts…

I personally think they are lazy Christians that don’t want to wrestle with Scriptures to let the Holy Ghost guide them. So what do they do? They let others make up the rules… It is just so much easier that way.
What are some rules that Christians have made up that are not in the Bible?Here are a few:

Must only use the KJV
Women must never wear pants
Men must not have hair on their face
Women must not cut their hair
Women must wear head-coverings
Christians cannot play cards
Christians cannot go to the movies
Christians cannot go to sporting events
Contemporary music is of the devil
We must sing only 300 yr old hymns.
It ain’t preachin if the preacher ain’t spittin

Now am I saying that a woman that believes she should wear dresses all the time is being legalistic…..NO, not at all. That is a conviction that she has, and should follow it.
For instance, we used to have friends that believed that a woman must wear dresses all the time in order to be right with God… When we went to visit them, my wife would wear a dress. The other woman never told my wife to, but my wife did it out of respect for her friend. Is it my wife’s conviction to wear dresses… no, she can dress modestly in jeans.

Another example: My wife’s grandmother believes that card playing is wrong… so when she would come to visit us, we would hide the rummy cards…. out of respect for her.

So when does it cross the line?When others take their convictions and make a list for others to follow…They are then playing God.

God says that he has written the law on our hearts. Why do we need man made lists then?The answer….If we can check off everything on the list, then we “feel” holy.That makes us feel good.And we can be proud that we are right, and others are wrong.But you see, pride is a sin too…

I want to challenge you to ask yourself why you hold to the standards you do.Is it because you have wrestled with them?Or did someone playing God come along, and enslave you to their convictions?

More later…

A Preacher's Week

2007-09-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

How to prepare a sermon
I am sure we have all heard that a preacher only works one day a week…As a Pastor, I assure you that a man called by God cannot get everything done in one day that needs done!
I have also been asked how I prepare a sermon… and how much time it takes…To do it right it takes me about 10-15 hours a week for one sermon.The following describes what I usually do through the week to get my sermon together…
I usually know 3 to 4 weeks ahead of what text I am going to use…
I only preach one “sermon” a week..Wednesday evenings and Sunday evenings are Bible study. Both are very interactive in which I am teaching the church how to study the Bible.. we pick a text, and just have fun tearing it apart to learn from it.. some weeks we go 3-4 weeks on the same verse! The church loves this… and they are growing..
But…This is my usual sermon building week….
Monday (my usual day off, yeah right!! lol)- Pray, read, pray, re-read, pray re-read the text in my quiet time.
Tuesday Start picking it apart by words, context, cultural influence, other scriptures…read commentaries..other sermons..Etc…
Wednesday… devoted to Wednesday night bible study… but in the back of my mind, looking for illustrations from real life…
Thursday… Back to Sermon…. Outline the meat of the sermon… sometimes 3 (or more) pointer.. sometimes an acrostic… sometimes storyline if preaching on a biblical character..etc
Friday... complete outline with opening illustration and closing applicational illustration.. I also start putting together my powerpoint slides based on my outline…
Saturday… complete powerpoint with transitions, pictures, etc… Print out slides and go over with my son either Sat night, or early Sunday morning.. He runs my powerpoint while I preach away…
Sunday… Go over sermon early… make sure everything works… go to church, and watch the Holy Spirit work…Sunday afternoon… work on Sunday night Bible Study…But usually I just bring up a topic or text, and I never know where the church will go with it.. so I don’t prepare too much except to learn the definitions of the words, context, etc… This keeps me on my toes!

Thank God for e-sword.. I have it on the wall as we discuss the scriptures… so if we have a question I can’t answer, we dig into it…
Then on top of all this, I teach free guitar lessons at church, teach a Sunday School class, help direct our association’s youth camp this year, hospital visitations, other visitations… phone calls, (both pleasant and not so pleasant), emails (both pleasant and unpleasant), counseling, checking on people that miss a couple Sundays, getting my announcements together for the Bulletin, other administrative work, associational meetings, committee meetings, helping with the youth, events with the activity group, planning for the future events, making sure the church is staying true to it’s vision statement, plus all the other pastor duties that always need done!
For entertainment, I like TVland, and computers.
Could you imagine doing all of this in one day?
But we all know the preacher only works one day a week…

Some more...

2007-09-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

Are you the Image of Christ?
When God finishes with us we will be the image of Christ.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Are your eyes Christ like? Do you look at the same things Christ would? Do you look at other people the same way Christ would look at them? Do they see Mercy in your eyes? Or do they see hatred?
Are your Ears Christ like? Do you listen to Gossip? Do you listen to the things Christ would? Do you even listen at all… He that has ears, let him hear
Is your Mouth Christ like? Do you spread Gossip? Do you say words you shouldn’t? Do you control your tongue? Do you speak the words of Christ to others?
Are you hands Christ like? If you were to look upon Christ’s hands you would see scars left there by those nails… scars that now symbolize the Love He had for us…When others see your hands do they symbolize the love you have for them… IOWS, do you help others?
What about your feet? The Bible says that the preacher’s feet are beautiful…. {My wife disagrees} lol Seriously, the Bible says that because we use our feet to spread the gospel to the world…Do you spread the gospel while you are on the go?
These are just 5 areas in which we can become more Christ like…. there are many more areas… but I am convinced that if Christians would just master these areas the world would be a different place!

Su-she the fish
A Story…There once was aGoldfish named Su-she….(an exchange fish from Japan)Su-she never was satisfied…She always wanted more.You could feed her 3 times a day, and she wanted fed 4 times…You could buy her new gravel, and she wanted marbles…You could buy her a new house to put in her bowl, and she wanted the castle..But the one thing Su-she dreamed about…Was…Living outside that bowl!Day by day she watched people through her little glass window…They could walk from room to room,They could talk to each other..They could walk out the door..And she could hear them talk about going to the mall.And there she was…Stuck in a bowl…All she could do was swim in circles!AlthoughOn Sundays she would pretend she was her favorite NASCAR Driver,Tony Stewart…She loved the color of Tony’s Car!!And she couldn’t wait until Sundays…As the race was going on, she would pretend she was Tony…She would go around and around until she hit the side of the bowl!!! Then she would try to blame someone else!!!But ANYWAYOne day she devised a plan…
She heard her owners talk about going to the mall…So she thought to herself….”Today I am going to be a free fish!!!, no longer will I be shackled to this bowl full of water… If they can be free, I deserve to be free also… So when they leave…I am out of here!!”
Sure enough…Within the hourThe owners left to go to the mall…
Su-she thought to herself, “Here’s my chance!”
So she backed up as far as she could go into the lower corner of her bowl…Then as fast as she could, she swam towards the top of the water…Then….Up and out of the bowl she flew!!!Su-she felt the exhilarating feeling of flying for the first time in her life…
She began singing,
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty, I’m free at last!!!” But then…Ka plunk!!!Su-she hit the floor!!There she lay gasping for air!
And what she thought was freedom…Was actually Death!!!She forgot about one thing….
The Cat!!!
The lesson here: Sometimes we think life would be better “If only ________” (You fill in the blank)
But when we get what we think we want it is a whole lot worse than what we had.
Grass is not greener on the other side of the fence… it is an illusion!

Posts from Previous Blog

2007-09-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

Hello all. I deleted my previous blog due to personal reasons..
So for a few weeks, I will post some of my previous blog's stuff just to get it here...

Thank you for taking the time to read...

Prayer
I can’t believe it has been this long writing a post!!I have got to write more…
But we have been busy at church.We have started a small group study on prayer on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 1 pm.We are using John Maxwell’s book, “Partners in Prayer”And we have seen a lot of prayers answered over the last 4 weeks…Cancers disappear, relationships healed, and church problems vanish…All because of prayer.
Prayer is powerful…
Praise God!!!!!

more later